Demon King of the Royal Class-Chapter 688

The banquet hall buzzed with activity, filled with a diverse crowd that included most of the Temple’s Royal Class students. Among them, the second-year students from the time of the Gate Incident stood out.

Not only were there two empresses among them, but the Demon King, the Emperor of the Empire, was also present, along with others who had achieved remarkable feats and held influential positions.

“Evia, how’s your studying going?” Scarlett asked as she approached her friend, her voice warm with curiosity.

Evia nodded back, a hint of confidence in her smile. “It’s going well. I’m getting some practical experience these days. It’s not entirely unfamiliar work.”

After the war, Evia had been unsure of her path, but eventually chose to go where her talents shone brightest. She was now majoring in military studies at the newly reopened Temple. Although she hadn’t yet taken on any active roles, she had a confirmed position reserved for her in the Imperial Army after graduating from the military academy.

Though it was still a long way off, the Emperor planned to appoint Evia as the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Army. Her unique ability to communicate with everyone within her range would serve her better as a commander than merely as a messenger. Evia had the full support of the imperial family, and was given an environment where she could focus entirely on her studies.

Scarlett and Evia surveyed the banquet hall together. The students who had been in their second year during the Gate Incident were all significant figures of society now, but not everyone was present, and not all had emerged unscathed.

Most notably, the majority of the Class B members were absent.

“Looking around, almost none of our classmates are here,” Scarlett observed.

“Yes, that’s true,” Evia replied.

Only three Class B members were there: Charlotte, Scarlett, and Evia.

Ashir, Number 4, had passed away.

Delphine Izadra, Number 9, was also gone.

Aside from Lanian Sesor, Number 10, who had become a wandering bard, everyone else was unaccounted for.

Dettomorian, Number 8, had remained at the Temple throughout the war, and was now on a secret mission for the Emperor, so no one knew where he was, while occasional tales of Lanian Sesor still surfaced. Aside from those two, though, the rest were still missing.

Ludwig.

Cristina.

Louis Ankton.

Anna de Gerna.

Their fates seemed almost inevitable.

There were countless others whose deaths had not been witnessed first-hand, and being missing in action was as good as being dead. Ludwig had disappeared during the fighting just as the final battle had ended, and was presumed dead.

Searching for them seemed hopeless.

There were two members of Class A who were not present as well. The deposed emperor, Vertus, and Ellen Artorius. Both were missing and were being hunted desperately.

“Where could they all have gone...?” Scarlett wondered, her thoughts drifting despite the lively atmosphere of the banquet.

She tried to picture the faces of those who had vanished.

Was it too dangerous to hope they were all alive somewhere?

Was it a lavish dream?

Evia, Scarlett, and even Charlotte, who was observing from a distance, found their thoughts drifting to those who were no longer with them.

***

The entire Spring Palace served as the backdrop for the grand banquet, with the guests naturally splitting themselves into various groups. Among these groups, the Temple alumni instinctively gathered in small clusters. Though they maintained a slight distance from one another, a shared bond from surviving the war united them.

Those involved in politics, who had no direct ties to the war, did not deliberately exclude the Temple alumni, but they found it challenging to integrate with them. The fact that these Temple alumni were much younger made mingling difficult, and since they weren’t interested in political maneuvering, they didn’t draw much attention.

However, this did not mean there were no politically active individuals among them. Aside from the Emperor and his empresses, the most influential figure was undoubtedly Heinrich von Schwartz, the present King of Kernstadt, who wielded both real and political power.

“...”

“Your eyes are going to pop out, you lunatic.”

“Do you think staring at it will change anything?”

The great King of Kernstadt was, at present, unable to focus on the banquet. His gaze was fixed intently on a particular spot, much to the chagrin of his friends. Despite finally reuniting after a long while, Heinrich neither spoke, ate, nor drank. His attention was unwavering.

Connor Lint and Erhi de Raffaeli couldn’t help but comment on how distracted he was, and Heinrich shot a glare at his friends, his lips twisting sourly.

His focus was on none other than the Emperor.

The Emperor was engaged in conversation with Empress Louise, who had approached him. The stark contrast between his flustered, awkward demeanor and the Empress’s exasperated, disdainful gaze was hard to miss.

“If it were you guys, would you be able to ignore it?”

“Well, I guess it’s inevitable...”

“I haven’t been in such a situation, so I wouldn’t know.”

Heinrich furrowed his brows at Lint and Erhi’s nonchalant responses.

Kaier chuckled. “Even though I know you can’t just choose to become royalty or nobility, thanks to you, I’m sometimes relieved I wasn’t born into it.”

The others had learned from Heinrich’s experience that power often brought challenges that were difficult to wrap one’s head around. There were obligations that those in power had to fulfill that often did not sit well with them.

Connor Lint inclined his head in curiosity. “But why are you so worried? You said they haven’t even held hands yet.”

