City Series Volume 5 -A Chapter 2

02/22/1944 - 03/07/1944

Rosetta polishes the Lourd de Marionnette every day.

A mystery Lourd de Marionnette appeared in the streets of Pairs last night!!

Last night at around 8, a Lourd de Marionnette of unknown affiliation burst from a warehouse near the Théâtre du Châtelet and escaped the stationed German troops surrounding it. That Lourd de Marionnette has been missing ever since it vanished into the Boulogne Park. The investigative authorities are working with the stationed German troops to search the Seine on the western end of the park's forest and the lake inside the park.

There are some rumors claiming the Lourd de Marionnette crossed the river and escaped into the city to the north.

Are you reading this, Beretta who inherited my name?

These letters developed by the US military are expensive, but I hope that means you really can take them with you into France. Well, they were made by people I've relied on a lot in the past and the 7th letter is hardly the time to start worrying.

Now, I told you to open one of these a month and this is the 7th one. That means it's February, Beretta.

By that time, you might just be finding yourself caught in - or causing - incidents I know nothing about. When I infiltrated the city as a special spy, I had a new Heavy Barrel sent in with me, but the Germans discovered it and blew it up, so I had to run for it. Disguising myself after that wasn't easy.

Now, the big incident in February would be the small Wort Bombe arriving in Paris. At 2:03 AM on the 14th, the Neue Bladlikburg IV lands at Paris's international airport (which I believe was half militarized at the time) and the bomb is transferred to a storage s.p.a.ce below the airport.

During the Allies and Resistance's movement to the liberate Paris on August 6, 1944, the frightened military commanders decided to drop the small Wort Bombe on central France using a transport plane. That destroyed France and started the endless repeating of history.

I'm guessing the lesson Germany learned in Russia wasn't when to give up; it was to use scorched earth tactics. In that case, they achieved the best results they could have hoped for. Think about it, Beretta. As long as France cannot escape the repeating age of the Rondeau, World War Two will never truly end. That was a fortunate result for Germany.

After all, the world has already given up on France.

The world will be destroyed if the 54-year paradox hits it. If that happened, you would live on in there, but those of us out here would be wiped out.

It's a tricky thing.

But can you see the world on the move outside that country? Outside that closed s.p.a.ce, it's 1999, but from in there, everything outside France is still in 1944, isn't it? You're receiving information on the Allied and German activities outside the country, aren't you?

To perfect its own closure, France is attempting to recreate that year based on what information it has.

Everything you see outside France is only the "bare necessities".

France absorbed the memories of the people caught in the Format, so it knows who will contact someone outside the country and what response they'll get. So the information needed to respond is created based on their memory Lives. It's pre-established harmony.

For example, think about the soldiers who landed at Normandy and were later caught in the Format. Until June of '44, they are placed in a world created based on their own memories and they live out their exact same life there in the Rondeau. Anything they didn't see isn't created. It's a world entirely based on their memories.

But what about someone like you who arrived from the outside world? If you try to contact someone outside the country, France will use all of the information it has to try and fool you.

So if you were to send a letter to that M. Schrier you look up to (He was in the US at the time, wasn't he?), since he briefly visited France in '39, France will use the memories of that time to build up his character and provide a response. (Of course, he was only in France for 3 days, so the answer will only be as accurate as those 3 days' of information allow.)

The problem is the Format concept.

You know I was there in '43 and '44, right? My personal reason was to search out why your great-grandfather died and my official reason was to support the Resistance as a Knight Striker sent in by the US. I was publicly known as an exchange student, so my circ.u.mstances were a lot like yours now.

I was born in France, so I found it all so nostalgic when I arrived in '43.

But I escaped France just before August 6 and was not caught in the Format. France is repeating that year based on the worldview built up before August 6, 1943, but it does not contain my Lives or those of any of the other Erased.

France has its own memories of everything before August 6, 1943 and that includes us. But France does not remember the people who were not caught in that first Format.

Listen carefully, Beretta. The Paris I know is only the Paris I experienced. The Paris you learned about at school and read about in various doc.u.ments is a second Paris that exists without me.

