This Bastard is Too Competent Chapter 131 - A Crowd of People

 

 

“What? Prince Ian is still unconscious?”

 

“Coma? Is his life in danger?”

 

The nobles were shocked upon learning about Prince Ian’s condition. 

But their shock was fleeting.

 

“This is a stroke of luck.”

 

“Right. With this, the obstacle to our Third Prince’s ascension to the throne has vanished.”

 

“Nonsense! The next in line for the throne is our First Princess.”

 

“Now, now, cut it out. The next throne should be taken by someone as wise as the Fourth Prince.”

 

“Know your place. What role does the Fourth Prince play?”

 

“What? The Fourth Prince? Are you done talking?”

 

The nobles once again began another round of power struggle with each other. 

It was only understandable. 

The problem arose with Ian, a powerful successor. 

They were desperate to make the royal they were pushing to become the next king.

However, the commoners had a different perspective.

 

“When will the prince wake up?”

 

“Mom, is the prince going to die?”

 

“Shush! It’s a bad omen to say such things. Prince Ian is the only one who cares for us.”

 

They remembered Ian’s good deeds.

He was the only member of the royal family who, during the Northern Expedition, had shown concern for their difficult lives.

Upon hearing that his life was in danger, everyone began to flock to the front of the royal palace. 

The surprised guard knights blocked their path.

 

“Please give this to the prince.”

 

“This is a special medicine from our family. I believe it will surely help.”

 

They handed over the items they had brought, all with worried expressions for the ailing Ian. 

But that wasn’t all.

 

“What are the nobles doing? Are they merely watching the wrongdoer?”

 

“Quickly punish the cardinal!”

 

“Seek justice for the prince!”

 

Some individuals even lit up torches while shouting in anger. 

Naturally, the nobles were displeased by this scene.

 

“Where are these commoners coming from?”

 

“Should we dispatch knights to quell them? It could become troublesome if they keep gathering like this, don’t you think?”

 

“If we set an example with one or two of them, it will quiet down. How about… I handle it?”

 

Right then, someone spoke up cautiously.

 

“But in some ways, isn’t this another opportunity?”

 

“Oh?”

 

“We can use this opportunity to pressure the temple’s power within the kingdom, including the priests.”

 

All the nobles pricked up their ears at once.

 

“Indeed…”

 

“Lately, those priests have been quite arrogant.”

 

“They even said my estate is too rural for them to visit.”

 

The temple’s power was a boon yet, at the same time, a bane to the nobles.

There were many cases of profiteering in the name of blessings and vice versa.

 

‘If done well, we might be able to skip this year’s blessing tax.’

 

For some nobles, it was to their advantage to put pressure on the temple.

And so, with this idea, they flocked to King Eloin.

 

“Your Majesty!! We must quickly make Cardinal Haverion pay for his crime.”

 

“He threatened not only the Seventh Prince but also the First Princess and your people. Please punish the sinner!”

 

All the nobles came together as one, including Duke Garcia’s faction and the Southern Nobles Union, shouting in one voice. 

It was quite a sight to see people who had previously disliked Ian expressing concerns for him and defending him. 

Furthermore, the nobles were incensed upon learning that Haverion had requested to regain his royal rights as a cardinal.

 

“No way!”

 

“That’s right! He may be a cardinal, but he cannot simply regain the rights once he has lost them.”

 

“It’s an unfair and unjust decision to pardon the person who harmed not only the prince but also numerous people, Your Majesty!”

 

King Eloin couldn’t help but smirk at this sight.

Looking at the nobles’ actions, he realized that someone had sparked their greed.

 

‘He couldn’t have thought about all of this before committing it, right?’

 

However, the king couldn’t afford to miss out on this opportunity. 

It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance they could have an excuse against the Holy Empire under the pretext of terrorism.

 

Thus, King Eloin declared.

 

“Inform the pope of our intentions. We will not let this slide easily. We demand retribution for the blood of the Seventh Prince.”

 

“We will convey your will, Your Majesty!”

 

The nobles all bowed their heads in one direction—toward the king.

 

 

***

 

 

Ian was finally able to take a proper rest. 

Apart from secretly training at night, he was enjoying a relaxing break, lying in bed.

 

‘I’ve been so busy since returning from my past life.’

 

It had been a series of incidents and mishaps, and Ian couldn’t even recall the last time he had taken a break. 

Then, Nathan came running urgently.

 

“Your Highness, have you heard? It’s said that war might break out.”

 

“With whom?”

 

“His Majesty sent a warning to the Holy Empire.”

 

Ian’s eyes lit up. 

It appeared that his plan to put pressure on the Holy Empire and Haverion had worked flawlessly. 

He nonchalantly reassured the concerned knight.

 

“Don’t worry. There won’t be a war.”

 

“What? How can you be so sure…?”

 

“There surely won’t be a war over something like this.”

 

“Something like this?”

 

Nathan stared in disbelief. 

And it was understandably so.

 

“Are you saying that risking your own life is a mere ‘something like this,’ Your Highness?”

 

Ian cleared his throat at Nathan’s silent anger.

