Demon King of the Royal Class-Chapter 698

Anna and Louis had ventured to a place beyond reach.

The fall of the Gradias Empire had severed their remaining connections. While the deposed emperor, Vertus, was a fugitive, Anna and Louis were not, and all the information about those linked to the Immortals project had been buried deep. Louis and Anna had not been pursued, yet they too had vanished from the world.

The only promise between Anna and Vertus had been to kill Cristina. They hadn’t discussed anything beyond that.

And Vertus had longed for death, but had been kept alive.

After their disappearance, Anna and Louis had traversed space and time to find Vertus and Tana, who had hidden themselves in the wilderness. But neither of them could rejoice at the reunion. Just as time had changed Vertus and Tana, they did not know how it had transformed Anna and Louis.

It was also a mystery how they had managed to find their way to such a remote place.

Tana and Vertus kept their distance, tense and cautious. Anna and Louis, sensing their wariness, refrained from approaching them too quickly.

Anna’s expression remained calm. There was no trace of anger, hatred, or sadness. Her intentions were completely unreadable.

“I won’t speak at length,” she said, getting straight to the point. “I’ve been gathering the scattered fragments of Shanapell and the Gradias Imperial Mage Corps.”

Shanapell and the Imperial Mage Corps... The emperor had ordered their disbanding just before the Empire vanished. After the final battle at Diane, their fate had been left in their own hands.

None of them joined the New Empire under the Demon King, and they couldn’t have joined even if they wanted to. They were part of the imperial family, and there was no way the Demon King could accept them. The greatest force of the Gradias Imperial Family had to be completely purged along with the old Empire.

Therefore, elements of Shanapell and the Imperial Mage Corps scattered after the battle at Diane. Some might have found their own paths, living in secrecy and hiding their past, just like Vertus and Tana. Some of them, after much time had passed, eventually trusted the New Empire and joined them. And some had placed their trust in the anti-Demon King forces within the Human Autonomous Territory.

The remnants of the past had the freedom to choose their own paths. Yet it seemed most of the mages from Shanapell and the Imperial Mage Corps had slipped into hiding, and Anna and Louis had apparently been working to bring together those scattered members of the Imperial Mage Corps and Shanapell.

“Why are you doing that?” Vertus asked cautiously, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

Anna met his gaze, her expression calm and resolute. “I’m going to form a Society.”

“What...?” Vertus replied, taken aback.

“Like the Black Order or Cantus Magna,” Anna explained. “I’m going to create something like that. No—it’s already been created.”

Vertus’s eyes widened in surprise.

For some reason, Anna had taken it upon herself to gather up the scattered members of the Shanapell and the Imperial Mage Corps after the Empire’s fall. She had reassembled the loyalists that the emperor had once disbanded, and they had already grown into an organization worthy of being called a Society.

“Why are you doing this? What are you planning?” Vertus asked, his curiosity piqued.

Anna gazed out at the snowy night, her expression thoughtful.

“They are all people who couldn’t find a place in the New Empire,” she explained. “They have too much to offer to simply fade into the shadows, scattered and silent. That alone is a loss for humanity... no, for the people. It’s pointless for some of them to sit around in the Autonomous Territory, where there’s no hope for a future, just waiting for death. They can achieve more together than they ever could apart. So I brought them together.

“There are many things we can do. We can eliminate monsters in places beyond the reach of ordinary people. We can operate in the shadows, like the Black Order once did, doing what the New Empire can’t. But for the most part, we’ll remain on the sidelines, unless some urgent crisis appears.

“In our generation, we’ll likely just lay the foundation for this Society and pass our work on to the next. Hopefully, we won’t have to act. But somewhere, at some moment, we might be needed. That’s why I’ve brought all of them together.”

Her gaze continued to linger on Vertus. “I’m not looking for validation on whether this is right or wrong. This was the best I could manage. You did your best, and just like you, we’re all just trying our hardest.”

