Doesn’t exist? That’s…not possible. Syuna said all of these languages were needed for Earth. How could I need a language that doesn’t exist?

“Gus?” The woman looking up at him asked in worry.

“Oh…Stageneer. Stageneer should be on Earth. They come from a race called Domineers. Do you…perhaps know of them? I only know a little about them,” Gus finally answered, reciting the knowledge he learned from the books.

“A Domi-what now?” Marco interrupted, concerned over what he had been overhearing.

“Marco…let Gus finish,” the woman said.

“I’m sorry, but this is something that I just can’t overlook. Golem, what on earth do you mean Domineers and their language?”

Is this what I think it is?

Gus always had a feeling something wasn’t right when the history books he read seemed to stop randomly in 2024 despite suggestions from other works that there was still more onwards. Yet like always, Syuna seemed to dodge giving full answers to his questions, so Gus had to form his own conclusions about some facts that were left rather ambiguous. Luckily, he wouldn’t have to wait any longer to discover if his hypothesis was right, as humans were now in front of him.

“What year was it when you guys entered these ruins?” Gus asked the two in front of him.

“Year…why it was 2025 when we entered, *cough* *cough* though why are you asking about that?” The still unnamed woman answered in concern.

Marco on the other hand has his eyes pop open full of worry, as if something had dawned on him.

“Don’t tell me…does this have to do with that Havory thing that the Merchant was talking about?”

The Golem stared at the well-dressed man, and then solemnly shook his head as if to answer Marco’s worries.

“I read a book… up on the fifth floor of this library. I can’t recall much about it, but when that Merchant talked about surviving Havory, I was able to remember something. Something is going to happen to Earth. I don’t really know what…but it has to do with that thing called Havory,” Gus concluded.

The two humans fell quiet at his words. Even Gus himself was quiet, his mind still preoccupied with trying to discern the book he had previously.

I should try reading it again here after I talk with Syuna. See if something changed with it now that I can remember more of the book’s plot.

Marco sighed with a sense of defeat, staring blankly up at the strange book in front of him. But before the leader could show any more pathetic actions, he noticed the worried looks the rest of his team were giving him and quickly put on the confident mask he usually donned once again.

“Anyways, I think we should focus on our own survival for now. Thank you for the help, Golem, but I think we’ll handle the rest ourselves. I presume that you wouldn’t be able to help us any further less we risk being seen as a cheater in that monster’s eyes.”

“Marco…” The woman mumbled with sadness.

Not finding a way to refute Marco’s logic, the ill-stricken woman stopped herself before facing Gus.

“Thank you, Gus…I’m sure this must have been hard for you too,” She said with a tone of warmth.

How strange. This woman…so weak and frail, and yet here she is worrying about a stone monster she just met.

“Thank you…may I ask what your name is?”

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“Of course, anytime Gus. The name is Cricket…Cricket Erling. It’s a weird name, but sometimes I find it oddly fitting for myself. Isn’t fate funny *cough* *cough*, Gus? A Golem with a more human name than me, my parents should be ashamed!”

***

After the discussion with Cricket and Marco, Gus returned back to the circle mosaic in the center of the room and silently watched over the humans. Unlike the two irregulars he just talked with prior, most of those in the group could not hide their feelings of dread and anxiety while they read.

Strange, I thought the humans would be happy about starting with such easy subjects. With so many languages on Earth, surely they would have learned the major ones on their planet already.

Yet unknown to Gus, the humans were actually freaking out over their current assignments.

“Hindi, Latin, and Greek! How am I gonna learn their grammar in just two months!” Primis complained to her professor.

“Ha, you think you have it bad? I have to learn formal Old High German vocabulary! Does this book even exist on Earth?” A young man named Larry flaunted in misery.

“Shhhh! I never want to meet that son of a bitch ever again so everyone be quiet!” Jack screamed while furiously reading his first book.

“That’s right. Focus on your work, we don’t have enough time to bicker and complain about it. We’ll have to just do our best in the next two months,” Primis’s professor, Ms. Jasmine, commanded.

Sure, the group was full of bright and talented minds, but even they had human limits. The lucky ones were those who were already multilingual in a wide variety of languages, but even they would scratch their heads when faced with a book about the meaning of the different roars in the Draconic language.

Could they be…not familiar with more than just Stageneer? I thought dragons already existed on Earth, why else would they be talked about so much in literature?

Feeling a sense of doubt creep into his subconscious, Gus quickly shook his head and turned his attention to the oculus looming above him.

It’s almost time.

The sun was close to setting, its red rays now spreading across the sky as a sign of the coming night and stars. Soon, Syuna would return with her majestic fiery appearance.

I have so much to talk about. And so much to ask. But right now…I just really miss your presence. So please come quickly.

The red rays of the sky began to turn dark, and the humans who were not accustomed to the library at night started to struggle with reading in the pitch darkness. Loud whispers of concern echoed across the library, all relating to the fear over their loss in time. Yet to Gus, the darkness was comforting, as his artificial eyes could still see even in the darkness. He made sure to sort that issue out quickly after his horrifying experience with the abyss by using the flame inside him to recognize the faint light still remaining in the shadows. If the flames could detect regular light, what difference would that make if the light was just fainter? Whatever that blue fire was that Syuna implanted into him, it certainly did not obey basic common sense. Speaking of Syuna…

I can see it!

A dim outline, yet still as large and regal as ever, the second mighty blue sun was emerging.

Oh Syuna, so much has happened when you were gone. First, there were these humans who came to the library from that gateway you never opened, then there was this monster similar to you…oh sorry I didn’t mean it like that, but that’s not the point. I think this Merchant fella is fishy. He’s calling me a Trial Golem and is commanding me to kill these humans if they fail this test he’s making me monitor! It’s like everything went insane! So I wanted to ask, is there any way you can help these humans?

…

…

…

Syuna?

An odd silence lingered. It was unlike Syuna to remain silent for such a long time after waking up at night. Even her body, the mighty sun in the sky, had still not lit up. Only the dim blackened outline of the barely seen blue sun persisted. Gus stared at the outline, feeling awkward that he got all excited when she still hadn’t awakened. So he waited, looking up at the second sun to see when it would shine again. Moments passed.

Slow wake-up today, huh? Sure take your time, not like your one and only son is in mortal danger or anything.

The golem continued to stand and stare at the sky ominously, slowly grabbing the attention of the humans who were once freaking out about the lack of light.

“Is that thing okay?” Primis asked her professor.

“I’m not for sure…perhaps it powers off at night?” Ms. Jasmine guessed.

Unlike the rest of the confused group, Marco and Cricket stared at the Golem and frowned. Due to their interactions with the stone being, they were able to understand one thing by Gus’s lack of actions. There was trouble looming.

This can’t be…

After what felt like hours Gus had to finally accept that the worst had happened.

Syuna was not going to come.

You wouldn’t…

He had been abandoned.