This Bastard is Too Competent-Chapter 208: Shall We Start With the Calculations?

‘The enemy numbers are roughly 500.’

As Ian descended from the sky, he could clearly see the scale of the enemy forces. Even though Galon had dealt with the archers, there were still many soldiers remaining. However, Ian’s sudden arrival had thrown the enemy into disarray.

‘I didn’t think this would actually work.’

Ian, wearing the First King’s shoes, had given his cloak to Nathan. The shoes allowed him to move through the air as though he were flying, slowing his fall while also—

Swish!

In mid-air, Ian used royal swordsmanship to strike down enemies. To those below, his descent was like a bolt from the blue.

At that moment, a voice from the helmet spoke.

[Didn’t I tell you? I said it would work.]

The tactic had indeed been suggested by the helmet, which explained that the First King had used a similar method in the past. Thanks to this, Ian had mastered wielding the royal sword while airborne. As he surveyed the battlefield, Ian noticed Seventh Prince As staring up at him before bowing his head.

“Please, help me, noble one,” As said earnestly.

Ian tilted his head, confused. Noble one? He didn’t understand the title, but it was clear that As was asking for his aid. A smile spread across Ian’s face.

‘I knew a fight would break out when I landed, but…’

He hadn’t expected the situation to align so perfectly. The outfit As wore was undoubtedly significant.

‘This is the attire only those of royal blood, like Leonic, can wear. Could this kid be one of the princes?’

Considering his age, Ian immediately thought of one name: the Seventh Prince, As Tronian von Bantein. Since As wasn’t the crown prince, he lacked the title of “Cant.”

T/N: Previously referred to as “Kahn.” Apologies for the inconsistency.

However, if As could overcome his older brothers, he had the potential to claim the title of Crown Prince. Ian had been considering entering his territory to seek out a seer. Ian’s lips curled into a grin.

‘What a fortunate start.’

He hadn’t planned on owing anyone a favor, but saving As now would make future dealings much easier. This included meeting the fortune-teller and potentially aligning himself with As’s forces. Still, the pressing issue was not As—it was the enemies in front of him.

“W-Who are they?”

“The Seventh Prince has called for reinforcements!”

The enemies scrambled to reorganize, but to Ian, they weren’t much of a threat. The archers, who could have posed a problem, had already been dealt with by Galon. The only remaining threats were the enemy leader and the infantry.

‘I have the knights’ oath on my side.’

Ian had proven his abilities in the Garcia Duchy and had no reason to fear this group. Still, he carefully analyzed the situation.

‘They’re bold—launching an assassination attempt in broad daylight like this.’

Moreover, the attackers weren’t even bothering to disguise themselves. Their uniforms were standard Cantum military garb, their bows were typical of Cantum’s long-range archers, and their weapons were military-grade. It was clear that one of As’s royal siblings had mobilized the army to eliminate him.

Ian glanced toward Galon, who was still embedded in the ground.

“Sir Galon, can you move?”

“Umm… please give me a moment.”

He struggled to free himself, shifting his upper body slightly, but he was stuck too deeply to get out easily. Ian shook his head, accepting the situation.

“Then I’ll handle things for now.”

“I’m sorry, my lord,” Galon said, sounding frustrated.

With the long-range threats eliminated, Ian turned his focus to the remaining enemy infantry and their leader.

“W-Watch out! He’s coming!”

“Forget him for now—focus on the Seventh Prince!”

The soldiers were regulars in Cantum’s army, but they were still reeling from the shock of Ian and Galon’s unexpected arrival. Ian charged into their midst, his sword flashing.

Swish!

Once again, a streak of light swept through the soldiers. In an instant, the lives of three soldiers vanished.

The enemy leader finally seemed to sense the threat and shouted, “Focus on the enemy in front of you! The Seventh Prince can wait!”

The knights hesitated, clearly preoccupied with the possibility of As using the Firestorm Ring. Ian took advantage of the chaos, cutting through the disoriented soldiers like a wolf among sheep.

The enemy leader, panicked, turned to his knights.

“Sir Jan, Sir Chen! If we let him continue, the plan of the Second Prince—no, the Crown Prince—will be ruined!”

“If that happens, the prince will have our heads. What do you suggest, Jan?”

“Eliminate him. I’ll take care of the knight stuck in the ground.”

The knight named Jan nodded, and a burly knight—Chen—drew a massive greatsword from his back. His eyes gleamed as he charged toward Ian.

Clank!

The royal sword collided with the greatsword, producing a deafening sound. Ian was forced back by the sheer force of the blow.

Chen smirked.

“Not bad, little brat. But this is where it ends.”

