Demon King of the Royal Class-Chapter 446

Olivia argued that custody of the Demon King should be handed over to the Church of the Five Great Gods. Ellen, on the other hand, insisted that the Demon King should be given a chance to explain himself.

Although their arguments seemed similar, they were fundamentally different. Ellen did not go as far as to claim that custody of the Demon King should be stripped from the empire. She only argued that, at the very least, the Demon King should be given the opportunity to explain what he had been plotting and whether he truly intended to harm humanity.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the popes were more receptive to Ellen’s moderate approach than Olivia’s extreme stance.

Vertus listened to the report from the papal-level meeting of the Church of the Five Great Gods with a stern expression.

“So, in the end, it’s basically holding a public interrogation... Is that what they’re demanding?”

He did not know what it would mean.

“Well, it’s not as absurd as demanding the Demon King be handed over to them, so it’s somewhat better...” he said.

It was not the kind of insane demand like Olivia Lanche’s, where they would have to either hand over the Demon King or go to war.

“I don’t know if this will change anything, but if it can at least keep the Church quiet, then it’s worth it...”

It wasn’t really clear if it was a public trial or merely a public interrogation, but while the possibility that it could reveal another truth was slim, if they held this public affair once, it would provide some justification to counter Olivia Lanche’s unreasonable demands. The empire could claim that this public interrogation had been held in order to respect the rights of the Church of the Five Great Gods, and so they should not ask for more.

Although interrogating the Demon King in a public setting was not as extreme a position as Olivia’s... Vertus bit his lip. If even Ellen Artorius sided with the Demon King, the situation would become uncontrollable.

Tiamata, Alsbringer, Lament. If these three holy relics were on the Demon King’s side, there would be virtually no reason for the Church of the Five Great Gods not to side with the Demon King. Denying those three relics would essentially destroy the foundation of their faith.

Of course, the high-ranking officials of the Church probably did not support the Demon King because they wanted to. They would have to bite the bullet.

If all the five Orders ended up supporting the Demon King, the world would inevitably be shattered.

“What about Charlotte?” Vertus asked.

“She is currently isolated in the Spring Palace.”

Vertus sighed. Charlotte’s deteriorating condition had also become a serious concern for Vertus.

They had captured the Demon King. That alone should have resolved all the problems of the world, but somehow the situation seemed to be getting more complicated.

***

The empire and the Church of the Five Great Gods were going to hold a joint public interrogation of the Demon King. They would demand to know what conspiracies he had been plotting, how he had managed to influence the choices of the holy relics, and whether there were any truly corrupt practices involved in it.

They would determine whether the Demon King was truly a corrupt being by interrogating him, and then mutually decide on a course of action.

News of this spread quickly. Of course, even though it was a public interrogation, it was not open to a specified number of civilians. Only those who had the authority to speak on the matter or the right to observe it were allowed to attend.

The emperor of the empire, Neliod de Gradias.

The First Prince of the empire, Vertus de Gradias.

The popes of each order within the Church of the Five Great Gods.

The Commander of the Order of the Holy Knights, Illeion Volten.

The Champion of Ouen, Olivia Lanche.

The Champion of Mensis, Ellen Artorius.

The holy knights of the Church of the Five Great Gods.

And for security and to provide escort, Shanapell and the Imperial Mage Corps.

In addition, Scarlett, who had the power of Immunity, was present in case of the possibility that the Demon King might use Incantation to cause trouble.

Charlotte, who was in no condition to appear publicly, could not attend.

The interrogation was to take place in the grand auditorium inside the main building of the Temple. The interrogation did not proceed immediately. In preparation for any unforeseen circumstances, numerous barriers and magical measures had to be implemented, even within the already-secure Temple premises.

The outcome of this interrogation would determine whether the Church of the Five Great Gods and the empire would become adversaries or maintain a precarious peace.

The public interrogation of the Demon King would take place in two days.

“...”

Harriet watched the main Temple building from a distance.

Harriet could not attend the public interrogation.

She did not know if what she was doing was the right thing or not. It was probably not the right thing, but she decided to do it anyway. Harriet de Saint-Ouen decided to believe.

That desperation, that earnestness... Ultimately, Harriet could not deny it.

Therefore, she intended to do what she had to do. If she had to betray everything she knew to believe in just one person, she decided to do so.

***

“Two days later... you say.”

“The head of the Wednesday clan said so.”

Eleris nodded quietly at Antirianus’s words.

“That is the right time, then. If a situation arises, we need to act as planned.”

“...”

“Have you fully understood how to use Akasha?”

Eleris gave a small nod. “Yes.”

Eleris had completed the preparatory work necessary to use the tool intended for creation for destruction.

Baalier would resent her. He could not help but resent her.

Because of this event, the Demon King would become a symbol of hatred and animosity to all beings.

Was it truly right to bear all that hatred and animosity solely for the sake of survival? Was it acceptable to throw someone into such a situation to save them from death?

