This Bastard is Too Competent

The second son of the Orlan family, Maden, precisely remembered his mission.

“We have to prevent the Seventh Prince from passing the test.”  

“So, you go teach and lead the prince to the wrong path.”

The task given was very simple. 

‘Make him fail the exam.’

That would be a piece of cake.  

No matter how hard the prince studied, he wouldn’t pass the test if he put in the wrong knowledge in the first place.  

It wasn’t just that. 

“What does a serf know aside from farming?” 

He could have made him embarrassed to give up his studies on his own. 

Of course, there was one problem.  

“Lyle, the son of the Ipsil family who is in charge of art education. Please enter.” 

“I’m coming now.” 

It was not just one or two nobles who thought that way. 

In fact, those who claimed to be Ian’s teachers were flocking to the Crystal Palace.

‘It is going to be a long time before my turn.’ 

As the test would be in a month, the invited teachers decided to stay at the Crystal Palace for the time being.

It was because of the order to stick close while teaching him so that the prince could pass the test.

‘Well, that’s a commoner’s head for you.’ 

Because of this, Maden laughed at the children of the noble family who had been summoned like him.

‘Foolish guys. Are you really thinking about teaching?’ 

He would become a teacher of the Seventh Prince. 

That, too, was to be a teacher for a little boy who didn’t have a proper support base. It was nothing to curry favor with a kid who was having a hard time.

‘After I slowly became someone he couldn’t live without…’ 

He would snatch everything from Ian. 

That’s when he was about to walk back to the room with an evil smile. 

“There you are, Maden of the Orlan family. It’s your turn, so please enter.” 

“!” 

Maden flinched at the sight of the servant who came to pick him up.  

‘Huh? It’s already my turn? But mine is in the afternoon.’ 

Moreover, it had been less than 30 minutes since the last teacher entered. 

‘How can it be over already?’

Nevertheless, he followed the servant in bewilderment for a while, and he witnessed a shocking scene. 

“Hold on a second! Please give me one more chance! I still have something to say to you, Seventh Prince!” 

“His Highness does not have much time. Since the prince said he didn’t need to learn from you, pack up and get out of the Crystal Palace.” 

“No!” 

The noble son, who entered 30 minutes ago, kept begging as if it was unfair while being kicked out by a tall knight.  

It was Galon. 

It was useless to hold onto the knight’s legs. 

Maden was surprised at the sight of him being kicked out without mercy, but that was only for a moment.

‘Oh, I guess the prince is a little picky.’ 

Of course, he was confident. 

‘You idiots. Did you get kicked out because you couldn’t catch a child’s heart?’

That was obvious. 

He must have threatened him with what the family told him to do from the beginning.

And no matter how young the prince was, royalty was royalty. He must have kicked the teachers out while complaining that it was difficult.

But Maden was different. 

‘I will try to please him. And I will control him.’ 

And he would dedicate it to the First Princess at the right moment. 

It was when he entered the room with such thoughts. 

Jolt! 

Maden had to pause for a moment.

The Seventh Prince, clearly famous for being a brat, was drinking tea with a dignified expression. 

‘Wh, what?’

The little boy who was tired from studying and having a hard time was nowhere to be found. All he could see was Ian sitting relaxedly like a true royalty.

Then Ian opened his mouth. 

“Are you going to teach me history?” 

Maden, who was still staring at Ian, bowed his head right away. 

“Ah yes. That’s right. I’m the second son of the Orlan family, and I’m second in the Academy…”

“What’s important is not the background but the skills. We don’t have much time, so let’s get started now.” 

“…!” 

This rude little boy.

Maden gritted his teeth inside. 

‘I was trying to please you for the plan.’

But he couldn’t show his true intentions. 

There was the plan, but it was also because knights with stern expressions were guarding Ian’s sides.  

Maden clenched his teeth and opened the book. 

“Then shall we start with the story of the founding of the kingdom? It may be a little difficult for the prince, but before the First King founded Kaistein, there was a massive battle in Pilas. I am not sure if you know the battle…”

“You’re talking about the Great Battle of Illaoi.”

