Reincarnated as the Final Villain's Vessel

Chapter 213: ancient languages

I opened the old book, flipping through the first pages and skipping the introduction.

”Five ancient languages have been found in this world.”

”The first is the most common and is called Aetheric. Perhaps it is derived from the name of the world, or perhaps the world is derived from it... It has been found in most ruins, but the sentences were always incomplete, as though they were missing a certain word.”

”Even so, we managed to decipher and understand it... It isn’t very complicated or difficult, and with enough effort, ordinary people can master it within a few years.”

On the same page was an image containing a few words and sentences.

As I expected, I understood them easily, pronouncing them fluently without any problems.

The text didn’t carry any meaning. It was simply an ordinary sentence the author had written to explain the terminology and grammar.

And that wasn’t what I was looking for, but still... How did I never notice that...

It’s true that I had never come across it before, but it’s strange... To only now realize that you know more than you know.

We were supposed to start studying languages next year, so there hadn’t been any lessons mentioning this... And if there were, I probably skipped them just like dozens of others.

In fact, barely three months had passed before I found myself in the Ancient Earth after escaping, so that’s a bit of an excuse.

Even so, I should’ve studied, damn it. Maybe I would’ve known this earlier.

”Haaa... Well, knowing late is better than never knowing.”

I turned the pages, finding more texts like them. Many of them talked about random things as though the author had been drunk.

So I kept turning the pages until I reached something new.

”The second language is Dwarvish. It is rarer than Aetheric, and also more difficult and more complex. Even so, it can still be found in many places.”

I looked across the page as the book began giving examples.

But this time, I couldn’t understand a single word... Should I be happy about that or what?

I went through the pages where it explained the grammar and translated some words and sentences, but I skipped them.

I’m not here to learn another new language after all.

Skipping that, I flipped further through the old book, its pages covered in dust that had turned them pale yellow.

”The third language has no name, or perhaps we simply don’t know it... Unlike the first two, this one is the strangest. Most of the places where it has been found seemed to contain ancient temples. Many of its words resemble the other languages, but the deeper you go, the stranger it becomes.”

”Whether it’s the pronunciation or the writing, everything about it is strange, though it also isn’t difficult.”

Beneath the explanation were more examples... And I couldn’t understand these either.

The runic words resembled the ones we had read in the ruins inside the Cradle of Shards.

Well, that explains why the book didn’t explain it further and settled for a small, simple example before moving on to the next part.

”The fourth language is also similar to the previous one. It is used in magic and in chanting ancient spells, or spells that activate Relics.”

”However, it is less strange than the previous one.”

I looked at the examples below while reading the pronunciation written beneath each sentence.

It sounded similar to what Talia had spoken while holding that small sphere she had bought from the old merchant.

I shook my head as I turned the pages until the book was almost over, then I finally caught sight of what I had been looking for.

Those familiar words.

They weren’t beautiful and orderly like what I had seen in the Ancient Earth. Instead, they were a distorted and incomplete copy of them... But they were still better than nothing.

”As for the last one, we know neither its origin nor its meaning. It has only been found in two places... And even then, it was only a few words.”

”There are too few of them, and they carry no meaning or clue to decipher them, so they still mean nothing to us.”

I looked at the lines the author had tried to imitate while running my finger across them.

”The King shall be crowned.”

What does that mean... Or is it just a random fragment whose meaning was lost because it’s incomplete?

I turned the page, hoping to find more, but unfortunately there was nothing.

So I continued reading what was written.

”These are the words I found myself, and as I mentioned, they have only been found in two places.”

”The first is an island in the middle of the Boundless Sea... A place classified as a black zone with the highest level of restriction, so I couldn’t go there.”

An island?...

I didn’t know anything about that.

It’s true that water makes up most of this world as well, along with many islands, but I didn’t know there was a forbidden area there.

”The second is at the southernmost point of the continent, before the Abyss itself and near the most mysterious black zone.”

”Space-Time Maze.”

That place again?

”I don’t know, but whatever created that place is hiding something there... Let’s hope humanity doesn’t come to an end because of one of these unknown things.”

I stared at the book, which was almost finished, while it seemed that the author himself had begun pouring his thoughts here instead of talking about languages... But I kept reading.

”Ignorance is sometimes a good thing, because it lets you live peacefully and happily for most of your life... But I don’t like it either.”

”As frightening as knowledge may be, it is also beautiful... History, languages, magic, places beyond understanding that hide things we should never see... It’s very frightening.”

”And it’s also fascinating enough that I’m willing to die for it.”

”I’ve written many books and summarized everything I know. I hope this will be useful to someone... After all, this is my last book before I make the craziest attempt of my life.”

”Perhaps you’re curious now, reader, so I’ll tell you.”

”I’m going to enter the Space-Time Maze.”

”I’ve been called insane, but it doesn’t matter. I’ll try at least.”

”Do you see, reader... How vast and magnificent this universe is.”

”And how small and insignificant we are.”

I looked at the final words as I muttered,

”No... We are not small and insignificant.”