Became The Son Of The Final Boss [EN]: Chapter 129

129.

Vikan didn’t try to flatter the Crown Prince, nor did he seem nervous.

“A merchant who enjoys gambling can’t last long. But to become a great merchant, you have to be good at gambling.”

“You don’t deny that investing in me is a gamble.”

I could sense affirmation in Vikan’s smiling face.

“So, how much are you thinking of investing?”

I thought it wouldn’t be too late to find out about Vikan’s motives for investing in me, the size of his trading group, and its history later.

I wanted to learn more about Vikan himself through a more direct conversation.

“How much do you need?”

“What I need isn’t funds.”

“I don’t think you need funds themselves, as Riverhill and Aetran will pay a huge compensation.”

Vikan seemed to know the details of what happened in the West. However, I didn’t directly mention the story involving the two families.

‘The merchants’ information network is really widespread. Or was Vikan particularly interested in me?’

Either way, it didn’t matter.

“If not funds for investment, what are you thinking of giving me?”

“A distribution network.”

He knew exactly what I needed most.

“Good. Vikan Trading Group, your support is accepted for consideration.”

I didn’t miss the slight tremor in Vikan’s eyes.

Did he expect me to accept it readily?

“Thank you, Your Highness. I’ll be waiting for good news.”

“Isn’t gambling about sweeping the board when you bet on a low probability and win?”

Vikan’s face slightly stiffened as he was about to turn around after giving his greetings.

“What does ‘low probability’ mean? It means the chances of winning are low. But you came here today to settle things. Aren’t you trying to win too easily in this gamble?”

Vikan readily admitted.

“I thought you would gladly accept it.”

“You must have thought that after being oppressed for so long in the Imperial Palace, I would quickly grab anyone who offered a hand.”

I wore a deep smile.

“I believe you know that I’ve changed a lot. You wouldn’t have come to me directly if you didn’t. Since you’re in the West, learn a lot about me.”

I subtly let him know that it’s impossible to gain me as a background with just a distribution network.

Vikan lowered his head.

“I admit my mistake. I apologize, Your Highness.”

“You’ve already earned a lot of points just by being the first to come, so don’t be too disappointed. I won’t see you off.”

Vikan stood up.

After bowing politely to me, he slowly left the tent.

‘Vikan Trading Group…’

I fell into thought.

It was true that I needed a distribution network.

And as I told Vikan, it was also true that I was weighing several trading groups.

If I just needed a trading group to distribute things quickly, my 고민 [worry] wouldn’t have been so long.

I needed power, and financial strength to support that power was essential.

To have power, not only political power but also military power is needed, and what sustains these two forces is financial strength.

The power of money exerted a strong influence everywhere.

‘Hamilton’s information network needs to gather information not only from the assassin guilds and thief guilds spread throughout the Empire but also from the merchant alliances to create high-quality information.’

Few forces were as sensitive to information as merchants.

They travel not only throughout the Empire but also across the continent, hearing various stories, and that is information.

‘I have a lot to discuss when Ken comes.’

Since the things I extorted from the Riverhill family were arriving in the West one after another, Ken must have finished negotiations with the Aetran family in the capital by now.

‘Mother’s spirit magic book has arrived.’

After adding Vikan Trading Group to the list of trading groups I would work with, I looked for my mother’s spirit magic book.

‘Should I unlock the quest before that?’

The period that my bonus stats have been stuck at 2,000 has been quite long.

My current skills are excellent, but I felt the need for more diverse skills.

‘It would be nice if the spirits could teach me many skills, like scattering water droplets.’

Since I thought of it, I summoned all the high-level spirits.

After all, summoning high-level spirits and keeping them by my side is also a form of training.

Ignis started nagging right away.

“If you’re not going to do anything…”

I nipped Ignis’s nagging in the bud.

“Silphew, can I learn wind spirit techniques like Elraim?”

“Hey master, learn fire spirit techniques first. Those guys’ techniques are all *japgisul*, *japgisul* [useless skills, useless skills].”

“If I learn wind spirit techniques, I think I can make my combat more efficient.”

“No, learn fire spirit techniques first!”

I smiled gently.

‘As expected.’

Ignis got excited.

“Fire spirit techniques are the best, the best!”

“What can you teach me?”

Ignis got even more agitated by my indifferent attitude.

“Of course, I’ll teach you the best techniques!”

“Well then… since you say fire spirit techniques are the best, I should learn fire spirit techniques first.”

He fell for it.

Silphew looked at Ignis with a pathetic expression, but Ignis didn’t notice at all and enthusiastically boasted.

“You’ve heard of Hellfire, right? Humans are more familiar with magic anyway. Fire spirit techniques are far superior to Hellfire!”

Hellfire is a super high-level magic that even Duke Austin can’t implement.

No human magician has ever used Hellfire.

The 9th circle magic is still an area not allowed to humans.

Fire spirit techniques comparable to 9th circle magic? If Ignis’s words were true, I had to learn it.

“I definitely have to learn it. Ignis is amazing as expected.”

“Of course!”

Ignis proudly puffed out his chest and raised his nose.

I struggled to suppress my laughter at the phoenix’s dignified appearance.

“What kind of technique is it?”

I asked with an expectant expression.

“Ah, but you can’t learn it with your current level.”

* * *

I was satisfied with the skill Elraim taught me. Silphew and Claim also said that I couldn’t learn their skills yet.

Ignis nagged for a long time about my *bujokhan* [lacking] skills.

