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Chapter 345

The day I was caught in women’s clothing, I issued important directives about forming an alliance with the anti-imperial forces.

Sometimes I wondered what kind of person I was becoming.

The difference between what I should do as Reinhardt and what I should do as Valiere seemed to be getting too great.

In the meantime, I also awakened a superior talent called magic mastery.

And now, I felt a sense of crisis that the butterfly effect of my actions so far could overwhelm me at any moment.

After experiencing the unlikely situation of my participation in the cross-dressing contest leading to Berthus investigating me, I felt like I was walking on thin ice.

And when would Ellen return?

That night.

My body felt heavy as if it weighed a thousand pounds due to the long training session, but I couldn’t sleep properly, perhaps because I had too many things on my mind.

After tossing and turning for a few hours and barely falling asleep, how much time had passed?

Gulp

Rein… Reinhardt…

“Uh, uh-ah!”

I woke up with a start at the desperate touch gripping my hand.

As I sat up in bed, I saw Charlotte, who was almost lying down, clutching my arm tightly.

“Cha… Charlotte?”

“Rein… Reinhardt…”

Half of Charlotte’s face was covered in darkness, and she looked at me with tears in her eyes.

Fear and shock cleared my mind faster than surprise.

I thought it was over.

Was it not completely finished yet?

“Me, please… please do something… please…”

“Uh, um. Okay. I got it.”

Not knowing what to do, I instinctively embraced the shivering Charlotte.

“It’s okay. It’s… it’s all okay…”

“Uh, uh-huh…”

Tears streaming down her face, Charlotte trembled in my arms.

I thought it was over, but was it not?

With my sleepy mind focused, I desperately whispered as if reciting a prayer.

“It’ll be alright.”

Charlotte’s power hadn’t disappeared.

“Nothing will happen.”

Would Charlotte have to live in this pain forever if her power didn’t disappear?

I whispered reassurances, stroking Charlotte’s back over and over.

The curse.

Whether it was the curse’s power or not, Charlotte’s trembling subsided, and the darkness that seemed to engulf her body gradually receded.

Was this really a reaction to the curse?

Both Charlotte and Saviolin Turner understood it that way.

But I couldn’t tell whether it was reacting to my demonic domination, the curse, or something else entirely.

However.

“Huuk… huk… ugh…”

It seemed certain that I was the only one who could improve Charlotte’s condition.

As her trembling subsided and she returned to her usual appearance, I finally took in the sight of her.

She was in a camisole and barefoot.

Her body was soaked in cold sweat, making it awkward to look at.

Charlotte couldn’t bring herself to leave my embrace.

“…”

“…”

It seemed that as her condition improved, she couldn’t help but think about what she had become and tremble.

I carefully pulled the blanket down and covered it over Charlotte’s shoulders.

“Are you feeling a bit better?”

“Uh, uh-huh…”

In the darkness, Charlotte nodded, wrapping the blanket I had draped over her like a cloak. I gently helped her up from the floor where she was sitting and carefully seated her on the bed.

My door was closed. Upon checking the lock, I found it was locked.

How did she get in?

“What happened?”

“…I didn’t lose consciousness this time. But suddenly, this happened.”

Before, her body would be taken over while she was unconscious or asleep.

But this time, the shadow began to invade her body while she was still awake.

“I had to come to you, but if I went into the corridor… I didn’t know who might see me…”

Charlotte trembled, seemingly afraid of what she had done.

Previously, she had demonstrated the ability to be completely consumed by shadows.

It seemed that she had used the power to move through shadows or darkness to travel directly from her room to mine.

“I don’t want this… I don’t want to be able to do this…”

Although Charlotte was able to come to me undetected by anyone due to this power, the very fact that it was possible seemed terribly frightening to her.

Her fear seemed to prevent her from making sound judgments.

“Stay with me… Stay with me, Reinhardt…”

“Alright. I’ll stay with you.”

As Charlotte clung to my waist, she looked up at me in the darkness.

Her large, terrified eyes were filled with tears.

It seemed dangerous.

Charlotte, in her unstable state, seemed to be on the verge of collapsing once more, now that she thought she was safe again.

“Stay with me… Keep staying…”

As Charlotte’s lips began to part slightly.

“It’s okay.”

I pulled Charlotte’s head towards my chest.

“You don’t need to be so scared, it’s alright.”

“…”

I couldn’t help it, as it seemed something irreversible was about to happen.

“Nothing will happen. I’m sure of it.”

Charlotte remained still, nestled in my arms, for a very long time.

——

When her fear subsided, Charlotte fell asleep as if she had fainted.

As I had done at the Spring Palace before, I kept watch beside Charlotte’s bed.

How long had it been since Charlotte had fallen asleep?

-Knock, knock, knock!

The sudden, urgent knocking on the door made my body tense, but only for a moment.

