Became The Son Of The Final Boss [EN]: Chapter 191

191.

Marquis Daret, or rather, Daret, now living as a priest, stroked the child’s head with a gentle smile.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes! It’s really delicious. I’ve never tasted anything like this before.”

“I’ll give you more next time, so eat slowly.”

“Thank you very much.”

Around Daret, dozens of children were eagerly devouring their food. Daret reminded them several times to eat slowly, but the children ate ravenously, afraid they wouldn’t get another chance.

A warm smile spread across Daret’s face.

“Priest!”

Hearing someone call him, Daret slowly turned his head.

“Klie, walk carefully. You’ll hurt yourself if you fall.”

“Save the nagging for the little ones! Something big has happened.”

“Even with big problems, if you think calmly, you’ll find a solution. There’s no need to rush.”

Klie, who had just turned fifteen, usually appreciated Daret’s calm demeanor, but now she was too anxious to heed his words.

“The Lord is coming!”

“The Lord?”

“Yes, the Lord!”

Daret replied casually.

“I see.”

Klie cried out, frustrated.

“The Lord is a scary man! He’s definitely coming to argue about you giving food to the orphans and the poor. You’ve refused his invitations several times. The Lord hates you!”

Klie’s eyes welled up with tears.

The person who had changed her life, the person she believed might truly be a vessel of God, was about to face the wrath of a noble.

Klie was only fifteen, but she had witnessed the consequences of the Lord’s anger many times.

Daret smiled reassuringly.

“Klie, I’m alright. I haven’t done anything wrong, and I’ve been helping orphans and the poor within the Lord’s territory. Perhaps he’s coming to reward me.”

Daret stood up.

“Still, now that I’ve heard the news, I should go out to greet him, shouldn’t I? I can’t very well receive the Lord inside. Since our food supplies are dwindling, I should ask the Lord for assistance.”

* * *

I arrived in the territory of Marquis Mike, located in the westernmost part of the West.

The Lord’s castle, which was only at the foundation level when I last visited, had now been transformed into a respectable fortress.

It wasn’t extravagant, but it was quite large and designed to serve as a defensive stronghold in times of war.

Looking at the practically built Lord’s castle, I was once again reminded of Marquis Mike’s pragmatic personality.

‘He’s not radical enough to overturn the existing class system, but he values the dignity and responsibilities of a noble.’

“Your Highness!”

Hearing Marquis Mike’s voice in the distance, I dismounted from 질풍 [Jilpung – likely a named horse or steed].

Soon, Marquis Mike’s voice grew closer.

“Your Highness!”

“It’s been a while, Marquis.”

Marquis Mike greeted me warmly.

I entered the Lord’s castle and spent the afternoon catching up on everything I had missed.

Even during the evening banquet, Marquis Mike and I shared stories and laughter.

The Western lords who attended the banquet also seemed to be in much better spirits than during the war with the Orcs.

I was glad I had come to the West.

The West feels like a hometown to me. It was where I first made my presence known and experienced rapid growth.

The Western lords swore allegiance to me, and they became the core of the Crown Prince faction.

Because it’s my political base, I feel more attached to it than to my own direct territory.

After the grand dinner banquet, we decided to hold a formal meeting the next day, and I spent my first day back in the West.

* * *

I drank more wine than I realized at yesterday’s banquet, so I woke up a little late.

After a simple breakfast, I sat down with Marquis Mike.

Marquis Mike’s office was simply furnished.

He brewed tea for me himself.

“It’s a specialty that only grows in the West, and the aroma and taste are quite unique. Because the tea grows in remote areas, it’s difficult to harvest. During the last war, we ran out of supplies and couldn’t offer it to Your Highness.”

“It’s a precious tea. The aroma is certainly delightful.”

I took a sip of the tea. It had a very clean taste and suited my palate well.

“Most of the arrangements here are complete. Now that I’ve seen Your Highness, I plan to depart for the Imperial City around tomorrow.”

As the main topic arose, I put down my teacup and nodded.

“I feel like I’m placing a great burden on you, Marquis.”

Marquis Mike smiled.

“I’m not familiar with central politics, but there are many who support Your Highness, and Duke James is also there, so I don’t anticipate any major difficulties.”

I agreed with Marquis Mike’s assessment.

What I expect from him isn’t to expand the Crown Prince faction or to devise groundbreaking reform policies.

It’s simply to lend the Marquis’s influence to maintain the Crown Prince faction’s strength.

Duke James leads the Crown Prince faction in the capital, and Marquis Mike’s role is to support Duke James, ensuring his political voice isn’t diminished.

Marquis Mike understood his role perfectly.

“The Crown Prince faction is a relatively new political force. I believe that my presence can create some momentum in central politics, and Duke James will feel more secure.”

“Thank you in many ways, Marquis.”

Marquis Mike then brought up the topic of the West.

“Have you decided on the next leader of the Western Alliance?”

I shook my head.

“I was originally planning to leave it to Marquis Mike, so I haven’t given it much thought. I’ve only recently started considering a few lords.”

“It’s not ideal for any community to have a vacant leadership position for too long. Fortunately, Your Highness’s presence in the West will stabilize things for the time being, but I believe it would be wise to choose a leader soon.”

“Who do you have in mind, Marquis?”

“I’m considering Count Sarhan.”

It was the same suggestion Ken had made.

