Chapter 44: Go Go Mia Rangers!

The Mia Rangers, currently an expedition of two people, ventured deeper into the forest in search of food. They’d already gathered a good pile of wild grasses, but Mia had a different prize in mind.

A hare if possible...but failing that, at least some other kind of meat...

Her mind had already categorized hares as “meat.” The island’s entire leporid population was suddenly in imminent danger.

“Oh, that reminds me. I’ve read somewhere that frog meat tastes like chicken. Have you ever had any, Keithwood?”

“...No, unfortunately not.”

Unaware of his strained expression, she continued her gastronomic musing. “I’ve heard that people who live in the south eat bugs...but I do find myself a little resistant to the idea. What about snakes though? If they’re cooked well, I think I’m willing to try a few bites... The mushrooms, though... Can’t forget the mushrooms...”

Being fully within earshot of her mumbling, Keithwood finally gave in to his curiosity eventually and spoke up. “Princess Mia, forgive me, but I must ask you a question.”

“Oh? Ask away then.”

“You seem very knowledgeable about eating in the wild. Is this because you are preparing for this famine that you believe will strike soon?”

“My... How do you know about that?”

“Ludwig mentioned it when we shared a carriage.”

She considered her answer for a moment.

“I see. Good for him then. It was smart of him to tell you.” She nodded firmly before declaring, “Yes, it’s just like he said. Next year will see a poor harvest, and the harvests will remain poor for several more years to come. The resulting famine will spread across the entire continent. It’s very important to prepare for it. Consider this my advice, and warning.”

In truth, she couldn’t care less what happened to the Kingdom of Sunkland. They seemed to have successfully navigated the famine in the previous timeline, and she figured they’d be fine this time around as well. However, it was just then that she remembered a grievance she’d previously held against Sion. During their undercover expedition into Remno, when the two of them had sat huddled around a campfire, she’d faulted him for passing judgment without due warning. Specifically, she’d been thinking of their past selves and how awfully uncommunicative he’d been before dubbing her an “enemy of the people.” They’d been classmates, for crying out loud! He could have said something. Even just a quick “Hey, how about you tone it down a little” might have helped her keep her head on her shoulders.

And so...she warned Keithwood. In accordance with that universal do-unto-others principle of moral reciprocity, she— Ah, who are we kidding. Of course not. Her reason for doing so was more along the lines of...

In my case, being the kind and forgiving person I am, I don’t hold it against him, but if the roles were reversed...there’s no guarantee Sion wouldn’t hold it against me! I can totally see him sucker punching me to get even!

...Self-preservation. Specifically, she feared retaliation from a disgruntled Sion.

Also, I guess I do sort of owe them one. Squaring the debt seems like a decent idea...

Only after this intricate sequence of calculations had she finally decided to offer a warning.

“I think it would be wise for Sunkland to take some early precautions.”

Keithwood, however, tilted his head quizzically. “Not that I’m doubting the sincerity of your words, Princess Mia, but how do you know? Is it even possible to predict such things?”

His response did not surprise Mia. It was natural for people to question the validity of her warning. None of them had memories of the future, nor had they seen her old (?) diary. She couldn’t simply walk up to them, give them a dire forecast of the future, and expect them to believe her. She tailored her reply accordingly.

“You are of course free to decide whether or not you believe me. The way I see it though, between believing in the coming of a famine, preparing for it, and then it never coming to pass...and neglecting to take precautions, only to be blindsided... Well, one path is clearly more tragic than the other.”

“I see. Always seek to prepare for the worst...” Keithwood said, a hint of quiet admiration in his voice.

Mia, to his surprise, shook her head and gave him a furtive grin.

“Not exactly. What I meant was...which mistake is easier to laugh off? Suppose that I declare a famine is coming and people listen to me. They stockpile a bunch of food, but then the famine never happens. Well, all that extra food can then be used for my birthday festival. We’ll treat the people to free meals. I mean, it’s food. You can always just eat it.”

It would be wasteful, yes, and emblematic of an egotistical princess’s excesses, but she’d receive little more reprimand than wry smiles from the masses, who would be sharing in her indulgence.

“The point is, I’d get off with a slap on the wrist.”

And if a different future came to pass—one in which resilient wheat yields resulted in a massive surplus—then she had plans for that too. Plans that involved stuffing her face with lots and lots of cake. It would be, she firmly believed, a fine mistake to have made. At the end of the day, it all came down to a simple truth: having extra cake brought people more happiness than having none.

“So I see. A laudable stance to take, I think.” Keithwood regarded Mia as they walked, feeling a renewed respect for her. Soon after, the forest gave way to a rocky area. They were a little west of the island’s center.

“It’s a little hard to walk here... Eeek!”

She stumbled as some rocks gave way underfoot. He swiftly swooped in and caught her.

“Careful now. It looks like we’re walking on loose rock here. The ground isn’t stable. We probably shouldn’t go this way.”

“Yes, we should warn the others too. It’s in the opposite direction from the spring anyway. I doubt we’ll need to come here...” She paused, glancing up at him as he stood protectively over her. Then she gently elbowed him with a grin. “My, Keithwood, you sure know your way around girls, don’t you? How many hearts have you broken, hm?”

“Ha ha ha, I’ll leave that to your imagination. All I can say is that these days, the only thing breaking is my back,” he answered, smiling as he scratched his cheek.