This Bastard is Too Competent

Ian’s eyes were colder than ever, reflecting his growing unease.

It was only natural, given the circumstances.

The saintess, who could potentially be his own sister, appeared to be reluctantly following the cardinal, as if she was being dragged along.

Ian, maintaining his composure, decided to quietly trail behind Cesare and the saintess.

‘A consecration ceremony, was it?’

The idea didn’t sit well with him.

While his younger sister, the saintess, managed to maintain her usual expression, it was evident from the bewildered look on the priest’s face beside her that something was amiss.

It seemed they were intent on subjecting the saintess to some form of sacrifice.

‘If they think I’ll let this happen, they’re mistaken.’

If she is indeed his younger sister, he will protect his sister at any cost.

With that, he followed them down further into the depths of the mansion.

Trailing behind, Ian tilted his head.

‘Just how far down are they going?’

They were heading further and further down towards the lower part of the mansion.

‘It’s strange. Sir Nathan said there were no secret spaces in the mansion.’

The Marquis of Adelas had been renowned for his transparency, with no known secrets to his name.

However, the direction they were heading suggested an underground location within the mansion.

And that’s when it happened.

“Have you arrived?”

Ian quickly hid behind a pillar.

Marquis Adelas, accompanied by knights, had appeared before Cesare and the saintess.

The marquis seemed somewhat perturbed as he addressed them.

“I heard you wanted a space that remains concealed from prying eyes.”

“Yes. The saintess wishes to make a prophecy, so we prefer a space that is unnoticed by anyone.”

Marquis Adelas seemed startled by those words.

“Is that so… Do prophecies truly hold such power?”

“Until now, the saintess’s prophecies have never been wrong.”

Marquis Adelas had a moment of contemplation in his eyes.

He might have felt a little emotional about the incident at the meeting hall with Cardinal Cesare. However, the power of the saintess was already famous continent-wide, to the point of being feared even on other continents.

It seemed the marquis desired firsthand experience of that power.

“In that case, please follow me.”

Slowly, Marquis Adelas took the lead, guiding them towards the underground warehouse.

Upon reaching the warehouse filled with barrels of alcohol, he directed them to a secluded corner.

With a deliberate motion, he pulled down an old candlestick.

Creak…

Gradually, a hidden door began to open, revealing a secret space that Nathan had confidently denied.

Just like Ian, Cesare was also surprised and opened his mouth.

“I never imagined there would be a secret space in a place like this…”

“This space is known only to me. Not even my children are aware of its existence. It was once used for exclusive gatherings, but I am opening it exclusively for Cardinal Cesare and the saintess,” Marquis Adelas explained.

“I will not forget this favor.”

Ian, meanwhile, watched everything unfold with an icy gaze.

‘I may need to reassess my opinion of Marquis Adelas.’

He was a man who made external assessments meaningless by hiding nothing, even deceiving his own children.

Contrary to Ian’s previous observations, there was more to the marquis than met the eye.

As they followed, the underground space came into view.

“I have cleared it out for your use. Please use it as you need.”

The space pointed out by Marquis Adelas was similar to the secret space in Garcia’s mansion, albeit slightly smaller.

Nevertheless, Cesare seemed pleased with the arrangement.

“Then I will borrow it for today only.”

“Of course. When do you plan to commence the prophecy ceremony?”

“The necessary offerings will be brought by the priests shortly, and we will begin immediately,” Cesare replied.

“Thanks to you, Cardinal, I will have the opportunity to witness something truly valuable.”

“If you provide more support, I will gladly make a prophecy about Marquis.”

Ian inwardly chuckled at Cesare’s words, as if feeling disgusted.

Then he looked at the saintess.

“…”

The saintess still remained silent, not saying a word.

Seeing that sight, Marquis Adelas leaned in and whispered discreetly.

“It seems we have some time before the preparations are complete. May I have a moment to speak with you?”

“Well…” Cesare hesitated, glancing around the confined space.

