READING GUIDANCE
" This is a direct sentence in the present time."
" This is a direct sentence in the past time."
' This is a character's inner thought in the present time.'
' This is a character's inner thought in the past time.'
[ This is a direct sentence in sign language in the present time.]
[ This is a direct sentence in sign language in the past time.]
HAPPY READING!.
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After living for almost eight years, she had come to understand a little about the world she now lived in. The name of this world was Althera. Just like Earth, it had mountains, seas, plains, and many geographical features that anyone could also find there. At a glance, it was difficult to see any difference between the two—except for the fact that there were two "suns" above her head, which became like an eclipse when night came.
A single day lasted twenty-seven hours. During daylight, the two suns remained separate, but at night they united into one. Their light also changed during the transition from morning to noon and then to night. When united, they resembled the moon from Earth—their light fading, yet still bright enough to illuminate the darkness.
So it was not entirely correct to call them merely "suns," because they also acted as "the moon." However, in this world, they were called Solis, a representation of the God the people believed in.
Pope Joseph once said that somewhere in the "mainland"—the largest continent in Althera—there was a powerful nation known as the Solisa Empire. It was an empire whose ruling monarchy was said to be blessed by the God of the two suns, Solis.
"The empire is located perfectly in the middle between the two suns when they rise at their prime," Pope Joseph said while they were enjoying dinner. "The imperial family members have a unique appearance. They are the only people in this world with blonde hair."
"Whoa, both the prince and princess have that kind of hair?" Arisha asked.
Pope Joseph nodded. "All members of the imperial family share that characteristic."
"The empire is also very beautiful!" Anna added excitedly, recalling her memories. "There are many things there, and many people gather because it is one of the superior empires. It was truly amazing."
"Wow!" Arisha looked at her in excitement.
[You said that the Solisa Empire is one of the superior empires. Are there others?] she asked through sign language. She could understand the entire conversation because they were signing. Even when it became fast, she followed well, since she had already read about some of it and heard Pope Joseph's explanations before.
"Yes, there are many independent governments. Old ones, new ones, even struggling ones—spread all over the world," he replied. "The oldest include the Empire of Fahir, the Kingdom of Jahar, the Empire of Laka... Ah, I don't know. There are too many."
After reading many of Pope Joseph's books, she realized that the structure of this world was not much different from her previous one. Wars, trade, politics—they all existed here as well. Yet she could safely conclude one thing: this was a world where men dominated society. In their own village, the mayor, the priest, and the important figures were all men—just like Pope Joseph.
"If the empire is truly magnificent, why don't you live there?" Arisha asked.
"Living in the empire is expensive. The air is polluted too. People like us are better off staying in the countryside," he said nonchalantly, though the word "us" carried weight for Irisha.
That was something Irisha found unfortunate.
In this world, there was something called mana—an internal energy that could be manipulated to create something similar to magic. She did not fully understand it, as the books were vague and Pope Joseph's explanations were rather rough. However, one thing was clear: the amount of mana within a person differed greatly. Some possessed immense power; others had none at all.
Sadly, mana determined one's worth in society.
Even someone like Pope Joseph, who had the intelligence and compassion to develop sign language, was not considered valuable in the larger, more complex society because he did not possess strong mana.
Hierarchy.
That was the right word.
It was no wonder she had felt hopeless when she first arrived in this world as a deaf and mute girl. In a world where even able-bodied people were discriminated against based on mana, how could someone like her survive?
Even Pope Joseph, Sister Anna, and Aunt Marsha—who had helped her that night—had acted out of pity at first. They pitied her, so they helped her. It was not something she despised. She remained deeply grateful for their help during that terrifying night. But it was also true that their first thought about her had been pity. They had believed that someone like her could not do much in this world.
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She had thought the same.
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What could she possibly do in such a world? Especially after the moment when she stood helplessly beside her sick little sister, unable to do anything.
She was deaf and mute.
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And yet, she had promised to protect her sister and always stay by her side.
