Chapter 558

We had some expectations for the Demon Castle, but we came back empty-handed. However, we secured seventy-five Death Knights, which according to Olivia, are top-tier and much stronger than the existing ones. After returning to Edina, we shared the mission results with the elders and others who needed to know. It was surprising that the imperial tombs were empty, and Charlotte was shocked to hear that the empire might be doing what we were planning to do. It is a very powerful army, but there may be side effects when used. Berthus will not use that army unless it is a desperate situation where he has to bear such side effects. It would be better if such an army never had to be used. After a few days, everything was finished sooner than expected, thanks to unexpected situations and Kono Lint's help. After sharing the situation, Harry and Olivia had a late dinner. Olivia and the speaker climbed to the top of the tower with warm tea in their cups. It was cold and windy up there, but Olivia thought it would be pretty if it snowed. Olivia looks down at the Lazark landscape on a winter night and says, "People will only suffer more. Wouldn't it be better if it didn't come?" "Is that so?" The land will become more difficult for people to live on due to the frozen ground when it snows. Olivia looks at me with a subtle gaze. "Why?" "No, it's just interesting that you think that way." Instead of thinking about how beautiful the scenery will be when it snows, she thinks about how people's lives will change when it snows. At some point, I lost the ability to appreciate and only think about reality. I am not fit to be a king, and I have actually given up on that, but I cannot help the changed situation. "You were originally an Archdemon, so is it right for you to think that way?" "I don't know?" "It's strange." Olivia sits next to me and leans her head on my shoulder. "Looking back now, you hid a lot during the Temple days." "I'm sorry." "I'm not trying to get an apology. It's just...that." Everything from one to ten was a lie during those days. Those lies created this situation and made the world like this. "I think the you from the Temple days is the real you." "..." "This Reinhardt who became the Demon King seems fake somehow." Olivia looks up at me quietly. "There's no secret, but you seem more fake now that there's no secret." "Anything." "It's like trying to force yourself into clothes that don't fit." "You would have been better off just being Reinhardt." "Bad temper." "Rough language." "Violent." "But if someone asks for help, you put on a face and say you can't help it, and end up helping anyone." "That Reinhardt seems like your original self." "Living like that, just living without any problems." "You're sad because you're trying to endure the pain." The essence of being a Demon King. Olivia seemed to know that it didn't suit me at all. I wore a mask at the Temple, and this current appearance should be my real one. Everything that was lived under a false name should be fake, and everything that has returned with a true name should be real. Olivia's words that I cannot deny are somewhat true. But my appearance at the Temple is closer to my true self, and this appearance now is just a fake appearance that tries to imitate something. I cannot be a Demon King or a king. But I am doing it forcibly because I have to. My thoughts were exactly the same as what I usually think. Everything is heavy because I am trying to wear clothes that do not fit. I wasn't completely thoughtless, but my appearance at the Temple is a little closer to my true self. "Maybe." Olivia laughs at my simple answer. "I was crazy today, wasn't I?" "...The problem seems to be that you don't think it's a problem in your usual state."

"What?"

Olivia raised her eyebrows.

No, that's right!

My sister is crazy even on a normal day!

It's even weirder if you don't know that! That's even crazier!

I'm also crazy for telling you to leave it and go to the Demon King's castle...

"Tsk, you're only like this to me. And to that brat, Charlotte, and Ellen even more so. They're always pretty and forgiving to me, don't they know? Am I upset? Have I told you everything that's been building up until now? Tell me?"

"...I'm sorry."

"But do you know that?"

Olivia hugged my waist tightly.

"In fact, I don't really hate it?"

"Why, why are you like this..."

"Because I think you're most comfortable with me. Actually, I like it a little."

I'm accepting that it's because it's more friendly to be a little rough.

"I'm just trying. Not to be upset."

"...."

Olivia has a lot to be sorry for.

Even though there are a lot of things to be upset about, she's trying not to be upset.

Olivia had promised to be on my side even if the whole world abandoned me, and she kept that promise.

Although the whole world didn't abandon me, the fact that Olivia is forever on my side hasn't changed.

"In fact, you saved my life several times, is it strange that you're upset?"

"My sister saved you too."

"That's different."

Isn't this something you say in the opposite situation?

When I was exposed as the Demon King, Olivia tried to save me using her position and influence. And it was definitely effective.

Of course, there are various things that happened after Olivia realized that I was the Demon King.

The question of why the Demon King killed Laverier Lanche and escaped. That was resolved, so I had no choice but to trust her more after finding out that I was the Demon King.

In the case of Ellen and Charlotte, it was a situation where I could only feel betrayed, but Olivia was the opposite.

"The reason you couldn't go to the Miss Temple Contest was because of me, but looking back, it was a really good thing."

"No, it was a matter of life and death, how could I have gone to the Miss Temple Contest in that situation?"

In the end, I didn't even see Ellen in a dress, but the situation wasn't different in the first place.

Even if I go back to that time, I wouldn't be able to go to the Miss Temple Contest and save Olivia and Adriana.

"Anyway, you came to me. That's what's important."

Olivia hugged my waist even tighter.

"Looking back, you couldn't beat our father at that time, could you? Reinhardt, you didn't hide your strength or anything."

