This Bastard is Too Competent Chapter 226 - I Can't Give Even a Single Drop of Blood

 

 

The Second Prince, having secured Leonic, had become unstoppable. Without delay, he summoned his closest aides.

 

“Is everyone here?”

 

“Yes, Your Highness!”

 

Within the Second Prince’s palace, dozens of ministers and generals had gathered. Even palace eunuchs and maids were present—an impressive assembly, built through years of effort despite the prince’s past humiliations. However, his aides murmured among themselves, perplexed.

 

“What could this be about?”

 

“Weren’t we preparing for the expedition as ordered?”

 

“Why the sudden summons?”

 

The Second Prince had abruptly halted all operations and ordered everyone to convene, leaving them bewildered. But their confusion wasn’t just about the abrupt meeting.

 

“Who are those people?”

 

“Wait… isn’t that the Seventh Prince? And who is that next to him?”

 

As whispers spread, eyes turned toward Ian and the Seventh Prince, standing behind the Second Prince. Sensing the rising tension, the Second Prince stepped forward with a sinister smile.

 

“Are you wondering why I’ve called you all here? Let me show you.”

 

With that, he kicked a man to the ground.

 

“Look closely. This is the reason for this gathering.”

 

The man, gagged and unable to speak, was none other than the former Crown Prince, Leonic. Despite his muffled attempts at speech, the crowd immediately recognized him.

 

“That… that can’t be…!”

 

“Prince Leonic? How did he end up like this?”

 

“My goodness…How did this happen?”

 

Shock rippled through the room. The Second Prince’s voice was cold and unwavering.

 

“This is the end of the once-great Crown Prince Leonic. No one stands in my way now.”

 

“!”

 

His aides’ eyes widened in realization. None of them had even considered the possibility of capturing Leonic. Yet, rather than fear, their expressions quickly turned to excitement—this was better than they had ever hoped.

 

“Your Highness, execute him at once!”

 

“If you take the throne with his head in your hands, no one will dare oppose you!”

 

“Yes, Your Highness! Claim the imperial throne!”

 

The atmosphere shifted instantly. However, not all were in agreement.

 

“No matter what, he was once the Crown Prince. This is too extreme…”

 

“If the imperial family or the First Princess finds out, who knows what could happen?”

 

“That’s right. There are still many in Cantum who support Leonic. Killing him outright could provoke serious backlash…”

 

Even in Ian and the Seventh Prince’s presence, some continued to voice their concerns. They pointed out that for the Second Prince to secure the throne, he needed public support. Amidst the growing division, a new suggestion emerged.

 

“It would be unwise for us to kill Leonic ourselves. Instead, why not employ a more indirect approach?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“We could have the Seventh Prince execute him… or pretend to hand him over to the First Princess, forcing her to do it instead.”

 

“Oh…?”

 

The Second Prince’s interest was piqued, his eyes urging the speaker to continue.

 

“There are many who want the former Crown Prince gone. We can use that to our advantage and maximize our gains.”

 

“Are you willing to handle this?”

 

“If Your Highness entrusts it to me, I will see it done with absolute loyalty.”

 

A pleased smile spread across the Second Prince’s face. The man who had spoken was one of his most trusted aides.

 

But then—

 

Swish!

 

As the Second Prince raised his hand, hidden soldiers sprang into action, launching a sudden attack on his gathered aides.

 

Thud!

 

“Ugh!”

 

“Y-Your Highness… why…?”

 

There was no time to react. In mere moments, over half of them lay dead. Most of those who had opposed Leonic’s execution—or had mistakenly referred to him as Your Highness—collapsed, bleeding out.

 

“You… you madman!”

 

“What have we done to deserve this?”

 

Some of the surviving aides reached for concealed weapons, but the Second Prince, having anticipated this, gave a simple command.

 

“Kill them.”

 

“Understood.”

 

Knights, who had been waiting in advance, swiftly finished off the remaining dissenters.

 

Swish!

 

Aargh!

 

In moments, the room was soaked in blood. The survivors, stunned, stared at the Second Prince in fear. But he merely wiped the blood from his face with eerie composure.

 

“Bringing weapons into my palace—my palace? It seems you were never truly on my side.”

