Demon King of the Royal Class

Chapter 357

In the imperial city of Emperatos, within the Magic Department’s research library, Harriet found herself surrounded by an overwhelming collection of magical research materials.

The sheer volume of material was so vast that she wondered if anyone could ever read through it all in their lifetime, even if it was limited to just one field of dimensional magic.

However, having access to the imperial Magic Department’s resources was not merely about visiting a library filled with precious books. It meant she could summon expert mages who had already understood and internalized the information within these texts to help her understand their contents. She could also receive assistance from specialists who could provide concrete research data to back up abstract questions.

Harriet was truly studying under the emperor’s tutelage.

“Imaginary dimensions?” Harriet asked.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Harriet was reminded, after a long time, of her high status among the nobility.

At the Temple, she might be mocked and called “Thick-Skull” by a beggar-born rascal, but in reality, this was her true nature.

The powerful and authoritative mages of the Imperial Magic Department addressed her with the utmost respect, calling her “Your Grace” while nervously trying to share everything they knew, afraid to offend her in any way.

Of course, even without the rascal, it was still somewhat awkward. She counted the imperial prince and princess among her classmates, as well as the daughter of a duke and the prince of Kernstadt. Even though there were rules preventing them from using their own status to stand above their peers, she had classmates with equal or greater prestige than her.

Therefore, Harriet was enjoying her studies while having her noble pride replenished after a long time.

The mention of “imaginary dimensions” made Harriet tilt her head in curiosity. She had been given that answer when asking for clarification on parts of the warp gate system that she couldn’t understand.

“It’s a concept of a dimension that doesn’t actually exist but is assumed to exist.”

“Hmm... Assuming something exists when it doesn’t?”

“Yes.”

“Why is such a concept necessary?”

In response to Harriet’s question, the research mage launched into a lengthy explanation.

“Two-way, one-time dimensional gates don’t require such a concept,” he said slowly. “They activate once and then close after a certain period. However, the warp gate system is a permanent, multi-directional dimensional gate network.”

To make it easier to understand, the researcher drew a diagram on a blank sheet of paper on the table.

[Gate — Gate]

“For such a connection, it would be simpler to make it a one-time gate. There’s no need to establish the concept of an imaginary dimension. Regardless of the complexity of the magic itself, the structure is simple, isn’t it? There’s only one connection between gates.”

“That makes sense.”

“But if you consider having three gates, how many connection paths would there be between each gate?”

“Three, right?”

Assuming there were three gates, A, B, and C, the necessary paths to connect the gates would be A-B, A-C, and B-C, totaling three. The connections were bidirectional, so the order of the gates didn’t matter.

“What if there are four?”

“Six.”

“The more warp gates there are, the number of paths increases exponentially, doesn’t it?”

“Indeed.”

“Not all warp gates are connected in this way, but the number of connection paths between gates in the current warp gate network exceeds two hundred thousand.”

“... That’s an enormous number.”

Harriet, who hadn’t realized the extent of the warp gate network, couldn’t help but gape slightly at the researcher’s words.

“The warp gate system is the largest magical system in human history—or rather, in the history of the continent. Therefore, a shared spatial recognition system was needed to determine how to set the permanent dimensional paths and which gates to connect to where. That’s why the concept of an imaginary dimension was created.”

An imaginary map...

If it were a dimensional gate created by one person, there would be no need to share it with anyone else. It would be a one-instance magic constructed from one’s own thoughts.

However, the warp gate system was a collaborative architectural structure built through the cooperation and collaboration of numerous mages. It meant that everyone had to have the same map or blueprint in their minds to add or modify anything within the warp gate system. That was what was called the imaginary dimension.

An imaginary map or blueprint that had been built up by the researchers and architects of the warp gate system, all the way up to this point. A conceptualized imaginary dimension that was assumed to exist but did not. Understanding it was a prerequisite to approaching the magic of warp gates.

“This is the most recently updated map of the imaginary dimension.”

The researcher spread out a massive plan that covered the entire table in front of Harriet. It wasn’t just a simple drawing of dots and lines. The map was filled with complex strings of characters, detailing the nature and properties of each dimensional gate and their connections, including their isolation and utility, as well as connection strength.

