**#135. Cube (1)**
—
“Can we ride this?”
The man who had been dozing off in the saddle opened his eyes at the sound of a voice.
Two boys and a girl in fine clothes.
Wiping the drool that had run down his chin, the man hastily straightened his posture.
“Yes! Of course! Please, hop on!”
Ray’s group stepped onto the footrest and climbed into the passenger seat.
“Heave-ho! It’s nice and spacious.”
“Ray, can you take Nero for a second?”
The long sofa was wide enough for three people to sit side by side comfortably.
Above the seat back and armrests, a black waterproof tarp was stretched over a frame, serving as a roof.
“You’re all quite the lookers! Young master and ladies like yourselves don’t usually come near the slums. Where would you like to go?”
The man, putting on a pair of worn leather gloves, turned his head to ask.
“To Nerobel Plaza on First Street.”
“Yes! Right away!”
Gripping the bicycle handlebars tightly, the man began to pedal.
*Creak…! Creak-creak…!*
At first, the pedals turned with some strain.
*Creak—! Creak-creak—!*
But they quickly picked up momentum and began spinning at a frightening speed.
The rickshaw sped off through the crowd with a cheerful rhythm.
“Wow…! I didn’t think it would be this fast…!”
“And he doesn’t even look tired…! He must have incredible leg strength and stamina…!”
Philip and Veronica whispered in awe at the unexpected sight.
Of course, it wasn’t as fast as a vehicle, but it was far quicker than walking or running.
“It’s like magic.”
“Magic…? Oh!”
Focusing at Ray’s words, Veronica could feel various elemental energies flowing through the rickshaw’s frame.
“This must be what Curiosa was talking about. Some magic has been commercialized and made more convenient.”
Ray spoke as he observed the flow of mana.
The colored mana flowing through the frame gathered at the pedals, fused, and then propelled the rotation. After that, it turned into black smoke that rose into the sky.
And what that scene reminded him of—
*Golem.*
A surge of anger suddenly boiled up in his heart.
But it was only for a moment.
The boy reined in his fury and calmed himself instantly.
Then, he sank into thought, continuing his analysis of the situation.
*It’s the same as with the golem.*
When the golem walked, the mana in the atmosphere was drawn into its core.
The swirling colored mana mixed into a black hue, and that black mana seemed to shrink in volume as it was converted into the golem’s power source.
And in the end, from the golem’s depleted core—
*Black smoke rose into the sky like residue.*
Just like now.
A boundless curiosity and thirst for knowledge flared up within him.
The boy began to ponder the properties of this black-colored mana.
First, it was a color not naturally found in atmospheric mana.
*It only appears when multiple colors of mana are mixed.*
Whether it’s mana overflowing and intertwining in a person’s vessel due to lack of space,
or situations like the rickshaw or golem where mana is artificially guided to merge—
Black mana could only be created by mixing colors.
…However, there wasn’t just one way to mix them.
Mix red, blue, and yellow.
Mix green and purple.
Or mix blue and orange.
The ratio of colors might need to be adjusted, but there were various ways to create black.
*And although the resulting blacks don’t all feel exactly the same—*
The color components made a subtle difference.
A light or heavy feeling.
A warm or cold feeling.
A smooth or rough feeling.
To Ray, it was just a difference in saturation, but generally, such distinctions were recognized.
And the fact that black mana could be formed in countless ways meant the types of elements it contained also varied depending on the source colors.
…Did that mean black mana was a color full of limitless potential?
But he had never seen a spell that used black mana as its base.
*Creak—! Creak-creak—!*
“Out of the way! Coming through!”
The currently rampaging rickshaw—
Aside from special cases like the golem—
“Driver! Go! Go! I’m the speed racer of this district!”
“Kyaa! It feels like all my stress is flying away!”
“……”
Ray, letting Philip and Veronica’s excitement wash over him, finished organizing his thoughts.
Only black mana left behind smoke-like residue after use.
To create a truly pure black, beyond typical blending, all colors of mana needed to be combined.
*…Which meant it created the element of destruction.*
A slight frown formed between the boy’s brows.
It was frustrating.
As his world expanded and he encountered more phenomena, he realized how woefully little he knew to explain it all.
*I need to move faster, and cover more ground.*
Only then could he gather knowledge of all kinds and attempt to extract the questions that had embedded themselves in his mind like nails.
Now, a phenomenon identical to the golem had appeared again.
He figured it was about time he shared the relationship between black mana and the black rain with Veronica.
“Veronica.”
“Kya-ha! The wind feels so— Oh, yeah?”
“I have something to tell you. Once we get to our lodgings, let’s talk somewhere quiet.”
