Became The Son Of The Final Boss [EN]: Chapter 37

37.

Varen sprayed a curtain of fire along the path of my advance.

The Salamander wagged its tail, intensifying the flames.

Varen swung his sword wildly, and I retreated, simultaneously employing the Chains of Wind.

‘Mana is about half gone.’

I used the Breath of Wind, a fleeting moment, but enough to recover a bit of mana.

Having provoked Varen immediately after the duel with Soljar, managing my mana was crucial.

Victory, of course, granted more level experience and skill proficiency than defeat. Above all, I wanted to inflict the humiliation of defeat upon those who had insulted me as incompetent.

I felt more focused than ever.

‘Undine.’

To end the fight quickly, I deliberately exposed a vulnerability to Varen.

Undine, reading my thoughts, subtly positioned herself to my side.

Varen, seemingly blinded by rage, rushed in without hesitation upon seeing my opening.

Varen’s speed as he turned to the right was considerable.

I feigned an attempt to evade Varen’s attack, using the Flow of Wind and Earth.

Varen thrust his sword with fierce momentum.

Though his level was lower than Soljar’s, Varen undoubtedly demonstrated the prowess of a mid-level Sword Expert knight.

Clang-!

Varen staggered.

Undine had already created a water barrier, slightly larger than the tip of Varen’s sword, beside my flank.

Missing a critical attack meant exposure to a counterattack, and I seized the opportunity.

The Chains of Wind severed Varen’s hair.

Swish-!

Varen’s hair scattered wildly.

The chilling sensation made Varen shudder.

“There’s no need to continue.”

I was breathless from the intense exchange, but I desperately suppressed it and spoke calmly.

“Your punishment, along with Soljar’s, will be executed soon, so await it.”

I turned my back on Varen, who was staring at his fallen hair in disbelief, and left the training grounds.

Soris and Ken immediately followed.

“Are you alright?”

I nodded at Ken’s question.

“I’m fine. It was a good experience. Knights are definitely different.”

They gave a different feeling than when sparring with Ken and Soris. I felt a glimpse of the power of orthodox swordsmanship, something I hadn’t sensed even from assassins, through the two knights.

Varen was too agitated, making him easy to defeat, but Soljar was definitely challenging.

‘Is this the swordsmanship of a prestigious family?’

Of course, Soljar wasn’t of the Atran bloodline, so he hadn’t inherited their unique swordsmanship. Nevertheless, Soljar was strong enough, and I realized that the swordsmanship generally taught within the Atran family was quite formidable.

“Request an audience with Father. I need to report the punishment for those two.”

I had the authority to investigate and punish, but a report was still necessary.

And there was another reason to meet Father.

‘I need to sound him out about Goran’s resurrection.’

While striving for my own growth, I couldn’t shake my concern for Gale.

Ken replied immediately.

“Yes.”

“I should bring up the matter of Gale with Father.”

“Yes. Gale is in danger.”

Honestly, I didn’t have high expectations for Father.

But it was true that Father was paying attention to me lately, so there was a chance he might listen to me.

I arrived at the palace and had dinner.

With the new servants and maids, the food seemed more to my liking.

Soris was engrossed in the Book of Spirits again and announced that he would conduct the first lesson on the Book of Spirits tomorrow morning.

Although he wasn’t an official instructor, Soris was like my teacher, so his lessons would be a great help.

After finishing dinner in the office, Ken informed me of the news from the audience chamber.

“His Majesty has granted an audience.”

I immediately rose.

This time, I brought Ken with me to the audience chamber.

I was becoming quite familiar with the path to the audience chamber.

Many nobles greeted me with different looks than before.

Of course, most of them were probing.

‘Better than being scorned.’

I exchanged greetings with those leaving the palace with a smile and proceeded to the audience chamber.

This time, Father was alone in the audience chamber.

Ken bowed respectfully, and I didn’t forget the etiquette due to the Emperor.

“We meet often.”

I replied briefly to Father’s words.

“There have been many matters lately.”

“Indeed.”

Recalling my memories, this was the first time Father and I had met so frequently since I was a baby.

After Mother passed away, Father rarely met with me, and the more I proved my incompetence, the further I drifted from Father.

“I decided to punish Varen and Soljar and requested an audience.”

“I entrusted the handling of them to you. There’s no need to discuss it with me again.”

Father’s gaze sharpened.

I no longer spoke about Ted’s knights.

Father hated wasting time. Discussing the matter again after already entrusting it to me would be a waste of time from his perspective.

So, I simply brought up what I wanted to say directly.

“I heard a story from the Dark Forest.”

Father’s gaze darkened.

I still remembered the day I opened my eyes anew in my bedroom within the Calpheon Empire.

-Do not summon me for such trivial matters.

That terrifyingly cold and eerie voice of Father’s resurfaced.

That was what time meant to Father. He was a person who would not tolerate his time being wasted, even by his own son.

It was a painful memory for me, but at least at this moment, it was information that could help Gale and not waste Father’s time.

