Became The Son Of The Final Boss [EN]: Chapter 40

40.

Before heading out to find David, I stopped by Dwight’s smithy first.

“Who is it?”

A gruff voice came from inside as I entered.

Ken was about to step forward, but I stopped him and spoke.

“A customer.”

“Ain’t got nothin’ but what’s hangin’ over there, so buy it if you like it, leave if you don’t.”

I smiled as I looked at the old man who didn’t even glance at me.

“Are you by any chance the artisan named Dwight?”

“Artisan, my foot. Just a neighborhood blacksmith. Smells like iron, so you must be a knight. Lookin’ for a sword?”

Clang-! Clang-! Clang-!

Dwight didn’t wait for an answer after his question and kept hammering away.

What is he making?

I asked, feigning curiosity.

“Which of the hanging items is the finest?”

“Heh, seems you’ve got no eye for quality?”

I found Dwight’s way of talking strangely amusing.

Seeing and hearing the grumpy artisan in person gave me a sense of warmth and familiarity.

“I have a cherished knight and would like to gift him a sword. Wouldn’t he be pleased to receive a piece from someone known as the greatest artisan?”

Dwight finally looked at me.

Ken and the knights behind me stared silently before chuckling.

“Are you a noble, perhaps?”

“Not a noble, but my father runs the Empire.”

I subtly revealed my status, but Dwight didn’t seem surprised.

Instead, he said something that suggested he knew me very well.

“Was there a foolish knight who was loyal to the young Crown Prince?”

I held back Ken, who was about to say something, and smiled.

“He has protected me since I was young. He was my mother’s subordinate, but now he is mine.”

“Gale?”

“You know Gale.”

Indeed, Gale was more famous than me in this world.

As a strong contender for the next Sword Master, the common people must have heard Gale’s name at least once.

“Come back in a year. For Gale, I might consider making a sword.”

I bowed deeply to Dwight.

“Thank you.”

“I won’t see you out. I’ve always been like this, so punish me if you must.”

I didn’t bother to reply.

“Looks like the young Crown Prince has finally come to his senses. To come to me for Gale’s sword.”

I wore a deep smile as I listened to Dwight’s words.

A year was both a long and short amount of time.

It was time to go to David.

“Ken.”

At my call, Ken stepped close and answered.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Are we almost there?”

“Yes, the slums begin just over there.”

Ken looked at the slums with a sorrowful expression.

I also paused for a moment.

As the procession naturally halted, I shifted my gaze to the residences of the nobles on the opposite side of the slums.

‘Calpheon, the capital of the Empire and the greatest city on the continent… It’s where the evils of the class system and the gap between the rich and poor are most starkly revealed.’

The slums of Calpheon were the most crucial location for ‘saving the Imperial citizens,’ which later became the justification for the protagonist Karen.

People were starving to death in the slums almost every day, while the residences of the nobles on the other side were filled with extravagance.

‘When I came out of the Imperial Palace last time, I was too busy preparing for assassins to examine it in detail. But today… I need to look more closely.’

I told Ken and Sorius about my decision.

“I think it’s right to bring the issue of the slums to public attention.”

“Your Highness.”

Ken tried to dissuade me.

“Poverty is an unavoidable problem in every era and every nation. If we get caught up in political disputes….”

I cut off Ken’s words.

“I don’t mean to solve it immediately. But His Majesty must also look into this issue. The start of the Second Conquest War is just around the corner. Starting a war with this problem is… more dangerous than advancing with an enemy at our backs.”

The Dull Sword David was one of the most sensitive people to this issue.

Why was he loyal to the protagonist Karen?

It was thanks to the cause of overthrowing the Empire, fixing the problems of the system, and ultimately saving all the Imperial citizens.

The revenge was a bonus.

David was someone who could suppress his petty revenge in the face of a greater cause.

‘To move him, I need to show him a greater cause than Karen. Along with practical means and methods to put it into practice.’

Since David has a different disposition from Ken, the method of attracting him must also be different.

“Let’s go.”

I moved my feet.

