So I'm a Snake, Who Cares?

Phili.

Cute Phili.

Until he was young, the king called him that and adored him.

Of course, that's now in the past...

Phili had to frown at the intense headache he felt.

What kind of pain is this?

It feels like his skull was rattled after getting hit in the temple with a fist.

"Ugh..."

He opened his eyes with a groan.

An unfamiliar ceiling.

What is this, where am I, why am I here?

Prince Phili was lying on a sofa.

A fragrant blanket was covering his body, who could have done this?

The sunset had begun, and the room was filled with orange light.

It seems the consultation started not long after lunch, but has so much time passed already?

'Consultation...!'

Right, the prince was in the middle of consulting with Professor Obern who was assigned to be in charge of him.

But why is he lying down like this, he couldn't remember at all.

"Have you awoken?"

Said Obern who was sitting in a chair by the window.

He had a book in his hand. Seems he was reading.

"You were sleeping so soundly I didn't wake you."

"...You say I fell asleep?"

For having taken a good nap, my head is throbbing too much?

But since he says I fell asleep, I must have. But when exactly did I fall asleep?

The last memory clearly...

"Ah, the staff!"

I had asked for the staff.

How on earth.

Obern still had his hand resting on that staff.

When the prince glared at it, the professor smirked.

"Do you want to sleep again?"

"What do you mean?"

"My staff is not something just anyone can handle. Those without qualification will lose consciousness and fall into sleep when they grab it."

"I... grabbed the staff?"

"Indeed. It took about two hours until you woke up."

It was hard to believe.

"Lies! You're trying to trick me. How can there be such a staff?"

"Then, would you like to test it again?"

Obern slightly held out the staff.

The snake ornament on the staff.

Meeting eyes with something so realistic it looked like a real snake with crystal scales.

"Eek!"

Phili felt fear and stepped back one step. He didn't know why.

His head throbbed with pain.

"Enough, put it away."

"Then since it's late, shall we end today's consultation here?"

Obern gestured toward the door.

A clear dismissal.

How could his attitude be so unhesitating? Phili felt dumbfounded.

"Fine, I'm leaving."

So as he was striding out of the professor's office.

"Your Highness."

Obern called.

Turning around, that young professor declared with an extremely cold and emotionless face.

"I will show proper respect to royalty in private settings, but by royal decree, Your Highness is just a student at Emerald School. I will treat you as a professor treats a student."

"..."

"I'm informing you in advance of possible discourtesy."

Ha. Someone not even a high noble daring to warn a prince of discourtesy.

While Prince Phili felt somewhat frustrated and dumbfounded.

"Hmph."

He could only say that and leave the research office.

==

After the prince left the room.

3, 2, 1.

Thud.

Obern dropped the book he was holding.

"Haa, haa, haa I to royalty..."

He breathed frantically.

Seeing he might really pass out, I quickly taught him the Lamaze breathing method.

'Follow me, hee, hee, hoo. Hee, hee, hoo.'

"Hee, hee, hoo."

Thankfully due to the scientific breathing method, Obern could quickly regain peace.

Nevertheless, his hands were still trembling.

"I thought I would be executed."

'Why go as far as execution.'

"If he had been seriously injured..."

'And you were reading the book upside down.'

"Ah!"

Such a worrier.

Obern has excellent acting skills and a mask. Deceiving a naive prince is as easy as eating cold rice.

While the prince was asleep.

I examined his status window.

How it was...

──────────────

[Prince Phili lv20]

[Traits]

[Royalty], [Delinquent]

──────────────

Incompetent prince.

However, objectively having level 20 is not a low number considering.

Being royalty, perhaps they made him hunt and absorb mana?

They must have used some shortcuts.

──────────────

[Skills]

[Shouting lv4], [Solion Royal Family Swordsmanship lv1], [Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv2]...

[Status]

[Mild Concussion], [Unconscious]

──────────────

Looking at his utterly incompetent skills, you can tell.

As a prince, he must have been in an environment where learning anything was very easy, yet even things he must have tried to learn like Solion Royal Family Swordsmanship and magic were at very low levels.

It was a level embarrassing to even compare with Amain.

Well, Amain is my standard for evaluating kids.

'Still, nothing worth taking...'

I wanted to properly use the Crown of Steal, but didn't see anything appealing.

The Solion Royal Family Swordsmanship was somewhat intriguing, but why bother when I have the Iron Lion Style Swordsmanship?

However, among his few skills, there was exactly one that seemed to have potential for use.

──────────────

[Mimicry lv10]

──────────────

It was Prince Phili's highest level skill.

However, I didn't steal it.

Because I already had someone by my side who possessed a superior version of the mimicry skill.

──────────────

[Obern Grimoire lv43]

[Traits]

[Beautiful], [Gifted], [All Show]

[Skills]

[Advanced Elemental Magic: Fire lv9]...[Acting lv10]

──────────────

The man Obern Grimoire who has Acting lv10 no less.

Currently what I've obtained with the Crown of Steal is 'Elastic Burst lv1'.

And I still haven't completely made Elastic Burst my own skill.

Because I couldn't raise proficiency without places to use it.

After briefly contemplating, I made a bold choice.

Abandoning Elastic Burst and taking Acting instead.

「Borrowing 'Acting lv10' with Crown of Steal lv4.」

「Temporarily gained 'Acting lv3'.」

Rather than completely stealing it, just borrowing it.

Why I borrowed this?

「Using Acting lv3.」

Because I could use this skill the whole time I'm pretending to be a staff.

'How is it, more staff-like?'

'Yes, more natural.'

With the Crown of Steal, quickly cycling is important.

Who knows when I'll get a chance to taste the principal's delicious skills. Need to get various skills in advance.

Now I could become an even more perfect snake staff.