This Bastard is Too Competent

Chapter 4: A Prince

Chapter 4: A Prince

***

The Duke’s Knight, Galon.

He was heading to the countryside at the order of the Duke. 

"Sir Galon, if you go a little further, you'll see the village."

Of course he wasn't alone.

He was accompanied by soldiers to carry out the mission and mercenaries to lead the way. It was such a large number of troops for a secret mission.

But there was a reason for it.

“Your mission is to escort the prince, who has been living as a serf, safely. Externally, it will be the gift from the Duke to the Great Lord. Never stand out and go quietly.”

Galon’s eyes, who had been mulling over the order for a while, flashed as he heard that he had reached his destination.

"Okay. And just in case, don’t lower your guard."

Two men following Galon's instructions burst into laughter. 

“Sir Galon, at the very least, would there even be a bandit on a mountain like this?”

"That's right. Unless they're stupid, they'll hide in front of this Duke's flag."

They were the centurion who commanded 100 soldiers and the mercenary captain hired for this mission.

"Moreover, with Sir Galon, one of the Duke's Five Knights, is there anyone who dares to attack us?"

"Ha ha! That's right. Five Knights of Duke Garcia, even street kids know their name.”

However, Galon replied in a cold voice.

"We're on a secret mission. Just in case, we should minimize unpleasant situations as much as possible. If you understand, keep up your guard right away."

"Yes, Sir."

The centurion and the mercenary captain muttered as they retreated with a poopy expression on their faces.

"Damn it, I thought it would be an easy task to just bring a kid from the countryside.”

“That’s it. Some people aren’t that flexible.”

"They're too uptight, so we’re the ones getting these chores."

But it was just then. 

"The centurion and the mercenary captain sure are easygoing and like to talk a lot, I guess."

“!?”

A young man appeared next to the two talking men.

As the centurion was about to say something to him, the young man smiled sarcastically.

“Well, I understand. But you should know that Sir Galon is the Duke's favorite knight."

“···!”

“In the past, Chief Grayson once spoke ill about him, and then his throat…”

The young man made a neck-slicing gesture with his hand.

The centurion, whose complexion had grown pale, instantly slumped as if he had been cursed.

"Oh, right! Sir Galon told you to be vigilant."

"You guys move too! After you get your weapon… Hey! What are you doing? Be on your guard right now!"

The mercenary captain moved urgently at once. The young man smiled mischievously.

"It should have been like that earlier."

"How was the reconnaissance, Sir Nathan?"

“Ah, Sir Galon!”

"The village?"

Nathan shrugged as if it was nothing. 

"It is a peaceful village that doesn’t seem to have much problem. It seems like there is a commotion because the plaza is a little bustling.”

"A commotion?"

"The lord seems to be moving the soldiers… Well, it could be the lord is on his way to subdue some rebellious residents. Anyway, I don’t think it's a good place for the villagers to live in."

However, Galon furrowed his eyebrows.

It might be a simple riot control, as he said, but… 

‘Someone may have noticed the king’s bloodline before us and moved.’ 

There could have been a problem with the target he had to escort.

Galon quickly found the centurion.

"I'll be there first. The centurion leads the soldiers and mercenaries and follows me."

"What? Oh, wait. Sir Galon!"

Galon hurriedly spurred his horse. All who followed him was only Nathan.

However, Nathan seemed to be excited. 

How could he not get excited? 

Genius knight Galon.

He was a knight coming from a commoner background and was praised as the third greatest swordsman in the empire. In fact, he almost became a royal knight who was said that only the best knights in the kingdom could enter.

Hence, there was no one among the nobles who did not know him.

Because of that, even the king felt regretful when the Duke took him in as a vassal. 

That’s why there was no way there could be someone who could defeat him in such a rural village.

‘It's a good opportunity to see his skills from up close.’

But Galon hardened his face at Nathan's expression.

"Now, the mission is my priority. Manage your expression, Sir Nathan."

"Okay, I got it. I got it. You're such a boring fellow."

When the two arrived at the said problematic place, Galon's eyes noticeably widened.

‘That one?’

He couldn't help but be amazed at the sight unfolding before his eyes.

A child was running rampant against the adults, no, the soldiers.

