Demon King of the Royal Class-Chapter 505

No one in Edina could be sacrificed to save the Demon King. That would mean a loss of Edina’s strength.

However, Ellen Artorius was a being who possessed two holy relics and was destined to be extraordinary. It was Ellen’s fate to fight the Demon King eventually. Therefore, no matter what happened, she could not be with the Demon King.

Whether Ellen was controlled by vengeful spirits or not, she was still destined to fight the Demon King. In reality, nothing would change significantly.

From that perspective, Antirianus’s assertion that no one in Edina needed to be sacrificed was reasonable. Not everyone present knew Ellen Artorius well. However, everyone knew that Ellen had been forced into the position of an adversary to the Demon King and had become humanity’s hope.

Charlotte looked down at the table, looking grim. Even two years after the Gate Incident, Charlotte and Ellen shared the same guilt. Both blamed themselves for not believing in Reinhart when it mattered, which led to the present situation. Their endless guilt tormented them.

However, while Charlotte could be with Reinhart, Ellen could not, and it was her fate that she could never be with him. Charlotte knew there was no way for Ellen to escape her guilt and remorse, which ran deep. But now, Reinhart’s very existence was on the cusp of disappearing.

Ellen would be prepared to give her life if that could save Reinhart. If she could save Reinhart by taking on all the hatred and desires of the vengeful spirits, even if it meant being consumed by them, she would do so. Even if that meant that her very existence would disappear.

Charlotte knew that Ellen Artorius would do so if it meant saving Reinhart. She would make such a choice without hesitation. Even if a day came when she truly had to fight Reinhart to the death, if this was the only way to save him now, Ellen would surely make that decision.

Charlotte, having experienced the same guilt and remorse, knew what decision Ellen would make without needing to hear it.

Harriet shook her head vigorously, looking pale. “Reinhart would never, ever accept it.”

Regardless of whether Ellen herself accepted it or not, Harriet believed that Reinhart would never allow it, and everyone agreed with her.

The spirits that possessed Olivia had hated her. Therefore, she thought it was right that she be the one to endure it.

Reinhart was slowly dying due to the overwhelming hatred, anger, despair, and vengefulness of too many spirits within him. Even if Ellen wanted to take on that burden, it was clear he would never allow it.

“Of course, he wouldn’t, so this matter must be pursued in absolute secrecy. The Great Being must never know what we are planning,” Antirianus said.

“In his weakened state, even simple hypnosis or sleep magic could keep him asleep for a long time. By the time the Great Being awakens from his deep slumber, everything will already be over. We’ve deceived him once, so there’s no reason we can’t deceive him twice.”

Antirianus’s gaze stopped wandering. “Isn’t that right, Thunder Queen?”

“...”

Riana clenched her fists and closed her eyes tightly against that malicious gaze. ‘You, who have deceived the king once under the guise of serving him, should understand what I’m saying,’ it said.

“You... son of a bitch...” Lucinil said as she gritted her teeth and glared at Antirianus, disgusted by his malicious actions. “Why would you suggest this? Why... Why are you being like this?”

“Head of Wednesday, am I wrong? Or do you have any solution other than the method I proposed?”

Lucinil exploded. “No, I don’t have one! And I know there are no good solutions! You’re right! Yes, you’re probably right! There’s no other way... no other way but that! But... But why do you only think about how to make others suffer?”

“Well...” Antirianus laughed. “Isn’t it entertaining?”

Charlotte shuddered at his grotesquely cruel laughter.

Lucinil stood up, her lips trembling, seemingly overwhelmed by his malice. “You’re a monster that feeds on tears,” she muttered coldly.

She kicked open the door to the meeting room and looked back at Antirianus.

“I really hate you,” she said.

“That’s unfortunate.”

Bang!

Lucinil left the conference room. She was done dealing with the old vampire.

However, Antirianus’s words were true. At this point, it was the best choice.

Under the guise of serving Reinhart, they had to deceive Reinhart once more and make an offer to the one person capable of bearing all this, an offer she had to accept...

The words themselves were logically sound. Antirianus, who had pledged loyalty to Reinhart, had indeed found a way to save his lord.

However, even if this was the conclusion of a loyal subject, was his process of arriving at the conclusion acceptable? If his intention was merely to seek pleasure in bloodshed and suffering, was that truly the act of a loyal subject?

