I Obtained the Final Boss' Power

Chapter 133 : Elf Village (5)

Elf Village (5)

Louis's group succeeded in taking control of the elf village just a few days after their migration.

In the process, they had to spill much blood, which made them an object of terror for the elves.

But it was the elves who started things first.

If they hadn't done such things from the beginning, they would never have seen any blood spilled.

In particular, those who previously suffered at the hands of the elves could finally enjoy their newfound freedom.

The madness caused by the fruit was cured thanks to the antidote, and those people expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Louis and Kelian.

Rio checked on the condition of those who had recovered their sanity.

While many had already lost their lives after suffering for so many long years, thankfully, there were quite a few who were not too late to save.

However, to save them, they needed a supply of blood.

So, Rio... drew the blood of other elves and provided it to them.

"These are the nutrients you stole. It's only right that you return them."

"S-stop! Are you trying to turn me into a mummy!!"

Rio used an ability derived from her Blood Sword Technique to draw blood from the elves.

The amount was so great that the elves cried out in agony, but it wasn't worth listening to.

"Wait, that light..."

During the blood-drawing, Rio emitted a golden magic power.

Seeing this, Mars felt a strange thought arise.

Even during the previous battle, that girl had shown that distinctive golden aura.

There was only one person in the world who could release that kind of aura.

"No way..."

As he wondered if she could be the one from the prophecy, Rio jabbed Mars's wrist with her fingernail.

"Then I'll begin."

"W-wait a second! Please, take just a little! Aaaaghhh!!"

Terrified, Mars grabbed Rio's arm and pleaded.

"If you keep draining me, I'll shrivel up and die!"

At that desperate plea, Rio pointed at the people who had been enslaved.

"Weren't those people shriveled up, too?"

They'd been reduced to that state by the elves.

Wasn't it only right for them to reclaim their lost health through the elves' sacrifice?

"Don't feel too wronged."

Even as she heard the donor's screams, Rio was unfazed.

There were simply too many people to save.

Especially, there was someone she needed to save first.

"Family head! Can you hear me?"

As one person regained consciousness, Silia's face filled with emotion.

The person opened his eyes wide at the sight of Silia before him.

"Silia...?"

"Thank goodness. Family head!"

Andrew Weissman.

Regaining his senses, he wore a look of disbelief to learn that Silia was there.

"How did you get here...?"

"Don't you remember?"

"......"

Andrew seemed unable to recall what had happened so far, and couldn't respond at all.

Though it was a long-awaited reunion between foster daughter and father, they couldn't wear bright expressions.

"I can't really remember. Do you know what year it is now?"

"Well..."

Realizing he didn't even remember what year it was, Silia looked gloomy.

After she explained, Andrew's expression also became gloomy.

"I see. So all those years I've..."

"Really... I'm just glad you're still alive."

Greatly relieved, Silia hugged Andrew.

Seeing his foster daughter's sad expression, Andrew quietly accepted her embrace.

"I'm sorry. I'd love to accept your affection, but in this condition..."

"Rio! Hurry!"

At Silia's call, Rio came over and began transfusing the elves' blood she had absorbed.

Rio, being someone with a unique constitution that allowed her to manipulate blood, could change the absorbed blood to suit the recipient.

Thanks to receiving blood compatible with his body, Andrew's expression became notably more at ease.

"Who is this child?"

"She's a member of the special task force under my management."

"Special task force?"

Andrew tilted his head at the unfamiliar term.

He had devoted many years wielding the sword for the Imperial Court, but had never heard of such a unit.

"What kind of unit is that?"

"Well..."

To make him understand, she needed to explain what she had been doing up to now.

Silia recounted everything that had happened to her since she was assigned to the 7th Legion.

After hearing it all, Andrew stared blankly, his mind seemingly a blank.

"Do you understand?"

"......"

The 7th Legion, the Great Devil, the Crown Prince incident.

On top of that, a boy immune to spells.

Andrew felt a headache from information that could overload his brain.

"Silia, you know how many long years I've served as a knight for the Imperial Court, don't you?"

"Yes, but...?"

"But even I... still find everything you've experienced hard to believe."

He wondered briefly if she had written a fiction just to surprise him.

If so, he'd let it pass with a laugh, but he knew Silia wasn't one to play pranks in such circumstances.

"However... aside from whether it's true or not, there's something I want to say to you."

Andrew hung his head, his face heavy.

"Sylvester's death is all this old man's fault. If I'd just... properly managed the family..."

Silia's younger brother, Sylvester.

He had committed suicide at the academy due to group bullying, which was instigated by members of their own family.

Silia and Sylvester had both been adopted into the Weissman family by Andrew.

The siblings became targets of great jealousy among the family.

In swordsmanship, Silia's overwhelming talent eclipsed everyone; in academic fields, Sylvester was about to do the same.

So much so that the siblings were once called the Weissman family's new hope.

Naturally, for members of the main family, they became a headache.

"I was too shortsighted, thinking I could just let it pass because we were family."

The Imperial Court had only three Swordmasters.

The Weissman family had members who inherited the blood of such overwhelming beings.

That pride in their blood ran sky-high; they couldn't tolerate being surpassed by anyone.

"That's right. Everyone in the Weissman family except you, family head, was like a snake."

Such people in the family could not treat Silia and Sylvester kindly.

