Demon King of the Royal Class

Chapter 375

“Why are all the first-years such monsters?” Olivia muttered in disbelief after we had taken the unconscious Cliffman to the duty priest’s office.

She was astonished to hear that another first-year, Ludwig, had done exactly the same thing when sparring with Sabioleen Tana the day before.

Ellen stared at her intently. “You’re not really one to talk, are you?”

“No... I wasn’t like this during my first year, you know? Are all of you like this?” Olivia was genuinely shocked, and it was indeed unprecedented in the history of the Temple.

Two students had awakened Mana Reinforcement just a day apart.

Ellen, then Reinhart, then Ludwig, and now Cliffman. Four first-years had managed to awaken Mana Reinforcement on their own. Just Ellen alone would have been unprecedented, but now four first-years had accomplished it.

Sabioleen Tana, who was checking on Ludwig in the recovery room, was equally taken aback by the situation, but she still took a look at Cliffman’s condition.

“It doesn’t seem to be a big problem...” she said.

Like Olivia, Sabioleen Tana had been shocked by Ludwig’s case, and was equally bewildered with Cliffman awakening Mana Reinforcement just a day later.

“What on earth is with you first-years...?” she wondered.

She had already thought this crop of students was already extraordinary, with two remarkable students, but now two more had been added to the mix.

Ellen watched Reinhart quietly.

Cliffman had achieved what he’d wanted, and Reinhart had done his best to help Cliffman realize his potential. That was a fact.

However, Ellen noticed from Reinhart’s expression that he didn’t seem entirely satisfied. He didn’t look as though his pride had been hurt by being knocked out by Cliffman, though. It seemed more like he was regretting something, or doubting whether he had done the right thing.

Ellen found his complex expression difficult to understand.

***

Both Cliffman and Ludwig had awakened Mana Reinforcement. Naturally, I received two thousand Achievement Points for completing the event. To awaken the next talent, Supernatural Resistance, I needed five thousand more points. And since I wanted to keep some points in reserve, I planned to secure more than five thousand Achievement Points before awakening the next talent. Furthermore, the effect of increased sensitivity to Mana Reinforcement would also come into play.

Rumors about Cliffman spread throughout the entire Royal Class, not just among the first-years, and Riana had rushed to the recovery room to check on Cliffman’s condition after hearing the news.

I didn’t know if Cliffman could have achieved Mana Reinforcement without my help. If the Gate Incident were to occur, it was essential for the kids to become stronger. My actions had changed the timeline so much that the first-year students might find themselves in unexpected situations and could die if caught up in the Gate Incident.

Cliffman had grown stronger, and Riana had also become stronger. If they kept to their goal of killing me and the Gate Incident disappeared, I would find myself in a very strange situation where I had helped someone who wanted to kill me. But even if I hadn’t intervened, Cliffman would have eventually awakened Mana Reinforcement anyway.

“The potion to increase Mana Reinforcement sensitivity is almost complete. It’ll be a big help to those majoring in close combat, like Cliffman and, well, Ludwig,” Harriet explained, and I nodded as I listened to her explanation.

The development of Moonshine had entered its final stages. Sooner or later, with the help of Moonshine, the combat majors would quickly awaken and become accustomed to using Mana Reinforcement.

“I never believed we would actually succeed in making this.”

“What about the other project?”

“That’s almost in the final stages too.”

The Power Cartridge, while not as advanced as Moonshine, was also nearing completion.

Even I found the first-year Royal Class unbelievable. Four first-years had independently awakened Mana Reinforcement, and the magic majors were on the verge of creating two items that could potentially change the course of human history.

Both the combat majors and the magic majors were doing incredible things; that was the reality of the Royal Class. If the accumulated power of humanity was not unleashed in the Gate Incident, it would eventually be directed at me.

Was everything I had been doing going to end up tightening the noose around my neck? Of course, there were other issues as well. Those who were too outstanding might attract unwanted attention.

Harriet sipped her tea and sighed deeply.

“You don’t think all of this is because of your foresight or something, do you?” Harriet said, glaring at me.

I had asked them to create something that had seemed impossible at first, and they had actually done it, but it seemed she didn’t want me claiming credit for it.

Did she think that, since they’d managed to achieve all this, I would ask them to create something even stranger next?

“Of course not.”

“... What? I thought you’d definitely take credit for it.”

Harriet seemed slightly taken aback by my unexpected response. She probably expected me to say, “See, I told you so, now let’s try making this other thing,” and request something even more bizarre.