And the Paris you are in now is your Paris. You are borrowing my ident.i.ty while there, but you are not my replacement. Keep that in mind.

Each year, Paris is a little different and then is Formatted again.

All of those are mistaken and false while also correct and true.

So don't worry about whether you've screwed everything up. I think I've given you everything I have other than my hair color, but I'm not going to take away your freedom. Everyone only gets one shot at reality. Once you're expelled by the Format on August 6, you can never enter France again. The immune system of France's own Lives will never again allow in anything "extra" once it's gotten in once. So focus on this one shot at being an exchange student.

If there is a right answer, it would be a way to liberate Paris from the Rondeau so it is never Formatted again. Of course, we don't even know if that's possible. You were taught all about this, weren't you? The immune system is gradually eliminating outsiders as it tries to immerse itself in that year of history undisturbed. And the scientists predict that, by 2005, France will fully reject the intrusion of anything from outside and become a truly closed city.

It really is a shy city, isn't it?

I can't go on. Thanks to today's incident, I was subjected to a surprise inspection as a Knight Striker and my friends covered for me, but I can't go on. I'm so tired. The exhaustion hit me once I started reading my grandma's letter. It really hurts to know how much trouble I've caused:

1. I altered history in a bad way.

2. I was protected by others when a Knight Striker is supposed to be the one doing the protecting.

3. I don't have anyone I can discuss this with.

That's really all I need to know.

I'm going to sleep.

My friend, I had just been thinking that I had nothing to tell you and had lost any opportunity to speak with you.

That would be because the Germans have occupied this city for 4 years now. Nothing new is happening and we were merely suppressed and monitored. Doesn't it all seem so silly?

But I am still writing you a letter because of something that has happened more in my private affairs than anything. And I am certain you will find it fascinating.

A Lourd de Marionnette showed up at my home. Since it is a long story, I won't explain how that came to be, but it was exactly what Rose Francisca said would happen. And it reminded me of what she had said:

"Paris is repeating its history over and over."

And only Rose Francisca knowns the truth due to her skill as a Correcteur. According to her, France has been repeating this year for 54 years now and something will change this year.

Is this the beginning of that?

If so, what will it lead to? You don't know either, do you? If all this is true, how will the 54-year Rondeau come to an end? Even if the change this time is special, won't it all return to the way it was once we reach August 6?

To be honest, I don't really know the answer. And even if I did, there would be nothing I could do.

But still, what is this? Do young girls pilot Lourd de Marionnettes in this day and age? And with as much skill as I had in my heyday? The most frightening part is how she not only climbed the slope behind my house in the rain, but she also jumped right over the roof of my house. The Lourd de Marionnette is collapsed in my courtyard. My house might only be 2 stories, but it's an old building that stands 12 yards tall. She jumped over that.

When I checked over her Lourd de Marionnette more carefully, I found the right leg's cylinders were completely shot. That girl brought herself this far with just one leg.

And when I checked the slope out back, there wasn't a single footprint. Even if the rain would have washed them out to an extent, she had to have been walking the right way. Not on her heels like the Germans do, but in the French style meant to move a Lourd de Marionnette around swiftly.

Ha ha. How about that? Do I have your interest now? It's been 25 years since I got this false right leg (or 79 years if Rose Francisca is to be believed. Viva long life), and I certainly never thought I would be directly involved with a Lourd de Marionnette again now. The Resistance inside Paris has 13 Lourd de Marionnettes, but none of them belong to the team I directly command and I did make that vow.

You know, the vow we made to never actively involve ourselves with Lourd de Marionnettes again.

But even after trying to distance myself from them, here I am.

How do I explain this? Maybe after reaching my mid-forties, my anger and resentment has calmed and my mind has grown as simple as a child's. A child who immediately reacts to everything in front of his eyes.

That girl might be the cause of that. But…to be blunt, I can't help but notice how much she resembles Rose Francisca.

To prove her theory, Rose Francisca predicted that a Lourd de Marionnette would arrive and then the girl who showed up looked somewhat like her.

Also, the girl said her name is Beretta.

Do you understand what that means? Rose Francisca's daughter is also named Beretta.

