Demon King of the Royal Class

Chapter 278

Since Vertus was in the dormitory, it wasn’t hard to find him.

“... Mister Temple?”

“Yeah.”

“Why are you asking all of a sudden?”

“Well, I just thought you might be a good candidate.”

Vertus seemed rather taken aback when I knocked on his door and asked if he was entering Mister Temple.

‘Well, it is a little surprising, even to me.’

“Are you perhaps asking me not to enter because you want to?”

That was Vertus’s conclusion.

After all, I had asked Ellen in the classroom that day not to enter the tournament because I was going to.

“That’s not it. I’m just curious.”

Even if I somehow managed to win Mister Temple, I would only get Achievement Points for completing the challenge. Voting for someone else who then became the winner would be much more beneficial for me.

Vertus seemed baffled by my question, but he answered anyway. “I don’t know why you’re curious about that, but I don’t think I’ll be entering.”

In the original story, he’d entered Mister Temple, so why not this time? Perhaps it was because of Charlotte—that, I could understand. At the moment, Charlotte’s sudden recuperation was probably the biggest headache for Vertus.

So, Vertus wasn’t entering the competition. I didn’t know who would become Mister Temple then.

I had to get both of them right to secure two talents, but this complicated matters.

I couldn’t force Vertus to enter.

If I entered and won Mister Temple, I’d only get one talent from the Miss Temple side.

‘Am I even qualified enough to win Mister Temple?’

These new system events had put me in a frustrating position, and I wanted to maximize my gains.

Being offered the opportunity to secure two talents but ending up with just one felt a bit disappointing.

Vertus’s Swordsmanship talent, and one of Olivia’s talents...

There was a way to optimize my gains, but it was still uncertain who would win Mister Temple. Guessing Miss Temple was a sure thing, but if I couldn’t guess Mister Temple correctly, I’d miss out on this easy event.

I turned away from Vertus’s door and headed back towards the study room.

‘What should I do...? Becoming Mister Temple myself is the worst option. What else then?

‘You know what, if there isn’t another option, I’ll just make one!

‘I’ll turn someone else into Mister Temple. That way, I’ll get their talent for free. There are plenty of people here with rare talents that can’t be bought with Achievement Points!’

If I could find someone with a talent even more overwhelming than Vertus’s Swordsmanship and make them Mister Temple, I could easily complete this event.

‘If I find the right candidate, I’ll make them Mister Temple. Worst case, I’ll just use Revise.’

I headed to the dormitory lobby, running through various possible candidates in my mind.

‘Ludwig’s stamina... That’s a ridiculously overpowered talent as well. Should I make Ludwig Mister Temple?’

As I walked along, lost in these thoughts, I saw the three hopeless idiots gathered in the dormitory lobby.

It wasn’t just the three hopeless idiots—Heinrich von Schwartz was there too.

That guy, who always seemed to be on the fringes, had now joined the hopeless trio.

‘Honestly, he’s not quite as hopeless as the other three.’

It looked like they were studying, gathered around a book.

I approached them.

“Oh, uh... Reinhart.”

When I suddenly approached and plopped down on an empty chair near them, their faces tensed up.

“Do you need something?”

Heinrich no longer harbored animosity towards me, but he was still a bit nervous.

“Look at me for a moment.”

My commanding tone made them all tense up further, but they all looked at me.

“Hmm...”

First, Heinrich von Schwartz.

His talent was Pyrokinesis. I had already confirmed that I could possess multiple superpowers, but I didn’t need Pyrokinesis because I had the Flame of Fire.

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Even without the Flame of Fire, I could perhaps still achieve spontaneous combustion as my command over words improved.

‘Pass.’

Connor Lint.

He had a supernatural talent, but it came with serious flaws. I felt bad for giving him such a flawed ability. If those flaws were gone, he’d be an insanely overpowered character, but it was too late for that.

‘Pass.’

Erhi de Raffaeli

His talents were Divine Power, Martial Arts, and Swordsmanship.

All three were abilities I didn’t have, but it was a little disappointing that they weren’t comprehensive talents.

Lastly, Kaier Vioden.

He had only one talent: an immense mana pool.

“...”

‘This guy is perfect.’

Kaier’s talent in immense mana meant that he possessed a vast amount of magical energy.

Kaier not only has a huge amount of mana, but his mana growth rate was also incredibly high. However, he has a severe deficiency in Mana Manipulation, making it impossible for him to use that power effectively.

In terms of raw mana, even Ellen couldn’t match him. Ellen’s mana was at A+ rank, while his was at S rank. He was a step ahead of Ellen.

That was why, despite his severe deficiency in Mana Manipulation, he could still be in the Royal Class.

‘And I don’t have any such deficiencies.’

So, if I acquired this immense mana, I would be able to use that power fully, and it would be a huge boost to my Mana Reinforcement.

