The Power of the Written Word

Two Months Later; the following morning

Marquis Eibinger left his capital city manor, along with his top advisor and two guards around dawn the next day. His butler received a message during the night signed by Count Bozes, and at first was alarmed. Normally, such a note would have never been sent, short of a death in the family, imminent national disaster, or similar calamity. Good news could also have been the cause, he thought, but there had been so little of that lately, he didn't even consider that a possibility. However, when he read the message, his mood brightened considerably. The note simply stated that there had been a positive development in the naval construction efforts, along with an invitation for him and his aides to join the Count's family for breakfast to discuss the matter personally. He's being surprisingly cagey , Eibinger thought, but throughout the years he's known the Count's service to the Kingdom, he's never known him to be foolish nor rash, so he took it on faith that the matter would be justified when he arrived.

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In the Bozes' capital mansion dining area, Alexis, Theodore and Beatrice were getting ready for breakfast. They had been notified that the family were receiving distinguished guests this morning and to be prepared accordingly. Although Alexis was his own Viscount at this point, he didn't have a separate capital residence just yet, so often would spend his time with his family for the time being. As one of the three northern coastal counties of the nation, his county was also involved in the naval build up efforts, so the recent military activities would also be affecting his province, especially since his county was much larger and more populated than Yamano County and could handle the influx of people and labor far better.

As soon as the rest of the family had gathered properly, Rufus the butler announced, "The Marquis Eibinger, and party," and gestured. Eibinger entered, dressed in his usual elegant attire, as befitting his title, along with his aide-de-camp. Count Bozes greeted Eibinger warmly, as the two men had known each other for years. As they sat down at the table, breakfast was brought before them. Beatrice was the first to notice; the dishes looked nothing like the normal plain breakfasts they had had many times in the past, along with the young girl chef who was bringing them in the tray along with the rest of the serving staff.

"どうぞ、 お召し上がり下さい *" Michiko said deferentially , and bowed as she stepped back.

*douzo omeshiagari kudasai / please enjoy your meal

The family and guests stared with wonder at the breakfast presentation of eggs benedict, French omelets, fresh biscuits, herb sausages and homemade jams, strawberry/black pepper and spiced blueberry crepes with sweet cream topping, and selection of black coffees and teas to match. Claus and Iris, having experienced Michiko's cooking the previous night, had an idea what to expect, but the children were amazed. Beatrice was the first to give the crepes a try, her eyes widening with shock and delight at the explosion of complex sweetness that she had never experienced before. The two brothers soon followed, amazed at what they were tasting. The cooking reminded them of the time they were at Adelaide's debutante ball*, and they knew only one person who cooked like this, which caused them to take another look at who was serving them.

* see Manga Chp16 /LN Chp8 / Anime Epi5

"Wha...? M-Michiko...?" Alexis was the first to remember. "Y-you're back? You made this?"

Michiko bowed. "Alexis-sama, Theodore-sama, Beatrice-sama, I am very happy to see you all again."

The children blinked almost in unison. Theodore asked, "I thought Mitsuha said you didn't speak our language?"

"If one listens, one learns," Michiko explained. "Mitsuha brought me here a few months ago, and I've had to... adapt to my situation."

A few months...? the children wondered. She picked up this much proficiency in only a few months? Granted, she still sounded off here and there and some of her pronunciation needed work, but they could generally understand what she was saying, and that was an accomplishment already.

"Michiko... how did you make these... jams?" Beatrice asked. "I've never had strawberry jam taste this... good...?"

Michiko smiled proudly. "You can thank your father, actually. I wouldn't have been able to make them at Baron Turck's place. Your father's kitchen happens to have some exotic ingredients, including a high-quality balsamic vinegar and spices like black pepper. Add a pinch of salt, and it brings out the best in strawberries," she explained. "For the blueberries, I used lemon juice, cloves, allspice and cinnamon," she continued. Jalapeños would have made it even better, but unfortunately those don't seem to be available in this part of the world... too bad... they're missing out on a whole category of food because of that...

Eibinger listened quietly as he started into a portion of eggs benedict. This was amazing, he thought, like no other cooking I've ever eaten before, even in the palace. Who was this girl, he wondered, but then set the thought aside. He had more important matters to discuss, no matter how much he enjoyed the food. "Well, your new chef is... quite skilled. But I would like to move onto the reason why we're here."

