“Shut up. That and that. Who cares? Mister Zigmund, I never wanted to admit this to you as I am very thankful for saving my life. Mister 36 is a person who can help me. What reasonings are there? Death awaits everyone, yet I am still here. I died, yet I am talking to you in a world of darkness.” Allan said through gritted teeth and an expression of agitation.

 

“Hmph! He should remain hidden if he only wanted to stir this already unsteady situation.” 36 couldn't help but be upset about this.

 

“So be it. It fed me up with my way of doing things. Take it or not. My words hold my truth. If you are so tough like a wood, perhaps you should think a little softer, otherwise, you will make other people dull and dumb.” Zigmund said his last words and left around the same corner as he appeared from.

 

Both Allan and Sarey were lost in this sudden exchange between the extra person who they did not expect. Involuntarily, it was more of an exchange between Zigmund and 36. Allan was more confused about why Zigmund revealed himself in such a fashion, but his words left quite an impression on him. Sarey was speechless upon discovering her scheming father.

 

She had thought that he knows more than he made it out. Although she was right about Zigmund not wanting to reveal himself. It was only in the spur of the moment. One weak moment and he decided to say what was on his mind, yet it could also be a mistake, which could be regretable later on. That is up to him.

 

“Who in the bloody demon was that?” 36 helplessly asked, no longer sounding that angry.

 

“I told you. My father.” Sarey answered.

 

“Damn. What a pair of a family.” He thought to himself.

 

“You have nothing to add, Allan?” 36 asked.

 

“I don't think no one is wrong or right. Mister 36. Do you think that what I am change something?”

 

“Not really.”

 

“What about what I am not?”

 

“What are you trying to say? Don't talk all that clever. Be straightforward like that pole of yours, oh wait...”

 

Allan pointed at the broken pole across the room.

 

“Where do you think you are? Do you think things are so easy? I am talking about some honesty. Do you trust me?”

 

“Trust? Could it change anything? I don't believe in an exchange of words. There are more trustworthy methods in the world. Ones which couldn't be forgotten or failed.”

 

“Then let us try small steps instead. Like Sarey's father said earlier. Too much can be overwhelming.”

 

36 fell silent for a moment. He could see Allan's full appearance, as well as his sincerity. He learned to read people from their appearance alone from a young age. The world he grew up in was completely different from what Allan thought. His schemes? They were just a child's play. Because of that, his lack of trust was only honest normalcy.

 

Allan wanted from him something that can't be given and he was not willing to compromise.

 

“What is it?” He suddenly asked.

 

“I don't need to know about you. All I ask for is information. Such as what you told Sarey with your exchange or, how it could be even called.”

 

“Information? Do you want me to teach you directly? You should have said so sooner. Although I may be a bastard in your eyes. I have some standards.” 36 replied after some pondering through the words of Allan, who sounded much different than before.

 

“What a schemer. 36, you see, we are all not so different.” Sarey finally let out some words as well.

 

“Shut it. I enjoy this to my heart's content. How long do you think I lived for? What years do I have left? Not even one? It is in the hand of this boy! Do you get it, both of you?”

 

“We do. What reasoning is that? You were forced, and that is true. Why not grab this change and make a disciple worthy of your name?” Allan continued to persuade him. His words carried the reasoning and courage he had with him for a long time. For all he cared about, 36's way of doing things was not honest, and it is about time to change that.

 

“Your words are so empty it makes me puke if I could. Whatever. Whatever! I gave up after the months I spent carrying this impossible task. I am not willing to die for nothing. At least this year will be worth it. So you want to become my disciple? Forget it. That is impossible. You already started the technique I made for you. Why stop?”

 

“Then become a master of Diary of the Body. Cultivate it as if you would forge your own path. If I succeed, I swear I will help you as much as I can.” Allan tried to pursue 36 to the bitter end, where he would no longer bite to anything.

 

“Sweet voice. Oh, such a sweet voice.” 36 sung both dramatically and sarcastically.

 

“Is he asking too much?” Sarey walked straight to the wooden figurine face.

 

“N-no?”

 

“I mean. What do you expect or want? Do you think I am a good teacher? I don't have a personality for it. The Ones who made this bloody book and imprisoned dozens of experts have a screw loose in their heads. How could they expect anything to come to fruition if a demonic cultivator is made to teach a righteous or semi-righteous system? It will fail if the one who is teaching is willing to compromise.”

