Demon King of the Royal Class

Chapter 411 [Illustration]

Paang!

The sound of air being ripped apart echoed throughout the dim space.

The whip broke the sound barrier with a threatening crack. The sound itself was intimidating, but those who were struck by it faced an even greater threat to their lives.

The whips tore through flesh, and those who were struck were often left in such severe pain that they were unable to even scream.

Olivia observed the people slumped in the iron cages, and noted that three or four of them had already stopped breathing.

“This way, please.”

Olivia was being led through the dungeon by a person dressed in the attire of an inquisitor. They were underground, beneath the Order of the Holy Knights’ headquarters. The large interrogation room was more crowded than usual.

Olivia had been in and out of this place a few times, and had almost been thrown in here by her foster father’s hand. Now, though, Olivia was there in the capacity of a special inquisitor.

“What were they all brought in for?” Olivia asked, and one of the inquisitors leading her clicked his tongue.

“Suspicions are at an all-time high right now. It’s not only the Demon God Cult. Strange folk magic and idol worshippers are popping up everywhere. People believing in legendary beings from local folklore, or propagating unheard-of heresies...”

“Are there also followers of the Hero Cult who believe in Ragan Artorius?”

“... They are the biggest headache. That belief is certainly heretical, but—”

“It’s a difficult issue to tackle. I see.”

“Yes, unless the papal council reaches a conclusion, we can’t do anything about them.”

As anxiety and fear spread, the Hero Cult and the Demon God Cult were not the only ones whose following was growing. Numerous other beliefs were emerging among the populace The Hero Cult was the largest form of heresy among them, and while it needed to be dealt with swiftly, mishandling it could lead to a large-scale massacre of civilians by the Church of the Five Great Gods.

If that happened, it would not only mean a clash with the empire, but it could also risk having the people turn their backs on the Church of the Five Great Gods.

The name Ragan Artorius carried significant weight. Even if he hadn’t ascended to the seat of the martial god after saving humanity, who would dare to claim otherwise?

Given the current situation, there was a risk that the Church of the Five Great Gods could become the enemy of humanity, which was laughable.

Therefore, those engaged in minor heresies had to be captured and brought into this interrogation room before they could spread their beliefs. They were forced to repent and divulge information about other heretics. However, the followers of the Hero Cult, which was prominent on the streets of the empire, had not yet been captured.

Olivia found this situation amusing.

After the outbreak of the Great War, the Church of the Five Great Gods had formed the Order of the Holy Knights, a kind of united military force under the entire Church of the Five Great Gods.

It turned out to be quite beneficial. Although the five different churches already shared a symbiotic relationship, the creation of an institution representing their collective will had increased their voice, military power, and influence fivefold or more, creating a central hub for the faithful.

Even the leader of the Order of the Holy Knights held influence and power comparable to that of each pope of the Five Great Gods. The Order had been created under the pretext of defeating the Demon King, and now that the Demon King had disappeared, it should have vanished too, yet it remained.

The former leader of the Order of the Holy Knights, Leverier Lanche, had even devised a grand plan to establish a holy nation. However, the reappearance of the Demon King had turned the situation upside down.

The Demon King hadn’t intervened directly. It was the people, driven mad by the fear of the Demon King, who had created the Hero Cult, a whimsical and fictitious faith, which now threatened the Church of the Five Great Gods.

Forget about launching a holy nation; the Church of the Five Great Gods now had to worry about its survival, being pushed aside by the intangible faith of the Hero Cult.

Even the existence of Ellen Artorius and the new owner of Alsbringer, Reinhart, only fueled the Hero Cult’s reputation instead of diminishing it.

Wasn’t it what they says? That the hero would return. And so this reincarnation of the hero, Reinhart, and the hero’s kin, Ellen Artorius, would save humanity.

Religion tends to mould itself around reality, so those who believed in the Hero Cult would see the appearance of those two as the fulfillment of the Hero Cult’s prophecy, and the influence of the Hero Cult would expand.

The Hero Cult, an epidemic that spread like wildfire, without proper doctrine, order, diocese, temple, or pope, would sweep across the continent.

The Church of the Five Great Gods might not meet its end at the hands of the Demon King, but be torn down by the masses.

Had the Demon King foreseen this situation when he attacked Leverier Lanche? If he had killed Leverier Lance while predicting that such a thing would happen, then the Demon King was something beyond a genius. It would mean that he had even factored human madness and fear into his calculations.

If so, after having killed Leverier Lanche and seeing the signs of the emergence of the Hero Cult, he might have attacked Raziern to amplify it.