Count Bozes nodded. "Yes, of course. Children, could you please excuse us?" As Count Bozes, Marquis Eibinger and his party stood up and headed to the Count's private study, the aide-de-camp pulled out his satchel of papers and books, all written in Japanese. Count Bozes picked up one of the books, then motioned for Rufus to summon someone. Next, Michiko entered the room, holding a silver pot of tea. However, much to Eibinger's surprise, Bozes then handed the book to Michiko. "If you would please..."

Michiko opened the book. "This is a book about naval warfare strategy and tactics, specifically about the battles of Lord Horatio Nelson." Eibinger noticed a subtle shift in Michiko's tone; she was less deferential than before, and now speaking with more authority in her voice. "In our world's history, he was one of our greatest admirals to command fleets in naval warfare during the sailing age. It goes over some of his life story, but also breaks down his most famous battles at sea and the strategies both sides employed. Many of his tactics are still studied in naval warfare colleges of modern navies to this day."

Eibinger stared at Michiko for several more seconds before Bozes finally broke out with a brief chuckle. "Sorry old friend, after so many months of stress, I just had to have a moment of levity seeing you like this." He then turned to Michiko to dismiss her gently, "We'll talk later Michiko, you can go relax for now."

"Y-your new chef... Michiko... she reads the ArchPriestess' home language?"

"In fact, she's Mitsuha's close friend from childhood, a commoner from her home country, and shares much of her upbringing and education. Mitsuha introduced her to us several months ago but said that it would only be for a brief visit*. However, it turns out she had returned a few months ago for another trip, only to have Mitsuha disappear on her. We found her working a chef's job to support herself while we were attending Baron Turck's party the other night. I realized that, with her background, it was highly likely she could help us. After confirming that last night, I arranged to hire her as a chef. But don't worry... I'll have her report to the ship construction site starting tomorrow; that should help get things moving on the blueprints and textbooks with someone doing the translating once again."

*see The Ones We Leave Behind Epilogue

Eibinger was about to agree, but then stopped himself. "Actually... hold off for a moment... " He paused to take a breath. "The other day, Chancellor Saar informed me that the rumors Prince Lionel spoke of had apparently begun to take root; and that he was now seeing signs of unrest and even rebellion on the horizon. If so, it's highly likely we have spies operating throughout the city. Once construction begins again in earnest, that's going to be impossible to hide, and when that happens, people are going to be looking to find out how. If she's seen openly translating books and scrolls, she's going to become a target."

Count Bozes' face took on a look of concern. "If there is a rebellion building, then we may need to consider shifting back to building the Minié rifles instead. If I were such a force, I'd be stockpiling muskets, and doing whatever I could to build more. Before she vanished, Mitsuha had said that these types of rifles would be a significant advantage in battle, were the Kingdom ever threatened by outside powers wielding muskets." Who would have thought it would be our own people, he shook his head bitterly.

Eibinger continued, "The original plans have been in the Kingdom for quite some time. If there are spies among the nobilities, there's a slight possibility they may have leaked. That said, no one else in the Kingdom can read the ArchPriestess' language, so those plans are of limited use. But having Michiko would change that substantially; if the enemy were to capture her..."

Bozes added, "Or failing that... even kill her..."

Eibinger concluded, "Agreed. Keep her here under your protection. If she goes out, make sure she has an escort. I'll arrange to have the materials sent here. Once she's translated them, have the transcribed copies sent to our workshops to begin building the rifles. If she has the capacity to translate the ship materials as well, send those to the shipyards. As for whenever people see her around your home, tell them she's a new chef on your staff. That shouldn't be a hard sell. Have her bake a few things and everyone will accept that. Meanwhile, I'll notify Chancellor Saar and Prince Lionel about these developments, along with the need for discretion."

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Chancellor Saar studied the various reports coming in from his subordinates. On the wall of his office, he was tracking the reports of missing shipments that were supposed to be heading into the capital workshops. Construction had come to a stop, which was causing frustration among the workforce and nobles alike. What worried him more though was the implications that there were apparently seeds of open rebellion fomenting throughout the southern provinces of the country.

"Saar-sama, could I talk with you?"

"Ah... Sabine-chan," Saar said with a smile. "How can I help you?"

Sabine put on her most innocent smile; the one she used so often to get what she wanted from her father. "I wanted to ask you about Mitsuha-neesama... has the Kingdom been able to do anything about finding her..."

