kscans

Chapter 112 - Chapter 2: Second Half. Is Revealing the Secret the Answer?

"The most important part is finished. So, how many different characters are there in the Imperial script?"

"You were doing this without even knowing that? Your Excellency, this is utterly absurd."

The civil official grew angry at the words of a girl a decade his junior.

"Answer him, Kyle."

"...Thirty-four."

"These documents are all composed of thirty characters. I suspect that several vowels have been omitted."

As anyone familiar with English abbreviations knows, you can generally understand the meaning of words even with the vowels removed.

"Then what is the average number of characters in an Imperial word?"

"What meaning could that possibly have... It shouldn't be that different from the Kingdom's language."

"Very well, let's assume ninety percent of words fall within six characters, plus or minus two, just as in our kingdom. If we then assume the vowels have been removed, it's conceivable that this symbol, 'Λ' or Lyuda, which appears every four characters on average, is functioning as a space. Similarly, if we knew the average number of words in an Imperial sentence, we could deduce the symbol that marks a sentence's end, what would be a period in our language."

"Wha... What are you saying?"

Mia, still not fully returned from her world of numbers, explained. The civil official was completely flustered. And just like that, two symbols were deciphered.

"Incidentally, this text doesn't use a single cipher. The characters have been substituted using at least three different cipher tables."

Mia divided the documents with enough legible characters into three piles. Mia's ability to recognize patterns at a glance is exceptional, but presented this way, even I could vaguely discern the three different types.

I imagine the Chancellor and the civil official could at least perceive that something was different. The proof was the way the official snapped his mouth shut. And, the way the Chancellor's gaze grew even harsher.

"What is your evidence for the existence of three cipher tables?" the Chancellor asked.

"In the group of documents on the right, the most frequent characters appear in the order of Θ, Sylda. Ω, Olmu. and Γ, Garma. In the middle group, the order is Α, Aphra. Ζ, Zethi. and Ε, Eylon. And on the left, it begins with Ε... In other words, the Θ from the right-hand documents, the Α from the middle, and the Ε from the left all represent the same character once decrypted."

It’s easier to understand if you think of it in terms of English. The twenty-six letters of the alphabet are not used with equal frequency. Anyone can tell that letters like 'i' and 'e' appear often. That frequency is naturally carried over even after encryption. For any text of sufficient length, while the content may differ, the pattern of the most frequent characters will be nearly identical, especially for the top few.

Suppose you used three different cipher tables to encrypt three different English short stories. At first glance, the most frequent character in each of the three texts would appear to be different. However, their percentage of use would be almost the same.

If the percentages of the top three most frequent characters in the documents are nearly identical, but the characters themselves are different, you can infer the existence of multiple cipher tables.

That pattern of most frequent characters is likely what Mia identified with a single look. Of course, only someone with a special talent like Mia could do such a thing instantly, but it's a feat anyone can accomplish with pen and paper. You just have to count.

Even if some vowels are missing, you can simply calculate a few different hypotheses.

"What is the frequency of character appearance in standard Imperial texts? You must have plenty of ordinary documents written in their language, correct?" Mia said. The civil official rose to his feet with a stiff, awkward motion.

"This document likely substitutes Α with Θ, and Ω with Λ. After that, by considering common letter arrangements in words, you should be able to identify the substituted characters, just like solving a fill-in-the-blanks puzzle. With each character you identify, the difficulty of guessing the next may increase, but at the same time, the number of possibilities decreases and the surrounding information grows, making the remaining identifications easier. Exponentially easier."

Next is the pattern of letter arrangements. In English, for instance, combinations like 'TH' and 'WH' appear frequently. A past-tense word will likely end in 'ed'. Furthermore, while English might have consecutive vowels, it rarely has consecutive consonants. That might be another reason the Imperial cipher omits vowels.

Of course, since it's a coded message, they might also be abbreviating common phrases. In that case, one would just need to recalculate the character frequencies based on that assumption.

During the Second World War, the ciphers of Germany and Japan were broken by mathematicians. The contributions of Alan Turing, a forefather of computer theory, are particularly famous.

Both of those ciphers involved far more complex processes than this Imperial one. They didn't just substitute letters. they used dates and random numbers to try and erase any patterns.

But even a primitive computer could find those patterns.

It's an inescapable reality, tied to the fundamental principles of how "meaning" itself can arise. Turing didn't break the code simply because he was good at math. his success was backed by a profound understanding of the very concept of computation.

