Became The Son Of The Final Boss [EN]: Chapter 258

258.

The Great Hall was packed.

Silence hung heavy in the air, pressing down on everyone. No one spoke, and the quiet stretched, thick and unbroken.

My father appeared, his entrance slow and deliberate. His broad shoulders, confident stride, and intense gaze, which seemed to bore through everything, made everyone hold their breath.

He was every inch the ‘Emperor’ everyone knew.

However, unlike before, the weariness that had been hidden in my father’s eyes was gone, replaced by a firm resolve.

“It’s been a while, everyone.”

“Your Majesty! We are honored!”

Some gasped, while others cautiously observed my father’s face, trying to gauge his mood.

Some even pounded their chests in a show of loyalty.

Perhaps all the vassals had the same thought: The Empire will be victorious.

It was hard for anyone to reconcile the image of Ron Carl Leonhardt with the reality of two recorded defeats.

‘In this era, defeat often meant death. But Father wasn’t killed by Karen, and although he was on the brink, he has returned, seemingly renewed.’

As my father settled onto the throne, the formal audience began.

“You are all aware of the news from the front lines, yes?”

Everyone lowered their heads in acknowledgement.

“A greater problem has arisen. The Demon King Belushi has descended in the Kingdom Alliance.”

“A Demon King!”

“Unbelievable!”

Some vassals couldn’t contain their shock and spoke out before the Emperor, while others trembled.

“The Pope will visit the Imperial Palace soon. Crown Prince.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Explain what happened in the Kingdom Alliance.”

I stepped forward and calmly recounted the events I had witnessed in the Kingdom Alliance.

As my explanation continued, the expressions of the vassals grew increasingly troubled. Some even turned pale.

It was a difficult story to believe, after all.

Or perhaps they simply didn’t want to believe it.

The descent of a Demon King was a terrifying prospect.

I made eye contact with each and every vassal, meeting their gazes with a more intense focus than ever before.

I broadened my shoulders and raised my chin confidently.

I spoke as if issuing a battle cry.

“Listen!”

At my command, the vassals’ gazes snapped to me.

“Nothing has fundamentally changed. The Empire was at war with the Purifying Flames, and despite their formidable power, we defended well and struck at the heart of the enemy.”

What was needed now was to unite the vassals and instill confidence.

Fortunately, my father had reappeared, seemingly in good health.

“We will be victorious with His Majesty. Just like always.”

The vassals nodded in agreement.

The Empire had always been a ‘victorious’ nation.

There had been countless wars, but the Empire had never truly been defeated. The recent setbacks had instilled a sense of unease, but the Crown Prince’s strong confidence reminded them of past glories.

The memory of winning battles that seemed impossible, time and time again!

The DNA of a victor is not easily erased.

“The Crown Prince speaks the truth.”

At my father’s words, I stepped back to my place.

“The Crown Prince has proven his abilities. He led the war to victory in my absence and destroyed the altars erected in the Kingdom Alliance.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

As the vassals answered in unison, my father continued.

A palpable heat emanated from my father’s sharp, cold voice.

“Therefore, I order the Crown Prince to oversee the war against the Purifying Flames.”

Once again, I stepped forward.

I bowed to my father and answered without hesitation.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will eliminate the Demon King and bring peace to the continent and stability to the Empire!”

With a swoosh, my father’s sword was drawn, its polished surface gleaming.

My father’s sword, engraved with the imperial family’s crest, was one of the finest blades on the continent.

“The Crown Prince is to come up to the platform.”

I looked at my father, surprised by his calm but unexpected command, and ascended the stairs.

With each step, I tried to decipher the meaning in my father’s eyes.

‘Father.’

My father rose and handed me the sword.

“I appoint the Crown Prince as the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Army, to command the war in my stead. The Supreme Commander also has command of the Imperial Knights.”

I felt as if a thunderclap echoed through the Great Hall.

The Imperial Knights?

Was I hearing correctly? The Imperial Knights were a knighthood solely for the Emperor, according to imperial law.

My father’s overwhelming power stemmed not only from his own strength but also from the solid foundation of the Imperial Knights, the most powerful elite force in the Empire.

I was so bewildered by my father’s words that I didn’t know what to say. I could feel my eyebrows twitching in disbelief.

“Furthermore, those who guard me are also to guard the Crown Prince and follow the Crown Prince’s orders!”

My father approached me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“I intend to enter meditation for the time being in preparation for the upcoming battle with the Demon King. Until then, the Crown Prince will lead the state affairs. The Crown Prince will conduct the rest of the meeting.”

The vassals in the Great Hall quickly brought a chair next to the throne.

‘They even prepared a chair?’

This wasn’t just a declaration of appointing a Supreme Commander.

Entrusting me with the war in place of the Emperor, and even the state affairs, was tantamount to handing over the Emperor’s seat.

My father was still young and had recovered his health, so it was hard to see a reason for him to abdicate.

‘What is this about?’

A sense of unease washed over me, but as my father departed, all the vassals turned their gazes to me.

The vassals were just as astonished and bewildered as I was.

“Your Highness.”

Duke James stepped forward.

“Yes, Duke.”

“You need to assess the front lines and deploy appropriate forces. Please preside over the meeting. His Majesty’s intentions… it’s not too late to understand them later.”

“Alright. What’s important now is the war with the Purifying Flames and predicting the Demon King’s movements.”

* * *

“Did you find any data?”

Lillian emerged from a towering stack of books.

It was impossible to discern her thoughts from her expressionless face.

Ron calmly pushed the books aside.

