CH 62

It was so surprising that a small ornament in one corner of the souvenir shop not the many mysterious exhibits I had seen in the museum, was an ancient relic.

Besides, this is too light, thin, and old.

At first glance, Lepus was a stone slab that looked like an ancient relic, and Serpens was a gem, so I never thought of it.

Even though they are different colors, I share the same with Russphe!

Also, there wouldn’t be such luck with relics appearing, but I wanted to check the decorations Russphe brought.

“Can I wake it up?”

“Uh… I don’t know yet. You need to know its name.”

I looked carefully at the ornament on the hoof.

It’s to check whether the name isn’t written between the small and uneven shapes.

Because calling by name is the simplest and surest way.

If I can’t find it, I have to search for it among the ancient languages for a long time.

I saw it in the book Lepus gave me, and most of the names of ancient relics that have been discovered, destroyed, or freed so far are related to ancient languages.

It was the same with Serpens and Lepus.

Both Serpens and Lepus originally had different names, but they were naturally renamed as the spirits dwelled in them.

It’s God who gave them strength. It was as if God had given them new names.

So this must have had something to do with its name.

Right now is… difficult.

“Let’s go to the study tomorrow. There must be at least one ancient language book there.”

It’s unfortunate, but it was clear that if I went out now and said I was going to the study, Zenda would scold me.

“Yeah. It’s your first collection, so it’d be better if it wakes up. No seekers could have collected it so quickly, right?”

Ser cheered from the side.

“You’re the first, you know. Even though Mom fed me, I still woke you up by calling your name.”

From the side, I heard its snort, hmm.

“Then you mean I’m the most precious, right?”

I tried to answer yes, but hesitated.

“You and Lepus!”

“Assume it just doesn’t exist. It’s not even your power.”

“We decided to be friends anyway. Lepus will also be angry. Alright, it doesn’t matter, but you’re the first one.”

“Geez. I still like that. Don’t change that.”

Creak.

Then, the door that had been tightly closed opened.

A large figure who was about to enter saw me and hesitated.

I kept sitting down in the shape of an M between the dolls from earlier, raising my head and widening my eyes.

With one hand tucked roughly into his pocket, he held the doorknob in a slightly crooked posture.

Hair neatly brushed back.

And to an enormous height.

I couldn’t see his face well in the light coming from the hallway, but I knew better than anyone who that person was.

“…Uncle!”

Uncle, at this hour?

“Why aren’t you sleeping?”

Asking in a lower-than-usual voice, Uncle approached.

The hallway light came in brightly, then faded again at the half-closed door.

“I woke up. Uncle, you just came back?”

“You can’t sleep?”

Uncle reached out to me.

When I opened my arms out of habit, his hands slipped between my armpits and my body floated.

“Hehe, I thought I would sleep without being able to see Uncle.”

Uncle hugged me and sat down on the bed.

“I said that if you keep sleeping late, you’ll have short legs even before the peanuts sprout.”

“No. Zenda said I’m tall. And I’m taller than Russphe. Uakh.”

Uncle tousled my hair with his big hand.

“Alright, now sleep, quick. It’s late.”

“Are you tired Uncle?”

“Sure.”

“You can only do a little work.”

Then you don’t have to stay this late.

Uncle, Mom, and Grandpa seem to be buried in work.

“Who told you to worry like that.”

“I know how to worry, too.”

I deliberately puffed my cheeks.

Uncle laughed as if it were ridiculous.

“Got it, now sleep.”

Uncle dropped me off as if I was being released into a fence.

“But why are you here, Uncle?”

I tucked my hoof ornament under the pillow and lay down.

Didn’t he come here because he had something to say?

Uncle only visits me when he has something to say or goes somewhere.

“I came here because you cried and looked for me before going to bed, why.”

What do you mean crying and looking for you!

I haven’t shed a single tear, you know!

I was about to say no, but Uncle pulled the blanket over my neck.

