Demon King of the Royal Class

Chapter 417

I felt suffocated.

“... Uh...”

Without any warning or reason, I suddenly felt as if someone was squeezing the life out of me, and I couldn’t help but pause.

“Reinhart? What’s wrong?” Harriet asked.

“... Did something shock you?” Vertus questioned.

We were discussing the information about the corpses in a different place, and my sudden change in demeanor caught Harriet and Vertus’s attention.

“No, it’s just...”

‘No, that’s not it.’

Although I had just witnessed a horrific scene, there was no reason for me to suddenly feel suffocated. I couldn’t breathe properly, and it felt as if someone was choking me without any reason or warning.

It felt like something terrible was about to happen.

This intense anxiety, without any cause or reason, was a sensation I had experienced before. It was similar to the symptoms of panic attacks I had suffered from in the past.

The sudden sense of crisis in a calm state was both unfamiliar and familiar.

“What’s wrong... Reinhart...?” Harriet asked as she held my hand while I trembled and broke out in a cold sweat. Her touch helped calm me to some extent, but I couldn’t shake off the strange feeling.

Panic attacks were something from the past. I knew this sensation was not it.

This was a warning from my Qi Sense.

I had never felt such a level of crisis that made it difficult to breathe before.

Something was about to happen—or rather, was already happening.

Was Rother Dwin going to attack us in the middle of the Magic Department, or was something similar occurring? If so, had he not yet left the Magic Department?

I had never felt such an overwhelming sense of pressure before, and the fear that something of an entirely different magnitude might occur gripped me. Yet, I couldn’t identify what it was until it actually happened.

Something was going to happen, but since I didn’t know what it was, I couldn’t afford to be prematurely frightened.

I sighed. “I just... suddenly felt weird.”

I took a deep breath, and Vertus chuckled softly. “I thought you were used to this, but maybe not?”

“... No, I understand, said Harriet. “It keeps lingering on for me as well...”

My companions seemed to believe I was reacting this way because I was shocked by the gruesome scene we had just witnessed.

Indeed, it had been a horrific sight that could easily justify such a reaction from me, although the real reason behind my sudden change was different.

Once Vertus saw that I had calmed down, he crossed his arms and began to speak.

“By the way, did Rother Dwin express curiosity about the source of the magic books?”

“Yeah, he seemed to want those magical tomes, but... it was more like he was curious about where they came from... That’s probably why he... tortured those people.”

He had not committed the crime for money, but to discover where the magical tomes had come from. Of course, he had taken all the magical tomes with him as well.

This statement lent more weight to my suspicion that Rother Dwin was affiliated with Cantus Magna.

“Perhaps he thought they came from the newly discovered lich’s tomb in the Dark Land...?”

“Oh, that place...?” Vertus said as he furrowed his brow. “Hmm... Well, that certainly seems plausible...”

Judging by Vertus’s reaction, it seemed the magical texts that had been stolen the day before hadn’t come from the lich’s tomb, the trap that I had set together with the Black Order.

“The important thing is that Rother Dwin likely didn’t get the information he truly wanted even after torturing the three dead mages.”

This meant the deceased mages did not know where the magical tomes had truly come from.

“More importantly, how did Rother Dwin manage to escape not only the Magic Department, but also the imperial palace?”

“There were no records of him leaving the Magic Department or the imperial palace, right?” asked Harriet.

“That’s right,” Vertus replied with a nod. “First of all, it’s clear that Rother Dwin had concealed his true abilities as a mage. Given his officially recorded level as a mage, he shouldn’t have been able to take down even one of the duty officers. Yet, he subdued all three of them without them being able to put up a fight, and even tortured them.”

His expertise in dark magic and the ability that he’d demonstrated suggested that Rother Dwin was an incredibly powerful mage.

“However, just like the Temple, it’s supposed to be impossible to enter or exit the imperial palace via spatial movement. To leave the Magic Department, one must use the main entrance, and to leave the imperial palace, one must use one of the four gates...”

I didn’t know if he could have entered and exited the palace by flying, like Sarkegar.

