Demon King of the Royal Class-Chapter 654

It was, in truth, a very shocking moment, full of hidden complexities behind it. Yet, the instant Adriana laid eyes on Reinhart, her mind went completely blank, pushing aside all her other worries and concerns.

Every other thought simply vanished. Without hesitation, she ran to him and wrapped her arms around him.

She had heard somewhere that he was safe and knew he had appeared in the capital, and so she knew he was safe. But standing there, face-to-face with him, an overwhelming sense of relief washed over her, and she couldn’t help but hold him close, forgetting everything else.

As her mind slowly began to fill up with thoughts again, she realized she might have hugged him a bit too tightly.

Reinhart, in turn, embraced Adriana as well.

It was a joyful reunion, but...

“...”

“...”

The silence stretched on, and the atmosphere grew increasingly awkward.

Their embrace, as if they were long-lost siblings reunited after a war, felt overly intense.

‘Were we... really this close?’

That thought was unavoidable.

Adriana had hugged him in a burst of joy, but as she hesitated, uncertainty crept in, and she felt unsure of when to let go. Eventually, Adriana released her arms first, cautiously stepping back.

“Ah... well...”

“Um... Yes...”

They both mumbled awkwardly, their faces flushed, as they stepped away from each other.

Adriana found the situation both absurd and ridiculous, but seeing his dumbfounded expression made her laugh despite herself.

A surge of emotion welled up from deep within her chest. He was an annoying and irritating junior, yet this was the expression she saw most often on Reinhart. It was the expression he always wore, back when he couldn’t even run properly, when he knew nothing about fighting.

“You’re still the same, junior,” she said.

At her words, Reinhart gritted his teeth, as if trying to suppress some rising emotion.

Even though she knew he was the Demon King, in Adriana’s eyes, Reinhart still appeared as the clumsy, overly confident junior who knew nothing.

Despite everything, he had risked his life to save Adriana, though it wasn’t until much later that she discovered it had been Reinhart. And then, after that, he became the center of several terrifying events.

To this day, his name was synonymous with terror, and when the commander of the Order of the Holy Knights had summoned her, Adriana knew something frightening and beyond her understanding was unfolding.

She still didn’t know what had happened or how things had reached this point, but understanding was slowly dawning on her.

“Junior.”

It was just a single word... What did he feel from that one word?

Seeing him there, his eyes red, looking as if he were on the verge of breaking, she realized that the person standing before her wasn’t the Demon King, but Reinhart from the Temple—the person he truly was and aspired to be.

She couldn’t help but recognize that truth. How else could a single word make him look so nostalgic?

At first, Adriana had been so surprised and happy that she had thrown herself into Reinhart’s arms. Now, she gently cradled her junior’s head.

“Junior, you’ve been through so much.”

“...”

This second embrace held a different emotion than the first. It wasn’t joy, but concern and an offering of comfort.

Adriana meant more to the Demon King than she realized.

She had been the first person in the world—even before Ellen Artorius—to see the Demon King’s vulnerable side and guide him, back when he had nothing to conceal, no hidden power. When he had been truly weak, knowing nothing, but with a terrible temper, she was the one who, without hesitation, had reached out to him. Someone who seemed unpleasant at first glance, someone who was difficult to see in a positive light.

That was why Adriana meant more to the Demon King than she realized.

To him, Adriana was the only one.

“Yes,” the Demon King murmured softly, still wrapped in Adriana’s embrace.

She was the only person in the world to whom he could reveal his weaknesses.

“I’ve had a hard time,” he admitted quietly.

Hearing his honest words, Adriana fought back tears. She held him even tighter, knowing he was stronger than anyone yet more fragile, someone who had inevitably been broken and hurt.

***

It wasn’t quite a tearful reunion, but it came close.

In the moonlit meadow, Reinhart and Adriana sat side by side. The awkwardness between them had eased a bit, yet Reinhart still hesitated.

“Uh... how do I even begin? There’s so much I want to say, but I can’t seem to find the words,” Reinhart said.

“Honestly, I feel the same way,” Adriana admitted, sharing his struggle.

Like Reinhart, she was at a loss for where to start. Just as the Demon King had endured countless trials, Adriana had faced her own challenges, and the saddest part was that there were no stories they could laugh about together.

