Demon King of the Royal Class-Chapter 634

Instead of lingering in Arnaka, I decided to return to Rajak with Eleris.

Not to the royal castle, but to a quiet, secluded spot nearby.

When I explained why my mental state was in shambles despite having completed my tasks, Eleris turned pale, her eyebrows quivering with concern.

“O-oh, well... I’m not sure what to even say...” Eleris said.

Adelia had feelings for the grand duke, but the grand duke saw Adelia as a potential daughter-in-law. On top of that, Harriet’s third brother had a crush on Adelia.

“It feels like a punishment...”

“Are you saying the grand duke is being punished?”

“No... That’s not it...”

It felt like I was the one being punished, not the grand duke! Having written too many soap operas in my life, I found myself in a situation even more dramatic than any of them, right in the midst of this war!

I hadn’t been able to bring myself to say anything to the grand duke as he told me about all of it.

“Whatever... It’s not my business,” I declared. “So I’ll just think of it as someone else’s problem. What can I even do about it?”

“Well... yes. There’s nothing to do but observe...”

‘Yeah, it’s not something I can meddle in.’

My curiosity only led me to trouble.

‘It’ll work out somehow! As long as everyone survives, who cares if it’s a soap opera?’

Regardless, I decided not to watch that drama anymore.

“In any case, it seems the duchy has agreed to cooperate?”

“Uh... Yeah. That’s how it turned out. But it didn’t go the way I expected.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I assumed the grand duke would treat me like a thief who had stolen his daughter, but he didn’t. Instead, he had a sense of guilt towards me.”

“Ah...”

It was strange to be the one who understood myself the least. Others seemed to see things about me that I couldn’t, simply because I wasn’t Baalier.

“Realizing that the Great War was a pointless conflict seemed to weigh heavily on him.”

The previous Demon King, Baalier, had planned to create a new world using Akasha and migrate there, and the grand duke was deeply unsettled by this revelation.

If the Great War had never occurred, the demons might have quietly vanished from the world on their own. Instead, humans had invaded the Dark Land and slaughtered the demons. As a result, the Demon King perished, yet the last prince, Baalier, survived, which led to the Gate Incident.

The notion that everything would have been better left alone applied not only to me, but also to humanity. The grand duke seemed to believe that humans were now facing the consequences they deserved.

Eleris’s expression was understandably somber.

“If we could return to that time, before the Great War, could we undo everything?” Eleris asked.

If we went back to the past, armed with the knowledge that the Great War would lead to all this, could we somehow prevent all the fear, the invasion, and the subsequent wars from ever happening?

“I don’t think so,” I said, feeling pessimistic.

“Imagine if the previous Demon King had told humans they planned to migrate to another world and asked them not to interfere. Who would believe that? No one would buy it, whether it came from the Demon King or anyone else.”

Akasha was a powerful artifact in its own right. It would be like trying to convince an enemy nation that you were developing nuclear weapons solely for peaceful purposes. Anyone who believed that would be a fool.

The moment humanity learned of Akasha’s existence, they would likely start a war to seize or destroy it before it was completed. That was why Baalier had kept Akasha’s existence a secret.

The Great War was ultimately the result of the fear and hatred between the two sides reaching a critical point. As long as the fear, distrust, and hatred remained, returning to the past would change nothing.

Eleris, who had been entangled in that fear, distrust, and hatred, looked troubled.

Once an ancient Demon Queen, Eleris had been betrayed by her own son, had her horns severed, and was cast into exile.

She had been the one to directly activate Akasha. Because of that, she bore the greatest responsibility for everything that had transpired, and therefore the greatest guilt as well.

Eleris had traded the entire world for my life. That was how deeply she loved me. I couldn’t even begin to comprehend the depth of Eleris’s devotion.

“The end of everything is approaching,” she said quietly.

“...”

Even if the Gate Incident came to a close, the weight of responsibility and guilt would not simply vanish. But the truth was undeniable: the end was drawing near.

“We’ll figure everything out once it’s over.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Amidst the chaotic meeting with the grand duke, he had mentioned something intriguing.