Would Baalier truly be grateful for his survival?

Eleris knew the answer. He would not be.

However, to save the child she had endangered, her last descendant, Eleris had decided to destroy the world. Having lived wickedly, having lived hypocritically, she had finally chosen to open the path of absolute evil, which was neither hypocrisy nor wickedness.

***

The two days passed, filled with an inexplicable sense of foreboding and anxiety.

In front of the temporary detention facility where the Demon King was held, Shanapell, the Imperial Mage Corps, and numerous holy knights were already stationed.

For the empire, it was a place to find common ground with the Church of the Five Great Gods, and for the Church of the Five Great Gods, it was a place to determine whether the existence of the Demon King was justified.

A large force had been prepared to escort the Demon King to the main building.

Even in such a situation, there were spectators. A great distance away, students tried to catch a glimpse of the scene around the detention block where the Demon King was being held.

Next to the gagged Demon King stood Sabioleen Tana and Scarlett, ready to respond to any emergency.

The best of humanity, those who could be called the elite, had gathered to escort the Demon King to his interrogation. The strongest of humanity had been selected, and even if the former Demon King Baalier returned alive, he would not be able to rescue his son from this situation.

Everyone held their breath, including those watching the Demon King from afar. This was the Demon King in human form, the one whose true identity had been revealed only shortly after being proclaimed a hero.

Was that truly the Demon King? Since appearances could sometimes be everything, those seeing the Demon King in this form could not help but sense his humanity.

Was something wrong? Those who did not know the details could not help but think so.

Was there some conspiracy unknown to them? Were they trying to kill a perfectly legitimate hero? Some inevitably had such thoughts.

These doubts were irrelevant. The escort force proceeded with strict vigilance, taking the Demon King to the main building.

There were already people waiting in the grand auditorium. The Demon King was made to sit in a wooden chair that had been placed in the open space at the center of the chamber. It was neither a throne nor a shabby piece of furniture, but a common chair found even in Temple classrooms.

Scarlett and Sabioleen Tana stood beside the one who was sitting as a Demon King in the chair he had once sat in as a student.

Olivia observed the scene with gritted teeth. She observed those who had gathered for the interrogation and the forces that stood in a circle around the Demon King to provide security. The Demon King simply sat quietly in the chair.

The emperor stood, watching. Reinhart, once believed to be one of the heroes who would save the world and once the fiancé of his daughter, had been revealed to be the Demon King.

“Remove the gag,” he commanded.

At that order, Scarlett carefully removed the gag from Reinhart’s mouth.

“From this point on, I will give the Demon King a final chance to explain himself.

“How could you become the owner of two holy relics? What is Akasha, the mysterious magical tool that is said to make one a god? What happened to it? What have you been wishing for all this time? If your words about wanting peace are true, how can you prove it?

“This is your last chance, young Demon King. Explain everything.”

The Demon King, Reinhart, sat in the chair and looked around quietly, his hands bound together.

Olivia Lanche.

Ellen Artorius.

Vertus de Gradias.

His gaze lingered on each of them.

The Demon King sensed something, as if he had been driven into a corner. He sensed a fate creeping up on him, one that he could no longer resist. His expression betrayed this sudden realization.

“None of that matters anymore.” The Demon King said, then clicked his tongue. “You won’t believe me anyway. None of you.”

His sudden arrogant attitude turned the serious expressions of those around him even more grave. His previous demeanor, where he had seemed to have given up on everything, was now gone.

Although he was still somber, the Demon King’s voice was full of arrogance.

“You will only think that I have no choice but to hate humans, so you won’t believe that I tried to save you. If I say I did all this because I wanted peace, you won’t believe it.

“You killed the former Demon King, Baalier and you destroyed the Dark Land. I am his son, so you will naturally believe that I must hate humanity. If you have that mindset, then you can never understand my intention of wanting to do something because I love humans and want to save the whole world.

“I don’t particularly hate humans. And living at the Temple was enjoyable. When the kids around me were in danger, I wanted to help them, and when they were sad, I wanted to comfort them.

“The two holy relics? Do you want me to tell you something interesting? Alsbringer only chooses someone who is ready to sacrifice themselves for the world. Why do I know something even the pope of the Alse Order doesn’t know? Well, you wouldn’t believe me even if I told you, so I won’t bother.

“Anyway, I’m someone who is ready to die for you all. But there’s no way you will believe that. Yeah. Of course. You can’t believe it. Therefore, I won’t bother telling you the ridiculous truth you won’t believe.

“I’ll tell you a story you might actually believe from now on. Instead of telling you a truth that you will never believe no matter how much I say it, it seems better to tell you about the future.

“I told you that my subordinates might activate Akasha and use it for destruction in order to save me, and because of that, you should either kill me quickly or release me, but you did neither. Therefore, the worst outcome I had anticipated and was trying to prevent will probably come to pass.”

The Demon King lifted his head.

