Demon King of the Royal Class-Chapter 592

Ellen had heard whispers from headquarters that the tombs of the Order of the Holy Knights had been desecrated, and that the leader of the Order of the Holy Knights and other high-ranking holy knights had gone back to the capital to investigate.

With most of their forces with the Allied Forces, the security at the headquarters of the Order of the Holy Knights was weakened, and so the intrusion and robbery weren’t that surprising. However, she was shocked to discover that it wasn’t treasures that had been stolen, but human remains.

“Remains...? Why would anyone want those?” Ellen was baffled.

“I don’t know,” Illeion Volten replied, equally perplexed. “Many tombs were destroyed, and all the remains in them were taken. It seemed logical to suspect that those with ill intentions toward the Church and the Order of the Holy Knights would be behind this, or perhaps some dark sorcery was at play. Archbishop Rowen’s decision to investigate was understandable, but I never imagined it would involve capturing and torturing heretics.”

Illeion Volten stared quietly at the table. “Since returning to the capital, I’ve been looking into this matter. It could be the work of internal dissidents, or there might be something I’m missing. I have to tread carefully.”

Who had infiltrated the Tomb of the Saints and stolen the remains buried there? The motive, the method, and the perpetrator remained a mystery.

The Commander did not fully trust those who had stayed behind in the capital, which was hampering his investigations.

“How is this connected to the people in the refugee camp?” Ellen asked.

“If you believe the inquisitors only capture, torture, and kill innocent people, then I can’t change your mind,” Illeion said. “But our inquisitors have witnessed the power that the cursed rituals and prayers of heretics can bring about, more than anyone else in the world.”

Ellen fell silent, considering his words.

The inquisitors had seen the dark deeds of heretics and the unholy miracles they’d performed. Therefore, it was almost inevitable for them to suspect heretics as the root of any such problem.

“In truth, we can’t entirely dismiss the possibility that curses and prayers of the heretics were responsible for the desecration of the saints’ tombs.”

Even the Commander of the Holy Knights couldn’t definitively say that the heretical rituals in the refugee camp weren’t to blame.

A massive refugee camp had sprung up in the capital, filled with followers of the Hero Cult and countless other variations of heresy that had splintered from it. It was conceivable that their unholy rituals or prayers had tainted the Tomb of the Saints.

“Is that really possible?” Ellen asked.

“I don’t know,” Illeion Volten replied, unwilling to confirm or deny it. “But it’s possible.”

Ultimately, if Illeion Volten hadn’t ordered the torture of heretics, then further questioning him about it was pointless. Rowen might have just seen a potential link between the two and acted on it.

The Commander had been unaware of Rowen’s actions until his return. However, given the circumstances, it was clear Rowen had been investigating the grave robbery.

Then, a more perplexing question emerged.

‘Why Ludwig...?’

Ellen wondered if Rowen had approached Ludwig to get to her.

But if Rowen was focused on the grave robbery, what role did Ludwig play in it? Perhaps approaching Ludwig and the investigation into the grave robbery were separate issues.

Trying to get to Ellen could have been one plot, while torturing heretics to get to the bottom of the grave robbery was another. But was that truly the case?

And there was yet another question.

“Did Rowen know why the Gate Incident happened...?”

Ellen had realized that Rowen understood the cause of the Gate Incident after reflecting on what she’d said to Ludwig.

Illeion Volten watched Ellen quietly.

“Do you remember that day?” he asked.

Ellen knew exactly which day he meant. It was the day the sky had been torn open and meteors had rained down from the heavens—a day that marked the beginning of all these nightmares.

“Do you remember the people gathered in the Temple’s great hall?”

“Ah.”

Many people had gathered that day. It was there that humanity had confronted the Demon King for the last time, demanding to know his plans and intentions.

The Demon King had professed his love for humanity and his wish to save them, but he lamented humanity’s disbelief of him, and that it was too late.

He then spoke of the future, foretelling what was to come.

That day, the assembly had sought answers from the Demon King. The Emperor and the Prince had been there. So had Ellen and Sabioleen Tana, the Commander of the Holy Knights, and the popes of the Five Great Orders that made up the Church. And, in case of any emergency, the Imperial Mage Corps, Shanapell, and high-ranking holy knights of the Order of the Holy Knights.

“Archbishop Rowen was there as well.”

Rowen had been among those present when the Demon King made his final, desperate plea. She had witnessed the Demon King’s confession, filled with despair and resignation, claiming his love for humanity and his desire for peace, though no one believed him.

Archbishop Rowen, the leader of the inquisitors and a holy knight of Ouen, had seen the champion of Ouen firsthand.

***

On the day the sky opened, the great hall had been filled with people.