Saar took off his glasses, pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration and sighed. "Ah... I wish I had some answers for you, Sabine-chan. The truth is, no one has heard anything from the ArchPriestess for months. Because of this, the Kingdom itself is facing grave times..." He trailed off, not knowing how much he really should be sharing with such a young, innocent person, or so he thought of her, anyway.

"Well... surely everyone in the Kingdom should be wanting her to return, right?" Sabine prompted. "Everyone looks up to her for how she's constantly saving us from bad people?"

Where is this line of thinking coming from...? Saar wondered. "Well... of course the Viscountess Yamano is a great hero to many. But... well... sometimes people can be strange," he admitted.

Ah-hah... Sabine thought silently, so he does know some people. Of course she didn't suspect Saar; he was by far one of her father's most loyal and wisest subjects, which was why she was fairly sure it was safe to start with him. Naturally, he couldn't just give up names, because saying them out loud without solid proof would have been irresponsibly slanderous, but just the fact that he suspected meant she was on the right track and could start to follow the thread.

Just then, a messenger arrived in their room and handed Saar a sealed note. After dismissing the man, Saar opened the note, and his expression brightened. Reading his expression, Sabine asked, "What is it? Is it about Mitsuha-neesama?"

"Wha...? Um, no..." Saar said, much to Sabine's disappointment. "But apparently it does involve her friend, who I believe you know."

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Back at the Bozes residence, Michiko's divided her time over the next few weeks working on translating the materials brought to her and occasionally cooking, though at a more leisurely pace than before. Count Bozes made it clear that her primary duties weren't to be a full-time chef; he was mostly paying for her expertise as a translator. They had run into an initial roadblock when it was revealed that Michiko's knowledge of Zegleus was further limited by the fact that she couldn't read nor write, but that was quickly solved by assigning three servants who were literate to transcribe everything she read off to pages.

Feeling a little embarrassed, she asked the Count for some children's books to learn some basic literacy in Zegleus on the side while she was translating Japanese. It's like being a little kid again , she belatedly thought as she read the books with their brightly illustrated pictures and oversized lettering of the alphabet, basic words, and conjugation. More frustratingly, Zegleus had a slightly different sentence structure to deal with. She knew a little English, because it was required learning in the Japanese curricula, and it had a substantially different sentence structure from Japanese. Now yet again, another language had to throw its hat in the ring... why couldn't all of Mankind just figure out one logical way to communicate and just get it over with...! Of course, that was an absurdly Utopian idea, but probably what every frustrated language student had at one time or another. Or better yet, how about having that darned Cat-God show up and dole out a few more gifts while he was at it...!

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"I'm telling you, something's changed."

Jerome Lafette and Count Lansen listened as one of their agents reported to them at the Count's residence. Their plans hinged on the fact that the Kingdom's ability to build the new rifles and ships had come to a complete stop and there was enough internal turmoil that now would be the time for a new faction to seize its advantage. However, if their agent's report was to be believed, something in the past month had changed. New construction of rifles and ships had restarted. His agents even reported that the construction team were working with plans and construction blueprints, only this time, written in the local language.

Count Lansen turned to Jerome with a stern expression. "You told me the ArchPriestess was dead... or at least... out of the picture."

Jerome shifted nervously. This wasn't part of the plan. We were supposed to be the ones with the muskets; we would have the advantage. If the Kingdom's guards were suddenly equipped and trained with Minié rifles and cannons, that would change the game, and not for the better. "If the ArchPriestess had survived and reported our ambush, we'd already be facing the gallows. The most likely scenario is the Kingdom has found someone else who can translate the ArchPriestess' work."

Count Lansen stood up and began to pace the room. Jerome Lafette and his family were the orchestrators of this plan, but his family was one of its primary financial backers. He had gone into this with the goal that it would enable his family greater wealth and power to make up what they lost ever since the meddling of the ArchPriestess' arrival and their losses of the Aldar Empire trading. If the plan failed and the conspirators were caught, it would be the gallows for his whole family, and all involved. To say the stakes they were playing were high was a gross understatement. "I don't care how or why. But you'd better find out how the Kingdom has restarted their production, or the whole plan is in jeopardy, and I didn't come this far to have my entire family go up in flames, just because of some... mystery translator!"

