It's not that he has balls or that he acts like an idiot. He is an idiot.

When MC acts crazily against the characters he knows is somewhat understable, when MC acts crazily against people he doesn't know that makes him an idiot.

If you want to see how much of an idiot he is, after fighting the second years and somewhat winning because of plot, he even asked them to make the third year students come themselves on Monday to do the tradicional activity (because the royal prince will suposedly be present that Monday).

The thing is, the third year students after hearing the message don't necessarily need to come that Monday, they could come at that same moment to teach him a lesson, and this time he wouldn't be able to do anything but take the beating. Well that won't happen because of armor plot.

Post Edit 06/09/2021:

Well, it didn't happen that same day but surprisingly still somewhat happened later in ch47/48, they thought of a way to beat him as representatives of a duel, the third year representative is fighting with a handicap and is beating him. Seeing how ch48 ended will he win again because of plot?

MC's identity as the Demon Prince gets revealed and almost everyone turns his back on him except Olivia, Harriet and Liana. Ellen and Charlotte become emotional wrecks and the author really wants you to pity them, however he fails in doing so. IF they tried to make up for their mistakes I would understand, however they do nothing about it. Charlotte turns into this demonic being while crying in her room for 2 years and Ellen goes around killing monsters while she is drowned in guilt and self-pity. And this keeps going on forever without change. MC is extremely passive in EVERY SITUATION AND FORGIVES EVERYONE FOR NO REASON. I understand trying to create righteous characters but his righteosness borders on extreme s*upidity. His character is nothing more than a tool for everyone to use as they please and he goes along with the flow.

1. He gets possessed by vengeful spirits that hate the Demon Prince because of what Liana did, forgives Liana without punishment.
2. His underlings manipulate Ellen to help him by getting possessed by the same spirits, she gets possessed and the spirits slowly consume her. He learns about it, forgives them without punishment.
3. He is betrayed by everyone, still helps them and forgives them, LITERALLY GOES INTO THE ENEMY CAMP TO WARN THEM.

This holier-than-thou attitude never changes until the end and it is frustrating. I HATE how everyone just drowns in their guilt and self pity. It feels like this is just tragedy for tragedy's sake and nothing else. It feels extremely forced. Relationships and memories go out the window just because. No reason at all. Don't get me started on how the MC's relationship with Ellen. Ellen, of course, just cries and whines in guilt while the MC is like "Damn we can never be together because the people who still support the Hero won't leave us alone." So? It is literally mentioned that after he took over the Empire he is now strong enough to subdue opposing armies JUST BY HIMSELF. He does not need and army. He just teleports there, kills them and returns home. WHO IS GOING TO STOP YOU FROM BEING TOGETHER WITH ELLEN? Everything in the second part of the story feels forced and it becomes a chore to read through. I just forced myself to read because I wanted to know how it would end.

I wish the empire conflict, including all of the Ellen stuff, was wrapped up more succinctly with better character decision making, followed by a more fleshed out arc with everybody united under MC against the gate threat and other conflicts, and more fleshed out kingdom building.

A surprisingly good read. Unlike other novels of the same genre this one follows an antagonist side of things.

The MC is the last demon prince and due to him being reincarnated he manages to worm his way out of most situation through a bit of grit. Over the coarse of this novel, he grows as a person, becoming more attached to the world as his own morals rise up to combat the injustice.

The MC isn't evil, he isn't an idiot either. The guy is a lowkey alpha as this novel follows a more mature take on the fantasy genre.

Overall, if you like suspense and good amounts of tension, then this is for you. Though some actions of the MC do seem a bit childish, but that is a rather minor flaw.

Rate 4.6/5

I don't know how tf the author has the time to write the: Gate/Black Order/Vampire Counsel plot points, with the remaining chapters without butchering the pacing or magiking away the issues through forced plot. (I assume it will be sped run through)

I also read reviews talking about how the MC will start to take on the world's evils upon himself to be hated by others.... Like a dark souls reference, grimderp nonsense ect (insert s*upidity here). So yeah f that sht. If what I read is correct, then the plot points I mentioned will never be covered in a realistic way as the novel will take a sharp turn from the slice of life happy go lucky to a bastardized version expected in Korean fics.

