#1283 Junior’s Adventure – Junior's Identity 

It finally happened. 
It finally, finally happenedddddd! 

My identity and lineage have been exposed! 

Well, I guess it was bound to happen the moment I came face-to-face with the Guildmaster. 
Before I know it, I’m ushered straight into his office. 

“So then... what brings you here today...?” 

The Guildmaster asks with a serious expression. 
Once known as Silver Wolf, he was a fearsome adventurer in his prime, though he’s mellowed out quite a bit these days. 
He even wears glasses now. 

He’s a therian with a wolf’s head, but somehow the glasses only make him look even more endearing. 

Seated beside him are three others, people directly involved in my little “incident”: the receptionist Sarimel, the C-rank adventurer Hibina, and the A-rank adventurer Shaldot. 

“Were you… infiltrating the guild?” 
“Infiltrating?! No, sir!” 

I just went through the normal registration process like everyone else! 
That’s a perfectly legitimate procedure, right?! 
So why is it that everyone else gets waved through while I’m treated like some undercover agent from Mission Impossible?! 

“Because you’re the prince of the Farm Kingdom, obviouslyyyyyyyyyyy!” 

Gwaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! 
A head-on truth bomb just blew me away!!! 

“Normally, princes don’t become adventurers! Royalty have duties to fulfill! They don’t have the time to go monster-hunting, you know?!” 

Th-That’s not necessarily true! 
I’m sure if you look through enough otherworldly stories, you’ll find some prince who became an adventurer! 
 

...Okay, yeah, that’s not the point. 

“Um, excuse me, Guildmaster...” 
“What is it, suspect under questioning?” 

That was Sarimel. 

“Is it really true that Junior here is the prince of the Farm Kingdom? Couldn’t this be some kind of mistake?” 
“Oh? Are you saying my eyes have gone bad? That I can’t recognize people anymore?” 
“N-No! That’s not what I meant...!” 
“I swear on my position as the Guildmaster that there’s no mistake. He’s Lord Saint’s eldest son, His Highness Kidan Junior.” 

He declares it with absolute confidence. 
That decisiveness must be part of what made him rise so high. 

“...Back in the day, I visited Lord Saint’s farm many times, long before the Farm Kingdom even existed.” 
“Wait, there was a Saint before the kingdom existed?” 
“Of course. Lord Saint originally shunned the mundane world, living deep in a hidden sanctuary. Junior here was born and raised in that remote place.” 

Yup. That’s me. Junior, born in the middle of nowhere. 

“But Lord Saint’s power was immeasurable, and his compassion for the world even greater. Eventually, the Demon King and the Mermaid King both begged him to take charge of a nation, and that’s how he became the ruler of the Farm Kingdom. During my active years, I was often invited to visit his retreat.” 
“What for?” 
“Isn’t it obvious? Because I was an outstanding S-rank adventurer.” 
“Urk... fair enough...!” 

Yeah, I can’t even argue with that. 

Even the Guildmaster could easily come across as arrogant saying things like that, but he doesn’t. Maybe it’s because his confidence is the kind that doesn’t need to prove itself. 

“I was glad to share whatever wisdom and knowledge I’d gained as an S-rank adventurer with Lord Saint himself. Though honestly, I doubt any of it mattered much to the farm as a whole.” 
“What do you mean by that?” 
“I mean that the farm’s scale and power are beyond imagination. It houses multiple dungeons within its borders, and even its ‘minor’ monsters have the strength of heroes. The rumors about Lord Saint commanding a Lifeless King and drago are all true. I’ve met them myself.” 

That’s true. 
When the Guildmaster first met Sensei, he was so shocked he actually fainted. 

“With power like that, he could conquer the world if he wanted. Yet the only reason he even agreed to rule a single kingdom was because people begged him to. It shows just how little he cares for power or authority. Lord Saint is a truly good man. And his son, Junior, clearly inherited that same goodness.” 

N-No, no, it’s not like that...! 
We’re just… both kind of timid, that’s all...! 

