Demon King of the Royal Class-Chapter 595

The four of them had no idea where their pursuit might lead.

It was obvious that a suspicious group was involved, but if political issues were tangled up in this, things could get even messier.

They were just trying to investigate a case related to undead transformation, but if they ended up interfering with the political structure of the Order of the Holy Knights, the situation could become much more complicated.

Heinrich broke the silence, his voice cutting through Ellen and Louise’s deep thoughts.

“You know, there’s something I’m curious about...”

“What is it?” Ellen asked.

“Those corpses—are we really sure they were turned into undead?”

Louise nodded slowly. “It’s true we couldn’t confirm if that was the case. None of us are mages or priests, so we couldn’t detect any unholy energy at the scene. Even the Order of the Holy Knights seemed uncertain about that.”

The idea that the corpses had been turned into undead was just a theory based on the pattern of destruction of the sarcophagi. They hadn’t actually seen any undead with their own eyes; it just seemed most likely.

Ellen, Ludwig, and Louise all turned to Heinrich, their eyes fixed on him.

Heinrich began to sweat nervously under their intense gazes.

“Ah, no... It’s not like I’ve discovered something amazing... I just wondered if creating undead is really that easy...”

“Hmm...?” Louise tilted her head, intrigued by his words.

“No, sister. It’s just that, well... This isn’t just any ordinary cemetery, and the people buried there weren’t just regular holy knights or priests. Didn’t the holy knights call them saints?”

“That’s right. They were likely members of the clergy who accomplished great deeds during their lifetimes,” Louise replied.

“The tomb of the former Commander of the Order of the Holy Knights was there too,” Ellen chimed in.

Heinrich listened intently, his expression serious as he carefully chose his words.

“The idea of such revered figures becoming undead... I just can’t wrap my head around it.”

They had indeed become undead.

The logic was sound, but Heinrich was grappling with a deeper question. These were the remains of priests and holy knights who had achieved remarkable things and were strong in Divine Power while alive.

Could they really be resurrected as undead?

“Honestly, I don’t know much about dark arts or necromancy. It’s probably a mystery even to mages who follow the righteous path, so I can’t say if the Divine Power they could wield in life would protect their remains after death.”

“I don’t know that either.”

Could the bodies of those who possessed such strong Divine Power in life remain sacred and untouched by dark magic, even in death?

Among the four of them, none were mages or priests, so they couldn’t be sure if it was even possible. Even if they were, they might still not have the right information.

Could someone really create undead from the remains of saints? And could they do it that quickly? Ellen’s thoughts drifted to Tiamata, the cursed Demon Sword that had once summoned a vast army of undead.

‘No... It can’t be. It can’t be Reinhart...’

Despite her doubts, Ellen was convinced Reinhart wasn’t behind this.

Heinrich’s real question was whether it was even possible to raise the remains of saints as undead.

“Let’s ask Anna,” Ludwig suggested unexpectedly. “She’ll at least know more than we do.”

Anna de Gerna, a mage skilled in dark magic, might have insights into such dark arts.

Ellen and Heinrich agreed; she would know more than any of them.

***

They could not be sure that dark magic was involved in the grave-robbing of the saints’ tombs. It could have been another force, like the priests of the Demon God Cult. Though the two forms of power were different in nature, both could potentially achieve similar outcomes.

Since finding a priest from the Demon God Cult was unlikely, Ludwig’s idea to consult Anna seemed a low-risk yet worthwhile step.

“She might not be in the dormitory. She only returns every few days, then heads to the lab and disappears for a while,” Ludwig explained.

Since they shared the same dormitory, he knew they wouldn’t find Anna by returning to the Royal Class dormitory.

Ellen and Heinrich knew it as well. After all, they rarely saw Anna or the other classmates involved in research when they had their meals at the dining hall.

“Where’s the lab? We can go and ask,” Ellen suggested, figuring it must be somewhere within the Temple.

“Oh? I don’t really know...” Ludwig admitted, unsure of where their magic research took place.

