Amagi Brilliant Park's
V1 - Chapter 4 Part 2
On Saturdays, guest arrivals increased dramatically. This is thanks to an economic news report that aired the night before and a short variety show segment already dedicated to it that morning. Online promotional videos, which even now get clicks, may also play a part. Their newspaper insert ads were also published that morning.
The clear rise in arrival lifted the fighting spirit of the various cast. Tricen and other department heads came into the office to submit reports, mostly positive. Each time, Seiya put on an enthusiastic smile, nodded, and said “Let's continue.”
There was one cast member who was less than happy, however. Ashe, from the accounting department, seemed to frown as he pointed out how much they spent on advertising, slipping in some sharp mockery about his short tenure there. Ashe's sense of understanding was understandable, of course, but he wasn't in a position to approve his request; as he had said many times before, the drowning man couldn't be picky on the beach where he was stranded.
Instead, Ashe did not force his issue, but before leaving, he muttered to her, “The arrival has gone up. But even at this speed, we will not approach our target.”
“Ya,” he sighed, “Yah..
“Dan... why, when we've been struggling, did you divert resources to recover the second unused park?” she asked.
“We already running maintenance on the stadium late last year.”
He was referring to the stadium he had seen with Isuzu and Muse a few days earlier; Seiya had personally ordered its maintenance and cleaning.
“Do not worry about it.” said Seiya frankly.
“Tapi—”
“I prepare it if we need it.” he told him firmly. “Don't ask me more than that. Don't tell others either.”
As soon as Ashe left, looking pensive, Isuzu came to check on her. “See you stick with Ashe.”
“He just needs to accept that difficulty for now.” he murmured.
“So.” Isuzu nodded ready and opened the paper in his hand. “I have arrival numbers today: 8,168.”
That's more than double the previous day. If it continues like this, his eyes are like saying, it might just be—
But Seiya avoided his hopeful gaze when he responded, “I don't know..”.
[Today's park visitor: 8,168. (81,343 of target)/8 days left.]
...----------------...
As expected, things got better on Sunday. Their advertising campaigns over the past week may have paid off. Moffle and the rest of the cast were excited about interacting with the guests, and the guests clearly seemed to be enjoying their time there.
After finishing negotiations with several transport companies, Seiya decided to run an inspection on the park: It is clear that the cast members enjoy their work. Everyone he met smiled. There are still many problems with the facilities, but the atmosphere that surrounds the park gives the impression that even a park that has long failed can still make an effort when they can.
After closing time, Isuzu brought him the final arrival figures. They still haven't cracked the 10,000 mark, but they still managed to bring in an incredible 9,821 people.
[Today's park visitor: 9,821. (71,522 of target)/7 days left.]
...----------------...
The next day is Monday. As soon as they returned to the workday, the number of guests dropped dramatically.
Seiya went straight to the park, and by the time he was done receiving status reports about improvements made to various management systems that were very inefficient, it was time to close. Isuzu came to give his numbers: “2,688.”
“...Once.” he ends.
It's undeniable, because it's a work day. And this is a much bigger number than the previous Monday…
But…
He still had to carry 70,000 people, with only six days left. How can they achieve that with 2,700 people a day? No matter how he played his numbers, it was simply impossible.
There's not enough time. Give it a longer time, a 30 yen campaign and an ad bomb might work. The hard work of the cast also gradually paid off.
But they need more time so that all of it gives real results.The situation will not change in just about ten days that they have.
The numbers, which are trending downward, are now starting to lift. It was an incredible achievement, but their circumstances would not wait.
“It's a working day, so.. this is inevitable, I guess,” Isuzu added. “I thought if we could keep this figure past this week, it would all turn around again at the weekend.”
“Ya, maybe,” said Seiya slowly. “And besides, we are just waiting for a miracle.”
Isuzu frowned at her words that were very unlike her.
[Today's park visitor: 2,688. (68,834 of target)/6 days left.]
...----------------...
Tuesday's arrivals figure is even worse: down to 1.935. A click on the 30 yen campaign video slowed down to a small stream, and their other promotional schemes were just as dry. The cast is still enthusiastic about his work, but nothing they do for their guests will significantly increase the park's arrival now.
That's totally impossible.
