A giant hamster speaking human language.
Even in this fantasy world where magic and different races exist, such a thing is remarkable.
After all, monsters don’t communicate in words.
So rare ones speak, but mostly just repeat preset phrases.
And in that sense...
“Let go! I said, let go! You crazy rebels!”
...What the hell is this thing?
I furrowed my brow without realizing it.
That’s because the language it was speaking was ‘Ancient Tongue.’
Coincidentally, I had recently t a monster that used Ancient Tongue.
But was it really just coincidence?
My suspicion deepened.
“Yandel, what’s wrong?”
“Is there a problem?”
What? Their reactions?
Feeling the awkwardness, I imdiately voiced my doubt.
“Don’t tell you can’t understand a word it’s saying?”
“...Huh? Words?”
“We didn’t hear any words. Just unpleasant screeches.”
“ too!”
Tsk, what kind of phenonon is this?
Looking down at the increasingly suspicious hamster, it suddenly stopped struggling and looked up at .
“You...! You can understand my words?”
Can it really hear its own voice?
I found no reason to answer.
So I pressed the hamster harder, making it unable to resist, and tried to speak in Ancient Tongue.
“You.”
“Ugh...! Let go...! You barbarian... do you even know who I am...!”
It spoke boldly, but I had no idea who it was.
So...
“What’s your relation to the chief?”
I asked directly, deciding the first thing to check was whether it was the chief’s spy.
“...?”
But it looked completely clueless, so I ntioned the chief’s other na.
“Cornelius Brüngrid. Don’t you know that na? A monster like you who also uses Ancient Tongue?”
If it said no here too, I planned to call in an expert for interrogation.
“You insolent thing! I’m not a monster...!”
“Enough. Just answer the questions.”
I tightened my grip briefly then released, and it spoke hurriedly.
“I-I don’t know! Don’t press ! I feel like throwing up...!”
“I see. That’s unfortunate. Then I’ll have to find out myself.”
“Find out yourself...?”
You’ll know soon enough.
I called Alia over, who pulled out a dagger to check its blade.
Seeing that, maybe she pictured her own future.
“W-wait!”
“Did you rember sothing?”
“Ancient Tongue...! If it’s a ‘monster’ using Ancient Tongue, there’s one I can think of! The one who rides a dragon!”
...Rides a dragon?
The chief’s human-era nickna was ‘Dragon Knight,’ after all.
“Emily, hold on a mont.”
I led Alia back and continued the opened conversation.
“You. Tell more about that one who rides a dragon.”
“I-I don’t know much...! But I once ca here before. That monster with blue skin and huge eyes! Lots of subordinates, and it used Ancient Tongue too!”
Sounds like it’s talking about the chief.
Blue skin, huge bulging eyes, a species using Ancient Tongue — there can’t be others like that around.
‘The chief was lying to again.’
He told they couldn’t go outside and didn’t know what was out there.
Turns out it was all blatant lies.
“When did they co here?”
“Long ago — so long ago it’s aningless to count.”
“I’ll decide if it’s aningless or not. Give a number.”
“I don’t know exactly! But the skies have opened tens of thousands more tis since those monsters last ca!”
The sky has opened.
That phrase seems to an ‘rainy season.’
If so, it makes sense counting is aningless.
‘If the rainy season happened 10,000 tis... about 833 years by outside ti.’
And it opened tens of thousands more tis?
aning ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) the chief ca here thousands of years ago.
So I stopped calculating.
“What do you an by riding a dragon?”
“Literally! Whenever they ca here, they brought a big dragon with a bunch of followers on it!”
“So, they ca multiple tis?”
“They used to co often. Then they stopped coming.”
“What did the chief do here back then?”
“Sa as you! ssed up all the books I had worked hard to organize! Really—!”
“Wait, you organized the books?”
“...Yeah?”
What is this thing?
What it said so far didn’t sound like lies.
Honestly, I was more curious about what it really was than suspecting it as the chief’s spy.
“Why did you organize the books?”
The key to understanding soone is their motivation.
I asked that, but the answer was vague.
“Th-that’s... because I have to...!”
“What...?”
“Organizing books... that’s what I have to do. I’ve done it since I was born here!”
“So, organizing books is the reason you exist?”
“N-not that grand... but it’s sothing I have to do.”
It didn’t seem like it was hiding anything.
I asked repeatedly, but the answer never changed.
“Idiot! You think you need a reason for everything? It’s just like that! Just like that! I have to organize books!”
So why do you have to organize?
When I asked again, the hamster seed confused like it had never thought about it before, then exploded in anger.
‘Looks like it doesn’t even understand its own behavior.’
No use pressing further.
Ti for the next step.
“So, is there anything else here?”
“...?”
“You know, like special books, treasures, strange monsters, hidden spaces... Or sothing you’re hiding from outsiders.”
