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These days, the seer’s prophecy has left the king’s mind, as it seems to be nothing to worry about anymore.

A rumor reached the king shortly after the fourth prince enrolled in the First Academy——the prince was initially slated for the Second Academy, but he had expressed a desire to attend the same school as his brothers, he was enrolled in the First Academy instead.
News reached the king that Fiiyanamia, the ruler of Central, had adopted a child.
This raised questions: What prompted her decision, and who was this newly adopted individual? For their kingdom’s sake, this development could not be overlooked.

While contemplating his next steps, the fourth prince’s tutor, the earl, suggested sending the prince to Central under the guise of a hunter.
Essentially, the proposal was for the fourth prince to travel to the country——not that it’s a proper country—— to gain life experience. Meanwhile, those accompanying him, posing as hunters, would collect intelligence.
The king had his concerns, but knowing that Central housed the Hunter Guild Headquarters and considering the valuable experience it would provide, he ultimately consented.

“As long as they don’t make a huge blunder, it doesn’t matter even if they return without any news.”
Perhaps I was mistaken to have been so carefree about it, the king thought, as he read the letter from the Hunter Guild grand master and heaved a heavy sigh.

During his stay at Central, the fourth prince had the dire misfortune of being captured by a monster. He stumbled upon a monster that seemed to be of A-rank or higher in a section of the den normally safe enough for even novice hunters to navigate.
While it occurs rarely, unexpected encounters with high-ranked monsters is a part of the hunter experience and precisely why the prince was assigned escorts. The news of this event left the king puzzled and concerned.

The resolution of the incident was swift, and the royal family was informed of the prince’s rescue within a week. Nevertheless, until the news reached them, the king and his family maintained a strong front despite being filled with anxiety for his well-being.
Once it was confirmed that the prince was safe, the king commanded his immediate return as soon as he was fit to travel. While his son’s had a slightly sullen expression upon return, the king was finally filled with relief seeing him safe.

When the king requested a report on the events in Central, the prince eagerly recounted his encounter with a black-haired girl who had rescued him. A girl with a melodic voice who healed those wounded by the monster in a blink of an eye.
As the king listened to the prince’s strangely promotional praise towards the girl, the existence of a certain Job came to his mind. However, the king was struck not by a sense of prejudice, but by confusion.
Whether it is due to being synonymous to the Misfortunate Job moniker or its rarity as a Princess Job, this Job in question has not appeared in public for a long time.

Despite the label of misfortune, if the prince’s words are to be believed, she performed healings beyond the capabilities of most Priest Jobs. And what this implies is…
The king dawned on an seemingly important truth. However, recognizing its irrelevance to the current circumstances and his inability to make any significant change on that matter, he promptly dismissed it from his thoughts.

「Anyhow, you did well on this occasion. Recuperate and take a long rest.」

He declared, with the authority of a king and the concern of a father concealed behind it.
The fourth prince, while feeling conflicted with his father’s kingly demeanor, complied and withdrew.
Later, the king received a report from an infiltrator who accompanied the prince and with it, he learned of Fiiyanamia’s adopted daughter: Cielmer.

She was a charming and delicate young girl who seemed to be about the same age, or possibly younger, than the fourth prince. However, upon hearing about the attack on Fiiyanamia’s manor, it became clear that the girl’s was not as she seemed.
With this, the king understood that, as with Fiiyanamia, Cielmer was a figure to be avoided.

If conflict broke out, even if the kingdom wouldn’t fall, it is easy to imagine the casualties this would result, and suffering such extreme casualties against a single girl is by no means a victory for Ausente. Moreover, with the formidable Fiiyanamia behind her, the decision to avoid involvement Cielmer was not difficult to make.

As the king was beginning to feel relieved that the situation had stabilized, a letter arrived that made him sigh deeply. To simplify its contents, “Your fourth prince has invited our A-rank hunter who saved him to your academy; what are his intentions?” And to read between the lines, “In return for his rescue, he wants the girl as a concubine? What is the meaning of this?”
Given the earlier report about Cielmer, the king was keen to avoid any deterioration in relations with Central. Thus, he promptly responded with a letter clarifying, “His invitation was sincere, there was no ill will behind it,” and dispatched it without delay.

Following this, the king summoned the fourth prince and his tutor. When questioned about his intentions, the prince answered, “Hunters are commoners, so she should be overjoyed to marry a royal like me.”
The prince’s reply left the king deeply perplexed. With the timely start of the academy break, he placed the prince under house arrest for a period of re-education, lasting until the spring term begins, and dismissed him to his quarters.

Subsequently, the king held the tutor accountable for the incident, stripping the earl of his tutoring responsibilities, levying a fine as punishment, and demoting him to the rank of viscount.

From the outset, the king harbored suspicions about the tutor’s motives. Regardless if a royal is low in the line of succession or even renounced their succession rights altogether, there are always individuals who wish to elevate those with royal blood for their own purposes. So to test his intent, the king allowed the then earl to be the prince’s tutor. Should he inspire the prince to become a competent retainer, all would be well. However, should he lead the prince astray, the king was prepared to impose stringent penalties to rein him in.

In an unfortunate twist of fate, the fourth prince’s education proved its worth at the most inopportune moment. The king, in a lapse of judgement, had mistakenly assumed that the prince’s growing interest in hunters would not affect the kingdom’s internal affairs. The very interest instigated by the tutor as part of his scheme.
The sequence of events was as unexpected as it was problematic: the prince’s capture by a monster in the den, the appearance of a girl formidable enough to rescue him, and the prince feeling something from the said girl. These coincidences converged into a complex situation that neither the king nor the tutor had anticipated.

Furthermore, the king failed to recognize the connection between the black-haired girl who rescued the prince and Fiiyanamia’s white-haired daughter.

And that ends this chapter! Welp, seems like the king’s not going to run out of problems anytime soon, lol.

I like how the king is shown to have a fatherly concern about his son, the prince, while also focusing on his responsibility as a ruler. He was trying to game the system, hoping to have his son get good education while also keeping the more overly ambitious characters in check, but he didn’t keep a good enough eye on ’em and tasted the consequences. The now ex-earl really drilled in the snobbish aristocratic superiority into the child, which would have really messed up the “let’s be meritocratic and give equal opportunity” thing they currently have going on, whoops. This is the exact thing the school’s equal respect policy was trying to avoid, accidentally disrespecting a foreign noble to prevent diplomatic issues. It’s beautiful how you can glean valuable lessons from history, which is, as with most cases, repeated regardless, lol. Really should’ve kept a closer watch on your children.

Now then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please feel free to comment. Stay healthy, stay safe, and have a nice day~!