The only thing keeping the park from sinking back into despair is Moffle's impressive work ethic and everything else; they will do all they can. Not only do they please guests, but they also help with maintenance, work diligently on online promotions, and do everything else they can think of, from shopping to managing traffic control. If a cast member had a nuisance, they did all they could to cheer him up.
Seiya headed home in low spirits after finishing his office work, when he met a man standing in front of an exit alley: it was Kurisu Takaya, from the Amagi Developer. A visitor's ID card hangs around his neck. “Hey, right there. We meet again.”
I hope we don't see each other again, Seiya thought.
He is here, most likely, to check their arrival numbers. The arrival ticker at the entrance gate is tightly locked to prevent tampering. The checking can only be done under the mutual review of the Amagi Developer and the park. In other words, it was impossible to lie about their arrival.
“So you decided to work for them, eh?” Kurisu commented. “How strange you are.”
“What is your business?” Seiya asked impatiently.
“The price is as low as it is, advertising. Too little, too late, of course. Did you play a part in that?” Kurisu probably won't know that the Seiya High School student is serving them as the managing manager. The man approached, leaning close to him, as if studying himself.
“No,” Seiya lied. “I only work part-time.”
“Oh-ho?” Kurisu's eyes were cold, yet very curious. Maybe he knew that they had already tapped into one of Seiya's old connections for publicity? “Oh, other things.. I saw a truck labeled ‘ Yanokuchi’ cleaning down one of your service streets. I don't know them... Do you know anything about this?”
“No,” Seiya denies flat. “Goodbye.”
He tries to leave to end the conversation, but Kurisu pursues, steadfastly. “Do not like that. I just feel weird.. The usual garden cleaning service is a company called ‘Maintenance Amagi.’ It seems a bit strange that different cleaning companies will go to the park, don't you think?”
“I really don't know.” Seiya shrugged his shoulders.
“I get it, I think so too,” Kurisu agrees. “Excuse me first. Ha ha ha ha.”
He talked about the company they had hired to clean up and set up the second park. The Yanokuchi cleanup has agreed to do the job for a much more reasonable price than the cleaning company contracted by the city and the Amagi Developer. Even if he criticized her for it, however, Seiya might be able to quibble by pretending to be stupid…
“Fixed,” Kurisu mused, “Looks like I can't explain it. Since last week, as if..there is a new beginning in the management step here..”.
“Huh?”
“It's like someone very smart added into the management team. Kodama-kun—maaf, Kanie-kun.” Kurisu checked the ID card on Seiya's neck once more, then peeked into her face. “Do you know anything about this?”
“...Do you think that I made them this way?” Seiya.
“Hmm, well, just call it a feeling.” Kurisu.
It was a lie, Seiya thought. It's more than ‘feelings.’
This guy is observant. He has not forgotten Seiya, or the way he runs the ‘load per family’ count in his head that day in the conference room. He was aware of the latest changes in the park, and he had a guess as to who made it happen.
Seiya hoped he didn't speak very recklessly that day. But if so, at that time, he would have no intention of becoming the managing manager.
Butbut wait…
What if someone among the cast passed on the information to the Amagi Developer? Then Kurisu, knowing everything, might just try to trick her into revealing something.
“I'm afraid you think too highly of me..” said Seiya with an awkward smile. It mimics the kind of shame that an ordinary High School student might feel when receiving praise from an adult.
While running the show, he runs a quick calculation. Should I use my magic? No, not yet. For now, he would have to rely on his observation skills to know the meaning of their cat and mouse game.
“I'll leave it to your imagination,” it tells Kurisu. “Goodbye.”
That word too, was a show—as he denied it, humbly, while personally flattered. It was impossible to fool Kurisu, but at the very least, it should have prevented her from knowing what she actually felt.
Seiya walked away.
[Today's park visitor: 1,935. (66,899 of target)/5 days left.]
...----------------...
The arrival numbers on the next day are similar. A little bit higher than Wednesday usually for the season, but no more than that.
Among her usual duties, Seiya checked the state of affairs on stage. There was a pleasant atmosphere there: All worked hard so that they would have no regrets; all comforted others regardless of their own feelings; all believed in that last shred of hope…
The spirit of the Maple Land cast even inspired part-time workers to improve their attitudes. Of course, there were some who had given up on hope here and there, but Seiya instead moved them to the backstage position.