“Y, yes? Also, I started with a very easy story. In that battle, the First King, in order to overcome the unfavorable situation, directly charged into the enemy’s camp…”

“Are you sure? In that battle, our troops had an overwhelming advantage. Besides, according to Sir Peyron’s history book, you know that it was his subject, not the First King, who charged into the camp.”

“Yes? N, no way. As far as I know…” 

“Have you not read Sir Auston’s History of Kaistein? Since when has that theory been abandoned? Are you trying to teach me something like that?”

Maden broke into a cold sweat. 

At the end of the day, having been pushed to a corner, he tried to teach Ian with different knowledge or discussion. 

“Really? Wouldn’t that be the crop in the Fiden region?”

“Think about it. Raising taxes that way will lead to riots. So, my history teacher doesn’t even remember that King Bris removed it the following year?”

“The territory was handed over to the Kingdom of Magicians during the reign of King Wilson III. You think before you say it, right?” 

It only took 15 minutes for all theories to be sunk.

Shutting the teacher’s mouth with this discussion, Ian snapped the book close.

“Galon.” 

“W-wait a moment, Seventh Prince. I still have something to say!” 

“I have no need for a teacher who cannot teach properly. In that case, I will read the book and study by myself.”

“No, please wait!” 

“Galon, please send the teacher out.” 

“Yes.” 

“No! Wait!” 

Thud! 

In the end, Maden was forced to be kicked out like other teachers.  

Ian, who finally made the history teacher pack up, could sigh only then.

‘Phew. It was hard. I managed to kick them out.’ 

The people who came to teach him were pathetic.  

That might well be for a reason. 

‘From the beginning, even among the nobles, there is no way that people with a good reputation will find me.’

The person who just entered was especially like that.

He hid his arrogance as a noble, but his eyes were the same as Duke Garcia’s, who tried to use him. 

He had crushed most of the knowledge they were proud of and threw them out. 

‘Still, I thought there would be at least one or two useful people. But not even one.’

Thanks to this, Ian would have a hard time dealing with his brothers and sisters. 

‘I’ve predicted this, but I don’t know what to do if they send people worse than I am.’

No matter how much they claimed to be wise and knowledgeable, they came under the name of a famed teacher.

‘If Garcia’s scholars mocked me for being ignorant to the point I was sick of it, how much more ignorant are they?’ 

However, the people around him did not seem to think so. 

“…Prince?” 

“What is it?” 

What is it? Karan, with his chin propped up, was staring at Ian in disbelief. 

Karan, who was praised as the genius of Garcia, knew at once that this situation was absurd.

Listening for a second allowed him to understand everything. 

At first glance, it seemed that Ian was trying to force the teachers out, but how deep was the knowledge Ian must have had? 

Therefore, Karan asked. 

“Where did you learn all that?” 

“I read them in books in the Garcia family.” 

Karan looked skeptically. 

“I don’t think there are many books in that annex.”

“I saw that.” 

“As expected of my lord.” 

Galon admired Ian with his unique expressionless face, and Nathan looked at Ian as if he couldn’t comprehend it. 

But regardless, Ian asked. 

“Galon, how many teachers are left in the palace with this?”

“Four. The rest are etiquette teachers…” 

“Ah! One is from my family…” 

At Nathan’s words, Ian raised the corners of his lips and interlocked his fingers. 

“Bring them all.” 

With that order, the following teachers entered.

***

“What should we do about this, Marquis Adeles?” 

“Hmm…” 

The nobles who followed the First Princess were complaining to Marquis Adeles. 

It was none other because of Ian.  

“Have you heard? Our way of trying to fail the test didn’t work.” 

“I thought he wouldn’t know anything. Instead, he even kicked out the teachers we sent.” 

“I don’t know what to do…” 

The nobles were walking on eggshells.

If this went on, it would not be the problem of disobeying the First Princess’s order but rather losing the bet.