"That's right." My people naturally know that I didn't hide any power at the temple. I was really incompetent. Most of the power and skills I gained were from the temple. Olivia didn't see how I fought directly. "How did you win?" "I used the cursed sword." It was a monster that could survive even if its heart was pierced, and it was invincible against me without using the cursed sword Tiamat. "Well, even if you used that, it wouldn't have been a match." That's also true. I shouldn't have been able to beat Leberia Ranche. Of course, there were many conditions and help, and I wasn't the only one fighting. But no matter how much I had the cursed sword, Leberia Ranche was an enemy I couldn't face. "Well, somehow it worked out." That's how it happened. In the end, I went to face an enemy I couldn't face. And I won. I risked my life to save Olivia and Adriana. At my words, Olivia sighed deeply. "You're a strange kid." "Only for you, Nuna." "Yeah, because you did something for me, I'll put up with you being mean." So if you're trying, Olivia hugged me even harder. The topic of Leberia Ranche shouldn't have come up between us. After all, I killed Olivia's stepfather. But the situation is very special. Olivia had no choice but to hate her stepfather. She even resurrected his corpse as a Death Knight. "No matter how you think about it, you and our stepfather are destined to be enemies. Right?" "...Come to think of it, that nobleman was just a pain in the ass from beginning to end." "It's amazing, isn't it?" Saint Knight Commander Leberia Ranche. He fell from his position as Saint Knight Commander because of the truth I revealed. And then he tried to use the Thousand-Year Empire and other things to make fun of Olivia, and he died in my hands. And now he has to fight for us as a Death Knight. Is there such a thing as a destiny like this? At this point, even if Leberia Ranche comes back from the dead and holds a knife to my neck, there's nothing I can say. Apart from the mistakes of that nobleman, he went beyond ruining one person's life and even used death. "But if it weren't for Nuna, none of this would have happened." "That's true." The fate with Leberia Ranche was also mediated by Olivia. Twice to save Olivia. Once at Olivia's request. It's a ridiculous and creepy fate. Leberia Ranche was not a good father, of course. If he had been a good father, he wouldn't have died in my hands in the first place, and Olivia wouldn't have made him a Death Knight. Olivia's life was about being forced to be a good child and meet expectations. "For someone else, sacrificing oneself is a natural way of life. Of course, Olivia is not that kind of person anymore. The person who was once called the Saint of Eredia has become entangled in various things. She has become selfish, violent, rude, and even willing to do terrible things without hesitation. 'Father wanted the Thousand Year Empire. Do you know?' 'Yes. He wanted to make the Saint Knights the core and separate the sect's power.' 'I didn't want to do that kind of thing. It was disgusting. I lost interest in being a god or anything, so why did he ask me to do that?' Olivia looks down at the landscape of Rache. 'But ironically, after my father died and the world began to collapse, I became the leader of the Holy Sect, which combines the beliefs of the Five Great Gods and the Demon Gods.' '...' 'It's strange that I'm doing what I didn't want to do, but now I'm doing it on my own will.' 'You don't like it?' 'I'm not sure if I don't like it, but it's not that great, is it?' Olivia looks at me. 'It's like you being a demon king.' You don't like it, but you have to do it. You weren't forced to do it. Olivia and I are doing things we don't want to do. We're just trying to force ourselves to wear clothes that don't fit. 'Instead, I think I'm getting closer to what my father wanted, and I'm going to war with the Empire and destroying or absorbing the Five Great Gods' sect. I sometimes think about becoming the owner of the Five Great Gods' sect.' It may not be called the Thousand Year Empire, but it was what Leberia Ranche wanted from Olivia. Somehow, Olivia was getting closer and closer to it. Is it possible to plant a completely new faith in this land? Olivia Ranche, who rules over all of that. It's not impossible for Olivia to become the first success of that world. 'How happy would my father be if he were alive to see this?' Olivia says that. It was a terrible joke that didn't contain any sincerity. 'Stop talking nonsense...' 'Why? Aren't you like the protagonist of a common story who didn't understand his parents' wishes and didn't listen to them until they died?' 'So stop it...' I don't know about anything else, but my sister is definitely not a filial daughter! Just because Leberia Ranche was a trashy father doesn't mean my sister has to be a filial daughter! Rather, my sister is even more vicious now! 'Anyway.' Olivia hugs my arm. 'It's getting cold.' The wind was cold even when she finished talking. December. Now, it will get colder. * * * Even if the power is enhanced, it cannot be said that it is enough. However, after completing the primary power enhancement, we began to prepare for the next joint army march. Olivia seemed to be struggling with the Holy Sect's priests and paladins to strengthen the already created Death Knights or to permanently undead monsters. Charlotte was still busy with her duties as queen and running the country of Eredia. Heriot continued his research on magic alone or with Lucinil. As for me, if I wasn't doing image training through Airi, there wasn't much for me to do in Eredia. Charlotte knew more about Eredia than I did, so she was already my perfect superior, and I had become a hindrance to her. So I arrived at the joint army base to do what needed to be done next. "Meow," said the black cat. I planned to confirm with my own eyes what had changed and how the situation was unfolding.