“Everything is really working hard,” Seiya told Latifah, in the kitchen of Maple Castle, just after the park closed. “But... there is no way we will reach our arrival target, if it continues like this. No matter what we do this weekend, we will end up with a shortage of around 40,000.”
“So...” Latifah whispered, pausing in the middle of her task. He's already pounding potatoes for croquettes, which will be sold at snack stalls tomorrow. There was something very cute about the little girl wearing an apron, her sleeves rolled up, holding that enormous bowl.
“If you feel that way, Kanie-sama. then surely so...” she whispers gently, her eyes are sad.
Resisting the urge to put his hand on her weak shoulder, Seiya continued, “There is something I want to ask you.”
“Ya?”
“If the park is closed...” the sound is shrinking, “what will happen to you?”
“I can't say.” he told her.
“Contact..”.
“But I really don't know,” Latifah said, then smiled. “We inhabitants of various magical regions—including my home Maple Land—cannot survive without animus, the feeling of pleasure taken from the people of the human world. The reason we run amusement parks is to collect enough animus to sustain us. And I... I need it more than anyone.”
“...?” After a pause, Seiya continued, “I don't really understand..”
“I'm cursed.” he told her simply.
“Cursed?”
“Let me tell you it as a fairy tale,” she started, while focusing on her cooking. “First-time period, Maple Land lived in fear of a monstrous dragon. The army rose up to face the threat, but the dragon repulsed them all. Then, one day, a witch appeared. He said to the king of Maple Land, ‘I will kill the dragon for you. But in return, you must give me the princess as my wife.”
Seiya waited for him to continue.
“The desperate king agreed, and the magician kept his promise. He killed the dragon, then returned to the king, and he said, ‘Now, give me your daughter.’ But the king loved his daughter so much that he could not give her up. He broke his words and sent his soldiers to kill the witch.”
A fairy tale princess tells a fairy tale. It was a strange feeling. But rather than commenting rudely like “it is the oldest story in the book,” Seiya just urged him to continue. “So, what happened after?”
“Courageous general Maple Land takes the witch to the brink. Just before she fell, the witch said to the general, ‘I have put a curse on your daughter.’ Then, he fell into the darkness below. …Soon after, the princess fell ill. The arms and legs with which he once ran and climbed over hills and fields now grew weak and thin; his eyes became blind; and day by day, he grew weaker.”
“What is the curse?” Seiya asked.
“Ya,” she asserts. “As I explained, we need an animus to live, and the witch's curse starves the princess of that animus. The king's benefactor was powerless to save him. They decide that the only way to save her is to send her to the human world, to a place rich in animus, where she can rest and recover.”
“And the best place to find animus is at..”.
“Yes. Amusement park.” Latifah stopped again and exhaled.
A mixture of mashed potatoes, ground meat, and special seasonings tickled Seiya's nose. He gulped, but not because of the appetizing aroma. “You mean the princess of the fairy tale... is you?”.
“Ya.”
He frowned. “Then you will be in trouble if the park is closed, right?”
“You're right.” He sighed again which followed a weak smile. “Maybe I have to look for food and lodging, or even a job, at another amusement park. Although, I'm not sure I can work properly with my condition.”.
“What.... Are you okay with that?” he asks.
“I have no other choice.”
Back then, Seiya felt the urge to use his magic—his power, to read one's mind, which he could only use once per person. He wanted to know how Latifah really felt.
How can you be okay with this? he wonders. Aren't you scared? Aren't you angry? Don't you want to fall crying and hold on tight to someone for support? How could he lift his load if he didn't know?
That'll be easy. He just needs to ask her ‘how do you really feel?’ and then use his magic.
How long are you gonna hold on tight to that ammunition? Thought to himself. If there's time to use a grenade, it's now, right? There's no point holding it until you beat the game. Come, wear.
Seiya opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again—then finally, he said this: “When are you going to fry those croquettes?”
He concentrates. He could not hear Latifah's voice.
“...They will be sold at the snack kiosk tomorrow, so I have to fry it in the morning,” she told him. “If you want, I can fry some now.”
“...Sure.” Seiya answered faintly, feeling somewhat confused.
It seems that his magic won't work on Latifah. Or maybe he accidentally used one of his chances on her when she first gave him her magic?
Well, whatever, it's the same. He was already planning to cast his magic on a question that had nothing to do, however; he did not want to have such calculations between them.
“Kanie-sama?”
