Demon King of the Royal Class-Chapter 628

Since the Gate Incident broke out, Gersonosia had always been a ruin, but now it lay utterly devastated.

Thousands of Master-class warriors, a thousand archmages, and ten Grandmasters had left their mark.

The scale of the destruction could be seen even from a distant mountain slope.

“A black flame dragon sealed on the right arm, huh...” I said.

“H-huh...? A black what? Black flame...? Dragon?” Harriet asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

I sighed. “Forget it.”

“You have a knack for saying things that don’t make any sense. What are you mumbling about now?” she asked.

‘Dark magic sealed away in his right-hand... Was that trope ever a trend to begin with?’

It wasn’t exactly a dragon, but Ludwig had ended up with something eerily similar. I hadn’t witnessed Ludwig fight firsthand, but when I heard about his right arm transplant, I had a feeling it would result in something like this.

We weren’t alone on the mountain slope.

“Do you think he’ll end up getting his legs or left arm transplanted too?” Rowen asked, her face twisted with a mix of disbelief and concern.

“That sounds absurd,” I replied after a moment, “but if it’s Ludwig, it almost seems possible, and that’s what’s frightening.”

I couldn’t help but feel that my thoughts were becoming disturbingly warped for even considering such a possibility. Ludwig wasn’t some kind of transforming robot, after all.

Still, it hadn’t just been any arm; it was the arm of Larken Simmernstait. That was a rather sinister turn of events. If I were truly Baalier Junior, I’d be livid.

‘How dare they use my master’s arm?’

Strictly speaking, Baalier Junior never really mastered swordsmanship to begin with.

I wondered if someone like Airi would be deeply saddened by this turn of events.

Of course, the idea of replacing more parts after benefiting from this right arm transplant was just a joke, and this wasn’t the time to joke about some black flame dragon. Ludwig’s condition aside, the power he’d gained was undeniably real.

“I have a feeling he might have acquired power equivalent to a Grandmaster, though I haven’t fought him directly.”

“Just from getting that one arm transplanted...? Is that even possible?”

“Well, I’m not entirely sure, but it seems like there’s more to it than just regaining a lost limb.”

“Hmm...”

Even though Harriet had a broad understanding of magic, she hadn’t seen the alchemical recipe or blueprint for the magic that had created the Immortals.

“Immortals aside, a Grandmaster...”

Ludwig had finally tapped into true power, even if it had left him in a precarious position.

“At this point, we can’t easily interfere. In hindsight, it might have been wiser to address it earlier.”

Ludwig hadn’t just become slightly stronger; he had risked his life, and had ascended several levels of power. This feat was only possible because he was the protagonist, yet this had also thrust him into deeper turmoil.

“Let’s just leave him be and observe him from afar. If we’re going to eliminate a threat, we would have started with this army of Immortals.”

We were already facing numerous dangers, and there were still too many unresolved issues. It was impossible to focus solely on Ludwig, and trying to interfere with him would only invite more chaos and unpredictability.

Rowen updated me on the state of the Allied Forces.

The assault on Gersonosia had been called off, leading to confusion spreading among the ranks. Some commanders had even demanded answers directly from the emperor. Rowen skillfully deflected their questions, using her own methods to shift their focus. Her tone suggested she hadn’t been gentle, but she’d succeeded in ensuring the secret was kept under wraps.

“How is the takeover of the Order of the Holy Knights progressing?”

“It’s not going as smoothly as I’d hoped. Everyone is aware that Illeion Volten had been forced into retirement, so the resentment is largely directed at me. Honestly, I wish the battle at Gersonosia had actually taken place. Then I could have figured out who wasn’t really willing to follow my orders...”

Battles are the clearest way to determine who trusts their commander and who doesn’t.

Rowen clicked her tongue in regret. I could tell things were about to get complicated.

“If you keep acting like you’re eager for blood, you might find yourself in trouble,” I said.

“Understood.”

Having a mad dog that only listened to me was both a blessing and a curse.

Illeion Volten was the quiet type. If Illeion Volten had been leading the Order of the Holy Knights, he would not have questioned the demands the others had made for an explanation from the emperor. In that case, the rest of the Supreme Command might have uncovered the secret.

Rowen, on the other hand, was openly troublesome. She hadn’t always had the position to behave this way, and it was clear she was doing it out of necessity. While we had managed to keep the secret like what Vertus wanted, the reputation of the commander of the Order of the Holy Knights had taken a hit.

“No matter what happens later on, if you keep acting strangely, the one who suffers won’t be you—it’ll be me,” I snapped harshly. “Your existence is already a burden to humanity. Do you want to be a burden to me too?”