Powerful individuals could achieve more when they stood together rather than apart. It was enough for them to stay in the shadows, even if there was no clear purpose for them as of yet. Their power was too precious to remain scattered, and Anna had gathered them.

The Black Order had vanished, but a new Black Order had emerged. The knights and mages of the fallen Empire had formed a secret society within the new regime. Debating its morality seemed pointless. Vertus had fled, and Anna had taken her own path.

Though surprised, Vertus felt no anger. When the Empire crumbled, the emperor’s power over Shanapell and the Imperial Mage Corps vanished with it. Whatever drew those individuals to Anna, it was their own decision. All Vertus was left with was simple curiosity.

“So, why did you come to find me?” he asked.

What reason could there be to seek out a deposed emperor who had chosen the life of a fugitive? What did they want from someone who had sacrificed everything?

Though Vertus couldn’t quite read Anna’s expression, he felt he already knew what she was about to say.

“We lack justification.”

“... Justification?” he echoed.

“Yes, justification,” Anna repeated softly. “Most of those who scattered still follow you. They believe that quietly living under the New Empire is in alignment with your wishes. They’re mostly loyalists to a power that no longer exists.

“Some have chosen to join us, but many refuse, believing that forming a Society like this goes against your will. We know where many of them are, but they have no intention of joining us.”

It was just as Vertus had expected.

“So you think you can unite them all if I join you?” Vertus asked.

“Yes, especially with Dame Tana here as well,” Anna replied confidently.

A new secret society had begun to take shape, but in the eyes of those she wanted to recruit, Anna de Gerna did not have justification nor the backing for legitimacy. Though some shared her vision, many refused to join her, interpreting Vertus’s last command to mean that they had to remain silent.

The vanished emperor and his personal knight—if they both joined this Society, that could easily sway those who were hesitating..

Reuniting Shanapell and the Imperial Mage Corps would already create a formidable force. Even now, they likely had enough strength to be considered a true Dark Society. However, if Vertus joined, his presence would bring both the justification and legitimacy needed to gather up the remaining scattered loyalists.

Having the deposed emperor of a previous regime call upon the loyalists of that fallen empire held a different weight compared to a mere mage doing the same.

“Besides, I don’t think I’m cut out for this sort of thing. Neither does Louis,” Anna admitted.

Although she had brought a new power to birth, she still did not see it as her own.

“It’s not just your cooperation I seek. I don’t need you just for the sake of legitimacy,” she continued.

“...”

“I want you to take charge of all this,” she pleaded.

Vertus’s expression grew serious.

“You want me to lead this Society...?” he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

“Yes,” she replied. “We trust your judgment.”

“...”

“Many things went wrong in the past,” she continued, “but you did your best, in your own way. The fact that the world isn’t in complete chaos now demonstrates that it wasn’t the worst decision.”

Vertus remained silent, absorbing her words.

“Lead us,” she urged.

Anna hadn’t built the society in order to control it herself. She had created it to offer it to the deposed emperor. She had sought out those who were too valuable to remain hidden away, believing that they might be needed someday, and was looking for someone to lead them beyond mere survival.

Her only purpose was uniting the scattered. She had done this and then approached Vertus, hoping he would take on the work that lay ahead. Her intention was to remain just another member of this Society.

Vertus glanced at Tana’s face, almost without realizing it. Her complexion was pale, either from the cold or perhaps from fear.

“...”

With a worried look, Tana gently touched Vertus’s fingertips. It was the barest of touches. No words were exchanged, but the trembling of her fingertips spoke volumes.

The desperation in her eyes said even more.

Seeing Tana’s expression, Vertus offered a faint smile. “Anna... I don’t intend to blame you. I no longer have the right to.”

“...”

“You fulfilled my last request. For that alone, I’m grateful to you.”

In the end, she had killed a friend. Vertus had made a cruel request, and Anna had carried it out. It had not been a transaction, since Vertus had nothing to offer in return.

“But you see, just running away was already cowardly and pathetic,” he said.

The only thing Tana had asked for, by sacrificing herself, was for him to live. After all, seeking honor in death was also cowardly. If both were cowardly, then why not make the truly cowardly and pathetic choice to live?

