Genius Prismatic Mage Chapter 210

#210. Where to Return (1)

A quiet chapel filled with sunlight.

“Solitaire, has anything special happened in the parish lately?”

Bishop Cardio took out an old Bible and other worship items from his suitcase and placed them on the stage, asking:

Solitaire, standing in front with her head bowed, answered.

“Yes, Bishop. It was a series of peaceful days.”

“You’ve had a hard time. You must have had a lot to do in my stead after I learned the ropes.

“No. I just did what I had to do.”

Bishop Cardio smiled gently at Solité’s humility.

“I feel truly blessed. I have been living my life of faith with such a capable and faithful person as you for such a long time. Isn’t our relationship quite long?”

“Yes. It’s been ten years. I first met you when I was twelve years old at the training center of the main office.”

“That’s right. Back then, you were a disciple, and I was just a priest. But now that so much time has passed, and you both stand there looking so different, it’s truly a new feeling.”

“No, Bishop. I don’t think anything has changed.”

Solité’s firm voice made Cardio raise his head.

Solitaire also raised her head and met Cardio’s gaze.

“What does that mean?”

“The bishop’s firm faith has not changed one bit from then to now.”

“Haha, that’s what you meant. That’s right. My faith hasn’t changed. Since I joined the church, the direction of my life has been solely focused on the doctrine.”

“In terms of purity of faith, there is no one in the entire church who surpasses Bishop Cardio.”

Solitaire emphasized the phrase purity of faith.

“Haha, that’s too much praise. Of course, it’s true that I have no shame in my faith.”

Cardio looked happy.

Maybe that’s why he didn’t seem to notice that Solitaire was smiling but her eyes weren’t.

“Did this meeting at the headquarters end well?”

“It’s not easy. I hope each parish will put more effort into finding the saint. The dark clouds covering the sky continue to grow.”

After a few more conversations, Bishop Cardio stepped down from the platform and turned toward the door to the chapel.

“I’m sorry I can’t spend more time with you because I have a lot of work piling up. Then I’ll see you tomorrow at the meeting.”

“Yes. See you tomorrow.”

Creak─ bang!

Solitaire, who had been staring at the door for a while with a face that had lost its smile, turned her head and spoke while looking at the curtains by the window.

“Every single word was a lie. Just as you said.”

A part of the curtain rippled with green mana, and a boy with two chameleons on his head appeared.

Ray was using his stealth magic at full power and was double camouflaged with the help of the spirits.

Solitaire, whose gaze was momentarily stolen, forgot what he had originally intended to say and opened his mouth to a different topic.

“But… it’s really amazing. This is my first time seeing a spirit with my own eyes. They even have the appearance of animals I’ve never seen before.”

“I said chameleon.”

“A chameleon, I see.”

“They say it’s a common animal in the forest.”

“Hmm? Is the forest a real place?

“According to Greene. I’ve never been there myself.”

Throughout the conversation, Solité couldn’t take her eyes off the spirits.

“Can I touch it?”

“Maybe? The names are Salt and Pepper.”

“That’s a very salty sounding name. Hmm…? Is that the name I know?”

“If you’re talking about the type of spice used in jerky, then yes.”

“What a very hastily made name.”

“I didn’t give it that name. It was given to me by a very sloppy elf.”

At Solitaire’s touch, the two chameleons turned the same color as the surrounding scenery and then returned again.

Solitaire, who had been repeating the same movements with a curious face, returned to the original topic with a small sigh.

“… So Bishop Cardio was also disguised like this. The 7th Priests and I have been working with Bishop Cardio in the 30th Sector area. But it is truly shameful that no one has noticed that he is a spy for ten long years.”

Ray said, looking at the deep self-loathing rippling through Solitaire’s bowl.

“Still, there are no spies in Sector 37 Parish except for Cardio.”

“It’s a blessing in disguise.”

Cardio was the only figure in the cathedral with mixed rings.

Solitaire’s inductive interrogation results showed that there was no one in contact with Cardio.

“I think other parishes are probably similar. But the problem is… the headquarters, which can be called the head office of the church.”

“Have you been to the main office recently?”

“The most recent one was 10 years ago. I haven’t visited since I graduated from the training center under the headquarters. As far as I can remember, there was no one in the headquarters who had a distorted faith….”

Solitaire trailed off.

He said that during his time as a trainee priest, he was not able to control his eyes to see the truth, and so he ended up unintentionally judging the faith of everyone he met.

“… But ten years have passed since then. I don’t think I can guarantee that the headquarters has not been corrupted and has maintained its purity.”

Ray, who had been lost in thought for a moment, gave his opinion.

“If the leadership of the religious order has been taken over by the Nambit Dawn Society, then any orders given from the headquarters should be seen as orders from the Dawn Society.”

“That’s right. Just a moment ago, Cardio said to increase the number of personnel assigned to the search for the Saint.”

The Southern Light Dawn Society and the Solar Church.

Blue sphere and artificial sun.

A blue sphere that emits a gloomy and dark light, and a saint who can breathe permanent light into an artificial sun.

It seemed like there was a clue, but it just wasn’t there.

“How is the saint’s search progressing?”

“It’s simple.”

What Solitaire took out of her bosom was a small piece of stone as white as snow.

“Terranote.”

