Became The Son Of The Final Boss [EN]: Chapter 131

131.

Crisis and opportunity.

What if the result isn’t good after being appointed as the commander of the Pireon Kingdom conquest?

I would lose all the trust I had painstakingly built in the West.

Father was looking at me, smiling deeply.

‘He knows I can’t refuse.’

I took a deep breath and answered.

“I shall obey Your Majesty’s command.”

Father rose from his seat.

“I hereby appoint Crown Prince Arun Carl Leord as the commander of the Pireon conquest.”

With those words, Father left the audience hall.

The nobles secretly sighed. The pressure from Father’s very existence was something they could never get used to.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince is improving day by day, so the future of the empire seems to be getting brighter and brighter.”

To Duke James’s cheesy words, I smiled gently and replied.

“Thank you.”

The meeting was over, so it was time for everyone to return, but the nobles didn’t move.

“I was in charge of the supplies for the conquest of the Pireon Kingdom. I will briefly summarize the data and report to you.”

“Thanks to Duke James, the work has been greatly reduced. Thank you.”

“It is only right to cooperate. Isn’t thorough preparation necessary since His Majesty went to the battlefield and returned?”

“I plan to depart calmly and with plenty of time. I will prepare thoroughly.”

To my answer, a noble in the seat near the entrance of the audience hall opened his mouth.

“How many troops do you plan to conscript?”

It was Duke Austin’s question. His voice was calm, as if he had suppressed his excitement.

“After returning to the capital, all the conscripted soldiers returned to their positions. If we conscript them again, public sentiment may be greatly shaken. Since it was an expedition that failed once already…….”

“It didn’t fail. We have already taken most of the territory of the Pireon Kingdom.”

I added with a smile.

“It is the first time in the history of the empire’s wars that we have failed to completely conquer an enemy country, so I will slowly investigate the reasons in the future and try not to repeat the mistakes.”

Duke Austin closed his mouth.

I was about to stop dealing with the nobles and go back, but the nobles’ faces were full of things they wanted to say.

“By the way, Your Highness the Crown Prince’s rate of development is truly amazing. To be a high-level spirit master already, just before your coming-of-age ceremony, is truly amazing.”

I was looking for a moment to slip away because it seemed like the story would be long, but the door to the audience hall opened again.

“Your Highness, His Majesty is looking for you.”

I greeted the nobles and left the audience hall.

I could hear voices swallowing their disappointment at my departure.

I have now regained my position as the Crown Prince, whose every move is watched by everyone.

The nobles showed me today that my success and my failure are no longer just fodder for jokes at drinking parties, but are deeply related to the rise and fall of their families.

‘I’ll be seeing more and more people in the future.’

I calmed my mind and followed the courtier.

* * *

Father’s office, a simple office with no decorations, but a place that felt full just by Father’s presence.

“You called for me.”

Father, who was looking at the documents, adjusted his posture.

Glancing at the documents on the desk, they were from the West.

‘He must have received separate reports from the lords.’

It was the duty of the vassals to report to the Emperor about the war. I was the commander, but if Father told the lords to report directly to him separately, who would refuse?

‘Marquis Mike wouldn’t have said anything about the Western Alliance. He would have reported appropriately about my achievements.’

I trusted them.

“I received separate reports from the lords in the West.”

“Yes.”

“You weren’t bad as a commander.”

Father was indifferent. He didn’t express any particular surprise at my performance.

“Your skills have improved a lot too.”

Father’s energy instantly covered me.

I felt as if the mana of the whole world was spread out like a net and was binding me.

I instinctively used the Breath of the Wind. A refreshing wind tore through the net and slowly secured my area.

Father smiled in admiration.

The mana net, which I thought had been torn, became even stronger and pushed back my wind.

Ugh, a groan burst out involuntarily, and my face felt hot as if it would explode.

“Good.”

With Father’s voice, the mana that had been pressing down on me disappeared in an instant.

Before I knew it, I gasped and sighed.

“You have contracted with all four high-level spirits. That’s definitely worth noting. Even I… even I was limited to two attribute spirits.”

I didn’t say anything.

‘Was he about to say me and Iriel?’

I didn’t rashly try to satisfy my curiosity with questions.

“Austin and Duke Beregon made a stupid mistake.”

“It seems the two dukes made a mistake in the Eastern Expedition.”

At my words, Father chuckled.

“I’m talking about what happened in the West.”

My body stiffened involuntarily.

The matter of Ram and Thompson was kept secret.

I believed that the Western lords would not have reported that matter to Father.

“You have gained the hearts of the Western lords quite well. There is no mention of the two families’ stupid actions in the report.”

Father’s voice was filled with interest.

“To grow so much in such a short period of time and even win the hearts of the seasoned Western lords. I can see why. You don’t have a strong maternal family. Choosing the West is understandable, but the choice to revitalize the West by taking from the Aetran and Riverhill families is definitely unexpected.”

Father’s eyes changed to a look that seemed to be piercing me.

“Is this your idea? Or did it come from the head of the one in charge of the military?”

I couldn’t just pass over this question. Father demanded an answer.

“It was my idea… and Ken was the one who dealt with the two families.”

Father leaned back in his chair.

