Demon King of the Royal Class-Chapter 700

When the man awoke from his recurring dream, daylight had already broken through. He had only lived five years of a life he was destined to endure for a lifetime.

His strength lay in never collapsing, never falling—a resolve that was guiding him through a life without direction, his only mission being to remain unbroken. He wandered endlessly, unsure if he was escaping or progressing, unable to settle down.

A seeker of the unattainable, an eternal wanderer... This was the role bestowed upon the fourth Apostle, the keeper of the last holy relic.

Everything around him was fading, yet the embers within him still glowed. They could flare up at any moment before finally burning out. With the most perilous yet critical object in the world in his possession, he moved aimlessly, careful not to reveal its presence, pausing only occasionally to rest.

The man quietly gazed up at the sky, straining to hear the faintest echoes amidst countless hallucinations, as if trying to catch the whispers of the world.

How much time had slipped by?

“Hey, mister!”

He watched as a girl, always lively and mischievous yet unmistakably kind, ran toward him.

How many days had he spent in this nameless village? He couldn’t quite remember, but he knew it was time to leave this place. The place where a cute, lovely, and spirited girl had become a part of his days.

“Today, I brought sausages too,” she announced with a bright smile, holding up a hot dog as if it were a special treat.

The man shook his head gently. “Sandy.”

“... Yes?”

It was the first time he had spoken her name since arriving in the village.

The man, who had seemed on the brink of death, suddenly appeared revitalized. His eyes regained focus, and with surprising ease, he stood up.

Sandy, who had only ever seen him sitting, was taken aback by his height. She stared up at him, mouth agape, wondering if he had always been this tall. To her, he seemed like a completely different person.

He looked down at her and spoke with a newfound strength.

“Tell the villagers.”

“Tell them... what?” Sandy asked, confused.

What was he talking about?

“No matter what happens, don’t come out of your houses until sunset.”

The man was strange. Sandy always thought he was peculiar. But really, he was truly an odd person. She couldn’t make sense of him at all.

The man began to walk away quietly.

In his nearly deafened ears, he could hear the sound of hooves approaching.

***

Sandy didn’t understand what the man’s words meant. But somehow, they seemed important. Just like when she had shouted to everyone for help to save the fallen man, she found herself shouting again this time.

Sandy couldn’t just say, “The homeless man suddenly told us not to come out of our houses.” That would sound strange, and no one would believe her. Instead, Sandy had a clever idea. She yelled that a monster had appeared near the village and warned everyone to stay inside.

Though Sandy was known as the village prankster, she had never joked about monsters, a topic that had become quite sensitive for the villagers.

At the mention of a monster, fear gripped the residents, and they quickly locked their doors. Some villagers asked Sandy what kind of monster it was. She claimed she didn’t know, but insisted it was a terrifying and ferocious creature, and urged them to remain silent until it passed.

It seemed rather contradictory to shout for everyone to stay quietly indoors because of a monster, and Sandy’s parents suspected she was up to her usual mischief. Determined to give her a good scolding, they rushed out to find her. Just then, a distant, unfamiliar rumble echoed through the air.

Dudududud!

Whether it was a monster or something else, it was clear that something significant was unfolding. Sandy’s parents hurried her inside the house. The villagers were uncertain about the exact nature of the threat. But the tremors grew stronger, steadily approaching the village.

Suddenly, a shrill cry, the frightened neighing of a horse, filled the air.

—W-what... What the hell is that...!

The rumbling continued to draw near. The moment it seemed to reach the village, the chilling sounds of a horse in its death throes and the faint cry of a person dying echoed around the village, filling the resident with dread.

***

Thanks to Sandy’s warning, the entire village was on high alert. When the screams finally faded, Sandy, who had broken free from her parents’ hold, was the first to dash outside.

Night had already fallen. Sandy sprinted frantically toward the source of the terrifying sounds, and arrived at the entrance to the village, now cloaked in darkness. There, she saw them—dead horses.

