Demon King of the Royal Class-Chapter 457

There were hardly any nations left intact.

“There is news that the special guerrilla unit led by Ellen Artorius has succeeded in reclaiming the territory of Lambator, Your Majesty.”

“... I see. That’s good news.”

Vertus slowly nodded from where he sat on the throne in the audience chamber, fiddling with his robe.

The month before, Emperor Neliode de Gradias of the empire had passed away.

The previous emperor had survived the Great War, but after the Gate Incident, his strength had begun to wane, and he eventually met his end.

The responsibility, guilt, and pressure of this situation had ultimately killed the emperor.

Vertus de Gradias had inherited the throne without a proper coronation ceremony. He had obtained the position of emperor, which he had long desired, in a way that he’d never wanted.

In the midst of humanity’s downfall, Vertus was waging a war that would determine the fate of humanity.

Hordes of monsters rampaged across the continent, with no other motivation than to kill humans.

Negotiation and diplomacy were impossible. It was a war being waged with the sole purpose of mutual annihilation, and everyone bore some responsibility for this entire situation: the Demon King himself, his subordinates who had activated Akasha to save him, and the empire which had failed to believe his words.

However, the details of this were kept very quiet, and most people only knew the surface-level fact that this situation had been caused by the Demon King. Only a few, including the popes of the Church of the Five Great Gods, the head of the Order of the Holy Knights, some of the imperial family, and Ellen, knew the full story. Since the Gate Incident, everything had been bleak, but there had been some progress.

“Your Majesty, the First Special Forces of Lady Sabioleen Tana’s Shanapell have succeeded in destroying the warp gate in the capital of the Kingdom of Haig, Hashfel.”

“... That’s good.”

If Ellen Artorius’s guerrilla unit was tasked with exterminating all monsters in the ruined cities, Sabioleen Tana had the even more dangerous mission of entering those cities first, destroying the warp gates that were spewing monsters, and then escaping the area.

While Ellen moved in to reclaim territory for humanity, Sabioleen Tana conducted the preliminary operations to facilitate it.

Both were undertaking extremely dangerous missions, and played critical roles in this time. Sabioleen Tana, hailed as humanity’s strongest, and Ellen Artorius, revered as its savior and who wielded two holy relics, stood at the forefront.

In a world where Olivia Lanche and the Demon King had vanished along with their holy relics, Ellen Artorius and Sabioleen Tana stood as humanity’s beacons of hope. Their significance lay not only in their unmatched skills but also in their role as steadfast pillars supporting a despairing humanity.

There was a belief that Ellen Artorius would save humanity. Among the Five Great Gods, Ouen and Alse had chosen the Demon King and those who had disappeared with him. As a result, the Hero Cult, which hailed Ellen Artorius as a prophet, spread far and wide as a commonly-adopted folk belief, leading to an almost laughable outcome.

The empire’s power had waned as numerous vassal states collapsed. Even the nations that managed to survive were barely holding onto a few key cities, including their capitals.

All the warp gates on the continent needed to be destroyed, and the otherworldly monsters scattered across the continent had to be exterminated.

The reconstruction of humanity could begin only after that. But would that day ever come?

‘Reinhart...’

Vertus clenched his teeth.

‘Yes. I was wrong. From start to finish, I was completely wrong.’

He couldn’t believe it, so he didn’t. As a result, humanity was on the brink of collapse.

The imperial capital, Gradium, was filled with shantytowns teeming with refugees from other vast regions. The citizens who had survived and those who had barely escaped the clutches of monsters could not be left to fend for themselves. They had to be brought to the capital, and had to survive somehow in various parts of the capital.

Relief supplies were woefully insufficient, and with no bread to give them, crime inevitably surged.

The shantytowns outside the capital’s boundaries quickly became vast crime-ridden areas. There was no telling when the inhabitants might suddenly turn into a mob and attack the imperial palace.

There was nothing these powerless citizens could do if they stormed the palace. But if all those rioters were slaughtered, how could the empire still claim legitimacy?

In the two years since the Gate Incident, the size of the capital, Gradium, had more than tripled because of the influx of refugees, and monsters that emerged from the gates and wandered the land occasionally attacked the outskirts of the capital.

And that wasn’t the only problem. The refugees in the shantytowns were displaced people who had found their way to the capital in some way, and most of them had received help from the empire. Many had directly experienced the illustrious deeds of Ellen Artorius. Many had been rescued after Ellen had cut down dozens or hundreds of monsters. Therefore, most of the refugees were part of the Hero Cult.

“The persecution of the followers of Ouen and Alse... has gone too far.”

