Demon King of the Royal Class-Chapter 606

No one dared to mention Reinhart’s name around Ellen, not even when discussing the Demon King. It was too painful a subject for her.

But Cristina had just crossed that forbidden line.

“If it had been Reinhart who’d died instead of Ashir, can you honestly say you wouldn’t be trying to bring him back like I am?”

Cristina’s eyes burned with hatred for Ellen, her expression leaving no room for doubt.

Nothing could remain hidden in this raw, unfiltered moment, where malice, anger, and despair took shape.

Malice.

Hatred.

Resentment.

Everything once concealed now lay exposed.

“Why would you say that?” Ellen asked.

Cristina’s lips curled into a knowing smirk.

“You had a special relationship with Reinhart, didn’t you?”

Ellen remained silent, her expression unreadable.

“You still believe that it exists, don’t you?”

Ellen’s eyes widened, and the room seemed to hold its breath.

Everyone in the Royal Class knew that even hearing Reinhart’s name was painful for Ellen. The thought of one day having to face the Demon King was a torment she carried silently.

Few dared to confront Ellen with such words.

Cristina was the first to speak so bluntly about Ellen’s feelings.

The fragile facade of camaraderie they had maintained under the guise of fighting together was shattered in this raw and unsettling moment.

The fragile wall of truths they had chosen to ignore finally shattered.

“Cristina, please, calm down.”

Vertus couldn’t stand by any longer and stepped towards Cristina, who simply shook her head in defiance.

“I found out something recently.”

Cristina’s eyes bore into Ellen, her teeth clenched in anger.

“All of this chaos was caused by just a handful of people,” she said.

“...”

“Apparently, it wasn’t entirely the Demon King’s doing.”

“...”

“Don’t you have anything to say about that?”

Cristina’s eyes demanded a response from Ellen.

Some were already aware, but others remained in the dark. Ellen understood she had to lie to protect them.

“No,” she finally said.

“Really...?”

Some of those present had yet to learn the truth.

Ellen couldn’t figure out how Cristina had discovered this knowledge, but she was sure that keeping it under wraps was best for everyone.

“You really are shameless, aren’t you—”

“That’s enough.”

Just as Cristina was about to explode, Vertus intervened, stepping between them.

“Ellen, you’ve seen enough, haven’t you?”

“...”

“Why don’t you head back?”

Ellen stayed quiet, her silence speaking volumes.

“Dame Tana, please escort Ellen out,” he commanded.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Sabioleen Tana replied, gently taking Ellen by the arm.

This time, Ellen didn’t resist as she was led out of the isolation lab.

A haze of confusion was left behind in the wake of Ellen’s departure, a remnant of the tension and the cryptic exchange which still hung in the air.

“Cristina, I think we need to talk,” Vertus said, his tone firm.

Cristina nodded, a knowing smile on her lips.

“Sure,” she replied, as if she had been waiting for that moment.

***

Vertus sent Ellen away, unsure of what Cristina might reveal, or how Ellen would handle it.

Sabioleen Tana escorted Ellen out of the research building.

They walked side by side through the snow-dusted streets of the Temple.

Up to this moment, the only people Ellen could confide in about Reinhart were those who knew the truth—Charlotte, Vertus, and Sabioleen Tana. But even they avoided the subject, as it was painful for everyone involved.

However, Cristina had unexpectedly mentioned his name, and hinted that she knew everything.

‘Was it Vertus...? No, it can’t be him.’

Ellen was convinced that Vertus wouldn’t have shared a truth that was better left buried.

Then how had Cristina found out?

If Cristina knew, did that mean Louis Ankton and Anna knew as well?

Was staying silent the right decision?

It didn’t take long to realize that Louise von Schwartz was a person of integrity. But telling her the truth about the Gate Incident was a different matter.

It wasn’t just about hiding one’s own wrongdoings; it was a truth that could fracture humanity if it was misunderstood.

That was why Ellen believed keeping quiet was the right choice. Despite the dark and confusing emotions rising within her, she knew responding to Cristina would be a mistake.

They were trying to bring back the dead and use them as they were. That was undeniably a sin.But if the Gate Incident hadn’t occurred, there would be no sin. If that was so, then wasn’t Ellen, the root of all these sins, the one who had committed the greatest sin of all?

She had no right to judge others’ mistakes or wrongdoings. No right to declare something wrong or criticize someone else’s actions.

Cristina’s sudden, sharp reaction was understandable. Cristina likely believed that if it weren’t for her, Ashir would still be alive. Therefore, hearing that Ashir couldn’t be resurrected and that she should stop would naturally anger her.

However, that hadn’t been her intention.

She wasn’t trying to tell her not to commit any further sins.

She wanted to tell her not to continue because it was tearing her apart.

She wasn’t trying to criticize Cristina for her sins, but to stop her from suffering any further.

Knowing how inevitable Cristina’s anger was, Ellen could only grit her teeth as Tana led her quietly back to the dormitory, burdened by the knowledge she lacked and the secrets she had stumbled upon.

