How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom Part 2 - Episodes 12 and 13 Review - The Secret Behind How Souma Rebuilt the Kingdom

Warning: Spoilers ahead.

Following How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom Part 2 - Episodes 11, the ep pretty much begins with fan service filler. Excel is teaching Souma’s four betrothed about how to be good wives. How to satisfy the king.

Even Souma was trained privately in a class by Excel.The weird part is that Excel got a mage to secretly cast a confession spell on him. Earlier she warns of weaknesses in the kingdom’s security because of his queens, but then she proves she can manipulate and deceive the king. Meaning she could destroy the kingdom! How her actions aren't considered a crime is beyond me.

Excel reports what Souma secretly thinks of Roroa, Aisha, Juna and Liscia. He pretty much loves all of them in different ways. Liscia is so special he’s able to say he’d rather tell Liscia herself how she feels.

Then the real funny fan service part comes. Where Excel gives them files detailing what Souma desires of each girl for “nighttime services.” We don’t get to learn any of this, we just have to imagine what Souma would ask. Of course, this super embarrasses all the girls.

The ep shifts to Jeanne meeting with Maria and giving a report on Friedonia. Apparently Jeanne has a crush on Hakuya.

Meanwhile, Poncho reports a food breakthrough to Souma. A delicious Japanese sauce which should help develop Venetinova cuisine.

The time for fan service filler is over. In this season finale, former King Albert has requested to meet with Souma privately to reveal very important information that he’s been withholding from Souma.

Albert and his wife Elisha, the former queen, meet with Souma on a balcony. Albert promises to answer anything Souma wants to know. And Souma basically has three questions - 1. Why did Albert give up the throne and his daughter so quickly and easily? 2. Why did Georg Carmine sacrifice himself for Souma, a stranger? It must have been because of Albert, but what did the two know behind the scenes? 3. Why has it taken 6 months (the whole time Souma has been in this isekai world) to meet and get answers?

Albert says all three are tied to a single origin. For the last question, they didn’t know if they should ever say anything to Souma, considering that origin. Part of it was grief and guilt that Albert was feeling, thinking it might be better not to reveal his pain and burden.

The key is basically Elisha. Who has a special power to transfer knowledge of a person to their previous self in the past. Essentially having the same power as time travel!

In a parallel timeline, Souma had arrived in the isekai world and was made a prime minister instead of a king. He did great things, but the rich nobles and aristocrats hated the changes he made. So they plotted against him. And convinced King Albert to oust Souma from the kingdom. So he dismissed Souma to live in Georg Carmine’s city. That Carmine supported and trusted Souma.

But Carmine’s city fell after being invaded by a neighboring country and a revolt from the aristocrats. Carmine was killed and apparently so was Souma, and Liscia who had fallen in love with him and stayed by his side.

Enemies then came after Albert’s city, the royal capital. Before they were killed, Elisha was able to transfer Albert’s memories to his previous self, in hopes to prevent any of this from happening. So that answers why Albert trusted Souma from the very beginning. Carmine did too, because Albert explained the situation to him beforehand, and Carmine trusted Albert. But even though Albert never did those things from the old timeline, he still felt guilty for what happened to that old Souma, his daughter and his kingdom.

And to make sure no one desired Albert to reclaim the throne, he and Elisha have planned to go into hiding forever.

Souma alleviates some of his pain by saying the previous Souma and Liscia probably survived, as their bodies were never found. He also promises to keep all he learned a secret.

The ep ends with Souma and Liscia alone, embracing. And after that, he meets with his important personnel to reaffirm their roles in rebuilding the kingdom. This is the end of the season, and everything is wrapped up nicely, so it may be the end of the series!

Image source: Amazon