Chapter 5: If the Pearls are a Weapon, Mitsuha is a WMD!

Chapter 5: If the Pearls are a Weapon, Mitsuha is a WMD!

“Master Bozes, you have a visitor,” the butler announced.

“What? I was sure I had no such arrangements today,” replied Count Bozes, his curiosity piqued. Stefan was a reliable butler who had served the Bozes family for over two generations. He wasn’t one to make absurd mistakes, and it wasn’t like him to announce the arrival of any unappointed, untrustworthy visitors.

Did he perhaps deem the guest worthy of my audience? the count wondered. Then I shall trust his judgment.

“Very well. Let them into the reception hall as soon as I’m ready,” he ordered, yet Stefan lingered.

“What of the lady and your children?” he inquired. What? Is he saying my family should join?! What is he thinking?

“Call them, then.”

“As you wish.” I chose to trust his judgment, and I will do so until the end.

Soon the count was in the reception hall, accompanied by the entire Bozes family: his wife, Iris; his firstborn, Alexis; his second son, Theodore; and his daughter, Beatrice. Their reception hall paled in comparison to the grandeur of royal throne rooms. All that furnished the room was a large, rather plain table surrounded by chairs.

Summoning the family to meet a guest who came with no prior notice was unheard of. Count Bozes’ wife and children looked fittingly bewildered and uneasy. He hadn’t told them anything, for he himself had been caught unawares. But that was something he simply couldn’t give voice to. I hope this isn’t a mistake, Stefan.

At last, the butler led the guest inside. “This is Lady Mitsuha von Yamano. She hails from the land of Japan. The lady claims to have come to greet Count Bozes.”

The girl surprised him immensely. She had silky, well-groomed black hair, a face like that of a doll’s, and clothing unlike any he’d seen before. The garb looked comfortable and had numerous pockets, while the belt she was wearing supported knives and other curious tools. He had never heard of her country, but he wondered how a noble lady—a girl barely older than ten, at that—ended up traveling without a retinue. He was livid. Not with the girl, but her parents and everyone else around her.

Why didn’t they stop her? How could they allow this?!

“A pleasure to meet you. I am Mitsuha von Yamano,” she introduced herself. “As I came from a distant land, I felt I should acquaint myself with the ruler here—so I implored your butler for an audience with you. My apologies for such a brash decision.”

Such refined speech at such a young age, the count marveled. I can understand why Stefan allowed her in.

“I see. The long journey here must have been exhausting,” he replied. “Feel free to rest here as long as you need to. Now, if I may ask...  Why, if you came from such a faraway place, did you choose to call upon us rather than those at the capital?” It was standard for foreigners to head straight for the capital. He couldn’t think of a single reason for them to stop by a town like this.

“Yes, I can see why that might be curious. On my way to the capital, I was attacked by wild beasts, and the people of this region saved my life. I came to inform you of their deeds and express my immense gratitude.”

“What? Is this true?!” he uttered in surprise.

How delightful! Rather than looting or killing, my people went out of their way to help a stranger who now comes to express her thanks. And my children are here to see it, as well. What a glorious day! The count basked in bliss as Lady Mitsuha took something out of her pocket.

“Though it may be a meager offering, there is something I would like you to have,” she said. “It comes from my country, as well. Please accept it as a token of my gratitude.” Stefan took the item from her and brought it to the count.

“Wh-What is this...?” he wondered aloud. Its profound weight made it apparent that it was metallic, but it had a brilliant color and an elegant feel to it. It was an elaborate object he’d never seen before. He couldn’t imagine what it was used for, but somehow understood that it was the work of a master craftsman.

“That is a foldable, multi-purpose knife,” the girl said.

“A knife?! This?!” he exclaimed. It was detailed and looked to be worth a small fortune, but he couldn’t imagine how something so hard to grasp was a knife, let alone a foldable one.

“Yes. Though it isn’t the sort you use in battle,” she explained. “It is more of a tool than a weapon. There are several small tools hidden within: a blade, scissors, and a file, among others. You will understand it if you pinch the side between your nails and pull.” The count did as he was told and managed to pull out the tools.

“S-Such fine detail,” he said, dumbfounded by the object. He was not alone; his children surrounded him, staring at it with great curiosity. “This is truly remarkable. I feel I must give something in return. Lady Mitsuha, what do you intend to do next?”