Dead bodies lay scattered among abandoned weapons. In the midst of the chaos, a one-armed man stood under the pale moonlight, gripping a golden spear in his left hand.

This man, who seemed too frail to snap a twig, had somehow slain dozens of mounted and armed men.

“Mister...?”

Sandy, known for her strong heart and eccentric nature, was so stunned by the scene that she collapsed to the ground. The golden spear vanished from the man’s hand like a mirage, as if it had never existed. He seemed to anticipate Sandy being the first to stumble upon this grim tableau, showing no hint of anger or surprise.

Slowly, he approached Sandy, who sat trembling on the ground.

“Ah, ah...” he murmured, crouching down to meet her gaze.

The man looked into Sandy’s frightened eyes and spoke softly.

“They were bandits.”

Sandy remained silent, her eyes wide with fear.

“I passed all the villages further west. All of them had been plundered by them,” he continued. “They showed no mercy, killing everyone—children, the elderly. It didn’t matter.”

Sandy stayed silent, processing the horror of his words.

“I didn’t plan to get involved,” the man admitted. “Bandits aren’t my concern.”

He knew he couldn’t shoulder the world’s burdens. He was a man accustomed to carrying his own. Therefore, he wandered aimlessly, seeking nothing in particular. Yet, something had compelled him to stay in this village.

Even when people shot him disapproving glances, even when they occasionally scolded him, he remained silent. He had sat in the corner of the barn, waiting for something. It wasn’t that he couldn’t stand the sight of bandits.

“Sandy,” he murmured. “Goodness... doesn’t always come with a reward. Living kindly, living virtuously doesn’t make you happy, nor does it bring rewards. In fact, it might make life more painful.”

The man gently placed his hand on Sandy’s head, just as Sandy had sometimes done for him out of pity and sympathy.

Was his hand, that seemed almost lifeless, always this large... this rough... and this warm? Sandy stared blankly at the man before her.

“But sometimes,” he said, “just being good and kind should be enough to be rewarded.”

“Rewards aren’t always assured,” he continued softly, “but if you live in such a way, sometimes good things should happen. So that people can affirm goodness, even just a little. Like when you saved a dirty beggar dying on the street, and that beggar went on to defeat all the bandits threatening the village...

“There’s nothing wrong with believing that such an unbelievable fairytale could happen.”

Someone who could be ignored. Someone who could be left to die. And a girl who couldn’t stand it and cried out for help. The peculiar girl who took it upon herself to care for that beggar.

She had fed him. Bathed him. Shaved him. Become his companion.

Her kindness was its own reward.

The man had no interest in bandits, but he felt compelled to repay the girl’s kindness in the only way he knew how. All he had to offer was violence. It was the only reward he could give. Knowing the bandits would come, he stayed in the barn, ignoring the subtle and not-so-subtle hints from the villagers.

In the end, the villagers had been kind as well. They might have given him wary looks, but they did not chase him away with sticks. He had experienced the steady hearts of everyone in this village, and Sandy’s own spirit, mischievous yet kind... To repay that kindness, the beggar had stayed in that barn for a long time, unconcerned.

“Sandy...” he murmured, “I’m sorry that you had to witness such a horrendous scene... This is why I urged you to stay inside...”

But he knew the girl never listened. It was inevitable she would witness this scene.

The man gently placed his hand on Sandy’s cheek.

“Thank you,” he said softly. “You don’t always have to be so kind, but I want you to know that your kindness brought me joy for the first time in a long while.”

After a few tender pats, he slowly stood up.

Sandy still did not truly know what had just happened. She didn’t know who the man was. But she knew that because she had saved someone, the village had been saved in turn.

As the wanderer quietly prepared to leave, the girl called out to him. “Hey, Mister.”

At her voice, he paused.

“Where... where are you going...?” she asked hesitantly.

The man didn’t turn to face her. He was searching for something, though he didn’t know where to find it. So he wandered, without direction.

“To a place of eternal rest,” he replied.

And then he continued on his way.

In search of a place where the world’s most important and sorrowful souls could find eternal rest.

