Chapter 57: The True Essence of Princess Mia — Keithwood’s Delusion

Hmm... Sion got cocky.

Keithwood calmly observed the match from the spectator area.

Looks like his talents got the better of him. He thought he could handle the first strike. Granted, it's pretty rare to see a swing that he can't parry...

Sion continued to dance around Abel's swings, dodging them with the narrowest of margins. Each slash whistled menacingly as it split the air. Even a single hit would have devastating consequences. Nevertheless, his expert evasion ensured they never found their mark. Sion was a genius with the sword — both offensively and defensively — and his mastery was currently on full display.

Prince Abel, though... Sure didn't expect him to pose such a threat.

When they first arrived at Saint-Noel, Keithwood had kept close tabs on Abel's skill with the sword. At the time, Abel was undoubtedly a mediocre swordsman. He should have been no match for a prodigy like Sion, and yet here he was, steadily gaining the upper hand.

Hah. Go figure. Looks like I misjudged Prince Abel's potential as well.

At this point, Keithwood could clearly see Abel's latent gift. The Remno prince's talent lay in the fact that he knew himself well — he could calmly and objectively evaluate his own abilities. Fully aware of his own mediocrity, he nevertheless refused to give up. Instead, he thought up a plan to defeat his opponent and carried it out tirelessly.

Knowledge of oneself. Knowledge of the opponent. Knowledge of the goal and how to accomplish it.

Those were qualities no less impressive than Sion's natural genius. In fact, they would likely become increasingly valuable for both the Remno prince and his kingdom in the future.

The essential qualities of a king, huh. I see. Should Prince Abel become King of Remno, that kingdom is going to become much stronger...

Abel's talents had begun to bloom. For the common folk, the birth of a wise monarch was undoubtedly a blessing. For Keithwood, though...

As someone who serves Sion, this certainly leaves me with some mixed feelings. If relations with Remno go sour down the line, this'll only make our lives harder. He's going to be a scary one. Speaking of which... Keithwood turned his attention to the young girl who hadn't looked away from the match since it started. I guess the one I should truly be afraid of is Princess Mia.

Behind all of this, there was a mastermind who'd laid down the pieces and set everything into motion. While Abel's efforts were definitely praiseworthy and his talents deserved both recognition and due caution, he was not, in fact, the initiator of his own metamorphosis. He'd been given a push. Keithwood was acutely aware of the existence of someone behind the scenes, someone who'd arranged for all of this to happen.

"I see. It's all coming together now..." he mused. "Princess Mia is an individual who cherishes talent."

He finally came to see the true essence of Princess Mia. She so valued the talent that slept within Prince Abel and couldn't stand to see it go to waste, forever buried under the weight of being compared to his brother and Sion. Thinking back on it, it all made sense. It would have been easy for her to select Sion as her dance partner during the welcoming party. If her moniker "The Great Sage" had even a lick of truth to it, she would have seen that Sion was an exceptionally talented young man. Nevertheless, she'd chosen Abel, all for the purpose of bringing his latent talents to light.

Suddenly, Keithwood froze. A chill ran up his spine as something dawned on him.

Wait a minute. No... No no no. It's not that simple.

Cherishing talent was definitely a kingly quality. A ruler who welcomed a talented enemy as a new subject, so long as they swore their allegiance anew, was a ruler whose kingdom would quickly grow in strength. While it was a laudable trait for a monarch to have, it was not a noteworthy one. Both Sion and the King of Sunkland actively courted talent, and most wise rulers throughout history had done the same.

...Prince Abel, however, was no subject. No new allegiances would be sworn. In addition, when they first met, the Kingdom of Remno and the Empire of Tearmoon were not even friendly, much less allied. Despite the fact that it was entirely possible that Remno might become an enemy kingdom, Mia still cherished his talent.

Why? What did that say about her?

Do the eyes of Princess Mia see no borders? Is her view of the world unbound by the shackles of race and country? Keithwood inhaled sharply as the implications of his realization came into full focus. By the sun... She doesn't care. Enemies, allies, such concepts are trivial to her. To her, the matter is simple. She recognized the talent in a man, and she was loath to see it go to waste.

Furthermore, it was likely that the degree of talent mattered little to her. She'd taken an extremely merciful stance toward Tiona's harassers. She'd gone as far as to personally plead with Rafina for their forgiveness. He'd heard that as a result, the offenders — foolish and talentless individuals as they doubtlessly were — now applied themselves to their studies with renewed zeal in an effort to repay her kindness.

She sees the talents sleeping in every person and refuses to rest until they are made to blossom. That is the true essence of the Great Sage of the Empire.

The height from which she saw the world was utterly breathtaking. It was a perspective that surpassed even his own beloved lord. Keithwood was keenly aware that amidst the newfound awe he felt for the Tearmoon princess, there was also something else — a budding admiration. He had to pointedly remind himself that his allegiance lay solely with his lord, Sion.

If there ever comes a day when Sunkland and Tearmoon stop seeing eye to eye... I'd better advise Sion to at least stay on good terms with Princess Mia herself.

Keithwood quietly made a fist as he committed the thought to memory.

...It goes without saying, of course, that all of this existed solely in Keithwood's head. It was nothing more than a delusion. An awfully imaginative one, but nevertheless a delusion. He believed it with all his heart and soul, but that didn't change the fact that it was a delusion. It was the delusion to end all delusions.

And unfortunately — or perhaps fortunately — the chances of him ridding himself of this delusion were very, very low.