Lein kept staring at Kyle's face for a while longer, still unable to recover from the shock and surprise.
«What the hell is happening to me? Why do my dreams… always have to be real? Wait… he's not a monster, is he?..»
"What's wrong, did you see something strange?"
Kyle, who was sitting to his right, asked him.
«No. Just a kid…»
Lein wanted to answer but remembered he couldn't speak the language of this world.
«I can't speak, but I can understand this language. What did he call it again…»
"I see. I even forgot you can't speak the Leithan language. My bad."
Kyle got up from his chair, then headed toward the left corner of this… cave?
«Weird place. Looks like I really am in a cave. But it's so well arranged here…»
It was like a room from ancient times.
The bed Lein lay on was at the very top of this room.
To the right of the bed there was a chair and a small round table.
To the left of the bed — a nightstand with books.
In the right corner was a round passage, and next to it, a niche carved out for a fireplace.
In the left corner of the room stood a wardrobe, but not a usual one — it had various symbols carved into it.
Kyle approached the wardrobe, ran his hand over it, and it immediately lit up with different symbols.
Then it opened.
Inside were many different books, strange devices, and a set of children's clothes.
Kyle rummaged through his wardrobe for a while and finally said:
"Here! Found it after all."
He took out a book with a thick cover filled with strange letters, then walked back to his chair and sat down.
He stayed silent for some time, making Lein tense up a little.
«I even forgot that I know nothing about him… And he knows nothing about me. What does he want from me? I can't believe he saved me just like that. And also… that potion. He even wasted one of his strange potions on a complete stranger.»
"You're probably not from this world. You know how I figured that out?"
Lein shook his head.
Although he did have his own guesses in mind.
«Maybe I'm just a stranger who suddenly shows up in strange clothes not fit for winter? And can't even speak this world's language… Even a kid would understand I'm not from here. Well, that's true anyway.»
Kyle nodded.
"I'll tell you how I knew. You see… there's Darkness sealed inside me, and because of it, I can see what others cannot."
When he said this, Kyle's face was serious, as if he truly believed it.
Lein couldn't hold it in and laughed, leaving Kyle confused.
"Hahaha, oh god, I can't believe this. And with such a serious face, ahahaha."
He laughed for a long time.
And after a while, it seemed Lein finally calmed down.
«It's been a while since I laughed like this.»
Kyle didn't understand what Lein said while laughing, but of course, he understood why.
"You don't believe me? You! I saved your life!"
Lein nodded.
As if expressing his gratitude for that.
Kyle snorted and tossed the book he was holding to Lein.
"Whatever, I don't need your trust. This is a book they usually give kids so they can quickly learn the Leithan language."
Lein opened the thick book and saw a huge number of symbols, strange letters, and lots of drawings.
He stared at Kyle with a silent question.
"What? You want to repay me, don't you? Or are you that shameless? So, for you to help me, you first have to learn this language. Since you're an otherworlder, I think it won't be a problem for you."
Lein nodded.
«Seems like there's a lot of things I have to do… Kill the demon, find a way to finish the fragment and complete it. And now, help this kid too.»
"Just so you know: the Leithan language is the primordial language of all beings. I don't know what kind of crap you crawled out from, but I thought all living creatures could easily speak it. The Leithan language is understood by anyone who can think. But of course, speaking it requires study. The rest you'll find in the book itself. I have to go hunt animals and prepare us dinner. Thanks to someone, my hunt got interrupted…"
Lein nodded apologetically once more.
Kyle stood up, headed toward the right corner of the room, and went out through the round passage.
Lein turned his attention back to the book.
Everything in it was written in strange letters that…
were understandable.
As if… Lein could just look at these letters and grasp the meaning inside them.
He began reading the contents of the first book.
— «The Leithan language, the mystical language spoken by all sentient beings. It is the simplest yet at the same time the most complex language in the universe. Anyone can read and understand the Leithan language, but speaking and writing require skill. This book was created for that purpose.»
«Hmm, so that's how it is. Makes sense. I also heard a legend that once, all people in my world spoke one language. They united and built a tower to the heavens, but for that they were punished by the gods, and humans were stripped of their single language, dividing both people and their speech.»
Lein wasn't a fan of history and had forgotten many myths, but this one he remembered.
More or less.
He turned the page and continued reading the book:
— «The Leithan language is a language that can never be fully mastered.»
Lein nodded, finally grasping the meaning.
«Of course. Even native speakers, or those who studied languages back in my world, can't confidently say they know their own tongue one hundred percent. And this one is mystical on top of that.»
He kept reading:
— «Because the Leithan language is divided into several categories. There are three categories every child must know: the spoken Leithan language, the runic Leithan language, and the symbolic Leithan language.»
Lein took a deep breath and muttered with some pity:
"More studying again…"
Nevertheless, he went on:
— «The spoken Leithan language consists of ordinary letters, carries no mystical power, and is used in daily life. It's very easy to learn and doesn't require much time to master. The runic Leithan language is already considered an intermediate level of knowledge. Mastery of this language grants great advantages, for it carries mystical power. With it, you can pray to your gods and receive rewards for it. This language is mandatory for all believers who wish to receive their deity's grace.»
At this moment Lein smirked.
"Yeah… praying to a god. That's supposed to be a good way. But… what if the fate of those three with the demon repeats?"
Lein was skeptical about prayer, yet he still continued:
— «The symbolic Leithan language. It is the most difficult language, even for those who studied it from childhood. Maybe you will understand what a symbol carries, but you will never comprehend its mystical influence. The symbolic Leithan language is intended only for performing mystical rituals, spells, and many more complex actions that can only be achieved by using the symbolic language. Unfortunately for enthusiasts, this language is strictly guarded due to the danger it carries, and therefore you cannot study it without permission from your church or from a god himself.»
Lein yawned, chuckling a little.
"Obviously, they just want to recruit lots of believers and servants for their churches. The question is, what value do believers hold for the church? And what's the influence of churches watched over by real deities? Could it really be… that I was right? This is a war of gods?"
Lein began winding himself up again, but now with a hint of real fear.
Because…
this theory no longer felt meaningless.