After my announcement Nine was silent. I wanted to spell Thunderbolt on myself, just as the teacher told me, I had to control my emotion.
"Er… I mean… I just want to see your capacity before sign the contract."
He didn't respond. It was sure because I became a bad manners customer.
Mom…
She sent numerous impressions and clapped her hand badly. Same as the other side of the black space.
'Wow…'
Number Forty-one…
Number Forty-one was still alive!
No, Now I should care about myself. If Eccentric didn't help me, I would lose my last hope. I waited long to make I feel anxious, then I heard a laugh.
It was a pleasure and an insane laugh.
"Excellent, High Sage! Haha. Just as I thought you're so special exist! It's good… I'm right to have you with me."
"I don't accept yet." Don't conclude by yourself.
"You'll stay with me..." He made a grin sound,
"When we know each other more, you won't underestimate me again."
Oh listened, His revenged.
My instinct was right. I shouldn't talk to him. However, I had to use his power. I had to finish my research even if I disliked his offering.
"I'll give a Free Trial to you."
"What?"
'A technical term.'
"It means a free service…"
'…'
"A testing time without pay."
I smiled at his action.
"Can I test everything?"
"It's correct. I'll create every magic for you without receiving valuable things for 1 day. It will count when you agree on this offering."
"Wait a minute! Why didn't I have an offering like this?!" Mom fought for her right.
"Because you don't meet our conditions."
It was a suspect condition.
"Can I have 3 or 4 days?!"
Three days was my limit, but four days was for sure.
"Unfortunate. Usually, it's just one free time. But you're High Sage you must have many questions and limits, so this 1 day will be useful to get along."
"Get along?"
"Yes, you're the first High Sage who contract with us."
That was sure.
I didn't have to pay anything… Hm. This was a good opportunity for me. I was going to test an unlimited Eccentric's power. If I knew their secret, I might develop magic into the next level.
Alright, Let's took it.
"If your ability isn't 'enough' to become my magic, I won't make a contract with you. NUMBERS too. An over condition will be reduced."
If you want to be my God, you had to try more.
I heard a grin sound.
"Sure. if I can make you pleased, I won't ask anything. NUMBERS don't have a force contract policy. You'll be the one who 'begs' for a contract."
This psycho... I wished he could save his word.
"I accept this agreement."
"Me too."
Something was pushed so badly.
"El!" The black card in mom's hand was shine, the message [NUMBERS.] changed to a set of numerals.
23:59:59.
The countdown started.
"This is great." Number Nine clapped his hand while said,
"Let's start the Free Trial."
...
"Don't you want me to be with you?"
"It's alright. I can handle it."
The communication ended so I took the black card from mom. Number Nine called it the card. Except for the countdown, it had a small message [No.IX] wrote down on it too.
Mom put a magic bracelet in my hand.
"If something wrong, you have to use this to go home. I'll be waiting for you. I'll leave this treasure here too. If he wants you to pay, you pay with this, Ok?"
"Take it back. I have money."
"No! You keep it!"
I rejected from big treasure to some jewelry. When she went out, it was time to prepare. When the countdown was 23:42:17 remained, I stood in front of the desk.
"Alright. Let's try it."
I swung the card down to open the communication. Although it was Eccentric's tool, I was happy to use magic again.
The crack became a wide black space. The message [NUMBERS.] appeared again but this time it hadn't strange woman's voice and music. It was a repeat signal in the stable rhythm.
Beep… Beep… Beep…
When it stopped, the message [NUMBERS.] changed to [No.IX]. One man greeted me.
"It's Number Nine. I'm waiting for you, High Sage."
I was right about this message. It was represented the person on the opposite.
"I nearly become Contractor. Won't you show yourself?"
"NUMBERS hasn't revealed identity policy. Is it make you uncomfortable?"
"No." I didn't care much.
"Great to hear. I have a little worried that you won't contact me again. I'm so excited about talking with you."
A water sounds. The sound of the spoon collided with the cup. This used so much imagination. More than that…
"I just thought or you're indeed informal to me?"
"Because this is my private line... -Ha-…"
A sound like drinking hot water followed by a warm man's voice.
"You don't like it?"
Bastard. I sighed deeply back.
"If you want to rest then rest. I won't accept a devil plan like buy the time. If you don't do it seriously, I'll reduce your score by my pleased."
High Sage's job wasn't only to do a research thing. I taught some students before. That time I didn't want to low anyone's score, but now I wanted to use any nonsense to cut him out. I was full of bias.
"You're tough more than I thought. Relax High Sage. First, let's introduce ourselves."
He drank while walking. At one point I heard a sound like opened and closed door.
"I don't like a distance, please call me Nine."
"I don't allow you to call me El."
He laughed.
"I won't do that. I'll call you only High Sage. High Sage… You don't know how much I like you how much I'm happy to see you. I'll serve you with full strength."
This guy…
I knew what he thought. He liked me by title and talent. It's ok. I didn't wish for his friendship. All I had to do was test Eccentric's power and left him. If I had to sign an unfair contract, I would choose a person by myself.
