Supported by the knights, Charlotte hobbled her way back to the surface, where two people awaited her.
Ellen and Harriet were waiting.
A temporary prison-like space had been set up inside the temple to hold the students who had caused the incident.
In the vicinity, the highest-ranking mages from the Shanafel and the Royal Magic Division were on high alert.
To put it simply, the security was so tight that not even an ant could enter.
The temporary detention facility where Reinhardt was being held had even stricter security than the Central Palace Tetra, where the Emperor resided.
Harriet still couldn't believe the situation unfolding before her, while Ellen maintained a calm expression.
However, she didn't say a word, hiding her true emotions.
When Charlotte said they could go in together, Ellen shook her head.
She refused, saying she didn't know what to say to Reinhardt.
Charlotte spoke with lifeless eyes.
"Reinhardt is... the Demon King."
"Lies... No. It can't be. Why would Reinhardt...?"
Harriet's lips trembled, shaking her head vigorously.
Charlotte didn't say anything to Harriet, who was denying reality.
Ellen supported Charlotte as they walked.
Ellen didn't say a word until the end.
Unable to turn away, Harriet stared at the detention facility where Reinhardt was being held.
Reinhardt had admitted to being the Demon King himself.
Why?
What did it mean when he said he wanted to protect everyone?
Harriet stood there as if nailed to the spot, staring at the temporary detention building with its tight security for a long time.
"No... no, Reinhardt... no..."
Harriet mumbled as if she were in a trance.
There were many things she wanted to ask Reinhardt.
What were all the things he had done so far?
What did he want, after all?
But Harriet wasn't even allowed to meet Reinhardt on her own.
—---
"..."
"..."
Emperor Nelliod de Gardias and Crown Prince Bertus de Gardias sat facing each other, not saying a word.
Reinhardt.
The one they thought was the hope of the empire turned out to be the Demon King.
All this time, the actions he took to save Charlotte were in fact part of the Demon King's plan to devour the empire.
"We underestimated Darkland and the new Demon King too much."
"..."
The Emperor remained silent at Bertus's words.
"I almost sold the empire to the Demon King."
Even when it came to the engagement, it was Bertus who proposed it, not Reinhardt.
Was this what it felt like to have your insides churn?
Unknowingly, he almost handed the empire over to the Demon King on a silver platter.
The hero who saved Charlotte de Gardias several times.
That's why they agreed to the engagement with the First Princess, thinking that it would guarantee her safety.
But it was all part of the Demon King's plan.
Disguised as a hero, he accumulated numerous achievements to outshine Bertus de Gardias, the influential heir to the throne, and become Emperor.
No, there could have been a way to make Charlotte the Empress.
Instead of rebuilding the collapsed demon realm, he would devour an existing empire.
The Emperor and First Prince couldn't help but be both amazed and horrified by the Demon King's unthinkable plan, which almost came to fruition.
"With the power of the demon realm in his hands, he could have easily created fake achievements, even claiming to have defeated the Demon King himself. Then... that flimsy plan might have come true."
"..."
Everything had been meticulously calculated.
The soul of the Demon King was implanted in Charlotte. The rescue, timed to coincide with the erosion, and the belief instilled in the royal family that no one but Reinhardt could calm Charlotte's condition.
A kind of revenge that didn't destroy the enemy, but made them his own.
Clearly, Reinhardt had the power to realize that plan.
Both Bertus and the Emperor felt the cold steel of a blade pressed against their necks.
Not only Bertus, but Reinhardt also had seen the emperor alone several times because of the importance of his presence.
There were always options to kill the Emperor and cause chaos in the empire.
However, he had endured all and withstood the moments of small revenge for a bolder goal.
What a transcendent patience, mental strength, and strong-willed being he was.
Unaware of the truth, the two believed that Reinhardt's actions had been carried out under the guise of revenge.
That's why, after they knew that the Demon King had infiltrated the temple, they felt terror at his propulsion, becoming the Princess's closest confidant and even her fiancé in just over a year.
They had thought him a petty force they could eliminate at any time, but the Demon King was not plotting from afar, but right by their side.
Swallowing the empire, not destroying it, while nurturing his ambitions.
“And considering those who were close to Reinhardt, like Ellen Artorius, Olivia Lanze, and Harriet de Saint-Owan... it might have been possible for him to push me out as well.”
The hero's younger sister.
The Saint of the Five Great Divine Religions.
And Harriet de Saint-Owan had used a great magic to block the falling meteor, surpassing even the most powerful archmage.
Considering what the three of them could do and their influence, it was a catastrophe for the empire itself that they had become the Demon King's people.
Of course, it was true that Ellen Artorius played a crucial role in revealing the Demon King's identity.
If Ellen and Charlotte hadn't properly uncovered the traces of the Demon King, it would have been entirely possible for the disguised Demon King to swallow the empire.
Both Bertus and the Emperor were mentally distraught.
Because an unimaginable event had occurred.
“What to do about the disposal is worrisome.”
And the most important problem remained.
They had caught the Demon King.
But this was both the end of one matter and the beginning of a tremendous dilemma.
