Ancient Language Class

The next morning, Ivan was already floating beside the bed, waiting for Diana to wake up.

While she slept last night, he had secretly looked through the Book of Rituals. He found that, aside from the page about the Lord of All Spirits, which was relatively clear, the rest had been blurred by the passage of time, like history deliberately erased.

With no new clues to go on, Ivan could only hope that learning where the book came from would lead to more information.

"Miss Diana, if you don't get up soon, you'll be late for school." Knock, knock, knock... It wasn't until the maid knocked for the third time that the girl in bed finally opened her sleepy eyes and turned over languidly.

Ivan's grand, ethereal voice took the opportunity to ring in her mind:

"Diana, go and look for more ancient books like that. Try to understand what they mean, and you'll gradually learn the truth about this world."

He kept the rest of his thought to himself: Your Lord needs you to understand, too...

The grand, ethereal voice rang in Diana's mind, like a murmur in a dream.

"Mmm, I know~" she answered sleepily.

She rolled over again, seeming ready to drift back to sleep. But the next second, she suddenly opened her eyes and sat up, breathing a little fast.

"Just now... Was that the great Lord of All Spirits giving me a revelation?" she murmured in disbelief. Then she clenched her fist, feeling the strength within it.

"Everything that happened yesterday wasn't a dream..."

"I will follow your revelation!" she prayed devoutly in a hushed voice, her eyes shining with excitement.

Diana quickly got up to wash and dress. As she tidied her appearance, she kept reminding herself of her objective.

A sense of purpose unlike anything she had ever felt before washed over her. After all, this was the first task the great Lord of All Spirits had given her.

Ivan was also thinking about his plans.

He decided to accompany Diana to the school's library and archives that day. It held many ancient documents, and perhaps he could find traces of the Lord of All Spirits or other Old Gods there.

The morning sun streamed through the blinds at the end of the second-floor hallway, gilding the floor with a warm golden glow.

The wooden door to the girl's room opened from within, and Ivan slowly floated out behind Diana.

She leaned over the carved railing on the second floor and looked down. Two maids were busy preparing breakfast.

"Good morning, Miss Louise! Good morning, Miss Sophia!" Her voice was clear and sweet, like a lark at dawn.

"Good morning, Miss Diana," Louise replied with a smile. The older woman's movements were meticulous; she was the villa's head maid.

"You look especially energetic today, miss." Young Sophia blinked her bright eyes, carefully holding a plate of steaming croissants.

Diana hurried down the stairs and naturally took the tray from Sophia. "Let me help. Careful, it's hot."

"Miss, that's our job..." Sophia said, looking a little embarrassed.

"It's fine. I'm just... especially energetic today!" Diana playfully winked. As she turned, she nearly bumped into a vase in the hallway, but her newfound control over her body let her stop in time.

In the dining room, she stuffed bread into her mouth and asked indistinctly:

"What time... is it...?"

"Don't rush, miss. Take your time. If Mr. Logan sees you eating like that, he'll lecture you again." Seeing Diana wolf down her food, Louise couldn't help shaking her head.

"It's fine. Father should've gone to work at City Hall already. If you don't tell him, no one will know."

Ding~ Just then, the clock on the wall struck eight.

"Oh no! I'm going to be late!" Diana exclaimed. She quickly shoved the last bite of bread into her mouth, picked up her milk, and gulped it down.

Outside the villa, a steam carriage had been waiting for some time. White smoke poured from its upright chimney, and the carriage's deep green body gleamed elegantly in the sunlight. The boiler's muffled gurgle mingled with the hiss of escaping steam, as if urging the girl to hurry.

Diana hitched up her skirt and ran to the carriage in quick, short steps. Her movements were growing more nimble, as if she were gradually getting used to her strength.

Ivan followed her silently and slipped into the carriage as well.

Inside, deep red leather seats paired with gleaming handrails on either side. A small gas lamp hung in the corner, casting a warm glow.

Up front, the driver slowly pushed down the control lever, and the steam engine rumbled to life. A plume of white smoke burst from the sheet-metal chimney above, followed by a clear, long whistle.

The carriage rolled smoothly onto the road. Its rubber-coated wheels barely jolted, even as they crossed the cobblestones.

Through the window in the carriage door, Ivan gazed at the bustling street outside and couldn't help sighing.

"Tsk, it's good to be rich. Even the carriage is a state-of-the-art steam model."

The carriage soon arrived at Diana's school. Vines curled across the heavy iron gate, and bronze owl statues stood on either side.

Inside the gate was a broad lawn with a fountain at its center. The school building behind it was faced with dark brick, and its arched windows were fitted with stained glass like that in a church.

Diana hurried to the classroom door on the first floor and gently pushed open the back door. The ancient language class had already been underway for some time.

The professor was writing mysterious symbols on the blackboard in chalk. He caught movement at the door from the corner of his eye, paused, and gave a light cough.

Diana had planned to sneak to her seat, but now she had to stop and give the professor an awkward smile.

"Sorry, Professor! I, I stayed up too late reading yesterday and got up a little late this morning."

The professor sighed and gave a slight nod. "Take your seat, Diana. Your grades are excellent, but you still need to make it to class on time."

Diana nodded, stuck out her tongue, and sat down at an empty desk.

She quickly took out her notebook and focused on the lesson.

Ivan floated around the classroom, waiting for Diana's class to end while curiously examining the strange symbols on the blackboard.

Unlike Rheinish, with its strings of words that looked like Roman letters, these symbols were more like ideograms. Strange curves clustered together to form different square-shaped characters.

"They look a little like hieroglyphs."

He began studying the symbols, comparing them with the Rheinish translations in Diana's notes while listening to the professor's explanation.

"This symbol has a simple semicircular arc at the top, representing a supreme being.

"Below it are two symmetrical, winding lines, like two people kneeling on the ground with their hands raised above their heads in worship."

The professor paused, pushed up his glasses, and continued:

"According to the currently accepted theory among scholars, this symbol means 'god.'"

Ding~

The end-of-class bell echoed through the classroom, bringing the morning lessons to a close.

Ivan's tentacles took turns kneading his "head." He already felt dizzy and muddled, and the ancient characters seemed to be little people dancing and leaping before his eyes.

"Phew~ This ancient language is so abstract. I don't know how Diana managed to stay focused all morning and still look so happy."

Watching Diana's bright smile and excited expression, he couldn't help recognizing the gap between himself and a top student.

Diana hadn't forgotten the task the Lord of All Spirits had given her. She bounced her way to the school's library and archives.

She pushed open the heavy oak door, and the smell of old paper, leather, and camphor washed over her.

The tall bookshelves reached all the way to the ceiling, with narrow aisles between them. A rolling iron ladder was needed to reach the highest shelves.

The librarian was an old man wearing round glasses, bent over his desk sorting out borrowing cards. When Diana walked in, he looked up, pushed his glasses up his nose, and spoke in an indifferent tone:

"Miss Diana, didn't you take an ancient book last time... without signing it out?"