Mages from the Imperial Mage Corps, knights from Shanapell, and high-ranking holy knights from the Order of the Holy Knights had all been present.

Many had fallen during the Gate Incident, but some, like Rowen, had survived.

Though they knew little about the Demon King, he had foreknowledge of the Gate Incident, and they had heard him speak of ways to prevent it.

They kept silent about the truth that had to remain hidden, yet as humans, they couldn’t help but question why this tragedy occurred and what had gone wrong.

Ellen was shocked to learn that Rowen, who had been murdered, was one of those present that day. She had stood close to the Demon King during that gathering, while Rowen would have been observing from a distance, since she was one of the holy knights on guard against potential attacks.

While she might not have witnessed everything from the start, it was possible that she heard the Demon King’s confession.

Many believed that the Gate Incident and the events around it was orchestrated by the Demon King to destroy humanity. They despised Ouen for choosing the Demon King, the priests who believed in Ouen, and the followers of those priests.

Meanwhile, the Hero Cult continued to gain influence.

From Rowen’s perspective, the hatred and anger from those unaware of the truth must have felt unbearably unjust and sorrowful.

Ellen understood that Rowen’s animosity towards her was only natural.

But whatever Rowen had truly wanted and whatever she was investigating, she was now dead. No one knew who had killed her or why she had approached Ludwig.

Louise had told Ellen that her work was for the sake of humanity. Did that mean all of humanity’s work was the work of the Hero?

Ellen began to wonder if she bore responsibility for what Rowen had endured, beyond mere suspicion.

“In the end, you don’t know who killed her, do you?” Ellen asked.

“No,” came the reply.

The Commander of the Holy Knights could only speculate about Rowen’s investigation.

He did not know her true intentions, or who had killed her.

Ellen was aware that she couldn’t fully trust everything Illeion Volten said. He might not have revealed everything either, teetering between ignorance, lies, and truth.

“Can we assume Rowen was killed while investigating the grave robbery?” Ellen inquired.

“Probably,” was his response.

The tomb beneath the main temple of the Order of the Holy Knights had been robbed. Rowen had been investigating that case, and had been killed because of it. For the moment, that was the only conclusion they could draw.

***

There was some truth to Illeion Volten’s claim that he was unaware of Rowen’s actions. However, that didn’t mean he had been honest about everything.

Even though Ellen was a champion of the gods, she was still an outsider, and the Order of the Holy Knights wouldn’t welcome her meddling in their affairs. Naturally, they would hide certain things from her.

When the holy knights had first arrived at the burned temple, they had seemed more intent on covering up the temple’s activities than destroying evidence. As a result, the bodies in the underground rooms had remained untouched.

The holy knights had been in a rush, likely planning to conceal the scene first and then deal with the inquisitors’ interrogation facilities later.

Since this was a matter involving the Order of the Holy Knights, the Empire had no reason to get involved.

If Ellen hadn’t intervened, the incident would have been dismissed as nothing more than an attack and looting by rioters.

The holy knights, following Illeion Volten’s orders, had covered up the scene. Yet Illeion Volten claimed he hadn’t instructed Rowen to interrogate heretics, and there was some credibility to that.

He couldn’t have known about the situation in the capital before his return, and was clearly still trying to fully understand the situation.

Ellen wondered if Illeion Volten was aware that Rowen had deliberately approached Ludwig.

From what she could tell, Illeion Volten had been fully focused on covering up the scene. He hadn’t investigated the documents inside the temple or known about Rowen deliberately approaching Ludwig. He likely intended to slowly piece together whatever information remained after the cover-up.

Ellen held the document with Ludwig’s face on it. She debated whether to bring it up, but soon made a decision.

She couldn’t trust Illeion Volten yet, and he wouldn’t trust her either. It was a mutual distrust.

“Can I investigate this matter on my own?” she asked.

If he insisted that she best not interfere, it would only heighten her suspicions.

Ellen didn’t have explicit authority over matters such as this. However, because of the lack of any explicit directive, she could involve herself in any matter.

The fact that she could interfere in the affairs of the Order of the Holy Knights, which was out of bounds even for the emperor, was proof of her unique power.

In some ways, Ellen’s authority was the most transcendent of all. She didn’t know what Illeion Volten was thinking, but she knew he couldn’t refuse her request.

“I will cooperate fully, but only within the authority of the leader of the Order of the Holy Knights,” he replied.

“Within the authority of the leader of the Order of the Holy Knights.”

Ellen understood what that meant.

***

After wrapping up her meeting with the commander, Ellen returned to her companions.

The commander had promised Ellen full cooperation, but he hadn’t mentioned anything about the princess of Kernstadt of the Schwartz royal family.

