Chapter 630

Rowen exhaled deeply as she stepped away from the Kernstadt military camp.

Royalty was always a force to be reckoned with, but Louise von Schwartz was something else entirely. She had not expected to be able to manipulate them like mere pawns, yet Louise still managed to surprise her.

Rowen had achieved her goal, despite having to make alliances she wasn’t thrilled about. In fact, she hadn’t even needed to voice her own desires.

Louise had not outright said she wanted Rowen dead. Instead, she spoke of a “need” for Rowen’s death—not for her own sake, but for the Demon King’s. Louise’s negotiation tactics and her demands were chillingly effective because Rowen herself found them persuasive.

In chaotic times, a dog’s purpose was to bite. Nobody needed a cute dog. A hunting dog or a mad dog would be preferable, one that was large and fierce enough to bite the enemy. Once the chaos ended, though, the usefulness of a hunting dog would diminish, while a mad dog had to be put down.

For the Demon King, who surely dreamed of a peaceful reign, Rowen might be necessary for the moment, but once stability was reestablished, her actions could become a liability.

Rowen’s life had to end the moment the Demon King’s world was completed. She had to die, and take all her sins with her. She needed to confess that her sins were her own and not tied to the Demon King before she left.

She was already a villain, and every day was a gamble on whether her villainy would be exposed. The longer she lived, the more the Demon King would have to bear the burden of having overlooked Rowen’s sins.

“...”

Louise von Schwartz had achieved remarkable success.

Even if she withdrew her demand, Rowen still understood that she would have to die the moment the world the Demon King envisioned came to be.

The essence of things always remained unchanged.

In the end, those born into royalty would carry their noble status to the grave.

Though Louise appeared to have reluctantly submitted to the Demon King for the time being, once his reign began, Kernstadt would be ranked among the most prestigious nations.

Even if Louise von Schwartz was branded a traitor to humanity or a despicable figure for allying herself with the Demon King, it wouldn’t alter the fact that she would continue to live a royal life, both at present and in the future.

But Rowen, who had carried out unsavory tasks in the shadows, would eventually be ensnared by her own actions. Her very existence would become a liability to the one she served, and she knew she had to vanish.

The essence of things remained unchanged. The words spoken and the deeds done remained unchanged.

She was someone who should have stayed hidden. Had she remained in the shadows, she could have continued her life in obscurity. But stepping into the light came at a cost—she had to fade away, unable to return to the darkness that once sheltered her.

The shadow that concealed her belonged to the tree known as the five popes. And now she, the moss, which had arrogantly claimed a place after cutting down the rightful owners of the shadows it thrived under, had to perish.

Rowen didn’t find this particularly sorrowful or sad.

What bothered her was that a mere royal had forced her to confront something she should have already understood.

Even so, she couldn’t help but ponder it.

What if she hadn’t lived her life as an inquisitor? What would her life have been like?

She had been abandoned as a child, like so many other children who were left at the doorsteps of monasteries.

Some of these children, as they grew, displayed a talent for Divine Power and joined the Temple.

Adriana was one of them.

Others caught the attention of the commander of the Order of the Holy Knights, and were groomed to become the next generation of leaders.

Olivia Lanche was one of those.

Then there were those who, by chance, had similar talents but were taken in by a monastery that specialized in training inquisitors.

That was how she had become an inquisitor.

“...”

‘Who decides our true nature? Did I choose this path? Would my life have been different if I’d been raised elsewhere?

‘By chance, I grew up in that perpetually snowy, unforgiving land. In a bleak and isolated monastery, hidden from the world. There, I learned the dark arts of torture, brainwashing, and forcing confessions for crimes never committed. I was taught to betray the doctrine of the Order before I even understood it.

‘What if I had been raised in a place like the Temple, where hatred wasn’t a daily lesson? Could my life have taken a different turn?

‘Olivia Lanche, the one who lived in the Temple with the Demon King... The leader of the Holy Order and the future Holy Emperor of the Holy Empire. Could that have been my position?’

Rowen, already consumed by darkness, felt herself become even more ensnared by a single statement from Louise.

“Tch. Nonsense.”

The only silver lining was that Rowen understood the true meaning behind Louise’s words.

She clearly recognized the sneer, the implication that a lowly, tainted woman like her should know her place and prepare for the end.

Ruminating over it would only mean succumbing to Louise’s malice.

Olivia Lanche’s position was hers alone. There was no reason to envy it or to feel regret. If dying and disappearing would aid the Demon King, then so be it.

Twisted loyalty was still loyalty.

The Demon King did not care for her much, and honestly, she preferred it that way. She hoped for enough distance so that when the time came, he could let her go without a second thought.

