Demon King of the Royal Class-Chapter 649

The Allied Forces would camp for about three days to reorganize. The battle had only just ended, and the cleanup was still underway.

It was late at night. Inside Cliffman’s tent within the Royal Class garrison, Erhi lay sprawled on a mat, muttering to himself as he nibbled on a piece of bread he’d found somewhere.

“Why does it feel busier now that the battle’s over?”

“Are there many injured?” asked Connor Lint.

Erhi glanced over at him. “When aren’t there many?”

Erhi, who could use holy incantations, found himself busier than he had been during the battle, as he was busy treating the wounded.

Inside the tent were Erhi, Cliffman, Kaier, and Lint.

As usual, Cliffman lay on his cot, staring blankly at the ceiling of the tent.

They almost always ended up gathering like this, and Heinrich would join them when he came.

Cliffman had never actually suggested using his tent as a hangout spot. It had all started when Connor Lint began visiting Cliffman’s tent regularly. Soon, Kaier and Erhi, who were looking for Lint, joined in. Eventually, Heinrich, who was trying to find everyone, ended up staying as well.

Cliffman never seemed to mind.

“Where’s Heinrich?” Lint asked, glancing around.

Kaier shrugged. “He usually sticks with his sister during battles, right? Since he’s royalty, he’s probably got a lot on his plate.”

Erhi, still sprawled out on the mat, turned to look at Kaier. “Heinrich went to the Temple with us, so I guess it’s fine to refer to him so casually. But his sister is the commander of the Kernstadt military and the future queen. Is it really okay to refer to her so informally?”

“Oh, was that too much?” Kaier asked, uncertainty creeping into his voice.

The sudden question left both of them scratching their heads.

Was it really acceptable for commoners like them to use informal language when speaking about royal siblings, even if they were friends with one?

“Could it be considered treason?” Kaier wondered aloud, his brow furrowed in thought.

They decided it was best to ask Heinrich when he returned. He would know what to do.

“At last... there’s just one more to go,” Erhi sighed, trying to change the topic.

They had already learned that the Imperial advance troops had subdued all the other regions. The capital of Rizeln, Diane, was the final destination.

At Lint’s words, all their faces grew solemn.

“After the war, I’m planning to visit everyone who sent me letters,” he said.

Erhi looked puzzled. “Do you remember all of them?”

“I kept their letters,” Lint replied. “I can visit those who included their addresses.”

“Why go to all that trouble?” Erhi asked.

“Well... I’m curious if they’re doing well... and if they’re safe,” Lint mumbled.

Kaier clicked his tongue in disapproval. “Hey, can’t you see? He’s just on the hunt for pretty girls, isn’t he?”

“Ah...”

“N-no, I’m not! I swear! My intentions are pure!” 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

It wasn’t difficult to see through Connor Lint’s transparent motives.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding his true intentions, Connor Lint started to chuckle.

“Anyway, I’m planning to go if there’s an opportunity... And besides, there’s someone I want to see—”

Whack!

“Ouch!”

Connor Lint barely started speaking before something struck the back of his head, sending him sprawling to the ground.

It was Cliffman who had hit him.

“Hey! Why’d you hit me out of nowhere?” Connor shouted, rubbing his head in disbelief.

“Shut up. Guys who talk like that always end up dead,” Cliffman replied, his voice firm.

“Huh? What kind of superstition is that?” Connor retorted, still confused.

“Just save the talk about what you’ll do after it’s over for when it actually is,” Cliffman said, his tone serious.

While everyone was frozen, stunned by Cliffman’s unexpected intensity, the tent flap rustled, drawing their attention.

“Oh, everyone’s here,” Heinrich said as he stepped into Cliffman’s tent.

Connor Lint, still nursing his sore head, glanced up at Heinrich. “Did you finish your business?”

“Yeah, mostly,” Heinrich replied, taking a seat on one of the chairs inside.

With Heinrich’s arrival, the earlier topic naturally came up again. It was a trivial matter, really—whether they should consider Louise just as a friend’s sister or treat her with respect befitting her title, and whether calling Heinrich by his first name in front of her would offend her.

