Demon King of the Royal Class-Chapter 406 [Illustration]

Three days later...

I was in the central palace Tetra of the imperial city, Emperatos, watching a ceremony.

—The great and reverent lord of frost, one of the five rulers of the universe’s void, the apostle of Mensis, and the savior of humanity who vanquished the evil Demon King Baalier, Ragan Artorius’s kin...

The pope of the Mensis Order recited endlessly as a girl knelt on the floor of the grand audience chamber.

Charlotte de Gradias stood there, in a dress and cape.

Ellen Artorius, clad in a red cloak and in ceremonial attire, knelt before her, and I watched from among the gathered dignitaries.

I hadn’t expected it to turn out this way.

The engagement had never been announced, so it was as if it never happened.

Instead of me becoming Charlotte’s fiancé, Ellen was being appointed as Charlotte’s imperial knight, who was serving as her liege lady. This ensured Charlotte’s safety.

Just as Ellen was receiving attention, I too was being recognized as Alsbringer’s new master, and had been invited to this ceremony.

Naturally, though, it was Ellen who was the central focus of this ceremony.

It was inevitable. The secret existence of Ragan Artorius’s sister had been revealed, and she was being appointed as an imperial guardian knight.

Even the numerous high officials present were looking at Ellen with a mix of awe and reverence.

Among those watching the ceremony were the emperor and Vertus de Gradias.

Vertus and I briefly made eye contact.

He shrugged slightly as if to say, “Who would have thought it would turn out like this?”

Though he might not have considered this possibility, Vertus did not seem displeased.

In the end, whether or not I was engaged to Charlotte, I was on the side of the imperial family.

And now, Ellen Artorius was being added to that.

From the perspective of someone who was about to become master of the imperial family, this situation couldn’t be more favorable.

He also held a trump card that could topple Charlotte at any time, so there was no possibility of her becoming a dangerous rival in the future.

Ultimately, this not only guaranteed Charlotte’s safety but also allowed the empire—and Vertus—to gain the support of two heroes.

Having a hero as an imperial citizen and having a hero protecting the imperial family were two entirely different matters.

The imperial family would gain massive support from the general populace, and with that support, the empire, which was already firmly backed, would gain unparalleled legitimacy.

The hero, Ragan Artorius, was the protector of humanity, and he had killed the Demon King to safeguard humanity. With this ceremony, the hero’s sister would continue to protect the empire.

This granted the empire legitimacy, and it could even be said that the empire was humanity itself.

Hence, any anti-imperial sentiment would become anti-humanity sentiment.

The empire would gain moral authority, and the emperor’s words would not only be seen as law, but as morality itself.

The imperial authority, which had been strengthened by the victory in the Great War, had been slightly shaken after several demon attacks.

However, humanity had united behind their fear of the Demon King, and the symbolic nature of the empire, representing the united will of humanity, was now even more solid with the support of the hero’s sister.

The empire needed the Demon King, and Vertus needed the Demon King.

The pope of the Mensis Order finished reciting the documents, and Charlotte repeatedly tapped a silver-white shining sword on Ellen’s shoulders.

Thus, Ellen became Charlotte’s knight.

However, the important thing was the Demon God Cult. I needed to find them quickly.

They might try to kill me, Olivia, or Ellen under the pretense of eliminating threats against the Demon King.

Applause echoed around the emperor’s audience chamber, where the ceremony for appointing the imperial guardian knight, not just a regular knight, had just concluded.

With this, I no longer needed to be engaged to Charlotte.

However, because of this, the empire had been forced to reveal three significant secrets to the public:

Reinhart, the champion of Alse.

Olivia Lanche, the champion of Ouen.

And Ellen Artorius, the hero’s sister and apostle of Mensis.

These three would become renowned across the entire continent.

***

Naturally, the Temple was in an uproar.

The news spread that among the second-year Royal Class students was the sister of humanity’s savior, Ragan Artorius, following the revelation of Alsbringer’s master.

