Became The Son Of The Final Boss [EN]: Chapter 222

222.

“Father!”

Olivia stopped Duke James.

“There are many virtues in chivalry, but this action violates two of them.”

Duke James’s momentum remained fierce.

“Chivalry doesn’t matter in a real war.”

Olivia persisted nonetheless.

“Attacking a defenseless enemy is dishonorable, and Lilian isn’t even an enemy. She’s an ally. Killing Lilian, who lost consciousness after fighting for Your Highness, is cowardly.”

Duke James’s gaze intensified.

Olivia continued, pressing her point.

“Above all, for Father to arbitrarily kill Your Highness’s subordinate without Your Highness’s command is defying Your Highness’s authority.”

Kyle stepped forward, adding his voice to the protest.

“Duke, regain your composure. Regardless, Lilian is His Highness’s subordinate. Her fate is His Highness’s decision, not the Duke’s.”

Kyle even drew his sword, a clear sign of his resolve.

Duke James spoke quietly, acknowledging Kyle’s fierce stance.

“Are you going to stop me? This is only for His Highness’s benefit.”

Olivia couldn’t believe the situation.

Why was her usually wise father suddenly acting like this?

Of course, Olivia was also surprised by Lilian’s magic.

Magic that even a Sword Master couldn’t avoid. Anyone hit directly by that magic wouldn’t survive.

What if Lilian fully mastered the hellfire magic and could use it freely?

She would surpass the Emperor and become the strongest on the continent.

But what problem would that pose for Arun? She wasn’t an enemy, and she was Arun’s subordinate.

Olivia thought it would be beneficial for Arun, and there was no reason to kill her.

Olivia also drew her sword, aligning herself with Kyle.

“I agree with Sir Kyle. This is beyond Father’s authority, and as the Crown Princess and a subordinate of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, I cannot allow it.”

Duke James’s eyes widened slightly as even his daughter drew her sword against him.

“Dare… Do you think you two alone can stop me?”

Kyle replied firmly.

“We will do our best to try.”

Duke James glared at Kyle and Olivia for a long moment.

Hamilton, who had been regaining his senses, finally woke up completely.

“What’s going on here…?”

Hamilton was an excellent knight, but he couldn’t withstand the combined pressure of three Sword Masters. With a groan, just as he was about to intervene, Duke James sighed, seemingly relenting.

“Since Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess and Sir Kyle are so opposed, I will sheathe my sword.”

He even showed respect in his tone to Olivia, acknowledging her position.

It meant that he accepted their judgment and remembered his place as a subordinate of the Crown Prince.

Olivia immediately understood her father’s intentions and sheathed her sword.

Duke James spoke again, his tone more subdued.

“I will apologize to His Highness for today’s events, so you two don’t need to report it to His Highness separately.”

Kyle stepped forward, trying to reassure him.

“Duke, there’s no need…”

Olivia also spoke, echoing the sentiment that Arun didn’t need to be troubled with this.

“Father, to His Highness…”

“The Crown Princess has reminded me of chivalry and corrected my foolishness. I cannot deceive my lord, so I will accept my punishment from His Highness.”

Duke James turned his gaze to Hamilton, issuing a new order.

“Take good care of the magician Lilian. The border is near. There may not be many immediate dangers, but it’s always wise to be cautious.”

“Yes, Duke.”

Olivia nodded, relieved that the situation had de-escalated.

Kyle didn’t say anything more, accepting Duke James’s decision.

Duke James and his party walked away in a somewhat awkward silence.

Since they were in enemy territory, they had to remain vigilant, and as they approached the border, the sensitive ears of the three Sword Masters picked up the distinct sounds of battle.

“Duke.”

“I hear it too. That is definitely the sound of battle.”

Kyle and Duke James’s expressions hardened, their earlier conflict forgotten in the face of a new threat.

“I will go ahead and investigate.”

Duke James nodded, granting permission.

Soon, Kyle ran quickly towards the source of the sounds, his movements swift and silent.

How much time had passed? It felt like an eternity.

Kyle quickly reappeared, his face etched with urgency.

“Battles are taking place all along the border. It seems the Kingdom Alliance has mobilized a large number of soldiers.”

“A full-scale war?”

Duke James asked in surprise, his voice laced with concern.

Kyle nodded, confirming his fears.

“Yes.”

Duke James was lost in thought, rapidly assessing the situation.

