1/4 Bonus chapter thanks to @Crescent subscribing to Dragon Slayer Gram Tier on Ko-fi
“Interpreting a magic circle is ultimately similar to translation. It’s about clarifying what is being sought through the interpretation of a set of symbols, their directions, and positions. However─”
Daud pointed to a certain part of the magic circle.
“I’ve never seen such symbols before. I can hardly find any of the symbols or grammar typically used in magic circles. If we’re talking about translation, it’s beyond not knowing what ‘I’ means; I don’t even know what ‘a’ means.”
Daud spoke with an assertive stance, as if no one else could know if he didn’t.
I scratched my face.
“Do you think I drew the magic circle incorrectly on purpose?”
Daud, who had been showing clear dislike and suspicion from the moment he met me, might think that I drew a fake magic circle as a prank.
“No.”
But Daud firmly shook his head.
“It shows consistency in its pattern. And the symbols used are moving in a consistent direction to activate magical guidance. A haphazardly drawn magic circle with whatever came to hand wouldn’t have this form.”
Regardless of what he thought of me, he was coldly assessing the magic circle.
I was a bit impressed.
“I thought you might be upset, wondering if that was the case. I’m sorry.”
“It’s true that I’m displeased. But I’m displeased precisely because it’s a proper magic circle. And yet, I can’t interpret it.”
Daud stroked his chin, lost in thought for a moment.
Then, he spoke.
“You said you obtained this as a dungeon reward, right?”
“What kind of dungeon was it?”
“Uh, it was a low-level dungeon. A cave environment, with lots of trap designs, and ratmen inhabiting it…”
“Not that. What was the mechanism for clearing the dungeon? A boss? A switch? A puzzle? How did you solve the dungeon?”
Daud’s question.
I briefly glanced at Sybil.
Sybil had not seen me solve the dungeon. I wanted to keep it that way if possible.
“It was a sanctuary.”
I blurted out a convenient truth.
It’s not common for a dungeon to contain a sanctuary, but it’s not extremely rare either.
As long as I keep hidden the fact that I said ‘I don’t believe in gods’ to solve it, there shouldn’t be a problem.
“…A sanctuary.”
Daud’s eyes narrowed.
“Then, this magic circle might be in ‘Ancient Language’.”
“Ancient Language…”
I murmured the words with a breath.
Daud said, “Originally, sanctuaries were relics created when gods were present on this earth. If the reward comes from such a place, it’s likely to be in Ancient Language. Especially if it’s a collection of symbols like this magic circle.”
Ancient Language.
As the name implies, it’s a language that existed long ago but is now lost.
The reason for its disappearance is unknown, but the most plausible theory among modern scholars is simply,
─It’s too difficult.
And furthermore,
─They must have created it just to whisper among themselves.
This speculation is almost accurate.
The Ancient Language was created by magicians for their use.
In essence, it is magic itself.
The most distinctive feature of Ancient Language is that ‘pronunciation’ and ‘characters’ occur simultaneously.
Someone who has mastered Ancient Language naturally hears its sound when they see it.
Since the language works this way, the same word can have countless meanings. Even if the script is the same, the pronunciation often varies.
Naturally, an ordinary person looking at the text would find it utterly uninterpretable.
‘Ancient Language.’
I took another look at the magic circle I had drawn.
I, too, knew what Ancient Language was only as knowledge, unable to interpret it.
However, I had obtained a hint. If this magic circle is in Ancient Language, I understand why nothing happened when it was activated.
As I mentioned earlier, the Ancient Language encapsulates ‘sound’ in its script.
The magic circle isn’t simply drawn and filled with mana, there’s a need to speak the words out loud. There’s an additional step to activate it.
‘Speaking the name of the magic circle, ‘Menosorpho,’ might make it work correctly.’
Just like when a character shouts out a skill name in a comic or a game.
The utterance completes the magic circle.
‘……However.’
Let’s not do it here.
We don’t know what might happen.