Demon King of the Royal Class-Chapter 440

After Harriet left, Vertus sat in his office, deep in thought.

The Demon King seemed to prefer death. He worried that if things continued as they were, a bigger problem might arise.

Why? Wouldn’t it be better to use Akasha and survive? Why was the Demon King pretending to care for humanity?

Humans had destroyed his world and killed his father. If the previous Demon King had truly died with such intentions, then his son and successor should have harbored hatred for humanity.

The Demon King had no reason to care for the safety of humanity. Such forgiveness and reconciliation could not exist. Therefore, Baalier’s declarations about wanting peace were inevitably lies. In fact, all his tales about Akasha could be lies and bluffs.

Should the Demon King be killed or not? For the moment, Akasha was in the hands of the Demon King’s subordinates, and if they tried to use Akasha to free the Demon King, an unpredictable disaster would occur.

The Demon King’s minions would use Akasha to retrieve him. So, if the Demon King were killed, wouldn’t his minions, having lost hope, refrain from using Akasha? That didn’t seem right either.

If that route were taken, Akasha would be used to take revenge for the dead Demon King. In either case, Akasha would be used. The only way Akasha wouldn’t be used was to release the Demon King.

But what if the Demon King, when freed, used Akasha to destroy the world? That would be the worst of outcomes for humanity.

If his story about Akasha was true, if it were true that he lost his memory and knew nothing about it until recently, and if it were true that he knew the future, if it were true that the great disaster called the Gate Incident or whatever would occur, if it were true that the Demon King intended to prevent that disaster for humanity... What was humanity supposed to do?

No. Believing such lies was excessively unreasonable. The Demon King had amassed too many lies up to this point. It was impossible to believe anything the Demon King said in this situation.

Then, should the Demon King be killed, spared, or released?

Vertus was at the crossroads of destruction, where none of these could be the right answer, and he felt utterly lost.

***

Olivia Lanche returned to the capital.

The investigation into the demon god cultists, which had been quite lengthy, had just concluded.

The Gelkorgis Desert, an extensive desert in the southern regions, held many abandoned cities, and served as the stronghold for the demon god cultists.

Perhaps it was only natural that the main base of the Demon God Cult was located in a place that was inaccessible to ordinary people, and that they were using the vast desert’s uninhabited areas as their stronghold.

Olivia’s demonic Divine Power served as both her identification and entry pass.

Olivia’s original intention had been to kill the Demon King, whom the demon god cultists followed, if he appeared, even if it meant mutual destruction.

However, in reality, the demon god cultists knew nothing about the Demon King. They only spouted nonsense about how the Demon King represented the will of the Demon Gods, but they had no actual connection with the Demon King.

When she found out that they were merely following the Demon King in their own way, Olivia managed to determine that the previous attack on Raziern by the demon god cultists had not been orchestrated by the Demon King.

Since it had become impossible to kill the Demon King directly, Olivia intended to take an alternative course of action. She planned to completely eradicate the demon god cultists, who might one day side with the Demon King.

Since this was not something she could do alone, Olivia returned to the capital. She intended to lead the main force of the Order of the Holy Knights and sweep through the Gelkorgis Desert.

If the Demon King managed to make full contact with the demon god cultists, the situation would become even more troublesome. This was the opportune moment.

Olivia returned to the capital with this plan, and encountered a strange situation.

Before she could even reach the headquarters of the Order of the Holy Knights, seeral imperial knights blocked Olivia’s path.

“Olivia Lanche, please come with us for a moment.”

***

Instead of the headquarters of the Order of the Holy Knights, the knights led Olivia into the Temple.

She had intended to visit the Temple to see Reinhart’s face for a moment anyway, but being escorted in felt a bit strange.

Olivia couldn’t help but feel a bit odd, though given the current state of affairs, the atmosphere inside the Temple seemed excessively tense.

Most of the people they passed by were not students, and although there were usually armed personnel present, there seemed to be even more than usual. The knights and mages escorting Olivia also did not seem ordinary.

She was led inside the Temple and to a consultation room in the main building. Olivia was unable to shake the feeling that she had been brought to an interrogation room.

Someone soon entered. It was a knight from Shanapell, whom she had seen during the previous attack on Rijaiera.

Scotla Kelton took a seat in front of Olivia. “I instructed them not to use coercive means, but I’m not sure how it went, Miss Olivia.”

Olivia quietly faced the middle-aged knight with a stern impression.

“They did not have to coerce me... But what’s going on? Did I do something wrong?” Olivia asked.

