Chapter 631

Recruiting the Grand Duke of Saint-Ouen carried a different weight than bringing Kernstadt into the fold.

While Kernstadt would boost our overall power, the grand duke was the key figure behind Titan, a major force within the Allied Forces. While the grand duke alone couldn’t control Titan, the influence he wielded was undeniable.

Titan had been strong enough to turn the tide of a major city siege in just seven minutes. Though the Immortals were formidable, Titan was equally powerful and constantly being upgraded.

Having the Grand Duke on my side did not mean I could control Titan. It meant I could neutralize it.

Just as I hoped the Immortals wouldn’t be misused, it was only right that Titan should only be deployed against monsters.

Given my chosen path, I needed to effectively neutralize both the Allied Forces and the Empire. By recruiting Kernstadt, I had already managed to weaken the Allied Forces significantly. If I could also neutralize Titan, one of their key strengths would be rendered ineffective.

I was determined to meet the Grand Duke alone, regardless of what would happen. Sarkegar would initiate contact with him, but I wanted to be the one to speak directly.

I would let the Grand Duke choose the meeting place. We could meet in Arnaka, the capital of the Duchy of Saint-Ouen, but that might make the Grand Duke uncomfortable. I didn’t want it to seem like I was threatening him in any way. That was why I planned to go to him myself, instead of sending Harriet.

With no significant battle taking place, the Allied Forces had already left Gersonosia and were on the move.

Sarkegar returned sooner than I had anticipated, this time with Lucinil accompanying him.

“Why did you come with Lucinil instead of Harriet?”

Harriet was usually the one who handled transportation, given her knack for casting spells. So why did he arrive with Lucinil instead of Harriet?

“I’m not sure. The secretary wanted to go and bring him back, but he insisted that I go instead.”

“Insisted?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

So Harriet had gone to fetch Sarkegar, but he sent her away and requested Lucinil instead?

Was Sarkegar particular about who he traveled with? I recalled he wasn’t fond of humans in general, but I didn’t think he had any specific issue with Harriet. And why this, all of a sudden?

“Um... Okay, then.”

I turned to Sarkegar. “Have you picked a location yet?”

“Well... I haven’t had the chance to meet the Grand Duke in person,” he replied.

Huh? Why did he return before the task was completed?

I was accustomed to him being dark and brooding, but I’d never seen Sarkegar like this before, and sending Harriet away and requesting Lucinil instead was also strange.

“Well... it might not be crucial, but... I thought Your Highness should be informed about this as well... That’s why I didn’t bring the secretary.”

Seeing Sarkegar flustered and stumbling over his words was a rare sight—something I never thought I’d witness.

“What’s with you, old man? Why are you suddenly acting so scared? What’s going on?” Lucinil said.

Sarkegar hesitated, and Lucinil tilted her head, sensing something was off.

‘But really, shouldn’t Lucinil avoid calling anyone an old man, given she’s quite the old hag herself?’

Well, that was beside the point. Did something happen? Had something gone wrong?

“Well, you know... the one who developed Titan... your classmate...”

“Adelia? What about her?”

What was he trying to say? What was this about Adelia?

“Well... It seems... she might have... feelings for the grand duke...”

“What...!?”

Was I hearing it right?

“No way... that can’t be true.”

Lucinil’s lips quivered, her mouth open in disbelief.

𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Sarkegar’s face flushed a deep red, clearly embarrassed and ashamed.

“It seems she might have romantic feelings for the grand duke...” he repeated.

It was completely unexpected, utterly strange, and, in the grand scheme of things, insignificant.

“This is insane...”

Something massively mind-boggling had happened.

‘This can’t be... But wait. No way...’

“The grand duke... the grand duke isn’t...?”

‘It can’t be the grand duke, right? Well, if he is, then... It’s a complete disaster! What are we going to do about our naive Thick-Skull? And what am I supposed to do?!’

“The Grand Duke... he’s not like that...”