Moreover, I knew that once my mana reached A rank, my Mana Manipulation and Mana Attunement would evolve into a new talent called Mana Domination.

If I acquired immense mana, the comprehensive talent of Mana Domination would follow.

‘This guy is perfect. He’s perfect, but...’

I sighed.

“Why, what’s wrong...?”

Kaier looked deflated at my sudden sigh.

‘If he becomes Mister Temple, it would be perfect. But...’

I stood up and patted Kaier on the shoulder.

“No, it’s nothing. It’s not your fault.”

He had no chance of becoming Mister Temple, no matter what.

‘Well, some things just aren’t meant to be.’

Even with the Revise function... Some things just couldn’t be done.

I had to accept reality and give up altogether.

If it were about guessing who would come in last, then maybe. But to get him to win the whole thing... it wouldn’t work.

***

Practical issues meant that the one with the most desirable talent couldn’t be turned into Mister Temple.

‘Of course, I could try and dress him up and make him look nice but... well... some things just can’t be fixed. Sorry, Kaier, but you’re one of those cases.’

The issue still remained, though.

‘Who should I make into Mister Temple, then? Should I finally give the protagonist a proper spotlight this time? He’s been too insignificant so far.’

When I returned to the study room, Ellen and Harriet were looking at me sulkily.

“I told you guys I went to see Vertus.”

“Who said anything?”

“...”

They both seemed really angry at the thought of me going to watch the contest.

‘Is it really worth getting this mad just because I’m thinking of going to see the contest? Then again... even I felt like Olivia had crossed a line back then...’

Naturally, we weren’t the only ones in the study room.

There was someone else quietly studying alone in the corner.

Someone so unobtrusive that the last time we were chatting loudly while studying, Harriet had apologized to him and he had freaked out, saying it was fine and not to worry while sweating profusely the whole time.

A guy who suffered from extreme social anxiety, and my swordsmanship friend.

Cliffman.

He had one single talent: Combat.

It was an absurdly overpowered and comprehensive talent that allowed him to instinctively find the best way to win any kind of fight.

While immense mana was the talent I needed most, his talent was unparalleled in terms of its versatility.

In fact, in the future, this Combat talent might be more necessary for me. I’d eventually develop Mana Domination on my own anyway.

“...”

Perhaps having sensed my gaze, Cliffman, who had his head buried in his studies, looked up at me with a startled expression.

“Uh... Reinhart? Do you need something...?”

I walked over to Cliffman and placed my hands on his shoulders.

“Cliffman.”

“H-Huh? Yeah?”

“You should enter Mister Temple.”

‘He’s got potential. He’s definitely got potential!’

“Wh-What?”

My sudden suggestion left not only Cliffman dumbfounded, but Harriet and Ellen as well.

“It’s time to overcome your social anxiety! What do they call it? Shock therapy? Win Mister Temple and just fix it all at once! Am I right? Yeah, I’m right, aren’t I?”

“Wh-Wh-What are you talking about?”

Cliffman couldn’t even process what he was hearing.

“Just do it! You’re the kind of guy who can do it!”

“It’s just so sudden, I don’t really understand...”

“Just do it if I say so, okay?”

“Why are you suddenly bullying an innocent guy, you crazy idiot!”

Whack!

“Ouch!”

In the end, Harriet, my usual restrainer in such situations, smacked me on the back of the head.

***

I had approached a guy who was quietly studying on his own and tried to bully him into entering Mister Temple out of nowhere. Even I thought it was a bit too sudden.

Naturally, Cliffman was flustered, and Harriet and Ellen couldn’t understand why I was acting in such a way.

Well, if they knew my situation, they’d probably realize that it made a lot of sense. The problem was that it was hard to explain.

Cliffman’s talent for combat was on par with Ellen’s Mana Domination and Harriet’s overarching talent for all magic. It was a top-tier talent, and would cost 50,000 Achievement Points.

The reward for winning the first-year tournament was a whopping 10,000 Achievement Points, but his talent was worth five times that.

If I could make him Mister Temple without entering the tournament myself, it was better to go all-in on that.

I had made a sudden and unexpected suggestion while studying for the exam, and now Harriet, Ellen, and I were sitting around Cliffman, staring at him.

Harriet tilted her head.

“Why do you suddenly want him to enter Mister Temple?”

“I told you, didn’t I? The festival is just around the corner. I’m trying to help him overcome his social anxiety.”

It was Ellen’s turn to tilt her head this time.

“Will that really help?” she asked.

“He’ll gain confidence, no matter what.”

“Hmm...”

Caught between us, Cliffman was stiff as a board, sweating profusely as if he were about to be lynched. Harriet clicked her tongue as she watched Cliffman practically dying under our collective gaze.

“If he gets this nervous just from us looking at him, he’ll have a heart attack if he enters Mister Temple. Do you really think he can handle it?”