In the end, though, this was a conclusion, perhaps the only conclusion, that a truly loyal subject could accept.

“It seems there is no other way. I agree,” said Sarkegar.

***

After the Senate meeting ended, Harriet walked aimlessly through the corridors of Rajak Castle.

The thought that it was a terrible plan wouldn’t leave her mind.

Harriet walked aimlessly through the corridor and eventually found herself in front of Reinhart’s bedroom. She opened the bedroom door. Reinhart was inside, sleeping.

Three people were by his bedside. Olivia Lanche, holding Reinhart’s hand with a worried expression, Airi, with her hand on Reinhart’s forehead, and Riana, who couldn’t even bear to look at Reinhart properly and was staring blankly out the window.

Olivia was continuously using her divine healing on Reinhart’s weakening body, and Airi was somehow keeping his crumbling mind together.

The two were doing their best to keep Reinhart’s dying body and mind in one piece.

“How is he doing...?”

When Harriet approached, Olivia didn’t try to argue with her as she usually did, but shook her head gloomily. Reinhart showed no sign of improvement, and his condition was only worsening.

“His bouts of consciousness are getting shorter and shorter.”

“I see.”

Airi was purposefully giving Reinhart peaceful dreams to prevent him from being exposed to the despair of the spirits while he was unconscious. She was the most powerful of all the demons who governed dreams, so it was possible for her.

Fortunately, Airi was already quite adept at using this power for healing rather than enchantment. Having comforted many others and helping them to heal by manipulating their dreams, she could somewhat touch Reinhart’s unconscious mind while he was caught up in the midst of chaos.

Harriet stood silently, looking down at Reinhart. From his complexion alone, his condition seemed very poor. She couldn’t even fathom how dire Reinhart’s situation was.

“Just how bad is the situation...?” Harriet asked Olivia.

Only Olivia knew what Reinhart was enduring.

Despite Airi manipulating his dreams, Reinhart was still in pain even while asleep.

“It was the first time in my life I experienced something so horrific,” Olivia said softly, her gaze still on Reinhart.

She looked up at Harriet. “Even though I believe I can endure this, even though I know I can take on Reinhart’s pain and still live, the thought of it was so terrifying that I was afraid even to accept the suggestion. It is horrific.”

Harriet felt her heart chill even more at the description of the terrible pain Reinhart was in.

She knew how Olivia felt about Reinhart. Olivia had been saved by Reinhart multiple times, and Olivia had also saved Reinhart once. Harriet knew that Olivia was someone who was willing to die for Reinhart. Olivia would leap at the chance to bear this burden, but that did not mean she felt no fear or terror.

Olivia knew how horrific an experience it was, and that had naturally caused her to feel some hesitation. The overwhelming spiritual pain of countless vengeful spirits trying to dominate one’s soul was undoubtedly immense.

Harriet, who did not know what spiritual pain even was, felt even more afraid and sorry for Reinhart. Enduring what he was going through alone was already a great feat, but expecting him to do more was merely hoping for a miracle. Which was what led to the head of Saturday’s awful proposal to pass this burden onto Ellen.

Olivia, holding Reinhart’s hand, lowered her gaze.

“Is it really possible for him to endure what I can’t...?” she asked, sounding defeated.

Many wished to shoulder this burden themselves—Airi, Harriet, Olivia, Riana, Sarkegar, and even some of the Vampire Lords.

“Why... Why can’t I endure it?” Olivia said, sounding miserable.

Harriet shook her head. “That’s not it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m just saying that it doesn’t matter whether you endure it or not.”

“What...?”

The head of Saturday had not proposed this plan just because he believed Ellen could endure what Reinhart was enduring.

Regardless of how they felt about Antirianus’s terrible proposal, if Ellen were to receive such a proposal, there was no need to discuss what decision she would make. Ellen would undoubtedly accept it. The whole plan revolved around exploiting Ellen’s guilt towards Reinhart.

The situation demanded someone’s sacrifice, yet none of the people in Edina could be sacrificed as they all played a crucial role in Edina.

Antirianus’s logic for sacrificing Ellen was simple. It wasn’t because Ellen Artorius was extraordinary and could endure the spirits’ assaults. It was because Ellen was destined to be an enemy of Edina and of the Demon King anyway.

What did it matter if she was consumed by the spirits’ hatred and assimilated? She was destined to be an enemy anyway. They would just be making her a real enemy by having her bear Reinhart’s burden.

