This Bastard is Too Competent
Chapter 216: I Knew It

The banquet hall of Santamo Castle was bustling with preparations for Seventh Prince As’s birthday celebration. However, the attendants working there couldn’t help but exchange puzzled glances.

“Is this really okay? Holding a banquet in the middle of a war?”

“Still, it’s a birthday celebration. We can’t just ignore it, right?”

“True. The birthdays of the princes are important in Cantum.”

In fact, the birthdays of princes and princesses in Cantum were one of the significant events of the year. On that day, all battles would halt, and the imperial family would provide food for the common people. For some, it was the only time of the year they could eat properly, making it a day they eagerly awaited despite their hardships.

“It might not matter much to the nobles, but for the lower class, it’s an event they desperately look forward to.”

“I heard there are already people waiting outside with bowls in hand.”

“My mother is in line too.”

Standing beside As, Ian silently observed the scene, disguised as a servant. Just then, a group of officials rushed in, looking frantic. They were Santamo’s officials.

“Have you lost your mind? Holding a banquet at a time like this?!”

“No matter how important the birthday celebration is, we can’t hold a banquet in the middle of a war!”

“We should be using that money to recruit more soldiers instead!”

“If not, we should at least hire mercenaries or wandering knights. That’s the only way to defend against attacks from the other princes.”

Their voices rose in protest, but As remained composed.

“This banquet is necessary,” he stated firmly.

“Why?”

“I need to show people that I’m still alive and well in the midst of this war.”

“What do you mean?”

“People will only come to support me if they believe I’m still standing strong.”

Attendance at royal banquets in Cantum was mandatory, especially for Santamo’s retainers. This meant it was the perfect opportunity for As to rally support. He gestured toward Galon and Nathan, who stood behind him.

“Look at these gentlemen. They’re here as proof of my well-being.”

Bow.

Galon nodded briefly, his expression calm and resolute. Meanwhile, Nathan, entirely uninterested, was flirting with a maid beside him, casually sipping his drink.

The officials eyed them warily.

“Who exactly are these men?”

“They’re the wandering knights you were just talking about. They’ve offered their support.”

“I’m Lon,” Galon introduced himself.

“Oh, I’m Nat. Nice to meet you.” Nathan waved lazily.

But the officials were far from convinced. It wasn’t just Nathan’s carefree attitude that concerned them.

“Are you really relying on just two knights?”

“Ever since you became a great lord, haven’t you grown too complacent? What if the enemy attacks—”

“Now, now, relax. I have my reasons. First, have a drink with me,” As interrupted smoothly.

Grabbing a nearby bottle of wine, he poured drinks for them himself, making it impossible for them to refuse.

“I appreciate your dedication to Santamo, but trust me.”

“But—”

“Come on, just drink. After a toast, everything will feel much lighter.”

The officials sighed but reluctantly clinked their glasses. The scene of Santamo’s retainers showing concern and As reassuring them was almost heartwarming.

But Ian’s gaze remained cold.

‘These men… they’re the traitors, aren’t they?’

They pretended to care about Santamo’s well-being, but in reality, they were trying to sell it to the Second Prince. Their show of concern was nothing more than an attempt to blind As to the truth.

Sang had already warned Ian.

‘They’ll act worried about Lord As and try to stop the banquet. But in the end, they’ll make sure it happens.’

Not that Ian needed the warning.

Woong.

The power of Jealousy reacted, allowing him to feel the corruption in their emotions—filthy and deceitful.

At that moment, another group of officials rushed in—this time with bright, cheerful expressions.

“Oh! Lord As, congratulations on your birthday!”

“A banquet at a time like this? As expected, Lord As, you have the boldness of a true ruler!”

“The castle is already filled with excitement! The soldiers’ morale has never been higher—victory is within reach!”

They grinned and showered As with compliments, each one eager to gain his favor.

Ian chuckled to himself.

‘Now these… these are the real traitors.’

[People like them are usually the first to run away when war breaks out.]

‘But it’s the opposite here.’

[Indeed, it’s truly fascinating.]

Ian and the helmet exchanged amused thoughts. It was ironic.

He subtly glanced at Sang, who was watching from a distance. Noticing Ian’s gaze, Sang nodded in understanding.

‘These are the ones who will help us this time.’

‘Are they all Leonic’s subordinates?’

‘Some are. Others are my men. They’re on Lord As’s side—or rather, Lord Ian’s side.’

