061-080 · 072-ch65

Chapter 65: The Power of Will

"The words we speak to each other, and the comments, are all being translated into each other's languages. On the other hand, the books I found in Selene's castle don't get translated for me. What exactly is the difference here?"

I pause for a moment.

This kind of speaking technique—this ability to draw the listener in—is something I've actually always liked.

Cool phrasing is nice, you know? That's all it really is, though.

"Whether time has passed or not, you mean?"

"Oh, exactly. Whether it's real-time or not is one difference. This phonograph is meant to preserve sounds that would normally fade away, capturing voices and words as recordings. In other words, it can strip away the real-time nature of speech."

Hypothesis number one.

Whether words are spoken in real-time determines whether this mysterious translation function activates.

That's why the voices speaking now and the comments being delivered are translated, but books written long ago are not.

And I have one more hypothesis.

"There's one other thing. I think it might be reading something like the 'intent to communicate' and translating based on that."

"The intent to communicate? You believe this translation function is working by reading something like that?"

At Selene's question, I nod firmly.

"If it's about whether something is real-time or not, I think archived streams of your words on the surface wouldn't be translated when people listen to them."

"I see... but if they checked those recordings on the surface, they would hear my language properly translated, is that what you're saying?"

Yeah.

This automatic translation function that's working on its own—what I'm grateful for is that even when I speak using concepts like 'archives' or 'real-time' that probably don't exist in Selene's world, it seems to translate them somehow.

Thanks to that, I don't have to be overly careful with my word choice when talking to Selene, and Selene can deliver translations adapted to my culture and linguistic perspective just by speaking normally.

In that sense, it's an impeccable translation function.

It only gets in the way when I actually try to study the other person's language.

"Probably. I can't confirm it myself, but if that's the case, the people watching should let me know."

As I say this and glance at the comment section, responses come flooding in all at once.

>>I never noticed anything like that at all!

>>I mostly watch archives and never noticed anything special

>>Now that you mention it, archives get translated too. Creepy... why does it translate automatically anyway

>>So it's not a real-time system then

"See, that disproves the idea that it only translates because it's real-time. Well, I don't know how definitive that is, so it's not like this disproves everything."

"In the end, we won't know until we test it."

"Exactly."

And I have one more thing.

"Also, well, I was actually keeping this a secret, but when I entered Selene's castle, for some reason I could read something that looked like someone's diary."

"A diary? Perhaps it belonged to someone who worked at the castle?"

At Selene's words, I shake my head.

That's not it, I think.

Remember this.

Back when I was exploring Selene's castle.

The diary fragments I found only contained very brief passages.

And the moment I confirmed the text, they dissolved into the air and vanished.

"When you looked back at Selene's city one last time, your people were waving at you, right?"

"...Yes. They were such kind-hearted people."

Selene seems about to reminisce about the past, but let's put that on hold for now.

"Anyway, I think the diary fragments and journal entries and written passages I found scattered throughout the castle were things your people deliberately showed me to guide me to you. At least, that's what I believe."

At my words, Selene falls into thought for a moment.

This feeling—I'm sure the viewers who were watching the exploration with me at the time will understand.

>>There definitely was a lot of content about the Queen

>>Well, if you say they were trying to get John to go to Selene-san, I guess that might be true, but wasn't the guidance pretty poor?

>>There weren't any location descriptions or anything

>>I do remember there being a lot about Selene, anyway

>>And I just checked—those text archives from back then can still be read perfectly

Apparently, that wasn't really shared.

Strange.

I can't help it—I had assumed it was some kind of horror game or escape game-style guidance.

Because that situation was definitely like that.

There were even horror-like elements too.

"Are you saying that my people's desire to convey something to John-san was what transmitted the words they somehow left behind?"

"It's just my own assumption, but yeah. So the 'intent to communicate' might actually be quite key, is what I'm speculating."

In the first place, where is the criterion for whether to translate or not placed?

What should be referenced when making that determination?

It's simple.

Peek into our heads and determine whether it's words meant to be conveyed to the other person, or words that are not.

Just judge based on intent.

Very simple.

Whether it's real-time or where exactly real-time ends.

Written language, spoken language, sign language—where exactly language begins.

None of those complicated distinctions are necessary.

The intent to communicate.

If you can read that clearly enough, there's nothing easier to use as a criterion for whether to translate or not.

"So, during parts of the stream where my voice won't be picked up, could you record some words that aren't meant to be conveyed to me or the viewers?"

"...Understood."

Selene takes one of the two magic tools she brought.

And I take the other one.

"Will you be doing it too, John-san?"

"Yeah. You said you wanted to hear our language, didn't you, Selene? Then while you're doing it, I thought I'd try it too. If you hear a language you can't understand the meaning of, that means my hypothesis was correct."

At my words, Selene opens her eyes slightly in surprise, then smiles softly and happily.

"I see. Thank you very much. Then I'll go somewhere farther away."

"Right. I'll go a bit farther too. My hearing is ridiculously good, so I'll go quite a distance away."

"Yes. Then if I finish first, I'll wait for you."

And so, each holding the phonograph magic tool in our hands, we stand up—Selene heading to the back of the cabin while leaving the drone in place.

I dash to a reasonably distant location and begin recording.

Oh, and Robo came with me.

Well, even if Robo is here, if my hypothesis is correct, as long as I have absolutely no intention of conveying it to him and strongly reject it, it won't reach him.

Which means, it won't reach Selene either.

"Alright, this should be good enough."

About a minute's dash from here.

Roughly one kilometer from the base, maybe?

With this much distance, even I can't hear Selene's voice.

And of course, the reverse is also true.

Now then, what to record is the question.

"Well, to avoid conveying it to Selene, I just need to make it something I don't want Selene to hear. That way, there won't be any intention to convey it to her entering my mind."

Even words muttered to myself like a soliloquy get translated between Selene and me.

I think this is because the unconscious assumption is that any words spoken between two people interacting in that space are fundamentally meant to be conveyed to the other person.

To tear apart that unconscious intent to communicate.

I need to record words meant only for someone other than Selene.

And so, I spend some time recording various words into the phonograph.