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Moreover...

—Remember the winner of last year’s Miss Temple? She’s said to be Artorius’s sister!

—Really?!

—I knew it... She didn’t seem like an ordinary person.

—That’s what I’m saying.

Because of her history as Miss Temple, Ellen inevitably became an even bigger idol than Reinhart.

—She’s the princess’s guardian knight, right?

—Both of them are in the same second-year Royal Class, I heard.

—Isn’t that person also in the second year? Reinhart?

—Yeah, yeah. That’s right.

The entire Temple was in turmoil, and the same was true within the Royal Class.

Harriet turned pale upon hearing that Ellen had chosen Charlotte as her liege lady.

“I-is that... really okay?”

Before all that had happened, such a thing would be unimaginable, but Harriet seemed to understand why Ellen had made the decision to become an imperial guardian knight.

“There’s nothing wrong with it.”

“Ellen... you will surely be put in danger...”

While Reinhart was important to her, Ellen was equally significant to Harriet.

Harriet held Ellen’s hand, her voice trembling with emotion. She knew that Ellen’s choice would expose her to great danger.

Ellen held Harriet’s hand and nodded with a determined expression.

“It’s okay,” Ellen said as she looked at Harriet. “The empire will protect me, and there’s Reinhart, Riana, Adelia, and...”

Ellen looked into Harriet’s eyes, full of trust. “You too.”

Ellen’s eyes did not show a hint of doubt. She truly believed that everyone would protect her.

“... Yeah, that’s right, Ellen.”

Harriet gently embraced Ellen, and Ellen hugged Harriet back.

Harriet had already known about Ellen being the sister of Ragan Artorius, but the reactions of the other classmates were naturally ones of shock.

“It was too big a secret to feel hurt about not being told.”

“Yeah...” Riana and Adelia said as they looked at Ellen.

“Still, I’m sorry. I could have definitely told you.”

“It’s okay. In the end, it’s a good thing that the hero had such a pretty and amazing sister, right?”

Riana, though surprised, seemed rather happy about it and wasn’t upset. Adelia, who had always found Ellen a bit intimidating, seemed even more awestruck by her now.

“... Wait, so you’re... Artorius’s... sister?” Olivia asked.

“Yes.”

Olivia, who occasionally visited the Temple, was also stunned upon learning of Ellen’s identity.

“So, you had something to back up that attitude of yours.”

“What?”

Olivia stared at Ellen, clicking her tongue.

Wham!

“Aww, this cheeky junior is so adorable now.”

“Ugh! Ugh!”

Ellen, struggling in Olivia’s embrace, couldn’t break free from her grip.

She had to know that Ellen’s actions played a decisive role in the cancellation of Reinhart’s engagement.

“... What are you doing?” Ellen asked after she was finally released, her face flushed, trying to catch her breath.

Olivia smiled mischievously and tried to poke Ellen’s cheek, but Ellen dodged with a simple head movement.

Though Ellen had declared herself a guardian knight, Olivia waved her hand with a smile, as if claiming Reinhart for herself.

“They say the cow does all the work, but the owner reaps the rewards. Hmm. Anyway, I’m busy, so I’ll be off! Think of something you want to eat! I’ll treat you to a meal!”

“No, thanks.”

“Yeah, whatever then. See ya.”

Olivia quickly left the Temple, as though she truly had to attend to something urgent. Ellen quietly watched her retreating figure.

She only knew Olivia was working as an inquisitor, but Ellen wasn’t sure what exactly she was doing. However, the shadow cast by her figure seemed unusually dark.

The reactions of everyone in the Royal Class changed significantly.

The revelation that the calm and exceptionally skilled second-year junior was actually the master of Lament and Artorius’s sister shocked everyone.

The first-year juniors were astonished that they had two seemingly unapproachable seniors in the second year, and regarded them with almost reverential eyes.

Of course, something very important had changed as well.