The assassination of Leverier Lanche was the fuse, the first attack on Raziern was the explosive, and the most recent attack by the Demon God Cultists was the detonation.

With a few guerrilla operations, the Demon King had thrust the crisis of the Hero Cult’s emergence onto the Church of the Five Great Gods.

Did the Demon King really know it would turn out like this? Olivia could not see that far. However, Olivia had decided to do what she had to do.

‘Even if you don’t choose me, it’s fine. As long as you’re smiling, that’s enough. As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters.’

If she had to become a monster to protect Reinhart, she would.

“This is the place.”

Unlike other places in the dungeon, this cell did not have iron bars that allowed a clear view inside. It was a massive detention room blocked by a heavy stone wall.

Numerous holy magic circles and protective arrays prevented interference from the outside and escape from the inside.

If there were VIPs among the heretics, this was the kind of place to confine them.

Kurrrung!

The inquisitor manipulated something and an opening appeared within the stone wall, revealing the interior of the detention room.

A battered heretic, head bowed and seemingly unconscious, was inside.

“He’s not a fake, right?”

For Olivia, who had seen people in the provinces trying to hang those who weren’t demon god cultists and priests who actually supported such actions, creating innocent victims, this question was crucial. She couldn’t interrogate the wrong person.

“His identity has been confirmed. He’s a priest capable of using Divine Power of the Demon Gods, and not an innocent victim of the villagers’ accusations. However, he won’t speak. Since he’s a priest, he seems to have undergone some special training.”

From what traces of torture Olivia could see, it was clear to her that ordinary methods hadn’t been used. It was clear that his resistance to magic and mental magic was quite strong.

“Alright. Everyone out. I’ll talk to him alone.”

“Sorry? But... he’s dangerous. Being alone with him—”

“Do I need to repeat myself?”

Olivia looked calmly at her escorts, and they swallowed hard. There was a sharp, blade-like chill hidden behind her gentle expression.

She was already renowned as the Saintess of Eredian, and although she had suddenly abandoned her faith, she had returned wielding Tiamata as the Apostle of Ouen.

Defying her wishes could be considered going against the will of the gods. Even the pope or the leader of the Order of the Holy Knights couldn’t easily oppose champions chosen by the holy relics.

“Yes. But if there’s any danger—”

“I know. Just leave,” Olivia instructed plainly, and as the stone wall door closed, darkness enveloped the chamber.

Whoosh...

With a wave of her hand, Olivia conjured a ball of light that illuminated the stone chamber.

The torture that the inquisitors meted out was not something ordinary people could endure. The true torture that the priests could inflict was not in the pain itself, but in the healing power they could use.

Even if the prisoners felt like they were losing their minds, even if their limbs seemed about to be torn off, even if they were on the brink of hemorrhagic shock, the priests could restore their bodies to their original state and start the torture anew.

That was why most eventually confessed to the truth, or at least said what the inquisitors wanted to hear, even if it was a lie. However, this priest of the Demon God Cult had not confessed until the end.

Olivia dragged a chair opposite the slumped, unresponsive cultist and sat down quietly.

“You are conscious, aren’t you? Why don’t you lift your head?”

“...”

There was no response from the man opposite her.

“I’m not skilled or talented in torture. So, if an amateur like me tries to torture you, you might actually die,” Olivia said cheerfully, yet with a chilling undertone.

A crackling voice emerged from the cultist, whose head remained bowed.

“Kill me...”

It was a simple response. In this place, even death was not a release.

Taking one’s own life was extremely difficult, especially when bound, and even if one tried, the priests would forcibly heal any attempts.

Torture, in a place where even death was not permitted... This was the real inquisition, unlike the sham one that had occurred in Raziern.

“How severe must the torture have been for such words to come out so easily? How pitiful,” Olivia remarked, quietly observing the hunched-over cultist.

“Still, I’m slightly different from the inquisitors who have come before.”

In the light, Olivia extended her right hand towards the cultist.

Sssss...

“I know how to wield the power of the Demon God. Quite well, actually.”

A dark and eerie energy, different from the white light floating in the room, flowed from Olivia’s right hand.

“We’re on the same side.”

The cultist lifted his head, looking at Olivia with disbelief.

The power of the Demon Gods and the Great Gods flowed from the same source. Olivia felt pity for the countless conflicts, the pain, suffering and death that arose because people didn’t know this or refused to acknowledge it.

However, Olivia intended to use this to her advantage. As a priestess of Ouen and also of Kier, she could loosen the tongue that would never ever speak to an enemy.

