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nChapter 328

nOne cannot distinguish between the goodness and evilness of a person based on their appearance alone. At first glance, the person before your eyes may seem as if they couldn’t even hurt an ant, but in reality, they might be an evil spirit who sucks the blood of children.

nTeacher Bell’s expression seemed genuinely flustered.

n“I, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Why would you suddenly bring up such a topic…?”

nNaturally, she would deny it.

n“I don’t know the structure of the orphanage support program, nor do I know the route and method through which the funds are provided. There’s no way I can know. I’m not even an official involved in it.”

nI let out a deep sigh.

nAfter the victory in the Great Demon War, the government immediately began supporting the multitude of orphans that had emerged.

nIn fact, when I had first arrived in the Imperial Capital, I seriously considered whether I should just enter an orphanage-like place. I knew for certain that support would begin in that area.

nIt was also said that war orphans with talent would be able to enter the Temple for free education, even if they weren’t of the Royal Class.

nSo, it doesn’t make sense for there to be orphanage children in the Imperial Capital who lack money, clothes, and food.

nSomehow, they’re being deprived of these necessities.

nIt’s certain that the things that should rightfully go to the children are being leaked somewhere in the middle.

nThe places that Olivia sponsors all suffer from this kind of leak, and the places that actually need help aren’t receiving it.

nWhen I heard this story from Olivia, I didn’t say anything about her sponsorship itself, but I had already grasped that there might be something like this going on.

nNow that I thought about it, I decided to take action.

nLooking at Teacher Bell, who wore an expression of injustice, I crossed my arms.

nI don’t know how the orphanage program operates.

nThis person might actually be innocent.

n“Teacher, did you know that I won the first-year championship in this Temple Tournament?”

n“What does that have to do with…?”

n“The winners of the Temple Tournament have the opportunity to meet His Majesty the Emperor.”

n“!”

nSeeing Teacher Bell’s face turn pale, I smiled mischievously.

n“What do you think would happen if I told His Majesty the Emperor that the orphanage seems to be embezzling the support funds and redirecting them elsewhere?”

n“Wh-What are you talking about? Do you think we’d be safe if you said such a thing?”

n“If you’re innocent, you’d be safe.”

n“What are you saying, student? I-I never… I have absolutely…”

nTeacher Bell’s face grew pale and she began to tremble. The Emperor might issue an order upon hearing this story, or he might not.

nHowever, just the fact that I mentioned it was enough to scare this person.

nAn innocent person might be accused of a crime they didn’t commit. Then, a guilty person would undoubtedly be exposed.

nCould this person truly be innocent?

nJust looking at her expression, which seemed as if she might suffocate at any moment, I knew that she had been playing games with the children’s food.

n“Ha, please, spare me just once. Ha, just once… This will never happen again…”

n-Whack!

n“Argh!”

nI shook off the principal, who clung to my hem.

n“Why should I be the one to decide whether you live or die?”

nI looked down at the trembling middle-aged woman with a seemingly kind face lying on the ground.

nHow many people had been deceived by that facade?

nI had no idea what she had done with the money that should have gone to the children.

nAll the money Olivia had raised by selling her personal belongings must have been stolen this way, and if she had received prize money and donated it to the orphanage, that too must have been embezzled.

n“It’s the imperial law that decides that, not me.”

nOutside the window, the children and Olivia were playing, laughing heartily.

nI was in the principal’s office, watching the orphanage principal kneeling before me.

nI didn’t think Olivia needed to know about this.

nI didn’t want Olivia to find out that what she had been doing all this time was actually benefiting the wrong person.

nShe was already struggling so much.

nI didn’t want to burden her further with such a matter.

n——

nAfter briefly watching Olivia and the children play, we left the orphanage.

nThe children were sad to see us go, and the principal didn’t dare come anywhere near me.

n“What did you talk about?”

n“Oh, just some discussions about when the support policy would start and stuff like that.”

