This Bastard is Too Competent

Alby Tress, the commander of the White Hawk Knights, was a man whom Ian vividly remembered even from his past life.

It was only natural.

“It seems the prince lacks talent in swordsmanship.”

“Was there nothing else you could have done?”

“Just sheath your sword and leave everything to us. Don’t bother yourself for no reason.”

While Heinley, the second son of the duke, physically tormented Ian, Alby mentally tortured him to the extreme.

Ian had given up the sword upon learning that Alby had served as the royal guard captain for many years.

Alby, following only the Duke of Garcia’s orders, never hesitated to pressure Ian.

‘I couldn’t even dare to talk back back then.’

The pressure emanating from the top-tier knight was something a mere child who had lived as a serf could not withstand.

On top of that, the memory of Alby single-handedly blocking the combined attack of the Third Prince and Nathan lingered, leaving an impression of an invincible giant that instilled fear in Ian. Consequently, Ian found himself becoming a mere puppet of Duke Garcia, as he could not defy the Duke who was accompanied by the terrifying Commander Alby.

And now, facing that person…

‘It’s possible. I can win.’

Ian’s sword thrust towards Alby’s neck.

Although Alby managed to twist his body to evade the blade, the next strike came from Nathan.

Slash!

Due to the rapid succession of their close-range strikes, Alby had no choice but to sacrifice his arm.

Nathan grinned with excitement.

“Commander Alby, it seems like your skills have deteriorated quite a bit.”

“Shut up, Nathan!”

Furious, Alby swung his sword, disregarding his wounds.

However, in that moment, Ian’s royal sword slipped through the gap and struck again.

Slash!

This time, Ian’s blade cut through Alby’s leg.

Alby could only groan and drop to one knee at that spot.

Plop.

“Ugh… Damn it. If only my body were in a normal state…”

Unable to contain his frustration, Alby attempted to rise again.

However, Ian and Nathan would not simply stand by.

“Just stay down, Commander!”

With their combined efforts, Alby had no choice but to defend himself while kneeling.

The outcome of the battle began to shift decisively.

‘Commander Alby is undoubtedly strong.’

But at this moment, he was no match for Ian.

Unlike in his past life, Ian had not been idle.

He recalled the rigorous training sessions he had undergone with Nathan.

‘Dueling with Sir Nathan was a grueling contest every single day.’

Despite the challenges, he never skipped a single training session.

No matter how busy he was, he remained dedicated.

‘As a result, I have become strong.’

He was no longer the incompetent Seventh Prince from a lowly concubine’s family, as he had been in his past life.

Of course, Alby was weary from breaking through the buried ground, but even if he were at full strength, he would not have won.

The reason was simple.

Thump!

As Ian’s heart raced, everything around him seemed to slow down, reminiscent of the first time he gripped his sword and defeated Supervisor Johnson.

In that moment, he moved within a space where only he existed, feeling a prowess with the sword that surpassed anything he had known in his past life.

It wasn’t just talent; it was a potential so immense that it defied simple description.

Alby couldn’t help but be astonished.

“How do you possess such skill…?”

It wasn’t merely his impressive swordsmanship.

He swung his sword at his opponent without hesitation, and his sharp attacks, which precisely targeted his weaknesses, were far beyond what one would expect from a child.

‘Moreover, I completely see through his swordsmanship.’

This understanding was natural.

Despite Alby’s derision of Ian’s swordsmanship, he had made Ian observe his training, making Ian the one who comprehended Alby’s style the best.

But it wasn’t just that.

Ian used the royal ceremonial style of swordsmanship.

Utilizing such a flashy technique to its fullest extent and applying pressure on him was something that he could hardly believe.

While Nathan appeared to be launching attacks from all angles, it was Ian who was driving the sword towards Alby’s throat.

Moreover, Ian was not acting alone.

‘Your Highness! It’s now!’

‘I’m aware, Sir Nathan.’

It was Nathan.

Their connection was profound.

It wasn’t just about Ian utilizing Nathan’s oath through Faith. Ian could sense it.

‘It’s as if I’ve become Sir Nathan himself, feeling his heart.’

