Chapter 583

The day after Louise arrived at the temple. There weren't many people back at the Royal Class dormitory, and Louise is the commander of the Kernstadt army, so those who recognized her seemed a bit tense, but it didn't get too noisy. Louise seemed fascinated by the fact that she was in the temple, whether people recognized her or not. During breakfast, Heinrich asked about her patrol and she apologized for not resting. They discussed the safety of the area and Ellen confirmed that there were no monsters. Heinrich and Ellen looked worriedly at the snow piling up outside the banquet hall. The cause of all this was the gate incident and the monsters, but now the monsters had become a secondary problem. Louise thanked Ludwig for guiding her yesterday and he seemed confused. She explained that she got lost in the snow and he helped her find her way. They realized that if she hadn't met Ludwig, she would have been lost for longer. "The temple is incredibly spacious inside. Even though I tried hard to find it, I would have lost my way again trying to find the Royal Class dormitory if I hadn't run into Ludwig. Heinrich asks if Ludwig was busy yesterday and arrived late. Ludwig explains that he wasn't busy, but he helped someone in need on his way back. Ellen pets the narrator's back and it feels comfortable. They discuss the purification work and the spread of disease in the Huangdo area. Louise is impressed by the good work they are doing. Heinrich's friendliness towards Ludwig is evident. Louise thinks it's fortunate that Ludwig is getting better. She feels bad for him losing his arm. Heinrich smiles bitterly at Louise's comment." Since Ellen and Heinrich confirmed that the outskirts of Huangdo were safe, there was no need to go on patrol anymore. Heinrich couldn't leave the temple because of Louise's arrival. After breakfast, Louise and Heinrich went outside the Royal Class dormitory. The snow that started falling yesterday covered everything in white. Heinrich suggested melting the snow with his ability, and Louise watched him do it. The fireball he summoned melted the snow and turned it into rain. Heinrich and Louise got wet from the rain. "If the heat is enough to melt the piled up snow in an instant, then this method could be used. However, if people are exposed to such heat, it could be dangerous. No, fire safety should be a priority. But if we melt the snow like this, the whole street will turn into an ice rink." Louise thought that Heinrich's grand plan was meaningless, but she decided it would be better for him to try it out himself. "I'm sorry. I got my clothes wet for no reason." Heinrich's face turned red with embarrassment. "I hope you think a little deeper next time." "Yes..." "But..." Louise smiled at Heinrich. "You have a good heart." "Yes...?" Even though it was a meaningless attempt, they both wanted to help people. "That alone might be enough." Louise added with a smile. Suddenly, Heinrich was at a loss for words. They both felt the severe cold in the winter air in real-time. While it wasn't a problem for Louise, it was for Heinrich. Louise sighed as she watched Heinrich's lips turn blue. "Let's change our clothes first." "Yes." They had to turn back from their walk as soon as they went out. Heinrich and Louise went for a walk around the temple after changing into different clothes. "Youngest, there won't be as many people in the temple as before, right?" "Since the school isn't in operation, there will be one-tenth of the usual people, or even less." "If we can clear the snow like this even inside the temple, we might not have to worry too much about outside." "That would be nice." Heinrich explained the education system of the temple to Louise as they walked around. Summary of previous part of chapter only for context: In this chapter, Louise and Heinrich discuss a plan to melt the snow on the streets using heat. However, they realize that it could be dangerous for people and decide that fire safety should be a priority. Despite the plan being meaningless, they both want to help people and Louise encourages Heinrich for having a good heart. They then change their clothes and go for a walk around the temple, discussing the education system and the reduced number of people due to the school not being in operation. They also consider the possibility of using their snow-melting method inside the temple to avoid worrying about the outside.

