"Alright… cough cough, let's skip history. Teach me the language instead."

"Do we really need to continue nya? Renee-nya, your Common Tongue is already better than mine nya!"

"And stop adding 'nya' after my name. If my Common Tongue is fine, then let's move on to the Nako Tribe language. Cough cough cough…"

Renee was the alias I often used when disguising myself as a woman. Although I loathed pretending to be feminine, hiding my true gender had its advantages. At the very least, it made interactions with this girl simpler by eliminating any potential awkwardness related to gender.

Using a feminine appearance to lower others' guard wasn't new to me. During the Heroic Wars, this tactic proved invaluable—not only for assassinations but also for seduction and sowing discord. I had begrudgingly thanked my time in prison for shaping my slender physique and pale skin. Now, even altering my voice was second nature.

But all of that… was in the past.

"You want me to teach you our language nya? I mean, I can try, but I'm not that confident in teaching nya…"

"Just start."

"O-Okay nya!"

My tone was more of a command than a request. In reality, it was a command.

I had no time for politeness. I intended to wring every ounce of value from this girl. Friendship wasn't part of the equation. Every second was precious to me.

Especially now.

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"Cough, cough!"

"R-Renee-nya, maybe you should rest for today—"

"Do you still want dinner?"

"…Understood, nya."

She replied meekly and resigned herself to continuing the lesson.

"Nya, meow, miao? Why are there so many variations of this sound?"

"Even if you ask me that, it's just how our language is, nya…"

"Also, your pronunciation of 'normally' was wrong. The 'miao' sound wasn't quite right."

"Nya!?"

After grasping the basics, I even began pointing out her mistakes. At times like this, it felt as though I was the teacher instead of her.

The Nako Tribe language was exhausting. There were countless variations of "nya," "meow," and "miao," each carrying subtle differences in meaning. Its linguistic system was completely different from the Common Tongue, making it a formidable challenge to learn. Typical of a feline race, I suppose.

In contrast, the Serpentfolk's language was far simpler. However, without anyone actively teaching me, I could only pick up fragments from overhearing conversations among the crew. This made progress painfully slow. On that note, I should stop calling them "Serpentfolk." Technically, they were part of the "Oceanic Species," specifically the "Siren Tribe."

Twelve races… with subdivisions, no less.

I could now name the Giant, Slimentis and others without hesitation. But knowing their names was useless without understanding their history, culture, or even what they looked like.

I needed more. I needed to know everything.

To survive and return alive, I couldn't afford to overlook even the smallest scrap of information.

Which meant I had to learn eleven more languages—possibly more, considering the sub-races.

My head drooped.

For a fleeting moment, I wanted to stop. I felt exhausted and overwhelmed. I wanted to rest. If I kept pushing myself like this, I feared I might just collapse.

But—I couldn't allow myself to stop thinking.

I reminded myself, over and over again.

I knew. I knew all too well. So…

"Good morning nya! Did you eat a delicious lunch today nya?"

I mustered all my effort to utter a simple morning greeting in the Nako Tribe's language. Yet, in reality, the sounds that left my mouth were little more than a jumbled string of "meows" and "nyas."