Became The Son Of The Final Boss [EN]: Chapter 18

18.

Bang-!

My face contorted from the sharp pain in my shoulder.

Ken stepped back, feigning surprise. “That was a strike with all my might… yet you blocked it more easily than I expected.”

Ken’s words stung, but I suppressed my rising anger and replied, “Are you mocking me?”

“Surely, I wouldn’t dare mock Your Highness. It’s pure admiration. Defending against my strike with a low-grade spirit like Undine is truly remarkable. Your Highness’s reaction speed is also beyond my imagination.”

Ken adjusted his grip on his sword, his eyes never leaving mine.

He simply held his sword and looked at me, but I felt trapped and suffocated, like a moth caught in a spiderweb.

Presence.

Skilled individuals can exert influence over others through intangible energy. Ken was pressing down on me with his presence, a palpable weight.

Experiencing it firsthand was far more impressive than I had imagined.

‘If only a cool breeze would blow….’

As if in response to my thoughts, the mana hole [a core within a person that allows them to channel mana] activated, and Sylph appeared.

Sylph circled around, dispelling the intangible presence that Ken was emitting, like a gust of wind scattering smoke.

Ken gripped his sword tightly, a faint smile playing on his lips.

“You truly are no ordinary individual.”

Ken felt his presence dissipate and couldn’t hide his admiration for my quick thinking and resourcefulness.

I stared intently at Ken, analyzing his stance and movements.

I had completely missed his movements a moment ago. If I hadn’t summoned Undine at the last moment, my shoulder would have been shattered.

‘Ken probably wouldn’t go that far… but I can’t be sure.’

Ken was serious, his playful demeanor gone.

He wanted to clearly demonstrate the pressure one feels in a battle against a strong opponent and the dire consequences of even a brief moment of carelessness.

Tat-!

Ken’s figure flickered, a blur of motion.

After training in the Breath of the Wind [a technique to enhance speed and perception], it wasn’t just my eyesight that improved. My body felt completely reborn, and my dynamic visual acuity had developed to an astonishing degree.

‘Right side.’

This time, Ken didn’t announce his attack direction, but I accurately pinpointed the sword’s trajectory, anticipating his strike.

I stumbled backward, narrowly avoiding the blow.

‘I should learn some footwork.’

The thought flashed through my mind, and I immediately summoned Undine.

“Undine!”

At the same time, I summoned Sylph. I couldn’t just keep defending; I needed to take the offensive.

Together with Undine, I created a water barrier to defend my flank, while Sylph transformed into a blade of wind, aiming for Ken’s weak points.

Ken’s sword moved horizontally, a silver arc cutting through the air.

Kang-!

Ken deflected Sylph, who was hindering his advance, with a precise strike.

I involuntarily cried out. I felt like my mana hole was completely twisted, a searing pain, but there was no time to dwell on it.

Ken exuded an even more intense presence than before, instantly closing the distance between us, his movements lightning fast.

I clumsily retreated, struggling to maintain my balance.

Ken’s sword was so fast that it seemed to spread in all directions, a whirlwind of steel.

“Sylph!”

Trusting in the defense of the water barrier, I took a gamble, committing to a risky maneuver.

I supplied Undine with only the mana needed to maintain her skill and injected all the remaining mana into the two Sylphs, empowering them for a decisive attack.

Gooooooo-!

Ken sensed the eerie energy targeting his back and instantly turned around, his instincts screaming danger.

Kaaaang-!

As Ken blocked one Sylph’s attack, the other Sylph targeted him in quick succession, pressing his defenses.

Kang-!

The moment Ken blocked all the attacks, blood spurted from my mouth, a coppery taste filling my senses.

Simultaneously, I lost strength in my legs and collapsed to the ground, my body screaming in protest.

Ken breathed heavily, his chest heaving, then slowly approached me, his expression unreadable.

The spirits had already returned to the spirit realm, their energy depleted.

It had only been a few exchanges, but my mana hole was completely empty, and the dantian [energy center in the body] where the mana hole was located felt like it was tearing apart, a burning agony.

Ken offered me a handkerchief, his face softening slightly.

I took the handkerchief and wiped my mouth, trying to regain my composure.

“Weren’t you a bit too harsh?” I managed to say, my voice strained.

“The Spring Evaluation Tournament is where all the empire’s talents gather. Your Highness’s status as the Crown Prince won’t matter there.”

