Demon King of the Royal Class

Chapter 418 [Illustration]

There was no record of Rother Dwin ever leaving the Magic Department or the capital, but it had become almost a foregone conclusion that he had escaped using the warp gate inside the research facility of the Magic Department.

However, since that conclusion was not a hundred percent certain, security around the imperial palace and the Magic Department had not been relaxed.

Vertus, Harriet, and I exited the Magic Department building and walked quietly towards the imperial palace, the attendants following a distance behind.

Harriet was still in a daze, troubled by the fact that she had unknowingly assisted a criminal’s escape.

“They’re searching Rother Dwin’s residence in the capital, but at this point, he wouldn’t have left anything incriminating behind... And even if we don’t know his true level as a mage, he could easily use teleportation. If he’s escaped, capturing him is practically impossible,” Vertus said.

If Rother Dwin had indeed left the imperial palace the night before, then tracking him was impossible. Vertus looked quite displeased, and understandably so. This terrible incident had occurred within the imperial palace, and yet they couldn’t even apprehend the culprit.

“Even if we aren’t able to catch him, we still managed to find out a few things,” Vertus declared.

He drew his conclusions through the events that had occurred and those that hadn’t.

“If we go by what Saint-Ouen has said, he wasn’t after the tomes themselves, but rather, the location from which they had come from,” he said.

“... Yeah.”

Rother Dwin had been more curious about the source of the tomes than the tomes themselves.

“However, the mages he tortured didn’t know the source of the tomes. In other words, he failed to find the people who actually knew where they had come from.”

He had been confident in his ability to escape the Magic Department, but not to get to the only person who might truly know the source of the tomes. In other words, he didn’t dare touch the emperor.

Thus, while Rother Dwin’s skills were impressive, he wasn’t skilled enough to break into Tetra alone. Then again, did such a skilled person even exist?

“I don’t know what kind of monster he is, but the fact that such a person infiltrated the imperial palace is crazy... If he’s a minion of the Demon King, that would be troublesome.”

Vertus fell silent, lost in thought. Although there was no connection between Rother Dwin and me, those in the empire naturally suspected that the Demon King was at work if something suspicious happened.

“Uh... I don’t know if I should ask this, but... where did those tomes actually come from?”

“Oh, that.”

The reason why Rother Dwin had killed people... It was an important secret, but Vertus shrugged.

“I don’t know either,” Vertus said.

Even Vertus didn’t know.

“Charlotte retrieved them from somewhere.”

Those words were enough for me to realize where the magical tomes had come from.

I had believed that the stolen tomes had been bought from adventurers who had entered the lich’s tomb, but it turned out that Charlotte had taken these tomes from the underground bunker beneath the Demon King’s Castle.

“Wait... Then isn’t Charlotte in danger?” I asked, and Vertus shrugged.

“Well, very few people know that it was Charlotte who had brought in the stolen tome, and none of the people who died yesterday knew.”

Fortunately, Rother Dwin hadn’t discovered that Charlotte was the source of the tomes before being forced to escape the imperial palace.

“From what I’ve heard, it’s likely he thinks the lich’s tomb is the source of the tomes. I don’t know why... but if he really wanted to discover the place where the tomes had come from, he might have gone there.”

Vertus favored me with a subtle smile. “And, Reinhart... it seems you know the true source of where these tomes came from, don’t you?”

“...”

“Well, I don’t intend to force it out of you.”

I could have lied, but such things did not seem to work on Vertus.

As Vertus had said, Rother Dwin had fled the imperial palace without discovering the true source of the tomes. Therefore, Charlotte would not be in danger.

Ultimately, if Rother Dwin was indeed part of Cantus Magna, it was clear that they would soon head to the lich’s tomb, located in the Dark Land.

That organization was after rare and powerful magic, and it seemed they believed that the true source of this magic was the lich’s tomb, and not the underground bunker beneath the Demon King’s Castle.

