We finally witnessed the much-awaited confrontation between Souma and Liscia in the finale of How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom. Not only that, but we also got to know something unexpected from King Albert. Looking back on the previous episodes of the anime, Liscia’s parents didn’t even have screen time until episode 25. It seems that Albert and Elisha are avoiding Souma because of their horrible acts. Well, for me there’s nothing wrong with what they’ve done, but it’s not the same case for Albert and Elisha.
When King Albert saw Souma, he confessed his so-called “horrible” act. It was revealed that Elisha has the power to transfer the memories of the future to the people of the past. What really happened is that the future Elisha transferred her memory to Albert in the past, which is also the Albert we knew from the anime. In those memories, Souma only became a prime minister, and Albert relinquished his responsibilities after a certain amount of time because of the corrupt nobles’ pleas. Though it led to the downfall of Elfrieden because the people revolted and the Principality of Amidonia took advantage of it. Well, if you are familiar with the tactic called “Divide and Conquer”, that’s what the Principality used to defeat Elfrieden. In that timeline, it seems that Souma and Liscia also loved each other, but the location where they were hiding was reduced to dust, and there were no remains of them. Thus, Albert and Elisha considered Souma and Liscia dead. Just before Albert and Elisha die, they decided to transfer their memory to their past selves, so that they won’t make the same mistakes. As a result, Albert made Souma the king in episode 1 of the series.
Then, as you can see in the previous episodes, Souma won all the wars and was able to invade the Principality of Amidonia. He even merged the two territories into one, renaming their lands to “Kingdom of Friedonia”. Souma also managed to eliminate all the corrupt nobles, including their relatives, and was able to provide solutions to almost all of the problems of the kingdom, such as poverty, slavery, education, corruption, sanitation, economy, foot shortage, refugees, and many more. This proves that what Albert saw really did save the kingdom and appointing Souma as the next king was really the right move.
This is really mindblowing for me. I rewatched the episode, and I’m still having goosebumps because of it. I know that this anime was set in a fantasy world but I didn’t expect that the biggest plot twist in the story has something to do with the future. For me, this is a “big brain” moment. I’m sure this answers some of the questions like “why did Albert suddenly make Souma the king, even though they’ve only just met?”, or “Why did Georg Carmine commit suicide?”. Though, because of these events, the story only revolved around Souma solving the problems of the kingdom, that’s why he didn’t have the chance to spend fluffy moments with Liscia, even though they were already engaged.
Because of the truth, Souma’s love for Liscia grew even stronger. Based on my understanding, Souma is really touched because he was able to prove that no matter what timeline they are living in, Liscia will always be by his side. Come to think of it, Liscia was also the reason why he managed to accomplish so many things in the kingdom. To put it simply, even though Souma is the king, it will only be legitimate if he was engaged with Liscia so that he can become an Elfrieden. Liscia also accepted him, supported his reforms, and always believed that Souma’s actions will always lead Elfrieden to a better future.
Well, Souma took the throne for only 6 months so far, so there’s a possibility, that he might make some mistakes in the future since he is only just starting. Though I doubt that Liscia will leave her if he made a mistake. When Souma doesn’t have work, he is always spending time with Liscia. In the previous episode of the anime, Liscia is the only one who got special treatment from Souma among his concubines. And in the season finale of Realist Hero, Souma finally confessed her feelings to Liscia for the first time. At last, he finally said “I love you” to Liscia, and of course, Liscia did the same. We were also able to witness the first kissing scene in the anime. Finally, it took them 26 episodes to convey their feelings to each other. I was waiting for this moment since the 2nd episode of the series.
This is a really satisfying moment, and finally, my long wait for this scene is finally over. I’d say this is a perfect way to wrap up the anime. The season finale of Realist Hero anime, and at the same time, a moment that will make your heart race. Though, I wish this anime receives a sequel in the future because I want to see Souma and Liscia’s journey as a couple. I hope you, the reader of this article, feel the same.
Screenshots via Funimation
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