Is she that daughter? No, that daughter is supposed to be in San Francisco. And that daughter would probably remember me. Does she just so happen to look like her? It just bothers me to no end.

I do intend to look into her ident.i.ty. Nothing is making sense anymore. When Rose Francisca sent me a letter for the first time in 20 years, it was under a false name. What happened?

Rosetta also seems interested in that girl. Whenever she has some spare time lately, she polishes the milk-white Appareil in the bas.e.m.e.nt storeroom. I don't know if she feels some kind of affinity as a Belle de Marionnette or if it's because of you-know-what. I'd probably have to ask you directly on that one. Why is Rosetta so interested in the Lourd de Marionnette?

And ever since last night, Rosetta has oddly begun to smile. I was shocked to see the smile on her face when she greeted me in the morning. I had never given her a life which made that necessary.

The Lourd de Marionnette was sent to the Resistance by the Allies, so it of course belongs to me. But the girl is a different story. I cannot bring her into the Resistance.

After I finished preparing the Lourd de Marionnette to be dismantled, I walked from the storeroom to the bath and happened to hear her crying in the guest room. She was apologizing to those who died that night. I have no intention of making a girl like that one of us. Well, maybe I've grown too soft. I will still look into her ident.i.ty, though.

Until next time.

I expect something interesting will happen soon, so I will send you another letter then.

Greetings, our beloved protector G.o.d.

The other day, you asked about the details of one of our students, so I have retrieved that information from our student affairs office and provided it below. I hope that it will be useful in guiding your future actions.

Name: Beretta McWild

Species: Human

Age: 21 (Born in 1923)

Nationality: French (Lived in America for 15 years)

Family: Father (Jack McWild - Deceased)

Mother (Rose McWild - 48)

Appearance: Brown Hair, Blue Eyes

Health: Excellent

Qualifications: Unrestricted Lourd de Marionnette License, Cla.s.s 1 Official French Language Certification, Cla.s.s 1 General Automobile License

Academic History: École Primaire de Paris - Graduated

San Francisco 3rd High School - Graduated San Francisco State University - Accepted After completing her first year, she transferred here (on a special invitation). The year after France was made German territory, she reentered our school as a first year. She is currently a first year in our deuxième division.

Special Notes: She transferred from America, but she was originally French. She was born in Paris.

Her father was an American technical officer and her mother was the daughter of a doctor in the Bourgogne region. The details are unknown, but they were wed shortly after the war ended (1920) and she was born two years later (1923). 15 years ago (1929) she moved with her father to America due to a falling out between her parents. 5 years ago (1939), her father visited France for a business negotiation and died. The San Francisco State University student affairs office is acting as her guardian. She worked on Belle de Marionnette maintenance at her home and her industrial knowledge is impressive. She also has great promise as a Chevalier and won the Lourd de Marionnette battle at the previous year-end festival.

If you wish to know any further details, please visit our student affairs office.

Today I'm writing this in the library like always.

My mood has improved enough that I actually feel like writing something for once.

I definitely didn't feel like wandering around outside for about 3 days after returning home from that commotion. The police showed up for a surprise inspection. They were apparently searching out all of the women in Paris with a Knight Striker license.

I was out that night, but my friends at the appartements got their story straight and saved me with a (false) alibi. But Mallette was really mad at me afterwards: "Why did you have to get back in the morning on that night of all nights?"

And yet she's always bringing guys home to her room. Still, she heard about the surprise inspections in the market that morning, so she's the one that saved me. I should buy her a tart on the way home today.

But I've learned that I really can use my grandma's ident.i.ty here. She infiltrated France on July 25, 1943, and her falsified doc.u.ments were sent to Sorbonne University. According to those doc.u.ments, she arrived in Paris just before the war and then studied as a student there for 3 years.

She did a lot for the year after that, but she's disappeared for that year here. Because she wasn't caught in the Format.

So here I am living that life for her.

The normal "exchange students" have to falsify a lot more and pretend to either be German or French, so I have it a little easier. (Although the exchange student management office had to run around preparing a period-appropriate spy dismissal doc.u.ment to make sure none of my grandma's missions were sent to me.)