The fear that they'd be surpassed turned into hostility, and the two siblings were constantly pressured.

Fortunately, family head Andrew frequently intervened, but they were his blood relatives.

Since both Silia and the family's own blood were precious to him, Andrew couldn't make a firm decision.

"I led those kids down the wrong path. I should have realized that their desire to resemble me would take a bad turn."

Most children say, 'I want to be like you when I grow up, dad.'

A father hearing that would hug his child, feeling proud.

Andrew's thinking was simply that: pride.

But the family's members were nothing like that.

They lacked any purity at all.

"To those guys, I must have looked like nothing more than a wild child who got lucky to be adopted, but now crossed into their territory—just a pest."

Of course, that included her younger brother, Sylvester.

As he was less powerful than Silia, Sylvester became an occasional target.

"They may have looked down on us because, in their minds, they inherited the blood of the Imperial Court's noble Swordmaster. Compared to them, Sylvester and I were mere orphans."

A trace of contempt appeared on Silia's face.

"And yet, do you still intend to protect them, family head?"

It was Andrew who had taken her in, but also Andrew who protected her enemies.

Silia and the main family—neither side could accept the other.

In this completely parallel relationship, whom should she side with?

"I'm sorry. Truly..."

Instead of making a choice, Andrew merely repeated his apology.

Both sides were precious; he couldn't discard either.

Understanding how Andrew felt, Silia didn't press further.

"You're the only one who didn't treat me as a wild child, but as a member of the family, family head. So please, don't lose heart and continue teaching me as you did before."

She wanted to cheer up Andrew, as he was more like a father to her than anyone else.

At Silia's words, Andrew spoke.

"Sorry, but I don't think I can do that anymore."

"Why not?"

As Andrew clenched his fist, a faint aura appeared.

Silia was deeply shocked at the sight.

"Look closely. Does this look like the power you once knew this old man to have?"

"How could... your aura..."

Silia remembered Andrew's power from the past.

His aura had been like a towering mountain, but now it seemed weaker than a pebble.

"The me of now... I can't even promise victory over a child, let alone you."

"How did you end up like this?"

"I don't really know. My memory fails me."

Perhaps it was because he had worked for so long in a daze, but Andrew could not recall what had happened to him.

Those weren't the only memories he'd lost.

"Besides, I even forgot how to wield a sword."

"What..."

One of the empire's strongest had forgotten how to handle a blade?

What kind of nonsense was that?

"Then your specialty, 'Illusion'...?"

"Of course, I can't use that either."

His main tactic had been activating a special aura that trapped his opponent in illusions.

It was so effective that weak opponents would faint even before facing him.

But now, having lost even that identity, he was no longer a Swordmaster—he was barely a knight.

"So, as I thought..."

There was no need to look far for the cause.

Silia figured it must have been due to the elves' forced labor and was about to draw her sword.

"Wait a moment, squad leader."

At that moment, Rio, who was administering the blood, spoke.

"There are traces that something was drained from this 'mummy-like' old man's body."

Silia and Andrew's eyes widened at her words.

"He hasn't lost his strength—it was stolen from him."

Andrew, shocked by this, turned to Rio.

"Did you just call me a mummy now?"

His voice held a hint of irritation.

****

"It's an honor to meet you, saint Pram. I'm Brute Weissman, the current family head of the Weissman family."

"This is my younger sister, alua Weissman."

Guests visited Pram, who remained in the seat of the Saint.

They were a family with significant influence in the Holy Nation.

"N-nice to meet you."

Still unused to such situations, Pram stumbled over her words.

But more than that, she whispered to Bellain beside her, asking why they had come.

"Who exactly are these people?"

"If you listen, you will understand."

Just as Bellain said, Pram listened to what they had to say.

In summary, it went like this:

"So... you mean you need my help developing this sacred stone, correct?"

"That's right. With your special holy power, it will be of great help to the Holy Nation's development."

"Even the great World Tree will bestow a great blessing upon you, saint. What do you think?"

Holy power? Pram hesitated upon hearing those words.

Thinking it over, what she used wasn't holy power—it was Demonic Energy.

It just looked like holy power.

But could it be used like that anyway?

"I'd like to take a look first before I decide. Is that alright?"

"... Very well."

Brute stood up and spoke.

"In any case, even if we don't pressure you, I'm sure you'll accept soon enough."

.

.

.

Worry continued to eat at Pram.

What if her impure power contaminated the sacred stone, which required pure holy power?

Wouldn't she be the one to ruin the Holy Nation instead?

"So... it's really okay if I refuse, right?"

"Why would you?"

Once the Weissman family members left, Pram asked Bellain.

She couldn't very well say outright that she wasn't a holy power user.

"It's just... ultimately, it's my choice."

"Oh? Are you saying, perhaps, that you have no intention of contributing to the growth of the Holy Nation?"

"That's not..."

"So you still hold some attachment to the Kilvus Empire."

Pram wanted to say it wasn't like that but couldn't refute it.

More than anything, Bellain's expression was more unusual than usual.

"Huh?"

At that moment, Pram's mind went blank.

At the same time, Bellain began emanating a mysterious aura.

"Don't worry. That attachment will soon disappear."

Pram fainted on the spot.

At the same time, elves appeared instantly beside Bellain and lifted Pram up.

"As expected, nothing is as useful as 'Illusion' aura."

Bellain dragged the unconscious Pram off somewhere.