Demon King of the Royal Class-Chapter 475

I had stayed in Edina only because I couldn’t leave, but now that there was someone to take my place, I intended to leave Edina as soon as possible.

I planned to depart the very next day after finishing my preparations.

The night before my departure, Charlotte came to see me. ƒreewebɳovel.com

Harriet hadn’t returned to the bedroom yet, saying she had to make some preparations for my departure.

Charlotte seemed extremely flustered at first when she realized that I shared a bedroom with Harriet, but she didn’t ask me anything.

In a way, not asking about it made it even more awkward. It was as if she had decided to believe that since I had made that decision, it was fine. But keeping quiet about it was just so much stranger.

Charlotte stepped out of the bedroom and onto the deserted terrace.

“Reinhart, I have something to ask,” Charlotte said.

“What is it?”

“I want to know the extent of my authority. I need you to clarify it.”

Did she mean she wanted to know exactly how far she could go?

After all, Charlotte was an outsider who had just rolled in.

Even though she had confidence that she would govern better than me, it was true that she had suddenly been put on the throne of a nation with a system of governance that had somehow been running for two years.

Charlotte looked out the window, her expression giving nothing away. “I think I can definitely assert control over the demons and vassals under me. But as you know, the Senate and the other founding contributors are your friends and collaborators. There’s a high possibility that I wouldn’t be able to command them.”

“... That’s true.”

“I’m glad you trust me, and I’ll try to live up to that expectation. But you being away from Edina for a long time during this period could inevitably lead to discord between me and the others.”

Charlotte was being realistic.

The Senate wasn’t really under my control.

Riana, Olivia, Harriet, and Airi... The four of them were my friends.

While I might be able to force those below them to obey, these founding contributors might ignore the regent’s orders.

In fact, Riana and Olivia did not have a good opinion of Charlotte.

If Charlotte, who had suddenly appeared, started giving orders, those two were very likely to resist.

This meant that my decision to leave Edina before my regent established a new system of governance was a dangerous one.

Charlotte was afraid that an internal conflict might arise.

The only backing Charlotte had in Edina was the declaration of support I had given her as the Demon King. She had not yet proven that she could rule the entirety of Edina.

“If you tell me I have no authority over the Four Demon Lords, then I won’t say anything about their affairs.”

She wasn’t asking for authority, but for clarity on what authority she actually had.

I wanted Charlotte to fully inherit all my authority. However, I also agreed that Olivia and Riana, who had worked hard to build Edina, might feel displeased if Charlotte suddenly took the reins and started giving orders.

Even if they knew rationally that following her was the right move, it would be difficult to accept emotionally.

In reality, the reason I had no issues with them was that there was never any emotional conflict. Everyone generally agreed with my opinions, and if they thought I was wrong, we discussed the matter until we reached a mutual understanding.

Harriet, at least, was willing to help Charlotte in every way possible.

Airi seemed to feel the Archdemon influence from Charlotte, so she likely would not present any problem.

But Riana hated the empire, and Olivia disliked Charlotte for not trusting me in the first place. Charlotte was already concerned about the potential conflicts she might have with those two.

‘What should I do?’

If I told her not to try to control the Four Demon Lords and the Senate, Charlotte would be reduced to a half-measure. I needed someone who could fully replace me, not a half-measure.

If anything, I needed a Queen of the Demon Realm who could fully replace me, not just a regent.

“I know my place. So, the fact that I don’t have the authority to command or interfere with them—”

“Stop,” I interrupted her mid-sentence, looking straight into Charlotte’s eyes. “You are to fully replace me. Think of yourself not as a regent but as a Demon Queen. You must become that.”

Charlotte needed a command, not a request or an attempt at persuasion.

I wanted her to completely replace me.

There might be emotional friction between her and Riana or Olivia, and political issues could arise.

Olivia and Riana might feel disappointed in me, beyond their own feelings about Charlotte.

If they felt disappointed in me, I would feel sorry and might have to apologize to them.

But this wasn’t some petty political game; the governance of a nation was at stake.

Just because Olivia had done a lot for me, or because Riana had sacrificed much for me, did not give them the authority to ignore the regency I had established.

If they intentionally tried to ignore Charlotte and exclude her from any decision-making, I would inevitably be disappointed in them for intentionally obstructing the governance of the nation over mere emotions.

In any case, I didn’t think those two were such petty individuals.

They would acknowledge the necessity of having Charlotte in charge, and Charlotte would have to prove her worth to them.

