Became The Son Of The Final Boss [EN]: Chapter 57

57.

I had a general idea of David’s past, but I listened attentively as he began to speak.

“I was raised to believe that killing was wrong, and the thought of profiting from taking a life disgusted me.”

David’s face clouded over, his expression turning somber.

Seeing the painful memories resurface on his face, I said gently, “You don’t have to share anything you’re not comfortable with.”

David shook his head.

“No. If I continue to serve Your Highness without revealing this, I won’t be able to offer my complete and unwavering loyalty.”

I remained silent, listening intently.

David continued, “Though smaller than the territories governed by the Imperial provinces, I was born a prince and raised by my kind father to understand the responsibilities of royalty.”

“A prince?” I asked, feigning ignorance. David nodded solemnly.

“Yes, a kingdom it was. Despite the surrounding families’ mockery, my father was determined to ensure his people lived with dignity. Back then, the continent was dotted with hundreds, even thousands, of these small kingdoms… so my father declared our land a kingdom as well.”

“I see.”

David cut to the heart of the matter. “When His Majesty rose to prominence and the Empire was established… my father’s kingdom couldn’t escape the consequences. The Imperial Army, led by the then-commander, Duke Beregon of the Atran family, destroyed it.”

I offered no empty words of comfort.

Nor could I apologize for something I hadn’t done.

I simply listened to David’s quiet voice.

“I’ll never forget that day… the brutal massacre Duke Beregon inflicted. My father surrendered unconditionally to protect us, but his sword showed no mercy.”

David offered a bitter smile.

“He even added that dying by his sword was preferable to living as a miserable slave. I could never forgive him for justifying his actions.”

I asked, feigning understanding, “So, you decided to target only Duke Beregon for revenge?”

David shook his head.

“I survived for a long time afterward. I lived as a mercenary, witnessing and learning much… and I realized that the ideals my father instilled were unattainable without bloodshed.”

David knelt before me.

“Your Highness spoke of sharing, of distributing your own wealth and that of the greedy nobles who hoard the majority of resources. Allow me to sever Duke Beregon’s head in retribution.”

“Are you offering your loyalty solely for the sake of revenge?”

David responded to my question. “No. I hadn’t considered things as Your Highness does. I’ve come to understand that changing the world requires intelligence and immense power. I can only help a few children in the slums, but if Your Highness establishes a just system, the slums themselves could disappear.”

I drew the sword from David’s waist.

David flinched.

“What is your full name?” David the Dull Sword, a former royal, must have a family name.

After his kingdom fell, he used only his given name. As his reputation as a mercenary grew, he became better known by his nickname, Dull Sword.

David answered, “David Den Hares.”

I nodded and accepted David’s oath of knighthood.

To be honest, it was my first time receiving such an oath, so I tried to maintain a composed demeanor.

After David completed his oath, I appointed him as my vassal.

And added a final thought. “Duke Beregon is a Sword Master, a prominent figure in the Empire. In your current state, a direct confrontation would result in your swift defeat.”

“Yes, I will become strong enough to defeat him, for Your Highness.”

I smiled and shook my head.

“Become an even greater knight than him. Don’t waste your blood on Beregon’s beheading.”

David looked surprised.

I knelt to meet David’s gaze and said, “Because a single drop of your blood is more precious to me than the blood of dozens, even hundreds, of enemies.”

“Your… Your Highness…”

“Let’s go. We need to have lunch and prepare for the afternoon’s matches.”

I headed to lunch with David.

The semi-finals were over.

All the top contenders for the championship had been eliminated.

“Now, those remaining weren’t originally expected to win. There’s talk that this tournament’s overall skill level is low.”

I widened my eyes at David’s words.

“Tournament level?”

“Yes. Rumor has it that only the less skilled participants entered.”

My face naturally contorted in displeasure.

“This isn’t just idle gossip, is it?”

“Ken believes that because Your Highness has a high chance of winning, the nobles are intentionally spreading these rumors to diminish your achievement.”

I agreed with Ken’s assessment.

“A foolish, incompetent Crown Prince winning the evaluation tournament… The families with princes or princesses as grandchildren don’t want to accept that outcome.”

“What will you do?”

I shrugged at David’s question.

“I’ve been labeled incompetent my entire life, so what does it matter if they say the tournament level is low? The fact that I’m being assigned as commander of the Western Command remains unchanged. Rumors can’t alter the results.”

* * *

I easily won the semi-finals and stood on the stage again this morning for the finals.

