I Obtained the Final Boss' Power

Chapter 93 : Prophecy (3)

Prophecy (3)

After meeting Frederick underground, headmaster Ferus, left the academy.

He was already such a busy man that he'd barely managed to make time to help out this time.

He was someone who sat in a position even higher than the principal of the academy.

There was nowhere in the field of magitech that Ferus's touch hadn't reached.

Before leaving, Ferus gave Louis something to hold on to.

'Before the event day arrives, spread this around the academy.'

'What is this?'

'It's similar to the lens you're wearing on your eye. It's a magitech device that records everything you can see.'

But the item didn't look anything like the lens Louis wore. Instead, it resembled a perfume bottle.

'What happens if I go around spraying this?'

'The range of vision you can cover with the lens will expand. Actually, what's inside that perfume isn't scent at all. They're artificial spirits I created.'

Ferus's abilities were truly extraordinary, enough to create spirits that were considered envoys of mother nature.

Of course, he couldn't reproduce real spirits perfectly. He could only imitate them, but even that was a huge benefit for Louis.

'There are countless spirits inside that are smaller than particles. The things that spray out like perfume are all spirits.'

'Spirits smaller than particles?'

'That's right.'

The moment he heard that, a familiar term instinctively slipped out of Louis's mouth.

'Nano machines?'

'Nano... what now?'

'No, nothing. Anyway, can I assume the spirits in this are connected to my lens?'

'Correct. Those guys will follow only the orders of their master. They serve as their master only the one with the lens.'

The spirits would recognize the thoughts of Louis, who was wearing the lens, and act accordingly. And he would be able to share vision with all moving spirits.

'So only I'll be able to use this too.'

'Exactly. You must've found it inconvenient at times, living with that lens on, right?'

It wasn't so much inconvenient. It was just that every time it recorded an image, it made his head feel ticklish.

'It's just a mild tickle.'

'Hahahaha! You only feel a tickle because it's you. Anyone else's brain would've collapsed and left them a vegetable by now.'

In fact, the lens put a significant burden on the user's brain when recording images.

It was an extremely radical magitech device that required you to risk your brain just to record something.

That's why the lens's existence hadn't been made public.

'So it was literally made for me.'

'Just like with the torture spell, you have a body that can withstand what would be hellish pain for others.'

Ferus added that he wouldn't have made something like this if someone like Louis hadn't existed.

'Then this perfume with spirits in it...'

It was a magitech device made entirely for Louis.

Cursed items or failed creations that no human could ever handle were, to him, just ordinary tools.

'Of course, only you can handle these spirits. But you should be careful. The more spirits you share your vision with, the greater the burden on your brain.'

The more incidents he needed to record, the higher the risk.

Even for Louis, Ferus guessed it'd be quite tough at that point. Still, even considering that, the function was too useful to pass up.

.

.

.

As soon as Ferus left, Louis began scattering the spirit-filled bottles throughout the academy.

At the same time, he was keeping close tabs on those under surveillance.

"So, what did you say the Crown Prince's goal was again?"

"It's to use all the residents of the academy as sacrifices to summon the Great Devil. I've explained this before."

"Sorry. I just wanted to hear it in more detail."

No matter how detailed the explanation got, nothing much changed.

The plan was to use everyone in this city known as the academy as sacrifices for summoning the Great Devil.

For that, Elaine was enrolled as an undercover student, and people who could cooperate within the school had been gathered.

"But is it really necessary to summon the Great Devil at the cost of so many people? Seems like you could do it quickly if you just recruited a few veteran dark mages."

In the game, if a mage changed to an 'evil' route, there was a setting where you could meet all sorts of demons.

Using them didn't really require human sacrifice as a rule. With a bit of work, it was possible to contact even a Great Devil.

"The thing is... the Crown Prince's goal is to contract with a different Great Devil to replace the late Palmon. But even if he contacts a Great Devil, the contract won't come for free."

"So that's why a sacrifice is needed?"

"Yes, you can make contact without one, but you'll only be able to talk. To bring one fully into this world requires an enormous ritual."

Indeed, four years ago Louis had experienced such a ritual.

Through the rift at the ruin, Palmon had appeared himself to confront him.

Even back then, soldiers of the 7th Legion had been offered as sacrifices for the Great Devil.

"So if you offer up a sacrifice, there's a chance the Great Devil will answer the summons?"

"Yes. But you can't expect a 100% guarantee of manifestation just by offering a sacrifice. Still, the Crown Prince is hoping that at least they can secure a contract that way."

At the ruin, Palmon hadn't manifested himself until he'd noticed Louis.

So whether or not the summoning worked depended on the whims of the Great Devil.

"So, even contracts can be refused depending on the Great Devil's mood?"

"That won't likely be the case. If you offer up an entire city's population, that's a bonanza for the Great Devil. At the very least, he'll reward you appropriately."

"So what are you actually doing right now?"

"We're setting up spell arrays all over the city to conduct the ritual... Or, I should say we're supposed to be..."

A ritual required spell arrays.

During Palmon's case, the ruin itself acted as an auxiliary for a powerful spell, making things easy, but the academy had nothing of the sort in place.

That was why undercover Elaine was creating them herself.

"But now it's no longer possible."

Elaine, crestfallen, was now setting up something other than the Great Devil-summoning spell array.