“Reinhardt, it’s me.”

As I heard the voice coming from beyond the door, my tension eased.

It was Saviolin Turner.

I carefully got up and opened the door, revealing a pale-faced Saviolin Turner.

-Gasp

“Reinhardt, by any chance, Her Highness is here… I see.”

Upon seeing Charlotte lying in bed through the crack in the door, she breathed a sigh of relief.

She straightened her posture and entered my room, placing her hand gently on the forehead of the sleeping Charlotte.

“I came to check on her when she suddenly disappeared…”

Saviolin Turner had been at the temple to guard Charlotte.

Although they didn’t share a bedroom, Turner would periodically check on Charlotte to ensure she was sleeping well.

But when Charlotte suddenly vanished, she came to find me, worried. Charlotte was in a deep slumber.

“It seems her consciousness hasn’t been consumed this time. But her power was suddenly unleashed, and she seems to have traveled through the shadows to my room.”

“Is that so…”

Her consciousness wasn’t consumed, but her power was acting on its own.

It was clear to both Turner and me that Charlotte’s condition hadn’t completely improved.

Turner looked down at the sleeping Charlotte with a troubled expression.

“It’s like a stroke of luck that you can somehow calm her down…”

She seemed to think that my very existence was a great fortune for Charlotte.

“But to suppress her power with this imperfect method… It’s nothing more than a stopgap.”

How long I can keep Charlotte stable is uncertain.

Turner seemed to think that we needed to find a more fundamental solution, and I agreed.

But where could such a thing be found?

Searching for a seal master is a thing of the past.

In the end, my thoughts were drawn to that side.

Akasha.

Though I hated treating it as an omnipotent tool capable of fulfilling anything, my thoughts couldn’t help but be drawn to it now.

Would there be a way to seal Charlotte’s power there?

Turner gently wiped the cold sweat from Charlotte’s forehead with a handkerchief and spoke softly.

“Reinhardt.”

“Yes.”

“…It’s clear that her power is related to the Demon King. You know that, right?”

“…Yes.”

I knew that better than anyone else.

“Is it a leap to think that there might be clues to resolving her situation in the Demon King’s castle?”

In Turner’s gloomy tone, there was a mixture of her sorrow at being unable to help the suffering princess.

But the Demon King’s castle.

Though not a place I yearn for, it was where everything started.

I still don’t know what’s there.

“…I’m not sure. Didn’t we already bring back everything of value from the Demon King’s castle?”

“That’s true. But the Demon King’s castle has been a very important place throughout Darkland’s history, which is as long as that of humanity. We may not have uncovered everything yet.”

There were still things in the Demon King’s castle that hadn’t been uncovered. So, treasures and numerous items were brought out, but there still might be hidden things, and they were still being investigated.

Hearing her words, it occurred to me that the fall of the Demon King’s castle and fully understanding it were different matters.

I am merely suppressing Charlotte’s power with a transcendent force called a spellbinding. I am not even sure if it is truly the power of spellbinding.

I agree with her that a more fundamental solution is needed.

Could there be a clue on the Demon King’s castle?

“Are you planning to go to the Demon King’s castle?”

“…There is no need for me to go personally, as numerous personnel have already been deployed for the search.”

There is no need for her to go directly. She is not lacking in people she can entrust with this task.

“Her Majesty suggested… that she might want to visit the Demon King’s castle herself. It’s certainly dangerous. We have both opposed it because of the danger. Both I and His Majesty.”

She looks at me while placing her hand on Charlotte’s forehead.

Charlotte knew that her condition had not fully recovered. So she thought there might be a solution on the Demon King’s castle and wanted to go there.

Turner must have opposed it all along, thinking it could be dangerous.

But today, Charlotte’s power had another outbreak. With a gloomy voice, Turner, bowed before Charlotte’s sleeping face, speaks to me.

“Reinhardt, may I ask you a difficult favor?”

I already knew what she was going to say without hearing it.

“Let’s go together.”

“….”

If something related to Charlotte’s power were to happen, I would be the only one who could handle it, so it was obvious that she was asking me to accompany her to the Demon King’s castle.

Without even hearing what she was asking, my response made her tremble, holding Charlotte’s sleeping hand.

“Thank you… Reinhardt.”

I believe it’s something that must be done.

Perhaps this was what the emperor said I should do for Charlotte.

——

The next day.

With Turner’s help, a rejuvenated Charlotte returns to her room, cleans herself up, and we meet again.

“To the Demon King’s castle…? You’re coming too?”

“Yes.”

Charlotte looked apologetic, as if Turner had already explained everything to her.

“…It might be dangerous.”

“How dangerous could the Demon King’s castle be after the Demon King’s death?”

Even saying this, I don’t feel guilty at all.

To me, the Demon King is just like a puppy.

We will need the emperor’s permission, but we should be able to go to the Demon King’s castle.

