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Chapter 361

Reinhardt is acting strangely.

“Right?”

“Yeah.”

“So…”

“I, I’m not sure…”

Ellen, Liana, Harriet, and Adelia were gathered, discussing this matter.

Lately, Reinhardt seemed a bit odd.

It wasn’t necessarily a bad feeling. Harriet spoke with a flushed face.

“Th-the other day, suddenly, he… um, what should I say? He looked at me, and… his gaze was somewhat…”

“Sensual?”

“Yes! That’s it! That’s the feeling!”

Harriet exclaimed in agreement with Liana’s comment.

Reinhardt’s default expression was always somewhat sullen.

But in recent days, everyone felt something odd about him.

He had a distant, dreamy look in his eyes, as if he had seen it all.

He hadn’t picked any unnecessary fights during these days either.

If anything, his gaze was tender and intense.

Of course, some people felt embarrassed when he looked at them with such eyes, like Harriet de Saint-Owan.

Some were worried and tried to comfort him, like Ellen Artorius.

And then there were others, completely different.

“It’s annoying.”

Liana de Grantz was more irritated than surprised.

“No, the other day, I had a bit too much to drink at home and my stomach wasn’t feeling well, and suddenly he told me, ‘Don’t drink too much, you’ll get diabetes.’ What should I say? Huh? This, this is… anyway, it was the first time I ever felt so disgusted by someone’s concern.”

He used to tell her to mind her own business.

And now that he was suddenly acting kindly, Liana was not only shocked but also disgusted.

‘Has he gone mad? Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?’

‘He’s probably worried, that’s all.’

As Liana showed her disgust, Reinhardt added more fuel to the fire. Liana’s face turned pale, and she mumbled to herself.

“That bastard… he’s not suddenly going to die, is he? They say when people suddenly change, they die.”

“No, no way!”

“It’s a superstition.”

“Well, it can’t be…”

At Liana’s words, everyone had their own reactions.

They all knew that Reinhardt was acting strange lately, but they didn’t know why he seemed so down.

“Should we… do something for him?”

Liana tilted her head, merely suggesting. Ellen asked in response.

“Like what?”

“Well… when feeling down, other than eating and drinking, I’m not sure what else there is…”

What else could they do for someone who seemed so down for no apparent reason?

Although Liana was irritated and disgusted, she was still worried about Reinhardt.

They all began to think about what they could do to help Reinhardt, who seemed so down.

Whether or not it would actually be helpful to him was another matter.

——

For a long time, he had thought that there were too many things to worry about. Of course, he expected that there would be even more in the future, but as the pressure began to bear down on him, it was becoming increasingly difficult to pay attention to every aspect.

The Black Order agreed to support me for now, but I couldn’t be sure of their true intentions.

Perhaps it would be wiser to leave the temple of my own accord.

As Lucinil said, I would become increasingly dangerous, and the number of people who would learn my true identity would grow one by one. Depending on who finds out, it could lead to irreversible consequences.

Wouldn’t it be better to simply leave the temple instead of risking such a tightrope walk?

However, there was a reason I had to stay in the temple as long as I could keep my identity hidden.

“I’ve only been at it for a few days, so I can’t be sure, but it seems to be going smoothly.”

“That’s a relief.”

Class B dormitory.

Those were Charlotte’s words as she calmly sipped her tea.

The analysis and research of soul-binding spells would help remove the Demon Lord’s soul that resided within Charlotte.

Until then, I was the only one who could handle her if her powers went out of control.

Aside from those practical issues, I didn’t want to leave the temple, but I knew that it was just my personal desire and ambition.

“For now, I’ve kept the matter of the labyrinth beneath the Demon Lord’s castle and where I got the book a secret. It might be revealed eventually, but for now, no one knows.”

The labyrinth beneath the Demon Lord’s castle.

The existence of that place itself wasn’t a problem.

But the fact that only an Archdemon could enter it was the issue. If it were revealed that Charlotte was now no different from the Demon Lord, she wouldn’t be safe.

I wanted to stay in the temple until Charlotte’s problem was resolved.

But I couldn’t be sure if that was possible.

“By the way, have you had any problems lately? Like a fight with the others…?”

“Huh? No.”

“Hmm.”

Charlotte must have sensed something from my appearance, as she cautiously asked. Showing a demeanor too different from usual might cause issues as well.