Incidentally, what our brains do with language is fundamentally the same thing.

"From the perspective of pattern manipulation, this is extremely simple."

Mia looked down at the state secrets with calm eyes. The two men sitting opposite her now had expressions of people who had just been shown something deeply unsettling. This is bad.

"I believe you understand now. This method is the key to solving all ciphers based on character substitution."

I'll say it again. The two men before us were on the verge of a terrifying realization. What Mia had just done was effectively kill every simple cipher in this world.

This was now a major crisis for my self-preservation. The lives of two commoners were hanging by a thread.

"What's your assessment?"

"...The Kingdom's ciphers require a complete overhaul. Against someone who knows this principle, changing the cipher tables as much as you want is meaningless."

The civil official's shoulders slumped in defeat. The Chancellor's eyes grew even colder. See? He's glaring at us even more intensely than when he suspected we were Imperial spies.

"B-By the way, the Knight Order is already proceeding with that task," I added quickly. It wouldn't do for them to get the idea that they could monopolize this fundamental principle just by getting rid of two commoners.

"As for the rest, please read the contents and inform us later. Neither of us can read the Imperial written language. However, if you don't tell us exactly what's in them, we won't be able to determine their connection to the Horse-Dragons."

I pressed the point, making it clear that they would be the ones to manage the information, which would satisfy their ego and desire for control. Behold the mirror of commoners, the ultimate secret to self-preservation.

"So Fulsy, the Grand Duchess, and even the prince were nothing more than your shields?"

Even after I laid out my perfectly prepared defenses, the Chancellor's eyes held no trace of a smile. I, a professional at self-preservation, had been so careful, yet it had little effect.

"What do you desire?" the Chancellor repeated.

It’s been a while since I’ve had an exchange like this. Thinking back, Fulsy and Noel were lost in their passion for knowledge and were quite lax, and even Euphillia and Craig were soft in their own way.

"...If I must say, I have two requests. They're quite audacious, but will you still hear them?"

"Speak."

"The first is to create a system for the organized observation of magic vein fluctuations. I want to establish a more detailed observation network, not just in the eastern and western Red Forests, but also near the center of the great river, which has become a magical territory."

"Oh?"

The Chancellor looked at me as if wondering how I planned to overthrow the state with that. It's the complete opposite.

"Um, the data we obtain would then be combined with the frequency of the crystal's signals. If enough data is accumulated, we might be able to get a rough idea of a disaster's scale, timing, and direction, even without the Oracle Princess."

"Hoh. Are you trying to tell me you're just a young fool who's fallen for the princess?" the Chancellor said.

"W-Why would you jump to that conclusion? Since individuals with the aptitude of an Oracle Princess are rare, isn't creating a system that doesn't rely on them as much as possible a natural requirement for national security? Am I wrong? Surely you can understand that much."

I rattled on, breaking out in a cold sweat for some reason. Under the table, Mia stomped on my foot. Crap, I said too much.

"A seat in the Chancellor's Office—"

"I am content to be a merchant my entire life," I said. Court service is the last thing I want.

".........If, by some small chance, I determine that those words are true, then when the Oracle Princess is freed from her role, I shall offer you a measure of cooperation."

The Chancellor spoke. I didn't understand his meaning, but I wondered what kind of compromise he had just reached in his own mind.

"And the second?"

"Ah, yes. Well, it concerns the other source of information left by the Empire. A meeting with Princess Lisabet."

This was the request I'd planned all along. If Craig or Euphillia were to approach the First Knight Order, who currently held the princess, the request would almost certainly be denied. The Chancellor and the First Knight Order were apparently not on friendly terms, but this route should be far more viable.

Of course, the aftermath would be difficult. Unlike the last two tasks, this would be the most difficult form of information gathering for someone like me, who has terrible communication skills.

"In order to create a new cipher, that girl of yours—" the Chancellor called out as we were about to take our leave. I motioned for Mia to step back behind me. Taking a deep breath, I faced the old man.

"With all due respect, Your Excellency, there are things a commoner can do, and things they cannot."

From the Chancellor's position, his request wasn't strange, but we have our own position to maintain. If that line is crossed, we will have to fight, regardless of status or who is right or wrong.

Commoners have the right to live peaceful, quiet lives... no, that's not it. It's simply that no such right is guaranteed to anyone, be they commoner or noble.

And to that end, we'll need that purple-haired Imperial Princess to be of some use to us.