Perhaps Rother Dwin could transform into a sparrow, but even if such transformation magic existed, such a scenario seemed unlikely unless he could completely transform into the target creature like Sarkegar. After all, there was surely a magic-dispelling field around the palace as well.

“Yet, despite a thorough search of the entire Magic Department building, there was no trace of Rother Dwin. Even if he somehow escaped the Magic Department, he would still be within the imperial palace, and it would be impossible to hide with mere disguise magic or invisibility magic.”

The assumption that Rother Dwin was hiding somewhere seemed plausible, but he wasn’t in the Magic Department, and despite their search of the imperial palace grounds, he had yet to be found.

Spatial teleportation could not be used, and it was unlikely that Rother Dwin had casually slipped out of the Magic Department building using disguise magic.

This audacious individual who had committed murder within the imperial palace was certainly no ordinary person.

Could Cantus Magna have the ability to neutralize the teleportation barrier and escape? No. That was unlikely.

This was the Imperial Magic Department. The building itself was enormous, and aside from the research archive, there were likely other departments serving various functions.

While spatial teleportation was impossible, the idea that all magical movement out of or into the imperial palace was prohibited was a misconception.

After all, wasn’t there a warp gate installed within the basement of the Spring Palace?

I had indeed used that miniature gate to enter and to depart from the imperial palace before.

“Is there perhaps a facility in the Magic Department that researches warp gates?” I asked, and both Vertus and Harriet tilted their heads in curiosity.

***

Warp gates magic was fundamentally controlled by the empire.

Therefore, it was only natural that warp gate research was conducted at the Imperial Magic Department, and not at the Mages’ Guild or the Magic Association. There was indeed a facility in the basement of the building dedicated to warp gate research.

Consequently, there were bound to be small, incomplete gates or magic stones within the facility, even if there weren’t any large-scale gates.

Because of the murder within the Magic Department, all work and research within the department had been halted, so Vertus summoned the person in charge to him to discuss the matter.

When he arrived, Vetus asked the researcher if the gates could be activated and connected to external gates.

“I don’t think it’s possible...” the researcher said as he shook his head. “The gates here are not made to standard specifications; most have been created for special purposes and are still being researched, so most of them are incomplete gates...”

“Does that mean there is at least one functioning gate?” Vertus asked again. Having even one functioning gate would mean that it could somehow be connected with the outside network.

“Yes, there is indeed a functioning warp gate, one that is not a prototype. However, using it to escape the imperial palace would still be impossible.”

“Why is that?”

“All warp gates produced in this facility are not regular gates. The gates within the facility are meant to be connected to each other and not the entire gate system. Therefore, these gates have never been connected to external gates.”

“If they’ve never actually been connected, does that mean they could still be?”

“For that to happen, the warp gates would need to be included in the regular imaginary dimension map.”

“And what does that mean?”

Vertus seemed confused by the technical jargon known only to warp gate technicians, and so was I. I only knew that the imaginary dimension map was similar to a subway map.

“There are a set of rules governing warp gates that determine which gates they can connect to. Each gate must be pre-designated to synchronize with specific other gates,” Harriet explained.

To incorporate another gate into the imaginary dimension map, not only did the gate itself have to exist, but the gate also then had to be added to the entire system.

“So, it’s impossible to connect a gate to the external network without that process?”

“If you connect this gate to an external gate without precise dimensional coordinate calculations, the path could collide with the paths of other gates. In such cases, dimensional distortion could occur—”

“Enough with the complicated talk. You’re saying an accident could happen, right? What kind of accident?” Vertus interjected the researcher.

“Anyone trying to exit through this gate, as well as everyone using the destination gate, could end up being sent to a ‘non-existent place.’ Of course, whether such a place truly exists is unknown... But there have been quite a few cases in the past where, during gate experiments, those sent through them were unable to return,” the researcher explained.

At those words, Vertus’s eyes widened, and so did Harriet’s and mine.

A non-existent place...

Did that mean being flung into an imaginary dimension, unable to return to the real world?

“So, escaping through this gate is impossible?”

“An attempt could be made to activate the gate and escape, and it might even succeed... but it’s an exceedingly dangerous method. It would be gambling with one’s life.”

I didn’t know the details, but the principle was simple.