Royal class classrooms, buildings where they received supernatural ability classes, places where they received magic sensitivity training, and so on. Louise also went to elementary and middle school when she was very young. "This is Main Street. The shops are closed now, but Temple students used to gather here to go to restaurants or cafes. Unless they went out to the highway on weekends, most students came here." "The street is very big." "Yes. With over 100,000 students, this was the street where most students gathered. And since students from all over the continent gathered here, you could taste various local foods. Well... I didn't particularly like it though." "I see." Except for the security guards who were clearing the snow, there were very few people walking around, but it used to be a place where countless students were bustling. When people gather from all over the continent, the culture of the entire continent comes together. Main Street was not an educational site, but it was a street that symbolized the success and prosperity of the Temple. However, now there was not a single open shop on the snowy street. Louise knew all these places in her head, such as the number of students, Main Street, and other schools that Heinrich attended. She knew them in her head, but they were places and sights she had never seen before. "You've spent your whole life in a place like this." "Yes." Louise said quietly, and Heinrich nodded his head. "If I say this, it might be disrespectful to His Majesty... but the Temple is a good place." "You don't have to worry about that. Don't you know that the Academy of Kerhild can't compare to the Temple?" Louise looked at the snowy scenery of the Temple. "The Academy of Kerhild is not only smaller than the Temple, but it can't be as big as the Temple. Seeing it with my own eyes, I realize that it was possible because it was an empire." The Academy of Kerhild followed the Temple, but it could not secure the same scale as the Temple. There was no reason for students who were mostly children of wealthy households to choose the Academy of Kerhild when there was the best academy on the continent, the Temple. The Academy of Kerhild supports tuition, but if they fully support it like the Temple, the country itself will be in trouble. Therefore, the number of students in the academy is small, and the scale is small. It is not that Louise did not know that fact from the beginning, so she did not think that Heinrich was ignoring the Academy of Kerhild by saying that. "No, Your Highness. That's not what I meant." Heinrich said quietly on Main Street. "I'm saying that I've spent my life in a good place." "Ah..." Louise felt like she was suffocating at Heinrich's sudden words. "It wasn't particularly happy, but it wasn't particularly unhappy either. I lived in a good place with good people." "...." "So, you don't have to make that expression." It was only then that Louise realized what expression she had been making. As Heinrich passed by countless places, schools, dormitories, and streets throughout his life, Louise couldn't appreciate the scenery, let alone be there for him, and was overwhelmed with guilt for her son whom she had lived with all her life without even knowing the truth. Therefore, she couldn't properly express her feelings as they passed by each place. With the guilt unresolved and even deepening, Louise could only have a stiff expression all the time. Coming to the temple was a happy thing for her, but ultimately, she felt more and more depressed because she was sorry for not being able to witness those sights and not being able to have a proper conversation with her son. Heinrich's sudden words that the temple was a good place and that he had lived in such a good place with good people made her feel suffocated. Louise couldn't tell if she had the right to hear those words. She had never watched over him, taken care of him, or had a proper conversation with him, even now that she knew everything. She still called him her youngest son in case someone might hear, and he called her mother. Even though she could estimate the national power was intact, Louise confirmed with her own eyes that Kerhild could not match the temple in terms of scale and support. Fortunately, because the temple was a good place, her son could grow up like this, and it was fortunate that Kerhild could not follow the temple. Living in a good place with good people. How fortunate that was. But while Louise was moved by that thought, she couldn't help but laugh bitterly. Living among good people. How terrible a lie that was. Louise let out a bitter laugh. "I lived with the Demon King at the temple, among good people... Do you want me to lie to comfort you? Still... Thank you for saying that." "What? Oh..." If you had to choose the most unfortunate person in the world, her son would be one of the ten people who could fit in your hands. Nevertheless, Louise could only understand it as a lie to comfort herself. But Heinrich was silent as if he had received a big shock from her words. Louise blamed herself for speaking too carelessly about the Demon King. She must have said something unnecessary. She might have a sense of guilt that she couldn't stop all of this without knowing anything while being by the Demon King's side. "My youngest son, I just..." "Mother." In the midst of a fear that seemed to tighten her heart, Louise nodded her head in confusion. "Yes, I'm listening." Louise felt a type of fear she had never experienced before as she looked at Heinrich's terrifyingly hardened expression. He seemed to be carefully choosing his words as he stared at her, and she wondered if she could handle hearing any resentful words he might say. In the midst of suffocating pressure, Louise waited for Heinrich to speak. After a long silence, he finally spoke, saying that he had been considering whether or not to tell her something, but he felt she needed to know. Heinrich's words were not filled with resentment or sorrow. He slowly opened his mouth and revealed that before his brothers tried to kill him, the Demon King had come to see him.