Demon King of the Royal Class-Chapter 416 [Illustration]

In the Dark Land...

“It certainly is an extraordinary place,” Grand Duke Saint-Ouen muttered quietly as he walked through the mist-laden land.

Zap!

Screech!

Whenever a beast approached, it was struck by lightning cast by the mages that surrounded him before the grand duke even had to lift a finger, turning to ash and disappearing.

The Grand Duke of Saint-Ouen had entered the labyrinth with his mage corps.​​ The labyrinth did not seem to start at the entrance to a dungeon; they had stepped into it the moment they’d set foot within this thick mist.

The grand duke and his mage battalion cautiously explored the labyrinth, moving one step at a time.

“The mana concentration in the air is irregular.”

“Yes, I feel it too.”

It was easy to sense that this labyrinth had been magically constructed.

Though the dense mist obscured his vision, the grand duke could detect the turbulence in the surrounding mana.

Manna in the air normally maintained a certain concentration, though it showed some variation. However, the constant fluctuation of mana in their surroundings indicated that changes were constantly happening.

“The environment changes in real-time according to our movements. The monsters attacking us are not actual living beings, but part of the variables being manipulated by this labyrinth.”

The grand duke was no amateur mage. Unlike other adventurers who recklessly advanced as they defeated the labyrinth’s monsters, his approach to the labyrinth was several dimensions more sophisticated. He did not proceed carelessly since this labyrinth could not be bypassed just by moving around.

This labyrinth was already famous enough that its reputation had spread across the continent. It was a well-known treasure trove within the Dark Land. Others besides the grand duke and his mage corps, such as adventurers, were drawn to the labyrinth like moths to a flame.

Some adventurers wandered for days, leaving exhausted, while others never managed to leave.

Although this labyrinth swallowed countless adventurers, like an antlion devouring moths, those who managed to escape with a few magical tomes revealed that this labyrinth held a fortune.

Despite the danger, the grand duke had personally led an elite force to this labyrinth to uncover its true nature, and decipher the dungeon whose core had not yet been penetrated.

“It feels like we’ve come across too few people, considering the number of adventurers in this labyrinth,” the grand duke mused.

“Indeed, Your Highness.”

Before entering the labyrinth, the grand duke had gathered information from those who had experienced it firsthand at nearby base points.

Although an enormous number of adventurers entered the labyrinth, most managed to return safely, even if they did not reach its depths.

The labyrinth did not seem to be designed to kill, but to make those who entered it wander about endlessly until they turned back from exhaustion.

The beasts that the labyrinth conjured up were mere creatures, and did not require the grand duke’s direct intervention. The adventurers who left exhausted often made further preparations and then re-entered the labyrinth, hoping to one day reach its depths.

The fact that one could repeatedly attempt it despite continuous failures was why adventurers were drawn to this labyrinth.

There was a very slim chance of finding a tome of immense value, and the risk to their life was relatively low. It was the perfect bait for adventurers.

The grand duke knew that a vast number of adventurers were wandering about this expansive area. If one could actually see the people in this labyrinth, they should have encountered another adventuring party at least every five minutes.

However, despite all the hours of wandering, the grand duke had only encountered one other adventuring party. Upon seeing the grand duke’s group, they had been so frightened that they’d fled and disappeared back into the mist.

“It seems like there’s some sort of dimensional overlap. Perhaps it isn’t just one, but dozens or even hundreds of labyrinths layered over each other within this space. That could explain why we haven’t encountered anyone else.”

The grand duke’s supposition was that this labyrinth was made up of multiple overlapping spaces, and thus each party would enter a different space within the labyrinth.

“It’s not just what lies in the core of this labyrinth that is important; just understanding its nature could change the world,” he added.

The labyrinth itself already felt like the real prize. It was a labyrinth with hundreds of dimensions layered onto a single space, and the surrounding environment was changing in real-time.

The grand duke sensed the surrounding mana and, after assessing the labyrinth’s true nature, concluded, “This labyrinth changes the paths so that reaching the core is impossible unless the labyrinth’s master is here to guide us in.”

Since the labyrinth altered itself in real-time, it would never be possible to truly reach a predetermined exit.

As one wandered, they would lose their sense of direction. No matter where they walked, they end up taking the path prescribed according to the labyrinth master’s intentions.

The grand duke’s subordinates waited for him to make his final decision.

The Saint-Ouen family had a long history. It was a family that had its beginnings in a humble tannery and rose to power in the region through the means of magic.

The Saint-Ouen family was also famous for never forgetting its roots. Despite their position of power and glory, they never lost sight of their true nature as mages and continued to hone their magical arts through generations, passing down the pinnacle of their magical arts through successive generations.