The ones with loyal faces were the real traitors, while those with deceitful faces were the true loyalists.

There was no greater irony than this.

But it was all part of the deception—a ploy to fool the Second Prince, the First Imperial Princess, and Leon’s subordinates.

Regardless, the banquet’s festive atmosphere was starting to settle in.

As preparations concluded, nobles holding invitations began to arrive one by one.

Ian glanced at As.

‘It’s going to take him some time to break free from that crowd.’

[The traitors pretending to be loyalists are stalling him. We should act first.]

‘Agreed. Let’s call in the real loyalists.’

Ian subtly signaled to the disguised loyalists.

“Where are they?”

“Who—Ah. You mean the helpers Lord Sang mentioned? The Second Prince’s forces are still in their quarters.”

“Do you think they’ll be ready by evening?”

At their words, Ian’s expression darkened.

‘They’re trying to stab us in the back too, aren’t they?’

Grrr…

Inside his arms, Fury stirred restlessly.

At the same time, Jealousy sensed something sinister—dark energy scattered throughout the hall and opened its mouth greedily.

The helmet seemed to notice it too.

[Could it be… those men?]

‘Looks like it.’

The Seven Sins were reacting to those busy working in the banquet hall.

A servant clearing the table.

A man adjusting the cloth bearing the Seventh Prince’s seal on the ceiling.

A waiter carrying drinks from outside.

More than half of the workers present were already enemies. As hadn’t noticed anything amiss—but Ian had. And he wasn’t the only one.

Flinch.

Sang stiffened in surprise before hastily looking at Ian.

‘This is bad.’

‘What’s wrong?’

‘I don’t recognize any of these workers. They’re not my people.’

‘What?’

‘I’ve been deceived. They’re going to strike earlier than planned.’

The original plan had set the attack for midnight, but now that the enemy had already infiltrated the hall, their schedule had clearly changed.

The helmet was momentarily taken aback—not just by Sang’s sharp observation, but by what it implied.

[Could it be that he remembers all of his subordinates?]

‘Is that unusual? I remember everyone.’

[That’s because you’re special. Normally, subordinates remember their superiors, but it’s rare for a superior to remember all their subordinates.]

This only highlighted Sang’s talent. He wasn’t just an ordinary strategist—he was prime minister material, skilled in both governance and understanding those beneath him.

[His ability is on par with your sister’s. If he could be swayed to our side, he’d be a tremendous asset.]

Ian agreed.

‘I have to make that guy mine.’

[How? He’s deeply tied to Leonic.]

‘That’s obvious. With my charm, of course.’

[Do you really think that will work?] the helmet asked incredulously.

But Ian was confident. Thanks to a certain someone, he had already gathered a fair amount of information on Sang.

Wink!

Nathan, lazily sipping his drink, winked at him from across the room.

It was through Nathan’s natural talent for socializing—rather than swordsmanship—that Ian had uncovered many stories about Sang and Leonic. The maids practically lined up to gossip with him.

‘How did he even charm them into spilling so much information?’

But thanks to that, Ian now had leverage over Sang.

‘Alright, time to get to work.’

[How?]

“Leon must have realized by now that I’m in Cantum, not García Territory. It’s time for a grand performance.”

This banquet wasn’t just a party—it was a trap to shake Leon’s confidence and accelerate his downfall. If Leon sent assassins, that would be an added bonus.

‘Now then, let’s begin.’

Ian’s lips curled into a smirk.

*

Meanwhile, in a hidden corner of the banquet hall, a group of figures gathered in the employees’ designated resting area.

One man, his expression sharp and cold, spoke cautiously, “We’re starting the operation now.”

“But, Leader, there are still some individuals who have not arrived.”

The banquet had begun, but not all of their targets were present. They were supposed to eliminate everyone loyal to the Seventh Prince As—but some had yet to show up.

“Midnight is still far off. Sang hasn’t noticed anything yet either. Shouldn’t we wait?”

“No. We can’t afford to wait.”

Despite the concern, the leader remained resolute.

“Our priority is to kill the Seventh Prince and stop this banquet. A few missing targets don’t matter.”

In Cantum, birthday banquets were deeply symbolic. If As died here, he wouldn’t just be killed—he would be remembered as a fool who perished throwing a party in the middle of a war.

“Besides, we can’t give Sang the chance to pull anything clever.”

“Right. He was Leonic’s subordinate.”

