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Chapter 33: Only Janice Can Read It!

Janice had clearly pointed out the difference in the maps, but the kidnappers focused on the fact that she could read the characters written on them. She wondered if she'd said something wrong, but it was already too late.

The "Elder" came in, thrust a book at her, and told her to read several passages. Janice stammered through them.

"The meaning?"

"..."

"The meaning!"

"Well..."

She translated as well.

The "Elder" stared at Janice's face for a long moment, then burst into hysterical laughter. Abruptly, he stopped and said with a serious expression:

"You can read Laphan!"

"..."

"How did you learn? Who taught you? Oh, no need to ask—your parents must have taught you. Ha! How on earth did they figure it out?"

He threw questions at Janice but didn't expect answers. He paced around the room, asking himself and answering himself. Watching him, Janice's eyes darted nervously.

She didn't know what Laphan was, but she realized she'd read something she shouldn't have. History was full of people killed to keep secrets—the emperor who built a secret passage then killed all the builders, the noble who buried treasure then killed the servants who helped him.

Janice feared her future might resemble those who'd been silenced.

...I should have pretended not to know! Why did I read it!

She wasn't sure how she could read Laphan herself. But...

I don't want to die!

Janice's small face twisted. Even now, she and Raymond hadn't given up hope that their "family" would rescue them. That's why she'd clung so tenaciously to life, cooperating uncomfortably to secure medicine and food—hoping that somehow, if they held out, their "family" would come.

Though they'd bickered like enemies, Janice actually liked Garren. And though Grandma embarrassed her with strange nicknames like "Lark," she loved her kindness, and Grandpa's sweetness in baking cookies and cakes.

I miss Daddy, I miss Grandma, I miss Grandpa... Stupid Daddy! You're supposed to be someone important in the Police Agency—so why haven't you come to rescue us yet!

Tears spilled from Janice's eyes without her realizing. But underneath the resentment, she just missed him.

Just then—

"What do you want to eat?"

"...?"

Prepared for death, she heard an unexpected question.

Is this my last meal!

Janice recalled a foreign tradition where condemned prisoners could eat whatever they wanted for their final meal. She didn't want to die. She wanted to live.

She wanted to say she didn't need good food—just let her live. But before she could open her mouth—

"Ah! No need to ask. Have someone buy all the children's favorite foods. She asked for medicine, didn't she? Make sure the child gets medicine too... Ah! And give bonuses to those who brought the kids here. I thought it was useless since they knew nothing—but we've landed a big catch!"

The "Elder" spouted strange things.

To Janice, he seemed oddly happy despite the secret being leaked—and it wasn't just him. Everyone was happy.

Something was off. Janice chewed her lip, unsure what was happening. Whatever it was, at least it didn't seem like they were going to kill her.

And as Janice was probing the situation—

"Someone who can read Laphan has appeared!"

"Where! Where is the one who can read Laphan!"

"Elder Wilson, I heard you found someone who can read Laphan!"

The place grew noisy as old men and women, about the same age as the "Elder," rushed into the room.

"Finally, our clan's wish will be fulfilled!"

They were rejoicing, just like the "Elder."

And watching them, Janice realized something—what had caused this turn of events wasn't "she" read Laphan, but rather the fact that "Laphan had been read." She guessed they couldn't read Laphan themselves.

---

Janice's guess was correct. The kidnappers couldn't read Laphan.

It seemed Janice was the only one who could—at least the only one they could easily entrust with translation.

"Elder, is this translation correct?"

"Yes. It seems right."

There were still some "traps" where they asked questions they already knew the answers to, but at any rate, they'd upgraded Janice's position to Laphan translator.

Thanks to that, Janice and Raymond's treatment improved drastically.

They stopped threatening with food and medicine at every turn, and their sleeping arrangements were upgraded—no more hard wooden bunks with thin blankets; now they had proper beds.

The "Elder" promised Janice that if she translated accurately, she could have whatever she wanted.

"Your parents didn't leave you nothing after all! Perhaps they intended to bequeath the 'ruins' to you?"

"..."

From his meaningful remarks, it was clear they would never grant her wish to go home. But at least Janice and Raymond had been upgraded from beasts to humans.

The kidnappers no longer withheld Raymond's medicine—probably because Janice had been properly translating the documents they gave her.

"He was on the verge of developing pneumonia. Fortunately."

They even brought in a doctor.

Thanks to that, Raymond regained consciousness a week after falling into a coma.

"Ja... nice? ...Are you dead too?"

"Idiot! You're not dead yet!"

"No, but... I saw angels..."

Janice was truly relieved that Raymond hadn't died.

The doctor told Janice that while Raymond had regained consciousness, it would take considerable time for his condition to return to normal. That meant he'd need medicine and nutritious food for a long while—and their supply depended on how cooperative Janice was with the kidnappers.

<...On the day the sun and moon became one, the hero Rahfu was born.>

It was trivial stuff anyway. Janice decided to cooperate.

It started with mythology. But perhaps because of her cooperation, the materials the kidnappers gave her grew more substantial. And through them, Janice learned quite a bit.

She didn't know the details, but the "ruins" her parents and the kidnappers were seeking seemed to be an ancient city where a certain clan once lived. They were loved by both sun and moon, but were driven underground by a jealous king. Beneath the earth lay immense treasure and a "holy grail" that granted wishes—and its location was...

"Rah... Nah?"

"Rahu."

"Bathed in Rahu's glory... the star-shaped land of Parthena, Hephaestus..."

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