Became The Son Of The Final Boss [EN]: Chapter 148

148.

There’s no place the wind doesn’t blow.

It’s just that humans can’t always feel it; the wind is perpetually in motion.

The figures of the Sylphs [air spirits] flitting across the leaves became clearer. Before I knew it, I exclaimed, “Ah!”

There were countless Sylphs.

“The forest is one of the places where spirits reside most abundantly, crucial for the natural cycle. Trees, grass, insects, earth, valleys… if there’s a place that embodies the world’s circulation in miniature, it’s the forest.”

Elraim’s soft voice complemented Siloulen’s low rumble.

“The reason fairies have such a strong connection with spirits is because they are a race deeply tied to the forest.”

“Are those children Gnomes [earth spirits]?”

Gnomes were wandering through the grass. Some were examining grasshoppers, while others leaned against trees, napping.

“Yes.”

Small Undines [water spirits] shimmered on the dew-kissed grass, and Salamanders [fire spirits] occasionally lounged on sun-warmed rocks, taking naps.

The forest is a haven for spirits, as Siloulen said.

Spirits resided everywhere, projecting their power, even if weakly, into the mid-realm forest to maintain their own natural balance.

Sylphs in the wind, Gnomes in the earth, Undines in the dew, and the power of Salamanders on the rocks.

It was a truly mystical sight.

And for the first time, I truly understood the fairies.

‘Destroying this forest… they have no choice but to be angry.’

Destroying such a mysterious and peaceful place, it’s no wonder they express anger towards other races and prohibit entry into the forest.

‘Fairies are not the immediate priority.’

As that thought crossed my mind, the system voice chimed in my ear.

-Talent level lock is released.

‘Talent level lock?’

The system explained, as if it had heard my unspoken question.

-You have stepped into a new realm. The lock on the titles of those who walk the path of the great spirit master and follow the primordial covenant is released.

Enlightenment can come from the most unexpected places.

The feeling I had now was undeniably enlightenment. I hadn’t become a top-level spirit master yet, but the path ahead was now clearly illuminated.

I drew the Sword of Destruction.

The surrounding spirits were startled by the eerie aura of the sharp metal.

I gave the spirits a reassuring look, letting them know it was alright.

Meanwhile, Olivia was holding her breath. Perhaps sensing that I was experiencing something profound, she moved behind me, careful not to disturb my focus.

I felt the blowing wind. Instinctively, I knew that ordinary people, or even knights with keen senses, wouldn’t be able to perceive this subtle breeze.

Because I am a spirit master, and because I possess a very high affinity with the spirit of the wind, I am able to feel the very essence of its flow.

Sylphs appear as playful little fairies, but that’s simply the form they take when crossing into the mid-realm. Their essence remains wind, through and through.

‘The wind is constantly flowing. It never stays still in one place.’

I tried to see and feel the essence of the Sylphs, repeating the thought over and over in my mind.

The Sylphs I had contracted were staring blankly at me from the Sword of Destruction.

How much time had passed?

After a long period of focused observation, I began to see the wind constantly swirling within the transparent bodies of the fairies.

Before I knew it, my gaze shifted to Sylphere.

Sylphere had an even larger whirlwind raging inside her body than the other Sylphs.

And within Siloulen’s wolf form, I could see a powerful and rapid whirlwind, so intense it could be called a miniature typhoon.

The essence of wind.

The wind, which is constantly striving to flow, gathers in one place and exists under the name of spirit.

I quietly held the Sword of Destruction.

First, the Sylphs permeated into the blade of the Sword of Destruction.

The extreme sharpness and unbreakable hardness of Mithril were maintained, and the blade now contained the very essence of the wind.

“Olivia.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Let’s go back.”

I gained a great deal from this visit to the forest.

I not only grasped the direction of spirit swordsmanship but also discovered the path to becoming a top-level master, and I wanted to experiment before this feeling faded.

I decided to return to the Crown Prince’s Palace, not wanting to disturb the quiet peace of the forest any further.

