Demon King of the Royal Class-Chapter 472

Lament, in its altered state which seemed to reflect the night sky, possessed absolute sharpness. Reaching Master class and being able to manifest Aura Armor would not help me. The only thing that could defend me against it was a holy relic.

While Lament’s offensive power was ridiculous, that was not the fundamental issue. The biggest problem was that my swordplay originated from Ellen.

I had learned swordsmanship from Ellen at the Temple. While I had trained with Sabioleen Tana later on, the root of my swordsmanship came from Ellen’s teaching. Everything I had learned, from swordsmanship to hand-to-hand combat and suppression techniques, I had learned from her.

Ellen, with her incomparable talent, had taught me everything. Therefore, Ellen was inevitably my superior in terms of swordsmanship.

We had crossed swords countless times over a long period of time. Ellen knew exactly what I understood about her swordsmanship, how I used it, what my habits were, and which movements I usually used. Strictly speaking, Ellen knew me better than I knew myself. That was why Ellen had managed to read all my moves in the staged fight earlier in the day, allowing us to engage in such an extreme show of sword fighting without seriously injuring each other.

Of course, I had surprised her with an almost suicidal move in the end, but that was because that move was clearly beyond what she would have expected from me. Therefore, aside from the personal devastation that the fight with Ellen had brought me, it also confirmed a fact I had mostly expected: I was still weaker than Ellen.

Even if she did not have Lament, with its absolute offensive prowess, I still wouldn’t be able to defeat Ellen.

Even if my overall physical abilities had now surpassed Ellen’s, Ellen’s physical strength had been greater than mine for a long time. Even without that edge, her style of swordsmanship relied on deflecting attacks and then thrusting, or evading attacks and then counterattacking, instead of trying to overpower an opponent with brute force.

Ellen’s swordsmanship was tailored for opponents stronger than herself. Therefore, no matter how much my physical abilities had improved, reaching Master class and relying solely on overpowering force would not work against Ellen.

The staged retreat earlier on had been meant to demonstrate that the Demon King had fled because he was weaker than the Hero, and in reality, that was very much the case. Even without her two holy relics, Ellen could defeat me. And if Ellen, equipped with Lament and Lapelt, truly intended to kill me, I would genuinely lose my life.

Ellen knew me too well. The common saying that “the student would surpass the master” did not apply to this world. Ellen’s talent far surpassed mine, so there was no way a student like me, someone far more inferior, could surpass her.

“...”

I looked down at the darkness that shrouded the streets, dispelled slightly by the torches lining them.

Someday, a moment might come when Ellen and I would have to fight seriously. In that case, my defeat was almost certain. I didn’t know how things would play out to make it so that we would be forced to try to kill each other, but if a situation arose in which Ellen truly intended to kill me, I would lose that fight, and it would result in my death.

I didn’t want to kill Ellen, but I didn’t want to die either. In that case, I had to become someone who could defeat Ellen. I didn’t want to use Alsbringer in that final battle. I didn’t want to use Alsbringer at the cost of my life, and I didn’t want to die in a possible future fight with Ellen.

To ensure that outcome, I needed to become stronger.

But how? I had to find out how.

***

Ellen sat on her bed in her dormitory room at the Temple, staring at nothing.

“Take a few days off. After what happened today... There’s nothing urgent right now.”

Although it had been more of a suggestion than an order from Vertus, it was true that Ellen wasn’t in a state to do anything at the moment.

The Demon King had appeared in the capital, and those presumed to be from the secret society known as the Black Order had attacked him and then fled. It was Ellen who had finally repelled the Demon King.

As always, stories would give birth to more stories, and rumors would give birth to more rumors. The detail of the Hero’s initial hesitation would disappear, and the story of the great hero saving the people from despair during the Demon King’s attack would spread.

Ellen didn’t care about that. She had realized various truths that day. The most painful truth among them was the truth that there would never be a future where she could be with Reinhart again.