I’d had my share of close calls, but this was the first time I felt like I’d died and come back to life.

So, had Adelia developed Stockholm syndrome or something?

***

Naturally, it was not so easy for Sarkegar to meet with the grand duke. To deliver his message to the grand duke, he needed to find him alone. Approaching the grand duke in the presence of others would be risky for both of them.

So, Sarkegar shifted through various disguises, patiently waiting for the right moment when the grand duke would be by himself.

“But he never seems to be alone,” Sarkegar muttered, almost to himself.

“Well, the grand duke is a busy man... so I guess it makes sense.”

He wasn’t just busy; he was consumed by public affairs. Louise von Schwartz had a packed schedule, but the grand duke was both a commander and chief researcher, which made his free time even more scarce.

While the Grand Duke’s forces might not rival the Kernstadt army in size, he likely had little time for rest. This made it incredibly challenging to find a moment to meet with him alone.

This was why Sarkegar had returned empty-handed, without being able to fulfill my request to contact the Grand Duke. However, that wasn’t his main concern.

Sarkegar seemed unusually flustered by the awkward situation, while Lucinil listened intently, as if captivated.

“It appears... the Grand Duke often sleeps in the research tent instead of his own quarters. In that tent, there are other researchers, but... it seems Adelia is almost always there.”

The Titan was a formidable weapon of war, born from the fusion of the Duchy of Saint-Ouen’s ancient golem technology and Adelia’s magical craftsmanship.

In other words, while the Grand Duke led the research, Adelia was the chief assistant researcher. Therefore, they inevitably saw each other every hour of every day.

Still, I clung to a shred of hope.

‘Maybe Sarkegar is misunderstanding things, or he made a mistake. It had to be that. It absolutely had to be! This is too overwhelming otherwise!’

“It seems that if the Grand Duke skips meals, Adelia prepares food for him, and if he falls asleep, she covers him with a blanket... those kinds of things...”

“It seems like it should be the other way around...” Lucinil muttered, puzzled by Sarkegar’s explanation.

Indeed. The scene should have played out in a different way. A daughter’s friend had followed him to the battlefield and invented a weapon of war. The grand duke, seeing a reflection of his daughter in her, gently covers her with a blanket when she falls asleep in the lab...

It should have been that sort of tender moment, but somehow the opposite had happened!

“W-well, that’s... not such a strange thing to do, right?”

After all, covering someone with a blanket or bringing them food if they looked hungry... Those were just simple things anyone might do. Adelia could have done such things not out of affection, but out of respect, or maybe sympathy, for the grand duke.

That led me to realize that feeling pity for someone, wanting to care for them, and suddenly finding that you can’t take your eyes off them was, surprisingly, a very real possibility...

“Of course... that could be the case...”

My suggestion that it was something innocent could not help Sarkegar shake off his troubled expression.

“Yeah, well, Adelia is like that,” I said. “She can’t speak harshly, and... even though she might not seem like it, she’s kind-hearted and can’t ignore the people she’s concerned about. You know, that sort of thing. She’s kind, but a coward.”

“So, she thinks like you, but has a more upright personality? Is that what you’re trying to say?”

I sighed. “Lucinil, I’m really not in the mood for this right now.”

“See? You’re always choosing words that irritate people and then getting criticized for it...”

“Stop! Stay out of it, you silver-haired brat!”

“What? Brat?”

“Stay out of it, then, you silver-haired old hag!”

“You little...!”

Sarkegar observed us, looking at us like a weary adult as Lucinil and I squabbled, clearly wishing that he did not have to be around to see our petty argument. His face was a picture of exasperation.

Anyway, getting back to the main issue...

“So... Are you sure about this?” I asked.

‘There’s no evidence! Simply wrapping someone in a blanket and cooking meals for them—if that’s all it took to spark a romance, we’d be drowning in confessions of love!’

“There’s no proof... but I just know,” Sarkegar said.

