#1296 Junior’s Adventure – Sociaizing is Inevitable 

Hello, I’m Junior. 

Right now, I’m traveling around the world to broaden my horizons. 
And during my travels, the leader of the Human Kingdom, President Ritheseus, has decided to throw a welcome party. 
For me. 

Seriously? 
Apparently, I’m being treated like a state guest. 

A “state guest,” meaning... 
A person of honor welcomed by an entire nation. 

As for why I’m getting such VIP treatment... it probably has everything to do with the fact that I’m the son of the Saint and a prince of the Farm Kingdom. 
Even though, I like to think of myself as a completely ordinary citizen. 

As a humble commoner at heart, I’d prefer to skip all this excessive hospitality, but apparently, that’s not how politics between nations works. 

For President Ritheseus, the leader of the Human Kingdom, ignoring a super-VIP who entered his country would be a huge blow to his reputation and a serious diplomatic misstep. 

—“A nation that fails to properly host important guests will lose everyone’s trust!!!” he said. 

Which means I can’t exactly run away from this. 
If I bailed at the last minute, that’d be a massive insult to both the Human Kingdom and President Ritheseus himself. 

And even someone like me, who’s 200% terrified of parties, knows that would be unforgivable. 

Why do I hate parties so much? 

Because they’re scary! 
Dress codes! Etiquette! 
All those secret, one-night-only rules that rule the social elite! It’s nightmare fuel!!! 

I grew up living a normal life among normal people, so throwing me into that alien world with its own laws and customs scares me! 

Use the knife and fork from the outside in. Scoop soup by moving the spoon away from you. Curry rice should be served with the roux on the left side. Or that you shouldn’t give wedding gifts with Shibusawa Eiichi bills because he cheated on his wife...! 

Like who comes up with this stuff?! 

It’s a whole different reality from the one I live in! 
Stop inventing new etiquette rules on a whim! 

So yeah, a state banquet is my worst nightmare. 

Still, I asked around to see if there was any way to politely dodge it, and... 

“No way.” 
“That’s not happening.” 

That’s what the Guildmaster and Sarimel, the receptionist, said the moment I brought it up back at the Adventurer’s Guild. 

“It’s a matter of pride for the President. He can’t just ignore it. You need to understand that you’re a major figure in this world now.” 
“That’s right. The Farm Kingdom is now officially recognized as a great power. If its heir isn’t properly welcomed, it could turn into an international incident. Junior, are you okay with being the cause of strained relations between our nations?” 

I mean... if they put it like that...! 
Urk...! 

“And on a personal level, remember that President Ritheseus trained at the farm and gained his power there, right? That means he sees the Farm Kingdom as his benefactor. He can’t possibly neglect the son of the man who helped him.” 

So that’s how it is... 
Ugggh...! 
There’s no escaping this, huh...! 

While I’m still clutching my head in despair, Sarimel tilts hers and asks.. 

“Why are you so worried? Being welcomed by the head of state sounds like an honor to me.” 
“Farm folk don’t live by the same rules as the rest of us. What’s a privilege to ordinary citizens doesn’t mean much to them... It happens all the time.” 
“R-Really?” 
“Also, Sarimel, you’re not secretly plotting to attend the party as Junior’s ‘official escort,’ are you?” 
“Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-What are you implying, sir?! ...But if my being there would make Junior feel more comfortable, wouldn’t that be a good thing?” 
“I knew it. You were plotting it. And by the way, there’s no official record of you being assigned as his handler. Don’t try to secure your position by sneaking your way in.” 
“Urk...!” 

Sarimel deflates under the Guildmaster’s stern rebuke. 

“Wanting to get close to someone as talented, well-connected, and respected as Junior is understandable. But a guild employee’s duty is to support adventurers and raise mission success rates. If you start chasing your own career advancement instead, you won’t be entrusted with important positions. Remember that.” 
“Y-Yes, sir...!” 
“And as for you, Junior, you should be able to handle this level of social challenge on your own. You’re the next king of the Farm Kingdom. Think of this as a trial.” 
“Yes, sir...!” 