n“Hmm, really? I hope it starts soon.”

nIt had already been implemented long ago. The principal had been deceiving Olivia and the other sponsors by claiming that they had been omitted from the list of recipients.

nI decided there was no need to inform her of this fact. I didn’t even know how much despair she would feel if she found out. The sense of betrayal would be immense.

nThere’s no need to know every truth.

nThere are times when you’re better off not knowing a truth that would only hurt you, and Olivia had already been hurt too much.

nEven if I don’t punish her myself, I can at least report her. I don’t know what punishment everyone will receive, but I intend to look into the other orphanages that Olivia sponsors as well.

nIf Olivia’s wish is for the children to be well-fed and clothed, then that will soon be the case.

n“Reinhardt, you know, the kids were really struggling.”

n“… I don’t like kids.”

n“Huh, I didn’t know you had such a weakness.”

n“Why is disliking something a weakness?”

n“It’s a weakness. Normally, you would have just shouted ‘shoo!’ or something and chased them away, but you couldn’t do anything.”

nThere was no way she couldn’t notice since I was just stuttering instead of shooing them away with my usual harsh words.

n“Heh, you better play nice with our child, okay?”

n“What? What are you talking about?”

nOlivia, laughing heartily, seemed to be in a much better mood.

nThat was enough.

n——

n“Here, eat.”

n-Flinch

n“…?”

n“It’s for humans to eat.”

n“I, I know that…”

nLydia Schmitt cautiously accepted the bread and milk offered by the vampire and set them down beside her.

nAlthough the vampire had given her the food to eat, Lydia could not bring herself to touch it.

nLydia Schmitt huddled and shivered in a corner of the semi-basement.

nThe vampire had calmly left and returned from somewhere.

nShe could have tried to escape, but the fear that the vampire would not let her get away so easily prevented her from even attempting it.

n‘Well, at least she’s not a foolish child. That’s a relief.’

nThe vampire, who had bought the bread and milk, even carefully stroked Lydia’s head as if acknowledging that she had not tried to escape.

nEverything frightened Lydia, but what terrified her most was that it was broad daylight.

n“How can a vampire… during the day…”

nIt was common knowledge that vampires only moved at night.

nYesterday, she had been disguised as an ordinary merchant, and the battle had taken place at night.

nBut now, the vampire was confidently roaming around during the clear daylight.

nThe vampire had even gone out and bought bread and milk.

nThe vampire smiled, watching the astonished Lydia.

n“There’s no such thing as an absolute in this world, is there?”

nIt was an unintentionally gentle smile. It seemed as if the vampire, with her eerie gaze and harsh words from the day before, who had used a series of massive, never-before-seen destructive spells, had disappeared.

nStanding before her was a vampire sorcerer capable of slaughtering tens of thousands with a mere gesture.

nReinhardt, who commanded a sorcerer of such caliber as a subordinate.

nThe Demon King.

nLydia now knew that Reinhardt was such a being.

nShe did not know why the Demon King was the master of Tiamata.

nAll she could hope for now was that, out of fear, they would kill her without turning her into a vampire.

nWhat did this vampire want to do with her?

nLydia didn’t know. All she could do was pray to the gods for a peaceful death.

nThe vampire observed her closely.

n“Hmm… are you cold?”

n“…”

n“It’s winter, so it’s chilly… and there’s no heating…”

nThe vampire touched the floor and cocked her head.

nSnap!

nA heat source was summoned, and warmth began to circulate throughout the chilly room.

n“How is it? Is it warm?”

n“…”

nLydia could only shrink back even more.

nWhat did they want from her? She knew nothing. All she could do was tremble in fear, unable to understand what the terrifying vampire wanted to make of her.

nThe vampire sighed deeply, then stared at Lydia.

n“Don’t be so scared. If you need anything, just let me know.”

n“…”

nAs if to say not to be afraid, the vampire sat down beside her and supported Lydia’s trembling shoulders.

