The Demon Prince goes to the Academy - Chapter 691

Chapter 691

The handwriting comparison results came out that night.

As expected, it belonged to Ellen.

However, since the measures had already begun, the results of the handwriting comparison were merely reaffirming the facts.

It was because the border blockade had already begun and the emperor was almost finished preparing to dispatch troops.

It was a sudden announcement to all the dignitaries and imperial nobles, as well as the people of the imperial capital.

The Imperial family confirmed the appearance of Ellen Artorius in the northeastern region of Kernstadt.

Currently, all borders northeast of Kernstadt are closed.

And the demon king goes out to hunt the warrior himself.

A disgusting name and an enemy of the Empire.

exile and warrior.

The emperor himself declared that one of them would now be hunted.

It was a massive move indeed.

All those who could be said to be the best forces of the imperial family were summoned, and all of the Kernstadt army, as well as the imperial standing army, were summoned.

And countless people watched as the enormous army disappeared from the ecliptic at once through the ultra-large mass teleport that the Archmage manifested.

People were overwhelmed just by seeing the Archmage’s magic, which had become a living legend, with their own eyes.

The massive movement, of course, made the entire ecliptic nervous, and it spread to all continents at once by people coming and going from all continents through the warp gates installed in the ecliptic.

Within days, word of the emperor’s hunt for the brave spread throughout the continent.

Unlike before, the demon king stepped forward.

It’s something that never happened before.

That’s why everyone had no choice but to know that this time it was real.

The long and long bad relationship between the two ends now.

But something has changed from the past.

No one thought of the emperor’s defeat.

A warrior with nothing.

The emperor who has everything.

In fact, it is not natural how the fight between the two will end.

Naturally, the rumor spread to the Dominion.

The Braves were happy that the missing hero was still alive, while weeping.

It was because those who hated the Demon King knew best that the hero could not win.

They are those who watched, heard, or actually experienced the massacre of the demon king, who is called a god of war.

The army fled and escaped from a single demon king, and the place where they gathered is the Dominion.

In the midst of learned fear and despair, it is the current self-government and the warrior cult that have no choice but to admit that the self-government could not exist if it were not for the mercy of the demon king.

So, although they believed in the hero, they had no choice but to weep when they realized that the luck granted by heaven to the hero had reached its end.

* * *

“An Overview of Fairy Tale Columns.”

“Yes, here.”

Ellen took an apple from the market and bit it into her mouth.

-Sweetness spreads with a light crunching sound

.

It was the sweetness she hadn’t felt in a long time, so Ellen stiffened and felt goose bumps run down her spine. Ellen trembled as she walked down the street at the sensation she hadn’t felt in a long time.

Only those who have been away from civilization for a long time know how to appreciate it.

That you can eat apples that you didn’t grow or harvest yourself.

That it can be done by paying a few fairy tales.

You may think you want to eat apples in the field, but really going out looking for apples is just stupid.

It is absurd to say that it is an apple when you would be grateful if you found an edible tree or grass root.

But in the city, a few fairy tales make it possible.

Feeling a sudden gratitude, Ellen doesn’t neglect to look around.

Wearing a hood or covering the face is not particularly suspicious. There are many people like that other than Ellen.

Compared to previous eras, the New Empire is still unstable and the crime rate is incomparably higher than in previous eras. That’s why there are many people who are wanted, and there are many people who hide their identities.

Ellen can boldly enter the city because the New Empire is unstable.

Of course, if you are being questioned unwillingly, the problem will be bigger.

Ellen walks along the edge of the road and crunches an apple.

There was no such thing as money.

But, fortunately for Ellen, she was met by robbers on the way into the city.

It would be misfortune for others, but for Ellen, it was the luck of the fortune.

The robbers, who came like heavenly luck, dedicated their money to Ellen.

One gold coin, ten silver coins, and thirty copper coins were all, but they all became Ellen’s money.

The robbers were beaten and passed out without knowing who Ellen was, so there is no possibility that Ellen’s identity was revealed.

That’s why Ellen is able to thank the burglars who tried to rob her with a happy heart after a very long time, and she can nibble an apology.

It was because he needed information that he had come to the city rather than to the outskirts.

-I heard a hero appeared in the northeast.

-Ah, this must be a lie again. Was there one or two people in this town who said they had seen a hero or a dethroned emperor?

– No, it’s different this time? It seems that the Demon King has also appeared.

-A demon king?

-okay. If the Demon Lord, who had never moved before, stepped forward, it is clear that he exists no matter what.

– Huh… … . So what’s the deal?

-I don’t know. It seems that the Imperial Knights and the Archmage have all stepped forward to find a hero. It seems that the entire border has been closed. They say that even a single ant can’t move. Not to mention extensive inspections.

-That’s great… … . Something happened to me too… … .

-Still, a hero is a hero, but are you trying to get caught in vain?

-The Demon King is said to be a godless god. Didn’t you hear about the Battle of Meilan Plains?

-Do you think that’s true? It’s all lies.

– Of course it’s true! The participants in that battle couldn’t sleep just hearing the name of the Demon King.