‘It’s a confined space with no means of escape… If it’s only for a moment, it should be fine.’

Cesare appeared to be concerned that the saintess might attempt to flee.

As Cesare continued to inspect the space without answering, Marquis Adelas gestured behind him.

The knight standing behind the marquis led another soldier into the secret space.

“These are the ones who will guard the saintess in our absence.”

Seeing the knight and soldier, Cesare finally nodded in agreement.

“If it’s only for a moment, it should be fine. It wouldn’t be right to leave the saintess alone with people who don’t know her.”

“Then let’s talk outside for a moment.”

Since there was still time before the priests arrived, Cesare followed Marquis Adelas outside.

After the two left, the secret space was left in silence with only the knight, soldier, and saintess.

“…”

Neither the saintess nor the soldier spoke a word.

The soldier, who seemed to have undergone specialized training, stood motionless, maintaining a vigilant watch over the saintess.

However, suddenly, an assailant drew a sword and ruthlessly attacked the soldier.

Thud!

“Ugh…”

The unexpected assault left the soldier wounded and helpless.

Startled, the saintess instinctively took a step back.

“Who are you?” she questioned, her expression hardening.

The assailant turned out to be none other than one of Marquis Adelas’ knights, the very same knight who had been left behind with the soldier.

“Saintess of the Church of the Sun, I shall end your life,” the knight declared with a murderous glint in his eyes.

“!”

Seeing that, the saintess pursed her lips.

‘How is it possible for an assassin to be here?’

It was not just any assassin but one who had infiltrated deeply enough to be counted among the marquis’ trusted knights.

While the saintess had always faced the threat of assassination, this situation felt particularly perilous.

Yet, there was no one present to protect her.

‘I can’t die yet.’

Surviving was crucial for the saintess; she couldn’t afford to die.

She had ventured into Kaistein, willingly exposing herself to danger, all for the sake of meeting her only brother.

Driven by this thought, the saintess tried to defend herself, but before she could, the knight’s sword aimed for her neck.

But at that moment…

Clang!

With a harsh sound, the knight froze in place.

The fallen knight, with a look of surprise, cried out in pain.

“W-who are you?”

“You don’t need to know my name.”

Stab!

A man then deeply plunged a sword into the knight’s chest, asking coldly.

“Are you my sister?”

It was Ian.

Until now, he had been concealed by the cloak’s abilities, but he revealed himself at that moment.

The saintess smiled as if she had been waiting for this moment.

“At last, we meet, brother,” she uttered, beaming brightly.

It was the first time she had smiled so genuinely.

***

Memories of her room flooded her mind.

It felt as if she were imprisoned, as if the air was suffocating her throat.

No, it wasn’t just a feeling.

“If you want to save that person, you must heed our commands.”

“You are the Sun Church’s saintess. Your worth lies solely in joining us.”

“The revelation of your prophetic powers will endanger your safety.”

She was bound by the lives of many, held hostage by their threats.

‘That’s why I couldn’t escape.’

The Holy Empire’s soldiers, the heresy inquisitors, the priests—she knew the entire continent would set their sights on capturing her.

Consequently, she had no choice but to dutifully follow their orders.

However, that time had passed.

‘Finally…’

Her silver eyes, known as the Eyes of Prophecy, gleamed with a frosty light.

And she could see it.

‘It’s just like in the prophecy.’

His eyes blazed with fiery red intensity, akin to radiant flames.

Each time their gazes met, it felt as though a burst of golden light ignited.

Overjoyed, the saintess’s eyes sparkled with delight.

‘Brother.’

She had waited for this reunion, enduring patiently.

With trembling eyes, she took a step forward, standing before Ian with a mix of excitement and nervousness.

“I finally met you, brother.”

But Ian didn’t seem pleased.

“How did you come to know my hidden name?”

Retrieving his sword from the knight’s lifeless body, he directed it towards the saintess’s neck.

The sword, dripping with blood, was placed in front of her neck.

The saintess, composed in her response, spoke softly.