Ian’s hand trembled slightly as he gripped his sword tighter. He looked up at Chen with a hint of surprise.

‘To push me back like that… what monstrous strength.’

Ian felt a threat when the greatsword was used like a spear. He was surprised when the heavy royal sword was pushed aside by someone else. What made it worse was that his opponent didn’t even use the oath. For the first time, Ian felt a flicker of danger.

Then, Chen charged again.

“Die, brat!” Chen roared, swinging his massive blade downward. Ian raised his sword to block.

Clank!

The greatsword collided hard with the royal sword. However, this time, Ian did not get pushed

back.

Galon’s Oath: [Invincibility]

Unbreakable strength surged through Ian, allowing him to withstand the full force of the greatsword. Chen’s expression shifted, his eyebrows twitching in disbelief.

“What? You dare block my greatsword?”

Chen tensed his muscles, exerting even more force in an attempt to overpower Ian.

Crack!

In an instant, cracks appeared in the ground beneath Ian’s feet. The sheer force of Chen’s attack caused the damage, but Ian stood firm.

“Too much talking. Is that all you’ve got?” Ian grinned confidently, as if to say that if this was the extent of Chen’s strength, the fight was already over.

It couldn’t be helped.

Woong.

The energy from Galon’s Invincibility surged through Ian’s body, empowering him further. It felt as if Galon himself was lending Ian his strength, urging him not to falter. Though Ian was smaller in stature compared to the massive knight before him—

Screech!

—he began to push Chen’s greatsword back. The knight’s surprise was evident as he exerted more force, but it was futile

“Huh?”

No matter how hard Chen tried, his greatsword continued to shift, being forced back toward his own side. His frustration turned into disbelief.

“This… this brat!”

Ian’s sword was steadily advancing toward Chen’s neck, outmaneuvering the greatsword. Realizing the danger, Chen activated his Oath.

“You filthy little brat!”

Already a knight of immense strength, Chen’s power now surged with the force of his Oath. A tremendous energy radiated from his body, like the unstoppable weight of a mountain.

But that was exactly what Ian had been waiting for.

‘I’ve been expecting this.’

Ian’s eyes gleamed. Suddenly, he withdrew all the strength he had been exerting against the greatsword and even nullified the power of Invincibility.

“What—?!”

Chen, caught off guard, stumbled forward. The disappearance of the opposing force left him completely unbalanced, creating an opening. Ian seized the moment, activating Nathan’s Swift Oath.

Swish!

In a flash, Ian’s royal sword cut across Chen’s chest, leaving a deep, gushing wound.

“Ghhk!”

Blood spurted out, but Ian quickly realized something.

‘The wound isn’t deep enough!’

Even though his strike had been precise, the power of Chen’s Oath made his body incredibly resilient. Wasting no time, Ian prepared for another strike, this time aiming for Chen’s neck.

However—

“You think you can kill me with that toothpick?!”

Bang!

Chen swung his greatsword with all his might, forcing Ian back toward the Seventh Prince. Ian skidded to a halt near As as Chen collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood.

“Cough… you damn brat…”

Though clearly wounded, Chen still appeared capable of fighting. Just then, another knight, Jan, approached.

“Need help?” Jan asked calmly.

“No! Focus on your task! Why haven’t you dealt with that knight yet?”

“I’m just observing.”

“Stop spouting nonsense and get to work!”

“Understood.”

Jan left Chen and dashed toward Galon, who was still trapped in the ground. Unlike Chen, who relied on brute strength, Jan specialized in speed and precision. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance and swung his sword at Galon.

Swish!

It was a fast and precise strike. Just as Jan aimed to cleave Galon’s neck, the moment the blade was sheathed—

Crack!

The sword’s edge shattered completely upon entering the scabbard. Startled, Jan spun around to reassess.

“Hmm… that stings,” Galon remarked, unfazed.

“?”

Jan’s eyes widened in disbelief. Despite being struck, Galon remained entirely unscathed. His body, fortified by the enhanced Invincibility Oath after meeting Ian, didn’t have a single scratch.

Jan returned to stand beside Chen.

“Impossible.”

“What do you mean impossible? Just kill him!”

“You’re injured. His body… it’s unbreakable. My sword shattered,” Jan replied flatly.

“Damn…” Chen spat on the ground in frustration. Despite his injuries, he could still move. While

Jan had lost his weapon, he believed he could still deal with a brat like Ian.

“I will carry out the prince’s orders. Forget the knight for now. We’ll deal with the brat and the Seventh Prince first.”

“Can we even manage that?”

“It doesn’t matter. We have no choice. We are the Crown Prince’s sword!”

