Became The Son Of The Final Boss [EN]: Chapter 52

52.

“You know how to fight quite well,” Ron said.

Jin replied curtly, “Yes.”

Ron’s smile remained fixed. “An expert who understands combat can even defeat a Master.”

Jin added, “It seems the Crown Prince has certainly changed.”

The smile vanished from Ron’s face. “Yes, he has changed. He will probably detoxify as well. Of course, the Crown Prince must properly utilize the breathing technique.”

* * *

Earth’s Roar arrived at the perfect moment.

I was once again grateful that the spirits were reading my mind and acting accordingly.

The instant Riodeen faltered, Silphere and Undairon fiercely drew in mana.

The attack skills unleashed simultaneously by the two intermediate spirits lit up the stage.

Silphere struck first, creating a giant chain of wind that slammed into Riodeen’s abdomen.

KWA-AAAAANG-!

Riodeen was truly a formidable powerhouse.

In that split second, he managed to protect his abdomen, partially blocking Silphere’s attack.

However, he couldn’t completely withstand the impact of being struck head-on by the wind chain and was sent rolling across the stage.

Then, Undairon engulfed him in a violent whirlwind of water.

KWA-AAAAAAANG-!

The torrential water storm crashed down on Riodeen, causing the stage beneath him to cave in.

I couldn’t hide my ragged breathing and gasped for air.

The Iron Blood Knight Commander’s declaration boomed, “Arun Cal Leord wins!”

The spirits returned to the spirit realm as soon as the Iron Blood Knight Commander announced my victory.

I focused on keeping my legs steady to avoid staggering.

Cough, Riodeen coughed up blood.

‘He’s not dead.’

A wave of relief washed over me.

To be honest, I wasn’t strong enough to consciously decide whether Riodeen lived or died.

It was an attack fueled by all my strength, and I hadn’t considered the consequences for Riodeen’s life at all.

I had vaguely assumed he was still alive, but seeing him breathing with my own eyes brought a sense of relief.

The Iron Blood Knight Commander signaled to the staff below the stage, and several knights quickly came to escort Riodeen away.

I followed, descending from the stage.

“The first and second rounds of the evaluation tournament are now complete. Participants who have advanced to the third round should gather here again by tomorrow morning.”

Ken was waiting for me below the stage.

“Your Highness.”

As Ken bowed, the people around him also offered awkward bows.

The evaluation tournament was supposed to be blind to the participants’ social status, but now that the day’s matches were over, the others were showing their respects to me.

The gazes directed at me were a mix of emotions.

Shock, disbelief, fear, suspicion… The participants were well aware of the rumors surrounding me, and defeating the tournament favorite, Riodeen, was bound to elicit a diverse range of reactions.

I was now the main character of this tournament’s biggest upset.

I briefly acknowledged the greetings and headed to the detached palace with Ken.

The Crown Prince’s palace was off-limits during the evaluation tournament.

All participants were required to reside in the west detached palace, and I was no exception.

‘One detached palace is enough to accommodate the participants.’

Since the largest number of dropouts occurred on the first day of the tournament, the number of people actually staying in the detached palace was relatively small.

To be exact, there were thirty-two people.

‘Two more matches until the quarterfinals.’

Ken spoke only after we arrived at the gate of the west detached palace.

“The list of qualifiers has been compiled. We have also identified the people to watch out for.”

That wasn’t my immediate concern.

To win, I had to be better than everyone else, regardless.

“I caught the servant,” I said.

That was the information I was waiting for.

I narrowed my eyes and asked, “Where is he?”

“He is imprisoned in the Crown Prince’s palace, and David has taken charge of the surveillance.”

I nodded.

“Was his face changed with disguise or magic, or was he a spy from the beginning?”

Ken answered, “His face was changed with magic.”

“I heard that the Viper Venom Guild is Austin’s Duke’s henchman, but it seems they are also deeply involved in magic.”

“It seems that not only the face but also the body shape, voice, and even some memories have been altered.”

I clicked my tongue at Ken’s words.

“Isn’t that magic that completely creates a new person?”

There were various ways to change a face, but altering body shape and voice had limitations.

And memory transfer!

That meant it wasn’t just about talking, listening, and memorizing memories, but directly implanting them into the brain through magic.

Ken’s voice was low. “Finding traces of memory transfer magic was a complete coincidence. Surprisingly, David has some knowledge in that area. That’s how we found out.”

“I assume it’s high-level magic?”

Ken nodded. “Yes. It depends on the amount of memory transferred, but it must be at least 5th circle [a measure of magical power and skill].”

Moreover, due to its inherent difficulty, there were far fewer mages than swordsmen.

“It is highly likely that a mage from the Riverhill family was directly involved. No, it’s certain.”

With that, Ken and I arrived at my assigned room in the detached palace.

I said as I opened the door, “Keep the servant locked up. I’ll deal with him before heading west.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“You have to watch him thoroughly so he can’t commit suicide.”

The assassin, who could be considered evidence of Austin’s Duke’s direct involvement, was extremely important.

If he killed himself, everything could be for nothing.

“He has already tried several times, but we have stopped him each time. I will pay special attention.”

I sat down on the chair, finished discussing the assassin, and moved on to the topic of the poison.

“Have you found any clues about the antidote?”

Ken’s expression darkened.

* * *

Fortunately, I had realized something was wrong while drinking the potion and stopped halfway.

