Demon King of the Royal Class-Chapter 405

There were many people following me, but there were also countless others who picked fights with me for no reason.

Most of them seemed to think that if they could take down someone as famous as the next hero, they might gain even a fraction of my popularity. Or maybe they were just annoyed because the girl they liked was following me around, so they wanted to confront me.

Dragging around a fan club while getting into conflicts everywhere became my daily routine.

Ellen and Harriet were still avoiding me. In fact, Harriet seemed to be crying alone. She always wore her hat pulled down low, and her eyes always seemed swollen.

Like Ellen, she knew I had been to dangerous places and would continue to go. She seemed to be struggling with herself, unable to stop me yet finding it hard to just stand by and watch.

Olivia was often absent from the dormitory. She said she had taken on the role of an inquisitor for the Order of the Holy Knights. Given that she was past the age of graduation and would receive credit for her external activities, the Royal Class dormitory was nothing more than a place to sleep for her.

Ellen and Harriet were in a state of depression, and Olivia was trying to make a name for herself even more than I was, to lure the Demon King into targeting her. That certainly didn’t make me feel any better.

There was stress all around... And when severe stress accumulates, hair falls out.

“Shit... damn it...”

I had taken a shower and was just about to go to bed when I was stunned to see my hand covered in blonde hair.

When I checked my scalp, I found a circular bald spot on the side of my head—a bald patch. A place that should have been golden was now skin-colored, a small patch about the size of a coin flaunting its presence.

This was the last thing I wanted to be reunited with.

‘Why are you reappearing in my life? Weren’t we supposed to part ways forever?’

Taking several deep breaths, I focused my mind, and hair filled up the circular bald spot in real-time.

‘The Baldness Immunity Ring... The Dreadfiend’s Ring saved my life!

‘I am a god! The god of hair loss! No, if I’m the god of hair loss, it sounds like I’d be losing hair, so maybe I should say the god of hair...?

‘I am a god! The ruler of hair! The god of hair! Let it fall out as much as it wants! I’ll just fill it back in!’

I’d almost had a PTSD episode, but the Dreadfiend’s Ring had saved me. It was bad enough to be stressed, but if I started to lose hair on top of that, it would not just be twice as depressing—the depression would grow exponentially.

If it weren’t for this ring, I wouldn’t have been able to enter the Temple in the first place. And without the ability to restore my hair, I might have become the first bald hero in history.

‘Thank you, Sarkegar. You are a loyal servant.’

Tap, tap, tap.

Just as I was feeling relieved, a sparrow tapped at my window with its beak as I returned to my bedside.

Slide!

When I opened the window, the sparrow hopped into the room, and as I drew the curtains, Sarkegar transformed into his usual elegant maid form.

“Greetings, Your Highness—”

I wrapped my arms around the maid in front of me.

“I love you.”

When I suddenly hugged him, Sarkegar seemed startled and flinched.

“You are the loyal servant of the century! A great loyal servant who will go down in history!”

‘Thank you for saving my hair! No loyal servant in the world has ever solved their lord’s hair loss!’

“Uh...? Yes! I love you too, Your Highness!”

Sarkegar, who did not quite understand the situation but felt the need to do something, hugged me back and patted my back earnestly.

***

Sarkegar had come with a purpose, but he must have been curious about my sudden behavior, so I explained the reason to him.

“... You mean your hair is falling out?”

“... Yes.”

Unlike me, who considered hair a serious matter, Sarkegar, who could transform freely, didn’t seem to understand my perspective at all. He tilted his head in confusion.

“Anyway, it’s a great honor that our clan’s ring has solved Your Highness’s problem.”

“No, it’s my honor.”

I was almost ready to bow to him in gratitude, and Sarkegar seemed even more perplexed.

“I came to report on the meeting with Owen de Getmora, as per your previous instructions...”

“Oh, right. That.”

Sarkegar, standing there demurely in maid form, began to discuss the main reason why he had come.

“It seems the imperial family has tentatively accepted our explanation, but there’s every possibility they don’t believe us.”

“... Of course.”

The imperial family might very well think the recent Raziern attack was a retaliatory strike. In the end, even with these secret conversations, we were still each other’s enemies. That was unavoidable.

“We must find the demon god cultists before the empire does.”

“Indeed.”

The race had begun. If the imperial family found the demon god cultists before we did, they would be annihilated.

If I found them first, I could take them under my control. Whether there was a need to keep them under my control was still something to consider, but there was no reason to let the demon god cultists run rampant.

If I planned to use them later, I needed to contact them to stop their unnecessary rampage.

“Based on the information I’ve gathered, the empire seems to suspect the Demon God Cult’s activity is centered in the southern part of the continent,” Sarkegar, who had also investigated this issue, said cautiously.

As a messenger and an imperial noble, Sarkegar had access to information that the imperial family held. Of course, the same went for me.