“That’s exactly why both the Adventurer’s Guild and I personally can’t afford to offend him. Lord Saint, in his boundless mercy, treats someone like me as a friend. Because of that, I even ended up playing with little Junior here when he was young.” 

Ah, yeah… those days. 
When I was a kid. 

“I even tried giving him a few basic lessons in adventuring just for fun, but his ability to absorb knowledge was terrifying. I could barely keep up! Even then, I could already see the makings of a genius.” 
“...Wait, you’re the one who taught Junior?!” 

That shocked voice belongs to Shaldot, an A-rank adventurer whose face has turned pale. 

When he heard I’d been taught by some adventurer as a kid, he’d said, “Bet it was some dropout loser who couldn’t cut it!” 
Well, there’s your textbook case of speaking too soon. 

“Please...! Please don’t tell the Guildmaster...! I’m begging you, don’t let him find out! Please, please, please...! 

He’s muttering that under his breath like some desperate incantation. 
He really doesn’t need to worry, nobody here would deliberately go spreading that around... 

“Yes, hi, can I say something?” 
“Hmm? You’re Hibina, C-rank adventurer. What is it?” 
“Shaldot was saying stuff like, ‘Whoever trained Junior was probably some underqualified dropout who quit halfway!’” 

And just like that, she stabs him in the back! 

“Gyaaaahhh!” 
“Kyaaahh! I’m being attackeeeeeeeed!!!” 

You kind of brought that on yourself, Hibina. 

She’s instantly tackled to the ground, completely overpowered. 
Well, A-rank versus C-rank... there’s no contest there. 

The Guildmaster lets out a long sigh at the ridiculous scene. 

“...Adventurers always run their mouths. Big talk is second nature to them. Anyone who can’t learn to let such things slide won’t last long.” 
“Oh, so he’s actually letting it go...?!” 
“To a point. Anyway, I wasn’t the only one who trained Junior. The previous Golden Bat also doted on him quite a bit.” 

The previous one? 
You mean Golden Bat retired? 

“You didn’t know? He finally gave in to age. He passed his title to his disciple Murshela and now works as an instructor for new adventurers.” 

Huh. Honestly, I thought he’d keep fighting until he dropped. 

“It turns out he’s great at teaching. He’s out right now leading a mountain-training camp for rookies.” 
“Still obsessed with mountains, huh…” 
“If he hears about this incident when he gets back...well, let’s just say he’s a lot less forgiving than I am. If Shaldot’s little comment reaches his ears...” 

Shaldot’s face drains of color. 

“Noooooooooooooooooooo! Stooooooooooooooooooop! Please don’t tell the Head Instructorrrrrrrrrr!!!” 
“Hmhm, think of it as a learning opportunity. To reach S-rank, you must also learn to control your tongue.” 

Harsh but fair. 

“Awwwww, poor Shaldot.” 
“You’re joining the retraining too, Hibina.” 
“Whaaat?! Whyyyyyyyyyy?!” 
“Anyway…” 

An abrupt tone shift. 
Classic Guildmaster. 

“Would you finally explain what your purpose was for infiltrating the Adventurer’s Guild?” 

I told you, it’s not infiltration! 

Fine, I’ll just explain everything from the top. 
It’s not like I’m hiding anything. 

So I tell them... 
About how my parents encouraged me to go on a journey for training, how I chose the Human Kingdom as my first stop, how I remembered it was the birthplace of adventurers, and decided to experience adventuring firsthand. 

That someday, that experience would help me when I take over the Farm Kingdom. 

“...I see. Well, that does sound reasonable.” 

Why do you sound so skeptical? 
I really don’t have any ulterior motives! Just let me stay and work here like a normal adventurer! 

“I understand. It’s admirable that you’re training yourself before inheriting your father’s position. Gaining experience abroad is wise...though I only wish you’d considered the impact on our side as well.” 

Please don’t sound so apologetic, Guildmaster! 

You’re right, I should’ve thought about how my presence might affect the guild as a whole. 

I think that’s exactly the kind of awareness this journey is supposed to teach me!

==========

10/15: edited part related to golden bat, i misunderstood it as him kicking the bucket for good and murshela is the de-facto one teaching people.