The Format, hm?

During the First Format, France decided that everything inside it was its own property and now everything (life and death included) is reset every year. But the people who weren't in France during the First Format don't appear in the world after the Format. So there are some people who always "go missing" each year just after the Format. According to the statistics from '93, a total of 200,000 people escaped France between August of '43 and the First Format. The only reason so many people going missing only causes a small commotion is due to the German occupation.

People apparently get "purged" from time to time, so it isn't strange for a neighbor to just disappear.

The most unfair part is what happens to the people who died between August '43 and August '44. Their deaths became a part of the Format and they've died 54 times at this point.

Phillip Missel is one of those. He's from the former Chevalier de Paris family which bears the Signe de Épée and he lives a double life as both a part of the Resistance and an honorary officer in the German army. But during the Resistance uprising on August 1, he is killed by Lieutenant Colonel Heinz Berge's Barrel.

After spending some time with him I've realized that it's always the good people who end up dying like that.

Everyone looks at him with scorn because they see him joining the German army as a betrayal, but I'm sure he's gathering intelligence for France right now.

However, I can't tell anyone that and we ended up getting into a fight over that misunderstanding. We found out we had more than just school in common, like foods we like, and I even let him kiss me, but he has his reasons for this and I can't stop him.

But to be honest, I expect that's for the best. I dated him out of curiosity, but it's not anything more serious. Plus, he's going to die on August 1 this year. And even if he wasn't, I'll be sent back to my original age during the 54th Format on the 6th and then I'll never be able to get back inside France.

I think it may be for the best to keep our relationship as it is.

Oh, but everyone's having a get-together today, so he might come to that. Hmm, what should I do?

Let's change the subject. This is a journal meant to gather my thoughts, not a Sign doc.u.ment.

Now, then. I made the request before, so I'm allowed down to the 3rd level of the library bas.e.m.e.nt. But I'm apparently terrible at Pointing. Just when I thought I'd found the book case I was looking for, I found out I tricked myself with my own Sign. I ended up asking the librarian lady for help.

There's something I have to look into.

But first, I think I'll do my usual ritual before studying: Pointing the preface to M. Schrier's bestselling children's book Death Techno Compilation Volume 7.

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There is still plenty in this world that science and logic cannot explain.

Explorers like myself have heard rumors of and seen traces left by lost techniques all over the world. In some cases, they were announced to the world once their existence was confirmed and in some cases they were sealed away.

The previous volumes of this compilation provided information on what I have uncovered and heard concerning the Death Techno that existed during the Obstacle Era or before. Volume 7 will provide simple explanations of the Death Techno that are said to have come into existence only after this City Era began.

The first I will present to you is a rumor spoken of in France of a steel giant that appears in the Morvan Mountains of Bourgogne where a black dragon lives. Several times during the Great War, German troops went missing after advancing into this region. During that same period of time, the local residents claim to have seen a giant moving through the forest and mountains at incredible speed.

I thought this might just be a local superst.i.tion, but France once worked on a certain project: the Attesor Project meant to build the strongest Barrel.

That project name was whispered of during the Great War, but no facts rose to the surface even after the war ended and it is said that France was simply trying to preserve its reputation as a long-time builder of Heavy Barrels. But is that really true?

After the war, quite a few French military technicians and officers realized that they were missing a few years of their memories.

And there were indeed German troops who went missing in the Morvan Mountains. The mountain pa.s.s that avoided the black dragon's territory was the German army's only choice, but it was also a place of fear.

Were they attacked by the dragon who simply decided to go on a walk, or was it the mysterious giant?

I have gathered all such records. I hope you will read all of this and decide for yourself if the Attesor Project actually existed, if it ever produced the strongest Barrel, and why that research has left no results behind if it did. Now, please read on.>

This book was published in '41 and is the reason I came to France, so I always found myself reading through it. I wouldn't be who I am now if I hadn't happened across an old copy of this on the bookshelf at home when I was little.

The book doesn't prove the existence of the Attesor Project. It provides the details of the German troops that went missing while invading Morvan, it tells how the people of Bourgogne found large footprints and signs of sword fighting in the mountains, forest, and rivers, and it ends with a Marshal of France denying the existence of the Attesor Project.