Her response was rather curt, due to the strange atmosphere. After all, she had accurately identified the location of the demon god cultists, which was something greatly beneficial to the empire, and not something wrong—though she had yet to report it.

Scotla Kelton shook his head. “No, not at all. We trust you, Miss Olivia. However, an important fact that has recently come to light, and you have become a person of great interest. Therefore we need to act cautiously.”

“An important fact?”

“...”

Scotla Kelton quietly looked at Olivia, as if deeply contemplating something. “Miss Olivia, would you summon Tiamata?”

“...?”

As if it were no big deal, Olivia summoned Tiamata and placed it on the table.

“It’s true that you share mastery of Tiamata with Reinhart, isn’t it?”

Scotla Kelton had personally witnessed Olivia wielding Tiamata, which should have been Reinhart’s, during the Rijaiera incident.

“Yes. You saw it, didn’t you?”

Olivia furrowed her brow as if questioning why he was asking something he already knew.

In response to Olivia’s reaction, which had slowly developed an edge of irritation because of the unknown situation she found herself in, Scotla Kelton nodded.

“Reinhart has been identified as the Demon King,” he said, his expression firm.

“... Sorry?”

That absurd declaration left Olivia speechless.

‘What did I just hear?’

Even when she tried to break down each word, she couldn’t grasp the meaning of what she had just heard.

However, Scotla Kelton did not provide a detailed explanation.

“Therefore, since you, Miss Olivia, are essentially soul-bound to this Demon King, the empire has no choice but to consider you a person of interest.”

“No. I’m asking you what you’re talking about!”

“Miss Olivia, I believe you are innocent. However... until the situation is defused, we recommend that you stay here in the main building.”

“What...?”

“Please, Miss Olivia... We don’t want to do this either.”

Scotla Kelton left the consultation room.

Olivia was left bewildered, unable to comprehend what was happening.

***

Olivia was soon escorted out of the consultation room, and the knights that were with her led her to a staff dormitory room in the main building.

Though they called it a recommendation, it was essentially a mandatory confinement. A knight from Shanapell stayed in the dormitory room with Olivia, clearly to monitor her in real-time.

“What is this? I need to know what’s going on. Just throwing out that Reinhart is the Demon King? What am I supposed to do with that?”

The one assigned to monitor her wasn’t Scotla Kelton, but a member of Shanapell, the empire’s strongest order of knights. It was clear that this person was capable of subduing Olivia if necessary, and this one knight was likely not the only one watching her.

The female knight from Shanapell looked at Olivia with a stern expression.

“It’s exactly as it sounds, Olivia. Reinhart, the master of Alsbringer and Tiamata, is the Demon King, and he has infiltrated the Temple. This was only recently discovered. He is currently being detained within the Temple, and discussions are underway to determine his fate.”

Though it was a slightly longer explanation than the one Scotla Kelton had offered, Olivia still couldn’t comprehend it.

“We know that you were rescued by the Demon King’s forces during the Leverier Lanche incident, a fact you have kept hidden until now, whether that was your intention or not. Together with the fact that you are in a sort of soul-bound state with the Demon King since you share mastery over Tiamata, the empire has decided that it needs to keep an eye on you.”

“...”

“Miss Olivia, if you just stay here and remain calm for a few days, nothing will happen.”

It was possible that Olivia was not an accomplice of the Demon King, but because there was a chance she might be, the empire had decided to keep her under surveillance until the Demon King’s fate was determined.

Olivia swallowed hard. Something very, very strange was happening, and she couldn’t accept most of it. But one sentence lingered in her mind.

‘Reinhart is the Demon King.’

Therefore, she, who shared mastery of Tiamata with the Demon King, was inevitably under suspicion.

Also, because of the fact that she had been present at the scene of Leverier Lanche’s murder incident but had kept it hidden thus far, she had to be suspected of being in league with the Demon King.

Olivia could just about understand that much.

“Reinhart... the Demon King...?”

That one single truth. Once she accepted that, all the puzzle pieces that had troubled Olivia all this while fell into place.

Olivia had been tormented because she could not understand the actions of the Demon King that day.

Why had he saved her? Why save an outsider like herself, when it might have led to him failing to kill Leverier Lanche? Why?

Attacking the Nameless Monastery would only benefit the empire, so why did he do something that only benefited the empire?

Olivia had been confused because she had not been able to discern the true intentions of the Demon King. But then, if Reinhart was the Demon King, everything made sense.

He had done it to protect her. There was no other reason.

Through some means, Reinhart had learned that Olivia was in danger. Therefore, he had led his forces in an attack on Leverier Lanche.