“...”
“Nothing?”
The hamster scread loudly in disgust at my subtle question.
“N-no, no, no!!!”
Strong denials can sotis an strong affirmations.
“I thought so...”
“...!!!”
“You have sothing, don’t you?”
I started salivating unconsciously.
The conversation in similar form repeated.
“I said, there’s nothing!”
Like a parrot, the hamster kept repeating ‘nothing.’
Then...
“Ah, you just said you’ll show it.”
Like a barbarian, I ignored it completely.
“How many tis do I have to say it before you understand? There’s nothing here!”
“Who said I’m taking it? I’m only going to look. Stop annoying .”
“...”
Argh, why can’t it believe human words?
I concluded it’s not soone to reason with nicely.
So...
“Hey.”
I lowered my voice and spoke.
The hamster flinched and looked at cautiously.
“...?”
“Am I your friend? Can’t you read the situation?”
“...No, no, I said there’s nothing... I really...”
“Ah, then tell sothing else.”
“Sothing else...?”
“Yeah, like how to get out of here. Do you know?”
“...No.”
“The chief’s weaknesses or secrets?”
“...”
“Then what do you want to do? I need a reason too before I let you go or whatever. Or should I check if you have essence?”
“...”
Haha, no answer, lips sealed.
Is it that precious?
Seeing threats didn’t work, I changed tactics.
“Hey, then tell about yourself.”
“...?”
“What are you? Why are you here? And where did you learn to speak human language?”
“Ah, that...”
Maybe this topic was easier.
It answered quite kindly.
Though it didn’t have any aningful information.
“So to sum up, you were born here and can speak human language?”
“Y-yeah... The chief! The chief was the first strange life form I saw.”
“Does the chief know about you?”
“Probably not. I tried talking to him since he ca close after hearing speak... But that dumb guy didn’t understand a word.”
“Like the others who didn’t understand you?”
“By the way, who are you? How can you talk to and not be scared?”
Why did it suddenly beco arrogant?
“Why are you asking ? Explain that.”
“...”
“Enough. Tell , people are scared of you? Do you have so kind of ability?”
“...I don’t know. They all were. The chief drew weapons and swung when he saw . You all were no different. So they tried to scare off...”
“But you got caught like this.”
“...”
“Why am I fine? You look like a normal rat to .”
“A rat? I’m not that!!”
“Then what are you? Do you have a species na?”
“N-no, not really...”
“Then your na? Do you have one?”
“...I don’t need a na.”
“That’s why so never socialize... Nas exist for convenience. So let give you one.”
“...You’ll give one?”
“Yeah.”
Living alone in the library for thousands of years without a na seed a little sad, so I thought hard and nad it.
“Hamsik.”
“...?”
“Hamsik, that’s your na from now on.”
“...”
“What? Is there a problem with the na?”
“N-no... no problem...”
“I am Bjorn, Yandel’s son. Yandel’s my family na, Bjorn my given na. Just call Bjorn.”
“B-bjorn... got it.”
Okay, now that introductions were done, ti to resu the interrupted conversation.
“So... are we friends now?”
Hamsik suddenly asked that.
Its voice was cautious and sowhat uneasy.
I tilted my head, and it looked away, mumbling.
“But... I heard friends are those who call each other by na...”
“Where did you learn that?”
“Don’t know. I’ve known since birth. Like the language system I have.”
“Really?”
I thought it was a weird creature with lots of questions, but also thought,
‘I think I know how to handle it.’
I released it and helped it stand.
Facing it, I stretched out my arm.
“Hamsik, I’m counting on you from now on.”
“...?”
“Why, you said when you introduce yourself you beco friends, right? Friends shake hands. You don’t know that?”
“N-no! Of course I know!”
Hamsik shyly reached out its fluffy paw.
“I-I’m also... pleased to et you...?”
How badly does it want friends?
I don’t know, but now the friendship was sealed.
So...
“Now tell . Where is that treasure you were hiding?”
“...!”
Ti to pay the friend fee.
Hamsik looked at with betrayed eyes and backed away.
Co on, don’t be hurt among friends.
“Hamsik, friends don’t keep secrets.”
“B-but...”
“Don’t you consider a friend?”
“Piii...”
Hamsik squeaked awkwardly at my question.
I didn’t push further and waited quietly.
After a while.
“Okay... I’ll show you... but don’t touch anything inside! Got it?”
“Of course.”
Maybe relieved, Hamsik proudly raised its index finger like a pop singer showing off.
And then.
Ssss—
Books slid out one by one from the shelves, half hanging off.
‘So it’s a system where pulling certain books reveals a secret space?’
Watching in a daze, the movent stopped.
And then.
Drdrdrdrdrdrdr—!
The sealed stone door opened, revealing a hidden space.
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