It Seems the Demon King Has Returned to a World Where Gender Roles Are Reversed - Chapter 24

Chapter 24

The outskirts of the Dark Forest.

Bound by Ragna’s spell of restraint, Karen lay collapsed on the ground.

“Well then, I’d like you to start talking. Why did you target me?”

“…”

Ragna’s cold question.

But Karen didn’t respond.

No, she was outright refusing to engage in conversation.

“Hmm, exercising your right to remain silent?”

“…”

“Well, if that’s the case, I have no choice but to resort to harsher measures.”

As Ragna approached, Karen threw him a slight sneer.

He was probably going to torture her.

But it was pointless.

A knight’s body was like tempered steel.

Especially for someone of Karen’s caliber, it was nearly impossible to harm her with ordinary blades.

Moreover, Karen had already steeled her resolve.

No matter what happened, she had no intention of spilling anything.

Instead, she planned to bide her time, waiting for the moment Ragna’s magic wore off to strike back.

That was her plan.

But Ragna’s actions exceeded her expectations.

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*Thud.* The weapons attached to her clothes fell to the ground.

It seemed he intended to remove anything dangerous first.

Or perhaps he was looking for a suitable tool for torture.

However, Ragna merely tossed the weapons aside with disinterest, as if none of them caught his fancy.

Having removed the dangerous items, Ragna’s hands now turned toward her clothing.

With a *snap*, his fingers began undoing the buttons and fastenings of her outfit, and her overcoat was stripped away.

“Ugh!”

A cold breeze brushed against the exposed parts of her clothing.

But what made Karen grimace wasn’t the chill on her skin it was the humiliation of having her clothes removed by another.

Especially by a man.

Yet, there was nothing she could do.

Ragna’s weakening spell still sapped her strength, and the binding spell kept her limbs immobile.

Even so, she refused to yield.

Instead, she glared at Ragna fiercely, as if daring him to do his worst.

She was confident she could endure any torture.

Whether it was crushing her nails or slicing her flesh, she would withstand any pain.

That’s what she told herself, steeling her mind.

But the situation began to unfold in a completely unexpected direction.

*Rustle.* Ragna’s hand moved toward her abdomen.

And then, with a *snap*, her belt was undone.

A bad feeling crept into Karen’s mind.

“W-Wait?!”

Her voice tried to stop him.

But Ragna didn’t pause.

Humming a strange tune, he continued to undo her clothes.

And in an instant, her lower half was completely exposed.

“What… what are you doing?! What kind of depraved act are you planning, you filthy bastard?!”

“Hmm, given the situation, can’t you imagine what comes next?”

With a smirk, Ragna lightly traced a finger along her bare leg.

Karen flinched, letting out a startled “Eek!” as her body recoiled.

Her mind recalled a story from her days at the academy.

Among the gruesome torture methods of some ancient nation, there was one just like this.

A method where the victim’s limbs were bound, and their body was violated.

“I’ll kill you! If you touch me, I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you in the worst way imaginable!”

Realizing Ragna’s intent, Karen shouted with venom in her voice. But Ragna only scoffed.

“Forgiveness? That’s rich. Weren’t you the one who came for my head in the first place? As I said before, you were already set on taking me down, weren’t you?”

“Ugh…”

“Enough with the nonsense. How about you answer my question? Why did you come after me? If you don’t…”

With that, Ragna lifted his hand, which had been kneading her thigh, and moved it toward her private area.

Terrified by the approaching hand, Karen gasped,

“Fine, I’ll talk! Just stop! Stop right now!”

She finally surrendered.

Ragna let out a mocking chuckle.

He could see right through what the blonde knight was thinking. She likely believed her hardened body could withstand any torture.

But that was a miscalculation.

The purpose of torture wasn’t to inflict pain.

It was to make the victim reveal the truth.

To do that, one had to target their weaknesses.

Simply causing physical pain was a third-rate method. Crushing their spirit and pride was far more effective.

In that sense, sexuaI humiliation was the most efficient tool. Especially in a world where women dominated men, the idea of a frail man overpowering and violating her would create unimaginable pressure.

Enough to make even a proud knight of the White Knights, capable of felling a massive tree with a single swing, frantically declare defeat.

“Hmm, alright then. Tell me. Why did you target me?”

“…”

“Don’t think about clamming up again. I’m the kind of guy who follows through.”

“…Fine! I get it, just move your hand!”

“You tell me the reason first.”

“Ugh… It’s…”

“It’s?”

“…For Seria. Because your existence is an obstacle to her, Seria Branzberg!”

“…”

Karen’s answer to Ragna’s question.

But upon hearing it, Ragna’s expression turned puzzled.

“…Why? How am I an obstacle to her? I mean, I’m a rare male knight who can control golems… I don’t see how my existence would interfere with her.”

But at Ragna’s response, Karen scoffed,

“Sure, a male knight is rare. But even so, there are about a hundred of them in a single kingdom.”

“…”

“But she’s different. She’s not someone who should be tied down by the likes of a male knight.”

“What do you mean?”

“Haven’t you heard why Seria Branzberg is here?”

“…I heard she’s here to train under you.”

