Became The Son Of The Final Boss [EN]: Chapter 23

23.

Soris doubted his own eyes.

Clang! Clang!

Ken’s sword struck Arun repeatedly, but it couldn’t penetrate the shield made of water spirits.

What surprised Soris wasn’t Arun’s shield that defended against Ken’s attacks, but Arun’s movements themselves.

‘He’s not missing any of Sword Expert Ken’s movements…’

Just a day ago, he had advised Arun to simultaneously control spirits of different attributes and develop related techniques.

Even with exceptional spirit affinity, developing techniques is a different matter.

Arun had not only developed the techniques in just one day but was also becoming more proficient through sparring.

Ken bit his lip and split his figure into two. It was a kind of optical illusion. He moved so fast that it was hard to follow with the eyes, leaving afterimages that made it seem like there were two bodies.

Arun moved smoothly, as if he had read Ken’s next move. A shield formed where the sword was headed, and a Sylph’s blade aimed for Ken’s weak points.

Arun’s movements, completely different from yesterday, shook the very nature of the sparring.

Until yesterday, Ken had been pushing Arun to his limits, adjusting to Arun’s level and being a bit stronger, but today’s sparring was completely different.

Sweat beaded on Ken’s forehead. He was concentrating with all his might.

‘Timid and incompetent, they said… It’s the complete opposite. Was the Crown Prince deliberately disguising his talents and strength to hide them?’

The Crown Prince’s incompetence was well-known, not only in the Imperial Palace but also to the lords of the capital and the provinces. His father, the Emperor, was not even comparable, and rumors were rife that the Crown Prince would be replaced due to his abilities being far inferior to those of his brothers.

However, Arun, whom Soris was directly observing, was a completely different person from the rumors.

‘He’s bold enough to bring a thief guild into the palace, and Ken is already loyal to the Crown Prince. Ken isn’t someone who easily pledges allegiance to anyone… The fact that he won Ken’s heart in such a short period is also unusual. His talent as a spiritist… is beyond measure.’

The Guild Master had no intention of siding with the Crown Prince, but Soris trusted Ken’s judgment.

He had encouraged him to enter the palace and suggested working with the Crown Prince, bringing guild members who could be considered his own faction.

The Guild Master readily let Soris go, thinking that Soris was willingly walking into a death trap with guild members he couldn’t control anyway.

‘It was a gamble, but if it succeeds, the stakes are high.’

Soris smiled faintly as he watched Arun pushing Ken back.

‘If the Crown Prince becomes Emperor… the Thief Guild could become the Emperor’s hands and feet, not just a thief guild. Becoming an organization directly under the Imperial Palace is not just a dream.’

He didn’t rush. Soris was looking at least ten years ahead.

Arun’s talent, in Soris’s view, was the best on the continent, enough to draw a long-term plan step by step.

‘Summoning a top-tier spirit in a contract summoning based on the Oath of the Beginning [a powerful and rare magical contract], and creating techniques to control spirits in just one day… no other spiritist can do that.’

At that moment, Ken’s sword aimed for Arun’s neck.

Soris shouted briefly.

“Ken!”

Ken’s sword stopped right in front of Arun’s Adam’s apple.

Ken stepped back with a sigh.

“This is… embarrassing. To be forced to go all out in just a few days.”

After glancing at Ken, who slumped down, Soris said to Arun.

“The rumors about His Highness were all nonsense.”

“Rumors are like that. They have no substance… and are often not true.”

Soris bowed his head slightly at Arun’s words.

“I entered the palace at Ken’s suggestion, but to be honest, I was skeptical about His Highness. But after seeing His Highness yesterday and today, I felt that it wouldn’t be enough to bet my life.”

“Bet your life, huh…”

“I want to plan bigger things with Your Highness.”

Soris inwardly guessed that Arun would not refuse.

The Crown Prince had no power and only two talents, Gale and Ken. It was a woefully inadequate force to protect not only the position of Crown Prince but also his life.

His talent was great, but he was just taking his first steps.

‘Currently, the Crown Prince is the most distant figure from power, unlike his position. Now is the right time. If the Crown Prince’s talent becomes widely known… more people will try to side with him, and then someone like me might not even catch his eye.’

Arun’s answer didn’t come quickly.

Soris simply bowed his head and waited.

‘It’s not easy to forget someone who helps when there’s no one around. If I am chosen by the Crown Prince now, I will establish a position no different from a founding contributor when he becomes Emperor.’

“Just one question.”

Soris raised his head at Arun’s voice.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Choosing me now might be a life-threatening gamble. Are you aware of that?”

Soris didn’t deny it.

A smile spread across Arun’s face, and Soris swallowed hard without realizing it. Arun’s strange gaze felt like it was binding him tightly.

“I will see your abilities and those of your guild members. The choice will be made by me, the Crown Prince of this nation, not you.”

Soris’s eyes wavered.

* * *

Thanks to a regular life and training, my body had changed beyond recognition in a month.

“Well, seventeen is the peak of the growth period.”

I smiled faintly as I looked in the mirror in the bathroom. The reflection showed not only my face but also a remarkably excellent body.

Lean muscles were starting to take hold on my previously bony frame.

I seemed to have grown a bit taller than when I first came to the Calpheon Empire.

