Genius Prismatic Mage Chapter 327

#327. Side story 2. The girl in the marble (3)

“Hehehe.”

Veronica hurried along, pulling her suitcase and opening her umbrella.

The speed is getting faster and faster.

I couldn't hide my excitement.

Because it was the first sector I returned to since I started my journey.

'I hope Malta and Yulpin are doing well?'

The two younger brothers who were left behind at the bookstore.

Although we weren't related by blood, we were like family, having been together since our days at the orphanage.

“Leave the bookstore to me, Sister.”

"We're all grown up now. The time when we need a guardian has long passed."

The moment I left this place, I was acting quite boyish.

'Surely the bookstore isn't going out of business?'

Veronica turned her head as an ominous thought occurred to her.

No, no, I don't think so.

You must be 12 this year, at which age you should be able to take care of yourself and deal with the hardships the world throws at you.

In addition, the hotel kids also helped run the bookstore.

We passed several streets like that.

A familiar building appeared in the distance.

[Bookstore Veronica]

'For now, the sign is still the same!'

A deep sense of relief came over me.

I continued walking and looked around the bookstore.

The windows on the second floor, originally used as a living space, were open, revealing a bookshelf and the guests beyond.

'You expanded your store!'

Also, the exterior, including the walls and doors, had been stylishly changed to resemble a bookstore in the upper sector.

A well-decorated bookshelf was also outside, attracting the attention of passersby.

It looks like my younger siblings are doing better than I expected!

Veronica couldn't hide her joy and happiness.

I went inside with my hat pulled down low, intending to surprise her secretly.

Tinkle!

"welcome!"

The man at the counter shouted loudly as the bell on the door rang.

The lower face, with its impressive, well-groomed moustache, was visible through the view obscured by the brim.

Bow.

Veronica gave a small greeting with a gesture and quickly headed inside while still holding onto the hand holding the visor.

I don't know this person…?

Did you hire separate staff?

Veronica was curious, but soon her gaze was drawn elsewhere.

“Wow….”

The bookstore had expanded not only upwards but also to the sides, perhaps because the walls had been torn down and the stores next door had been purchased.

The floors were also integrated, with skybridges extending throughout to replace parts of the missing ceiling.

There were quite a few customers strolling around the splendid interior and browsing through books.

Veronica stepped away as if possessed.

'This book hasn't sold yet.'

'Oh! I was setting this aside to read later.'

‘… There are so many books. Can you handle them all?’

While looking around the bookstore, I found Malta and Yulpin.

But it was nowhere to be seen.

The initial excitement faded and anxiety and nervousness began to grow.

'Did the store get taken over? Is that why the younger siblings were kicked out?'

My heart sank.

Veronica approached a tall man with an impressive beard who was giving instructions to his staff and asked him.

“Excuse me, I’m sorry to bother you while you’re busy, but can I ask you something?”

“Yes, Miss. Go ahead and ask.”

“Weren’t there two boys in this bookstore?”

“Is it a boy?”

“Yes. Two boys. One has gray hair and a scar on the back of his neck, the other has black hair and sharp eyes, and… .”

The physical characteristics continued to be listed.

The bearded man, who had been looking closely at Veronica, suddenly realized something and his eyes widened.

and.

“Sister Veronica?”

"uh?"

Veronica looked up in surprise, and their eyes met.

A voice burst out in joy.

“Who is this! Sister Veronica! It’s you! Yulpin! Yulpin! Come here quickly! Sister Veronica is back!”

“What? My sister came back?”

The mustachioed man at the counter suddenly got up and strode over to me.

'Huh, huh?'

Veronica was terribly embarrassed.

Why is my name coming out of these men's mouths?

A situation that is incomprehensible.

For a moment, thought stopped.

Veronica took a step back without realizing it and shouted.

“Oh, don’t come!”

Flutter!

The parasol was spread out like a shield.

The two men who were approaching Veronica with their arms outstretched to embrace her stopped.

“Sister, what’s wrong?”

“We are Yulphin and Malta.”

My brothers?

Big bearded men?

Veronica hid behind her shield and shouted proudly.

“Don’t lie! You scoundrels! What happened to my brothers? Ser, you didn’t sell them to slave traders, did you!”

The two men looked at each other awkwardly.

“They don’t recognize us.”

“Is it because of the beard?”

“That could be true. Beards have a big impact on a person’s impression.”

“Sister, we are right. Your lovely younger siblings, Yulpin and Malta.”

Veronica poked her head out from above the parasol and examined her opponents closely.

“You are my younger brother Yulpin and Malta, no way….”

The ending of the speech became increasingly blurred.

Certainly… something feels familiar.

He looked older because of his tall stature and beard, but his voice seemed to be going through puberty, and his face itself still had a youthful look.

“You guys… are you really Yulpin and Malta?”

“Yes, I am Yulpin.”

“I am Maltese.”

“Then tell me what the weather was like on the day we first met Grandpa…!”

“It was a cloudy day with thick fog since dawn.”

“I was so scared that I couldn’t even go outside.”

After that, I asked another question, but the answers came back smoothly.

Veronica was eventually forced to admit that the two were her siblings.

“Ha, but even so, how did you grow so much in just two years!”

Malta and Yulpin's eyes met.

“That’s what Philip said. It’s said that boys grow up overnight without being recognized.”

“Trials that don’t break a boy only make him stronger. Afterwards, the boy grows without realizing it.”

“Hmm. Right, right.”

Veronica felt dizzy.

… What kind of ordeals have you had while I was away?

*

Veronica was able to sit at a table on the second floor cloud bridge and hear stories from her siblings.