—“Do you recall the incident at the lich’s tomb?”

—“Yes, I remember.”

Back then, Antirianus and the Archlich had clashed, and I had been taken aback by the grand duke’s unexpected appearance.

—“There was someone quite unusual among the people we encountered that day.”

—“Ah...”

I understood exactly whom the grand duke was referring to.

That day, I had seen someone for the first time—someone I never thought I’d encounter.

—“Do you know who that was?”

—“Yes... It was Ellen’s mother.”

—“I see... I thought they looked too much alike.”

The grand duke had recognized the similarities between Luna and Ellen once he got to know the latter. He would have been surprised to see that the unusual person he’d encountered in the lich’s tomb bore a striking resemblance to the girl who became humanity’s hero.

The grand duke hadn’t witnessed my battle with Luna. He would only recall my sudden disappearance.

The grand duke appeared genuinely impressed by Luna.

—“The hero is one thing, but Luna’s background is far more intriguing. If given the chance, I would have liked to seek her assistance...”

It seemed the grand duke, much like myself, was contemplating reaching out to Luna, who was anything but ordinary.

—“Actually, I’ve already received her help.”

—“What?”

—“Well... She can’t assist us directly, due to certain circumstances.”

The grand duke was visibly surprised that I had already turned to Luna for help. I couldn’t delve into the details without her permission, so I kept it vague. Still, the grand duke seemed to accept that Luna, who already appeared unusual at first glance, was indeed even more extraordinary.

He wasn’t wrong.

She had the power to create another space with her own hands, bending the time and space within that place to her will.

An incarnation... Not just any, but an incarnation of the gods.

Though it hadn’t been long since I visited Rijaiera, it felt like a distant memory.

I found myself wondering how Luna and the people of Rijaiera were faring.

I had already received all the help I could from Rijaiera, and I didn’t expect anything more from them.

I explained to Eleris the conversation I had with the grand duke.

We had discussed many things, but the outcome was straightforward.

Thus far, we had managed to secure three powerful allies: The Great Gods Order, Kernstadt, and the Principality of Saint-Ouen.

“The idea that I can conquer the world with just a few words... no, that I’ve already halfway succeeded... It’s honestly terrifying.”

It was too easy. The simplicity of it all made it feel as though the blood in my veins was turning to dust.

Swallowing it was easy. The important thing was whether I could digest it. If I couldn’t, both I and the world would perish.

Eleris gently wrapped her arms around me.

“Everything will be fine,” she said.

“Are you so sure?”

I should have been the one with the necessary conviction, not the one searching for reassurance.

“Of course. Didn’t the grand duke say so?” Eleris cradled my head and whispered softly. “That Your Highness is the greatest and most perfect Demon King in history.”

“...”

“I believe that too.”

Greatness and perfection...

I, who had once been the furthest from those words, had somehow found myself closest to them.

The cool touch of a vampire always seemed to soothe a heart gripped by fear.

Eleris, as always, was the best.

“Thank you, ancestor.”

Eleris playfully tugged at my ear.

“You might as well call me mother.”

“Ugh!”

***

The duchy of Saint-Ouen wasn’t large, but it held significant importance as a key ally of the Empire.

In these uncertain times, the ability to neutralize one of the Empire’s main weapons, the Titan, was invaluable. If we could recruit Adelia, we might even be able to claim the Titan as our own. It seemed straightforward enough to make the Empire lose control over the Titan.

Was this also part of Vertus’s plan? I wasn’t sure.

I called for a Senate meeting. Everyone attended except for Sarkegar, who was stationed with the Allied Forces, and Riana, who was recovering.

The five heads of families were present, and so were Olivia Lanche, Harriet, Charlotte, and Airi.

“With Kernstadt and the duchy of Saint-Ouen now under our control, we can dissolve the Allied Forces whenever we choose,” Lruien, the head of Thursday, declared.

Though we couldn’t seize full control just yet, we had the power to dismantle them at a moment’s notice.

If we pulled Kernstadt, the grand duke, and the Order of the Holy Knights out of the Allied Forces, chaos would ensue.

And an army in chaos is an army that cannot function.