If you arbitrarily overlay a new route on a well-functioning subway transfer station calculated by many people, the trains traveling through them would collide, the routes would be ruined, and all the passengers would perish.

A warp gate was both a train station and the train itself. Even if the train and station were ready, laying a route without thorough calculation could lead to a major accident. Thus, escaping to the capital through this warp gate was a mad endeavor.

Using an already-activated gate meant traveling along a pre-made path. In this case, though, one would have to create a non-existent path, which was a risky gamble.

The artifact I had that connected me to the gate in the basement of the Spring Palace was also a type of warp gate distortion device, but the gate itself was a properly designed warp gate meant to connect with the outside, although one unbeknownst to the public.

The person in charge said that escaping through the facility’s gate was impossible, and whoever tried it would be gambling with their life.

However...

“No... it could have been done,” Harriet said, her voice trembling.

“What do you mean, Saint-Ouen?” Vertus asked. Harriet’s face had turned pale.

“If he understood the map I showed him yesterday... he could have done it...”

I was the only one who could understand what Harriet meant by that.

I didn’t know exactly what Harriet had done yesterday, but I knew she had made a breakthrough that could significantly aid in improving the warp gate system, and that Rother Dwin had seen Harriet’s research results firsthand.

He wasn’t a layman; he was an expert who understood the warp gate system well.

Harriet calmly explained what had happened yesterday, specifically the theory that she, not Rother Dwin, had proposed.

“If he were a mage who knew nothing about the warp gate system, it would be different, but he was an expert. He understood my theory as soon as he saw it. But he didn’t use my theory. I had annotated the map of the entire imaginary dimension. Thus, he could see which gates were connected in what way, where there were gaps in the dimensional coordinates to maximize efficiency...”

A layman wouldn’t know how to manipulate the gate network, but Rother Dwin was the supervisor of research room eight, and an expert in gate theory.

He hadn’t applied Harriet’s theory; instead, he used the notes Harriet had compiled to establish her theory.

Harriet had examined the map of the entire existing imaginary dimension to develop her theory. She had analyzed the massive, complex map that even many experts couldn’t understand, and had annotated all the warp gate connection paths.

“While he couldn’t have connected a warp gate to the entire network, if he properly understood the map I showed him, he could have calculated a safe path to a specific gate.”

Harriet’s theory was still too early to be practically applied, but Rother Dwin had used the underlying research she had done to make his escape, and not her theory itself.

Constructing and understanding the tangled web of connections between gates was difficult, but creating a single safe path to connect one specific gate to another wasn’t.

“If... If what you’re saying is true... Of course, it’s a dangerous and unverified method, but it would have been worth attempting...” the researcher remarked.

By the time Harriet had shown him the map, Rother Dwin had already been planning his crime.

Harriet had inadvertently shown the would-be criminal the optimal escape route.

“No wonder...” Harriet muttered. “He seemed to appreciate it more than he should have...”

Harriet was in shock after realizing that she had not only been the last to see the criminal suspect, but had also been used in his escape from the capital.

Vertus bit his lip, looking serious. “So, it’s certain that Rother Dwin used this facility to escape then.”

“I-I’m so sorry...” Harriet apologized, her face pale.

Vertus flashed a bitter smile. “He was going to go all out. He already killed three people, so he probably planned to kill everyone while escaping. Thanks to you, he saw a safer escape route, and so the number of deaths was reduced to just three instead of potentially dozens, or even over a hundred.”

“...”

No one knew what Rother Dwin’s actual abilities in combat were. However, he had easily subdued and killed three high-ranking mages.

Since he had made his escape using an idea from Harriet’s theory, that meant Rother Dwin had already planned to commit his crime beforehand. This also meant that he had the confidence to escape the imperial palace by force, even without using the gate.

If what Harriet had revealed to him was indeed what inspired him to escape through the gate, fewer lives were lost than might have been otherwise.

“Even if that’s not really the case, it would be good to think of it that way, Saint-Ouen,” Vertus said.

Even if it wasn’t true, it was necessary to think that way.

I was grateful for Vertus’s words, even though he wasn’t directing them to me.

