This Bastard is Too Competent - Chapter 139: As The Prince Said

“Hey, have you heard the news? The prince has awakened!”

“Did you hear that just now? As soon as he woke up, he even saved Lady Lavaltor with his own body.”

“Is that true? He’s truly remarkable.”

The rumor that Ian had come to his senses quickly spread throughout the royal capital.

Not only that, the story goes around that he defeated Haverion and rescued Lady Lavaltor.

While most royals would simply stay put and participate in governance, Ian couldn’t do that.

It was inevitable.

“Please show us the prince’s face!”

“We want to know if he’s truly unharmed!”

“Show us that Ian Kaistein is safe!”

Thanks to the commotion at the entrance of Kaistein’ palace, Ian had to step forward to reassure the people.

So, Ian rode out in the royal carriage with the royal emblem drawn on it.

It is also a top-class royal carriage pulled by eight [Blue King] horses.

It was one of the items that King Eloin had insidiously prepared.

Knowing the value of the carriage, Ian felt a bit awkward but couldn’t refuse what the king had offered, so he had no choice but to get on it.

Then a huge roar broke out.

“There… there’s Prince Ian!”

“The prince has appeared!”

Especially when Ian appears to be unharmed even though he is wearing bandages.

“Kaaahhh.”

“Prince, we are truly relieved that you’re unharmed.”

“Prince Ian, hooray.”

The entire kingdom resonated with the cheers of the people. Everyone welcomed Ian’s return. Of course, what they welcomed wasn’t just Ian’s safety.

“Congratulations on your engagement.”

“Congratulations on your betrothal to the third most beautiful woman in all of Kaistein!”

Suddenly, the story of Ian’s engagement with Lady Lavaltor spread.

People nodded in approval.

“Betrothed to the Duke of Lavaltor’s only daughter. That’s quite a coup.”

“He is also the King of Bahara. There is nothing to be afraid of now.”

One of the most revered families in Kaistein is the Duke of Lavaltor.

Duke Lavaltor, famous for his chivalry, was no different from everyone’s heroes.

It’s no wonder that rumors of a betrothal to such a family caused such an uproar.

Moreover, if a family as powerful as the Lavaltor were to form a marital alliance with the royal family, many believed it would bring stability without major power struggles or coups.

“Is that it? I heard that the prince even sent a generous betrothal gift through the hawks.”

“I heard that Sir Fiosen was speechless when he saw that gift.”

Although Duke Lavaltor only raised an eyebrow in response to the gift, some were worried that it might not have been well received.

But Ian knew better.

The fact that the Duke even raised an eyebrow without saying a word was already a significant reaction by his standards.

Nathan even grumbled about why such a gift was sent to Lavaltor, but Ian just smiled.

‘Well, the Duke of Lavaltor had a score to settle.’ 

The reason Ian could break free from Garcia’s hold was indeed thanks to Lavaltor.

As with the Labadom village, Ian received quite a bit of help.

And what Ian sent was the responsibility of two people, not just one.

 

‘Because I even got Sir Fiosen.’

The end of the contract.

The Duke of Lavaltor finally agreed to hand over Fiosen to Ian.

Of course, there was one condition.

 

“If Fiosen swears to take the prince as his lord, then so shall it be.”

Fiosen didn’t seem entirely displeased with his current position, so perhaps, following Galon, he could become Ian’s second knight.

It was time for Ian to take a walk around the royal capital.

Some of the people in the crowd sent him incredulous glances.

“Tsk. He’s only a bastard.”

“Engaging a lady and a bastard? What happened to His Majesty?”

“There should be someone suitable for a filthy bastard.”

After breaking off the engagement with the Second Prince, they were young nobles who had their eyes set on marrying Lady Lavaltor.

Despite the engagement with the Second Prince, they were well aware that their relationship was merely on paper and that the lady and the prince had never even held hands.

Moreover, it was well known that the lady avoided facing the Second Prince at all costs.

So, they were looking for an unexpected opportunity.