“I intend to make my way to the capital from here.”

“You mustn’t!” He stood abruptly, raising his voice. “It will be dark soon! Not to mention that a child like you should never go on such long journeys alone! I cannot allow that!” He’d dropped his noble, overly polite tone and shouted, but that was the least of his concerns. “Wait three days,” he added. “A capital-bound carriage will arrive. You can take that.”

“Umm, this is quite embarrassing, so please forgive me, but... I don’t believe I have enough money to pay for the carriage...”

Huh? Lady Mitsuha’s unexpected response rendered him speechless. A girl in such fine garments, who just thanked me with a tool worth dozens of gold, can’t afford a simple carriage? Oh, of course... She and her party were separated, and they were the ones holding the funds. That makes sense; no noble girl with a group ever pays for things by herself.

“Tonight, you may stay here,” the count declared. “And I expect an explanation later on.”

He wanted her to rest before joining them for dinner, so he ordered Stefan to lead her to the guest room. Right after they left, he put his elbows on the table and his hands on his head.

“Dear,” his wife spoke up.

“Sorry, but allow me to gather my thoughts,” he cut her off, furrowing his brow. Iris smiled faintly and led the children out of the room. Left all by himself, Count Bozes wondered, “Just who is that girl?”

The Bozes’ butler saw Mitsuha to the guest room. Though she wore an unassuming expression, she was grinning on the inside, thinking, Victory! Once she was alone, Mitsuha began taking things out of her backpack. The carefully-packed dress, the heels protected by packing material, the folding knife stored in its case, and the luxurious pearl necklace—today’s eye-catcher. The preparations were going swimmingly.

I’m a new Mitsuha now, she thought. Not Mitsuha Yamano, but Mitsuha von Yamano... A high-class girl from a faraway land! I’ll play the role of a brave heroine—one who hides her true identity to live as a commoner in this country! Wait, no, I won’t “play the role”... I’ll become just that! She convinced herself with such thoughts as she looked in a mirror.

Mitsuha had given up on trying to play a normal commoner from day one. She couldn’t have acted like a farmer if she’d wanted to; they’d have suspected her the moment they saw her clean, unblemished hands.

A few hours later, Stefan came to escort Mitsuha to the dining hall. Upon seeing her, he was so flabbergasted that he accidentally let out a gasp. It was perhaps the greatest blunder the iron-willed butler had ever made.

“Master Bozes, I’ve brought Lady Mitsuha,” Stefan remarked.

“Excellent. Lead her to her seat.” Unlike Mitsuha’s previous audience with them, this was an informal and unofficial family dinner with a guest. There was no need for embellished language.

The moment Mitsuha entered the hall, the entire Bozes family briefly forgot how to breathe. A shining, pure white dress, sparkling enamel shoes, and a pearl necklace of unimaginable value. However, all these were merely side-actors working to emphasize the girl’s beauty. All was silent, and it felt like time had stopped.

Suddenly, a sound broke the spell. Stefan had made a particularly loud step, bringing the count back to reality. The others soon followed, albeit awkwardly. Iris, in particular, couldn’t take her eyes off of the necklace.

“Thank you all very much for having me,” Mitsuha said as she lifted the hem of her skirt and lowered herself in a simple curtsy. She then took a seat in the chair Stefan presented.

“B-By all means, make yourself at home,” said the count, whose full name was Klaus Bozes. “Once again, welcome to the Bozes mansion. This is a family gathering. No need to concern yourself with manners and whatnot, and feel free to dine at your leisure. If you are too tense, the food will not taste nearly as good.”

Mitsuha merely responded with a smile.

As they ate, they talked about only the most inoffensive matters. Klaus apologized for not introducing his family during the first meeting and proceeded to do so. Better late than never, of course. They moved onto discussion about the county’s specialties, places that sold the best food, et cetera. It was fun, but not exactly fruitful. But after dinner, with only tea, alcohol, and snacks left on the table, it was finally time to address the elephant in the room. Everyone was tense, Mitsuha included.

“Now, Lady Mitsuha,” Klaus spoke up.

“Y-Yes?!” she piped.

“Oh, no need for such a reaction. Relax, it’s nothing serious.”

“A-All right,” she replied, still tense. Relaxing wasn’t exactly easy in this situation.

“Now, might you tell me who you really are? If possible, I’d like the most honest answer.”

There it is! Mitsuha thought.