Harriet sipped her tea and quietly looked out beyond the terrace.

“Oh, Riana...”

Riana was running through the Temple grounds in the middle of winter. It seemed she had gone straight back to personal training after checking on Cliffman’s condition. Cliffman was still unconscious, but running didn’t require someone to be with you.

Harriet quietly watched Riana’s figure as she ran along the path.

She looked sad.

Riana had changed, and Cliffman had changed too. But in the end, everyone was growing stronger.

“It can’t be helped, but... it seems like everyone is changing...”

The emergence of the Demon King was changing everyone. The students weren’t just training aimlessly or casually studying their respective majors anymore.

For some, a specific purpose had emerged. With that purpose, they’d become more fervent in doing things they wouldn’t normally do. Harriet seemed to find these changes both sad and frightening.

***

A very significant incident had occurred within the empire very recently—the demon attack on Levaina. Tragically, among those who had perished in the unexpected attack were many high-ranking nobles and influential figures of the empire. It was the third guerrilla attack by the demons, further fueling fear and hostility towards the Demon King.

However, there were a few who knew the truth behind this third attack. Naturally, Charlotte de Gradias was among them. Vertus had identified the Revolutionary Forces and had wiped out their leadership, disguising it as the work of the demons.

Only a few knew the truth, and all of them would take that secret to their graves.

In the Spring Palace, Charlotte sat in the tea room, sipping her milk tea.

“Why are you here?” she asked.

Across from her, Vertus took a sip of his tea, a subtle smile playing across his lips.

They weren’t the sort to visit each other’s palaces. Yet, Vertus had come to Charlotte’s palace, an unusual occurrence, which was why Charlotte had calmly allowed him into the Spring Palace.

“Well, why do you think I’m here?” Vertus replied, inviting her to guess.

Charlotte closed her eyes gently. “To see what the face of a loser looks like, I suppose. That’s all I can think of.”

The word “loser” made Vertus twist his lips in surprise. He hadn’t expected Charlotte to accept that term so readily.

The empire had not only dismantled one of its greatest enemies, the Revolutionary Forces, without suffering any losses, but it had also absorbed them into the fold. Vertus had achieved a significant accomplishment, even if it couldn’t be publicly announced and celebrated.

A ruler had to be efficient. The emperor, regardless of personal affection for his children, would designate the most capable of them as the next emperor.

Vertus had proven his capability and Charlotte had proven nothing. Since being released from the Demon King’s Castle, she had spent too much time trying to escape the aftereffects of her captivity and hadn’t fully succeeded. Charlotte was willingly admitting her defeat.

“I thought you’d consider this unfair,” Vertus said, surprised.

“It is unfair. But even setting aside my various issues, the fact remains that I didn’t try, or could not achieve, results like yours,” Charlotte replied.

If she hadn’t been kidnapped and taken to the Demon King’s Castle, if she hadn’t been possessed by the Demon King’s soul, if she hadn’t been so fixated on finding that child... She could make these conjectures, but they were all meaningless.

Charlotte had made choices, along with those choices came certain consequences she had to accept. The result was that she’d achieved nothing, while Vertus, who had acted for the empire, had achieved results.

So, although it wasn’t yet confirmed, with the outcome almost certain, Charlotte accepted her defeat.

‘Was it all meaningless?’ she wondered.

Even though she had been freed from the Demon King’s soul, she faced a future where she would have to die, having lost the battle for the throne. Whichever path she chose, there was only death. Although born with many privileges, Charlotte and Vertus were destined to live lives in which they had to die if they couldn’t achieve victory.

Vertus savored the aroma of his tea, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Charlotte.

“Aren’t you resentful? If it had been me who was kidnapped instead of you, the outcome might have been different, right?”

“I am resentful. I do think it’s unfair. But complaining about it to each other won’t change anything, will it?” Charlotte replied.

Charlotte did not get angry or upset despite Vertus’s subtle provocations in the face of his assured victory. The result was clear, and she had accepted it. Perhaps this level of humiliation was mild. If she fell to her knees and begged for her life, she might be exiled instead. At least she wasn’t uttering such words.

Vertus quietly observed Charlotte. The victor and the vanquished had been determined, and she had calmly accepted the outcome.

The smile vanished from Vertus’s face. “That’s no fun.”

He had gotten what he’d wanted and eliminated his only competitor, but he felt no sense of victory. Vertus seemed disappointed.

“Yeah, the fact that you’re not finding this very amusing. This is about all I can do now—make sure you’re not too intoxicated by your victory. How about that? Does that make it a bit more interesting?” Charlotte pressed.

