Demon King of the Royal Class

Chapter 376

The remnants of the demon forces hadn’t yet created the sense of impending war, but humanity was once again engulfed in fear of the demons because of the guerrilla warfare they were conducting which had struck various places.

The enemies of humanity did not have a clear base, like the Dark Land. The demons could suddenly appear anywhere and attack humans, and this fear pervaded the entire continent.

This was most clearly seen by the students who were returning to the Temple even though winter break hadn’t ended yet.

Mr. Effenhauser and I were looking down at the Temple campus from a hill on the Temple’s promenade. The Temple was as crowded as it usually was during the semester, with many of the students who had headed home for winter break having returned.

“The students are returning,” I noted.

“They must think the Temple is safe.”

Most of the students who had gone home were returning to the Temple, whether urged by their parents or by their own will, under the belief that the Temple was safe. They were unaware that the Demon King they feared the most was watching them from within the heart of the Temple.

Mr. Effenhauser neither mocked those students nor mentioned anything about me being the Demon King. The fact that he had called me for a meeting meant he had something to say to me.

“There have been several plausible theories from the Order regarding the function of Akasha, but none of them are certain,” he said.

“I see,” I replied.

No one could really fathom what Akasha was until they saw Akasha directly or met with someone from Cantus Magna.

“But it’s certain that nothing good can come from an artifact that absorbs spells indefinitely.”

Extraordinary objects were bound to cause extraordinary events.

“The Order is prepared to take an unusually great risk this time to lure out the forces of Cantus Magna.”

The Black Order didn’t know what Akasha was, but they were determined to end the long-standing conflict.

“Will you cooperate?”

I had the answer to that question prepared.

“Since we’re already in the same boat, I suppose I have no choice,” I responded.

I agreed to join forces with the Black Order to bring in Cantus Magna. Mr. Effenhauser quietly looked down the hill. It was time to discuss how to bring in Cantus Magna, what role the Order would play, and what my forces and I needed to do.

But Mr. Effenhauser remained silent.

“It wasn’t your doing, was it?” he asked.

“... No,” I replied.

I knew what he was referring to. The series of events related to the death of Duke Granz... No one knew what the Demon King wanted, so they thought anything could happen.

A sudden attack on the Order of the Holy Knights, and then the abrupt killing of Leverier Lanche... It was entirely possible to suddenly attack the capital of a small southern country and coincidentally kill major investors of the Merchants’ Guild who were meeting in the outskirts of the city.

I didn’t know if Mr. Effenhauser was aware of the Revolutionary Forces, but he seemed to recognize that the nature of this incident was different from the previous ones, and had realized that it wasn’t my doing.

“Are you feeling wronged?”

This wasn’t a question from the Black Order, but from my teacher.

I remained silent as I looked down the hill, observing the many students who, due to the tumult from the incident, were returning to the Temple to spend the rest of their winter break.

“I’m not sure,” I said.

What could I do even if I felt wronged? There were still many other things I had to handle.

“So, what do we do now?” I asked.

“A lich’s tomb has been discovered in the Dark Land,” Mr. Effenhauser informed me.

“A lich?” I asked, surprised by the sudden news.

“Yes,” he confirmed.

That was abrupt and unexpected news.

“Naturally, adventurers will flock there,” he continued.

Adventurers were still scouring various regions of the Dark Land for treasures, where the cursed Tiamata had been discovered, and they had come across this lich’s tomb while doing so.

“So, the Order believes that Cantus Magna would covet the spellbooks in the lich’s tomb... is that it?” I speculated.

“It could be, but a mere lich wouldn’t have been able to develop such extraordinary forbidden spells. While it’s true that a lich is a powerful mage, different from any other ordinary mage, Cantus Magna would not truly be drawn to something like that,” he explained.

Seeing Mr. Effenhauser dismiss a lich so casually made me realize how deep the Black Order and Cantus Magna’s knowledge of magic was.

“But the important thing is that the tomb was discovered two months ago, yet it was only recognized as a lich’s tomb less than a week ago,” he pointed out.

The first discoverers of the dungeon were likely killed by the lich, or perished in the dungeon. Other adventurers would have gone to find these missing adventurers, and it seemed that several adventurers had finally made it back alive to report that it was a lich’s tomb.

“The Order plans to augment that lich’s tomb,” he stated.

“Augment it?” I asked, puzzled.