Just then, the captain of the enemy soldiers approached, having regrouped the remaining archers.

“The archers are ready,” the captain reported.

“Then what are you waiting for? Fire already!” Chen shouted.

“Yes, sir.”

The captain raised his hand, signaling the archers to aim at the Seventh Prince once more. Though their numbers had been reduced by Galon’s earlier attack, there were still enough archers to pose a significant threat.

The Seventh Prince, seeing this, shouted to his men, “Everyone, raise your shields! Enemy attack!”

“W-We can’t block it!” one soldier cried.

Most of their shields had been destroyed in the previous volley of arrows. Desperation filled the ranks as the soldiers, even the injured, scrambled to protect the prince. As they braced to lift their damaged shields, Ian, cloaked, unexpectedly stepped in.

“There’s no need for that,” Ian said calmly.

“Pardon?” As asked, puzzled.

“Wait,” Ian added, his voice steady.

“What do you mean, wait?!” one soldier exclaimed.

At Ian’s words, As paused. However, his soldiers still didn’t trust Ian.

“Don’t listen to him! They’re going to shoot arrows!”

“If we don’t block it quickly, we’ll all die here!”

“Please… use us!”

Even the soldiers meant to act as human shields begged As to let them protect him. But the Seventh Prince silenced them with a raised hand, his gaze fixed on Ian.

“I trust him,” As declared.

“Y-Your Highness?!”

“I trust this man. So you should trust him too.”

“!”

The prince’s resolute words left the soldiers stunned.

“Fire!” the enemy leader commanded.

Arrows were released, hundreds of them streaking through the air, aimed straight at the Seventh Prince and his men. As the projectiles descended, the soldiers braced for impact, squeezing their eyes shut.

“Damn it… to come this far only to end like this…”

“Just make sure the Seventh Prince survives…”

“Mother…” novelbuddy.cσ๓

Resignation swept over them as they awaited their fate. But then—

Whoosh!

A powerful gust of wind surged upward. The arrows, which moments ago promised death, were swept away, spiraling into the sky and disappearing.

The soldiers opened their eyes in astonishment.

“What… what is that?”

“How… How did this happen?”

Words failed them, and for good reason. Before their eyes, a massive storm began to form—a concentrated whirlwind of tremendous force. The arrows had vanished, swallowed by the storm. Shouts erupted from both sides of the battlefield.

“Evacuate everyone!”

“It’s dangerous!”

The storm resembled the legendary [Tempest] of the Duke of Lavaltor, a natural disaster capable of obliterating everything in its path. Yet amidst the chaos, Ian stood calm and composed, raising his royal sword high.

[As long as I do not fall, no one can overcome me.]

It was the oath of Fiosen’s Iron Wall. A towering protective barrier manifested, shielding the Seventh Prince and his soldiers as the storm unleashed its full fury.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The whirlwind tore through the battlefield, sweeping away the enemy forces.

***

When the storm finally subsided, a ragged figure staggered out from its center.

“Huff, huff…”

It was Nathan, his body exhausted from pushing his Oath to its limit. He had sent his cloak to Ian and used his ability to its fullest, spinning through the air to generate the colossal storm. But the aftereffects were hitting him hard, and he was feeling nauseous.

“Ugh…”

Nathan’s face was pale, his body trembling from intense motion sickness. Ian approached him, his expression calm.

“You’re late.”

“Ugh… I’m about to die here. Does Your Highness have to be so harsh?”

“But you are late.”

“…”

Nathan could only pout in response, which drew a faint smile from Ian.

‘He’s definitely gotten stronger.’

The helmet on Ian’s head seemed to agree.

[What did I tell you? Oaths grow stronger when shared with a master. If you push that guy further, he’ll become even stronger.]

‘I planned to do that anyway.’

Currently, Ian relied heavily on the Swift Oath, but Nathan was a genius who often neglected his own training. The more pressure he faced, the stronger he would become.

As Ian reflected on this, Galon approached, his face filled with regret.

“My apologies, Your Highness. I couldn’t be of any help.”

“It’s alright, Sir Galon,” Ian replied reassuringly.

Thanks to the storm Nathan had conjured, Galon had managed to escape his predicament. By now, the knights had arrived, and the battlefield was tipping in their favor.

“Sir Galon, Sir Nathan—subdue the enemy knights,” Ian commanded.

The enemy knights, already unconscious from being swept up in the storm, were easily restrained. After ensuring the situation was under control, Ian turned to the Seventh Prince, who still wore a dazed expression.

“Now then,” Ian said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Shall we settle the accounts?”

His gaze lingered on As’s astonished face, as if silently asking, How much is the cost of saving you and your soldiers?