“He might try to manipulate us, so we need to act two steps ahead and ruin his plans first.”

Sang was a traitor—but his fate didn’t concern them.

“Our only mission is to eliminate the Seventh Prince. Focus on that.”

“Yes, Leader.”

At the leader’s signal, the disguised servants and attendants prepared to make their move. But something felt off.

“Where’s Number 7?”

“What?”

“The one assigned to poison the drinks inside. He’s gone.”

A hush fell over the group.

Then, another voice spoke up.

“Number 12 is missing too.”

“So is Number 17.”

“And Number 22 and 36!”

“What?!”

The assassins exchanged uneasy glances.

“…Could it be that someone noticed our plan and—”

“Do you honestly think someone could outmaneuver us assassins and take out our men without anyone noticing?”

“That’s impossible…”

It was at that very moment—

“Hey! We’re running low on drinks over here. Bring some more!”

“Ah! Sorry, I’ll be right there!”

Hearing the impatient voice from outside, Number 4 hurriedly moved.

His task? Delivering drinks to the wandering knight who had been bothering him all afternoon.

Even as he left, his teeth clenched in frustration.

“Leader, let me kill that guy. Please.”

The leader’s response was immediate.

“No.”

“…What? Why not, Leader?”

“That man is mine.”

“!”

Like Number 4, the leader had been irritated by Nathan throughout the banquet preparations. He had plenty of complaints about the man, but that could be dealt with later.

For now, something else caught his attention.

“It seems more people have shown up than expected.”

“We’re short-staffed. Everyone on-site is busy. No wonder that guy, who usually spends his time flirting with women, ended up here.”

“Is that so…?”

A faint unease crept into the leader’s mind, but he pushed it aside. The operation had to proceed.

“A few missing members won’t change our success.”

“Understood.”

And besides—he had backup.

As he stepped outside, his eyes flickered toward the noble guests. Among them, one man met his gaze and gave a subtle nod.

‘Everything is proceeding smoothly. My forces are already waiting outside.’

‘Understood. Tonight, we will destroy two factions—no, three.’

‘All for Lord Leon.’

Each man led a covert force, working under the Second Prince and the First Princess, all with the shared goal of eliminating the Seventh Prince.

And at that moment—

“Start!”

BOOM!

The gunpowder, hidden throughout the banquet hall, exploded. Acrid smoke filled the air, spreading chaos.

The once joyful atmosphere froze.

“Assassins!”

“An assassination at a birthday banquet?! Even during wartime, isn’t this going too far?”

“This isn’t the time for complaints! Take cover!”

Some nobles muttered in outrage but were quick to scramble for safety.

Meanwhile, the Seventh Prince’s soldiers rushed in—

BOOM!

Gah!

The assassins struck with brutal efficiency, cutting the soldiers down.

The leader’s lips curled into a satisfied smirk.

“Good. The soldiers are dealt with. Now, take care of the rest.”

“Yes, sir!”

Yet, despite his confident words, his eyes remained fixed on the nobles.

‘Perfect. They’re separated.’

His allies were already gathered in a corner, playing defense. The assassins pretended to attack them but weren’t actually harming anyone.

On the other hand, the Seventh Prince’s faction was being slaughtered.

Now, all that was left—

‘Where is Sang?’

Sang, Leonic’s former subordinate, was a primary target. Alongside Seventh Prince As, he had to die.

And soon enough, the leader found him.

‘There he is.’

Sang stood firmly at the Seventh Prince’s side, positioned perfectly to kill As—just as planned.

But something was off.

‘Where are his knights?’

It was said that Sang had hired knights for protection, yet none were in sight.

The leader quickly came to a conclusion.

‘It seems he’s trying to move himself since it’s hard to silence the knights.’

A fortunate mistake.

This meant the leader could eliminate both Sang and the Seventh Prince without interference.

Behind them, As’s wandering knights stood, but the ;eader barely spared them a glance.

‘They’re just wandering knights—not real knights like me.’

Most wandering knights were weak, unable to wield the power of oaths properly. Nothing more than disposable mercenaries.

He raised his voice.

“Kill them all!”

“Understood!”

The assassins rushed forward—

BANG!

A sudden explosion of power sent several assassins flying backward. Galon, standing beside As, had unleashed his strength.

A nearby assassin gasped in alarm.

“What do we do, Leader?!”

“Ignore them! Kill the Seventh Prince!”

