This Bastard is Too Competent - Chapter 119: Cardinal of the Holy Empire

Ian Kaistein.

A pitiable royal born to a humble mother and spent his childhood as a serf.

Until not long ago, he was an ordinary prince whom not even the lowest class of Kaistein cared much about.

But now, it was different.

“Whoaahh! Long live Ian Kaistein!”

“Kaistein’s savior! Conqueror of Bahara! Hurray!”

Everyone was cheering for Ian.

It was only natural.

“Have you released all the relief goods?”

“Of course. I’m distributing it after a double-check to make sure no one misses it.”

“Just in case, you should check it out yourself. Do not let anyone intercept in the middle.”

“Would it possibly happen, Your Highness Ian?”

It was because of the wealth he had released.

But he wasn’t just throwing money around thoughtlessly.

His unique operating method of running a soup kitchen for the poor by buying supplies from the commoners worked. Thanks to this, Kaistein’s supplies, which had been tightly tied up due to the war, began to circulate.

‘Well, it wasn’t that much.’

It was not the case for Kaistein, which was not in a good financial situation.

This much was enough to give them some breathing room.

However, those who were assisting Ian at the king’s order couldn’t hold themselves back from expressing their concern.

“But are you sure you don’t mind? Wealth this abundant would be better off used for other purposes…”

“Do you have any complaints about me spending my own money?”

“No, it’s not like that. I’m just worried. I find it regrettable that that amount of wealth is used in such a wasteful manner…”

It was understandable they thought that way.

With such wealth and supplies, it would be better to spend them on becoming the heir to the throne rather than doing something like this.

At the very least, it might be better to recruit more soldiers or spend it on war studies.

Ian shook his head at those people.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t find it a waste at all.”

“!?”

Of course, it would not be a waste.

It wasn’t his money in the first place, after all.

The task entrusted to his last knight, Fiosen, was none other than to rob the Garcia family.

To be precise, the document Heinley entrusted to him.

[I delegate my full authority to the beholder of this document.]

His task was to rob Garcia’s secret warehouse with it.

With the absence of the Duke’s eldest son, the second son had practically been designated as the next successor. Even though Heinley would have to face the trial, he had yet to be convicted.

In other words, he still held his rightful position as the Duke’s successor.

Thanks to that, swiping Garcia’s warehouse was a breeze.

‘Besides, I know the locations of Duke Garcia’s secret warehouses.’

Of course, that wasn’t everything.

But since Ian knew some fairly important locations, he was able to easily rob the Duke of his wealth.

That alone amounted to a truly staggering quantity, enough to do everything he wanted to do and still have some to spare.

It was then.

“Your Highness, Sir Fiosen is back.”

Looking at how he was returning with the riches loaded in a cart, Fiosen seemed to have ransacked another warehouse.

It was not much, but it was enough to give a breather.

“Is this all?”

“No. It’s still a long way to go. There was some left.”

“What did you do with the rest?”

“As you ordered, we sent half of it to Bahara and half to the territory.”

“Well done.”

Ian smiled.

He could have spent his wealth in other ways, but by using it for his people, his standing was improving by leaps and bounds.

In addition, Kaistein’s logistics, which had been stalled, began to flow as it was being circulated.

Smiles were blooming everywhere that one wouldn’t even think that this was a country that had been at war for a long time.

At this rate, everyone would have no choice but to admit that Ian was the trendsetter.

But Ian didn’t stop there.

“Take care of the soldiers injured in this war and the families of the dead.”

“Are you serious? You will need a lot of money.”

“So, are we short on money right now?”

“Of course not.”

Ian took care of not just his own soldiers.

He made sure to look after all the soldiers of his other brothers as well as Duke Lavaltor’s, and also the families of the injured and the dead.

Fiosen asked in amazement.

“Even though it’s Duke Garcia’s money, do you really need to go that far?”

“They are all Kaistein’s people. As a monarch, it is natural to be responsible for them.”

“B-but…”

Others viewed it otherwise.

To make matters worse, some nobles even pointed their fingers at him, calling him a fool.

Yet, Ian merely snorted.

 

‘The fool is you people. I buy their hearts with only a few gold coins.’

It was indeed the case in reality.

Other royals might take care of the injured soldiers, but no one spared a glance at the dead soldiers or their families.

That was the law of the land in this day and age.

No noble would spend a penny on the worthless.

But Ian was the only one who thought of them.

“In addition to the medical expenses for the injured, provide separate support expenses for families whose head of the household passed away. There should not be a single outcast among those wounded fighting for the country.”

“I will do as you wish.”

Fiosen ran off in an uplifted mood.

He might be a direct descendant of Duke Lavaltor, but he still cared about the injured and abandoned soldiers. He felt regrettable that he couldn’t help as a commander.

However, Ian, his lord, provided a way to help them.

Naturally, his steps became lighter.

Ian also smiled as he watched such a happy Fiosen.

‘Now, no one will object to me keeping my position as successor to the throne.’

It was not simply because of the people’s support.

The nobles had already felt that the flow of power in Kaistein had shifted.

Some of the ministers even contacted him secretly.

‘Now just a little bit more.’

Even so, Ian didn’t let his guard down.

Although he robbed Garcia’s secret warehouses, the Duke wasn’t completely plunged to the bottom of the abyss yet.

Despite overwhelming others in the succession battle, he was not completely recognized as a successor.

Garcia taught Ian something in his previous life.

“It’s not mine until it’s in my hand.” 

Ian could never forget those words.

That was why he didn’t let complacency get the better of him until he robbed the secret warehouses and the riches became his.

But it was just then.

“We-we have a serious problem, Your Highness!”

The chamberlain of the Crystal Palace was running toward him.

He had already pledged his loyalty to Ian. The chamberlain whispered, his expression grave.

