Chapter 8

Guardian

*Kyuuga*

I watch them leave in their box on wheels, pulled by a beast with no will of its own. The Intruder is gone from Mother's land.

I don't know how long she was here, coming and going as if Mother's home belonged to her just because she built something on it. Months and weeks and days are a two-legged creation. All I know is that she was here too long, and not nearly respectful enough.

Her structures still litter Mother's home, but at least they are useful. She taught a local how to maintain them in her absence, and how to make my offering, so that's at least an improvement over her as an outsider. The locals, they understand how amazing Mother is, even if she hasn't come around in a long time.

I first met the Intruder in town, before I ever knew she'd be forcing herself into Mother's territory. Even though she smelled like Mother's mother, I knew immediately that she didn't belong here. She didn't belong anywhere. Beyond just an outsider, the kind that come and coo over our children, then trade metal chunks for their meat and pelts. The Intruder is truly from something Outside.

I don't even know what that means, but I know it to be true. It's like looking at a wolf wearing rabbit ears. No matter how much it may look like a rabbit, its smell always gives it away. Well, not the Intruder's smell, but the point remains. She's not just a foreign two-legs. The Intruder is foreign even to the two-legs.

I don't know what she is, wearing the two legs and walking around like them, among them. I only know that she doesn't belong. But ... I hate to admit it, but I don't think she's a wolf.

No, that's not true. She absolutely is a wolf of some sort. But she's not the sort that preys on rabbits. Not even the kind that hunt two-legs. She hunts something else. I think she caught its scent from the Thing that killed kin, the Thing she recovered the horn from.

I knew that Thing was out there. When the kin went missing, I even suspected that was what had happened. But I was terrified of it. I knew, deep inside my knowing place, that I couldn't beat it, that it was beyond me.

It wasn't beyond the Intruder, and she went on to chase its scent into the deep forest. I'm certain that's why she's leaving now, tracking its scent to another place. The Thing wasn't her prey, but it was kin to it. I wonder if the Intruder will be able to complete her hunt.

I hope so. If she can't, I just know there will be more Things threatening Mother's home.

All I can do is use the structures the Intruder built for training, but I have to get stronger. Until Mother comes home, I'll continue to be the guardian of this land. And I won't fail again.

* * *

*Remmi*

I'm in for another long carriage ride that could have been over in a couple hours in a car, but there's two major differences this time. For one, my partner for this ride, while still an elf, is an archer instead of a priestess.

For two, the ride is much smoother. Even the biggest bump barely registers to us now. I can't believe I ever permitted going without a proper suspension system and springs inside of the seats! I should give at least some credit to the Empire, though. The way they do their roads basically makes potholes impossible.

It's still going to be a long trip, though, so I made sure to stock up on books again. Even though I had some left over from my trip to Dabun Village, I've long since burned through them on idle afternoons and before bed at night.

My carriage-mate has a collection of books, as well, albeit smaller than my own. Right now, however, his attention isn't on the open book in his own lap, but the one in mine.

"Uh, Remmi?" Ayre asks me tentatively. "The System translates everything for you, right?"

I look up from my book in confusion at the unrelated comment. "Almost everything, yes," I confirm. "Anything I've got a concept for."

"... Then why are you reading a thesaurus? Does the concept of a lexicon not exist for your people?"

... Interesting that the System translated those as two different words, actually. That would mean they're different but related concepts.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Of course, on Earth,a thesaurus and a lexicon absolutely are slightly different but related concepts. It's important to remember, however, that Ayre didn't actually say thesaurus and lexicon. He said different words that the System determined were most similar in concept to thesaurus and lexicon. He might have even said the same word with different intents.

I set my mind to recalling what the differences between the two reference books are in my own language. A thesaurus is, of course, a book of synonyms and antonyms, but it used to be used to refer to any type of dictionary, or even other types of reference books like encyclopedias. Lexicon, on the other hand, is literally just another word for a dictionary, but it can also represent more broadly the total inventory of the entire vocabulary of a language. This could include, not only words, but whole phrases and concepts.

"Remmi ..."

"Hold on," I insist to my friend, who is no doubt growing frustrated with my tendency to chase my own thoughts. "I'm almost there."

If I'm right, what Ayre actually said was more like, "Why are you reading a [linguistic resource book]? Does the concept of a [vocabulary inventory] not exist for your people?"

Confident that I now properly understand the question, I turn my attention back to the present with a smile. "Sorry, Ayre, speaking of System translation, it had an odd hiccup, so I had to consider it for a bit."