Despite their pursuit, they adhered to the righteous path. They never succumbed to the mere lust for power. They always kept away from employing sinister forces and kept away from anything impure, always remembering that the pinnacle of magical arts was never achieved through such means.

The Saint-Ouen family was renowned not only due to their exceptional magical prowess, but also for their purity in never consorting with the dark arts.

The dark arts offered a quick path to increasing one’s skills, but ultimately, achieving mastery through dark magic only led to the path of darkness.

The grand duke focused on the flow of mana around him.

The labyrinth was structured so that one would inevitably become lost upon entering. The moment one stepped in, they entered one of the dozens or hundreds of virtual dimensions arranged by the labyrinth. Since one could never find the true exit by wandering through the labyrinth, there was only one way to get to it.

One had to break through the layered virtual dimensions of the labyrinth and head towards the original dimension that truly existed.

“...”

The grand duke sought a path. He sensed the overlapping dimensions and, within those dimensions, sought the one path.

It was not about finding a way out within the labyrinth, or breaking the labyrinth itself. Only by breaking through to the original dimension could one escape the labyrinth.

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Even for a high-caliber mage, this task could take months.

Not only were the paths within the labyrinth complex, but the calculations required to determine the sole exit were daunting.

Identifying the true path amidst the multiple dimensions that were being generated and changed in real time was akin to trying to carve a path through a hurricane to find its eye.

However, a genius who would be remembered in the history of magical arts was not born from nothing. And Harriet de Saint-Ouen was the grand duke’s daughter.

“Here it is.”

It was only natural that the grand duke’s intellect surpassed that of any other ordinary mage.

Rumble!

The grand duke waved his hand, and a dimensional gate opened in the air, its maw gaping wide.

Even his own mage corps, who were intimately familiar with him, watched in awe as he temporarily opened a dimensional gate with a mere gesture.

“Everyone, follow me.”

The subordinates followed the grand duke as he walked through the gate leading to the labyrinth’s exit.

The grand duke surveyed his surroundings as he stepped through the gate. His expression displayed neither pride nor satisfaction at having breached the labyrinth that had confounded so many other adventurers and mages.

His face was devoid of any emotion, as he had merely done what he was naturally capable of.

“Not much has changed,” he mused.

Though they had made it past the labyrinth, the surroundings were still shrouded in mist. It did not look that much different from the area they had been traversing.

“The mana flow seems to be stable,” noted one of his attendants.

“Yes, it may not look different, but this seems to be the place we were meant to reach,” the grand duke said.

The previously-erratic flow of mana indicative of a constantly-altering environment had stabilized.

The labyrinth, in essence, was akin to a vast dimensional gate spread across the surrounding mountain range. It was a type of barrier that, once one went past it, was transported into a virtual dimension.

The actual interior of the labyrinth was a tranquil area devoid of any mechanisms or mazes, and was merely enveloped in thick mist.

There was no longer a need to wander aimlessly; they only needed to find the lich’s tomb, which was said to be somewhere in this place.

If the lich’s tomb was also protected by a similar barrier, it would take some time to crack, but the grand duke had already discovered the method to break through.

“Remember, we are not here to acquire tomes,” the grand duke said to his subordinates as he proceeded forward slowly. “A corrupt being would not research pure magic. We are here to destroy most of those tomes. Anyone who might be blinded by foolish desires should turn back; I will open the way.”

“Your Highness, but the tomes we will uncover might hold significant magical value.”

“Indeed, they likely do.”

The grand duke was already aware of the value of the discovered magical texts.

“One could do good, even with an evil power. Surely that could be the case.”

The grand duke understood the value of power and knew that impact depended more on the wielder’s will than its essence.

“But in a world where most do not do good even with a good power, what can be said of evil power?” he said.

Expecting a power rooted in evil to have a positive influence on the world was overly naive, especially in a world where even holy knights and priests committed evil as naturally as breathing.

Any power rooted in evil should be shunned.

That was the minimum standard of goodness as the grand duke saw it. It was also a long-standing teaching of the Saint-Ouen family.

Magic was already an excessively strong power, and the grand duke judged that even stronger magic might be detrimental to the world.

The grand duke had not gone to the dungeon to discover new forms of magical arts or retrieve the lich’s accumulated discoveries, but to destroy them.

His party walked for what seemed like an eternity.

“There is someone over there,” one of his attendants muttered.

“Indeed.”

The grand duke saw a faint silhouette through the mist.

Was it the master of the labyrinth?

Or another visitor to the labyrinth like himself?

The grand duke trusted in his own abilities, but did not allow himself to become arrogant.

Since he had breached the labyrinth, it was possible that someone else had done the same. It could very well be that someone had broken through the labyrinth before the grand duke and was ahead of them.

The grand duke decided to declare his non-hostile intentions.

“Do not be afraid,” he called out towards the figure. “I have no intention of hostility.”