Jerome nodded and turned to his men. He knew there were a lot of written materials the Kingdom was dealing with; translating all of that would take time. They would find this code breaker or translator, whoever they were, and bring them over to their side, or failing that, put a stop to them once and for all.

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"I really don't think that's a good idea." Michiko huffed slightly as Count Claus Bozes shot down her idea of keeping Mitsuha's General Store open. "For starters, it's halfway across the city in the common district. In case you haven't noticed, you and Mitsuha greatly resemble one another to the casual observer. Even with an escort, you're going to draw a great deal of attention, and while we've been telling everyone that you're employed as our newest chef, if enough people see you, sooner or later, someone's going to figure it out that you have to be the translator."

"I thought you said you wanted the news that Mitsuha was missing to be kept quiet," Mitchiko countered. "One of the ways that we've been doing that was by keeping the store open so people could keep buying her products. If that stops, more people are going to start talking about that."

"We can get someone else to run the store, if that's what it takes," Claus replied.

"No one else knows how to deactivate the store's security systems," Michiko warned. "And I doubt Mitsuha would really want me to spill those secrets to anyone."

Claus paused. "How is it that you know?"

"Because..." Michiko trailed off before continuing. "... They're the same codes for the house... she grew up in... She and I... We've let each other into our houses throughout our childhood many times. At least until a year or so ago... there's very little we didn't share with one another."

"I-I see. Mitsuha rarely talks much about her time before coming to this country. She said you were her childhood companion, but I guess we really didn't consider just how close that meant."

Michiko sighed. "I... I can't even remember a time I didn't know her name. She, Tsuyoshi and I... we were just like one family... until... well..." she trailed off and her face began to betray her emotions.

"I... I see... I know that her arrival here was marred by tragedy... she told us as much*. I can see that it affected you as well. Iris and I... We've tried to fill in as her guardians, at least as much as we could. If you are as close to her as a sister, then I would ask that you see our family as an ally... we both want the same thing. We both want what's best for Mitsuha and to find her if at all possible."

*see Manga Chp7 /LN Chp5 / Anime Epi3

Michiko took a moment to think things through. Do I really care about running the shop? Was it actually helping the overall goal of finding out who was responsible for what happened to Mitsuha or was I just spinning my wheels? The Count obviously knows the players of this town infinitely better than I ever will; I would be a fool not to accept any help he could offer... and he's right... Mitsuha trusted him above all other nobles. I should consider him an ally. She nodded then spoke up. "Then help me find out who did this to Mitsuha. I'm convinced that somewhere out there... there's a hostile agent who did something terrible to her. I may not have magical transfer powers like her; I can't follow her to help her directly." She stood up straighter and spoke with more conviction. "But I can... and I will find out who did this to her. Sabine-hime-sama feels the same... and we could use the help."

Count Bozes sized Michiko up. I can see why Mitsuha and Michiko were lifelong friends, despite their different social standings... They both have the same kind of mental fortitude, will and determination. "I understand... but you have to realize that there are bigger things going on. I agree that there had to have been an attack on Mitsuha, but that was probably only the first step of a far larger plan. It's been brought to my attention since her disappearance, large shipments of goods have gone missing, and several baronies are showing signs of financial irregularities. Both Chancellor Saar and Prince Lionel believe an active rebellion movement has taken root. In other words, we're probably after the same people."

"Then we should find out who these people are. I wanted to listen in to conversations at Baron Turck's party but wasn't allowed outside the kitchen back then."

"I remember that party. Many of those same nobles will be attending Count Pasteur's party in a couple of weeks. Their family and ours have had some ties ever since their second daughter's debutante ball coincided with Mitsuha's appearance at one of their parties.*" He intentionally decided to leave out the part that Mitsuha had committed a major faux pas in skipping the actual party and that he and Alexis had to make it up to the poor girl during a subsequent appearance to patch things up to spare Michiko the ugly details. "But any actual rebellious factions aren't going to be exactly talking about their deals with me; my positions within the Kingdom are very well known."

*see Manga Chp54 /LN Chp23

"Then if your houses have ties, can you get me into that party as a servant? Any position... server... busser... even scullery maid... just some kind of temporary help for the night that would let me move around the party? I don't have any station in this world, other than maybe the few people who shop at Mitsuha's shop and even then, it would be as a humble shop keeper."

