Demon King of the Royal Class
Chapter 498

Chapter 498

As soon as we had entered the village, the enigmatic gesture Luna had made as she looked up at the sky had, in fact, been a manipulation of time.

Had I been dreaming all along? Had I truly visited Rijaiera? Yet, the backpack slung over my shoulder and my clean attire confirmed that it hadn’t been a mere dream. I had indeed ventured into a world named Rijaiera and returned.

I chuckled, realizing why she hadn’t mentioned this to me.

Knowing that time was not passing within Rijaiera might have caused me to become complacent. If I had known, I might have been too easily reassured.

She had kept silent to provoke my anxiety and impatience, pushing me to overcome them on my own.

It seemed like two seasons had passed, but I hadn’t been away from Edina for that long. In reality, it hadn’t even been a month since I’d left Edina. I had lived in another world, in another time, and then returned to this one.

Whoosh!

The wind howled fiercely as I stood on the rocky ledge overlooking the Sren Mountains.

I thought that nothing had been taught to me, and nothing had been given. But what I had needed most, and what I had lacked the most, was time. In reality, I had received an immense amount of time, so I could hardly say that I had received nothing.

I wiped away the moisture, the not-quite-tears, that gathered at the corners of my dry eyes. I could have lived in a more leisurely manner if I had known that time flowed differently in the village, but I chose not to dwell on such thoughts.

Luna had given me what I had needed most, and in the end, I was able to achieve what I desired.

I didn’t know how far I could go with this power, and although I had only spent a short time away, it had felt like an eternity.

Now, I had to return to where I belonged.

***

“To be honest, I don’t think you did anything wrong. In fact, I almost want to pat you on the back and say well done,” Olivia Lanche said, her tone light.

“...”

Riana de Granz, however, only stared at Olivia with a hard expression, saying nothing in response.

Olivia Lanche was dressed not in her own attire, but in the priestly robes she wore as the leader of the Holy Order. In truth, she rarely wore casual clothes anymore, so those robes were practically her everyday wear.

When Olivia learned that Riana de Granz had been selectively killing refugees in Port Mokna, she understood the necessity of it.

“Even though I personally have a dislike for humans, it’s also true that I can’t entirely disagree with the regent’s judgment. You have indeed been deceiving Reinhart. If Reinhart knew about this, he would never have allowed it. But what’s done is done.”

“...”

“Anyway, I personally support your decision, but our work has grown too large to be guided solely by personal judgment, hasn’t it?” Olivia continued.

“Yes,” Riana replied quietly.

“You’ve deceived Reinhart, and as a result, you’ve deceived me too.”

Most of the forces in Port Mokna were either mages provided by the Vampire Council or priests and holy knights from the Holy Order. They had grown so loyal to Riana that they had deceived Olivia Lanche, the leader of the Holy Order, who was technically their superior.

Olivia had essentially been betrayed by the holy knights and priests of the Holy Order.

“For someone like you, with no talent for politics or anything of the sort, to captivate everyone in Port Mokna and carry out such actions without a single rumor leaking... it’s almost miraculous,” Olivia remarked.

Riana lacked the eloquence to recruit others to her cause, and didn’t enjoy such tasks. Her charisma lay in her actions, and they were the sole reason she had won everyone’s hearts and commanded Port Mokna.

“Personal feelings and betrayal aside, whether the regent or Reinhart says anything, I’ll stand by you,” Olivia assured her, tapping the table lightly. “If only there weren’t these strange ‘side effects’...”

Olivia hadn’t come to Port Mokna to interrogate Riana or punish the priests and holy knights for failing to report this irregularity. She had arrived to address the strange omen discovered by Lucinil on the outskirts of Port Mokna.

Despite the abundance of priests and holy knights, no one had noticed the ominous signs, except for Lucinil, whose acute spiritual sensitivity allowed her to detect the foreboding phenomenon before it materialized.

Olivia Lanche had come to perform the rites of exorcism and purification. Riana had not anticipated that her extended massacre would trigger such an event. Even though she now knew something was happening, she could not predict the nature of the disaster that would follow. She keenly felt the weight of her mistake.

Not everything that happens falls within the realm of expectation. Unforeseen problems can arise in unexpected places. However, the enemies Riana confronted were living, tangible beings. She didn’t know how to deal with ghosts and vengeful spirits, so Olivia Lanche had to take responsibility for dealing with the consequences of Riana’s actions.

