Became The Son Of The Final Boss [EN]: Chapter 24

24.

“Since the assassins are in our custody, they won’t know the full story. They’ll probably just assume they were stopped by Sir Gale, and that the assassins are dead. That’s about it,” I said.

I nodded at Ken’s words.

“It’s an opportunity for them, and an opportunity for me.”

Ken chuckled.

“Yes.”

Ken then explained the plan.

“It would be best to go outside the palace.”

“Outside the palace?”

My eyes questioned his suggestion.

Ken elaborated, “They’ll be more daring outside the palace than inside. The palace has basic security, so they’d have to plan the assassination much more meticulously. But outside is different. They’ll think assassinating Your Highness outside the palace without Sir Gale is easy.”

Ken’s voice turned cold.

“They’ll probably think it’s the best opportunity. Plus, outside the palace… we can properly evaluate the Shadow Walk Guild’s abilities.”

I pondered.

‘It’s a gamble with my life. What if the Shadow Walk Guild can’t stop their assassination attempt?’

As if reading my mind, Ken spoke, “It’s a very dangerous plan. But the more dangerous it is, the greater the reward when successful. Sir Gale would have opposed it… but my personal opinion aligns with Your Highness. It’s an opportunity for them, but also for Your Highness. Chen’s influence is quite significant, and opportunities to seize such a competitor’s lifeline are rare.”

“Proceed. Coordinate with Soris to establish a justification for leaving the palace and a plan to prevent the assassination.”

Ken’s eyes widened slightly, surprised by my decisive decision.

“Are you sure you’re alright with this?”

“You said it’s an opportunity. I can’t miss it.”

Ken didn’t ask further.

“I will report back after consulting with Soris.”

I added one thing.

“I’m planning to increase the intensity of my training for the time being. I need to become more familiar with spirit magic before going outside the palace. It’s not that I doubt the Shadow Walk Guild’s abilities… but the Viper’s Venom Guild also has a formidable reputation.”

“Of course. I will assist in maximizing Your Highness’s skills.”

Ken bowed.

I smiled and patted Ken’s shoulder.

“When Gale returns, let’s get scolded together.”

“Sir Gale isn’t like that outside, but he’s surprisingly nagging inside. He might get furious.”

Ken had also grasped Gale’s personality quite well.

“I think I’ll be scolded a lot.”

“That’s how we work together. You and Gale are my only vassals. We need to complement each other’s weaknesses and maximize our strengths. The two of you have to do the work of a hundred, two hundred people.”

My voice lowered without me realizing it.

“To survive in this imperial palace… and to inherit Father’s throne safely.”

Ken also replied seriously.

“Of course, Your Highness. It will definitely happen.”

* * *

Alone in my room, I looked up at the moon and thought.

‘I trust Ken, and I trust Soris. Gale is, of course, the most trustworthy vassal… but to survive safely in this world, my own strength is ultimately the most important.’

I made a firm resolution as I faced the cold wind.

‘I have to do my best every day. My very survival is threatened. No matter how much future knowledge I have or what abilities my status window grants me, I’m doomed the moment I let my guard down.’

I had a feeling that Ken’s plan would determine the future direction of my life.

I reviewed the information I knew.

‘Viper’s Venom Guild, Shadow Walk Guild… currently, the Viper’s Venom Guild is slightly superior. In terms of power and reputation.’

The Shadow Walk Guild, along with Karen, will become the best guild on the continent in the future. That’s something that will happen in the future, not now.

‘I can’t leave it entirely to Ken and Soris. Right now… I need to focus on raising my skill levels.’

I also thought about contracting more spirits, but I shook my head and postponed that method.

I set a goal to raise all three skills—Wind Chains, Water Barrier, and Flow of Wind and Earth—to level 5.

I could feel the skills becoming more familiar as I sparred with Ken.

“I can’t neglect the Wind Breathing Technique either.”

The absolute amount of mana isn’t the only measure of strength, but it accounts for a large part.

I immediately sat cross-legged.

It doesn’t matter if I’m short on sleep. The Wind Breathing Technique has a better fatigue recovery effect than a good night’s sleep.

By removing the waste accumulated during the day with the Wind Breathing Technique and accumulating mana, I could have a refreshing sleep even if I slept for a short time.

The mana in the mana hole wriggled due to the Wind Breathing Technique and slowly began to flow along the blood vessels.

The mana hole was definitely bigger than before.

‘It’s about the size of a soccer ball now.’

I was very proud of the fact that the mana hole, which was only the size of a tangerine, had grown so much.

As I gradually fell into the Wind Breathing Technique, distracting thoughts were also erased.

The mana in the exhaled breath removed impurities accumulated in the body, and the newly entering mana in the inhaled breath flowed refreshingly along the blood vessels toward the mana hole.

* * *

After eating a breakfast with Policia flowers, I headed to the training ground as usual.

There was already a guest there.

Soris approached and bowed to me.

“Your Highness.”

“Who are these people?”

They were all dressed as maids and servants, but I recognized at a glance that they were members of the Shadow Walk Guild.

‘All the maids and servants in the Crown Prince’s Palace are members of the Shadow Walk Guild.’

