Became The Son Of The Final Boss [EN]: Chapter 186

186.

Olivia was momentarily taken aback but quickly regained her composure and responded to her father.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Her father immediately turned his gaze to Duke James.

“The Duke doesn’t mind either, does he?”

“Of course not, Your Majesty. There are many places in the Empire where His Highness the Crown Prince is needed. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to expedite the coming-of-age ceremony and the wedding.”

Her father nodded.

“Good. In a month, the Crown Prince’s coming-of-age ceremony and wedding will be held at the Imperial Palace. Today’s banquet will be a pre-banquet for the Crown Prince’s coming-of-age ceremony.”

The atmosphere of the banquet instantly heated up due to her father’s declaration.

It was the first banquet where the Crown Prince faction officially gathered, and the significance of the banquet itself greatly increased due to her father’s attendance and declaration.

Becoming her father’s official successor is precisely what the coming-of-age ceremony signifies.

The wedding signifies that a marriage alliance will be formed with Duke James’s White family.

It means that the successor competition, which even involved an assassination attempt on me, will officially end through the coming-of-age ceremony.

‘Of course, even if I hold the coming-of-age ceremony and receive official recognition from Father, the nobles will not give up easily.’

Nevertheless, the coming-of-age ceremony was important.

With the justification of being the eldest son of the Empress and the justification of Father’s official recognition, my authority regarding the position of Crown Prince will clearly increase.

I said to my father with a slightly flushed face.

“I will prepare well.”

* * *

Rumors spread quickly, and it was evident that most of my siblings were abandoning their aspirations for the Crown Prince position.

More accurately, it wasn’t my siblings but their maternal families who were giving up.

Except for Ted and Chen, there were hardly any siblings who had been asserting their presence, but many of them had influential maternal families.

“A request for a visit has come from the Tulip family.”

At Soris’s words, I replied briefly.

“Send them to Ken. Which sibling’s maternal family is it?”

“It’s Princess Seri’s maternal family.”

“Isn’t Seri only ten years old? Seri’s maternal family must have been greedy too.”

With a sigh, I leaned back in my office chair.

Seri is one of my younger sisters, and she is only ten years old, still struggling to grasp the exact concept of power.

Regardless of whether they were younger brothers or sisters, most of my siblings’ maternal families were greedy for Father’s successor position.

That fact became starkly evident after the banquet a few days ago.

My siblings’ maternal families abandoned their ambitions and began to choose a path among the Crown Prince faction, the noble faction, and the Emperor faction.

After Father’s attendance at the banquet, my position as successor became very solid. The fact that Father attended the banquet itself was unprecedented, and the statements he made at the banquet quickly became rumors that swept through the capital.

Thanks to this, my siblings’ maternal families chose their paths one after another.

‘Most of them chose Duke Beregon, some chose Duke Austin, and a very few…’

“I’ll send them to Military Advisor Ken.”

…chose me.

The maternal families of my siblings who chose me were mostly families without much power.

They didn’t have much power, but because I was perceived as incompetent, they held the foolish hope that their turn for the successor position might come.

Since they couldn’t erase their existing memories of me, they seemed to harbor the vain hope that if they joined the Crown Prince faction, they would be guaranteed a certain status within the faction.

That’s why I mostly didn’t meet them directly.

There was no need to meet directly with those who struggled to strengthen their power by using innocent siblings like Seri and raise their status.

Still, since they were nobles, I couldn’t just ignore them, so I sent them all to Ken.

“Soris, isn’t your workload too much with the Grenian direct control territory [territory directly managed by the Crown Prince] and the coming-of-age ceremony and wedding overlapping?”

Forgetting about the nobles, I asked Soris.

Soris smiled and replied.

“The White family has dispatched many administrators. Some talented individuals were even directly introduced by the White family, but we are selectively accepting them.”

“Is that so?”

Soris nodded.

“Yes. The wedding preparations are receiving a lot of help from the White family personnel. They are also directly involved, and they have far more manpower than us, so there’s no harm in receiving help. On the other hand, in the matter of recruiting talent, we are more strictly scrutinizing personnel from academies sponsored by the White family.”

I guessed the reason but wanted to hear it directly from Soris’s mouth.

“Is there a separate reason?”