***

Charlotte and Ellen hadn’t discovered anything decisive through their inquiries. Instead, they found themselves with more suspicions. Suspicions related to Reinhart.

Neither Charlotte nor Ellen discussed what these suspicions might lead to. They feared that speaking about it might turn something they didn’t want to imagine into reality.

The two of them walked in silence. Charlotte’s next destination was the capital’s Identity Management Bureau, which functioned like a local office.

“Even if she used an alias, she would have had to register her identity. We might be able to obtain some clues to track her down. While details such as her place of origin might be lies, we can at least infer when she started operating in the capital.”

“That makes sense.”

The spy from the Dark Land who operated under the alias Elena... Charlotte intended to pursue her as far as she could.

Even if she used a fake identity, she would have to provide some records, including her place of origin.

Charlotte had seen her ID and asked various questions, but did not remember detailed information like her place of origin.

While such personal information wasn’t something that could be accessed freely, Charlotte was still a princess. Just as Vertus was allowed to look through the personal details of all the capital’s citizens with just a word, Charlotte could do the same.

“Please show me all identity records registered under the name Elena in the capital,” Charlotte requested.

The director froze momentarily at the sudden appearance of the princess, but quickly began to act.

“Yes, I’ll prepare them immediately.”

Ellen and Charlotte sat in the director’s office of the Identity Management Bureau, quietly stared at the tea that had been brought by the staff as they waited for the records to be prepared.

Neither of them were in the mood to drink tea.

Both knew that the real issue wasn’t Elena, but they didn’t want to admit or even think about the fact that Reinhart seemed suspicious.

They both could see it, even if they didn’t discuss it.

“...”

“...”

Thus, they refrained from starting any conversation, knowing that doing so might lead to significant developments.

Time passed.

“Here you go, Your Highness. The information is ready.”

The list of all individuals named Elena within the capital had been prepared.

Charlotte planned to deduce how long Elena had been operating in the capital based on her place of birth and the date of registration, and then summon the landlord of the scroll shop to inquire more about Elena.

Charlotte flipped through the documents of those with the same name, hoping to find the ID photo of the Elena she knew.

Flip.

“Oh. This is it.”

There weren’t many people with the same name, so Charlotte quickly picked out the document that matched the Elena she remembered.

Since Charlotte already knew Elena’s face, what she needed was the written information.

However, the photo stood out to Ellen, who had been quietly observing.

“Wait... Wait a minute...” Ellen said.

“Hmm?”

“I... I...” Ellen’s voice trembled. “I know this person.”

Charlotte furrowed her brow at those words.

“What? Have you seen this person somewhere?”

Ellen had a good memory, and something clicked the moment she saw Elena’s photo.

“During our group mission last semester... At that castle... There was a statue that looked just like this person...”

It was unforgettable. Though the statue had lacked some detail, she had thought that it resembled this person.

She recalled the mage named Rellia, who had briefly accompanied them through the Dark Land, and her time at Ancient Castle Epiacs, where she had found a statue among many that resembled Rellia.

Those events were etched strongly in Ellen’s memory, and seeing Elena’s photo caused those memories to resurface.

“A statue? Why would there be a statue of this person in that castle?”

“This person...” Ellen murmured in a trembling voice, overwhelmed by a powerful shock. “Is a dragon...”

“... What the hell are you... I mean, what are you saying?”

Charlotte almost let out a curse, thinking Ellen was trying to make a joke in this situation.

However, Ellen’s face was turning pale.

The mysterious mage Rellia, who had claimed to be a dragon, the statue in Ancient Castle Epiacs that subtly resembled her... And the photo of Elena, which seemed to be an exact replica of that statue...

In Ellen’s memory, Rellia and Elena didn’t appear to be the same person. However, with the statue serving as a kind of neutral intermediary, Ellen couldn’t help but see them as related.

Rellia, the mage who had concealed her true abilities and had accompanied Ellen and Reinhart back then...

Ellen had a good memory.

“... Wouldn’t it be nice to have a mage with us?”

In hindsight, the self-proclaimed dragon-turned-mage Rellia, whom they had supposedly met by chance, had been deliberately recruited by Reinhart.

Ellen could only stare wide-eyed at Elena’s photo.

“...”