* * *

Even in the West, there were prestigious families like the Odin family and the Pawen family, but the West’s political influence had long been minimal.

The West’s environment was undeniably harsher than other regions, with barren land, low crop yields, and frequent monster attacks.

The challenging environment of the West, where survival itself was a struggle, naturally fostered a unique culture, characterized by a relentless focus on survival.

The West always stockpiled food, regardless of how meager the harvest. They learned through bitter experience that saving food for tomorrow, even if it meant going hungry today, was crucial for survival.

Due to constant battles with monsters, the men of the West wielded swords and spears from a young age, and they were desensitized to serious injuries in children’s war games.

They understood that in just a few years, those children would be fighting for ‘survival’ rather than ‘play.’

The Westerners prioritized survival above all else, leaving them with little interest in central politics.

For those preoccupied with the number of lords and people who might die each year, the power of central politics seemed like a distant dream.

And among those Western lords, there was a unique individual.

“He went on patrol in the West Forest?”

My voice, questioning Ken, was filled with disbelief.

Ken smiled wryly.

“Yes. According to the reports, Sarhan stated that it is a vassal’s duty to anticipate and fulfill the lord’s wishes.”

I was speechless.

“Huh! I suppose that lord is referring to me?”

“At least, that’s how he presented it at the meeting.”

Ken suspected a connection between Count Sarhan and Duke Beregon, based on Hamilton’s report.

Hamilton has launched an investigation to confirm this suspicion and will reach a conclusion soon.

Although no definitive conclusion has been reached, Ken was convinced his theory was correct.

“Your Highness was originally scheduled to visit your direct territory. However, you came to the West, and recently requested data on the fairies of the West. Sarhan was aware of this and went to the West Forest.”

“His actions are remarkably swift. On the surface, he appears to be a man of his word.”

Ken smiled faintly.

“He will report the results of his West Forest patrol to two entities: the Western Alliance and Duke Beregon.”

I stroked my chin.

“Is Count Sarhan truly Duke Beregon’s puppet? The Western lords have historically shown little interest in central politics. They barely have time to consider central politics when they’re unsure if their territory will survive from one day to the next.”

Ken explained it simply.

“Your Highness, what would happen if a territory on the brink of collapse received food support?”

I exclaimed, “Ah!” without thinking.

“Beregon could have brought all the Western lords under his control if he had wanted to. The same applies to Duke Austin. Their families’ wealth dwarfs that of the entire West. If they invested even a small amount, everyone would have pledged allegiance. But they refrained from doing so until now because there was no compelling reason.”

I clicked my tongue.

“I should have paid more attention to the West during the Great War. Isn’t the West also part of the Empire? I neglected the West by focusing investments on the south and east, where the main battles were fought, and the north, where the Imperial Palace is located.”

I’m not explicitly blaming my father, but the policy direction undeniably marginalized the West.

The reason the Western lords swore allegiance to me was partly due to their shared sense of being neglected.

“Still, let’s gather more information since it’s not yet certain. Hamilton must be feeling uneasy.”

“Hamilton is a detached individual. His ability to lead the intelligence organization stems from his personality, which is unaffected by emotions.”

I nodded at Ken’s words.

“First, Count Sarhan has already begun his patrol of the West Forest, so it’s best to wait for his report. Our response will depend on the results Sarhan presents, rather than rushing to the West Forest ourselves.”

“I will continue to gather data on the fairies.”

“Yes. The suspected location of Magma’s Wrath is within the fairy territory.”

Ken glanced at me and asked.

“That magic book… was it really created by the Dragon race?”

“Perhaps.”

I vaguely brushed off the question.

‘Actually, I don’t know because I didn’t flesh out the details.’

If I elaborate further with Ken, countless inconsistencies in my explanation will surface.

There’s no need to risk that.

“Your Highness!”

An urgent voice echoed from outside.

The person who entered was Gail.

“Gail?”

“A soldier who went to the Fairy Forest has returned.”

I felt a sense of foreboding at Gail’s report.

“A soldier who went to the Fairy Forest? Not Count Sarhan?”

“I believe you should see it for yourself.”

At Gail’s words, Ken and I stood up.

When we went outside, the servants were murmuring amongst themselves.

They quickly recognized me and cleared a path.

“Ah, ah, ah.”

A soldier was lying in the Lord’s castle yard, making strange noises.

“Wa, warning, warning.”

The soldier’s mind was completely shattered, and his body was contorted into a grotesque shape.

My face hardened involuntarily.

“Wa, warning, warning, wa, warning. Humans are polluting the world again.”

I didn’t question the soldier.

Before I knew it, Lillian approached me.

“It’s mental magic. A particularly cruel form of it. He’ll likely only remain alive long enough to utter the pre-set words.”

I bit my lip tightly at Lillian’s words.

“Humans who seek to defile even the sacred land. The, the time of purification is drawing near.”

The soldier spat out his final words.

“The purification that begins in the West Forest will spread across the entire continent.”

The soldier with the twisted body collapsed.

‘Purification… is the mental magic inflicted on that soldier truly the work of the fairies?’

Words of condemnation against the fairies erupted from the crowd.

“Purification, what terrible people! Even though the West Forest is their home.”

“I heard the Count was only on a reconnaissance mission.”

“How could they do that to a person!”

The atmosphere was shifting ominously.