 

This wasn’t a rash decision. He had long suspected many of them to be spies. Now, they were eliminated. Turning to Ian, he spoke.

 

“Just as you predicted. I never imagined they would be hiding weapons.”

 

“Of course. When preparing for war, those who advocate peace are often the true traitors.”

 

“!?”

 

The surviving aides widened their eyes. They had believed he was purging his own men, but had he instead just eliminated enemy spies? Ian smirked as he studied their reactions.

 

‘Some of them must have been Leon’s loyalists as well.’

 

Eliminating Leonic’s followers had been a bonus, but the main objective was to root out Leon’s spies. Ian had spent considerable time analyzing Leon’s tactics.

 

‘That guy always plants informants among high-ranking officials to monitor the enemy’s movements.’

 

Now that they were gone, the enemy would be blind, at least for a while. The Second Prince seemed to have reached the same conclusion and nodded.

 

“Listen well. These men were enemy spies. Now that we have eliminated them, it is our turn to strike.”

 

The expressions of the remaining aides shifted. If they had lost allies, they might have resented the Second Prince. But since the dead were enemy spies, the tide had turned in his favor. Without hesitation, they shouted in unison.

 

“Punish those who dared to plant spies against His Highness!”

 

“We will lead the charge! Who is our first target?”

 

The enraged expressions of the Second Prince’s aides reflected their unwavering loyalty. With just a single command, they would not hesitate to bring even the Emperor’s head. Their voices rang out in unison.

 

“Give us the order!”

 

The Second Prince, pleased by their fervor, smirked slyly.

 

“Our target is… Leon.”

 

“Leon?”

 

“Until now, those we believed to be our allies were, in truth, our enemies.”

 

“No way… The very ones who supported Your Highness were actually foes?”

 

“That’s right. And those bastards seek to spill Cantum’s blood.”

 

“!”

 

Without hesitation, the Second Prince issued his next command.

 

“Deploy the soldiers who have completed their preparations. Bring me Leon’s head.”

 

“Yes, Your Highness!”

 

The aides hurriedly departed, fully aware of their so-called allies’ strength and determined to gather all of the Second Prince’s forces. Once they had left, the Second Prince approached Leonic, gripping his sword tightly.

 

“Thanks to you, brother, everything has become much easier.”

 

“Mmmph…!” (muffled sounds)

 

“They are truly loyal men. Even those who pretended to be on my side couldn’t conceal their true nature when they saw you.”

 

Leonic’s expression twisted with rage, but the Second Prince was indifferent.

 

“Don’t worry too much. I’ll deal with those who have threatened Cantum. Now, you can rest in peace.”

 

“Mmmph…!” 

 

Leonic’s eyes widened in horror. As the approaching blade gleamed in the dim light, he instinctively tried to back away. But bound as he was, escape was impossible. The Second Prince raised his sword.

 

“Farewell, brother!”

 

But in that instant—

 

Clang!

 

Ian intercepted the strike. The Second Prince’s face contorted with displeasure.

 

“Why are you interfering? He should be a hindrance to you as well.”

 

“Have you forgotten our agreement? Until Leon’s head is brought to me, this one is mine.”

 

“Mmm…”

 

Ian narrowed his eyes, analyzing the Second Prince’s sudden move.

 

‘Trying to dispose of Leonic in secret? Not happening.’

 

With swift precision, Ian stepped behind Leonic.

 

“Mmmph…!”

 

Leonic struggled, but Ian silenced him and addressed the Second Prince.

 

“Well then, shall we begin?”

 

“Of course. I’ll make sure everything is cleaned up.”

 

The Second Prince’s gaze darkened with murderous intent as it locked onto Ian and Leonic.

 

***

 

In a dark cave, a young knight stood guard before a massive door, his expression serious. Suddenly, a frantic man rushed toward him.

 

“C-Crisis! Call for Lord Leon at once!”

 

Despite the urgency in the man’s voice, the knight remained impassive. Instead, he raised his sword, blocking the man’s path.

 

“Lord Leon is currently practicing the Seven Sins. Return later.”

 

“B-But the Seven Sins are not the priority right now!”

 

“What?”

