Foreign languages! What a conundrum... He required someone who spoke Mekhem fluently to decode the books he had acquired. Books which he was sure were full of wondrous knowledge that he may use for the betternment of all rokugani! He arrived at the door that he had learned belonged to a scholar of gaijin lore (who apparently was a gaijin herself).

Knockknockknock His knocking was quick and impatient.

The suddenness of the knocking and its persistent nature jolted Bellena from her studies. She holstered her pistol after checking to see if it was loaded. Then walked over to the door, "Who is there?" She asked.

Kuuru frowned, his patience still painfully thin. "My name is Kaiu Kuuru, I require your services!"

She slid open the door and stood in its frame, "And what would those services be?"

Kuuru straightened himself and cleared his throat before speaking. "Translations. From Mekhem to Rokugani. Expert quality, for I require understanding of every detail of these manuscripts to make full use of them!"

She chuckled once, "Is this how you always ask for help from a stranger? I am confident I could do the task... but wonder what's the urgency behind your behavior? I assume you need these before the fleet sets out?"

Kuuru nodded, his movements twitchy and somewhat erratic, excitement underneath his impatience. "That is partly the reason for my urgency but not wholly. I have been in possession of these manuscripts for a rather long time and their mysteries have eluded me. Sufficet to say I am quite interested in learning what they hold within themselves."

She nodded in response, "And... other than the goodness in my heart, why would I help you? Services are rarely rendered without something in return even among those in a subordinate relationship."

Kuuru nodded frantically. "Yes, yes. I would be wlling to compensate you for the work. Within reason."

"What is reasonable to one, may not be reasonable to another. What do you value this work at?" She asked with a contemplative smile.

Kuuru was silent for a moment, thinking. "Hmm. Three quite large volumes... One koku for each, I would be willing to compensate one koku more for expediency. That would come to 4 koku for the whole work."

She pondered that for a moment and looked up to the roof. "That's a fair price. Depending on the size of the volume I can't promise it will be done before tomorrow... but I accept your terms of 1 koku per volume with an additional 1 koku if I were to complete all the volumes."

She smiled, "Do you have them with you?"

Kuuru nodded curtly and took from his small backpack three large volumes (Kitāb al-Manāẓir‎‎ by Hasan Ibn Al-Haytham, The Mas'udi Canon by Al-Bīrūnī, Kitab al-Kimya by Jabir ibn Hayyan), but before he gave them to the translator he paused for a moment to speak in a very solemn tone. "These are very important books, they cost me a great deal to acquire. Do not mess them up. Do not misplace them. And I thank you for taking the time to translate these." He then gave them to the translator.

She chuckled and nodded, "I will take great care of them. How would you prefer I contact you?"

Kuuru shrugged. "Any way you find comfortable. You may come to me in person, send a message, courier, whatever you prefer. I have no preference."

"Where should it be sent?" She asked.

Kuuru rattled off an address. "Do you require further information or shall I let you begin your work?"

"This should be fine. A surprise for sure... but not a wholly unwelcome one. You'll hear from me soon." She smiled and bowed.

"Good." Kuuru bowed himself and then promptly turned on his heels and left. He smild slightly as he walked. Another problem solved.