But I know that the Attesor Project existed.

I don't know what it was or if it succeeded or failed. All I know is that almost everyone involved had their memories erased, that the research was done in Bourgogne, and that my great-grandfather Jack McWild led it as a technical officer sent in from America.

I came to France to investigate this. After all, the village of Herlde in the Bourgogne region was said to be located closest to the Attesor Project, but it was destroyed by a black dragon woken by the Germans stationed there on August 3, 1944. It is said that there were no survivors.

Where was the research facility hidden in that land? There are a lot of contradictions and mysteries here.

Speaking of mysteries, there's one related to my grandma.

She gave me Jack McWild's letter. All it has is the name Rose Francisca, so I have no idea where to send it.

I can't seem to get permission to check through the records at the city hall, so it isn't easy.

But I'm sure my grandma had waited 53 years, until the brown hair she got from my great-grandfather grew gray, to give this letter to someone like me. I'm sure she has her reasons.

I wonder how everyone back home is doing. I wonder if the Sein Frau maintenance is going well without me around to help. I wonder if those sad, suicidal American Sein Fraus are doing well. Come to think of it, there was that Rosetta girl in that mansion. Am I a little curious about her because I'm feeling homesick? Or am I legitimately worried about her?

Even in this era, Sein Fraus in America are targets of discrimination and sadly end up killing themselves. I'd hate it if her circ.u.mstances were similar. Once the heat has died down, maybe I should go meet her and that Heavy Barrel. Oh, Point.

This isn't sounding much like a journal entry anymore, so I should probably get going. I can stick these materials in my bag and stay up reading them in my room. I think I'll stop by the florist and buy some flowers. I can throw them into the Seine near that warehouse in memory of everyone who died.

There's no point in writing even more to gather my thoughts. I need to get going.

To my sworn friend Beretta.

You certainly got home late today. There might not be a blackout in effect, but past 8 at night is a time for the drunks and the Allemande. Then again, it is you, so if another drunk German officer approaches you on the street, you'll probably just kick him in the b.a.l.l.s like last time. (That incident was how we ended up becoming friends, wasn't it?) But when it comes down to it, guys are stronger, so be careful. I know this from experience.

Yes, I had everyone gather for some drinking at the bistro down below, but Monsieur Phillip was very worried about you.

Do you know why he still comes to the bistro even after quitting college and putting on a German uniform? Do you know why he continues to show up even though all of his old friends see him as a German soldier and keep their distance? It's all for you. I can't know what someone else is thinking, but I bet his patience comes from his nature as a Lourd de Écrivain. Especially since he comes from the Chevalier de Paris family. You two need to hurry up and make up and then make out.

Or did you actually choose to eat out today because you knew he would be coming? You need to put an end to that kind of stubbornness. I'm sure he has his reasons. (And I'm his only ally at the moment, so I'd like to have someone else as soon as possible.)

I'll answer roll for you in cla.s.s tomorrow morning, so you can sleep in. I know there's no waking you up the following morning when you were up past 10. Unlike the French Lourd de Écrivain, are all American Knight Strikers so carefree? And as always, my fee for answering roll for you is doing my laundry.

So see you tomorrow.

Your sworn friend Mallette.

Today I bought what you had asked for back before I joined the German army and I was waiting in front of the university and the bistro all day. Since I was off duty. So what do you want to do about that? Do you not need the detailed map of France's central Bourgogne region I bought for you? If not, I'll cook it and eat it.

And listen carefully. No, read carefully, Beretta. Do you intend to take part in the Lourd de Marionnette battle at this year's school festival? The German army's Paris branch apparently intends to send in a Lourd de Écrivain as a special partic.i.p.ant, but they're kind of p.i.s.sed after you put them to shame at last year's year-end festival. I would recommend not taking part. That is all.

From a poor n.o.ble who is a former Écrivain in name only

Dammit, they just say whatever they want, don't they? I'm worried about so much in secret, but being an exchange student is stressful enough on its own.

