Genius Prismatic Mage Chapter 132

#133. Leap (2)

“Ahh! I should have packed my bags yesterday! I was so nervous I couldn’t do anything!”

A red-haired girl paced busily around the room.

“Nero! Lato! We’re in trouble! What should I take care of first?”

The ears of the mouse that was watching the girl while crunching peanut pieces on the table perked up.

Lato.

He was a guy who was able to live a comfortable life after escaping from street life thanks to being chosen by Ray.

The gray fur that had been matted had been washed once by Ray and Phillip and was now clean and fluffy.

“Latoya? What should I do? Take this?”

The girl looked back at the mouse and asked.

I couldn’t respond because my cheeks were full of peanuts.

The girl paid no attention and turned around again to concentrate on packing her bags.

widely.

Then a black shadow came up over the table.

Nyaa─

It was Nero.

The moment our eyes met.

… … .

… … .

Leto’s mouth, which had been mumbling, stopped.

The black tail twitched interestingly.

Meanwhile, the girl ran towards the sunny window.

“Ah! I should have packed this too! I almost forgot the most important thing!”

I carefully picked up the flower pot and water bottle that had been placed on the windowsill.

In the flowerpot there was a tiny green sprout growing, and in the vase of water there was a red tulip as big as the girl’s head.

… … .

… … .

In between again.

The black cat turned his head from the gray mouse and looked at the girl.

As a result of repeated learning, it was recognized that the small creature next to it was neither a toy nor emergency food.

Nyaa─

Nero began to wash his face by licking his forelegs, and Lato relaxed and resumed his slurping.

The image of the girl still moving busily was reflected in his black eyes.

“I’m not the only one who’s being late, am I? Latoya, has Ray finished packing?”

The officially designated hangar for Lato was Ray’s pocket.

But the gray-haired mouse always came out and stayed around Veronica unless something special happened.

It was because a warm warmth was transmitted when I was next to the red-haired girl.

What should I say?

It felt like a bud of life was sprouting inside my body.

It was the same even then, and I found myself trembling involuntarily at the pleasant sensation.

… … ?

… …

Then suddenly I noticed that the predator next to me was reacting in the same way.

The two animals’ eyes met.

Hey, you too?

*

Boooo …

A dozen or so vehicles passed along the road between the streets.

Buses, tow trucks, trucks, jeeps, etc.

In the center of the formation of various vehicles, an old white vehicle was running as if under escort.

“You’re really leaving today. But it’s a place you’ve been staying for quite some time.”

Philip looked out the window at the street that had come back to life with regret.

It took exactly 23 days to prepare the magic circle.

Including the period of war, he spent about a month in Sector 46.

Philip turned his gaze inward and asked Veronica.

“But… isn’t there anything I need to prepare separately when moving using magic? Like taking motion sickness medicine in advance?”

“Well… Grandpa said it felt like moving around in the intestines of a giant monster. Unless you were using a pre-built passage between spaces.”

“Ugh, intestines? What kind of metaphor is that?”

Philip, whose expression was not good, looked for motion sickness pills in his bag.

Boooo …

Nervousness and anxiety.

And with a little excitement.

The place we finally arrived at was a basin located on the outskirts of 38th Street.

Squeak─

The white car that burst out of the line by stepping on the accelerator arrived at the edge of the magic circle first and stopped.

It was a point where we couldn’t go any further.

Squeak─! Squeak─!

The cars that followed stopped one by one behind.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

The members of the organization open the door and get out.

The group also packed their bags and went out.

Actually, it wasn’t much of a burden.

All they had was a crossbody bag containing their personal belongings, Nero in her arms, and Lato in her pocket.

“It’s a bit of a shame. I have to leave behind all the things I’ve collected.”

Philip looks at the car trunk with regretful eyes.

“I guess there’s no way around it. If I wanted to take all that, I would have had to draw the magic circle for two more weeks.”

It was just as Veronica said.

The difficulty of space magic increases exponentially in proportion to the volume and mass of the transmission target.

Because of this, I had left everything except for the bare minimum in the car trunk.

Philip checked the contents of his bag once more.

“Your wallet, um. You brought it. You shouldn’t forget the most important thing.”

All of the group’s money that had been stored in the existing safe had been changed to high-denomination bills to minimize volume.

“Clothes are important too. Sector 37 is a much busier and bigger place than we thought. If you walk around in a sloppy manner, you might be looked down on.”

Veronica added.

The clothes the group was currently wearing were also high-quality clothing purchased in Sector 48.

Then Colin approached.

I spoke to Ray first.

“I apologize for not being able to send more people to see you off. There are currently so many people involved in sector recovery… .”

“are you okay.”

Ray said casually and handed Colin the car key.

“Please.”

“Yes. I will keep it safe until the day you return.”

Colin, who had his keys in his bosom, turned his head and looked to the side.

A four-seater white compact car covered in scratches and dents like a medal.

Starting from sector 50.

Up to sector 46.

The iron horse, which had done its job well while the boy was running through the four sectors, would take a short break here.

“You said that it was a vehicle prepared by Brother Niles.”

“yes that’s right.”

“My brother didn’t come back, but it looks like his car came instead.”

Colin’s face expressed many emotions besides bitterness.

Refreshing, regretful, sad, empty, etc.

After gathering his emotions, he looked at Ray again and said.

“Anyway, Ray-nim. Before you leave, I would like to thank you again on behalf of Nishohwa. The same goes for the other two.”

The expressions of gratitude continued.

That without your help we would never have won the war.

Thanks to that, I was able to hold on to hope and protect the things that were precious to me.