“How can you be so certain without any evidence?”

“It’s the way she looks at him...”

Hearing that, I felt my breath catch.

The way Adelia gazed at the Grand Duke. Her expression.

It might not seem like evidence, but there was nothing more convincing than that.

If this wasn’t evidence, then what else could possibly be...?

“Damn it...”

It was like how a graduate student, spirited away by her professor and living in his lab, might suddenly start seeing him as a man simply because she was always around him...

‘So it is Stockholm syndrome, isn’t it?’

***

It might have been accidental, but it would never turn into an unthinkable scenario. The Grand Duke was a dignified man, and he would never imagine that Adelia might have feelings for him. No matter what was in Adelia’s mind, the Grand Duke wouldn’t notice. Such an idea wouldn’t even cross his mind.

After giving his brief report, Sarkegar returned to the Allied Forces. When the chance arose to meet the grand duke, he would pass along my message.

What Sarkegar had discovered while waiting for his opportunity wasn’t really a big problem. Even if Adelia had feelings for the Grand Duke, it wouldn’t cause any major issues. The Grand Duke had a wife and children, and his missing daughter was safe and sound.

In the grand scheme of things, it didn’t matter much. Honestly, even if the Grand Duke and Adelia were involved in some strange and awkward affair, what difference would it make?

The war was what truly mattered, not romance.

‘I wish I hadn’t heard about it at all! Being aware of something I can’t fix, something irrelevant to the grand scheme, is maddening!’

“So, have you decided when you’re leaving?”

“Well, no, not yet...”

“Oh, really? Why did Sarkegar show up just now? He seemed a bit off. Did something happen?”

“No, nothing happened...”

“And earlier, he was adamant that Lucinil accompany him instead of me. Did I do something wrong to him?”

“No, no. You did nothing wrong. Absolutely nothing.”

‘Our sweet, innocent Thick-Skull, you did nothing wrong! You’re blameless!’

“Huh...? Then who messed up? What’s happening?”

“No, no! No one did anything wrong.”

‘So, was it Adelia who had done something wrong? Well, liking someone isn’t exactly a crime... And besides, it’s not like anything actually happened!’

Harriet frowned at me. “What’s going on? Something seems off.”

“No, nothing. There’s no problem at all...”

Of course, once I started saying weird things, Harriet, who was very perceptive, seemed to think there was an issue.

Harriet asked a series of questions with such an innocent look that I felt my tongue go numb.

Harriet and Adelia had been fast friends since meeting at the Temple. She had been taken aback by the news that Adelia had developed Titan alongside the grand duke, yet she seemed genuinely thrilled about her friend’s groundbreaking achievement.

‘“Your cherished first friend in high school has fallen for your dad...” How on earth do I even bring that up?’

***

A few bewildering days passed.

The Allied Forces had departed Gersonosia, and the Grand Duke would inevitably have some free time while the army was on the march.

A report arrived from Sarkegar. He had successfully made contact with the grand duke, and proposed a meeting. The proposed meeting place was the capital of the Duchy of Saint-Ouen, Arnaka. Specifically, the White Palace Arnaria.

Meeting at the Allied camp would have been a gamble. The grand duke, however, was a man who could come and go as he pleased. It seemed he favored a meeting on his own turf.

“...”

Honestly, I should have been on edge.

I had no idea what the Grand Duke thought of me, and he had every reason to be upset with how I had dealt with Harriet.

But I had discovered something odd along the way, and it made me anxious about this meeting for entirely different reasons.

Regardless, the mission was straightforward: meet with the grand duke.

All I had to do was recruit him. That was my sole task.

I didn’t have any other information, the same as both Harriet and the grand duke.

I didn’t want to complicate things by saying more than necessary.

***

Arnaka, the capital of the Duchy of Saint-Ouen. I’d visited twice before.

