Despite starting to grasp the language of Leith better, Lein still couldn't speak it fluently.
«Maybe I should try speaking a little… But with who? The mirror?»
At that thought, a crooked smile touched his lips.
«Ah, right… the mirror. I even forgot it ran away from me.»
Suddenly, an idea came to him:
"Story… why don't you write or speak in the language of Leith? Don't you know it either?"
«Maybe it's because she can't think. The language of Leith is only for thinking beings…»
A moment later, a familiar system window appeared before him, accompanied by the gentle whisper of the Story:
[Hint: The first level of the Language of Leith, though common, carries a serious risk of exposing the system to deities or #%#%#%#. Therefore, the system prefers to use a language unbound by mystical elements.]
Lein read the message twice and frowned.
«Deities and… who? Or what?»
He wanted to ask for clarification, but the system was faster.
The text shifted again, and the whisper returned:
[Additional hint: Do not seek the secrets of the gods, nor those who cannot be known. Every piece of knowledge carries power; every thought carries weight. Do not gaze upon the truth while you are weak. Be content with a pleasant lie—until you grow stronger.]
The words sent a chill through him.
«So… don't pry into the secrets of the gods until I'm stronger? That's… creepy.»
He exhaled slowly.
It took him a few minutes to calm his thoughts and process the Story's warnings. Then, almost without thinking, he asked another question:
"Story, and what—"
But he didn't finish. The text had already shifted again, and the whisper returned:
[Attention: You've already received too many hints for today. Are you sure you want more?]
Lein hesitated.
"No… Maybe I really pushed too far today. Thanks for the help."
The Story didn't answer this time. The window simply vanished.
«Guess I'll… go study. What a shame. I thought the Story would give me as many hints as I wanted… I still need information about the mirror demon and its weaknesses. Besides the Story, probably no one can help me now. Still… I should at least learn the language of Leith. And maybe find Kyle's tribe. Well, better than chemistry. Or math.»
With that thought, he returned to the small room.
On the bed lay the textbook on the language of Leith, exactly where he had left it before.
«Does it even make sense to keep learning from a book? It said practice is what improves the first level of the language…»
After a brief pause, Lein decided it was still better to read on.
«Maybe there will be more tips further in. Anyway, a book can't hurt… well, unless it can? Even the author literally warned about it…»
Despite his doubts, he sat down on the bed, leaning his back against the wall, and opened the book.
He found the page where he had stopped:
— «Perhaps you, poor child, are now wondering how best to practice—to improve your speech or maybe even your writing in this language. You're lucky. I, who have mastered two levels of it, long ago found a way to learn quickly. If you're interested, you can find my temple, where I teach the second level, at the peak of Evening Mountain. I welcome diligent young learners.»
Lein stopped reading, blinking.
…What?
«I got the meaning… but… is this an advertisement inside a textbook? He could've at least hinted at it indirectly instead of being so… blatant. Gods, what a strange language.»
With a sigh, he read on, though now doubting the author's professionalism:
— «My advice: practice in front of a mirror. Look at yourself, smile, and try to convey meaning to yourself—as if to another person. When writing, don't just put words on a page, but also speak them aloud. And if you, my little friend, don't have a mirror, then just talk to yourself. But make sure you do it alone, not in the middle of a crowd. Trust me, experience says it's better that way. Nothing else will help you. Well… except me. You can always come see me at the Peak of Evening Mountain and speak with me. Yes, conversation is the key to success. After this practice, you'll fully master the first level of the language of Leith. The rest of the book contains sentences, dialogues, love writings, poems, and much more to help you learn faster. That's all. If you wish to thank me, come to my temple. — Sage of Evening Mountain.»
Curious, Lein flipped the page.
It was full of example sentences.
But every single one… was addressed to one person.
— «Oh, great sage of Evening Mountain. Your wisdom is boundless, your love for your students eternal…»
— «To the wisest scholar of the Dustin kingdom:
You are so wise your words lead even fools to wisdom…
You are so beautiful the moon itself envies you…»
— «Oh great…»
"Okay, that's enough. I feel sorry for his students… Most likely, this was punishment for those who fell behind."
Lein shut the book and leaned back.
He closed his eyes, letting a thought slip out softly:
«I miss them…»
He exhaled.
Without opening his eyes, he spoke, putting his soul into the words:
"I miss you."
To his surprise, there was no distortion this time. The words changed slightly, yes—but the meaning remained intact.
Encouraged, he opened his eyes and tried again:
"Even now… you help me."
This time, there were distortions, but he didn't care. He just kept speaking calmly:
"As I thought, if you speak with desire, it's not that hard…"
Lein didn't stop.
Yes, sometimes his words twisted.
Yes, the meaning shifted.
But… he ignored it.
«Failure is normal. It leads to success. You can't bend under the weight of defeat, even if it happens again and again. And you shouldn't grow arrogant when you win.
You just have to keep going… Until the world itself gives up, I won't. That's… what makes us human.»
While studying the language, Lein once again realized there were things far more important in this world than fame or success.
He understood what he had to do next.
…
Lein didn't stop speaking in the language of Leith.
An hour later, exhaustion crept in.
Sprawled on the bed, he still forced his mind to keep going.
His head throbbed from the strain.
Thoughts blurred into each other, until he couldn't even tell what he was thinking about.
— «…And Rain, who loves ice cream. My younger brother… We wanted to go together to the computer club. I wanted to play with him one more time in his favorite game…»
He no longer knew whether he was thinking aloud or speaking in the language of Leith.
His thoughts no longer seemed to belong to him.
Sometimes words slipped out unconsciously; other times he was silent, thinking he was speaking.
Then, lying there, he heard a faint sound from the next room.
A moment later, a cold breeze swept through, vanishing as suddenly as it came.
Lein barely noticed. His gaze was empty, his mind adrift.
A voice cut through the haze:
"Hey… Did you really learn the language of Leith in just a few hours?"
Lein turned his head.
Kyle stood there, wrapped in a thick jacket and an oversized scarf.
"You're back already, Kyle?" Lein asked out loud.
Kyle froze.
Not because Lein spoke in the language of Leith.
Not because his words weren't distorted.
But because…
"How do you know my name!?"
Lein had let it slip.
He'd revealed he already knew Kyle's name.