It wasn’t a matter of forgiveness or anything like that. Just as Reinhart had things he needed to do, Ellen also had her own obligations. It wasn’t a matter of emotions but of necessity that Ellen had to exist as the enemy of the Demon King. That was the simple truth. There would never be a chance for their relationship to be restored.

Above all, it had been that cold gaze of his. How he had attacked her without hesitation, without a second thought. That icy, emotionless gaze filled Ellen with sadness, despair, and fear. Reinhart’s impenetrable expression and decisive actions were frightening. It was so unlike herself, who had been trembling because she had not been able to control her emotions.

She didn’t deny that his actions were fully justified, and she understood exactly why Reinhart had had to act in that manner. But it hurt too much.

As much as the physical pain she had felt, his unhesitating swiftness and the merciless violence he had been ready to dispense, without any fear of hurting her, was terrifying. Even the violence he had inflicted upon himself had been merciless. He had chosen to let his heart be pierced without hesitation, feigned defeat, and fled.

Just as he hadn’t been afraid to hurt her, he wasn’t afraid to let himself be hurt.

Ellen quietly raised her right hand.

She had cut down countless things thus far, but the chilling sensation from earlier on inevitably filled Ellen with fear.

The sensation of Lament piercing Reinhart’s heart had been terrifying. She had almost killed Reinhart, and recalling that chilling sensation, caused Ellen’s right hand to shake violently, as if she had a tremor.

Even if Reinhart had deliberately allowed the attack to land, she had still almost killed him.

Ellen buried her face between her knees as her body quietly shook, and she began to sob.

“Ugh...”

Would this ever happen again in the future?

Just as she had been forced to fight Reinhart that day, would there come a time when she would be forced to fight again, to risk her life to kill Reinhart, pushed into it by the demands of the people?

Ellen did not want to prepare for that possibility, nor did she want to resolve herself to such a battle. She was afraid of dying at Reinhart’s hands. But she couldn’t bear the thought of killing Reinhart even more.

Earlier that day Ellen had been forced to stand before the Demon King, even though she hadn’t wanted to fight. She had been put into that situation by the people in the plaza, and Reinhart as well, who had insisted that they had to fight.

Reinhart seemed to have already accepted that fate.

Reinhart had grown stronger. If nothing else, his heart had grown excessively strong. Ellen could feel that in that cold expression of his.

Ellen found that incredibly sad and frightening.

.

.

Some time ago, at the beginning of the Gate Incident...

“Ellen.”

“... Mom?”

Her mother had suddenly come to her, without a sound or warning.

That day, when she felt like she might collapse from exhaustion and die, her mother appeared out of nowhere and said, “Shall we go back home?”

“Go back...? Where?”

“If you want to forget about the world’s affairs and return home, we can do that.”

She found it difficult to accept her mother’s words. She didn’t know what her hometown was anymore, what her family truly was, or what the people of the village did.

“My dear daughter, there will only be difficult times ahead. There will be things so painful and sad that they will be hard to endure. They will torment you, hurt you, and it might even lead to your death. So think of this as your last chance, my daughter.

“Even though things seem hard now, they will only get harder in the future. You can leave all this pain and sadness behind you right now, before it swallows you up. Things that haven’t happened yet can remain that way. You won’t have to know anything about these experiences that have yet to happen to you. You can finally distance yourself from all the sadness and pain, eventually forget it all, and find peace. You can forget all the responsibilities, the guilt, and the sorrow.

“So, shall we go back home now? With Mom?”

Ellen didn’t understand what her mother was saying.

Her mother’s words were so strange and unfamiliar that Ellen felt like she was seeing some absolute being for the first time.

Ellen didn’t not say much to her mother.

She didn’t ask if her mother was going to turn away from the situation. She didn’t question why her mother acted as if she was indifferent to everything in the world, or who they really were.

Ellen didn’t ask her anything.

She simply shook her head.

“No, I can’t do that.”

“...”

“I have to take responsibility. I can’t do that.”