Sarimel can’t say a word in response to the Guildmaster’s harsh criticism. 
Neither can I. 

It’s true that my journey’s purpose is to grow into someone worthy of inheriting Dad’s legacy one day. 

If that’s the case, avoiding manners and socializing just because I’m bad at them completely misses the point. 
In fact, I should face them head-on and overcome those weaknesses precisely because I’m bad at them. 

Yeah! 
When this journey ends, if Mom and Dad can look at me and say, “You’ve grown into a fine young man,” only then will my travels have meant something! 

That’s why I need to tackle what I’m bad at, starting now! 
Big Bro Ritheseus’ invitation isn’t something to dread—it’s a golden opportunity to conquer my weaknesses! 

Uoooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! 

“Junior’s on fire?!” 
“Motivation’s great and all, but could you please stop releasing bursts of energy every time? Having a gale tear through the office is really destructive.” 
“The paperwork’s flying everywhere?!” 

Ah, sorry. I got carried away. 

Still, deciding to face my weaknesses is one thing; figuring out how to handle them is another.  

Jumping into high society without any knowledge of etiquette would be like diving into a jungle without a single piece of survival gear. 

I’ll definitely need some preparation. 

Right, in that case... 
I’ll ask Mom for advice. 

I switch on the magic channel and try to connect to her. 

Prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... 
Prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... 

Connection established. 

“Hello, Junior? It’s been a while! Are you eating properly? Not staying up too late? If anything’s wrong, you’d better tell me right away! Wait, something’s wrong, isn’t it? What is it? Tell me, tell me!” 

Yep. It’s been a while, and Mom’s in full rapid-fire mode. 

“Huh? What kind of magic is that? You can talk to someone far away just by voice?! That’s revolutionary!” 
“That’s just normal on the Farm Kingdom. You’ll go crazy if you keep getting surprised by their common sense.” 

The Guildmaster’s commentary hits hard. 
I really need to narrow this gap between my world and theirs. 

But anyway... 

“Wait, is that Junior on the line?! Hey, hey! It’s Veil! How’s my boy? Staying strong, are we?!” 
 “Hold on, I’m his dad! Let me speak first...!” 

It’s no use. 
The line’s completely chaotic. 

After some effort, I manage to calm everyone down and catch up a bit. 
They’re all doing fine, thankfully. 

Then, I finally explain the whole welcome party situation... 

“I see... Social gatherings are something every royal must face eventually. This is your trial, Junior.” 

I tell Mom about the welcome party in the Human Kingdom. 
Part of me secretly hopes she’ll say something like, “Oh, I’ll talk to Ritheseus and ask him not to pressure you too much,” but that would’ve been way too easy. 

“Junior, as your father's eventual successor, you can’t afford to neglect social etiquette. When you come of age, you will be the one negotiating with dignitaries from the Demon Kingdom, the Human Kingdom, and even the Mermaid Kingdom. You’ll need to maintain our nation’s advantage through diplomacy.” 

Yes, I understand. 
The Guildmaster already gave me a thorough lecture on that point. 

“But don’t worry. Your mother used to be the First Merprincess of the Mermaid Kingdom. I was trained extensively in proper manners and courtly conduct. And now, it’s my turn to drill that knowledge into you!” 

Oh! That’s reassuring! 
I’m not used to thinking of Mom as a princess, but right now, that side of her sounds incredibly reliable! 

“Then let me share with you the ultimate secret of high society. Engrave these words into your heart.” 

Yes, ma’am! 

“When someone opposes you...punch them until they shut up!” 

... 
Mom, is that really what you call social etiquette? 

“Of course! Back when I was a princess, I silenced every jerk who tried to bother me that way! Ah, those were the days... I still remember forcing most of the upperclassmen to drop out within my first semester at school...!” 
“You’re asking the wrong person.” 

That one comment from Veil sums it all up. 

Right. 
I should’ve remembered this about my mother. 

She’s the kind of person who solves most problems with her fists...! 

A complete misfire on my part. 
I’ll have to ask someone else for advice.