‘She’s extremely ordinary. I can’t read this mage’s aura at all.’

Lillian helped Ron clear the space.

“There seems to be some progress, Your Majesty.”

Shadow 1, who always guarded Ron, stepped forward, but Ron raised his hand to stop him.

Lillian was a treasure to humanity.

The reason I didn’t despair when I heard the news of the Demon King’s descent was because of Lillian, Aaron, and Olivia.

A 9th circle mage [the highest level of magic user], a spirit master beyond the highest level, and Olivia, who had firmly embarked on the path to Grand Sword Master [the pinnacle of swordsmanship].

Wouldn’t these three be able to stop the Demon King?

“Not yet.”

“That’s right. Me and Aaron, and Olivia, who has developed even further, can face the Demon King. If Your Majesty reaches Grand Sword Master, then we can hunt the Demon King.”

“I don’t think I can do it, let alone Olivia. Grand Sword Master isn’t that easy.”

Ron casually placed the books back in their place, one after another.

Lillian also changed the subject as if her words were inconsequential.

“Belushi is one of the most powerful Demon Kings in the Demon Realm. There are a total of ten Demon Kings in the Demon Realm, and he vies for the top spot.”

“Why would such a guy descend into the world where humans live?”

At Ron’s words, Lillian covered her mouth and laughed. He was so different from the Emperor she had only heard rumors about.

A grumbling voice continued.

“It’s not like this is their playground. Do they really think they’re gods because humans worship them as gods?”

“There’s only one reason why Belushi descended into the middle realm [the human world]. It’s to become the only Demon King.”

“The only Demon King?”

“The middle realm is a very special place. It’s where the balance of all worlds is adjusted.”

Ron leaned back against the bookshelf, making himself comfortable. He listened intently.

Lillian also closed the book she was holding.

After arriving at the Imperial Library, she had rummaged through countless books related to Reinhard, the Demon Realm, and the history of the continent.

The explosively increased thinking power allowed her to read and understand all the books in a short time.

“If the middle realm collapses due to the energy of one side, the balance of the world collapses. You know that one dimension consists of the celestial realm, the demon realm, the middle realm, and the spirit realm, right?”

“I don’t particularly like gods, but seeing the priests using divine power, the celestial realm exists. And since there are black mages, there is also the demon realm, and the spirits and the middle realm go without saying.”

Lillian nodded.

“You’re not completely ignorant.”

“Come on, Lillian. I’m also a mage. It’s usually impossible to research and implement magic with an ordinary brain.”

Ron was a genius.

A genius of unparalleled talent.

Lillian thought that Ron had more talent than her, even though she had reached the 9th circle.

So she skipped the detailed explanation.

“Belushi is planning to destroy the middle realm and explosively increase the energy of darkness. Then he will have the power to suppress all the other Demon Kings.”

“In the end, it’s a story about destroying humans.”

Ron summarized simply.

Ron kicked the floor with his foot and was lost in thought.

Lillian also lowered her eyes.

The two geniuses knew better than anyone how serious the situation was.

More than Aaron.

“What do you think is the reason why the Demon King Belushi isn’t moving?”

“He’s observing the middle realm. He’s only recently descended.”

“Is that so?”

“Looking at the records of several black mages, Belushi is a very cunning Demon King as well as being strong. Ordinary Demon Kings don’t lend their power to humans, but all the powerful black mages in the history of the continent have received Belushi’s power.”

“That means he was originally a Demon King who was very interested in the middle realm.”

“That’s right. He’s preparing now, preparing to destroy the middle realm in one fell swoop.”

Lillian brought up Aaron’s situation.

“What about the Crown Prince?”

“He will be in charge of the war with the Purifying Flames.”

“You and I shouldn’t move from the Imperial Palace. Belushi knows the history of the middle realm and humans well. He has collected a lot of information through black mages.”

“He’s a cunning guy.”

“Humans will do anything for power while living for only a hundred years, but the Demon King Belushi has worked for at least thousands of years for the position of the only Demon King.”

Ron’s eyes flickered slightly. His chest felt heavy, and his heart was pounding.

Such a cunning guy even had patience.

Now that he had descended into the middle realm, he must have thought it was the best opportunity and was planning his moves meticulously.

“The moment he moves, the middle realm will be destroyed. So we must subdue Belushi first.”

“The Purifying Flames aren’t the only problem.”

“No. They are also a problem. The dark energy they cause while carrying the undead all returns to Belushi’s power.”

Lillian continued with a sigh.

“You and I must keep watch on the Demon King Belushi here, and Aaron and Olivia must stop the Purifying Flames.”

“We need to mobilize all the power of the Empire.”

“Yes. There’s no time. The Purifying Flames must be destroyed before Belushi moves.”

“How about you and I move instead?”

Lillian shook her head.

“We need a powerful being to keep the Demon King Belushi in check. If even we are gone, he will come down from the Kingdom Alliance to the northern part of the Empire and kill all the humans.”

“It’s difficult.”

“The situation has been grasped, and now all that’s left is action. Share the information with Aaron.”

“Alright.”

Lillian’s eyes sparkled.

“If we delve deeper, there will definitely be a weakness of the Demon King Belushi. The Reinhard family spent their entire lives catching black mages and learning about the Demon King Belushi. Surely something will remain in their books.”

“I hope we find it.”

Ron cheered for Lillian as both an Emperor and a human.

As an Emperor, it was because she was a person who would protect his Empire, and as a human, it was because of the respect that Lillian had reached such a great level.

“What about the Pope?”

At Ron’s words, Lillian raised her eyes.

“The Pope?”