{T/N: The amount of time I spent on the Lotm wiki because of this chapter is horrendous... The Author of this fic is something else...}
...
Upon hearing the Hermit's explanation, the other members once again realized that his research lay far beyond their own knowledge...
For them, the Jotun and Dragonese were languages they had heard of, and some had even studied or knew a little of them.
But they had never considered how these languages originated, or how they differed from human speech.
As they listened, everyone gradually became engrossed, as if transported back to their school days, sitting in a classroom learning unfamiliar subjects from a teacher.
Odis continued, "Later, Mr. Hermes referenced both Jotun and Dragonese to create Ancient Hermes, giving humanity its own language for communicating with nature. The birth of mystical symbols likely followed a similar process. Initially, human sages likely adapted the characters of dragons and other races to develop universal symbols that humans could use to interact with nature."
"...From what I know, races like giants and dragons each had their own unique mystical symbols. These symbols were likely originally used in conjunction with syllables that could channel spiritual and natural forces. For example, Jotun paired with the giants' mystical symbols could unleash tremendous power. Thus, these symbols themselves possessed effects similar to the Jotun and Dragonese."
"...Unfortunately, most have been lost to time, as they were extremely difficult for humans to learn and use. Human mystical symbols ceased evolving by the Second Epoch. By the Third Epoch, no one understood their intrinsic meanings anymore. Thus, Ancient Hermes remains the sole human language capable of conducting rituals and ceremonies, channeling Spirituality and natural forces. Yet we never developed corresponding mystical symbols to complement it."
At this point, Odis paused briefly...
Audrey quickly asked, "Why did the development of mystical symbols stagnate?"
"There are roughly two reasons," Odis continued, "First, by the Third Epoch, potion formulas began to spread. Humans could advance relatively safely by following these formulas, gaining greater Beyonder power. Thus, having a language capable of prayers and rituals was sufficient. There was no need to research mystical symbols, which were weaker compared to Beyonder abilities and far more complex."
"Second, during the Second Epoch, previously isolated human tribes underwent a period of major integration. An alphabetic system emerged, quickly replacing the scripts used by various human tribes and forming a unified writing system based on letters. This effectively cut off any further development of mystical symbols."
The other members were somewhat baffled, not quite grasping the Hermit's meaning.
Only Klein behind the gray fog had an inkling, given his knowledge of pictographic/hieroglyphic characters...
Well aware of their confusion, Odis elaborated further, "Imagine, in an era without writing, if you wanted to record the concept of 'wheat' with a symbol... Would you sketch the rough shape of wheat with lines? Or invent a complex alphabetic system first, then use letters to form the word for wheat?"
The Tarot Club members were momentarily stunned, before gradually understanding Mr. Hermit's point!
Klein was the first to grasp it: 'Why hadn't I considered this before? Human civilization undoubtedly began with pictographs. Only after different civilizations began interacting and merging did phonetic writing gradually emerge...'
This time, Alger was thoroughly convinced: 'This research is indeed profound and astonishing...'
Fors, meanwhile, wondered: 'The Hermit's hypothesis is reasonable, but why had no scholar before him ever proposed something similar?'
Then another thought struck her: 'It's hard to imagine ancient humans using a script entirely different from modern writing! Was their spoken language also unlike ours today?'
Audrey openly marveled, "I never realized human writing underwent such a massive transformation!"
She then asked, "So, mystical symbols are essentially humanity's intuitive representations of the world?"
Odis smiled, saying, "You could say that."
At this point, Derrick, who had been deep in thought, suddenly spoke up, "Mr. Hermit, the City of Silver still uses Jotun and the script of giants. But in our daily communication and writing, we don't feel any ability to channel natural forces."
"That's exactly what I was about to explain next," Odis said, "First, giants also have a simplified version of their language for everyday use, one that doesn't constantly invoke natural power. Another key concept is: The Jotun spoken by humans is not the same as the Jotun spoken by giants!"
Derrick blinked, stammering, "N-not the same?"
The others were equally puzzled. Why wouldn't they be the same?
