Chapter 303: Deciphers Ancient Magic Language
"How is it? Do you think you can read it?"
"This is a language I'm not familiar with either… It's probably not a code but an unknown language."
I replied so to Grevil.
As someone who lived a long life in the past, I could speak all known 325 languages back then.
Yet the one in this documents is unlike any of those 325.
However… this doesn't appear to be a code.
Similar words are getting repeated all over these documents.
That's a characteristic of a normal language.
Words may also get repeated in a very low level code, but those demons would never use something so low leveled. Probably.
Well to me there's not much difference between an unknown language and a low level code.
Since both can be deciphered with magic.
"For now, let's decipher it."
I hang my hand over the documents.
Grevil looked surprised when he saw that.
"Could it be, Code Decipherer magic…? Can you use that with your mana?"
"Yea. The simple version that is."
Grevil's surprise is likely caused by his perceptions of the proper powerful decipherer magic.
I can't use that one with my mana indeed.
But… If the target is not a code, but merely an unknown language, then a simpler magic can be used to decipher it.
"Well, let's give it a try."
I cast the decipherer magic.
It's far more complex than the magic usually deployed in battle… But the me now can use this magic without problem.
"Now then, which one is it similar with…"
You don't simply fully comprehend a code just by casting this magic.
It's a magic that compare and calculate the extracted syntax and common feature of a code with existing languages the user knows.
Since I know 325 languages, I've got a lot of data point to compare.
Then… It got a hit on a similar language.
"…A type of 『Sand Graph』 huh."
『『Sand Graph』 you say… Isn't that the language used by sand demons? …I believe that didn't have a letter system though.』
Hearing my murmur, Grevil spoke to me through comm magic.
As Grevil said, the language that's most similar to the one used in these documents was a language used by sand demons.
However, letters do not exist in that language, [Sand Graph].
…No, to be more precise, letters for it did not exist then.
Since these documents are clearly written in the lettered form of [Sand Graph] pronunciations.
Characteristics of the grammar and syntax are exactly the same.
Which means…
『They must have developed letters after we died. I have no idea why present demons are using this language, but there's no doubt it's a major language among them.』
『I see… But Sand Language huh. That's such a minor language. Even I only knew of its existence.』
『Yeah. I'm surprised the language of those nearly extinct demons could survive to this day.』
There were several major demon languages back then.
But I never catch even a glimpse of any of those after reincarnating.
[Sand Graph] is probably the only surviving language for some reason.
I continue the deciphering.
Since there were several slight changes and new words added compared to the past [Sound Graph], I couldn't manage to decipher everything… But it's still quite a lot.
If the one in my past era is [Ancient Sand Graph] then the present one should be called [Modern Sand Graph].
"Done reading most of it."
Afterward, I transcribe what I've read to the paper we have at hand.
I left the unreadable part as pronunciations written in Common Continental language.
Since this language is a phonetic language, I can make out the pronunciations even if I don't know its meaning.
"You read them, in that time frame!?"
"It's an unknown language you know!? …Is that decipherer magic really that amazing!?"
Ruli and Alma sounded surprised to hear me.
…Oh right, code decipherer magic through chant magic exists in this world for once.
It's a defective magic that can only be used to solve extremely simple letter-shifting codes and takes super long to cast.
Please don't compare that to a real magic.
"The magic looks for similar points and compares it to existing knowledge… Since this language is similar to an ancient demon language I know, reading it was a breeze."
"""""Ancient demon language!?"""""
"Why would you even know that sorta stuff!?"
Ruli and Alma… Not only them, Second Academy teachers who were present also jumped up.
"You know how to read ancient demon languages!?"
"Please, share your knowledge with us!"
Second Academy teachers pressed me for more.
…Oh yeah, I didn't write a textbook for language study.
All the necessary content for magic teachings I wrote in the textbook is in Common Continental language… but if the teachers need it, I can also make them a linguistics textbook.