Unable to deny the truth in those words, Vertus had begun to live the life of a fugitive. It was not a path that had been thrust upon him; it was a decision he made on his own. He had chosen to be a coward.

“Now that I’ve run away, I can’t put on another crown that you’ve crafted for me,” he admitted to himself. “It’s not just cowardly and pathetic... it’s downright petty. From the moment I abandoned everything and fled, I forfeited all my rights. Therefore, no matter who offers me power or authority, I have no intention of accepting it. I can’t.”

He knew that everything had been over the moment he’d turned his back and left. He had abandoned his responsibilities. He had chosen the life of a fugitive. And in doing so, he forfeited any rights he once had. That was only fair.

This was the conclusion Vertus reached when he decided to run.

“I have no responsibilities, no rights, and no desire for honor. Survival is my only goal.”

Vertus firmly grasped Tana’s hand, which had been resting gently in his. When he squeezed her hand tightly, Tana flinched, startled by the sudden pressure.

“I’m sorry, Anna,” he whispered. “This new Society, or whatever it might become, whatever dreams you have with those people... I won’t say if it’s right or wrong, and I don’t want any responsibility or claim over it. It’s something you’ve created, regardless of my will. So, its rightful leader should be you, not me.”

Was he criticizing her for trying to hand off something she made to someone else? Or was it a reminder that since the creation of this secret society was her own work, the glory and responsibility should be hers? It was unclear. Either way, Vertus simply had no intention of accepting the crown that was being offered to him.

Anna and Louis fell silent.

“I thought you’d say that,” Anna finally said, her voice calm and free of judgment. She nodded, as if she’d anticipated this moment long before their conversation began.

“But are you truly satisfied with this?” she asked, gesturing toward the silent, snow-covered village. It was quiet and unremarkable—just a cold, distant place. Could this truly be his sanctuary?

“It’s more than enough,” Vertus replied simply.

Anna fell silent, absorbing his words.

“Let’s go back, Louis,” Anna said softly.

“... Alright,” Louis Ankton replied, bowing his head toward Vertus and Tana.

Anna turned away in silence.

And just like that, their reunion came to an end.

***

Anna de Gerna stepped into the role of leader for the new society. She had originally intended to establish the society and then pass leadership to Vertus, but Vertus refused to take on the responsibility.

Anna understood that pushing the role onto someone without the will to lead would be futile, so she quietly slipped away. She had to figure out how to handle the new society. How to lead them. How to manage and soothe internal unrest and conflicts. In some way, she had to guide them.

The visitors who had arrived in a village unaccustomed to guests quietly departed. There was no commotion, but Vertus and Tana’s expressions were tense.

Anna and Louis had left. And now that Vertus and Tana’s whereabouts had been discovered, it was unlikely to remain a secret. Who knew what the other society members would say to Anna and Louis when they returned with this outcome?

Though they had left quietly, there was no telling if they would return. And perhaps the next time, they might not bother with words.

“We should leave,” Vertus said.

“... Yes, that’s probably for the best,” Tana replied, her expression tinged with sadness.

In order to protect the village, they had to move on. There was no refuge where fugitives could remain indefinitely. Their stay had been brief; they couldn’t put down roots. Even this remote place was within reach of others.

Once again, they would have to set off on a long journey to an unknown destination. The only solace was that the visitors they’d just had had not arrived with ill intentions.

For all the kindness the village had extended to them, the only way to repay it was to leave as swiftly and quietly as possible.

On their way back from the outskirts of the village, Tana and Vertus noticed a large shadow waiting for them in the snowy street.

“... Chief.”

It was the village chief, always ready to lend a hand if needed, standing there with his familiar presence.

“So, who were those guests?” he asked, his usual broad smile lighting up his face.

“Old friends...” Vertus replied.

“Friends, huh,” the chief mused.

The village chief chuckled heartily, his laughter echoing softly through the snowy village. The lively sounds of people celebrating traveled to them from the distant hall where a feast was underway.