Odis thought for a moment, before saying, "Jotun isn't the best example to use here... Dragonese illustrates this better. This language is nearly extinct today because many of its syllables are impossible for ordinary humans to pronounce!" {T/N: Thu'um is a perfect example of this in my opinion...}
Again, Klein was the first to understand. Through 'The World', he interjected, "Different vocal organs produce different sounds."
The others had a sudden realization. Of course human vocal cords couldn't possibly match a dragon's!
"Exactly, the vocal cords differ," Odis said with a smile, "Additionally, the structural differences in our brains mean the underlying logic of language also differs. Yet, Dragonese has survived because potions alter a Beyonder's body, allowing them to produce some draconic syllables."
"...This is also why Dragonese isn't a widely used mystical language. Jotun, on the other hand, is more accessible because the vocal differences between giants and humans are smaller. Many Mysticism enthusiasts can self-study it."
Audrey nodded slowly: 'Why had none of this ever occurred to me before? Yet hearing Mr. Hermit explain it makes everything seem so logical...'
Fors inwardly marveled: 'Mr. Hermit's reasoning is impeccable! It reminds me of the erudite professors I encountered during university...'
Odis went on, "But giants and humans still differ in some ways. While we can pronounce their words, we can't replicate the effects of a true giant speaking Jotun. This is why Mr. Hermes created Ancient Hermes... The Jotun we use is already a simplified, weakened version."
"...The same applies to Dragonese. Humans struggle to unleash its full power and the protective mechanisms encapsulated within the language, leaving us vulnerable when using it. Ancient Hermes shares this flaw. But the refined version provides sufficient safeguards for human casters."
"...The key reason is that Ancient Hermes borrowed heavily from Giant and Dragon linguistic structures, whereas the modified Hermes is tailored entirely to human expression, making it safe for us."
The grand hall fell silent again as everyone digested the Hermit's insights.
After a long pause, Alger finally asked, "What about the Elvish language? It seems even rarer than the Dragon tongue nowadays."
Odis replied, "Based on my research, existing ancient languages fall into two major families... Elvish belongs to a different family than Jotun and Dragonese. As you may know, the common languages of the Northern Continent trace their roots to Ancient Feysac, which itself branched off from the Jotun language."
"...The language used in the City of Silver is similar to Ancient Feysac. It's still called Jotun, but representing a branch, likely sharing origins with Ancient Feysac. Elvish, however, belongs to another ancient language family. My studies suggest that the Highlander language of the Southern Continent borrows some Elvish pronunciations, possibly making it a descendant."
Alger nodded slowly, "Highlander does indeed have unique phonetics."
Audrey then asked, "Mr. Hermit, what about the Dutanese language? Where does the Southern Continent's common Dutanese originate?"
Odis smiled, saying, "After answering this, our transaction must conclude."
His explanations thus far had already far exceeded the 260-pound value of their agreement, so the exchange could go no further...
Audrey quickly said, "I can pay you in gold pounds to continue answering my questions."
But Odis shook his head. "I'm not short on funds at the moment. If I have other needs later, I'll announce them, and we can resume this discussion then."
Audrey was disappointed but conceded, "Very well."
She didn't consider trading Beyonder knowledge like the acting method for answers. Though esoteric, she assumed Mr. Hermit already knew such things.
Odis proceeded to address her question, "Dutanese and Ancient Feysac are distinct languages, but both ultimately belong to the Jotun & Dragonese language family. Given the Southern Continent's beliefs, I suspect Dutanese may derive from the phoenix race's tongue. However, some speculate the phoenixes' origins lie in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, so their language has been lost in the Northern and Southern Continents."
"Phoenixes..." Audrey repeated, unfamiliar with these mythical beings.
She turned to Little Sun and asked, "Mr. Sun, have you heard of the phoenix race?"
Derrick answered, "Our geography lessons mention them. Their land of origin is said to lie north of our city."
Audrey nodded, thinking that this made sense. With a smile, she said, "Thank you both. Your insights have been incredibly enlightening."
As this round of transactions concluded, 'The World' addressed the Hermit, "Two weeks ago, I mentioned wanting to purchase a Flamebolt from you..."