Became The Son Of The Final Boss [EN]: Chapter 223

223.

“You’re telling me to run away?”

Ken nodded.

“Yes.”

“Ken!”

I glared at him, my expression stern.

“If I, the lord of this territory and the Crown Prince, flee the battlefield, who will remain loyal to me and the Empire?”

“The loyalty of the people and knights can be regained, Your Highness. But life is only one, and death is the end.”

“Ken.”

I repeatedly tried to dissuade Ken, but he wouldn’t budge.

“Your Highness’s life is paramount. Even if the Empire yields this territory to the Kingdom Alliance, it will only suffer a temporary setback and won’t be fundamentally weakened. If Your Highness dies, the title of Crown Prince becomes meaningless. You must survive.”

Ken added, “Of course, I intend to offer every possible strategy to help Your Highness win this war, but I’m only saying this because the current situation is dire.”

I sighed. I understood Ken’s concern, but if I fled, could I, as the Crown Prince, ever hope to regain my position and respect?

I also agreed that life was the most important thing.

‘If Grenian isn’t retaken before Duke James returns, we can still win this.’ I calmed myself and spoke deliberately.

“Okay. For now, let’s focus on repelling the enemy.”

As I finished speaking with Ken on the wall, the enemy began to appear.

Like a swarm of black ants, the soldiers of the Kingdom Alliance were massing in front of the small fortress.

They didn’t seem to be planning an immediate attack, instead beginning to set up tents.

“There are so many of them.”

Ken nodded in agreement.

“I don’t know who their commander is, but he’s far too confident, setting up camp so close to our walls.”

“But we can’t simply open the fortress gates and charge out to meet them. The difference in numbers is too great.”

Ken pondered for a moment.

“Let’s head inside for now. You must be exhausted from fighting on the border for so long. Your Highness is our most valuable asset right now.”

Ken offered a wry smile. “Even if we gather all the knights, there are only about a hundred of them… Your Highness is carrying too much of the burden alone.”

“It’s always the way. When you possess exceptional abilities, you’re expected to perform exceptionally. No one expects a top-level spirit master [a mage specializing in summoning and controlling spirits] to achieve the same feats as an ordinary knight. They expect overwhelming results.”

I went down from the wall with Ken, ordering the soldiers to remain vigilant. Even without my order, everyone was on edge, knowing the enemy was right outside.

‘I’m worried about tomorrow.’

Tomorrow, the soldiers of the Kingdom Alliance would undoubtedly launch their assault. Could we truly hold them back? Would Duke James and his company be able to safely break through the enemy lines from the rear and return to the fortress?

“A messenger was sent to the Imperial City, so reinforcements will arrive, right?” I asked as we walked, and Ken nodded.

“Under normal circumstances, reinforcements would certainly be dispatched. Elite knights and mages could arrive quickly using magic circles [teleportation circles], and infantry and cavalry could reach Grenian within fifteen days.”

Ken continued with a sigh, “However, ordinary soldiers can’t use magic circles, so their arrival may take longer than fifteen days. And the elite knight orders and mages are likely committed to other fronts, so I wouldn’t expect too much.”

“Magic circles can only transport a limited number of people at a time, usually no more than ten. And the number of times even soldiers can use magic circles is also limited.”

You can’t use magic circles indefinitely.

It was only because Lilian had created that particular magic circle that such extensive use was possible, but normally, the mana flow becomes unstable if ten people travel back and forth about thirty times. At that point, the magic circle has to be discarded and redrawn.

That’s why tens of thousands of soldiers can’t simply teleport using magic circles.

“Yes. One way or another, we just have to hold on.”

“Isn’t there any clever strategy we could use?”

“Our information is limited now that Hamilton is gone. It would be much easier if we could identify the enemy commanders first.”

At Ken’s words, I immediately replied, “The members of his organization are still active. Get a report from the vice-commander and formulate a plan.”

Ken’s expression brightened.

“That’s a relief.”

“Hamilton was only in charge of guidance; his organization is functioning normally.”

“I’ll need to meet with them right away.”

Ken quickened his pace. I also turned towards the office, intending to meditate and prepare for tomorrow’s battle.

As soon as I was alone in the office, Karen came to mind.

‘His command of soldiers was clumsy… but Karen’s individual strength was undeniable.’

Even amidst that chaotic battle, Karen had survived and returned. Despite my attempts and the knights’ efforts to capture him, he had blocked all attacks and retreated.

If the situation had been different?

I might not have survived.

And Karen would undoubtedly have grown even stronger from that experience.

‘He definitely has a system [a game-like interface that grants special abilities and tracks progress].’

I resolved to prioritize gathering information when I next encountered Karen. What level was he now? Could I check his status window with my current level?

The sheer number of enemy soldiers, over a hundred thousand, was daunting, but Karen’s strength was equally terrifying. If I couldn’t stop him, this territory would inevitably fall into the hands of the Kingdom Alliance.

‘It’s easier to accept that the future has been completely altered and that the future I envisioned no longer exists.’

Karen joining forces with the Kingdom Alliance wasn’t part of my original plan. He was supposed to develop into an independent force and oppose his father, but at this point, he was still a knight of the Kingdom Alliance.