“Yes. The plan is to make it seem like it belongs to something more than just a lich, something more mysterious and bizarre. The Order intends to manipulate the story so that rumors spread of an even more enigmatic and strange existence within the tomb. They’ll set up a maze around the dungeon, cause anomalies, and release ominous summoned creatures, chimeras, and homunculi. This could spur adventurers to believe it to be an Archlich’s lair, even though such things are fictional entities from legends.”

They were setting a trap, with a fictional Archlich as bait.

“Adventurers will flock to the dungeon, and some survivors will be sent back with spellbooks on a level that doesn’t exist in the world. Spellbooks that would be considered ominous, but would draw the eyes of the magical world,” he explained.

“...”

Cantus Magna would not covet the forbidden books in a mere lich’s tomb. Therefore, the Black Order was setting a trap by making the newly-discovered lich’s dungeon seem like the base of an even more powerful and dangerous entity. They would even allow some adventurers to miraculously escape with spell books that could shake up the magical world.

It was a plan to artificially spread forbidden or secret arts into the world. If the few books that were retrieved from the tomb were of that level, what other magic or treasures might be sleeping in its depths? The rumors would undoubtedly spread far and wide, and naturally, Cantus Magna would learn of it.

“Wait. Then Cantus Magna won’t be the only problem; other adventurers and mages will be drawn to it as well,” I pointed out.

Mr. Effenhauser looked at me intently. “I told you, the Order has decided to take a very big risk with this,” he reminded me.

They had anticipated that many adventurers would flock there. The Order was not concerned if they lost their lives.

Of course, the problem was also with adventurers who, knowing the place was dangerous, would be blinded by the prospect of quick riches and venture there. Until the real big catch, Cantus Magna, was caught, people would continue to die.

A lich’s tomb had been discovered. However, aside from the lich, they disguised the tomb as if it belonged to a very powerful entity.

“What about the lich in the tomb...? The situation seems a bit strange,” I remarked.

What would happen once adventurers suddenly started knocking on its door because of these rumours about an Archlich, while the lich itself was just quietly conducting magic research in its tomb?

“There’s no need to worry about that. We’ve already secured cooperation,” Mr. Effenhauser assured me.

“Cooperation?” I asked, surprised.

“Yes, a dungeon needs a master, after all, so we didn’t kill it.”

‘Wait a minute. Did they just march into the lich’s tomb and say, “Hey, we’re going to use this place. Don’t worry, make yourself comfortable (even though it’s actually your home)”?

I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for the lich I had never met.

“The tomb will need to be expanded, and the barriers and spells around the dungeon will need adjustments. While we’re having this conversation, the Order is continuing their work,” he explained.

The Black Order was prepared to release numerous secret and forbidden arts into the world to lure in Cantus Magna while expanding the lich’s dungeon and making it more complex and dangerous than its original structure.

“It’s like... running a dungeon to lure in Cantus Magna... That’s the sense I’m getting,” I commented.

“You could say that,” he agreed.

Running a dungeon, indeed.

This was the Black Order’s plan, not mine, but it did seem rather convoluted.

A lich’s tomb had been discovered. They had subdued the original owner by force and were expanding it to make it an even more dangerous place, waiting for the real prey to arrive. Once the depths of the dungeon were uncovered, it would lose its value, so no one could be allowed to penetrate its depths.

Thus, the defenses around the dungeon had to remain robust, and it had to continuously draw in adventurers, occasionally allowing a few to escape with powerful spellbooks or treasures.

Throughout this process, there was a high possibility that not Cantus Magna but other unrelated groups like the Imperial family or the Mages’ Guild would send exploration teams composed of strong individuals.

Even so, the Black Order was attempting this, knowing it was extremely dangerous, to erase Cantus Magna from the world forever. It was a very risky endeavor that would attract attention continent-wide, and many adventurers would perish.

“But... wouldn’t it be easier to just disguise someone as a genius or reclusive mage with a lot of secret magical knowledge?” I suggested.

Was there really a need to go down this path? Wouldn’t it be fine to make it seem as if a reclusive archmage had appeared, having developed numerous spells after a long period of research? That might reduce the amount of unwelcome attention.

“If you do that, you’ll be hunted down as a dark mage with numerous forbidden spells. That would lead to a fight as well, and it would be on a larger scale,” Mr. Effenhauser explained.

“Ah,” I said in realization.

The difference between setting up a dungeon to lure treasure-seeking adventurers in one by one and presenting someone as a reclusive archmage appearing with numerous secret arts was that the latter was more dangerous.