“It’s true that I came here from a distant country,” she began. “I introduced myself using my family name to gain audience with you, but now that I’m in a foreign land, the social status I had in my homeland is almost meaningless.” None of that was a lie. She did indeed come from a very distant country and had used her family name to meet the count, regardless if the name was real or not. But from this point on, the floodgates for her lies were wide open.

“As for why I left my country, well... There was an issue regarding who would be the heir. My father passed away from illness, and it was only obvious that my wise and gentle younger brother would take his place. However, some fools insisted that I was the better candidate. Before they could make me the successor and commit any wrongdoings, I left a hastily written letter and my home behind.

“I believe they intended to make me the heir so they could force me to marry one of their sons and eventually usurp the family name. If I’d stayed nearby, I would’ve risked capture, so I sailed to this continent. I brought with me only a few personal effects, including this necklace—a memento from my mother.” Mitsuha laid out her polished story.

Oh, I think I can understand those who pushed for her to be the heir, Klaus thought. They must be quite distraught that she ran away because of them... He pitied the non-existent vassals.

“Anyway, I can’t go back, so I’ve resolved to try to live in this country,” Mitsuha continued. “If I sell my mother’s memento, I should have some of the funds I need to—”

“YOU... YOU’RE SELLING THAAAT?!” Iris screeched. “D-Do you have any idea what sort of necklace that is?!”

“Ah, yes. These are real pearls, so I imagine it would be quite valuable. Are you suggesting these are fakes?”

“Huh...?! You truly don’t understand!” Iris was so agitated that she started banging the table. “Listen, girl—pearls are priced in a very wide range. The value changes based on color, shape, size, nacre thickness, and more. Now, consider your necklace! The pearls are among the greatest in size, and almost perfectly spherical! The profound color tells me everything about the nacre thickness!

“And to chance upon an entire set?! One or two pearls are more than enough! You can make beautiful rings, earrings, hairpins, or brooches with just that. But a whole necklace, made entirely of such high-quality pearls?! What nonsense is this?! Do you have any idea how many shells you have to go through to find one pearl?! And how many of those pearls, do you think, would be fit for accessories?! A necklace of the very best, most vivid pearls you could ever get?! Impossible! This simply shouldn’t exist!” She banged the table again.

Seeing their gentle mother turn so menacing frightened the children.

“Umm, Lady Iris, would you like to have it...?” asked Mitsuha.

Her explosive offer turned Iris to stone. She slowly and rigidly looked at Klaus. The tectonic shifts in her neck were practically audible.

Klaus turned pale and asked, “I-Iris, what would be the market price for this?”

“Market price? Absurd. Again, this is something that shouldn’t exist. That is an invaluable, one-of-a-kind treasure. It’s a status symbol you could boast about anywhere in the world, and no one could ever hope to match you. It’s a dream of a treasure, and history would remember you for merely possessing it. Do you truly believe any affluent king or merchant would be averse to parting with their wealth for this?

“Oh, and bear in mind, you mustn’t bring it to auctions. People would try to take it by force and wouldn’t hesitate to kill for it. And the one who presented it—you—would be kidnapped on the very same day, then violently interrogated about where you got it.”

EEEEK! IT’S A WAY BIGGER DEAL THAN I THOUGHT! Mitsuha shivered at the lady’s words. She’d bought the necklace under the assumption that cultivated pearls didn’t exist here and therefore would sell for a good price, but this was beyond what she could’ve imagined. She was aware that a cheap accessory in one world could be a real treasure in the other but had no idea a cultivated pearl necklace would be this powerful.

I should’ve gone for the necklaces in the 300,000 to 500,000 range, not the 1.3-million-yen luxury. Or maybe I should’ve gone with artificial gems... Mitsuha had tried to keep in mind that certain kinds of jewelry could mess with the market, and she could be hunted down for the source. That was why she’d brought it straight to the Bozes’ mansion—to keep it off the market entirely.

This trade was my make-or-break gamble, she thought. I was sure I’d come out of this with enough money and allies to get my own place. That’s why I went for the most expensive one I could find, and... Ah!

“Lady Iris... What if I break it apart and then sell the—EEP!” Mitsuha was immediately gunned down by Iris’ glare.

“BREAK IT APART?! IT’S A DIVINE TREASURE FIT FOR GODDESSES! DO YOU WISH TO INCUR HEAVENLY WRATH?!”