Oh, but if Phillip was here, I should have gotten back earlier. According to history, he'll start his serious spying in the German Army soon and he'll start diverting materiel to the Resistance. Once that happens, he'll be too busy to even think about me.

Yes, but that should be for the best. Surely.

He'll be busy with that, he'll work toward the liberation of France, and he'll die in the Resistance uprising on August 1. And 5 days later on the 6th, the Allies and the local Resistance will join together, flood into Paris, and lead the frightened Germans to detonate the Wort Bombe above France. That will trigger the Format.

He was unlucky, so he died before the Format. And since history is repeating itself, he's already died 54 times. This will be his 55th time.

This is a pretty well-known tragedy in the outside world. I never thought I would briefly get to date someone so famous. It started when I borrowed his notes from cla.s.s, then we started discussing Heavy Barrels and other things, and it was only after we were walking side by side that I learned who he was.

From then, I started keeping my distance, he joined the German army just as history said he would, and 2 months have pa.s.sed.

We never actually broke up, but if he'll stop worrying about me and will return to the normal course of history, that has to be for the best.

Not that it makes me happy.

Ahh, now I'm feeling down. It's always like this with Phillip recently. And I'm pretty sure there's something else I should be writing about. Hmm, I guess I'll get to sleep.

At 11 AM today, the search for the unidentified Grösse Panzer that caused Battle #431021-18P will be ended. But we will continue searching for information, so have your inspectors do their best to focus on any actions taken by the Anti-German Resistance working secretly in Paris and the surrounding region recently. Over.

As approved by a majority vote in the national a.s.sembly, you have been given emergency discretionary power. As such, we ask that you respond quickly and responsibly to any issues that might arise. This decision will be introduced in the national a.s.sembly military law white paper to be published on March 10 of this year. Based on the French Government-In-Exile Military Law Book to be published on the same day, this will go in effect on April 1.

We have high hopes for your future actions.

From the Prime Minister of the French Government-In-Exile

Today at 09:02 I was discharged from Berlin's general hospital.

I submitted my request for post-surgery return to service at the army general headquarters. They said I should receive approval and orders in a week's time. The higher ups believe the Panzer Ritter Project is advancing well.

I also stopped by the intelligence division and asked about rumors of the Attesor Project, but the personnel there said they did not know. I believe it is either disinformation or information only available to the higher ups.

At 16:20, I entered the barracks.

At 18:11, the 1st aide visited and asked a few questions. My platoon is stationed near Normandy and it seems the Allies have been making diversions near Calais. He left at 18:57.

At 20:05, I organized my luggage in the barracks. I found a photograph among them.

The photograph depicted a woman and a girl smiling in front of some flowers.

I believe they must be dependents of mine, but I have no memories of them due to losing my emotions and memories in the surgeries. I returned the photograph to the bottom of my luggage.

I cannot determine what the photograph means. And as I think back on my actions today, I am unsure as to why I visited the intelligence division to inquire about the Attesor Project.

Perhaps as a reaction to the emotion-erasing surgery, something that has remained in the back of my mind may be leading to actions taken out of simple curiosity. This could reduce my decision-making ability, so I plan to ask the researchers about it soon.

I will now go to sleep.

Today's Incidents:

1: Conclusion of the Incident on the 21st

The German army has ended their public search for the female Lourd de Écrivain. The Resistance has no female Lourd de Écrivains, so that search will turn up nothing. Apparently only 6 female Lourd de Écrivains live in Paris.

And one of those apparently has political connections, so the emergency search was called off.

2: The German Army's Panzer Ritter Project has Advanced a Step

That Heinz Berge apparently has thoughts and reflexes 117 times faster than a normal Lourd de Écrivain.

He's no longer human. Only that might be able to defeat him.

3: Rosetta's Changes

Rosetta polishes the dismantled Lourd de Marionnette in the bas.e.m.e.nt storeroom every day.

She sometimes brings that girl up in conversation. Did she sense something in that contact with a stranger?

4: The Discretionary Power Decision

I finally have what I was hoping for. This means we can act as soon as something happens. Before, we always had to keep an eye on how the communist Resistance was reacting, but now we can make immediate decisions.

