Became The Son Of The Final Boss [EN]: Chapter 133

After Ted left, I happily returned to my office.

I felt great, as I seemed to have shown Ted the difference between us, even outside of a banquet.

In my memories, Ted was a frightening younger brother.

He enjoyed mocking his incompetent older brother behind a suitable mask, and I was always terrified of Ted’s ridicule, which crushed me with a smile.

‘You’re still far behind, little brother.’

Strictly speaking, I was only remembering; I hadn’t directly experienced Ted’s mockery.

Although I hadn’t experienced it directly, the emotions of that time were vividly in my heart due to memory synchronization.

The changed me had no intention of continuing to accumulate those old feelings.

‘The gap between you and me will widen over time, and our future will be very different from what I know.’

The future had already begun to twist.

I unfolded a bundle of parchment on my desk, calmly turning over each sheet written in Korean.

I looked for anything I might have forgotten and what to be careful of during this period.

‘In the first place, I was never supposed to go as the commander of the Pieron Kingdom conquest.’

A commander for an incompetent crown prince?

It didn’t make sense.

‘The future has changed significantly. Has Karen’s fate changed too?’

My memory notes were naturally centered around Karen and Father.

One was the protagonist, and the other was the final boss.

Since they were the two most frequently appearing characters in the story, my memories were also biased towards information about them.

There was nothing about me.

‘I don’t know my future well… Should I be happy about that?’

I smiled bitterly. The pressure from the fact that I could no longer know my future was greater than I thought.

It wasn’t all downsides.

The feeling that I was living my own life became stronger.

My notes had been reduced to a summary of information, but that alone was helpful enough.

I carefully re-bundled the parchment.

‘Right, what about the Sword of Destruction?’

Thinking about the Sword of Destruction reminded me of Gale’s sword.

‘It hasn’t been a year yet, but should I visit him?’

I decided to stop by the smithy after the banquet.

Gale had refused the Sword of Destruction, but I believed he wouldn’t refuse that sword.

‘The Sword of Destruction, huh…’

I ended up calling Ken again.

“Are you outside?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Bring Ken to me.”

Before long, Ken quickly entered the office.

“Your Highness!”

“There’s something I want to show you.”

I opened a drawer and took out the Sword of Destruction from the magic pouch.

Ken’s eyes narrowed.

“Your Highness.”

Ken’s voice trembled as he called me. Ken also recognized what kind of sword the Sword of Destruction was.

“It’s a mithril sword. A sword made of pure mithril without mixing any other minerals.”

I had seen the Sword of Destruction many times, but I added, suppressing a groan.

“It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it the masterpiece among the masterpieces of the Reinharte family.”

A masterpiece sword boasted its value by its mere existence. The spring sunlight, which had come a step closer, brightly illuminated the sword’s blade.

The blade of the Sword of Destruction, filled with sunlight, shone more dazzlingly than ever.

“Present it to His Majesty.”

Ken’s decision was quick.

It was an opinion that had already been voiced by others, but hearing Ken say it as well put my mind at ease.

Since Gale had refused, I had considered giving it to Ken, David, or Riorden, but they all declined.

They seemed reluctant, fearing it might be seen as a special favor.

It’s impossible to trust subordinates equally. Since I’m human, there will inevitably be subordinates I care for more.

For example, I couldn’t compare Hamilton, who had just become my subordinate, with Ken or Gale.

Even if that’s how I felt, if I openly discriminated between Hamilton and Gale, who would swear loyalty to me?

A ruler needed a sense of balance. It was a virtue to fairly evaluate the merits and demerits of subordinates and treat them accordingly.

In that respect, it was best to present the Sword of Destruction to Father rather than bestowing it on someone.

Bestowing it on one person could cause unnecessary strife.

‘If I were to bestow it on someone, everyone would congratulate them, but… there’s no need to stir up trouble.’

Ken offered a more realistic reason than I did.

“This sword can become a symbol of His Majesty. Also…”

“Yes, it certainly could. Is there anything else?”

“It is also a sword that His Majesty can bestow upon the commander of the Eastern Expedition.”

I was startled.

I hadn’t considered that possibility. My father giving back the sword I presented to him?

“Swords in this era often symbolize the authority of their owners. All the strong figures on the continent possess famous swords.”

I chuckled.

“But the strongest one carries an ordinary longsword.”

“His Majesty is an exception. It is highly likely that he will bestow it upon Your Highness again. If that happens, Your Highness’s authority will increase even more, as His Majesty himself will be bestowing a masterpiece among masterpieces.”

“I don’t particularly have any use for a sword, but Gale said something similar and refused to receive the sword, saying it was for my authority.”

I repeated what I had said back then.

“True authority comes from ability, not a sword.”

“That’s correct. However, it’s not good to ignore the symbolism of a sword. A famous sword possesses authority in itself.”

“I’ll give it to Father for now. He won’t refuse and might be grateful.”

“Even so, Your Highness will still benefit. Presenting a sword that symbolizes His Majesty’s authority is something worthy of a reward.”

I nodded.

I immediately called a servant and sent him to the Imperial Palace.

I was also secretly looking forward to it.

Father had certainly coveted the Sword of Destruction, which had been Karen’s sword.

Would it be different this time?

* * *

“Have you found the answer?”

As soon as I entered the office, Father asked, and I replied briefly.

“I have not found it yet.”

“Good. Do not answer with mere speculation.”

Could there be a more complex reason why the Aetran and Riverhill families remained unharmed despite committing treason than my speculation?

I was curious, but since I wasn’t meeting Father about that matter today, I focused on the main point.

“I obtained a sword from the West.”

