The Strongest Dull Prince’s Secret Battle for the Throne

Chapter 554

Chapter 554: The Elixir

Hearing my words, the Elder let out a sigh. Then, we returned to the Elder's house.

"You've seen the great war from five hundred years ago and still believe you can win?"

"If I have to win, I'll keep going until I do. I understand that I can't defeat my enemy without pushing myself to the limit. But despairing won't accomplish anything. The future of humanity may be a heavy burden for me... but my mother's life is at stake. I'll destroy the Demon King, no matter what it takes. I'll drag Wepar out of the demon realm and kill him. Then, I'll finish off the rest of the demons that are currently popping up everywhere."

"You've seen all that, and still say you'll destroy the Demon King... Is this the true nature of an Adler, or is it due to the blood of the hero mixed with yours?"

"I don't know. Well, I can't deny that my lineage has something to do with it. It's because I'm an Adler."

My family has always sought strength from all corners. Perhaps my strength is the greatest on the continent.

"It is indeed very Adler of you to care more about your mother than yourself. Prioritizing others over oneself is both a strength and a weakness. It's advice from an old man, but those who neglect themselves can never be happy."

"I'll keep that in mind, for what it's worth."

"Make sure you do. Speaking of which... where did you get that mask?"

The elder looks at the mask with interest. Telling him I got it from an old man wouldn't explain much.

"I received it from an acquaintance."

"If I'm not mistaken, that is... the 'Silver Mask of the Demon King'. It was worn by the royal family during the era of ancient magic."

"Really? Is it something special?"

"It's special, but not powerful. It was created to suppress the overly powerful abilities of the royals. It inhibits all recognition, but that's just a byproduct. Its main purpose is to strongly suppress the magical power of the wearer. You can fight with that on?"

"I wasn't aware of that. I thought it was a mask to block recognition."

"You've been wearing it without knowing... It was used for training by the royal magicians of the era of ancient magic, who had reached a level far beyond our own. It's like a restraint for the magicians who could affect the world if they used their full power. If you keep fighting at full strength with that on, your body will eventually not be able to keep up. It's constantly interfering with your release of magical power."

So it was such a ridiculous thing.

I've always found it irritating to wear, but now I understand the source of that discomfort.

I thought it was a convenient item for hiding my identity. I thought it was a powerful magical tool with no drawbacks that could inhibit all recognition...

It turns out there was a much larger drawback than I thought.

"So you're saying I would be stronger without the mask?"

"Yes, but... why didn't you notice?"

"I rarely use my full power."

"So you're the culmination of the Adler, akin to the hero. In that case, let me advise you. If you... don't find the mask too bothersome, be sure to time it when you take it off. If you've been using it in battle, it's like you've been training as the royal family did in the era of ancient magic. The full power you can display without it... may well rival that of the magicians of that time."

"Is that bad?"

"Do you use ancient magic without knowing about the downfall of the era of ancient magic?"

"I don't know."

"Alright... listen, the civilization of ancient magic declined. Magic that was too powerful started to have too much influence on the world, so it became impossible to use carelessly. They didn't weaken; the world couldn't withstand their magic. So they abandoned their magic. That's the limit of human achievement."

Humans exist because the world exists.

We can't live if this world collapses.

Humans are puppets, and the world is the puppet box.

But the magicians of the ancient magical civilization had the power to destroy the puppet box, even though they were puppets themselves.

So they gave up their power, huh?

"But you know a lot, Elder."

"The lifespan of the Dragonfolk is about seven hundred years. My father witnessed those times with his own eyes. He also saw the extreme chaos that followed."

"So, after the decline of the ancient magical civilization, disputes arose again?"

"It was more severe than mere disputes. Even during the time of the ancient magical civilization, only a handful of people could use powerful magic. These individuals were the royalty and the privileged class. However, one day, they suddenly renounced their magic and went into hiding. The chaos that ensued was horrific."

That does seem irresponsible.

But if they lost their power, they would face rebellion. It would be only natural to hide themselves before that happened.

The world or life. They had to weigh the two, and they chose life. They wouldn't just throw away their life without cause.

However, if a powerful entity disappears, conflicts intensify.

"Humans never learn. Even if you drag out Wepar and eliminate the threat of demons, disputes among humans will continue. Remember this well."

"I know that better than anyone. After all, we've been fighting amongst ourselves for hundreds of years..."

"That's true."

The Elder says with a bitter smile.

Then he takes out three bottles from a nearby shelf.

"This is a medicine that reduces the effects of the Virus Authority. The promise with the Knight Emperor was to erase the Authority..."

"You've been researching it for five hundred years. You've done more than enough for me."

"I don't know how severe your mother's condition is, but this should buy her a few years. Can you settle things in that time?"

"It's not a matter of whether I can. I will."

With that, I accepted the medicine.

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