Many types of equipment were processing. The light from calculated processes twinkles time by time. The enjoyed music was playing but nobody enjoyed it. Everyone sat in front of their equipment and kept the focus on their jobs with serious faces.
The language, cloth, and environment. Everything was different from Elliot's place. NUMBERS was here but this section belonged to Number Nine.
"I don't understand at all…"
Number Fifty-three (No.53) had a headache about the work in front of him. It had been a while since his hand stop and no sign to move again. He glanced at the man who sat nearly him. Looked around before slowly moved to that man.
"Fifty-nine, how can I do this?"
Fifty-three held the paper to Number Fifty-nine (No.59). It had lines draw of some structure.
"Wait a sec…"
The man who had more age paused his work for looking at it. He read just a little and shook his head.
"I'm not sure, Let's ask Forty-one. Forty-one! Come help our junior!"
"Ok! Wait for a minuteeeee!"
Forty-one shouted back but no sign of him. Suddenly, he ran out from behind the big equipment.
"I'm h e r e~ Yes! Ouch!"
He bumped against the wall between desks by design. He received the paper and used a bit of time to read it.
It was easy for him.
"Alright! Come. I'll show it to you."
He went to Fifty-three's desk, did some examples, and explained until his little junior understood, he ran back to his position.
"Is the running finish?"
Nine asked when Forty-one came close.
"Not yet. Have to wait half an hour."
"Other machine?"
"35… 32… 27… 17~ Oh no! Out of memory!"
His shout made everyone looked at him. The new problem occurred, Nine rubbed between his eyes and told.
"Get from another machine."
"I already got them. It's nothing left."
"…"
Nine slid his finger on the screen of the square box thing. He sent some messages and waited for a response.
"Go and get from Eighteen's desk."
"Eighteen! I can pick it really... Do you ask her?"
"Done. It's ok. Get the new one in the 3rd locker. Hurry."
"Can I open it?! Errr~. I don't know anything. I just do what you said~. So scary! Anyone wants to go with me?"
Forty-one asked people around him.
"Me. I want to go to the toilet."
Number Thirty-eight (No.38) walked to Forty-one, then they went out from this section together.
Fingers touched the board that filled with buttons, increased command of magic lines. Nine's skill was so high he didn't stop to think at all but creating the complex thing for the second time made him had a bad-tempered.
He couldn't do a botch job… It hadn't much time to fix it later.
He had to pass the check from a high-quality magnifying glass mix with a checking examination machine.
"Ah…"
Nine stopped his hands and rubbed between his eyes. The light from the screen made his eyes hurt so he closed his eyes. Just rest a little bit. Even he rested, he had to focus to make sure it wasn't taken long.
"Go to sleep. I'll wake you up."
Forty-one stood beside him with a box in his arm.
"I can't... It isn't finished. Argh!!"
Nine screamed to release his tiredness. Although it was a little, it made him felt good. He looked around this room and asked.
"Where is Thirty-eight?"
"Toilet. It's too dark! too scared! So, I come first."
Suddenly, the sound of a footstep ran to him.
"Your bastard Forty-one! You left me, damn it!!"
Thirty-eight jumped that Forty-one and played chase with him.
"No! No stop! I don't want its break. Go to work already!"
Forty-one curled up his body to protect the box. Just one slap made Thirty-eight felt good, he walked back to his desk.
Forty-one rubbed his head. It was good that his important brian didn't damage.
"You should go too."
Nine told while focused on the screen. After Forty-one saw the person that pushed it hard and worn out more than everyone, he shook his head.
"Take some rest. When is the last time you sleep?"
"…It doesn't matter. Magic can't stop while the user still uses it."
Nine pointed to something and grinned with a zazzy feeling.
"Such an extreme hard mode."
…
The grey stone shrine was filled with the text on the full page. Finally, it was done.
"I finished the Stone Inscription!"
I laid down on the floor. The cool from the wooden floor always made me relaxed. I like this room so much I would protect it certainly.
Next preparing was prepared the script and practiced the presentation. Just a little bit, I continue to work.
"Yawn…"
My script didn't finish yet, but my eyes nearly close. Working hard with text made me felt sleepy.
[Do you hungry?]
"Wha!"
He came with no sign again but the important thing I yawned. I wasn't hungry.
[I had some snacks for you. Take it to wake you up.]
The little brown bread stricks[1] with some salt powder… I was enjoyed eating but it made my hand full of some oil.
…Why had he liked to give meals to others?
The push and click sound continue to sound. I turned my head to the ceiling.
"How about it?"
[Just a while, I'll show you.]
It must be a long time.
[I can wake you. You can sleep.]
I waved my presentation script. He might see it with my eyes, he laughed back.
[Yes.]
I heard the music from Nine's side. Some song was an exciting song some was a slow and sad song. They were the languages I couldn't understand. Except for that, I heard other people's voices from a far distance.
The people Nine's called… everyone was male.
'I can't resist. I want to eat pork skewers.'
'Just wait until the shop opens.'
'I'm hungry too... What's about chicken? Let's order it!'
Number Forty-one asked. Many people I didn't know quickly responded.
'I join!'
'Me too.'
'Add a big French Fries too!'
'Ok. Ok. Hey, Nine! You want some?'
[be quiet.]
Nine lowered his voice a little.
'Oop! Sorry. But… you join, right?'
