#1284 Junior’s Adventure – Bragging About One’s Dad 

“Huh? Junyaa’s actually a prince?!” 

Once things had settled down, Hibina popped over to chat. 
She had the guts to hang around even though we’re still in the Guildmaster’s office. 

“Adventurers need this kind of nerve,” says the Guildmaster with a sigh. 

“I knew it! The moment I saw him, I could tell Junyaa wasn’t just some ordinary kid! Princes really are built different!” 
“Hey! Hibina, you can’t just talk to Prince Junior so casually!” 

Receptionist Sarimel blocks Hibina, who’s trying to cling to my arm. 

“He’s royalty from another country! You should be showing proper respect! People like us commoners would normally never even get to meet someone like him...!” 
“Oh, please. You’re one to talk. Remember how you looked at him when he first came to apply? Like he was a piece of garbage...” 
“Whaaa?! Th-That was...!” 

Sarimel freezes, clearly hit where it hurts. 

“I-It couldn’t be helped! I had no idea he was anyone important back then! It’s Junior’s fault for not saying he was a prince right from the start!!!” 
“Shouldn’t you treat everyone politely regardless of who they are?” 

That comes straight from the Guildmaster, sharp as an arrow. 

And really, walking up to someone and saying ‘I’m a prince!’ would just make me sound like a jerk. 
Worst case, they’d think it’s a prank and call the cops. 

“I get that you’re tired of all the cocky rookies who waltz in here, but still, receptionists are the face of the guild. You’ve got to treat everyone with respect. And besides, we’ve got proper ways to deal with those kinds of idiots. Acting high and mighty isn’t one of them.” 
“Yes, sir... I’m sorry...!” 

Reprimanded by the Guildmaster, Sarimel shrinks down in silence. 
I kind of feel bad for her, but it’s her workplace business. I shouldn’t butt in. 

“My behavior toward Prince Junior was inappropriate, regardless of his status. I’ll reflect on it and make sure it doesn’t happen again.” 
“There won’t be a next time.” 
“Thank you, sir...!” 

Hibina leans in and whispers, “You know, when someone says ‘there won’t be a next time,’ there’s always a next time.” 
Please stop that. 

“By the way... I have a small favor to ask.” 
“What is it?! I’ll do anything for the prince!” 

That’s also a problem. 
Receptionists should treat everyone equally. Anyway... 

“Could you not call me ‘prince,’ please?” 
“Oh, right! You’re incognito, so calling you that openly would cause trouble, huh?” 

That too, yes, but mostly... I just don’t feel like a prince. 

My dad barely feels like a king himself. It’s hard to inherit that kind of awareness from a guy like him. 

He still acts like a village chief at best, wandering around the Farm Kingdom, chatting with the people, keeping the country running by staying close to them. 
I really respect that about him, and I want to be like that, too. 
Which is why I don’t ever want to get cocky just because someone calls me “prince.” 

“I see. How admirable...!” 
“You sure switch tones fast when you’re talking to royalty.”  

Everyone shudders at how quickly Sarimel changes her attitude. 

“So, Junyaa’s dad isn’t really a kingly type?” 

Not at all. 
He wasn’t born royalty to begin with; he calls himself a commoner through and through. 
You’d never guess he’s a king just by looking at him. 

Foreign envoys often mistake his bodyguard, Orkubo, for the actual king. When they realize the truth later, the awkwardness is off the charts. 

“C-Can someone that un-kingly really run a country?” 

Don’t say “un-kingly.” 

Well, there’s an advantage, people underestimate him at first, and it gives him an edge in negotiations. 

Plus, Mom’s the one who handles diplomacy better anyway. 

“Mom?” 
“Junior’s mother...in other words, Lord Saint’s wife, is a former merprincess. A real royal from birth, so she’s well-versed in international etiquette.” 
“A merprincess?! No way, that’s awesome!” 