“Our mother told me.”

“That’s impossible. Our mother is dead.”

“She feigned her death. If she had remained, she would have been captured alongside you, my brother.”

“What?”

Mother is alive?

Ian seemed surprised by the unexpected words.

His surprise was evident on his face as he pressed his sword closer to the saintess, demanding further explanation.

She didn’t ask him to lower the weapon.

“Do not underestimate the tenacity of the Holy Empire. They will do anything to get what they want.”

Ian found it difficult to believe that their mother was alive.

It seemed that her existence had become the chains that bound the saintess.

However, he couldn’t help but frown at the notion.

‘The ages don’t match. She looks at least two years younger than me.’

If she had been born after him, it seemed impossible that she wouldn’t remember their shared childhood.

After Ian’s birth, their mother had left the royal family and settled in the provinces.

The timing didn’t align for him to have a younger sister.

Despite his doubts, the saintess nodded as if it were a matter of fact.

“We are fraternal twins.”

“What?”

And maybe the reason they left the royal family in the first place was because they were twins.

‘So you’re saying she’s a princess?’

Anyway, twins were considered a bad omen, so it seemed that the younger sister was entrusted to a distant relative.

The problem was the betrayal of that relative.

After the manifestation of her divine power as a baby, they sold her to the church.

The priest immediately recognized the baby as the saintess.

“They found our mother, who was hiding because of the nobles, and used her as a hostage.”

“Ha…”

The story was that the saintess’s mother was captured, and the saintess was forced to obey their commands and make prophecies.

However, Ian remained cold and pointed his sword at the saintess.

“You seem to be babbling conveniently. Sorry, but I’m not easily fooled.”

“What do you mean…”

“If you wanted to use me, you should have known me properly. You can’t convince me with mere words.”

“I see. So, you don’t believe me.”

“Do you think I can believe your words?”

The saintess sighed briefly at Ian’s words.

And then she began to untie her front knot.

Ian asked in surprise.

“What are you doing now?”

“Regardless of what I say, you won’t believe me, right? So I’m trying to show you solid evidence.”

“Evidence?”

“I am going to show you the proof that I am your younger sister.”

What the saintess showed was her left chest.

But something was off.

Ian could immediately tell.

“That… wound?”

It was the exact same wound caused by the dagger Garcia had stabbed Ian with.

Calmly, the saintess spoke.

“I don’t know when it happened, but it’s a wound I have. Perhaps you have the same wound, older brother.”

“…”

Ian fell silent for a moment.

He only knew a small part about the wound.

It was information that was hard for the Saintess of the Holy Empire to know.

It was inevitable.

‘It seems like she really is my younger sister.’

The saintess possessed a power that even the mighty empire and kingdom couldn’t control.

And in appearance, she closely resembled their mother.

‘I guess we are really siblings.’

Furthermore, a simple blood test could confirm their sibling relationship.

“Let’s leave this place for now,” Ian suggested, lowering his sword and extending his hand towards the saintess.

He wanted to escape with her.

However, she declined his offer.

“No. I can’t leave yet,” she firmly responded.

Confused, Ian questioned her, “Why? Wasn’t it called a consecration ceremony? Isn’t it possible for you to go through with it?”

“I can’t help it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Our mother is being held captive. I cannot go.”

Ian’s eyes hardened at her words.

“Where is she now?”

When Ian heard the location, he was both surprised and filled with anger.

The fact that their mother was alive was shocking enough, but the mention of her captivity ignited a fierce rage within him.

“It seems like… I’ve been living too quietly.”

“What?”

With a cold expression, Ian raised his sword and he took out a communication tool from his pocket.

“If I cannot rescue you, then I will ensure that the consecration ceremony doesn’t take place. Even if it goes against the plan.”

He looked in the direction where Cesare and the Marquis had left and smiled coldly.

“I’ll make them pay for tormenting my little sister.”

Author's Thoughts

Ian, you are too harsh on your sister. 😅

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