Omen (3)
In a corner of Demeter Park inside the academy, Shuv and I stood facing each other. This vast park district had been built to give students mental stability and a sense of ease. It was a popular spot for lovers on dates, for like-minded students to picnic, or simply for light exercise. We sat side by side on a bench in the middle of a wide clearing.
Shuv’s eyes were glued to the book I had brought, staring at it in a daze as she listened to me speak.
“Alright, I’m about to open this book. No matter what happens, you keep quiet about having read it. Understood?”
“Yeees…”
“You are listening to me, right?”
“Yeees…”
“...”
They say demons are sensitive to mana, but this one seemed to have an insatiable thirst for knowledge on top of that. It wasn’t that she couldn’t hold back her curiosity—she simply spaced out completely. Every time I shook the book, her gaze followed it like a dog watching a treat. I let out a sigh and placed the book in her hands.
“Here. Can you see the cover?”
“Um… elements that exist in nature and… spi… rits?”
“Mm.”
So the people in this game world can actually read it.
“This book… if I’m understanding it correctly, it’s written in a very old language…”
“Old language?”
“Yes, yeees… It’s quite an ancient tongue. Its origins can’t even be traced.”
“If even its origins are unknown, how do you know it?”
“Hiiik. I’m sorry! Please don’t scold me!”
When I pressed her, Shuv’s shoulders curled inward. She looked like she might cry if I pushed any further, so I softened my tone.
“Shuv. I’m not scolding you… I’m just genuinely curious.”
“Ah, then I’ll tell you, but you have to keep it a secret…”
“It’s a language that can’t be known? That’s why it has to stay secret?”
This was new information. To my eyes it was nothing but a glitchy mess full of noise, yet to the characters in this world it was merely an ancient language. And not only that—it was forbidden knowledge? So why the hell did she know it?
“Yes… A long time ago, before the Demon King’s territory was destroyed… it was the language written in a book I secretly found and read…”
“You secretly found and read it…?”
This kid is seriously a handful.
“Y-yes, yeees… I just couldn’t endure the hunger anymore…”
“Hunger? Ha… I don’t care if you feel hunger or not. Just tell me what language it is.”
“You have to promise to keep it secret.”
“Fine. Secret. Promise.”
Even after hearing me, Shuv still looked anxious for a while. Only when I sighed and held out my pinky finger did her face finally brighten. She hooked her own pinky around mine. The way she giggled like an idiot made me doubt whether this was really the same ice-cold woman I had seen before. A hikikomori demon, huh.
After shaking our hooked fingers a few times, Shuv seemed satisfied and finally revealed what she knew.
“It’s known as an ancient language… but it’s actually the language of the Otherworld.”
“The language of the Otherworld?”
Then the things that knight said weren’t just monstrous roars—they were actual words?
Ignoring my shocked expression, Shuv began pouring out everything she knew.
“Scholars claim the characters change moment by moment, so they say it’s the language of the Magic Empire that existed long ago. But that’s completely wrong. These are called Word Magic—a type of magic that contains mana within the language itself.”
Once she started explaining, Shuv’s speech became sharp and precise. This was the same side of her I had seen in the cave. Word Magic… the power-laden language that dragons use. The words themselves carry coercive force, making it a rather dangerous type of magic. It’s said that only those who reach the ninth circle can even begin to grasp it… and it’s written in this book?
“How did you learn about it?”
“L-like I said, it was written in a book I secretly read back when the Demon King’s territory still existed…”
“...”
I suppose that made sense. The story surrounding Shuv mostly appeared when she was positioned as an enemy, so aside from her fall into corruption and a rough outline of her background, there wasn’t much detail. Direct descendant of the Demon King. Someone who worked to erase prejudice against the demons who remained even after the great racial harmony. In the end, that very effort became an obsession that devoured her.
Although I couldn’t confirm whether she had been exposed to corrupted mana yet, I somehow felt a pang of sympathy. If she knew what I was thinking, she would definitely reject it. But wasn’t this the privilege of someone who knew the future? It might be unnecessary meddling, but at least while she was still sane, I wanted to interact with her without any walls between us. That crazy psycho Alex would probably welcome what was coming, but since I wanted to be the one to put an end to her with my own hands, this was the least I could do.
“They say demons are sensitive to mana. Did you feel something the moment you read this book?”
“Um… the language of the Otherworld isn’t a systematic writing system like characters. It transmits through mana itself. So for someone who can’t sense mana… or someone with low intelligence, it would be very difficult to read.”
“...”
Intelligence? So she was saying my intelligence was so low that I couldn’t even make out a single letter?
“Then… what does it look like to someone with high intelligence?”