“That’s right. It’s the very material that makes up the artificial sun. The Saint’s search is conducted by traveling around the sector and letting people hold pieces of this in their hands.”

Solitaire continued her explanation calmly.

“As you know, even non-magicians have mana flowing through their bodies. It’s only a very small amount, but it’s still mana. And the type of mana varies depending on one’s innate constitution. According to the revelation, if someone who meets the conditions of a saint holds the Terranote, an incredible light of a specific color will radiate out.”

“… … .”

I knew what the small amount of mana flowing through my body meant.

The mana contained in the vessel represents the brief emotions of that moment.

The mana contained in the ring reflects the disposition of the character at the time the ring was constructed.

Because of this, the mana contained in each ring usually changes continuously.

but.

The small amount of mana flowing through the body could be said to reveal the innate and permanent tendencies of that person.

In other words, it can be said that it represents the essence of that person.

“What color of light will be emitted when a saint holds the Terranote?”

“I don’t know that either. I just heard that it’s a color of light that anyone who sees it can’t help but feel. It’s the true brilliance of the sun.”

Ray recalled the conditions of the saint he had heard from Solitaire before.

The most important thing is to have a mind that can care for everything in the world unconditionally.

What color mana did a person with such a personality have in his body?

Something reminded me of something.

First, I continued with the next question.

“What if you find a saint?”

“There is one artificial sun in each parish. The moment the saint is found, they will all be collected and melted in the furnace. They will be remade into a giant artificial sun and finally launched.”

“To the sky?”

“Yes. It will rise high in the sky, the firmament, and scatter the brilliant light that the saint of the sun has injected into the world. The dark clouds will disappear, and clear rain will fall. The vegetation will flourish again, and the animals that have left will return.”

As he spoke, Solité’s face became hazy, as if in a dream.

“Is that also what God says?”

“Yes. It’s all written in the Bible.”

“I see.”

“If you have the chance, I recommend that you attend the service, Ray.”

“I’ve heard it a few times already. I’m not really interested.”

Solitaire stared blankly into Ray’s eyes for a moment.

Then suddenly.

“I heard something like that happened recently.”

He opened his mouth meaningfully.

“what?”

“During the service, a voice suddenly came from the back of the room saying that God is a dark being. When the criminals were caught, they all denied saying such a thing. However, when I saw them face to face, I found out.”

“… … .”

“The believers caught at the scene were innocent. They did not utter such blasphemous words.”

There was silence.

Ray, reflected in Solité’s eyes, was looking intently out the window.

“Are you Ray?”

“It’s not me.”

“Look into my eyes.”

“You’ve got the wrong person.”

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Solitaire walked towards the window and tried to make eye contact with Ray.

But the boy’s head had already turned to the other side.

“… … .”

“… … .”

Static again.

widely!

The moment the angry priest quickly grabbed the mace hanging from his waist.

“Something urgent has come up. I need to feed Kelly, Nero, and Lato. I’ll go first.”

The boy had already opened the door to the chapel and was leaving the space.

Squeak─ Boom!

─A gloomy being! A gloomy being! How can you say such a thing!

Ray walked away from the chapel, hearing the cries growing fainter.

What should I say?

Even Solitaire, who rarely expresses her emotions, seems to be sensitive when it comes to religion.

How long had it been since I left the cathedral and walked down the street?

Squeak.

A black sedan stopped next to me.

Philip’s face appeared through the quickly rolled down window.

“Layah! Get on! This is not the time to be here like this! It’s done! It’s done.”

“Completed? What?”

“What could possibly be finished? It’s our house! It’s a mansion!”

“ah.”

Construction on an annex on one side of the mansion grounds.

There have been so many things to think about lately, and so many events have come to my mind that I’ve kind of forgotten about them for a while.

“What are you doing! Hurry up! Hurry up!”

Philip got out of the car and pushed Ray, who was still thinking, into the back seat as if he was kidnapping him.

Ray was so absorbed in the colorful emotions rushing into his friend’s bowl that he gave in to it without much resistance.

“Sir! Step on it! Step on it!”

The sedan raced down the street and stopped somewhere after passing the mansion’s gate.

When I opened the door and got out, the first thing I saw was a long line of children.

“It’s Ray!”

“Rainim has arrived!”

The children were scattered in a huff.

The hidden scenery was revealed.

What stood before my eyes was a white mansion with a clean exterior that shone under the sunlight.

Although it was less than a third of the size of the main building, it was superior in luxury and grandeur.

“How is it, Raya? It’s always been covered by construction debris, so this is the first time you’ve seen it?”

Philip urged her to answer, his face unable to hide his excitement and thrill.

“I hope you like it.”

“… … .”

Ray knew that one of Philip’s long-time dreams was to own a home.

Building and operating a hotel in Sector 49 was also part of that wish.

‘That’s why I left the entire construction to Philip after the first design.’

It was a kind of consideration, but the result was more pleasing than I expected.

I liked the clean exterior, and the shape of the mansion showed from the outside that the various spaces were efficiently divided according to their use.

Above all, now there was a place I could return to whenever I wanted.

The light reflected off the pure white mansion dazzled the boy’s eyes.

“What do you think? What did you think of the mansion?”

“… It’s nice. It’s dazzling.”

A faint smile appeared on the boy’s lips.