Prophecy (2)
The prophecy about the Hero had been passed down since ancient tis.
Frederick, in particular, could not help but fully trust that prophecy.
That was because it was given by one of his companions who fought alongside him against the Chaos Dragon.
[For Amilla's prophecy to be so futilely off the mark...]
Louis also knew who Amilla was.
Like Frederick, she was one of the five Heroes and the greatest Saint in history, closest to receiving the revelation of the gods.
Thanks to this, her foresight never failed, and it had also been very useful in the battle against the Chaos Dragon.
[If her prophecy is wrong... does that an there's no more hope?]
"Is it that much of a problem if things don't go according to the prophecy?"
The prophecy only revealed that, soday, a Hero would be born sowhere and make various achievents.
There was, of course, no ntion of what would happen in the absence of the Hero.
To such a question, Frederick replied with a deeply contemplative expression.
[How much is the prophecy known in your generation?]
"It's just known as a fairytale: a Hero will appear and save the world. They actually use it a lot in children's education."
[Haha... It certainly is a prophecy with only positive things. After all, it's the biography of the Hero who'll save the world on the verge of collapse.]
To the current generation, it might sound like a legend, but to past generations, it was desperate information.
A world unfolding after the five Heroes vanished.
Having experienced the great calamity that was the Chaos Dragon, they worried that the next generation would face the sa disaster and so prophesied about the future.
As a result, what they feared ca to pass.
[But if there's no Hero, it's as if there's no way to stop the great evil.]
"Great evil?"
[If there's a Hero, it's only natural that there will be an archenemy as well.]
Anyone could easily guess the Hero's archenemy.
[With the appearance of the Demon King and the ancient demons, this world is dood.]
Only the Hero could stop the being called the Demon King. At least, that's what the prophecy they saw said.
"Then, just a thought..."
But Louis had a different idea regarding the Demon King.
"Have you never thought that perhaps the Demon King might beco an ally?"
[What are you talking about? When doom by the Demon King is preordained, do you think such nonsense is possible?]
"I don't think it's entirely impossible. That Demon King is currently under my command."
[What?]
Frederick's eyes widened as if he'd heard sothing shocking.
How on earth could the Demon King, who was supposed to destroy the world, ever be on his side?
He couldn't understand it, let alone accept that the Demon King was under him.
"Actually, that so-called Hero was also under my command originally. Although he's dead now..."
[Wait! Hold on! My head is spinning. Would you please explain it in more detail so I can understand?]
According to Frederick's request, Louis continued explaining.
If before he'd talked about his life story so far, this ti he explained the information about the Demon King and the Hero.
[So... does that an the Demon King and the Hero were your subordinate soldiers?]
"They might be called the Demon King and Hero, but they're kids who aren't even adults yet. Of course, one side is already dead."
Both of them were born in the sa domain, and Louis was the son of the domain's lord.
Upon hearing this explanation, Frederick found it quite bizarre.
[But the 7th Legion? Such an absurd thing ca into being while we were gone.]
A military unit that used people as at shields to block monsters.
Frederick, having heard an explanation of that as well, wasn't pleased.
No matter if they were using convicts, he felt repulsed at using human lives as tools.
[In the end, isn't it humanity that killed the Hero who was to save it?]
He wasn't exactly wrong.
It was humans who threw those children into the 7th Legion, and it was also humans who warped them into the nest of the higher-ranked monsters.
"I'm sorry. Because I lacked strength...."
In the end, Louis had failed to protect those children.
Because he lost children who were indispensable to this world, Louis kept that mory close in his heart.
They had been among the few surviving domain citizens.
[You don't need to apologize. You were just swept along in all of it.]
"The current king also knows that the Hero is dead. He chose to fill the Hero's absence with the Demon King."
That was the reason for not executing the Demon King imdiately, even after learning of her existence.
Hearing that again, Frederick still thought it was absurd.
But he couldn't entirely reject it, either.
If the Demon King truly beca an ally, the risk of doom would be cut at least in half.
[If this gets out to the Holy Nation, it'll be a big deal. They'd never look kindly on treating the Demon King as part of your fighting force.]
Frederick also knew about the Holy Nation.
Their roots were in the order from Frederick's era, and he was well versed in their doctrines.
[They could even hold you accountable for not protecting the Hero. No, if the Holy Nation is the sa as the order I knew, they'll certainly do just that. So be careful not to get caught. If not...]
In the worst case, war could break out.
Frederick emphasized that the Holy Nation was indeed a force to be wary of.
[Is that why you're part of that suicide corps, to avoid the Holy Nation's eye?]
"I'm at the top echelon of that suicide corps. But I'm worried because I've been sent out so much lately."
What if Rio recklessly used the Blood Sword Technique?
Especially in front of soone from the Holy Nation.
Even though they were hiding her in the 7th Legion, there were still gaps in their safety asures.
[In that case, let
grant you my magic power inversion. It's a force that can even invert the demonic energy demons use into holy power. It'll surely help.]
"With that, will we not get caught?"
[At the very least, in a battle, you won't have to hold back your power.]
So even if Rio used the Blood Sword Technique, they'd be much less likely to get caught.
To others, the Blood Sword Technique would look like sacred sword energy.
[The intended recipients are the Demon King and you, two portions should be enough, right?]
"If I use that, could I possibly control my rampage?"