n“I understand that you’re scared given the situation, but you don’t have to be so terrified.”

n“…”

n“I won’t hurt you, so you don’t have to worry.”

nThe kinder the vampire was to Lydia, the more her fear intensified.

n“Wh-what do you want… from me…?”

nHaving conquered her fear, Lydia gathered her courage and asked. The vampire cocked its head at her question.

n“Nothing?”

n“Then… why are you… keeping me like this?”

n“Because you don’t want to become a part of our family or kin, and our king doesn’t trust you yet.”

nLydia Schmidt looked at Eleris with a face full of despair.

n“Can’t you… just kill me… in a normal way?”

nNow that Lydia knew Reinhardt’s identity, she couldn’t even come up with an argument in her defense.

nShe, who feared becoming a vampire, had betrayed her comrades in the Holy Order.

nRegardless of whether the Demon King was an apostle of Tu’an, her sins were deep.

nThat’s why Lydia, drowning in guilt, now only wished for a clean death.

n“I wouldn’t like that, so I can’t.”

nWas she destined to be trapped in this dark underground forever? To remain like this until she agreed to become a vampire, unable to die?

nHad she become a human being farmed by a vampire?

nSeeing Lydia’s expression, Eleris seemed to understand something and lowered her head.

n“You can’t go back to the temple, but you can at least go outside. Of course, wherever you go, you must be with me.”

n“…?”

n“Some people might recognize you, so I’ll alter your appearance a bit. If you want to go somewhere or eat something, just say so. If you want a change of scenery, we can teleport to faraway places. Don’t worry about the distance.”

nLydia Schmidt thought this vampire was strange.

n“You can visit your family if you have any. Of course, I’ll have to watch from nearby. You’ll understand that much, right?”

n“N-no… I don’t have… any family…”

n“Ah, I see. I’m sorry.”

n“N-no… it’s… fine…”

nWas this really her fate?

nLydia felt as if she might have made a huge mistake.

nThe vampire before her.

nAnd Reinhardt.

nLydia couldn’t understand what was happening at all.

n——

nIn the central Imperial Palace Tetra of the Eredian Empire.

nAfter finishing an urgent meeting with the ministers, the Emperor sat in his study with the Crown Prince and Princess before him.

nBertus and Charlotte didn’t engage in their usual mind games.

nThey knew it was not an ordinary situation.

nNow was not the time to go against the Emperor’s mood.

n“Last night, Riverrier Lanze was found dead along with several elite Holy Knights in an abandoned monastery on the outskirts of the southern imperial region.”

nEmperor Nelliod de Gardias calmly relayed the facts.

n“It is believed to have been the work of the demon race.”

n“Is it related to… the incident that occurred before?”

nAt Bertus’s question, the Emperor nodded.

nIt was impossible to say for certain, but the situation suggested that there could be no other explanation.

nThe Great Demon War had ended, but powerful demons still survived. They were formidable enough to launch a large-scale attack on the Imperial Capital.

nLast time, there were no casualties, but this time, there were.

nRiverrier Lanze, the former commander of the Holy Knights and one of the heroes of the Great Demon War, had died.

nBut the Emperor, Empress, and Prince all wore strange expressions on their faces.

n“… Are the Gods helping our Empire?”

nAt the Emperor’s words, both Charlotte and Bertus trembled but could only nod in agreement.

nThe appearance of high-ranking demons in the Imperial Capital was a calamity, but the three of them knew that, in the long run, this situation was a blessing in disguise.

n“Did those who died at that location include not only Riverrier Lanze but also the nameless religious leaders of the Nameless Monastery?”

n“I can’t say for certain about the exact composition, but that seems to be the case.”

nThe Emperor nodded again in response to Charlotte’s question.

nThe royal family had already grasped the existence of the Nameless Monastery, a secret religious organization formed by Riverrier Lanze.