– You have to say something that makes sense. No matter how great the demon king is, how can he wage war alone?

-That’s why Geji is the Demon King!

Among the many stories that come and go on the street, Ellen picks out the information she needs.

Ellen knew what her actions might lead to.

However, he decided that it was information that needed to be reported urgently, even if it meant making him guess that he had appeared from somewhere.

It is clear that the situation will deteriorate uncontrollably unless measures are taken at the national level and countermeasures are established.

However, the result was a complete blockade of Kernstadt’s northeastern border.

It is unknown how wide the Empire’s barriers will spread, but it is probably impossible to penetrate them.

The important thing is that Kernstadt has expanded its territory beyond the Empire.

If the Imperial Army and the Kernstadt Army are put in, they will be able to spread a line that completely blocks the northeastern border area.

But it was Ellen’s judgment that she couldn’t afford more than that, and it was true.

Despite such circumstances, Ellen came to the city for a reason.

Information cannot be obtained in no-man’s-land.

I don’t know if he really has his identity discovered or if it’s the military’s trend or something.

That’s why I had to come into the city to figure out the situation.

and second.

Now, Ellen is not in the northeast of Kernstadt.

Ellen was not leaving Kernstadt, but rather going deep into it.

It was heading to the southwest, the exact opposite of the area where the barrier line was spread and there was constant inspection.

That’s why the army was blocking the wrong place now.

* * *

Ellen hurriedly left the city after submitting the data to the adventurer’s guild in Velodosia.

And it ran like crazy.

Not to the northeast, from where they came to Kernstadt, the nearest country to the no man’s land, but to the southwest.

Regardless of the rationality of the information, everyone has no choice but to know that it is suspicious data.

Ellen had fully foreseen that if she clumsily tried to get out of the road that entered Kernstadt, she would end up stranded between the sealed border areas.

Whatever his intention to capture him, he has been running away for so long that he cannot be caught now.

So, Ellen chose to go deeper.

in the opposite direction to the place where the barrier line is installed.

And as a result of taking the risk and entering the city, I learned that the block line was installed in the northeast area as expected.

Of course, it could be predicted that if nothing was found on the barrier for a long period of time, he would rather have gone inside Kernstadt.

So I can’t stop walking. It only needs to reach the border in the southwest region as soon as possible.

The border there may also be blocked, but it’s okay not to cross it.

got the necessary information.

So there is no need to stay longer in the city.

That’s why Ellen doesn’t look suspicious, but she gets out of the city at a quick pace.

And when I finally got out of the city safely and took my last bite of an apple.

-Wasak

“… … .”

I’ll buy another one.

do.

Ellen regretted it for a moment.

* * *

Ellen ran in a deserted area.

Running on the road is obviously suspicious the moment someone sees it, so I ran over deserted forests or mountains.

It’s hard to afford, and the empire isn’t stupid, so it’s understandable that Ellen won’t be where the barriers have been set up.

So, where you can run, you definitely have to run Kernstadt at high speed.

It is to do the ignorant thing of almost crossing the country and getting out of it.

Neither hunting nor tracking monsters, focusing only on movement.

Some cities passed by, but others had no choice but to enter.

I had to figure out the trend of the imperial army that was changing in real time.

As Ellen fled in the opposite direction, the story of a former warrior had already spread throughout Kernstadt as days passed.

Not only Kernstadt, but now the entire continent would be paying attention to the northeast of Kernstadt.

Whether or not the warrior will be captured. I wonder if the demon king will be able to put an end to his loathsome relationship with the hero.

Controversy was brewing here and there.

It was within the territory of Kernstadt, but there were definitely people who said that the demon king would be killed by the hero this time.

Ellen was not interested in individual opinions.

The truth mixed in the opinion.

That the empire is still setting up barriers and waiting for the hero to escape.

That I haven’t quite figured out where I am yet.

Knowing that was enough.

Ellen quickly left after purchasing only the minimum amount of food in the city and checking the imperial army’s movement.

The desire to sleep in bed was like a chimney, but in the meantime, I couldn’t even try to do anything big.

Ellen could travel without a horse over distances that could only be traveled by horseback.

Because she couldn’t fall asleep properly, even Ellen, the superhuman among superhumans, was exhausted, but she couldn’t let her guard down.

If the imperial army had figured out their movements, they would have to change their escape route even now, so they couldn’t neglect to grasp the information.

A certain city arrived after breaking through the center of Kernstadt by running away in the opposite direction.

There, Ellen did not grasp such fearful information as that the Imperial Army had noticed her movement.

However, I got completely unexpected information.

-I heard the hero was captured?

“… … ?”

It was something Ellen hadn’t even guessed.

* * *

The hero was captured.

Ellen, the hero herself, was taken aback by the sudden story.

I’m here, but who the hell was caught?

It may be a mistake, an illusion, or a rumor. There were many cases in which people unanimously picked up rumors about the rumors created by individuals.

But everyone passing by was talking about it.

-I heard that it was a huge fight, but it seems that warriors are warriors.

A fight even broke out.

-Still, how will you stand up to the Demon King?

-cancer. No matter how brave he is, to be able to stretch his arms out to the demon lord who even accompanies the Archmage by himself?

