Demon King of the Royal Class

Chapter 382 [Illustration]

The training with Tana was extensive, and continued until after sunset.

Tana sparred one-on-one with Ellen, one-on-one with me, and we even ran scenarios where both of us worked together against her.

Ellen and I faced Tana, wielding Lament and Tiamata respectively. Naturally, we couldn’t even come close to matching her.

It would have been difficult enough if Tana were at the level of a Swordmaster, but she surpassed even that. Even Lament’s blade managed to reach Tana, it was simply repelled by the recoil.

The training went on and on until we were both utterly exhausted.

“That’s enough for today. Go back and rest. We’ll meet here at the same time tomorrow,” Tana said, seemingly determined to oversee our training unless something urgent came up.

Ellen and I were so exhausted that we had to head to the infirmary to recover. The sun had long set, and it was past our usual bedtime.

This training was in preparation for potential battles against much stronger opponents.

Ellen looked serious. Was she thinking about the possibility of fighting demons that were difficult to handle?

“I’m hungry,” she said, looking at me intently.

“...”

She was just thinking about food.

“Alright, let’s eat something.”

Our days were usually packed with physical activity, but our training that day had been more about taking hits than exercising.

‘Let’s eat something hearty and get some rest. We’ll probably get beaten up again tomorrow.’

***

Ellen and I grilled four large beef sirloins to eat. Not exactly the kind of food to eat late at night, but then again, nothing we regularly made and ate at night was suitable for nighttime consumption.

Om nom nom nom.

Ellen usually ate a lot, but when she was hungry, she really ate a lot. She ate a lot, but not greedily. She kept chewing, her small mouth working at a constant tempo, from start to finish.

This routine had been going on for quite some time—spending the day sparring with Ellen and then making something to eat at night...

There were days we skipped this, but Ellen and I eating something substantial before going to bed had to be the most frequent occurrence at the Temple.

“I’ve been thinking, maybe our real talent is not getting acid reflux despite eating like this at night and then going straight to bed.”

‘Eating something every night before bed without suffering any stomach issues must be a talent, and since I always eat with her, I must have it too, right?’

Ellen and I might not be the strongest in the world in terms of skill, but when it came to our stomachs, we might be the strongest.

“...?”

‘Judging by her clueless expression, she probably won’t ever have any digestive issues in her life.’

In the end, I ate one steak, while Ellen devoured three.

“Want more?” I asked.

“No, I’m good.” Ellen shook her head, indicating she was satisfied.

Seeing her refuse food was a rare sight. Well, she hadn’t really refused; she’d already eaten three steaks, after all. Thinking that this was her version of refusing food made me realize how accustomed I’d become to Ellen’s eating habits, which was a bit surprising.

“Let’s get some rest then. Despite having physically recovered, it feels like the psychological pain won’t go away.”

Ellen had gotten beaten up pretty badly, and so had I. But Ellen always managed to make some last-minute move to minimize the amount of pain she would suffer when she knew that she was going to get hit, something I couldn’t do.

My Qi Sense let me sense the danger and see the path of each attack, but I just couldn’t react to it.

The physical pain had subsided, but I was mentally exhausted and badly wanted to rest.

“Hey,” Ellen said quietly as I was about to get up.

“What is it?”

“I’ve been thinking... I might be able to handle a Master.”

Her sudden statement left me speechless.

“Huh? Really?”

“Yeah, come with me.”

Ellen got up and led me to the training grounds.

***

I had a feeling I knew what Ellen wanted to show me.

Ellen led me to the Class A dormitory training grounds, and a cloak draped itself over her shoulders. It was the Sun God’s Cloak, Lapelt, which she had shown me before.

Ellen hadn’t told Tana about the Sun God’s Cloak. Tana had said that it would be difficult for us to deal with a Master, even as relic wielders, but we could somehow avoid or escape.

Ellen seemed to think that if she combined the cloak, Lapelt, with other conditions, she might be able to face a Master. When I thought about it, I realized I didn’t know what the Sun God’s Cloak did.

“By the way, what does that thing do?” I asked.

“Throw something at me,” Ellen replied.

“What? Throw something?”

“Yeah. Anything.”

I looked around for something to throw. The training grounds were littered with training swords, so I picked one up.

“You want me to throw this?”

“Yeah.”

I didn’t think she’d get hurt, but Ellen was only wearing the cloak. I didn’t expect anything unusual, so I threw the training sword at her.

And then...

Kaboom!

Just before the training sword touched Ellen, an explosion of flames erupted into the air, and the training sword shattered into pieces.

“... What was that?”

‘What did I just witness?’

The training sword had been intercepted in mid-air, as if it had been automatically countered by a barrier of flames.

“Lapelt offers its wearer the power of protection,” Ellen explained.

I had sensed that it was a relic related to defense, but this wasn’t just protection. At the moment of impact, something akin to a barrier had formed to block the attack, while simultaneously exerting a repelling force in the form of an explosion of flames.

It was both defense and offense.