Noticing that I seemed a bit distracted, Charlotte quietly took my hand.

“Everything will be alright. Don’t worry.”

Her words were similar to what I had often told her.

I suddenly wished that Charlotte had a familiar too.

——

Winter Palace.

Bertus’s office.

“I anticipated this, but it seems we’ve reached a dead end.”

Bertus neatly arranged the completed reports and placed them tidily next to the table.

The Riverrier Lanze incident.

Although they could guess the identity of the attackers, their whereabouts remained elusive. The Demon Lord’s intentions were also unclear. The report he received now stated that the investigation into the Riverrier Lanze incident would continue, but it had ultimately hit the limits of the inquiry.

The Demon Lord’s successor exists.

And there was a high probability that it was a certain boy who had saved Charlotte. Where had that boy gone?

The boy, who had vanished as if evaporating in the middle of the imperial road.

Both Charlotte and Bertus had tried to trace his whereabouts but had failed to find him in the end.

At this point, the re-emergence of the Demon King was working in favor of the empire, but as long as they couldn’t ascertain the nature of the Demon King’s existence, they couldn’t be too pleased with the reappearance of the empire’s once-vanished enemy.

How could they reach the remnants of the demon world’s forces?

That was what concerned Bertus.

“By the way, Your Highness, about Reinhardt, the one you mentioned before…”

“Silence.”

As soon as Reinhardt’s name was brought up, Bertus furrowed his brow deeply.

“Don’t talk about that guy for a while.”

In life, there are memories that cause damage just by thinking about them.

For Bertus, right now, the name “Reinhardt” was one of those memories.

Cross-dressing.

Why, really? What was so regrettable about it?

There was no reason, evidence, or any grounds for Reinhardt to have to do such a thing.

He claimed it was for the money, but the prize for the cross-dressing competition wasn’t all that significant. In reality, the Rotary Club was raking in money with a claw, so how much help could the prize money from a mere cross-dressing contest be to the club’s finances?

In other words, there was no other reason for Reinhardt to do it, at least not that Bertus could think of, other than because he wanted to.

Reinhardt cross-dressed.

Why?

Because he wanted to.

No matter how much Bertus thought about it, there was no other reason!

To Bertus, Reinhardt was that kind of person.

He cross-dressed and wanted to show it off to others, even participating in a competition.

“…”

People tend to give up trying to understand things that go beyond their own judgment.

Bertus gave up trying to understand Reinhardt.

Giving up meant not being curious about or thinking about him any longer.

Along with an order to stop investigating the silver-haired girl immediately, Bertus was trying hard not to think about that madman called Reinhardt.

In the current situation, Bertus’s abandonment of any thought about Reinhardt was, in effect, a blessing for Reinhardt.

“Still, I believe this is something you need to know…”

“I told you not to speak of it.”

Due to the significant emotional damage, Bertus planned not to go near the dormitory until the end of the winter break.

Seeing the prince’s apparent discomfort, his subordinate hesitated.

It seemed like something they couldn’t help but bring up.

“Well, I will only tell you this.”

“Hmph, fine. What is it?”

With an attitude that suggested he was prepared for severe reprimand if it were a trivial matter, Bertus’s subordinate reluctantly spoke up.

“He has received the royal crest.”

“…Hmm?”

Bertus tilted his head.

It was a completely unexpected statement.

The royal crest?

“…You mean Reinhardt received it? The royal crest? From whom? My sibling?”

Bertus was aware that last time, Charlotte had lent her royal crest to Reinhardt when he went to Darkland.

“No, Your Majesty personally gave it to him…”

“From His Majesty?”

The imperial crest.

To be granted this directly from the Emperor was not a loan, but a bestowal.

The owner of the crest was treated as one would treat a member of the royal family.

In other words, it was only natural that simply possessing the crest would grant one immunity and privileges in most matters.

There were no specific or detailed laws regarding how royalty should be treated, as it was rather ambiguous.

Therefore, to be treated as royalty meant that one was entitled to receive more than the treatment bestowed upon any privileged class in the world.

Thus, it was only natural that not just anyone could receive or possess the imperial crest, and those who did must have made an extraordinary contribution to the empire.

For instance, people who no longer existed in the world, such as the hero Ragan Artorius and his companions.

But now, Reinhardt had received it.