If the other party made a move, he would have to respond, but there was no reason to shed blood unnecessarily.

The other person had managed to make it through an impossible labyrinth and reached the place that was supposedly impossible to reach. It was clear that whoever the other party was, they were no ordinary person.

When the person heard the voice behind them, they turned their head towards the grand duke. In the silence, the figure turned and looked at the grand duke.

It was a woman. She was dressed simply. She seemed to have a cold demeanor about her, with her long black hair and the cloak draped over her shoulders.

She was unarmed, and her skin was pale.

“To think there would be a latecomer,” she remarked, her tone of voice simple and lacking emotion. Her calm gaze conveyed neither hostility nor friendliness.

Since she was skilled enough to have breached the labyrinth, she could not be treated lightly, but the grand duke found it difficult to discern her identity.

“Are you here seeking the heart of the dungeon?” the grand duke asked.

“You could say that,” the woman responded, bowing her head slightly as if in greeting.

“Under normal circumstances, I would simply pass, but given the situation and the location, I must ask. I am Raphael de Saint-Ouen, of the Duchy of Saint-Ouen. May I ask who you are and where you’re from?”

The woman tilted her head slightly as she quietly observed the grand duke. Her expression betrayed no fear of the numerous mages arrayed behind the grand duke, nor any fear or curiosity about the grand duke himself.

“Luna,” The woman with the name of the moon said quietly. “I am Luna of Rijaiera.”

The grand duke did not recognize the name of the place.

“I apologize for my ignorance; I do not know the name of that place.”

“It is a small village located deep in the remote mountains, so it is natural that you do not know it.”

A woman from a remote mountain village had breached the labyrinth ahead of the grand duke, who was well-versed in magic even among the great mages.

Neither the grand duke nor any of his subordinates believed her self-introduction as a rural villager.

However, the woman seemed unwilling to provide further explanation and simply observed the grand duke quietly.

Her calm gaze conveyed neither hostility nor friendliness.

Whether she was an enemy or ally was unknown, but in either case, the grand duke was reluctant to let her go on ahead or to overtake her.

She appeared to be a young woman, but the grand duke could not ascertain her actual age.

Those who had mastered the flow of mana often had physical appearances that did not match their age, much like Sabioleen Tana, the leader of Shanapell.

The woman did not seem to be the master of the dungeon or the labyrinth surrounding it. However, if she had come to secure the magical tomes that lay at its heart, then a confrontation would be inevitable.

The grand duke tensed.

“Since we do not know each other’s intentions,” he said, “let me say in advance that I intend to destroy the dungeon and burn the magical texts within. What about you?”

“I have no interest in the tomes, so if that is your purpose, there will be no conflict of interest between us,” the woman replied.

If she had no interest in the magical tomes which had made the place famous, then what was her reason for being there?

He could not trust this extraordinary woman he had just met, but she did not seem to show any overt hostility.

“Then, since our paths are the same, how about we travel together?”

“If it is agreeable to you, by all means,” the expressionless woman said, flashing a faint smile at the grand duke’s proposal.

The grand duke had a strange feeling that this woman was not his enemy, even though he couldn’t be sure.

In any case, relying on such intuition was not in the grand duke’s nature.

The woman who had introduced herself as Luna walked over and stood by his side. Just as he was about to proceed forward cautiously, they were interrupted by a voice.

“Oh dear, I didn’t expect there to be guests already.”

A young man walked through the forest and emerged from the mist.

Another person besides the woman... The grand duke’s brow furrowed at the presence of yet another individual who had breached the labyrinth.

The woman did not seem startled by the newly-arrived man, but simply observed him quietly, much like how she had acted when she’d first encountered the grand duke.

The man’s smile seemed slightly unhinged, and he scratched the back of his head.

“Given the situation, let’s cut to the chase. You all seem to be formidable individuals, and fighting now wouldn’t benefit anyone. How about we clear the dungeon first and then have a detailed discussion?” he suggested.

The man, who had appeared suddenly, got straight to the point.

While the woman claimed no interest in the magical tomes within the dungeon, the man made no secret of his intent to acquire them.

Since they had all managed to breach the labyrinth, there was no doubting each other’s abilities. Fighting now would only benefit others. Therefore, the man was suggesting they clear the dungeon first, and then decide whether or not to go for each other’s throats.

A woman with unclear intentions, and a man whose intentions were all too obvious...

After a moment of contemplation, the grand duke nodded.

“Let’s do that.”

The grand duke agreed that dividing their forces before uncovering the dungeon’s true nature would be a poor strategy for everyone involved.

“I am Raphael de Saint-Ouen.”

The man smiled at the grand duke’s introduction.

“I am Rother Dwin.”

This name was also unfamiliar to the grand duke.