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nChapter 335

nA week into the vacation.

nHarriet had been visiting the Royal Magic Department almost daily to study dimensional magic. She didn’t attend the magic research meetings too often, as her presence would likely only be a hindrance.

nEleris had left the Royal Road.

nAccording to what was confirmed at the Rotary Club, a conference was scheduled to be held at the Vampire Council in a week. Eleris would return in time for it, so attending the Rotary Club around that date would secure a chance to participate in the Vampire Council.

nThe five vampire families.

nSecuring their cooperation would be as good as gaining a million-strong army.

nWhether it would be possible to obtain their power through threat or persuasion remained uncertain.

nThere was no way of knowing how to persuade or intimidate the ones who had refused to cooperate during the Demon War.

nThe Black Order would make contact again, and preparations had to be made to obtain information about Cantus Magna for negotiations with them.

nIf the Vampire Council couldn’t provide such information, there was no telling if resorting to insane tactics like luring Cantus Magna using the Golden Week would be necessary.

nMoreover, some grasp of the gate incident had been attained through information about the warp gate itself.

nThe brooch Charlotte gave was already a clue.

nActivating the brooch-shaped artifact and passing through the Royal Road’s warp gate would lead to the Spring Palace’s underground warp gate.

nThe exact process remained unknown.

nWhat was important was that magic technology capable of interfering with the warp gate system already existed.

nOf course, this was an authorized artifact.

nThe key point was obtaining information about the existence of magic technology that could interfere with the warp gate, regardless of how the route was set.

nThe existence of the artifact Charlotte provided had already suggested one possibility.

nSo.

nIn other words, I had officially begun to immerse myself in the problem of saving the world.

nMy head felt like it would burst, there was no time to spare for thought, my life hung in the balance depending on the outcome, and there was always the possibility that my true identity would be revealed.

nOf course, in the midst of all this, there were countless trivial matters to attend to.

nClang! Clatter!

n“Phew.”

n“Not bad at all.”

nAfter exchanging a round of swordplay with Olivia, I hung the practice sword on its rack, feeling a tingling sensation in my palm.

nWithout Ellen, there was no one to practice swordsmanship with. That’s why I was practicing swordsmanship with Olivia in the training hall.

nI could have practiced with Cliffman, but in the end, he hadn’t yet awakened his Magic Body Strengthening, so he wasn’t a suitable opponent for me to give my all.

nOf course, I could have gone to Saviolin Turner, who would gladly teach me swordsmanship, but I decided it was better for her to focus on teaching Ludwig.

nSo, I was practicing swordsmanship with Olivia.

nOlivia, who had been swinging the practice sword, casually slung it over her shoulder.

nI had come to truly appreciate Olivia’s skills after the recent tournament. Until then, she had never mentioned teaching me swordsmanship.

nOf course, since I asked, she agreed to come to the training ground.

nOlivia’s skill is undoubtedly incredible.

nNeither the output and stability of her Magic Body Strengthening nor her swordsmanship itself can be compared to mine.

nEven with my best efforts in intuition, self-suggestion, and Magic Body Strengthening, I couldn’t keep up with her at all.

nI couldn’t help but feel the reality that the reason I was able to kill Riverrier Lanze was due to a combination of achievement points, word magic, and situational luck.

n“Shall we try again?”

n“Let’s do it.”

nHolding her sword, Olivia gazes at me with a calm expression.

nI also take out my practice sword and start enhancing it with magic.

n-Clang! Thud!

nIn an instant, Olivia rushes towards me and roughly pushes my practice sword aside.

n“Weak spot!”

n-Whoosh!

n“!”

nAs she pushes my sword away, my chest is exposed. Olivia embraces my neck and kisses my cheek.

n“Ah, really. Can you please stop doing this?”

n“Then try being stronger than me?”

nEverything would be fine if it wasn’t for her occasional bizarre behavior.

n——

nAfter struggling for quite some time, I finally collapsed onto the training ground floor, utterly exhausted.

nIt’s true that my stamina has improved significantly compared to before, but dueling while using Magic Body Strengthening brings a stronger sense of fatigue.

nA sense of exhaustion different from simply losing strength.

nThankfully, I hardly felt any damage to my magic circuit from using Magic Body Strengthening alone. My pure magic power has increased, and I already have two talents in magic control and response.

nIt would be strange if I didn’t adapt quickly.

n“You’re quite weak, Reinhardt.”

n“…It’s you who’s abnormal, senior.”

n“Isn’t it a good thing to be especially strange among the oddballs gathered in the Royal Class?”

n“You’re right about that.”

nWhile lying flat on the floor of the training ground, Olivia, who sat beside me, playfully poked my cheek.

n“She went back to her hometown, huh?”

n“Yes.”

n“Tsk, you should know that you’re too kind to me.”

nI had no words to refute her claim that she came to me because Ellen wasn’t around.

n“You must feel sorry, seeing that you can’t say anything.”