“But even if we dissolve the Allied Forces, the Immortals are the main force in this war. As long as they remain, the Empire’s military strength will not be significantly weakened,” Galarsh pointed out.

He was right. As we were, we couldn’t touch the Immortals, the Empire’s elite force.

“Of course, no one is suggesting we should dissolve the Allied Forces. It’s just that we have the power to do so if we choose,” Lucinil clarified, emphasizing Lruien’s point.

It wasn’t about taking action, but about acknowledging our influence.

We couldn’t seize control outright, but we could dismantle them if we wished. The Allied Forces represented the military strength of all humanity, and its leaders held the reins.

In essence, half of humanity was already within our grasp. If the war concluded without any further change, we could easily split the continent in two.

Antirianus wore a chilling smile.

“It’s not just the Allied Forces,” he continued. “We currently hold sway over the main powers in the imperial capital, Gradium, including the Church of the Five Great Gods, the Demon God Cult, and the Hero Cult. In other words, anyone who believes in something, no matter what it is, is under our control.”

All humans who had some sort of faith were influenced by us, while most of them were unaware of our presence above them.

“Beyond the Allied Forces, you’ve already taken command of half of humanity, Great Being.”

It didn’t matter if humans accepted our rule or not. Whether they permitted it or not, I was already their ruler.

“How is the progress of the Holy Order?”

“In the capital, we’re instructing chosen individuals in harnessing the Divine Power of the Demon God. While immediate results are unlikely, the true significance lies not in the Divine Power itself, but in the faith it inspires. The effects of this are gradually appearing.”

The transformation of the Great Gods Order into the unified Holy Order was steadily progressing. It was a long-term project, and so immediate results were not expected.

A few words and a few conversations... Could that really be all it took to rule the world?

Laying the groundwork seemed deceptively simple. The real challenge would come when conflicts and clashes became visible.

“If we can find a sure method to deal with the Immortals, we won’t even need to fight the Empire,” Lucinil said.

Even if we had a way to handle them, there was no reason to use it just yet. However, if the Gate Incident concluded without us developing one, we would face many troublesome consequences.

“About that method,” Lucinil continued.

Recently, new information had come through Rowen. To be precise, it was information from Vertus, sent via Rowen.

“Is there a way to even break through it?” she asked.

“We can’t say we have one. Absolutely not,” I replied.

Since dealing with the Immortals was our top priority, everyone was on edge.

“Cristina is the one controlling the Immortals,” I reminded everyone. “She’s also the one who actually created them.”

I had already shared this information, so it wasn’t news to anyone.

Cristina, Anna, and Louis—those three were the core team.

Harriet, who had listened to the story alongside me, had not seemed pleased.

“If you mess with them recklessly, the Immortals become indiscriminate killing machines. In other words, they go berserk.”

My words hung in the air, casting a heavy silence over the room.

This wasn’t some sort of breakthrough. It was just a terrible prank on their side.

Only Antirianus chuckled faintly as he inclined his head. “If I’m right, it sounds like the controller will eventually disappear,” he said.

“I suppose so.”

This could hardly be called a breakthrough, but it was something we could try, and that was the most terrifying part.

The owner of a mad dog was trying to kill me. If I killed the dog owner, the mad dog wouldn’t come after me. Instead, it would bite and kill everyone it saw.

If I wanted to survive, I could just kill the dog’s owner. I could do that whenever I needed to. I could choose that path, if I were willing to let others be bitten to death.

“It’s an easy choice,” Antirianus said, “but the moment we take it, everything we’ve done to end the Gate Incident becomes meaningless. We’d end up destroying humanity with our own hands.”

As expected of Antirianus, the mad old man began laughing as if nothing could delight him more.

All this time, I had been raising hell under the pretense of saving humanity. And yet, at the very end, out of fear of the Immortals, out of fear that they would hunt me down, I might end up trying to save my own life by killing Cristina, Anna, and Louis. In that moment, however, the Immortals would go berserk, not targeting monsters, but humanity itself.

If no one was left to command or restrain them, the rampaging Immortals would never reach the Edina Archipelago. Even if the continent was shattered and humanity annihilated, Rajak would remain safe.