Indeed, that was true. The relationship between Empress Louise and the Emperor was strictly businesslike. Their marriage was purely political, and they approached it like a job, especially Louise. That was why she was sighing at the Emperor, who seemed utterly flustered over a relationship that should have been handled professionally.

“If things continue like this, nothing will happen, no matter how much you worry or fret, right?”

As Erhi pointed out, regardless of what Heinrich said, if their relationship remained strictly political without anything more, it was something he could simply overlook.

“I don’t know... I just don’t know...”

Five years had passed. A full five years, and Heinrich’s perspective had shifted somewhat over time. Was it fair for his mother to grow old like this, with nothing more to look forward to in her life?

He couldn’t make sense of it at all. Louise, who had reached Master class, did not appear much older than the other Empresses.

“... That will never happen in my lifetime, so don’t worry. I would never do something you despise.”

Those words had hit Heinrich like a hammer. Naturally, Louise had to have felt overwhelmed by how her decision had affected Heinrich, and she had finally spoken to him about the matter. He still remembered her smile, which had been resigned and tinged with sadness.

He felt as if he was being heartless.

After that conversation, Heinrich had been at a loss as to what to do.

“So officially, is Reinhart Heinrich’s father...?”

“I’m not sure about that...”

“...”

Heinrich, the King of Kernstadt, was sweating profusely. “Stop, just stop it. Let’s stop this conversation. Please,” he pleaded. Fortunately, a timely distraction arrived.

Cliffman, who had been dancing with Riana, escorted her to Harriet’s table, then approached them, perhaps drawn by their conversation.

“It’s been a while,” he said, pulling up a chair and sitting down, while the others expressed their delight at his arrival. Though they all belonged to the same Empire, each had their own responsibilities. Thus, it was rare for them to gather in one place.

“Is everyone managing their work well?” Cliffman asked, and the group nodded in agreement.

Heinrich, the King of Kernstadt, naturally made his home in the capital city of Kernstadt.

Erhi de Raffaeli had risen to the esteemed rank of a holy knight, and was serving in the Order of the Holy Knights of the Holy Empire.

Cliffman was tasked with constantly protecting Riana, who was overseeing the Empire’s vital agricultural district.

While the agricultural district was of great importance, Riana de Granz herself was truly irreplaceable. Thus, Cliffman, one of the Empire’s most formidable Master-class warriors, had been appointed as her guardian.

“Rehabilitation could be considered as work if you think of it that way, so I guess I’m doing my own work,” Kaier said with a chuckle, nodding along to his own statement.

Kaier, still confined to his wheelchair, relied on Rudina’s assistance for daily living.

“Though I’m concerned about what is going to come after this,” he admitted.

Even if he were fully rehabilitated, there was no specific role waiting for Kaier. His immense pool of mana remained, but his difficulty with Mana Manipulation persisted. If another war broke out, he might have to use the Arc Crystal again, which would give him something to do. Of course, it was better if that never happened.

Connor Lint shook his head in disbelief. “Hey, at least you can live comfortably off your pension for the rest of your life.”

“That’s true,” Kaier admitted. “But the same goes for you.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

Only a select few had received pensions for their top-level achievements, and each of them had rendered distinguished service during the war. Some, however, had declined that pension despite their accomplishments.

“By the way, are they really planning to give pensions to all participants?” Connor asked.

Right after the war, only war heroes had been granted pensions, but there was a long-term plan to extend this benefit to all participants, though the chances of such a policy were slim.

Heinrich furrowed his brow, his expression growing serious. “Even if we can’t provide it immediately, we do plan to eventually. But it’s still a long way off. We’re also considering offering it in the form of territories, though Reinhart seems to oppose that idea.”

“Why oppose the awarding of territories? Wouldn’t that be better?”

“There are plenty of empty lands across the world, but if the Emperor just handed you a piece and called it your territory, that would not do much,” Heinrich explained. “You’d have to develop it on your own. Could that really be considered a reward? If you’re determined to develop a plot of empty land, they’ll give it to you even without any distinguished service. If the Emperor merely parceled out land and left it at that, it would only breed resentment. It would be worse than giving nothing at all.”

“Oh, I see.”

While the Empire was not in a position to offer pensions to everyone involved in the monster war, some people had still received them. Expanding this pension plan was one of the Empire’s long-term goals. After all, there were still many who had contributed significantly or held important positions.

“Is there any news on your end lately?” Cliffman asked, turning to Connor Lint.

“Not really,” Connor replied with a shrug.

“Well, it’s best if you have nothing to say.”

Everyone except Lint nodded in agreement.

“It’s kind of amazing that we’re all doing something,” said Cliffman, “especially with Heinrich becoming a king. But honestly, I’m more surprised that you’re doing that job.”

The others nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

“Right.”

“Yeah.”

“That’s true. How is that even possible?”

Lint cast a glare around the table, clearly annoyed. “What the hell, guys?”

“I mean, you being an officer in the Empire’s intelligence agency is just unbelievable.”

