Roman 9

The Sage at Sunset

P153.

Text: The first yet last eternity. One instant from the beginning to the end…

Box: His name is
Savant-

Box: To be more precise, it’s just a name he goes by…
His real name is, for all purposes, unknown…

Box: The first time I met him
Was at sunset on a spring’s day…

Box: In a deserted park on the outskirts…
Savant: Bon

P154.

Savant: So
oooooooooir

P155.

Savant: Young lady[Mademoiselle]
You sure look glum…is something wrong?
You’ve walked around the fountain 11 times since a little while ago…
In terms of steps, that’s around 704 of them…
In terms of distance, that’s around 337m…
I have a foolish proposition, but what about it? If you’re fine with someone like me, then-

Savant: I’d like to be your adviser!

Savant: Oh?

Savant: Oh-
Oh?
Ooh!

P156.

Savant: Are you hurt, mademoiselle?

Chloe: Gyaaah!
Gyaaah!
Savant: Approximately 35 kg…
Aren’t you a bit too thin?

Savant: Let’s eat something!
What’s inside that basket?
Chloe: These are…for sale
Savant: Then I’ll buy all of them!
And I’ll eat them with you!

Savant: At first, there was nobody…that’s 0

Savant: Then I was there…that’s 1

Savant: And you appeared…that’s 2

P157.

Savant: Truth…dwells precisely in these simple formulas
You’ve been going round and round for approximately 21 minutes without noticing me
Small text: I was getting lonely…
Chloe: You w-

Savant: Yes, I was looking.
Having close yourself to such simple things, there are times when you don’t notice…mademoiselle

Chloe: Chloe

Chloe: My name is Chloe…I’m not a child
Even if you want me to talk…
I don’t know where to begin…

Box: I
Was raised without knowledge of my parents

P158.

Box: My stepmother gathered parentless children, raised them, and sold them

Box: That’s how she made her living
And I was forced into such a narrow home

Box: Children are merely commodities-

Box: My stepmother kicked me out in a fit of rage

P159

Box: Live
Prices that must be paid simply to live
For shelter from rain, for today’s bread
Compared to others, I had very little with which to pay

Chloe: No…wait…
Don’t come here

Chloe: What are parents?

Chloe: I probably had them as well
If so, what did they look like?

P160
Flambeau’s child: Chloe!

Flambeau’s child: Huh, everything’s sold out today?
Chloe: Yes! A really nice person bought them all…

Flambeau’s child: What’s up with that? He’s not some bizarre person, is he?

Flambeau’s child: You don’t look very healthy
You’re not going to grow if you don’t eat properly
Chloe: I’m not going to grow anyways

P161.

Savant: Greetings-

Chloe: Are you always here?
Savant: The day I met you was the first time I came here
You can see it quite clearly from here

Savant: The rainbow at sunset, I mean

Chloe: Rainbow…
Savant: The red of the sun, overlapping with the sky’s blue
Falls into the purple of night
Isn’t it beautiful?

Savant: It’s said that ones who see a green spark within the rainbow will find happiness
Chloe: Happiness…

Chloe: It’s so pretty
I didn’t realize…

P162.

Savant: By the way, mademoiselle

Savant: Have you found a solution to your troubles from the other day?

Savant: It’s been exactly a week since we’ve parted…
In hours, that’s 168 hours…
In minutes, 10080 minutes…
In seconds, 604800 seconds…

Savant: ….and while I was saying that, 23 seconds have passed

P163.

Savant: I want to be your adviser for today as well…

Savant: Till the rainbow at sunset comes to an end…

Chloe: ….

Chloe: Umm
Savant: I am listening, I swear!
Please go on

P164.

Chloe: She was raised in the same home that I was

Woman: …Chloe?
Aren’t you Chloe?