So... everything after the darklands event is hogwash. This is the sole point where the story takes a step in the right direction. Afterwards do not expect much as this plot point will continue to be mentioned 400 chaps later... in the multiple POV switches. Where every relevant person will develop there character based off this event... even when they were not even there!!!!!!

As the author recognizes that this is the highlight of his career, the peak of his writing skills.

Thus he must continue to milk this event for all its worth

"Hey you remember that time I wrote that cool darklands scenario? Yeah it was cool. So now I think i'll have every meaningful character event be based off this non related scenario as a form of growth. In doing this I can somehow milk this spark of enlightenment for all it is worth. Wouldn't that be amazing?"

The more I think about this work, the more I see the apparent flaws and the more I am tempted to lower the score.... But I can't do that since it has already wasted my time for a good 200chps before I had to start skipping ahead.

So, in order to not cheapen my time, I have to leave it as it is... sadly.

Also it is ironic Reaper Scans dropped this work. Since they knew this fic became hot garbage reletavely fast. A bit sad that they milked it for so long when they had hundreds of chaps already stockpiled... which explains the mass release the day after they discontinued their translation.

So LOL what can you do? When you have a subpar story with greedy pirates?

"If that were the case, then there was a good chance that Charlotte would soon be killed by Bertus or one of his people.

Charlotte would die behind the scenes at the vestiges of the main story. She wouldn't even be able to join the main story.

Charlotte would probably die soon. The possibility that she won't even make it to the Empire isn't that low either.

Charlotte would be in danger soon, I don't know how though. While I was thinking about that, the princess was letting out a sigh as she was finally full."

"Bertus would be embarrassed to know that the first princess was alive and not dead. He would have, of course, thought that she died, but she came back alive."

it's kinda like The Novels Extra where the author is inside his own novel. So the MC takes over the demon king's son's body but the demon king immediately gets killed by the hero then MC escapes and tries to hide that he's a demon.

Chapter 651

The message sent by Cliffman was, to be precise, a request or perhaps a demand.

He wanted to meet Liana.

From the beginning, it wasn't a matter for me or Charlotte to decide.

Of course, we could have told her to meet him, but we didn't want to do that.

Did Cliffman have the right to say he wanted to see Liana?

It wasn't as if Cliffman would be on our side if we let him meet her.

Even if he did join our side, would Cliffman's power hold any great significance for us at this point?

Cliffman had undoubtedly grown stronger and significantly improved his skills.

However, in a situation where Master-class and Archmages were prevalent, Cliffman's power would have little significance.

He could not be a variable like Kono Lint.

Such things could be considered.

But we decided not to take those factors into account.

We didn't even want to think about them.

Relationship issues were important.

Maybe they were the most important thing in the world.

That was what I believed.

The world had come to this point because of those damned relationships and emotional issues.

If I hadn't been the Demon King Valier.

If Ellen hadn't been Ragan Artorius's younger sister.

If Charlotte hadn't been the emperor's daughter.

Becoming close without properly resolving those issues was the root cause of all problems.

We should not treat such issues lightly.

Therefore, in the end, this was not a matter for me to decide.

It was up to her to decide.

------

"Me... ?"

Liana wore an indescribable expression upon hearing Cliffman's message.

Her dilated pupils told just how surprised she was.

During the Temple days, Cliffman had been a timid fellow.

No, even that was an understatement.

He didn't know how to handle women or men, and it took months after countless encounters in the training arena for them to exchange their first words.

Moreover, when girls like Ellen or Harriet spoke to him, he would stutter and sink into silence.

In other words, he had a day's worth of social skills, and his capacity was as small as a soy sauce dish.

He would often become dazed while interacting with someone and collapse.

On the other hand, Liana had no problem with strangers.

Although she seemed quite irritable on the surface, she was actually quite easygoing and didn't take things to heart.

She was always proactive, and it was always Liana who suggested going somewhere to have fun after becoming friends with the others.

Someone who discriminated against everyone.

Someone who discriminated against no one.