nOlivia said so, but she didn’t seem furious or intent on arguing.

nI owe Olivia a lot.

nEven so.

nNeither of them knows that I took tremendous risks to save Olivia and Adriana. I don’t want them to know.

nBut I can’t seem to be a proper gentleman. I want to forget about it in a cool way, but I can’t.

nI can’t stand the fact that I can’t make a joke about it! I don’t plan to say anything, but I just can’t stand this situation!

nI took a risk far beyond being caught in a cross-dressing contest for her sake. If she feels hurt by me, that’s just how it is!

n“Reinhardt.”

n“…Yes.”

n“Did you do it?”

n“…Pardon?”

nWhat is she talking about?

nDid she figure something out?

nWhat could be the clue? Olivia has no evidence or leads to find out that I am the Demon King.

nSeeing my expression, as if my mind had come to a halt, Olivia gives a sad smile.

n“The orphanage I sponsored… The director and the teachers… They were all taken away.”

n“…Ah.”

nIt’s like a thief complaining about their foot going numb.

nAlthough we were talking about something completely different, the conversation took an unexpected turn.

nYes, that was my doing.

nI couldn’t tell the Emperor, but when I told Charlotte that everything was resolved regarding Eleris’s escape, I also asked her to help with the orphanage-related issues.

nI was already aware of the orphanages that Olivia personally sponsored. It seemed strange that they were struggling financially despite receiving support.

nIt was just a few days ago, but it seemed Charlotte had taken immediate action. It looked like Olivia had realized that as well.

nOlivia gazes at me with a sad expression.

n“You… did this?”

n“Yes.”

n“…”

nI wished Olivia wouldn’t know, but in the end, it was an issue she couldn’t help but find out about.

n“In the Empire, there are already support programs for war orphans. So, it just didn’t make sense that there were orphanages with financial issues.”

nOlivia didn’t seem happy. There was no way she could be happy.

nThe children would be able to live a more prosperous life under stricter management, but Olivia felt betrayed by the people she trusted.

nOlivia sank down to the floor of the practice hall.

n“I didn’t think they would do that. I never doubted them for a second. I thought there was no way anyone would… intercept the money meant for the children.”

nHer trust in humanity.

nHer trust in the goodness of people.

nOlivia had such human affection. After being disappointed in religion and faith, was she now disappointed in humanity?

nOlivia remained silent for a while before speaking.

n“The funeral begins today.”

n“The funeral…?”

n“Yes, my stepfather.”

nRiverrier Lanze.

nHis death is a significant event not only for the religious community but for the entire Empire.

nNo matter how much he had fallen from grace, he was a war hero. He even perished fighting against the demon race.

nSo, regardless of the actual circumstances and the various problems entwined in his death, on the surface, it is a tragic event for the public. That’s why a funeral is being held to mourn Riverrier Lanze’s death, now that the chaos has been quelled.

n“Reinhardt, can you come with me somewhere for a bit?”

nI couldn’t bring myself to refuse Olivia’s request.

n——

nIt wasn’t noticeable within the temple, but it was apparent that Riverrier Lanze’s funeral was being held on a national scale. Black flags were hung on the houses along the streets as a sign of mourning, and people were selling flowers for tribute.

nThe funeral procession was said to head from the abandoned monastery, where the body was recovered, to the headquarters of the Holy Knights Order.

nFrom the southernmost part of the Imperial Capital, the path towards the Holy Knights Order was controlled by the guards as the funeral procession entered the city.

nWhat to do about this…

nThose damned demons…

nA significant number of the people who had gathered to watch the funeral procession were believers of the Five Great Religions, and even those who weren’t were civilians mourning the death of a war hero.

nHatred towards demons and fear of the Demon King pervaded among the people.

nIt didn’t matter why Riverrier Lanze had been there on that day, at that place.

nPeople believed that Riverrier Lanze had fallen in a fierce battle against the remnants of the demons, and in the end, that was the truth.

nThey simply didn’t know the whole story.

nNo one knew the true face of Riverrier Lanze, who had tried to regain power by threatening his foster daughter, and ultimately sought to join hands with the Demon King as his life hung in the balance in an attempt to divide the empire.

nOlivia must have been bewildered by this situation.

nThanks to the demons’ attack, she was safe in this situation.

nIt would be hard for her to accept that Riverrier Lanze, who had threatened her with Adriana’s life, had become a hero in death.

nFrom the southern crossroads, the grand funeral procession appeared.

nIt was escorted by knights and priests.

nFollowing the carriage they led were dozens of splendidly decorated coffins, holding Riverrier Lanze, knights, and nameless believers of the monastic order.

nRiverrier Lanze’s neck had been severed. I didn’t know how they had managed to recover the bodies that had been torn apart, crushed, and burned by Loyar’s magic.

nI wasn’t sure about the opinions of the entire Holy Knights Order, but I could see Eleion Bolton leading the procession on a white horse at the front.