‘This is the enemy’s rear. If the enemies have launched a full-scale war, Jane will also be there, and the number of soldiers will be substantial. It’s difficult for His Highness to handle this alone.’

He, Olivia, Kyle, and even Lilian were missing, leaving Arun vulnerable.

‘That young knight who fought against His Majesty is also a Sword Master. His Highness is in grave danger.’

Duke James spoke urgently, his voice filled with concern.

“Gordon is dead, and Eric is also dead, but Jane is still a formidable opponent. And the young Sword Master who fought against His Majesty will not be easy to defeat. We must hurry to His Highness’s aid.”

Olivia nodded, agreeing with the urgency of the situation.

“Yes.”

Hamilton stepped forward, offering a tactical suggestion.

“This place is now the enemy’s rear. The border is a battlefield, so it won’t be easy to break through. It’s better to bypass the border, avoiding the concentration of soldiers, than to attempt a direct assault.”

Duke James shook his head, dismissing the idea.

“That will take too long, and time is of the essence.”

Olivia chimed in, reinforcing her father’s point.

“The Kingdom Alliance has been recruiting for a long time, and their soldiers are highly motivated. On the other hand, the direct territory has not been properly reinforced. If the Kingdom Alliance and the Empire are fighting at the border, it would be one thing, but His Highness is fighting with the under-equipped soldiers of the direct territory.”

“Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess is right. There is no time to delay. We must act swiftly.”

When even Kyle supported a frontal breakthrough, Hamilton had no choice but to concede.

“Then it would be better to break through via the shortest route.”

“Is there a way to do that?”

At Duke James’s words, Hamilton nodded, a hint of apprehension in his eyes.

“Yes, but it will be dangerous. The magician hasn’t regained consciousness yet… and we may encounter enemy Sword Masters along the way.”

Duke James replied resolutely, his determination unwavering.

“We will break through somehow. Because His Highness is in danger if we don’t reach him quickly.”

Duke James glanced at Lilian, a hint of remorse in his eyes.

He had been ready to kill her moments ago, but now, having changed his mind, he spoke as if making a solemn pledge.

“We must protect the magician Lilian while breaking through the enemy lines.”

* * *

In the end, I failed to capture Karen.

He retreated at the sound of drums signaling a withdrawal from the main camp.

However, the soldiers did not retreat with him.

Unlike when Karen was in command, the soldiers’ movements became more coordinated and aggressive when Jane stepped in directly.

I was feeling anew the sheer scale of tens of thousands of soldiers.

I had become a Supreme Spirit Master, and I had four Supreme Spirits at my command, but the enemies rushing in were still overwhelming in number.

My mana had increased to an extent that couldn’t be compared to the past, but I couldn’t continuously use the skills of four Supreme Spirits all day long without rest.

“Your Highness, the eastern wall is being pushed back. We must retreat to the fortress.”

At Ken’s urgent words, I immediately turned my gaze to the east, assessing the situation.

“That place is…”

“Jane is leading the attack directly.”

I bit my lip, frustration and determination warring within me.

We had broken the enemy’s vanguard due to Karen’s carelessness, but that was the extent of our victory.

‘It seems to be more than tens of thousands, maybe over a hundred thousand soldiers.’

I asked urgently, seeking clarification.

“If we retreat like this, isn’t there a high possibility that we’ll be pushed back all the way to Grenian Castle?”

“Retreat them in an orderly fashion. Your Highness… must protect the retreating soldiers until the end, ensuring their safe withdrawal.”

Ken swung his sword, deflecting an incoming attack as he spoke.

Before I knew it, enemy soldiers were already scaling the wall I was guarding, their numbers seemingly endless.

“Give the order to retreat.”

Ken immediately gathered the knights and issued detailed retreat orders, ensuring a coordinated withdrawal.

The border wall was so low and poorly constructed that it was almost embarrassing to call it a wall.

The only reason we had held out this far was because I had fought with all my might, using my powers to defend the line.

‘It’s a shame we couldn’t capture Karen. That would have changed the course of this battle.’

I summoned the wind of flames with Sylphid and Ignis once again, unleashing a torrent of fire upon the advancing enemies, then jumped off the wall to join the retreating soldiers.

Soldiers were retreating from all directions, their faces grim but determined.

“Everyone, retreat to your assigned fortresses! Hold the line!”