There were times when Ellen and I managed to land a few blows on Tana during our joint assault. However, Sabioleen Tana had not only imbued her sword with mana that triggered massive recoil when struck, but she had also enveloped her body with it. Therefore, whenever we succeeded in landing a blow, the recoil was so strong that it knocked us back, jarring our wrists.

“Wait a minute... so that thing...”

Ellen nodded at my bewildered muttering.

“Yeah. It’s not that different from what the teacher was using,” Ellen said.

A protective barrier that forcefully pushed away any attack. Whether it was a wave of mana or an explosion of flames, it was a counterblow to any attack. Ellen’s Lament already functioned similarly to an Aura Blade, and her Lapelt functioned like the Aura Armor used by those who reached the Master class.

“So... aren’t you basically a Swordmaster then?” I asked.

“I wouldn’t say that, but it’s similar,” Ellen replied.

The Sword of the Moon and the Sun God’s Cloak... With these two relics, Ellen wasn’t that much different from a Swordmaster.

‘Is this what “pay to win” feels like? The amount of power these relics provide is incredibly terrifying...’

Of course, it wasn’t as if anyone holding those two relics could do what Swordmasters could do. The person who wielded them was just as crucial, and in this case, it was Ellen. Without someone of Ellen’s caliber, it would be difficult to use those relics properly.

I didn’t know how a real fight with a Swordmaster would go, but in this state, Ellen might actually be able to go up against a Master.

Even though she was rapidly becoming a monster, with the help of these powerful relics, she had reached a point where she could actually consider fighting a Master.

Moreover, Ellen hadn’t even unlocked the true power of the relics yet.

Tiamata’s true power allowed the wielder to explosively release powerful Divine Power. In my case, it allowed me to use Divine Power that I shouldn’t be able to use.

Alsbringer’s true power was to summon the god of war, Alse.

I didn’t know the true power of Lament and Lapelt, but even without unlocking their full potential, the two relics possessed immense power.

Aura Blade and Aura Armor... If Ellen truly reached Master class and gained access to both powers, and these relic’s powers further amplified them, there might be no one in the world who could stand against her.

‘Will I have to face this version of Ellen as an enemy someday?’

As I stood there, frozen, Ellen suddenly took off the cloak.

“... What are you doing?”

Ellen walked over to me and held out the cloak.

“I’m giving it to you.”

“... This?”

“Yeah.”

She offered it to me so casually that, for a moment, I couldn’t understand what Ellen was doing.

‘You’re giving this to me? Why? Why to me?’

Ellen smiled softly. “You need it more than I do.”

She was giving up one of the two conditions that gave her powers akin to a Swordmaster without hesitation, merely saying that I needed it more.

She probably meant that, since I was weaker, I needed it more.

In reality, I did need it more. Many people were going to turn against me, and to protect myself against them, I needed a shield more than a weapon.

The Sun God’s Cloak would undoubtedly serve as that shield. I had to accept it. As Ellen said, this was something I truly needed. There was no way Ellen could know, but with this, I could overcome many crises.

Ellen was smiling. She seemed genuinely happy to be able to give me something. Without explaining anything, without saying anything, she was always willing to give. She was happy just to give.

I needed to accept it. Even if it might look a bit awkward, accepting it was the best choice.

“No.”

“...?”

“How can I accept this?”

I pushed the cloak back towards Ellen.

“This is something your parents gave you out of concern.”

I couldn’t accept something like that. I knew Ellen had her own struggles. Giving me something that her parents had given her out of concern for her safety would mean disregarding their concerns.

Yet, she had decided to give it to me, hoping to keep me safe. And I had refused it.

“...”

Ellen had to know that it wasn’t an easy decision for me. She lowered her eyes and dismissed Lapelt.

“Still, thank you.”

I hugged Ellen, who seemed a little crestfallen. She seemed surprised for a moment, then hugged me back.

It was something I needed, but I wasn’t going to accept it. I couldn’t receive any more than this.

“I’m serious,” I reassured her.

Even to me, my voice sounded shaky. I hoped she understood the sincerity behind my refusal.

Would she have the faintest idea what I was giving up by not accepting it?

“I know. Thank you,” Ellen whispered softly as if she understood, all while holding me tightly.

[Special Achievement Unlocked – Turning Point in History ‘Ellen Artorius’]

[The future has changed significantly.]

[You have gained 1000 achievement points.]

‘What’s this? The future has changed?’

Not accepting Lapelt had somehow altered the future.

I hugged Ellen a little more tightly. I gently stroked her head, and she trembled slightly in my arms.

I couldn’t quite grasp how it had changed, but two possibilities came to mind.

Not accepting Lapelt might lead to my death.

Or, not accepting Lapelt might mean that I would survive a situation in which I should have died.

“Hey,” I said softly to Ellen.

“... Yeah?”

“You know I like you a lot, right?”

Ellen flinched noticeably, and she quietly buried her face in my chest.

“Yeah,” Ellen added in a trembling voice. “I... I like you a lot too.”

We stayed there, holding each other quietly for a long time.