***

The eternal wanderer roamed without direction, seeking the elusive land of rest, unsure if it was real or just a figment of hope. As he left the village behind, he came upon two figures under the moon’s glow. One stood tall, while the other sat perched on a rock ledge.

The man halted silently before them.

“It’s been a while, Ludwig,” one of the figures said.

That voice, sounding distant, echoed in Ludwig’s mind. Through his blurry vision, Ludwig recognized a familiar face.

He remembered that face and voice all too well.

The red hair was striking even under the moonlight.

“Scarlett...?”

There she was, a cherished friend, waiting for him beneath the night sky. But behind her stood another figure. A being with unmistakable horns, staring directly at him.

“It’s been a while,” that being said.

It was the ruler of the continent—the Demon King.

“Reinhart...”

It was a name that echoed across realms. There he sat, perched on a rock ledge, gazing at Ludwig.

A golden spear materialized in Ludwig’s left hand, its sudden appearance commanding attention.

“... What do you want?” Ludwig asked, his voice steady.

The Emperor’s eyes flickered with recognition. “Is that Alixion?”

Ludwig remained silent.

“Relax,” Reinhart said, his expression softening. “Do you really think I’ve come to fight?”

The Emperor raised his arms in a gesture of peace. With a nod, Ludwig let Alixion vanish.

Ludwig wondered how Reinhart had found him, but perhaps it didn’t matter now. The one standing opposite him was the ruler of the continent. Whatever he sought, he would eventually find. All he had to do was to cast a wide net, and through a series of coincidences, what he desired would eventually swim into it.

After five long years, Ludwig had been ensnared in that web.

“It was you, wasn’t it?” The Demon King said softly, his gaze fixed on the necklace hidden beneath Ludwig’s clothes.

Ludwig remained silent, but he could see in the Emperor’s eyes that he knew the truth, and needed no confirmation.

“You saved my life, yet vanished without seeking any recognition. Why?”

“... Because I didn’t save you because I believed you were right,” Ludwig replied quietly.

Reinhart let out a weary sigh.

“Well, this is the life that you saved, so if I do something foolish, feel free to take it back,” Reinhart said. “But can you endure it?”

Ludwig’s expression hardened as he met the Emperor’s gaze. ‘Enduring it...?’

He had never considered it in those terms. Every day felt like a living hell, yet he refused to crumble.

“I believe it’s only right for me to take it,” Reinhart continued.

“...”

“You have no reason to bear it,” Reinhart pressed. “No matter how I look at it, it’s my responsibility.”

“...”

Someone had to carry the soul stone. It could spell a potential disaster if left unchecked. But Ludwig was struggling with it every day. It felt like the heaviest burden in the world.

He was carrying the sins of others. It made sense that the Emperor said it was better for him to bear it than Ludwig. Yet...

“I can’t let someone whose life is so unnecessarily valuable carry something like this,” Ludwig said.

Ludwig had not saved the Demon King because he had been in the right. But he could not let this new Emperor carry such a burden.

“So you’re saying you’ll wander the world like a half-dead corpse until you die?” the Emperor asked, as though he had expected Ludwig’s response.

“That’s none of your business,” Ludwig replied.

“At least consider giving up this life of wandering,” the Emperor suggested. “It’s not hard for me to ensure you live a comfortable life. And if you won’t give that thing up, I wish you’d at least recognize your own importance.”

Ludwig remained silent, his thoughts drifting back to his recent brush with death on the road.

The Emperor wanted him to at least live in comfort. But Ludwig shook his head.

“I have to find it,” he insisted.

“...?”

“They’re not monsters,” Ludwig continued, his voice filled with conviction. “Just sad beings who had no choice but to become what they are.”

The Emperor regarded him silently.

“So I have a duty to find a way to give them peace,” Ludwig declared. “That task is mine alone.”

They were not a burden to be endured by someone else, or a danger to be exterminated. They were just pitiful souls who could not find rest. And there had to be a way to give them proper rest. That was why Ludwig was wandering, searching for a place he wasn’t even sure existed.

