Demon King of the Royal Class

Chapter 359

For a while, I was unable to respond to Mr. Effenhauser’s sudden question about Cantus Magna. To be precise, my mind had gone blank.

Mr. Effenhauser was part of the Black Order. He waited for me to calm down and didn’t rush me for an answer. He seemed to understand that it was a shocking revelation.

The Black Order had seen me with the Vampire Lord, and Mr. Effenhauser had known since Aaron Mede’s death that I wasn’t just a Temple student.

‘Does that mean the person in the black robe who contacted me back then was actually Effenhauser?’

I knew it wasn’t the right time for such thoughts, but...

‘Was it you who said you weren’t interested in my fetishes, yet called me a pretty boy or whatever?’

Given that he had just mentioned fetishes again, it seemed certain it was him.

Despite my thoughts, it felt as if a knife was pressed against my neck. With just a word from Mr. Effenhauser, everything could have ended long ago.

He might not have known until recently that I was the heir to the Demon Realm, Baalier, but the moment I revealed that I commanded a vampire, it wouldn’t have been hard to deduce my identity in relation to the current imperial situation.

I had to assume that my true identity had already been discovered. Yet Mr. Effenhauser, who had the guise of a patriot, had left me alone.

‘What exactly is the Black Order, and what do they want?’

I realized the obvious truth that I knew even less about the Black Order than I did about Cantus Magna.

I’d felt fear many times. The fear of losing something, the fear of dying—I’d experienced all of those. The thought that I might lose everything I held at any moment was always there. Yet knowing that a simple decision by the Black Order could take everything away from me filled me with a fear unlike anything I’d felt before.

I quietly stared at Effenhauser, filled with this new level of fear. “Why... Did you leave me alone?”

“We do not act recklessly.”

In any single moment—attending classes, training, and bustling around during festivals—I could have lost everything. The Black Order had been watching me all along. They couldn’t possibly be unaware that I was the next Demon King.

“So. Do you have information on Cantus Magna?”

‘What would they do if I didn’t? Would they forcefully extract it from me? Or would they threaten to end my life at the Temple?’

I had approached the Black Order as an equal, without using honorifics when addressing their members. But in front of Effenhauser, I felt suffocated, like a mouse faced by a cat. He wasn’t particularly intimidating, nor did he seem to be interrogating or threatening me. He simply watched me with calm eyes and a cold expression, just as he had the first time we met.

That was what plunged me into endless fear. The only thing I knew for sure was that the Black Order wanted information on Cantus Magna.

“I have it. Though you may already know that...”

“I see.”

I had the information they wanted. What I wanted was information about a dimensional gate to another world.

“Unfortunately, we have no information or magic concerning a dimensional gate to another world,” Effenhauser said.

The Black Order didn’t have the magic I sought, but the Black Order had enough leverage to force an answer from me. If I refused, I would have to prepare for all truths to be exposed and to leave the Temple.

It wasn’t just because Mr. Effenhauser was part of the Black Order; ever since they had known I commanded a Vampire Lord, that had always been a possibility. Yet, I had a strange certainty that they wouldn’t choose that option.

“You have the information we need, but we have nothing to offer you.”

In that case, the deal was likely to be off. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“Let me propose this to you, though: while we don’t have the information you truly want, if you provide us information on Cantus Magna, the Order is willing to offer our full cooperation. Through that, you might find what you truly desire,” Effenhauser said.

“...”

The Black Order had no knowledge of the magic concerning a dimensional gate to another world, but if I provided them information on Cantus Magna, they would be on my side.

“What happens if I refuse?” I asked.

Mr. Effenhauser looked at me calmly.

“Nothing will happen,” he replied. “However, we will be watching you.”

His words sent a chill down my spine. They knew about my true identity. Yet, even if I refused to work with them, they would only watch me, without taking any action or revealing my identity.

‘What could this mean? What does the Black Order want? The eradication of Cantus Magna? Or something else entirely?’

‘This magic society is known for being indifferent to worldly affairs, focusing solely on their principles and objectives. But if they don’t get the information from me, they claim they’ll simply back off. What does it mean that they’ll continue to watch me afterward?’

I was the Demon King, and had infiltrated the Temple’s Royal Class. The statement that they would keep watching me, regardless of the deal, suggested that the Black Order wasn’t entirely indifferent to the happenings of the world.

“What does the Black Order stand for?” I asked.

Mr. Effenhauser remained silent for a moment, before finally saying, “I haven’t yet decided if it’s something I can tell you.”

‘So, he doesn’t intend to tell me.’

“However, we have not yet deemed you an enemy.”

Since the Black Order did not act recklessly, they had not yet decided whether to take action against me. That meant they were still considering it.

