Became The Son Of The Final Boss [EN]: Chapter 209

209.

Karen’s situation couldn’t be understood through mere reports.

I decided to receive a direct report from Hamilton tomorrow, with Ken present.

“If Your Majesty is available, your attendance would be greatly appreciated.”

Ken then steered the conversation back to the Magic Tower construction ceremony.

I nodded.

“I’ll have to suggest it to Father.”

“Your Highness, please invite the princes and princesses as well. If His Majesty cannot attend, it would be beneficial for the princes and princesses to grace the occasion with their presence.”

“My siblings?”

Ken was gradually amplifying the importance of the Magic Tower construction ceremony.

“Yes. Now that Your Highness’s position is secure, the princes’ and princesses’ participation in the construction ceremony will showcase the Imperial Family’s harmony.”

“Is that all?”

When I narrowed my eyes, Ken smiled knowingly.

“The nobles who support the princes and princesses, as well as the princes and princesses themselves, need to understand that the competition is over.”

As expected, Ken had another motive.

I was pleased with Ken’s intention.

It was obvious that the nobles were vying for the Crown Prince position by backing the princes and princesses, but my siblings themselves weren’t without ambition.

Especially Ted and Chen, who harbored significant aspirations.

They had posed a genuine threat to my position.

Now, the succession competition within the Empire was effectively over.

My duel with my father had essentially declared the end of the Crown Prince competition.

However, if they were to participate as supporting figures to the Crown Prince at events like the Magic Tower construction ceremony, the nobles and my siblings would internalize this reality more profoundly.

I didn’t consider it unnecessary showmanship.

The position of Crown Prince demands constant demonstration of influence and qualifications.

Regularly proving influence is necessary, so I accepted Ken’s suggestion.

“Good. Send invitations to my siblings as well. Let’s finalize the arrangements for the Magic Tower construction ceremony for now.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

I stood up.

“Even when I come to Grenian, nothing really changes. I have to work all day. It feels like there’s even more work.”

“If we stabilize Grenian as quickly as possible and begin extending administrative control to the provinces, you will become even busier,” Ken added.

“His Majesty also works all day long.”

My father, who manages a vast empire, is also typically swamped with paperwork.

‘Is he going to the battlefield because he’s tired of work?’

I shook my head and added one more thing.

“Also, invite a large number of wizards to the construction ceremony.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Hold the construction ceremony after Lillian emerges from the dungeon. The timing should be about right.”

Lillian and Gail are scheduled to enter the dungeon tomorrow morning.

Given their combination of an 8-circle mage [a mage of considerable power] and a Sword Master, I anticipated they would quickly conquer even the most challenging dungeon.

The new leader of Illusion Magic, Lillian, couldn’t be absent from the Magic Tower construction ceremony.

Because the Magic Tower itself is the Magic Tower of the Illusion Magic sect.

‘Duke Austin must be feeling a bit sick.’

Thinking of Duke Austin brought a smile to my face.

He, along with Duke Beregon, had invested heavily in making his grandson the Crown Prince.

Now that those efforts have come to nothing, his feelings must be complex.

Moreover, unlike Beregon, Duke Austin’s Riverhill family is a family of wizards.

Since the new owner of the Magic Tower is Lillian, whom he considered a lifelong adversary, he must be particularly displeased.

‘Will Beregon and Austin give up on the Crown Prince position?’

The fact that I dueled with my father on equal terms was shocking to all the nobles, but it paled in comparison to the shock experienced by the two dukes.

As I became a Supreme Spirit Master and ventured into a new realm, I was looking beyond the Supreme Spirit Master level.

Isn’t it a truly terrifying growth?

I am the only one who can summon four Supreme Spirits simultaneously since the beginning of human history.

It’s no wonder I received the title of Great Spirit Master.

I was confident in my ability to defeat Beregon and Austin.

The two of them must have sensed that as well.

Even so, I suspected that the two dukes wouldn’t easily relinquish their pursuit of the Crown Prince position.

They might appear submissive now, but the ambition they’ve displayed for so long is too deeply ingrained to be abandoned easily.

They are the ones who politically opposed my father as the head of the aristocratic faction.

No matter how strong I become, they won’t give up everything.

‘Being surrounded by enemies is still the same.’

I dismissed Ken and remained lost in thought for a while.

I didn’t reveal it in Ken’s presence, but honestly, Karen’s news was also quite surprising.

Originally, Karen should be building her reputation in the imperial provinces and gradually increasing her power by now.

“That’s my novel.”

Reality isn’t a novel.

There was no reason to be surprised that Karen was in the Jane family.

If everything had unfolded as I wrote, Arun should have been ousted from the Imperial Palace already.

‘How strong is Karen?’

A feeling that I will meet Karen.

The Magic Tower construction ceremony, the Magma’s Wrath dungeon break, and the two big events that are just around the corner, but the meeting with Karen felt even bigger.

The protagonist of the novel I wrote?

I was out of my mind when I first met my father, but Karen is different.

I have adapted a lot to living as Arun, and I have gained power and authority that did not exist in modern times.

Now I am not the person who wrote the final boss, but Arun Carl Leord.

My identity has completely established itself as Arun Carl Leord.

Knock-!

The knock roused me from my thoughts.

Olivia entered.