It was a map of something that didn’t exist, yet this map had changed the course of human history.

Harriet suddenly had a question.

‘Another world... What exactly could ‘another world’ be?’

The researcher had stated plainly that the imaginary dimension was a non-existent dimension.

“... This isn’t a dimension that actually exists, right?”

It was a conceptual tool created to aid the common understanding of future mages and contemporary researchers, ultimately to be understood as a blueprint.

“Yes, it’s literally an imaginary dimension,” The researcher said as he nodded, agreeing with Harriet’s words. “However, there are those who question whether we can definitively say that this imaginary dimension doesn’t exist.”

“... What do you mean by that?”

“A dimensional gate is magic that connects two spaces directly. Even if there are dozens or hundreds of dimensional gates, the basic principle remains unchanged.”

Harriet understood that much.

“But to connect those dimensional gates, it has to pass through an intermediary space, doesn’t it?” the researcher continued.

“Intermediary space...?”

“We use gates, but the gates themselves don’t exist at the entrance or the exit. They’re treated as phenomena, so to speak.”

The researcher spoke thoughtfully, resting his chin on his arm.

“But a gate is something you can only pass through; you can’t touch or reach the gate itself. You can control and manage it, but nobody knows whether the phenomenon of the gate belongs to reality or not. There are some who say that travelers through warp gates don’t actually leap through space but rather traverse a path between spaces, and that this intermediary space is a real space.”

“Hmm...”

Warp gates allowed for spatial contraction, but the gate was a peculiar phenomenon that could be touched at either the entrance or the exit.

While humans could manipulate gate magic, the actual material phenomenon behind it was somewhat unclear. Was the intermediary path of space that one briefly passed through when crossing a warp gate a real space or not?

It was clear that this issue had not been definitively resolved.

“Some argue that the constant operation of the warp gate system has saturated the system, twisting the concept of dimensions and causing the imaginary dimension to actually come into existence, but that’s merely speculation,” the researcher said, gazing at the map of the imaginary dimension.

“What we know is that the warp gate system has spread rapidly throughout the continent due to its convenience, without proper analysis of its potential dangers,” the researcher continued.

Just as Harriet had sensed before, the warp gate system was a very dangerous form of magic, but the convenience it brought had led to its rapid proliferation without a thorough risk assessment.

Even up to this point, with the warp gate system’s long history, opinions about it among mages were divided. No one could predict what kind of disaster it might trigger, which made it even more concerning.

Moreover... Harriet looked at the vast imaginary map before her with a sense of fear. “This map of the imaginary dimension... it can’t be viewed by just anyone, right?”

“Of course not,” the researcher replied calmly. “Without the imperial family’s permission, even Your Grace would not have been able to see it.”

What was being casually displayed before her was actually one of the empire’s most critical secrets.

Understanding the imaginary dimension also meant being able to interfere with the warp gate system. In other words, if one intended to use it for malicious purposes, they could easily do so. Thus, if Harriet fully understood the map of the imaginary dimension and the warp gate system, it was entirely possible she could tamper with the system at will if she harbored ill intentions.

“Am I the only one who’s worried that the warp gate is too dangerous of a form of magic...?” Harriet wondered aloud.

“I think so too,” the researcher sighed. “But the warp gate network has already become indispensable to humanity.”

The warp gates were convenient. Therefore, even if people were aware of its dangers, the reality was that the warp gate network would not disappear.

***

After collecting the books related to soul-binding magic, Tana, Charlotte, and I returned to the capital.

I told the commander that we found nothing in the labyrinth, only that we had returned safely. We had packed the large books into the saddlebags beforehand, so no one saw what we had discovered.

We decided to keep the underground labyrinth beneath the Demon King’s Castle a secret.

Most importantly, we had gained certainty about something we’d been unsure of before. It was true that the soul of the Demon King resided within Charlotte. In her current state, she was something like an Archdemon.

The Demon King had used soul-binding magic to separate his soul and merge it with Charlotte’s.

Charlotte planned to entrust the analysis of soul-binding magic to trustworthy royal mages to find a way to separate the souls.

