For the Good of the Kingdom

Nine Months Since Entering

The Silver Fox of the King's soldiers rode in the lead of a formation of horse riders numbering nearly a hundred men. He was among the most experienced of the King's guard; having served with this ruler for coming up on thirty years. He had been the man who first spotted Mitsuha calling herself the "Lightning ArchPriestess", along with her futile attempts to deny it*. Now once again, he had been called upon to lead forces, with another foreign girl by his side.

*see Manga Chps22 /LN Chp10 /Anime Epi8

Behind him, soldiers from the King's personal guard, all equipped with armor and a variety of weapons were prepared to follow their leader, and by extension, their King into battle. The deadly earnest of their purpose weighed on all of them. Their Kingdom was under threat of rebellion, and if there was one thing the Silver Fox didn't abide by was treachery, in the battlefield nor the scheming back channels of the noble classes. He was conflicted on how he felt; he was annoyed that his own people were at each other's throats. On the other, he felt some comfort that a stranger felt such pride that she would sacrifice her own life to save their Prince and Princess. Such a patriot must not be allowed to perish.

As they entered the perimeter of the slums, they immediately saw chaos in the streets. Signs of fighting could be seen on the streets and neighborhoods. The Silver Fox took charge, deploying the platoons within his company to cover the perimeter of the warehouse district he had been briefed on. Several streets down, he could see his destination, but the intervening buildings with the district blocked his view. He hadn't been told how many the enemy numbered; for all he knew, there could be hundreds of men waiting.

Just then, two men came running towards the Royal Guard formation. The soldiers stood ready, but fortunately, the two men signaled peace, with their hands raised. "Identify yourselves!" the first platoon leader demanded.

"I'm Sven; I'm the senior officer from the Yamano militia!" Sven declared. "Our partners were with Michiko before they made contact with enemy forces!" He didn't go into detail about his Lady's magical communication devices; that would have complicated matters.

The Silver Fox nodded in acknowledgement. "Troops, deploy! Search the area! Find our allies and do whatever is necessary to rescue them!"

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Gritt, Ilse and Michiko stood tense as the half-dozen rebel soldiers prepared to disarm them. The lead rebel soldier pointed to Michiko holding the borrowed musket. "Hand it over!"

Without a word, Michiko complied, handing over the musket, along with the dagger on her belt. Gritt and Ilse looked concerned; it was rarely a good idea to surrender your weapon. In combat and in war, your weapon was your life. However, Gritt also noticed that Michiko was strangely calm about handing over the musket. What was she thinking...? Michiko was no soldier but she wasn't a fool either, Gritt considered. She's got something on her mind.

Upon receiving the musket and dagger, the soldier sneered at the girls... such weaklings to surrender so easily, he gloated internally. He then pointed the musket at Michiko. "Just a suggestion," he said mockingly. "Never give up your weapon to your enemy in battle...!" He shouldered the musket then fired, only to scream in pain as the musket exploded in his face.

Gritt immediately took the opportunity, grabbing Michiko and charging past the injured soldier as his comrades were momentarily shocked. Ilse followed, having experience on picking up subtle cues from Gritt from many prior battles. They managed to reach an alley, as the other soldiers tried to give chase. "How did that...?"

"I have Mitsuha's pistols, so I never actually planned on using that musket, but figured that someone might try to take it from me," Michiko explained. "I loaded it with about five times the normal powder then plugged the barrel."

Wow... ok, that was pretty forward thinking, Gritt thought with amazement. Don't play Shogi against this girl, she added as they took cover in an alley. Next to her, Ilse notched her arrow and prepared to shoot their pursuers, as Michiko drew her Beretta. Gritt allowed her partners to get ahead of her, so she could cover their rear flank from their pursuers with her sword. Ilse fired the first shot, dropping her target with an arrow through the neck to bypass his armor, and swiftly reloaded. Michiko fired a three-round burst from her Beretta, which sent bullets over their heads, but caused the soldiers to duck and seek cover.

"Stop with the warning shots!" Gritt ordered. "You wanted to fight? This is what it looks like!"

"Those weren't supposed to be warning shots!" Michiko snapped back with embarrassment.