She had to demonstrate to them that she had the required capabilities.

“So, do anything to take control,” I commanded.

“...”

Charlotte quietly looked up at me.

She had only just been appointed regent, and the king who should have been around to support her was leaving.

Just as I had a difficult start to my governance of Edina, Charlotte would have to lead the nation even with founding contributors who disliked her.

I wasn’t giving her this position because it was easy; I needed her to completely replace me, even if it was difficult.

Charlotte nodded at my command. “Yes, I understand.”

It was a bit strange, but I found this overly-obedient Charlotte to be somewhat cute.

***

The next day, Reinhart left.

“Why on earth won’t he tell us where he’s going...?”

Harriet sighed deeply, looking at the spot where Reinhart had stood before disappearing via teleportation.

Harriet, Charlotte, and Olivia were there at the place where their king had just departed, leaving behind his regent in his place.

Harriet, who had taken on the role of secretary, would also return to her original duty of magic research once the handover was complete and a new secretary was appointed.

The reason the Demon King had established this regency was not only to free himself but also to release Harriet, who had been forgoing her original duties and using her intelligence to aid him instead.

Charlotte quietly looked at the spot where Reinhart had disappeared. Naturally, she couldn’t help but feel Olivia’s gaze on her.

Charlotte looked at Olivia intently.

“Do you have something to say, leader Olivia?”

“...”

At Charlotte’s question, Olivia silently looked at her, as if trying to gauge something in Charlotte’s demeanor.

Charlotte couldn’t read any hostility from that gaze. For the moment, at least.

“Reinhart is too kind,” Olivia finally said.

“...”

“So kind to the point of being foolish. I was wondering if he might be trusting someone he shouldn’t.”

Charlotte continued to hold Olivia’s gaze.

“If I were to betray Reinhart, what could I possibly do?” she asked.

“...”

“If I were to deliberately ruin Edina, where could I go afterward?”

Olivia remained silent.

“I was almost executed by the empire, and it was Reinhart who saved me. There’s no way I could return to the empire.”

Harriet stood in the middle, quietly listening to the conversation.

“Whether I like it or not, this place is now my home. So I have no reason to deliberately ruin it, nor any necessity to do so.”

“There are people who would gladly ruin someone else even at the cost of destroying themselves. There are quite a few of those people around these days,” Olivia said.

Charlotte nodded. “Yes, I suppose so,” she replied.

Olivia had seen many who wanted to kill the Demon King, even at the cost of their own lives. Hatred so deep that it sought fulfillment even at the cost of destroying its bearer...

“You can’t trust me, and it’s understandable that you feel that way. I have committed sins in the past.”

“...”

“Still, I’ll try my best.”

Charlotte lowered her head.

She had no intention of fighting from the start.

She, someone who had not been able to trust Reinhart but had ultimately been saved by him, was no match for the people there who had believed in Reinhart from the start.

They were different.

“Expecting your support would be greedy, but please don’t think I’m here to ruin things,” Charlotte said as she bowed deeply to Olivia. “I thank you for everything in advance.”

“...”

The former princess bowed her head out of guilt to the person who had been able to make the more righteous choice than her.

Olivia furrowed her brow at the unreserved bow.

“... Why does this make you even more annoying?”

It would have been better if Charlotte had just been blatantly irritating, Olivia kicked a stray stone and left the castle in a huff.

It took two to tango.

“Damn it! Ugh, so annoying!” Olivia yelled to no one in particular as she left the castle, feeling frustrated because Charlotte hadn’t given her a reason to be angry.

Charlotte looked up and saw Harriet standing there with a bewildered expression.

Even Harriet hadn’t expected Charlotte to bow so easily.

“Thank you for everything, Harriet. Please continue to take care of me.”

“Ah, no, why are you bowing...”

Harriet waved her hands in confusion, feeling flustered as Charlotte bowed to her as well.

***

I didn’t know much about Ellen’s hometown.

It was a border village at the southwestern edge of Kernstadt, located in the mountains. Ellen had told me before that many people didn’t even know that her village existed. She had pointed out its location on a map, so I had a rough idea of where it was, but it was still too vague.

The village’s name was Rijaiera. Naturally, there was no such place on the map.

There might have been people in nearby villages or towns who knew the location of Rijaiera before, but after the Gate Incident, all such small villages had been destroyed.

I had to abandon any hope of finding someone who knew the exact location of Rijaiera.

