This Bastard is Too Competent

If one were to name the busiest person in Kaistein at the moment, it would undoubtedly be the First Princess.

There was no other explanation for it.

“What’s the status of the reinforcement deployment?”

“It’s almost complete. The food supplies have been transported out, and I am currently requesting additional reinforcements. I believe we can finish by evening.”

The First Princess, acting as the Supreme Commander of the reinforcements to Cantum, managed everything alone, unlike her past collaborations with Bahara.

She spoke assertively, “That won’t suffice. We must finish within an hour and reevaluate the movement routes. Hurry up.”

“But… the time…”

“Didn’t you hear me, Adjutant?”

“I… I’ll do my best, Your Highness,” her adjutant replied, rushing out with tears in his eyes. It was another overtime day, with nothing else within his power.

“This reinforcement for Cantum is more important than anything else. We cannot afford to overlook even the smallest detail.”

Depending on how things unfolded, they could swallow Cantum whole.

Naturally, she had to be on high alert and prepare meticulously.

The situation was so critical that she couldn’t even attend meetings in the Great Hall.

However, a problem arose.

“Y-Your Highness, this is serious!”

A man rushed into her palace, his face panicked as he shouted.

Upon seeing him, the First Princess frowned.

“What’s all this commotion? Can’t you see I’m occupied?”

“But, Your Highness, this is truly serious.”

“Hmm?” The First Princess tilted her head in confusion.

It hadn’t been long since she learned of the Seventh Prince, Ian, invading Duke Garcia’s castle and capturing him.

What could possibly be more pressing than that?

Yet the man appeared genuinely distressed.

“The First Prince… No, it’s been reported that the First Prince has returned.”

Giggle.

At that, the First Princess smiled as if in disbelief.

“Sir, you have quite the sense of humor. How can my brother return when he’s already dead?”

It was a funnier story than saying the Second Prince had grown an extra arm.

Her brother had lost both arms to the Seventh Prince and had been hidden away in a remote place unknown to anyone.

Yet the man shouted back, insisting it wasn’t a joke.

“It’s no laughing matter! The First Prince has indeed arrived at the Great Hall and is petitioning the Emperor to reinstate his position!”

“What?” In that moment, the First Princess’s expression hardened.

‘My brother is back? The one who was once the Crown Prince?’

It was nonsense that she could hardly believe, but if this man’s words were true, chaos was sure to ensue.

The achievements of the past Crown Prince were unmatched by anyone else.

‘He achieved overwhelming feats while out on the battlefield with Father a year before his coming of age ceremony.’

Even though King Eloin had many children, no one disagreed that he was the Crown Prince.

It was to the point where he was the only child recognized by the king.

The problem was what would happen next.

‘He wants his position as Crown Prince back? That might have worked in the past, but now it wouldn’t be so easy.’

This was due to the accomplishments of the Seventh Prince, Ian, who had surpassed even the former Crown Prince.

Everyone knew of his deeds, both in the succession war and in capturing Bahara and Duke Garcia.

If Ian were absent, things might be different.

‘There’s no way His Majesty would simply watch as he asks for the Crown Prince’s position back.’

He was a just and stern monarch above all else.

But if other nobles supported the First Prince, problems would certainly arise.

No, she was certain of it.

‘Right now, Ian has a position that seems nearly secured, but if there’s a controversy over the Crown Prince title, war could break out.’

It was easy to envision a resolute king and the nobles opposing him.

At this point, no matter how busy she was, the First Princess had to take action.

“Where is the First Prince now?”

“He’s at the Great Hall…”

“Prepare. I must see him immediately.” The First Princess rose, prompting gasps of alarm from her aides.

“B-but Your Highness! There are urgent matters that require your attention. You must finish by tomorrow…”

“If we carry on like this, we won’t be prepared for the departure ceremony…”

But the First Princess spoke firmly.

“This is the most important matter. Don’t you know that everything will be meaningless if my brother sits on the throne again?”