Woman: Ah, just as I thought! Why are you like this…
Hey, come on to my room.
You’ve grown so thin…like a little child

Chloe: Thanks to her, I’ve managed to secure a job and a place to sleep for myself

Woman: I’ve only ever had bad memories
But it’s so nostalgic, meeting you
You…were a gentle and kindhearted child

Chloe: That was the first time I was able to sleep like a human

Chloe: Sis
I’ve gotten some medicine from the landlady
Please get well soon

P165

Woman: That’s right…if I don’t get well soon and start working again, I won’t be able to stay here
Chloe: …you’ll be fine in a second
Here you go, your medication and water

Woman: …hey, Chloe

Woman: Have you ever been grateful for life?

Woman: Has anything ever happened to you that made you glad for your birth?
…nothing like that
Happened to me
I can’t think of anything no matter how hard I try

P166.

Chloe: I-
I’ve never thought about…such complicated things…

Woman: As long as we’ve been born, we have no choice but to live on till we meet our ends, right?
But if people weren’t born…
Then they won’t have to suffer like me
Even this child…

Woman: Should just die before being born

Chloe: A child…?
Woman: I beg you
Don’t be born

Chloe: !
Stop!
Please stop it!
Woman: Just die…

Chloe: He can hear you!
Stop!
Woman: Don’t be born…
You’ll be happier that way…

P167
Repeated page

P168

Box: …she died

Box: However
The child she continue to ‘plead with’ every single day

Box: Survived
People: She sure left us trouble
Can’t do anything about it once it’s been born

People: Chloe!
Don’t just sit there and watch, get back to your work!
Chloe: Y
Yes
Box: How will that child live…

Box: That child, whose mother was dead, and father unknown

Box: Was sent to the home that raised us-

P169.

Chloe: Aah
That’s “me”
That’s how we were – me, her and those children

Chloe: So we
Box: We’re born
Raised
Chloe: Were born like this

Box: And give birth to ourselves again

Box: If all we’re doing is a repeat of that

Box: Was my mother like that as well?

Chloe: Did my mother not wish for me?

Savant: -it’s a fractal

P170.

Savant: As with birds
Humans bear other humans
And there is happiness within happiness
While sadness dwells within sadness

Savant: If the same pattern is drawn and expanded continuously according to rules
Then the present state is both the past and the future

Savant: That’s all very natural, mademoiselle
Chloe: So…
Just as I thought, my mother…and that person…

P180.

Chloe: …!!!
Savant: Hohohoho!

Savant: Mademoiselle! Mademoiselle! Over here
What does it look like?
Chloe: ?

Savant: What is this?
Chloe: ...? A triangle?

Savant: What about this then?
Chloe: ?
?

Chloe: ?
?
Savant: Hohoho

P181.

Savant: It’s 1[un]

Savant: The more complex the lines and shapes appear to the eye, the easier it is for humans to lose sight of its real form

Savant: No matter how complicated it looks, it all began with 1[un]

Savant: Its aggregation
Just like how it’s easier for one to form bonds of stardust with closed eyes
If you remember the fact that it was 1, you’ll start to see different possibilities

Savant: And
You are 1[un]
I’m 1[un], together we are…

Chloe: ….2[deux]
Savant: Splendid work, mademoiselle!

Savant: …

Savant: Alright, mademoiselle
Let’s talk about prime numbers today, shall we
Those beautiful and lonely numbers
All numbers are created from prime numbers and 1-

P173.

Savant: -I see…

Savant: To give birth, or not to give birth…
That is the biggest…so to speak, problem…

Chloe: Savant…what a mysterious man
My heart feels so light whenever I talk with him

Chloe: Just who is he?
….

Savant: Here, we’re simply “Savant” and “Mademoiselle”
Isn’t that good enough?
Chloe: Right, let’s just leave it at that
It’s precisely because he’s a nobody that I’m able to talk so much
I want to speak with him about happier things next time…

Chloe: This is…

Chloe: She didn’t take it
There’s so much…but why?

Chloe: Now that I’ve thought about it, they never told me
What exactly was her sickness?
And what
This medication-

People: You feeling bad?
Chloe: U-um, I’m sorry
People: It’s alright. Just take a rest.