The reasons for his allegiance to the Kingdom Alliance were irrelevant. The reality was that I had to fight him again tomorrow.

I sat cross-legged in the office and began the breathing technique of the wind.

I wasn’t resting on my laurels just because I had become a top-level spirit master.

Was the path of the spirit master truly at its end here?

No.

Just as the path of the sword doesn’t end for a sword master, the path of the spirit master doesn’t end for a top-level spirit master.

‘As I grow stronger, high-level spirits become top-level spirits. If I become even stronger, can I become a spirit king?’

I immediately summoned Undine. It was one thing to vaguely speculate, and another to hear the facts directly from Undine.

I asked Undine, who appeared before me, directly and without preamble, “If my spirit magic advances beyond its current level, can you become a spirit king?”

* * *

Meanwhile, as Arun was preparing for his battle with Karen, Duke James was already cutting down his hundredth soldier.

Papapap-!

Duke James was carrying Lilian directly on his back, but she remained unconscious. He focused more on protecting Lilian than on his own safety, as if trying to atone for his earlier attempt to kill her.

“Block them!” At the knight’s command, the soldiers surged forward.

Hamilton ran on Duke James’s right, and Olivia on his left, while Gale covered their rear.

Olivia and Gale simultaneously unleashed their aura blades.

Seogeog-!

The head of the knight who had given the order rolled across the ground.

“Ugh…” Groans escaped the soldiers’ mouths. The fear of facing an existence beyond their comprehension manifested only in these pained sounds.

The soldiers, fearing for their lives, hesitated to attack Duke James directly.

Even as he charged towards the border at a terrifying speed, Duke James’s expression remained grim.

‘Jane or another young sword master who received the call will arrive soon. At that time… escape will be impossible.’

Duke James bit his lip tightly.

Papapap-!

He was moving as fast as possible, but the soldiers, spurred on by their knights, continued to block his path.

Some knights bravely stepped forward, attempting to impede Duke James’s progress.

“Duke.” Duke James responded to Gale’s call.

“Hurry.”

“I’ll stay behind.”

“Gale!”

“No one can escape like this. If the enemy sword masters arrive, it’s over.”

Duke James knew this all too well, but he refused to accept Gale’s offer.

“I will break through the border and return safely to His Highness. This situation arose because I delayed trying to kill Lilian, but if I leave you behind, how could I ever face His Highness again?”

“But survival is paramount. I’ll stay behind and buy you time.”

If Gale stayed behind, the Kingdom Alliance soldiers would inevitably split their forces, some to block Duke James, and others to engage Gale. Gale was counting on this division and strongly urged Duke James to let him stay behind once more.

“I’ll stay behind.” As if he no longer needed Duke James’s permission, Gale turned to face the enemy camp.

Duke James stopped moving. Gale was about to charge into the enemy ranks, but he was forced to halt when Duke James stopped.

“If we don’t go together, we’ll all die here.”

Gale bit his lip tightly.

“Time is being wasted. I’ve made my intentions clear, so let’s move again.” Duke James ran forward without waiting for Gale’s response.

After cutting down hundreds more soldiers and over ten knights, the border gradually came into view.

Even a sword master tires.

Near the border wall, Duke James, Olivia, Gale, and even Hamilton, who had focused solely on following the three rather than fighting, were breathing heavily.

“The border is close.”

“The wall is…” Duke James trailed off. There were two walls on the border: the wall built by the Kingdom Alliance and the wall built by the old Pyreon Kingdom [a kingdom previously allied with the Kingdom Alliance].

Both walls were flimsy, as the Pyreon Kingdom was virtually a vassal state of the Kingdom Alliance, and the power imbalance was significant. Having broken through the wall built by the Kingdom Alliance, they had hoped to find allies at the wall built by the old Pyreon Kingdom.

Instead, all that was visible were Kingdom Alliance soldiers. This meant that the territory’s border had already been breached by the Kingdom Alliance, making their situation even more precarious.

Duke James’s expression darkened. Olivia, too, struggled to maintain her composure as she wielded her sword with difficulty.

“Go.” Duke James was startled by the voice from behind.

“Fire… ball.” Dozens of fireballs erupted from behind Duke James, flying in all directions.

“Li, Lilian Mage!” Olivia exclaimed in surprise.

“Qu, quickly go. If the enemy sword master comes, everyone… dies…” Lilian continued casting magic even as she spoke with difficulty.

Duke James summoned his remaining strength.

Kwaaaang-! Kwang-!

The speed of their advance increased dramatically with the addition of a mage to their group. The aura blades unleashed by the three sword masters and Lilian’s magic relentlessly felled the Kingdom Alliance soldiers.

As Lilian muttered once more, earthquakes rippled through the area. The knights who were approaching the group staggered, and Duke James seized the opportunity.

Seogeog-!

As he ran, leaving a trail of blood, the wall drew closer and closer.

“We’ll cross it in one breath. Head straight to the fortress, and if the fortress has already been captured, then detour and enter Grenian.” Duke James leaped upwards with all his might.

Lilian’s magic unfolded once again. Dozens of ice arrows rained down.

Kwaaaaang-!

Kwang-!

Lilian buried her face in Duke James’s back and said, “This is the limit.”

Duke James replied curtly, “Rest a little more. It will be our camp when you wake up.”