People live for... peace of mind?
The girl silently digested the logic within.
Lying leisurely in the vibrant green wheat field of spring, Su Shu held a camphor leaf from an ancient tree he had casually picked in the forest, chewing it slowly to savor its bitter taste.
"You've heard it too, haven't you...
"—The complaints from the townspeople about the 'Pale Silver Star' since I stopped showing up recently..."
Touching upon such a disheartening topic, the girl's expression couldn't help but darken.
Su Shu had long since collected enough crop seeds, and so the "Pale Silver Star" had vanished from people's sight.
The bandits, who had laid low for a while, realized that the silver-haired god of death seemed to have truly left and began to swarm like locusts again.
You can never kill all the bandits. In such chaotic years, the line between a refugee and a robber was often a thin one.
No longer receiving Su Shu's almost-unconditional help, the people's complaints began to spread.
They didn't dare to curse the lord's private soldiers for their negligence, because they would actually retaliate.
But with a good person, they could criticize freely without fear of consequences.
Although Su Shu had never made any promises and had repeatedly emphasized that he was not a knight, things like:
"The Pale Silver Star is a fraud! He's in league with the robbers!"
"He didn't finish the job of eliminating evil! He has no knightly spirit whatsoever!"
"That guy just wanted to take the bandits' loot for himself! That was all stuff stolen from us..."
...and words even uglier than that...
The girl had heard more than enough of them recently.
Su Shu didn't need to look to know what a bleak expression she was wearing right now.
Ha.
Artoria, do you love Britain that much?
Then I will let you see with your own eyes whether this kingship is worth your sacrifice.
Feeling the twisted pleasure welling up in his heart, the boy's gentle, guiding voice slowly sounded in the girl's ear.
"It's unfortunate, but this is the truth, Altoris.
"A small kindness earns gratitude, but a great one can breed resentment. This has been human nature since ancient times.
"They are deeply grateful for small favors, but feel uneasy about great virtues. An unpayable debt of gratitude can even cause the two parties to turn against each other—because the beneficiary cannot find peace of mind, they can only escape or devalue the other's motives.
"People are selfish. One cannot be called human without selfishness.
"You seem unable to understand this.
"Because you don't see yourself as a person, do you? So noble, so kind, so always thinking of others, there has never been a place for yourself in your heart."
Su Shu raised his gaze to the ethereal clouds.
"If you don't understand the thoughts of humans, how can you talk of ruling them?
"A saint can comfort the people, but can never lead them.
"If you cast aside the selfishness of being human, then how can you become a qualified king?
"Altoris...
"You don't understand the human heart..."
The gentle words struck like a heavy hammer on the most confused part of her heart.
The human heart—
I... don't understand the "human heart"?
It was an evaluation that cut to the soul.
The girl stared blankly at her own palm.
The people's rumors, the lord's tyranny, the rampaging bandits...
The fact that good people were not rewarded for their good deeds—all these indisputable facts were laid out before her.
Ideas are more powerful weapons than blades.
During this time, Su Shu had taught her many concepts she had never heard of in her life.
About exploitation, about productive forces, about surplus value, about the nature of the feudal nobility...
These words sounded obscure at first, but after explanation, their clear meanings seemed to reveal the laws by which the world operated.
And the magus from her dreams, all he had ever taught her were often empty words:
—To become a king, to hold the sword, to abide by the spirit of chivalry... to learn to be ruthless.
"Why must I be ruthless?"
"Because if you are ruthless, you will not suffer."
"Why does becoming a king mean suffering? Isn't leading the people a righteous act?"
When she had asked this, the magus had only smiled bitterly, unable to answer her question.
But Senior Alvin...
He would patiently explain everything to her, with both facts and logic being so clear.
Then.
The education about kingship that she had received for so many years...
—Could it have been wrong?
"You don't understand the human heart."
A few simple words finally caused an indelible wavering and doubt in the worldview the girl had held for so long.
And at this very moment—
"You want to be a king, don't you?"
A clear voice sounded in front of her.
The girl looked up, dazed, at the silver-haired boy before her.
But the boy was not looking at her. He was gazing at the distant horizon.
"Senior, you... how did you know...?"
"Once Merlin's prophecy was made, which knight on this island doesn't want to become the king of Britain? It's as plain as day."
Su Shu said slowly, his voice soft and ethereal.
"Do you remember you once asked me why I was so particularly patient with you?"
"You... you said... I look a lot like an old friend of yours."
"That's right. So you see—I too had a selfish motive for forming this friendship with you... That old friend of mine suffered a terrible betrayal, and I don't want you to repeat the same mistakes in the future..."
"To become a king, do you know what you lack the most?"
His voice fell.
In the girl's dim and gloomy vision, a brilliant light seemed to suddenly shine through.
Su Shu's words seemed to have a certain magic, like a life-saving straw, making one want to grasp that dazzling light involuntarily.
She suddenly raised her head.
"Please... please guide me, Senior! What should I do?!"
"Then,"
Su Shu smiled.
The utterly delighted curve of his lips was like a deep abyss, cracking open a bottomless chasm for the girl.
"—first, try being a little more selfish, how about that?"
"...'Selfish'?"
"Bring your virtues down from the ethereal clouds and think from a human perspective—when you encounter something you dislike, refuse it righteously. When you encounter something you want to try, express it with confidence. Only by practicing your own selfishness can you understand human emotions."
"No one is born with a purpose. No one is born to be a king, Altoris.
"In other words..."
I want to pull her down from that throne built by the masses.
Escape that tragic fate.
You, in your innocence, do not need to bear such a responsibility.
Holding this ugly thought of making her fall, under the bright sunlight, the silver-haired boy smiled and said to the girl, word by word.
"—Become a person before you become a king."
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