“Your Highness.”

“Ah, what’s wrong?”

“It’s time for dinner.”

I smiled brightly at Olivia’s appearance and nodded.

I even got married.

I am Arun Carl Leord.

Not the Arun Carl Leord I wrote, but the Arun Carl Leord who is pioneering my own life.

“Okay. I have to get up.”

I headed to the dining room with Olivia.

* * *

“It seems they are preparing for an all-out war.”

Hamilton’s face was grave.

“All-out war?”

“Yes. Major knights, wizards, and spirit masters of the Kingdom Union are gathering in the Jane family.”

Ken groaned.

“When do you think they will attack?”

“There is some time left. They are gathering major forces to the Jane family, and conscription has just begun.”

“Then it will take at least three months. The problem is that this is right on the border.”

Hamilton nodded in agreement with Ken’s words.

Everyone except Lillian, Gail, and Riorden was gathered in this place.

Olivia asked Hamilton.

“What is the scale?”

“We are still determining the exact numbers, but it seems they will conscript at least 100,000 people.”

My face also fell.

“It’s not an ordinary all-out war. They’re betting their lives.”

“It seems Jane directly persuaded the leaders of the Kingdom Union.”

At Hamilton’s words, Ken offered his analysis.

“The Kingdom Union was in a state where it could not sustain itself with its own food production. The Pyreon Kingdom was like a food warehouse for the Kingdom Union, but it has completely passed over to the Empire.”

I nodded.

Ken continued.

“They will be able to endure for a while, but the Kingdom Union will eventually have no choice but to recapture Pyreon. There’s also something in the Reinhardt ruins.”

Hamilton also addressed that point.

“We have gathered information that the Purifying Flame Order is searching for something in the Reinhardt ruins. I need to find out more about the exact details, but…”

“It seems there is something other than the magic book.”

Hamilton confirmed Olivia’s statement.

‘Is it an item related to the advent of the Demon King?’

Lillian and Gail’s roles suddenly became even more critical.

“Do they know that we discovered the dungeon in the Reinhardt ruins?”

Hamilton shook his head.

“No, Your Highness. We are thoroughly suppressing information about the Reinhardt ruins.”

“Good. The key takeaways are that they are preparing for an all-out war, and that this war is on a massive scale. That’s about it.”

I had no choice but to report to the Imperial Palace.

“You report directly to His Majesty.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

After deciding to send Hamilton to my father, I surveyed my subordinates.

“Assume that the Empire cannot provide assistance and develop a plan accordingly.”

Ken spoke as if he had anticipated this.

“Recently, the southern issue is gradually escalating… and the fairies in the west are also uneasy, so an order may be issued to handle this with the resources of the direct territory alone.”

“Even so…”

Even with David’s objection, Ken’s voice remained firm.

“Not only Grenian but the entire Pyreon Kingdom is Your Highness’s direct territory.”

Everyone’s face grew serious.

“It has not been officially announced yet, but as Ken said, it is true that Father sent such a letter.”

“Perhaps he predicted the all-out war in advance and incorporated all the old Pyreon Kingdom territory into the direct territory. He must have thought that Your Highness could stop the Kingdom Union alone.”

Ken added.

“Or he may be thinking that you must stop it alone.”

I concluded that Ken’s last words were more likely.

“It seems he predicted it and left it all to me.”

“We’ll have to start conscripting,” Ken turned his attention to Vikan.

“Guild Leader Vikan.”

“Yes.”

“It seems we need to secure military provisions first.”

Ken based all operations on the assumption of an all-out war.

“How much are you thinking of?”

“As much as possible. The people of the old Pyreon Kingdom have almost no loyalty to the direct territory. To conscript them, we must first bring as much food as possible to Grenian.”

Olivia spoke up.

“Are you planning to gather local troops by offering military provisions as compensation?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Ken nodded.

“Countless people are starving and dying of disease every day. I’m going to spread the word that if you respond to the conscription, you won’t have to worry about food and shelter.”

There was a problem that needed to be addressed first.

“David.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Travel around the provinces and gather all the nobles in Grenian. Because I will receive His Majesty’s letter directly. Let them know that they belong to the direct territory and clearly state that they are under my command.”

I spoke quickly.

“My territory residents may prevent them from coming to Grenian for conscription. First, establish the justification for conscription.”

The first justification is the Kingdom Union’s war preparations.

Only when the enemy prepares for an all-out war can we justify large-scale conscription.

The Kingdom Union is preparing for war on a very large scale, so the justification for national conscription was certain.

The second is the authority to conscript.

“Accurately inform the nobles that the entire old Pyreon Kingdom is my direct territory, and that I, as the Margrave and head of the direct territory, naturally have the authority to conscript.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“There will definitely be nobles who oppose the conscription and refuse to be summoned to Grenian.”

Everyone fell silent for a moment at my words.

Everyone could guess that the nobles would resist, although they couldn’t say it directly.

I said somewhat coldly.

“Nobles who refuse orders may be punished for disobeying the commander in a war situation.”

“Your Highness.”

“It’s a war situation now. The moment the conscription order is issued, the direct territory is converted to a wartime system.”

David nodded heavily.

“Yes.”

It is a war that can change fate.

I was about to start a war before Grenian could even settle down, but I pushed forward firmly.