Count Bozes looked uncertain. The fact that you look very similar to Mitsuha to many people's eyes doesn't exactly help your anonymity. Nonetheless, he sighed. "I'll see what I can do."

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Gritt and Ilse watched as the carriages pulled in and out of Baron Turck's estate, making a note of the coat of arms. They had given up following Michiko once she had been dragged into Count Bozes' estate. He was Lady Mitsuha's closest ally among the nobility; if he was taking her into his home, then the likelihood that Michiko was a hostile agent had just dropped sharply, so Ilse suggested they pursue her former employer. Making the list of houses that came and went into the mansion were several prominent merchants as well, including a family that stuck out in Gritt's mind for having no markings. Who was this...? Noble houses had their coat of arms. Major merchant houses had their insignias to advertise their products and wares. For a large wealthy presence to be showing up at a Baron's estate consistently, and without any markings was suspicious indeed.

"That's from Count Lansen's house," Ilse whispered, as she watched the carriage unload what appeared to be chests of currency.

Gritt nodded. "And that's a lot of money for a Count to be paying a mere Baron." It was also very late at night; far later than most legitimate transactions would be taking place. The two of them had hidden themselves in an alley. As experienced mercenaries, this wasn't their first time operating from ambush, though in this case, they weren't planning to attack, unless they had no choice.

"Who is that?" Ilse asked. She was indicating the man leading the caravan. The girls knew it wasn't Count Lansen himself; they knew his face. This man looked more like an experienced warrior; he had both the build and the way he moved was like someone who had seen a battlefield before.

Gritt stared at him, memorizing his face and mannerisms. She then watched as the man opened one of the crates and the Baron looked with some excitement. Baron Turck then pulled out one of the muskets and examined it with undisguised glee. "Oh... that can't be good... " Gritt muttered, as Ilse nodded in agreement. Those were supposed to be held by the Kingdom, both girls knew. For them to be loose in the hands of a Barony that they knew wasn't exactly held in the highest regards meant trouble. They weren't sure if this was directly related to Lady Mitsuha's disappearance, but clearly bigger things were afoot. This, they had to report in.

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Three weeks later, the party for Count Pasteur's first daughter's birthday had arrived. Count Bozes had managed to get Michiko added as one of the additional servers for the party, with the curious condition that she bake the desserts earlier in the day. A quick query revealed that Beatrice confessed to the Pasteur's daughters that she had fallen in love with Michiko's desserts on how complex and delicious they were, and now the eldest daughter wanted to try some. Well, at least no one will question if her chef job is a cover for being a secret translator instead, Count Bozes thought.

Michiko headed to the Pasteur's mansion a few days early to interview the first daughter to get a list of her likes and dislikes. She then presented some offerings and suggestions of what she could deliver, given what raw materials and produce was available in the stores, along with the expected headcount, though she was told to overestimate on the latter, as was the norm for these noble parties. Extra cake and cookies would not go to waste, the Pasteur girls assured her. On the morning of the party, she arrived early and after a few hours work, pulled out several large bananas fosters layer cakes with vanilla bean buttercream and pecan praline drizzled decorations, much to the anticipated delight of both daughters. The cakes were infused with banana liquor and rum for some extra kick, and she added some pecan praline cookies on the side to make sure enough sweets would satisfy the crowd, or at least she hoped it would. Satisfied, she changed to a server outfit and left some instructions with the kitchen staff on proper portion sizes for a normal dessert serving. The dinner she watched them prepare was... well... decent. It should be filling enough where no one would want more, right?

Out in the main dining area, the Pasteur's butler was organizing the servers for the night, pairing them up to be responsible for sections throughout the night. He detailed their responsibilities, along with a few etiquette reminders on how to handle themselves. Michiko found herself paired up with a nice-looking young man she never met before. He was fair-haired, tall and lean with the build of a young athlete. He smiled as the two were split off. "It looks like we'll be working together tonight."

Michiko smiled. "Yeah. Let's do our best."

"If you don't mind me asking, you sound like you're not from around here."

"Well... I... it's complicated..."

He smiled. "It's OK. My family has also just moved here, so I know what it's like having to live in a new town. But it can be easier if you learn to make friends."

"That's true," she agreed and offered her hand. "I'm Michiko. Michiko Nakamura."

"Daniel," he smiled and shook her hand. "Daniel Lafette."