“…”

“Moreover, the Seventh Prince isn’t present. Without him, the nobles will stir up trouble. Problems are inevitable.”

Ian and the First Princess had formed an unspoken alliance.

In exchange for her taking control of Cantum and Nathan, he would take Kaistein.

But if the First Prince becomes the Crown Prince, the situation changes dramatically.

‘If that happens, not only will he have everything; I will end up with nothing as well.’

So she was determined to prevent the First Prince from regaining his position as Crown Prince.

But just then, someone spoke up.

“But… the Seventh Prince is here?”

“What do you mean?”

The First Princess tilted her head.

It had only been a moment since she had heard about the events at the Garcia Duchy.

“Does he have wings? How could he be here already… Ah!”

“Yes. They say he came riding a black dragon. And there has been a report that he entered the Great Hall right away.”

“Is that so?”

A sense of relief appeared on the First Princess’s tense face.

She sat down again and began to examine the documents.

Perceiving her change in plans, a concerned man interjected, “Your Highness, weren’t you planning to head to the Great Hall?”

With a gentle smile, the First Princess reassured him, “No need now that he’s here.”

“Pardon? You mean the First Prince is going to take back the Crown Prince position…”

“That won’t happen, so you don’t need to worry.”

“Is that so?”

“He’ll handle things himself. We just need to do what we have to.”

Now, not just the man but the other aides also tilted their heads in confusion.

It just didn’t make sense.

“Now that the First Prince has returned, won’t the factions that supported the Marquis of Adelas or Duke Garcia join him?”

“That’s right. If he even joins hands with the Southern Nobles Union, even the Seventh Prince…”

“They could take the Crown Prince position right before our eyes.”

But the First Princess remained calm.

“Is that really the case?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m actually more concerned about the other nobles.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“They took advantage of the Seventh Prince’s absence, but now that he’s back, everything changes. How will they be able to bear the consequences of daring to covet what belongs to the Seventh Prince?”

“Huh?”

The First Princess let out a soft laugh.

She wished she could witness it firsthand, but her duties kept her occupied.

She wanted to see those arrogant nobles cower in fear.

So, the First Princess pretended to be unconcerned and scolded them.

“Everyone, why have your hands stopped? Don’t tell me you want to work overtime and pull an all-nighter?”

“Ah… No, we…”

“Please, anything but an all-nighter…”

While everyone was bustling around in a frenzy, only the First Princess maintained a relaxed smile as she moved her pen.

***

Meanwhile, at the Great Hall, everything was unfolding just as the First Princess had predicted.

Trembling.

The nobles standing behind the First Prince looked noticeably pale.

It was no surprise.

“Could you repeat that? Who is taking what from whom?”

They couldn’t even breathe under Ian’s overwhelming gaze.

His eyes glared at them with immense intensity, right before their eyes.

He was no longer just a young boy a few years away from his coming-of-age ceremony.

He was the man who single-handedly crushed Marquis Adelas of the East and Duke Garcia of the West, the leaders of their respective regions.

And that wasn’t all.

‘He also seized control of Bahara and commanded all of Kaistein’s logistics.’

‘Furthermore, didn’t he secure Duke Lavaltor of the North’s unwavering support and become his son-in-law?’

The Southern Nobles Union was an exception.

They hadn’t had direct contact with Ian yet.

However, their faces were far from relaxed.

‘We tried to take advantage of the fact that he was absent… How could he be here already?’

‘If this continues, won’t we become his enemies too? We might end up following the fate of Adelas or Garcia…’

They couldn’t help but tremble with fear.

In fact, some were subtly trying to escape from behind the First Prince to the other side.

The First Prince’s eyes lit up at the sight.

‘Is it merely because of the knight behind him, or are they actually intimidated by the mere presence of this little brat?’

The great nobles of Kaistein? He couldn’t believe his eyes.

He looked at Ceres.

‘Is this why you said we should strike now?’

