“I understand, I will make arrangements as per your Highness’ wishes.”
“Thank you, Ludwig. Please see Tiona soon… No, it would be more convenient for me to go over there. So, please make arrangements for my travel.”
Ludwig bows in front of Mia and leaves. After that, Anne chased after him running.
“Mr. Ludwig, are you free for a moment?”
“Hmm? Sure, what’s wrong?”
Ludwig looked a little surprised because it was rare for Anne to talk to him.
“I’d like to ask you something which may sound dumb, but what did you think when you heard Mia-sama’s story?”
“Oh, that’s right …, in a nutshell, it’s like Mia-sama. She is really an amazing person that is unfathomable for me.”
Upon hearing the answer, Anne sighed with relief.
“I’m glad that Mr. Ludwig agrees with Mia-sama. I was afraid that she was making a mistake…”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Actually……”
Anne talks to Ludwig about her worries and anxiety about the decision that Mia had just made.
“I see… I understand your concern.”
“But it’s okay, isn’t it? Mia-sama, is doing the right thing, right?”
“I can’t say if it’s right or not. I don’t know how Her Highness mind works, and I don’t think I presume to understand all of her goals, but at least I know that what she is doing right now is a sensible thing”
Ludwig nodded when he saw Anne muttering confused.
“Well … you are a commoner, right? Since that is the case, it might be hard for you to make sense of what’s happening. Actually, Outcount Rudolvon only has two children: his eldest daughter, Tiona, and his younger son, Cyril.”
“Hmmm… and how does that connect with the situation?”
“As with the commoners, heirs are especially important to nobles. Outcount Rudolvon is not really that keen to send both of them to a school abroad.”
If a political change occurs in the Principality of Belluga. Or if the Principality is invaded by another country. Or, more likely, if a fire broke out at the school and resulted in casualties of some students.
“In that case, Sir Rudolvon will lose both his heirs at once. As a noble this is something he must avoid. Also, it is not just about academics, I assume he also wants them to learn about their own country, especially their own territory. After all, the nobles are lord of their territory. So, the heirs must also learn about the territory they are going to rule over.”
They need to learn the kind of land they will control, the kind of people that live there, the kind of towns and villages are there, and what kind of industries exist there. In short, they need to learn how to govern it. There is a mountain of things that nobles should learn hands on more than academia.
“So, if Outcount Rudolvon would be given for his son to be educated within inside the Empire with the same quality of education at Belluga, I am sure that he would prefer that option.”
“I see … that’s the situation. I never knew there so many things that needed to be considered.”
“In addition, one of Her Highness’ classmates is the daughter of the Forkroad Company. That company is also involved in the distribution of books. If so, I won’t be surprised if Her Highness’ next move is to collect books with the help of her classmate. She will probably gather as much knowledge as she can to rival Belluga. That way she can provide the very best education for Rudolvon’s son.”
Of course, Mia intended to rely on Chloe to get a lot of books. Needless to say, however, it doesn’t mean that Rudolvon’s concerns are taken into consideration. She only wants one thing: the cold-resistant wheat. She wasn’t being considerate to others; she just pursues what pushes forward her interest. Nevertheless, the delusion of Ludwig was able to twist Mia’s intention into something compassionate and noble.
Also, this may be the way that she wants to balance things out.
Ludwig adds silently in his heart.
In the case of the Sealence Forest, the one who lost the most was Outcount Rudolvon. The Viscount Berman got the honor and glory he wanted. The Lulu tribe were shown the way to prosperity. Whereas Outcount Rudolvon gained nothing; he even had to give up some of his lands. “Not having a battle near your territory” is not really a compensation or reward. While on the surface, he may be happy because of his friendly relationships with the Lulus, it was unlikely that he is satisfied with how the things ended. He lost something and gained nothing while everyone else got rewarded or compensated. Mia’s proposal is most probably her way of compensating Outcount Rudolvon for what happened.
As expected of Her Highness… She is the one who doesn’t use compassion as an excuse to be incompetent.
Mia, who is touted as a saint, cherishes her friends. To her people, she is compassionate and twice as clever. She doesn’t waste money mindlessly just because it’s for the people; nor does she give out just because it’s for her friends. She knows the perfect balance of politics, friendship and compassion. A mark of a wise ruler, and a saint of compassion.
That’s as much as I can understand at the moment… But is there something more? Knowing her, I am sure there are more that I can discover. What next might she be after?
A few years later, Ludwig would get his mind blown when Cyril Rudolvon developed his resilient wheat. His admiration for Mia’s insight would even reach new heights. But that’s another story.