Even if the tomb was not the source of these specific books, the mere rumor that rare tomes were being found within the lich’s tomb would draw Cantus Magna to that location.

Something was approaching.

What sort of reality would manifest from this warning from my Qi Sense, the one which had caused a constriction around my heart? I didn’t know.

And then...

—Your Highness!

Someone was running towards us from afar, seemingly with urgent news.

The messenger quickly reached us and whispered something to Vertus, looking desperate.

Upon hearing the message, Vertus’s brow furrowed deeply.

“... What? Are you sure?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Harriet and I stared intently at Vertus as he bit his lip. It was hard to tell if he was surprised or angry. Perhaps it was both.

“Apparently, there’s a secret room in Rother Dwin’s house. It seems it’s just been discovered.”

A secret room... Was there any evidence there?

“But the stolen tomes are just lying in there, discarded.”

“What?”

“... Why?”

Vertus cursed in disbelief at the incomprehensible situation. “What the hell is this guy thinking?”

***

Vertus, Harriet, and I left the imperial palace. After receiving the report, Vertus insisted on seeing it with his own eyes, and I felt the same way.

“...”

“What in the world...”

“They’re really... here...”

We had entered a secret room hidden by magical means in Rother Dwin’s residence, and there, scattered across the spacious floor, were numerous magical tomes.

The sheer number of books was quite impressive. It seemed likely that something akin to a magic backpack had been used to transport them, as there were too many books for Charlotte to have retrieved them all alone.

This confirmed that Rother Dwin had stolen the tomes and escaped the imperial palace.

The important thing was that he had vanished and had discarded the stolen tomes, leaving them behind in the secret room.

From the way the tomes were spread out, it was clear he had looked through their contents.

The crucial question was: if he was part of Cantus Magna, he would have needed the tomes, so why had he left them behind like this? Had he memorized the contents well enough to make copies later?

“There’s no way he believed this room wouldn’t be discovered...” Harriet speculated.

“Indeed,” Vertus replied with a nod.

He couldn’t have trusted the security of this magically hidden secret room enough to leave the tomes behind like this. After all, the room had been discovered relatively quickly.

Vertus’s expression turned grim.

The thief and murderer had vanished, and had left all the stolen items behind. Why, and for what reason?

I was just as puzzled. The one I’d presumed to be part of Cantus Magna had discarded the magical tomes and disappeared.

Perhaps physically having the tomes was not necessary for Cantus Magna. They might even have some special device or magic to record and remember forms of magic.

Whatever the case, one thing was certain. The discarded tomes indicated that Rother Dwin had moved quite hastily.

“He probably went to the lich’s tomb,” I said, and Vertus and Harriet nodded in agreement.

According to Harriet, Rother Dwin had been curious about the source of the tomes, and if the source was more important than the tomes themselves, he had likely headed to the lich’s tomb based on his mistaken information.

Since he’d already examined these tomes, was he planning to claim the rest before anyone else could break through to the heart of the lich’s tomb?

If Cantus Magna directed all of its forces towards the lich’s tomb, the combined power of Antirianus and the Black Order within the dungeon might not be enough to resist them.

Vertus ground his teeth audibly. “Yeah, nothing would make me happier that to find out what’s in that much-rumored lich’s tomb and take down the bastard who caused chaos within the imperial palace.”

Vertus turned to the attendants waiting outside the secret room and shouted, “Summon Shanapell and the Imperial Mage Corps!”

The furious cry of the First Prince echoed through Rother Dwin’s residence.

The empire’s elite were heading to the lich’s tomb, on the heels of Cantus Magna. The situation was escalating dramatically.

Vertus gave me a serious look. “Reinhart.”

“Yeah?”

“You go too.”

I had expected to be excluded from this expedition, but Vertus’s decision was the opposite.

“If you make it to the heart of the lich’s tomb while capturing the suspect who did murder in the imperial palace, then you would achieve something as a rookie hero that will be hard to top.”