Heinrich frowned at the question.

“Why are you even curious about that?”

“Just because.”

“Yeah, just because.”

It was a question born from simple curiosity, without any grand reason or purpose. But really, did friends always have meaningful conversations? Most conversations were just idle chatter.

“Oh,” Heinrich suddenly exclaimed. “Come to think of it, except for Erhi, everyone here has a commoner background.”

Everyone present, except for Heinrich and Erhi de Raffaeli, were commoners.

“You just realized that?”

“I didn’t just realize it; it just suddenly struck me.”

Heinrich had almost forgotten about such matters, so it felt novel to think about it. After all, most noble titles had lost their significance, with only a handful of noble or royal families still holding onto their lands.

Heinrich was one of the few remaining royals.

“Well... I think my sister wouldn’t mind how you treat me or her...”

Heinrich didn’t believe Louise would be too concerned about such matters. Although he didn’t know his mother well, he didn’t see her as someone who was strict about status.

“Anyway, when the war’s over, come visit Kernstadt. We may not have much, but we can at least offer you all a meal.”

At Heinrich’s invitation, everyone fell silent, their eyes turning to Cliffman.

Just moments earlier, Connor Lint had been reprimanded for discussing plans for after the war.

“What do you expect me to do about it?” Cliffman replied to the silent, questioning looks.

“Hey! You hit me hard for saying the same thing, but you let him off?” Lint protested, unable to hold back his frustration.

“You punk! Is it because he’s royalty? Are you playing favorites?”

“Quiet,” came the stern response. “I didn’t hit him because he’s too far away.”

In truth, Connor Lint was sitting right next to Cliffman’s cot, while Heinrich was indeed out of reach.

“What are you guys even talking about?” Heinrich asked, clearly puzzled. He couldn’t quite figure out what was going on.

“He said that discussing plans for after the war before it’s actually over is a surefire way to get yourself killed!”

“Oh,” Heinrich said as he finally caught on. “Is that what this is about?”

Whether or not the superstition held any truth was anyone’s guess.

“Still, discussing what comes next before finishing what’s at hand isn’t a wise approach. There’s no advantage in letting your guard down,” Cliffman explained.

Heinrich nodded, finally understanding Cliffman’s point. Letting your guard down just because the end was near could cost you your life at the very last moment.

Diane was the final destination, and the most perilous place of all. More people would perish there than in any other battle, so talking about what would come next before it was truly over seemed foolish.

After a moment of contemplation, Heinrich cautiously added, “And just because the Gate Incident finally ends doesn’t mean everything will be over.”

Erhi looked over at him. “What do you mean? How can everything not be over once the Gate Incident ends?”

Heinrich paused. As he fell silent, the others turned their attention to him. It was clear he was carefully choosing his words, not because he lacked something to say, but because of the weight of what he was about to reveal.

“There’s something you all need to know,” he finally said, his tone signalling the importance of his message. This wasn’t just a casual conversation among friends anymore; it was something far more significant.

Heinrich was the only one among them who still held royal authority, granting him access to high-level information that was restricted only to the higher-ups within the Allied Forces.

He scanned the room before speaking again. “Lint, teleport all of us to a location far from the Allied encampment.”

“Right now?” Lint asked, caught off guard.

“I’ll explain later,” Heinrich replied firmly. “For now, don’t ask any questions.”

It was the first time anyone had seen Heinrich so serious. This was no time for jokes.

***

The sudden shift in Heinrich’s demeanor made it clear to everyone in the tent that this was not a moment for levity.

Following his instructions, Connor Lint teleported each of them to a secluded spot, far from the Allied camp. The lights of the encampment were mere glimmers in the distance, and the only other light came from the faint glow of the moon.

Clearly, whatever Heinrich wanted to discuss, he did not want anyone else to overhear.

“Hey, why are you being so intense?” Kaier asked, his voice tinged with unease as he sensed the change in the atmosphere.

All eyes were on Heinrich.

