It's Not Like I Want to Play the Role of a Misunderstood, Good-for-Nothing Prince in a Villainess Story! - Chapter 4 – Before I Knew It, My Teachers Had Given Up on Me...

The morning after breakfast the next day.

I immediately decided to train in studying, swordsmanship, and magic.

I could manage studying since there was an attached library, but swordsmanship and magic would be impossible without someone to teach me.

I thought I’d had good teachers during my childhood in the story.

“Sebastian, aren’t my sword or magic teachers coming today?”

“Zeke-sama, I humbly inform you. The teachers who were instructing you in swordsmanship and magic are now teaching Lord Tigos.”

“What?!”

They’re Tigos’s teachers now?!

“Wh-why did that happen?”

“It goes without saying but… the teachers were bored because Zeke-sama showed no motivation. Seeing those two, Tigos-sama requested they teach him instead. The two gladly went to serve under Tigos-sama.”

“…So it’s my fault.”

“I humbly offer this as advice—Zeke=sama is disliked by everyone in the palace except your family members…”

“Huh, really? Is that even possible?!”

Sebastian respectfully nodded.

No, you should deny it there! And doesn’t that mean you secretly dislike me too, Sebastian?!

I was so shocked I almost cried.

Well, I won’t cry though. I kind of sensed that atmosphere anyway.

—Still, this is troublesome. Actually, just how useless was I until the day before yesterday?

Honestly, I only know Zeke’s childhood from the game’s description.

Since the game started with the scene condemning Zeke, I don’t know the details of what he was like before age 18.

I don’t know any of the events either…

Like, I didn’t even know about yesterday’s social party.

“Can you arrange for substitute teachers?”

“Up to beginner level would be possible.”

“Hmm…”

There were kingdom-established ranks for both sword and magic.

Beginner, intermediate, advanced, supreme.

Above supreme there was also a wide range of ability from top to bottom, and even among the same supreme level, some had titles like Sword Saint.

Incidentally, my original teachers were supposed to be intermediate level.

The one teaching Tigos was intermediate, and I’d be learning from beginner… no, that’s not good.

I’m already losing at the starting stage. If even my teacher is lower level, I can’t see myself catching up.

“Why are there only beginner-level teachers?”

“Zeke-sama, there are many who wish to learn swordsmanship and magic. However, those skilled enough to teach others are limited. Even advancing from beginner to intermediate is originally difficult—without talent, some train for 10 or 20 years without advancing. Moreover, they all have their own work. Even with the king’s authority, some would rather pursue their own magical research or technical refinement than serve as royal tutors, and we cannot force them. Furthermore, being able to invite intermediate-level individuals is already amazing.”

“So I got those amazing people taken away from me?”

“…”

If I had to say who’s at fault, it’s me, so I can’t get angry… but still…

Hmm, for example, if I were a considerably skilled person, I’d do something more free than spend time as a prince’s tutor.

After all, I’d be pampered wherever I went. Whether I’d even want to go to the stuffy palace…

“Mmmmm…”

This is troublesome. Is there any way…?

Since there was nothing else to do, I brought books from the library and started studying.

The books in this country weren’t in Japanese, yet I could read them.

I didn’t understand the principle behind it, but I was grateful.

Even so…

After I started reading books, I realized that since I had memories from my previous life, I could do basic arithmetic and read characters.

In that case, wouldn’t the amount I needed to study be surprisingly reduced?

For now, I read books containing Carlaan Kingdom’s geography, history, and the situation with surrounding nations.

From what I read, although Carlaan Kingdom was a relatively new emerging nation with only 300 years since its founding, the nobles pledged loyalty to the royal family and had strong unity, so it was feared by neighboring countries as quite a powerful nation.

Also, there were apparently cases of small countries having their capitals attacked by monsters, and the reason Carlaan didn’t face such situations might be because the state-run adventurer’s guild and knight order regularly subjugated monsters within the territory—they were well-organized.

As for weaknesses, it seemed they didn’t put much effort into the tourism aspect…

“…”

While reading the book, I looked to the side.

“Do you need something?”

For some reason, Sebastian had been beside me the whole time.

“His Majesty ordered me to watch over Zeke-sama.”

“Aren’t you busy, Sebastian?”

“His Majesty’s orders are top priority.”

“I won’t skip out, you know?”

“…”

He was smiling.

In other words, he didn’t trust me.

Well, do as you like.

“By the way Sebastian, has anything changed recently? Even rumors from neighboring countries are fine.”

“…Well, I heard that a town in a neighboring country was destroyed by monsters the other day.”

“By monsters?”

“Herding monsters are dangerous. Other nations can’t manage quite like ours.”

Well, unlike Carlaan Kingdom, there were apparently countries barely managing to survive as nations, so such things would happen.

“What was the name of the town?”

“I believe it was the town of Belze.”

“Belze?”

Belze… I feel like I’ve heard that somewhere… ah!

“Sebastian, is Belze in the Lindl Duchy northwest of Carlaan Kingdom?”

“You’re well-informed.”

Sebastian said with an impressed tone, but I recognized that name.

Lindl Duchy.

It was a name that appeared in the game.

I think right after the knight order stationed in Belze went to subjugate monsters that had spawned en masse in nearby mountains, a monster group attacked the town from a different direction, resulting in the town’s devastation—a terrible situation.

But this is strange.

In my memory, that happened 10 years after the game started.

With Tigos being two years younger and other differences, things seemed to differ from the game.

Not exactly a time paradox, but depending on my actions, things might change even more.

If so, then the future too… no, wait. Could it be?

I put down the book and stood up.

“Zeke-sama?”

“Sebastian, I’m heading to the former town of Belze now. Since Lindl Duchy had friendly relations with the kingdom, there shouldn’t be a problem with me going personally, right?”

“That’s true, but why?”

Why… well, if I say too much the situation might change, so it’s better not to tell the truth.

“I don’t just want to hear stories—I want to actually go see it for myself, like an inspection. Prepare a carriage and guards for me.”