Even in this situation, Vertus was making decisions to maximize the potential gain. He was thinking of ways to achieve the best outcome, even in a crisis, and to add to the achievements of the expected hero of the empire.

I also had more than enough personal reasons to go to that place.

“Alright,” I replied, and Vertus nodded.

“M-me, too!” interjected Harriet, who had been fidgeting. “I... want to go too...”

Despite her fear, Harriet felt a sense of responsibility for the situation. It was only natural that she wanted to go, especially since I was going as well.

Vertus looked at Harriet quietly. After all, Vertus didn’t expect me to personally capture Rother Dwin and break through the lich’s tomb.

Most of the work would be handled by Shanapell and the Imperial Mage Corps, while I was mostly just there to reap the rewards, so there was little actual danger for me.

“Alright, if you really want to, Saint-Ouen.”

Thus, Vertus did not belittle or dismiss Harriet’s courage, and acceded to her request.

***

Vertus instructed Harriet and I to join the imperial elite that were heading to the lich’s tomb.

However, assembling them and determining the best way to proceed required some time, and so we couldn’t depart immediately.

The Shanapell knights and the Imperial Mage Corps were not stationed at the imperial palace, but were often dispatched on various missions. It would take time to gather them.

In fact, it would take at least a day, so we had time to spare.

Therefore, Harriet and I decided to return to the Temple for the time being.

Vertus would return to the imperial palace and discuss the best way to handle this matter with the emperor.

It was clear that an exceedingly dangerous battle was about to unfold. I was joining for the sake of adding a new achievement to my belt, and Harriet felt a sense of responsibility for the situation, so both of us had our reasons for going.

More importantly, I needed to relay this news to Lucinil as quickly as possible. Cantus Magna was heading for the tomb, but the full force of the empire would quickly follow, which would be an even greater danger.

Harriet wore a tense expression. After a long silence...

“It’ll be dangerous, right?” she asked. That was all she could say.

“It’ll be dangerous, of course,” I replied.

“...”

“Not for us, but for those guys who will be there.”

Harriet let out a startled cry at my unexpected comment. “What?”

“No, of course not,” I continued. “The Imperial Mage Corps, full of archmages, and Shanapell, with numerous swordmasters, will surround us. Do you think we’ll be in danger? The ones we’re going to face will be the ones in real danger.”

In fact, that was exactly the problem I was facing.

‘The imperial elite, who are clearly far above the forces in the dungeon in terms of strength, are on their way to crush my few subordinates and allies!

‘We don’t need to worry! They should be worried!’

“Is that... how it works?”

“Of course. We’ll just watch how things unfold from a distance and that’ll be it.”

The problem was that even if Rother Dwin were captured, it was highly likely that the imperial forces would be the ones to do it, not me. In that case, it would be impossible for me to extract information from him.

I had accepted Vertus’s order to follow along with them, trying to think of a way. But really... What was I to do about this?

The likelihood of us being in danger was virtually zero.

Even if Cantus Magna had a few mages, they wouldn’t be able to stand up to the empire’s elite. At least that was what I thought.

For the moment, I needed to return to the Temple and quickly relay this information.

***

They had discovered many clues.

But Charlotte suddenly said to Ellen...

“Let’s stop for today. Let’s return to the Temple and clear our heads.”

Fear and dread flickered in Charlotte’s eyes.

A reluctance to learn something irreversible. A desperate hope that it would remain a mere possibility.

Both Ellen and Charlotte shared these complex emotions. Since they knew how each other felt, Ellen and Charlotte decided to leave that decisive last step for later.

The statue of Rellia, or Elena, in the ancient castle of Epiacs... The two of them planned to visit the place tomorrow.

After returning to the Temple, Ellen and Charlotte went back to their respective dormitories. Even when trying not to think about anything, thoughts inevitably crept in.

However, since nothing was certain yet, they tried not to confirm anything. Until something was confirmed and certainty was achieved, nothing would happen.

Anything unconfirmed was usually frightening and terrifying, but, because of that, Ellen wanted to see Reinhart.