The procession began to move again, and the vanguard entered the entrance to the slums.

Before long, I also climbed the hill in the slums, and as soon as I entered, a stench stung my nose.

I made an effort not to show it and slowly looked around.

The slum dwellers quickly moved out of the way of our procession with fearful expressions and prostrated themselves on the cold floor.

“Get up. Tell them they don’t have to prostrate themselves.”

Ken looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“It’s still winter, and the floor is cold. Aren’t these people already weak from not eating enough?”

Sorius immediately conveyed my orders to the attendants.

The slum dwellers got up from their seats, watching carefully.

I hurried along the road.

“Let’s go.”

It would be a hassle to find David again if he moved, so it was better to meet him quickly.

Climbing the hill itself was not difficult.

I was no longer the one who would pant after taking a walk in the Imperial Palace garden.

I was clearly a Spirit Master on the verge of reaching the intermediate level, and I also had stamina comparable to that of knights through constant physical training.

When I reached almost the top, I saw a group of children gathered.

The children were just staring at us blankly; unlike the slum dwellers below, they did not prostrate themselves or fear us.

From the knights wearing cold armor and my appearance in plain clothes but wearing much more luxurious clothes than any other nobles, they were quickly rolling their eyes to see if there was anything to get.

I said to Ken and Sorius.

“Distribute what you have prepared.”

The attendants moved immediately.

The children’s eyes widened as they saw not only bread but also various fruits.

I smiled deeply.

“There’s plenty, so don’t rush and take it in order.”

The children, who had been standing blankly, soon rushed towards the food.

And behind the children, a tall man appeared.

It was the Dull Sword David.

His attire was different from the slum dwellers, as he was wearing a thick coat, but his face did not look very clean, perhaps because of the time he had spent in the slums.

“Which family are you from?”

Just as an attendant was about to step forward at David’s words, I spoke first.

“I’m from the Imperial Family.”

David flinched.

He seemed to have expected a clueless noble brat to come and show off.

That thought was clearly evident in his expression, but he was quite surprised when I said I was from the Imperial Family.

“Who are you?”

David replied briefly.

“I’m a mercenary.”

I smiled at David’s answer.

“I didn’t come to the slums on a whim. You seem smart, so you can guess why I came here, right?”

The Imperial Family’s succession disputes were very famous even among the common people.

There were rumors that I, the Crown Prince, was lacking and foolish, and there were also rumors that Ted and Chen were indeed sons of Ron Carl Leord, so even passersby could easily guess the power struggles in the Imperial Palace.

The princes and princesses were doing their best to attract talented people, and David’s head could have guessed that my purpose in coming to the slums today was also related to that.

Of course, David probably couldn’t have guessed that I was the Crown Prince.

“Do you see those children over there?”

David asked an unexpected question, but I was not flustered.

David continued.

“They are so happy with just one piece of bread. Even if it was a whim of the Imperial Family, those children will not starve to death today thanks to that whim.”

David’s voice lowered.

“Thinking about the Imperial citizens who are starving and freezing to death today, rather than attracting one person to your forces, will bring you greater power.”

It was his own advice and a gentle refusal.

I smiled.

“They won’t starve to death today, today. Do you really think this much help is enough? Will thinking about the poor bring you power? You have too much fantasy.”

David’s face hardened.

I continued.

“It would be good for those children if you help them one by one. But can you take responsibility until the end, not just today? Can you help some and not turn away from others? No one can save this entire slum. Is it because you lack wealth? Because you lack connections? It’s not that kind of problem. I want to talk more, but I’m busy. If you’re curious about how to save all the poor, come to the Crown Prince’s Palace.”

* * *

Ken asked as they returned to the palace, unable to contain his curiosity.

“Are you thinking of taking the Dull Sword as your subordinate?”

“Weren’t you the one who recommended him?”

Ken shrugged at my smile.

“I heard he was a good knight. After asking around, I thought he might be a very talented person.”

“But why? Is there a problem?”

“No. It’s just that the speed and method with which Your Highness is attracting him are different from what I expected….”

I explained calmly.