But Galon wasn’t the only one fighting back.

Slash!

“AGH!”

“Lea—Leader! Agh!”

Nathan, the playboy knight, appeared in a blur of afterimages, swiftly dispatching the assassins from behind.

In moments, the ambush turned into a trap—for the assassins.

Panic spread.

“Where the hell are these guys coming from?!”

“It’s those wandering knights!”

“I can see that! But there’s only two of them! We have to kill the Seventh Prince, no matter what!”

Desperate, the assassins charged forward, throwing away their lives—

But As wasn’t just watching.

He raised his hand.

At that moment—

Thwack! Thwack!

Arrows rained down from the windows.

The assassins collapsed, their bodies pierced by the hidden archers.

The nobles trembled in fear, huddling in the corners as they watched the massacre unfold.

Then, a group of attendants rushed toward As.

“My lord, please take cover!”

“We will be your shield!”

But instead of As’s grateful smile—

Slash!

“Urk!”

Blood splattered.

As, his expression was ice-cold, watched as Ian cut them down without hesitation.

The attendants, staggering back, eyes wide, gasped.

“Why…?”

As’s voice was devoid of emotion.

“Because you’re traitors, aren’t you?”

“What…?”

“Don’t act surprised. I already knew.”

“!

He had heard everything from Ian.

‘These bastards. They acted so loyal, but all along, they planned to betray me.’

As retrieved a dagger hidden in the attendants’ clothing. Their eyes widened in shock before they collapsed, lifeless. Their final expressions conveyed a silent question—How did he know?

But Ian offered no explanation. Instead, he calmly sheathed his sword and turned to Galon.

“Now then, shall we finish this, Sir Galon?”

“I will handle it.”

“Don’t kill them. They might still be useful. Oh, but—those two can die.”

Ian pointed directly at the assassin leader and a man hidden among the nobles—both of them Leon’s subordinates.

“Make sure to kill them.”

“Understood.”

The assassin leader and the noble’s eyes widened in shock.

“How… How is this possible?”

“Could there have been a traitor among us…?”

They glanced at each other, suspicion creeping into their expressions, but there was no time to unravel the betrayal.

Slash!

Thud!

More assassins and soldiers fell, their bodies hitting the ground with finality.

The assassin leader, realizing the desperation of their situation, gritted his teeth.

“We have no choice—attack!”

“There’s no use hiding anymore—fight!”

At his command, the remaining assassins charged forward, and the noble desperately summoned the soldiers waiting outside.

But—

There was no response.

No sound of reinforcements marching in.

No footsteps rushing to their aid.

“When did…?”

The assassins had already been taken care of by Galon and Nathan. The soldiers the noble believed in were also lying on the floor, groaning.

Ian raised the corners of his lips.

“I put your drink with your own poison.”

“What?”

“Of course, some of the more cautious ones noticed… so I took care of them beforehand. Oh! And in case you’re hoping for reinforcements—don’t.”

Ian turned to Sang, who merely shrugged and spoke.

“The chief of my guards is already securing the gates.”

Ian’s smirk widened.

“See that?”

The assassin leader and the noble staggered back, realization dawning too late.

“What… What?”

“It means your forces won’t even make it past the castle gates.”

The assassin leader’s expression twisted in fury as he turned to Sang.

“Sang… was it you? Were you the traitor?”

But Sang simply scoffed.

“You have no right to talk about betrayal. After all, you were the ones who tried to kill me first.”

“What?”

Sang’s eyes narrowed.

“The traitors are you. You broke your promise and tried to kill me as well.”

“…”

The assassin leader clenched his jaw, realizing that Sang had never been on their side to begin with.

But there was no time to dwell on betrayal now.

Clang!

In an instant, Ian’s sword was at the assassin leader’s throat.

“Do you want to die, or do you want to surrender?”

“…”

For a moment, the silent assassin leader’s eyes glinted with hostility.

“I’ll take you down with me!”

In one swift motion, he reached into his clothes—

For a self-destruction device hidden beneath his uniform.

But Ian was faster.

Slash!

Blood splattered as Ian’s blade severed the leader’s head before he could activate the device.

The lifeless body collapsed, and Ian, his face still splattered with blood, spoke without emotion.

“I knew you’d try that.”

Swish!

Ian flicked his sword clean and turned to the remaining enemies.

His sharp gaze seemed to ask—

“What will you do now?”