"It will be ok if I use magic here?"
I asked for sure.
"I haven't protected magic and I haven't MP. It won't make Angel come to catch me?"
"Not like that High Sage. You have MP."
"What do you mean? The needle of the MP meter doesn't move at all. It always stays at 0."
"Because it hasn't someone with 0 MP before, the meter can't calculate. 0 point is 1. The true, you're other cases. Do you know your magic is sending to the past?"
"Yes, I know. I have to wait 70 years."
I would be around 90 years old... I wondered I could live that long.
"Then don't you confuse why you haven't exhausted?"
I thought about his word.
That right! Why didn't I fatigue? Losing MP wasn't lost the body's power, it was the loss of mind power. If using across the limit, it could make faint or death. But I felt so good. I could sleep all day. The answer was sure.
"It's because of you. NUMBERS."
"Correct! As expect of High Sage. You're clever."
Unnature things should come from you.
"Let's me explain. You're in between full MP and 0 MP state. When all MP is sent to the past, we add your MP back to the full gauge. It's an automatic process. You're in that cycle and It's happened very quickly. The effect of Potion sent back too. The reason why meter can't work is that it can't measure you in that state."
"Got it."
I didn't know the word automatic, but I got the point. I listened to him continually speak.
"God already knows that Hero used our power to create the final blow. Because it's related to the end of the world, he can't do anything about it. He can't do anything with you too. He can't kill you. That's why you're the most suitable to be our Contractor."
"Then I should be on his sign, right?"
"Yes, just the time you lose your magic ability. When you become targeted of NUMBERS, God'll use you as bait to seduce us. Unfortunately, he misses that opportunity... Haha."
My thought about I wasn't a loved nephew increased.
"Don't worry so much you just do the same as before. Fake that you still can use magic and still don't meet your highest ability yet. If you can fool the world, you and I will be saved."
Nine talked emotionally and smoothly. I dragged the chair here and sat. I felt stiff.
"Don't you think I will cooperate with God and discard you? He can't kill me, right?"
I defied the devil person and got the devil's laugh back.
"High Sage… May I ask you something? Do you trust God? He left his lovely kid and only True Hero in danger of the final battle. Do you think you'll receive good take care?"
True.
"It's clear that God cases about his emotion the most. My poor High Sage. I think you aren't some sacrifice type, put yourself for getting rid of the enemy of the world… Right?"
Don't read my mind this cunning person.
I sighed. At least, I knew that I would be saved for using magic. I wanted to consider the situation, but time was wait for no one. I looked at the countdown on the card.
22:02:31
"Did I used 40 minutes?!"
"Too slow. I thought a half-day." Nine enjoyed his drank. Damn,
"By prepare! I'll start testing you." My voice was more rigorous.
"Before you do that, I have to connect with you."
"Connect?"
"It's a temporary connect. It will be gone at the end of the test. But… it's may not happen." His voice was tricky. He thought I would continue to sign a contract with him.
"Stop play! Do it whatever you want."
"Yes sir. You might feel dizzy, I recommend you cling to something strong."
Suddenly, I could see nothing.
Everything was black and it became normal. I felt dizzy and queasy. My vision was blurred, so I had to grab the chair to control my body. What was happen to me? What was this magic?
Around 5 minutes, my status came back to normal. My vision was normal too.
[Oh… your room looks like this. Just as High sage, I thought it was a library.]
"What?!!" I heard Nine's voice inside my head. The black screen already disappeared.
"Are you here? Where are you?"
I didn't see anyone.
[Um… please don't stand yet. Your condition isn't good. I advise you to get some drink. A cup with a dog painted on that desk… is cute.]
His voice talked inside my head again. Is this Soul Blending Magic? No… he might not go that far. Maybe,
"Mind Blending Magic?!"
A magic that could communicate with other people at some distance via the mind.
[Similair, but I'm not nearing you.]
"…This is Twisted Magic?"
"Yes. You don't have to worry about this communication. It's our special way. God can't discover it unless you tell him. I can read your mind. You just think not to talk."
"What?!" He went so far. This a psycho bastard.
[Not cute at all. I wish you think of me in a good way.]
His voice felt happy.
[Yes, I'm happy. Finally, I can connect with you. This is the meaning of becoming my ears and eyes.]
[You're my Avatar now.]
No way. Wait.
"I just want to test your power! Not become a temporary contractor like this!"
I couldn't accept it.
[No No No High Sage… You have the right to test everything. This unlimited Free Trial is a special offering only for you.]
What was this terrible guy? Very forceful.
"This is my private space! Get out!"
Nine laughed. I suddenly felt creepy.
It was soft… smooth near ears and heard the wind. I had to admit his voice was so enchanting. If I was a woman… No, no matter sex, he shouldn't do this to others.
Even mom never came close at this distance.
My face felt so hot.
[Your everything is mine.]
[Now let's start to the real deal. Nice to meet you again.]
[My High Sage.]