“At this rate, if the Seventh Prince wins… we will go bankrupt.” 

“I have put my precious soldiers on the line.” 

“Mine is my family treasure.” 

Besides, it was not easy for the Seventh Prince to acquire the northern land along with the qualification of the Crystal Palace’s owner.

Knowing the situation, Marquis Adeles frowned.  

It wasn’t for any other reason. 

‘How the hell did that kid know about the land?’

Marquis Adeles really needed the land, not under the order of the First Princess. 

In fact, the moment Ian requested the land from the king, he quickly located and investigated the land.

‘It was big, but I reckoned it a useless land. There must be a secret.’

The marquis became greedy for the land.  

‘It is a waste to hand the land to Lavaltor or the prince.’ 

However, the nobles, who didn’t know that fact yet, were still buzzing. 

“But isn’t that amazing? My son who went as a teacher came back astonished.” 

“That’s right. My son was amazed by the Seventh Prince’s wisdom and knowledge. His Majesty deserved to give him the Crystal Palace.”

They even made such whispers. 

At that, Marquis Adeles clicked his tongue. 

‘Does it amount to anything if the enemy is superior? The important thing right now is to bring him down.’

But the water had already spilled. 

‘I have sent away Nathan, but I can’t just sit back and watch.’

Someone suggested as if he had read his thoughts.  

“Let’s send an assassin before the test.” 

“Yes, Sir Nathan is there. I’d rather have him poisoned.” 

The marquis finally spoke up. 

“Now is the time. Can you handle the consequences of killing the prince who is about to take the test?” 

“!” 

Everyone’s eyes were focused on the test of Crystal Palace qualification.

To ruin it that way, it made sense to point them out as the culprits without any question needed.

In the first place, Marquis Adeles wouldn’t use his own son to poison the prince.

‘I just made him attend to the First Princess this time.’

Nathan was someone as free as the wind and didn’t talk much, which frustrated Marquis Adeles and his eldest son to no end.

Marquis Adeles raised him to become a knight of the family or the First Princess, but he almost died out of exasperation when his second-born suddenly ran out of the house to become a knight of Garcia on the day he was knighted.

Now that the eldest son was about to relinquish his succession right, the marquis even thought of marrying Nathan to the First Princess once he passed on the marquis title to him, yet everything went wrong.

‘Such a guy somehow managed to come to his senses.’

At that moment, the nobles said.  

“Then what should we do? If this goes on, we can’t carry out the orders of the First Princess…” 

“Ha…” 

The marquis clutched his head. 

It seemed like he had to do it himself.

“It can’t be helped. We will use the last resort.” 

“What? Is there such a way?” 

The marquis glanced sharply at the crowd. 

“In the end, wouldn’t it be enough to just make it impossible to pass the test? Not in an underhanded way, but in a legitimate way.” 

“!” 

He didn’t know what the Seventh Prince had learned from Duke Garcia. 

The marquis knew Garcia’s weakness exactly. He became famous for his wealth, but it was the Duke’s Achilles’ heel instead.

“Don’t worry about it. I will take care of it myself. But before that…” 

The nobles smiled at the words of Marquis Adeles.

***

Several days had passed. 

“Your Highness, a new teacher has come.” 

Ian, who was reading a book, scrunched his brow at Galon’s words.

“Again? Those nobles never get tired of sending their children.” 

“No. This time, it is not children sent by nobles.”

“!” 

A scholar prominent in the kingdom had visited Ian in this instance. 

“Marquis Adeles and His Majesty personally sent him.” 

“Oh, Gratunias? Now they have sent a scholar here?” 

Gratunias was an international institution producing the most outstanding scholars in Kaistein.

Most of the scholars there were aloof and placed utmost importance on lineage.

Karan finally couldn’t stand it any longer and was seemingly about to hinder Ian by any means.

However. 

‘You’re finally here.’ 

Ian’s eyes twinkled. The person he had been waiting for finally had come.