I understood what Ken was trying to say. I listened to Ken in silence, absorbing his words.

“What matters to the participants is catching the Emperor’s eye. Especially those who use swords—swordsmen and knights will want to impress the Emperor more than anyone else. There’s ambition and honor, but… anyone who wields a sword can’t help but respect the Emperor.”

Ken’s words were meaningful, hinting at the complex motivations of those who would participate in the tournament.

“If you wield a sword, you can’t help but respect Father….” I repeated, pondering his statement.

“His Majesty’s policies, his temperament—none of that matters. The great heights His Majesty has achieved are so inspiring to those who wield swords that words can’t describe it. The Spring Evaluation Tournament is an opportunity to prove themselves to the Emperor they dream of. If the opponent is the Crown Prince, they’ll exert even more strength than usual. Your Highness will face opponents like that.”

Ken sheathed his sword and smiled, the intensity of the spar fading from his face.

“From now on, I will spar with you every day. You vomited blood, but your mana hole only tore from exceeding its limits, so it will heal quickly. And if you continue to stimulate the mana hole like that, it will naturally grow larger and you’ll be able to handle mana more effectively. This kind of training will probably be more helpful.”

Ken added, a hint of mischief in his eyes,

“Ah, of course, I trust you’ll keep this a secret from Sir Gale. I’m the only one who can use this method on Your Highness.”

I smiled involuntarily, recognizing the genuine concern beneath his gruff exterior.

Ken was pledging his loyalty to me in his own way, offering his unique brand of support.

* * *

Today marks a month since we began this rigorous training.

I hadn’t skipped a single day, and thanks to that, the one-month training quest was completed, granting me a bonus of 5 stat points.

“Did I use 100 all at once recently? Now, a bonus of 5 stat points doesn’t seem like much.”

I chuckled while eating dinner. Humans are creatures of adaptation; time seemed to be passing so quickly. I had completely adapted to living as Arun Kal Leord, and thanks to synchronization, I didn’t experience any identity confusion. My past life felt like a distant dream.

I sliced a steak and dipped it generously in a sauce containing Polisia flowers [a rare flower that enhances mana capacity].

It tasted quite good, a savory explosion of flavor.

‘It tastes good… it’s good for my body, and it expands my mana hole—a triple win?’

Later, the protagonist Karen discovers the Polisia flower colony, but I took it first. I didn’t feel particularly guilty. Karen has dozens, hundreds of lucky encounters, and even if I preempt one of them, it won’t cause Karen any trouble. Besides, I need the edge.

“Ken… is he different because of my actions?”

Ken is a highly influential figure among the protagonist Karen’s companions. His loyalty could drastically alter the future.

I shook my head, dismissing the thought.

There was no reason for me to feel guilty about Ken. It would be foolish not to use the information I knew, and I hadn’t threatened or captured Ken through any conspiracy. He chose to follow me willingly.

I had earned Ken with the extent of my knowledge, my abilities, and future insights, and it was Ken’s choice to pledge his loyalty to me. He saw something in me worth believing in.

“Let’s see, what else can I use….”

After finishing dinner, I took out my personal notebook. My memory was good, but my notebook was packed with information, the most significant portion of which was about the protagonist Karen, the lucky encounters he faced, his companions, and the final boss, Ron Kal Leord.

There wasn’t much knowledge I could use immediately. The current period was right before Ron Kal Leord’s second conquest war, which I had glossed over in a few lines or scenes in my original story.

I didn’t have much information about the Spring Evaluation Tournament, the Second Prince Ted, or the Seventh Prince Chen, all of whom posed a significant threat to me. I needed to prepare for them.

I was about to close the notebook when I discovered one crucial fact, a chilling reminder of my precarious position.

-Ted, who won the Spring Evaluation Tournament, succeeded in capturing Ron’s attention. Furthermore, Arun’s position as Crown Prince was precarious, and the empire’s nobles began to form public opinion that the incompetent Crown Prince should be ousted and Ted should be elevated.

My face hardened, the blood draining from my cheeks.

Yes, the reason why this period, despite its short length, was important was because I was being driven out of the Imperial Palace, my future stolen from me.

I tapped the desk with my finger, lost in thought, piecing together the puzzle.

‘I wrote it… but this world is a living world, and everything is real. The Ron Kal Leord I wrote and my actual father are different. The reason he chose Ted wasn’t because he acknowledged him… but because of the nobles, who are closely related to the Second Conquest War.’