Additionally, not only were they captivated by her beauty, but the nobles also sought the prestige of the Lavaltor family name.

“Hmph, relying on the Lavaltor name just because he’s a bastard. Will he not try to find his way back to his original status in the future?”

“Since they can’t marry until the coming-of-age ceremony, it’s a relationship with an uncertain future.”

“Perhaps he himself is aware of this and is using it to his advantage?”

The age difference between Ian and the lady is at most 4 years.

“How many years until Prince Ian’s coming-of-age ceremony?”

“Three years.”

“Well, a lot can change in three years.”

“I wonder if he’ll survive until then.”

They began to harbor strong feelings of jealousy toward Ian.

And at that moment,

‘How intriguing.’

 

Ian was laughing in the carriage.

Was it because he had swallowed ‘Jealousy’ in Bahara?

The voices of those filled with envy and jealousy could be heard.

However, Ian was different from his previous life, where he was weak and kind.

He was not a kind person, to the point of letting go of those who insulted him for being a bastard.

‘I’ll remember those guys.’ 

The only drawback was that there were so many people that it was impossible to tell who was speaking.

‘I wish I could tell them apart.’

But that was then.

Woong!

Ian’s body resonated.

However, a question arose in his eyes.

‘Huh?’

It was because of a different wave than before.

A power similar to the Seven Virtues. However, it was different from Faith and Patience.

Their powers were warm and made one feel the essence of emotions.

But this time, it was a cold and sticky feeling, like the ice in the northern glaciers.

Sure enough.

Ian’s vision changed.

It felt like the world had turned white.

In reality, everything in Ian’s view turned white.

However,

‘Why is that one… black?’

Everyone was pure white, but there were some who were particularly black.

‘That’s…’

It was right then.

[Ah~ What a delightful gaze! I feel so good.]

Something black came out of Ian’s body.

There was only a mouth and teeth drawn on something black that looked like a round circle.

At this sight, Ian furrowed his eyebrows.

‘What the hell is this guy…?’ 

The amazing thing was that other people couldn’t see it.

Even the knight, Sir Fiosen, could not sense any sign of the black thing next to him.

This thing was stealing items attached to Fiosen’s sword.

[Oooh! This one looks good! It’s mine!]

Soon, Galon spoke up.

“Sir Fiosen, where did the sword the prince gave you go?”

“Eh?”

Fiosen looked around, puzzled.

“Huh? Huh? Where did it go? I was definitely holding it.”

The black object that had so brazenly stolen the item sneered at Ian.

[So, is this the one who swallowed me? He’s got a nice face, but he’s got a nasty temper. Well, this guy won’t be able to see me anyway, oops. There’s another valuable item here, right?]

The black thing tried to snatch Ian’s necklace.

But just at that moment.

 

[Gasp!!!]

Ian grabbed the black thing tightly.

[Let go! What is this guy? Can you even see me?]

Ian looked at the object as if it were disgusting.

It was ‘Jealousy,’ one of the Seven Sins.

 

***

 

Marquis Adelas.

One of the kingdom’s great factions is the followers of the First Princess.

The nobles were currently gathered around the Marquis.

Of course, the atmosphere was far from harmonious.

“Does the First Princess really think of us?”

“To be honest, this time is disappointing.”

“Just this time? It’s been like this since Bahara.”

“She shouldn’t act like this considering the efforts we’ve put in.”

The marquis’s faction was criticizing the First Princess.

They couldn’t help the appearance of the monsters in Bahara, but they suffered significant losses nonetheless.

Moreover, due to her decision as the former supreme commander, the Seventh Prince became the hero of Bahara and eventually became the king.

“Didn’t she make the Seventh Prince a hero?”

And it was the same this time too.

At best, she had a chance to kill the wounded prince at the victory ceremony.

“Isn’t the princess siding with the Seventh Prince, demanding compensation from His Majesty even after putting him in a trap? For the sake of the Seventh Prince.”

“Once again, our factions have not been acknowledged.”

“Please say something, Marquis!”

The complaints turned to Marquis Adelas.