The doubt that enveloped his mind seemed to start to dissipate. At that moment, Seiya decided that he should do all he could.
[Today park visitor: 2,102. (64,797 of target)/4 days left.]
...----------------...
On Thursday. In his work routine, Tiramii took a bus to the park in the morning. He spends the journey tweaking his smartphone and reading news from the Internet. Financial scandals with members of the Diet, traffic accidents in a rural area, riots in a foreign country, a Keidanren figure says something stupid, until he arrives at a small article in the local news section:
Kajinomoto Stadium is a famous football stadium located in the neighboring city of Amagi, Chofu. Melody Shibasaki played there, and Tiramii went there to watch some matches.
He clicked on the article to read more.
《The fire occurred before dawn at Kajinomoto Stadium in Chofu City. The Chofu Fire Department responded quickly. Small-scale fires, and quickly extinguished. No one was hurt. An error in the electrical system is believed to be responsible for the fire, but an investigation is ongoing.》
It was a very short article. It happened in the middle of the night, and no one was hurt. The fire is small, and easily controlled.
It was a fairly old stadium, so I guess it just showed its age, Tiramii thought.
“Mii?”
But wait a minute…
This is the second week of March. Thurs.
A group of J-League teams held their opening match this Saturday, and Melody Shibasaki was one of them. They were supposed to play at the Kajinomoto Stadium against the Kurawa Mets. Tiramii remembers specifically because Macaron had offered to give him a good ticket, but he had a work schedule that weekend. And since it is likely that this is the last weekend the park is operating, he has already swallowed his tears and rejected Macaron's offer.
The fire with the important match was only two days away. Are they gonna be okay?
...----------------...
“This is not at all good,” the manager of the company that runs Kajinomoto Stadium wailed at the emergency conference held for the stadium affiliation. “The fire itself is small. We can't blame them for that, of course, but the water is flooding the stadium's electrical facilities and some nearby installations.”
A series of slides presented a heartbreaking portrait of the damage being made: a worker, trying to pump out thigh-high water; a fireman, in front of a charred electrical panel, chanted “Go from here!” on the cameraman.
“We have to replace all the panels around it,” he concluded regretfully. “The parts themselves are not very expensive, but it is an old facility, so it will take more than a week to get a replacement, at the earliest. We also have to run a full inspection on the parts that are not damaged to prevent the recurrence of the incident.
“So, you mean..?” a representative of the biggest investor of Kajinomoto Stadium asked, rubbing his temple.
“I mean there is no way we will be on time for the opening match in two days,” said the flat manager. “The match starts after 5:00 pm, so we will need irradiation, but we can only produce the minimum electricity at this time. In unlikely circumstances we can make the ground barely light up, we can't do anything else, even to warm up the sausage at the snack kiosk.”
“This is outrageous..” the representative objected loudly.
“We have no choice,” the manager told him. “There is an example to cancel a match due to storms and earthquakes; we have to write an announcement about it.”
“But it's the opening match! This is their first J1, and they face a highly rated team from last year.” the representative lost his vote. “Everyone wants to see it! There must be something we can do..”
An uncomfortable silence hung in the conference room.
Tickets are sold. How much does it cost to refund ticket holders and prevent riots? Fire insurance will not cover it.
“We have to talk to the League and see if we can adjust the schedule,” finally the manager said. “I'm sure there are examples for weekday matches and weekends in a row.”
The room became a rage.
“You can't do that! It's too hard for the players! We can't put that burden on them!”
“That's natural in case of a storm, but for one small fire..!”
“We have to beg for that broadcast time slot! We can't just...!”
The conference had already descended into a general brawl, with everyone shouting whatever was on their minds.
“Um, excuse me.” Finally, the legal counsel for one of the sponsors raised his hand. He usually doesn't talk very often, and the only opinion he ever asks when asked is “Sounds good to me.”
No one would listen to him just because he raised his hand.
“Um, excuse me!” said again.
Eventually, the group stopped arguing and turned their eyes to her.
“What's up?”
“I think we have an old contract for a possibility like this. Wait a minute, let me see..” The advisor started fiddling with the tablet in his hand.
The older members looked angrily at the gesture, while the male colleagues stuck their necks out of interest, curious to see what app he was using.
“Ah... yes, here it is,” he finally said. “Ad deal forged in 1993 between Kajinomoto Stadium, Chofu City, Amagi City, and Maple Company.”.