“... Indeed.”

Tiamata and Alsbringer chose the Demon King. Therefore, these hero cultists not only distrusted the Church of the Five Great Gods, but also treated the Ouen and Alse Orders as if they were cults of the Demon Gods.

It was common for followers of the two orders to be stoned to death, and it wasn’t unusual for priests from the Ouen Order, who were often dispatched to treat the injured, to be verbally abused. This intangible faith was increasingly taking root among the populace due to the tangible exploits of Ellen Artorius.

And yet another issue had grown out of this Hero Cult...

“Your Majesty... I apologize for the impertinence...”

Just by looking at the minister’s expression, Vertus could tell what he was about to say. He furrowed his brow.

“Is there another protest demanding Charlotte be handed over?”

“... Yes...”

The enraged followers of the Hero Cult were demanding a scapegoat.

Charlotte de Gradias, who was believed to be cursed by the Demon King... The followers of the Hero Cult were clamoring that Charlotte had to be a collaborator of the Demon King’s, and therefore had to be killed.

The protests demanding the death of the princess had already gained the support of many, and it would be useless to say that killing the princess wouldn’t change anything.

The biggest enemy was the Demon King. But since the Demon King could not be found, people wanted a scapegoat.

They were calling for the death of Charlotte de Gradias, the Demon King’s collaborator.

The only reason the followers of the Hero Cult hadn’t taken more extreme actions beyond mass protests was because Charlotte’s guardian knight was Ellen Artorius, whom they revered as humanity’s savior.

The more Ellen excelled, the stronger the Hero Cult’s faith became, putting Charlotte’s life more in danger. Yet, paradoxically, Ellen’s growing fame was a shield protecting Charlotte.

***

After finishing his morning duties, Vertus went to visit the Spring Palace.

After entering the Spring Palace, which was being strictly guarded by a small number of guards, Vertus headed straight to Charlotte’s bedroom.

Inside the bedroom, sitting quietly in the darkness, was his sibling, Charlotte de Gradias.

Charlotte had been in her current state for some time and had not returned to her original self.

“Sister.”

“...”

Charlotte turned her head to look at Vertus.

With her black hair and red demon eyes, Charlotte couldn’t go outside even if she wanted to.

To anyone who wanted to protect Charlotte, and even Vertus, her appearance made it seem clear that she had undoubtedly been cursed by the Demon King. The truth was even more horrifying, as Vertus knew that the souls of the Demon King and Charlotte had fused.

The princess wasn’t cursed by the Demon King; the Demon King’s soul resided within her. If the truth were revealed, the crowds would become even more frenzied.

Who would believe that the first princess, whose appearance was the embodiment of misfortune, was innocent if she were presented before an indiscriminate crowd?

Who would have faith in the first princess, who looked like the embodiment of misfortune?

“Did you eat anything?” Vertus asked.

Charlotte silently shook her head.

Vertus pulled up a chair and sat by Charlotte’s bedside.

After the Gate Incident, monsters had appeared from the gate hidden beneath the Spring Palace, and Charlotte had used her power to defeat the monsters and destroy the gate. Once the situation had stabilized somewhat, Vertus then explained everything to Charlotte.

He told her that the Demon King, Reinhart, seemed to have genuinely tried to prevent this situation. While it was certain that the Demon King’s subordinates had caused this incident, Reinhart himself didn’t seem to have wanted this situation at all.

He had told her this, hoping that his despairing sibling, who felt used by the Demon King, would revert from this terrible state to her original self.

He told her that she had not been used. As hard as it was to believe, Reinhart seemed to genuinely care for humans and for her. He said all this, hoping it would help Charlotte.

Ultimately, though, it proved to be the biggest mistake. Charlotte seemed to feel a deep sense of regret when she’d heard what he’d said. Unable to even breathe properly, she sobbed and then lost consciousness.

After waking up, Charlotte seemed to have almost lost her ability to speak. She spoke no more than the bare minimum, perhaps weighed down by the sins she had committed with her words in the past. She remained confined in the bedroom of the Spring Palace, neither able to nor willing to leave.

Vertus guessed that it was because of her regret over the many curses she had hurled at the Demon King when she had felt betrayed by him.

She had felt used by the Demon King, and so she had cursed the person who had saved her multiple times, wishing for him to die a most miserable death.

Like Ellen, there were many who believed all the events that followed were their responsibility, and Charlotte was one of them. She was tormented by shock and guilt. Given her cursed and terrifying appearance, she couldn’t help anyone or even step outside the Spring Palace. Thus, in the palace where spring should have been, Charlotte was slowly sinking into darkness.