As I quickened my pace slightly, Olivia spoke up beside me.

“Your Highness.”

“Yes, Lady.”

“Please refrain from testing your swordsmanship on anyone.”

Olivia had read my mind. She knew I wanted to test the power of the sword infused with spirit energy by facing someone in combat.

“I think it would be better to test it on a training scarecrow, using the downward strike and stab techniques that I taught you.”

Olivia is an expert in swordsmanship.

I realized that while I was eager to test the power of the sword, I wasn’t yet skilled enough to wield swordsmanship as effectively as a knight.

“Ah, yes.”

I smiled and continued.

“Thanks to you, Lady, I’ve calmed down. A child who can’t even walk is bound to get hurt if they try to run. I think I felt the essence of the spirit and became impatient. If I had rashly tried to face someone else with a sword, there probably would have been negative consequences.”

Olivia smiled brightly.

The splendor of spring seemed to radiate from her smile.

Before I knew it, my face felt warm.

“Please call me like you did before.”

“Yes?”

“You called me Olivia, didn’t you?”

“Ah, that’s because I…….”

Olivia quietly looked at me.

After nodding, I tried to conceal my trembling voice and said.

“Then I will call you Olivia.”

“Shouldn’t Your Highness also use less formal speech with me? My position on this expedition is as a guard knight.”

“That wouldn’t be polite to Olivia.”

No matter how much I am the Crown Prince, she is the daughter of a Duke.

She also holds the title of the next head of the White family.

Olivia once again stared at me silently.

‘I can’t handle that look.’

I couldn’t refuse the firm will contained in her clear and large eyes.

“Okay, Olivia.”

Olivia smiled brightly once again.

* * *

I headed straight to the training ground.

Was it so exciting to find a path to a new realm?

I was filled with anticipation, and my heart was pounding.

As soon as I arrived at the training ground, I drew the Sword of Destruction.

Clang-!

The Mithril blade sparkled as it caught the sunlight.

I immediately called the Sylphs.

It seemed impossible to infuse Siloulen’s powerful wind essence into the blade from the outset.

Olivia’s advice was sound.

You stumble if you rush.

I focused on feeling the essence of the Sylphs and channeling their energy into the sword.

An exclamation escaped my lips.

The feeling I had experienced in the forest came back to life.

The essence of the wind, the power of the wind, was channeled into the blade, and the Mithril blade accepted the spirit’s energy without resistance.

The value of Mithril lies in its ability to perfectly conduct a knight’s mana, maximizing the sharpness of Aura and Aura Blade.

And Mithril became even sharper as it accepted the spirit’s energy.

‘The more you contain the energy of a high-level spirit, the more effectively you can block Aura and Aura Blade.’

Aura Blade, capable of cutting anything in the world!

I was overjoyed to have found a means to confront Sword Masters with a sword.

I immediately executed the downward strike that I had practiced with Olivia towards the training scarecrow.

Slash-!

My eyes widened in surprise.

The training scarecrow is quite sturdy. It can withstand blows from a training wooden sword, and it’s not easy to cut even with a real sword.

“Olivia, get me that training wooden sword.”

At my command, Olivia immediately brought me a training wooden sword.

I sheathed the Sword of Destruction.

The fact that the scarecrow had been split vertically just now might have been due to the inherent sharpness of the Sword of Destruction itself.

‘Mithril is certainly capable of that.’

Even a novice knight like me could split a scarecrow in half with a Mithril sword.

Olivia said.

“It might be because it’s a Mithril sword, but Your Highness’s downward strike posture just now was excellent. The results of your hard training are evident. An accurate downward strike posture is powerful in itself.”

Olivia continued as she watched me channel the Sylph’s energy into the wooden sword.

“Of course, even with an accurate posture, it’s impossible to split a scarecrow in half with a training wooden sword. Wooden swords aren’t sharp, so even if you break it with force, you couldn’t split it in half like you did just now. If Your Highness splits the training scarecrow this time, it will be undeniable proof of the power of spirit swordsmanship.”

