"All data has been transmitted. The FTL Communication Array has entered standby mode."
Beltira's voice came from the Magic Net Terminal on the desk. Only then did Gawain let out a soft breath. He leaned back in his broad chair, allowing his mind to gradually relax.
Outside the window, night had already fallen. Brilliant stars were slowly emerging from the darkened sky. In the city, streetlights had come on, artificial lights joining one after another into glittering rivers, while the glow of magic-infused vehicles flowed through them as they traveled through the night. The Magic Crystal Lamps in the study drove away the darkness seeping in through the window. The heat of summer was gradually receding, and the chilly night wind drifted through the open window, easing Gawain's body and mind.
After an unknown amount of time, Beltira's voice came from the Magic Net Terminal again. "Brother Gawain, I've just received word from the Tarash Plains. The Ophelia Matrix has fed another set of data sent by the Noi people into the Mother Star Barrier control array. The relevant calculation process has begun and is expected to take three to six days to complete—because the volume of data is immense, the Ophelia Matrix will personally oversee the calculations."
"Mm. Veronica submitted a leave request to me today. She said she needed to devote most of her energy to the Mother Star Barrier control center," Gawain said, nodding lightly. "How are things on your end? Continuous large-scale data transmission like this must be putting quite a load on the Sorin Calculation Center."
"I'm cooling down—frankly, the pressure is indeed enormous. It feels like my brain is boiling... I may need to find a few forest rangers to cast Frost Novas on my brain before I feel better," Beltira said expressionlessly on