That meant she had to be strong.
She had to become the wall that shielded her little sister.
That was why she seized the opportunity to learn when Pope Joseph and Sister Anna allowed them to stay. She read Pope Joseph's books every day, learned to write, improved her reading skills, and expanded her knowledge of this world. Somehow, Pope Joseph noticed her determination and helped her further develop sign language. After that, communication became easier, and she could finally ask the questions she did not understand.
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At first, not many villagers approached her, except Pope Joseph, Sister Anna, Aunt Marsha, her husband, and the priest. People tended to avoid her as much as they could, somehow showing pitiful expressions to her but doing nothing, as they thought that helping someone like her would only add to their burden. And, of course, she understood that. Living in the village was not a joke—especially in a typical medieval village, where there was no water or electricity. People here mostly could not use magic either, and of course, life was already hard for them even now. She understood quite well that there was no obligation for anyone to help her in the first place. So, at that time, she thought that she should be the one to help herself. She did some work around Pope Joseph and Sister Anna's house.
It started as a simple matter of cleaning around. Then, the second time, they let her assist Sister Anna in cooking, which made her realize that, somehow, a simple technique in this world was something extravagant. Then, her previous experience in many fields, especially management and business, helped the farmer who traded with outsiders coming to this village. She helped them, and from then on, they gradually began to trust her.
[To put it simply: just ensure that expenditure is not higher than income,] she said while explaining a simple ledger to the farmer the next day. [You usually barter as your main form of transaction, but sometimes it could cause a big loss because you can't equate wood and fish, right? But if you do barter, make sure to write it in the book to track your transactions.] While explaining this to the farmer, Irisha was not only using sign language but also writing on a board to highlight important points, because not all of them could understand the language. Then, they would write things down in their own notebooks that they brought.
What she taught them was actually not new in this world. After discussing several empires and kingdoms, she realized that their economic system was the same as the one in her past world. The difference here was that not all people had the same education. It wasn't that commoners couldn't be educated; somehow, formal education existed in several empires, depending on the empire and the kingdom's regulations.
The reason literature or even simple management skills were lacking was their way of thinking. It was just their mindset: if they didn't have mana power or blessings, then they either became humble farmers, maids, or lived in isolated villages where living expenses were almost none. By the way, it's not that she was underestimating all the jobs she just mentioned, but after reading and asking, she realized they truly chose to live simply. It wasn't exactly what they wanted, but it was as if they had already surrendered to their situation.
'...because if my analysis of this mindset is wrong, they would not study so eagerly, right?' she thought.
"Then Irisha, do you know some solution for the unwanted products?" asked Uncle Jacob, who then looked at Arisha sitting in the chair beside her. "How do you say 'product' in sign language again?"
Arisha stood up swiftly. "Like this, Uncle!" and showed him the sign language, while Uncle Jacob nodded happily.
"Yes, yes. That part is always the hard one," he said, then looked at her. "Do you understand what I mean?"
Irisha nodded. [I understand, but the unwanted products you mean are the products that are not purchased by merchants?]
"Yes, yes."
[Well, trading here in the first place is quite tricky. The farmers only sell what they grow, and the merchants only buy what they need.] she said, pausing silently to think. [You have to gather data about the merchants who come around—what goods they need. You could also gather data about places that don't have—or have limited—products like yours, and then you can ask for cooperation from them to provide the products they need but don't have. You can get a good price for that too. Well, it also depends on the distance and transportation.] She said this as they nodded, amazed by a concept they may never have learned before.
Just like this, in her daily work in the village, at the end of the session, she would return home with many gifts in her hands from the villagers, given as gratitude for her lessons.
"Bye! Bye! Uncle Jacob, thank you for the ride!" said Arisha, wiggling her body because her hands were full of gifts.
Uncle Jacob, who took them home, waved while galloping his horse and cart. "Don't forget to lock the door!" he said.
