Restoring civilization was an incredibly difficult journey. On such a path, facing all kinds of crises was only natural.
Powerful enemies, terrifying monsters, enemy bases full of traps… Ritsuka had imagined many dangers they might face. But no matter how vivid their imagination, they never expected the very first obstacle to appear before them would be—
"I don't speak French!"
Staring at the group of tense French soldiers in front of them, Ritsuka suddenly realized the most critical problem.
Language.
As the foundation of human communication, language was undeniably the most important part of daily life. Without the ability to communicate, even normal living would become extremely problematic.
Until now, Ritsuka hadn't worried about this. For some reason, although Chaldea was an international organization, most of its staff spoke Japanese and English—something that greatly helped Ritsuka, a native Japanese speaker. Even if they encountered someone speaking English, they could still understand.
But now they were in France.
They didn't understand French at all! Not only could they not hold a conversation—they couldn't even grasp what the soldiers were saying!
And it wasn't just French. Considering the seven Singularities were located in seven different regions of the world, each with its own language, this meant Ritsuka might have to master seven additional languages besides Japanese and English!
They had thought that after graduating school, they'd never have to suffer through learning foreign languages again. Instead, they'd plunged straight into a foreign language hell…
"Who are you?"
"Why are you here?"
"Are you followers of that witch?"
"…"
Listening to the rapid-fire questions from the soldiers in front of them, Ritsuka felt like they were hearing a fairy tale. Beside them, Hinako also looked embarrassed. Even as a True Ancestor who had lived for thousands of years, her home had always been China. Being fluent in Chinese, Japanese, and English was already impressive enough. Expecting her to speak French was asking too much—she'd never even been to France!
As the only one among the three who had studied a little French, Mash carefully gathered her thoughts before replying: "Hello, we are lost travelers. We want to ask about the current situation."
"…"
Upon hearing Mash speak, the French soldiers' tense expressions instantly turned aggressive!
"Ils sont anglais! (They're English!)"
"Attrapez-les! (Capture them!)"
"Mash, why did you speak English!"
Seeing the soldiers suddenly raise their weapons and surround them, Ritsuka quickly hid behind Mash.
Mash finally realized her mistake. "I'm sorry, Senpai. I was taught that English is the universal language, so I unconsciously answered in English. I didn't consider the context of this era…"
This was the height of the Hundred Years' War between England and France—meaning the two nations were in fierce conflict. Hatred between their soldiers had reached its peak. Speaking English in England was fine. But speaking English in France? What was the difference from speaking French in England?
It was essentially the same as spitting in their faces.
Therefore, despite appearances, the French soldiers' attitude toward Ritsuka and their companions had instantly shifted from neutral to hostile.
Hinako, who had been embarrassed a moment ago, suddenly grew excited. "So now we have to defeat them all?"
"Miss Akuta? Uh… I suppose so. If possible, I'd like to calm them down first, then talk to them properly in French."
"Fine. You two step back. I'll handle this."
Seeing Hinako start stretching her arms and legs, Mash and Ritsuka obediently retreated.
Ritsuka even warned, "Senior Hinako, please don't go too hard. Try to show some mercy. They're probably just ordinary people."
"Do I need you to tell me something like that?"
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
A few minutes later.
[—Even though you showed mercy, you still left them all unable to move. With Senior Hinako's strength, I suppose that does count as mercy.]
Naoki's voice, reconnected through communication, sounded slightly resigned.
[Well, this is partly our fault—we overlooked the language issue. I, Da Vinci, and Touko will try to make a translation Mystic Code for you.]
"Huh? I don't have to study?" Ritsuka was slightly surprised. They had thought they'd have to go back and start learning from textbooks again.
[If you really want to study, I can teach you from scratch. But considering your tight schedule, you'd probably only get one hour of sleep per day. Is that okay?]
"I think the Mystic Code sounds great!"
Ritsuka immediately gave up and chose the easier, more comfortable path.
[Is that so? What a shame. I wanted to recommend my method first. I remember when I first enrolled at the Clock Tower, my English was terrible. I only improved through intensive lessons from Merry. Back then, I didn't sleep a single second.]
Not a single second of sleep?!
That horrifying description made Ritsuka tremble. "Chief… please, please make the Mystic Code. I'm begging you."
[Alright, alright, I'll make it for you. By the way, how about Senior Hinako and Mash?]
"Thank you, but I don't need one, Brother." Mash shook her head. "I think the languages I know are enough to handle the current situation."
"Give me one too. Even though I don't want to talk or interact with humans, not understanding what others are saying is annoying."
So Hinako wanted one after all.
[Then two—one for Fujimaru and one for Senior Hinako. Alright, I'll inform Da Vinci and Touko. I think three days should be enough—Now, back to more important matters. How's the current situation in the Singularity? Did the soldiers tell you anything?]
Mash nodded. "Yes, let me explain. Based on the information we got from the soldiers, the current state of the Singularity is…"