The crowds demanded Charlotte’s death. As their hatred for the Demon King grew, so did their hatred for Charlotte. If public sentiment reached a tipping point, she might truly have to become a scapegoat in place of the Demon King.

Vertus quietly held Charlotte’s emaciated hand. It was frail.

“Sister...”

“...”

She had been a rival he had hated enough to want to kill, but at some point, she had become pitiable, and he could no longer hate her.

Two years had passed since the Gate Incident, and Vertus wanted to protect Charlotte somehow. However, Vertus knew that he might have to hand Charlotte over to the crowds with his own hands someday. Even though he no longer wanted to kill her, he might be forced to make the decision to sacrifice her.

If he had to choose between saving Charlotte and keeping the empire together, Vertus would be forced to choose the empire. Because that was what an emperor had to do.

“I’m having a hard time too these days...” Vertus said, then departed.

After Vertus left, Charlotte quietly gazed out the window of the Spring Palace.

Even if the world was ending, even if humanity’s fate hung by a thread, even if her heart was filled with dark clouds, and that darkness threatened to consume her...

The sunlight was still brilliant.

***

While Ellen bore the mantle of humanity’s hope as she faced the monsters of the gate, other students from the Temple were also assigned various missions and deployed into battle.

Screech!

A three-headed snake slid across the ground and lunged at Ludwig. With a gasp, he deftly dodged its attack and swung his sword at one of the snake’s heads.

Slash!

Ludwig, enveloped in blazing blue mana, severed one of the snake’s heads. When another head tried to bite his arm, he gladly offered it.

Chomp!

Instead of pulling back, he thrust his hand into the snake’s maw, grabbing and tearing out its tongue, his hand engulfed in blue mana, as he simultaneously sliced off the remaining head.

Thud!

The body of the three-headed snake began to thrash about on the ground, and Ludwig stepped back, sweating and panting.

“Ludwig! Above you!”

“Huh?”

Just when he finished dealing with the giant snake, a massive flying monster dove down out of the sky, claws extended to snatch Ludwig from the ground. Just before the monster’s claws could reach Ludwig, a streak of fire flew through the air, striking the monster’s head.

Boom!

The impact from the explosion caused the creature to stagger and crash to the ground to Ludwig’s right, writhing in pain.

With a deep breath, Ludwig quickly thrust his sword into the flying monster’s head, and it soon ceased its struggle.

“Phew... Thanks, Delphine.”

“Be more careful, will you? You keep forgetting there are more than just a few monsters around.”

“I will...”

Ludwig shook off the blood and oil from his sword and looked around.

Even if the students from the Temple weren’t taking on missions as dangerous as Ellen’s, they were still being deployed onto the battlefield.

“But these spirits, they’re really something,” Ludwig remarked, looking at the strange entities floating beside Delphine Izadra, which were neither ghosts nor monsters.

“Whatever they are, they’re helpful in this situation.”

The spirit that had just struck the flying monster was a bird-shaped entity wreathed in flames, floating to Delphine’s right.

During the battles that followed the Gate Incident, Delphine Izadra, whose talents lay in archery, fought using her bow. But at a critical moment, when Ludwig almost lost his life to a monster, Delphine summoned a spirit to protect him from the attack.

Neither Delphine nor the empire knew what spirits truly were. They could only guess that they were some inexplicable power, similar to a supernatural ability.

Delphine didn’t know why the spirits aided her. The empire showed an interest in spirit magic, but there was no time to research it.

As the only one in the world who could summon spirits, Delphine Izadra fought by summoning spirits of wind, fire, and lightning.

‘Reinhart...’ Ludwig thought.

Ludwig, sword in hand, headed to the next battlefield. He clenched his teeth as he stepped over broken buildings and the corpses of fallen soldiers, determination burning in his heart.

‘Someday, I’ll make you pay for all of this.’

The truth was being tightly controlled, and many were still left in the dark. Thus, the world was filled with those who hated the Demon King.

***

Beyond the horizon, masts began to appear one by one.

“How many were there last time?” I asked.

Harriet tilted her head slightly before answering my question. “I think... about eight hundred?”

Monster extermination and civilian rescue operations on the continent were being carried out. After escorting the refugees to Port Mokna, the harbor that connected the continent to the Edina Archipelago, they were put on ships and sent to the Edina Archipelago.

My forces on the continent continued to rescue homeless wanderers and refugees, putting them on ships, and sending them to the Edina Archipelago.

The empire was unaware that I had established a base in the Edina Archipelago.

