141 - Letter to Aurelia
The talk about Spirit's Favorites being reincarnators seemed to be accepted as words worth considering, at least for now. Leonardo and the Menhishumi Church looked into past records, tracked down the old woman with cat ears, and were able to hear her story.
The old woman barely remembered anything from when she was taken by the spirits, but it seemed she had indeed walked a life full of good fortune. However, no story about having memories of another world came up. Setting aside the idea that all Spirit's Favorites are souls from another world, Leonardo and the Menhishumi Church reached the conclusion that it is unreasonable to think all Spirit's Favorites are reincarnators. From my perspective, I think all humans with souls from another world are reincarnators, but what Leonardo and the others are looking for as reincarnators are "humans with knowledge from another world." The origin of the soul does not matter. For that reason, they decided not to connect Spirit's Favorites with reincarnators.
...And as for the story that I am a reincarnator, well, in Leo's mind it was settled as one of the characteristics of a Spirit's Favorite.
Rather than having information come in from an unexpected direction and making Leonardo suspicious, I decided to bring it up from my side instead, and I feel like it settled into a pretty good place. In particular, it was big that he recognized the two possibilities that among reincarnators, there are those whose other-world knowledge remains and those for whom it has completely disappeared. Even if I slip up somehow now, it would be hard to think of me as the type of reincarnator whose knowledge remained.
...But I wonder, will they not try out that easy method of identification?
As a simple way to identify Spirit's Favorites, there are certain words that Favorites simply cannot hear. I thought you could deliberately find Spirit's Favorites just by checking that, but apparently this method was prohibited in advance by the Menhishumi Church. If you try to deliberately seek them out for reasons other than a belated realization that "oh, they were one" or Nils's case of being discovered by chance, a calamity will befall the person who does it. Since spirits bring good fortune out of goodwill in the first place, if someone with ill intentions tries to approach a Favorite loved by the spirits, it might be only natural that they would be attacked by the spirits.
The good fortune of a Spirit's Favorite is something that comes only to the person themselves, and if others try to make use of it, they incur the wrath of the spirits. As a specific example, Arabella told me about Nils's birth family. Nils's father Cidur noticed Nils's luck early on, but when he tried to use Nils's luck for business, it greatly tilted the family's fortunes. So when Nils expressed his desire to leave home and study at the Menhishumi Church and become a scholar rather than a merchant, they let him go, and the Blendrel family somehow managed to recover and continues to this day.
...I guess if you get too cocky, it does not work out.
In this kidnapping case, the kidnappers probably received misfortune because they removed my cat ears. If I had been careless from the start, relying on the spirits and thinking "the spirits will protect me anyway" and taken off my own cat ears, I feel like the spirits would not have helped me.
...They say fairies and spirits have always liked hardworking honest people, after all.
If I think back on people in fairy tales who received good fortune from fairies or spirits, they are all honest or hardworking. Nils being favored by the spirits might be because he is the owner of a soul from another world, but I feel like his personality is the biggest factor. Nils is, by anyone's standards, honest and hardworking.
...Well then, what should I do?
With Leonardo and the others' movements regarding Spirit's Favorites having settled down, I look down at the white stationery and think for a while. Last time, my letter was ruthlessly mangled under the name of censorship, and I received a reply from the sender that made it clear they were quite angry. If I write a letter as I please this time too, I am sure it will be mangled again by the Sedovara Church under the name of censorship.
...I know that, but I do not want to write things I do not mean, and even if I am inviting her to come live in the city, I think it is important to take things step by step.
I wonder if there is not some way to prevent the Sedovara Church's unnecessary meddling. While racking my brain over that, in the end my letter turned into a complaint about my recent situation and how the previous letter had been censored and barely any of the content got through.
...I am not sure a complaint is appropriate, but hey, the first person to see it is the censor anyway, right?
Since I want this complaint to reach the person doing the censorship, it cannot be helped. When I showed the finished letter to Alf and had him correct the grammar mistakes, even Alf gave a wry smile at the complaint.
"...You wrote this knowing it would be deleted before it even reaches the censors, did you not?"
"Because the person I want to complain to is the censor, so it is fine deshu."
When I said that if I really wanted Aurelia to come live in the city, I would have come up with a better excuse last time, Alf made a difficult face. Are the people at the Sedovara Church really such fools?
...Doctors and pharmacists should not be stupid, though.
Rather, doctors and pharmacists who are entrusted with others' health cannot afford to be stupid. Maybe they are diligent in the sense of hoarding knowledge, but foolish in the sense that they lack the ability to use that stored knowledge. Just being good at studying does not mean you can survive in the world.
"By the way, did you add the embroidery?"
"Perfectly deshu. Please take a look."
When asked, I handed Alf the freshly finished handkerchief. In addition to the gorgeous design by Hermine, at Alf's request I later embroidered Aurelia's name hidden in the pattern along the edge. The handkerchief was already luxurious, but with the pattern added to the edge, it became even more luxurious.
"But will Aurelia-san be happy with this? Is it not a bit too flashy?"
At the initial stage, it was a bit ornate but still cute. But now, with the gold thread trim Alf brought for the pattern, it has gone past ornate to gaudy. Rather than luxurious, it already has one foot in the realm of vulgarity.
"A little vulgar is just right for this."