Rowen’s face went pale, and she lowered her head. “N-no, I don’t...”

Since she only listened to me, I felt justified in speaking so bluntly to her.

‘But then again, isn’t it true? This woman is truly maddening. Of course, if you really think about it, the person who deserves to die the most is probably me.’

Whenever I felt like I had no right to judge someone else’s mistakes, I just wanted to bite my tongue.

“I’ll be more careful from now on. After all, I’m the face of the Demon King.”

I sighed. “Why does that make me feel even worse?”

That was the truth of it. A person who was disliked would always be disliked, no matter what they did. Even if they tried to listen and be understanding, they were still annoying.

‘Just look at our Thick-Skull. Isn’t she adorable, even when she’s just sitting there?’

“... What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

‘No, I wasn’t looking at you in any particularly bad way! Isn’t it a bit unfair for you to think badly of me when I’m just looking at you while having such positive thoughts?’

“Anyway, I know your nature makes you act tough, but please be careful.”

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“If you cross paths with the wrong person, it could be dangerous.”

Rowen had done her job well and gotten the results she wanted, which was great. But that personality of hers was also the source of her problems. Considering the nature of her upcoming tasks, it was inevitable that she’d earn the hatred of many and make numerous enemies.

“You understand how dangerous this work is, don’t you?”

“Of course,” she replied, while seemingly oblivious to the full weight of it.

Despite how annoying and stressful she was, Rowen’s loyalty remained unwavering.

“Who should we recruit first?” she asked.

“You know her. Louise von Schwartz.”

“Ah, of course.”

‘Yeah. She’s just like Antirianus.’

***

“This is odd, no matter how you look at it.”

Erhi de Raffaeli’s remark caused the others in the tent to fall silent.

Kaier Vioden, Connor Lint, Cliffman, and even Heinrich were there with him.

They had all been anticipating the large-scale battle, and when it failed to materialize, each sensed that something was off in their own way.

“Not having to fight is in itself a relief. I’m not really interested in why,” Cliffman said, lying on the makeshift bed and staring blankly at the ceiling.

“But Ellen was with us the whole time,” he added.

“It’s not like Ellen’s unit was involved. Even if it was, could it have resulted in this outcome?”

Erhi’s question was a fair one.

The most formidable individuals of the Allied Forces were undoubtedly Ellen and Sabioleen Tana, while the most powerful units were Shanapell and the Imperial Mage Corps. They were the strongest humanity had to offer.

Yet Ellen hadn’t been activated, and Gersonosia still lay in ruins.

There’s a saying that when something seems too good to be true, it often is. This inexplicable victory felt unsettling.

“Did the Empire develop some kind of incredible secret weapon?” Kaier wondered aloud, his brow furrowed. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

“Like another Titan?”

“It doesn’t have to be a Titan. And it probably isn’t a Titan.”

“I asked Adelia about it, and she confirmed that the Titan had not been activated.”

“Then it must be some other weapon. But why all the secrecy? If it’s powerful enough to secure a large city by itself, shouldn’t the army just pull back?”

“I guess we won’t know until something obvious happens.”

Kaier and Erhi were the ones mainly talking. Cliffman seemed uninterested, while Connor Lint and Heinrich stayed quiet.

“Hey, Lint, any thoughts on this?”

“Huh? Well... I don’t know...? I mean...”

“Why are you reacting like that? Aren’t you curious?”

“Huh? No, of course, I’m curious. I was just thinking about what it could be...”

Connor Lint didn’t have all the details, but after being dragged around by Reinhart, he’d learned that the Empire was up to something, using the corpses of the fallen. Whatever it was, it was definitely connected to the undead.

Connor Lint was aware that Reinhart and his forces participated in the war, but he sensed that Reinhart’s army was not substantial enough to be able to seize a major city by themselves. That could only mean that the events in Gersonosia were linked to the undead weapon the Empire was working on. This knowledge made him hesitant to join the conversation. He feared he might inadvertently disclose something he should not.

Dissatisfied with Connor’s vague response, Erhi shifted his attention to Heinrich.

“Heinrich, did your sister mention anything?”

“Uh... Not really? I haven’t been able to visit my sister since returning. I doubt even she knows what’s going on...”

Heinrich had witnessed it all firsthand. He had seen the kind of army being assembled, and the immense power it could wield. He also understood that their classmates were deeply entangled in the Empire’s development of this secret weapon.

Of the five of them, Heinrich was the one who knew the most about the secrets that absolutely couldn’t be revealed to the rest of the world. It wasn’t just about the Immortals; he also knew that the Order of the Holy Knights had essentially become part of the Demon King’s army.

While he didn’t know the Empire had named this force the Immortals, he knew that they had been deployed to the front lines and was proving to be a formidable force.

