Genius Wizard who sees Rainbows- Chapter 13

#013. Street Kids (3)

 

 

 

**Day 5 since arriving at Sector 49.**

“Got some nerve wandering around here without permission, huh?”

A group suddenly appeared at the alley entrance.

*Whizz! Thud! Bang!*

“Ugh…!”

“Ow, ow… it hurts so much….”

It took less than a minute for them all to end up sprawled at Ray’s feet.

Without a hint of emotion, Ray stepped over them and exited the alley.

Even after a duel was scheduled, his exploration of the streets didn’t stop.

Ray roamed not only the streets controlled by Kedrick but also those of other groups.

While Kedrick’s underlings had orders not to attack Ray, it was a different story with the other groups.

It was only natural for them to retaliate against intruders in their territories.

Everywhere Ray went, groups armed with knuckles and pipes appeared.

He never avoided a fight.
On the contrary, he openly walked around, provoking battles.

“This… we can’t beat this guy. There’s no way!”

“Shit, who the hell are you?!”

He did it to master combat through magic.

Creating gusts of wind.
Enhancing physical strength or agility with reinforcement magic.

He used subtle spells freely, ones that weren’t visibly detectable.

*”Magic, like the body, becomes sharper the more it’s used.”*

Ray’s thinking was spot on.
The more he became accustomed to manipulating mana, the faster and more efficiently he could cast spells with less mental strain.

This explained why it took him increasingly less time to knock down the street kids.

Through repeated fights, Ray continued to grow stronger.

…Though this wasn’t his intention, his presence was becoming infamous among the youths of Sector 49.

“That’s him, the gray-haired, expressionless guy. You’re the Hunter, right?”

“What’s your deal? Where the hell did you come from?”

He became known as “The Hunter”—a relentless figure who tore through kids without hesitation.

The rumors about his duel with Kedrick had also spread across the entire sector.

*”Someone’s challenging Kedrick? That psycho?”*

*”Still, if Kedrick arranged the match, the guy must have some skill.”*

*”What’s his name?”*

At first, no one believed it.
But it didn’t take long for the rumors to gain credibility.

After all, Ray roamed the streets, defeating others with overwhelming power.

Boys from different factions began teaming up to take down “The Hunter.”

“Hold on. Let’s see what this punk’s made of.”

“Arrogant bastard!”

Though they came together against a common outsider, it didn’t make much of a difference.

Everywhere Ray passed, boys were left clutching broken bones and rolling on the ground.

—
—

As Ray continued his hunting and exploration, a lone boy appeared at the entrance of an alley.

“Hold on. You’re the Hunter, right?”

The boy was relatively small, perhaps below average for their age.

He wore a shirt with suspenders, round glasses, and a newsboy cap perched atop curly hair.

It was a stark contrast to the other kids Ray had encountered.

Not that it mattered.
Anyone blocking his path would be struck down.

“Take off your glasses. They might break in a fight, and I don’t want to get hurt from broken glass.”

Ray advanced toward the boy, who frantically waved his hands in alarm.

“N-no! I’m not here to fight!”

“…?”

Ray stopped in his tracks.
The boy’s chest rose and fell rapidly, as though he’d been greatly startled.

“Whew… I’m not into fighting. I’m no good at it anyway. Look at me! With this tiny body, how am I supposed to trade blows?”

The boy quickly rattled off his words, seemingly trying to defuse Ray’s wariness.

“If you’re not here to fight, then why are you here?”

“Let’s take it easy first. You’re the Hunter, right? Gray hair, expressionless face. I’ve got a proposal for you.”

—
—

The boy introduced himself as **Philip**.

Philip and Ray were walking through heaps of scrap metal.

“I’ve heard plenty about you. Everyone knows who you are—you’re all anyone talks about these days.”

Philip grinned as he led the way.

“This way. My business operation is near the eastern landfill. Whether you accept my offer or not, you can decide after you see it. If you agree, we’ll make it official with a contract.”

Philip spoke fluently, using terms that seemed too sophisticated for his age.

Though their destination was a bit far, Philip was quick to notice Ray’s impatience.

“Ah, it’s a bit of a trek—sorry! Just bear with me a little longer!”

Ray observed Philip with a mix of curiosity and interest.
It wasn’t a feeling he often experienced outside of matters related to magic or mana.

—
—

Finally, they arrived at an abandoned factory.

Unlike Kedrick’s hideout, this place was alive with bustling voices.

When the doors swung open, Ray saw an astonishing sight:
Rows of wooden and metal bunk beds, communal tables and sofas, lines of laundry hanging between railings, and functional plumbing fixtures like sinks and urinals.

Dozens of kids, ranging from small children to teenagers, bustled around, filling the space with energy.

Philip spread his arms with a confident smile.

“Welcome to Philip’s Hotel.”

“…This is incredible.”

There was no other way to describe it. If Ray’s emotions hadn’t been restricted, he might have stood there with his mouth agape, letting out an earnest exclamation of amazement.

Ray took a step forward, heading deeper inside. Philip, beaming, followed closely behind.

“There must be over a hundred kids here.”

“Precisely 186, if you include the ones already out working.”

Seeing the mana flickering within the hearts of so many children made Ray’s stomach churn uneasily.

He walked among them, continuing to survey the interior of the factory.

The children didn’t seem particularly wary of Ray.

Perhaps they assumed he was one of them.

With so many people, it was impossible for everyone to know each other’s faces.

“These kids here… they share a common trait.”

“Oh? You noticed?”