“Soon, all the warp gates across the continent will transform into dimensional gates connected to another world. And the monsters from that other world that emerge will destroy your world.”

His gaze was sinister as he declared this, as if casting a curse.

“So, prepare yourselves.”

Everyone held their breath at the Demon King’s ominous gaze.

***

In the second-year Class B dormitory of the Temple’s Royal Class...

Bang!

Ludwig tilted his head in confusion as someone suddenly ran into the hallway.

“Uh... Scarlett?”

Scarlett, with her red hair drenched in cold sweat, was panting as she looked at Ludwig. It seemed as if something very serious had happened

“Wait, aren’t you supposed to be... not here?” said Ludwig, feeling a sense of foreboding.

Scarlett was able to control the Demon King’s supernatural power, and she was supposed to be at the interrogation that was supposed to be ongoing right now.

But Scarlett had burst into the hallway of the dormitory, in her pajamas, drenched in sweat.

“Wait... What? I saw you leaving just now...” Ludwig said, puzzled.

Earlier on, Ludwig had seen Scarlett leaving the dormitory wearing a determined expression. However, at that moment, Scarlett was right in front of him.

Hearing this, Scarlett, her face pale, shook her head at Ludwig.

“It wasn’t... it wasn’t me...”

“What?”

“Someone knocked me out... and disguised themselves as me...”

The one standing closest to the Demon King in the grand auditorium of the main building was not Scarlett, but someone else.

***

The security around the detention block where Reinhart had been held was significantly reduced.

The most important person they had to monitor was the Demon King, and they had already extracted all the information they could from the Demon King’s minion, who had been detained with him.

The archmages and Swordmasters, including Shanapell’s knights, had all left, replaced by regular Temple guards. And now, all the guards inside the detention block were completely asleep, having been put under a curse.

Tap, tap, tap...

Footsteps echoed down the hall as two people entered the underground prison. The iron-barred door of the cell was opened, and the white-haired woman inside saw the two people standing before her.

Loyar had never seen Effenhauser and Lucinil in person, but she understood their expressions.

“This is your only chance,” Lucinil said.

“...”

“Let’s go save Baalier.”

Lucinil released Loyar’s shackles.

Loyar staggered as she got up, trying to move her unresponsive limbs. Despite her long imprisonment, she stretched a few times and took a deep breath.

“I have something to ask,” Loyar said.

Loyar looked back and forth between Effenhauser and Lucinil, as if it didn’t matter who answered.

“The Rotary Club. What happened to those guys?”

Lucinil did not understand what Loyar was asking about.

“Isn’t it obvious what would happen to those perceived as collaborators of the Demon King?”

At Effenhauser’s words, Loyar slowly nodded.

“It seems Adriana has been protected because she was a Temple student and at Ellen’s direct request, but the rest were all executed by hanging.”

“Ah... I see...”

Loyar nodded.

“Then I guess I can die without regrets.”

The white-haired woman smiled, though her expression was far from joyful.

***

Sabioleen Tana and Scarlett stood guard, flanking the Demon King. Silence reigned in the wake of the Demon King’s shocking prophecy. Olivia, in particular, was staring at Reinhart, her eyes wide.

“The key to the Gate Incident is to destroy the warp gates. If you destroy all the warp gates across the continent, the Gate Incident will end.”

The Demon King wore an expression that left no doubt that the world would unfold according to his words. He seemed to have foreseen a terrible fate. Vertus quietly observed the Demon King.

Was it really right to release the Demon King? If this prophesied event was part of his broader conspiracy, the Demon King would have no reason to reveal the solution to the problem.

The Demon King was speaking of events that had not yet occurred. Everyone was confused about whether the Demon King would be the cause of this incident or if he truly intended to save humanity.

Ellen was also quietly watching Reinhart.

All the problems that arose from not trusting Reinhart... And if what Reinhart said was true and these events really occurred, the root of the problem would lie with the Demon King himself and his subordinates.

But those who did not trust Reinhart would also bear responsibility.

Bang!

A Shanapell knight burst through the auditorium doors with an urgent expression. His face was almost pale, which puzzled everyone.

The Shanapell knight hurriedly approached the emperor, almost running, and whispered something in his ear.

The Demon King watched the emperor’s expression.

“Ah... It seems it’s already begun.”

The Demon King laughed hollowly, as if he could tell what had happened just by the change in the emperor’s expression.

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“Why didn’t you just trust me...” the Demon King said.

Rooooooar...

The faint cry of an unknown monster came from far away, audible to everyone in the grand auditorium.

Everyone turned to look at the emperor instead of the Demon King, as though waiting for him to announce what he had heard.

“Unidentified monsters... are appearing... through the warp gates...” the emperor muttered.

The Gate Incident had begun.

But that was not the end.

A mage from the Imperial Mage Corps, who had been monitoring the situation outside, entered, looking pale.

“Your Majesty, the sky... There is something strange in the sky... Meteors are falling...”

The sky had opened, and a meteor shower was descending towards the Temple.