Chapter 435
Temple, the temple of the sun god.
“… … .”
Ellen was lying on the bed, blankly looking up at the ceiling.
“Reinhardt… … . I think I’m back.”
“… … .”
Charlotte, who had gone out to chat somewhere, said so to Ellen as she returned.
During the fight against Loyard, Ellen was on the verge of death several times.
Even after becoming a Sword Master, the power of the Lycanthrope, which had gone berserk with the power of the full moon, was difficult to deal with.
Lament and Rapelt.
Without the two Holy Relics, they might have been defeated.
In a miserable state, Ellen succeeded in overpowering the lycanthrope and passed out after pulling the body out of the sewer.
The rest of the work was completed by the soldiers and knights who followed Ellen.
The priests’ treatment improved his condition, but the fatigue that seemed to break his whole body did not recover.
Adriana was taken into custody.
I told Charlotte it had nothing to do with this, but I didn’t know how it would turn out.
The two pursued the truth and arrived at it in just two days.
It wasn’t difficult to catch clues scattered everywhere.
However, dealing with the easy-to-find truth is another matter.
“Ellen.”
“huh.”
Charlotte asks without looking at Ellen.
“Reinhardt… … . Could it be the Demon King?”
Ellen stares up at the ceiling.
It wasn’t until the Demon King, and Reinhardt might be the Demon King’s minion.
But the confession that seemed like a joke back then.
That is now the final piece of the puzzle.
All the arrows of doubt and suspicion were pointed at Reinhardt.
“huh.”
Ellen, whose gaze has lost focus, speaks quietly.
“It will. clearly.”
Reinhardt is the Demon King.
* * *
Temple was silent.
The fact that the hero Reinhardt was arrested on suspicion of being the Demon King was kept a secret.
Those who knew even a little about the contents were silent.
And, the elite troops, including Saviolin Tana, the elite of the Empire who left for the Dark Land, returned after receiving a call from the Empire while searching for Reinhardt, who had disappeared.
They included, of course, the Archduke of Saint-Ouane and Harriet.
Herriot, who was stomping her feet with her pale complexion because she couldn’t find the missing Reinhardt, turned blue when she heard the story of the Archduke of Saint-Ouan, who had returned from meeting the emperor with Saviolin Tana.
“What are you talking about, Dad… … ?”
The Archduke of Saint-Ouan was also unable to understand the situation.
“There is a very high possibility that Reinhardt is the Demon Lord… … . His Majesty said.”
“uh… … ? What do you mean?”
Harriet listened to the words she had never thought of before, but to the point where she doubted her ears, wondering if she had heard them correctly.
The Archduke of Saint-Ouan briefly conveyed the investigation process of Charlotte and Ellen that had been heard from the emperor, as well as Bertus’ final instructions.
Harriet isn’t too stupid to understand the whole story.
But I couldn’t believe it.
“Something is wrong… … . there is a misunderstanding It can’t be, Dad. Reinhardt… … . Reinhardt is a man. you’re human… … . But how did Reinhardt… … .”
The Grand Duke carefully embraced the trembling Harriet.
“okay. If there was a misunderstanding, it will come out.”
“Yeah, something, there is a misunderstanding. clearly… … .”
Reinhardt’s last words lingered in Harriet’s mind in the dim consciousness.
‘I wanted to save everyone… … .’
Reinhardt like that couldn’t be the Demon King.
I can’t be the Demon King.
However, at that moment, Harriet clearly remembered the unknown but possessed of powerful magical powers by Reinhardt’s side.
Harriet absentmindedly saw someone walking out of Tetra, the central palace of the imperial palace.
Saviolin Tana.
Harriet saw the leader of Chanafell, whose complexion turned white, leave the Tetra, stumble and collapse on the spot.
– Captain!
-leader!
Numerous knights were running towards the leader of Chanapell, who collapsed with his legs weak.
that much.
There was no choice but to bring huge questions, doubts, and shock to everyone’s mind.
* * *
He was gagged.
It was to cover his mouth in case he could do something stupid with the power of the commandments.
However, because of that, I couldn’t find any excuses or words to defend myself.
Why did I do that until now?
What was the reason for the things I’ve been doing up until now?
He was not even given the slightest excuse or opportunity to defend himself.
I did all of this to prevent the gate crisis from destroying the world, and now that I have found Akasha, I have achieved my goal.
