Genius Prismatic Mage Chapter 53

#053. White Sun (3)

Veronica lay in bed for two days, groaning.

“It looks okay now.”

“No! It’s not okay!”

“When you came in earlier, you were walking just fine─.”

“Okay, you saw something wrong. You must have seen a ghost. You should still stay in bed and rest more!”

“… … .”

The boy tilted his head.

Ghosts are everywhere.

In fact, the girl’s condition itself was completely restored after a good night’s sleep.

The only specific physical injury was a slightly sprained ankle, and the mental injury was simply a case of overdoing magic a little.

but.

“Lay, can you get me some water? Oh, and also─”

Veronica seemed to be quite enjoying bed life.

To be exact, I was very satisfied with the situation where I was being taken care of by Ray.

“here.”

“thank you!”

Veronica smiled bashfully and took a sip of the water.

Gulp. Gulp.

The curtains fluttered in the cool breeze coming through the open window.

Ray, who was watching Veronica drink water, suddenly lifted his lips.

“Why did you stop me then?”

By that time I meant two days ago.

“Ray! Are you okay? Are you really okay?”

“Everyone’s kissing. We’re going to keep quiet about today. Well, actually, I don’t think it’ll matter much even if the story spreads.”

Ray remembered every detail of what happened inside and outside the abandoned factory.

There was a moment when my whole body was on fire.

All those moments when I hurled fireballs at piles of scrap metal and children.

At that time, he did not recognize Veronica, Philip, Cedric, or any of his subordinates.

‘There was no way to know if they were allies.’

The screams that were ringing out from all directions were like a humming sound underwater, so I couldn’t recognize them properly.

There was no room to concentrate and recognize the other person’s face.

It was because of extreme anger.

Because the only thought in my mind was to burn and destroy everything around me.

“You suddenly turned towards the sector. I thought something big was going to happen if I didn’t stop it. It looked like you were going to turn the street into a sea of fire.”

What Philip later told me was actually not wrong.

The idea was to turn towards the sector with the intention of destroying a greater amount of something, whether it be people or objects.

If it weren’t for Veronica.

‘There’s a high probability that he lost his life.’

After setting fire to all sides, the shield eventually broke.

The reason he was able to stop was because of the white sun.

A white sun that shone brilliantly from Veronica’s bowl, making you feel momentarily disarmed.

All the anger that had been coursing through my body and mind evaporated in an instant.

The red-tinted vision returned to normal and the surrounding scenery began to come into focus.

There was only one thought he was thinking at that time.

The sun is so beautiful.

“At that time? Ahh─.”

Veronica answered Ray’s question as if it were a given.

“Because I was worried.”

“You could have died?”

“Still, we’re friends.”

Ray seemed to have a vague idea.

Friends are people who help each other without expecting anything in return.

The worry is just that person, and I want to protect them.

Thinking about it that way, I could understand Veronica’s actions of risking her own loss to help.

That night in Sector 50.

The moment I ran to the bridge, thinking that I would protect Pale and his siblings at all costs.

Perhaps Veronica felt similar to herself at that time.

‘…and Philip also risked his life to save his friend Cedric.’

Ray convinced himself.

Compared to the past when I had no understanding of other people’s emotions, this was a huge step forward.

However, there was one thing that remained unclear.

‘I don’t think anyone can feel the kind of worry that would make them risk their life to protect someone.’

Pale and his siblings were special to him.

To Philip, Cedric would have been that kind of person too.

Although I wasn’t yet able to define exactly what that specialness was, it was clear that at least the meaning they held was not equal to that of others.

The boy asked.

“Am I special to you?”

“Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh?!”

The girl was embarrassed.

It seemed that he had taken the question’s meaning a little differently, as the earthquake in his pupils seemed to have occurred.

But soon he regained his composure as he pondered the question.

‘Are you a special person?’

Ray is special to me.

Ray is not special to me.

If we have to be specific, it would be the former.

Ray was the benefactor who saved the bookstore from danger, and the first wizard I had ever met in my life, aside from my grandfather.

“A special… person?”

“Enough to risk your life?”

“… … .”

The girl looked at the boy.

There was no small amount of confusion and bewilderment in his own red eyes reflected in the other person’s white ones.

The boy’s questions were always sudden.

It was direct, straightforward, and sometimes surprisingly poignant and heart-wrenching.

‘Enough to risk your life…?’

In fact, the girl did not fully understand her own actions.

Looking back, that’s what it was.

Ray and I had only known each other for a month, and objectively speaking, it was not a relationship that I would risk my life for.

Even if he is a benefactor.

“… … .”

But there was nothing I could do.

At that time, the only thought on my mind was to save Ray.

Emotions were a realm that existed outside of logic.

Emotions were something that could not be freely controlled, and the girl was simply being true to her feelings at the time.

‘Hmm. Now that I think about it, it was really dangerous.’

The girl pursed her lips.

Thinking back, it seemed like she had been feeling something more than just worry at the time, but even the girl couldn’t figure out exactly what it was.

Anyway, the answer to Ray’s question was ‘yes.’

But the feeling that I would lose something if I admitted it obediently made me muddle through with my answer.

“maybe…?”

“I see. I understand.”

Ray, perhaps understanding the situation, didn’t ask any more questions about that part.

This time Veronica asked.

“Why did you do that back then? Were you addicted to mana?”

“… … .”

Why would that be?

Why couldn’t I let go of my anger?

