Became The Son Of The Final Boss [EN]: Chapter 49

49.

Since the next match was scheduled after the first round concluded, there was some time to spare.

Before I could gauge the crowd’s reaction to my victory, I retreated to the West Palace, which had been designated as a waiting room.

Despite the large number of participants in the competition, I, as the Crown Prince, had been assigned a private room in one of the detached palaces.

Most participants were crammed into the four detached palaces, with at least three people per room, making my situation a distinct privilege.

I pushed open the door.

Ken was already inside, waiting.

“Your Highness!”

I stopped Ken before he could kneel.

“Now isn’t the time for blame. Did you investigate the poisoning?”

As the reality of my poisoning sank in, Ken, David, and Soris’s expressions darkened.

They had likely suspected something from my fighting style but hoped it wasn’t true.

I explained the situation as quickly and accurately as possible.

“The moment I drank it, a burning sensation engulfed my body. If it weren’t for Undine and Undairon, my throat would have been scorched, and I would have died. I barely managed to prevent the poison from entering my bloodstream.”

I paused to catch my breath.

I grabbed the entire kettle on the table and drank deeply.

“Currently, it’s localized within a section of my mana circuit and is proving resistant to purification. Undine and Undairon couldn’t neutralize it; they only managed to contain its spread.”

Ken responded immediately.

“It’s the Five-Colored Snake’s poison.”

“Five-Colored Snake’s poison?”

I asked, and Ken elaborated calmly.

“The Snake Venom Guild is named for its use of the Five-Colored Snake’s unique venom. Unlike other snake venoms, it isn’t digested and spreads rapidly throughout the body. It’s an ancient poison mentioned in old texts, but it’s also incredibly difficult to acquire.”

I was taken aback by Ken’s knowledge.

This was information I hadn’t even included when creating the Snake Venom Guild’s backstory.

I didn’t interrupt Ken and listened intently to his explanation.

“The venom is created by combining the Five-Colored Snake’s venom with various other venoms passed down through generations of the Snake Venom Guild. The Five-Colored Snake dwells in the deepest parts of the Dark Forest.”

“So, the key ingredient, the Five-Colored Snake’s venom, is extremely hard to come by.”

Ken nodded in agreement.

“Yes. Furthermore, it’s said that only the guild leader knows the precise mixture of the other venoms. These other ingredients are reportedly as rare as the Five-Colored Snake’s venom, which explains why it’s rarely been used.”

Ken’s voice dropped.

“There have only been two recorded instances of the Snake Venom Guild using that poison, and both times it was to assassinate a king. The Snake Venom Guild gained notoriety after assassinating the king of the Holy Kingdom.”

I gave a wry smile.

“The king of the Holy Kingdom… he must have possessed extraordinary purification and healing abilities.”

Soris chimed in slyly.

“He died before he could even try. As a result, the Snake Venom Guild became infamous across the continent. The poison Your Highness suffered appears to be a diluted version of that poison.”

I sighed and replied.

“So, if it had been the real, undiluted poison, I wouldn’t have stood a chance.”

Ken knelt.

“It’s all my fault for being negligent. You should have taken the Polisia flower as planned… I was trying to condense it into a potion…”

I cut him off.

“It’s no one’s fault. Chen [referring to the Seventh Prince] was simply well-prepared. The important thing is that I survived.”

I hadn’t died instantly and had managed to save myself.

And I had gained something from the experience.

First, I tasked Ken, David, and Soris with investigating what I had gained.

“I need to rest until the next match. Ken, find the culprit. The one who gave me the potion was definitely one of our servants.”

Ken’s eyes flashed with murderous intent.

“Yes. Whether he betrayed us or was a spy from the start… I will find him.”

I calmed Ken down.

“By now, he may have fled the palace or be hiding in Chen’s palace. Focus on securing him first.”

Ken bowed his head.

“Yes.”

I turned to Soris.

“I need you to find an antidote. We’re assuming it’s a diluted version of the Five-Colored Snake venom, but we can’t be certain.”

“Yes. I’ll start immediately.”

Soris’s voice was heavier than usual, feeling responsible for the trouble caused by the servant he had brought.

“I’ll say it again, what’s done is done. From now on, we need to focus on how we can use this situation to our advantage.”

Finally, I addressed David.

“Secretly bring in the priests from the Imperial Palace.”

David hadn’t formally sworn allegiance to me, but he was still under my command.

He assisted Ken with various tasks and held no official position.

The plan was to establish a knight order directly under the Crown Prince, with Gail and David at its core once Gail returned.

Of course, it was still just a plan and required significant effort to implement.

I gave David his task, and the three of them bowed and left.

I immediately sat cross-legged and began to meditate.

The poison remained stubbornly lodged in my mana circuit.

I decided not to provoke it and left it undisturbed for the time being.

‘There’s a strong chance I’ll have to fight the second match without being detoxified.’

I bit my lip.

It was the day I had cut off Chen’s arm for his insults and disrespect, but I had no time to savor the victory.

‘One arm isn’t enough.’

Chen had admitted to attempting to assassinate the Crown Prince.

‘The Iron Blood Knight Commander heard it too….’

Chen, confident in his success, had left me no choice.

“After winning the championship, I’ll deal with the Seventh Prince before heading West.”

Chen still had a long way to go to atone for his sins.

* * *

First, I pushed aside my thoughts about Chen and checked my status window.

My character level had increased to 29.

I had leveled up four times at once.

The near-death experience had yielded a significant amount of experience.

All my talent levels had also increased by one. Companion of the Wind and Guardian of the Water were now at level 6, while Friend of the Earth and Ruler of Fire were at level 4.