You're a lousy shot then...! Gritt managed to avoid retorting. She didn't need to crush her morale just now but did she have any actual training with that thing? She and the other officers in the Yamano militia had been trained with their H&K-MP5K PDWs and while they hadn't ever had to shoot real enemies, she was fairly confident they could, should the need arise. Unfortunately, it looked like Michiko was holding a gun for the first time in her life and it showed.

Next to her, Ilse released her second arrow, striking the nearest pursuer in his chest. At this close range, her bow had just enough power to get through the light armor they were wearing. Another soldier finally closed distance with the girls, so Gritt stepped up, engaging him with her sword. Michiko thought about trying to help, but she didn't trust her accuracy enough to avoid hitting Gritt, so she fired another burst at the men behind them, this time successfully managing to land grazing shots into her target's leg and pelvis, causing him to drop in pain.

Gritt disabled her opponent after three moves with a slash through the man's dominate shoulder, then turned to face the street. Six or seven more men incoming... not sure how much longer we can hold out. She steeled herself... if I'm going down today, it won't be because I quit on my team! Behind her, Ilse silently echoed Gritt's determination, notching and preparing to fire another arrow. Michiko did her best to draw strength from her protectors, but inwardly, she was terrified. Would it hurt...?

However, just then, the incoming rebels were stopped in their tracks as arrows came in from their left side, hitting all but one, who cringed when he saw his allies go down in a heap. To their right, he froze as the sight of twenty of the Kingdom's armored soldiers closed in on them. Within seconds, the rest of the platoon swarmed in to secure the rebel soldiers, along with Sven and Szep.

"Thank the Goddess, you're safe!" Sven sighed with relief. "When we heard that message with those enemy voices, we feared the worst!"

"Good thing you found us so quick," Gritt confessed. "This place is swarming with rebel soldiers."

"Well, the gunfire noises helped," Szep admitted. "No one else fires anything that sounds like that."

"Too bad she can't hit anything with it..." Gritt muttered sotto voce.

The Silver Fox commander approached. "Are you Michiko?" Upon receiving confirmation, he continued. "We've been sent by His Majesty to provide any aid and assistance you need." He turned towards the warehouses looming in the next block. "This is where the rebellion leaders are?"

"Yes; I believe so," Michiko confirmed. "A log entry in the galleon said they were coordinating supplies and logistics between the galleon and their ground forces from Count Larsen's warehouse. Since the Larsen mansion was confirmed to be abandoned and under guard earlier, this is the only place he would have left that's within the city, and the necessary space to conduct a large-scale operation."

The Silver Fox nodded. "Search the warehouses! Bring in any suspects at once!"

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"Mi' Lord, the last of your possessions have been packed," the vassal reported to Count Larsen. "We're ready to depart."

About time, Larsen grumbled. This whole fiasco would cost his family for years to come, even if the existing monarchy was overthrown, which was beginning to look less likely by the moment. He looked around one last time to make sure nothing important was overlooked, then realized that neither Jerome Lafette nor his son were anywhere to be seen. Well, good riddance to them... Larsen thought. The more distance he could put between himself and that cursed family, the better. He might even be able to claim that the whole affair was their doing and that he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. After all, no one outside his circle of loyal vassals had actually seen him take up arms against the Kingdom. Money was fungible, after all. If asked questions, he would simply deny his involvement. And if Jerome did later turn up, it would be the word of a loyal nobleman of the Kingdom verses the words of an Aldar madman.

"Mi' Lord!" another vassal shouted as he ran up to Larsen. "The warehouse is surrounded! The Kingdom's troops...!"

Well, damn it all... Larsen muttered to himself. However, he forced himself to act calmly. For his ruse to have any chance, he had to present himself properly.

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"So, what do we do now?" Michiko asked.

"They..." Gritt forcefully emphasized, "are going to do their duty. You are coming with us back to safety."

"I... got it," Michiko bowed her head in submission.

"Can you two handle that?" Sven asked. "Szep and I need to coordinate with the Kingdom and report our findings to Count Bozes."

"We'll be fine," Ilse nodded.

"Let us know when you've safely reached the Palace with the magical communication devices," Szep warned. "Call out know if you run into any trouble too."

They're called radios, Michiko almost blurted out, but didn't feel like another lecture at the moment.

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"Gentlemen... I'm so glad you're here," Count Larsen declared. "Please believe me... there's been a most unfortunate misunderstanding."