“If the two of you get married, it will be a great benefit to Your Highness, but it will also benefit the White family. The White family’s power already surpasses the Crown Prince’s Palace, and if academy graduates who have been sponsored by them enter the Crown Prince’s Palace en masse, Your Highness’s power may be overshadowed by the White family’s power.”

Soris glanced at me.

Everyone knows that I have Olivia in my heart.

‘I don’t know how they all know so much detail, but…’

-Your Highness expresses everything with your whole body and expressions.

Ken’s voice echoed in my mind.

I shook my head and brushed the problem aside.

Soris cautiously continued.

“Marriage is a union between families. The Imperial family is not at all inferior to the White family, but if you evaluate Your Highness’s personal power, it is true that you are inferior to the historically renowned White family. I don’t think Lady Olivia will try to control Your Highness. However, isn’t it a vassal’s duty to prepare in advance for problems that may not arise?”

I smiled.

“That’s right. Duke James and Olivia are not people who would do something by using my position. Duke James is skilled at reading the trends and is someone who entrusts himself to the trends and follows them.”

If Duke James was only interested in strengthening his own power, he would not have offered the country to Father.

“Anyway, if you have too much work, divide the work appropriately with others. Receive a lot of help from the White family for the wedding and coming-of-age ceremony preparations and focus more on the Grenian direct control territory.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Day by day, the power dynamics of the Imperial Palace were changing rapidly.

* * *

Regular meeting of the Capital Merchant Association. It was not a particularly special association, but the attendees of the regular meeting were impressive.

Many merchants called the merchants who attended the regular meeting the chosen merchants.

The place where the most money flows in the continent is currently the Empire, and among the Empire’s various cities, the capital is considered the best.

To be an attendee at a meeting where only ten people can attend means that among the various merchant groups, the scale is the largest and the influence is also the greatest.

And Bikan was invited to the Capital Merchant Association’s regular meeting for the first time.

Although he was invited because a vacancy was created due to the business trip of one of the existing attendees, the meaning of being invited in place of an existing attendee was by no means small.

‘There’s no need to be intimidated. I was also someone who had his name on the list of the top 100 merchant groups, and my goal is, after all, to be among the continent’s top three merchant groups.’

Bikan was relaxing by drinking the tea placed in front of him.

The attendees arrived one after another in the splendid conference room.

Most of them were the heads of large merchant groups, but their attire was not very flashy or extravagant.

Bikan was inwardly relieved by his choice to come dressed neatly without trying to look stylish. If he had dressed up unnecessarily for a meeting with the heads of large merchant groups, he would have stood out noticeably from those who were modestly dressed.

“Now that everyone has gathered, let’s begin the meeting. Before that, let’s briefly introduce the new attendee. It’s Bikan, the head of the Bikan Merchant Group.”

The merchant who was conducting the meeting had a good physique and a kind impression. His voice was sonorous.

At the moderator’s words, Bikan rose and briefly greeted.

“I am Bikan. I was invited because a vacancy was created due to the business trip of an existing attendee.”

After saying only the facts, Bikan sat back down in his chair.

The moderator did not bother to explain Bikan in detail. Everyone knew Bikan well, and they had also thoroughly grasped his relationship with the Crown Prince.

Merchants are more sensitive to information than anyone else, and merchants who attend regular meetings are the fastest to hear even the Imperial Palace’s secret rumors.

They might know more about Bikan than Bikan himself.

“Today’s agenda is simple. It’s about the Water of Purification.”

At the moderator’s words, Bikan tried to maintain a calm expression.

‘There was a reason I was invited.’

Peterson, the head of the continent’s top merchant group, who was sitting across from Bikan, opened his mouth.

“I heard that His Highness the Crown Prince discovered the water in the West, but can we get accurate information?”

Following Peterson’s gaze, everyone’s gaze was focused on Bikan.

Bikan answered calmly.

“As you all know, the Water of Purification is currently being produced in the territory of Count Hamilton, who is now the head of the information organization under His Highness the Crown Prince. The power of the water spirit has long influenced the stream, and several special conditions have been met, so the water flowing in the stream has become the Water of Purification, which has excellent healing properties.”

Peterson nodded.

“I see. I didn’t know the process of becoming the Water of Purification, so thank you. As expected, His Highness the Crown Prince is a top-level spiritist, so he recognized such water, didn’t he?”

“Yes. That seems to be the case. Anyway, the Water of Purification is being produced in Count Hamilton’s territory, and more experiments are needed to determine the exact healing efficacy.”