The Nameless Monastery and Leverier Lanche held no significance to him. He had merely gone to save Olivia and Adriana because they were in danger. The last puzzle piece fit into place. The Demon King, and Reinhart. If the two were the same, she could understand and accept it all.

She had thought that if the demon god cultists’ attack on Raziern was the work of the Demon King, then the Demon King had to be an evil being. However, Olivia had recently learned that the demon god cultists had no real connection to the Demon King.

Olivia always thought that she had not been chosen, and that Reinhart never looked at her. That he was always looking elsewhere. That despite her expressing her feelings towards him, he always ignored her. That her situation was pitiful.

That’s what she had thought.

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But it wasn’t so. Reinhart had already saved her, taking great risks to do so. He had done so the first time, and again this time. Reinhart had saved her twice.

“...”

What did it mean when she said she would do anything for him, even if he didn’t look at her? What did it mean when she said she was on his side, even if he didn’t choose her? What nonsense was that?

Reinhart had already saved her, even though she had not known it. He had risked his life, mobilized his limited forces, and faced elite holy knights. He had even risked exposing his identity.

While she had only vowed to save Reinhart with words, Reinhart had actually saved Olivia, and he had never made any mention of it.

And yet, she felt pitiful. And yet, she felt disappointed. And yet, she complained that he didn’t look at her.

Olivia sat there, stunned, her mouth agape.

How disappointed did he have to have been? How ridiculous must it have seemed? How disappointed must he have been every time she complained and grumbled?

He had to have been burning inside, unable to reveal the truth. Once Olivia realized what Reinhart had sacrificed for her, the fact that Reinhart was the Demon King or whatever didn’t matter at all.

As the incomprehensible began to make sense, Olivia’s resolve grew stronger.

Part of her promise she had made to him could no longer be kept.

The Demon King could not harm Reinhart, since he himself was the Demon King.

‘No matter what happened. Even if the world turns upside down. Even if the world tries to hurt you.’

Olivia had decided to protect Reinhart, no matter what happened.

But the world was trying to kill Reinhart, the Demon King.

“...”

Therefore, Olivia had to protect the Demon King.

She quietly looked over at the silent Shanapell knight, who was calmly observing her in turn.

The empire was suspicious of Olivia. They thought she might be on the Demon King’s side. She hadn’t been, until this moment.

Olivia was neither on the side of humans nor demons, but solely on Reinhart’s side. And Reinhart was imprisoned somewhere in the Temple.

Although she didn’t know the exact reason why, it seemed the empire wasn’t about to kill the Demon King immediately. There was a grace period of a few days. However, Olivia couldn’t even shake off the Shanapell knight in front of her or the others assigned to monitor her.

If she couldn’t, it would be impossible to break into the heavily-guarded place where Reinhart was confined.

It would be a futile death. She was willing to risk her life for Reinhart, but she didn’t want to choose a pointless, hopeless death.

She needed to risk her life by banking on a method with at least some possibility of success. She couldn’t save Reinhart alone. So, she thought of an idea.

“Please call the Commander of the Order of the Holy Knights,” Olivia said.

The Shanapell knight monitoring her tilted her head. “Sorry?”

“As the Champion of Ouen and the one responsible for the future of the Church of the Five Great Gods, I need to report this issue to the Church and discuss our stance on the situation, as well as our response to it. Right now.”

“Miss Olivia. What are you talking about—”

“You must remember that you are not detaining a Temple student. You are exerting political pressure on the Champion of Ouen, who represents the will of the Church of the Five Great Gods.”

“What are you saying, Miss Olivia...? This is hardly that kind of issue...”

“The Demon King is the Champion chosen by Alse and Ouen. We need to examine our doctrine and perhaps even hold a religious trial to determine whether there was any deceit involved in that. The entire Church of the Five Great Gods must gather to discuss whether the gods’ choice of the Demon King holds any significance, or if there was any evil trickery involved.”

Olivia intended to politicize this issue and massively inflate the scale—that this was not a matter of humans and demons, but a matter of gods and humans.

“You can silence me, but you must remember that detaining me like this will surely cause great discord between the empire and the Church later on,” Olivia said.

If they prevented her from reporting this issue to the order, they might have to go to war with them later. That was what Olivia’s eyes said.

“So call the Commander of the Order of the Holy Knights. Before I decide to walk out of here myself.

“And although I can’t handle all of you, if you think I can’t even manage to escape from this place...” Olivia glanced towards the window, a sardonic smile on her lips. “That’s a big mistake.”

Olivia looked back at the Shanapell knight, her smile turning sinister. The knight was growing increasingly unnerved.

Even while being confined, Olivia was turning the tables and threatening her captors.