What am I supposed to do now?! After a brief silence, she decided to try selling it once more. She had no other choice.

“But what am I to do if I cannot sell it? I have no money, and there’s no one I can rely on in this country. I’ll be at a dead end. No matter how pretty, this necklace is useless to me. I’d rather have the means to support myself!”

“But is that not a memento from your mother?” the count asked.

“Mother would never want me to cling to it so strongly that I starve to death. She’d prefer I sell it and live a happy life.”

“H-Hmm, I suppose that is true...” The count was doing his best to prevent any sale of the item, but her argument made him fall silent.

“That’s why I would like Lady Iris to have it. No one would press a countess into telling them where it came from, and it won’t appear on the market, so there will be no upheaval.”

“B-But, the price...” The count grew stiff. It was time for her to go in for the kill.

“I need only enough funds to start a shop in the capital. I can handle the rest myself!”

“But Mitsuha, you...” Lady Iris looked completely taken aback, but Mitsuha couldn’t stop now. She already had a plan.

“It’s fine. Also,” she said, looking up at her, “I really want you to have it. If I ever need to remember my mother, you could hug me while wearing it and...” She fell silent and cast her eyes downward. Lady Iris shook as tears filled her eyes.

“Oh, Mitsuha!” She rushed over, her chair collapsing as she gave Mitsuha a tight hug.

“Lady Iris...”

Yes! It’s working! Mitsuha thought. These nobles had no TVs whatsoever, few books they could read for fun, and barely any other forms of entertainment. Their only access to stories was through plays—rare events even for the elites—and bedtime stories from their mothers or nurses. They had next to no resistance to basic, tear-jerking sob stories, so they’d quickly latched on to hers.

Of course, the Bozes were no fools; in fact, they were really quite capable. But just as Mitsuha had been told, everyone in the family was a kind, generous person. Perhaps Mitsuha would have chosen a different path if this one had any downsides, but there were none. The situation at present was advantageous to all involved.

After everyone calmed down and the hall became peaceful again, the three children, who hadn’t been able to bring themselves to speak over their father or enraged mother, finally joined the conversation. They were dying to talk to Mitsuha.

“Mitsuha, your beautiful black hair, those mystifying dark eyes...” said the eldest. “They must be gifts from a goddess, bestowed to you alon—”

“Ah, most of the people in my country look like this.”

Alexis, the firstborn, was shot down within seconds at the young age of seventeen. Say a prayer for him, if you would.

“Mitsuha, that multi-purpose knife you gave Father is simply incredible. Did you bring anything else from your country?” asked Theodore. He was the second son, fifteen years old. You could tell he was prudent just by looking at his face. In an RPG, he’d be the mage, no doubt about it.

“Oh, I also have a regular folding knife,” Mitsuha said before lifting her dress, taking the knife out of a thigh belt, and placing it on the table. “Here it is.”

“M-Mitsuha!” Beatrice cried, while Alexis and Theodore flushed red as beets. Huh? Did I do something?

“It’s sharp, so please be careful.” Mitsuha unfolded the knife and handed it to Theodore.

“Wow,” he gasped. The blade’s sharpness and beauty, the detail on the handle, the portability and security stemming from its foldability... All of it came together and left him awestruck.

“Ah, would you like to have it?” Mitsuha asked him.

“Huh?”

“I keep it for self-defense, but I have another one. Care to buy it for one gold coin?”

“Y-Yes please!” He didn’t hesitate one bit. The conversations during dinner had given Mitsuha a pretty decent grasp of the local currency’s value. She had spoken to the villagers about this as well but didn’t feel entirely confident in their fiscal sensibilities. No offense intended, of course.

Anyway, she estimated that one gold coin was worth about 100,000 Japanese yen. I just sold that knife for a little under ten times its original value, so I’d say I’m being pretty generous here, she mused in satisfaction. At least by my store’s standards. I’m sure a gold coin isn’t much for a noble boy, anyway. Consider it a first-customer discount, kiddo.

Wait a sec, I brought a weapon to a noble family’s dinner! Did I mess up? She quickly scanned her company. Oh, well, they don’t look all that bothered. Although Mitsuha didn’t think much of it, you could objectively say it was a really bad move. Her saving grace was that it happened in this particular household. Everyone here thought of Mitsuha as a pretty, yet frail, little girl. Surely someone like her needed a weapon for self-defense, right? That was the Bozes’ consensus, but if other nobles had been around, they wouldn’t have been so lenient.