Although they were opposites, I believed that people with completely different personalities got along better than those with similar ones.

In fact, Liana had always been dragging the passive Cliffman around since some point in time.

Although I was the one who decided to let Cliffman participate in the Mister Temple contest, Liana was the one who supported him the most.

Eventually, the two became close.

When Duke Grantz died, they pledged to avenge me together.

But on the day the Gate incident occurred, Liana appeared to save me without saying a word to Cliffman.

She hadn't told him the real cause of her father's death or her decision to rescue me.

Could that be called a betrayal?

Although the events of the Temple days had taken place a few years ago, they felt like something that had happened decades ago.

Everyone had changed.

Both Liana and Cliffman had changed.

Cliffman, who had always been passive and struggled with dealing with people, requested to meet Liana.

And then.

Liana, who had always been active, bold, and acted as if she didn't know the word 'shyness.'

"..."

Liana's face turned pale, and she trembled.

------

Was Liana's behavior a betrayal or not?

Liana wouldn't have wanted to take Cliffman on the dangerous path.

At that time, I really had no significant power. Following me and trying to save me, who was imprisoned by the Empire, was insane.

The only one who had decided to act with Liana that day was Harriet.

Liana didn't even know that the Vampire Lords were trying to save me.

It was a life-threatening, crazy act, and Liana must have expected death that day.

So, she couldn't tell Cliffman about it.

She couldn't take Cliffman with her on a practically suicidal mission.

But even if it wasn't a betrayal, there could be a feeling of betrayal. I don't know how Cliffman felt about Liana's actions.

Of course, Liana wouldn't know either.

Cliffman only said he wanted to meet Liana, not how he felt about her.

I also don't know what Cliffman thinks about me.

Like Christina or Ludwig, he might have wanted to question my responsibility.

We've been through too much to imagine it would be like our time in the temple.

Neither Liana nor I could know what purpose and with what feelings Cliffman wanted to meet.

So, Liana's face turned pale and she trembled.

She didn't know what to expect. After all, she could be attacked.

Because so much had changed, Liana wasn't the old Liana, and Cliffman wasn't the old Cliffman.

It was only natural to be afraid.

Not because the meeting was dangerous.

Seeing and hearing firsthand how things had changed, the moment of confirming it, could be terrifying.

Charlotte and I couldn't judge this message.

At the very least, we had to inform Liana.

"You don't have to meet him if you don't want to."

"..."

All things considered, it was better not to meet.

Whether Cliffman sided with us or not, it didn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

But Liana was one of the most important people on our side.

There was even a slight possibility that Cliffman could harm Liana. So, it was better not to meet.

The potential gain was minimal, while the potential loss was enormous.

With a simple calculation, this meeting wasn't even worth considering.

However, I could make a calculation, but I had no intention of involving the result in the decision.

There was only one important thing.

Did Liana want to meet or not?

Liana could make such calculations without me even telling her.

If she didn't want to meet, she didn't have to. Whatever the reason.

The decision was up to Liana.

Just as the outcome and reality of this world were not the results of a cost-benefit analysis.

In the end, what's important is not the gains and losses.

Liana was terrified.

It was strange.

During the temple days, Liana was undoubtedly a superhuman with enormous potential. But her power at that time wasn't that strong.

However, Liana had always been brimming with confidence and self-assurance.

What about the Liana now?

It wasn't an exaggeration to call her the most powerful Supernatural in the entire world.

Now, Liana's power had reached a level that not only Supernaturals, but even the most powerful mages couldn't rival.

As Liana grew incomparably stronger, her personality, ironically, became the opposite.

She easily became depressed, struggled, and suffered.

She had changed to be more passive.

Upon hearing Cliffman's desire to meet her, she was paralyzed with fear, not knowing what to expect.

As Liana became stronger, she also became weaker.

Liana spoke.

"... Yeah."

"Uh."

Liana's eyes were trembling.

"I'm, I'm too scared... "

She hadn't even met him yet.

She didn't know what Cliffman was thinking.

But Liana's eyes were filled with hot, red tears.

"I'm so scared... I feel like I might die... "

There was only one reason for such an intense reaction.