The Silver Fox snorted with derision. Did this idiot really think the Kingdom was so foolish? "In that case, I'm sure you'll have no issues coming to the Palace to clear up this... misunderstanding."

Larsen hesitated for a moment; the instant he was at the Palace, any chance of physical escape would be next to nil, but if he refused, he may as well just confess to the whole affair. "O-of course. Nothing is more important than my family's good name and the good of the Kingdom."

Sven and Szep looked on with contempt. Sven considered dropping their Ace card right then; that his partners had already witnessed his carriages delivering money and weapons to the rebel units, but decided to keep quiet. Let this fool keep digging his own grave... his own lies would be used to bury him and his treacherous family. Gritt and Ilse would be there to testify their findings and it would be all over for him.

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Gritt and Ilse moved through the slum streets, with Michiko in tow. The sooner they were out of the slums, the better. All around them, they could still hear the sound of fighting and the occasional musket fire, so they moved carefully from alley to alley to maintain cover. Upon reaching the perimeter surrounding the warehouse district, they were greeted by the Kingdom's troops. Gritt presented her credentials as an officer of the Yamano militia and explained they were escorting a high-value asset back to the Palace. The soldiers nodded respectfully; they had been informed that this was the girl who rescued the Princess from the rebels, and assured the three girls that all the rebel leadership would be rounded up shortly.

The streets of the common district were also quiet; sensible people were sheltering indoors to avoid the conflict, though roving bands of outlaws were taking opportunities as they could. Gritt took point, with Ilse covering the rear behind Michiko. As they approached a corner, Gritt motioned for them to stop. Ahead of them, she heard the sounds of someone approaching. Readying her sword, she waited for the silhouette to break the plane, then seized the approaching man by surprise, pushing him against the wall.

"Daniel!" Michiko immediately recognized.

"You know this guy?!" Gritt demanded.

"He's... Lafette's son," Michiko admitted, but then noticed Daniel's sorrowful expression.

"N-not anymore," Daniel said downcast. "My father... has cast me out because of my failure."

"Let him go, please," Michiko beseeched Gritt, who reluctantly complied.

"I know you won't ever see me the same way as before, but I never meant to hurt you," Daniel insisted.

"Daniel, I..."

<POP!>

All heads turned towards the unmistakable sound of a musket shot. Michiko's eyes widened with shock as Daniel suddenly clutched his chest and dropped to his knees. His tunic showed the distinct pool of blood ballooning from the fatal wound. Gritt and Ilse immediately snapped towards the sound of the shot and saw Jerome holding the smoking musket from across the street. Daniel looked up at Michiko and whispered, "I'm sorry...".

Michiko stood paralyzed with shock and grief. "Thus always... to failures..." Jerome sneered with disdain.

Knowing Jerome was now empty, Gritt charged towards him and snarled, "Bastard...!"

Ilse tried to notch an arrow, but Gritt was now blocking her shot. Ilse knew she couldn't join Gritt because that would mean leaving her principal unprotected, so she kept her bow ready, waiting for a clear shot.

Gritt swung her sword hard at Jerome, who blocked it with the heavy wooden musket, then immediately used the butt side to strike her in the face. She reeled back, abruptly realizing that she wasn't dealing with an amateur. He's strong... she grimaced, and tried to swing again, but Jerome's superior reach and strength was beginning to take its toll.

"Fall back!" Ilse called out, trying again to line up for a shot.

Hearing her partner, Gritt tried to withdraw, but caught another strike on the back of the neck, dropping her to the ground. Seeing a clear shot, Ilse shot her arrow, but because of a last-second turn, she only caught him in his weak-side shoulder. Jerome looked angrily at her, drew a flintlock pistol from his side and fired, wounding Ilse in her strong-side shoulder, causing her to stumble back. Jerome dropped his now-empty flintlock, drew his sword and headed toward Ilse.

"No!" Michiko shouted, drawing and firing a burst from her Beretta, missing high yet again. Recognizing the threat, Jerome charged Michiko, swatting the pistol from her hands, picked her up and threw her down like a rag doll. Before she could move, he drove his heel directly into her left knee. Having never been in a serious fight or even risky activity, Michiko had never suffered a broken bone in her life. Until today.