It was a power that reversed the nature of strength. Louis wondered if he could use it to control his rampages.
[I'm not certain, but the possibility is slim. I tried using the magi power inversion against the Chaos Dragon, but it didn't work on him.]
The odds were truly tiny, so Louis wore a worried expression.
If that was the case, the magic power inversion would be useless to him.
[Still, take both portions. Surely soone around you will need them.]
"Thank you. But if you use up that much power, won't the magic power inversion within the ley lines weaken?"
It was the force holding down the seed of the demon realm from sprouting.
If even a bit of strength was lost, Louis worried the seed might seize the chance and sprout.
[I'm not so weak as to allow the seed's release with just that much. If I were, I couldn't have kept it sealed for hundreds of years. Unless soone calls forth a Great Devil, there's no way my power will be nullified.]
Even after death, his power was great enough to affect everything for hundreds of years.
He really was a legendary Hero.
"So you all didn't fight the Chaos Dragon relying on relics alone."
[What do you take the five of us for?]
"So there's no clue to control my power?"
At that, Frederick pondered deeply before answering.
[There is one. The Drasil Mountains at the heart of the continent. Try visiting the elves' dwelling there. The relics used to fight the Chaos Dragon were imbued with elven technology.]
"Thank you."
As the conversation ended, Frederick's figure gradually faded from Louis's view.
[Let
give you one last warning.]
Frederick left a final ssage.
[Be careful not to let the Demon King stray down a dark path. Unlike the inherently good Hero, the Demon King is easily tainted.]
Soon, his voice could no longer be heard.
And as if distance grew between their worlds, the two could no longer see each other.
From where Frederick stood, light radiated out, blinding Louis.
.
.
.
"Louis! Are you awake?"
Louis heard Silia's voice as he ca out of a brief faint.
"Headmaster! Louis opened his eyes!"
"Really?"
Ferus rushed over in a hurry to check on Louis.
Having opened his eyes, Louis took in the two with his gaze and asked,
"What happened till now?"
"Don't you rember? The spring suddenly surged up and engulfed you."
"You just collapsed for no reason."
Louis still rembered his conversation with Frederick.
So, to be sure, he checked with Silia and Ferus.
"Did either of you experience anything?"
"What do you an?"
"Like, suddenly talking with a man in a dark place...."
What in the world is this boy saying?
They looked at him with puzzled faces and asked,
"What kind of experience did you have while you slept?"
"Well, it's..."
It was then.
The spring at the center suddenly began to churn, and sothing floated to the surface.
The three, wary of the unexpected event, braced themselves, but nothing dangerous happened.
Two golden orbs simply floated up.
Louis, sensing sothing, instinctively picked them both up.
"Louis! Don't just grab things like that...!"
"This is it."
"What?"
"I just spoke with Frederick. With these, Rio won't get found out as the Demon King."
Again, Louis's strange words left the two bewildered.
But Ferus, an expert in magitech, recognized at a glance that the orbs were indeed crystallizations of magic power inversion.
It was a glorious mont, holding in hand a power that only legendary Heroes could wield.
"These orbs?"
On the other hand, Silia didn't understand.
Though she had so knowledge of magitech, it was nothing compared to Ferus.
So instead, shapes from the naughty hobbies she was familiar with popped into her mind.
"They look a bit indecent to , though."
"What's indecent about them?"
"You know. The two things a man can't live without..."
Paak!!–
"Ugh!"
At that mont, the spring surged again and a powerful jet of water struck Silia in the head.
Ferus was surprised by the phenonon, but Louis realized it wasn't a re coincidence.
****
While Louis had been passed out, the other two had investigated around the cave but hadn't found much.
Instead, the essence of reversal Louis obtained was extrely useful.
After restoring the barrier there and leaving, the three imdiately implanted the essence into Rio.
"So now... I don't have to hide my power anymore?"
When Louis confird, Rio cautiously drew her sword and unleashed the Blood Sword Technique.
Usually, a crimson sword energy would slice through the air with the unsheathing, but astonishingly, this ti a holy sword energy shone in the air.
"So now I don't have to hold back?"
"Don't be careless. If you use more than the limit, it'll revert to the original Blood Sword Technique."
... So Frederick had said.
"Anyway, thank you, young master. Thanks to the golden orb you gave , I can now play with my friends without worrying."
The word 'golden orb' sounded a bit odd, but regardless, it was a good outco.
"By the way, friends?"
"Yeah. Thanks to this, I beca friends with Lizsha and the other girls."
If it was Lizsha, she'd been a student bullied by the Refilica siblings along with her older brother Patrick.
"You made friends faster than I expected."
Was it all thanks to the Princess's one-month crash course?
Now that Rio had finally gained so social skills, it wasn't a bad thing—
"As proof of our friendship, I got this today."
"Huh?"
But Louis frowned at what she handed him as a token.
The titles of the books were a bit strange.
[Stripping the Childhood Friend Knight Commander]
[How to Train a Crown Prince as a Slave]
[Her Highness the Princess Awakens to Strange Tastes]
Louis rubbed his eyes, doubting what he was seeing.
He couldn't believe students at an educational institution would be allowed such books.
"You t good friends. Congratulations."
Silia, on the other hand, just acknowledged it nonchalantly.
"What's so 'good' about it?"
Looks like she's about to pick up odd habits.
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