Ken shared what he had learned from the remaining poison.

“First of all, we are identifying the ingredients. We already knew that divine power wouldn’t work, and we secretly tried to contact the imperial palace mages, but we stopped.”

I asked calmly, “Is it because of Austin’s Duke?”

“Yes. There is no mage who is not influenced by him. And since the Central Avenue attack, it is well-known that the Seventh Prince and our side are clashing.”

I understood what Ken was implying.

“In any case, Austin’s Duke will find out about my condition.”

“Yes. That doesn’t seem very good.”

I was lost in thought for a moment.

Even in a poisoned state, I defeated Riodeen.

Maybe Austin’s Duke might suspect that I wasn’t actually poisoned?

I shook my head.

‘I definitely drank the potion, and there are people who saw it….’

I made a decision.

“How about handing the assassin over to the Iron Blood Knights?”

I suggested to Ken, not ordered, allowing him to consider the implications.

Ken pondered for a moment. “Are you suggesting that we publicly reveal that Your Highness is poisoned? The positive effect would be to show that Your Highness defeated the championship favorite even in a weakened state, and to put more pressure on Austin’s Duke by making him an accomplice to the assassin.”

Ken soon mentioned the disadvantages as well. “But the next opponents will know that you are poisoned and will relentlessly exploit your weaknesses. In today’s match, the flow of spirits was not optimal.”

I was well aware of that.

I defeated Riodeen because he was careless and fell into my trap.

I was constantly on the defensive and won through a sudden counterattack. The match with Chen was similar.

Both of them were careless when I was on the defensive and lost with a single attack.

If the next opponents are as strong as Riodeen and are not careless, my options will be severely limited.

If I wasn’t poisoned, I could find an opening through a direct confrontation, but that was impossible in my current state.

I had to somehow strike a decisive blow at the right moment, exploiting the enemy’s carelessness.

My only advantage was using skills through spirits and consciousness.

The absolute amount of mana I could wield was also insufficient, so announcing my poisoned state was definitely a double-edged sword.

Ken continued, “The evaluation tournament even considers assassination as a valid tactic. Perhaps no investigation will take place during the tournament.”

I had to endure it.

“I must win. Even for Gayle. But when will there be another opportunity to corner the Riverhill family? I must disqualify Chen from the heir competition this time.”

My voice became sharp without me realizing it.

“Not only disqualifying him from the heir competition but also cutting off half of the Riverhill family’s power, which is sponsoring the Seventh Prince. The power of the nobles, led by the four dukes, is growing stronger. My father is suppressing it, but… I have to think about the world after my father.”

It was a distant future, but it was a problem that couldn’t be ignored.

As the Crown Prince, the victory of the imperial faction was essential in the conflict between the imperial family and the nobles.

Currently, more than 90% of the nobles belonged to noble factions, led by the four great families.

I couldn’t easily miss the opportunity to inflict a significant blow on one of those families.

Ken was silent for a moment, lost in thought.

Just as I was pouring a cup of tea, Ken spoke, “I will do as you say.”

“Yes. I will somehow win the tournament. If I can’t overcome this level of adversity, it will be difficult to inherit His Majesty’s position in the future.”

It was a pledge to myself and encouragement to Ken.

Ken also had to overcome or devise numerous conspiracies and schemes to assist me.

I trusted Ken.

“Please proceed with the details on your own. I’m sorry. It’s like I’m just giving orders and stepping back.”

Ken smiled brightly. “Your Highness, just focus on winning. If you don’t win, many things will go wrong.”

Looking at Ken, who was also giving a playful warning, I patted him on the shoulder.

“Of course. I will win. The position of Commander-in-Chief of the West can never be taken away.”

Soon, Ken got up.

“Then tonight… please be careful.”

Once the sun set and the moon rose, only the participants were allowed to stay in the detached palace.

The same was true for Ken.

The preferential treatment for the Crown Prince was minimal, and I was treated no differently from the other participants.

“Anyway, many people have been eliminated in today’s matches, and those who remain will want to prove themselves. Even though assassination is condoned during the tournament, it’s still seen as a cowardly method.”

Ken agreed but added, “Still, you have to be careful.”

“Okay.”

After Ken bowed and left, I immediately sat cross-legged.

‘I have no choice but to solve this with the Wind Breathing Technique.’

Once I announced my poisoned state, detoxifying myself along the way could have a significant impact on the tournament.

The enemy would be focused on my poisoned state, potentially leading to carelessness.

And I had realized something during today’s battle.

‘The poison reacts whenever mana flows out of my mana hole [a point in the body where mana is drawn from the environment]. Especially when it flows to Undine or Undairon, their purification power attacks the poison, albeit weakly.’

One of the methods I came up with was to operate the Wind Breathing Technique with Undine and Undairon.

No one in the history of spirits had ever considered such a thing.

To mobilize spirits in the mana breathing technique!

‘It’s a thought that only I can have. I wrote the settings for this world and lived in modern society, so I’m more likely to have innovative ideas.’

Of course, I wasn’t certain about detoxification.

I also couldn’t guarantee that there would be no side effects.

Nevertheless, I had no choice but to use a method that could be considered a gamble.

‘I can’t win like this.’

Despite the confident facade I had shown Ken, I was anxious.

Trying to stay calm, I summoned Undine and Undairon.

I slowly inhaled and began to circulate mana with a nervous heart.