He didn’t know when it had begun.

But the more he used Nathan’s oath with Faith, the more vividly Ian could feel Nathan’s emotions through their shared experiences in many battles.

It was likely the same for Nathan.

‘When was it? When did Nathan open up to me?’

Was it during the Bahara war or even earlier, perhaps during the battle of ranking against the Second Prince?

Yet, at this moment, none of that mattered.

‘With Sir Nathan by my side now, I can defeat Alby Tress.’

Ian’s grip tightened on the royal sword.

Feeling his determination, Nathan shouted,

“Your Highness! Are you truly going to do this?”

“Let’s move, Sir Nathan. Keep pace with me.”

“W-wait a moment!”

At that instant, Ian’s movements began to shift.

The space before Alby was filled with the clash of the two men’s swords, an unavoidable spectacle as the world became engulfed in a web of blades.

It was the combined attack they had practiced countless times together.

In that moment, Alby realized.

‘This… is unavoidable.’

And ultimately…

Thud.

Alby fell, his body slashed all over, unable to do anything but collapse to the ground.

His sword was stuck in the ground, and he could no longer move.

“Duke… Garcia… I apologize…”

With eyes filled with resentment, Alby reached out towards Duke Garcia.

But that was the end of it.

Incapacitated, he could only rest his head on the ground.

It was Ian’s flawless victory.

“Sir Nathan, arrest the criminal.”

“What? Me?”

“Who else? Should I, the prince, do it?”

“Oh, very well. I’ll handle it.”

With a pout, Nathan began to restrain Alby, looking as if he thought it was too unfair after such a tough fight.

Softly, Ian whispered to Nathan, “You did well, though.”

“Are you actually praising me now? Really?”

“I suppose you didn’t hear me,” Ian replied.

“No… Wait a moment, Your Highness!”

Nathan looked at Ian in surprise, but Ian turned away as if nothing had occurred.

There were still things to be done.

“What is the royal army doing? Hurry and apprehend the criminals and prepare to return to the capital,” Ian commanded.

At Ian’s directive, Duke Garcia’s territory sprang into action.

The criminals were securely bound by ropes around their necks and led away, while the victors, including Ian, cheered with smiles of triumph.

“Long live Prince Ian!”

“We won! This is the victory of Kaistein!”

But it was at that very moment, a vibration ran through Ian’s fingers.

Drrr.

“Huh?” Ian reacted.

It was an unfamiliar sensation for him. Subsequently, a voice murmured in his ear.

[Honestly, I didn’t expect this much.]

“You…?”

[I must admit, you have enough qualifications to become our master.]

“What?”

Ian realized immediately.

It was the voice of one of the artifacts left by the First King in the spatial ring.

However, there was no time for surprise.

[No, to control that power, you will definitely need our help.]

“That power? What exactly are you referring to?” Ian inquired.

[Isn’t something else more pressing right now? The enemy is approaching.]

“?”

In that instant, a soft light shimmered from the ring.

And something emerged, enveloping Ian’s face.

‘Is this… a helmet?’

Strangely, it didn’t feel restrictive at all.

Despite wearing the helmet, it felt weightless, offering unhindered vision.

Moreover, Ian’s field of view began to expand, akin to that of a hawk, enabling him to perceive distant sights.

‘Is that man…?’ Ian pondered as he observed a figure on a remote mountain near Duke Garcia’s territory.

***

“You’re late,” the First Prince stated, locking eyes with Ian from the mountaintop.

‘Could he be watching me?’

If that were the case, it was quite impressive.

He had thought that only someone like the King of Eloin or Duke Lavaltor could notice from this distance in this country.

It seemed his younger brother had considerable skill after all.

At that moment, a man beside him cautiously bowed his head and asked.

“What shall we do? If we act now, we could save at least one person.”

“Break through those men? Not only is the youngest there, but the third brother is too.”

“They’re just kids, after all. If it’s the lord, you could handle them all by yourself.”

The First Prince chuckled at those words.

“Do you want to save your father now, Ceres?”

Surprisingly, Ceres Garcia, who was presumed to have fled abroad, remained in Kaistein, alive and well.