Michiko shrieked in agony as her knee exploded with white-hot pain and tears began streaming down her face. Jerome looked at his handiwork, with vicious satisfaction. This girl... this so-called translator... Right there and then, he realized she was probably the root of everything that had gone wrong. How appropriate that she pay the price. And yet... her face... she looked so much like...

Jerome picked Michiko up and held her against the wall. She gasped for air as her vision began to blur, from tears and the pain shooting through her whole body. He leaned in close... his one regret was he hadn't personally ended the Lightning ArchPriestess himself... perhaps Fate was giving him this second chance. "I look at you... and I see her face...!" he intoned with pure hate. "You cost me everything... my revenge on this pathetic country... even my own son...!"

"Y-your hatred cost you your son...!" Michiko managed to gasp, while looking for any possible way out. Gritt was still half-conscious from her blows and Ilse was disabled by the shot to her shoulder. She was alone against this madman.

"Oh really...?" Jerome taunted. "You think you knew my son better than me... that weak, pathetic coward? You share a few sweet words then you dare to claim to know his true nature? Tell me... what mewling words did he say to you that you would think such a thing...?!"

Jerome pulled Michiko close enough for her to smell his breath... but something else, she realized. Her fingertips brushed up against his belt, and for just a moment, she focused and concentrated solely on the latter. "H-he told me... " she gasped with gritted teeth while reaching for his spare dagger on his belt sheath, coincidentally similar to the dagger Daniel once tried giving her, "...that even girls should be able to defend themselves...!" as she pulled, then plunged the dagger into his abdomen and twisted the blade to open the wound cavity.

Jerome looked down in pain and shock. He tried to reach for the dagger in Michiko's hand but the damage was done. Warm blood and fluid spilled forth, along with a shuddering Michiko could feel from the handle that she never wanted to feel again. Both combatants dropped to their knees, sending another spike of pain shooting through Michiko's left leg. Her vision began to dim... she could just barely make out familiar voices that sounded distant and faint calling her name before everything went dark.

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Michiko's eyes cracked open, as awareness slowly returned. An unfamiliar ceiling... she thought. Her whole body felt heavy and weighed down; she could barely move. She had been lightly covered with a sheet and the cot that held her uncomfortably flat. She could still feel an intense discomfort coming from her left leg.

Bit-by-bit... memories began filtering back... I was in a fight... what happened... where am I... what happened to the others...? As she did, she inadvertently made some noise, that attracted someone.

"Whoa... whoa... lie still," a stranger's voice gently ordered. "You've been mostly out for more than a day."

"W-who...?" Michiko croaked; her throat felt dry as sandpaper and her lips felt cracked.

"I'm Doctor Heian," the older man assured. "We've set the bone in your leg and dressed your wounds. The wounds and contusions should heal with some bed rest, but the bone is going to take some time."

"C-can I have some water...?" Michiko asked with a soft voice.

"Of course... and now that your fever seems to have broken, we'll bring you some food as well. You'll need to replenish your strength to facilitate healing."

"Wh-where is everyone else?"

Heian sighed grimly. "The Kingdom is still in some turmoil... but as I understand things... thanks much to you... there's been a big step forward in resolving the crisis. The soldiers and officers who brought you in are preparing for testimony against the rebel leadership. Of course, I'll let them know that you're up. You should be able to see them soon."

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"Count Larsen," Chief Judge Penna intoned gravely. "Step forward and state your case."

The room was one of the highest courts in the Kingdom. Normally an austere affair, cases that came to this court were always ones of the most serious charges. Usually few people were present, other than the involved parties, but in this case, the court chamber was filled to capacity, which did nothing to help Larsen's mood.

"Chief Judge Penna," Larsen began with as much gravitas as he could muster. "I am here today to state for the record that my family has, and always will be faithful supporters of the Crown and the Kingdom. These... baseless charges have no merit."

The court stenographer entered the charges into the record, so there would be no mistaking his words in future accounting before nodding. Penna then continued, "And you maintain that records showing monies transferred between your House and certain rebellious elements...?"

"Are completely without cause," Larsen responded. He smiled inwardly; word had reached him that both Jerome Lafette and his son Daniel had been killed in the conflict. There would be no one who could claim otherwise, he told himself.

