I Obtained the Final Boss' Power

Chapter 63 : To the Imperial Capital (5)

To the Imperial Capital (5)

The commander of the 7th Legion, Paulo Eloist.

He, too, was a hero from the Demonkin War, and had once been one of only three swordmasters in the empire.

Even in the game's setting, I had at least heard his name.

A massive build that defied his age in the late seventies, and sharp eyes that looked like they could cut down anything.

Just seeing him was enough to sap the confidence from onlookers, and that appearance alone was enough to explain why he remained the commander of the 7th Legion even in his old age.

"It is truly an honor to meet you in person, sir Paulo."

At the very top of the 7th Legion headquarters, in Paulo's office.

There, Silia felt immense awe in greeting a knight who had reached the realm of swordmaster.

She bowed her head and greeted him politely, but in truth, Silia didn't know much about him.

"Don't greet me so cheerfully, you discarded by society."

"... Pardon?"

What came back was grumbling, quite unlike the respectful greeting she had given him.

Seeing Silia flustered at Paulo's attitude, Klein spoke up.

"Don't get overly excited in front of Sir Paulo. He really despises anyone who has broken the law."

"I see."

Silia, who had also been brought here for breaking a simple law, accepted it without further words.

Most of all, anyone who aspired to be a knight could not be ignorant of the rumors about Paulo's past.

He once had a family he loved dearly.

Children and grandchildren for whom he would have given everything sadly no longer existed in this world.

They all lost their lives to criminals and the monsters those criminals controlled.

"No matter who you are, I have no intention of being friendly. Not even if you are just kids."

Paulo snapped sharply at Silia's squad members gathered in the office.

Aside from Louis, the squad members all shrank under his cold and oppressive demeanor.

"Anyway. Is it true you were the one who subjugated the Great Devil?"

Paulo asked for confirmation, and Louis nodded, answering "Yes."

At that, Paulo stood up, glaring intently at Louis.

If it was just glaring, nothing would have happened, but suddenly everyone in the office began struggling to breathe.

"...!!"

"Urgh...!"

The aura wielded by a swordmaster goes far beyond simply infusing a blade.

Though his prime had passed, those with the deepest understanding of mana would never limit themselves to expressing it as simple aura.

Their methods of applying mana were highly diverse.

They could release mana to infiltrate an enemy's body without overburdening their own.

Anyone covered in that mana felt as if a weight of iron was pressing on them, their bodies sluggish and lungs squeezed.

Eventually the infused mana could paralyze their cells, and in extreme cases, it could even kill.

In this way, the swordmaster's realm could threaten lives with just the release of their strength.

Everyone in the office couldn't even move their bodies because of it—though even this was with Paulo restraining his strength.

Only Louis, alone, spoke without apparent difficulty.

"Not being able to breathe properly feels like being in outer space. Are you a monster, grandpa?"

At Louis's question, Paulo gave a sneering response.

"And how is it that you are perfectly fine in such an atmosphere?"

"Perfectly fine? Can't you see the sweat on my forehead?"

In truth, sweat was beading on Louis's brow.

Standing still was easy, but it was not easy to talk in this space.

With each sentence, her lungs took strain and her stamina was quickly drained.

"There's no longer any need for doubt."

With those words, Paulo withdrew the mana he had been projecting.

Those who had been choking on the released mana could finally breathe.

"Gasp...!!"

"I-I thought... I was going to die just now."

"It was... like my body was floating."

"We... We're really alive, right?"

Starting with Victor and down to Rozen, four squad members panted in shock.

"..."

The other, Rio, was also barely breathing, but she remained silent.

Instead, she just stared back at Paulo with a complicated expression.

"Phew... I thought my heart would drop."

"Are you all alright?"

Silia and Klein, who recovered relatively quickly, had also been frightened.

When Silia asked after her squad members, she visibly relaxed upon seeing them nod.

Then Rio asked,

"Are all swordmasters this way?"

