Chapter 64

"Alright, that's the end of the conversation. Izabel, who barged in uninvited, should back off. If you continue to cause trouble, I might just have you marry into a baron's family in another country."

"Ugh...!"

The first princess, frustrated, bit down on her handkerchief.

But wait a moment.

Isn't the family that gets stuck with such an ambitious princess the one being punished?

If this girl were to become the first prince's wife and bear an heir, the country would surely be in turmoil.

Is that really okay?

...Huh!?

Did our eyes just meet?

I thought it might have been my imagination, but the ambitious first princess sent me a flirtatious glance!

Is she trying to win me over?

Is she using her charms to get close to me, the king's favorite, to continue her ambitions?

"Commoner? You've never dated a princess, have you? Don't you want to try a different flavor?"

She even made a bold move!

Then, in her way, stood Leslaze in her knight's uniform.

"Sending flirtatious glances at someone else's fiancé is a serious breach of etiquette. Didn't you learn the proper manners of the royal family, Your Highness?"

"To get what I want, I don't look away. You, who withdrew from the succession early, wouldn't understand, would you? And yet you show up now...!?"

"If it's Father's decision, I have no choice. I have already dedicated myself to the kingdom. Whether as a knight or as a queen, I will fulfill my mission."

"Then it doesn't matter who you marry. Give that hero to me."

"No."

Sparks flew.

Women's quarrels are truly terrifying, but it's probably best to back off now.

Noem is also irritated by that princess's flirtation and is preparing a 'five-year latrine odor removal potion.'

"That's enough, Izabel. Why are my children so stubborn? Why can't they just listen to me?"

The king sighed on his throne...

"Father, if I may..."

A man's voice rose from below.

"Since I'm here, may I make one more suggestion?"

"Oh!?"

I was surprised.

When did the prince get here!?

He is one of the four princes and princesses of the Sentakurian Kingdom.

The second prince, whose name is...

"Oh, it's you, Lucelsher. You're here too?"

"Yes, I am."

That's right.

The first prince, who was recently deposed, Zemnant.

The equally ambitious first princess, Izabel, who doesn't hide her desire for the throne.

Her half-sister, who rose to become the legitimate heir, Leslaze, my future wife.

And the remaining one is this second prince, Lucelsher.

"Truly, my children are a handful. Why are they all so assertive? You are the only one who can mediate among them."

"I am honored."

The second prince bowed.

"So, what is it? Surely you don't have any objections to the succession, do you?"

"Of course not. I will follow Father's decision, as I said before."

Indeed, when we all met with the king, the first prince and princess were full of complaints, but he alone accepted his father's decision.

However, he also made the most troublesome proposal.

"That hasn't changed. But there is something else I would like to bring to your attention."

"Something else?"

"There is someone who wishes to see you, Father, and you, Ryuya."

Me?

I can understand if it's for the king, but why include me?

The situation is getting suspicious.

"Frankly, I'm glad your sister barged in. If we missed this opportunity, it might be days before we could see both of you together again!"

...

...Could it be?

Did he use the first princess to advance his own agenda?

Barging into the king's audience is, of course, a rude act.

If he did something rude, the king might get angry and not hear his request, or even if he did, it would leave a bad impression.

By pushing this unpleasant role onto his ambitious sister, he managed to ingratiate himself with the king without damaging his own reputation.

"Leslaze and Izabel will probably keep fighting for a while, so this will be a good distraction in the meantime. Ryuya, is that okay?"

"Ah, yes."

Since it involves me, the king is considerate enough to ask for my consent.

"Then, let's bring him in. Since it's urgent, he's probably waiting outside."

"Your insight is keen. I will call him. ...Councilor Recolis, you have permission to enter."

The one who was called in was a bald old man with a shiny head.

However, he was full of energy and didn't seem old at all.

"King of Sentakurian, I am deeply grateful for this sudden audience. I am Recolis, a councilor of the Adventurers' Guild."

"Hmm?"

A councilor of the Adventurers' Guild?

"Is that the same position as Bistemario?"

"Can you please be quiet?"

The intruder's gaze was cold toward me.

"Of course, I will pay my respects to the royal family first. I will talk to you later, so please wait."

I don't have anything to talk about.

"At this time, what business does a councilor have?"

The king's expression turned empty.

"If my memory serves, the Adventurers' Guild Council is currently busy preparing for the election of a new chairman. I heard that even the A-rank promotion exam was attended only by Councilor Bistemario."

The exam we also participated in.

"What could bring such a busy councilor here, abandoning the election? ...Lucelsher, what connection do you have with this man to bring him before me?"

"He is a close acquaintance of my mother's sister's husband."

The second prince answered smoothly.

"He had an urgent matter to bring to the king of Sentakurian. He followed various connections and ended up at my door."

"I am deeply grateful to Prince Lucelsher for hearing my request."

The bald man bowed deeply.

...Noem's special hair root destruction potion probably won't work on him.

"Hmm, since I've granted you an audience, let's hear your business. Also, I hear the council is currently discussing whether to promote Ryuya and Noem to S-rank. I'd like to hear how that's going."

"Indeed, Your Majesty, that is precisely what I wish to discuss today."

"Hmm."

The councilor began to speak.

First, let me say that my personal impression of this councilor is not good.

Although we've only spoken a few words, I can tell that his feelings toward me are not positive.

While he bows to the king, the glances he occasionally sends me are a mix of contempt and fear.

"Currently, our Adventurers' Guild Council is in turmoil over a motion proposed by Councilor Bistemario. The timing, just before the election for the new chairman, is one thing, but the content of the motion is... unprecedented...?"

"Hmm, what did he say? Your voice is too low, Your Majesty can't hear you?"

"Unprecedented... no, unprecedented...!"

Did he just rephrase that?

"Is it that outrageous? I've heard that S-rank promotions, while not frequent, do occur regularly. When was the last meeting?"

"Two years ago. But Councilor Bistemario's motion is not just a regular S-rank promotion. It involves two people at once, and one of them is... skill-less."

...

So, this is the crux of the matter.

"Since the founding of the Adventurers' Guild, no skill-less adventurer has ever been promoted to S-rank. It's unprecedented. The council is in chaos over this one point."

"The qualification for S-rank is achievement, isn't it? Achievements so great that they are remembered by future generations, achievements that affect the survival of a nation, and achievements worthy of being called heroic."

"The recommendation for my S-rank promotion by Councilor Bistemario is based on the battle with the Demigod Oceaneus. If nothing had been done, the capital of the Rubrum Kingdom would have been swept away by a massive tsunami, and tens of thousands of people would have perished."

The fundamental problem was solved by Noem, but it was indeed a heroic deed.

"The requirement is achievement. The presence or absence of ability should not matter, right?"

"However, it is a fact that great achievements cannot be made without ability."

He looked at me again.

"I cannot believe that a skill-less person could achieve such a great feat. However, Councilor Bistemario has gathered many witnesses and even received approval from the Rubrum Kingdom. If this continues, his promotion to S-rank is certain."

"That's quite something."

"That's why I have a request."

Councilor Recolis said.

"Ryuya, I ask you to decline the S-rank promotion. Even if the council decides, it cannot be enforced if the individual refuses."