The Water Magician

"Fuu..."

Inside one of the carriages of the delegation, a swordsman-like man looked up from the documents in front of him and let out a sigh.

"Is this a show of look how hard I'm working? Abel, that's rather sneaky of you!"

"No, why would it be! I just sighed, that's all!"

Once again, a comedic exchange… or rather, a conversation unfolded between the swordsman and the mage.

"Besides, studying is enjoyable, isn’t it? There’s no reason to sigh over it."

Ryo, who said this, was indeed smiling.

Of course, that was because it was a subject he liked.

"I’m sure if it were about studying politics, you would let out a sigh or two as well, Ryo."

"Fufufu, that's just Abel being ignorant. Come on, feel free to consult this political researcher Ryo about what troubles you!"

"Political researcher..."

Abel let out a deeper sigh than before and shook his head a few times.

"I’m not particularly troubled… I just suddenly wondered why there is a royal family..."

"A prince questioning the existence of the royal family… how philosophical..."

"No, I don’t think it’s philosophical."

As Abel said this, he glanced at Ryo’s hands.

He was gripping something with his right hand and turning it, making a grinding sound. It appeared to be glass, but it was likely something made of ice from water attribute magic.

After a while of turning, he opened what seemed to be a lid and transferred the powdered substance into a newly created ice cylinder.

"Hey, Ryo, what are you doing…?"

"I thought I would make some coffee. When I'm at home, I grind coffee beans with a mill from the Gecko Merchant Association, but I can’t bring that on a trip; it takes up too much space. The structure of the mill is quite simple, so I made one using water attribute magic."

Saying this, Ryo handed the coffee mill, now containing the powdered coffee beans, to Abel and poured hot water into his ice French press… of course, using water attribute magic.

The versatility of water attribute magic is amazing!

"With this, as long as I have roasted beans, I can enjoy freshly brewed coffee even while traveling!"

"Ooh..."

Usually, Abel would find Ryo's actions quite exasperating, but this time he was genuinely impressed.

A rich aroma of Kona Coffee wafted from the French press.

On the table, there was an ice French press and an ice hourglass… presumably, the "sand" was made of tiny ice particles too.

"The founding family is a flag."

"Huh?"

Ryo muttered this softly, causing Abel to react involuntarily.

"Oh, no, just a soliloquy. The royal family is a flag."

"The royal family is a flag..."

Ryo nodded once and began to explain.

"Humans find it hard to hold loyalty to something vague and shapeless, like an 'organization' or a 'country.' Therefore, by instilling loyalty towards a 'person' who embodies or symbolizes that organization, people can be united."

Abel listened to Ryo's explanation without a word.

"A country establishes a national flag and anthem, displaying something that symbolizes the nation, gathering the people's loyalty. But still, it’s not entirely perfect. What’s most necessary is, indeed, the 'person.'"

In modern Earth, the United States, which could be considered the birthplace of democracy, serves as a prime example.

The 'President of the United States' is a symbol of the country itself, a person who embodies it.

Thus, no matter what happens, the safety of the president, as the nation’s symbol, is prioritized above all.

Whether dozens or thousands die, everything moves to ensure the president’s safety first.

That’s how the system works.

Those who established the American system likely knew this: that appointing a 'person' who symbolizes the nation itself is the most effective way to unite the populace.

That’s precisely why such a mosaic nation, one mixed with various races, religions, and ideologies, can endure at the pinnacle of the world after experiencing only one large-scale civil war.

Throughout history, there have been many charismatic leaders.

Under them, racial and religious conflicts didn’t become major issues, and the country continued to function.