"Is that sho?"
If Alf says so, then this must be fine. Alf has known Aurelia longer than I have, and there is nothing strange about my tastes and Aurelia's tastes being different. Since Alf also gave his approval on the finish, I neatly folded the handkerchief and put it into the envelope along with the letter.
"...Come to think of it, you said you had some kind of plan, did you not?"
When I learned that most of my first letter had been mangled, Alf had consoled me with that. That he had a plan. I wondered if it had been carried out. Since I just happened to remember, I asked, and Alf gave me a beautiful, bright smile.
"Thanks to Tina's hard work. With this quality, we should be able to catch them easily."
...Ah, so this overly flashy embroidery is part of the setup. I see.
I did not know how the embroidery I had sewn so earnestly for Aurelia would be used, but since Alf was smiling with such confidence, it would surely be fine. The censorship of the letter aside, having it mangled was really a problem. If something like embroidery can improve the Sedovara Church's foolish behavior, then that is fine.
Aurelia's reply arrived at the beginning of spring. Last time, it was a verbal reply through a Black Knight, but this time, a letter written in English arrived. The seal had been broken, so it seemed there had been censorship by the Sedovara Church, but as far as I could see, nothing was blacked out or cut out.
"...I cannot read it."
The English letter, sent knowing I could not read it, might be Aurelia's way of getting back at me. As in, do not send me letters.
When I was troubled by the letter I could not read no matter how I turned it or squinted at it, Alf, who apparently heard at the fortress that a reply had arrived, came to the residence. It is nothing I need to hide, and since Alf had also checked the letter to Aurelia, I had no problem showing him the reply.
"I cannot read it deshu, so Alf-san, please read it."
I pouted slightly as I held out the letter, and Alf took it with a wry smile, immediately running his eyes over it. I waited for Alf to read the letter aloud as his eyes traced from end to end, but no matter how long I waited, Alf would not read it. When I puffed out my cheeks in protest, Alf replied with a cheerful smile, "How about we study English?"
"I am still studying the everyday language, so English is impossible deshu!"
"Ms. Hartmann should be able to teach you English too. How about adding English lessons to your etiquette classes?"
"Studying two languages at once would get them all mixed up!"
In the end, no matter how I pushed or pulled, Alf would not read Aurelia's letter to me. But he returned to the fortress looking terribly pleased, so maybe it had some good news.
...Fine, even if Alf-san will not read it deshu! I have Leo, you know!
Since Leonardo is basically staying at the Fortress Lord's Residence to continue guarding the research materials of Saint Yuuta Hiraga during Jasper's transcription work. The fact that I can barge in anytime I like, as much as I like, is wonderful.
...Well, of course I normally never go near him during work hours, though.
Making a special exception today, I told myself as I peeked into Leonardo's room on the second floor. Leonardo was reading something like a report at a desk as big as his fortress work desk.
"Leo, please read Aurelia-san's letter."
"A letter? Tina, you should be able to read letters by now..."
"It is all written in English."
When I held out the letter and said "Look," Leonardo gave a wry smile at the English text packed densely onto the page. He knows that for me, who is currently studying letters, reading English is still completely impossible.
"...I will read it for you, but will you listen to one request of mine?"
"What is it?"
Leonardo almost never asks anything of me. Since I am being taken care of, if Leonardo has a wish, I have no objection to making an effort to fulfill it. Without even needing to think, I agreed and urged him to continue, and with a very nice smile he said, "Let us study English."
...English study again.
I had just been told the same thing by Alf, so I am a little annoyed. Annoyed, but I cannot let my pride get in the way of my stomach, so I answered, "Fine."
...Someday, I will definitely study.
I feel like I had made that kind of promise before. It is just that it might be a little off from the timing Leonardo has in mind. Someday, I will definitely study.
"...That is obedient of you. Do you not usually hate this more?"
"Have you not always been saying it, Leo? That I should study English."
"I did say it, but..."
"What is wrong? You are too obedient," Leonardo said, looking suspicious, and I ignored him as I sat on his lap. Spreading Aurelia's letter on the desk, I was fully ready for him to read it aloud. When I looked up as if to say "please read it quickly," Leonardo read the letter, still looking puzzled.
...Huh? That is strange?
The contents of the letter Leonardo read aloud were unremarkable updates about her situation. I suppose the part about the Sedovara Church sending two new apprentices might be surprising. But it was overall as flat as a work report. No emotion could be discerned.
...No comment on the handkerchief?
I did send it unilaterally, so it is not like I wanted thanks or praise. But still, not mentioning it at all feels unnatural. No thank-you, no complaint about it being too flashy, not even a single word of evaluation like "it is poorly made." That is strange.
...Although, I do understand that writing it all in English is her way of harassing me.
At the very end, a truly challenging sentence was written. "Try reading it if you can." A challenge sent knowing that I am bad at English.
...Maybe I really should study English?
It is because of my past life memories that I have a strong aversion to it. But having to rely on someone else to read Aurelia's letter every time, and being told "study English" each time, is a bit of a hassle. Maybe I should actually study instead of running away with "someday, for sure."
Tina, realize this. Kalisa, raised by the capable steward Iridal, can probably read English...!
Typos and missing characters, I will fix another day. I found some typos and missing characters and fixed them.