 

“Sounds crazy. Are you compromising?” Allan asked without concern about any information. In fact, he was trying to fish for more information and 36 was biting the bait.

 

“You are an answer. Yes. Only 2 out of 35 people succeeded in getting their freedom. Should I feel my blood boil? I wanted to screw them to bloody hell, but in a moment that woman was gone or whatever was even happening across that door.”

 

“You talk nonsense, 36,” Sarey warned him closely.

 

“Hmph! You are nonsense, girl. I can't figure out the reasons behind the very beginning. How did Allan get that book? How did he open it? What sort of fucked up things happened behind my back? I lack so many answers as you do and I did not even end.” 36 talked nonstop about this. He was slowly regaining his crazy composure and heated himself with a pinch of rage. He kept talking about things that upset him. Unreasonable to himself, to Allan and Sarey.

 

“Answers are not that important at the moment. What choices do you have?” Sarey asked.

 

“Y-you piss me off. I should not be allowed to talk to anyone outside of the owner of the book. I even... fuck! Even your bloody father is someone who I talked to. What the flying duck is wrong with your family? This is making me insane.”

 

“You are nowhere near to being insane if you already are.” Sarey thought to herself.

 

“If what I understood. Then this book is very important.” Allan pointed with his broken pole down below the voice he heard.

 

“It is. I am not sure how much, but many worshipped it throughout the vast amount of time. Generations. Even if one is tens of thousands of years old is a little time in its history.”

 

“Yet, there are only 35 people before you? It sounds like a lie.”

 

“Could be, I have a certain amount of trust about this, but even I can't tell the truth. You get it, right? The truth. It is a magical word with a lot of meanings. There are so many deceptions and...”

 

“You are getting off-topic, mister 36.” Sarey once again reminded him very closely.

 

“Right, This book is not meant to be kept by just anyone. There are a lot of restrictions for its users since it has a lot of secrets inside.”

 

“What secrets?” Sarey asked.

 

“Techniques. It is extremely rare and its vastness outstrips every other manual there is, yet I don't feel anything upon reading that book. Does it make any sense to you?”

 

“You read it? I can't get past the few pages. Not including the language you have yet to teach me. The very first try of your to teach me through that messy text could not be even called a learning material. So far, it is used only for your summons.” Sarey kept speaking instead of Allan, who remained silent and listening with great interest.

 

“R-really? These are the restrictions, as I said. You need to learn the language and perhaps even have a very robust mind. I will prepare it for the next time.” 36 remained his steady tone. Talking more clearly and sane than ever before.

 

“Tell me if you can read it, Sarey. Maybe you could get something out of this fortune as well.” he added.

 

“Well, I would not be upset, because someone did not keep his word of providing me with some knowledge and stories. Hmph!”

 

36 did not think much of her problem. Quickly tossing it behind his head. He was suddenly jolted awake in a spurt of moment.

 

“Y-you, Allan. Is this a forge?” He asked in excitement.

 

“You noticed just now. I guess this is one of the reasons Zigmund was easily spying on us. This is a very open space. At least it feels like it.” Allans said.

 

“Very common looking. Furnace for coal and wood. It has at least some pretty good ventilation and stuff. Good. Good. It is not as poor as I expected. How hot can that furnace go?”

 

“Depends on fuel. I heard from Zigmund that there are some types of coal which has a higher degree of heat. This is regular coal and possible wood.”

 

“Show me the materials! Now that is something I am interested in.” Allan with Sarey's unwilling help showed some materials from the boxes. Reaching inside, and showing it to the air.

 

“Next!”

 

“Next.”

 

“Next..”

 

In a bit. Allan went through all of the materials. 36 remained his interest in them and perhaps had something else in mind when he started to go through them.

 

“Have you forged something already?” He asked.

 

“Yes. Not too long ago I forget an experimental sword, but I don't know where it ended.”

 

“Oh! I can help with that. Father wanted to keep it on himself, so I took it back if we would have anything to add.” Sarey pulled a sword from beneath the table. Putting it to Allan, who grabbed the blade with familiar feelings.

 

“Nice. So? Is there anything to add? I remember the last time you talked about the forging and things in-between. I think I've got my father's talent.”

 

“I would rather you have your father's other talent.” 36 said meaningfully, expecting some response from Sarey, but she remained silent. For some reason or another, he still remembered the exchange with Allan, where Sarey was hidden in the room.