“Didn’t we have an event last time where students were invited to the imperial palace in connection with the Temple Festival?”

“Ah, yes. It’s an annual event.”

It was a rather ordinary event that took place every year. The tournament winners from each grade at the Temple School were invited to the palace, where they were honored and encouraged. This year was no different.

Reinhardt was the first-year Temple champion.

“Could it be that it happened then…”

“Yes. Not only Reinhardt, but also Ellen Artorius received the imperial crest.”

“Ellen? But she didn’t participate in the tournament this time, did she?”

“This time, the winners of the Miss and Mister Temple Contest were also invited.”

“Hmm. I see.”

Bertus hadn’t been interested in such matters, as he was preoccupied with other issues at the time. So he had only just found out that Ellen was the winner of the Miss Temple Contest.

Bertus could see the bigger picture.

The winners of the Miss and Mister Temple Contest were not originally invited to the imperial palace.

The Emperor must have deliberately invited Ellen, knowing that she was the winner, in order to bestow the imperial crest upon her.

“I can understand Ellen, but why Reinhardt?”

Ellen Artorius.

The younger sister of the hero, possessing outstanding talent and growing at an astonishing rate. In this uncertain situation where the Demon King might be resurrected, Ellen was someone the empire needed to protect and nurture with the utmost care.

From that perspective, bestowing the imperial crest upon Ellen was a crucial and wise decision by the Emperor.

But why Reinhardt as well?

Bertus believed that Reinhardt also possessed a formidable talent.

In terms of speed, Reinhardt might even be superior to Ellen. Though there was a significant difference in their starting points, both could now use Magic Body Strengthening. Of course, their skills were not equal.

However, at present, Ellen had the extraordinary example of her older brother Ragan Artorius, and it was a fact that she received expectations beyond that. In reality, there were even more skilled individuals in the empire than Ellen and Reinhardt.

Even if one were to invest in potential, receiving the imperial crest without the background of being the hero’s younger sister was a bit excessive.

“He is the master of Tiamata, they say.”

“What?”

Tiamata.

At those words, Bertus furrowed his brow.

“You mean the Tiamata I know? The sacred relic of Tu’an?”

“Yes. Reinhardt is…”

His subordinate paused.

“The Champion of Tu’an.”

Champion of Tu’an.

Reinhardt was the Champion of Tu’an.

Feeling a different kind of shock than before, Bertus stood there with his mouth agape.

“Since when?”

“I’m not sure. I just received this information…”

Tiamata’s master.

Champion of Tu’an.

Apostle of the Goddes of Purity.

Pure.

And.

Crossdressing.

“No, seriously, why the hell did he crossdress?”

“…Pardon?”

At Bertus’s outburst, his subordinate could not help but step back in surprise.

Purity and crossdressing.

Bertus was certain that Reinhardt was even more insane than he had initially thought. Rubbing his throbbing temples, Bertus let out a deep sigh.

“Anyway, Reinhardt is the Champion of Tu’an, right? We’re not sure when this happened, though.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. So, it’s possible that he and Ellen Artorius received the Royal Crest as contenders against the Demon King… That’s what we believe.”

“It could be. It’s a plausible situation…”

There was a scene Bertus wanted to erase from his mind by soaking his brain in cleaning solution and scrubbing it away.

He forcibly shoved the thought aside as it kept creeping up on him.

Reinhardt was definitely a pervert, but he was also undeniably the Champion of Tu’an.

He pushed aside his concerns about the irrelevant parts. He wanted to put them away forever, but that was easier said than done.

Anyway, Reinhardt was the Champion of Tu’an. That’s why he and Ellen had received the Royal Crest.

Bertus knew that Ellen was the master of Lament.

However, he had not known that Reinhardt was the Champion of Tu’an until now.

“Last year, he and Ellen brought back something from Darkland, which was thought to be a relic of the Demon King, right?”

“Yes, if you mean the item that suddenly disappeared…”

Last summer, Reinhardt had brought back a powerful artifact believed to be a relic of the Demon King from Darkland.

But, when they tried to investigate it closely, it vanished after Dettomorian performed some kind of ritual.

“Isn’t it a bit far-fetched to think that this ‘relic of the Demon King’ business is related to Reinhardt being the Champion of Tu’an?”

“Well… I don’t know, Your Majesty.”