The gleam in his brother’s eyes must’ve made Alexis jealous. He closed in on Mitsuha and pressed, “Hey, anything else?! Do you have more stuff?!”

“Hrmm...” Nothing came to mind at first. “I really can’t sell the other one, since I need it for self-defense on my journey. If there’s anything else from my country that I can get rid of, it would have to be my spare underwear!”

“SOLD!” he shouted reflexively. He was immediately met with several ice-cold glares.

“Alexis...” said Lady Iris, staring down at him.

“Dear brother...” Beatrice joined in.

The chill of their combined disappointment had frozen Alexis in place. It might be worth noting that Count Bozes had opened his mouth and nearly said the exact same thing as his eldest child but was now sighing in relief that he hadn’t. There are lines you can’t cross, Count! Mitsuha thought upon looking at him. Anyway...

“That will be five silver coins, please.”

“You’re actually selling them?!” the Bozes exclaimed in unison. Theodore was the lone exception. “I’d pay one small gold coin,” he said, upping the bid as though it were an auction.

Well, that sure came out of left field, Mitsuha thought. Due to Lady Iris’ intervention, however, the sale never occurred and she didn’t receive her small gold coin. That would’ve been about 10,000 yen... What a shame. Hey, I’ll have you know the underwear were unused!

“By the way, you said you’d open a shop in the capital. What kind of shop, sweetie?” asked Beatrice. At age thirteen, she was the youngest child and only daughter. Her golden hair and azure eyes gave her the look of an exemplary noble girl, but instead of being a “thorny rose” type, she was actually quite lovable.

She seems to think I’m younger than her, and I really can’t blame her. She’s about as tall as me, maybe a little taller, and she’s already at least a C cup... Mitsuha was crying so much on the inside that she had to stop herself from tearing up. It’s my race, okay?! She’s white, I’m Asian! You don’t compare chihuahuas and golden retrievers, do you?! Same thing! There’s just no point! Got it?! Her thoughts were so intense that she actually began panting. C-Calm down, Mitsuha! Deep breaths! In... and out! In... and out!

“I’m thinking of opening a general store,” she said.

“A general store?” Beatrice looked puzzled.

“Yes. I’d sell trinkets, make-up, cute accessories... Mostly fun things for girls with a few practical goods thrown in, too. Also, I’d like to have an advice corner where I would share knowledge from my country.”

“Wow, that sounds great! But what do you mean by ‘advice corner’?”

“From what I can tell, this country is quite different from mine. So, if people here have a serious problem that has already been solved in my country, I think could help by giving them the solution.”

“Now that is certainly intriguing,” Count Bozes said.

Oh? Do I smell some networking? Mitsuha thought, before asking, “Is there something troubling you, Count?”

“Hmm, I would say so, yes,” he replied, seemingly lost in thought. After a moment, he forced a taut smile. “For no discernible reason, the last couple of harvests in our region have yielded less wheat than before. I doubt something can be done about it, however.”

“Huh? Isn’t that just repeated cultivation damage and a lack of fertilizer?”

“What?” He stared at her, stunned.

Mitsuha explained that growing the same crops over and over used up the same nutrients and wore down the soil. He would have to use a few other crops and “rotate” between them, as well as fertilize the fields by using them as pastures, or covering them in a layer of compost or humus. She didn’t name any crops and left out a lot of details—that information came at a price.

The count paid without a second thought and asked question after question. All the talking dried Mitsuha’s throat, so she began drinking. Their conversation went off on a tangent and they branched into other subjects.

“You need to develop a special product! You have two options here: you either make something that can only be made in the Bozes’ county, or something that’s way better than the competition! You gotta turn your name into a brand!

“Raise tariffs and you get less tax money! That’s common sense! Expand domestic demand! Increase purchasing power! And attract the merchants! MERCHANTS!

“Inventions! Invent something and make lots of it! Let’s think of something right now!” The end of the conversation was nowhere in sight, and Mitsuha’s voice seemed to be growing louder.

There’s something off about her, thought Iris, who soon realized that Mitsuha was not holding a glass of tea or juice, but wine instead. Unable to deny the worth of the girl’s words, however, she feigned ignorance. She was a noble’s wife to the core.

