Chapter 398

While investigating the manipulated truth, Olivia and I discovered a different situation. The people of Rajien, the capital of the Levaina Kingdom, lost their minds due to the shocking situation of demon attacks. Even though there were no traces of the demons or the demon king, the attack still existed. They tried to find out why the demon king attacked Rajien, but they couldn't trust the announcements from the royal family or the empire. They suspected their neighbors who they used to trust and imposed the label of "worshipper of the devil" on them. The reason for this would usually be trivial, such as always having a gloomy expression and saying incomprehensible things, not getting along well with people and staying at home all the time, having an unknown statue in their house and being accused of idol worship. In extreme situations, people who are not universal are stamped as unpleasant beings, and people will try to make them into suitable people by hating them because they don't want to admit that they are unpleasant. The reason can be anything. They just want to become someone who can be killed if someone dies. Olivia and I did not intervene in that scene. That scene is not under the jurisdiction of the empire. The empire is investigating the demon king's attack, but that's all they can do, so Olivia and I can only do so much. If someone from the empire interferes with the affairs of the Jihuguk royal family, it will be considered interference in internal affairs. And I have no confidence or obligation to deal with such political issues. Moreover, I am not a nobleman, but I have the seal of the royal family, so if I act recklessly, it will be the imperial family, not me, who will suffer. It's funny that I, who entered the temple as a beggar, am thinking about the relationship between the imperial family and the Jihuguk royal family. Moreover, in reality, I am the demon king. We returned to the Hwangdo Gradium immediately after going to Rajien. The fact that I am participating in special activities must have been conveyed to the students, whether it be Ephenhouser or Sabiolin Tana, so they won't be worried. No, they might even worry that I went to do something dangerous. "By the way, the seal of the royal family is nice. You can go through the warp gate right away. Should I ask for one too, saying that I'm the champion of Tu'an?" Olivia was so comfortable with the fact that she could return to Hwangdo immediately that she even said such things. "Then they'll tell you to come back and live in the embrace of the gods in the Tu'an sect twenty times a day. Is that okay?" "Ugh, that's true. I could tell only the royal family, but it's just a hassle." While heading towards the headquarters of the Merchant Guild in Hwangdo, Olivia looks at me quietly. "But, Reinhardt." "Yes?" "Do you remember? The one I faced in the tournament final...." Lydia Schmidt. I almost couldn't control my expression at the sudden mention, but I didn't make a strange face. "Yes, I remember. Lydia Schmidt." "Have you seen her since we faced each other back then?" Translation:

Previously, Reinhardt and Olivia investigated the demon attacks in Rajien and discovered that the people had lost their minds and were accusing their neighbors of being devil worshippers for trivial reasons. They returned to Hwangdo Gradium and Olivia asked Reinhardt if he had seen Lydia Schmidt since their tournament final. Reinhardt confirmed that he had, but Olivia revealed that Lydia had gone missing since that day. They discussed the possibility of her being dead due to the demon attacks and Reinhardt reminded Olivia of the responsibilities that come with the seal of the royal family. In another scene, Lydia is seen in Epiax cooking with the help of Ellerys, who uses magic to cook multiple dishes at once. Lydia is amazed by Ellerys' skills and grateful for the tools she brought to make her life easier. Lydia sees a vampire standing by the window, not paying attention to the cooking process. Despite her initial impression, Lydia realizes that the vampire is incredibly kind and has not tried to brainwash her into being friendly with the demon forces. The vampire takes care of her and cooks warm meals for her, even smiling when Lydia enjoys the food. Lydia asks why Ellerys became a vampire, and Ellerys explains that she did not want to die and wanted to continue living. However, Ellerys also admits that living for too long can make everything dull and meaningless, and she serves the demon king because she feels she has to. "I'm sorry, it's not something to brag about."

"Oh, no. Thank you... Thank you for telling me."

"I'm grateful. It must be lonely here, but you don't complain..."

Ellerys looks out the window as snow falls, while Lydia eats the food Ellerys has prepared.

Lydia had no family.

She grew up in an orphanage, showing promise in her divine powers and joining the Alss sect. She decided to become a priest by reading sermons and scriptures.

Now, Lydia looks back on her life, far from her faith.

How did she come to serve Alss and how did she come to believe?

She was convinced that she was a chosen one. Unlike other orphans, she was treated specially because she showed talent in divine powers.

Different food was prepared for her and the other children at the table.

When she tried to share it, she was scolded.

Teachers and priests always told her that since God had marked her talent, she was chosen by God and should take it for granted that she received such special treatment, not from the orphanage director, but from God himself.

Lydia believed that she was a special existence and delved into faith to affirm herself.