I wanted to give the soldiers even a little bit of strength, to bolster their morale even as we were forced to retreat.

“Defend the fortresses firmly! They are our best chance to slow the enemy advance!”

Because the fortresses built in key locations were easier to defend against the enemy than the flimsy border wall.

I headed towards the nearest fortress with Ken at my side, our pace swift and purposeful.

The Kingdom Alliance soldiers were rushing in, eager to exploit our retreat and occupy all the fortresses with the momentum of their breakthrough.

Ken ran alongside me, his voice urgent.

“Duke James’s party will be here soon. They are moving as fast as they can.”

“The Kingdom Alliance has already occupied the border, so will the Duke be able to break through their lines? It’s a dangerous situation.”

It was a powerful party, consisting of three Sword Masters and one 8-circle magician, but the Kingdom Alliance soldiers numbered over 100,000.

No matter how strong they were, they couldn’t possibly defeat all those enemies alone.

“Hamilton will know the way through the enemy lines. What’s important now is that we must defend the fortress until Duke James arrives. Every moment we hold them back is crucial.”

I told Ken my strategic assessment, outlining our immediate priorities.

“How about abandoning the fortress altogether and defending inside Grenian Castle instead? It would be a more secure position.”

Ken shook his head, rejecting the idea.

“We must defend at the fortress first, and if we still can’t stop them, then we must retreat into the castle. If we retreat into the castle now, there is a high possibility that the old Pyreon Kingdom nobles will betray us, seeing our weakness. Also, the morale of the direct territory soldiers will drop uncontrollably, leading to desertion and chaos.”

Ken concluded quietly, his voice filled with grim determination.

“We must hold out as long as possible at the fortress. Fortunately, the fortresses are scattered here and there, and they will not break through at one single point, but will attack Grenian after occupying all the fortresses, securing their supply lines.”

“Are you sure that’s their strategy?”

“Yes. If they don’t occupy all the fortresses, they will be infiltrating enemy territory with enemies in the rear, leaving their supply lines vulnerable.”

Ken added, emphasizing the importance of securing their logistics.

“To secure the supply line safely, they must occupy all the fortresses before advancing further.”

“That’s a relief, at least. It buys us some time.”

Soon, the fortress gate came into view, a welcome sight amidst the chaos.

Only a few thousand soldiers were following me, a testament to the losses we had sustained.

There were many fortresses near the border, but the number of soldiers that one fortress could accommodate was at most about 5,000.

In the first place, the fortress is a kind of gateway built on the main road leading down to the capital, Grenian, designed to control access and trade.

Considering the historical relationship between the Kingdom Alliance and Pyreon, there was no way they would have invested in building the fortress properly. It was a neglected and underfunded project.

It’s much better than nothing, so I’m going to do my best to defend the fortress with what we have.

I immediately set up guards on the fortress wall, positioning them strategically to maximize our defenses, and Ken and I also went up to the wall to survey the surrounding area.

The Kingdom Alliance soldiers were not yet visible, but we knew they were coming.

“The enemies are not visible yet. They are likely regrouping and preparing for their next assault.”

“It seems they are reorganizing. They will secure the supply line after breaking through to the border, ensuring their advance is well-supported.”

“It’s a full-scale war, no doubt about it.”

Until I fought Karen, I thought it was a large-scale local war, a limited conflict.

A kind of probing action to prepare for when a full-scale war breaks out, testing our defenses and gauging our strength.

But looking at the current situation, it seemed that the Kingdom Alliance had already finished all the preparations for a full-scale war and was planning to conquer Grenian in one fell swoop and recover all the old Pyreon Kingdom territory, reclaiming their lost glory.

Starting with 100,000 soldiers, their forces will continue to be replenished from the Kingdom Alliance, ensuring a sustained offensive.

“Yes. The war started much earlier than expected. We were caught off guard.”

“We must hold out as long as possible until Duke James arrives. He is our only hope for reinforcement.”

Ken said in a heavy voice, his words reflecting the gravity of the situation.

“If Karen and Jane both attack this fortress in the next assault, then…”

“Then what? What are you suggesting?”

“Your Highness must abandon the fortress and immediately return to Grenian and take the magic circle to the imperial capital, seeking aid from the Emperor himself. Our survival depends on it.”

At Ken’s words, my expression hardened, realizing the dire consequences of our situation.