nBoth the empire and Eleion Bolton must have been pleased with this situation.

nNevertheless, they feigned sorrow for the ignorant citizens and solemnly led the funeral procession.

nAs the funeral procession appeared, people burst into tears as if something incredibly sad had occurred.

n“Oh dear!”

nTears began to spread like an infection, starting with a few cries, which felt quite strange.

nThese people didn’t know Riverrier Lanze.

nI didn’t understand why they were so sad about his death, or even shedding tears. I couldn’t tell if it was because of their faith or something else.

nHowever, I had no right to doubt their tears.

nI was the most inhuman person here, after all.

nWhether or not those I had killed deserved to die, I was a madman who had come to watch the funeral of the people I had killed.

nThere were quite a few people who didn’t cry among the mourning visitors who had quickly become a sea of tears.

nHowever, those who didn’t cry seemed to be filled with an awkward air.

nThey were restless, as if not crying had made them sinners.

nTears were like a hidden spring.

nUnless one had special training, it was impossible to cry just by wanting to. Tears welled up on their own, not something that could be summoned at will.

nAs the funeral procession gradually approached, Olivia calmly watched.

n“Reinhardt.”

n“Yes.”

n“Is it that I find all of this so repulsive? Am I just too wicked?”

nOlivia whispered as she watched the approaching coffin that contained her stepfather’s corpse.

nAll of this was nothing more than a show.

nPeople didn’t know what they needed to know. They only did this because turning Riverrier Lanze into a hero in death made for a pretty picture.

nOlivia probably didn’t like Riverrier Lanze, but she must have disliked the situation in which his death was being exploited just as much.

nShe felt disgust in all of this.

n“I think it’s possible,” I said.

nOlivia shook her head at my words.

nAs the funeral procession gradually approached, entering through the main streets of the southern imperial region, the surrounding area became even louder with people’s cries.

nFollowing the guidance of Eleion Bolton, they would head towards the Holy Knights headquarters. People had gathered to see the long procession, throwing flowers and shedding tears.

nWe were watching the spectacle.

n“Look, over there…”

n“Is that the Saint?”

n“If she’s the Saint…?”

n“She’s the Commander’s daughter!”

nWe had been watching for too long.

nOlivia was a recognizable figure.

nThat’s why there were plenty of people who could recognize her.

nWhen someone in the sea of tears gestured to Olivia, people’s gazes instantly turned to her.

nEredian’s Saint.

nAlthough she was the protagonist in Riverrier Lanze’s fall from grace, people had no interest in that now.

nThe previous Holy Knights Commander and a war hero who had died honorably fighting demons.

nHis daughter’s presence at this event was what mattered.

n“Oh, Saint!”

n“…”

nOlivia’s expression hardened, and the crowd around us quickly swarmed towards her and me.

n“Oh, Saint! What should we do about this! What can we do!”

n“You must avenge us against those filthy and despicable demons!”

n“Following your father’s footsteps, you must also take the lead in vanquishing the demons, Saint!”

n“Oh, Saint! We are too afraid to live!”

n“Saint!”

n“Saint, you must save us!”

n“How can we deal with this situation without the hero!”

nIn an instant, the surrounding area became chaotic.

nAs if Olivia were some kind of god, countless people fell to their knees in front of her, wailing.

nThey couldn’t see the reason Riverrier Lanze had fallen from grace or that Olivia had renounced her faith.

nThe Demon King had returned.

nBut there was no hero now.

nSomeone had to confront the Demon King.

nSomeone other than me – someone great, brave, virtuous, and powerful.

nSomeone to defeat the Demon King in my stead.

nPeople wished for it.

nYou must defeat the Demon King, Saint!

nThere’s no one else but you, Saint!

nOh! Saint! Please save us!

nThey didn’t know Olivia’s true strength.

nThey only vaguely knew that she possessed a powerful divine force and that she was a person of such great virtue as to be called a Saint.

nCountless people treated her as if she were some sort of queen.

nBegging on their knees, asking her to die on their behalf.

nWitnessing numerous people boldly pleading for her to sacrifice herself for them.

nI saw the focus vanish from Olivia’s eyes.

nOlivia was tormented by an overwhelming pressure.

nShe suffered among the multitude of people urging her to regain her faith.

nShe saw the detestable behavior of those who would selfishly control others’ lives for their own benefit and the spectacle of such people’s deaths being praised.

nThe funds that had been squeezed out and prepared so far were being intercepted by the teachers.

nBeyond the problems of faith and religion,

nNow, in places completely unrelated to faith and religion, she saw people boldly demanding that she die in their stead as they wailed.

nWitnessing people who used their tears as a shield and tried to push someone to death with indifference from behind that shield.

nIt seemed as if something important within Olivia had snapped.

n“Why me?”

nA cold, emotionless voice flowed from Olivia.

n“Why do I have to do this?”

nOlivia was broken.

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