This Bastard is Too Competent

Ian arrived in Helgaia territory, riding the black dragon.

As he dismounted, someone rushed towards him and hugged him.

“Brother!”

It was none other than the saintess, Elaira.

Behind her stood his mother, Lila, and Galon.

Ian smiled warmly.

“Mother, did you encounter any trouble on your journey here?”

“Not at all. We have arrived at the safest place, just as you assured us,” Lila replied.

“It was quite an adventure, Brother,” Elaira chimed in.

Elaira, who had been confined for so long, appeared genuinely thrilled to have ventured into the outside world for the first time without surveillance.

It was only natural that Lila, who had endured her own period of captivity, wore a smile as well. As they exchanged pleasantries, a voice whispered from an unseen helmet.

[So, that’s how it was.]

Ian tilted his head in confusion.

‘What do you mean?’

[There’s a similar scent emanating from your mother and sister.]

‘What?’

Ian focused his attention on them but couldn’t detect any traces of the powers associated with the Seven Virtues or the Seven Sins through Faith, Patience, Jealousy, or Fury.

The helmet spoke as if it were obvious.

[It’s not the power of the Seven Sins. Strangely… it’s been distorted.]

‘Distorted?’

[Yes. Only remnants of power linger. It’s not the true essence of the Seven Sins but rather fragments of that power.]

What could be felt from his mother was a negligible amount.

As if it was going to disappear soon, but his sister, the saintess, was different.

She truly possessed immense power.

‘Could this mean…’

Hearing that, Ian’s heart raced.

Ian felt a surge of anticipation as he thought he might finally understand the reason for his reincarnation.

He wanted to know who or what caused his rebirth and the circumstances surrounding it.

And just as he had thought.

[Rowen had a unique power among the Seven Sins.]

‘What kind of power?’

[He could turn back time for a short while.]

‘What? So you’re saying that I was reincarnated because he turned back time?’

[No, that’s impossible.]

‘Why not?’

[Because he can only turn back time a few seconds ago. Five seconds is his limit.]

‘…’

It was impossible for him to turn back the nearly ten years that Ian had experienced.

[I remember exactly because the First King helped him with his experiment. He had tried turning back time further, but he aged rapidly.]

Even that was only a minute.

They had made him give up because he might die if he went any further.

But something was strange.

[That child… How can she foresee destinies?]

‘Why? If he can turn back time, what’s stopping him from reading the future?’

[No. If Rowen could turn back time even for a moment, reading the future would be another person’s power.]

‘What?’

That was the power of one of the Seven Virtues.

No matter how powerful Rowen was as the leader of the Seven Mages, it was difficult for those two powers to coexist.

[Using them together would place an enormous burden on the caster. The stronger the power, the more severe the consequences. For someone as skilled as Rowen, it wouldn’t be surprising if his body were immediately destroyed.]

Yet, there was Rowen’s scent coming from Elaira, who could read the future.

It made no sense at all.

But one thing was certain.

[Rowen is a mage. But mages are the kind of people who make the impossible possible.]

It was clear that he had definitely done something using the power of the Seven Virtues or the Seven Sins.

The evidence was right in front of them.

[Your sister and you are connected.]

‘Of course. She’s my sister.’

[No, it’s not just that. You are deeply connected.]

‘Huh?’

The helmet’s words were blunt.

[You said you were twins. Although you grew up differently, you both inherited the same destiny.]

‘What do you mean…?’

[It appears that Rowen initially targeted your sibling. However, for some reason, it seems that only your life has been reset.]

‘!’

This led to one conclusion.

[In your past life, the saintess did not appear in Kaistein. They only existed in the Holy Empire. This means…]

‘Someone with Rowen’s power is there? And there’s someone who reincarnated me?’

[Exactly.]

In the past, the Holy Empire certainly walked a path of destruction.

But Cesare became the new Pope, raising Elaira as the saintess, and inherited a new Holy Empire.

Furthermore, he had formed alliances with factions linked to the First Prince.

It was quite likely that the First Prince had ties to Rowen or someone who possessed one of the Seven Virtues and could predict the future.

‘I need to go to the royal palace as soon as possible. I need to meet the First Prince.’

[That would be the quickest way.]

However, there was something to do first.

[How about extracting the power from that child?]

‘That child? My sister?’

[Yes. Even though it’s corrupted, it’s Rowen’s power. It will be useful to you.]

‘But didn’t Andelgram say that absorbing the power of other Seven Virtues or Sins was impossible?’

