Chapter 11: A Great Leader Bestowed Upon Us by the Heavens (Note: A Terrible Misunderstanding)

For Ludwig, it was the meeting of a lifetime.

Born as the second son of a merchant, he was gifted with a cleverness easily apparent from childhood. With his older brother destined to take over the family business, he directed his aspirations elsewhere, resolving at a very young age to become a government official. Once he began studying for his goal, however, it did not take long for him to realize the sheer scale of the corruption that festered within the Tearmoon Empire.

The reasons were varied, but it was clear that much of it stemmed from the noble houses, of which the emperor's own family was the most powerful. This was perhaps why Ludwig bore such disdain for nobles and royalty; that is, those of so-called high birth. Then, one day, a young girl suddenly appeared before him.

Her name was Mia Luna Tearmoon. With her beautiful argent hair — which glistened as though infused with moonbeams — and the circumstances of her birth — the princess was as highborn as they came — she was the very epitome of the kind of nobility he'd always detested. And yet this girl, with all her privilege and power, came to him. And asked him to lend her his strength to restore the empire.

He would never forget the gleam of intelligence he'd seen in her eyes. It was dazzling, almost divine... In that instant, he'd felt as though he was before the moon goddess herself, bathed in her light. Even now, his heart would race with exhilaration whenever he recalled the scene. Ever since that day, in an effort to live up to the trust Mia placed in him, he applied himself heart and soul to his work. When he ran into resistance from his superiors, he dismissed their complaints by flaunting the name of the princess. Figuring that his actions had surely reached Mia's ears, he took her ensuing silence to mean that he was acting in accordance with her desires. Presumably, she had intended that once she informed him of her thoughts regarding the empire, he would take the initiative and do as he saw fit. Her stance was clear: she pointed the way, and he plotted the course. It was textbook good leadership; once the overarching vision was communicated, the particulars should be left to the front-line experts and their judgment should be respected. Though it seemed such a simple decision, leaders who made it correctly were few and far between, their poor judgment leading to the downfall of countless kingdoms throughout the ages.

And yet, here was a girl, merely twelve years of age, who got it. Who defied the trend of history and made the correct decision. Ludwig shivered as a jolt ran down his spine.

"Could she... She must... Surely, she is a great leader bestowed upon us by the heavens..." whispered Ludwig as he looked up at the sky in reverence.

...It goes without saying, of course, that pretty much all of what he thought was nothing more than a figment of his own imagination.

Just in case that wasn't clear to anyone.

"Good afternoon, Ludwig."

"Why, if it isn't the princess. Welcome, Your Highness," said Ludwig, pausing in his work. Just as he was about to stand up, Mia put up a hand to stop him.

She smiled and said, "Please, be at ease. Know that your hard work is very much appreciated. Thank you, Ludwig."

"You're most welcome, Your Highness, but the credit should all go to you. Thanks to you, my work has been proceeding far more smoothly. Please accept my gratitude."

Ludwig bowed respectfully, which elicited a satisfied nod from Mia. He let out a sigh of relief, taking her nod as a sign that his behavior to date was not misguided. After all, he was in the presence of someone whose wisdom far surpassed his own; he needed to stay sharp.

"Very well. Now, I've actually come today because I'd like your advice on a very particular matter."

"My advice, you say..."

Ludwig folded his arms and furrowed his brows as he chewed on the princess's words.

Judging by Her Highness's tone, it doesn't seem like she has any complaints about my work so far... But then again, I can never be sure. Maybe there's something I've missed.

After all, he figured, he was speaking with someone who might as well be a moon goddess given human form. Her intellect certainly bordered on the divine.

At this point, after a period of extreme and uncontrolled inflation, Ludwig's opinion of Mia was well past the realm of reason and good sense.

...The poor man.

"Indeed. Though we could have our discussion here..." Mia lowered her tone and showed him a toothy smile. "I'd actually prefer it if you would escort me somewhere else."

"And where might that be?"

"The Newmoon District..."

Ludwig's jaw hit the floor when he heard those words.

"Wh-What?! You wish to... go to the slums?!" he exclaimed, his voice cracking a little in astonishment.

The Newmoon District was the slum closest to the city walls of Lunatear. It was a place shunned by even the average citizen, never mind nobility or, heaven forbid, royalty. Ludwig himself had never set foot in the district, and he never wished to either. Under no circumstances — none whatsoever — should the sole Princess of the Tearmoon Empire be going there.

His outburst was immediately echoed by a distressed Anne, for whom Mia's words were a rude awakening.

"Milady Mia! You can't! That's going much too far!" shrieked the maid-in-waiting, who until now had been under the impression that Mia was simply here to meet Ludwig. For a young maiden such as herself, the Newmoon District was the kind of place she wanted to avoid at all costs. She'd been told by her parents to stay away from there because it's dangerous, and she'd said the same to her younger siblings.

"It's something that must be done," said Mia, dismissing their complaints with a shake of her head. "I want you to take a look with your own eyes, Ludwig, and tell me what you think."

The resolve in her voice kept them from saying anything more.