The idea that a sacred relic could be corrupted was something that only someone who had seen it with their own eyes could believe.

If the item was connected to Reinhardt obtaining Tiamata, it would mean that quite some time had passed since he had become the Champion of Tu’an.

“So he’s been keeping the fact that he’s the Champion of Tu’an a secret all this time…”

Bertus could understand why.

Being the master of a sacred relic would naturally draw unnecessary attention. That’s why Ellen hid the fact that she was the hero’s sister and the master of Lament as well.

It seemed plausible that Reinhardt, who was close to Ellen, had managed to conceal the fact that he had become the master of Tiamata until now.

Ultimately, it was too vague to determine at this point whether Reinhardt had become the champion of Tuàn before or after entering the Temple. It could only be inferred that it was around the summer vacation period.

However.

The real point to consider lay elsewhere.

He had been unable to know that Reinhardt was the master of Tiamata until now. It was a secret that had been well hidden.

“How on earth did His Majesty come to know that Reinhardt is the champion of Tu’an…?”

Reinhardt wouldn’t have confessed the fact to the Emperor himself.

It seemed that the Emperor had accurately pinpointed Reinhardt and Ellen and granted the royal crest.

How?

How did the Emperor know something that Reinhardt wouldn’t have told and granted the royal crest?

“Hmm, and it’s certainly a bit peculiar.”

Bertus murmured, resting his chin in his hand.

“Tiamata is known to be an object that does not fall into the hands of unbelievers.”

“…That’s right.”

Tiamata was a sacred relic that only acknowledged the knights or priests of Tu’an as its master. However, Reinhardt didn’t particularly have any faith, nor did he have the temperament to have any.

“It seems more fitting for Olivia Lanze, who is close to Reinhardt, to be the master. If there’s not much difference between a person who has given up their faith and a person without faith, then perhaps she would be better…”

Wouldn’t Olivia Lanze, a believer of Tu’an and possessing powerful divine power to the extent of being called a saint, be more suitable as the champion of Tu’an?

Bertus thought that if he were Tu’an, he would have chosen Olivia instead of Reinhardt.

However, the thoughts of the gods were unknowable.

It wasn’t even certain whether they were beings capable of thought.

In the end, only the result remained.

The Emperor wouldn’t have granted the royal crest based on mere rumors, so Reinhardt must be the champion of Tuàn.

The power of purity.

The power opposed to corruption.

The power to stand against darkness.

Darkness.

The power of darkness.

Shadows.

It was so miserable, as if prepared for death, that it was considered unworthy of even being confronted.

The power to control shadows that had been gradually eroding.

His sibling.

Charlotte de Gradias.

Having let go of everything, then suddenly regaining vitality at some point.

Moments of Charlotte’s life surfaced in Bertus’s mind.

Numerous thoughts tangled in Bertus’s head.

“…”

Bertus stared out the window with a stern expression.

“Come to think of it, that guy Reinhardt sometimes left the Temple…”

Soon, the Crown Prince showed a gloomy smile.

“The dates when my sibling’s condition is estimated to have improved suddenly.”

“The dates when Reinhardt didn’t attend the Temple. The time of his return.”

“My sibling’s whereabouts.”

“Bring everything compared and collated.”

At Bertus’s order, his subordinate nodded.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

As the subordinate who received the order hurriedly left, someone knocked on Bertus’s office door.

Knock knock

“What is it?”

“Your Highness, Lady Saviolin Turner requests an audience.”

“Tsk, there’s no time to rest. Let her in.”

The position of the First Prince was too great to focus on just one matter.

If forgotten, the data sorted by his subordinates would give him inspiration or insight into something else.

Until then, he just needed to be occupied with other tasks.

Saviolin Turner soon entered the First Prince’s office.

As always, her expression was stern and her demeanor composed. Her appearance, regardless of her actual age, resembled that of an enigmatic woman.

The head of Shanafel paid her respects to the First Prince.

“I am honored to meet you, Your Highness.”

“Welcome, Lady Turner.”

As Saviolin Turner looked at the First Prince, she spoke.

“I heard that there is a task for me.”

“Yes, Lady Turner, it’s an important matter.”

Bertus, wearing a ring on his finger, smiled.

“A very important matter.”

Saviolin Turner silently stared at Bertus’s smile.

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