“There was a story that the aura of darkness is reviving at the border between the Dark Forest and the Western Forest.”

Father rose.

* * *

Gale couldn’t even think about staunching the bleeding from his shoulder.

Swish-!

He had lost count of how many orcs he had beheaded.

“C, Captain!”

One of the remaining subordinates called out to Gale in a terrified voice.

Gale turned his gaze.

Only three of them were left, including himself.

And orcs, as numerous as ants, were surging over the ridge like a wave.

Gale said lowly.

“Run with all your might.”

“Yes.”

Even escaping was reaching its limit, but Gale had no choice but to say that.

‘It was a complete misjudgment. They weren’t bandits… they weren’t human.’

He realized too late that no one had ever seen them.

He had assumed they were bandits because of the pillaging and slaughter of the village, and their rapid mobility.

But the bandits’ base was an orc den.

Gale glanced over the ridge while riding his horse.

The orcs were pursuing at a terrifying speed, and among them, a particularly gigantic orc was visible.

‘An Orc King has been born.’

Gale bit his lip.

He couldn’t just die here.

He had to report to the capital that an Orc King had been born in the Dark Forest and was increasing the size of his army on a massive scale.

If swift action wasn’t taken, the western part of the empire would be devastated by the orcs.

‘Even after seeing the torn bodies, I didn’t suspect that monsters had eaten them.’

Would the situation have been different if he had suspected they were monsters, not crazy bandits who even engaged in cannibalism?

Gale shook his head.

His senses had dulled.

He had completely forgotten the sensations of various experiences, thinking that his only remaining mission was to protect Arun.

‘I must protect the remaining ones and return.’

He couldn’t die here.

He had remained as the head steward of the Crown Prince’s palace, not a knight, to uphold Iriel’s last wishes.

The incompetent Iriel’s bloodline had now completely changed and begun to fight for his place.

Even though it was a place he rightfully deserved, there were too many forces threatening Arun, and Arun had only one knight: himself.

Gale swung his sword at the orcs blocking his path.

A dazzling golden aura shone from Gale’s sword.

* * *

“From whom did you hear this?”

“I heard the orc shamans talking.”

I couldn’t read anything from Father’s expression.

I simply waited.

There was no need for strong assertions; I simply conveyed the facts I had heard concisely.

It wasn’t good to speak strongly or give lengthy explanations to influence Father’s judgment.

Whether Father believed me or not, there was no influence I could exert.

“I will investigate.”

At least Father didn’t immediately dismiss my words.

And that was enough for me.

Since Father said he would investigate, news would reach the western lords, and that alone could greatly help Gale.

‘The problem is time. I didn’t accurately describe Gale’s death… Gale might not die.’

It was the best I could do at this point.

If I had remembered this earlier, I would never have sent Gale.

‘Damn it. I thought I was writing it down so meticulously.’

I felt guilty that my mistake had driven Gale into a deadly situation.

I bowed to Father and left the audience chamber.

Ken stuck close to my side and asked.

“Wouldn’t Gale be safer if His Majesty moved quickly?”

I told Ken what I knew about Father.

“Do you know what the First Conquest War left most significantly for the local lords or other countries?”

Ken didn’t answer.

I continued.

“It’s fear of Father.”

It was none other than Father who had made the greatest contribution in the First Conquest War.

The sword masters and mages of the great families were merely supporting roles behind Father.

“Especially the western lords. Many of them couldn’t even resist and surrendered because of their fear of Father at the time. What do you think will happen if Father gives them an order?”

“They will move quickly.”

“Yes. It hasn’t even been five years since the end of the First Conquest War. The image of Father single-handedly sweeping away enemy knight orders and kneeling kings is still vividly etched in their minds.”

Ken nodded.

“Thinking about it that way… His Majesty has indeed surpassed the limits of humanity.”

“Yes. He’s like a one-man army. Anyway… we can only hope that Gale returns alive. If he’s not there, many things will be shaken.”

I had taken the best measures I could, but it wasn’t a solution.

I felt uneasy, thinking that it might already be too late.

‘I will never repeat this mistake again.’

I firmly resolved.

Ken asked cautiously.

“By the way, the Second Prince’s knights…”

I smiled faintly.

“Return them to the Second Prince.”

“Yes?”

Ken, who had asked back, soon nodded.

Ken had also realized it.

The greatest pain for the two knights, more than me executing them, was to return alive to Ted.

Knowing Ted’s true nature, I could guess the fate of the two men.

‘It’s cruel, but… I should inflict humiliation on Ted at least once.’

Until now, I had repaid what the two knights had insulted me with.

But it was Ted who orchestrated all of it, and he took pleasure in humiliating me using his knights from time to time.

Now, if I defeat them with my skills and even show mercy by sending them back, Ted will feel an immense sense of humiliation.

‘Now it begins.’

Then Ken said one more thing.

“Duke Beregon is paying attention to you, Your Highness. He seemed to be watching today’s sparring as well.”

My eyes widened.

“What does that mean?”