Port Mokna wasn’t a particularly important harbor, and the empire had many other places that demanded its focus.

“I hope they explained things well. I’m tired of seeing people freak out and jump into the water as soon as they disembark,” I said.

“I’m sure they handled it well,” Harriet replied.

“I really hope so.”

The Edina Archipelago was not an ordinary place. For starters, I, its leader, was the Demon King, and was in demon form. And among those who walked the streets, some were demons. From orcs and goblins to succubi, and even some ogres, they were all living in the Edina Archipelago.

I was tired of seeing people panicking and screaming while thinking they were about to be eaten by demons after being rescued by mysterious strangers and shepherded across the sea. Fortunately, the people of the archipelago had grown accustomed to the sight of demons walking around, though there were still occasional incidents of children wetting themselves at the sight of orcs or ogres.

Thankfully, demons and humans, though not completely integrated, lived together under my rule without showing significant signs of conflict or stirring up trouble.

There had been some initial dissatisfaction and fear, but with the arrival of the refugees who spread news of the hellish state of the continent, any complaints quickly subsided.

Everyone knew that rejecting my rule and fleeing to the continent meant certain death.

I stood on the docks of Rajak with Harriet. There were many people there waiting to guide the arriving refugees onto the approaching ships, and I was at the forefront.

The city around the harbor had been large, and it had grown even more now that the large fleets that arrived and departed were carrying refugees instead of trade goods.

Swish...

While waiting for the ships to dock, Harriet and I noticed a silhouette swimming through the clear seawater, approaching us.

“Ah, over there...”

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

“Yeah.”

The figure stopped right in front of me and emerged from the water, revealing only its upper body.

“Your Highness, the food you requested is ready on the western shore. It will soon be carried over by the currents.”

The being had the upper body of a human and the lower body of a fish—a mermaid.

“Alright, let’s have the people wait over there. Thank you all for working so hard,” I said.

“No, it’s an honor for us to serve you, Your Highness,” the mermaid replied.

As sea-dwelling demons, mermaids couldn’t become minions of the Demon King. However, since I had made this coastline my base, the mermaids, who weren’t particularly hostile towards humans, quickly became strong allies once we made contact with them.

They played a crucial role in collecting marine food resources in a situation where food was perpetually scarce. They were much more efficient than fishermen, and were responsible for a significant portion of the food supply in the Edina Archipelago, especially in Rajak.

The red-haired mermaid soon dove back into the sea and swam swiftly away.

Harriet watched in a daze as the mermaid glided through the water.

“I think mermaids are... really beautiful,” Harriet remarked.

As Harriet said, mermaids were more beautiful creatures than I had imagined, although I hadn’t even known of their existence in this world. However, they usually always appeared completely uncovered, and I had to nag them for quite a while to at least drape some seaweed over their more sensitive parts when meeting me.

The mermaid from earlier had draped something like kelp across her chest.

Demons, regardless of my ability to dominate them, were utterly devoted to me.

They were overwhelmed with emotion just by seeing my face, and so demons were unconditionally on my side.

Anyway, it was true that mermaids were beautiful.

“They really are,” I agreed.

“...”

Harriet stared at me intently.

‘Uh, what’s this? Why is she angry?’

“Ah, no, hey, I mean.... you said it first...!”

“Whatever. Idiot.”

The fleet approached from the horizon.

The Edina Archipelago, originally disadvantaged because of its distance from the continent, could now serve as a refuge for all those affected by the Gate Incident.

Ships began to dock one by one, and I could see refugees disembarking under the guidance of soldiers.

Fortunately, it seemed the captains and crew had explained things well, as the refugees did not scream or try to flee when the noted the presence of demons, although they still appeared apprehensive.

These were people who had witnessed hell on the continent. With nowhere else to go, they had wandered about aimlessly, avoiding the monsters. They had faced the threat of losing their life to monsters at any moment, and their only option for safety was to live among demons.

The refugees would stay in temporary shelters for a while, and there were succubi present at the entrance to the large temporary shelter where they would be led. All of their previously-severed horns had regrown, and their numbers had increased significantly.

Because of my Incantation, the succubi’s severed horns, which should never have regrown, had all grown back.

While some succubi had remained with Airi, many had returned to the Dark Land.

I had brought all the succubi who had returned to the Dark Land back to the archipelago.

Although the succubi, with their newly regrown horns, were demons and therefore feared, the refugees were still mesmerized by their appearance and stared at them blankly.

Harriet was no exception.

“Who would have imagined succubi doing such work...?” Harriet remarked.

As she said, it was a bizarre situation.

The succubi were now offering something akin to psychological therapy.