She could not do anything to surpass Vertus, so all she could do was accept her defeat so that he couldn’t fully revel in his victory. That was all there was to it.

At those words, Vertus’s faint smile reappeared. “If you act like this, Reinhart’s efforts will have been in vain.”

“...!”

She had expected that he would find out eventually. But hearing that name at such a cruel timing made Charlotte’s eyes widen.

He knew that Reinhart had saved Charlotte. He knew what had happened at the Spring Palace, and if so, he would also know about him being the Champion of Ouen.

Charlotte had calmly accepted everything that Vertus had thrown at her, but now, her eyes sparked with a hint of hostility. “What are you trying to say?”

“Wow, just mentioning Reinhart’s name makes you look like you want to strangle me. It’s quite effective,” Vertus chuckled, noting that to provoke her, he just needed to bring up Reinhart.

But Charlotte wasn’t in the mood for jokes.

“If you lay a hand on Reinhart, I’ll kill you. No matter what. Somehow. I will.”

“That sounds like a plea disguised as a threat.”

“...”

No matter how she phrased it, wasn’t she just begging him not to harm Reinhart?

Vertus smiled at Charlotte.

She had accepted everything when it came to her own safety, but in the end, what remained for her after her defeat was her desperation to keep Reinhart out of it.

“Beg me.”

“... What?”

“Whether you kneel or whatever, beg me not to touch Reinhart.”

Vertus offered Charlotte a sinister smile.

“Go ahead, beg.”

“...”

Charlotte quietly met Vertus’s gaze. She seemed to contemplate for a moment, then slowly rose from her chair. She took a few steps toward Vertus and quietly knelt on the floor.

In her own palace, Charlotte knelt before Vertus. With her head bowed, she spoke softly.

“He was just trying to help me. Because I could have died. He just wanted to save me. That’s all. That’s... that’s all there is to it. He doesn’t intend to be your enemy or oppose you. He just couldn’t leave me alone... that’s why he did it...”

‘Reinhart isn’t your enemy, nor does he intend to be. He just wanted to save a friend...’

“Please leave Reinhart alone... I’m begging you... I’m begging.”

Charlotte pleaded with Vertus, her voice trembling, as she knelt before him.

Vertus quietly looked down at Charlotte. She was always proud and confident and seemed like someone who wouldn’t bleed even if pricked. Backroom dealings were her norm, and she was always cruel and ruthless to her rivals.

Her strategies were always threatening, and he had thought that Charlotte would pose a significant obstacle to his ascension upon her return.

However, after her ordeal in the Demon King’s Castle, too many things had changed. The once proud and arrogant Charlotte de Gradias, a rival who needed to be broken, was gone. Now, she wasn’t begging for her own life but kneeling before him, asking him not to harm a fellow male student.

Since her return from the Demon King’s Castle, Charlotte had seemed more like a fragile glass that might shatter if mishandled. Charlotte de Gradias, who had been captured as a princess, had returned as a mere girl.

It was as if something crucial within her had broken inside the Demon King’s Castle. It was as if she had lost all her noble attitude and the purpose she had been forced to live for as a member of the royal nobility.

She had been searching for that mysterious child who had supposedly saved her, but she had lost even the reason to find him. After all of this, she was merely leaning on Reinhart. She could never have challenged Vertus or been his enemy.

This wasn’t a victory. She had never been an enemy after her return, nor did she intend to live on as one. She was just a girl with her place in the line of succession.

She was kneeling before a competitor who had grown too large to handle, and she was only doing so to plead for the safety of the one person she had been relying on.

As Vertus looked down at the trembling Charlotte, a thought occurred to him. If she was never an enemy in the first place, perhaps there was no need to kill her. Did she have to lose everything, fail in all her desperate struggles, and ultimately lose her life, after she had been dragged to the Demon King’s Castle?

Was victory always this unpleasant?

Charlotte had no reason to kneel before him. She should have told him to go ahead and try to mess with Reinhart. She should have said that if he dared to touch the Champion of Ouen, he would never be safe, and that his political standing would crumble. She knew that. But just in case, just in case there was the slightest possibility that he might actually harm Reinhart, Charlotte had chosen to kneel before Vertus. She wanted to erase even that tiny possibility.

She knelt, not for herself, but for someone else. Vertus looked down at Charlotte, who was trembling, her head bowed and her shoulders shaking.

“Truly,” he said as he set down his teacup, “this is no fun.”

He tried to savor the hollow victory.