P175
People: We’re rather shorthanded at the moment
We gotta have you work as well
If only you didn’t have this injury, then you could…
Chloe: U-
Umm
People: Let’s give her the medication
Chloe: What exactly…am I…
People: It’s alright…our girls all got better with this
Chloe: Huh?

People: What, you already have it, don’t you?

Text: -Chloe

People: W-
Wait up!

P177.

Man: Him? He already quit.
Chloe: Eh…
Man: Said he wanted to work in a bigger town

Chloe: I have nowhere to return to
I have nowhere to turn back either

P178.

Chloe: This body won’t hold till our next meeting

Chloe: I’ll end up creating sin and suffering that surpasses my own
If so, I’ll just…
Text: Chloe
You’re a good child
Be reasonable
Please…

P179.

Savant: -it’s hard

Savant: Hard
Painful
If you can’t bear it
Just put an end to it in your generation…

Savant: There are ones who’ll go as far as committing sins to survive…

Savant: But your heart won’t be able to bear it

P180.

Savant: Young lady[Mademoiselle]

Savant: Regretfully, you won’t be able to find the solution even if you come to me
It won’t change the final outcome of what’s going to happen to you

Savant: It won’t change the merciless night that visits everyone
Lyrics: If you regret the morning of your coming…
Then you shouldn’t give birth to more pain….

Lyrics: If you affirm the night of your going….
Then that child will love <<life>> as well
Savant: Chloe

P181.

Savant: Shine, brightly and passionately like the sun that falls into the night
When the rainbow arches across sunset
One sparkle of light will guide you

Text: People who saw “that” will “find happiness”
Chloe: Mon-

Chloe: Monsieur…Savant…

Savant: Hmm
Hmm?

Savant: Hohoho!

Savant: Wipe your tears, now…and stand

P181.

Savant: Because your path still goes on….

Lyrics: Are you scared of believing?
Savant: Let’s talk about numbers

Savant: About prime numbers, much like stars that twinkle and shine
And 1, having the possibility of connecting to everything
Lyrics: Are you scared of loss?

Savant: And about the endless numbers made from combining them
Lyrics: Are you afraid of being hurt?

Savant: Sunset is short, and I’d hate to part with you
Lyrics: That’s
Lyrics: Precisely why
Savant: I’d like to be your adviser!

P182.

Savant: Au revoir…

Chloe: My 1[un]

Chloe: Sis…
Were you feeling the same way?

Savant: When 1[un] arrives on 0[zero]…

Savant: The stars merely…shine in stillness

Savant: The same goes for flames[lights] on earth….
They reach out their hands

Savant: Draw lines

Savant: And stories are woven

P183.

Savant: Traveling between morning and night…
The wine’s intoxication enchants
Unseen stardust and
An angel taking flight
An arm stretches towards them
When the windmill turns…
The fallen jewels
Will recite a beautiful verse
With the sage
And the message is created

Savant: That is…the genealogy of flames[lights] that go on forever as long as humanity exists
Naming that miracle…

P184.

Savant: Story[roman]…

Lyrics: A story connected to yet unseen ones

Text: If she
If he

Text: If you

Text: Would continue to recite the story

P185.

Chloe: Merci…
Monsieur Savant…
Text: The continuing flames[lights] shall draw beautiful patterns[fractals]
Like crystals of snow that dance through winter skies…

Savant: Lift your chest and go forth
Aiming for your own horizon…

Savant: Fufu
I ended up saving someone again

Savant: The tears and smiles of a troubled lady are beautiful as jewels…

Savant: …

P186.

Savant: Bons-
Police: ….I’ve been looking for you, Christophe….
Box: His name is “Savant”

Box: To be more precise, it’s just a name he goes by…
Savant: Oh my
Inspector

Box: The first time I knew of his true name
Flambeau’s child: Huh, massive amount of unnatural deaths at a restaurant? How scary

Box: Was at daybreak on an autumn’s day

Box: The season
Will be winter soon