Louise and Heinrich exchanged glances.

Earlier that morning, while strolling around the Temple, Heinrich and Louise had discovered that some research was taking place at the magic department of the University.

“The magic department of the University. I’m not sure, but I think they might be there,” Heinrich suggested.

“But I’m not sure they’ll let us in...” Louise replied, her brow furrowing with concern. The security around the facility had been tight.

Despite her concerns, they were with Ellen Artorius, someone known for her ability to get into places others couldn’t. It was right to assume there wouldn’t be any barriers they couldn’t overcome.

***

That assumption, however, was quickly proven wrong.

“You cannot enter,” the guard blocking Ellen’s path stated firmly as soon as they stepped onto the grounds of the research building within the magic department of the Temple’s University.

He wasn’t stopping them because of the others who were with her; the guard had addressed Ellen directly when she attempted to go in.

“Why?”

“There was an imperial decree from His Majesty the Emperor to restrict entry to research personnel only.”

The guard made it clear that even Ellen was barred from entering.

She met his gaze through the helmet, her expression calm.

The others with her were equally taken aback by the situation—Ellen, of all people, being denied entry? What kind of critical research was happening that even she was not allowed in?

If this had been a matter involving the Order of the Holy Knights, Ellen might have forced her way through. But the order had come directly from the Emperor, and that changed everything.

Emperor Vertus was more than just a ruler to Ellen; he was a friend. They shared secrets that no one else knew and carried the weight of the Gate incident together. Their bond was forged in shared guilt and sorrow, a connection that could only be described as friendship.

If Vertus had decided to keep her out, Ellen trusted there was a good reason for it.

She accepted it without resentment.

“It’s fine. I just need to know if my classmate, Anna de Gerna, is involved in the research, and if possible, could you ask her to step out for a moment?”

“I cannot disclose any details about the research.”

Even the identities of those involved were kept under wraps. Ellen couldn’t fathom what required such intense secrecy.

“However, I can inform the higher-ups that the Hero visited for this purpose.”

The guard, though firm, showed a willingness to help within his limits.

Ellen wasn’t particularly interested in the specifics of the research. She assumed it was something like Titan—something crucial for the war effort, kept secret to prevent any mishaps.

It was best left alone. Ellen did not feel slighted and had no desire to force her way in.

The research here had nothing to do with the current incident, after all.

“That will be fine. Could you let them know, then?”

“Yes, I understand.”

Whether Anna was in the magic research building or not didn’t really matter. If she wasn’t there, they’d just have to wait until she returned to the Royal Class dormitory. Anna did come back every few days, after all.

***

Since the guards couldn’t make their report immediately, they told the group to head back. Ellen and her companions had no choice but to head back to the Temple dormitory.

For some reason, the emperor had ordered that no one, not even Ellen, could enter the research building within the magic department.

They all gathered in the lobby of the Class B dormitory for second-year Royal Class students to unwind, sipping the tea Heinrich had brought.

They had just come in from wandering around in the snow. While not physically exhausted, they were understandably mentally tired.

“It must be some very important research if confidentiality is so crucial,” Louise remarked.

“Indeed,” Ellen replied with a small nod.

Like Ellen, the other three present were curious about the secretive magic research being conducted inside the university’s research building. However, their curiosity didn’t go beyond mild interest, largely due to their own biases.

“Now that I think about it, it’s odd how little secrecy surrounded the Titan Project. The mages from the Mage Guild and the Magic Tower must have been such a headache for Grand Duke Saint-Ouen,” Louise remarked.

“A headache?” Ellen asked, and Louise simply shrugged.

“Mages are drawn to new magic and technology like moths to a flame. For those who have devoted their lives to magic, the Titan is... Well, seeing it is nothing short of astonishing, isn’t it?”

“It certainly was...”

“Yes... It definitely was.”

Heinrich and Ludwig shivered at the memory of the Titan’s overwhelming presence, even though it wasn’t immediately in front of them.