“I think Your Highness should go quickly.”

“What’s going on?”

“The Fifth Prince… He’s back.”

“What?”

It was an utterly shocking piece of news.

The return of a brother Ian had never seen in his past life.

Moreover, he was an individual talented enough to be revered as the youngest cardinal.

Ian’s eyes chilled.

‘Something has changed the future.’

But no matter how hard he thought about it, there was nothing related to the Fifth Prince.

As his face was about to turn serious.

“Your Highness, don’t you have to go now?”

“Where to?”

“To where the Fifth Prince is now, of course.”

“!”

Ian moved, following the chamberlain with a serious expression.

The place he was heading to was the ward where the wounded from the recent Northern Expedition were nursed.

Ian tilted his head.

‘What’s happening here?’ 

But his expression soon changed in the next second.

A ward, and the youngest cardinal.

‘No way… He can’t be?’ 

At the very moment Ian entered the ward with a tensed-up face.

Wo-ong! Paats! 

A blinding beam of light poured out of the ward.

It was a light purer than anything else.

Surprised, Ian went inside.

And then, he could see it.

“I’m all better! My eyes can see!”

“My body is not in pain at all. This is a miracle! A miracle!”

“Oooh! Holy Saint!”

One by one, the soldiers who had been lying rose to their feet.

Ian felt a chill run down his spine at that moment.

‘This bastard?’

He immediately realized that the Fifth Prince had stolen his thunder.

And it actually worked.

He could tell from how the soldiers who treated the wounded and the citizens chanted the Fifth Prince’s name.

But Ian soon smirked.

‘Would you look at this?’ 

The movements of the heresy inquisitor at the side of the Fifth Prince, who was radiating divine power, were unusual.

Ian beckoned to Nathan next to him.

“Sir Nathan.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Go after him right now.”

Moreover, the face of one of the heresy inquisitors was very familiar to him.

‘I never thought I’d meet that person again here.’

He also had a connection with his past life.

If only there was a difference.

‘He wasn’t part of the Holy Empire back then.’

He wasn’t even a heresy inquisitor.

Ian’s smile turned cold as if he caught on to something.

***

 

The Fifth Prince Haverion.

He smiled and removed his hand from the patient.

“Now, it doesn’t hurt anymore, does it?”

“Th, thank you, O’ Saint.”

Haverion smiled at the patient bowing toward him.

“It won’t hurt anymore, so you don’t have to cry.”

“Waahh…”

He had a face that gave anyone a warm feeling just by looking at it.

Not only the cured patient but the soldiers around were also moved to tears witnessing Haverion’s warmth.

The saint was saving them.

Just then, a chamberlain sent by King Eloin bowed his head to Haverion.

“Your Eminence, I have a message from the Kaistein royal palace.”

“What did it say?”

“It said to stop the treatment immediately and be present before the king.”

The chamberlain’s voice was lowered so others could not hear it.

However, the inquisitor next to him cast a sharp glare.

“Stop the treatment immediately? Is that the will of the king of this country?!”

No, his voice was loud enough to be heard throughout the ward.

Surprised, the chamberlain hastily waved his hand.

“What are you doing now?”

“That’s what you just said! How dare you ask His Eminence of the Holy Empire to stop the treatment! You think that makes any sense?!”

The inquisitor raised his voice as if to interrogate the chamberlain.

In an instant, the surrounding atmosphere turned ugly.

“What do you mean! There are so many patients here!”

“Are you saying His Majesty really leaves the sick children alone to summon the saint?”

“This is ridiculous! How could His Majesty do that!”

The patients who were about to be treated, in particular, began to hurl swear words.

Hostility nearly filled their eyes to the brim.

The chamberlain hurriedly waved his hand.

“No! You misunderstood! His Majesty just wants to see the prince…”

However, the heresy inquisitors drew their swords.

“How dare you show your hostility in front of His Eminence!”

“Inquisitors, raise your weapons! Protect His Eminence!”

The air chilled in an instant.

The citizens, who did not want the Fifth Prince they hailed as a saint to be taken away, and the heresy inquisitors, who wanted to protect him, were facing off against each other.

The chamberlain and his men were caught in the middle, looking flustered and not knowing what to do.

The atmosphere was so tense it felt as though a fight would break out at any second.

But right at that moment.

“Please stop.”

Haverion stepped forward with a smile.

The inquisitor shouted.

“We can’t do that. The order we received from His Holiness is to keep Your Eminence safe!”

“There is no way that the evil that permeated the duchy cannot be here too! We must protect Your Eminence!”

Seeing their reactions, Haverion calmly took the inquisitor’s sword to his hand.

The inquisitor shouted in shock.

“Your Eminence!”

It was dangerous.

They were doing this to protect him, yet why was he doing this?

Nevertheless, Haverion smiled softly.

“Tell His Majesty I will go after treating all of Kaistein’s sick children.”

“B-but, Your Eminence…”

“If you tell him that, he will understand.”

Haverion smiled.

The chamberlain didn’t dare go against his wish amid this volatile atmosphere.

“I shall pass it along, Your Eminence.”

Haverion sent the chamberlain away with a benevolent smile.

It was then.

“Your Eminence, I’ve found it.”

Haverion turned his head.

“Duke Garcia is currently imprisoned in a tower in the royal palace.”

Then, upon hearing the whispered words, his lips curled up into a smile—one that was different from before.

“Send an emissary to His Majesty. If he wants to meet me, arrange a meeting with Duke Garcia first.”

Otherwise, he wouldn’t move a single step from here.

Haverion said with a smile.

“Now, the next person, please come in.”

With a face radiating warmth as he always showed.

But he didn’t know.

That there was a man tailing the heresy inquisitor he sent. Unhurriedly, Nathan slithered into the shadows.