Speaking of wisdom, Gaia could only sigh in quiet amazement as her attention shifted toward one of the smallest nations on the planet. Out of every country that had participated in the Trial, this tiny island nation had somehow stumbled into an opportunity that even many great powers would have envied. Luck certainly played a part, but luck alone could never explain everything she was witnessing. Sometimes a nation simply recognized an opportunity when it appeared and possessed the courage to act upon it.
Her gaze settled upon the lone mana vein located on the island of Saint Martin.
Compared to the enormous mana veins scattered across the continents, it was almost insignificant. Yet for a nation of Saint Martin's size, it represented an invaluable strategic resource that could influence its future for generations. More importantly, it had become the center of an ambitious national project that very few countries would have dared to undertake.
Saint Martin itself possessed a rather unusual history.
For centuries, the island had been divided between the French Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, creating one of the world's smallest international borders. That arrangement continued until 2030, when political reforms eventually brought the entire island under French administration. Only after that reunification could the island be fully incorporated into the European Union as a single administrative region.
History, however, rarely remained still for long.
Once fusion reactors became widespread and energy independence transformed the global economy, political priorities shifted dramatically throughout the world. In 2060, Saint Martin peacefully gained its independence, becoming one of the youngest sovereign nations despite possessing centuries of shared European history. It was, in many ways, both an ancient society and an entirely new country at the same time.
That peculiar history unexpectedly became one of its greatest advantages.
Because Saint Martin had already been recognized as a nation before Gaia expanded the Earth, it qualified under the same national rules that governed every other sovereign state during the Trial. Despite possessing a population far smaller than most cities, it retained all the legal rights and privileges granted to independent countries. Many larger nations considered that arrangement deeply unfair, but changing the rules after the fact would have created even greater problems.
Its greatest challenge had always been manpower.
The island simply did not possess enough citizens to field a conventional military force comparable to larger nations. During the Trial, Saint Martin managed to assemble only two divisions, and even that required extraordinary measures. Every able-bodied adult on the island was mobilized for service, with adulthood being redefined to include teenagers as young as thirteen years old because the government simply had no other choice.
It had been a desperate decision.
No one within the government believed that children should normally fight in a war. Unfortunately, the Trial cared little for ideals or political debates. Either Saint Martin fielded the required number of soldiers, or it accepted extreme difficulty developing. Faced with those impossible circumstances, the government chose survival over comfort, hoping that every citizen would somehow make it through alive.
That decision angered many of the larger nations.
From their perspective, smaller countries constantly benefited from loopholes and exceptions that allowed them to compete beyond what their populations should have permitted. Larger nations argued that they carried the overwhelming burden of defending humanity while tiny states received the same legal recognition despite contributing only a fraction of the manpower. The smaller nations naturally disagreed, insisting that survival demanded flexibility rather than rigid equality.
Gaia understood both arguments.
Large nations inevitably carried greater responsibilities simply because they possessed more people and resources. At the same time, small countries constantly struggled to avoid disappearing beneath the political and economic influence of their larger neighbors. Neither side was entirely wrong, making the issue far more complicated than many politicians preferred to admit.
Even so, Saint Martin's current situation had very little to do with political debates.
The reason Gaia found herself smiling at the island was because of one extraordinary young man.
Compared to the influential politicians, wealthy industrialists, and famous military commanders scattered throughout the world, he possessed almost no international reputation. Yet Gaia considered him one of the most fascinating individuals she had observed since humanity entered the new age. His accomplishments had been achieved not through overwhelming power or inherited wealth but through relentless dedication and an unusual combination of talents.
Despite his young age, his résumé was already remarkably impressive.
He had served as a naval officer after completing advanced training programs in both the United States and China before returning home to enlist in Saint Martin's own armed forces. Exposure to multiple military traditions had broadened his perspective considerably, allowing him to combine different approaches rather than blindly following a single doctrine. At the same time, he remained fiercely patriotic, choosing to dedicate his abilities to the tiny nation that had raised him instead of pursuing a far more lucrative international career.
His greatest advantage, however, had nothing to do with military training.
He possessed an exceptionally rare Physique that allowed him to move through water almost as naturally as a fish. Swimming required virtually no effort, his stamina while underwater bordered on the absurd, and marine life instinctively displayed an unusual level of trust toward him. Around the coral reefs surrounding Saint Martin, fish often behaved as though he were simply another harmless part of the ocean itself.
Naturally, such a gift shaped the course of his life.
Fishing became more than a profession; it became a calling. Instead of treating the occupation as little more than a way to earn a living, he continuously pushed himself to master every aspect of it. He studied fish behavior, ocean currents, seasonal migrations, underwater terrain, and countless other details that ordinary fishermen rarely considered.
The results were extraordinary.
Within only a few years, he had caught an astonishing variety of species, many of which experienced fishermen had never even encountered before. Enormous fish that normally required entire crews to land somehow found their way into his nets with remarkable regularity. Every successful catch strengthened his profession, increased his understanding of the sea, and gradually refined the abilities granted by his unique Physique.
Eventually, word of his achievements reached the highest levels of Saint Martin's government.
Initially, officials merely viewed him as an unusually talented fisherman who also possessed valuable military experience. However, after reviewing his records more carefully, they realized they were looking at something far more significant. Here stood a young man with exceptional combat training, an extraordinarily advanced profession, and a rare Physique that perfectly complemented both.
For a larger nation, he might have become only one talented individual among thousands.
Saint Martin, however, did not possess the luxury of overlooking exceptional people. Every extraordinary citizen represented a strategic asset capable of influencing the nation's future. Rather than allowing his talents to develop naturally without guidance, the government reached an unusually bold conclusion.
They would invest everything they reasonably could into cultivating his growth.
Unlike many larger nations, whose greatest concern centered around managing countless talented individuals competing for limited resources, Saint Martin faced the exact opposite problem. It possessed relatively few exceptional people, making concentrated investment far more practical. Instead of spreading resources thinly across hundreds of promising candidates, they could focus almost entirely upon helping one individual reach his absolute potential.
Their objective extended far beyond producing another powerful warrior.
The government hoped he would become the first human to break through Stage One while developing the strongest possible foundation beforehand. They wanted him to serve as the spearhead of the nation's future military, leading younger generations into the new age while experienced veterans offered guidance and strategic support from behind. It was an ambitious dream for such a small country, yet one rooted in careful planning rather than reckless optimism.
Watching that quiet determination unfold filled Gaia with genuine admiration.
The project lacked the overwhelming budgets available to major powers, but it possessed something she valued far more highly: complete national unity behind a single worthwhile objective. Instead of arguing endlessly over political advantages or personal prestige, Saint Martin had collectively chosen to nurture the greatest talent it possessed. For Gaia, that simple decision revealed a wisdom that many far wealthier nations had yet to discover.