CH 208

How to use his life ~The winter season is not over yet~

He thought of counting the number of days he has left to live.

He did not suffer from any disease that would cause him an early death. However, the old man thinks that he does not have much time left since he has reached old age.

Even if he was given the title Sage, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to live forever. A normal person’s lifespan usually does not reach a hundred. This means that he has ten or twenty years left at most. Now that he was looking at death, he began thinking about his life.

The first thing he can say is that it was a happy life. If he was to compare life akin to seasons, then he was definitely entering the winter season. He had lived his spring season by nurturing talents. He pushed through the harsh summer. He enjoyed the fruitful autumn of harvest. And now he is in the final season. It is the season of cold dead leaves, but it is also the time of preparing for the arrival of a new spring.

He researched and he learned what he wanted to know. His desires brought him to the different places on the continent. After a fulfilling spring, summer, and autumn, winter… he continued to give his wisdom to many young people so that they could have a fulfilling spring. He was blessed with many encounters and was able to send out many excellent disciples into the world.

With his winter season coming, he began thinking more on the use of his little time left. It was at this time that he had learned that his beloved disciple, Ludwig was looking for him.

Ludwig was a brilliant young man that he taught with care. He was a young man with sharp analytical skills and extremely rational thinking. The Sage was secretly looking forward to what Ludwig would use his talent for in the future. Then he heard that he now serves the imperial princess. He honestly thought it was stupid. As far as the old man knew, nobles and royalty were all proud and foolish. Under such a man a young man wastes his fine talents… Such folly cannot be overlooked. And with such thoughts, he figured something out as well… how to use the remainder of his life.

The Trial of Three Visits was not a test for Princess Mia. It was a test for his disciple, Ludwig, to measure the true nature of the Wisdom of the Empire. If his rudeness caused her to get angry and have him killed, then she will reveal the mediocrity of her character. It would make clear that Princess Mia was not suitable for Ludwig to serve.

However, if he listened to Ludwig’s advice and visited this place three times, no matter what form it took… at least, it could be said that she possessed the flexibility to listen to the advice of her vassals and that she has tolerance to forgive others’ rudeness.

It was a test that used his own life on the line. The old man believed that this was his last duty… a parting gift for his cherished disciple.

That was supposed to be the case, but…

—

“I cannot believe this…”

The Wandering Sage was wide-eyed in amazement when he saw Mia standing still in front of the tent. 　By the way, this old man was currently not inside the tent. He climbed up a tree behind them and was looking at them from there. This was a remarkable feat for someone in his age.

“Certainly, I told Ludwig that I was going to test her with the Three Visits. But I did not expect her to be just standing still in front of the tent. I wonder if Ludwig told Princess Mia about the test?”

He shook his head.

“No, even if he had told her about the proverb, it has not mention of waiting. Even more, on how long to wait. She doesn’t sit nor does she banter. She is just there waiting… waiting actively to see me.”

The old man narrowed his eyes. Most people fail to appreciate this, but time is not free. Even more so for the imperial princess. It should not be an exaggeration that each minute of her time is weigh in gold.

“Nevertheless… Her Highness is ‘just waiting’…”

If Mia was waiting while reading a book, she would have spent half her time “waiting” and half “reading”.

But Mia was just waiting. She is spending her whole time on just waiting for the Wandering Sage.

It was at this time that the old man felt that his eyes met with Mia who was looking up the trees.

“She’s been staring at this tree for a while. So she was already aware of my presence! She knows I’m here.”

…Well Mia actually did not. After all, this old man was wearing a camouflage of leaves attached to his body while secretly observing them from above. His disguise was perfect it the sea of trees. It was him who said that “When in a forest, wear forest clothes.” And it seems that he took his own advice quite literally.

In any case, therefore, whether it was Mia, Dion, or the Lulu tribe’s skilled hunters, there was no way they could have seen him. It was the same illusion as fans have when they say “Omigosh, I just made eye contact with my idol.” This is quite sad if not pitiful considering this old man is called the Sage.

“… I see, Ludwig. So I see. I was the one who made a mistake. The only one exposed today is my own misjudgement of character and intelligence.”

… Absolutely right in an ironic way.

“I guess it is decided. I can’t keep her waiting any longer. She has been so patient after all. It looks like winter’s going to be sticking around for a little while longer. Who would have thought that I would spend my final years working for the Tearmoon Princess. Life can really be interesting, huh?”

The old man laughed. One of mockery, but it was directed to himself.

Just to be clear, Mia wasn’t actually just waiting. She was counting the number of leaves on the trees. So by the old man’s logic, she split her time between counting the darker leaves and the lighter leaves.

This was a fact that the Wandering Sage never knew. Which was all for his own good.