Connor Lint was, in fact, a high-ranking officer in the Empire’s intelligence agency, but he had kept his job a secret from his friends. Despite their concerns about whether he should start working, he had casually claimed he would live off his pension and remain unemployed for life.

“The creepiest part was how you pretended to be unemployed for three years.”

“This guy... I didn’t know you were so sneaky!”

“I’m someone whose job involves keeping secrets...! I’m not sneaky...!”

Connor Lint was a man surprisingly adept at keeping secrets. His friends were most shocked by the revelation that he wasn’t actually a fool, and the revelation of that truth was extremely unsettling for them.

Heinrich chuckled, sipping his champagne. “But the way you got caught was, well... kind of like you.”

“What do you mean, ‘like me’? What do you mean by that?” Connor Lint’s face flushed with suppressed frustration as he shouted, his voice rising with each word.

Heinrich’s comment hit a nerve, and the rest of the group, aware of the situation, couldn’t help but chuckle.

Connor bit his lip, trying to contain his irritation.

For three years, Connor had successfully hidden his role in the Empire’s intelligence agency, even from his closest friends. In the end, though, his secret had been uncovered in the most absurd way possible.

“My deduction skills were truly impressive,” declared Erhi.

Indeed, despite his meticulous nature, Connor Lint had been caught off guard by Erhi, the least perceptive among them.

This was how it happened.

Erhi would occasionally drop by to visit Connor during his supposed period of unemployment.

One day, he spotted Connor on a date with a mysterious, beautiful woman. Too stunned to intervene, Erhi had returned home in a daze, and only asked Connor about the woman’s identity later on, to which Connor casually mentioned that she was his girlfriend.

Naturally, Erhi was skeptical. Could such a thing really be true?

To make sense of this unexpected revelation, Erhi then turned to Cliffman for advice.

Riana, who was with them, speculated that such a scenario seemed impossible, so it had to be the Great Demon of Transformation, Dreadfiend, Sarkegar. And since Sarkegar was part of the intelligence agency, Connor Lint had to be as well.

It hadn’t been a date; they had been discussing work.

In truth, Riana wasn’t particularly connected to the intelligence agency, but both Sarkegar and Connor Lint were high-ranking officers within it.

The long-held secret was finally revealed in a rather anticlimactic way.

“Everyone knows such a thing won’t happen.”

There wasn’t really much deduction involved. Erhi had merely uncovered Lint’s secret because of his unwavering belief that his friend could never be in such a fortuitous situation.

“Why...? Why won’t it...? Am I not allowed to date anyone...?”

“Why would an ordinary, beautiful person date you?”

“Why not! It can happen...!”

Kaier shook his head, insisting that such a thing wasn’t in Lint’s fate. “No, it can’t. It absolutely, definitely would not happen, unless it’s one of your demon colleagues.”

Connor Lint trembled with indignation. “You bastards...! Just so you know, it wasn’t about work back then...!”

His indignant words left everyone looking puzzled, and Connor himself froze, realizing the weight of what he had just said.

“Huh...?”

“Uh...”

“O-oh... R-really...?”

A sudden silence hung in the air.

“Well... I mean, it’s not entirely... impossible... I guess.”

“N-no. Actually, f-forget it... It was... it was about work...” Connor Lint stammered, realizing too late that he couldn’t retract his words.

The gravity of what he’d said left them speechless, and they were unable to tease him as they usually would.

“Uh, um... well,” Heinrich finally managed, “as long as you’re happy, right? Isn’t that what matters? I heard he’s not a bad person... I mean, not a bad demon... Is that how I should say it... Anyway, yeah...”

He stammered then trailed off, wiping the sweat from his brow.

There were half-hearted nods and puzzled looks all around the table.

“This guy can’t marry a beauty, so he ends up with a demon who can look like any beauty...” Erhi mumbled absentmindedly.

“No, no...! That’s not it!” Lint began to protest, his voice rising in his defense.

But before he could continue, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Mr. Lint.”

His eyes widened in surprise.

In the banquet hall, one of the maids, wearing a gentle smile, was behind him. She had been quietly observing the event, refilling glasses and clearing plates, but had suddenly reached out and touched him. It was utterly unexpected, but she clearly held some authority.

“What are you denying so strongly?” she asked, her gaze steady.

Connor Lint froze, looking as if he might swallow his own tongue.

Everyone else at the table went still as well.

They didn’t fully grasp the situation, but they could sense the gravity of the moment.

“W-were... were you... watching me again?” Connor stammered.

Connor Lint wasn’t secretive because he was sneaky or cunning. It was because he never knew if Sarkegar might be watching him, and from where.

“I told you, Mr. Lint...” the maid’s beautiful lips curved into a smile, “I’m always watching.”

Whether it was affection, obsession, or if he was just keeping a watchful eye on Connor Lint to keep from speaking carelessly, no one could tell.

“Since you couldn’t keep your mouth shut, you’ll have to be scolded like last time, right...?”

“S-s-sorry...”

Whatever it was, one thing was clear: Sarkegar thoroughly enjoyed Connor Lint’s reaction.