In case of emergency, she was preparing a protective spell so the residents could evacuate at any moment.

Right now it was a small, transparent magic array, but the moment it was activated, it would form a giant dome-shaped barrier.

In effect, it was a disaster shelter.

"I was supposed to create a Great Devil-summoning spell array, but... why am I doing this..."

"If you don't want to die, just do as you're told."

At present, Elaine didn't look like a 16-year-old girl.

That was a disguise using the power of a casino relic. Revealing her true self, she appeared as a woman in her mid-thirties.

"It's easier using magic once you're back to your real appearance, right?"

Of course, she could return to her 16-year-old self again, but then she wouldn't be able to exert as much power.

"Crown Prince... I'm so sorry!!"

It was only natural for her to feel aggrieved about setting up something other than what she was supposed to.

It meant betraying the Crown Prince, her eternal ally.

"If you're so loyal to the Crown Prince, haven't you ever thought of sacrificing your own life for him?"

"What are you saying?"

"You're facing my threats without giving up your beliefs. Isn't that pretty romantic?"

"Are you kidding? No matter how loyal I am, I'm still scared!"

Elaine shuddered in horror yet continued her work. It made one question whether these guys would truly lay down their lives for the Crown Prince.

They acted like they would, but when it came down to it, fear would shatter their conviction.

'Or maybe my brain's weird from being exposed to too many tales from my previous life.'

Still, Elaine's reaction was realistic. No matter what ideals or romance you have, in the end, your own life is most important.

"Yeah. So your supposed devotion to the Crown Prince only goes that far. Am I wrong?"

"..."

"Then what about all the people you killed just for supposedly upsetting the Crown Prince?"

It was ridiculous to reconsider it.

If convictions could be tossed aside so easily out of fear, why kill those people at all?

Why slaughter the domain citizens of Seifert, or even your own parents?

"I just..."

"Honestly, expecting you brats with grown bodies but immature minds to have noble ideals... I was the idiot."

The destruction of the Seifert domain at the hands of these kids was a huge grudge for Louis.

The ones who carried it out were the Bisted family, but they acted under orders from the Crown Prince, who controlled the Imperial Court.

And now, even the residents of the academy were to be used as sacrifices for the Great Devil.

"No matter how tragic the Crown Prince's past was... does that really justify the deaths of everyone around him?"

"..."

His words left Elaine looking intimidated, her eyes dulling.

"And fuck, did you all join in just knowing this much?"

Alio and Selion.

The Refilica brothers, too, were working with Elaine. The other class representatives who followed them were also accomplices.

"W-We had no choice..."

"Our family circumstances weren't good..."

The brothers wilted as they mumbled, but it only increased Louis's irritation.

"So if things are tough, you're just supposed to join in on this kind of insanity?"

They enjoyed bullying and threatening other class representatives. For them, this kind of behavior came as no surprise.

"Older Brother!"

At that moment, walking through the city, Rio spotted Louis and shouted.

She had gotten so used to calling him older brother that she no longer made the mistake of calling him young master.

Beside Rio, her classmates walked along.

"So this is Rio's older brother?"

"He doesn't look too bad."

The students gave Louis's face a once-over and murmured as they evaluated him.

Not that it mattered, since he was in disguise.

"Hello."

At the center of the group was Lizsha, who had been rescued previously.

After that event, she had grown quite close to Rio.

"What are you doing here?"

"Just running some errands."

Apparently curious, Lizsha locked eyes with the brothers.

Remembering the bullying, she trembled.

Normally, the brothers would have seized the moment to pressure her, but now they couldn't.

"I'm giving them a lesson. Right?"

"Yes...!"

"That's right."

Alio and Selion replied mechanically to Louis.

Standing here were the very Rio who'd beaten them and Louis, who'd made them submit.

The classmates themselves were once the brothers' playthings but now enjoyed spending time with Rio.

"By the way, what were you up to, Rio?"

"I was playing with friends. It's not so bad. Do—Older Brother, want to join?"

"I'll pass."

When Louis refused, Rio looked downcast. Still, he was pleased that Rio had become this sociable.

"Then I'll give you this instead."

"What's this?"

"My friends gave it to me. It's really fun."

What Rio handed him was a book.

[The Secret Meeting of Confucius and the Crown Prince]

As expected, just from the title, it gave off an ominous vibe as if facing a Demon King.

"This is fun?"

"Yeah. I also learned card games and alchemy."

"Maybe focus on those instead of reading this book."

"But the book's more fun. You try it, older brother."

Is it okay to read this kind of thing in an educational institution?

In any case, compared to what he'd seen in the 7th Legion, this was child's play.

The book had censorship limits, but the 7th Legion had none. Louis just decided to let it be.

"See you later. I'll catch up with you soon."

Rio cheerily said goodbye and walked away with her classmates. The moment she was gone, Louis thrust the book at the brothers.

"I'll give you this."

"What?"

"Read it and write a 5,700 character review."

"Are you crazy?"

Just from the title, it was enough to make someone gag, and he wanted a review?

And 5,700 characters?

"That's way too long!"

"You don't want to?"

Louis exuded menace, coercing them to take it.

"O-Okay..."

"Together, that's 11,400 characters between you two. Got it?"

After handing the brothers this hellish task, a month passed.

The long-awaited event day drew near.