I Obtained the Final Boss' Power

Hey, Older Brother~ (3)

"Older Brother, where are you going!!"

Just as Louis was about to head outside, Rio burst toward him, crying.

"Where do you think you're going, trying to leave Rio behind! Don't go!~"

Still regressed to a childlike state, Rio reacted like a ghost the moment Louis showed any sign of leaving.

Even though Louis had considered this and tried to sneak out at dawn, Rio had woken up and rushed out.

"This is driving me crazy."

Still not used to Rio's behavior, Louis clicked his tongue.

The idea that he needed to humor her childishness was giving him a headache.

"Okay, Rio. Calm down and listen to what this big sis has to say."

Silia, who was standing beside them, spoke up to try and calm Rio.

"Older brother Louis has something important to do with this big sis right now. So can you try to wait just a bit today? We're not going far, we'll be back soon."

Silia looked just like an experienced daycare teacher as she spoke.

When in the fortress, she had been strict, but when dealing with children, she became a completely different person.

In reality, Silia treated her squad members differently than she did the other soldiers.

Although Rio wasn't really a child anymore, her behavior was so childish that it seemed to work well.

"No! Big Sis, you're just trying to hog Older brother Louis for yourself!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I heard everything! Yesterday you said you were going to hold onto Older brother Louis while he slept so he couldn't sneak away!"

Whether that was true or not, Silia's expression hardened at those words.

"Big Sis, you're trying to steal older brother away from me! Are you secretly planning to take him somewhere and get married? That's never going to happen!"

"Why on earth would I do something like that!"

Exasperated, Silia became angry.

She was already mortified over what happened the previous day, and now felt ridiculous arguing over a guy like this.

"What's this about marriage between family members? Say something that makes sense."

Of course, they weren't really family, but they were pretending to be now.

Based on that roleplay, Rio's claim was totally off-base.

"But we're not real family! So we can get married!"

Of course, the fruit had made Rio lose her mind, so acting didn't mean anything to her.

"So the one who's going to become real family by marrying Older brother Louis is me! Not big sis..."

"Ugh! Why you little...!!"

Unable to take it any longer, an agitated Silia clenched her fist.

Just as she was about to thump Rio on the crown of her head, Kelian stepped in and intervened.

"If this keeps up, we'll run out of time. Leave Rio to me; you two should get going."

"Will you be alright? She's got quite the temper, you know, you'll have a hard time."

Rio might just give Kelian more wrinkles, but that wasn't his concern.

"Just trust me and take care of your errand. I'll be hoping for good results."

Reassured by Kelian's gentle smile, Silia and Louis headed outside.

Left behind, Rio looked even more dejected and asked Kelian,

"Dad, are you on big sis's side too? Do you want to marry older brother?"

"Haaa... You're really not in your right mind, are you."

Kelian felt slightly tense at the thought of being alone with someone so out of it.

After all, Rio was on a completely different level compared to the soldiers of the 7th Legion.

****

"What do you think it'll take to get Rio back to normal?"

"Isn't that what we're out here trying to find out right now?"

As they walked toward the World Tree, the two talked.

Silia had regained her sanity thanks to Frederick's help, but Rio was still a problem.

Silia's recovery was only possible because Frederick had merged with her; he said he couldn't help a third party.

"But, elder sister. Was what she said earlier true?"

"What was?"

"About hugging me while you slept, so I couldn't get away."

The moment Louis said that, Silia was shocked.

"Are you crazy? Of course, I wasn't in my right mind! Stop blaming an innocent person!"

But that fruit, apparently, had the effect of revealing one's true nature.

It was similar to being completely drunk.

"Why are you looking at me suspiciously? Don't tell me you're still doubting me?"

"No, not at all."

Louis quickly turned his head, pretending otherwise.

But Silia's words from when she ate the fruit kept lingering in his mind.

She had begged him not to leave, and apologized for not protecting him...

...things like that, she had said to Louis.

Considering that she had lost a younger brother, it sounded strangely meaningful.

'You don't understand how girls feel.'

Silia had said something like that a long time ago.

Was he really that oblivious?

He had watched over the kids for four years—surely he couldn't be that clueless.

Then, was it a mistake to send Pram to the Holy Nation without question?

Contemplating this, Louis soon reached his destination.

"Up close, it's bigger than I thought."

"Isn't this Wigmon, the demon that rose up from the academy, even bigger than that?"

The World Tree, known as the symbol of life.

The two observed it up close, checking out the surroundings.

"Even at dawn, there are a lot of guards."

"Given what that tree symbolizes, it's not that strange."

The World Tree wasn't just a massive tree standing alone.

Buildings had been erected around its roots—facilities entirely dedicated to its study.

"According to what the locals said yesterday, this is an important season for the village."

"What kind of season?"

"An important client is supposed to visit. They don't know who, though."

Because of this important client, security had been heightened.

The building itself was for managing the World Tree, so the village was putting considerable effort into its defense.

"Ordinary people can't get in there."

"And it's not like we can go in at this time, either."

There were so many guards stationed that it wasn't feasible to just barge in.

