Mustaches, sparkle attacks, and vandalism — oh, my! That sounds like a random jumble of words, but it perfectly summarizes The Royal Tutor volume 12.
King Viktor finally makes a book cover (a fact he celebrates in the bonus funnies), so it’s time for him to have a heart-to-heart with Heine. About their past? About who should lead the kingdom? Nah, about what kind of facial hair Viktor should have! It’s such an absurd request that Heine does a spit-take, but seeing that Viktor is serious about looking like an experienced monarch, he agrees to help find the perfect look for him. There are a couple of small hints about their shared past, but I don’t think there’s much there that helps unlock the mystery. Considering The Royal Tutor has reached a dozen volumes by now, I was hoping for a little more than what we got.
Instead, the few clues actually reveal more about Viktor than Heine.
Next, the three middle princes all take a trip to the kingdom of Adele’s fiancé, Claude. Leonhard’s going to tell Claude something very important: stay away from my sister! But Claude’s purehearted enthusiasm to see Leonhard and his brothers completely throws him off from his sis-con fit. Akai could have kept this as another example of Leonhard being the immature and emotional one of the group. Instead, thanks to his preparing to confront Claude (which is totally not studying, according to him), his grasp of the Fonsein language makes him the designated tutor for the trip. While that’s quite impressive for the unacademic Leonhard, will he ruin the trip by declaring he won’t accept Claude marrying Adele? Or will Claude’s sparkle attack be too much for him to handle? Either way, Leonhard’s expressions are priceless in this whole section.
Finally, the manga checks in with Licht as his boss prepares to open a second café. Unfortunately, there is a series of mysterious incidents plaguing the restaurants, and Licht becomes frustrated by his position as a prince. Heine becomes incredibly angry at Licht’s outburst when he insults Granzreich. Earlier, he had sensed that Licht was becoming a little homesick, so perhaps this is the venue in which he will return to the palace. Leonhard’s growth into a man capable of studying languages still makes him the favorite, but it would be interesting for one of the five princes to want the crown in order to not have a crown. Licht pushing for a more democratic Granzreich would fit the bill, as it would allow him to eventually live a free life. On the other hand, it’s not that simple when the ones leading the country is your own family, especially since Heine knows first-hand how concerned Viktor is about the future — enough to not guarantee his eldest will be the next king. I’m looking forward to Licht’s decision, whether he will continue to somewhat use his position, try to aim higher, or walk away completely.
There’s also an additional chapter regarding Kai and Bruno’s reunion, but it’s more like a side story. All it is is Bruno feeling slightly jealous and neglected but his elder brother assuring Bruno he missed everyone. Might have been fine as a 2-4 page bonus, but it’s a snoozefest to open with.
But despite that lowpoint and the fact that Akai is still keeping Heine’s past close to the vest, The Royal Tutor volume 12 is a vast improvement over the previous volume. With Licht reflecting on what it means to be a prince, the next one is looking just as good as this one was.