I had no idea whether Rijaiera had survived in the wake of this incident. However, I was pretty sure that Ellen’s mother was stronger than Sabioleen Tana, although I didn’t know for sure.

I knew nothing concrete about Rijaiera or Ellen’s mother.

Ellen’s mother’s name was Luna Artorius, and she referred to herself as the Mistress of the Sun and the Moon. It was possible that she might be related to the Vampire Lords somehow, specifically the Lords of the long-lost families of Sunday and Monday.

It was also said that these families adhered to the principle not to interfere in worldly affairs, for whatever reason. If that statement was true, it was safe to assume that the house of Sunday and Monday had taken no action even in the face of the Gate Incident.

Had Rijaiera indeed escaped the impact of the Gate Incident?

Was Luna Artorius truly refusing to intervene in this situation?

Could I even find Rijaiera?

I did not know the answer to these questions.

I couldn’t approach Ellen directly and ask for the location of Rijaiera, since it was better for me not to meet Ellen at all if possible, and besides, it wasn’t as if I had the opportunity to.

I wanted to meet Luna Artorius for a simple reason. I had no idea how I would persuade her to assist me, but I intended to seek her teachings and her transcendent power, which even I could not comprehend.

I didn’t know how to ask, and there was no reason or justification for her to teach me. However, as things stood, I would have to use Alsbringer in the final battle, and I didn’t want to die that way.

Even if I could resolve the situation without using Alsbringer, if I ever had to fight Ellen for some inevitable reason, I could never defeat Ellen in my current state.

I didn’t know what kind of coercion or inevitability would lead Ellen to fight me, but the truth that I needed to be at least equal to or stronger than Ellen to have any agency in that regard remained unchanged.

At the very least, I needed to reach Master class before the final battle, and if possible, I needed to gain power beyond that.

While I was surrounded by excellent mages, none had reached Master class.

The strongest person I knew was Sabioleen Tana, but given the situation, it was obviously impossible to ask her for guidance. Therefore, Luna Artorius, whom I presumed to be perhaps stronger than her, was the next best option.

However, even if I found her, there was no reason for her to teach or help me.

This endeavor was truly shrouded in uncertainty.

It seemed just as straightforward as finding Ellen’s mother and pleading for her to make me stronger, but wasn’t it just ridiculous to attempt such a thing when everything had fallen apart? Was it really the right thing to do in such a situation? In such a state of affairs?

Monsters roamed around the continent, and there I was, standing before the mountain range in the southwestern part of Kernstadt, feeling nothing but a vague sense of uncertainty.

“What is... this...?”

I knew it was supposed to be a village in the mountains, but an enormous mountain range stretched out before me, a natural fortress filled with bizarre rock formations.

The way Ellen had described it, it had sounded like a village hidden behind an unassuming hill. But in reality, the village was somewhere within an immense highland. That made absolutely no sense, unless it was inhabited purely by reclusive hermits.

Geographically, the area I was in was known as the Sren Mountains.

‘Ellen... It seems rather inappropriate to call your village a mountain village when it is hidden in such terrain that even the term “deep in the mountains” doesn’t fully capture its complexity...’

When I thought about it, Ellen had always been a little different from ordinary people. When I told her that her physical strength was inexplicable, she had mentioned that her family was naturally strong.

I hadn’t expected to find Rijaiera easily. Though I had consulted a map to get here, this mountain range was incredibly vast.

At a glance, there was no way this rugged terrain somehow contained a proper path that led all the way to Rijaiera.

A strange wail broke through the air, and the cries of unknown monsters echoed from within the mountain range. The beasts wandering the continent had already managed to infiltrate this mountain range.

‘Would I have to wander for days, weeks, or even months? Could I even find Rijaiera in this mountain range, where at any moment, a monster might try to kill me? Where would I sleep, and where would I find food?’

Even though I had to do this in preparation for the final battle, I suddenly found myself about to play a game of survival in a highland teeming with monsters.

“Fucking hell...”

‘Well, when has anything ever been easy?’

The funny thing about the candy vendor was that I had always managed to find whatever it was I was looking for, and managed to get what I needed all the time. Some powerful force of inevitability was working on my behalf.

I was trying to find Rijaiera and meet Ellen’s mother.

Therefore, I would somehow find it, and I would end up meeting her.

I took my first step into the vast and rugged mountain range.

To avoid sacrificing my life in the final battle, I had to become stronger.

I absolutely had to.