“A sword?”

Father asked briefly.

I immediately took out the Sword of Destruction.

In an instant, Father’s shadows enveloped me.

I couldn’t even react.

It was literally in the blink of an eye, and I couldn’t tell where they had come from.

‘So… I’m actually seeing Father’s shadows that were only written about.’

They were the ones who guarded Father at all times. They never left Father’s side, even on the battlefield.

It was my first time seeing them in person, so I was surprised, but I didn’t show it.

I carefully placed the sword down, and the shadows disappeared.

‘Is it a similar ability to Hamilton’s assassination technique?’

I remembered Hamilton concealing his presence when dealing with the undead. Even though there was nowhere to hide, Hamilton disappeared.

I tried to sense the shadows’ energy, but there was no trace of them.

“You’re still far behind.”

I snapped back to my senses at Father’s voice.

“Yes.”

“It’s a Reinharte family sword. A masterpiece.”

Father recognized it at a glance, got up, took the Sword of Destruction, and slowly examined it.

“Did you obtain it from wyvern hunting?”

I hesitated for a moment whether to tell him what I knew.

I decided to tell him.

“The wyvern seemed to be the guardian protecting this sword. I heard that all Reinharte family items are masterpieces, but the special ones are protected by guardians.”

“The Reinharte dwarves were excellent craftsmen and great magicians, so it’s not unreasonable for them to have guardians protect their masterpieces.”

I inadvertently raised my head to look at Father.

‘How does he know?’

I knew because I had written it myself.

‘I felt like he was watching every corner of the continent from his seat, but I didn’t know he knew the secrets of the Reinharte family, which are treated as ancient legends.’

Father continued.

“The dwarves were a race that once greatly prospered in this world, called the Middle Realm, and the best family among them is Reinharte. They could certainly create such a masterpiece.”

I glanced at Father, but there was no greed in his eyes.

“Attend the Imperial Conference tomorrow morning. I will bestow this sword as the sword of the commander of the Eastern Expedition and the crown prince’s sword.”

I trembled.

“Your Majesty, I am not a knight, so there is no need for such a sword…”

“Isn’t it a masterpiece that is difficult to choose for any of your subordinates? It would be better for you to have it.”

I was startled by his tone, as if he knew everything, and I couldn’t say anything.

“I heard you are holding a banquet.”

“That is correct.”

Father’s voice was calm as he changed the subject.

“Distinguishing between friend and foe is good, but remember that you are the crown prince.”

With that, Father dismissed me.

Leaving the office, I looked up at the sky.

‘I’m still far behind…’

I felt like both I and Ken were in Father’s palm.

‘Remember that you are the crown prince… He means that it’s not good to divide the nobles.’

Friend and foe.

The purpose of my banquet was simple.

It was to clearly distinguish between the forces that supported me and the forces that were wary of me, and to win over the neutral nobles who did not support me.

Father didn’t say that was bad.

What position is the crown prince?

It is the position to inherit the empire in the future, and the emperor must pursue politics that embraces everyone.

I had forgotten that duty and was only focused on building my own power.

‘I feel like I’ve been hit hard.’

Despite seeing through everything, Father expressed his intention to publicly bestow the Sword of Destruction upon me.

‘Perhaps… the conquest of the Pieron Kingdom will be a much bigger challenge than I thought.’

I simply thought that there was a crisis hidden within the opportunity.

I believed that even if I failed to conquer the Pieron Kingdom, I would receive a good evaluation if I achieved moderate results.

Three Sword Masters, an 8th Circle mage, and support from the Kingdom Alliance.

In any way you look at it, isn’t it difficult to overthrow unless it’s Father’s direct control?

But today, through my conversation with Father, I realized.

‘It’s truly a test. He means that I must conquer the Pieron Kingdom.’

I bit my lip.

It was better to change the purpose of the banquet.

Not a victory celebration banquet, but a solemn send-off ceremony.

‘Now is not the time to divide friend and foe. I must borrow the power of all the nobles and lead the Eastern Expedition to victory.’

The forces I had built up alone could never win the Eastern Expedition.

‘I need to take not only Duke Beregon but also Austin, and if the situation allows, Duke Yan as well.’

Father did not limit the mobilization of forces.

He only excluded one duke who would preside over the Imperial Conference in the capital, and the remaining three meritorious subjects were needed.

‘Beregon, Austin, and Duke Yan are all strong. They will have a competitive spirit. All the strong figures of the Kingdom Alliance have come out.’

People like to rank things.

The three meritorious subjects, excluding Father, had a slightly lower public evaluation than the strong figures of the Kingdom Alliance.

Perhaps their achievements were overshadowed by Father’s overwhelming performance in various wars.

Wouldn’t they also want to change the public’s evaluation on this occasion?

While I was thinking about this and that, I arrived at the Crown Prince’s Palace.

I wanted to rest today because I was tired.

“Your Highness.”

It was Sorius.

Sorius, who had come out to greet me at the entrance, looked urgent.

“What’s wrong?”

When I asked, Sorius answered as if he was in trouble.

“As soon as the rumors about the banquet spread…”

I widened my eyes as I watched Sorius trail off.

“Why?”

“All the nobles are informing us that they will attend with their daughters.”

“The invitations… haven’t even been made yet, have they?”

Sorius nodded.

“Not only the central nobles but also nobles from the provinces are already sending letters expressing their desire to participate.”

It’s not a big problem to bring their daughters to the banquet.

Among my younger brothers, Ted and Chen already had betrothed young ladies.

The young lady betrothed to Ted was known as the center of central social gatherings.

I realized anew.

‘Ah, I was single.’