Sophia: An old admonition is engraved here.
Sophia: "Let No One Ignorant of Geometry or the Irrational Numbers Enter."
Vertin: ...
Sophia: 37 told me you are the integers.
Sophia: She's the genius kissed by the god of truth. She can see our numbers and has never made a mistake.
Sophia: But I don't understand. Why would you break the silence at the meeting?
Vertin: I apologize, Ms. Sophia.
Vertin: I won't defend our behaviour.
Sophia: You may save that apology for later.
Sophia: If you can persuade more than half of the people to vote for your friend's commutation, perhaps she won't be sentenced to death.
Sophia: I have gathered some case files from the past. I hope it will be of some help.
The scroll is lined with golden trim.
Even without knowing what it contains, it is a significant gift.
Vertin: These files are …!
Vertin: But won't you be in trouble for helping us?
Sophia: I have my own reasons.
Sophia closes her eyes, recalling the ancient wisdom.
Sophia: "Integers are the living example of virtues, the standard of purification. It represents a soul existing in the world of Forms, a true being."
Sophia: "It is the floating points behind the decimal which dent the process of our overall purification. The evil. The ones who violate rules knowingly. The ones who turn a positive number into negatives, and a civil person a criminal. "
The Corrector, who has no number, sighs and looks away.
Sophia: If integers like you would lose your life over some unintentional mistakes, wouldn't it be a great shame?
Sophia: Besides, I can't stand the idea of you being killed in front of me.
37: Not rigorous.
37 suddenly shows up behind Sophia like an apparition.
Her friend is quietly startled. She speaks no words, only moving a little away from her.
37: For one thing, we still don't know Vertin and Sonetto's numbers.
37: For another, the fact that every crow we've seen is black doesn't necessarily entail that the next crow will also be black.
37: Even if every virtuous person we met has been an integer, we can't be certain that the next one will still be an integer.
37: Same case for irrational numbers.
Sophia: ...
Sophia: You're right, 37.
Sophia: But people always tend to believe that virtuous people are integers. That is what we call "belief."
37: Correct, but not entirely correct. Everyone can make mistakes.
37: Numbers are just numbers. They are not associated with virtues.
Sophia: Unlike me, you're always right, 37.
37: I don't know what differs us.
Sophia sighs and shifts her gaze.
Sophia: Will you be at the Assembly?
37: Yes.
Sophia: Then I will leave them with you. I ... I'm not qualified to set foot in the Hall of Truth.
Sophia: I have done poorly in receiving the guests. I will ask 6 for my punishment after the Assembly.
37: Huh?!
37: So you ... are not coming back to my laboratory? Neither will you help me review the calculation results or sort out the books?
Sophia: The scripture shall not be challenged.
Sophia: What's more, any students here can help you in the laboratory. It doesn't have to be me.
37: Hmm.
37 is disappointed. She lowers her head and kicks away a tiny piece of rock.
37: Had I known, I would have let someone else welcome Vertin and her friends.
37: Like 210. He loves to brag to young ladies so much that he would take the punishment willingly, right?
Sophia: You were that "someone else" who was assigned to receive them in the first place.
Sophia: If I hadn't stopped you in time, how much longer would Regulus's head have stayed in your mouth?
Sophia: Not to mention what happened last time, and the time before that ...
37: But the fact that I have messed up all the receptions before doesn't mean I may excel in the next one.
37: The chances of messing up the first reception and the 100th reception are the same.
Sophia: Whatever you say, you little sophist.
She puts down the file and leaves in a hurry.
37: ...
37: But compliments won't help her find her number.
37 drops her head. But soon her face is lit with an excited smile again, like a child who has found a piece of candy.
37: So, Vertin, are you ready for the debate?
Vertin: Does that mean you will help us?
37: Of course.
37: I don't want to miss the chance.
Vertin: What chance?
37: The chance to see your numbers.
37: There's no greater knowledge than the knowledge of oneself, and there's no more exciting truth than the truth of oneself.
37: I can quickly tell which types of numbers you are, but it requires proof to know the exact number of your soul.
37: I want to know the answer before you see your own numbers.
37: So it's 37 who proves it, not Vertin.
Vertin: I'd be glad to give this chance to you.
37 turns down the corners of her lips discontentedly.
37: That's boring.
37: Huh! Let's go, Vertin. The Assembly is about to start.