Jordan, who was in charge of hosting and conducting the meeting, said.

“The demand is currently increasing explosively. Not only the capital but also the nobles in the provinces and even other countries. We cannot export to countries that are hostile to the Empire, but exports may be allowed to some countries. If so, demand will increase even more. The continent is vast, and there are countless nobles.”

Jordan is one of the owners of the continent’s top three merchant groups.

The weight of his words was different from Peterson’s earlier.

Bikan was nervous but hid his nervousness and answered.

“It is difficult to see excellent treatment effects with water alone. Of course, I heard that consistently taking the Water of Purification is good for health and can help you live longer, but that was only the word of the spirit contracted with His Highness the Crown Prince, and the efficacy has not been proven. To treat the disease immediately, two more ingredients are needed in addition to the Water of Purification, and they are all flowers that grow in Count Hamilton’s territory. They do not inhabit other places.”

“That means that it can only be made in Count Hamilton’s territory from beginning to end. Furthermore, it means that the Bikan Merchant Group can monopolize it.”

At Peterson’s words, Bikan replied softly.

“I am only in charge of distribution and cannot be involved in production.”

“I heard that even if some ingredients are not added, it can be effective for mild illnesses.”

At Jordan’s words, Bikan nodded.

“Yes. So, I plan to distribute it in two types to the market. We are preparing two types of Water of Purification: high-grade Water of Purification so that nobles can consume it, and basic Water of Purification so that commoners can consume it for mild illnesses and health.”

“Is there a need to make even basic Water of Purification? Isn’t it basic business to clearly define the consumer base? The consumption power of nobles is incomparably greater than that of ordinary people. The consumption power of a single noble is greater than that of a hundred commoners.”

At Peterson’s words, Jordan interjected.

“Peterson, this is not a place to interfere with other merchant groups’ sales policies.”

Peterson closed his mouth.

Jordan asked Bikan with a generous expression.

“So, how much quantity do you plan to release?”

“I plan to release the first batch after accurately grasping the distributable quantity.”

The meeting continued with Bikan at the center.

The distribution of the Water of Purification was of great interest to the merchants, and naturally, the West came into the spotlight.

The monster hunts starting in the West were also a major concern for the merchants, and the same was true for the distribution of food produced in Grenian.

Bikan himself, as well as the attendees, were realizing one fact as the meeting progressed.

In the future, anything that makes a lot of money in the Empire is related to the Crown Prince.

And so far, the only merchant group that the Crown Prince sponsors is the Bikan Merchant Group.

Peterson casually threw out a word.

“It seems that the wealth of the continent is concentrated in the Bikan Merchant Group.”

Bikan finally brought up the words he had prepared.

“Since the scale of the merchant group is still small, I cannot distribute all of the Water of Purification, monster by-products, and Grenian’s food, so I plan to share some of the distribution rights.”

The eyes of the remaining nine merchant group heads changed.

Jordan, who had been conducting the meeting with a consistently generous smile, was no different.

No, Jordan was looking at Bikan with eyes that shone more coldly than anyone else’s, as if a snake was eyeing its prey.

“Share the distribution rights.”

At Jordan’s reaction, Bikan explained.

“Yes. I think everyone knows that the Western nobles are all affiliated with the newly launched Crown Prince faction. To distribute Western goods, you must go through His Highness the Crown Prince, and the merchant groups that I share the distribution rights with… will inevitably be associated with the Crown Prince faction.”

The merchant group heads’ minds were spinning rapidly.

Jordan was the first to open his mouth.

“Can we meet His Highness through the Bikan Merchant Group Head? At some point, His Highness the Crown Prince has been controlling merchants’ visits, so personally, it is impossible to visit the Crown Prince’s Palace itself.”

‘It seems that he was already trying to make a connection with the Crown Prince. Did Your Highness refuse because he was thinking of me?’

Bikan felt Arwen’s grace anew, but he did not show it and replied.

“It’s not a problem that I can decide, but since I have a visit schedule to the Crown Prince’s Palace tomorrow, I can bring up the topic to His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Bikan is a merchant.

“I plan to discuss the issue of sharing distribution rights separately with the merchant group heads who want it.”

Because it is not possible to negotiate the distribution rights for Western goods in a place where everyone is gathered.