“The regent suggested it might be better to abandon Port Mokna rather than risk the dangers associated with exorcism and purification,” Olivia mentioned.

Charlotte had proposed that it might be wiser to ignore the threat, as they couldn’t predict how it would manifest.

“However, from my experience, when such things spiral out of control, they tend to become even more dangerous,” Olivia said.

Ignoring the threat could result in unknown calamities befalling Edina in the future, even if they left the area. Therefore, Olivia Lanche decided it was better to take preventive measures rather than ignore such a significant threat. She had come to personally bear the risk and protect Reinhart from potential danger. Riana’s actions to shield Reinhart had inadvertently created another threat to him.

“I’m sorry, unnie,” Riana said softly.

Olivia twirled a strand of her platinum blonde hair around her finger and chuckled. “I never knew you could speak in such a manner.”

“Can you resolve this situation?” Riana asked, her voice tinged with concern.

“Well...” Olivia hesitated, her lips twisting. “Who in the world knows what happens when tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of vengeful and evil spirits gather together?”

Unprecedented events often led to unprecedented outcomes. Just as Lucinil could not predict what would happen, neither could Olivia. She did not know if this looming spiritual threat was something that could be exorcised or purified.

Riana could discern the solemn determination beneath Olivia’s playful demeanor. “Don’t get hurt, unnie,” she said, looking worried.

Olivia laughed heartily. “That’s funny. I thought you didn’t like me much. Is it because we have a new person we both dislike?”

She was referring to Charlotte.

“You know, people usually bond over gossip,” Olivia joked in spite, leaving Riana at a loss for words.

“Well, I’m off. Take care,” Olivia said, rising from the table as if she were going for a casual stroll.

***

Outside the Port Mokna command center, Olivia observed the line of holy knights and priests who had assembled. As the leader of the Holy Order, Olivia Lanche was technically their superior, but they had been under Riana’s command for quite some time. Consequently, they had kept secrets from Olivia, deceiving her by remaining silent.

The tension was palpable, as they all feared the wrath of their leader.

This betrayal wasn’t something Olivia could entirely dismiss. However, she understood and agreed with Riana’s decision, and the reasons for keeping it secret. Now, they were on their way to address the unfortunate side effects caused by those actions.

“Alright,” Olivia began with a bright smile, showing little interest in judging those who had betrayed her trust. “Right now, we’re going to clean up the mess you guys have made.”

The leader of the Holy Order, Olivia Lanche, was notorious for her crude manner of speech outside of her sermons.

***

The band of priests and holy knights led Olivia to the site, which was in the outskirts, far from the center of Port Mokna. Although Olivia had not been directly involved in the culling, most of the priests and holy knights accompanying her had.

Some had been involved in sorting through the refugees, weeding out the subversive elements, and even dragging people to the execution site.

“I agree with the necessity, but did you really think nothing would happen after slaughtering so many innocent people?” Olivia remarked as she walked through the outskirts of Port Mokna.

“Shouldn’t you have at least performed purification rituals regularly?” she chastised her subordinates.

Even if Riana hadn’t anticipated the emergence of vengeful spirits, the priests and holy knights should have taken such measures.

One of the high priests walking beside Olivia shook his head, his face turning pale. “L-Leader... it’s not that we didn’t.”

“So, you did?” Olivia asked, her expression hardening.

“Yes, we certainly did...”

Even when crossing a stone bridge, one should know to tap it first. They hadn’t predicted this outcome, but it had still happened despite them performing purification rituals and prayers regularly.

Olivia’s playful expression turned serious. “So, it’s not that you didn’t perform purification rituals, but that this still happened despite it.”

Too many deaths... Vengeful spirits who harbored such deep resentment that regular purification rituals and prayers were not enough to extinguish.

Anger and hatred...

The fact that this phenomena was happening despite the intercessions of numerous priests indicated the severity of the situation.

Olivia and her group of holy warriors soon arrived at the site.

“It seems the situation is worsening...”

The ominous aura that only Lucinil had been able to sense had, in a few days, become palpable enough to make Olivia’s neck hairs stand on end. The phenomena was showing signs of materialization.

Though nothing was visible, there was a palpable sense of foreboding in the air. Olivia slowly approached the pit that Lucinil had previously discovered, peering into its depths.

“... This is serious.”

The sight of countless charred corpses piled within the blackened pit left Olivia speechless. Judging by their charred state, they were all victims of Riana de Granz’s lightning.