“As I said, just because the Gate Incident ends doesn’t mean everything will be resolved,” Heinrich reminded them, his words hanging heavily in the air.

Everyone was hoping that once the Gate Incident came to an end, they would finally be free from the fear of monsters, but that wasn’t the reality.

“Of course, it won’t all be over just because we bring an end to this Gate Incident,” Lint remarked. “We’ll still have to deal with the remaining monsters roaming about the continent. Who knows how long that will take?”

Lint’s words rang true, and everyone knew it.

“Yeah, that’s also true,” Heinrich agreed, “but I’m talking about something else.”

As Heinrich paused, considering how to continue, Cliffman spoke up cautiously.

“It’s about the Demon King, isn’t it?”

The room fell silent, and Heinrich’s eyes grew wide with surprise as they flicked over to Cliffman.

“If it’s not about the remaining monsters,” Cliffman said, “then it must be about that.”

It seemed he had a hunch about the topic that was about to be broached.

“...”

Connor Lint, who had been feigning ignorance, couldn’t help the tension that crept into his expression.

The issue of the Demon King was unavoidable, and once the Gate Incident concluded, it was inevitable that the Demon King would come to the forefront.

“That’s right,” Heinrich finally said after a long pause. “Right now, more than half of the Allied Forces have pledged allegiance to the Demon King.”

“What?”

“What did you say?”

Heinrich’s shocking revelation left everyone in stunned silence.

“And... my sister has also decided to follow the Demon King.”

His words hung in the air as the others struggled to accept the harsh reality.

***

The revelation that a significant portion of the Allied Forces’ leadership had already aligned themselves with the Demon King was impossible to ignore.

Even within the Royal Class, whose members often received special treatment, gaining access to information from Allied Command was challenging unless you were someone like Heinrich or Ellen.

To understand why elements of the Allied Forces had chosen to side with the Demon King, several key events needed to be considered.

The large-scale rioting and the massacre of civilians in the capital.

The relentless army of the dead, known as the Immortals.

The Empire’s increasingly fragile state.

And finally, the actions of the Order of the Holy Knights and the Church of the Five Great Gods.

Heinrich recounted everything he had witnessed and heard upon his return to the capital—the events he had been part of, and how things had unfolded up to the present.

“That army is made up of undead, created from fallen soldiers...?” Kaier murmured, his voice tinged with disbelief.

“Yes,” Heinrich confirmed, “and not just fallen soldiers. Even dead heroes from the past have been reanimated.”

Historical figures, long thought to exist only in stories, had been resurrected as undead to fight alongside them. The realization that these mysterious allies were a terrifying and formidable undead army left everyone speechless.

Connor Lint’s reaction, however, was different. Though he didn’t know all the details, he was aware that the Empire was working on a scheme that involved resurrecting past heroes as undead. He had some understanding of the Immortals’ true nature before, but had not been able to share it with the others.

One thing he’d discovered was that Cristina, Louis Ankton, and Cristina were deeply involved in the creation of the Immortals. They weren’t just involved; they were the key figures.

“So that’s what they have been secretly doing all this time...” he said.

Even though they were in Class B, they were still his classmates. He had assumed they weren’t contributing much on the battlefield, but it turned out they were secretly engaged in the most crucial work.

“So, Kernstadt has decided to side with the Demon King because they believe the Empire might collapse after the Gate Incident?” Cliffman asked.

Heinrich paused for a moment before responding. “Yeah. No matter how you spin it, you’re right. Right now, within the Allied Forces, there’s a debate about whether siding with the Empire or the Demon King is the best way to survive. And my sister has already made her choice.”

It wasn’t about right or wrong anymore; it was about survival. Once the Gate Incident concluded, everyone had to choose between the Demon King and the Empire. While such a decision might typically fall to the leader of a group, it could also come down to each person making their own choice.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Erhi muttered, his voice hollow. “The Demon King... wants to rule the world? How is that even possible?”

His voice was laced with disbelief and fear, but it still held hope that the people of the world would not allow such a thing to happen.

“Whether it’s possible or not, he’s already halfway there,” Heinrich said. “People just don’t know that.”