Charlotte might not know, but we once escaped the Demon King’s castle together, and now we’re returning together.

This brings a strange sense of excitement to me.

Charlotte looks at me with a complicated expression. From losing her senses and clinging to me in tears yesterday, to hearing that I would accompany her to the Demon King’s castle.

A mixture of embarrassment, gratitude, and guilt in Charlotte’s expression was indescribable.

“Thank you. Really.”

You said you always receive from me.

So, I’ll give you whatever I can.

Charlotte added this with a flushed face.

——

We weren’t leaving for the Demon King’s castle immediately. Since Saviolin Turner had gone to seek permission from the Emperor, it was expected that some time would be needed. We had at least a few days before our departure.

I took care of what I needed to do.

I left the temple and headed for the Rotary Club.

“Are you comfortable here?”

“Yes, everyone is very kind.”

In response to my question, Adriana answered with a bright smile.

For some reason, Loyar had become like a pet dog to Adriana, and the other club members seemed to naturally take care of various things, seeing how much Loyar liked Adriana.

I wasn’t without worry, but it was fortunate that the other club members viewed Adriana favorably, thanks to Loyar’s easygoing acceptance.

Adriana, having a diligent personality, seemed to be helping with various chores around the club’s headquarters.

So it was no illusion that everyone’s condition had improved compared to before.

Since we were here, Adriana and I took a walk around the Rotary Club together.

I wondered how Adriana felt.

She had been hurt by various events and was now living in hiding.

“How is Olivia?”

Yet, Adriana seemed more concerned about Olivia than herself.

“Well… Her personality has changed a bit, but ultimately, she seems to be coping well.”

“That’s a relief…”

Adriana had a dream for her future but gave it up. She tried to return to her original life, but even that was taken away from her.

Adriana must feel vague and empty.

She wouldn’t know what to do next.

Like Olivia, who became disillusioned not only with religion but also with humanity.

Was Adriana going through the same stages as Olivia had?

“Those who were taught to love me threatened me, and those who were taught to hate me all their lives saved me.”

Everything she believed in her life would feel completely invalidated. She might be living quietly here, but there was no doubt that such thoughts tormented Adriana.

In reality, if she had returned to the temple or entered a monastery, she would have been summoned immediately for an investigation of what had happened.

And the mere fact that she was rescued by demons would have been fatal.

She didn’t know it, but she was being protected by the demons.

By me and Loyar.

“I don’t know what I should live for anymore.”

Adriana gazed up at the clear blue winter sky and smiled sadly.

Forced to learn the truth she didn’t want to know, Adriana had lost her way.

——

Though I am the prince of the Demon World and the heir to Darkland, I do not know what lies within the Demon King’s castle.

However, I have no intention of going there without knowing anything.

Even if I don’t know, there will be those who do.

After a brief walk with Adriana, I called Loyar outside.

“How long has it been since the Council’s business ended, and where are you going again?”

“Well.”

The conversation revolved around the failed plans of the lord and the constant wandering.

“I’m thinking of going back to the Demon King’s Castle.”

“To the Demon King’s Castle…? You really mean it?”

At the mention of the Demon King’s Castle, Loyar’s expression turned into a surprised one.

“As you know, I lost my memories, so I have no idea what’s in the Demon King’s Castle. So, do you happen to know if there’s a hidden chamber there? A place that humans couldn’t have discovered.”

At my words, Loyar tilted her head.

“…How would I know that?”

“Weren’t you at the Demon King’s Castle before? You said I used to torment you.”

“… “

At my words, Loyar glared at me with a dumbfounded expression. Could she have developed something like PTSD?

“Your Highness, I was neither a noble nor a royal of Darkland back then, so there’s no way I would know. I’m not sure if such a thing exists.”

“…Right.”

I asked Loyar something that I should have known, but lost my memories. Of course, there was no way Loyar would know.

“Then, I guess Eleris and Sarkegaar wouldn’t know either?”

“Isn’t that highly unlikely?”

It’s information that only the royals would likely know.

I could try searching for it blindly, but there’s no need to do that.

The royals of Darkland, excluding me who lost my memories.

There must be at least one.

“Would Airi know anything?”

“Isn’t that highly unlikely?”

She said the same thing again.

Do you not want to deal with me?

Although it’s inconvenient to go all the way to Edina Archipelago to ask, it’s important to get accurate information. It would be better than taking unnecessary steps.

Some time has passed since my first encounter with Airi, so I should find out how she’s been doing.

However, there’s no connection to the Edina Archipelago through the Warp Gate.

Therefore, unless I go with a magician who can use teleportation magic, I have to travel by boat, which would take a very long time.

But with Lucinil’s help, I can make a quick trip and not have to leave my place empty for days.

Returning to the Demon King’s Castle.

And the things that might still remain there.

I wonder if Airi knows anything about them.

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