It was a question that Ray had thought about a lot, but had yet to find a definitive answer to.

‘I could have definitely stopped the anger in the middle, but I didn’t.’

It was half voluntary and half involuntary.

I was gradually consumed by anger.

I’ve always used red mana with high rage, but this was the first time I’d run into trouble.

There were some parts that were suspicious.

What was different from usual was that the source of the red mana used was a ring whose functions had just been enhanced, and at the time, my mental fatigue had accumulated close to the limit.

And the behavior he displayed was very similar to the symptoms of mana addiction that the old man had spoken of.

Mana, which is derived from human life force, is extremely toxic.

Also, accumulated fatigue can dull your mental control.

Perhaps it is a combination of two factors.

That was the most reasonable inference Ray could make given the current situation.

“Mana addiction. I think so.”

“You usually use unrefined mana too much.”

Veronica’s face turned pale.

He didn’t try to show it, but it was obvious that it was showing.

“It has nothing to do with the mana that was normally used.”

Mana in the air has been in use for several years, ever since it was in sector 50.

If there was going to be a problem, it should have happened a long time ago.

“It’s more likely that I became addicted to mana because of this.”

Ray took the ring out of his bosom.

“Ah, that’s….”

“It’s the ring that the man I fought had. It’s a charging stone.”

Mana felt from the ring.

Veronica was able to complete her guess about the situation.

I remembered what Ray had said.

“There is a man. He is a wizard.”

“I’m trying to activate a magic circle targeting the group I’m leading.”

“I’m going to get rid of that guy. I’m going to use the magic circle against him.”

After the situation was resolved, the man was no longer seen in the abandoned factory.

All that was left were the clothes I was wearing, lying there under the sunlight pouring in through the hole in the ceiling.

It wasn’t hard to imagine what would have happened to the man who had failed to escape the magic circle in time.

And there’s also the matter of guessing where the extracted mana went.

“I heard from my grandfather that mana extracted from humans is incredibly toxic….”

Veronica added cautiously, her voice trailing off in a slightly frightened tone.

“… Are you planning on using that?”

“… … .”

Ray was silent for a moment.

The ring contained a considerable amount of mana, which was of relatively high quality.

It will be of great help in battle when used.

But at the same time, it was also very likely that mana was the main cause of mana addiction.

What if the side effects occur again?

This time, Veronica helped me come to my senses, but there was no guarantee that I would be able to do so next time.

‘One mistake is enough.’

But it was true that I had that kind of thought.

…what if you use the ring’s mana while Veronica is around?

‘It’s worth a try….’

In the middle of my thoughts, I heard Veronica’s voice.

“You’re not going to use it, are you?”

“For now.”

“Yeah. I think so too. I think it’s better not to use it if possible!”

Ray’s answer was nuanced, but Veronica’s face brightened as she seemed satisfied with it.

“and.”

“and?”

Veronica perked up her ears.

Ray brought out the words that had been waiting in his mind as if he was going through the tasks that needed to be done in order.

“thank you.”

“uh?”

“Thank you for helping me.”

Saving a life was a huge help, even by Ray’s standards.

So I had to say thank you and repay you.

I don’t know when that will be, though.

In proportion to the help received.

“Re, Reya… .”

Veronica’s mouth fell open.

He spoke with a tearful face, as if he was deeply moved.

“Oh, did you eat something wrong? Did the meat in the dish I prepared for you last time go bad…?”

*

Crunch! Crunch!

A pair of pliers cut the lock off the basement door.

“Well done, Raphael. You did a good job.”

“Hehehe! This is something you can do with your eyes closed. We’ll be waiting upstairs! Call us if you need anything! Captain!”

The boys, who had received Ray’s praise, went up the stairs with happy faces.

─Ray-nim remembered my name! He even praised my skills!

─Sell me the ears that have heard the compliments.

─How much?

─Ten thousand shillings.

─I won’t sell it. I won’t wash my ears for the rest of my life.

Ray watched the bowl of children moving away up the stairs.

A sense of pride and elation surged.

‘Praise definitely works.’

Praise was the method Ray had been using recently when dealing with his subordinates, following Philip’s advice.

“I said that you can control people sufficiently with rewards rather than violence. But rewards are not necessarily limited to material things. Praise and encouragement can also be very effective when used appropriately.”

In fact, the effect was better than expected.

Children performed much more efficiently when praise was included than when they were simply given instructions.

They also volunteered to do things for Ray in order to receive more praise.

‘It’s like magic.’

Who would have thought that a single word could change a person’s behavior and emotions so much?

That was the magic of praise.

Another big factor was that most street children are hungry for recognition from others and are not immune to praise.

Ray pushed the door.

Squeak──

The thick iron door covered in red rust slammed open with a heavy sound, revealing the scenery inside.

Went inside.

Crackle- Crackle-

A long rope hanging from the ceiling.

The light at the end was on.

Perhaps the man thought he would return to his basement soon.

I walked slowly around the basement.

The simple furniture and the desk filled with crumpled letters were not much different from last time.

“Boss. You are the spark of my life. I still remember the moment you took me in… .”

The content of the letter was also not very significant.

The only difference is that this time I was able to read the entire content while still having learned the text.

Knock knock.

Knock knock.

We focused on areas that we were unable to examine in previous explorations.

Ray, who was opening and closing the closet, was able to find an old leather notebook there.

And the moment I took it out.

Flutter.

A faded black and white photograph fell to the floor.