A piece of cloth.
Plain, simple, and smooth.
Manus Follower I: You sure this won't fall right off if we wrap it around ourselves?
The followers struggle to arrange the cloth into something resembling a robe.
Clearly, spatial imagination isn't their strong suit.
Diggers: Ugh! This won't work.
Diggers: Anyway, their style of dress involves careful folding and binding, not just wrapping like this.
The artist's aesthetic sense kicks in, and with a little work, they begin to look more like numbers.
Manus Follower II: What a hassle.
The followers grumble.
Diggers: So, we need to embrace Truth to achieve the soul's … um …
Diggers: Oh, my, I never thought I find my own language so difficult.
Manus Follower I: You're doing well, but you missed a part, "avoid letting our souls become excessive."
Manus Follower II: Ensure that the soul ... does not indulge in excess.
Manus Follower II: ...
She stammers through the sentence.
Manus Follower II: Ensure that our souls ... do not indulge ... in excess.
Diggers: Excellent. Now, say it again.
The not-so-eloquent follower takes a deep breath.
Manus Follower II: Ensure that our souls ... do not indulge in excess.
Diggers: Very good. Now, our next item is …
Seeing the next item on the list, the artist frowns.
Diggers: Study math?
Diggers: Who wrote this?
Manus Follower I: Undercover agents are often exposed due to small oversights.
Manus Follower I: As painful as it is, we have to admit that understanding math will be a necessity here.
Diggers: ...
Diggers: I admire your courage.
Sophia: I admire your courage.
Sophia: Explaining the beauty of mathematics to an irrational number is a challenging task in itself.
Sophia: But especially under these circumstances, with the "Emanation" approaching—
Sophia: You shouldn't waste your energy on such trivial matters.
37 turns her face away.
37: Oh, it's not that they fail to understand the math; they just haven't yet freed themselves from the trivialities of the world of phenomena.
37: Like the golden spiral. That artist may not know its formula or essence, but that doesn't stop them from using it.
37: I believe he's learned something from the classes. Hopefully, it brings him closer to the Truth!
Seagulls beyond counting swoop down over the shore.
Manus Follower I: Are we supposed to stroll here like their leader does?
Manus Follower I: What's the point of this?
Diggers: Oh!
He seems a bit disheartened.
Diggers: I just thought you might appreciate the sunset.
Manus Follower I: ...
Manus Follower I: Sometimes, I feel like we need a translator for your brain.
He turns to his bewildered companion.
Manus Follower I: Did you understand what he's going on about?
Manus Follower II: He's ... an artist.
Manus Follower II: But … this path … it feels familiar. I've been here before.
Diggers: Yeah, everyone should come here to see the sunset.
Manus Follower II: No, I mean ... I have a more important … task.
Manus Follower I: Task? You received orders?
Manus Follower II: No, one of ... my own ... ideas.
She points to one side of the beach.
Manus Follower II: I buried ... the bomb ... over there.
Diggers: The bomb?
Manus Follower II: Because ... that's where their leader ... is likely to walk …
Manus Follower II: Killing their leader ... would solve our problem ... at the root.
Manus Follower II: Wouldn't it?
Diggers: Oh, no!
Diggers: Can you still find the bomb?
In this tense atmosphere, any incident, large or small, could ignite a war.
Manus Follower II: Easier said than ... done.
She raises her hand, pointing to the sand stretching out far beyond sight; all of it indistinguishable.
Manus Follower II: It's somewhere ... out there.
Diggers: ...
He crouches down, starting his search.
Soon, a shadow looms over him from behind.
Diggers: Did you find it?
Sophia: Are you looking for this?
In the Corrector's hand is a bundle of wires, sensors, and a detonator.
Diggers: —!
Diggers: Uh, yes, thank you.
Diggers: That is a very dangerous device. Would you give it to me?
Sophia: ...
Sophia: You're asking me to place a weapon back into the hands of our would-be attacker?