Like it was natural for someone less talented than herself to receive less attention. She thought it was natural for children with talents superior to hers to receive more noble treatment. She believed that she had to work hard to receive better treatment.

Talent, power, and price.

It was natural in Lydia's life.

Those who proved themselves received the treatment they deserved. That was Lydia's truth, and that's why she thought it was right for Olivia, who was better than anyone else in the world, to have everything. She thought it was a sin for Olivia to refuse it.

But now.

Olivia eats a warm meal prepared by someone who doesn't expect anything from her. She doesn't ask for anything, doesn't force her to study or pray. Yet she always asks if she's okay and suggests walking in a good weather place outside this cold place through space travel.

She doesn't expect anything from me.

But she wants to do anything for me.

"...."

Lydia realizes.

She had never experienced having a family, but maybe this is what family is.

Not expecting anything from each other, but being the most diligent to each other.

Isn't that what family is?

She knows she won't consider herself family to Olivia.

But Lydia, who had never experienced this warmth, was confused.

Many things were needed to believe in God. The price followed the belief. She had to live a better life, study what God claimed and pursued through reading scriptures and praying.

To believe in God, she had to know God. And she had to demand and endure knowing God around her.

But now.

Lydia believes that Ellerys is a harmless existence to her. However, Lydia still doesn't know who Ellerys is, and Ellerys hasn't told her anything about herself. She was just there. During the time spent together, Lydia came to believe in Ellerys. It was a different kind of belief from faith. For the first time, Lydia felt it from a non-human existence. Lydia knows some things about Ellerys. There is a Lord Vampire and seven families of that Lord Vampire, and this place is where those Lord Vampires occasionally gather. And Ellerys, the owner of the Tuesday household, is the only vampire belonging to that family. Lydia now knows that all the beings she was taught were evil by the teachings of the Alss sect are not necessarily so. Lydia couldn't find a trace of evil in Ellerys anywhere. God may have been wrong in his teachings. If she couldn't believe in this kindness and kindness in front of her, where could she believe in the world? Lydia Schmidt had already had such disbelief in her heart for a long time. In this cold place, where everything freezes, something may have melted away. * * * Hwangdo Gradium, headquarters of the Merchant Guild. "The Guild Master is currently absent." A predictable answer came back to our request to meet with Olivia. There is also a possibility that there was a prior discussion. Something like "Don't meet Olivia Ranche if she visits." "Then when will he be back?" "We don't know the exact schedule either. We only know that he has been very busy lately with major business issues within the guild. It could take a few days or more than a week to come back..." If Owen de Gatmora is intentionally avoiding meeting Olivia, she won't be able to meet Owen indefinitely. Of course, Olivia doesn't know that this incident is a royal drama, so it's difficult to notice that information is intentionally concealed and that she is in a situation where she cannot intentionally meet the key figure of the incident. In the end, Olivia and I had to leave the Merchant Guild headquarters without meeting the important figure Owen. If it was intentional not to meet, it would be the best response. You could meet and make a perfect excuse, but it's better not to talk at all. At this stage, there may not even be a situation where suspicion arises. "It's getting boring..." We went all the way to the southern kingdom of Lebaina and came back to the Gradium, but we couldn't meet the Guild Master. "We have to go back to Lajien and investigate more, or wait until the Guild Master comes back and choose one." The situation of Owen's absence was actually welcome to me, as if Olivia were to discover the truth, she might end up siding with the demon lord beyond just hating humans. Even if she said it as a joke, if I were not there, Olivia might actually end up siding with the demon lord. Olivia said she needed certainty, but didn't specify what kind of certainty it was - whether it was certainty to hate the demon lord or certainty to hate humans. If Olivia were to learn the truth of this incident, she would gain certainty to hate humans. If I were in a situation where I was exposed as a demon lord, it would be like crawling into a pit to become an ally of the demon lord in the current situation. "Let's go back to Lajien." "Should we?" So, I wanted to avoid a situation where Olivia might meet Owen. * * * The distance itself was enormous, but since we were using the warp gate, leaving and arriving was instantaneous. Returning to the Yellow Road and then returning to the scene in Lajien was also quick. "I always feel this way, but how do people live without the warp gate...?" Olivia shut her mouth instead of talking about the convenience of the warp gate. And I felt the same way. Olivia was staring at a spot in the square where the warp gate was located, with her brow furrowed. It took us about three hours to leave Lajien, visit the Merchant Guild headquarters, and return. Even if we used the warp gate, there was still time to actually get to the Merchant Guild headquarters. So, we returned to Lajien in just three hours. "What is this...?" Olivia murmured with a trembling voice. They were hanging on poles and dead, those who had been swayed to the demon-worshipping religion.