Given the vastness of the southern continent, the countries and territories encompassed by the single word “south” were almost immeasurable.

“If it’s the south, the head of the House of Friday might know something.”

From what I knew, Galarsh was using the Gelkorgis Desert in the southern continent as a base.

Although the scope was so wide that the chances of obtaining effective information were very slim, focusing on gathering information through Galarsh seemed to be the best approach.

“I’ll relay my opinion to the Vampire Council through Lucinil. You’re dismissed for now.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

I quietly watched as Sarkegar transformed back into a sparrow and flew out the window.

It came down to whether the empire found them first or we did.

Sarkegar could access imperial information, but in that regard, I had the upper hand, since I was a hero. I could obtain the information the empire gathered through numerous means faster than Sarkegar could.

If I managed to gather the demon god cultists under my control, would it be better to dispose of them or use them? That was also something I needed to consider.

***

Ever since that day he had mentioned the engagement, Ellen no longer shared late-night meals with Reinhart in the dining hall.

It wasn’t because they’d had a big fight. They hadn’t seriously discussed ending things either. However, after hearing those words, it somehow felt like it was wrong to do anything together anymore.

Aside from Tana’s swordsmanship class, Ellen and Reinhart would just pass each other by if they met.

But the expression... The look on Reinhart’s face whenever he saw her was unbearable for Ellen.

If Charlotte was precious to him, if he was getting engaged to her and eventually married her to protect her, and if he seemed content with that, Ellen might have been able to turn away. But the guilt-ridden look in his eyes whenever he saw her tormented Ellen.

She had to believe that it was all over. But because of that look, she could not. They weren’t acting as if the other didn’t exist, but it felt like they were worse than strangers, and that feeling was hard for Ellen to bear.

So, Ellen sat blankly in the dining hall, neither eating nor doing anything else.

It had been a while since she felt hungry. At this time, she would usually be hungry enough to eat something. Recently, though, she was spending every night sitting there dumbly in the dining hall, waiting for someone who wouldn’t come.

Ellen didn’t even drink a drop of water. She knew Reinhart wouldn’t come, but she couldn’t even bring herself to sleep. If she stayed outside, she might catch a glimpse of Reinhart passing by, but if she stayed in her room, there was no chance at all.

Ellen found herself spending more time idly in the lobby, the dining hall, and the training grounds. If they happened to meet, she would say something.

It was all okay. She understood everything.

She just wanted things to be like they were before.

She wouldn’t think of him as someone she wanted entirely for herself. She just wanted to talk, clash their swords together, and occasionally have meals together, as they always did. That would be enough for her.

Even if he got engaged to Charlotte, or even married her, couldn’t they still be friends?

However, just using that as an excuse to be with Reinhart already meant they couldn’t just be friends.

If Ellen said something to Reinhart, she might repeat the mistake she made with her brother.

‘You said you liked me, but it was all a lie. And now you’re letting go so easily? Were you just playing with me? Why did you do that to me?’

If Ellen said something like that and Reinhart ended up dying, she might never be able to take back her words, and that was what she feared.

Ellen was afraid of hurting Reinhart with her words and not being able to undo it, so she couldn’t say anything to him.

That was why Ellen wanted to speak, but always held back. She wanted to grab him and talk with him, but she couldn’t.

Just as Reinhart seemed to want to say something but couldn’t, it was the same with Ellen. The fact that Reinhart was Alsbringer’s master was already widespread.

The rumors had spread throughout the Temple, and the area in front of the Royal Class dormitory was crowded with general class students wanting to see Reinhart. Ellen knew that this fame would one day become a knife that would stab Reinhart.

She wanted to do something, but she couldn’t do anything. She couldn’t interfere in the matter between Charlotte and Reinhart.

She wanted to help Reinhart, who was constantly diving into dangerous situations, but she knew that Reinhart wouldn’t want that, so she couldn’t even suggest accompanying him. So Ellen just sat there.

Not knowing what to do, just hoping to run into him by chance.

Even though it was past curfew and she knew Reinhart wouldn’t come out of his room, she just sat idly in the lobby, then in the dining hall.

Reinhart didn’t go to the dining hall. Ellen sat there, in the midst of her self-destructive and miserable feelings, and thought. All she could do was think.

All of this was happening because Charlotte’s life was in danger. The engagement, Reinhart being in danger... all of it.

He was trying to secure Charlotte’s safety at the cost of his own. Although it was known that Reinhart was Alsbringer’s master, the engagement hadn’t been publicly announced yet.

If Reinhart had made his choice reluctantly, then if Charlotte’s safety could be assured, then couldn’t Reinhart’s engagement be canceled? If that happened, couldn’t she be by Reinhart’s side again?

“...”

How, then?

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On that night in Kamsencha, the night she wanted to forget, Ellen and Harriet had sat and listened to Reinhart’s explanation.