The lower-ranking members of the Allied Forces were unaware that their leaders had already aligned themselves with the Demon King.

“While those in power might be able to make such decisions, whether those below them can understand or accept it is another matter,” Cliffman remarked.

Heinrich nodded in agreement. “That’s a problem for later. What I’m saying is that now is the time to choose.”

Demon King or Empire... A choice had to be made.

The end of the Gate Incident was approaching. They needed to recognize that another challenge loomed, and start thinking about it.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Kaier Vioden finally said, breaking his long silence.

“All of this chaos began because of one person. And now, that same person—someone whose whereabouts and actions we know nothing about—is trying to swallow up humanity entirely. And it’s actually happening before our eyes? That can’t be.”

Heinrich stayed silent, absorbing Kaier’s restrained anger. It was a hard reality for anyone to come to terms with.

“Building such an army might be problematic. In fact, it’s wrong, and it’s definitely a sin. But if not for the Gate Incident, none of this would have happened in the first place. And now, people are really flipping their loyalties overnight and following that bastard who caused it all, just because they want to survive? They sit back and do nothing all along, only to swoop in and take everything in the end? That’s... that’s impossible. That can’t be—”

“It’s not that he isn’t doing anything.”

It wasn’t Heinrich who interrupted Kaier.

Two people here had encountered the Demon King after the Gate Incident: Heinrich von Schwartz and Connor Lint.

“I actually... met Reinhart,” Connor admitted.

Heinrich, who had initially surprised everyone, now found himself taken aback by Connor’s words.

***

Just as Heinrich had his secrets, Connor Lint was also hiding things from everyone.

The deployment of the Immortals to the front lines was a recent development, but suspicious activities had been occurring ahead of the Allied Forces’ advance route even before that. For instance, small to medium-sized cities had been destroyed by preemptive attacks.

Connor Lint had found these events suspicious and embarked on a personal reconnaissance mission. During that mission, he witnessed an unidentified force fighting against the monsters ahead of the Allied Forces’ advance, and realized it was the Demon King’s army.

He was discovered and kidnapped by one of Reinhart’s subordinates and woke up in Reinhart’s castle, where he had a brief conversation with Reinhart.

Though he did not offer a detailed explanation, Reinhart claimed he had been trying to stop the Gate Incident and was doing his best to bring it to an end.

Connor did not believe it was a lie, since he had witnessed firsthand the Demon King’s army fighting monsters.

“So, all those bizarre weather events last year... were they caused by the Demon King’s army?” Kier asked, piecing it together.

“Yes,” Connor replied. “Now that the Immortals have been activated, it seems they’re not as active, but until recently, they were.”

Kaier, who had been seething with anger, found himself at a loss for words after hearing Lint’s explanation.

“The Gate Incident had indeed been triggered because of Reinhart,” Lint continued. “But he never intended for it to happen, that’s for sure.”

Reinhart hadn’t been idle; he had been watching and waiting.

He had been hard at work while hidden from the public eye.

“Back then, he said that if people knew the truth, it would only cause more problems, and that it was better to leave things as they were. He asked me to keep it a secret.”

He believed that if the truth would lead to destruction and division, it was best left unspoken. Thus, Connor Lint had kept his silence.

Cliffman, who had listened quietly to the story, spoke up. “But now, the situation has changed. If the Empire were stable, it wouldn’t matter, but with it on the brink of collapse, they’ve made a desperate move. As things worsen... they have no choice but to step forward.”

“Probably,” Heinrich said, agreeing with Cliffman’s speculation. It was the first time he had heard such a detailed explanation of what had been going on.

“Anyway,” Connor continued, “he got me back here safely. Though I did run into him again after that...”

“Again?”

“Y-yeah...”

Connor Lint’s face flushed with embarrassment.

Lint had encountered Reinhart once more, who had sought his help with a problem regarding the undead. But the reason for his face turning red was straightforward.

“I um... fell for a beauty trap...”

It wasn’t the Demon King who had summoned him; instead, he had been deceived by Sarkegar, who had disguised himself as a beautiful girl.