Penna leaned forward. "Are you aware that, we have eyewitness testimony stating that wagons with your House crest were seen transporting such goods and monies to illicit persons from Yamano County's militia officers?"

"Noble crests can be forged so easily, Your Honor," Larsen claimed. "Of course, it's possible that wagons bearing those crests were used for such purposes, and title forgery would indeed be a serious crime; one that I would have a personal stake in solving. However, at no time was I nor anyone serving my family would have been involved. Mere sight of such wagons cannot be considered proof, especially for a House that has served the Kingdom for so many generations," he concluded.

"I see," Penna said, with a glint in his eye. "Then what I told you that a witness has come forward, stating definitively that you approached him, for the sole purpose of recruiting his house to betray the Crown?"

Larsen went pale. Claiming wagons might have been forgeries was one thing. Having a direct witness stating he was actually present would be harder to challenge. But who... surely none of his vassals flipped? "I... I would insist no such witness could be considered reliable. Surely, you're not relying on some commoner... perhaps a disloyal vassal with an axe to grind in the hope for a pittance of a reward for false testimony?"

"No, of course not," Penna assured. "This court would never take the word of a commoner over a noble, without substantial backing. Fortunately, this testimony doesn't come from a commoner." At this, Penna made a gesture. "Please have the witness enter." Larsen and everyone else turned as the former went pale.

In walked Baron Turck, who went to the witness stand. The court bailiff asked Turck to stand. "Please give your testimony."

"This man approached me directly," Turck began, "for the sole purpose of betraying the Kingdom for financial and political gain. Naturally, I had no intent to betray the Kingdom, but decided to play along, for the sole reason of finding out all I could before reporting my findings to the Crown."

"Turck, you...!" Larsen lashed out.

"I even have the records from his other co-conspirators, the former Barons from the Tomsen family, August and Burkhalt. Burkhalt himself was the one who kidnapped Prince Lionel... I believe our Crown Prince himself can corroborate this. August was the man who led the assault to seize the galleon from the harbor docks, which can be confirmed by the men who were guards at the dock that night."

And naturally you had nothing to do with this, Penna cynically thought to himself. Of course, he knew Turck was almost certainly just as involved, but it was his conclusion and the Kingdom's that if a small fish flipped to bring down the bigger fish, it was a price they were willing to pay. The Turck House would just have to be made to pay in more subtle ways in the years to come. If it meant quickly rounding up the leadership, then perhaps the warring counties to the South could be brought to heel that much faster once their Noble leaders were sentenced and new noble landholders could be assigned.

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For Michiko, days stretched into a week, then two. Nurses would come in to dress her wounds and take care of her physical needs. She asked how was she going to be paying for her treatment, but was told on no uncertain terms that she didn't need to concern herself and to just focus on getting better.

On the third week, the Bozes family arrived to see her. Michiko felt a little embarrassed, considering how absolutely terrible she looked, but they assured her that appearances meant little when healing from such a serious injury. Her broken leg had been fitted with a weight-bearing cast and the doctors allowed her to sit up, and try some basic exercises to regain her mobility, all the while keeping weight off the leg. They warned her that was paramount; if the bone wasn't allowed to heal properly, she could be looking at serious disfigurement that all the doctors had seen before.

On the fourth week, the Yamano mercenaries arrived, along with some people she hadn't met before. Sven introduced them; Miriam, Major Willem and Colette had arrived from Yamano County to offer their support and eternal gratitude that Michiko had brought the man who attacked Lady Mitsuha to justice. There was a momentary crisis when Colette gave Michiko a hug, nearly breaking her ribs and spine. Oh right... should have warned you about that, Miriam thought. Colette often didn't know her own strength, as Mitsuha had discovered the hard way several times when they first met*.

*see Manga Chps1,3,4,56 /LN Chp1,4 /Anime Epi1,2

On the fifth week, Sabine showed up, bringing sweets from the Palace with her to give to Michiko. During their visit, Sabine let her know that it was the Kingdom who was paying for her medical care. Supposably, this was the best treatment the realm could offer, which Michiko felt both flattered but also depressed. Painkillers weren't invented until sometime in the 1800s, so until then, booze was the only solace from the pain, but she knew that would be counterproductive to her bones healing, so she forced herself to endure. Furthermore, she knew advanced surgery was also out of the question. She could only hope that the doctors here actually set her bone properly, or she might risk permanent disfigurement, which worried her. However, she kept that from Sabine, putting on a happy face for her visit.