“If that’s the case, have you ever thought about how she’s able to be here? How a mere academy student, one who’s barely been enrolled, could come to a Union Kingdom facility to train under me? And how she’s operating a ‘Long Sword’ grade golem on the front lines?”

“…No, I haven’t really thought about it… Is that such a big deal?”

“Yes. It’s an absurdly big deal. The Union Kingdom's facilities are run under the Papal Office’s authority. And the Papal Office follows the decisions of the representatives from each kingdom. As such, no single kingdom can interfere with the Union's facilities. To get a girl from one kingdom into an Union's facility even a lowly lumberyard requires the approval of other kingdoms.

You may not realize how significant that is.”

“…”

Karen’s words made Ragna frown.

Her words brought to mind a previous conversation with Seria.

In that conversation, Seria had spoken of the expectations and jealousy surrounding her.

And how there was nothing she could do here, because she wasn’t officially part of the facility merely a cadet from her homeland, Shreid.

As Ragna pieced together that conversation with Karen’s words, a conclusion formed.

Karen was someone of significant importance, valuable enough to sacrifice a rare male knight.

And the fact that Seria was training under Karen Steiner at a Union Kingdom lumberyard wasn’t just a simple study abroad, as Ragna had thought it was a major operation involving the leadership of nations.

“…I see. But I still don’t get it. Why? Why is Seria so important?”

Though he hesitated to say it, to Ragna, Seria was just a slightly ditzy girl.

Kind and diligent, but lacking in common sense and street smarts, stubbornly refusing to back down from her goals… just an ordinary girl.

There didn’t seem to be any reason for her to be valued so highly.

But at Ragna’s question, Karen scoffed,

“You’re asking the obvious. It’s because she has talent.”

“Talent?”

“Yes. She has the talent to control golems. The talent to handle a ‘Long Sword’ grade golem from the start. And her homeland has high expectations for that talent. They hope it will grow, and ultimately—”

Taking a deep breath, Karen declared firmly,

“…that she might join the White Knights.”

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The White Knights.

The Union Kingdom's most powerful military force.

In other words, humanity’s strongest military force.

And the organization to which Karen Steiner, lying defeated before him, belonged.

Though she had been caught off guard by a trick, her swordsmanship, capable of felling a massive tree in one swing, was impressive. It wasn’t surprising she was part of such a group.

But why?

A question nagged at Ragna’s mind, one he couldn’t comprehend.

No matter how elite the White Knights were, they were just a group of skilled warriors.

Their prestige might be great, but it was just that prestige.

The rewards would likely be limited to personal honors tied to that fame.

That’s all it should be.

But,

“Are you seriously saying that?”

Karen looked at Ragna in disbelief. Scratching his cheek, Ragna replied,

“Hmm, is there something more to it?”

“Of course! I can’t believe you don’t know something everyone does…”

Karen studied Ragna with a probing gaze.

In response, Ragna offered a prepared excuse.

“Sorry, I’ve got amnesia. Most of my memories are gone, so I’m pretty lacking in common knowledge.”

“What kind of nonsense… Are you mocking me?!”

Karen shouted in exasperation at Ragna’s response.

But Ragna’s expression was sincere.

In a way, it might be akin to amnesia.

With 500 years of memories missing, he was indeed lacking in common knowledge.

“Damn it, how far are you going to humiliate me…”

Frowning and shouting, Karen suddenly paused, as if something occurred to her.

“…No, fine. If that’s the case, I’ll explain.”

“…Hmm, I’d appreciate that.”

Karen’s demeanor suggested she was scheming something.

But Ragna nodded readily.

Whatever her intentions, learning the truth was more important.

“…The White Knights are the Union Kingdom's most powerful military force. As such, only the finest warriors can join. And with only a hundred members allowed, only those who’ve reached the pinnacle of skill can enter.”

“Hmm, isn’t that odd? Why just a hundred? Couldn’t they increase the number?”

“It’s tradition. It wouldn’t be the White Knights if it wasn’t a hundred. And there’s a more practical reason.”

“Which is?”

“Besides the White Knights, each kingdom has its own knightly orders to protect itself. Expanding the White Knights excessively would only cause friction with those orders. So, it’s better to maintain a small, elite force.”

“I see. And realistically, it’s not exactly pleasant for the Union's military to grow too strong… I get the gist of what kind of organization the White Knights are. But that doesn’t fully explain it. Why? Why are you so obsessed with the White Knights?”

No matter how impressive the military force, it was still just an Union organization.

From the perspective of individual kingdoms, they wouldn’t want the Union's power to grow too much.

So, why were they so fixated on having their people join?

To Ragna’s question, Karen replied calmly,

“It’s because…”

“Because?”

“…There’s no reason for me to tell you.”

“?!”

In that instant, it felt as if her body swelled.

And with it, the binding spell holding her shattered.

“The weakening spell wore off?!”

Startled, Ragna stepped back. But Karen was already springing to her feet, charging at him.

“Hah!”

With a shout, Karen clenched her fist.

One strike.

She’d end him with this one strike.

With that intent, she pulled back her fist and lunged at Ragna.

Seeing her, Ragna hesitated, his face paling.

And then,

*Boom!*

A loud explosion echoed through the forest.

Birds perched on branches took flight in panic.

Then, silence fell.

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Translated by Reversalnovel.web.id