“What is the reason you are loyal to me?”

“Yes?”

“Moved by my cause? Because my skills are excellent? Because my talent is so great that it can’t be found?”

Ken did not answer.

“It’s because I fulfilled your long-cherished wish.”

“Your Highness….”

“I’m not blaming you. I’m just explaining that the motivation for people’s hearts to move is different. The Dull Sword David is a descendant of a destroyed kingdom.”

Ken’s eyes widened.

“A destroyed kingdom?”

“Yes. One of the many kingdoms that were destroyed when His Majesty founded the Empire. It was a smaller territory than a local lord, but it was still declared a kingdom, so it was definitely a kingdom.”

Ken could not hide his surprise as he encountered information he had never encountered before.

“I became curious about the Dull Sword and looked into it. It’s not secret information. Perhaps the information you looked into also includes the Dull Sword’s origins.”

After glossing over it appropriately, I said the main point.

“It wasn’t His Majesty who destroyed the kingdom, but the legion led by Duke Beregon at the time. So there is a great resentment towards the Aetran family. If his long-cherished wish was revenge, I would have used the relationship between the Aetran family and me to attract him.”

“You’re saying that David is not someone who can be moved by such methods?”

“That’s right. If revenge was his immediate goal, he would have looked at the noble families first, not the slums. Because the largest mansion in the noble family is none other than the Aetran family’s mansion.”

But David looked for the slums first.

That meant that his purpose in coming to the capital was not revenge.

I clearly pointed out that part to Ken.

“He came to the capital because he has a different purpose than revenge. I expected it to be the Spring Evaluation Competition… but I don’t think that’s it.”

Ken also fell into thought.

Sorius asked cautiously.

“I know the reputation of the Dull Sword… but was he really a mercenary so great that he could be taken as a subordinate right away? It seems to be just a rumor, and his period of activity is very short, so several verifications are needed.”

I nodded at Sorius’s words.

Sorius, who had directly investigated the Dull Sword Davis, was taking a cautious stance.

As someone who knew more information than Ken and Sorius, I hesitated for a moment about how much to explain to them about David.

‘For now… I think it’s better to have them follow my judgment. They can slowly judge David after seeing him directly.’

It was a matter of me gaining a subordinate, but for them, it was a matter of a new colleague being born.

Considering my precarious position, I needed a reliable colleague more than anything else.

The two of them knew well that David was a talented person, but they were in a position that required more time to accept him as a colleague, and I fully understood that part as well.

“He will probably come to the palace. Judge him slowly from then on. I plan to fully reflect your opinions as well.”

The two answered at the same time.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Soon we arrived at the palace, and I headed straight to the Crown Prince’s Palace.

Now all that was left was to wait for David.

‘By the way, there was no assassination attempt.’

Was it because it failed outside last time?

Today, when I directly visited the slums, might have been a better opportunity than that day, but there was no attempt.

‘The quest is not over… Considering Chen’s hot-tempered personality, he would have caused trouble several times even if he did something….’

I put the assassination aside for now and kept it in mind. It was by no means an easy quest to solve.

If it was a quest that could be cleared with a single attack, it would not have received an A-grade difficulty.

‘The difficulty is higher than the Spring Evaluation Competition score, so it can’t be cleared just by blocking one attack. I need to pay special attention.’

The uneasy feeling was always right.

I felt that there would be some kind of movement soon.

“Ken.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Pay attention to the newly arrived servants and maids.”

Ken, who immediately noticed the meaning of my words, nodded.

“They are people who have been thoroughly investigated and brought in, but I will check again.”

“Yes. Assassination can be done in many ways… and the most common is poison.”

Servants and maids could easily poison the food I ate.

Therefore, it was difficult to become a servant or maid in the Imperial Palace with just a simple identity verification. Is it any wonder that the graduates of the academy run by the Aetran family almost monopolize the servants and maids of the Imperial Palace?

That’s because they educate them so thoroughly.

“I will be careful.”

I nodded at Ken’s answer.

“Good. Let’s rest a bit today. I don’t know when David will come, but we just have to wait.”