Standing with his hands clasped behind his back, the village chief gazed out over the village.

“Do you have a story?” he asked quietly.

The sudden question caught Vertus off guard. In all the copious amounts of time they had spent in the village, neither the chief nor anyone else had ever asked him that.

“... I can’t say there isn’t,” Vertus replied hesitantly.

“Yes, I suppose so,” the chief nodded knowingly. After all, how could someone who had ventured beyond the edges of civilization not have a story to tell? And even though Vertus had ventured beyond the bounds of civilization, there were still others seeking him out. How could there not be a story in that?

The village chief placed a reassuring hand on Vertus’s shoulder. His arm was thick and strong, and Tana watched with a hint of anxiety in her eyes.

“Well then,” the chief began.

“Yes...?” Vertus replied, unsure of what was coming next.

“Doesn’t this village have its own story?”

Just as those who escaped beyond the reach of civilization had to carry stories with them, surely a village that existed at the very edge of the world had to have its own tale. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

“Just as you didn’t ask us about it, we didn’t ask you,” the chief continued.

Vertus and Tana had both sensed the village’s strangeness, but they chose not to question it. And in turn, the villagers hadn’t questioned them either.

“We don’t know who you are,” the village chief said.

He paused and placed a reassuring hand on Vertus’s shoulder. He gestured toward the village. “But you see,” he continued, “you don’t need to know someone to become neighbors, do you?”

Vertus and Tana were unfamiliar with the village, but they felt a deep sense of gratitude toward the villagers’ kindness and goodwill. To honor that, and to avoid bringing any trouble, they were planning to leave. In their hearts, they already considered the villagers their neighbors. They had become neighbors without truly knowing each other.

Everyone has a story, but no one needs to know another’s story to accept and understand them.

When Tana had first appeared after carrying the unconscious Vertus across the snow-covered mountains, the villagers had not questioned them. They had simply welcomed Tana and Vertus as neighbors. They had sensed Tana’s desperation and her sincerity.

“The reason this village thrives in such harsh cold is because we understand that the colder it gets, the closer we must live together,” the village chief explained.

In the cold, people had to stay close to survive.

Their village was that sort of community.

“No matter how cramped this village is, no matter how scarce the food, no matter how harsh the weather...” The village chief chuckled. “Can’t we make room for one handsome young man and one unbelievably beautiful old lady?”

He let out a hearty laugh, and Vertus and Tana exchanged glances, their faces growing pale.

Where exactly were they? Who were these people? And who was this village chief?

They knew nothing.

In the end, the village chief did not ask them any further questions, and Vertus chose to remain silent as well.

Finally, the village chief spoke with a calm authority.

“You don’t have to leave.”

To Vertus and Tana, those words felt like a promise of divine protection, a reassurance they desperately needed.

“... Yes, Chief,” they replied simply, their voices steady.

***

Tana and Vertus made their way back home.

Anna and Louis had come to meet them.

As they settled in for the night, the mystery of the village deepened in their minds.

“What kind of place is this...?” Tana wondered aloud.

Both had been curious before, but now the village felt like an enigma, a puzzle waiting to be solved.

“I don’t know.”

The village chief hadn’t forbidden them from leaving. He had simply said they didn’t have to go.

His words offered no promises about the future, yet they brought comfort to both Vertus and Tana. He had assured them he would keep sheltering them, just as he had been doing.

An opportunity had arisen, but Vertus had turned it down. Whether that decision was right or wrong, they would never know.

They had chosen a fugitive life, relying on the promise of someone else’s protection. And so this nameless snowy village had become their refuge. Life in this village would be all that remained for Vertus and Tana.

“Do you think he knew who I was...?”

“That... I’m not sure.”

The village chief had long been aware that Tana was much older than she seemed. But did the other villagers know too? And if they had known all along and were just teasing them, wouldn’t that be incredibly cruel?

Tana gritted her teeth, feeling equally flustered and frustrated.