“In the end, I realized there were so many things I didn’t know,” Adriana admitted. “Not that I ever tried to find out.”

The revelation that the commander of the Order of the Holy Knights was now following the Demon King’s orders was staggering. Just that fact alone opened up endless possibilities.

Adriana couldn’t help but grasp the truth behind Illeion Volten’s sudden downfall.

“So, Sir Volten...” she began hesitantly.

“He’s alive,” came the reply.

“Oh, I see... that’s a relief,” she said, exhaling deeply.

The news that Illeion Volten, whom she had assumed dead, was still alive brought her a sense of comfort. She didn’t know Rowen well, and she knew Illeion Volten even less. Still, the mere fact that someone was alive filled her with a sense of relief she couldn’t ignore.

Reinhart watched her sigh with relief and smiled sadly. “But all five popes are dead.”

“What?” Adriana replied.

“I didn’t kill them myself, but I ordered their deaths.”

“I see...” she replied, her face falling as a storm of emotions crossed her face.

The death of all five popes was monumental. If such news had been made public, Adriana would have certainly heard about it.

The change in leadership within the Order of the Holy Knights was still confusing, and the fact that the popes’ deaths remained undisclosed spoke volumes. It was clear that the high-ranking members of the order were mere puppets, dancing to Reinhart’s commands. His influence was so vast that he could even keep the popes’ deaths a secret.

Adriana had always sensed that Reinhart was dealing with complex issues, but she now realized he was making life-and-death decisions.

She knew that these events were tragedies neither of them had wished for. Yet, at the far end of these unwanted events, the burden of deciding who lived and who died fell squarely on his shoulders.

This realization filled Adriana with sadness. She’d felt relieved knowing Illeion Volten was alive, but Reinhart’s admission that he also chose who would die shattered any illusions she might have had.

She refrained from asking for explanations. Discussing it would only bring more pain.

Naturally, as they sat next to each other, one person came to mind: the stray known as the Hound of Irine.

They hadn’t known each other long, but after getting caught up in the schemes of the Order of the Holy Knights and the Church of the Five Great Gods, Adriana had found herself taken hostage and then rescued. With nowhere else to turn, Reinhart had entrusted her to the Rotary Club.

Adriana quickly grew close to Loyar, who, unbeknownst to her at first, was actually a lycanthrope—the very one who had urged her to flee during the chaos.

Loyar, who was rumored to have died saving Reinhart, and the members of the Rotary Club lingered in her thoughts.

They were all gone now.

Loyar believed she had kept her secret well, but most of the club members had already known she was a lycanthrope. The club members must have also sensed, even if only subconsciously, that Reinhart wasn’t just an ordinary person.

Had any of them spoken carelessly, both Loyar and Reinhart would have been in danger. Unbeknownst to Reinhart and Loyar, they kept that secret to their graves.

Neither Adriana nor Reinhart mentioned Loyar’s name, nor the people of the Rotary Club. Yet the prolonged silence between them spoke volumes about their shared thoughts.

They avoided bringing up sad stories unless absolutely necessary.

It was time to focus on the future.

“Will everything turn out okay?” Adriana asked, even though she knew it wouldn’t. She knew that even after the Gate Incident was resolved, something else would inevitably follow. Tensions were already brewing between the Demon King and the Empire.

“It won’t change, just as it never has,” Reinhart said, his tone devoid of optimism.

“Still, I’ll do what I can,” he added with determination.

“Okay,” Adriana replied, her gaze fixed on Reinhart.

The junior who once seemed so insignificant compared to her had now reached a level of strength and influence she could hardly comprehend.

“Junior, I’ve gotten stronger than before, you know?” she said, pretending to boast, her voice light and teasing.

Reinhart chuckled at her words. “I suppose so.”

“I don’t use a sword anymore; I wield a hammer now,” she continued, her eyes gleaming with resolve.

To slay monsters, she had traded her sword for a massive hammer, and embraced her newfound power. It was a massive hammer, too heavy for an ordinary person to lift. With it, she crushed countless monsters rather than slicing through them.

Reinhart nodded at her statement.

“I know.”

Adriana looked confused. “Huh? How do you know?”