5: The Girl's Ident.i.ty

I don't understand this. Based on her history and name, she is Beretta McWild. She is Rose Francisca and Jack McWild's daughter. To think I would have another chance to see the name of that man who showed up 30 years ago, messed with all of our destinies, and made a lone woman cry.

I see. It is true that girl looks a lot like Rose Francisca back when we were still normal.

But it's strange. When I met that girl 15 years ago, I'm fairly certain she had brown hair. And the doc.u.ment and ID photo I received from Mallory also show brown hair.

But the girl calling herself Beretta that night was blonde. So she must be someone else. As further proof, she should remember me and my mansion, but when I spoke with her, she was not very familiar with Paris's land. Based on her demeanor and softness, she doesn't seem to be subst.i.tute spy sent in by the Allies. Is there more to her or not? I am waiting for a response to my letter to Rose Francisca who prophesied that girl's arrival.

But it is all so strange. A girl who looks so much like Rose Francisca pilots one of those Lourd de Marionnettes that Jack McWild loved so much and she is influencing a Belle de Marionnette's heart. It must be a sign.

That is all for today. I am gradually solidifying my position here.

And now I have more weighing on my mind. I should be busy from now on.

It is good to speak with you again. I apologize for using a fake name once again. This is Rose Francisca.

I am pleased to hear you understood the prophecy I sent to you the other day.

I have a lot of free time while running a clinic in a mountain village, so I have nothing to kill the time but to increase my power as a Correcteur according to the Eastern tradition.

To be precise, I noticed the change to France 25 years ago. (Or should I say 24 loops ago?) I was introduced to the concept of the Primitif by an adventurer who visited this region (he apparently arrived from the outside world), and I discovered a way to preserve my memory Formules before I died that year.

I took my own life before the Primitif and permeated the Formules of my own death with my memories. When the Primitif transferred me from death to life, the memories permeating the Formules were not expelled as extraneous and were returned as a part of Rose Francisca.

By continuing to investigate this world on my own like that, I have learned a number of things. I know that this world has repeated this year 54 times, I know what will happen, and I know everything.

But during this investigation, two thoughts occurred to me.

First, I began to wonder if these prophecies were meaningless.

Few people will believe me and, even if I do change the future, it will all be reset when August 6 rolls around. I have recently started to wonder if it would be best to leave everything to its natural course.

Second, I began to wonder if these prophecies have meaning even so.

After training for 25 years, I am beginning to gain a slight grasp of manipulating the Formules of time itself. In addition to the events that occur every year, I can now somewhat prophecy events that are unique to this year.

France is closed off by the Primitif Rondeau.

This is a frightening thing because it means France cannot evolve in this world.

To liberate closed France, two powers are needed in addition to my prophecies. Since you know France better than anyone, I think I will share them with you.

But I want you to keep in mind that these two powers will need your a.s.sistance.

One of those powers is already in motion. A girl with the same name as my daughter should have visited you. Please ask her nothing of me, tell her nothing of me, and simply go along with whatever she wants. She has arrived from outside and I think she is a relative of mine.

She is also standing at a major crossroads. People like us should not throw a new problem at her now. If she heard my name, she might grow dependent on it.

Even if my prophecies are necessary, I will not use them just to make things more convenient. I have a hunch that she and I will eventually meet. That is the proper course of things.

Please say nothing of me.

Yes, just like you and he never told me a word about the Attesor Project. Until you told me about it in '40 when he died, you spent more than 20 years without telling me. Why do men grow so stubborn when they decide to be villains?

If possible, I wish his death could have been delayed by 4 years. Then his death would have been rewound and repeated by the Primitif and I might have been able to meet him again in life.

But I'm just complaining now. Pay it no mind.

I hope that you will be interested in my prophecies, that you will truly understand what it means to liberate this world, and that you will continue to feign ignorance around that girl who has most likely arrived from outside.

There is much I must inform you of: why France has grown so shy that it repeats the same year over and over, why I am refusing to meet you or anyone else from my past, why I used a false name on the envelope when writing you a letter for the first time in 20 years, and so much more. If you have any questions concerning my prophecies or that girl, please write me a letter addressed to the Prophetess.