After all I had done, after all my so-called efforts to protect mankind, I would have to destroy it just to survive.

Antirianus couldn’t stop chuckling, as if savoring the thought of me crushing everything I had tried to protect with my own hands.

Sometimes, I genuinely wanted to kill that crazy old man. Not as a joke, but seriously.

In the end, this wasn’t about stopping the Immortals. That part was surprisingly simple. It was about ensuring they couldn’t kill me or anyone else.

There was a clear way to survive; I just couldn’t choose it. It felt as if Cristina and her crew knew I’d never pick that option. Or perhaps they even hoped I would.

If I did choose it, though, would they mock me as they met their end? Would they laugh at my hypocrisy? How, despite all that I said, I still valued my life the most in the end?

Having the Immortals kill me was not revenge. The moment I took the lives of Cristina, Anna, and Louis to protect myself and those I cherished, the cycle of vengeance would be complete. That would be a fate worse than death.

“Let me be perfectly clear,” I said, meeting everyone’s eyes. “If anyone harms Cristina or those guys to save me this time, I’ll kill whoever’s responsible and then end my own life.”

The Gate Incident had been triggered to save my life. I couldn’t let history repeat itself.

I had not intended to blame Eleris, but as she lowered her head, I couldn’t help but bite my lip. It was something that needed to be said.

“Great Being, what if we brought those kids here and, you know, subtly altered their minds? As long as we don’t kill them, right? There’s also the option of torture,” he suggested.

“We should be cautious about acting rashly when we don’t know the exact boundaries of ‘altering their minds.’ Surely, you must have considered that,” I replied.

Antirianus let out a soft chuckle, as if he actually found my cautious demeanor to his liking.

‘Really, what’s with this old man?’

The more I hesitated, the more amused he seemed, yet he never played any tricks. He simply followed instructions to the letter.

If I had to describe him, I’d say his actions were commendable, but his words were off-putting, which made him hard to like.

‘Hmm... Now that I think about it, that’s exactly how I was during my time at the Temple.’

“Anyway, don’t do anything. We’ll deal with the Immortals after the Gate Incident is over.”

Antirianus seemed like the type who might pull some sort of trick, but surprisingly, he hadn’t, so I was not so wary of him. Instead, I worried that someone else might do something reckless to protect me. It would most likely be Sarkegar, who wasn’t around, or the newly-emerged lunatic, Rowen. I’d have to give those two a stern warning later.

“Right. There’s no rule that says there can’t be another way to deal with them,” Harriet said, looking at me with a thoughtful expression. She seemed to believe there was more than one path forward.

“That’s right, there’s no such thing as absolute magic in the world, just like there’s no perfect barrier or sealing magic that cannot be broken through. We just haven’t discovered it yet,” Galarsh said, nodding in agreement.

Unlike Harriet, his expression wasn’t hopeful.

It was remarkable that I could now interpret the expressions of an orc.

In the end, Galarsh wasn’t implying that there was some other way to be found.

“If we had more time, we might find a solution, but I don’t think we have enough time.”

“...”

Time always seemed to work against us.

We knew there had to be a way to neutralize the Immortals without resorting to violence. But could we avoid conflict with them until we discovered it?

Somehow, I doubted it.

A solution existed, but finding it would take time.

Would we have enough time?

Harriet suddenly looked up, a spark of realization in her eyes.

“Wait a minute. The Immortals are basically golems, right?”

“In a sense, yes.”

“If we ask Dad... Maybe he knows something?”

The Immortals were golems, and the grand duke of Saint-Ouen was an expert on them.

“Even if he doesn’t have an answer right now, Dad might have some insight.”

The situation had shifted. We had gained the support of not only the duchy of Saint-Ouen, but also from the grand duke himself. We could place our hopes in him, given his deep knowledge of such magic.

“By the way, there’s something I wanted to ask,” I said, feeling the weight of the decision that I couldn’t make alone. “I’d love to show the grand duke this place someday. Would that be alright?”

Harriet nearly leaped out of her seat in surprise.