“They wouldn’t fit into other groups. Too young. Or physically too small.”

Like herbivores.

Ray couldn’t shake the feeling that he was a wolf that had wandered into a flock of sheep.

“Spot on! You’ve got a keen eye.”

“Did you set all of this up yourself?”

“Of course. You wouldn’t believe how much effort it took to build this infrastructure.”

At that moment, a boy hurried over to Philip, holding out a pouch of coins.

“Philip! Here’s this month’s rent!”

“Ah, Jonathan. How’s the restaurant work treating you?”

“It’s fine. The best part is that I don’t get bullied when I commute.”

Philip took the pouch, checked the amount, and tucked it into his pocket.

“Good. It’s officially received.”

He pulled out a notebook and wrote down Jonathan’s name and the amount.

After chatting with Philip for a bit more, Jonathan disappeared, his steps light.

Ray stared at the notebook intently.

Philip glanced up from it and asked, “Wanna see? Not that you’d get much out of it.”

Ray nodded.

Taking the notebook, Ray flipped through the pages, skimming its contents.

It was filled with meticulous notes about the operation of this abandoned factory—or rather, this “hotel.”

*Rustle.*

Ray’s fingers turned the pages until they stopped at one entry.

> “Rumored to be from Sector 50. Lives in a car at the southern dump. Shows almost no changes in expression. Exceptionally good at fighting, but his aura gets terrifying when he does! Approach with maximum caution!”

The word *“terrifying”* had been circled multiple times in red ink.

“You’ve done your research on me.”

“W-What?”

Philip looked flustered. He hadn’t expected Ray to be able to read.

“…You can read?”

“A little.”

“Oh, um. Sorry if it upset you. It’s not an excuse, but I’ve always had this habit of observing people.”

Philip, fumbling, began explaining. He said his survival strategy since childhood had been to watch and analyze people—studying their expressions, tone of voice, and even small gestures.

“You’re the complete opposite of me. I can’t figure people out no matter how hard I try.”

“So it’s like a personal quirk of mine… Huh?”

“No need to apologize. I’m not offended.”

Ray’s forgiveness.

Philip let out a relieved sigh.

Their tour finally brought them to a container room at the very back of the factory.

Two burly boys stood guarding the door. They glanced at Ray and asked, “Philip. Who’s this guy?”

“He’s the famous hunter everyone’s been talking about. Remember? I told you I’d be bringing him here as a guest today.”

At the mention of “hunter,” the boys’ eyes widened in a mixture of curiosity and fear.

*Creak—Clack!*

Philip and Ray stepped inside.

Once the door shut, it was just the two of them in the room.

The furniture—a bed and a table—looked to be in far better condition than anything outside.

“Do you use this space alone?”

“Yep. It’s like my personal office,” Philip replied as he tucked the coin pouch into a safe.

Ray turned his gaze, watching Philip’s back as he worked. Then he said, “I thought you were a con artist. When I first heard you speak.”

“Hey, I don’t lie. Trust is the most important thing in business.”

*Click-clack!*

Philip locked the safe, then stood up, grinning.

“Money can always be earned again, but trust? Once you lose it, it’s gone for good.”

“….”

He didn’t seem like someone of Ray’s age.

Perhaps he’d taken some kind of youth potion or was an old man wearing a finely crafted mask.

The two boys sat across from each other on a sofa.

Philip unfolded a map of Sector 49 and began to explain.

“Sector 49 is controlled by three main groups.”

“One of them must be Kedrick’s.”

“Exactly. He’s the one you’ll be fighting in a few days. Besides Kedrick, there’s Zephyr and Lawson.”

Zephyr controlled Streets 1-13.

Kedrick controlled Streets 14-27.

Lawson controlled Streets 28-38.

These boys divided the streets of Sector 49 among themselves.

“Do you know what’s so great about controlling the streets?”

“The biggest benefit is monopolizing jobs.”

“Right! You really understand how things work around here.”

That was why kids were desperate to join a group.

The easiest way to secure food was to earn money and buy it directly.

“But the leaders don’t just let anyone in. Only those who are strong, clever, or otherwise useful to the group are accepted.”

“So all the kids here are outcasts, by your standards.”

“Exactly. It’s like a gathering place for misfits.”

Philip chuckled softly.

“But these kids work safely without joining the three big groups. Do you know why?”

“…”

“Sector 49 has a lot of mines. I’ve never been outside this area, but they say it’s several times more than other sectors.”

Ray pieced the information together and made a deduction.

“It means a lot of adults must die.”

“Oh….”

Philip let out an impressed sound.

“Spot on. You’re not just good at fighting, huh?”

“Keep talking.”

“Anyway, there’s so much work in Sector 49 right now. With so few workers left, they’re even hiring kids. It’s more than the big groups can handle.”

As a result, the groups gave up their job monopolies and instead took a cut of the income as tribute.

“My role is to dispatch kids and manage the tributes. I’m basically a broker. I also provide lodging—not for free, of course.”

Philip claimed he had single-handedly orchestrated the current system.

Judging by the emotions Ray detected, he wasn’t lying.

It was impressive.

This wasn’t the typical bravado of street kids. Philip was running a legitimate operation.

“But not every group leader has made a deal with me.”

“That’s why you sought me out?”

Philip grinned.

The more they talked, the more he felt he could communicate easily with Ray.

‘Though he’s still a bit intimidating.’

Sometimes, taking risks was necessary for gains.

Philip took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming as he spoke.

“Let me make it official—I want you to be my business partner.”