During the Battle of Serandia, the Titan had been so colossal and imposing that it was visible from every corner of the battlefield.

“Many of the higher-ups and mages knew something like it was in the works, but witnessing it firsthand was another experience entirely. When I saw it, I couldn’t help but feel it was almost absurd that something so incredible could be created through magic.”

The Titan was a war machine born of magic, yet in its presence, everyone felt as if they were witnessing a divine being or some sort of miracle.

“It’s no surprise that Grand Duke Saint-Ouen, who was at the heart of the project, is constantly bombarded with questions from mages eager to uncover its secrets. And... It’s not just the Grand Duke.”

Adelia from Class A... Compared to the Grand Duke, Adelia was merely a student from the Royal Class.

Heinrich muttered to himself, “Adelia must also be going through a lot then...”

“She most definitely is.”

It was unavoidable. The Titan project wasn’t exactly a secret, but not all of its technology had been revealed. Mages, naturally driven by curiosity and a thirst for knowledge, constantly pestered the Grand Duke and Adelia.

They swarmed about them like a pack of dogs, bombarding them with questions, and Adelia, being who she was, couldn’t just brush them off.

Heinrich grew worried about her mental state as he imagined the scene.

Adelia was a researcher at heart. Direct combat wasn’t her forte, nor did it suit her nature. Yet, even though she hadn’t participated directly in the fighting, she would be remembered as the mage who, in a way, vanquished the most monsters across the continent by completing the Titan.

Magical research was typically shrouded in secrecy. Because of this, none of them suspected anything unusual in this case either, though it seemed odd that even Ellen wasn’t allowed to enter the research building.

“When will Anna return?”

Ludwig’s question hung in the air, unanswered.

The guards would not confirm if Anna was in the Magic University’s research building. They only promised to pass on the message that Ellen had visited.

Asking Anna about the dark magic related to undead wouldn’t solve the situation. They just wanted to know if creating undead from the saints’ remains was an easy task.

They were anxious in many ways, but no matter how urgent things felt, new ideas or solutions would not just appear out of thin air. They could request an audience with the popes of the Five Great Orders, but that was a sensitive issue requiring careful thought.

Moreover, searching for demon god cultists in the refugee camp offered no guarantee of success as well. After all, Rowen hadn’t been acting alone. As head of the Inquisition, she likely had many inquisitors scattered throughout the camp, gathering information.

Whether Rowen had managed to reach the demon god cultists, the heretics, or those behind the looting of the tombs of the Order of the Holy Knights was unknown.

They were following Rowen’s trail, but they had even fewer resources.

None of them knew if they could resolve this before winter ended, so urgency was pointless.

“Let’s call it a day,” Ellen suggested. They would organize the information they had learned and then head off to rest.

“Ludwig, when Anna returns, ask her our questions and let us know... No, just call me instead.”

Ellen realized it was better to ask the questions herself than to leave it to Ludwig.

“Okay, got it.” Ludwig nodded, determined.

Louise cast her eyes around the room.

“We don’t need to rush,” she said sternly. “Even if we don’t know who killed Rowen, if they find out we’re after them... We must remember they might target us too.”

These were the ones who had killed Rowen.

It was uncertain if they’d go after the Hero, but if they knew they were being tracked, they couldn’t rule out the possibility that they’d do to them what they did to Rowen.

Heinrich, Ludwig, and Ellen all understood that pursuing this matter involved considerable risk.

“I feel like I’ve dragged you into something unnecessary...” muttered Ludwig.

He hadn’t believed it to be a trivial issue at all. Yet when he first asked Ellen for help, he never imagined it would spiral into such a significant ordeal.

The thought that Ellen might be in danger because of him sent chills down his spine. He felt like he was causing immense trouble.

Ellen shook her head, dismissing Ludwig’s self-reproach. “No. At this point, it’s something we can’t just ignore.”

It would be better for everyone if they could act before things got worse.

Her words weren’t meant as comfort; they were simply what she truly believed.