Moreover, he was under the First Prince who had joined hands with the Duke of Garcia.

And Duke Garcia didn’t even know about it.

Ceres, unfazed, replied, “Not at all. I believed it was necessary for the grand plan.”

“Hmm…”

The First Prince, deep in thought, briefly stroked his chin.

“Whether it’s Duke Garcia or Commander Alby, both are integral to the grand plan, aren’t they?” Ceres interjected.

“Well… is that truly the case?” the First Prince questioned.

“Pardon?” Ceres was puzzled.

The First Prince’s expression darkened.

“Duke Garcia has served his purpose. An elderly man without resources is merely a relic in the shadows.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“After all, the trading companies outside of Kaistein could move solely with your power, couldn’t they?”

“Well… that may be true…”

“Then it wouldn’t be a problem if Duke Garcia were gone.”

“!”

Ceres looked at the First Prince with surprise.

No matter what, he hadn’t expected the Prince to dismiss his long-time ally, Duke Garcia, and his own father so easily.

However, he quickly regained his composure.

‘The lord’s words are absolute. Moreover, he’s not wrong.’

Duke Garcia was only needed to shake the royal family itself.

There were a few more tasks that needed to be done, but the Duke had already completed what he needed to do—even if he didn’t realize it himself.

So, Ceres cautiously spoke again.

“Then let’s at least save Commander Alby. Surely we need more usable military strength for the great plan.”

“No, that won’t do. I have no need for a dog that has lost a fight.”

But the First Prince was unyielding.

At his words, Ceres nodded as if he understood.

A man who could belittle even the great Alby as merely a dog—that was the essence of the First Prince himself.

Of course, questions still lingered.

“Then if you don’t need Duke Garcia or Commander Alby, why are you even here?”

The original plan was to split the power of the royal family and reclaim the throne from within the castle.

It raised the question of whether there was really something that important to abandon that plan.

At those words, the First Prince smiled.

“Because I wanted to see.”

“Pardon? What do you mean?”

“I mean my adorable little brother. I’m curious about what kind of guy he is that keeps getting in the way.”

“!”

The First Prince looked at Ian from a distance, as if he found the situation amusing, and said:

“And anyway, this plan has already gone awry. The royal family still has more strength than I expected.”

He had not anticipated that the Black Lion Knights and the Blood Lion Knights would not be mobilized.

They had made a move to take down Duke Garcia while trying to seize the throne.

No matter how great the First Prince and his forces were, they couldn’t just ignore King Eloin and those under him.

‘I guess there’s nothing I can do about it.’

Because King Eloin was too healthy, it seemed it would take too long to re-establish a successor and claim the throne.

“I will formally return to the royal family.”

Not by force but by taking what was rightfully his.

Although it would delay things a bit, it couldn’t be helped.

Even as the First Prince turned away, he kept Ian in his sight.

‘He’s an interesting fellow, truly…’

His eyes glinted cunningly like a snake.

***

‘Is that the rumored brother?’

Ian took in the sight of the departing First Prince.

It hadn’t been long since he received a message indicating that Gerard and Line were blocking him.

He hadn’t expected the First Prince to get past them already.

‘I guess he’s more amazing than I thought?’

But he wasn’t particularly worried.

The accomplishments and connections he had built up until now were not something that the First Prince could easily topple.

What was more concerning to Ian was something else altogether.

“So who are you, then?”

[I am the first vassal and servant of His Great Majesty, the First King of Kaistein, William Kaiser Brusht Gaius von Sigram….]

“What? William Kaiser Brusht… what?”

Was the name of the First King really that long?

No, more importantly, Ian already possessed two of the First King’s artifacts.

Yet this helmet, unlike the others, could speak.

[You can’t even remember the name of the First King? Tsk tsk.]

Although he found the tone slightly off-putting, Ian quickly asked the important question.

“So, what did you say earlier? That you need to be present to control that power?”

In response, the helmet answered.

[It’s unbelievable that His Majesty’s talent manifests in someone who can’t even remember his name. Even his power, Faith. I can’t believe it.]

Ian’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What? Faith was the First King’s power?”

That was something he had never even imagined.