“The two bastards were caught with weaknesses by you, and they made stupid mistakes in the East as well. Yet they are still alive. What do you think is the reason?”

It was a test.

Father had tested my skills with sparring before. The current question felt like he was asking about my qualifications for running the empire.

I took a breath.

* * *

“You look tired.”

It was the first time I had talked to Father for so long.

Ken handed me a cool glass of water.

“Ah, thank you. As soon as I came up, I had an audience hall meeting and a private meeting with Father… I was very busy. You were coming up from the West, right?”

I received a letter from Ken as I was leaving the West.

He was on his way down to the West after finishing everything in the capital, but Father issued a recall order to me, and Ken heard the news and turned back.

“Yes. I arrived yesterday.”

“We have a lot to catch up on, right?”

“That’s right.”

Ken added.

“I heard about the audience hall meeting. You have been given a heavy task.”

“It’s an opportunity. It’s also a crisis.”

The enemy’s strength was by no means easy.

I had no war experience myself. The war with the Orcs and the war between human nations were different dimensions.

“It’s an opportunity. It’s a perfect opportunity to solidify your position as Crown Prince.”

I nodded.

“That’s right. If the West was an opportunity to make myself known, the Eastern Expedition is an opportunity to completely secure my position.”

My voice lowered involuntarily.

“There will be a lot of interference. It seems like those crazy bastards caused an accident in the Eastern Expedition as well. Duke Austin might do that, but for the cautious Duke Beregon to cause trouble against Father.”

I couldn’t believe it at all.

-Beregon and Austin warned the Kingdom Alliance. Pireon is next in line. They said that at least three Sword Masters and an 8th circle mage would be needed to stop me.

It’s treason.

This was nothing short of treason.

The two dukes put not only me but even Father in danger.

-Yet what do you think is the reason I am leaving the two dukes alone?

I couldn’t find an answer.

Why is that?

-Your vassal’s ability is also your ability. Your vassal’s thoughts are also your thoughts. Of course, depending on how you accept it, you will either be just a puppet lord or a lord who embraces all of your vassal’s abilities and thoughts.

Father… taught me.

He didn’t tell me the answer, but advised me on the process of finding the answer myself.

-I will call you again before leaving for the Eastern Expedition. Prepare well.

The conversation with Father floated in my head. The voice that added the last words strongly pressed down on my heart.

-It’s your coming-of-age ceremony soon. It was a position you had from birth, but it’s up to you to keep it.

“The two dukes may openly interfere.”

“The two families have received the day of their destruction.”

At Ken’s words, I explained about Father’s question.

“Why is Father just letting the two families’ treason pass?”

Ken smiled.

“What do you think, Your Highness?”

Ken also asked the same question as Father.

I gave Ken the answer that I hadn’t told Father comfortably.

“Because the empire still needs the power of the two families. Even though Father seems to have absolute power, the empire is difficult to operate without the power of the nobles.”

“If the two families are destroyed now due to treason, there will be a big gap in the empire’s power. They were prestigious families before the empire, and their influence is also strong. In particular, Duke Beregon’s reputation is considerable.”

At Ken’s words, I narrowed my eyes and asked.

“Father is also burdened… is that what you mean? But the justification that they tried to kill both the Emperor and the Crown Prince is…….”

“There is evidence that they tried to assassinate Your Highness, but there will be no evidence of what happened in the Eastern Expedition.”

At Ken’s certainty, I asked again.

“Really? Father seemed to know all the information as if he was sitting and looking at the entire continent.”

“Yes. If even that evidence existed, His Majesty would have stepped in and punished them himself, no matter how great the influence of the two families was on the empire. Didn’t His Majesty also create a situation where he was just putting appropriate pressure on the two families and taking political gains?”

“He made me the commander of the Pireon Kingdom conquest.”

I felt a sense of accomplishment on one hand, while my shoulders were heavy.

Ken nodded.

“That’s right. So Your Highness must do this even better. His Majesty has pushed Your Highness by bearing some losses.”

He could have taken greater gains, but Father stopped at Arun Carl Leord, the commander of the Pireon conquest, for the sake of my position as Crown Prince.

“The two dukes are probably feeling it too.”

“I have to prepare thoroughly and go. Three Sword Masters, one 8th circle mage, and countless soldiers… it won’t be an easy war.”

Ken also nodded heavily.

“Yes. It’s time to hold a banquet now.”

“Hold a banquet to scout for talent?”

A banquet was a place for groups with the same political goals to strengthen their friendship and solidarity.

Or it became a device to scout for talent in the wilderness or to bring people who did not yet belong to a force into their own force.

“There are not only pro-Emperor nobles and pro-noble nobles. Even Duke James, for example, is a noble who does not belong anywhere.”

Duke James, one of the meritorious subjects!

“You have been appointed as the commander of the conquest, but everything from recruiting knights and soldiers to obtaining the consent of the nobles is up to Your Highness. His Majesty has only given you the position… He probably won’t draw out the cooperation of the nobles with any more orders.”

Yes, this was a test.

Haven’t you noticed it already?

“Let’s start with a banquet.”

I smiled without realizing it.

“The justification is clear, isn’t it? Because we won the war. I’ll send out banquet invitations to the nobles in the name of the Crown Prince. I’m quite curious to see who will come and who won’t.”