“Maple Company?” someone asked.
“The company that runs Amagi Brilliant Park,” the legal advisor explained. “You remember them, right? They are an old amusement park in Amagi, one city across.”
The majority present, likely remembering him from a more prosperous time, looked at the ceiling and nodded. “Oh, I remember. They do have an amusement park, right?”
“And still running? Huh..”
“I mean, we still have an old poster for that in our stadium, right?”
“Then think of..”
While the group muttered among themselves, the legal adviser continued: “This is the relevant part of his agreement. It seems that Amagi Brilliant Park has a stadium on its ground, and under contract, if something happens that makes our stadium unusable, they should give us their use very cheaply. All we have to do is cover the cost of the need. Instead, we just need to offer them a discount to advertise in our stadium..”.
It seems that they are allowed to use the amusement park's football venue for free. The League representatives did some further checks and found that, surprisingly, the stadium could be used. Stadiums for official matches have strict standards, but park stadiums pass that standard every year.
And thus, the executors of Kajinomoto Stadium expressed their opinion:
“Well, wait a minute—Stadion we have a seating capacity of 50,000. And since this was the opening day of the match, almost all would be sold. There's no way a random amusement park could load them all!”
“But, based on attachments, their maximum arrival is approximately the same..”.
“Oh, please! I've never heard of a stadium that big in Amagi. That must be overkill.”
Doubts of the executors are reasonable.. But, what if true? One present, the general manager of the team, raised his hand.
“But if it can be used, then it's perfect,” he said. “It's just one city across, however. That will keep confusion to a minimum. Why don't we call the Maple Company and see for ourselves?”
“Yah... fair enough,” one of the executors concluded. “...Come, do it.”
A secretary nodded, looked for the number, and made a call. For a few minutes, the only voice in the conference room was the voice of the secretary, explaining about their dire situation and her contract to the person on the other side of the phone.
While the rest of the group was watching, the secretary said a ‘thank you’ and then hung up. “I spoke to the park manager.”
“What do they say?”
“We are free to use it at any time. They can even accommodate the entire crowd.”.
...----------------...
About an hour after the call, about a dozen representatives of Kajinomoto Stadium stopped at Amagi Brilliant Park to investigate the venue. It would seem strange for the school-aged Seiya to introduce herself as the managing manager, so they called a cast member named Wrenchy-kun to take them around. Wrenchy-kun, from the Mechanical State of Zola, is a member of the maintenance crew that usually keeps the park facilities functioning. On Seiya's orders, he spent the past week cleaning up and preparing the giant stadium for use.
As the name suggests, he basically looks like a giant wrench with arms and legs, but the people from Kajinomoto Stadium don't seem to notice anything strange about him. This, it seems, is thanks to the strange amulet power used by the cast members to help them live their lives outside the park.
Seiya and Isuzu, acting like part-time employees, follow Wrenchy-kun. A group of men in suits went around with a strange wrench monster in the middle of their—it was a very strange sight.
Perhaps it was the soul of the artisan, but even though his name sounded cute, Wrenchy-kun was not the smiling type. His tone was rough as he read his explanation:
“Rougherly, there are four entrances,” he said. “We should be able to match seat placement on the ticket with just a slight adjustment.”
They check procedures to direct fans towards stadiums, potential food stalls and kiosk locations, number of bathrooms, routes to bring in fixtures and tools, player facilities and lockers, and so on, the state of the field itself (of course), commentator and broadcast booths, screen projectors, advertising equipment, lighting facilities, and others.
“If we rent a mobile base station, we should be able to accommodate mobile phone reception as well,” Wrenchy-kun tells them. “At least 30 minutes walk from two train stations, so we need to rent many shuttle buses. …That's it.”
It was over an hour before Wrenchy-kun ended his second park stadium tour.
“It's not perfect. It's not perfect, but..” the club's general manager, who was in, pensively, before sinking into his mind for a few seconds. “...Ah, forgive me,” he said, apologizing for the unwanted pause. “I think it can, right?”
“The facilities clearly seem adequate. But I wonder won't it be too confusing to throw them into an unknown stadium without preparation.” the League officials, who also joined, added nervously.
They're all worried. When faced with an unexemplary decision, anxiety must be felt.
“However, we will be back now,” said one visitor. “This is not the place to make a decision.”