However, they rarely encountered me directly until now.

Soris brought them here probably for another purpose.

“These are the ones who will participate in this plan.”

I examined the guild members. There were four of them in total, only one of whom was female, and three were male.

The female guild member looked the youngest, but the men also seemed to be under 30.

I asked briefly.

“What roles will they play?”

Ken answered my question.

“They will formulate a plan based on the information brought by the guild members deployed in Chen’s palace. This friend will plan the routes and predict the assassination points.”

Ken pointed to the female guild member.

I nodded to her as she bowed to me.

“These two will disguise themselves as knights that Sir Gale left for Your Highness. They need to be skilled enough to convince the enemies that Your Highness is going outside the palace.”

Unable to contain my curiosity, I immediately asked Ken.

“Aren’t their identities already exposed as servants? If they suddenly act as knights, won’t the enemies be suspicious?”

Ken smiled faintly at my words.

Ken gestured to the two people who would play the role of knights.

The two peeled off their facial skin.

I couldn’t hide my surprise and stared at the two.

Soris said.

“Disguising with magic is the most perfect, but unfortunately, no magicians belonging to the guild have entered the palace. There’s no need to be disappointed as their level isn’t high. A mask is more suitable for deceiving the enemy than clumsy magic.”

Their masks were so perfect that I mistook them for another face.

‘It’s not a mask… it’s like a human skin mask from martial arts novels?’

I clicked my tongue as the two put on their masks again.

“Amazing.”

“When they are in the palace, they are disguised as servants, but when they take off their masks outside the palace, it will be difficult for the enemies to recognize them.”

I actively agreed with Soris’s answer.

“With this level of skill, you can deceive the enemy enough.”

I turned my gaze to the remaining one.

At my signal, Ken immediately opened his mouth.

“This friend’s role is to identify the assassins in advance. The assassins will probably disguise themselves as passersby outside the palace.”

All four had their own roles, and I believed they would do well enough.

To be honest, I wasn’t entirely without doubts about Soris and the Shadow Walk Guild’s abilities, but one mask completely changed my judgment.

“Good! Then… I have a suggestion.”

I said to the two who would play the role of knights.

“Participate in today’s sparring as well. Ken, go to the palace and provide them with knight attire and weapons.”

Ken immediately dissuaded me.

“Your Highness, it’s better for them to remain disguised as servants until they go outside the palace.”

I usually followed Ken’s opinion.

This time, I insisted.

“Even if Father told me to stop paying attention to the Crown Prince’s Palace, there must be eyes watching us from somewhere. It’s less suspicious for the enemies if they occasionally become my sparring partners than if they suddenly act as knights outside the palace.”

Ken was lost in thought at my words.

The two guild members seemed curious about my skills and gave Ken a look that hoped he would follow my opinion.

Ken opened his mouth.

“Your Highness is right. I didn’t think about that. And… it would be good to figure out who is watching us from where and how.”

Soris chimed in.

“I will figure that out as quickly as possible.”

The introduction of the guild members involved in the plan was over, and we had discussed new agenda items, so all that was left was sparring.

“Then let’s prepare right away.”

Ken headed to the palace with Soris and the guild members.

I waited for them in the training hall for a while, completing my sparring preparations with the Wind Breathing Technique.

After a while, Ken, Soris, and the two guild members who had changed into knight attire returned.

The two held wooden swords in their hands.

“Do you use swords?”

The older-looking young man answered my words.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

There was nothing special.

I said to Ken.

“Let’s start with sparring with Ken first, and then spar with them.”

“Yes.”

Ken didn’t refuse and stepped forward first.

Ken raised his momentum.

To avoid being pushed back by the momentum, I immediately summoned the spirits and operated the Wind Breathing Technique.

Communication with the spirits is through consciousness, and skills can be implemented even with just the consciousness to use them, but I never forgot to circulate mana through the Wind Breathing Technique.

‘When I implement a skill, mana automatically circulates through the blood vessels following the Wind Breathing Technique… but if I am conscious and circulate mana, the Wind Breathing Technique experience accumulates faster.’

Of course, that’s how I feel, and I can’t directly see the numbers through the status window.

Nevertheless, I didn’t forget to perform this cumbersome process every time.

Because I believe my feelings are correct.

In the meantime, Ken rushed in.

I erased my thoughts and immediately implemented the skill.

The Flow of Wind and Earth sensed Ken’s momentum and made my movements graceful.

The sword passed my face by a hair’s breadth.

‘Wind Chains.’

Two sylphs [air spirits] became blades and struck Ken’s sides.

Ken immediately drew his sword horizontally and knocked away the sylphs.

Clang-!

Now it was making a pretty dull sound. My mana had also accumulated quite a bit, and naturally, the amount of mana entering the sylphs had also increased, and the power of the skill naturally increased.

Level 1 and Level 3 are definitely different.

“I will do my best.”

Ken announced.

Didn’t you do your best yesterday and it wasn’t equal?

I smiled and nodded.

“You may get hurt… but there’s nothing better than a sparring like a real battle to quickly increase Your Highness’s skills.”

I felt a sense of unease in Ken’s words.

And Ken’s figure disappeared.