“Thank you, Reinhart. You did well.”

“... I didn’t really do anything,” I replied.

I hadn’t provided any direct assistance to Charlotte. Tana and Charlotte seemed eager to return to the palace to begin analyzing the findings. There was nothing more for me to do or stay for, so I parted ways with them before drawing any unwanted attention and went on my way.

I had gained more from this return trip to the Demon King’s Castle than Charlotte had.

I learned that there was a bunker beneath the castle which could have ensured Baalier Junior’s survival, and I had access to a trove of books that I could potentially use to draw out Cantus Magna. While I gained a lot, I also had many concerns.

‘What exactly did Baalier do in the original story? Cantus Magna and Baalier might both be unrelated to the incident, or one party might be related, or both could be involved.

‘Did Baalier, like me, try to contact Cantus Magna? Let’s hypothesize for a moment. Baalier used the numerous spells he possessed as bait to contact Cantus Magna. Cantus Magna then completed Akasha through those spells and caused some event, and that event was the Gate Incident.’

It was a bit of a leap, but I couldn’t be sure it wasn’t true either.

There was one thing I regretted as well. There was a definite mention of soul fusion in the book that detailed soul-binding magic, and it had probably been involved in whatever process Charlotte had undergone as well.

Lucinil wanted a soul. Could the answer to granting a soul to a soulless being lie in soul-binding magic?

Charlotte had been foremost in my mind when I first saw the books, but once I calmed down, I realized that soul-binding magic might also be necessary to grant Lucinil’s wish. However, all magic related to soul-binding had now left my hands.

Once the research was complete and a way to restore Charlotte’s condition was found, could I get the books on soul-binding magic back? If I wanted to, what excuse could I use?

While it didn’t feel like a rash decision, I hoped to help Lucinil in some way, given that Lucinil was assisting me.

I would soon need to share the information about the underground labyrinth of the Demon King’s Castle and the bunker with Lucinil and my collaborators and make a decision regarding Cantus Magna.

With these thoughts in mind, I returned to the Temple. Upon entering the Royal Class dormitory, I saw Ellen staring at me from the lobby.

“Oh, you’re back,” I said.

‘So she’s returned.’

“It’s you who’ve come back,” Ellen said with a little sulk. “Where did you go?”

“Uh...”

‘Another secret, perhaps,’ Ellen thought.

Ellen seemed resigned, as if she didn’t really expect an answer.

She knew well enough not to expect anything from me, and even asking required courage, though she had accepted that such courage was ultimately futile.

I wondered if I could tell her about it. While it might be a breach of Charlotte’s privacy, Ellen already knew I was helping Charlotte in some way because of what the emperor had said.

After looking around to ensure no one was eavesdropping, I whispered softly to Ellen, “It’s hard to explain in detail, but it’s related to what’s going on with Charlotte.”

“... Oh. Okay.”

Ellen seemed genuinely surprised that I had even given her that much of an answer, as if she hadn’t expected me to say anything at all.

“It wasn’t anything dangerous.”

“Yeah. Okay. Got it.”

Ellen looked up at me, her voice trembling slightly with emotion. “Thank you for... thank you for telling me...”

“...”

Seeing Ellen on the verge of tears, moved with emotion just because I had given her a hint, stirred something within me. It was strange how such a small gesture could mean so much.

I felt a surge of emotion and gave Ellen a brave look. “By the way, did you have a good trip home?”

“Oh, right.” Ellen suddenly inhaled sharply and grabbed my arm. “I have something to show you.”

“What? Hey, wait a minute—!”

“Hurry.”

Ellen dragged me off without any explanation.

***

A short while later, I found myself in Ellen’s room, staring blankly at the fiery cloak she was wearing.

“What is that?”

“Lapelt.”

‘Uh. Hmm. Isn’t that...?’

“They say it’s the Cloak of the Sun God.”

“Oh, right, that.”

My mind went blank.

“Why do you have it?”

“I brought it from home.”

‘Hmm, that sounds way too casual.’

“Why was it at your house?”

“I don’t know.”

‘I feel kind of dizzy.’

“Mom gave it to me because I might have to fight the Demon King.”

‘Too dizzy!’