 

The knight’s brow furrowed. Surely, for the sake of the grand plan, the Seven Sins were of utmost importance. He scrutinized the panicked man, but the latter’s voice rang with sincerity.

 

“The Second Prince has betrayed us! His army is marching toward this location as we speak!”

 

“What?”

 

“They number in the hundreds of thousands!”

 

A flicker of genuine shock crossed the knight’s face.

 

“The Second Prince… betrayed us? Why?”

 

“We couldn’t confirm the exact reason. All our contacts have been either eliminated or have lost communication. The only message we received was from…”

 

“From whom?”

 

“A maid we had stationed as a precaution. She relayed an unbelievable claim—the Second Prince captured Crown Prince Leonic and turned against us.”

 

“What?”

 

The revelation was almost too absurd to believe. Leonic had agreed to align with them. How could the Second Prince possibly know about the person hiding in the Kaistein faction?

 

“Could it be that the Second Prince has allied with Kaistein?”

 

“It doesn’t appear so. If he had, the Kaistein army would be moving as well.”

 

For now, only the Second Prince’s forces were in motion. The Kaistein army remained stationed at the Imperial City. However, that wasn’t the most pressing concern.

 

“Please, call for Lord Leon immediately! We must evacuate at once!”

 

“Hmm…”

 

“There’s no time to waste! If we delay any further, we’ll have to abandon all the equipment here.”

 

This was no ordinary cave—it was a critical research facility for developing the Seven Sins. Losing it would deal a severe blow to their plans. Only two people could handle the facility’s operations, and one of them was currently missing.

 

“With Lord Ceres absent, only Lord Leon can transport the Seven Sins. We must hurry!”

 

The man’s desperation was understandable. But the knight shook his head.

 

“No matter what, I cannot summon Lord Leon.”

 

“W-Why not?!”

 

“This facility, where our lord is training, is completely sealed. No one can enter without authorization, nor can we establish communication from the outside. Until Lord Leon decides to come out himself, the door will not open.”

 

“T-That can’t be!”

 

The man’s face fell into utter despair. After a moment’s contemplation, the knight spoke firmly.

 

“There’s no other choice. I will take responsibility. Begin relocating the facility.”

 

“B-But if we do that, we’ll have to leave the Seven Sins behind!”

 

“Lord Leon will handle that once he comes out. Until then, I will buy us as much time as possible.”

 

The man’s expression brightened at those words. If Ceres was Leon’s intellect, then this knight was his strength. That meant he was more than capable of holding off the Second Prince’s forces.

 

“Y-You’re going to personally intervene?”

 

“There is no other option in this dire situation. I did not wish to reveal myself like this, but…”

 

The knight’s gaze sharpened, and an overwhelming aura pressed down like a heavy weight. Unable to withstand the suffocating presence, the man cried out urgently and hurriedly fled.

 

“I-In that case, I’ll place my trust in you, Sir Vector.”

 

There was no other option. Vector was one of the legendary three knights of Kaistein, possessing strength that rivaled even that of the great Guardian and Duke Lavaltor. Though he appeared youthful for someone who should have long passed his prime, that wasn’t the important part.

 

Standing alone in the empty cave, Vector spoke in a low voice.

 

“It’s time to move, brothers.”

 

Woong!

 

Suddenly, dark shadows began to materialize around him—knights clad in black armor.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

Woong.

 

At Vector’s command, dozens of armed knights swiftly moved out.

 

***

 

The Second Prince clicked his tongue in frustration.

 

‘What a shame. I could have killed him.’

 

If he had eliminated both Leonic and Leon, there would be no one left to stand in his way. Then, he could deal with the troublesome Ian and the Seventh Prince as well. But Ian had anticipated his move, blocking his sword just in time.

 

‘He’s sharp.’

 

Even if the Second Prince wanted to kill Ian, he hesitated. An ominous feeling prickled at him.

 

Death.

 

The very instinct that had kept him alive all these years was warning him now. His intuition screamed that if he made a move against Ian, he might not survive. The same feeling had surfaced when dealing with Leon.

 

‘That guy is far more dangerous than the other one.’

 

It was as if a blade had been pressed against his throat. Ian was just one man, yet it felt like an unseen force surrounded him. The Second Prince had no choice but to bide his time.