A strange loud sound near my ears, it was like he covered my ear. Then Nine's voice volume was down, every sound was volume down too.
'Order everything you want. I'll buy it.'
'It's true?! Everyone, come on!! Nine will pay for us!'
Nine truly liked to give a meal to others. I found another one of his strange habits.
[…]
[You think something interesting again, High Sage.]
He still read my mind.
"It's not bad at all. You're the leader, right? The others are your subordinate."
[You hear it clearly?]
"Yes. By your plan."
I didn't want to tell but sometimes I heard his breath sound too. This connecting magic was effective with no sense.
"I'll combine your score."
[What do you mean?]
"The subordinate's mistake is your mistake too. I won't accept your excuse that you're the best but others not."
He responded with a laugh.
[We went far, but you still…]
[…]
[That's right, be alone can't do everything.]
"…"
[Excuse me for a moment.]
Nine walked away. Suddenly someone ran to his position.
[High Sage!~ Good morning. Could you remember me?]
How could I forget you, you sold me, right? Number Forty-one.
[Ah, so shock! ...Haha. Your mind was things.]
What?! I didn't speak anything.
"You can read my mind too?"
[Yes, only this time. I sneak from Number Nine.]
Why you had to do that...
This connecting magic kept weird more than usual. What were magics combined in this tool, maybe Number Forty-one could tell me.
[Sorry, I can't tell you about our secret.]
That's come again...
I didn't disappoint because I didn't have hope. I exercised my whole body a bit while looked at the dark sky outside the window.
I was so doubting, why…
"Why did all of you come to help me?"
Why they had to do this all night.
[Because you're our customer. Even if you're in Free Trial, you're our important customer in the future. Please don't forget about our relation. We create magic for you and took the price. For mutual benefit, we have the contract to protect.]
Yes. The truth, I had to pay for the magic, food, and everything Nine's created. But in this Free Trial, I only received.
[Yes. Although it has that reason.]
[We can have a relationship.]
[It's the thing that should be, the thing that we should give to each other.]
I listened to him.
[…Thank you, High Sage.]
"Why do you thank me?"
[Because of you… Ah, I thought it was the end of the world when I hear…]
'What are you doing?'
Nine was back.
'Get out. Don't speak. Quit.'
[Ouch! Wait. Wait. Don't kick! I won't steal him from you, I told you he's out of my hand!]
Number Forty-one ran away, Nine came back to his position.
[I apologize for the displeasure. I'll punish him later.]
His voice changed from hard to smooth baritone.
[If it annoys you, I'll close the connection.]
"I'm ok. It's only a few lefts." I waved my script paper.
[I'm happy to hear, then I'll do my work.]
The push and click sound came instead of conversation again. Even the situation didn't change, even I didn't know how much he processed, and what about the problem he had.
I felt calm like a mystery.
The time passed for a while, Number Forty-one shouted.
'Here! Chieken Sets and French Fries!'
'Yeah!!'
Did they really hunt chickens for food in this nighttime? Even it had many foods that easy than that, or they were a chicken cult? It was weird. Eccentric was so weird.
"…"
It was a weird feeling.
I was here in this room since Sage's position. I read books, was happy with magic, felt sad, cried, came across problems, and received success. I was here. I passed everything alone.
Now I was alone.
'How about this, It's good?'
'Fix this point a little. When you finish send it's to me, I'll gather and send it to High Sage.'
'Ah! Ok!! Just wait a minute.'
The voices that I heard.
The people I didn't know their true name, and face. Where they were, what they were doing, I didn't know anything. Even though it was liked that, I felt so close. The distance disappeared. This communication magic was truly wonderful.
As they were in front of me, and I was one of them. I remember what Number Forty-one said.
-[We can have a relationship.]
...
When I woke up, sunlight was shining into this room. I slept while holding a script paper.
[Good morning High Sage. Your magic is done. I would like you to check and determine the score.]
The big water ball was floated in front of my eyes. Sunlight was reflected the water surface made it shined more than jewels. Beautiful… It was beautiful than every time I saw it.
I rubbed my eyes to wake myself and walked to it. I looked at every point of the Magic Flow. While I did that, I heard voices from men who I didn't know their number.
'That point is my work! Don't look so hard.'
'Don't stop there! Ah. High Sage, I beg you. Please walk away.'
'Ultimate High Sage teacher, please spare me! I do that all night.'
'Everyone, be quiet!'
I laughed.
It wasn't funny. Even I didn't know what it was. My tear came out too, but it wasn't a happy feeling. It was a feeling that I didn't feel before.
The work was so beautiful… Maybe it was because,
"I…"
"I give the full score!"
As students when passing the exam. Their happy screamed full of my ears. Even I didn't hear Nine, but I heard Number Forty-one clearly.
Everyones…
"Tha..."
[Stop right here.]
"!"
Nine interrupted me.
[That isn't the thing I want to hear.]
[When the conference ends, I wish you'll say that word.]
the countdown that stopped at 2:12:48 started to count again. He didn't count the last night.
[May I suggest you. You should prepare yourself. It's 8 o'clock now.]
"Huh?"
[You should arrive at 9 o'clock, right?]
That right. This tricky guy...
I smiled and shouted to emptiness.
"You woke me so late!!"
I had a full smiled this morning.
The one-night miracle ended. Our Free Trial was nearly ending too.
"Let's go to the Magic Conference!"
[1] Breadsticks.