I wasn’t even given a chance to say anything like that.
That I have the power of the spirit.
The strongest psychic power has now become my worst curse.
As if even the power of the commandments given to me was a device to prevent me from saying anything in this situation.
I was unable to say anything for myself or say anything for those who would feel betrayed by me.
Trapped in the dark underground, I couldn’t sense the time, but I could tell that the day was bright.
Loyar returned to human form.
Royard was locked in a cage across from me.
Loyard, gagged, looks at me.
“Ugh… … . right… … . Boo… … .”
Tears flowed from Royard’s widened eyes.
Do you think it was because of you that I was captured?
well.
I don’t think so.
The piled up events were supposed to hit a critical point one day and explode, and that just happened at the fucking timing.
I didn’t know what kind of work I had to deal with, but now that it’s been like this, I’d rather just do it. It was meant to be like this, so it will be like this.
It’s like giving up.
It felt like that.
So I can’t speak, but I shake my head as I look at Loyard, who is crying while looking at me with his eyes wide open. Because I had enough freedom to move my head.
Is it your fault?
I do not think so.
Did my heart reach out?
Royard did not stop crying, but sobbed with a more animal-like sound.
Where is the temple?
I can not know.
However, the empire seemed to have judged that since I was captured at the temple, it would be better to keep me locked up in the temple rather than transporting me to the imperial palace.
– Jerking away
Soon, the guards were replaced.
It was supposed to be the knights of Chanafell and the wizards of the Imperial Wizards.
Right away, those who left on a mission with me yesterday arrived to watch over me, who is now suspected of being the Demon Lord.
As if the world was turned upside down in one day, everything has changed.
two iron bars.
I soon learned who the closest person would be to watch me and Loyar.
Saviolin Tana.
I still look down at me as she sits in the cage.
She didn’t seem to understand the situation yet.
“Reinhardt.”
“… … .”
Outside the cage, she calls me.
“Are you the Demon King?”
He is gagged and unable to say anything.
It’s better.
Yes, I am the Demon King.
Or, even in this situation, they lie that they are not.
Because I didn’t want to say anything out of my mouth.
Saviolin Tana stares at me through the bars with her eyes wide open.
“no way… … . Saving the princess… … .”
“… … .”
okay.
I have no choice but to come to this conclusion.
In the chain of everything, even the thing I saved Charlotte in the end.
I can’t help but think that it was an act to preserve the spirit of the previous demon king.
In the name of saving everyone, everything I did to protect someone will inevitably become an arrow returning to me.
I could understand in my head that such a thought process would proceed.
I couldn’t help falling into a hopeless and miserable mood.
* * *
Of course, I wasn’t just locked up and watched.
“Dispell doesn’t work.”
“Yes, if that’s the case, it must have been the magic that dispelled the moment you crossed the Temple Gate.”
He must have been inferring that I was changing my shape. After hearing the wizard’s report, Saviolin Tana stares at me.
“Did you use magic like polymorph… … .”
Sarkegar’s ring, which is specialized in camouflage, was not detected even by the wizards’ magic.
Saviolin Tana looks at me quietly. As if I really wanted to believe that I was only human.
However, I know that my guardian is clearly the lycanthrope of the demon king.
And at the point of holding two holy relics, I will not be able to be treated as a minion of the devil.
If it wasn’t for the demon king, there would have been a perception that if he wasn’t such a being, he wouldn’t be able to own two holy relics.
* * *
how much time has passed
I wonder if the Council and the Black Order know now that I’ve become like this.
What if you find out
In a state where I couldn’t properly sense time, I could soon face what I had to face.
“majesty… … .”
I heard Saviolin Tana addressing someone in a voice full of concern.
Soon, someone’s figure appeared in front of the iron bars.
It was Charlotte.
Charlotte was staring at me.
“Open it.”
“Your Highness, no.”
“Open it.”
Charlotte said that only twice. Saviolin Tana finally opened the door to the barricade with her teeth clenched against Charlotte’s strong will.
Charlotte knelt down in front of me as I sat tied up.
Charlotte sees me.
I couldn’t fathom the depth of the emotions swirling in her eyes, the depth of that sense of betrayal.
Charlotte looks at me and asks.
“You’ve lied to me so many times.”
“… … .”
“So this time, this one time… … . honestly. even just once. Just this once… … . Be honest.”
Charlotte sees me.
Even under these circumstances, you kneel before me and beg for the truth.
