Demon King of the Royal Class-Chapter 432

“Hey, Mr. Dybun, where did my unnie go?” Adriana asked as she carried a laundry basket outside and began to hang the clothes on the clothes line.

“The boss? I think she might come back tomorrow or the day after. She had some business to attend to,” Dybun replied.

“I see.”

“Why do you ask?”

“Oh, no reason. It’s just that I haven’t seen her since yesterday,” Adriana said, noting her sister’s absence since the previous day.

As Adriana continued with her chores, other club members who were free lent a hand, helping her hang the laundry or taking down the clothes that had already dried in the sun.

Adriana had spent several months at the Rotary Club and had grown accustomed to life there.

The club members had gradually started living more like decent people. Although the Rotary Club’s income had been stable by the time Adriana had started living there, many members still found it hard to free themselves of their shabby appearances due to their past lifestyles.

However, things had changed significantly since Adriana’s arrival.

The most important change was in hygiene. Their leader, who should have been a role model, had extremely poor hygiene, and there were quite a few members who were no better.

Adriana had taken it upon herself to scrub Loyar clean and even checked everyone’s nails, creating an atmosphere in which everyone felt compelled to maintain their cleanliness.

The fierce and ill-tempered Hound of Irine transformed completely in Adriana’s presence, acting almost like a pet, a sight that left everyone who witnessed it in disbelief.

Eventually, Adriana found herself in charge of cleanliness, cleaning, and hygiene at the Rotary Club headquarters.

Most importantly, Adriana, who couldn’t sit still and always looked for something to do when left alone, inspired everyone to take on small cleaning tasks or similar chores.

In this way, Adriana became a source of motivation for the older men at the Rotary Club, encouraging them to live more active lifestyles.

Watching a young girl working so hard made them reflect on their own behavior and realize that it was disgraceful to drink and laze around all day.

As a result, the rowdy drinking parties and the sight of people passed out in the hall or vomiting on the floor became things of the past, even though Adriana never explicitly said anything about it. Even when they drank, they did so modestly, and by the time Adriana went to bed, everyone would have quietly retreated to their rooms.

“Can’t make noise while the kid’s sleeping,” they would say.

In this way, Adriana unknowingly became like a daughter to everyone at the Rotary Club. Over the months, she also picked up on some of the club’s characteristics.

Loyar usually lounged on the sofa in the place that looked like a reception area on the top floor of the club headquarters, or went for walks with Adriana. Other than that, she didn’t do much, just like a guard dog keeping watch.

The club’s business was managed by subordinates, and Loyar didn’t know much about the specifics of the operations or the exact income.

Gradually, the club members moved to discussing matters with Adriana, who would then relay them to Loyar. Loyar’s response was always the same: “Just handle it as you see fit.”

One day, Adriana asked Dybun, who was effectively the second-in-command, what her unnie did. Dybun explained that when they had been living under the bridge, their boss had many responsibilities. She protected club members during fights with other gangs, dealt with conflicts with thugs, and avenged members who had been beaten up elsewhere.

Dybun explained to Adriana that Loyar had been an indispensable figure during their days as a group of beggars living under the bridge, even going so far as to procure money from somewhere.

Now that their situation had improved, Loyar simply had nothing to do.

Adriana felt relieved that there were no longer any fights to worry about. It was fascinating to hear that her unnie was such a skilled fighter, despite her shabby appearance.

Most of the club members had witnessed Loyar’s fighting prowess, and many had even been on the receiving end of it. They praised her combat skills as being almost supernatural.

Adriana understood that Loyar had played a crucial role in the club’s past, but with their improved circumstances, she had little to do and therefore spent her time lounging around.

Despite this, Loyar would disappear for a few days about once a month. She would leave suddenly, only to return a few days later, without much explanation.

The club members seemed to accept this as a regular occurrence. Adriana was curious about what drew her away, but Loyar would only make some vague mention of having some business to attend to, without providing any details. Adriana decided to leave it at that, accepting that it was something she didn’t need to know.

On one of those days, rumors of a murder within the imperial palace and ominous clouds gathering over the world sprung up.

There was also talk of her juniors, Ellen, Reinhart, and Olivia, becoming the masters of holy relics. Despite these astonishing events, Reinhart rarely visited the Rotary Club, and so she had little opportunity to converse with him.

Adriana spent her days at the club headquarters, slightly detached from the world, even though she was in the capital.

On an afternoon like any other, Adriana was cleaning the reception room on the top floor of the club. She was focused on picking up the long, white hairs strewn about the sofa. It felt as if she were cleaning up animal fur.

From a distance, Adriana noticed a group approaching the club. While it wasn’t unusual for outsiders to visit, there was something peculiar about this group. They were heavily armed, but they did not resemble the regular city guards.