It was unclear if this meant he wanted Ellen to handle it discreetly on her own, or if Louise’s involvement was acceptable. Regardless, he was under pressure to resolve the grave robbery case.

If Ellen could solve this matter on her own, much like Rowen had attempted to in her own way, it would be beneficial for him as well.

Illeion Volten’s attitude was ambiguous—she didn’t know if he truly didn’t know anything or was feigning ignorance. However, his claim that he was unaware of the situation in the capital before his return was quite convincing.

Ellen chose not to reveal that Rowen was among those who knew the truth about the Gate Incident. She felt a pang of guilt, but some truths needed to remain hidden.

Just as Illeion Volten had blocked the path to the underground facilities within the inquisitors’ temple with debris, Ellen found herself in a similar position.

“The mausoleum was robbed, and the remains were all stolen?”

“Yes.”

“Why would anyone do that...?”

“I’m not sure either.”

Ellen’s three companions were shocked by the event that Rowen was believed to be investigating.

Ludwig had heard about the robbery from Ellen, but like her, he had assumed it had been treasures that were stolen.

If it had been treasures, then greed would have been the motive. But now that they knew human remains were missing, the situation seemed far more sinister.

From Rowen’s perspective, as an inquisitor of the Order of the Holy Knights, it was only natural to suspect heretics.

She had captured and tortured those she had deemed suspicious from the refugee camp, killing them one by one to determine their connection to the grave robbery.

It wasn’t the logic an ordinary person would follow, but it was the logic of an inquisitor. Whether justified or not, she had been relentless in her duties.

The missing remains... Why had the remains of the saints been stolen, and where could they have been taken?

Louise furrowed her brow, deep in thought.

“Capturing and torturing heretics... It seems that was the only conclusion the priestess could reach, whether they were guilty or not...” she said.

If it was true that inquisitors believed heretics were behind every misfortune that happened in the world, then Rowen’s actions were clearly within expectations.

“Eventually, she found a group suspected of being the culprits, and was somehow killed by them,” Louise added. “That seems to be the most likely scenario right now...”

This group had the audacity and skill to steal human remains from the underground tomb beneath the main temple of the Order of the Holy Knights. They were clearly a secretive, agile, and highly-skilled faction.

“Could such a powerful group of heretics exist within the refugee camp?”

It wasn’t impossible. But if Rowen had indeed provoked a formidable group of heretics living within the refugee camp, leading to her and the inquisitors’ demise, one piece of the puzzle still didn’t fit.

Everyone’s eyes naturally turned to Ludwig.

“Then why did she approach me...?”

Ludwig was just as perplexed, unable to fathom why Rowen had sought him out.

“One thing is certain: she didn’t need protection. She approached you for some other purpose.”

Rowen was a high-ranking holy knight, likely more skilled than Ludwig had been even before his injury. She had only pretended to need a guard’s protection, but in truth, she had purposely sought out Ludwig, who had been part of the unit of guards in that district.

Ellen was beginning to suspect that they might be two separate issues.

Rowen had been investigating the missing remains, yet also seemed to want to get to Ellen through Ludwig, possibly to dismantle the Hero Cult.

As someone who undoubtedly despised heretics, Rowen might have been pursuing two entirely different goals.

Since she knew that Rowen was aware of some truths about the Gate Incident, Ellen couldn’t help but draw a different conclusion from the others.

Her involvement with Ludwig seemed unrelated to the heretical activities and the theft of the remains. The theft had been an urgent matter to Rowen, which forced her to investigate.

Getting to Ellen through Ludwig was likely a completely different agenda, a goal that was long-term.

Given the circumstances, Ellen was convinced that Rowen had utterly despised her.

Ultimately, though, whatever Rowen had been trying to achieve, the question remained: Who killed Rowen?

“Is there really a group of heretics of that scale in the refugee camp...? Could they have the power to attack the inquisitors’ temple?” Ellen asked.

Louise remained silent, unable to think of anything. Finally, Heinrich von Schwartz, who had been deep in thought, spoke up.

“Could it be the Demon God Cult...?”

“...The Demon God Cult?”

Not just heretics, but true heresy.

“Yes, with so many heretics in the refugee camp, it’s entirely possible there are demon god cultists among them.”

Unlike the lukewarm followers of the Hero Cult, demon god cultists wielded the genuine powers of the Demon Gods. They were the truly dangerous heretics.

“You may be right... I hadn’t even thought of that,” Louise said, nodding slowly.

Although the theft of the remains wasn’t the work of demon god cultists living in the refugee camp, in the grand scheme of things, Heinrich’s insight was undeniably accurate.