“Mitsuha, you’re digging a hole for yourself here!” cried Count Bozes, who was also slightly drunk.

“Oh, come now, Father! Ah...” Mitsuha froze.

Why did I say that? Did my tongue slip? I was having so much fun, it was like I was fooling around with my family again. I didn’t cry when it happened... I could hold it in just fine. During the funeral, too. And now, I…

Before she knew it, Mitsuha was shedding tears.

“It’s all right, I don’t mind if you call me ‘Father’,” said Klaus as he gently embraced her. Mitsuha clung to his large, manly chest and cried like a baby until it exhausted her to the point of sleep.

◇ ◇ ◇

I don’t recognize this ceiling, Mitsuha thought. That joke is gettin’ old, huh? She was now alone in the guest room, buried under her bedsheets. If they didn’t know better, someone peeking in might’ve assumed she was a shut-in. And she was, in a way, considering she’d sequestered herself in her room out of sheer embarrassment.

I actually cried! Wails, waterworks, and all! I’m now an adult woman who actually cried into a man’s chest! Well, sure, the count’s a softie and a good guy all around... And everyone seems to have officially declared that I’m twelve years old, so maybe this isn’t so bad.

The carriage heading for the capital would arrive in two more days, so she simply planned on waiting it out. This situation was too tricky for her to jump back to Earth. She had the time but couldn’t risk them finding out she’d vanished into thin air. Either way, she had everything she needed with her, so she didn’t feel there was much of a problem.

Let’s see, two knives, one short sword, three handguns with spare magazines... Hm? Wondering why I’ve got two knives when I told Alexis I only had one? Well, I was just talking about the folding knives I’d hidden on me for self-defense. The “one” I mentioned was the Randall hunting knife I had tucked in my belt for all to see.

Huh? You think I got too many weapons? Come on, I need this many in case I get attacked by bandits or monsters along the way! The revolver’s for when the other guns get jammed, and the hidden weapons will come in handy if I get attacked while changing. The hunting knife is for emergencies, but it has other uses too, like slicing goblin ears and stuff... What? We don’t have quests like that here? Alrighty, then!

The short sword was really just for show. The people of this world probably wouldn’t see the handguns as weapons, so Mitsuha couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t be targeted by, say, human traffickers who saw her as easy prey. The blade therefore served as a sort of “Hands Off!” sign. Oh, and there’s my training, of course!

Let us turn back the clock to a few days prior, when Mitsuha had returned to the captain’s room of the private mercenary organization, “Wolfgang”.

“There y’are, li’l lady,” the captain said upon her entry. Quite the greeting.

“I’m here, Captain,” she replied. Her words made him sigh and hang his head. This was a mercenary group, but he was just “Captain”. No one actually called him by name. It’s probably not a good thing for mercs’ real names to get out there, Mitsuha reflected. Maybe they’re happy as long as their group gets famous? No clue.

“Prep’s all done. Follow me,” he said, and led her to the shooting range.

“Whoa!” she blurted. Seeing the weapons on the long table made Mitsuha so excited she couldn’t contain herself.

“It’s the stuff you ordered,” Captain explained. “First up, the decorative short sword. This thing’s new, not an antique. Antiques are fragile and blow a hole in your wallet. It comes with a sheath, so just tuck it in your belt. It won’t be much good in a fight, but since you’ll be usin’ your guns, you ain’t gonna need it.”

Mm, looks about right for me. I shouldn’t have a problem holding it, anyway, she thought.

“Next up, the self-defense gun—a Walther PPS. It’s small and weighs just over a pound. It uses 9-millimeter bullets and can fit eight of ’em. Nine if you count the one in the chamber. It gets the job done in most emergencies. If you want something even lighter, there’s .22 caliber guns, but they don’t pack much of a punch. This one’s popular among women lookin’ to defend themselves.”

Yep, looks fine to me.

“Now for your main weapon—a Beretta 93R. At two and a half pounds, this thing’s heavier, but it uses fifteen- and twenty-round mags, plus the bullet in the chamber. This one’s 9-millimeter, too. This guy’s biggest draw is the three-round burst mode. You can switch between single-fire and burst like this.” He gave a small demonstration.

“Go apeshit and you’ll run outta ammo in a second, but it’ll work wonders when you need to take someone out the moment a scrap starts. Keep it on burst mode, and switch to single-fire when you need to.”

