Some even greeted the Outlaws casually.
One elderly woman threw a sandal at Munnu.
"You still owe me a roof!"
"I'll fix it next week!"
"You said that last month!"
Kai quietly decided not to ask further.
---
The Outlaws spread throughout the market.
Some traded monster materials.
Others sold machinery recovered from Oheyo.
Persia disappeared almost immediately.
Dragging crates of strange components toward a workshop.
Kai followed Munnu.
"So..."
Munnu crossed his arms.
"Ready?"
"For what?"
"You promised."
Kai froze.
"...Right."
The language.
---
They found an empty corner beneath a weathered canopy.
Munnu placed several dusty books onto the table.
Kai raised an eyebrow.
"You can read?"
"Barely."
"I mostly recognize symbols."
Kai opened one of the books.
Most of the text still looked unfamiliar.
But...
Not impossible.
The strange ability he'd gained inside the laboratory hadn't disappeared.
Instead...
It slowly translated pieces of the writing.
Not instantly.
But enough.
Kai smiled.
"I think I can teach this."
---
An hour later—
Munnu slammed the book shut.
"This language is stupid."
Kai laughed.
"You've been saying every word backwards."
"It's written backwards!"
"It isn't."
"It feels backwards."
Kai sighed.
"No."