It was the nights that were the worst. Michiko's memories kept going back to the confrontation over and over. She grieved at seeing Daniel's face begging for forgiveness... recalling the terror at Jerome's fury and rage... a deep sense of remorse at seeing his eyes roll back in his head as both of them fell to the ground. She woke up every morning with tears rolling down her face. She could still remember the sensation of warm blood overflowing the dagger handle and the stickiness between her fingers. In her mind, she kept wondering if there was any other way. Yes, he was an awful man... but he was still a human being, a part of her mind insisted.

On the seventh week, Gritt and Ilse came to visit, informing Michiko that Doctor Heian had given the OK for her to complete her rehabilitation from her home, as long as she kept weight off the left leg for at least another month and returned for a follow-up appointment in a few weeks, and to report any setbacks immediately.

"Um... I don't have a home..." Michiko despaired.

"Of course you do," Gritt corrected her. "We're here to take you back to Count Bozes' capital estate mansion. He even sent us here in a carriage so you wouldn't have to walk."

"Wha...? Oh, OK, that's very kind of him," Michiko acknowledged with a distracted look.

After a brief pause, Gritt turned to Ilse. "Could you go tell the carriage driver that we'll be a few minutes? I'm going to get Michiko's stuff together."

Taking the hint, Ilse stepped back outside. Gritt then took a softer tone. "What's troubling you?"

Michiko sat up on the bed, for a few minutes that seemed much longer because of the silence. "In your time... as a mercenary... have you ever had to..." She trailed off, but the haunted look on her face told Gritt everything she needed to know.

Gritt slowly sat down next to Michiko and took a breath and sighed. "In the mercenary guild... there are members who have... well... " She paused again. "Some very skilled warriors can kill their enemies by the score and be back in the tavern that very night, toasting their skills and victories. Quite often, they get the reputation of being the best that money can buy, and are highly sought after by the nobles who hire such men. Their peers... many think of them as the standard to follow." She then looked directly at Michiko. "But they're wrong. The truth is... any time our group had to... do such deeds... we did... but we never forgot the seriousness nor the cost that entails. Even when it's justified and necessary, we always remembered it was someone else's life. That's what always separated us from several of the other mercenaries of the guild."

"Was I... did I screw up somehow...?" Michiko pondered. "Maybe if I had been... better trained... I could have..."

"Stop right there," Gritt ordered. "I saw the whole fight... Ilse did too. What you did... was absolutely justified and correct. There was no other way. If either of us, or Sven or Szep were in that position, we would have done exactly the same thing. You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of."

Michiko took a moment to consider Gritt's words. "Then... how do you... make the pain stop...?"

Gritt shook her head. "You don't... in fact, you should cherish that feeling. The fact that you feel such guilt and sorrow... even for a hated enemy... that means you're still the kind, sweet girl you've always been. It's natural and proper that a good person feels that way, when they're forced to take another life, even when it's justified. If the day ever comes... where taking a life becomes just another day... then you've truly lost a precious part of yourself."

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The news continued in the next few weeks, though Michiko rarely found herself directly involved. She caught snippets from the messengers that showed up regularly at the Bozes mansion in the evenings. Mostly, she focused on her rehabilitation exercises, pushing past the pain to strengthen the muscles and tissue around the still-healing bones.

During this time, Marquis Eibinger and Platidus arrived on frequent evening dinner visits, both expressing relief that Michiko had survived her ordeal and escaped from the galleon. Eibinger reported that the book Michiko left him had formed the basis of the country's new military training doctrine. He went on to say that it was already making a difference on the distant battlefields, turning the tide against the rebellious provinces, quickly forcing them to sue for peace. Platidus had sent her an invitation to be a guest speaker at the Zegleus college once she got better, which gave Michiko mixed feelings. You know I don't actually have a degree, right? It didn't seem right to her that someone who was technically a college dropout would be giving professorial lectures.

Finally, right about a year to the day Michiko had first come to this Kingdom, a messenger arrived at the Bozes mansion. Taking the envelope from Rufus, Claus read the message.