They had decided to stay in this village. But it would have been a lie to say that their hearts hadn’t wavered.

Would there be another opportunity for them?

Just the thought of stepping into a role someone else had crafted given Vertus the opportunity to plan decades into the future. He could surely think of something. There was surely still something they could do, something they had to do.

But all those imaginings had crumbled in an instant.

The moment Tana’s hand, trembling with anxiety, had lightly brushed against his, everything had vanished. That single trembling hand was enough to communicate to him her desperate desire.

Something that was no longer his. Something that could never be his again.

All fantasies about the future had vanished completely.

He had given up everything and left.

Yet, something still lingered.

He had escaped, and was now in a sanctuary. And he was not alone there.

There was no reason to dream or imagine something new. He had chosen the life of a fugity, and someone would always be by his side on that journey.

Instead of seeking a new crown, he had to cherish what was left. Spending time with the person who had stayed with him, through the moments that remained, would be enough. That was what he’d told Anna.

She had asked if he was satisfied. And hadn’t he replied that it was more than enough?

It truly was more than enough.

He was the emperor who had lost everything. Yet, there was someone who had stayed by his side, even when he had become nothing.

Someone who was more than enough.

In a place that was more than enough.

Under the protection of a being that was more than enough.

How could he not feel more than satisfied?

He felt a twinge of guilt for being granted such abundance. There was no need to dream of anything that might bring further harm to the world.

“Tana.”

“... Yes...?”

Tana’s eyes widened in surprise as Vertus approached her. There was something in his expression she had never seen before.

“Let’s... um...”

“...”

Even in his hesitant demeanor, she understood everything. She knew exactly what he was trying to say and what he wanted.

“B-but... that... No, no... How could I possibly...”

“Why not?” he asked.

“Well, it’s... it’s obvious. Vertus deserves someone much... much younger...” Tana stammered, her face pale, while Vertus furrowed his brow in confusion.

“... Does that make any sense to you?” he asked.

“Excuse me?” Tana replied, caught off guard.

“If we’re going to live here forever, we have to pretend to be a couple forever,” Vertus explained.

“Oh,” Tana said, realizing the implication.

It wasn’t like she could argue that it wasn’t the case.

“Are you suggesting I have an affair in this small village?” Vertus asked incredulously.

“N-no, that’s not what I meant...” Tana stammered, trying to clarify.

Vertus sat quietly in front of Tana.

“You asked me to live.”

“... Yes, I did.”

He had honored that request, which had led them to this moment.

“Then can I make just one request?”

“Um...?”

“It’s tiring to constantly hear that kind of talk.”

“When are you going to take action? When is it going to happen?”

He’d heard the question so often that it was etched into his mind. The meaning behind those words was unmistakable.

“It’s not impossible,” he said.

They had been together for years. And naturally, Vertus knew that Tana was healthy in many respects.

“That...! Uh... Y-yes it... it’s not... Not impossible... but... but still...! I... I’ve known Vertus since you were a baby! How... how could I... I... How could I...?”

“I don’t know about that anymore.”

“Uh, uh... You... you shouldn’t. Please...”

Tana’s voice trembled, her eyes brimming with tears. She was caught in a painful dilemma—unable to push him away, yet unable to hold him close.

Her sobs broke the silence, her face turning pale with emotion.

If she pushed him away, what then? They weren’t planning to leave the village, and pretending to be a fake couple forever wasn’t an option.

She couldn’t force herself to remain chaste under the guise of a lie.

Saying “I love you” felt redundant at this juncture. That phrase had become unnecessary between them because their love was already so profound.

In the end, there was no reason for them not to.

They had only clung to the pretense up to this point because Tana wanted to preserve some odd clarity of conscience, and Vertus had respected that. But Vertus no longer intended to honor Tana’s wishes.

In truth, everything ended in that moment.

“I don’t know. Just stay still.”

“That, that’s... Uh! Wait...!”

Afterward, just as she had declared loudly in the great hall earlier on...

Every day.

Overflowing.

It was absolute chaos.