Unless someone was exceptionally skilled, they couldn’t satisfy my father. He only paid attention to those who had surpassed the limits of human ability and had earned the title of ‘Master’ in their martial arts. He respected strength above all else.

Like Gale, for example.

But Ted is different. He possesses extraordinary talent, and I wrote that he inherited the most of Ron’s talent, but it’s no exaggeration to say that he had no chance of becoming a Sword Master before or after the Spring Evaluation. He was politically useful, not necessarily powerful.

Even so, the reason for the Crown Prince’s replacement isn’t just my incompetence but also a justification for the Second Conquest War? A pawn in a larger game?

“The nobles are against the Second Conquest War.”

When war breaks out, the imperial authority naturally strengthens. My father already possessed absolute power, and he wielded a powerful influence that no one could oppose. War would only solidify his reign.

What if the Second Conquest War resulted in the conquest of even the kingdoms that opposed the empire?

My father, Ron Kal Leord, would be one step closer to becoming the empire’s master, remembered in history as the greatest conqueror of all time.

“He actually wins the Second Conquest War too.”

While organizing the series of information, I pinpointed the most important point, the key to my survival.

‘I don’t just have to beat Chen; I have to win the Spring Evaluation Tournament?’

My coming-of-age ceremony will be held immediately after the Spring Evaluation. The stakes are higher than I thought.

In other words, if I can’t escape my current image by the time of the coming-of-age ceremony, it means I’ll definitely be exiled to the provinces, my ambitions crushed before they even begin.

I turned on the status screen to further contemplate my future training, analyzing my strengths and weaknesses.

Knock, knock-!

I reluctantly closed the status screen at the sound of knocking, my thoughts interrupted.

“Your Highness, it’s Gale.”

It was Gale, his voice serious.

“Come in.”

Gale entered, closed the door, and bowed his head. I asked with curiosity at Gale’s appearance, as he rarely visited late at night. Something was clearly wrong.

“What’s wrong?”

“His Majesty summoned me this afternoon, so I went for a while.”

I shuddered involuntarily, a sense of foreboding washing over me.

At Gale’s words, the quest came to mind, a dark cloud looming over my head.

-A Liberation from Invisible Hands: Survive assassination attempts until the Spring Evaluation Tournament.

└Bonus Stats 300, B-grade or higher skill, random talent unlock

It was a difficult quest with enormous rewards, a testament to the danger I was in.

As expected, Gale said with regret, his voice heavy,

“His Majesty has issued an order.”

“What order?” I asked, bracing myself for the worst.

“The order is to eliminate the bandit group operating on the western border recently.”

I frowned. This was a development I didn’t know about, a wrench thrown into my carefully laid plans.

‘Is it my influence that caused this change?’

Gale continued, his expression grim,

“The information is that it’s not just a simple bandit group but one that includes a Sage-level mage. He suspects the Albia Kingdom… and said that if I bring back accurate information about the mastermind, His Majesty will….”

I finished his sentence for him, the pieces falling into place.

“Use it as a justification for the Second Conquest War. Then the reason he chose Gale is understandable.”

If he sent a skilled individual influenced by other nobles, they could distort the information about the mastermind. However, sending the Imperial Knights was inappropriate because the scale of the ‘bandit group’ was too small. It would be overkill.

Even though it was a bandit group that included a Sage-level mage, a mage above the 5th Circle, it would be ridiculous for the Imperial Knights to move directly against a mere bandit group. It would draw too much attention.

So Gale is the best choice. A scalpel, not a hammer.

He is a skilled individual who can clean up the bandit group and a knight who is not influenced by nobles who oppose the war. A loyal dog of the empire.

‘As expected… is it an A-grade quest? I expected Gale to be away, but this is too fast.’

Perhaps sensing that I was feeling depressed, Gale quickly said, trying to reassure me,

“I will clean it up as soon as possible and return.”

Even though Gale was a knight loyal to me, he couldn’t refuse the Emperor’s order as an imperial citizen. His duty to the empire came first.

Gale said one more thing, his voice hesitant.

“And there has been an official request from the Second Prince Ted to visit the Crown Prince’s Palace.”

My eyes widened, a sense of unease settling in my stomach.

“Ted?” The game has begun. The pieces are moving.