A contingent of soldiers that seemed to have been dispatched by the imperial family was approaching the club.

At the front of the group was a familiar face.

Ellen Artorius, who had recently been revealed to be the sister of the hero Ragan Artorius and the bearer of the holy relic Lament, was leading the soldiers toward the club headquarters.

These recent revelations had been astonishing, but to Adriana, she associated Ellen the most with being Reinhart’s friend. She had heard stories of Ellen occasionally visiting the club and getting thoroughly beaten up by her unnie.

Everyone at the club had been amazed to learn that Ellen was the hero’s sister and acknowledged her extraordinary nature. Although Adriana was now basically considered the club’s daughter, Ellen was also well-acquainted with everyone, and people liked her just the same.

Ellen was leading the heavily-armed soldiers and approaching the club headquarters with a serious expression.

“What’s going on...?” Adriana wondered, sensing something ominous.

The club members outside moved to meet Ellen.

In contrast to the foreboding feeling that was sweeping over Adriana, Ellen seemed to be striking up conversation with the club members. There was no sign of violence or aggression.

However, Ellen was not the only one speaking to the club members. The soldiers with her also began approaching the other club members one by one to speak to them.

Adriana couldn’t hear what was being said. She wondered what was happening and considered going outside to find out.

Just as she was about to dust off her hands and stand up, Dybun suddenly appeared and grabbed her arm urgently.

“Adriana.”

“M-Mr. Dybun?” she exclaimed, surprised by his sudden appearance.

“Come with me,” Dybun said, pulling her along without explanation as he hurried down the stairs.

“What’s happening outside...?” Adriana asked, trying to keep up.

“I’m not sure, but it seems like something’s gone wrong,” Dybun replied, leading her quickly down the stairs as if there was something urgent to do before the soldiers entered the club headquarters.

They arrived at the club’s underground storage area, a place filled with food supplies and unsold inventory from the magic train shops.

In the dimly-lit basement, Dybun pushed Adriana against the wall, his hands on her shoulders as he looked at her intently.

“Adriana, don’t ask questions. Just follow the path I open for you,” he instructed.

“What...? What do you mean by that?” Adriana stammered, confused.

“Under the south bridge, the Bronze Gate, where our club used to be, there’s a connection to the capital’s underground sewer system,” Dybun explained. His expression was terribly serious, and Adriana felt unable to question his sudden instructions.

“If you go deep into the sewers, you’ll find your unnie there.”

“My unnie? Why would she be there...?”

“It’s hard to explain in detail. Adriana, you care about your unnie, don’t you?”

“Yes... Oh. Yes, of course,” Adriana replied, feeling grateful and thankful for Loyar, who, despite her apparent indifference, had treated her with care and protected her, making her feel like family.

There was no reason to dislike someone who protected and cherished her unconditionally.

“Follow the sewer and find her there. And tell her never to return here,” Dybun instructed.

“What... what do you mean...? I don’t understand...”

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But Dybun was already manipulating something on the wall, which revealed a hidden passage in the basement wall.

Adriana couldn’t comprehend why such a thing existed in the Rotary Club’s underground storage area. It seemed like it had been intentionally created as an escape route.

Dybun looked at Adriana again, his eyes wide, as if there was no time to explain everything.

“After you deliver the message to the boss, leave the sewer quickly. You must leave. After delivering the message, do not stay with her. You absolutely cannot.”

Clunk.

Clomp, clomp...

The ominous sound of soldiers’ heavy greaves echoed from upstairs as doors opened.

“Adriana, after delivering the message, you must part ways with the boss before nightfall,” Dybun reiterated, gripping her shoulders firmly, as if to ensure she wouldn’t forget.

***

Adriana had never believed that she knew much about the Rotary Club. She believed she was just doing what she could in her position, and learned about the club’s real business as she went along. At that moment, though, she realized she truly knew nothing at all.

Adriana didn’t know why there was a secret passage in the basement of the Rotary Club headquarters.

“Huff... huff...”

But she was running. She didn’t know why Ellen had brought soldiers to the Rotary Club headquarters or what they were asking about.

She didn’t know what Loyar was doing in the underground sewer or why she had to deliver the message and part ways with Loyar before nightfall.

Adriana knew nothing.

Fearing that something dangerous might happen to everyone, Adriana ran and ran to fulfill Dybun’s urgent request.

The secret passage wasn’t very long. Adriana gently pushed against the exit, which was like a sewer cover, and emerged outside.

Instead of the streets of the capital, she found herself in a dense forest.

Since the exit was hidden from view, Adriana emerged and ran toward the distant streets of the capital.