“you… … . that’s right?”
I didn’t ask what was right, but I know what you are asking.
Is this the child who escaped the castle together?
am i the devil
will ask that
Shall I say no?
Until now, should I tell obvious lies?
There is no corner to run away from, and the fact that I am the demon king is the truth that must be revealed.
There is no way to go back to the way it used to be without any suspicion after being released as it is.
I’ve been cheating on Charlotte all this time.
He has lied to Charlotte more than anyone else.
And even now, when everything is over, do I have to tell another lie that has now become obvious?
no.
I’m tired now
Tired of piling up lies.
I look at Charlotte.
If he lied to this point, a greater sense of betrayal would come back in the end.
If he denied it even here, it seemed that something more irreversible would happen.
Although it was too late.
There was no more misunderstanding.
-nod
I put my gag on and nodded.
“I… … . Hey… … . I… … .”
Charlotte lowered her head and muttered quietly in a trembling voice.
I was crying.
“What am I… … . to you… … . what did you do wrong… … ?”
There is no such thing.
“Why me, why only me, why me… … . me this far… … . did you have to bother me? i so… … . did you hate Yes, the Empire destroyed the Demon Realm, and you want to take revenge… … . I see… … . I… … . how… … . Until this… … . I want you, how… … . how much do you think… … . you know it was but i forgot you Again, even relying on you… … . Was it your calculation?”
i wanted to save you
“What did you want to do with the demon king’s soul dwelling inside me? yeah, that was weird no wonder. Since I seem to be in trouble, I ask to be taken to the Spring Palace, he shows up just in time to stop me from running out of control, and that’s it… … . It was only possible because you were the son of the demon king… … ? What happened to me from the beginning… … . Because I knew everything… … .”
I couldn’t say anything about the puzzle that I put together by myself.
Could I have said something if my mouth was open?
Why didn’t I say it earlier, can I say a word?
I can tell you now, but since the yard has already been caught, you’ll think I’m telling another lie.
“You married me… … . If married… … . It can devour an empire… … . That’s what I was thinking… … ?”
okay.
I can even think of that.
The engagement at that time to protect you could be seen as a conspiracy by the demon king to devour the empire through marriage to the princess who was eliminated in the imperial competition.
It was Bertus who proposed the engagement to the princess, but it was me who accepted it.
Rather than rebuilding the Demon Realm, he is the Demon King who swallowed up the empire and made the enemy mine.
It was a plausible plan, I think.
Of course, I had no such intention.
If so, does Ellen, who prevented the situation by becoming the princess’s guardian knight, become a hero to save the country from the perspective of the Empire?
“I… … . like that… … . A lot to you, so much… … . Did you do something wrong?”
From start to finish, I was only used by me.
From escaping the castle of demons. Meeting me at the Temple, getting acquainted with me, taking on the role of messenger, and the many lies I piled up while dealing with Charlotte will eventually be understood as part of my ambition to devour the empire.
So Charlotte was trembling in front of me, unable to cry properly, trembling from the sense of betrayal.
“You should have killed me… … . You should have killed me… … .”
“… … .”
“Like this, if you’re going to make me more miserable than dying… … . I would rather have killed him… … .”
The person who saved him was actually the Demon King.
Knowing that it was the demon king, I now depended on someone else, but even he was the demon king.
I couldn’t help but think that I had been fooled all this time.
“It must have been fun… … . Playing with me like that… … . I, knowing nothing, smile at you… … . Crying in front of you, all those moments… … . it was fun… … ?”
Charlotte looks at me.
Charlotte’s empty eyes stare at me.
“All those moments of trying to rely on you in your arms, not knowing that there is an enemy in front of you, not knowing that you are being used… … . Wasn’t it so funny you couldn’t stand it?”
no.
My appearance is more ridiculous than anything else.
This reality that brings about all these things by picking up on things that can only be done by staying still, and in the end, the catastrophe of everything is right in front of our eyes.
my present moment is funny
“you… … . in the world… … . I wish I could die in the most miserable way in the world… … .”
Charlotte murmurs blankly.
“I wish I could not feel comfortable even if I died, and if I died, I would be stuck in a place like the bottom of hell and suffer forever… … . I hope so… … .”
Charlotte curses me.
what did i do so wrong
Charlotte kept saying that in front of me.
that was what i wanted to say
What did I do so wrong… … .