Having been appointed as a guardian knight, Ellen, though still a student, now held the status of a knight, and not just any knight, but a high-ranking knight with considerable authority and power.

Of course, Ellen wasn’t interested in such things.

What mattered was the relationship between Ellen and Charlotte.

Ellen and Charlotte weren’t particularly close. They shared a common connection in Reinhart, but they weren’t particularly friendly or hostile towards each other.

However, both of them, half-willingly and half-unwillingly, had redefined their relationship as knight and liege lady.

So, whether they liked it or not, they ended up in a hierarchical relationship.

“Ellen.”

“Yeah.”

“You should call me ‘my Lady’.”

“We’re in the Temple.”

Since status was meaningless in the Temple, the lady-knight relationship was also meaningless. Ellen’s point was a valid one.

However, Charlotte squinted at Ellen.

“Will you call me ‘my Lady’ after graduation, then?”

“We’ll see,” Ellen replied curtly, and Charlotte stared at her.

“...”

“...”

Ellen had no loyalty to Charlotte whatsoever.

If left alone, Reinhart would have ended up not just engaged but married, and his life would have been at risk, so Ellen had revealed her identity and become a knight to grow in recognition and thus take on the danger in his stead.

Charlotte was no different. She did not trust Ellen personally, and she had accepted Ellen’s request because she felt guilty about seemingly demanding too much sacrifice from Reinhart.

From a distance, it seemed like the hero’s sibling was declaring support for the empire and thus boosting its influence, but in reality, the relationship between the new knight and her liege lady was worse than that of strangers.

To Ellen, Charlotte was someone who had almost taken Reinhart away, and to Charlotte, Ellen was the one Reinhart cared about the most.

Even after getting through this, neither could bring themselves to like the other.

“You do know I made a lot of concessions, right? You could be a little grateful.”

“I am grateful. That’s why I became your knight.”

In the end, both Charlotte and Ellen had made some concessions.

Charlotte could have kept quiet and had Reinhart, but she hadn’t, which was a concession. Ellen had also made a personal sacrifice by revealing herself as the hero’s sister and risking being targeted by demon forces.

Charlotte had given up her future, and Ellen had decided to protect the empire at the risk of her own life.

Strictly speaking, neither one owed the other anything, since they had merely traded favors.

Moreover, Ellen, while lacking loyalty, had a sense of responsibility. She would keep to her promise and protect Charlotte with her life if she were in danger, even if she did not feel any personal loyalty towards her. She had no intention of abandoning her duty as a guardian knight.

Ellen and Charlotte stared at each other. They had become entangled in a bizarre way.

Things had turned out this way, though, and they had no choice but to face it. Charlotte found Ellen somewhat annoying, and vice versa.

“Honestly. You know you’re kind of annoying, right?” Charlotte said.

“Relying on pity to get this far is a bit cowardly of you,” Ellen responded.

“Wow... That’s harsh! Really. That’s really harsh!”

“I just wanted to show you what it means to be truly annoying, since you called me that. They’re not my true feelings.”

“What kind of guardian knight are you...?”

“If you’re not happy, then find another knight, excluding Reinhart.”

“You’ve only picked up Reinhart’s way of speaking after spending all that time with him. It’s really irritating!”

“It seems like you weren’t close enough to do the same. That’s unfortunate.”

“W-what? You... you really...”

Charlotte and Ellen, bound by the oath of a guardian knight, ended up disliking each other intensely.

After a bit of bickering, Ellen added, “But nonetheless, I really am grateful. So, even if the whole world abandons you, I’ll protect you.”

She declared her own form of loyalty to her lord.

“... You’re really leaving me speechless,” Charlotte retorted, her face slightly flushed as she turned away from Ellen.

***

Ellen had become Charlotte’s knight, and the engagement was nullified.

I had discussed this separately with the emperor.

The emperor was still open to the idea of me being engaged to Charlotte and eventually marrying her if I wished. In fact, he seemed to prefer it.