Increasing talent levels made it easier to contract with high-level spirits and also enhanced the power of skills, so it was always beneficial.

I couldn’t overlook the fact that my skill levels had also increased.

“The Breathing Technique of the Wind has also improved. That’s unexpected.”

The Breathing Technique of the Wind had only increased by one level, but it was still a positive development. The Chains of the Wind and the Barrier of the Water had reached level 10, and the Storm of the Water had increased to level 3.

The Flow of the Wind and the Earth had also reached level 10, which would likely make movement much easier.

Finally, the Barrier of Fire had reached level 5.

I had used all the skills evenly in the battle with Chen, and the Chains of the Wind and the Storm of the Water had played a crucial role, resulting in a significant experience gain.

“The most important thing is the quest.”

I muttered and opened the quest list.

The quest for liberation from the unseen hand had been completed.

Upon completion, I received 300 bonus stats, a random skill, and a random talent.

“Skills and talents!”

I decided to draw a random skill first.

As the question mark spun rapidly in the status window, I carefully moved my finger.

The question mark slowed down, and a skill was revealed.

-A Roar of the Earth has been unlocked.

I wasn’t even surprised anymore.

And the Roar of the Earth seemed particularly useful in the tournament.

‘It’s the perfect skill against knights. It can restrict movement.’

The Roar of the Earth was a skill that caused the earth spirit to roar and shake the ground within the skill’s area of effect.

The resulting tremors would naturally hinder the movement of anyone within range.

It would be effective to use the Roar of the Earth and the Barrier of Fire to impede a knight’s swift movements, followed by other attack skills.

I moved on to unlocking a random talent.

It was my first time unlocking a talent, so I was excited.

-Talent has not been unlocked.

-The random talent unlock ticket will be destroyed.

I was speechless.

I stared blankly at the status window as it cleared.

“How can this happen….”

I was slightly taken aback by this unprecedented outcome, but I quickly regained my composure.

‘Well, I’ve been incredibly lucky so far.’

I had been as fortunate as, if not more than, the main character, Karen.

Every skill I unlocked was A-grade, and every talent was S-grade.

I had become an intermediate spirit master expert in a remarkably short time.

“Come to think of it…….”

Intermediate Spirit Master Expert.

I had almost overlooked it, but I had advanced from beginner to expert level in a single match.

I finished all the checks and cast the Breathing Technique of the Wind once more.

There wasn’t much time left until the afternoon match.

If I couldn’t remove the poison immediately, I should at least fill the remaining mana circuit with pure mana.

Knock knock-!

Then I heard a knock.

“Your Highness, it’s David.”

It was David, whom I had sent on an errand.

Behind David, a priest entered, looking around cautiously.

He looked familiar.

“You are…….”

“I am a priest, Your Highness.”

I nodded at David’s words.

‘It’s the priest I saw when I first opened my eyes in this world.’

I didn’t show any reaction and gestured to David.

“I brought him discreetly.”

At David’s confirmation, I turned my attention to the priest.

“Don’t reveal anything about today’s events to anyone.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The well-built priest looked the same as I remembered.

His slightly shifty gaze and annoyed expression were still present.

Back then, he had been afraid of my father, and I was just a foolish crown prince who had been defeated by an orc shaman.

But that was the past.

“Priest.”

At my chilling tone, the priest trembled.

“Do you understand who stands before you?”

Only then did the priest bow deeply.

“I, I apologize, Your Highness.”

“If today’s events are leaked, I will ensure you understand the power and position of the person before you in this empire.”

The priest trembled.

Having intimidated him, it was time to offer some encouragement.

“If you can resolve this with your abilities, I will also ensure you understand who I am at that time.”

This time, I offered a carrot in a positive direction.

The priest narrowed his eyes.

‘Unlike a priest, he’s quite greedy. But I couldn’t be too picky about which priest to bring in on short notice.’

There was no reason to blame David.

I explained the situation to the priest in detail, including when I drank the poison and my current condition.

I also mentioned my attempts to purify it using Undine and Undairon.

The priest was visibly surprised.

He seemed to find it hard to believe that I, the one who had been defeated by a shabby orc shaman, was now attempting to purify poison with an intermediate spirit.

I summoned Undairon.

“Undairon couldn’t purify it either.”

Only then did the priest nod in understanding.

“While water spirits possess excellent purification abilities, they cannot compare to divine power. First, I will examine Your Highness.”

The priest placed his hand on my shoulder and began to chant in an unknown language.

Pure white light emanated from his hand.

It was a sacred light that made me want to bow my head.

I was inwardly amazed.

‘Such reverent divine power from a priest with greedy eyes. I don’t know what to make of it.’

Regardless, the fact that he was a priest from the Imperial Palace proved his competence.

The clergy and the empire maintained separate political spheres, but the clergy still dispatched priests and pastors to the Imperial Palace to maintain a positive relationship with the empire.

The priest before me was one of those dispatched priests.

Sweat was already beading on the priest’s forehead, and I felt more refreshed than before.

But the poison in my mana circuit remained unyielding.

Soon, the priest stepped back and said.

“Your Highness, I don’t believe I can detoxify this poison with my abilities. You would need a high priest-level priest or a priest who serves the god of purification.”

I nodded at the priest’s honest assessment.

“Thank you for your efforts. You are…….”

“I am a priest of the Demegaa Order, which serves the goddess of the earth.”

I dismissed the priest after reiterating the importance of secrecy and promising a reward.

Then, I turned to David.

“It seems detoxification will be impossible before the next match. David, who is my next opponent?”

David replied succinctly.

“As a result of the draw, you will be facing Riodeen.”

I sighed.

“It’s one challenge after another.”