"Let's go, Muria. I'll help you deal with the so-called strongest leaders of the Shiran race!"
"Uh, that's not necessary, Father." Seeing his father brimming with killing intent, Muria quickly stopped him. "Since you've already taken care of this world's strongest creature, I'll handle the rest myself. It's simple."
Although the Shirans had not yet developed technology capable of leaving their world, their civilization was already quite advanced. In some ways, it resembled the democratic countries of Muria's previous life, where the highest leader was chosen through democratic elections.
The leader was not necessarily the strongest member of the Shiran race. Even if his father wiped out all their strongest warriors, it wouldn't solve the problem. Similarly, even using force to intimidate the highest leader wouldn't be effective.
In the Shirans' system, their highest leader wasn't a lifelong position and could be replaced at any time. So attempting to control the leader and enslave the entire race was unrealistic.
If Ansel tried to conquer the Shirans by brute force, who knew how many would need to be killed before they would fully submit? After all, without displaying overwhelming strength that would make the entire civilization despair, some would always resist, causing ongoing trouble. And Muria hated trouble—he preferred a one-time, permanent solution.
"This is just the first world. Since you've already dealt with its legendary creature, the conquest is almost complete. Why don't you go ahead to the next world and help me deal with the legendary creatures there?"
Muria wanted to persuade his father to leave. He genuinely feared that if Ansel got carried away, he might end up wrecking the entire world. If that happened, Muria would be the one to suffer the loss.
...
After Muria left, Fargo began obediently following the instructions from his superiors, cooperating in various political campaigns and quietly waiting. He trusted Muria because there was no reason for him to lie.
Soon, as Muria had predicted, a summons arrived for Fargo, freeing him from his awkward role as a propaganda figure.
That very night, he boarded a special aircraft and was taken to an underground base a thousand meters deep, where he was reunited with his long-lost Mecha, Dawn.
"What happened to Dawn?" Fargo was stunned as he stared at the Mecha, which now resembled a giant dried corpse. His face twisted with genuine anger. When he had last seen it, the Mecha hadn't been like this.
"Your Mecha has undergone a mutation for unknown reasons. Its biological tissue now rivals that of a disaster beast and even suppresses such beasts. However, this high-grade tissue requires an enormous amount of energy to sustain itself. To maintain your Mecha, we would need to divert the energy of an entire city just to power it.
"Because of its terrifying energy consumption, we can't provide full power continuously. We're only keeping it on low power mode for now. When combat is needed, we'll charge it fully, and Dawn will return to the state you remember when you fought the disaster beasts."
"I see." Fargo unclenched his fists and calmed down. Under the guidance of scientists, he began testing Dawn, cooperating with various performance assessments.
Finally, he was told he needed to undergo a physical examination. He was led to a small room where a familiar-looking general greeted him with a smile. Then, Fargo began to feel drowsy and soon lost consciousness.
...
"Why are you so angry?" Muria appeared silently behind Fargo, who was venting his frustration.
Muria had already seen off his parents. Originally, the Golden Dragon Lady had planned to stay and watch what tricks her son was up to, but Muria couldn't trust his father to act alone, so he had persuaded her to leave with him.
"Devil Lord, did you foresee all of this?" Fargo asked, his face filled with anger and sorrow as he rubbed his chest, where no trace remained of the incision that had been made.
"Are you referring to the bomb they planted in your heart? I was there when they discussed it." Muria yawned lazily.
"They actually did that to me—put a bomb in my heart and called it a 'heartbeat monitor'?" Fargo sneered, disappointment written all over his face.
"Kid, you're still too young. If you had a broader perspective, you would have anticipated this outcome."
"I've already told you: why do you think you deserve to wield a power capable of overthrowing your civilization? Without restrictions, what right do you think you have to pilot that Mecha?"
"Even if I had that Mecha, I wouldn't do anything with it. I would become a true Mecha pilot, protecting all the Shirans and ensuring that disaster beasts can no longer harm them."
"And do you think your civilization's leaders would believe that?" Muria's face was expressionless, but his eyes held a sympathetic, almost mocking look. "So naive."
"Even if your superiors trust you and vouch for you, putting shackles on you is a necessary step. People's hearts can change, and no one can guarantee how you'll behave once you possess power that could upend your entire civilization. Not even you can predict that, can you?"
"I can! I will become the strongest Mecha warrior, steadfastly protecting all the Shirans, ensuring they grow and thrive freely under this sky."
"Protect all the Shirans? I believe you. But in what capacity?" Muria's smile turned playful as he looked at Fargo.
"Will you do it as a soldier, always at the beck and call of others? Or as the Mecha King, standing at the pinnacle of power, commanding with absolute authority?"
"..."
"Fargo, now that you've experienced overwhelming power, power that could destroy an entire city, and when I tell you this power belongs to you alone, can you really accept your current situation with peace of mind?"
"..."
"As a soldier, obedience is your duty. But when they ordered you to take part in propaganda, you grew dissatisfied because you felt they had no right to command you, isn't that right?"
Muria smiled as he looked at Fargo, who couldn't help but take a step back, chilled by Muria's gaze.
"Your anger now stems from feeling that these people have no right to control you or plant a bomb in your heart, correct?"
"No, it's not like that."
"There's nothing to deny. That mindset is the correct one." Muria's golden eyes locked onto the young Shiran.
"With the power I've given you, you are now the strongest in the Shiran civilization. But as the most powerful Mecha pilot, you lack the status to match. That's why you feel unwilling and dissatisfied with how things are. This is bad for both you and your civilization."
"So, Devil Lord, what do you think I should do?"
"Obviously, you should strive for a position that matches your power. A position high enough."
In a flash, Muria appeared in front of Fargo, lightly tapping his chest with a finger. "High enough that no one would dare place something in your heart that could kill you at any moment."
"You mean I should..."
"Don't overthink it, kid." Muria doused the fire of hatred in Fargo's eyes with cold water. "The Shiran civilization must remain united. There can be no division. My suggestion is that you work within your civilization's system to climb higher."
"How could I possibly do that?"
"Don't worry. You already possess enough political capital. You're the pilot of the strongest Mecha in the world—only you can control it. All you have to do is wait. Sooner or later, factions will come to recruit you. Use their power to climb step by step."
"And climb to the top—so high that no one would dare plant anything in my body again, right, Devil Lord?"
Fargo's eyes burned with resolve as he stared at Muria. "Was that your goal all along? Not my soul, but the entire civilization behind me?"
"Should I call you stupid or smart?" Muria's finger twitched, and a tiny chip, no larger than a fingernail, appeared in his hand. "Truly smart people know when to stay silent. Some things, once said, can never be undone."
"This is..."
"I'm just helping you solve a little problem. Why so surprised?" Muria patted Fargo on the shoulder. "From now on, just go for it! Remember: watch, listen, and learn. Speak less."
_________________________
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