Chapter 431

Ellen and Charlotte returned to the imperial palace. When Ellen asked what to do with Radia Schmidt's body, Charlotte said they should take it as evidence. The discovery of the missing person from the Temple in Gosung Epiax is a very serious issue, regardless of the truth of the case, and it could be one of the pieces of evidence. They returned to the imperial palace with Radia Schmidt's body in a coffin they obtained at a stopover. While people looked at Ellen dragging the coffin strangely, they were not in a state to care about other people's gazes. Charlotte said that Reinhardt went to investigate the tomb of Rich, and Ellen nodded. Meanwhile, Reinhardt is in Darkland with the Empire's elites and Herriot to investigate the murder case that occurred in the imperial palace. Ellen and Charlotte do not know what Reinhardt wants. However, they both have a feeling that something is not right. But intuition alone cannot solve anything. They need to find out the truth and have evidence to be sure. Charlotte could not go any further because she was too afraid of the truth that she might uncover. Ellen could not blame Charlotte because she knew the fear and hesitation that made her want to give up. They needed another power, so they decided to go to Verthus. Verthus was busy with the incident that occurred in the imperial palace and the search for the missing person from the Temple. The Emperor and the Crown Prince were also busy with their own tasks. Therefore, he couldn't help but feel annoyed at the request for a meeting from the stepbrothers who seemed to have gone somewhere far away for the weekend. They didn't have time to discuss personal matters, and there was no reason to discuss the already finished nerve war. However, when Verthus heard that Ellen Artemius and Charlotte had come to the Winter Palace with a mysterious corpse in a tomb, he felt that something was wrong. And seeing their thick coats that didn't match their iron, he was sure that something serious had happened on their side too. "What's going on?" But Verthus, who was already tired and sensitive, first asked them about the main point after sitting them down. Charlotte was silent. Ellen was also silent. Only Charlotte took out a pen on the table and started writing something on paper. But Verthus saw that Charlotte's hand writing something was shaking severely. "Why are you like that?" "..." Even when Verthus asked, Charlotte remained silent, bowing her head and writing something. It could have been said in words, but it was written because it contained a possibility of a very miserable and fearful truth that was too difficult to express in words. Although the handwriting was messy because her hand was shaking severely, it was not so illegible. Ellen just looked out the window silently. There was no time for this, but Verthus waited for Charlotte to finish writing something. The fact that the stepbrother who hated showing a weak side was doing something like this meant that there was something very important. "Here." The writing on the paper that Charlotte handed over was densely written, and although the handwriting was confusing, it was clearly organized. It started with some of what Charlotte had already figured out, from the past events where she had some sense of the whereabouts of the demon king to Elena's affairs. Letter delivery, evaporation, and tracking. The attack on Leberier Lanche. And Olivia and Adriana. They visited Gosung Epiax and were attacked by Radia Schmidt there, and the corpse of Radia Schmidt, who was missing, was in the tomb they brought. All of these stories were different, but they pointed to one thing. Reinhardt. [There is a very high possibility that Reinhardt is related to the demon king.] The distorted handwriting represented Charlotte's miserable feelings that had to write it with her own hands. Even if the clear evidence and basis of the content were secondary, the sentence itself made Verthus forget his words due to the shock it gave. "Nonsense." Therefore, Verthus's first words after a long silence could only be that. "I wish... I wish I could have thought the same. Please, I really wish I could have... Really... Really..." Charlotte's hands were placed on her knees, bowing her head in front of Verthus. Above that, Verthus was staring with wide eyes as tears fell.

More than this unbelievable suspicion, Verthus was shocked by the fact that Charlotte was crying in front of him.

"I... I tried to... do it, but... I can't do it anymore... I thought maybe you could do it..."

If Reinhardt is related to the demon king, it would be a great shock to the empire and the royal family, but it would also be a very serious security threat.

Just as Verthus completely seized the leadership of the imperial succession rights by eliminating the revolutionary forces, Charlotte had a big enough advantage to participate in the imperial succession competition again by using this.

But Charlotte hands over the clue to Verthus, asking him to finish the rest.

She already half-believed the painful truth, and she was afraid that she would be destroyed if she uncovered it all by herself, so she asked Verthus for help.

No, she was already destroyed.

Ellen, who was looking out the window silently, hugged Charlotte's shoulders without saying a word.

She was not expressionless, but rather out of her mind.

Verthus alternated his gaze between Charlotte and Ellen.

Destroyed stepbrothers. A classmate who lost her mind.

And Reinhardt.

Watching Charlotte cry, Verthus puts the paper in his arms.

If Reinhardt is related to the demon king, what will happen?

There is no time to worry about 'that kind of' incident that happened in the palace.

Verthus looks at his stepbrothers, who are crying and begging, completely destroyed.

If this is true.

How will Charlotte de Gradia feel betrayed?

She must have been used, used, and finally only used.

Verthus looks at his pitiful stepbrother with more sincerity than ever before.

"Don't cry, brother."

"...."

"I'll take care of it myself."

He said so.

* * *

Charlotte returned to the Spring Palace, and Ellen stayed with Verthus.

Verthus opened the tomb guarded by the Winter Palace troops with Ellen.

"Identity confirmation?"

"It has been confirmed that the missing Temple graduate, Radia Schmidt, is the one."

"Is that so."

There was Ellen's guarantee, but cross-checking was also completed.

Radia Schmidt, a missing Temple Royal Class member who was presumed dead during the attack by the unnamed monastery, was found in Gosung Epiax, the northernmost castle on the continent.

Radia Schmidt attacked Ellen Artemius and Charlotte de Gradiaus for unknown reasons and died during the battle by Ellen Artemius.

And there was a statue of a wizard that is believed to have hidden the demon king in the Pantheon-shaped structure in Epiax. On the day before the attack by the Demon King's Temple Knights, Reinhardt visited Elena's scroll shop with Radia Schmidt. Everything that needs to be known has been written down on the paper that Charlotte handed over, and the conclusion is that Reinhardt is suspicious. Verthus couldn't understand why he had to intentionally avoid thinking about Reinhardt since the last incident with the disguised woman. Verthus realizes that if Reinhardt is related to the Demon King, it would be a serious security threat to the empire and the royal family. Verthus decides to investigate Reinhardt himself and finds clues that suggest Reinhardt is suspicious. Reinhardt suddenly appeared in the empire last year, and he claimed that the girl with silver hair he met that day was himself. Reinhardt confesses to Verthus that he is afraid of the investigation itself. Verthus orders Ellen to investigate the Rotary Club in the southern part of the empire and interrogate the people there if necessary. "Verthus silently watches Ellen leave. Is Reinhardt really a sudden appearance? And when was that? What is Reinhardt up to? Verthus wants to know. Charlotte's miserable crying face still lingers in Verthus's mind."