Chapter 26: It’s Showdown Time!

“...So that’s the Emerald Star,” said Mia as she gazed upon the refined beauty of the sailing yacht before her.

A number of technologies were employed to realize its elegant contours and compact size, which were designed for optimal maneuverability amongst the countless islands that dotted the Galilea Sea. The sight of this marvel of engineering drew from her lips a soft, murmured comment.

“Looks sort of like a budget boat...”

To give some context, the only watercraft Mia had ever known were the massive ferries around Saint-Noel Academy. To her, the word “boat” referred to gigantic vessels that could carry numerous carriages in one go. They were imposing things radiating a breathtaking majesty through size alone. The Emerald Star, meanwhile, was no more than the size of two or three horse-drawn carriages put together.

“Esmeralda kept boasting about it, so I thought for sure it’d be enormous. This is sort of a letdown, honestly.”

In general, Mia subscribed to the belief “bigger is better.” The sense of scale was important. Sheer size elicited a visceral sense of awe. In that sense, the yacht before her looked more like a toy than a vehicle and failed to evoke any feeling in her other than disappointment.

It bears mentioning that the Emerald Star was a pleasure craft, not a merchant ship or military vessel. It wasn’t designed to carry large amounts of cargo or be mounted with cannons, so it didn’t need to be big. Quite the opposite, in fact. State-of-the-art technology allowed it to minimize its girth by doing away with all but the most crucial functions, resulting in a sleek, efficient design.

...Which was completely lost on Mia.

With her arms folded, Mia gazed snobbily up at the boat. Flanking her were the guards of her retinue, and behind her stood Abel, ready to leap to her defense at a moment’s notice. Regarding them from a distance was Sion, who leaned over to converse with Ludwig.

“Out of curiosity, Ludwig, would you happen to know what Mia’s intentions are in joining this cruise?”

“...Intentions? What exactly do you mean?”

“Nothing much. If she’s here to have some fun, then that’s perfectly fine. She’s human too, after all. It’s just that...” Sion’s eyes narrowed. “With an inscrutable and dangerous organization like the Chaos Serpents actively maneuvering behind the scenes, I can’t help but wonder if she’d come all this way just to have some fun.”

Ludwig nodded at the question.

“You are very perceptive, Prince Sion. It is as you say. As a matter of fact, Her Highness is of the belief that a large-scale famine will strike in the near future.”

“...A famine?”

“Yes. It will be severe, and it will affect the entire continent.”

Ludwig proceeded to explain in detail the steps Mia had taken to prepare.

“Well. This is all news to me...”

“I suspect the lack of tangible evidence for its advent is what has kept her from speaking openly. Frankly, I myself still harbor doubts about the claim. The eye of man cannot perceive the future. Therefore, I’d chosen to interpret her words as metaphor. An indirect way of criticizing the deficiencies in the empire’s food supply chains...” Ludwig paused before resuming in a more sober tone. “However, we are seeing a very cool summer right now. Years like these tend to see lower yields during harvest season.” He turned his gaze to the sea, its sparkling surface reflecting off his glasses. “That is why the imported seafood from Ganudos will be extremely important. Currently, all our communication with them is under the purview of the Duke of Greenmoon. I believe Her Highness deems this arrangement to be...unsatisfactory in the inherent risk it poses.”

Ludwig’s explanation left Sion in shock.

“I had no idea... I knew she cared about the welfare of her people, but the lengths she’s going to...”

He already afforded her a great deal of respect, but clearly, it still wasn’t enough.

“Stockpiling for a potential famine, I can understand,” Sion continued. “Her revitalization of the slums, as well, is a triumph of governance. But using Miss Chloe’s family to establish a supply network aboard? Promoting education and battling dogma through the academy city project? The sheer breadth of her vision... It’s breathtaking. I never imagined...” He blinked. A thought had occurred to him. “In that case... Ludwig, would you happen to have any plans to speak with this country’s government while Mia’s out at sea?”