Moreover, the simple-looking sword movement seemed to be flowing with energy that overpowered the opponent. 

Nathan also had his mouth agape. He was utterly surprised.

"That's amazing. Using such a movement against such an opponent. I guess he learned swordsmanship from a retired knight.”

Of course, for an orthodox swordsmanship, something seemed lacking.

However, Nathan was also a swordsman who had taken on the duty of escorting the Duke from a young age. He was strong enough to defeat any number of people by himself.

Because of that, he knew well how difficult it was to move that much against that number. 

But it wasn't that part that Galon was astonished about.

"That's the royal swordsmanship."

"What? Royal swordsmanship?"

Nathan gaped in amazement. It was far away, so he couldn't see his face or appearance very well, but…

“Looking at the way he is dressed, he should be a serf, but how can a kid be like that!”

Galon smiled in intrigue.

‘Is that him? The one I will take to the Excellency the Duke.’

The goal of this mission. The seventh son of the king had been spotted. 

Nathan, who was surprised at the scene, was sweating nervously.

He had no choice but to do so. 

‘That stab.’

Nathan was really shocked by Ian's stab.

A stabbing is an attack aimed for the opponent's life. Because of this, beginners tended to stop midway in fear that their opponent might die.

However…

“There was no fear at all. No hesitation.”

"Yeah. He seems to be very familiar with situations like this. His moves are similar to that of ceremonial swordsmanship.”

“You say that… what?! Ceremonial swordsmanship?!”

Nathan shouted in disbelief as if it was ridiculous.

“No matter how many third-rates you are dealing with, that is not ceremonial swordsmanship however you look at it!”

As far as Nathan knew, the ceremonial swordsmanship was just a kind of flashy swordsmanship. It could never be used for practical purposes.

Yet that kid fought with that kind of swordsmanship?

Knowing that, Galon's eyes twinkled.

Obviously, ceremonial swordsmanship is a flimsy swordsmanship.

Of course, he could use it for practical use if it was him, but the world didn’t even know if that's possible.

In fact, some of the ceremonial swordsmanship’s moves are excellent as dodging skills.

‘I can’t imagine where he learned that…’

Maybe it's because that kid didn't know anything but that? Or did he know that fact and use it on purpose?

Seeing the change in Galon's gaze, Nathan was speechless.

‘That Galon…'

Without a doubt, he was interested in that kid. 

So it was even harder to believe.

‘He is the man who even refused the Crown Prince’s request to teach him swordsmanship…'

Even the Crown Prince who was praised for having the best sword skills among the princes did not catch Galon's eyes. 

And while the two were talking, the situation had almost reached its end.

"Both of you, die!"

Supervisor Johnson used a serf to aim for Ian's gap.

If left as it was, both Ian and the serf would definitely be stabbed by Johnson's sword.

Nathan picked up the sword reflexively. 

“No more watching! We're going… huh?"

Nathan said no more.

It was because Galon, who was supposed to be next to him, had disappeared in the blink of an eye.

“Galon!”

It was just that moment.

Slash!

Johnson's arm, which was aiming for the royal bloodline, fell to the ground.

***

“······”

In an instant, the plaza fell into silence.

Not only the Lord but also none of the soldiers who attacked Ian were willing to open their mouths or move.

The man who suddenly appeared.

It was because he cut Johnson's arm and stood in front of Ian.

"If anyone moves one step further from there, I'll cut off both arms."

A man probably in his late 20's.

He was a handsome man with a rare status that was not commonly sighted in such a rural area.

And it was surprising that such an excellent man suddenly appeared and cut off the supervisor's arm.

"You're late."

The soldiers were intimidated by what Ian said with a smile. 

That's right. Uniforms that stand out more than men with silver hair! 

That was the problem.

‘That's a knight!’

There was no mistake about it.  

And Ian was just a lowly serf.

No matter how ignorant he was, he would know that the man was a knight just by looking at his attire, but he spoke informally to such a knight with a high position. 

And knights were infamous for being intolerant of being insulted.

‘He's going to die…!'

But something strange happened.

"I'm sorry."

The knight Galon bowed his head toward Ian. 

In fact, Ian was surprised, too.

‘You apologize to me?’

Knights were basically very high-nosed people. 