If word got out that the Imperial Court's special task force had caused chaos here, the Imperial Court would lose the Holy Nation's trust.

No way would the Emperor, who had approved this mission, want that.

As much as Louis could do whatever he wanted with his clearance, he knew to draw the line.

"How are we going to get in?"

When Silia asked, Louis observed the elves standing guard.

In most fantasy genres, elves are known for superior combat power.

That was likely the case in this world, too, so there were surely some among those guards.

"They all look weaker than expected."

They really didn't look strong.

Of course, there was a reason for that.

"Just like we can't use magic nor aura, those guys are in the same boat."

"Still, it doesn't look easy to break through."

Due to the same restriction, Silia and Louis had become very weak.

Without magic power or aura, they were basically ordinary people physically.

"Not that there's no way."

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Louis lifted Silia up.

"Wait, what are you doing?"

Louis had suddenly picked her up with both arms.

It reminded Silia of those princess-carry scenes that only happened in novels, and she couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

"Shh. Don't make a sound."

"What's gotten into you..."

Raising his index finger, Louis covered her mouth.

Her cheeks flushed for a moment, but then Louis tensed all the muscles in his legs.

Every last bit of strength was loaded into his lower body.

"Whoa!"

Louis suddenly dashed at incredible speed.

His movements were so fast that even his legs and body seemed to blur; it was pure swiftness.

As Silia, held in his arms, felt the acceleration, she instinctively tilted her head back and let out a small scream.

Whoosh!-

A gust of wind, as if something had just raced by, was felt among the elves.

"Huh? Did something just pass by?"

The elves, sensing the strange wind, looked around.

But nothing appeared in sight.

"There's no one here."

"Same over here!"

Despite their unease, the elves found nothing after thoroughly searching.

"Maybe it was just the wind?"

"But I could almost see the shape of a person..."

"Are you telling me someone just swooshed by so fast we couldn't see them?"

In this world, humans who train their aura obtain superhuman strength.

There were plenty of people capable of such speeds, but not in this place.

"Everything—magic and aura—are sealed here. Even people who've mastered aura become just ordinary folk. How could anyone move like that?"

"Then what was that wind?"

"It was just wind, obviously! Stop complaining and focus on your guard duty!"

The elf commander barked at his subordinate.

"Soon the Saint and the Hero will be visiting. Who's going to take responsibility if something happens to the World Tree in the meantime?"

"Yes... understood."

"Actually, nothing's going to happen in the first place."

The elf commander smirked as he looked at the World Tree.

"There's no way those slave brats could escape anyway. Heh heh!"

Meanwhile, having zipped through at impossible speed, Louis set Silia down out of sight from the guards.

"So that's why you suddenly picked me up."

"You weren't thinking anything inappropriate, were you?"

"Are you kidding me? Anyway, you're really amazing. I can't do anything without my strength now."

Like Silia, Louis was now an ordinary person without his aura.

But Louis's real strength hadn't come from aura in the first place.

Usually, people in the continent judged strength by their aura, but Louis didn't fit that.

His immense physical capability was simply what he had been born with.

"Fortunately, there's no one else around. I don't see any magitech devices set up, either."

Louis listened carefully, sensing everything nearby.

With his senses dulled from the aura sealing, he had to strain to remain as alert as usual.

Otherwise, he couldn't trust his own perception.

"In a place where magic power can't develop, how could there be working magitech devices?"

With that lament, Silia and Louis entered the building.

It was still early morning, so no one else was inside.

In front of them, the trunk of the World Tree loomed clear.

"Are these the roots of the World Tree?"

Around its roots, countless books filled the shelves, as if the elves had researched something here.

"Wait a second. That can't be..."

And atop the roots, the main body of the World Tree stretched up, its branches sporting clusters of fruit.

"Those look like the same fruit that you and Rio ate."

Setting aside suspicious auras, Louis took out a sheet of paper he had brought from home.

In fact, before leaving for the elf village, he had received something from Dean Ferus.

It was a blueprint for an ancient artifact.

Apparently, this was made of the same material as the World Tree.

If so, Ferus said, it should resonate somehow, even if only faintly.

Louis pressed the blueprint to the root.

"Huh?"

But nothing happened.

Louis felt significant doubt as things turned out differently than Ferus had described.

[Something's not right here.]

Frederick popped out of Silia's shoulder like a slime.

[Boy. That blueprint was definitely made from part of the World Tree. There should be at least a faint resonance.]

Fortunately, Ferus hadn't lied.

Then why was there no reaction?

[Do me a favor and let me inside the World Tree.]

"As much as you want."

Frederick slid from Silia's shoulder down to her palm.

She felt a bit embarrassed by the process, but quickly pressed her palm to the World Tree.

Frederick seeped into the tree in slime form.

After about five minutes, Frederick returned to Silia.

[This is freaking awful...!]

And uttered a rare curse.

[It's already a dead tree...!]

What followed was even more shocking.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

I'm guessing the elves and the Holy Nation are conspiring about something we don't know about... it has something to do with the fruits and those people who are always smiling...

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