There’s no getting around it: this version of His Grace Iwatani really does not feel like the one we will start seeing in his next speaking appearance, which will be… (checks notes)… er, Chapter 15. We cover as best we can by having him say at one point that one doesn’t express one’s true feelings in front of commoners, but the master manipulator whom we present later would hardly be blustering like this. At worst, he’d be focused on getting his son and heir back, and at best, he’d be figuring out how to use the legendary, and apparently really easy to manipulate, “prophecied-one Best’s” presence to his later political advantage.

The most generous reading I can give is that Iwatani is deeply, deeply concealing his nature here in line with his philosophy of “waiting until the right time to act.” Still.

On the other hand, such blustering is extremely in character for Miyamoto. If only we could go back and… but no, that way lies OCD.

A word, by the way, about “prophecied-one Best.” When writing this scene, I realized that Payet Best’s legendary status was in interesting contrast to his station as a “shit elf.” This is not a complete contradiction: many cultures have accorded a few members of a despised or derided race “exceptional” status, which reinforces the myth that they live in a pure meritocracy and that all those other shit elves [substitute your example of choice here] just aren’t trying hard enough. If this sort of thing really interests you, I recommend O.J.: Made In America.