Scarlett watched Ludwig, her eyes filled with sorrow as she witnessed the burden of his eternal wandering.

The Emperor observed Ludwig in silence. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

“You’re as stubborn as ever,” the Emperor finally remarked, having anticipated Ludwig’s refusal of all offers. “If so, let me make a proposal. I have no intention of making you accept anything.”

He looked Ludwig in the eyes. “Have you ever considered seeking the ‘end of the world’?”

“... What?” Ludwig asked, taken aback.

The end of the world... Ludwig’s eyes widened at the unexpected offer. He hadn’t planned on accepting anything, but this was something he hadn’t even considered.

“I’m trying to discover where this world begins and ends,” Reinhart continued. “This continent might be the only one, or there could be others. In any case, I have spent a long time preparing a fleet to explore this possibility. It will set sail soon. Who knows? What you’re searching for might be out there somewhere in the wider world. Divinity, magic, and supernatural power—there might be something beyond all that. With it, the impossible could become possible.”

A land of rest... Did such a place exist? Could there be another world beyond this continent?

The Demon King, who had become the ruler of this continent, was determined to discover if there was more beyond the familiar world.

The uncharted territory. There might be something hidden in the emptiness beyond the continent’s sea, since the beginning of time, and he was resolved to find it.

Ludwig observed the Demon King quietly.

Without waiting for a response, the Demon King pulled something from his pocket. It was a magic scroll.

“If you’re going, then use this,” he said.

Ludwig did not fully understand that it was a teleport scroll meant to send him to a specific location.

The Demon King regarded Ludwig with a calm gaze. “We’re not exactly thrilled to see each other, are we? In that case, I’ll take my leave.”

It was true; their relationship wasn’t one for lengthy discussions.

“And if things become too unbearable for you, let me handle it for a while. I’m not asking to take over it permanently, but I can manage it for a year or so. If you die, it’ll be a loss for me. You understand that, right?”

“... I’ll consider it.”

Reinhart had offered Ludwig three proposals, and he had turned down two.

The Demon King gazed at Ludwig with sorrowful eyes. “I’m sorry. For everything.”

Ludwig was puzzled by the Demon King’s apology. Shouldn’t he be expressing gratitude instead? Why was he apologizing? Yet, the Demon King offered no further explanation.

Scarlett, too, looked at Ludwig with a somber expression and then lowered her head.

Flash!

In a flash of teleportation light, they vanished as if they had never been there.

Ludwig stared blankly at the scroll in his hand.

‘The end of the world...’

The Demon King refused to settle down. He was up to something.

There could be nothing beyond the vast, endless sea, or there could be something. There might be another possibility, out there beyond the known world.

What couldn’t be found on this continent might exist beyond its borders.

In the end, that would be better than wandering aimlessly.

Ludwig didn’t hesitate for long.

Flash!

Ludwig unfolded and activated the scroll, and a brilliant light enveloped him.

When the light faded and he opened his eyes, he found himself gazing down at a sprawling port from atop a hill. Below, ships that were under construction and those that were fully built were lined up in neat rows. It was a fleet, vast beyond comprehension, destined for the end of the world. The scale of it was unlike anything ever seen before.

Between the towering ships that seemed to belong to another realm, Ludwig noticed mermaids gliding gracefully through the sea.

And then he saw something else.

A familiar face. A face Ludwig never thought he’d see again.

“... You’ve come, Ludwig.”

It was the sorcerer who had vanished.

“Dettomorian...?”

Indeed, it was Dettomorian who stood before him. A sorcerer whose knowledge and abilities were always shrouded in mystery.

They were venturing into the unknown, uncertain of what they sought or what power awaited them. It seemed only fitting that someone wielding forces beyond the world’s comprehension would pave the way.

“Let’s head off together...”

Dettomorian was ready to cross the mysterious boundary with Ludwig.

“... to the other side of the world.”

Ludwig, awestruck by the vast ocean and the abyss beyond, gazed out at the great fleet, poised to sail toward the horizon where dawn and dusk met.