The elf's cheek is puffed out in irritation. "That wasn't your, 'Hold on, I'm confused,' face, Remmi. That was your, 'I'm overthinking a simple question for my own amusement,' face."

I frown at that accusation. "Fine, let's test the hiccup. When you asked about a lexicon, were you talking about a lexicon or a lexicon?"

The trick, of course, is that the first lexicon is just using the word he used. The second, I spoke with the intent of referring to a dictionary. The third, a vocabulary inventory.

Ayre's brows furrow, as if something about the question made it hard to decipher. "A lexicon."

"First or second, please."

"Second, but why?"

I grin victoriously. "Because I used the same word both times!"

They furrow deeper as he recalls what he heard me say. "No, you didn't."

"The System doesn't translate words," I remind the archer. "It translates concepts. The problem is that the same word can mean several different things. Now, the System will pick the closest word to the actual intended meaning, but that can lead to some choices that are confusing in and of themselves."

"And that happened with my question?"

I nod. "I heard two very similar but different words when you asked your question. They mean nearly the same thing, which makes it weird that you would use them that way. But, of course, you probably didn't. That's just what I heard through the System."

Ayre shakes his head in awe. "It's hard to believe, but at times like this, it's a reminder that we really are speaking completely different languages."

"Completely alien languages, even," I agree. "We can basically guarantee that we share absolutely no etymological development at all."

There go the brows again. "You really don't need a thesaurus, Miss Collegiate."

I give a short laugh as I hold up my book. "But I do! I know how to talk like an American, but not how to talk like an Imperial. Reading this helps me see how you might use a word a little differently to how I would."

But I scowl down at the pages as I flip back through a couple of them. "Of course, since I'm getting it translated as I read it, I can't look up anything specific." I hold open a particular set of pages and push it toward Ayre. "Is this alphabetical for you?"

"... Yes?"

I bring the book back and look the pages over again. "Not for me. Everything's completely out of order."

Ayre looks down at his own book as he realizes how that would be the case. "Oh ... Yeah, I can see why that would be a problem ..."

We're reading a little longer before I decide to make some more on-topic conversation. "So, this next dungeon we're going to, what's it called, again?"

"Desert Cove," Ayre reliably provides. "Like Deep Forest, it's a Bronze-rank dungeon, so it shouldn't give us any problems."

"Been there before?"

But the archer gives a negative shake of the head. "It's a weird one. Apparently, it's extra dangerous for men for some reason, so I've stayed clear of it. Since we're both Silver-rank now, though, we should be able to handle anything it throws at us."

I consider that for a bit. If comments like that didn't remind me from time to time, I'd have a hard time remembering that the cosmopolitan elf across from me is actually a guy. Would it have still been extra risky for him to go into a dungeon like that?

No, that's the wrong way to think of it. If there's some sort of poison or magic that's triggered based on genetics or physical equipment, then it wouldn't matter what he looks like. I should be focused more on the risks to him.

It doesn't sound like he really knows what the extra threat is, though, which is weird if it's so dangerous. "Is this cove a dungeon adventurers don't know much about?"

Ayre tilts his head to the side a bit, tapping his chin with an index finger. "Hmm, no, I wouldn't say that. And there's no real rule that men can't go in. It's more that the extra hazards it brings mean all-female teams are the preference. By the time guys are strong enough to ignore the threat, there are more rewarding dungeons open to them."

"But nobody knows what these extra hazards are?"

At that, Ayre can only shrug. "Teams that go in never tell guys what happens in there for some reason. Even women that promise to do so going in get tight-lipped coming back out."

It could be that the threat is some sort of psychological hazard, then. An infohazard, even, though that sounds a bit too much of a stretch. Perhaps it's something based in temptation.

A cove. Despite the mention of a desert, the very name implies a body of water. Is it a siren nest? Mermaids? Something that would tempt men to go in despite the danger, but would be of little risk to women beyond physical violence.

That would make sense, but it's still just a guess. As far as I know, we're going to find out it's the local hang-out for the flower club. I mean, I doubt it. It is still a dungeon, after all.

"Excited to find out?" I ask.

"A little," Ayre admits, dipping his head shyly. "But mostly a bit scared of what could cause so many people to stay so quiet about it."

"Don't worry!" I assure my friend with a chipper attitude. "I'll blast any wayward strumpet that thinks to make a meal out of you!"

He looks at me with a look of utter confusion. Maybe I should have filled him in on some of my thoughts before just jumping to the end like that. "... Thanks?"

Instead of correcting my mistake, I just give a big, confident grin and pop a thumbs up I leave to the System to translate.