“I certainly do. I plan to do everything in my power, but without the cooperation of the Greenmoons, I suspect that the negotiations will prove difficult. Her Highness is doubtlessly aware of this fact...which may explain why she agreed to Lady Esmeralda’s invitation,” said Ludwig, his gaze shifting toward Mia. “A showdown with the Greenmoon Etoiline is imminent, and Her Highness is waiting to step into the ring. In the meantime, I intend to make myself useful in whatever way I can.”

“Ah, Miss Mia. What a pleasure it is to see you,” Esmeralda said as she descended from the yacht.

“The pleasure is all mine,” replied Mia with an exemplary curtsy and a flawlessly polite smile. “Thank you very much for inviting me on this wonderful cruise.”

“You hardly need to thank me so formally. We’re best friends, aren’t we? This is just what best friends do.”

Esmeralda replied with a bright smile of her own. Hers, by the way, was completely genuine. She was actually looking forward to spending some quality time with Mia.

“I was told, though, that you’d like to bring quite a few guards with you...”

“Yes. Five, in fact, and I was hoping to receive your permission for them to accompany us.”

“Well, I’d love to grant them permission, but just so they know, the only men allowed on my vessel are handsome ones. These,” she said as she spread her arms in a flourish. A group of men, all young and handsome, lined up behind her. “Are my guards, and they represent the bar for inclusion. What do you think? Dashing fellows, aren’t they? Are your guards up to snuff?” She let out a haughty chuckle. “I’ve heard it said that there are a great many ruffians in the Princess Guard. There is a certain etiquette to these things, you know? These people have a reputation to keep up. I do think you should be a tad more selective when it comes to your personal guards.”

Standing behind Mia were the men of the Princess Guard. Their expressions darkened immediately at the comment, and she could almost feel the hostility radiating off them.

Ah, it looks like... I’ll have to stand my ground and fight this one.

Failing to retaliate would harm the morale of her guards. After all, who would be willing to risk their lives protecting a princess who couldn’t be bothered to defend their honor? The men of the Princess Guard were some of her closest allies. They’d remained loyal to her in the previous timeline even after she’d been abandoned by most others. Those present were former members of Dion’s squad, but seeing as they’d perished early in the previous timeline, she harbored no personal enmity toward them. They, meanwhile, were very fond of her, seeing as she’d saved them from fighting a meaningless war. Owing to their gratitude, the Princess Guard maintained a high level of morale, and Mia intended to keep it that way. Any comments that threatened to lower it would be met with a swift rebuke. She met Esmeralda’s gaze and spoke with confidence.

“Oh? How odd. I am quite selective when it comes to my personal guard, and these are the people I deemed suitable for the station. They are tasked with my safety, so my guards are all skilled, powerful men whom I can depend on.”

First came the flattery. Next was the flex.

“Besides, only two of the Princess Guard will be accompanying me. The others are my friends.”

“Hm? Your friends? Who migh— What?!”

Esmeralda, who’d had one eyebrow raised, was forced to lift the second in shock when three of the figures behind Mia stepped forward.

“I trust they are sufficiently handsome to be permitted to board?”

“Wh-Wh-What in the— Why is Prince Sion here? And you... Why, you’re the prince from the Kingdom of Remno!”

Esmeralda squealed at the sight of the two charming princes. Mia’s understanding of her was spot-on. Esmeralda had a thing for pretty boys, and she had detailed knowledge of who the prettiest were at Saint-Noel. She looked from one to the other, her mind racing with thoughts such as Prince Sion’s younger than me...but totally my type! and That attendant Keithwood’s a real looker too... Should I make a move?!

...Basically, her mind was made up of mostly the same stuff as Mia’s.

In any case, the simultaneous appearance of the Sion-Abel-Keithwood trio proved too electrifying for her to handle, and she swooned, toppling backward. Her line of handsome guards rushed to catch her. Mia watched, basking in a sense of superiority.

Hah! The showdown is over, and the winner is clear!

She put on her smuggest grin before going in for the final blow.

“Just so you know, Abel and Sion were worried about my safety, so they volunteered to guard me on this cruise. I’d very much appreciate it if they could be given permission to board this boat.”