However, given the circumstances, I took a step back, since there didn’t seem to be any need to pursue it.

It was perplexing to have the authority to make a choice in this scenario.

Ultimately, the engagement had been called off, but Ellen’s decision led to a significant development: Ellen, Olivia, and I had revealed ourselves to the world.

Ellen and I hadn’t yet properly discussed this issue. Unlike before, I didn’t know what to say to Ellen, and she seemed unsure of how to start the conversation.

After our swordsmanship class with Sabioleen Tana, Tana left, while Ellen and I sat side by side on the bench in the waiting room, saying nothing.

We both felt like we should say something, so neither of us left, but neither of us knew how to begin.

Saying ‘thank you’ or ‘sorry’ both felt strange.

I had made a choice, and it had been Charlotte, and Ellen had sacrificed herself to undo that choice.

So saying ‘thank you’ seemed odd. But saying ‘sorry’ also seemed a bit odd.

“...”

“...”

It was days after the knightly appointment, yet Ellen and I still hadn’t spoken. Ellen had made her choice because of me, yet we hadn’t spoken at all about it.

Time passed.

Ten minutes, thirty minutes, over an hour... Soon, night fell outside the waiting room window.

We still hadn’t spoken.

Feeling the need to say something, I finally opened my mouth.

“I—”

But as soon as I started to speak, Ellen cut me off and looked at me. “Promise me one thing.”

Tears welled up in Ellen’s eyes as she spoke.

“Last time... What happened before... the last time... Don’t... lie like that...”

She was referring to the incident on Kamsencha Island.

Ellen had asked if what I’d said to her before had been a lie, and I had answered yes.

Ellen began to sob. “I know that it was a lie... I know it’s a lie... of course, I know that... but it... it... it hurt so much...”

Ellen pleaded with me through her tears.

I had tried to sacrifice something, and Ellen had chosen to sacrifice herself instead.

In the end though, by revealing my identity to the world, some of the risk still fell on me.

However, before I could sacrifice even more to protect Charlotte, Ellen had stepped in.

Both of us ended up bearing some of the burden to protect Charlotte.

The only thing Ellen had asked of me was not to choose her, or to love her.

She only asked me not to destroy her with lies.

I couldn’t say I liked her, and I couldn’t say thank you.

It wasn’t something that could be resolved with an apology, but...

“I’m sorry.”

That was all I could say.

***

On the way back to the dormitory at night, Ellen and I walked together, keeping a slight distance.

Guilt and obsession intertwined, making our relationship strange.

The engagement had been nullified, but even after all Ellen had said to me, I found it difficult to say anything.

Could we go back to the way things were?

Could we return to normal and act as if nothing happened?

Did I have the right to do so?

It seemed like nothing I did was right, so I ended up doing nothing.

We walked aimlessly back to the second-year dormitory.

Since it was night, I intended to go in and rest, but Ellen grabbed my sleeve. She looked at me with her usual calm expression.

“I’m hungry,” she said.

It was a casually-thrown remark. A simple statement.

Ellen always said things like that casually, and after saying such things, she would make something to eat.

Her casual remark was just an everyday statement.

Now that all the strangeness was behind us, she was signaling that she wanted to return to our usual routine. To the days of diligently sparring, eating a lot before bed, and falling asleep exhausted.

Ellen’s simple words were both a sign of forgiveness and a signal.

‘Let’s go back to how things were. Let’s share every moment as if nothing had happened.’

The guilt hadn’t disappeared, and nothing had reverted to their original state.

But we could pretend. We could pretend as if nothing had changed, as if there was no guilt.

“Is there anything you want to eat?” I asked nonchalantly.

“Stew. With beef.”

“Alright. Beef stew it is.”

“Make a lot.”

“... Just how much are you planning to eat, you pig?”

Ellen seemed pleased by my words.

“A lot. A whole lot,” she said with a bright smile.