In the past, even himself, who was only a bastard of the royal family, was ignored by Galon before he was anointed as the crown prince. 

So Ian, looking at him puzzled, was secretly surprised.

‘This guy…!’

Looking at the familiar uniform, Ian knew that he was the Duke's knight, but he checked his face just to make sure. 

And he's definitely the knight Galon.

‘The Duke’s loyal subject he cared about and relied on the most.’

Although he was a commoner for the rest of his life, he was also the man who played the most decisive role in the Duke's victory during the succession war.

In a sense, he was such a capable knight that it was said that in order to deal with the Duke, one had to face him first.

Of course, in the past, the Duke’s subordinates also came to pick him up, so this was not the first and last time Ian had seen Galon up close like this.

‘But this time, we meet here like this.’

He wasn't disrespectful, yet wasn't polite either.

Rather, Ian remembered being overwhelmed by that spirit and unable to say a word to him properly.

But it was at that moment.

“Hey, you crazy bastards!”

Johnson screamed as he stumbled with one missing arm.

“Do you know who I am?! I am the Lord's supervisor! You think you can get out of this place safely if you cut off the arm of the Lord's servant?"

He was so angry that his eyes turned red.

The soldiers hurriedly rushed to shut his mouth.

"Johnson! Stop! That… That person!"

There was one reason why they urgently stopped Johnson.

<The Knight>

Because they were special.

And the knights were not just about those who excelled at swordsmanship.

[Oath]

Unlike soldiers, knights make only one oath throughout their lives.

And the oath gives the knight a strong power.

The power to break down a mountain with a single slash.

Physical strength that doesn't wear out even when fighting against a million troops.

Invincible speed.

A profound eye that can penetrate the enemy even if they cover their eyes.

Because of the oath, knights on this continent were able to directly use those miraculous abilities.

But how could the supervisor point his finger and curse at a knight with such power?

‘We-···We're all going to die.’

It was natural for the soldiers and villagers to tremble in fear.

But Johnson glared instead.

“What do you know about a knight? That’s right, they are swordsmen who don’t even have a title!”

Johnson, who was only a rural villager, was still unaware of the gravity of the situation. Otherwise, he could have shut up and let go of his pain in modesty.

And then, Nathan, who had come in the meantime, burst into a cruel laugh.

"Sir Galon, he can't tell the front and the back apart. Should I just take care of him?”

Nathan slowly unsheathed his sword. 

He was about to deal with Johnson, who was insulting the knights.

Johnson screamed at the sight of Nathan pulling out the sword.

"My Lord! Please help me! Hurry up and give that shameless man punishment!"

However, the Lord was facing the same trouble.

Knights were not a resource that anyone could have. It was impossible to think of raising just one knight even for a person with a decent title.

‘Rumor has it that at least 100 soldiers are needed to deal with one knight.'

In fact, it was said that among the knights, there were many cases where they managed to break through a large army by themselves to kill the enemy.

However, there were fewer than 30 soldiers here.

Moreover, there was nothing he could do because he was in a situation where he couldn't even glean the knight’s power no matter how many times he washed his eyes with the history of knights.

So, the Lord could only glare at them in resentment.

"Get out of here before I report to the capital and your master!"

"You want me to leave?"

"Yes! Why would the knights intervene in educating my territory and this uproar…!"

However, Galon didn't care about it.

It was better for him to approach Ian than pay attention to the Lord.

"Once again, Knight Galon would like to apologize to Ian-nim for being late."

Flop.

He fell on one knee toward Ian. A perfect and flawless etiquette that one couldn’t find fault in.

Johnson, who was bleeding and losing his temper at the sight, screamed in frenzy.

"I can't believe you kneel to a serf bastard! Are you crazy? Do knights dare stir up the discipline of the country? What's with that poor pig…"

"Shut your dirty mouth."

Galon's eyes, which had not expressed any emotions so far, shone like a beast. It's better for him to leave the punishment to the prince, the person with the highest rank here. 

Seemingly conscious of the eyes around him, Nathan also knelt and added a word.

"In accordance with the order of the Duke, we are here to pick up Ian-nim, the seventh prince of the royal family."

At that moment, Johnson and the Lord froze.

Pri, prince?