Her focus was clear; she had a job to do. Louise von Schwartz had joined their ranks. It was time to take the next step.

The plan was to gradually win over those with high potential, one by one. Securing Louise von Schwartz, the most crucial piece, was a significant victory, even though she had stated her own demands. Of course, her demands weren’t really demands at all; they had been necessary all along.

Rowen knew she didn’t need to recruit everyone.

‘Next up... the Grand Duke...’

It was now the Grand Duke of Saint-Ouen’s turn.

‘They said I didn’t need to approach him...’

The person who should approach the Grand Duke of Saint-Ouen...

Wasn’t the most fitting person already standing at the right hand of the Demon King?

***

The report Rowen made to Sarkegar reached me through Harriet around noon the following day.

As I read it, a strange mix of bitterness and something else washed over me.

“Hmm...”

Louise von Schwartz wanted Rowen eliminated. Not immediately, but after everything was resolved.

Harriet, Charlotte, and I gathered in the office to read the report together.

“It’s necessary, of course,” I said. “But it seems clear that she demanded it not just because it’s necessary, but because she wants to see it happen.”

Charlotte nodded, understanding both the intent and the necessity behind Louise von Schwartz’s demand. She agreed that Rowen was someone who deserved to be killed and that a purge was necessary. But if that were the case, then how many who stood by my side deserved to live?

Harriet, unfamiliar with such matters, trembled slightly, her fingertips quivering. “It’s frightening... this talk about purges...”

“Purges are sometimes necessary. Reinhart, it’s not just Rowen who needs to be dealt with. When there are too many people with power and influence, the country can start to crumble.”

“I see your point,” I replied.

Recognizing achievements was important, but if the rewards given out were too generous, power would become decentralized. This might sow the seeds of division, which would one day sprout. Once a conquest was complete, a ruler often faced the difficult decision to eliminate those who had become too influential.

Rowen was not the only one who needed to be removed. She was just part of the problem.

“You understand the implications of what you’re saying, right?” I asked.

Charlotte simply shrugged in response. “If it comes to it, you should kill me too. No, actually, you must.”

“H-huh?”

It was Harriet who reacted first, taken aback by Charlotte’s calm declaration.

“If you let me live and use me, I become a potential threat—a seed for the revival of the Gradias imperial family. Logically, it makes sense for me to die.”

“Yes, I get that. But do you think I would really do it?”

“That’s what worries me. Because I know you wouldn’t.”

“After everything I’ve done to save you, now you suggest I might have to kill you? I’d rather bite my tongue and die than do that.”

It was absurd. I had done countless things to protect Charlotte. But for some reason, when stability and order was finally achieved, I was supposed to consider executing Charlotte to lay the foundation for my future rule? I’d rather die than witness that.

I understood that such decisions were sometimes required of a ruler, but if that was what ruling entailed, then I’d rather not be one.

Still, that didn’t mean I didn’t see the necessity of purges. Purges were sometimes essential. But if I were to start, where would it end?

If I were to start with Charlotte, even if I had no intention of doing so, thenI’d have to purge all the non-demon allies who stood by me prior to our arrival in Edina. If it came to that, then even Olivia and Riana might need to be eliminated.

I could never bring myself to carry out such an extreme measure.

The report we received had been written by Rowen herself, and did not just state Louise von Schwartz’s demand. In it, Rowen herself had laid out the reasons why she believed she had to die.

In other words, she was prepared to face death whenever it was required.

“I really don’t like this person. It’s a heavy burden.”

The report, which stated she was ready to sacrifice her life and was filled with reasons why purging her was necessary, felt overwhelmingly burdensome.

“I don’t know. It’s not something I can think about right now. We can just agree to it now; I can always change my mind later.”

If we agreed to the purge that Louise wanted, it would have to come about eventually.

However, I could always say I couldn’t go through with it when the time came. When the moment of reckoning arrived, we could always reassess whether the purge was truly necessary.

Since I could always backtrack, I could just accede to her demands for the time being.

“That... feels a bit... unsettling,” Harriet admitted, looking uneasy.

“When you’re in a position like this, you end up having to lie a lot, you know?”

“That’s true.”

“And if things work out in our favor, do you really think Louise would hold it against you for not keeping your promise? She absolutely can’t.”

“Of course, of course.”

As Charlotte and I exchanged words in perfect harmony, Harriet shot us a look of pure disdain, deeming us both trash.

For the moment, we agreed to put the purge on hold. Whether Rowen would actually be eliminated was a decision for another time. It was a twisted sort of logic, but Louise would understand that my promises weren’t entirely reliable.

‘A purge...’

It wasn’t something to fret over just yet, but it was already on our minds.