The moment I came into contact with the Black Order, I entered their sphere of influence. I was always prepared for such a dangerous situation; I knew I couldn’t only work within safe spaces. I just never expected the shocking revelation that Mr. Effenhauser was part of the Black Order.

If I joined forces with the Black Order and pursued Cantus Magna, they would be my allies. If not, they would merely keep watching me. Eventually, they might decide to label me as an enemy and try to eliminate me.

‘Is it right to take the Black Order’s hand?’

My identity had already been discovered, and while it was surprising that Mr. Effenhauser was the one who knew it, I was somewhat prepared for this situation.

I had already made allies with uncertain identities, so there was no reason not to accept an ally with unknown intentions.

I couldn’t afford to be selective. Time was passing, and the Gate Incident was approaching.

Their willingness to join forces with me likely included a motive to monitor me. Otherwise, there would be no reason to say they’d keep watching me.

“Alright. Let’s cooperate,” I replied.

‘For now, I’ll join forces with the Black Order to track down Cantus Magna. What happens later will be dealt with later.’

Once the verbal but significant agreement was reached, Mr. Effenhauser regarded me with his usual expression.

“Good,” he said. “Then let me ask again.”

“... Yes?”

‘Do I need to reveal the secrets about Cantus Magna now? But what if the Black Order just takes the information and leaves me hanging?’

“Why did you cross-dress?”

‘Seriously. Please stop tormenting me!’

***

Mr. Effenhauser and I took a walk, though it was far from a leisurely stroll.

He didn’t ask why I needed magic to open a dimensional gate.

The setting I had created likely still held true. Mr. Effenhauser was a patriot; that was a fact. If there was a connection between his being a patriot and his affiliation with the Black Order, then could the Black Order be related to the empire?

I didn’t think so. The emperor, Charlotte, and Vertus didn’t know my true identity. So, even if the Black Order was related to the empire, it was likely not connected to the imperial family.

For some reason, I felt like a mouse in front of a cat only when I was with him. Despite having forged a strange alliance between the remnants of the Demon Realm and the Black Order, I still saw him as a teacher.

The Black Order already knew my identity, and my life was hanging by a thread. I had agreed to cooperate because I needed strength. Yet, instead of asking about Cantus Magna, he kept asking why I cross-dressed...

‘Is he just trying to torment me by focusing on something trivial instead of more important matters?

‘Then again, the Demon King, who infiltrated the Royal Class, should have been lying low, but instead, he entered a cross-dressing contest and won... Wow... Even I would be curious as to what kind of crazy thinking led to that.’

However, there were perspectives and roles to consider in this situation. Why keep asking about the cross-dressing contest instead of demanding information on Cantus Magna?

Mr. Effenhauser didn’t press me for an answer while I walked beside him looking for all the world as if I was about to die, feeling like a criminal, unsure of what to say.

I truly wanted to die. It was a different level of embarrassment compared to being caught by Vertus. At least Vertus had just found out that a classmate had cross-dressed.

The Black Order, which was capable of orchestrating events on a continental scale, now knew that I had participated in a random cross-dressing contest before killing Leverier Lanche.

“Um... Do I... really have to explain?”

“If possible.”

“But why?”

‘Teacher, I’m about to lose my mind. Can’t you just ask something like, “What’s your evil plan with the gate?” or say something like “I’ve already figured out your dirty intentions and identity”?

‘Damn it. Why do I have to explain in detail to someone like you from a suspicious secret society why I cross-dressed? And why are you even curious about it?’

Mr. Effenhauser looked at me and asked, “Are you embarrassed?”

“...”

“I asked if explaining why you cross-dressed is embarrassing.”

“Well, why wouldn’t it be embarrassing?”

‘If you’re going to keep asking that, just kill me! It feels like I’m being murdered mentally!’

“That’ll do as an answer.”

“... Sorry?”

“I said that’ll do.”

‘I’m wondering why he wants me to explain why I cross-dressed, but if being embarrassed is enough, then what does he want from me? Why was this question even important?’

“Why... Why are you doing this to me? Why are you asking about this?”

“I was just curious about how you view your life at the Temple.”

“... Pardon?”

‘Could it be that he wanted to know if I’d abandoned my identity and dignity as the Demon King just for personal hobbies and desires?

‘Is he curious if I’m sincere about pursuing my life at the Temple?

‘Did I, by my cross-dressing antics, inadvertently give the Black Order the impression that I’m not a particularly dangerous person? Like, “He’s the Demon King, but he’s a cross-dressing enthusiast, so he doesn’t seem that dangerous”?

‘If that’s the case, then it’s a good thing.

‘But why do I... feel like trash?’