“Sleep.”

“Mm, good night, Uncle!”

“Yeah.”

Uncle got out of bed.

Still, I’m glad to see he’s here.

I watched until Uncle went outside and closed the door, then closed my eyes.

***

“That… one!”

I stretched out my hand and pointed to an ancient language book.

“You want to read… this?”

“Yes!”

As soon as I ate breakfast, I came to the study with the excuse of studying.

Except for the bottom row where my hands could reach, everything was on a high place, so I had to get help from Zenda.

When I asked to take out the ancient language book because it looked interesting, Zenda’s face was filled with wonder.

“You wouldn’t be able to read this at all. Even if it’s here, this is just for decoration.”

“It’s okay! That handwriting is interesting.”

“Ah, you’re trying to look at it like a picture. Then, the book next to it is also an ancient language book. Shall we take it out together?”

“Mmhm, thanks!”

The book Zenda brought out wasn’t a book containing the information I had seen with Lepus, but an ancient dictionary with only words listed.

I came here to find words, so I thought this would be better.

“Please give it to me!”

“It’s pretty heavy… I’ll bring it to your room.”

“I’ll read it here.”

I accepted the book Zenda gave me.

“Is that so? Then I’ll bring you some snacks.”

“Yeah, thank you! Zenda!”

As soon as Zenda came out, I opened the first chapter.

“It must be the same ancient language as the one I read, right?”

“Yeah, maybe…? I don’t know because I can’t read. They look similar, don’t they?”

“I think so too. We will find it soon.”

However, unlike I thought, it was difficult from the first chapter.

It wasn’t in the order of the Imperial alphabet, but it was a book arranged randomly.

It seems that the order is probably based on the ancient language, but I only knew how to read it, not the order, so I had to read it from the beginning.

I couldn’t read the ancient language if my concentration was scattered even a little bit, so it took quite a while to read each one.

“You’ll get better as you do it. No way it’ll be like now.”

“…Does that mean I’m late?”

“…”

“I will read it alone.”

I read the ancient language again.

Carriage, earthworm, love, light…

It’s going to be hard today because of this.

I glanced at the hoof ornament I had placed right next to me.

The ornament that was shining yesterday and making such a gurgling sound is quiet today.

As if to find out.

“Miss, eat this while you’re at it.”

Zenda, who had left before I knew it, came back.

“Thanks, Zenda!”

“If you need anything more, let me know.”

“Yes! Zenda, you can go to work. I’ll be here.”

“I can do it a little later.”

“Then Zenda will have to work late like last time. I will go after looking at all of this.”

“Ah… Then shall we? If you need anything, please pull that string.”

“Mmhm!”

It’s also for Zenda’s sake, but with Zenda, I can’t imprint this ancient relic.

After Zenda left, I concentrated on the spot and continued to search for words.

And how long has it been, I wonder.

“This is it!”

When I turned the pages to the point where my eyes hurt, I finally came up with a few words I wanted.

They were all words related to horse and carriage, so I didn’t know if it would react to at least one of them.

In anticipation, I held the hoof in my hand and slowly recited the name.

How should I call this?

“E, e… quus?”

Gulp.

“Ah, I’m nervous. Is this right?”

“Try it.”

“Mm, Equus!”

I squeezed the hoof with both hands, hoping the ancient relic would respond to my voice.

“…I guess not.”

No reaction.

I thought this was the most accurate.

I’ve tried other words too.

But even after saying all five words, there was no response.

Among the words related to horse, there’s no hoof, though…

“Can’t you find it here?”

“Looking at it, I think the words you said are correct. It might be shy like me.”

“Ah!”

But. I had to call Serpens again and again to be able to do it.

I remembered it waking up late and having a hard time.

“Huh, then when it wakes up, will it make me feel cold and hot like you did?”

I don’t know anything else, but I don’t want to go through that again.

“Are you cursing at me?”