Work Text:
To Her Imperial Majesty, Lady Edelgard
I hope everything fares well in the Empire in my absence. And more importantly, I hope you are well, my lady. I trust that the Ministry of the Imperial Household cares for all of your needs. While I greatly doubt that they are living up to my standards, I trust they have done an adequate job.
I must confess, it is difficult for me to be away for such an extensive period, particularly when matters of state and government are constantly swirling through my mind. I apologize sincerely for not contacting you sooner, my lady, but the court of Morfis has left me with little respite. The spectacle dedicated to the celebration of the marriage of the King and Queen of Morfis is beyond even anything we see in the Imperial court, and I find the whole affair quite tiring. This is the first day since I arrived at the beginning of the Harpstring Moon that I have had enough time to myself in my quarters to prepare a letter.
Being in the court of Morfis has afforded me an excellent opportunity to observe the world’s greatest magicians in action, who work without Crests to amplify their power. Studying their techniques has helped me to understand my own craft, and it affirms our belief that the world can and will succeed without dependence on the bloodlines of the Saints and Elites, the obsession with which has entrapped our society since time immemorial. Morfis is a place of boundless potential and does not suffer from the stagnation that has permeated our society. In particular, their use of magic to purify drinking water for the benefit of their citizens is a commendable endeavor, as is their use of magic to assist with agriculture.
Another exceptional discovery I made was that the rulers founded an educational institution to cultivate the study of philosophy, mathematics, and astronomy, among other fields. The most impressive feats have been in astronomy, where they have discovered that there are celestial bodies much like our world using a device called a telescope. I remember you telling me about the book you read from Morfis, detailing the less-than-mystical origin of the stars in the sky, and now I can see how they acquired the technology to make that discovery. Its library is also full of books, much more extensive and impressive than any I have seen in Fódlan. Because my grasp of the language is weak, I could not understand much of the texts, but translating them into our language would likely be well worth our time.
It is an extraordinary institution, one that we should model in Adrestia once we have the time and resources for such an endeavor. I believe such an investment would be highly beneficial going forward. However, the benefits will not be evident immediately, perhaps not even in our lifetimes, and thus may be difficult to sell to the wretched aristocrats that still siphon from our Empire.
I am doing my best to represent you in a dignified and presentable way, Your Majesty, but I am afraid my efforts to dazzle the Morfis royalty pale compared to the way you would have done. Still, my efforts to become more presentable have succeeded, as no one has looked at me in the same terror as some of our old classmates. Naturally, I feel awkward and out of place at such a magnificent event, but I have not embarrassed myself here as I was afraid I might. You know that sometimes I can be tactless, like when I insulted Lord Holst at the signing of the pact between the Leicester Alliance and the Empire. However, I believe I have made a far more positive impression here; I even connected with wealthy patrons of the educational institute and met with the Queen.
Not to wax too poetically, my lady, but this is the longest time we have ever been apart since I became your retainer. I miss your advice about dealing with international affairs; I feel as if I am always blundering without you to correct my errors in diplomacy. I miss your impeccable sense of style; my hair is always a mess without you to make sure it is in order. I wish you could have come with me, but I understand that the visit of the Dagdan prince was too crucial for you to miss. It was most unfortunate that both events occurred simultaneously.
I miss you, my lady, but I will return by the end of the Harpstring Moon. It will be a pleasure to see you again. I hope that one day, we can visit this fascinating land together and marvel at their research institutions.
Sincerely,
Hubert von Vestra