The first time was during my time at the Temple, when Adriana had suddenly withdrawn from the school. The monastery where she had been born and raised was nestled in the Duchy of Saint-Ouen.

Back then, I had boldly knocked on the palace doors of the Duchy, seeking priority access to the warp gate. Looking back, I realized how reckless I had been.

During that visit, I had met the grand duke’s entire family. The first time I’d met him, he mistakenly believed I was nearly engaged to Harriet.

The second time I had gone to Arnaka was after the Gate Incident, when I accompanied Harriet. I hadn’t entered Arnaria that time; only Harriet had.

I found myself in front of Arnaka again, for the third time. The magical turrets along its fortifications remained intact, but the expressions of the people in the city were still somber. They probably assumed that once the war ended, the Empire would seek retribution against them.

Would they consider themselves lucky if the Duchy of Saint-Ouen sided with the Demon King, or would they point to the Grand Duke’s betrayal and claim they saw it coming all along?

I still had no idea what choice the Grand Duke would make.

If he chose to support me, the public’s suspicions would become reality. There would be no room for explanations. The people would say that a family whose daughter had chosen to follow the Demon King had been conspiring with him from the start. It wasn’t true, but proving otherwise would be impossible.

How would the Grand Duke feel, if his worst fears came true?

Eleris, not Harriet, was the one who brought me to Arnaka.

I didn’t want to come with Harriet.

Having just learned about some truly mind-boggling things, I found myself wandering through the silent streets of Arnaka, heading toward the heart of the city—the White Palace, Arnaria. The palace loomed like a mountain carved by the hands of giants, its beauty undiminished by time.

As I gazed up at the towering spires, a flood of memories washed over me.

I remembered Harriet as a child, declaring she would one day climb those very spires to watch the children playing below. The image of little Harriet perched high above, observing the world from such a lonely height, struck me as both endearing and a bit sad.

Lost in these thoughts, I reached the plaza in front of the entrance to Arnaria.

“Your Highness, be careful.”

“Nothing will happen, but I will,” I replied, knowing I was the only one who would enter.

There was no need to involve anyone else and risk making the Grand Duke uneasy. Still Eleris had advised me to be careful, just in case.

At the entrance to Arnaria, a pair of humanoid golems stood watch.

Seeing them, I couldn’t help but imagine golems crafted from real human remains, which was a disturbing thought.

“State your business.”

“Speak.”

It was the same question as when I first came to Arnaria.

“I am Reinhart.”

A name was all that was required for entry.

“A message from His Grace, the grand duke.”

The golems responded just as they had before. Was this some kind of programming?

“Enter.”

“O Demon King.”

I had introduced myself as Reinhart, yet they insisted on calling me the Demon King.

Creak...

The enormous palace doors slowly opened, revealing the white stone staircase that led up to Arnaria.

There was no need for me to go all the way to the palace.

Halfway up the stairs to the palace, I felt the gaze of Grand Duke Saint-Ouen.

He stood there, looking down at me, a staff in hand. It wasn’t a cane being used for support; it was clearly his weapon of choice.

He was dressed in formal attire, instead of the voluminous robes that mages typically favored, and exuded a dignified and aristocratic aura. He was the epitome of a noble mage, and I couldn’t help but feel intimidated.

What if he suddenly decided to hurl fireballs my way? Had I ventured into a place where I didn’t belong? Should I have sent Harriet instead? Was I being naive, thinking I could manage everything on my own?

“Uh... um...”

I needed to approach this meeting with humility.

‘Squaring off against the Grand Duke would be catastrophic! I can’t deal with the consequences!’

“Uh... may I come up...?”

When I had met the Grand Duke back at the Temple, he had merely seemed like a devoted father.

This time, with the war raging on, the Grand Duke had reverted to his true nature.

A mage deserving of the title of the world’s strongest. Raphael de Saint-Ouen...

He glanced down at me and said, “Come up.”

To be honest, I was terrified of the Grand Duke in more ways than one.