Oho. Yeah, it’s kinda heavy, but I like the burst mode. Great choice, Captain!

“And that over there’s the revolver. It’s .38 cal,” he said, and not a word more.

Huh? That’s it? You hate revolvers or something?

“You can use your spare magazines to play around with different bullets. There’s armor-piercing bullets; they pass through bulletproof vests. Hollow-points can incapacitate the target even if you miss critical spots. If you’re using a rifle, there’s FMJs, and machine guns have tracers and incendiary armor-piercing bullets.” Y-Yeah…

“Now, try gettin’ it in yer holster and make it fit. Then it’s time for handling instructions and shooting practice. I’ll tell ya how to care for ’em and give ya a few things to keep in mind. We’ll do the maintenance on these for ya, though. Bring ’em here after you’ve used ’em a lot or when you feel it’s time.”

So, in other words, Mitsuha couldn’t have been more prepared for the journey. Ah! I should’ve brought some grenades, too! I messed up!

Huh? You’re wondering if I could actually kill people with these? Of course I could. Did I have a reason not to? I wouldn’t kill regular people, of course. That’s obvious. But if someone tried to kill me, why would I spare them? Would you expect me to respect their life and let myself die instead? What a joke!

Or what, you think I could just tie ’em up and give them a stern talking-to? They’d just attack me again the moment they got free. And if not, they’d go after someone else. Just how many good and honest people would get hurt? Anything that’d happen to them would basically be my fault. If innocent people got killed, I’d be their murderer. Scumbags who took the wrong path in life are barely human anymore—they’re beasts that are better off put down.

I’ve seen movies where the main character hesitated to kill the enemy. What the hell was that all about? Was he okay in the head? Did he have a bad case of stupid? It was even worse when their hesitation caused their friend or lover to die, leading to even more misery, regret, and uh... Basically, they should’ve saved the thinking for after they killed the enemy, right?

What? No? Okay…

“Mitsuha! It’s lunchtime!” A girl’s voice jerked Mitsuha from her swirling escapism and plopped her back into reality. The one calling out to her wasn’t the butler; perhaps he was apprehensive about waking a girl who’d cried herself to sleep. If so, he certainly excelled at his job.

That’s Sebastian for you, Mitsuha thought. Oh? His name is Stefan? My bad.

The lunch was an uncomfortable experience. Not to worry—everyone was still very kind to Mitsuha. They didn’t even mention yesterday’s events... but their consideration somehow made it even more painful. She was so mortified, she couldn’t even look at the count. In an attempt to make her feel more at home, he brought up all sorts of talking points.

Huh? Inventions? Salt production? Dessert research? Whoa, whoa, whoa, what kinda stuff did yesterday’s me tell you?! Please pretend you didn’t hear anything! Huh? Which one do I like more? Out of what? Oh, your sons... Okay. I’m not interested in either right now. Please call me again when they haven’t tied the knot for so long you’re worried the well might dry up.

What? Why the long faces, you two? Oh, by the way, I don’t mind taking little Beatrice. Huh? You don’t wanna be called “little”? Y’know I’d be your older sister if I married one of your brothers, right? What? You’ll stop that no matter what? Well, do your best. I’ll cheer you on.

After lunch, there was a scramble. For what, you ask? Well, for Mitsuha, actually. The count wanted to talk about agriculture, forestry, taxes, and special products. Lady Iris wanted to play dress-up with her using Beatrice’s old clothes. Alexis invited her for a long, scenic trail ride, but she’d never been on a horse.

As for the younger children... Theodore wanted to hear more about knives. Mitsuha did know about a few things, like forging, alloying, carbon percentages, and tempering. But she couldn’t help but wonder, What kind of guy insists on talking to a girl about blades? Beatrice, on the other hand, simply wanted to have girl talk. That was understandable, as there likely weren’t any other noble girls her age in the county.

All right, time to try and sell those (unused) underwear again. Small gold coin, here I come!

This and that happened, and it was finally time for Mitsuha to head out to the capital. Oh, in case you’re curious, they’d talked it out and decided that they would share her. She’d spent some time with one, then another, until everyone had their turn. She’d barely been able to catch a break.

Also, why the heck did Stefan join the sharing discussion? He’s a butler, right?

Anyway, as we’ve established, miscellaneous events had occurred, and it was now time for her to leave.