***

Sabioleen Tana led Ellen out of the lab, leaving Vertus to speak privately with Cristina, who had been speaking in riddles.

In the isolation lab, only Ludwig, Heinrich, Louise, Louis, and Anna remained. This area, managed by the three students involved in the research, held other pods besides Ashir’s, but they were all empty.

The five of them sat in the break room of the isolation lab, surrounded by an uncomfortable silence. Words escaped them. Each was lost in their own thoughts—those who had revealed parts of themselves they’d rather keep hidden, and those who had witnessed things they wished they hadn’t.

Among them, Louise was the most deeply troubled.

She had been assisting Ellen with her investigation out of worry that looking into Rowen’s death might put Ellen in danger. However, the Emperor claimed that Rowen’s death had nothing to do with the Empire.

And then, Louise had stumbled upon a secret of the Empire that she was never meant to know.

Her confusion wasn’t just from the shock and horror of the revelation, but from the fact that she had been allowed to see it at all.

Though the Kingdom of Schwartz was technically a vassal state, it had long aspired to surpass the Empire. Louise was aware that the royal family had always held such ambitions, and she knew the Empire had been wary of the Schwartz royal family for a long time.

Humanity was in crisis, and she had no intention of publicly condemning the Empire’s corruption and depravity, as she might well have done in the past. Once everything was resolved, though, this secret would become a vulnerability for the Empire.

Perhaps the emperor had allowed Louise to see it because he was confident in the military strength he would gain from it. But was it necessary to reveal this potential vulnerability at all? It might have been wiser to keep it hidden.

The emperor seemed unfazed by Louise’s presence, likely because he couldn’t have denied Ellen anything. If she were in his position, she would have barred Louise from entering the Temple altogether. After all, there were plenty of reasons to keep her out.

‘Is it really okay for me to see all this?’ Louise wondered, perplexed by her inclusion.

She couldn’t fathom the Emperor’s motives, nor could she decipher the meaning behind the words Cristina had said in her confrontation with Ellen.

She also couldn’t shake the memory of what the Demon King had revealed to Heinrich.

There was more to the Gate Incident than anyone realized.

The Demon King hadn’t intended for it to happen.

It was evident that the emperor, Ellen, and Cristina were aware of the hidden truth.

Like Louise, the others were grappling with their own bewilderment.

“Do you think it’s truly possible to bring Ashir back, as Cristina suggested...?” Ludwig asked Anna and Louis hesitantly.

The two of them looked down without answering.

Their silence, and the look on their faces, spoke volumes.

Cristina was holding onto a dream that seemed impossible, and Ludwig could see that their assistance stemmed from their helplessness in the face of her desperation.

If this magic truly had the power to resurrect the dead, it wouldn’t just be about bringing Ashir back.

“It’s tied to dark magic,” Anna said cautiously. “Magic that draws from impure mana... It can’t be a force for life.”

“You might be able to restore them back to a state stronger than when they were alive, but you can’t truly bring them back,” she continued.

Her deep understanding of dark magic far exceeded Cristina’s. Anna knew that Cristina wouldn’t achieve the outcome she longed for.

However, no one could ask the question, “If you know that, why don’t you stop her?”

It was evident that both she and Louis Ankton had tried to dissuade Cristina, even if they did not voice it outright.

“Stronger than when they were alive...? How so?” Ludwig asked, clearly bewildered. Louis nodded, his expression heavy with guilt.

“The test subjects we’ve deployed might look alive, but they’re not,” Louis Ankton answered through gritted teeth.

“Just like golems, like the Titan... They’re not much different from that,” Ludwig murmured.

“They’ve repaired the bodies to their original state,” Louis continued, “but they’re not truly alive. So... they can be enhanced even further.”

“Enhanced... how?” Heinrich asked, turning to Louis.

“You know how using Mana Reinforcement before your mana circuits are fully developed can overload your body, causing damage or severe injury?”

“Well... I don’t really know how to do it,” Heinrich admitted, glancing at Ludwig.

“Right. It’s... incredibly painful,” Ludwig added, recalling the agony he endured. He had been bedridden for days after first awakening Mana Reinforcement, and the memory of that pain was still fresh in his mind.

“Pain doesn’t matter to the dead.”

“Ah...”

The test subjects felt no pain.

Therefore, beyond merely bringing their bodies back to life, they could enhance the elements necessary for manifesting power, including their mana circuits.

They could push past the boundaries of the body, the limits of life itself.

In essence, they were being transformed. They could wield power far greater than they ever could in life. They could be granted power that the living couldn’t withstand.

As harsh as it sounded, it was akin to handling objects.

They were creating weapons that only needed to be powerful, and were making them even more so. They were being brought back not as they were in life, but as stronger beings.

This was the army that was being assembled.

“But do they really need... corpses?” Louise asked.

From what she had heard, it sounded like flawless magic, even surpassing perfection—except for the ethical dilemma of having to use corpses.