“...”

‘Forget Mister Temple; I think you just delivered the final blow.’

Harriet has a knack for unintentionally hitting people with her words in these situations.

Harriet’s personality had changed from the original story, but she sometimes said things that reminded me of the original character I had created, and this was one of those times.

“Y-Yeah... Someone like me... How could I enter Mister Temple...? There are so many people better than me...”

Cliffman managed to squeeze out a protest.

“No, you’re underestimating yourself too much.”

‘Unlike Kaier, you have potential! I’m not just saying this for no reason! The talk about curing your social anxiety is an excuse, but honestly, seeing you like this is frustrating.

‘And while I can’t make the impossible possible, I can make the possible a certainty! I can use Revise!’

Cliffman stammered when talking to anyone, and just having a conversation drained his store of mental energy.

In practice duels, he couldn’t even showcase most of his skills. Even in that state, he could still beat me soundly, but he couldn’t showcase his true skills when he sparred with Ellen.

The first time, he’d been so flustered that he couldn’t do anything and was knocked out by a blow to the head, and things hadn’t changed much since then.

“Think of it as part of improving your overall skills. You tend to get too nervous. That makes things that could go well not go well. Look at me. I had nothing but confidence, and I ended up mastering Mana Reinforcement by just charging ahead recklessly.”

“... The fact that you’re saying that so honestly is... something.”

“... I don’t think that’s something to brag about.”

Both Harriet and Ellen seemed disgusted by my remarks.

‘Go away, you two! You’re not needed! The guy’s already flustered by my weird suggestion, and you’re making him even more nervous! He’s about to cry and throw up!’

Something else hit me then.

‘Wait, isn’t this just me bullying Cliffman? Should I stop?’

However, it was an opportunity I couldn’t miss.

I looked at the frozen Cliffman.

He was the tallest among the first-year students and, in all honesty, a handsome guy who gave off a slightly cold first impression. From a distance, he seemed unapproachable, but up close, he was a nervous wreck.

That was more than enough, honestly.

“What do you two think?”

In the end, my opinion has its limits, so I looked at Ellen and Harriet for their thoughts about the possibility of Cliffman becoming Mister Temple.

“Ugh, uhh...”

The two of them stared at Cliffman, and his expression grew even more painful.

“I don’t think he’ll be eliminated in the preliminaries,” Harriet answered honestly.

“I think so too,” Ellen agreed.

Cliffman’s face turned even redder at their unexpected praise. Feeling emboldened, I placed my hand on Cliffman’s shoulder.

“See? They both think you can do it. Do you think I’d suggest this just to embarrass you?”

“B-But still...”

‘Maybe this isn’t right. Forcing someone in his state on stage might be a disaster. It would already be a massive relief if he didn’t cry. If he ends up crying and becomes a laughingstock, his mental state could be permanently scarred, and he might even drop out of the Temple.’

The potential consequences were grave.

‘I might end up completely ruining him.’

As much as it pained me, it might be better to push someone like Ludwig instead, who would go along if nudged.

“If it’s too much for you, you don’t have to do it. Sorry for pushing yo—”

I was just about to apologize and drop the idea, since I thought that forcing him to do it would only cause more harm.

“I don’t know why Reinhart is suddenly doing this, but... are you really okay with things as they are?” Ellen suddenly interjected.

“...”

It was true. Things couldn’t stay like this.

It wasn’t just his relationships with people. Cliffman couldn’t perform at his best against anyone. He could never show his full potential, but his overwhelming talent covered for it.

He sparred with Ellen in practice and worked on Mana Reinforcement, but his nervousness prevented him from making any real progress.

Ellen was pointing out that his lack of confidence and social anxiety were holding him back.

“You know what I’m talking about, right?”

“... Yeah.”

Cliffman’s head sagged, and he nodded slightly. He knew that fixing this part of himself was necessary.

“I don’t know why you have to enter Mister Temple, but if doing so can help you improve that part of yourself, it’s not a bad idea.”

“D-Do you think so...?”

Ellen looked at Cliffman with her usual lack of emotion. “Yeah.”

‘Wow... Ellen’s better at this than I am...’

“If it’s something you want to fix, then you have to try something, right?”

“...”

I had a completely different reason for wanting Cliffman to enter Mister Temple, but Ellen was suddenly supporting the idea as well.

“... I’ll think about it...”

It seemed like Cliffman genuinely wanted to fix that part of himself as well.

Screech!

After saying that, Cliffman resolutely stood up. Ellen, Harriet, and I looked up at him in surprise.

“Where are you going all of a sudden?”

At Harriet’s question, Cliffman started to stagger, covering his mouth.

“My stomach feels a bit off...”

“Oh.”

“...”

‘Is he really okay? Am I just unnecessarily causing trouble again?’

Cliffman staggered out of the study room.