"Michiko, you're being summoned to the Castle for a formal ceremony," Claus confirmed. "Of course, the family has been invited as well, so you won't be alone."

"F-formal ceremony...?" Michiko said with surprise. "I can still barely walk, and I don't have anything to wear for something like a formal Royal ceremony...!"

"Don't worry about that," Iris kindly assured. "We'll have something appropriate for you to wear." Lady Adelaide was just about the right height, though like Mitsuha, Michiko had a flatter chest and smaller hips and waist, much to both girls' embarrassment, Iris thought. I'll reach out to Viscount Ryner about borrowing one of her dresses and having it altered; it'll be quicker than making one from scratch.

What could it be...? Michiko wondered. Am I in trouble or something...? No, if that were the case, they'd just come and grab me. They wouldn't make it a formal ceremony... so what's going on?

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The next day, Iris took Michiko to a dressmaker who catered to nobles to take her measurements, then made the appropriate alterations to a dress that had been waiting for them. Michiko couldn't help but gasp at the dress they were working on. In Japan, a full-length formal dress like this from a custom designer could easily run more than a million Yen; not that she had ever worn a full-length dress in her life. Guess short-skirts weren't exactly a thing in this medieval society... not to mention the cane she was still using would likely clash badly with this design.

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On the day of the ceremony, the Bozes family and Michiko rode a carriage to the Royal Castle. This was the second time Michiko had ever been here, though this time, things were far more relaxed than before. News had begun to spread throughout the city that several of the rebellious Provinces were ceasing hostilities; with the arrest and removal of the recalcitrant nobles from their stations, the remaining Nobles who had doubts quickly falling back into line to preserve their statuses. No one wanted to be on the losing side.

In the central throne room, there were dozens of nobles and attendants present. One-by-one, various names were called, including Marquis Eibinger, each one being recognized for their accomplishments and services during the crisis. Finally, as if being saved for the end, Michiko's name was called. Stepping forward, she attempted to curtsy, but her damaged knee screamed in protest, sending a wave of shooting pain that was evident on her face.

The King held up his hand. "Please, that won't be necessary... no one in this chamber would ask you to suffer any more pain than you already have for the service of our country." After a brief pause to allow Michiko to regain her composure, he continued. "Michiko Nakamura... in recognition for your great service and deeds on behalf of the realm, you are to be honored by a grateful nation. I've been made aware that... your passage home is unfortunately beyond our ability to grant... however, if there is anything you desire that is within our power to fulfill, please speak it now."

Michiko looked around... the memories of her actions from her fight against Jerome still lingering in her mind, along with the regret she felt, regardless of the necessity. Despite the flowery speech, she didn't feel like someone who should be getting a pat on the back as such. "Your Majesty..." she began with a sad voice. "I... I don't deserve such a high honor from you. In the end... all I did was read some books for your scholars. Even as we speak, there are brave souls... your citizens and nobles fighting and even dying in the service of this country. What I did... doesn't measure up to such courage. I'm not even a citizen... and it's not right that an outsider be rewarded before your sworn subjects..."

Around the throne room, the room was almost silent. Some of the nobles and ministers wiped away tears as Michiko's words touched them all. The King sighed and nodded. "Michiko... I'm afraid that I will have to respectfully disagree with your assessment. You offered your own life... to save my son. You personally rescued my youngest daughter from the rebels. You ended the threat to the castle and delivered... justice... to the leaders of our enemies. I would say... you've done far more than just read books for us." He paused again for emphasis. " However, you have brought up an issue before this chamber that needs to be addressed... one that should have been addressed a long time ago. Please, step forward."

What was he talking about... and why was Sabine smiling... does she know something...? Michiko thought to herself, but complied.

"Michiko Nakamura... " the King declared, "I hereby declare you a citizen of this country, with the full rights and privileges that entails. Furthermore... for your loyalty, sacrifice, and in recognition of your exceptional talents... I appoint you as a member of the Royal Privy Council... and declare you... Viscountess Michiko Von Nakamura!"

The room erupted with applause among the assemblage, with shouts of congratulations and well-wishes. Michiko looked stunned and pale with shock. Wh-wha...?! Viscountess...?! Me...?! On the Royal Advisory Council...?! How did this happen...?!