Also, I hope that each member of the group will achieve their goals as they continue their journey─

“─We are all praying earnestly here. Thank you very, very much.”

Colin bowed his head.

The dozens of organization members standing behind him also bowed their heads and said the same sentence in unison.

“thank you.”

“thank you.”

“thank you.”

“… … .”

Ray, who had been staring blankly at the stars that rose during the day, parted his lips as he looked at Colin’s feet.

“Mr. Colin.”

“yes.”

“I stepped on gold.”

“ah.”

Colin stepped back, his head bowed.

“I heard that if you get caught in the magic circle by mistake, your body will be cut off.”

“Just in case, I guess I’ll have to stay far away when the magic circle activates later.”

Colin then sent his subordinate to bring something to him.

“It took a while to find it. Brooke had it hidden away in her basement.”

It was Niles’ personal safe.

The area around the keyhole was covered with scratch marks from something sharp.

“It looks like Brooke was trying really hard to open it.”

“Yes. Because it’s a safe that contains the fortune my brother has accumulated throughout his life.”

“Why did you bring this to me?”

As Colin gestured, one of the crew members brought out a white envelope.

Colin took the envelope out of his pocket and handed it to Ray along with a folding knife.

“The leaders of the supporters’ faction unanimously decided in a meeting that Ray has the first right to open the safe, check its contents, and take what he has.”

“… … .”

An old knife with a black handle and a red flower symbol engraved on it.

An item used by Niles, when you turn the handle, the key to the safe appears.

Rustle.

The envelope contained stacks of large denomination bills.

Philip, who was watching from behind, swallowed his breath without realizing it.

“The money in the envelope is our sincerity. It is not enough to repay the help you have given us, Ray, but I hope it will be of help on your future journey.”

“… … .”

Ray tilted his head.

It was because I knew that the current Nisho’s financial condition was not very good.

It was a situation where a lot of expenses were incurred in reorganizing and restoring the organization that was almost in ruins.

‘It seems like you saved up money through hard work.’

Ray turned the handle of the knife and took out the key and put it into the safe hole.

Kirik- thud.

The sound of metal rubbing against metal.

Gulp.

The members of the organization who had gathered nearby swallowed their saliva and looked half expectant and half nervous.

“How much do you think my brother has collected?”

“The unit itself is beyond imagination. I’ve seen Niles use that safe for a long time.”

“I wish the amount was a bit larger so that it could be of help to the wizards.”

Kirik─

“I don’t think it’s in there.”

Colin questioned Ray’s words.

“yes?”

“Money. I don’t think I have any.”

“What is that…?”

Kirik- kkik.

Then the safe door opened.

“uh…?”

“There’s… nothing?”

Everyone looked at the empty interior with a look of emptiness on their faces.

Did Brooke steal the contents?

But there was no sign of it being open?

Colin asked calmly for a moment.

“Did you magically know the safe was empty?”

“no.”

“Then how….”

“Niles didn’t save any money. He was always busy in Sector 50. Raising funds to run the organization.”

Colin looked like he’d been hit in the head with a hammer.

The embarrassment gradually subsided and he nodded as if he understood.

“I have spent a long time with my older brother since we were young. So I was proud of myself for knowing everything about him, and I thought that no one knew him as well as I did. But that wasn’t the case.”

Ray reached into the safe as he listened to Colin.

What came out was an old black and white photograph that had been lying on the floor of the safe.

A street made up of colorless colors.

There were three boys laughing there.

“Huh…? That picture….”

“… … .”

Ray, who was looking closely at the photo, created a blade of wind in his hand and held it.

Wheeing──

After cutting out some of the photo, he returned the rest to Colin along with the envelope and knife.

“Yes? You don’t have to return it. These are items that Ray has the right to take.”

“Use the money to reorganize the organization. The knife belongs to the next operator of Nishohwa.”

Ray showed some of the photos he had taken.

“I just need this.”

“… … .”

Colin knew that once Ray said something, it would not go away.

After a brief struggle, he nodded and accepted the item.

“Thank you so much again.”

Afterwards, Colin and his crew took all the vehicles, including those of their party, and retreated far away from the magic circle.

The boy who was watching the scene lowered his gaze and looked at the photo.

A corner of a photo cut out from the whole picture.

A slum boy of similar age to Ray was smiling brightly at me.

“… … .”

The white-haired boy had difficulty recognizing and remembering human faces.

No matter how long we’ve known each other, after a certain amount of time has passed, that person’s face quickly evaporates from our minds.

… erased like a blank sheet of paper,

There is nothing left.

But now, it has become possible to restore the face of one person who was buried deep in the subconscious.

As long as I have this photograph, the dust of time will never settle again on that person’s face.

“… … .”

I looked towards the entrance to the basin.

The sector buildings towering in the distance could be seen.

I’ve thought about that too.

‘If we go back to sector 50 like this.’

The wizard of the one-eyed glasses may not know, but he could certainly get revenge on Hector.

But soon he shook his head.

The man told me to go against the river.

Never look back.

You have to swim up with all your might.

Only then can we avoid being stuck downstream and becoming part of the scrap heap.

“… … .”

So, I’m not going back right now.

Heading to sector 50 will be after you have acquired enough strength to not be swept away by the river at any time.

Ray took one last look at the surrounding scenery, including the abandoned building, then turned around and said.

“let’s go.”

“huh!”

“Now it’s time for the real start.”

The backs of two boys and a girl moved away from the center of the magic circle.

The spot where the white-haired boy had been standing just a moment ago.

There, the words the boy had repeated to himself remained like a trace and spread.

Bye, Niles, bro.

.

.

.

… No, sir.