After sending the spirits back, I unlocked the quest.

I used all the bonus stats, and only one quest came out.

-A Fame

The title was *munanhaetgo* [ordinary], and the difficulty seemed *jeokdanghaeboeyeotda* [appropriate].

The problem was the content.

-Consolidate your power in the West and enhance the Crown Prince’s reputation throughout the Empire.

According to Ken’s letter, my position in the center had greatly increased.

Although I hadn’t yet displayed the corpses of Goran and Wyvern like exhibits in front of the nobles to shock them, it was a fact that I had won the Western War.

No matter how much attention was focused on the Eastern War, the achievements of directly killing the Seed of Evil and facing the Orc legions would not disappear.

The quest required my reputation to spread throughout the Empire.

‘For now, my position in the West and the center is solid.’

No one saw me as an incompetent Crown Prince or a timid coward anymore.

Who could possibly denigrate a high-level spirit master like that?

‘I was planning to stay a little longer, but I should go back up when things are somewhat settled.’

I set the time to return to the Imperial Palace a little earlier.

The Eastern Expedition was in its final stages.

I decided to depart as soon as the distribution of rewards for the conquest of the Pireon Kingdom was completed.

“Your Highness, it’s Gail.”

Gail’s voice was heard from outside the tent.

“Come in.”

Gail appeared.

“I heard the knights are *yeolsimhi* [diligently] in training these days.”

I was proceeding with my work in my own way, and Gail spent his days training the knights.

“Yes.”

“By the way, all of Count Boopen’s knights have been sent back up, right?”

“Yes, they returned after the war ended.”

I plan to meet Count Boopen once on the way up to the Imperial Palace and personally express my gratitude.

“We need to prepare gifts for the knights who participated in the war and for Count Boopen personally. They will receive awards in the distribution of rewards, but it’s different when I prepare and give them separately.”

The more supporting forces, the better.

Count Boopen is one of the leaders of the pro-Emperor nobles and a person who values *myeongbun* [justification/reputation].

‘I have the most *yurihan myeongbun* [advantageous justification].’

I asked with a smile.

“So, what’s going on?”

“It’s about arming the Knights.”

Creating a knight order is not the end.

From swords, armor, and shields to horses, knights need a lot.

And the knights of this era all personally prepared their arms and horses.

Some places provide their own supplies when you join the Knights, but that was only for some wealthy lords.

Since the salary a knight receives was considerable, many lords required knights to prepare the necessary items while hiring them.

Knights also carefully chose their lords because once they swore allegiance, it was difficult to serve another lord.

“Because they are from the evaluation tournament, the knights do not have the personal wealth to prepare arms or horses.”

If they were chosen as the Emperor’s direct shadow, there was no need to worry about money.

They came under me, and the war and hunting were over, so now all the items borrowed from Marquis Mike’s knights had to be returned.

“I will provide the items. To be paid after returning to the Imperial Palace. The quality is better there anyway.”

“Yes.”

“I should also ask Abamama [father] to provide horses managed by the Imperial Family to match the number of knights.”

Horses were one of the valuable assets of this era.

Their strategic value was high, and there was a high demand for them among nobles and knights, so the price was considerable.

Horses called *myeongma* [steeds] were not easy to buy even with a lot of money.

The horses directly managed by the Imperial Family were all *pyeonggabatatda* [evaluated] as *myeongma* [steeds].

You could see it just by looking at 질풍 [Jilpung – likely a horse’s name, meaning Gale].

“With your achievements, you can *chungbunhi* [sufficiently] receive that much.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

I smiled as I listened to Gail’s answer.

“Thank you for taking on the task with enthusiasm, Gail.”

“As the commander of Your Highness’s Knights, I am only doing what I should be doing.”

I asked slyly.

“Do you see any *jaemok* [talent]?”

The omitted words in front were ‘someone who could become a Sword Master like Gail.’

Gail, who understood perfectly, replied.

“Everyone is talented. Their loyalty is also high, but it is difficult to judge the talent of a master separately.”

I didn’t bother to say that my father was really good at picking them out.

Gail and my father are different, and in the first place, Gail’s personality is not to make a judgment unless it is certain.

I wasn’t asking to hear who was talented.

“Good. How long do you think it will take to raise them as much as Abamama’s [father’s] direct knights?”

I quickly added.

“About the Iron Blood Knights.”

The commander of the Iron Blood Knights, who was the judge of the evaluation tournament, had some of the best skills among the knights of Abamama’s [father’s] direct knights.

He was famous for his top-level Sword Expert *gyeongji* [realm], rich experience, and bold decisiveness.

“It will take a very long time for everyone to reach the level of the Iron Blood Knights commander. But there are a few knights among the current knights who will rise to the level of the Iron Blood Knights commander.”

“Besides Riorden and David?”

Gail nodded.

“Hoo, this is unexpected. As expected, there are many talented people from the evaluation tournament.”

I finished the topic of the Knights to that extent.

I had entrusted everything to Gail, so I only needed to look at it briefly, *jamkkan* [briefly], when my decisions were needed, just like now.

‘When Hamilton goes to the Imperial Palace, Sollis will also reorganize that organization. Is the only thing left people to assist Ken?’

As expected, the biggest challenge was finding talent.

“I’m thinking of going up to the Imperial Palace when Marquis Mike establishes a framework for the Western Alliance and the distribution of *jeonghwae mul* [purified water] begins. Gail, prepare accordingly.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“A lot will be different when I go up this time.”