They didn’t know the details, but Charlotte had lost her bid for the imperial throne. Therefore, her life was in danger, and without a marriage to someone politically strong like Reinhart, her safety couldn’t be guaranteed.

‘How could Charlotte be made safe? Could I do that?’

Ellen pondered as she looked out the dining hall window. She quietly thought about her name.

‘Ellen. Ellen Artorius.’

“...”

Ellen stood up from her seat.

***

Knock, knock.

In the deep of night, Charlotte, dressed in her pajamas, got up from her bed at the sound of someone knocking on her door.

Sometimes, if Tana was particularly worried, she would come to check on her at night.

“Dame Tana, you must be tired, please go to sleep...”

Click.

Opening the door without much suspicion, Charlotte was startled to find an unexpected person standing before her.

“... Oh...”

Ellen Artorius had come to see Charlotte in the middle of the night.

“Can we... talk?” Ellen asked cautiously.

Charlotte looked into Ellen’s eyes, and couldn’t refuse the desperation she saw in them.

***

On the tea-time terrace, long past curfew, Charlotte sat in her pajamas, a coat draped over her shoulders, while Ellen sat across from her in her training clothes.

Charlotte felt a sense of guilt towards Reinhart, and she felt a similar emotion towards Ellen, though perhaps not as intense as what she felt for Reinhart.

“Do you have something to say?” Charlotte asked.

“...”

Ellen quietly looked down at the table.

She didn’t want Reinhart to be in danger. Just as Olivia had taken on some of the risks Reinhart faced, Ellen wanted to do the same.

The world would focus more on the sister of Ragan Artorius than on Reinhart and Olivia. That meant taking on danger, and Ellen was prepared for that.

However, how to go about that was the issue. She hoped that through this, Reinhart’s unavoidable engagement could be undone.

Charlotte de Gradias was losing her standing. Therefore, securing Charlotte’s position was key.

“I’ll become your knight,” Ellen said quietly.

“... Huh? W-what did you say?”

Charlotte couldn’t comprehend what she had just heard, as it was completely unexpected.

“If I become your knight, just that alone could keep you safe.”

Ellen Artorius.

Charlotte knew the weight that name carried, and was left speechless.

Ellen did not elaborate. Instead of becoming the bride of Alse’s Champion, Reinhart, Ellen Artorius, the sister of Ragan Artorius, would serve Charlotte as her liege. The unspoken request to annul the engagement was obvious.

Ellen bowed her head to Charlotte.

“For you, I’ll do many things. For the empire, anything. I’ll do it all. Use me for anything, and my achievements will become yours...” Ellen pleaded, her voice tinged with emotion.

“I won’t say it’s not because I hate the idea of you and Reinhart being engaged. But Reinhart will be in more danger if things continue like this. Instead, let me be the one in danger. I’ll do everything. If there’s something Reinhart has to do, I’ll do it...”

“...”

Ellen Artorius, the hero’s sister, was pleading with the princess, willing to give up everything just so that one thing would not be taken away.

Charlotte quietly observed Ellen, who was making such a decision because she didn’t want to lose Reinhart.

The year before, Charlotte had observed the relationship between Harriet de Saint-Ouen and Ellen Artorius and had felt sorry for them.

She had remained silent, believing that their relationship would be destroyed with just a word. Now, though, Charlotte found herself in the same position. She had become the one who was taking something away this time, but she wasn’t happy about it.

However, seeing Ellen, who was choosing this because she didn’t want to lose that thing, wasn’t pleasant either.

What if she refused?

Charlotte knew who Reinhart would choose if he had to choose between her and Ellen. Just as she wasn’t pleased with the current circumstances, she could not feel at ease when faced with Ellen’s desperate expression.

“If I refuse, what will you do?”

“...”

It was still Charlotte’s choice whether or not to accept Ellen’s offer to become her knight. If she gritted her teeth and refused, Reinhart would be engaged to her.

“Please... Please...” Ellen’s eyes were filled with desperation. “I’m begging you...”

If she turned away from those pleading eyes, if she ignored those tears, she might be able to secure a bigger future.

But Charlotte knew that she had lost to Vertus.

If the fact that the Demon King’s soul resided within her became known, it wouldn’t matter whether she had the hero’s sister as her knight or if she was a princess married to the hero.

She was merely relying on Vertus’s mercy. She would always be a burden to Reinhart.

The relationship of knight and liege was better than that of a married couple.

“Alright. My knight,” she said.

She smiled at Ellen. “But this is the first and last time I’ll yield.”

She was not satisfied with a cowardly victory—she aimed to truly win.

This wasn’t giving up. It was about canceling an unfair race and starting from the same starting line.

A knight with no intention of loyalty to her liege, and a liege lady jealous of her knight...

A strange oath of loyalty had just been made.