nHowever, the situation was delicate, as there was no telling when the religious world would explode, and they couldn’t take action against the Order.

nAssassination was difficult. Riverrier Lanze himself was an exceptional fighter, and the leaders of the Nameless Order were battle-hardened veterans.

nEven if they succeeded in assassinating them, it would be obvious that the royal family was behind it.

nThus, the Imperial family had been pondering how to deal with the growing seeds of division without resorting to any action.

nAnd then, in a single night, they were wiped out.

nFurthermore, numerous civilians had seen flying demons in the vicinity. The royal family could not be suspected of being behind it, nor could they be accused of being so.

nAlthough the appearance of the surviving demon forces was a disaster, the Empire had gained without lifting a finger.

n“Do you understand why the demons attacked Riverrier Lanze instead of the Holy Knights?”

n“Other than personal grudges against Riverrier Lanze… I’m not sure.”

nBertus could only make such an inference.

n“More importantly, I think it’s crucial to determine whether the demons knew about the Nameless Monastery and attacked them.”

n“If they knew, they should have left them alone to weaken the Empire…”

n“Exactly.”

nIf the demons knew the purpose of the Nameless Monastery, it would be in their best interest to leave them alone to weaken the Empire. Therefore, they could not have known about it, and that conclusion was reasonable.

nThere was no way they could assume that the demons were trying to protect the Empire, so even the heart of the Empire could not comprehend the true nature of the situation.

nThus, they were left in the dark.

nThe old problem had been removed, but it had been replaced with another issue.

nPowerful demons still survived and could attack the Imperial Capital at any time.

nIt was impossible to tell whether the Demon King had truly been resurrected or if there was a successor to the throne.

nHowever, everyone in the Empire had come to realize that the Great Demon War was not yet over.

nThey knew that this would have a positive effect on the Empire for the time being.

n——

nAfter attending to the Emperor, in a corridor on one side of the Central Palace, Tetra.

nBertus and Charlotte were walking through the corridor, preparing to leave the Central Palace.

n“What do you think, sister?”

n“…About what?”

n“The possibility of that child you’re looking for being involved in this.”

n“I don’t want to hear such nonsense.”

nDespite saying that, Charlotte’s mind was also in turmoil.

n“What if that kid turns out to be the son of the Demon King or something like that…”

n“Shut up.”

nCharlotte glared at Bertus with a grim expression.

n“What are you trying to say? I’m the one who ended up living with the son of the Demon King. So this whole situation is because of me. Do you want to say something like that? That I should have just died by your hands? Are you trying to say something like that?”

nAt Charlotte’s hostile words, Bertus smiled and lowered his head.

n“No? I just wanted to say that it would be such a relief if that were the case. I almost made a fatal mistake, didn’t I?”

nThere’s no meaning in competition without the Empire.

nSeeing his evil-filled expression, Charlotte felt like she was going to be sick.

nSomeone had to hear this conversation. But there was no one to listen to it.

nEven if someone did hear it, nothing would change.

n“…You’re such an unlucky bastard.”

nBertus’s words, wishing that the child was rather the son of the Demon King or something similar, were understandable.

nCharlotte knew what he was thinking.

nEven if the remnants of the demons remained, they couldn’t bring down the Empire. Dark Land had been effectively destroyed, and the Demon King’s Castle had been captured.

nThe remaining demons couldn’t do more than guerrilla warfare.

nSo, if a rallying point for the surviving demons emerged to cause a disturbance, the Empire might face chaos, but it wouldn’t split apart.

nBertus was hoping for the existence of the Demon King’s successor from that perspective.

nCharlotte knew that too.

nThis situation, though incomprehensible, was ultimately good for the Empire.

nCould that child really be related to the Demon King?

nDespite that possibility, the child seemed to have no abilities and was exceedingly ordinary.

nHowever, Charlotte knew that she couldn’t completely deny that possibility.

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