Her mother’s expression remained gentle.

“That’s not right,” Ellen continued. “All these things happened because of me. I made the situation like this. I can’t just abandon everyone and forget it all. Isn’t that wrong?

“I can’t go. I shouldn’t, and I won’t. I have things I must do. Responsibilities I must shoulder.

“I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but there’s someone I need to meet again. I don’t know what to do when I meet them again... but there’s someone I must face.

“I’m sorry, Mom. I can’t go.”

Ellen couldn’t turn away from all these things and just run away.

She had to save just one more person. She knew it was impossible to bear this responsibility fully and atone for her sins, but she believed that running away and forgetting it all was not right.

Her mother did not say much. Just as she had before, like on that day when she first draped the Sun God’s cloak over her shoulders.

“Okay.”

She kissed Ellen’s forehead gently, and smiled just as she had then.

“Goodbye, my beloved daughter. May the blessings of the moon and sun be with you.”

After leaving those same words behind, she disappeared with the moonlight.

.

.

Her mother had said there would be things so painful they would be hard to endure, and Ellen felt that those things were now approaching.

She had not thought about it much, but she could sense that it was going to happen.

Her eyes, her body, and what she had seen in Reinhart’s expression made it clear that they had become enemies who had to kill each other someday.

She believed she had to take responsibility. But if that responsibility meant accepting that she had to fight Reinhart to the death, that they had to kill each other, then she couldn’t accept either dying or killing.

Should she have just run away instead?

She had believed that such a choice was not hers to make, but as the unbearable reality approached, Ellen was afraid.

Afraid of the people, of herself, and of Reinhart.

She was too afraid.

Ellen quietly looked at the moonlight streaming into the dormitory.

The pale moonlight, flowing in serenely, offered her no answers.

***

It was the next day, and since everyone had to get used to it eventually, I gathered not only the Senate but also the Four Demon Lords.

Airi, Riana, Harriet, and Olivia... I gathered all those who were considered my core group for breakfast.

Now that Lucinil had rejoined us, the Senate, which had been missing her, was now complete.

I also included Sarkegar in the Senate. In a way, Sarkegar had been helping me ever since I had nothing, so it seemed fitting to include him on the Council, since he could be considered a founding contributor.

My core group was set up in a way where the real power lay with the Four Demon Lords, while the other contributors served as members of the Senate.

I gathered all of those who could be considered a part of the true power in the newly rebuilt Edina Archipelago, the new version of the Dark Land.

We were all gathered at the breakfast table, and of course, the vampires did not eat.

The Senate, the Four Demon Lords, the Demon King, and the newest member who would become another key figure, Charlotte, were all gathered.

Charlotte still couldn’t lift her head.

Everyone at the table was either my ally or someone who had come this far while trusting me. It seemed Charlotte still felt ashamed to face those who had accomplished what she had not been able to.

Charlotte, if anything, was the most demon-like human at this table. Strictly speaking, she was half-human, half-demon. Her soul had been mixed with that of an Archdemon, so Charlotte couldn’t be considered fully human or fully demon.

While the darkness emanating from her body seemed to have stopped for the moment, her hair was not just black but pitch-black, reflecting no light, and her eyes were a crimson hue.

Her appearance was truly that of a demon. Yet, perhaps because of her original appearance, there was an unusual attraction, a strange allure to her.

‘If only she could improve that dejected demeanor of hers...’

“Charlotte will inherit all my authority as the Demon King, and will be responsible for the internal affairs of Edina.”

“...?”

The person most surprised by this statement was Charlotte herself. I watched Charlotte as I spoke. She was unable to hide her surprise, her red eyes darting around in confusion.

“Why else did you think I brought the imperial princess here, if not to rule as a queen?”

“...”

I couldn’t let her live a life in which she felt ashamed all the time, forever trapped in her guilt. Necessity was the mother of invention, and there were many things to be done in the Edina Archipelago that required a wise ruler.