According to the tradition of the evaluation tournament, my father himself came down to the stage to offer encouragement.

“Live up to my expectations.”

That was the extent of his encouragement.

Soon, the commander of the Iron Blood Knights announced the name of my opponent and signaled the start of the battle.

* * *

Ron returned to his throne.

“It seems the Crown Prince will be victorious.”

At Duke Austin’s words, several nobles turned their attention to Arun.

Ron sat down and said simply, “Didn’t I already predict that?”

Duke Austin smiled.

“Your Majesty’s insight is undeniable… but His Highness the Crown Prince has changed significantly. Even if the tournament participants are not the most skilled, winning is still a remarkable feat.”

Ron ignored the subtle dig at the tournament’s level.

He chuckled and shrugged. “Is that so? There were many participants I wanted to recruit… but they will all serve the Empire eventually, as part of the Eastern Conquest Army rather than the Western Defense Army.”

Ron’s words immediately elevated the perceived importance of the tournament.

The fact that the Emperor coveted so many participants was significant to the nobles.

Everyone knew Ron’s desire for talent, and his keen eye for it.

Austin secretly bit his lip.

Meanwhile, Arun was aggressively pressing his opponent.

It appeared the opponent couldn’t withstand the combined power of Sylphere and Phoenix’s attack.

Beregon stepped forward.

“The victor… will likely be His Highness the Crown Prince. I will include the Atran Knights in the defense force His Highness is assembling.”

Ron’s eyebrows twitched, and all eyes immediately turned to Duke Beregon.

“What do you mean by that?”

Beregon’s smile widened at Ron’s question.

“When the forces of evil resurface, they always bring great devastation to the continent. The Pieron Conquest Army is already stretched thin due to conscription, and without support from elite knights, the Western Lord Allied Forces will struggle to defend.”

Ron’s eyes narrowed at Beregon’s answer.

“So, you’re offering your family’s knights? I know the Atran Knights only follow the head of the Atran family. Isn’t the current leader also the head of the Atran family?”

Beregon nodded.

“Yes. To be precise, they only obey the orders of the current head of the family. I will order them to serve Your Highness.”

Beregon continued before Ron could respond.

“I’m considering joining Your Majesty in the East for the first time in many years. Your Majesty has mentioned the presence of many strong individuals there.”

Ron showed no immediate reaction but soon burst into laughter.

“Very well, I’ll witness the Duke’s swordsmanship again after all this time.”

Duke Austin also stepped forward.

“I will dispatch the Riverhill Magic Corps to the West as well.”

Ron immediately understood the two dukes’ intentions but didn’t reveal his knowledge, accepting their proposals with apparent satisfaction.

“Excellent. Will Duke Austin also accompany me to the East?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. The Eastern Conquest is the primary objective of this war… and though I am old, I can still contribute to large-scale battles, can’t I?”

Ron nodded.

“With the head of the Riverhill family participating, the number of soldiers becomes almost irrelevant. The power of the conquest army has significantly increased.”

Ron declared, “Then the Eastern Conquest Army must conquer not only Pieron but also the Kingdom of Sophia. Shouldn’t we achieve such success with the direct participation of the two dukes?”

At Ron’s words, the faces and bodies of all the nobles stiffened.

If the Empire conquered both Pieron and the Kingdom of Sophia, it would possess the largest territory in its history.

The Kingdom of Sophia was at least twice the size of Pieron and boasted many talented individuals.

In particular, Sophia had a Sword Master renowned as the strongest in the East, a knight whose reputation was sometimes compared to Ron’s.

“Your Majesty!”

Ron spoke first.

“While we’re there, we’ll meet the Sword Master known as the strongest in the East. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to settle the rankings at this time. What do you think? Should I step up myself, or will Duke Beregon handle it?”

Beregon smiled wryly, knowing he couldn’t refuse.

“How could Your Majesty cross swords with such a person? I will suppress the false reputation of the East.”

Ron nodded.

Beregon turned his gaze back to the stage.

‘That cunning Emperor… wouldn’t simply accept our words. Still, if we occupy Sophia after Pieron, the Empire’s losses will be immense. The Emperor’s personal knights will always be at the forefront, as always.’

Beregon didn’t believe the Emperor would easily agree to his and Duke Austin’s proposals.

That’s why he brought it up during the evaluation tournament, not during a war, making it difficult for Ron to refuse.

It was also easier to withstand Ron’s pressure in the open air than in a closed room.

Beregon was satisfied in his own way.

In any case, he and Austin shared the same goal.