 

‘First, I’ll take care of Leon. Then Leonic. After that, you’re next, Ian Kaistein.’

 

With a swift motion, he raised his hand and signaled his forces forward.

 

“Attack!”

 

Waaah!

 

At his command, his soldiers surged ahead. This was the most remote part of his territory—off-limits to ordinary citizens. And it was precisely where Leon and his forces had been hiding.

 

Clang!

 

The battlefield erupted into chaos as the Second Prince’s army clashed with Leon’s forces. Though Leon’s men were formidable, they were vastly outnumbered. The Second Prince’s army numbered in the hundreds of thousands, and the tide of battle quickly turned in his favor.

 

“Don’t engage them head-on! Attack from a distance. Exhaust them before delivering the final blow!”

 

“Yes, Your Highness!”

 

Under the Second Prince’s orders, the battle grew fiercer. Leon’s followers were powerless, thrown into chaos by the sudden betrayal. Confusion and despair clouded their judgment—it was an unavoidable outcome. Ian understood this all too well.

 

‘Their strategist, Ceres, was captured. Leon is too focused on refining the Seven Sins. Without a commander, his forces are in disarray.’

 

Leon’s deep-seated mistrust of others only worsened the situation. His army faltered without clear leadership.

 

Then, something unexpected happened.

 

“What… what is that?”

 

“Please… save us, Your Highness!”

 

Terrified screams erupted from the battlefield. The cause? Black-armored knights surging out from the cave.

 

The Second Prince’s eyes widened in alarm.

 

“What…what are you doing?! Shoot them! Use explosives!”

 

“It… it’s no use, Your Highness! They’re too strong!”

 

It wasn’t an exaggeration. The soldiers were being cut down mercilessly as the black knights charged through them. The Second Prince clenched his jaw.

 

“Could this be Leon’s hidden force?”

 

There was no time for further speculation. His soldiers were being slaughtered at an alarming rate.

 

“Don’t retreat! We outnumber them! There are only a handful of them—attack!”

 

“Yes, Your Highness!”

 

The Second Prince had brought nearly four hundred thousand soldiers. No matter how powerful the knights were, they couldn’t possibly stand against such overwhelming numbers.

 

But Ian thought differently.

 

“How about calling off the attack?”

 

“What? Are you questioning my orders?”

 

“That’s not it. At this rate, your entire army will be wiped out.”

 

“What?”

 

Ian’s gaze was serious. He wasn’t saying this lightly.

 

[They’re strong. These are no ordinary knights.]

 

‘I can see that.’

 

Just as the helmet had warned, Ian could clearly sense the enemy through his Faith. Faint traces of the Seven Sins radiated from the knights in black armor—mere fragments, yet undeniably potent.

 

‘They’re far stronger than the ones from Bahara, aren’t they? And that one in the center… even Duke Lavaltor would struggle against him.’

 

[In this situation, the best strategy is to stay composed and handle the situation with control, isn’t it?]

 

‘But that would mean abandoning the soldiers to die.’

 

[They’re not your men.]

 

‘That’s true, but…’

 

These were just ordinary soldiers, and Ian wasn’t the type to stand idly by while they were slaughtered in vain.

 

‘Besides, any blood spilled here will only strengthen Leon. Did you forget why they tried to start a war in Cantum?’

 

[I remember. It’s to awaken the Seven Sins.]

 

‘Exactly. That’s why I can’t allow them to shed even a single drop of blood. I’ll put a stop to this myself.’

 

With that resolve, Ian unsheathed his sword and turned to As.

 

“Seventh Prince, I’m leaving Leonic in your care.”

 

“What are you planning, benefactor?”

 

“Well, isn’t it obvious…?”

 

With a confident smile, Ian turned to face the enemy knights. Gripping his sword firmly, he declared, “I’ll handle them.”

 

At that moment, two knights appeared from seemingly thin air. They had been hiding under the invisibility of the First King’s cloak. 

 

“Sir Galon. Sir Nathan. Let’s move.”

 

“Understood.”

 

At Ian’s command, the two knights bowed their heads. Without hesitation, the three of them charged straight toward the enemy.