“Take care of yourself, Mitsuha. And try not to get involved with suspicious men,” said Lady Iris. Oh, don’t worry, I had tons of practice with Alexis, Mitsuha responded internally.

“We’ll be going to the capital too. Be sure to wait for me,” said the suspicious man in question. The ballroom season, a time when the nobles gathered in the capital for various parties and occasions, was approaching.

I’m sure glad it’s not right now, Alexis…

“Tell me more about your country next time,” said Theodore. He had a keen interest in technology.

Too bad I can’t tell him anything big. Not yet, anyway. Patience is a virtue, kid!

“When I come to the capital, let me show you around to all the good food stalls!” said Beatrice. The girl seemed to have quite an appetite.

Last, but definitely not least, was the count. “Be careful on the road,” he said. “I gave your retinue an official letter demanding you’re given the money you need. There is a limit, of course, but you should be able to buy anything short of a luxurious palace.”

I can’t thank you enough, Mitsuha thought. She now had enough money for the trip and anything else she might need right away. She also had gold coins she could give to the captain. She was dying to know how much they were worth back on Earth.

“Have a safe journey.” Stefan saw her off with a bow, and she walked to the carriage alongside her retinue.

Yeah... my retinue.

The Bozes simply hadn’t allowed her to travel by herself. She’d argued that she would be with several other passengers inside the carriage, but they’d still refused. With the ballroom season so close, they’d also wanted to send two of their servants as an advance party and figured they might as well go with her. One was a maid in her mid-twenties and the other a bodyguard who looked about thirty. The journey was a week long, so at least Mitsuha would have someone to talk to.

The carriage wasn’t the usual decorative sort used by nobles, but a covered wagon that could fit a good number of people. It was drawn by two horses and resembled one of those prairie schooners you might see in Westerns. Besides the two coachmen who took turns driving it, there were seven passengers: Mitsuha’s party of three, a rather chubby, middle-aged merchant, a young mother with her daughter, and a young man dressed like an adventurer.

Adventurer?! That’s not a real job, damn it! Mitsuha quickly scolded herself for her fantasy as she realized he was probably a bodyguard. Could easily be just a passenger, though. Either way, it would be a long journey. Mitsuha hoped to chat with them to gather information, so she figured she’d find out sooner or later.

A few hours passed. Mitsuha had come to realize that her group—herself, a maid, and a bodyguard—clearly looked like a noble girl and her retinue. She could tell the other passengers were puzzled as to why she didn’t use her own carriage; she saw it in their eyes. Even worse, they actively avoided her or pretended she wasn’t there at all. Ugh, come on, damn it!

Seven days later, they arrived at the capital. And guess what? Nothing bad happened! We weren’t attacked by any bandits or starving monsters at all! It makes sense, really. If bandit attacks happened all the time, no one would ever travel or trade. Yup! I knew that! It wasn’t as though racking up protection had been meaningless, however. She was certain it’d be useful sooner or later.

The carriage had picked up and dropped off many people along the way. As Mitsuha chatted with the maid and bodyguard, the others had realized she was harmless and quite like a commoner, so they’d broken the ice too. She was able to learn a great deal from the merchant. She even felt like doing him a couple of favors once she became rich. He, too, had been bound for the capital.

Once they left the carriage, Mitsuha’s attendants tagged along with her instead of going straight to Bozes’ capital mansion—count’s orders. They couldn’t leave her side until she got to the inn. What a helicopter dad, Mitsuha thought. He’d first insisted she stay at their capital mansion and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Getting him to let her go where she liked had been grueling work. She’d had to utter such banal lines as, “I can’t become independent that way! I want to live as a commoner, not a noble!”

Why did he act like he had any power over me, anyway? I just stayed at his place for a couple days and sold him a necklace. For cheap, too! Hmph! Though... yeah, I did wanna make sure I locked down his support. But wait, he’s the one who recommended the inn. It’s not some fancy noble joint that costs an arm and a leg, right?

To Mitsuha’s surprise, it was a pretty normal inn aimed at commoners. As it turned out, the lady in charge of the place was from the Bozes’ county and acquainted with the count. To him, this was just a cheap, reliable inn. The maid and bodyguard waited until she checked in, passed the letter to the owner, and departed for the Bozes’ mansion.

All right, I can now jump back to Earth as much as I want! Time to get serious... Let’s find a place where I can make my fortune!