Rio's face was full of curiosity.

Recognizing her pure sense of awe, Paulo explained.

"What I just showed you is nothing but a drop in the bucket compared to my past. In my prime, those like me could use it in even more ways."

With their released mana, they could manipulate the air currents to create clouds or lightning in empty air, or even manipulate natural energy to weaken gravity or raise the temperature around them.

Startled by such limitless applications, Rio exclaimed,

"Isn't that just a mage, then?"

"..."

No one answered Rio's brief question, not even Paulo, who simply dismissed it.

"Just accept it as it is."

"...?"

Still unable to understand, Rio blinked in confusion.

In the end, Paulo was fully convinced that Louis had subjugated the Great Devil.

"I also saw you shattering the barrier. I noticed your arm transformed into something strange."

He was indirectly asking about that power.

Since Louis had come to demonstrate that power, there was no reason to hide it.

Louis once more transformed one of her arms into a monstrous shape and extended it.

"As you can see, I have a special power."

Louis explained to Paulo exactly what her power was.

No matter how strong Paulo was, he couldn't help but be alarmed at that explanation.

"You mean you possess the power of the legendary monster?"

Immediately, Paulo looked at Louis with wary eyes.

However, it would be foolish to carelessly approach Louis.

He had also heard about the dangers of that power.

"If we tried to subjugate you here, what would happen?"

"I would struggle to survive, of course."

"During that, you would completely transform into a monster and lose your reason..."

"And then the entire imperial army would be mobilized to stop me."

"So in the end, if we clashed..."

The Empire would face ruin at Louis's hands.

They couldn't risk such chaos just to catch her when she had shown no hostility.

Nor could Louis, whose life was dear, ever start something that would lead to her own destruction.

"And you can't fully control that power, can you? Is that why you hesitate to use it recklessly?"

"Yes. You wouldn't drive an incomplete carriage on a long journey, would you?"

"And there seems no telling when it will be complete."

Thus, Louis could not commit any crime against the Empire.

And the Empire could not harm Louis either.

It was a perfectly balanced situation.

"So the reason you haven't left the 7th Legion is..."

"Only those associated with the 7th Legion can use the spell, right?"

If Louis and the Empire did come to blows, everything would only be destroyed by an out-of-control Louis.

The spells would also be included, needless to say.

"Well, then..."

As expected of someone from the 7th Legion, Paulo also possessed a spell.

He raised an arm and cast the spell, but, as with everyone else, it had no effect on Louis.

"Indeed."

Paulo realized then that the Chaos Dragon's power was no lie.

With an incredulous laugh, he said,

"It's all so confusing. While the others dragged here can't sleep for fear of being monster food, for you, that place must be like a playground."

"It's more like an apothecary than a playground. And these folks beside me are like pharmacists sponsoring me with medicine."

Louis pointed to Silia and Klein at her side as she spoke.

Klein wore an expression saying, 'What on earth are you talking about?', and Silia only gave a resigned smile.

"At any rate, it seems to be true that you subjugated the Great Devil and rescued His Majesty, who had been puppeteered by the Crown Prince all this while."

There was no objection left. Regardless of the details or Louis's identity, she deserved a reward.

Besides, Louis seemed to harbor no malice toward the Empire.

There were no signs of an evil purpose, so there was no real problem.

"Still, I can't understand this."

Yet Paulo still felt some dissatisfaction.

"As someone who lost his family to criminals, the idea that a criminal dragged in by the 7th Legion gets to have audience with His Majesty is simply outrageous to me."

Considering his family's tragedy, those words were understandable.

However, while he said that, Louis felt no hostility from Paulo.

Still, Louis responded,

"What if I am not a criminal?"

"...?"

"What if neither I nor my friends here ever did anything worthy of prison?"

"What are you saying?"

As befitted a legion commander, Paulo had many duties and did not know the circumstances of every 'criminal' brought in.

It was rare for him to hear about a prisoner's story.