There was no way they could stop. Charlotte and Ellen needed to find out more, and they would indeed discover more.

For the moment, they had to proceed, unless everything turned out to be a misunderstanding and a mere illusion, which might not be the case.

Knock, knock.

Ellen knocked on Reinhart’s door.

She had seen him leave with Harriet, so he might not have returned to the Temple yet.

If so, when would he return?

Just as she was about to turn away...

Creak.

“... Oh.”

“...”

Reinhart, looking somewhat weary, cautiously opened the door.

“What’s up? Do you want to go training? Uh... I kind of want to just rest today...”

Reinhart seemed reluctant to train, as if he simply wasn’t in the mood.

Seeing Reinhart’s face, Ellen’s mind was filled with complex thoughts.

Immediately, a question popped into her mind, but she feared that asking it might lead to something irreversible.

Reinhart never answered her questions, but this time, Ellen decided not to ask anything.

“Can I come in?”

At Ellen’s words, Reinhart looked slightly surprised but opened the door wide, indicating it was okay.

Room A-11... Ellen entered Reinhart’s room and sat lightly on his bed.

Reinhart seemed to be gauging Ellen’s mood, then sat on the chair in front of his desk.

“Here.”

“... Huh?”

Pat, pat.

Ellen patted the part of the bed beside her with her palm.

“Can’t you sit here?”

At Ellen’s words, Reinhart hesitated a bit but then got up from the chair and sat next to Ellen.

Ellen stared blankly ahead without saying anything for a while.

The things Reinhart hadn’t been able to say thus far... What were they, really?

The situation was like a balloon that had been inflated to its limit, just about to burst, when Ellen and Charlotte finally stopped blowing more air into it. Just a little more, one more breath, and the balloon would burst.

In this brief moment, before the balloon burst, they could still be together.

There were many questions.

Why did he help everyone out so much, why was he as gentle as he was rough, and why did he take such good care of them?

Ellen still believed that things might not be inevitable, and her faith in Reinhart remained steadfast.

Fidgeting with her fingers, Ellen spoke quietly.

“What did you do today? I heard something happened at the imperial palace...”

She had seen him leaving the Temple with Harriet, and having heard the news from Charlotte, she had a rough idea of what Reinhart had been up to that day.

“Harriet seemed to be involved in that matter, so I was trying to find out if there was anything we could learn about it... and so we just wandered around together,” Reinahart replied.

‘Yes, see? I knew it,’ Ellen thought.

Reinhart, who always cared for and looked after everyone, couldn’t possibly be involved in anything suspicious. If he were, there would be no reason for him to try so hard, to care so much.

Reinhart would never do anything without a reason.

Any suspicion of Reinhart was just a misunderstanding, created by coincidental circumstances.

“So, did you find out anything?”

“... I don’t think there was much more we could find out with us being there. Well, what Harriet knew did seem to be some sort of clue...”

“I see.”

What he’d done that day, what he would do tomorrow, and what they would eat that night... The conversations they’d shared thus far had all been trivial.

But Ellen wanted it to be like that forever.

Ellen turned her face towards Reinhart. Reinhart, meeting her gaze, awkwardly returned her look.

Reinhart was Reinhart, and Ellen was Ellen.

For the moment, they could still be that to each other.

“Reinhart.”

“... Yeah?”

So while they were still each other’s, Ellen wanted to do something she could only do then, something she wouldn’t be able to do later.

Ellen cautiously wrapped her arms around Reinhart’s neck and kissed him.

She could vividly feel Reinhart’s body stiffen completely as she embraced him.

After the kiss, which felt as brief as an eternity, ended...

“I’m sorry...” Ellen apologized softly as her slightly moist lips parted from Reinhart’s.

Reinhart’s eyes were wide, more from surprise at Ellen’s sudden action than from embarrassment.

“... I felt like there won’t be any other time I’ll be able to do it...”

Leaving only those words behind, she exited Reinhart’s room.