Extra's Perfect Ending

Chapter 104: Powers

The emotion in the old man’s voice was subdued, but Reeva could sense a deep-seated hatred—likely for the demon that destroyed his protégé and killed his master.

"Why do you want powers?" Reeva asked. He needed to understand the old man’s motivations. Power stemmed from belief, and without firm resolve, the old man wouldn’t stand a chance. Hilda, meanwhile, placed her hand on the old man and began to spread her coldness, searching for any sign of potential.

"I... want to kill the demon," the old man said, his voice tinged with bitterness. "I felt powerless against it. I want power."

There was determination in the old man’s words, but Reeva sensed that wasn’t the whole story. Still, he decided not to press further. The old man flinched slightly as Hilda’s coldness reached deep within him.

"There’s something there, but it’s faint—almost unnoticeable," Hilda said truthfully. When it came to mystic power, honesty was crucial. The wrong approach could lead to disastrous consequences.

"That’s what I thought," the old man sighed, twirling his mustache, which was streaked with white. "I’m too old for such things. Could you check the other knights in my order?"

Hilda moved from knight to knight, searching for any sign of mystic potential, but the only one with any trace of it was Arthur. Reeva understood why—Arthur likely had a deep attachment to this place, perhaps as the first person Gully hired. He had built this knight order from the ground up, so losing his home and three of his knights was a huge blow.

Such intense emotions could indeed spark mysticism.

"Old man, you’re the only one here with potential. Not everyone can become a mystic. It’s an open secret among the high nobility, but it’s still a secret. Mystics are hard to find," Reeva explained.

Arthur’s eyes widened in surprise. He hadn’t expected that none of his younger knights would be candidates. But Reeva’s explanation made sense—if mystics were easy to find, he would have heard about them before. Still, a question lingered in his mind.

"Why me? Why do I have it? Wouldn’t it be better for the younger ones? Is this power given by the sun god?" Arthur asked.

"Power is gained from belief," Reeva replied. "If you have intense belief, you’ll gain power. The same goes for the heretics we’re dealing with."

"So that’s it, huh? Belief..." The old man’s thoughts turned inward, his expression unreadable.

"Am I a mystic now?" Arthur asked, a hint of hope in his voice.

"No, you still have a long way to go—unless you’re willing to become a heretic and take the dirty route," Reeva said.

The old man’s hope faded, and he looked downcast. Reeva quickly added, "But you still have a chance. There’s a saying from my hometown: ’Power comes to those who seek it.’"

Arthur looked up, surprised by the young man’s wisdom. He seemed far too young to speak with such experience.

"Maybe you’re the old one here," Arthur remarked with a faint smile.

"Don’t add years to my age," Reeva chuckled lightly. "Also, in case you do manage to gather enough mystic force..."

Reeva trailed off, leaving the old man with a sense of hope, however faint it might be.

He explained in detail how to form a circle of power and how to bind an item to it. The process took only 30 minutes, revealing a secret that most people would go their entire lives without ever knowing.

As the old man listened, he couldn’t help but be mesmerized by such knowledge. It was as if the shrouded fog of the divine had cleared away if only a little.

"Are you sure you’re okay with giving me this knowledge?" Arthur asked, still in awe.

"Don’t worry, you’re going to need it later," Reeva replied, his tone slightly ominous. "Besides, this world really needs more people with mystic power."

With that, Reeva left the knights to their own devices. It wasn’t his place to deal with the aftermath of other people’s lives. He had some suggestions, but he doubted the old knight hadn’t already thought of them.

---------

At the front of the mansion, behind the gate where the carriage should have been, there was nothing left. Holen had already fled, and Reeva couldn’t blame him.

It was a bit disappointing that the "best detective" was so scared, but that was likely why he had survived so long in this line of work without being a mystic.

By the time Reeva reached the front gate, his demon form was almost at its limit.

"Master, may I ask something?" Hilda had been holding her question for a while.

"Sure," Reeva responded.

"What exactly are you doing with your mystic power?"

No matter how Hilda thought about it, it didn’t make sense. How could her master use mystic power without having a circle? Moreover, how could he fight a demon head-on?

"I let it run rampant to fight..." Reeva admitted.

"Do you not value your life anymore, Master?"

"I’m fine. I managed to halt the mystic energy in my head before fully turning into a demon. I’ll be okay after half an hour." Reeva wanted to stop there, but Hilda’s piercing gaze made it clear she needed more answers. He knew it would be better for both of them if he shared more.

He pulled out his phone and explained what it could do to Hilda, who listened intently. He shared details about both [Experiment] and [Foresight], though Hilda still seemed half-convinced.

Reeva sighed. Even the most powerful divination couldn’t predict events months into the future with such accuracy. What Reeva had just described to her was a full telling of events that were about to unfold. Hilda wanted to dismiss it as a lie, but the fact that they had just fought a monster exactly as Reeva had described made it hard to ignore.

If it were a lie, Reeva could have easily fabricated the demon’s appearance, but that didn’t explain how he knew about the cult and its existence before they had any real evidence. Hilda could only conclude that [Foresight] had a divine effect, allowing Reeva to see the future.