"So you were brought in unjustly."

"I've only told the truth. In fact, it was the Crown Prince's associates who killed my parents and devastated my domain."

Though still suspicious, Paulo didn't object further.

Having subjugated the Great Devil and saved His Majesty, he couldn't help but trust Louis.

Betraying Louis now was not something His Majesty would wish for either.

"Fine. I'll permit you all to have an audience with His Majesty. I'll inform him of your circumstances in advance."

He added that this might give them a chance to leave the 7th Legion.

The squad members' eyes widened, but Paulo added,

"However, complete freedom for you will be impossible."

"What... What do you mean by that?"

Victor asked nervously, and Paulo looked at Rio.

"I saw you fighting in the training hall. Especially you, using a power that must never be permitted."

A power that must never be permitted? Rio conjured a drop of blood in the air as if to ask: 'This?'

"Yes, that's it. That is the power of the vampires, who were wiped out long ago. Like the Chaos Dragon, it is a power that must never be revealed."

"..."

At his words, Rio's expression darkened.

Paulo continued, now turning to Pram.

"And as for you, you openly used dark magic. Not just ordinary dark magic, but with demonic power in it."

Realizing that their powers came with such secrets made them all anxious.

If things took a wrong turn, they might have to live out their days in the 7th Legion.

"Given your age and the level you already fight at, your talents are extraordinary. You might even be the Hero prophesied in the oracle... but, considering your powers, that possibility is lost."

The Hero of the oracle? The squad members were curious, and Klein explained.

"It's literally a story long prophesied by the Holy Nation. That someday a hero will arise to defeat great evil."

The squad resigned themselves to it being a fairy tale about some miraculous future.

"Wait, what were the traits of the hero in that prophecy?"

Suddenly remembering, Silia asked.

"That hero was said to be born thirteen years ago, in a small village."

"Thirteen years ago? That's about our ages."

"If they're alive, they're probably discovering their own talents somewhere."

"And what about their hair color...?"

"Gray."

"Right, gray. And eyes...?"

"Orange."

Louis interrupted even before Paulo could finish.

It felt like no further explanation was needed.

"And at thirteen, they would first manifest aura—golden in color. Plus, they really liked eating. So much so that they'd rat out our secret hideout for the temptation of candy."

At Louis's rambling, Paulo frowned.

It wasn't just that Louis was being noisy; Silia and the others all looked devastated.

"That part wasn't in the prophecy."

As if to say, how are you so sure, Louis replied,

"He was once our squad member."

Remembering the boy he'd been unable to protect, Louis sighed deeply.

****

Some time later, Silia's squad and Klein could board a carriage bound for the capital.

Unlike the iron-barred wagon that brought them to the 7th Legion headquarters, this one was plush and comfortable.

It was a carriage only nobles might ride, making it a dream for the once-commoner squad members—but their moods betrayed none of that delight.

"I never knew Dimo was someone like that."

Sitting in the carriage, Rio murmured with a sorrowful look.

None of the others seemed any brighter.

It was clear to all that the hero in the prophecy was Dimo—and Dimo had died along with the rest of them.

"Young master. If I may ask..."

Rio hesitated, clenching her hand before asking,

"If there is a hero in this world, isn't there also an opposite?"

"Like a Demon King?"

"Yeah. If Dimo is the hero, then where is the Demon King?"

There was no information about a Demon King in the prophecy.

Only tales of the hero vanquishing evil.

But where there is a being like a hero, there will inevitably be an opposing force.

"So...."

Rio already had a guess as to where that being was.

"Wasn't it supposed to be us who died, not Dimo... Aagh!"

Louis flicked Rio on the forehead at her ominous remarks.

"Instead of saying such things, think about how you're going to live from now on. Did Dimo sacrifice himself so you could wallow in thoughts like that?"

"..."

The carriage would continue toward the capital for several more days.

Meanwhile, the squad members pondered life's deepest questions.