“Do you feel like talking now?”

Olivia, who had brightened the room with the power of purity, calmly watched the cultist, cloaked in the power of corruption.

“Oh... Lord...”

To the cultist’s eyes, she must have appeared as a divine figure.

***

Late at night, after the small midnight feast shared by the four of them, Harriet returned to her room, washed up, dried her hair, and sat on her bed.

Having realized that she couldn’t hate Reinhart more than she liked him, Harriet clung to him in a sort of resignation.

‘Is this really okay?’

While it was true that she couldn’t hate Reinhart, Harriet also felt that she would always be the eternal second, or perhaps even last, in line.

She knew that her feelings, her relationships, and her connections with others would always be a bit more superficial, and she would always have to circle around the edges.

How long would she have to endure the misery of inserting herself into their midst?

For now, eating together and having casual conversations with Reinhart was enjoyable. It was so full of fun, comfort, and happiness that the swamp of depression she had been sinking into alone seemed to vanish.

However, upon returning to her dorm room, she found herself feeling small and insignificant again.

Was it right?

Was it right to let her feelings build up, just because she was having fun, feeling comfortable and happy, only to suffer a greater wound later?

Wouldn’t it be better to just suffer the hurt now and be done with it?

Perhaps it would be better to feel the pain now. Then she wouldn’t have to hurt later. If she endured this pain now, it would eventually become a scar. And once it became a scar, at least it wouldn’t hurt anymore.

Wouldn’t that be the right thing to do?

However, she knew that the next day, Reinhart would speak to her casually, as he always had.

Wouldn’t it be ridiculous to suddenly tell Reinhart not to act in such a friendly manner towards her?

Most importantly, even though she didn’t know the specifics, Reinhart shared a deep relationship with Charlotte. It seemed that Reinhart had even saved Charlotte when her life was in danger.

Ellen and Reinhart had fought side by side, risking their lives in the Dark Land. She and Reinhart had undeniably spent the most time together.

In Olivia’s case, Reinhart had cleverly rescued her from her imprisonment and the threat posed by her foster father. In a way, he was a lifesaver to her as well.

The three of them shared significant events with Reinhart, yet she had not.

‘But what about me? I... I’m just so insignificant. No matter how I think about it...’

She could not shake that belief. It was frustrating and unfair to feel pushed aside, but whenever she thought about it seriously, she was objectively a minor character.

“...”

Of course, going through hardships wasn’t necessarily a good thing, but Harriet couldn’t help but think that not having gone through such experiences was what made her different.

The Grand Duchess of Saint-Ouen, Harriet de Saint-Ouen, being a minor character? She couldn’t even use her status as grand duchess as leverage anymore. Reinhart was undeniably the champion of Alse.

And what had happened that day?

In reality, nothing had happened, but she’d almost collapsed in front of Reinhart, feeling as if she were being stalked, and the memory of her trembling in fear made her want to die of embarrassment.

It wasn’t like they’d had a huge fight followed by a tearful reconciliation. The situation had merely turned out this way, without them having a proper conversation.

Harriet found it absurd that she’d ended up reconciling with Reinhart over something so trivial.

Even the event that had brought their relationship back to normal seemed excessively minor.

.

.

The next day, at dawn...

“Grand Duchess of Saint-Ouen, we need your cooperation for a moment.”

Harriet had kept the belief that the previous night’s event had been excessively minor, until two mages, who introduced themselves as investigators from the Imperial Magic Department, knocked on her door early that morning.

She was bewildered by the fact that the two men, who claimed to be investigators from the Imperial Magic Department, had come all the way to the dormitory.

They couldn’t be impostors. If they were, they wouldn’t have been able to enter the Temple in the first place.

“Me...?”

“A murder occurred last night in the research archives of the Imperial Magic Department. You are an important witness related to the case. We require your assistance in our investigation.”

“I’m sorry...? What?!”

Murder.

That word alone was enough to cause Harriet’s thoughts to tangle up, and at the same time, she was engulfed by an inexplicable fear.

Even if she had done nothing wrong, even if she was the high-ranking Grand Duchess of Saint-Ouen, she couldn’t help but freeze when hearing of a possible crime.

Moreover, this crime was a murder that had taken place within the imperial palace.

Harriet’s complexion turned pale as she took in the polite yet stern and authoritative expressions of the investigators.

It was dawn, the time when the sky was just beginning to turn blue, so her classmates were likely still asleep.

However, it was also the time when those who usually exercised at dawn would be waking up.

For instance, Reinhart.

“... Uh, what’s going on here?”