 

“I didn’t mean that. I mean, there isn’t enough justification for a war between the two countries.”

 

“Still, the prince of a country was secretly attacked…”

 

“But don’t you know, Sir Nathan? Even with justification, sometimes all that matters is what each side needs from the other.”

 

It wasn’t an assassination perpetrated by the pope.

They could have cut off their tail by saying the incident was the cardinal’s doing only.

Of course, the king’s declaration was not simply bravado.

 

‘His Majesty and the nobles will probably try to reap more from the Holy Empire.’

 

If negotiations had broken down, it could have led to war. 

However, what mattered most to Ian at the moment was not the prospect of war.

 

‘Haverion. I will take away what he has and make him pay for threatening my life.’

 

The emergence of ‘mania,’ which brought bloodshed to the continent, was attributed to the Holy Empire, making Ian’s resolve even stronger. 

Furthermore, it was evident that Haverion was in collusion with Ceres. 

Ian couldn’t simply stand by and do nothing. 

Seeing the seriousness in Ian’s eyes, Nathan changed the subject.

 

“Have you seen this? These are all goods sent by the people of Kaistein.”

 

“Is this everything?”

 

“This is just a small portion. There’s so much that we had to store some in other palaces due to the overloaded storage.”

 

“How much exactly has been sent?”

 

“At least enough to feed all the people in this palace several times over.”

 

But it wasn’t just ordinary citizens who sent the goods.

 

“The commoners who received aid from the prince’s supply depot are also coming to offer help. And not only that, even the nobles are sending some things.”

 

The nobles’ actions were somewhat unexpected. 

They were even going as far as continuously applying for a visit. 

Nathan was even astonished by it.

 

“They’re just like hyenas, pouncing in if it’s to their advantage.”

 

“But Sir Nathan, aren’t you also a high-ranking noble?”

 

“Ahem. I had long since abandoned that status. Now, I’m just a knight.”

 

Despite that, it seemed like he enjoyed his aristocratic life. 

However, Ian didn’t point that out and merely smiled.

 

‘Looks like things are going to be resolved easily thanks to him.’

 

That was for sure. 

If the current situation persisted, Haverion would have to take full responsibility.

It could also double as putting pressure on the Holy Empire. 

 

‘The problem is timing.’

 

If they dragged it out for too long, the opportunity might slip away. 

But if they acted too soon, they wouldn’t be able to take advantage of Ian’s condition to the fullest. 

At that moment, Ian quietly whispered to Nathan.

 

“By now, rumors must have reached Haverion’s ears.”

 

“No way. The knights of the royal guard must be guarding him strictly, right? Even the Fifth Prince’s hand wouldn’t have reached the royal guard.”

 

Nathan was skeptical.

It was impossible for the Fifth Prince, who had been away from Kaistein until now. 

The royal guard was a force to be reckoned with in this country, both in power and loyalty. 

Then, as if having just recalled something, Nathan lowered his voice.

 

“Do you not trust the royal guard?”

 

“I didn’t say that.”

 

Ian shook his head. 

He wasn’t ignorant of the royal guard’s loyalty.

Even Galon served in the royal guard for a while in the past.

But he knew.

 

‘Duke Garcia was involved in the incident that drove the Fifth Prince out of the country.’

 

But. 

 

“He also had connections with Ceres. There is a strong possibility that they belong to the same force.”

 

He was a man who would go as far as making connections with his enemies.

For someone that meticulous, it certainly meant that they could have planted an agent even in this royal family.

The same could be said about the royal guard.

That was why Ian never let down his guard.

 

“Please make sure you keep an eye on those around Haverion: who he meets and all the people he comes into contact with.”

 

“I will do so.”

 

Of course, under normal circumstances, it would not have been easy.

If they were related to some kind of force, they must be hiding their movements beneath the surface.

But the situation was different now. 

Eventually, they would have to make a choice. 

The same applied to Haverion.

 

‘In the end, he will have no option but to approach either me or His Majesty.’

 

Naturally, it wouldn’t be a meeting like any other.

He would have no choice but to come to him in an utterly humiliating way.

But the problem was time.

 

‘He won’t come to me right away; he’ll attempt to gain the upper hand in some way.’

 

Moreover, Haverion wouldn’t even try to confront him directly. 

The moment Haverion met him, he would instinctively understand that he must kneel. 

Fighting until the last breath—it was a natural instinct for those vying for the throne. 

However, it seemed that it would take Ian a long time to draw him out.

 

‘It’s not that there is no way, but…’

 

To Ian, who could only lie down all day, waiting for that time would be inevitably frustrating.

 

‘I wish someone would shorten that time.’

 

And so, as he waited.

 

“Your Highness, you have a visitor.”

 

“The prince has not yet regained consciousness. Send them back.”

 

“B, but that’s…”

 

Despite Galon’s cold response, the door opened. 

Ian’s eyes widened upon seeing the figure of someone other than Haverion, whom he had been expecting.

He couldn’t help it. 

 

“It’s been a while since we last met, Prince Ian.”

 

The sudden visitor was none other than the young lady of Lavaltor, Fionia Lavaltor, who had been with him in Labadom Village.