It "lies just halfway between rashness and cowardice," per Miguel de Cervantes

VALOR

This quality is often linked to knights in shining armor and is the root of the word "valiant," though it’s more about steady courage than reckless bravery.

This clue quotes Miguel de Cervantes, the Spanish author of Don Quixote, who famously described valor as the perfect middle ground—not reckless like rashness, nor timid like cowardice. The answer is "VALOR," a word meaning courage or bravery, fitting Cervantes’ idea of balanced boldness. No wordplay here, just a direct literary reference pointing to the virtue he praised.