The Mages’ Guild might threaten that individual to hand over research materials, and if things went awry, it wouldn’t just be adventurers, but the Mages’ Guild itself that would begin the hunt.

Drawing so much attention as a human mage could lead to a larger-scale conflict, and that struck me with a chilling realization.

Events in the Dark Land occurred beyond the borders of the human world. Because of that psychological distance, many humans tended to disregard whatever happened there. However, if a dangerous dark sorcerer appeared within the boundaries of the human world, they would rush to stamp it out as if their feet were on fire.

Mr. Effenhauser’s perspective that constructing a false dungeon away from human lands might actually result in less bloodshed was understandable.

The Black Order was creating a fake dungeon as bait to lure people in, one that would be more dangerous and contain more powerful treasures than a real dungeon. However, the Black Order wouldn’t have engaged in this activity without expecting something in return. They would want something from us as well.

“First, if you have anyone with knowledge of magic that can influence the dungeon’s structure or the external environment, it would be nice to have their support,” Mr. Effenhauser requested.

“Yes,” I agreed.

“And the most important thing,” he continued, looking at me. “The original owner of the place, the lich, is a powerful mage that has agreed to cooperate with us, but we need a strong contingency force in case of any emergencies. The Order will have one person stationed there, but it would be good if you could also assign someone from your side to help. Think of it as each of us having a person in charge of the dungeon.”

The statement itself wasn’t wrong. However, we were discussing implementing various changes to a house with an owner, regardless of the owner’s wishes. It made me feel like something more than just trash.

“I’ll discuss it with my people,” I replied.

The plan to lure in Cantus Magna... The operation of a fake dungeon... I didn’t know how this would turn out, but to draw Cantus Magna in, the rumors needed to spread as quickly as possible.

And we needed someone who could act as the guardian of the dungeon. But was there anyone willing to take on that role?

***

At the Ancient Castle Epiacs...

“I’ll do it,” Antirianus said without hesitation, accepting the task after my detailed explanation.

I had convened the Vampire Council and presented the matter, and Antirianus’s immediate acceptance of the task left the rest of us dumbfounded. I was glad that the council had been convened just a day after I’d relayed the request to Lucinil, but it seemed like everyone except Antirianus had made the trip for nothing.

Eleris, Galarsh, Lruien, and Lucinil all stared at Antirianus. ‘What are you up to again?’ their expressions seemed to say.

“... Aren’t you making too hasty of a decision?” I asked.

Antirianus chuckled.

“I actually think it’s a very good position,” he replied.

Lucinil tilted her head in confusion. “Good?”

“The idea of making an existing dungeon appear even more dangerous to lure Cantus Magna is quite amusing,” Antirianus remarked, “but in the end, you said they’d be handing out various spell tomes as bait, didn’t you?”

The Black Order was prepared to take the risk and release many forbidden and secret arts into the world, and I also intended to support that endeavor with any useful spellbooks from the Demon King’s Castle bunker.

“Whoever is there will get unlimited access to those books being used as bait, those secret arts. I don’t understand why anyone wouldn’t want to be in that position,” he continued.

‘Ah. So that’s how he’s approaching it.’

Lruien nodded in understanding. “The Black Order’s secret books? Hmm... Of course, they might be quite limited...”

The others seemed to agree as well.

Dungeon manager wasn’t a bothersome position, and whoever was there could access the numerous forbidden and secret books the Black Order was going to use as bait.

Since the books were already going to be thrown into the world as bait, Antirianus wouldn’t be prevented from seeing them.

He wasn’t looking forward to acting as a guardian of the dungeon; it was about having the opportunity to peek at the Black Order’s secrets. That was what made him jump so eagerly at the opportunity.

‘But still... That old man, he’s so straightforward that it’s oddly endearing, but it still feels a bit unsettling. Antirianus... Perhaps he really doesn’t have any deeper machinations behind this?’

“Anyway, we’ll consider it settled. The head of the House of Saturday will take on the role. We’ll inform you of the date and place to meet the Order’s members through the head of the House of Wednesday later,” I said.

“I’ll be waiting with pleasure, O Great One,” Antirianus replied.

I had expected that there would be some bickering over who would take on the role, and that Eleris or Lucinil might reluctantly end up doing it. But the greedy old man had taken it on willingly, and the matter was resolved without need for further discussion.