“Well, you see... I was, um, watching...?” Reinhart stammered.

He hesitated, unsure whether to admit it, but finally sighed deeply, as if surrendering to the truth.

“Do you remember the cat?” he said.

Adriana tilted her head, puzzled by the sudden question. “A cat?”

If he was talking about a cat from around here, then there was only one possibility. A suspicion dawned on her, and her eyes widened.

“Oh, no way.”

“That was me.”

“...”

Stunned by the revelation, Adriana could only stare at him in disbelief.

The black kitten that mysteriously appeared, vanished, and then reappeared, only to be taken to the Temple by Ellen.

Reinhart’s face turned pale as he made the confession. While it wasn’t entirely shameful, it was still undeniably ridiculous.

“Well... honestly, yeah... I admit it. It was kind of perverted. Yeah, I know. I know, but—”

“So that’s why,” Adriana interjected, cutting off Reinhart’s attempt to justify himself.

Reinhart watched Adriana in silence. Despite that strange and grotesque admission, Adriana was laughing.

She reached over and playfully pinched Reinhart’s cheek. “I wondered why that cat really liked Ellen and me,” she said. “But I see why now.”

The kitten had always shown a peculiar fondness for Ellen and Adriana. It would curl up on Adriana’s lap, nibbling on jerky, and let Ellen carry it to her room without a fuss.

Thinking back, the fact that the kitten had been Reinhart all along made its behavior suddenly make a lot more sense.

More importantly, the kitten’s behavior revealed that Reinhart hadn’t changed from before. He still cared for Ellen. and had been concerned enough to visit her in that form. And it wasn’t just Ellen; he’d also clung to Adriana and acted calmly around her.

“Junior, I know you missed Ellen, but it seems you missed me a lot, too, didn’t you?” she teased.

“...”

At Adriana’s playful words, Reinhart—or rather, the Demon King, who had become someone so exalted that most couldn’t even look at him—blushed. Embarrassed by having his feelings laid bare, he was at a loss for what to do.

After all, the reason he had summoned Adriana like this was only because he wanted to talk to her.

“You’re adorable, really,” she said with a warm smile.

“W-what do you want me to do...” he stammered.

Seeing her junior blush, Adriana couldn’t help but laugh heartily for the first time in a long while.

As she laughed, she found herself feeling surprised. She couldn’t even recall the last time she had laughed like that. The realization that there had been days when laughter came so easily brought her back to the present.

“So, was there no particular reason?” she asked.

“Reason?” Reinhart echoed.

“Yeah, if there was something important you wanted to talk about, it should have come up by now, but it doesn’t seem like there is one.”

They had shared an embarrassingly intense hug, stumbled over unspoken words, and exchanged small talk. If there was something important he wanted to say, it should have surfaced by now, but Reinhart hadn’t mentioned anything specific.

“If anything, the lack of a reason was the reason,” he replied.

“Hmm?” Adriana looked at Reinhart, intrigued.

“Ever since the Gate Incident, everything I did had a purpose.”

Adriana waited expectantly.

“In other words, everything I did wasn’t because I wanted to.”

It was always because something was necessary.

Because he needed to become stronger. Because he had to form alliances. Because he required information. Because he desired someone’s power.

To avert a disaster. To save a life.

Or to kill someone.

These were all actions with reasons behind them. More precisely, they were necessary actions. Things he had to do as the Demon King, steps he needed to take to reach his ultimate goal.

Even matters that involved Ellen were ultimately necessary, as he needed to understand the Hero’s situation to anticipate future events.

But meeting Adriana wasn’t something necessary.

“Before everything ends, I just want to do something simply because I want to. Something that isn’t necessary or driven by reason... Just something I truly want to do.”

Adriana smiled faintly at his words.

After all this time, he simply wanted to see her.

Driven by this simple desire, the Demon King had sought her out.

“And that was coming to see me?” she asked.

Reinhart hesitated. “Is that strange?”

“Strange? No, I’m grateful.”

Adriana suddenly stretched her arms toward the sky, letting out a contented sigh.

“Still, it feels a bit pathetic to hear that, considering I’m someone without any use.”

“Hey, that’s not true...”