Everyone was visibly agitated.

It was inevitable.

“His Majesty is showing significant interest in the Seventh Prince.”

“To participate in the succession war as the King of Bahara. This is absurd.”

“Moreover, the Spear of Execution—it’s not something he should be wielding.”

This was because Ian’s growth rate was scary.

At first, he would have been nothing more than a bastard.

“But he has already pushed aside the First Princess and taken the top spot.”

That wasn’t all.

“Engagement to Lady Lavaltor? Are you kidding me?”

“The engagement will not be finalized until after the coming-of-age ceremony, but there are many rumors that Duke Lavaltor is already thinking of him as his son-in-law.”

“Even the heir, Sir Fiosen, has shown interest. This is really dangerous.”

Marquis Adelas frowned without realizing it.

‘That foolish second prince. Just because he couldn’t handle that one thing properly…’

It was fortunate that Lavaltor was on the side of that stupid Second Prince.

Rather than wielding the Lavaltor duchy, he was consumed by its name.

But Ian was different.

“They say the Blue Wolf of the North is on the move.”

“There are rumors that they are coming down to the capital for the engagement ceremony.”

Ian was using Lavaltor’s reputation properly.

At this point, it was natural for the nobles to express their dissatisfaction.

“The First Princess’s attitude recently has been disappointing.”

“The risks are too great to continue to follow her.”

“In that case, like what happened to Haverion back then…”

It was that moment.

The nobleman’s words instantly silenced the room.

In that silence, even the Marquis Adelas scolded him with a very stern voice.

 

“We agreed not to discuss that matter again.”

“I-I apologize.”

In truth, it wasn’t simply the Duke of Garcia who had driven Haverion out of the country like an outcast.

There was a faction that wanted him out, and it was the Marquis of Adelas who led it.

He thought coldly.

‘I don’t know what Duke Garcia was thinking… but the Fifth Prince had to be excluded. It was just a coincidence that our interests aligned.’

The Marquis said it with a smile.

“As you all know, the Fifth Prince was not the vessel we wanted. He has divine powers, and yet he follows his rival, the First Prince. There is no need for such a pathetic bastard.”

“Of course we do, which is why we abandoned the Second Prince and chose the First Princess.”

“She was the only vessel we thought could lead us.”

But she has already lost her qualifications.

Soon, there would be a few of her factions left.

Because everyone plans to follow the new person.

“Let’s deal with the First Princess as well.”

“Sure. We should do the same with the Seventh Prince.”

“In the first place, isn’t Adelas a family that contributed to founding the country along with the three dukes? Throughout history, there were many queens from Adelas who passed down generations. It’s just that the dukes are the only ones who are favored.”

“In terms of wealth and status, it is no different from that of a duke.”

The nobles also nodded with the same thought.

Marquis Adelas smiled subtly.

He had a letter from Cardinal Cesare.

Recalling the contents of the letter, Marquis Adelas slowly rose from his seat.

“This country belongs to none other than us. Those disobedient royal dogs. Let’s dispose of them properly.”

“The Marquis’s words are correct.”

Everyone stood up and raised their glasses.

“For the Marquis of Adelas!”

“For noble blood!”

And at that very moment.

“As expected, as the prince said.”

A black shadow was appearing on the ceiling of Marquis Adelas.

 

***

 

Jealousy is one of the Seven Sins.

Ian had clearly eaten its fragments in Balrog, Bahara’s stronghold.

But nothing changed then.

‘But why now?’

Jealousy was shaking in his hand.

[How on earth can I be seen? That can’t be possible!]

But Ian shoved the Jealousy back into his pocket.

[You— human! What are you doing!]

It wasn’t because he wasn’t curious about Jealousy.

He had more important things to do right now.

And that was.

“Prince. This is a message that Cardinal Cesare and the saintess will arrive soon.”

Negotiations with the Holy Empire came first.

But Ian couldn’t help but stiffen.

“This is the saintess of the Holy Empire.”

That was obvious.

‘Her… face?’

The saintess’s face looked too familiar.