If she lacked confidence and her self-esteem was in ruins, then it had to be forcefully repaired. I had a lot to do. Not in terms of governing, but tasks that needed to be completed to bring an end to the horrors of the Gate Incident.

There wasn’t much time left, and I couldn’t take care of Charlotte’s mental state forever; she had to stand on her own.

Thinking too much only resulted in overthinking. People only moved forward when pushed. Usually, when reality catches up, there’s no time to wallow in despair.

It had happened for me, and it would have to happen for Charlotte as well.

***

I didn’t give Charlotte time to raise any objections, to say that she wasn’t qualified, or that she couldn’t possibly handle such a task.

After making this most important announcement, we proceeded with breakfast. Charlotte barely ate, but when I glared at her, she reluctantly stuffed some food into her mouth.

I seemed to know the right way to handle Charlotte, whose plummeting self-esteem had broken her. Rather than comforting her gently, it was more effective to just tell her to do something. When I did so, she would usually do it. If I gently suggested that she should eat, she hesitated, but if I just bluntly told her to eat, she would grudgingly do so.

If I had tried to persuade her to take charge of the Edina Archipelago, she would have adamantly refused, saying she wasn’t qualified to do so. But I simply told her to do as she was told, and she just nodded.

The once proud and haughty princess had, in two years, become someone who felt she had to do whatever I said. It would have been better if it wasn’t just a result of her guilt.

Charlotte, who should have been accustomed to giving orders, had become someone accustomed to taking them, but only from me.

Charlotte wasn’t immediately involved in state affairs. It seemed she already knew that Sarkegar was the one responsible for the kidnapping of the princess and the empress. Given that Sarkegar and Lucinil had spent time in the imperial palace, it was inevitable that she would know.

However, Charlotte seemed too consumed by her guilt toward me that there was no space left for any fear or anger toward Sarkegar. It was as if her overwhelming guilt left no room for hatred toward her mother’s nemesis.

Moreover, since the Senate didn’t typically involve itself deeply in state affairs, there would be little interaction between Sarkegar and Charlotte in the future.

Charlotte began getting information about the overall situation of the Edina Archipelago and everything else she needed to know from Harriet, who acted as secretary.

Harriet seemed to have no particular feelings toward Charlotte. Airi, on the other hand, was different. Perhaps she sensed the soul of the Demon King within Charlotte, as Airi seemed to feel a peculiar fear when she looked at her.

Although Charlotte was the Demon King’s proxy, she was, in fact, not just a proxy. She could be considered the Demon Queen. With the soul of a human and an Archdemon, she was perhaps more suited than I was to be the ruler of this new Dark Land. She also clearly possessed some degree of the ability to command demons. Of course, not everyone was pleased with this situation.

“Do you think she can manage anything if she’s so feeble?” Riana, who ultimately wished for the empire’s downfall, asked me, sounding concerned. She had completed her preparations and was ready to return to Port Mokna.

“She may seem like that now, but in the long run, she’ll be much better than me.”

“Tsk. I don’t like it.”

Riana could hardly be pleased with the imperial princess as the acting leader of the Dark Land. Although it was Vertus who had killed Duke Granz and destroyed the revolutionary forces, Charlotte had learned of it afterward but did not do or say anything.

“Anyway, I’m leaving,” Riana said.

“Make sure the preparations for relocating the base are complete. I’ll make my own preparations as well.”

“Got it.”

Riana headed off to Port Mokna.

“She’ll manage on her own, won’t she?” Olivia said, referring to Charlotte.

Unlike the others, Olivia did not appear angry, nor did she question the situation.

“Our Majesty, there’s just one thing you need to remember,” she said, a chilling smile spreading across her face as she looked at me.

“The next time she causes trouble, don’t try to protect her,” Olivia said, her gaze stern. “Because even if you try, I’ll find a way to kill her.”

Olivia’s blunt warning was a clear statement of what I was to expect if someone who had already betrayed me once stirred up trouble again.