“I can’t say that such a thing is impossible... It might be feasible, like creating homonculi. But... at this point...”

“You can’t make them combat-ready quickly,” she interjected.

“Exactly...”

Experimenting with homunculi was already a notorious taboo, and wasn’t without its own moral complications. However, in these desperate times, perhaps they had no choice but to turn to forbidden acts.

If selling one’s soul to the devil could save the world, countless would line up to make the deal, so perhaps it was inevitable.

Louise was confused about why she had been allowed to know all this, but she understood that, regardless of the Emperor’s intentions, she had to keep this secret until the Gate Incident was resolved.

There were those who had already made their pact with the devil, and those who had witnessed their dark bargains yet remained silent.

The emperor had said he wouldn’t intervene, and Louise realized she couldn’t either.

Maybe the emperor had allowed her to see this because he knew it was unstoppable, even with her knowledge.

The answer remained elusive.

It was an uncomfortable and guilt-ridden exchange of questions and answers.

“You can get stronger after you die...?” Ludwig murmured, his gaze fixed on the table.

His unexpected words sent a shiver down Louis, Anna, Heinrich, and Louise.

“Stop dwelling on nonsense,” Heinrich finally snapped, trying to shake Ludwig from his thoughts.

They all understood Ludwig’s desire to keep fighting, and so his words only stirred their darkest fears.

The dead were coming back more powerful than they had ever been in life.

“I’m useless as I am now,” Ludwig muttered to himself, his voice hollow.

It was clear to everyone that Ludwig was caught in a spiral of self-blame, punishing himself for his perceived failures.

“In the end, I couldn’t change anything. We never caught the people who killed the priest... and though we got this far, I had no part in it. Worse, I didn’t even realize the priest was using me. I was clueless... just satisfied with the illusion that I was being helpful.”

Rowen was gone, and they still hadn’t caught the culprit.

Ludwig felt like he hadn’t contributed at all. He had just been following Ellen around.

To make matters worse, Rowen wasn’t the good person Ludwig had believed her to be; she was someone who captured and tortured civilians.

She had planned to use him, and he had been oblivious to it.

Despite some odd moments, he hadn’t been suspicious of her. He had just thought he was helping make the world a better place.

And in the end, he had witnessed something extraordinary, even though it had nothing to do with Rowen’s death.

Magic that resurrected the dead.

Magic that made them stronger than they had been in life.

Things like that had no place in the world, yet Ludwig couldn’t ignore the fact that it was necessary, that it might bring the war to an end more quickly.

A pointless existence...

Still, Ludwig managed a bitter smile as he spoke.

“It’s okay. I... I don’t want to keep fighting, even after death. I understand that choosing this path won’t bring happiness to anyone... anyone at all. It’s just... because of my helplessness...”

Even though he said that, everyone knew Ludwig secretly hoped for it.

But there were people who would be heartbroken and devastated if he died. Hadn’t they just witnessed Cristina’s reaction?

Returning to the battlefield as a corpse would not help anyone. As long as there were people who cared about him, Ludwig didn’t wish for that as well.

Seeing this, the others finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had made them all feel momentarily uneasy.

“You scared us, you idiot. Don’t say weird things.”

“Sorry...”

Heinrich had even imagined stumbling upon Ludwig’s lifeless body after he had taken his own life.

If Ludwig ever attempted such a thing, it would fall to Anna, Louis, and Cristina to bring him back as something more than just a weapon. They had tried it with Ashir, and the effort had nearly shattered them, leaving them more broken than before.

Ludwig had no intention of pursuing such a reckless path, or even giving it serious consideration. It was merely a fleeting thought that had crossed his mind.

Yet, despite Ludwig’s assurances, Heinrich couldn’t shake his unease. Even Louise, who hadn’t known Ludwig for long, began to see that beneath his kind-hearted exterior lay a more complex, almost obsessive desire to help others.

It wasn’t entirely selflessness; there was a darker, more twisted side to it that she was beginning to sense.

Heinrich, a student in Class A, had observed Ludwig closely. Anna and Louis, having known him even longer, were more afraid than ever.

Ludwig was kind and considerate, but he had a wild streak that sometimes led him to do crazy things.

At the moment, he wasn’t talking about wanting to fight on even after death, but who knew how his thoughts might change in the future?

No one wanted to lose another friend.

Louis Ankton looked at Ludwig quietly and spoke.

“Ludwig...”

“Hey, don’t worry. I really don’t have those thoughts. You don’t need to worry—”

“I have something to show you.”

Seeing Louis’s determined expression, Anna nodded firmly, as if she understood what he meant.

“Something to show me?”

Ludwig felt a wave of dread at the prospect of seeing yet another disturbing scene.

“We’re doing more than just bringing Ashir back...”

They were deep within the underground lab.

The three of them were engaged in a project unlike anything the other researchers were working on.

Louis led the way, hinting that their work went beyond merely resurrecting the dead.