Chapter 526

The royal palace was noisy due to a pointless argument between a secretary and a religious leader. During their wait in the palace, Lianna de Grance, the Brain King, witnessed a sudden argument between two people about whether they preferred dogs or cats. Lianna's companions, Olivia and Harriet, argued fiercely while Reinhardt tried to ignore the situation. Lianna quickly resolved the argument by suggesting that dogs were better for food shortages. Later, Lianna learned that Reinhardt had transformed into a black kitten and received a lot of attention at the Royal Class base. Lianna teased Reinhardt about it, and later, Olivia and Harriet argued about whether dogs or cats were better. Harriet called Olivia a "dog-like woman." "Stop it! Both of you, stop it! It's my fault! It's my fault that I turned into a beast, so stop it!" Reinhardt finally yelled, his face contorted as if he couldn't bear to see the two bickering anymore. "Hmph!" "Tsk!" They both turned their heads away as if they couldn't stand the sight of each other. "Dogs or cats..." Lianna began to ponder with her arms crossed. "Actually, dogs and cats are too common. I want to try raising reptiles." "What...?" "How about snakes? Or lizards?" "What's the point?" "I mean, I've had cats and dogs before! Why not snakes?" "That's why I..." Reinhardt refused to listen, insisting that he would never do it. "Ha, you'll never change if you keep pretending to be cute. You're a sinister little thing." "That's not it!" Reinhardt finally exploded. * * * Charlotte couldn't visit Lianna, Harriet, and Olivia all day due to their constant bickering about dogs and cats, but Lianna suddenly demanded to see something strange, like her turning into a reptile. Of course, since Lianna appeared, she hadn't transformed into anything. If she kept showing it to others, she would spend more time walking around as an animal than as a human. What is this? I didn't intend to find the dignity of a king, but what is this pet demon that can transform into any animal? It's terrible. I dug my own grave again. In the end, I was able to find Charlotte after the sun had set. Charlotte, who was in charge of Edina's rule, was busy all day. She had been stuck in her office until midnight. "Ah, Reinhardt. I heard you came back." Charlotte, wearing a black dress, stood up from her seat and straightened her clothes when I knocked on the office door. Strictly speaking, it was a proper relationship, but it was a bit... well, it was a bit like a superior-subordinate relationship. Anyway, did she not hear about my beast transformation? "Are you busy?" Charlotte raised her head at my words. "Not really. I finished my work today, but I have something to think about." It was a relief that she probably didn't hear about it. I wouldn't have been able to show her if she had asked me to. Since her work was done, she looked at me as if to say, "If you have any business, tell me." Black hair and devil's eyes. Honestly. I think of her as a devil's figure... She's not as cute and lovely as she used to be. Now she exudes a queen-like atmosphere rather than a princess. But as I looked at her, I became more accustomed to her appearance, and it didn't seem so bad. Oddly enough...

Um...

"There's something I need to consult with you about."

"Consult?"

At those words, Charlotte tilts her head as if to ask what could she possibly consult with me about.

And then...

-Growl

It's not my stomach, it's a sound coming from Charlotte's stomach.

She says she's done with work, but did she not eat?

"...You should eat while you work."

"Y-yeah..."

Charlotte's face scrunches up and she nods her head frantically.

"It's not really a secret, so let's talk while we eat."

"Uh... okay."

Charlotte follows me without a word.

* * *

The Edina Palace is not a space that is so grand or spacious as to be flashy.

The structure itself is not a palace, but a castle. There are no large banquet halls, palace orchestras, or galleries.

Compared to the royal palace, the Edina Palace is no different from a cottage.

"Isn't it uncomfortable living in a place like this? Did I ask too late?"

When I ask Charlotte, who is standing next to me and walking along, she shakes her head with a disappointed expression.

"No, no, really. It's fine. I don't care. You know I don't care about these things..."

As she speaks, I can see her expression dying.

Since being kidnapped to the Demon Castle, Charlotte has not only stopped caring about what she eats, but also about sleeping.

Without realizing it, and as if we had both touched each other's sore spots, Charlotte falls silent.

After my identity was revealed, I couldn't have a proper conversation with Charlotte.

I couldn't tell her why I had to do it, why I had to deceive her from the beginning. Charlotte couldn't hear me, and I wasn't in a position to tell her.

All we knew was that I really wanted to stop this situation.

Even now, it's the same.

Charlotte felt guilty about me, and all she did was apologize for everything that had happened since our first meeting.

We haven't talked about anything yet.

Why did I deceive her?

Did I deceive her from the beginning, knowing that she was a princess?

About the truth of her kidnapping.

About the days when we exchanged letters.

I realized that we hadn't talked about anything yet.

In the face of the Gate Incident, a great event that could determine the fate of the world, the management of a single country, and other important matters, are small talks worth burying?

Do we really not need to have those conversations? Since Charlotte has buried those doubts in guilt, do we not need to talk about them?

I walk to the restaurant with Charlotte, who is silent with her head down.

Let's eat something for now.

Let's talk while we eat.

Whatever it may be.

* * *

"You want to do it yourself...?"

When I try to go into the kitchen myself instead of calling someone, Charlotte looks at me with a bewildered expression.

"There's no law that says the Demon King can't hold a knife, right?"

"Well... I guess not..."

I hardly realize that I am a king, and I have no thoughts about the rules or dignity that I should uphold as a king.