To end Arun’s life, who was fiercely pushing his opponent on the stage!

-We can’t be loyal for generations, can we?

Austin was undoubtedly an outstanding individual, capable of insightful remarks and bold decisions.

‘Riverhill isn’t a prestigious family for nothing. A 7-circle magician can’t be stupid.’

Beregon dismissed his thoughts and focused on Arun.

* * *

I wanted to show them.

As soon as I stepped onto the final stage, my blood surged. I wanted to make it clear to the arrogant nobles watching me.

The Arun Carl Leord they knew was gone!

Did he sense my determination?

The commander of the Iron Blood Knights narrowed his eyes and focused on me, and my opponent gripped his sword tightly.

I am strong.

I repeated to myself. Being an Intermediate Spirit Expert was no small feat.

I immediately summoned Sylphere.

Gooooooo-!

As I summoned Sylphere with the wind, my opponent charged.

As expected of a knight, he was incredibly fast.

I dodged the knight’s sword while manipulating the flow of wind and earth.

Simultaneously, Sylphere targeted the knight’s shoulder.

The chain of wind spread wide.

The knight spun and deflected the chain of wind.

The moment he turned, I summoned Phoenix and immediately combined Sylphere’s wind with fire.

Kwaaaang-!

The wind struck the knight’s shoulder. Had his armor not been specially reinforced, it would have exploded or melted. I carefully controlled the intensity to avoid causing serious harm.

My opponent staggered.

I summoned all the spirits at once.

He bit his lip and closed the distance again, attempting to engage me.

If I allowed him to get close, I would be forced onto the defensive.

I wanted to overwhelm him in the finals.

I unleashed my skills, demonstrating my power to everyone.

The sylphs targeted his legs with chains of wind, and Undine unleashed a torrent of water.

Undairon created a wall of water, preventing him from reaching me.

Phoenix and Sylphere combined wind and fire once more.

Kwaaaang-! Kwang-!

He tried to cut through the wind of fire with his sword, but he couldn’t.

Kwang-!

The wind of fire descended vertically from the air, shaking the stage.

Kwaaaang-!

The gnome suddenly appeared and destabilized the ground beneath my opponent’s feet.

Seogeok-! Seogeok-!

The sylphs’ chains of wind cut and tore away pieces of his armor.

I charged, recalling Sylphere to my side.

“Chain of Wind!”

With that final command, Sylphere wrapped a chain around his neck.

“Stop!”

The commander of the Iron Blood Knights intervened.

“Arun Carl Leord, victory! Declared the winner of the evaluation tournament.”

Despite the commander’s announcement, the surroundings were silent.

I turned toward the VIP seats and bowed to my father.

My opponent collapsed on the stage, his legs giving way.

Even in the finals, I ensured his safety. Perfect control. I trembled with exhilaration.

‘This is what it feels like to be strong… and to win.’

* * *

“Is that really the Crown Prince we knew?”

“He’s been hiding his abilities!”

Beregon bit his lip at the murmurs from below.

Even the audience recognized it.

The skill of freely controlling intermediate spirits was impressive, but Beregon saw something more.

The spirit to dominate his opponent!

It was the same spirit that had made him despair when facing the Emperor.

‘I must kill him.’

Beregon had intended to send ordinary knights disguised as elites to the West, but he changed his mind.

He glanced at Austin, who was visibly trembling.

‘What a pathetic man, so easily swayed by his emotions. A magician must maintain composure. That’s why Chen is the way he is.’

Beregon stared blankly at the spot where Arun had stood.

“His Highness the Crown Prince… was concealing tremendous abilities.”

Other nobles echoed the sentiment.

“It’s unheard of to wield intermediate spirits so freely at His Highness’s age.”

Beregon wanted to silence the noble who spoke those words.

Everyone knew that fact, yet he felt the need to state it.

But they didn’t know the full truth.

“He wasn’t hiding his abilities. He hasn’t been studying spirit magic for long.”

Horror spread across the nobles’ faces at the Emperor’s revelation.

Beregon sighed inwardly.

‘He always finds a way to bolster the Crown Prince’s image.’

He didn’t want the other nobles to know that Arun was a recent convert to spirit magic.

“Your Highness’s talent is truly terrifying.”

He didn’t want those words to be spoken.

‘Yes, a terrifying talent. A chilling talent. So… I can never let him live.’

Beregon didn’t realize that his back was drenched in sweat.

Witnessing such extraordinary talent was frightening.

Especially when that talent belonged to a rival.