“W-well… not everything is visible, but the characters would seem to keep changing. It would still be impossible to understand, so in the end it doesn’t really matter…”
Shuv glanced at me again, gauging my reaction. Since I couldn’t even recognize it as writing in the first place, she must have concluded my intelligence was pathetically low. I had wondered what the hell this useless stat was good for. Turns out it was for moments like this.
I let out a hollow laugh, feeling somewhat empty. Come to think of it, the last battle hadn’t been that difficult. Maybe my body had adapted somewhat, or perhaps the burden from contracting lower spirits wasn’t as heavy anymore. I vaguely realized I would need to pay attention to raising my intelligence for a while. I wondered if the headmaster had known about this. No, that bastard probably had no idea. He was the type who would have laughed and said, ‘I can see it but you can’t? Lol.’
“Um… Cain? Should I keep reading the book?”
“Mm…”
When I nodded silently, Shuv’s eyes sparkled again as she nodded back. She turned the page and began reading the characters. Her blood-red eyes glowed brightly as they deciphered the mana. Was the act of reading the Otherworld’s script itself a process of interpreting mana?
“The first page… is an introduction to spirits. It says they are the embodiment of mana existing in nature…”
Shuv kept tilting her head as she spoke.
“Did the Otherworld have an ecosystem like this? The people who went beyond the gate never came back.”
“Not a single one?”
“No.”
With curious eyes, she read the first page over and over, muttering to herself.
‘Spirits? What are spirits?’ She kept repeating similar words. I waited quietly, giving her time to ponder the new terms. When she finally stopped muttering, I spoke.
“Even though it’s only the first page, what do you think? You look pretty shocked.”
“It’s the first time I’ve heard that mana in nature can gain will and take form. Why would a book or theory like this… be written in the language of the Otherworld…”
Shuv carefully asked if she could turn to the next page.
“You don’t have to ask for permission for that. We’re classmates, after all…”
“Ah, y-yes, that’s right? Hehe… Sorry for being a demon who only reads the room…”
She’s going to drive me crazy.
On the next page—which still looked like a mass of black noise to me—Shuv continued reading with wide eyes.
“This is… a magic circle? It looks like a summoning circle. The summoning… ritual… for each… spirit… Hup…”
Shuv suddenly squeezed her eyes shut and jerked her head back. Her breathing became ragged, cold sweat beading on her forehead. Something was clearly wrong.
“Did you get indigestion?”
“…N-no…”
“Is there a problem?”
“It seems… since the book itself was written with mana… reading it naturally exposes you to mana.”
Demons were sensitive to mana. And since it was the language of the Otherworld, it probably contained some level of corrupted mana. The moment I confirmed the facts, I took the book back. Any more would be dangerous.
“It looks like continued exposure to mana would be risky for you. This is already plenty helpful. Thank you, Shuv.”
“N-no!!! For someone like me to be helpful… r-rather, I should be thanking you! P-please don’t hate demons too much…”
I had never hated demons, and she had been quite helpful. I nodded with a slightly awkward expression and stood up. Shuv kept staring at the book with clear regret, as if she hadn’t gotten her fill. It was a shame to see such a beauty make that face, but I needed to delay the moment she might become a boss.
“Um… if it’s not too rude…”
“Hm?”
“Could I… try drawing the summoning circle once? I feel like I’ll die from the frustration if I don’t.”
Shuv trembled with determination, her desire for knowledge apparently overcoming her fear. She stood up with me and suddenly grabbed my hand. There was no loss for me in this deal. When I nodded in permission, her face lit up instantly.
“Th-thank you! Then… which one should I draw?”
“Do you know them for every attribute?”
“The structure of the summoning circle is the same as what we use, except for the central formula. If I memorize the core formula, I should be able to arrange the rest according to attribute.”
As expected of the top student.
I watched silently as she drew the summoning circle on the ground. The formula was indeed different from the theories I had learned so far. When I subtly checked the summoning circle on the back of my hand, I confirmed it had the same pattern.
“A water spirit would be good. Is that possible?”
“I-I’ll need a bit of water… but I can take care of that.”
Shuv drew a magic circle in the air and created a waterfall. I couldn’t hold back my admiration.
“Creating this much water in a place with none… As expected of the top student.”
After Shuv summoned the water and placed her hand on the circle, a blue light began to shimmer from it. Soon, a familiar message window appeared before my eyes.
Chosen One (Communion) has activated.
The lower water spirit Undine is confused by the sudden summoning.
“Heyheyareyou theonewhosummonedme? Youcanseemeright? Youcanseeright? I’msohappy! ButrightnowIfeelalittleforced? ItfeelslikeIwasjustbornsoI’mreallyconfusedcanyoupleaseexplainthesituation? Ohanywayit’ssogoodtomeetyou! I’mUndine!”
“?”
Fuck. Another weird one popped out this time too.