And honestly, I wanted to make something for Charlotte with my own hands, which I haven't done in a long time. Honestly, while it's true that I have a hierarchical relationship with these guys, I only consider them as friends, regardless of whether they see me as a lord or not.

There are limits to what I can do alone, so I rely on my friends' help.

I'm not sure if it's right to think like a king even though I've become one, but my mindset doesn't seem to change from this.

And in fact, after practicing with the sword, the only thing I could catch was a kitchen knife.

I made it carelessly and ate it carelessly.

Before breakfast, during lunch break, and after evening training.

With Ellen.

Sometimes with Harriet and Charlotte too.

"......."

It's inevitable that I hesitate when I think back to my time at the temple.

I think about the things that have changed.

Moments that can never be returned.

Even then, I was sure that everything would eventually change.

I knew that this moment could never last forever.

I had always thought that someday I would look back on these days and cherish them.

Those thoughts turned out to be true, and now I can only live in the present, unable to go back to that moment.

But just because I know it, just because I thought it would happen, doesn't mean I can easily accept it when it actually happens.

Moments that cannot be returned.

Relationships that cannot be undone.

It was frustrating and unfair.

* * *

It's a bit funny that the environment here is not as good as the academy operated by the empire, but the empire is on a different level to begin with.

It's not as good as the environment at the temple, but it's still the king's palace.

There was enough food, and since it was late and Charlotte didn't eat much, I made a simple sandwich.

"Aren't you thankful, Reinhardt?"

"What's so special about this?"

"Still...."

Even though it wasn't anything special, Charlotte seemed touched and started eating the sandwich with bright eyes.

Since I made one for myself too, I ate a sandwich.

"When is our next departure?"

"Well...it depends on the movements of the Allied Forces, not my will. We have to keep an eye on their movements."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Since our work is based on following the movements of the Allied Forces, we can't predict when our next mission will be.

When the Allied Forces advance and send out a vanguard to secure the area, we strike at a more advanced point.

"By the way, it's fortunate that nothing happened. Other units should be okay too."

"Probably. If they don't have enough strength, they'll just make a run for it. There's no need to force anything."

Since the number of personnel deployed is small, personnel losses are very critical. It was something that had been sufficiently conveyed to the Road Vampires, so there shouldn't be any major problems with other units as long as two basic principles are followed.

We will try to avoid conflict with the Allied Forces as much as possible.

If there is a battle where personnel losses are expected, we will withdraw immediately.

As long as these two principles are followed, there shouldn't be any major problems with other units. Come to think of it, there is something I should tell Charlotte. It's not important information, but... "And we destroyed a gate too. It was small, though." "I heard that from Hae-ri. But I'm worried that destroying a warp gate might be a bit too much..." "It wasn't too much. Strictly speaking, it was the same as what that girl Liana did alone." We were just a five-person squad, and except for Liana, none of us even had to exert ourselves. We summoned a large snowstorm that turned the area into almost a snow sea, and the flying monsters crashed, and many of the monsters drowned or suffocated in the snow. "But it's better not to rely too much on that method. We don't know how long it will work." Charlotte nodded quietly, as she had already heard the first report from Hae-ri. "That's true. But still, this will be a pretty important card for our future operations." "Yeah, that's right." It was a strategy to reduce the number of monsters with extreme cold, but we found that it had significant side effects. As I said, monsters are all different. To kill them with environmental factors, various methods must be employed. There are creatures similar to ordinary organisms, and there are completely different ones. That's why various types of death are needed. Drowning and crashing. I was only thinking about that, but I could see the added effect of suffocation and crushing. The snowstorm proved to be a useful weapon in many ways. Of course, it is somewhat more terrible that there are monsters that survived even in such extreme conditions. "We can advance with just us by dealing with small gates like this. We don't know about the medium-sized ones, and if it's a large-sized one, we can't do it alone." The snowstorm is a very useful weapon at the moment, but someday there will be enemies that it won't work against. "By the way, the Allied Forces will be quite surprised when they arrive..." "I don't think the snow will melt until they arrive, but well, we'll figure it out somehow." As long as Heinrich is there, the snow will melt quickly if he uses fire. And if things don't work out, Liana can come out again. It's like causing large-scale environmental destruction, but what do I care about nature? My throat is parched. Charlotte was looking at me with a full stomach. Yes, I decided to consult with her. That's why I feel like talking about this and that separately at night while making and eating something together. It's like a sentimental feeling. Even though I know it's not the right time, this sentimental feeling is quite unfamiliar because it's been a long time. But I still have work to do. I don't know everything. And there are many things I can't do. That's why I have a lot of people around me. People who can think of things I don't know, people who can do things I can't do. They are all precious to me. "Do you know about the Schwartz royal family?"

"You mean Kernstatt?"

"Oh, yeah."

Charlotte tilts her head as if she doesn't know why I'm asking.

"You know enough about it, right?"

It's not a small local country, but the number two among human countries.

So Charlotte knows enough about it.

That was quite interesting.

It's not about knowing as much as you know, but about knowing as much as you should know as a princess.

That means there is knowledge about details that are not generally known.

"Henry knows."

"Yeah, Heinrich von Schwartz. He was my classmate. I know he's been quite active since the gate incident."

"I think he's going to be assassinated by his own brothers. That's what I think."

"...What? Assassination?"

Of course, Charlotte's reaction was unbelievable.