“Crazy woman, did she kill them all herself...?” Olivia bit her lip. ‘Tragic’ was not enough to describe how horrific and gruesome the scene was.

Since it was Riana who had decided on the course of action, she had not allowed others to sully their hands, and so she had killed them all herself. While others might have weeded these individuals out and brought them to this spot, it was clear that Riana de Granz had personally driven them into the pit and ended their lives.

Whoooosh...

The eerie sound of the wind rushing through the deep pit sounded to Olivia like the wails of those who had died unjust deaths. Though it was surely an illusion, the strange resonance felt all too real, prompting Olivia to slowly step back.

Staring at this horrific sight for too long wouldn’t solve anything.

“Establish a sanctuary,” Olivia commanded.

Fortunately, the power of Ouen, the God of Purity, which Olivia had mastered, was ideal for resolving such matters. At Olivia’s command, the priests and holy knights began to move purposefully.

What would have happened if this had been left unchecked? If they had been even slightly delayed, if that silver-haired old woman, the head of the family of Wednesday, hadn’t detected this omen in advance, what kind of phenomenon would these vengeful spirits have manifested in their attempt to harm the Demon King?

Hoping that their swift action could somehow address the situation, Olivia summoned Tiamata.

Wooong...

She planted the glowing Tiamata firmly in the middle of the field. Olivia watched as the priests arranged themselves in formation and placed the holy symbols in the required layout.

Whoooosh...

Olivia knew quite a bit about spirits and vengeful spirits. Ouen was a god who rejected impurity, and thus his followers required an understanding of impure and unnatural entities. Olivia felt a peculiar sensation as she watched the wind swirling strangely across the wailing field.

She didn’t know how many had died unjust deaths in this place, but from a continental perspective, it was ultimately just a handful.

Riana de Granz had committed an unforgivable sin, and Olivia was not going to deny that. She simply believed it was necessary for Reinhart’s sake.

Millions had died. While thousands or even tens of thousands of deaths were significant, when compared to the deaths across the continent that numbered in the billions, it was a relatively small number. However, if the vengeful spirits in this place numbered in the tens of thousands, it would still be horrific.

That wasn’t the only problem. Spiritual phenomena attracted other spiritual phenomena. Just as stray spirits gathered in places rich with spiritual energy, if this place had become a den of vengeful spirits seething with immense resentment and hatred, the phenomenon itself would attract more vengeful spirits.

The spirits of those who had died there created a spiritual phenomena that attracted other wandering spirits and ghosts. Those who hated the Demon King had been slaughtered not by monsters, but by the Demon King’s subordinates.

This was an artificially created spiritual hotspot.

The number of deaths was not the only problem; the location itself was already attracting a massive number of vengeful spirits. And since most humans believed all these events were caused by the Demon King, most ghosts would harbor hatred for the Demon King.

Spirits filled with hatred for the Demon King were being drawn to this place, like iron filings to a magnet or prey drawn to an antlion pit. If Olivia’s hypothesis was correct, the longer this place was left alone, the more dangerous it would become. No—it was likely already more dangerous than it should be.

Olivia’s decision to act before the area grew larger and even more perilous was not wrong. Her judgment was certainly not mistaken. Action was needed, and Olivia, backed up by these holy knights and priests, was the one who could act.

However, it wasn’t that no purification rituals had been performed until this moment. This phenomena had grown and festered despite regular purification.

Prayers of the priests, and exorcism performed by the holy knights... Could it truly work?

‘Praying for the repose of those I’ve killed. Telling the innocent I’ve killed not to resent their fate and to ascend quietly. What kind of nonsense is this?’ Olivia pondered as she watched the priests and holy knights go about their rituals.

‘Are these priests, holy knights, and even I qualified to perform prayer, exorcism, and purification?

‘If I were a vengeful spirit, witnessing the murderers who had brutally killed me trying to send me off, what would I feel? What kind of hypocritical act is this by the demons who are destined for hell?

‘I don’t know what better method there is, but something is definitely wrong here.’

“Wait!” Olivia shouted, sensing that something was seriously amiss, just as darkness surged from the pit.

Gruaaaaaah!

Olivia’s eyes went wide as she witnessed the pent up hatred and resentment materialize and take form. A long wail, filled with pain, hatred, anger, and resentment, echoed into the distance as the aggregated resentment, now in material form, cried out.

“Yes,” Olivia said, gritting her teeth and pulling Tiamata from the ground. “This was never going to be easy.”

Her entire body was enveloped in holy light.

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