After the long day, as usual, they cooked their food together and ate dinner while sharing stories. Their dinner table was near a big wooden window that showed them the beautiful night sky. They always enjoyed looking at it, imagining that some stars were homes for other living things.
Then Irisha held Arisha's hand tightly and made her turn toward her. [I have something to discuss with you.]
There was quite a long silence before Arisha nodded. "Yes, sister, what is it?" she asked, confused, as she somehow guessed the discussion might be heavy.
'Truthfully, it is,' and even Irisha could not lie about it, because it was something she had thought about for a long time.
[You know the world is big, right? There are so many beautiful things in it.]
Arisha nodded, still holding some confusion. "Uncle Joseph said there is a land full of water and a land full of ice," she said, but every time she spoke of the outside world, there was a spark in her eyes, showing Irisha how excited she was.
[Of course! If I'm not mistaken, there is also a dragon! Sister really wants to see one too!] Even though she was skeptical, of course, she was excited. [There is also a place you call an academy. You can study there as a student and meet many friends of the same age as you.]
Just when she mentioned it, Arisha's smile faded slightly, though she tried not to show it to Irisha. "Yes, but the academy is far from here. So I am okay."
'You say that, but in truth, you always want it.' Irisha immediately recognized it. Especially in this village, there was no villager Arisha's age. Every day she stayed with her and with adults like Sister Anna. So, for Arisha, the thought of meeting friends was like a fancy wish she could only imagine.
[At the academy, you can learn many things, you know?]
"Yes, Sister Anna said that to me."
[You still don't want to go?]
Arisha shook her head hard. "I am okay. I never wanted it in the first place." She looked at Irisha with sad eyes. "Do you want me to go? I like living here with you and the others."
Irisha smiled, standing up and coming to her seat. She put her hands on Arisha's cheeks for a moment and looked into her eyes. [I am your sister. I know when you are lying to me.] she said. [I know how much your eyes sparkle whenever you read a book about the outside world. I know... because I always see you.]
It became hard for Arisha to keep smiling, as her sister already knew everything. She opened her mouth and said, "...but even though I like that, it doesn't mean I have to have all of it! I already enjoy it enough by reading in books," Arisha said, desperately trying to persuade her. "It's okay, sister. I really don't want it!"
[Is it because I am deaf and mute?] asked Irisha.
Arisha suddenly frowned, tears forming at the edges of her eyes. "It's not a bad thing, sister! It is not." And somehow, she cried in front of her, the tears streaming down her chubby, reddish cheeks.
The Arisha who was always cheerful and full of smiles, cried so hard while talking about her. Arisha was smart and quick-witted; she could understand the situation fast. Even when she was still very young, she had already guessed how people would treat someone like her sister if she went outside the village. How harsh and dangerous it would be. That understanding made her try even harder to persuade her sister.
"So, it's okay if we live in this village forever. I am okay if I don't go to the academy. As long as I am with you..."
'As long as I am with you.' Such a beautiful thought made Irisha smile.
[Of course, I will always be with you.]
"But that means you are going to the—"
[And I am not that weak, Arisha,] she said, smiling brightly after kissing Arisha softly. [I am strong. I am your strong sister who can do anything for you, so please don't worry. Also... truthfully, just like you, I want to travel the world too, see things I've never seen before. Seeing the beach, the mountains, the Elfian forest, just like in the story... to see how beautiful they truly are is something I want to discover. Don't you want that too?] she asked.
Arisha hesitated, and Irisha pinched her cheeks. [But, of course, in the end, the thing I ever wanted is to see you happy. It saddens me if you hold yourself back. You don't have to worry about anything... just do what you want, and I will be there with you too. So... my dear sister, do you want to go see the world with me?] she asked, smiling warmly.
Arisha, who always looked at her straight in the eyes, put her head down while tears fell onto the chair. But a second later, she looked up with a big smile and hugged her. Though she could not hear anything, she knew her little sister was excited. When Arisha saw her sister's face, she said:
[Thank you, sister! Thank you! I really love you so muuuch!] and gave her so many kisses.
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