‘Yes. Kaistein was currently under the pressure of the Seventh Prince.’

He had heard it before, but he hadn’t expected it to be to this extent.

The First Prince locked eyes.

It was no longer the gaze of an older brother looking at a naive younger sibling, but one that was filled with a sense of confrontation—as if facing life and death.

Then, he stepped forward protectively, as if to shield his own nobles.

“So, you’re my brother. A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.”

Despite his expression, he wore a smile on his face.

However, that smile quickly crumpled into something else.

“First Prince. This is the Great Hall, where His Majesty the King and all the ministers are present. Address me properly.”

“!”

Ian’s response was icy, and he didn’t hold back.

“How dare a coward who abandoned the position of Crown Prince out of fear show his face so brazenly? Are you not ashamed?”

“…”

For a moment, the First Prince’s brow twitched, but he remained composed.

Even under Ian’s provocation, that false facade did not crack.

“I didn’t run away out of fear. I hid to catch the enemies more effectively.”

“That’s the same thing. If you were truly the Crown Prince of Kaistein, you should have fought to the end. And you didn’t.”

“You? Are you seriously addressing me as ‘you’ when I am your older brother?”

“The First Prince, my elder brother, is no more, isn’t he? How do you plan to prove your true identity as the First Prince?”

Ian’s words grew sharper, visibly affecting the First Prince.

Instead of responding directly, he turned to King Eloin.

“Your Majesty, please confirm that I am your son.”

“…”

King Eloin remained silent.

In fact, he had been looking at the First Prince with a chilling gaze since his appearance, as if he were a threat.

What could he possibly be thinking?

After a lengthy silence, King Eloin finally spoke.

“You are my son, Leon.”

“I anticipated you would say that, Your Majesty.”

The First Prince glanced at Ian, silently conveying the message: “See? Treat me with the respect I deserve.”

However, the situation took a turn.

“However, I don’t know if you’re the First Prince. The First Prince who was Crown Prince is already dead.”

“Your… Majesty?”

The First Prince’s expression froze at King Eloin’s words.

He couldn’t believe the King would come at him like this.

‘Father… no, the King has changed?’

His eyes were genuinely surprised.

And it made sense.

In the past, King Eloin had treated him as his only child.

He had seen him solely as the successor, disregarding the existence of any other children.

‘He even mourned so deeply over my false death that he refused to eat or drink, they say.’

The same was true of the succession war.

King Eloin couldn’t find anyone more suitable than the First Prince, so he had repeatedly given the opportunity to the Second Prince.

Thus, the First Prince had always believed he could reclaim the Crown Prince title whenever he returned.

And in his past, that belief would have held true.

But it was no longer the case.

“The successor can only vacate his position through death. So, the burdens and duties bestowed upon you, who have already died once, no longer exist, my son.”

“B-but Your Majesty!”

“While I can acknowledge you as a son, I cannot reinstate you as the successor.”

King Eloin’s gaze shifted to Ian.

“Only one person rightfully holds the claim to succession.”

Ian smiled at the King’s words.

He knew exactly who he was referring to.

‘The First Princess and I have made a deal. My third brother hasn’t given up yet, but no one can challenge my position now.’

Even if the First Prince returned, it would be the same.

He would never be able to take this position away from him.

But the First Prince seemed unwilling to give up.

“I am the sole Crown Prince. The throne of Kaistein is mine to inherit…”

Just as he was about to shout at the King.

Pfft.

Ian laughed, and the First Prince turned to him with sharp eyes.

“Did you find something amusing?”

“I couldn’t help it.”

“What?”

Ian waved the cloak of the first king and looked down at everyone before the King.

“It appears you’re unaware. The seat of the Crown Prince is vacant.”

“That’s only because of my absence.”

“No.”

Ian’s gaze sharpened.

“You didn’t leave the position of Crown Prince; you lost it. And that position is now looking for a new owner.”

“!”

“And that new owner is me.”

Ian’s fierce expression made the nobles’ eyes waver.