It was a truth that had to remain unspoken, even if it meant cutting out his own tongue.

“Can’t we get to the bottom of this with some simple thinking?” he wondered.

Curiosity only led to trouble. To satisfy the others’ curiosity, Heinrich decided to speak to them.

“Even if the Gate Incident comes to an end, the Empire still has a lot to prepare for. So, even if they possess an incredibly powerful weapon or advanced technology, there’s no reason to disclose it to the rest of the Allied Forces, since it could be misused.”

Conflicts between humans, disputes over interests, or the threat of the Demon King... These were the reasons why the Empire remained cautious.

There was no grand secret or any wrongdoing; they were simply being prudent.

The others considered his point.

“Well, when you think about it that way, then I guess you’re right.”

It was only natural for any group to want to keep a powerful weapon to themselves. It wasn’t surprising that the Empire would treat this as a closely guarded secret, even from its own allies.

Just being able to envision the end of the war brought hope, but wasn’t it prudent to worry about what came after?

That was what Heinrich was focused on.

It was a powerful army. Yet, excessively powerful forces could be dangerous in their own right. On top of that, the Demon King was infiltrating both the Allied Forces and the Empire in unknown ways.

“Well, the Demon King... Reinhart... might try to steal the Empire’s secret weapon. In that case, it’s wise to keep it hidden...” Erhi speculated.

As soon as the Demon King’s name was mentioned, the atmosphere grew tense. The Demon King and the Gate Incident were like magical words that justified anything and everything. Because of the Demon King, the Empire could hide many secrets.

Whenever the name of the Demon King came up, Connor Lint and Heinrich felt a heavy weight in their throats, as if a stone was lodged there.

“But isn’t it odd?” Erhi mused, his curiosity piqued.

Kaier nodded, picking up on his suspicion. “If the Demon King... If Reinhart truly wanted to destroy humanity, couldn’t he do it at any moment?”

“How?” Erhi challenged. “The Allied Forces are here, the Titan is here, and now there’s talk of some secret weapon. How could he possibly reach us?”

Kaier turned to his friend, pondering Erhi’s words in silence.

It was true that he had grown immensely stronger, and was now a seasoned warrior and holy knight. However, his friend’s excessive naivety remained unchanged.

Kaier felt a mild disappointment, unlike Connor Lint and Heinrich, who had no expectations to begin with and thus weren’t let down.

“Are you stupid? Why would the Demon King attack us here?” Kaier asked incredulously.

“To destroy humanity, right?” Erhi replied, as if it were obvious.

“Do you think this is the only place where humans are?” Kaier pressed further.

“Huh?” Erhi responded, clearly taken aback.

“If the capital is attacked, it’s all over, you idiot,” Kaier explained, exasperated.

Erhi’s lack of insight surprised Heinrich and Connor Lint, even though they had no expectations to begin with. Even Cliffman, who had been staring blankly at the ceiling, turned his attention to Erhi. They were all taken aback by Erhi’s naivety.

“If the Demon King... If that lunatic Reinhart truly wanted to annihilate humanity, why attack us? If he destroyed the place we were to retreat to, it’s game over. If the supply lines are severed, we’ll all wither and die. It’s straightforward. Why is that so hard to grasp?”

It was not a concept that required a brilliant mind to understand.

If the Demon King truly wanted to annihilate humanity, there have been countless chances to do so. Even at this moment in time, opportunities abounded. Yet, the Demon King had refrained from destroying humanity.

It was an obvious thought, yet one that no one seemed to entertain. Instead, they assumed there was a more sinister motive behind his inaction.

Understanding a devil’s mind was impossible, so while they felt certain about the intention, the method remained a mystery.

Erhi looked bewildered by Kaier’s criticism.

“You’re right. Why hasn’t he done it?”

“...”

“...”

“...”

When Erhi voiced a thought that everyone else had pondered at least once, the others fell into silence.

‘What should we do with this blockhead?’ they seemed to think.

“Enough,” Cliffman, who had been lying quietly on his bed, finally said, his voice calm yet firm. “Let’s stop here. There’s no benefit in continuing this conversation.”

His expression was serious, underscoring the gravity of his words. If they kept on talking, they risked treading into dangerous territory.

“We have one thing to focus on,” he continued. “The purpose of this army is to bring an end to the Gate Incident. That’s our priority.”

There was no point in defending, criticizing, or speculating about the Demon King’s intentions.

Discussing it was risky, which was why Cliffman had abruptly ended the conversation.

Heinrich watched him in silence.

Although it was a topic that was too perilous to bring up, Heinrich understood that the time to confront it was drawing near.