The old man rubbed his wrinkled hands, still greasy with crumbs:
"Mmm… It's been a long time since I've eaten anything that good…"
He straightened up, leaning on his crooked cane. His eyes suddenly glimmered with a strange light.
"You wanna know, huh, kid?
Wanna know what they're hiding from us…?"
I raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
He let out a hoarse laugh:
"Hah! People think the Scriptural Dictionary holds every word that can be written.
That there are no secrets.
It's a lie!!
I'm telling you, there are words… that none of them have ever seen.
Words so powerful that even a single one could overturn this entire world."
I frowned. "You're talking… about forbidden spells?"
"More than that, kid. Way more."
He leaned closer :
"Those words… were erased from every record.
They're sometimes called the Forgotten Words."
A shiver ran through me. "Why erase them?"
"Because they could change everything.
Because they were capable of doing… the impossible."
His eyes grew darker.
"There was a time… called the Forgotten Century.
A hundred years for which there's no trace left.
All the books, all the writings were burned.
People don't remember anymore…
But I know there once existed seven Original Words."
My heart started pounding faster. "Seven…?"
"Yeah. Seven words no one's supposed to know."
He raised his cane.
"They said those words could:
destroy entire cities,
heal the worst curses,
reverse time,
and even… combine other words."
I froze. "…Combine?
But… no one can combine two words! That's impossible!"
The old man gave a raspy chuckle:
"That's what they've taught you, huh?
'No one can link two words into one.'
But kid… what if that's a lie?"
I was speechless.
The old man patted my shoulder:
" Why do you think the Corps of Writings forbids anyone from exploring the Cursed Continent?
Because that's where the truth sleeps."
[The Cursed Continent.
Even in newspapers, that name was spoken like a curse.
A place from which no one ever returned.]
"I'll tell you one last thing, kid."
The old man raised a finger:
"Someone, once, gathered those seven words into a single book.
The Codex."
He leaned forward, staring straight into my eyes:
"Whoever finds that book… will be able to rewrite the fate of the world."
My heart was pounding so hard it hurt.
The words of the Rank S Scriptor still echoed in my mind:
"No known word can save her…"
[Hope.]
"…Could those forgotten words… cure someone struck by a curse?"
The old man smiled, a glint of mischief in his eyes:
"Maybe, kid. Maybe they could…"
He leaned back slightly.
"And since you're a nice kid and gave me some food…"
He winked:
"…I could teach you a few things. On the condition that you keep feeding me from time to time. After all, I used to be a Rank B in my youth!" he added proudly.
I stared at him, skeptical. "No offense, but…"
I crossed my arms.
"…you expect me to believe you were Rank B? You're just an old crazy guy who gets thrown out of bars!"
He burst into laughter. "HAH! That's good, kid. Never believe everything you're told!"
In a single movement, I felt my arm seized, my body thrown off balance.
Before I even understood what happened, he pivoted and flipped me onto my back.
!! BAM !!
I found myself on the ground, dazed, his cane pointed under my chin.
"So, kid… still doubting me?"
> I lay there, breathing hard. "…No… but…"
My eyes dropped.
"I have no talent.
I only know three words… and I can't even use them properly…"
The old man released me, stood up, and let out a booming laugh:
"HA HA HA! You're exactly like him, at your age…"
I frowned. "Like who?"
"That, kid… is another story."
He nodded. "Just remember one thing:
It's better to master three words perfectly… than to have ten words you can't control."
His gaze grew more serious.
"It's not the number of words that makes a Scriptor powerful…
…it's what he's willing to sacrifice to trace his runes."
I swallowed hard.
He patted my shoulder:
"So, kid. Have you decided?
Do you want to learn from an old madman?"
I clenched my fists. "Teach me."