Andelgram had clearly said so.

That’s why Faith and the Seven Virtues were not taken away.

He had said that no one could take it unless he willingly gave up the Seven Virtues at the end. But the helmet spoke indifferently.

[I’m special. And Faith is even more special.]

Faith was the power above all the Seven Sins and Seven Virtues.

It was a power that could take anything else away.

Of course, if the balance was disrupted, it could also pose a threat to the user.

[If you have that power, it seems like it could somewhat balance your imbalance.]

‘Is that so?’

Ian briefly looked at his sister Elaira.

She had suffered all her life from the agony of forcibly reading the future.

It was certainly a good thing to take that power away from her.

‘Still, I think it would be nice if my sister had some power.’

It seemed that she needed that much power to live in this harsh world.

Regardless, he believed it necessary to discuss this matter with his sister.

Suddenly, Elaira smiled gently and whispered.

“Brother. Please take my power.”

“Elaira?”

“It’s a power I no longer need. I don’t want to read anyone else’s fate anymore.”

She meant that she hated being fixed into a role.

So, she was asking him to please take her power.

In fact, she smiled brightly towards the invisible helm.

“Isn’t this the First King’s helmet? Thank you for granting me this opportunity.”

[Ahem…]

She must have glimpsed her own future.

Elaira extended her arms to Ian, indicating there was no need to delay any longer.

Ian also did not hesitate any longer.

[Reach out to her. I’ll help you with the rest.]

Ian extended his hand towards Elaira.

Gradually, a certain energy began to transfer from her—it was undeniably the power of the Seven Virtues.

‘What is this power…?’

What was astonishing was what followed.

The power, which was merely a fragment and could not be considered substantial, began to grow enormous within Ian.

It seemed to merge with the Seven Virtues he had obtained with Fury.

No, it wasn’t just that.

Woong!

Patience.

All Seven Virtues except for Faith fiercely responded, as if welcoming an old friend.

However, Ian had no time to be surprised.

He immediately commanded Nathan and Galon.

“We must go to the royal palace right now. Get ready.”

“Understood.”

Ian bid farewell to his sister and mother.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Please be careful, brother.”

“Don’t overexert yourself.”

Ian reached towards the sky.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be back in no time.”

Roar.

A giant black dragon began to appear once more.

***

The Garcia Duchy’s victory.

The royal court was erupting with cheers and excitement.

“The royal army, along with the Seventh Prince and the Third Prince, sustained no casualties. It is a perfect victory!”

“Duke Garcia is currently being taken into custody!”

It was impeccably clean.

Casualties among the soldiers were nearly non-existent, and the knight forces that had posed problems suffered little damage.

Although the knights of Duke Garcia were wounded, considering their recovery abilities, the damage was almost negligible.

Capturing the duke while preserving the full strength of Kaistein was remarkable.

“This is the revival of Kaistein.”

“Indeed, it is the Seventh Prince. He has done it perfectly once again.”

It was only natural for smiles to bloom on the faces of the ministers.

Even King Eloin had a smile lingering on his face.

Of course, it was only for a moment.

“Hmmm…”

He soon turned back with a dissatisfied expression towards his youngest son, who had fled with his wife and daughter.

Still, he couldn’t help but like the way he smiled.

He couldn’t help it.

‘Who else could have defeated the Garcia family so flawlessly?’

It wasn’t just a simple defeat through sheer force.

They had also overwhelmed their boasted wealth with an overwhelming gap.

From now on, they could never again be referred to as the Garcia of Gold.

The Count of Reese and the royal family would take over their business clout.

This meant that the royal power would strengthen in the future.

It was a moment when King Eloin found himself smiling.

“But if it goes like this, won’t there be only one duchy left?”

“Certainly. Duke Lavaltor is Your Majesty’s sword. I worry about what lies ahead.”

Some nobles began to murmur from the back.

It was concerning that the only remaining duke was the king’s protector.

Even though the royal authority was becoming stronger, it was becoming alarmingly strong.

If the balance between the king and the nobles collapsed, problems would arise.

“Isn’t it likely that we will end up back where we started?”

“Back then, a conquest war was initiated in search of past glory…”

“And the damages haven’t even been restored yet…”

In the past, King Eloin waged a war of continental conquest.

Although he almost succeeded, he was defeated by Kaistein’s domestic problems and a massive counterattack by the continental kingdoms.

The reason why Kaistein’s territory was greatly reduced was because of that.