-There is even a saying that the Archmage is not stronger than the Demon King these days… … .

-That’s right… … .

– Tsk. does that happen in the end

Some people praise the greatness of the demon king, while others implicitly feel sorry for the defeat of the warrior.

Ellen hurried out of town.

Something.

Things were taking a strange turn.

He was clearly heading southwest of Kernstadt.

But the warrior was captured.

Even a battle of an enormous scale took place between the demon king and the warrior.

Who was fighting whom?

Ellen had no choice but to stop by the city to check the situation even though she was speeding up because of the bizarre rumors.

Numerous armies watched the fight between the demon king and the hero, and the demon king and the hero proudly engaged in a one-on-one battle.

He didn’t even borrow the Archmage’s hand.

At the end of the fight, the story spread that the demon king had subdued the hero and sent him to the emperor.

It can’t be a rumor. Because so many people were saying that.

That’s really Ellen Artorius right. Words like that were going around.

Ellen couldn’t figure out what was going on.

Time passed, and in the next city, while Ellen was here, there was talk about Ellen’s treatment.

-They say they’re going to be executed in public.

-There must be a lot of people in the ecliptic.

-It looks like they’re making a huge execution table.

The hero was defeated by the demon king.

was sent to the ecliptic.

A public execution will be held.

Who did you catch and what are you trying to do?

Ellen gave up thinking.

First, you have to get out of Kernstadt. Fortunately, because of the story that the hero was captured, there are no vigilance measures, including unreasonable checks.

You can get out safely like this.

So now, in the last city I stopped by to almost reach my destination.

-They say the hero was executed.

Ellen couldn’t help but know that the strange show planned by the empire had finally come to an end.

-at last… … . The demon king won.

Amid strange circumstances, Ellen walks the streets in a daze.

What are you doing and what is the purpose of this work?

Pretend to catch the hero falsely, and publicly execute the fake hero.

But Ellen is alive.

No one will look for a dead hero, so no one will look for salvation in Ellen.

Is it your own consideration?

Didn’t you have any thoughts of catching me in the first place?

When Ellen accidentally shows up, it is revealed that the public execution was fake. That doesn’t do anything good for the demon lord’s empire.

Execution of the fake warrior can have a strong effect right now, but the fact that Ellen is alive is the root of the problem.

‘like this… … . Living away from where people live forever… … . Is it something like that… … .’

It can be both a mercy and a warning.

I’ll treat you dead, so don’t show up again.

The emperor’s army was originally intended for show, including subduing fake warriors, transporting them, and even executing them.

But why now.

After years of silence when Ellen never showed up, why now?

This is the most dangerous timing for the Empire’s self-made play to be discovered.

Actually now, Ellen is in Kernstadt territory.

Had she known that had happened, Ellen would have fled far away from the land of men. In order to prevent the discovery that the Empire’s fake execution show was a self-made show.

He would have hesitated to hand over the data he had recorded so far.

The detailed reason is unknown.

The important thing is that the hero is known to be dead.

I had no intention of showing up in the first place, but I have to live more quietly from now on.

Even if you can’t help Reinhardt’s empire, you shouldn’t harm it.

Does the Empire intend to release itself like this?

So Ellen walks through the city.

This city is our last stop.

The borders of Kernstadt are still far away, but the destination is soon to be reached.

In the first place, Ellen was not heading to the Kernstadt border area.

The southwestern end of Kernstadt.

In a situation where there is only one step left.

While walking along the main street, Ellen saw something in an alleyway.

Little animals crouching in the warm sun.

– Meow

– Meow

The four cats were basking in the sun in a corner of the roadside.

“… … .”

Even in a series of strange and bizarre situations, Ellen couldn’t help but smile faintly.

cat.

It was a special animal to Ellen from a certain moment.

Because it is an animal that helped me endure difficult and painful times.

Cats are city animals, so you don’t see them in the fields.

So, on very rare occasions when she stopped by the city, she could see this or that cat. Every time Ellen thought of those difficult but strangely friendly times, she smiled unconsciously.

Are you still doing well?

Such worrying thoughts naturally come to mind.

I haven’t seen it since I left it at Temple.

They come and disappear from time to time.

A child who came back to me when I wondered if he had gone forever.

I couldn’t even give it a name.

the black cat.

clearly.

Like that.

He had black, shiny hair.

Of course, the eyes are drawn to the black cat among the cats.

There is something hanging around the black cat’s neck.

Isn’t that a stray cat?

Or have you been abandoned?

But what hangs around the cat’s neck is neither a bell nor a leash.

Ellen’s eyes widened.

“… … !”

Something round and milky white.

A sculpted figure of the moon inside the sun.

that’s obviously

It looked exactly like the amulet Ellen had received from Dettomorian.

It’s not a resemblance.

Not similar.

cat too.

amulets too.

same.

It’s not at all different from what I remember.

“you you… … . you… … . you… … . you… … . here… … . why… … ?”

Ellen’s lips trembled.

in an impossible place.

An animal that cannot exist.

In front of Ellen, wearing an impossible necklace.

– He

cried quietly.