Three days had passed since Towa received the report from Mia.
After dinner that day, Towa was listening to a report from his son, Tobi.
The content, of course, was about the rumors circulating about Miku at the academy.
“So, I see. So you still couldn’t find out where the marriage rumor came from?”
Towa’s eyes were gentle as he asked.
Normally, he did not speak as the King of Razekamamiya, but as Tobi’s father.
Tobi usually received strict education as the Crown Prince, led by Daniela.
Therefore, Towa, as king, had decided to treat him kindly.
It wasn’t a decision made after talking with Daniela from the beginning; it had happened naturally.
By the way, Towa himself had also grown up with a strict mother and a kind father, but that was purely a coincidence.
Tobi nodded when questioned by Towa.
“Yes. Of course, I couldn’t ask all the students, but it seems possible that the word ‘marriage’ emerged mixed with some other rumor.”
“Hmm. I see…”
Seeing Towa fall silent after saying that, Tobi looked anxious.
“Um, is something wrong?”
“No, it’s not that something is wrong. What kind of rumor was that other rumor?”
“Huh?”
Tobi, who hadn’t expected to be pressed on that point, asked back in a slightly flustered manner.
Realizing that his suspicion was correct, Towa’s expression turned serious.
“Tobi. When investigating matters like this, it’s meaningless to only look at one aspect, you know? Rumors, as they’re passed down through a game of telephone, often get mixed with other things. If you trace back that other rumor, you might find an unexpected discovery. Well, you might not.”
Seeing Towa smile faintly at the end, Tobi looked down slightly.
He understood that he had done an incomplete job.
“…Sorry.”
Tobi apologized and bowed his head, and Towa gave a small, wry smile.
He remembered having a similar experience in the past.
Then, Towa quickly shook his head.
“There’s no need to apologize. Work is something you learn by failing.”
Seeing Towa say that so easily, Tobi looked a little surprised.
“Could it be, Father, you too?”
“Of course. I messed up many times, and each time Mother Floria would scold me… Ah, speaking of Mother’s words—”
Towa paused there for a moment before continuing.
“The important thing about work learned through failure is not to repeat the same mistake next time. I think that’s very true.”
The words, “It’s okay to fail, but repetition is not allowed,” were something Towa had heard from Floria many times.
Towa hadn’t expected that he would one day say the same thing to his own child, but he supposed that the teachings received from one’s parents really do sink in, he thought.
After encouraging reflection and telling him not to repeat the same mistake next time, Towa looked at another report in the room after Tobi had left.
This one was based on information obtained by the professional succubi.
Naturally, the succubi, being beings of darkness, had several students attending the academy besides Miku.
Just like in high society, there was a lot of important information that could be obtained at the academy, so this system had been in place for a long time.
After Pfinishing the report, Towa let out a big sigh.
“As expected… when romantic feelings get involved, things get complicated.”
Towa muttered to himself in the empty room, his face taking on a thoughtful expression for a moment.
Then, after a while, his face showed a look of decision, and he left the room.
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The place Towa went to after leaving his private room was where the Razekamamiya Kingdom’s subjugation force usually conducted their operations.
In Razekamamiya, there was a Royal Guard that protected the royal family and nobles, a Guard Unit that protected the town, and the Subjugation Force that dealt with monsters.
In place of this, there was almost no threat of invasion from foreign powers, so a standing army did not exist.
There were several units within the Subjugation Force, and Towa was visiting the captain of the Second Unit.
Even for a captain of the Subjugation Force, opportunities to speak directly with King Towa were rare.
When such a person suddenly appeared, Cartas, the captain of the Second Unit, was flustered as he greeted Towa.
Cartas, as his honest appearance suggested, was a person who steadily carried out his duties and was admired by his subordinates.
“…So, what brings you here so suddenly?”
“Well, it’s about your son. I wanted to talk to you about him.”
“My son…? You mean?”
Cartas had three sons.
None of them had any reason to be directly involved with Towa, so it was natural for Cartas to tilt his head.
As Cartas wore a puzzled expression, Towa began to explain about the current matter, holding up the report.
At first, Cartas looked bewildered, but his face gradually turned pale, and by the end, it had turned completely white.
After listening to Towa’s story to the end, Cartas tremblingly asked,
“U-um… does this mean we’ll incur the wrath of the gods…?”
“Ah, that’s alright. The target is Miku, not the Avatar itself.”
When Towa replied, Cartas showed an obvious expression of relief.
To Cartas, Towa said, as if driving a point home,
“However, after causing such a commotion, it’s impossible to just let it slide.”
“That’s only natural. I’ll have a stern word with that idiotic son of mine…”
“Regarding that, I have a proposal.”
“A proposal?”
Cartas tilted his head and asked, wondering what Towa was going to suggest.
The proposal Towa made was immediately accepted by Cartas.
For Cartas, who had been wondering what kind of severe punishment to impose, Towa’s proposal was a godsend.
While the content was not lenient, but rather a severe punishment, seeing Cartas accept it so readily, Towa thought that he was indeed the person rumors described before leaving Cartas’s room.