“Why not? It’s true. I know you tried to be polite, saying you came to see me for personal reasons. But let’s be honest—I have no influence. Whether I’m on your side or not doesn’t matter. I’m weaker than you now. Do you think I’m a fool?”

“...”

Adriana knew she was insignificant in the grand scheme of things. She was stronger than most, but compared to those who shaped the world, she was powerless. She lacked the influence and the strength. That was why the Demon King had no reason to visit her.

Keeping an eye on those who mattered was important, but Adriana wasn’t one of them. She was someone he didn’t need to use.

“Still, thanks for wrapping it up nicely, junior. Saying you came because you wanted to, for personal reasons. I’m happy to hear that.”

“...”

In the end, it was the same thing, but it all depended on perspective. Some might call it a waste of time, while others would say he left important matters behind to visit someone he genuinely wanted to see. Still, Adriana couldn’t help but feel happy that she was the only one he sought out for personal reasons.

Reinhart looked quietly at Adriana. “Honestly, I was scared.”

“Scared? Of what?”

Just as Adriana felt that Reinhart hadn’t changed much, the Demon King couldn’t help but notice that Adriana was treating him just as she always had.

“I was scared you might have changed.”

“Ah...”

“People have changed.”

That was why he had avoided meeting Adriana thus far. He feared that her attitude and the way she looked at him might have shifted.

Because some people had changed drastically. Because not changing was the exception.

Because he might be the only one clinging to the past. Because Adriana, upon seeing the Demon King who had turned the world into chaos, might curse him.

The Demon King admitted to her what he had been afraid of.

He wasn’t afraid of death or anything else, but the thought of Adriana looking at him with face twisted in anger and cursing him terrified him.

That was his fear, which he had admitted.

“You were scared of something like that?”

“...”

“You’re still so soft-hearted, you know, being scared of something like that...”

Adriana, feeling a pang of sympathy, lowered her head and began to sob.

The Demon King didn’t shed a tear. Instead, he’d spoken of his fear with a resolute expression, as if determined to cast aside all his vulnerabilities that day.

He revealed a fear he had never shared with anyone before.

“I didn’t have a purpose for meeting you today.”

“Yeah.”

“But now that I’m here, now that I’ve seen you, I have one.”

“A purpose...?”

He had met her without any clear intention, but after their conversation, Reinhart looked at Adriana with newfound resolve.

“Get out of here.”

Adriana seemed surprised. “What?”

“Stop fighting.”

Adriana’s eyes widened at the unexpected command.

“Go back to the capital, or come with me. I’ll take care of the rest. Others will handle it.”

Only one final battle remained before the Gate Incident was brought to a close, and the Demon King found himself compelled to tell Adriana not to fight that final battle.

“Junior,” she said, her expression turning serious, “are you telling me to be a coward?”

“Yes.”

He didn’t try to justify it or offer any other explanation.

She might survive the final battle, but she could also die. That was why he urged her to flee, to live, even if it meant being a coward. The Demon King had no plans to use Adriana, but he wanted her to survive, and he told her as much.

“Junior, I may be weak. Weaker than you, and infinitely weaker compared to others. But I’m far from relevant.”

He remained silent, absorbing her words.

“But that doesn’t make my desire to make a difference any less significant.”

Her desire to save. Her desire to help, even just a little, was powerful.

The strength of one’s heart wasn’t measured by physical might.

Hearing Adriana’s words, the Demon King bit his lip. In the end, everyone had their own resolve. Trying to shatter that resolve for his own selfish reasons felt like arrogance.

Adriana wanted to fight. Could he really drag her away from the battlefield just because it was dangerous?

“I can still do more than a single person can,” she insisted.

“...”

Faced with her determination, Reinhart couldn’t bring himself to force Adriana to leave. Simply wanting someone to flee because he feared for their life was selfish enough. If that person didn’t want to leave, he couldn’t force them to leave.

Yet, Adriana could clearly see the struggle in his eyes, as if he desperately wished he could.

“Promise me,” he said.

Adriana looked at him. “What?”

“Promise me you’ll survive.”

Faced with her junior’s sorrowful expression, Adriana smiled and echoed the words the sometimes-foolish junior used to say.

“Of course. Who do you think I am?”