‘Let’s concentrate on what’s right in front of us first.’

Charlotte stretched, feeling as if she’d finally sorted things out, and then spoke up.

“Alright, it’s time for the next step.”

The most crucial piece, Louise von Schwartz, who had the power to sway others, had agreed to join our side, with the understanding that she’d be compensated later.

We now had the Order of the Holy Knights, the Church of the Five Great Gods, and the principality of Kernstadt on board.

Next up was the Duchy of Saint-Ouen and its ruler, Grand Duke Saint-Ouen.

“I’ll do my best,” Harriet said with a determined nod.

‘Look at her go. How cute!’

“What do you mean by that?” I asked.

“Huh? Well... I mean, I’ll try my best to persuade him?”

Harriet seemed to assume that she was the obvious candidate to negotiate with the grand duke of Saint-Ouen.

“Why would you go? I’m the one going,” I said.

“Huh?”

“What are you talking about, Reinhart? Why would you go yourself?”

Harriet looked taken aback by my suggestion, and Charlotte seemed just as puzzled.

Even Charlotte couldn’t quite grasp the situation.

“Honestly, I don’t think you going is a bad idea,” I said, “but shouldn’t we consider how your parents might feel?”

“Hmm? Oh...”

“If you go to them and ask them to support us, the conversation might go more easily. But from the grand duke’s perspective, wouldn’t it make me come across as... well, presumptuous?” I explained.

Though I wasn’t actually holding anyone hostage, it might seem like I was implying that they had to accede to my demands if they wanted their daughter to be happy. Sending their daughter to ask for their support without even showing up myself felt incredibly bold. If I were in her parents’ shoes, I’d find it downright audacious.

Even though I hadn’t actually kidnapped her, she had still vanished along with me. Imagine if the guy who’d vanished with their daughter sent her back with a message, “Hey, sir, please support me. You know my situation is tough,” without even bothering to show up. If I were the grand duke, I’d be demanding to see that scoundrel immediately.

I said to Harriet, “Even if the grand duke understands why you did what you did, from his perspective, I’m still the jerk who took his daughter away, right? He might understand you, but understanding me is a completely different matter.”

I was the thief that had stolen his daughter.

“It’s time for me to go back and bow my head.”

“Is that... so?” Harriet said uncertainly.

“Now that I think about it, you have a point,” said Charlotte, in support of my decision. “Honestly, the grand duke would be justified in slapping Reinhart the moment he sees him. In fact, Reinhart should probably go and get slapped just to show respect. It feels appropriate.”

As Charlotte said, it was right that I at least go to him and get slapped once.

I had been utterly reckless, yet I hadn’t even gone to face the consequences.

‘But here’s the thing... How would I explain it?

‘Let’s say I did get slapped. The real issue is what happens after that. I can’t exactly say, “Please, may I have your daughter?” After all, she’s already been with me for quite some time.’

In essence, our conversation might go something like...

“Father-in-law, please let me have it.”

‘“You’ve already taken my daughter, you scoundrel!”

“I’m not talking about your daughter. I’ve already taken your daughter.”

“Then what are you referring to? What else do you want, you rascal?!”

“Father-in-law. Please let me have you.”

That was it in a nutshell, wasn’t it?

The grand duke possessed the ability to teleport, so we didn’t necessarily have to meet at the Allied encampment.

If he preferred to, we could meet in the Duchy of Saint-Ouen, but if he wanted to meet at the base, that was fine too. And unlike Louise, the Duke would never consider turning down my request for a meeting, especially since his daughter was with me.

When I mentioned I was willing to go and face the consequences, Harriet’s demeanor shifted, and tears welled up in her eyes.

“What if... my dad tries to kill you?” she asked.

Harriet had once traveled to the Duchy of Saint-Ouen to meet with the grand duke, and at that time, he’d assured her that he understood. Even so, it was only natural for the Duke to want to beat me up, or even rip me apart with his bare hands.

“It seems like it’s better if I went with you,” Harriet said.

“No, that would make it even stranger,” I replied.

‘That would really look like we’re asking for his blessing to get married! Imagine—his daughter runs off with a man and disappears for three years, then comes back with him, and both of us kneel in front of him. That’s exactly what it would look like!’

“It’s okay. I’ll go alone.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea...”

Harriet, still feeling uneasy, started to cry.

“No, if you come with me, the Duke might actually try to kill me.”

“Why would he be more likely to do that if I’m with you? My dad? Why?”

‘He might strangle me the moment he senses something’s off! I’m sure of it!’

“Just because! Don’t ask why!”

“Oh.. I see...”

Only Charlotte seemed to grasp the situation and nodded with a look of resignation.