Ellen was not needed in Edina, and she would be ready to sacrifice herself. In Antirianus’s eyes, the logic to sacrifice her was flawless.

“Even if Ellen can’t endure it, even if she collapses and her identity disappears, it doesn’t matter, because she’s an enemy anyway...”

“...”

It wasn’t a matter of whether anyone could or couldn’t endure it; it was just a simple matter of cost-benefit analysis.

Everyone in Edina was needed in Edina. If any of them bore this burden and were expelled from Edina, it would be a loss for Edina. Since Ellen was destined to be an enemy anyway and would willingly bear the burden, there would be no need for Edina to suffer a loss. It was cold, brutal calculus.

Ellen might be able to endure it, or her consciousness might be assimilated. However, since she was an extraordinary being, she wouldn’t die like the other holy knights whose bodies had exploded.

At the very least, she would end up like Olivia. If she could somehow endure it, she might even end up like Reinhart. Or she might be able to do better. Ultimately, though, the proposal was made simply because Ellen was someone who didn’t matter to Edina.

There was no need for Olivia to feel inferior to Ellen, as the proposal was not being made because they believed Ellen could better endure the burden.

However, while Ellen might not matter to Edina, it was hardly true that she didn’t matter to Reinhart. Therefore, they had to deceive Reinhart once more.

Olivia gripped Reinhart’s hand tightly, her eyes wide.

Olivia didn’t like Ellen. In fact, she despised her.

“...”

But was this really okay? Was it okay to make such a proposal, just because Ellen would naturally let herself become such a sacrifice?

Riana, who was looking out the window, spoke. “Wouldn’t it... Wouldn’t it be right for me to be the one?”

Ellen was an outsider, and the responsibility for Reinhart’s condition lay with Riana. Instead of suddenly forcing Ellen to sacrifice herself, wouldn’t it be right for her to endure it instead? Even if her body would immediately give out because she couldn’t endure it, wouldn’t it be right to at least try?

Riana’s face was stony, lined deeply with guilt and remorse. Whether Ellen would be able to endure the suffering was unclear, and so Riana couldn’t shake the thought that it might be right for her to bear the burden and be expelled from Edina instead.

Riana found it hard to accept that someone else had to continue to bear the burden that she was responsible for.

Riana was needed in Edina, and so according to Antirianus’s logic, she couldn’t be sacrificed. But Riana didn’t have to go along with that.

“Riana,” Airi called Riana softly. “Come here.”

Airi, with her hand on Reinhart’s forehead, called Riana to her side.

“... Yes?”

“I’ll show you an image of what Reinhart is experiencing.”

The image of despair, brought about by the spirits existing in the depths of Reinhart’s consciousness...

“I only saw a glimpse of it, and even I don’t think I can endure it...”

Airi looked at Riana, as if asking if she was ready to see a fragment of the pain.

“... Yes. Show me.”

If she could endure this, then Riana might be able to take on the whole burden. But if she couldn’t endure even a fragment of the pain, then Riana would only die in vain.

Airi carefully took Riana’s hand.

“...!”

Riana fell into a coma for two days as a result of sensing just a fragment of that pain.

***

Srrrng...

Ellen sheathed Lament, which had returned to its ordinary appearance, and descended from the pile of corpses that had once been monsters, now brutally slaughtered.

The soldiers around her saluted Ellen, who was clad in silver plate armor.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Ellen looked around the field, where the cries of monsters had subsided, then mounted the horse brought over by a unit member.

“Is this area all clear?”

“Yes. We just received word from Shanapell that the route forward has been secured.”

“Then I’ll be returning. Please lead the unit for me.”

“Yes!”

Ellen spurred her horse forward, and the white warhorse flew into a gallop.

The hero, clad in splendid silver plate armor, wearing the Cape of the Sun and the Sword of the Moon, rode across the field strewn with the corpses of monsters. The line of monster carcasses continued well beyond the field where she had been fighting.

After riding for a while, Ellen saw white smoke rising from beyond the hills. As Ellen crossed the last hill, a vast field unfolded before her, filled with densely packed tents as far as the eye could see.

This was the strongest army of humanity, but also the final army of humanity.

Smoke continued to rise from numerous campfires as Ellen slowly spurred her horse toward the massive encampment.