It was because Liana cherished Cliffman.

She was afraid that someone so precious to her would treat her differently than before.

That fear was so overwhelming.

It was so terrifying that she couldn't help but say she felt like dying.

Yes.

It was a similar context to how much I hated and feared facing the changed Ellen.

Liana bowed her head and trembled for a long time.

She had shown vulnerability many times before.

But this was the first time she had ever appeared this weak.

"Still... I have to meet him, don't I?"

She thought that as Liana de Grantz, a human being, regardless of her position as the Thunder King, she couldn't refuse.

"You don't have to meet him if you don't want to."

Was it absolutely necessary to meet?

I wasn't sure.

Instead, after meeting, there's a chance she might be hurt physically or emotionally, but she might not get hurt as well.

"Let's think about it later."

"Later?"

"Yeah. I don't know what will happen, but let's consider it for later."

The future was uncertain.

But now, she was in a situation where she could make a decision about meeting Cliffman.

Later.

"If you decide not to meet now, do you think you'll regret it later? Or do you think you won't?"

She didn't know whether she would have another chance to meet Cliffman later.

But if, at this moment, she said she wouldn't meet him.

If she delivered such an answer to Cliffman or completely ignored him.

What would happen?

What would Cliffman think, and would Liana regret it later or not?

Setting aside whether she should or shouldn't meet, she thought only about regret.

Would she regret not meeting him, or would she not?

"I'm scared to death right now... But... "

Liana raised her head.

"If I decide not to meet him now... "

Tears finally fell from her flushed eyes.

"I feel like I'll live with this feeling for the rest of my life... "

She didn't know whether this situation was an opportunity or a crisis.

However.

If she didn't meet him, she felt like she would regret it for the rest of her life.

That's what Liana seemed to think.

------

Were there things that one must face, even if they were frightening and scary?

Couldn't they run away, avoid it, or pretend not to know?

But there were such things in the world.

Things that would definitely be regretted later.

However, if one avoided something out of fear, they would inevitably regret it later.

Thus, there were things that were frightening and scary, but had to be done to avoid regret later on.

For Liana de Grantz, this was that very task.

"I can go with you, " Reinhardt had said.

Liana shook her head. "No... I think it's better to meet alone."

She didn't want to give any hint of preparation for a possible confrontation, so Liana chose to face it alone. Although she would need someone's help to come and go, they should be alone in the moment they faced each other.

Even if it couldn't atone for the time when she had left without a word, it was, at the very least, a matter of courtesy. Liana thought as much.

There was no reason to accept Cliffman's request in the first place.

The messenger Heinrich who relayed the message to Louise.

Louise, who had heard the absurd request.

Rowan, who had passed on the message.

Charlotte and Reinhardt as well.

Liana was no exception.

And finally, Cliffman himself, who had made the request.

None of them could have imagined it would come to this.

However, through each person's judgment, the message was passed on and, by Liana's own decision, the meeting was arranged.

The world had changed, the era had transformed, and people were different.

Although they used to be close enough to meet by simply knocking on the door of a dormitory hallway, now countless people had to be involved to convey even the simplest of messages.

Just to see each other once, so many people were involved.

Merely passing on a single word had become much more difficult.

A meeting that had been arranged in such a way took place deep in a forest, beyond a field strewn with the corpses of defeated monsters.

Had the time that had passed been long?

However, due to the characteristics of the era when one could only feel the passing of more time than had actually elapsed, psychologically, it felt as if decades had passed.

Cliffman could have the meeting he desired at a certain tree stump in that place.

"..."

There was the face Cliffman had wanted to see.

Always confident, sometimes even overbearing.

The person who used to firmly grasp Cliffman's arm and drag him around, confidently swinging the young boy around as she told him to trust and follow only her.

Now she stood with her hands together, her eyes downcast.

As if she didn't even deserve to make eye contact.

As if she had committed a great sin, making it impossible to look the other person in the eye.

"... Hello."

Her voice was barely audible, struggling to get the words out.

And so,

"It's been... a while... "

Cliffman was able to see Liana de Grantz, who had shrunk to a size she could not possibly become any smaller.