“Of course,” Wrenchy-kun grumbled. “But try to tell us as soon as possible.”
The representatives of Kajinomoto Stadium thanked the park representatives profusely, then rushed away.
“Hey, boy... I won't force you into this, but..” As soon as their car leaves, Wrenchy-kun produces a cigarette, seemingly out of nowhere, and turns it on. It was an unusual sight, of course, but Seiya had grown accustomed to things like this in these past ten days. “...Did you know this would happen?”
“As I told you in the park,” replied Seiya, evasive, “I got magic from Latifah.”
“Hmm... What is it, a prophecy? Well, never mind.. If I'm going to be busy, I'd better prepare all..” Wrenchy-kun walks away, twisting his shoulders to relax him.
“I think your magic makes you read minds.” Isuzu said as soon as they were alone together.
“It's true.” he confirmed.
“So you can't see the future.” Isuzu.
“Maybe not.” said Seiya, his tone was empty, and then quickly walked away towards the public affairs building.
Less than an hour after that, they received a call from Kajinomoto Stadium: “We want to use it. Let's have negotiations as soon as possible.”
...----------------...
Muse had already finished his second performance that day and was heading for the underground passageway to be late for lunch in the employee cafeteria. Suddenly, Tiramii came running towards him from the opposite direction.
“Big news, mii! Big news, mii!” He seemed nervous about something.
He bumped into the rest of the cast, spun against the wall, fell down, then ran towards him again, rubbed his bumped head and shouted “Mii! Mii!” —It was pretty presumptuous, but also charming.
At least, that was what he would have thought if he hadn't spent a year in the park sexually harassing her. As a result, his response was only polite. “Are you okay, Tiramii-san?”
“You are very good, Muse-chan,” he praised her excessively. “Will you wipe my bruises, mii? Not the one in my head, the one in my stomach. Actually, it's a little lower than that.”.
Disgusting, he almost whispered it out loud, but bit back that craving and just asked: “Well, what's the big news?”
“Disclosed again, huh, mii? …Well, it's okay,” it ends. “After all, this is huge, mii! Melody Shibasaki will be holding their opening match at the second park stadium!”
Muse has little interest in football, but even he is surprised by this. “J-League Team? Why?”
“There was a fire last night and they couldn't wear Kajinomoto Stadium, mii,” Tiramii cried like sheep. “We have an old contract with them, so they will use our stadium! We're like pinch hitter, mii!”
“Ahh...” Muse remembered that Tiramii is a fan of Melody Shibasaki. He may be excited because they will play at work.
Tiramii watched Muse's blank expression, and chuckled in satisfaction. “You just don't understand it, Muse-chan. To get to our stadium, they have to go through AmaBuri, right? And this is the opening match. We'll get tens of thousands of visitors, mii!”
“Wait, you mean..” Catch Tiramii's intent in the end, Muse's eyes widen.
“That's right!” he was joyful. “We may reach our arrival target, mii!”
The word that Kanie Seiya used when in the roof garden—‘miracle’— crossed Muse's mind.
...----------------...
That afternoon, there were many activities backstage: negotiating with the staff from Kajinomoto Stadium; planning a route to the second park; and;
schedule the addition of personnel to repair the stadium; arrange shuttle buses to take fans from the station…
Everything is a difficult task. Plus, they don't have much time—they've got 48 full hours to get everything done.
On stage, the cast continued to work; while backstage, they rushed to and fro, shouting at each other, and trying to get everything in order to receive the crowd.
They immediately worked closely with the visiting stadium staff and worked together earnestly to resolve minor issues. When bigger problems arise, Kanie Seiya will plunge, reign with confidence: “Do this,” “Do that,” “We've prepared something for it,” and such.
Lately, Isuzu is acting as Seiya's secretary, which means he's around quite often to see something strange about his actions: Did anyone else notice that today he was a bit like a machine?
“Oh, true. How many arrivals today?” Seiya asked Isuzu one day, just before midnight. Normally, the arrival numbers were the only thing he thought about, but now it seemed like those numbers were almost out of his mind.
“2,087,” he told her automatically. “Almost exactly same as yesterday.”
“Once.” he said, his eyes glued to the scribe's work in front of him. He did not seem disappointed or disappointed. In fact, he seemed to feel nothing at all.
[Today's park visitor: 2,087. (62,710 of target)/3 days left.]
...----------------...