I nodded at Olivia’s words.

The wooden sword, which normally felt slightly heavy, now felt as light as a feather.

‘Sharp. It feels like a constantly swirling whirlwind is contained within the wooden sword.’

Perhaps others wouldn’t even be able to hold this wooden sword in this state.

Just as Salamanders cannot be touched by ordinary people due to their intense heat, but contracted spirit masters can, the same was true for this wooden sword.

This wooden sword, infused with the essence of wind, was no different from a Sylph.

I took a breath and struck the scarecrow with the wooden sword.

Slash-!

The scarecrow was split in half again.

Olivia exclaimed.

I turned my gaze to Olivia.

“I’ll try other spirits too.”

“Yes.”

Olivia’s eyes were filled with anticipation.

Thinking of my father, I called upon Salamander.

The flames burning within the lizard’s body were clearly visible. A flame that never goes out!

I channeled that flame into the wooden sword.

Whoosh, the wooden sword burst into flames.

It only appeared that way; the structure of the wooden sword remained intact.

“Yo, Your Highness!”

“It’s okay. Spirit masters are naturally protected from the power of their contracted spirits.”

Olivia, who had momentarily forgotten this common knowledge in her surprise, nodded.

I attempted the downward strike again towards the remaining scarecrow.

The scarecrow did not split in half.

‘The spirit of wind seems to maximize sharpness, and the spirit of fire…….’

Olivia immediately approached the scarecrow and examined it.

“The cut part is completely burnt.”

“The essence of spirits is all different…….”

“Different.”

Olivia and I turned our gazes.

It was my father.

‘I see him often these days.’

I felt like I was growing closer to my father. I liked it. Thanks to our conversation in the Empress’s Palace, I felt a stronger connection to him, and I had renewed my commitment to my mother’s will.

I immediately paid my respects.

“Now that you have discovered the method of channeling the essence of each attribute spirit into the sword, focus on swordsmanship for the time being. For every ten sessions of spirit magic practice, dedicate about three times as much time to swordsmanship.”

“Yes, Father.”

It was almost the first time I had addressed him so informally in front of others.

Nevertheless, my father showed no change in expression.

“Spirit swordsmanship suits you better than me. The constantly flowing wind is far sharper than Mithril. The fire that burns everything is more destructive than a wizard’s magic. The softness of water allows you to block anything, and the hardness of earth cannot be cut even by Aura Blade.”

Olivia’s eyes widened.

Just listening to it, spirit swordsmanship seemed far superior to ordinary swordsmanship.

“Lady, there’s no need to be so surprised. Spirit swordsmanship also has stages, and those words describe spirit swordsmanship at its peak. Spirit magic is still in an immature state, far from reaching its highest level, while spirit swordsmanship is only taking its first steps.”

A master-level high-level spirit master is considered immature.

As expected, that’s my father.

My father’s gaze remained fixed on Olivia.

“People tend to be fascinated by the power of something new. That’s why they constantly turn their attention to other powers. Knights envy the utility of magic, wizards want to study the convenience of spirits, and spirit masters envy the swordsmanship of knights.”

“If you combine magic or spirit magic with even a basic understanding of swordsmanship, you can become much stronger. Didn’t His Majesty teach His Highness not only spirit magic but also spirit swordsmanship?”

As expected, that’s Olivia. She wasn’t intimidated, even in front of my father.

My father smiled faintly.

“That’s due to that guy’s talent. Lady, your family’s swordsmanship is not something to dismiss lightly. If it reaches its peak, it could even surpass me. Do you know why your father is a Duke? Those who claim it’s solely for his service to the country are fools.”

When the topic of Duke James arose, both Olivia and I became intently focused.

“Duke James is one of the people I trust most. If we were to compete solely as Sword Masters, he is someone who could contend with me for half a day.”

Not only me but also Olivia’s face was filled with astonishment.

My father’s words were simple but impactful.

‘Duke James is far stronger than other Dukes!’