The success of the bookstore was largely due to the help of the Philip Hotel.

“Actually, business wasn’t good at first. In this sector, books are something only people who read read.”

“I guess it’s rare to find someone who can read.”

So the idea was to teach people to write and create future consumers.

“At first, I only taught hotel kids.”

“Only pick the smart ones.”

It didn't take long for children who could read and write fluently to start popping up on the streets.

The adults, who found the sight strange, asked about the situation, and the children answered.

"Writing? You learned it, right?"

"Where on earth did you learn it?"

"hey."

After that, the adults came.

They asked if they could learn to write too.

“There was no reason to refuse.”

“Because it was what we wanted.”

That's how the writing class began.

Teaching young children to write?

Doubts and pride quickly crumbled.

Because there are people who actually succeeded in learning to write in a short period of time.

"I heard that the bookstore teaches writing for free."

"Really, I'm just letting you study that precious text!"

As word spread, more and more residents began to flock to the bookstore.

“It wasn’t just one or two people. That’s why I now hold regular writing classes here every week.”

“Hmm, that’s why we’re using the back room as a separate classroom.

All students are from lower class families.

Their thirst for learning was truly great, although they had never had the opportunity to do so because there was no one to impart knowledge to them.

and.

Having finally acquired the tool of literacy, they naturally took action.

“I started buying books.”

“Any book on a topic you’re interested in.”

Books were originally expensive items that lower-class people could not afford.

Malta and Yulpin deliberately sold books at steep discounts.

I didn't want to take away people's opportunity to acquire knowledge.

If we had kept the original price, we wouldn't have been able to sell the book.

“In other words, they adopted a strategy of selling a lot of products.”

“Hmm, as the number of students enrolled in the class increased, the books sold like hotcakes. We ended up having more work to do, though.”

Since then, the bookstore Veronica has continued to prosper and has become what it is today.

Veronica couldn't close her mouth.

'If only all these words were true.'

The story of two brothers who joined forces to bring about change in a disadvantaged community.

“Are you guys real…? You’re not making this up…?”

“Really? Otherwise, how would the bookstore have ended up like this?”

“It wasn’t done by our own efforts alone. Some of the hotel staff members who were good at business helped us a lot.”

There was sincerity in his voice.

Thinking back, I think I saw a shabby resident leaning against the wall and reading a book on the way here.

It was a scene brought about by the good influence of the bookseller Veronica.

'I thought they were just kids.'

My younger siblings have grown up to be so mature and respectable.

Veronica's eyes filled with tears.

He stood up and slammed the table down.

“Hey guys!”

“Sister!”

“I missed you!”

The siblings spread their arms to embrace each other.

But the moment she saw her two younger sisters' faces, Veronica flinched and backed away.

“Sister?”

"what's the matter?"

“… … .”

… No matter how much it changes, isn’t it too much?

Where did my little, cute, and precious Malta and Yulpin go?

'First of all, I need to tell him how to shave off those beards.'

Daughter.

The sound of a bell coming from under the railing.

As I lowered my head, I could see Ray and Curaosa looking around at the entrance.

Two people discovered this.

Ray's gaze turned to Malta and Yulpin, who gave a brief greeting.

Oh, I'm sure you wouldn't recognize me.

I need to tell you who it is.

At the moment when I was about to speak in a hurry.

“Malta, Yulpin, long time no see.”

"no!"

Veronica found herself shouting in a frustrated voice without realizing it.

“How on earth did you know that?”

“How did you know?”

“Malta and Yulpin!”

Ray looked at his brothers.

He tilted his head as if he didn't understand Veronica's reaction.

“Anyone can tell it’s morphine and yulta.”

“As expected, it’s Ray hyung.”

“I thought you would recognize us.”

Veronica protested again.

“No! No! How can you recognize this at a glance? You’ve changed so much! Your facial lines have gotten thicker! You’ve even grown strange whiskers around your mouth!”

“Sister, this is too much.”

“A beard is a symbol of a man.”

It was only then that Ray realized Veronica was talking about appearance.

Although the coordinates of the facial features have shifted to a different direction and the facial outline has become twice as thick as before.

'I can't tell much of a difference.'

Even when I rolled over, I could tell it was Yulpin and Malta.

Even aside from the change in appearance, there was conclusive evidence that the two were Veronica's siblings.

“The emotions of the vessel are the same.”

"ah."

Veronica was convinced.

Ray had a special way of identifying others.

“And Veronica, boys tend to grow like bamboo in the rain whenever you look away.”

“Is that what Philip said?”

Ray's eyes showed rare surprise.

“How did you know?”

“As expected! Philip, when did he start to color the children’s minds with such words again?”

After that, the two people went up to the second floor.

Veronica asked Curiosa.

“Mr. Curie, how was the place you visited?”

Places you have visited.

It refers to the old site of an orphanage.

Philip, I could sense your concern for me with your questioning resolve, just like that little boy.

I felt uneasy for no reason.

Curiosa cleared her throat and said.

“I don’t remember anything particularly memorable. Maybe I had high hopes. I picked up a toy, but I’m not sure if it was something I used.”

“I still don’t know! They say that memories aren’t something you just pick up all at once, but something you slowly recall. Maybe if I visit a few more times, I’ll remember something!”

I was momentarily speechless by the encouragement and support that was more enthusiastic than the person involved.

The heavy weight on my heart that had been weighing down on me from the lack of harvest at the old site of the orphanage seemed to have been lifted a little.

“… Yes, you are right.”

Under the bright lights of the bookstore.

Curiosity, she thought.

It's still too early to give up hope.

I think it's okay to try a little harder.