The most important first question.
Would they reveal to the world that Reinhardt was, in fact, the Demon King?
“Even if we set aside the reason why the Demon King could receive the choice of two sacred artifacts, it could still cause a schism in the Divine Church.”
“Yes, indeed...”
The gods are right.
If Als and Tu’an chose the Demon King, then the conclusion could be drawn that the Demon King was a just being.
“While we could claim that the Demon King used wicked means to steal the sacred artifacts, the masses might believe that story, but ultimately, there would be great chaos within the Als and Tu’an sects.”
“The problem is not only the followers of the Demon King, but also the possibility of some within the Divine Church becoming demon worshipers.”
Bertus and the Emperor's faces were filled with gloom.
Some in the Divine Church might follow the Demon King. If that happened, it was only natural that it would cause great chaos across the continent, though not all of the followers would necessarily convert.
“We could publicly execute the Demon King and announce that there are no more Archdemons left in the world to stabilize the public sentiment... but that seems too risky.”
"Indeed. We've captured the Demon King, but we still haven't captured the remnants. And since the Demon King was able to infiltrate the temple, we don't know to what extent his influence has spread..."
There were two pressing issues.
The extent of the Demon King's influence remained uncertain.
A public execution would inevitably provoke a rescue operation by the remnants. With the presence of the Archdemon being absolute, any demon loyal to the Demon Realm would risk their life for the mission to save the Demon King.
And thirdly,
The Demon King's plan wasn't solely to engulf the empire.
"It's almost certain that the series of events that unfolded in the Lich's Tomb are related to the Demon King's influence."
"Is that so?"
"Grand Duke Saint Owan, who was involved in the last incident, accompanied Roswin on an expedition to the Lich's Tomb."
The emperor had read the compiled reports from Saviolin Turner and Grand Duke Saint Owan.
"We don't know for certain yet, but it's believed that the conflict was over a magical artifact called 'Akasha.' Both Roswin and the tomb's master mentioned it."
"Akasha...?"
"We can't be sure. From what we've observed, many high-ranking vampires and magicians were present, and it's believed that Roswin knows Akasha's whereabouts. However, one of the Demon King's factions betrayed him and seemed to attempt to seize Akasha... I don't know if the Demon King failed or succeeded in securing it."
"What is Akasha?"
"I don't know."
The emperor added with a shake of his head.
"But according to Turner's report, it's an object that can make one a god.'"
As absurd as it sounded, the struggle for possession of this object had caused great turmoil.
A phenomenon where the moon appeared dozens of times larger, and colossal magic that seemed to belong to a mythological era.
If such entities would risk their lives for this object, the claim must be true.
"Whatever Akasha is, we can't kill the Demon King carelessly at this point. Whether it's in the hands of the Demon King or his underlings, it would be a problem."
Just as the Senior Valier had foreseen.
None can bear to have a weapon capable of destroying them in the hands of their enemy.
As Luna Artorius had said,
It wasn't because of greed for Akasha, but because of fear.
The empire, now knowing of Akasha, could not help but desire it.
—---
In the end, the Demon King must die someday, but he was not an entity that could be killed immediately.
Bertus headed to the prison where Reinhardt was incarcerated in the Temple.
Reinhardt was the Demon King.
This fact had cast doubt on things that had never been questioned before and gave birth to numerous suspicions.
However, some questions had been resolved.
It was utterly meaningless in understanding the situation, but he now completely understood one thing that had been incomprehensible.
Cross-dressing.
Reinhardt had never been quiet in the first place.
However, it was astonishing that the Demon King had gone as far as to cross-dress while infiltrating the temple, where even being quiet wasn't enough.
Bertus arrived at a simple conclusion from this inexplicable behavior.
Could it be that the Demon King was originally a woman?
In other words, she was not the prince of Darkland, but the princess.
It was evident that the Demon King possessed the ability to change and disguise her body.
Therefore, she used Charlotte, who possessed the soul of the Demon King, and initially assumed the appearance of a man to win her heart.
It was unclear whether the Demon King had enrolled in the temple to make use of Charlotte de Gardias, but she must have judged that assuming a male appearance would be more advantageous than a female one.
That's why she took on Reinhardt's appearance and moved around.
But having been in a male form for so long, she must have felt stifled and desired to return to her original appearance.
Perhaps she expressed this inner desire through the bizarre method of participating in a cross-dressing competition.
Without such a thought, Bertus could not fathom why the Demon King would need to participate in a cross-dressing contest.
'Come to think of it, she got along better with the female students... Was that why?'
Although the relationship between demons and humans was ultimately sinister, it wasn't incomprehensible that she would prefer to mingle with the female students if she felt more comfortable with them.
With all these thoughts in mind, Bertus was finally able to draw a conclusion about the Demon King's irritating cross-dressing, which had brought him nothing but trouble.
The Demon King was a princess.
With that, everything was explained.
She had been plotting to plunder the empire using the princess on the surface, but deep down, she didn't want to forget her true self, so she did such things.
It seemed...
"..."
Bertus stopped thinking.