It wasn’t just my body that had changed. The mana hole [a spiritist’s core, where mana is stored] inside me was growing bigger day by day thanks to the Breath of the Wind technique.

I roughly wiped myself down and came out of the bathroom.

Ken was busily preparing the meal with the maids and servants.

“You’re out.”

Ken’s brown hair glistened with moisture, as if he had already washed up.

“Yeah. Join me for a meal.”

“Yes.”

Ken didn’t refuse my offer and took a seat.

After the maids and servants left, I glanced at the door and said.

“They’re all from the Thief Guild, but they’re used to the work.”

Ken chuckled.

“They’re people who have done everything to survive. After joining the Shadow Walk Guild, they received professional training, but before that, they were all ordinary commoners or slaves.”

“I see.”

I felt the reality of the class society anew.

I was planning to let the Shadow Walk Guild members get out of their current work when the real servants came in soon.

I told Ken about that.

“If they are chosen by me, I will create a suitable organization. I’ll postpone the timing until after the spring evaluation.”

Ken nodded.

“Yes.”

“If I don’t like them, I’ll suitably commend them for preventing assassination attempts until the spring evaluation and send them out.”

It was his guild, and he seemed to have a considerable friendship with Soris, but Ken didn’t have any major complaints about my decision.

Rather, he presented even stricter standards.

“You should always think carefully when choosing people. In the end, the most important thing in the Imperial Palace’s power struggles is a trustworthy force. Especially considering the characteristics of the Shadow Walk Guild, you should use them as an underground force, not an aboveground one. Choosing an underground force is much more difficult than choosing an aboveground one.”

I agreed with Ken’s words.

“Right. Soris is taking a gamble with his life… but siding with power always involves risk.”

Ken smiled and nodded. He subtly changed the subject of the conversation.

“I’m seeing someone grow like Your Highness for the first time. Now I’m naturally going all out.”

“Is that so?”

Honestly, I didn’t realize how absurd my growth was.

Knowing the opportunities and growth rate of the hero Karen, my growth rate didn’t feel that fast compared to him.

‘Well, it’s because I set him up to be such a monster…’

It is an unavoidable fact that he will become the enemy of the Empire in the future, and I am struggling to become the Emperor of the Calpheon Empire, who will be his enemy.

In other words, as the son of the final boss, conflict with Karen is unavoidable.

Ken simply took my appearance as humility.

“Yes. I’ve never heard of anyone like Your Highness. The reason Soris is gambling with his life is none other than that. He saw Your Highness’s potential as a spiritist.”

“There are many things to consider when siding with power… Does that mean my talent as a spiritist is so great that he put all those things aside and chose me?”

“Of course.”

Listening to Ken’s flattery, I began to seriously discuss future plans.

“The Shadow Walk Guild has entered the palace anyway. Now we have to use them. Things will definitely happen before Gale returns.”

Ken was well aware of what kind of ‘things’ I was talking about.

“We have already grasped the situation in the Seventh Prince’s palace to some extent.”

I raised my eyebrows.

“Already?”

“Yes. Some of the maids have entered the kitchens of the Second Prince and Seventh Prince’s palaces.”

This Imperial Palace is so vast that it can be called a city. There are dozens of Imperial Palace kitchens alone. The one at the very top is the one in charge of the Emperor’s meals, and below that are the kitchens in charge of the meals of the Emperor’s direct family.

The Crown Prince’s kitchen was also an institution under the kitchen in charge of the Emperor’s meals.

The same was true of Ted and Chen’s palace kitchens.

“The kitchen is a place where a lot of information is exchanged. Maids sometimes gossip about the imperial family and unknowingly reveal confidential information. To understand the other party, it is effective to target the most basic place.”

I said briefly.

“Good.”

“Chen seems to be in a hurry lately.”

Ken began to calmly explain the information he had gathered about the Seventh Prince’s palace.

“Since His Highness hasn’t made any moves since the last assassination attempt, he seems to have become anxious. Seventh Prince Chen’s personality is greedy, hasty, and arrogant. He didn’t even consider His Highness an opponent, but they clashed once, and His Highness showed a different side. And they promised to compete in the spring evaluation… Considering Chen’s personality, he will consider it a disgrace to even meet His Highness in the spring evaluation.”

“That’s right.”

I also knew that.

Ken lowered his voice.

“So, I’m not sure if he recruited the Snake Venom Guild or if the Seventh Prince’s forces were originally managing them… but anyway, they tried to harm His Highness using them and failed.”

The memory of that day was still vivid.

“I’m curious about His Highness’s intentions, but I can’t even approach the Crown Prince’s palace because of His Majesty’s orders. So, he is likely to make mistakes. The Snake Venom Guild will not give up for the sake of their guild’s honor.”

Ken met my eyes.

“Do you know what the best way is to cut off the breath of a shaken and desperate enemy, Your Highness?”

I roughly guessed, but I shook my head because I was curious about how Ken would say it.

“What is it?”

“It’s to throw bait. And the best bait you can throw at Chen is Your Highness.”

A laugh leaked out without me realizing it.

As expected, it’s Ken, whom I wrote and know. He never goes around and uses any means or methods.

“You mean for me to be the bait?”

Ken replied briefly.

“Yes.”