So they couldn’t wage that war again.

“It seems like we need a new ducal family.”

“A ducal family capable of balancing the power of the king and fostering peace in this country.”

Just as the nobles exchanged subtle glances, at that very moment…

“Your… Your Majesty! Th-there’s a huge problem!”

A noble rushed in from outside, shouting in urgency.

King Eloin furrowed his brow, demanding, “What is the meaning of this commotion?”

“The First Prince… no, the First Prince has returned!”

“What? What nonsense are you talking about?”

How could his son, whom they had buried and held a funeral for, possibly return alive?

It was the same for King Eloin, as well as all the other nobles, who tilted their heads in confusion.

Then, the door to the Great Hall swung open.

King Eloin’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“You… you are?”

“It’s been a long time, Your Majesty.”

Indeed, his eldest son had returned, leaving even the strong-hearted man who had once swept across the battlefield momentarily speechless in shock.

But the astonishment did not end there.

“How dare a criminal like you enter this place!”

“You! How dare a demon’ pawn set foot here?”

“Royal Guards! Why are you just standing there?”

Behind the First Prince stood Ceres Garcia, the eldest son of Duke Garcia.

It was only natural for the ministers to be furious and shouting in disbelief.

However, the First Prince calmly addressed the room.

“You are all mistaken.”

“Mistaken? What do you mean…”

“I had to pretend to be dead for a while due to threats against my life. Ceres was the one who helped me on that day.”

“!”

The ministers were left speechless with surprise.

Undeterred, the First Prince continued.

“Ceres is not a demon’ pawn. Rather, he is the hero who saved me from those who were actually after my life.”

“Wha…?”

Thus, he made his declaration.

“Now that I have returned, I expect everything to return to its rightful place.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I demand the return of the position that has always belonged to me, the Crown Prince’s seat.”

“!”

Shocked murmurs filled the hall.

The competition for succession was already in full swing.

It was almost at the point where the name of the victor was about to be announced, and then to ask for one’s own position back.

Moreover, the First Prince desired more than just that.

“It would also be nice to return a position to Ceres, who helped me. I hear that Duke Garcia will be punished for his crimes, correct? Then, the Duke’s title should naturally be passed down to Ceres.”

“What ridiculous talk is this…”

“Ceres is the firstborn of the Duke. Surely, he has as much right to inheritance as I do, as the king’s son?”

“…”

In a normal situation, he would be correct.

The principle of primogeniture was a fundamental aspect of every noble house.

But the circumstances were different now.

“That is outrageous. The disposition of the Duke’s title has already been decided.”

“We have yet to confirm if you are indeed the Crown Prince. Do not utter such absurdities…”

Just as the ministers were about to shout at the First Prince, something in the atmosphere shifted.

“Are you all in your right minds?”

“What are you doing in the presence of His Majesty?”

It was because of the nobles moving behind the First Prince.

The Southern Nobles Union, the recently established Eastern Nobles Union following Adelas’ downfall, and even factions from the Garcia family—all stood in support of the First Prince.

Three factions of nobles stood behind the First Prince, as if they were ready to support him.

It was inevitable.

‘If the Garcia family collapses, the royal authority will strengthen.’

‘If the royal authority grows stronger, it surely will suppress us again. We need a counterbalance.’

The First Prince would undoubtedly serve as the shield for the nobles.

They had made some judgment from the moment he entered with the eldest son of Duke Garcia.

Furthermore, amidst the rise of the Seventh Prince, the First Prince would need the support of the nobles to become the Crown Prince.

‘Now that the Seventh Prince is gone, this is our chance.’

‘Let’s make the First Prince the Crown Prince at this opportunity, and create a new order.’

‘The First Prince will have no choice but to ally with us.’

Moreover, what’s so great about the Duke of Garcia?

The Count of Reese and the royal family have already decided to divide his assets.

It seemed more advantageous to cooperate with the weakened Garcia family, sharing the new assets, than with the Adria Duchy, which they had long ago obliterated.

They proposed keeping the duke in power if they united forces.

Just as the atmosphere was becoming tense, King Eloin’s eyebrows twitched.

Bang!

With a loud crash, the door to the Great Hall swung open.

“What absurdities are you all discussing?”

It was Ian, accompanied not only by Countess Reese and the Second Princess, but also by General Yamanta from Bahara, alongside Galon and Nathan.

Ian snarled, “What do you plan to offer the criminals now?”

Do you all want to die?

Naturally, the nobles paled at his menacing grin.