Yeah, but at home she’s just a normal mom—strict but kind. 
Maybe a little too happy to dump kitchen duties on Dad, though. 

“For the record, don’t let his attitude fool you. Lord Saint is incredible. His power, wisdom, and virtue.... It’s said he advanced this world’s civilization by two hundred years.” 

Yup. That’s my dad. 
Even the Guildmaster’s full of praise for him. 

“Hibina, you like Belgian waffles, don’t you?” 
“Yes... wait, how do you even know that? Are you spying on me? Creepy.” 
“Silence.” 

The Guildmaster apparently knows everything about his adventurers. 
I’m not sure whether to be impressed or scared. 

“The one who invented waffles was Lord Saint.” 
“What? Seriously?!” 
“Especially with food, Lord Saint’s inventions are countless. This world owes much of its progress to him.” 

Dad insists he’s just “reusing ideas from his old world,” but I think he’s just being modest. 

“That’s why letting Junior join the guild, even just for training, is risky. Lord Saint might not mind, but his wife is a shrewd royal. If she decides we’ve wronged her son, she’ll find some excuse to bleed us dry in reparations.” 

That’s... a pretty rude way to talk about my mom, actually... 

“Do you think I’m exaggerating?” 

...No, sir. 
Sadly, no. 

“And you don’t plan to stay an adventurer forever, right? This is just for experience?” 

Yes, exactly. 

“Then it wouldn’t be wise to give you a high rank and tie you too closely to the guild. We reserve A and S ranks for those who dedicate their lives to adventuring.” 
“What about C-rank?” 
“Work harder.” 

Fair enough. 
Rank isn’t just about skill; it’s also about dedication. 

And honestly, my heart will always belong more to the farm and my friends there than to adventuring. 

“Still, by ability alone, Junior’s rank should be S. He cleared the S-rank promotion trial I created when he was five or six.” 
“W-Wait, Guildmaster, you mentioned that earlier too but are you really serious?!” 
“Dead serious.” 
“Super dead serious?” 
“Super-duper.” 

What even is this exchange? 

“You might not have even heard of the promotion trial since it’s only ever been held once. It was back when I retired. All the A-rank adventurers of the time joined in, but not a single one managed to clear the challenge. Only Corey got bumped up to S-rank, and that was practically out of pity.” 
“No way, seriously!?” 
“And right in the middle of all that, a five-year-old kid named Junior shows up out of nowhere and clears it perfectly.” 

That... uh, that wasn’t as impressive as it sounds... 
Back then, I just thought it was some kind of fun game...! 

“The guild runs on pure merit. So even if I were to promote him, Junior doesn’t really fit as a B or C. My instincts as the Guildmaster tell me we need something different.” 
“Even I could’ve told you that!” 
“Watch your mouth, or I’ll demote you, girl.” 

So, the Guildmaster has a plan? 

I didn’t think becoming an adventurer would cause this much chaos. 
I guess that’s another lesson—being my parents’ kid carries way more weight than I thought. 

“...Hmm. I’ve got it.” 
“For real?” 
“Yes. For Junior’s sake, we’ll create a special rank just for him. That should settle things.” 

A special rank?! 

“You mean one that only Junior can have? Like, truly one of a kind?! That’s even cooler than S-rank!” 
“With his strength, it’s not undeserved. Special treatment is what true ability earns!” 

He says it with such conviction. 
That decisiveness really is what makes him the Guildmaster, I guess. 

“Now then...” 

The Guildmaster closes his eyes for a moment, sinking into deep silence. 
We all fall quiet with him, almost without realizing it. 

After a long, dramatic pause, he suddenly bursts out with a roar. 

“X-Rank!” 
“X-rank?!” 

The title alone sounds like it means something big. 

“It’s got that special, mysterious ring to it… like it’s beyond the normal ranks!” 
“I know, right?!” 

And just like that, I become Junior, the X-Rank Adventurer. 
I can’t help but feel they might’ve gone a little overboard.