Despite the considerable noise around them, his voice cut through gently and clearly.
“Huh…? Something to tell me…? Me…?”
For a moment, the girl’s world froze.
A vivid image of the red tulip’s meaning flashed in her mind—it was beyond her control.
*No way. There’s no way it’s that.*
At first, the cup was full of suspicion and doubt—
*But could it be… really…?*
—Then emotion grabbed reason and logic by the collar and tossed them aside, replacing them with hope, excitement, anticipation, and embarrassment.
“Wh-what do you want to talk about…?”
“It’s something important. I really want you to hear it.”
Her world froze again.
Face reddening to a near explosion, Veronica bowed her head and mumbled,
“…Okay. I will.”
Philip, unaware of the conversation beside him, was only puzzled as to why Veronica had suddenly gone quiet.
But only for a moment.
*Creak—! Creak-creak—!*
As the scenery around them began to show a marked difference from earlier sectors, Veronica quickly regained her energy.
“Wow! Look over there! That must be a magic tool!”
“Oh, you’re right! I’ve never seen anything like that!”
Tools and devices powered by mana stood out across the street.
There were crystal balls that looked like communication devices.
Pedestals that created wind, allowing one to leap up to higher floors.
Gloves that seemed to enhance the wearer’s strength slightly.
Though not abundant enough to call widespread, it was still a huge leap from the mystery-shrouded magic-less Sector 40s.
“This is amazing. These aren’t complex mechanical devices, and yet they work like this. On the surface, they look completely ordinary.”
Philip was in awe.
Though they looked simple from the outside, their insides were all flowing with colored mana, just like the rickshaw.
In most cases, the blended mana was exhausted as the item performed its function, leaving nothing behind.
But in the case of items with more complex use or stronger functionality, it was different.
The blending resulted in black mana, and the result—
“……”
Ray stared at the black smoke slithering into the sky like a snake.
At the end of that rising gaze, dark clouds could be seen.
*This place has black clouds too.*
According to the homeless people, black rain also fell here.
He’d need to experience it himself to know how much and how often it rained.
“Hey! Looks like there’s a festival over there!”
“Wow, what kind of building is that?”
Though the sky was just as gloomy,
the overall atmosphere of the sector was much brighter than the 40s.
It was as if the vibrancy of the streets pushed back against the shadow of the black clouds.
The sound of singing on the streets.
Tall buildings with dazzling exteriors.
The positive emotions emanating from people.
All of them were noticeably more common than in Sector 40s, and the trend became even clearer closer to the city center.
“Isn’t this so much better than traveling by car? You get to enjoy the scenery this way!”
The man shouted in excitement, perhaps hyped by Philip and Veronica’s enthusiastic reactions.
After a not-so-short journey,
the rickshaw arrived at Nerobel Plaza in the center of the sector.
“Huff… huff… we’ve arrived.”
The man panted heavily.
Though the pedals were semi-automatic, he still had to move his legs, which used up a lot of energy.
The group stepped off the rickshaw, still feeling the lingering thrill.
“I’ve decided. I’m changing my future dream from a designated knight to a racer.”
“Whew. I feel like all my stress got blown away.”
Ray asked the man,
“How much is the fare?”
“Just a moment… That will be 2,530 shillings!”
The electronic display attached to the bike handle showed that number.
Seeing no intent of deceit in the man’s emotional vessel, Ray took out the money.
“Uh… A 50,000-shilling note…”
A flicker of golden greed crossed the man’s vessel but quickly faded into a speck.
“Do you perhaps have smaller bills?”
“Nope.”
“Alright then. Please give me a moment.”
The man opened a leather pouch from his coat and began counting out change.
Ray asked while watching him.
“Don’t you feel tempted?”
“Sorry?”
“You just saw a big bill, but didn’t react much.”
Looking blank for a moment, the man soon burst out laughing.
“Ha ha! Guys like me know our place. Coveting big money only brings big trouble.”
“Trouble?”
“Yes, like muggings or pickpocketing. Truth be told, this area isn’t exactly safe…”
The man lowered his voice and glanced around.
“Young master and ladies must be from out of town, so I advise you not to flash large amounts of money around. You never know who might be watching.”
As he stepped back, the man continued,
“That’s why I don’t carry large bills. Of course, making more money would be nice… but as long as I can eat day by day, that’s enough for me.”
Ray found that a little intriguing.
From experience, desire for material wealth tended to grow stronger the poorer someone was.
Yet this scruffy rickshaw driver showed surprisingly little greed.
“Here’s your change—”
“Do many people ride rickshaws?”
“Uh, not really. People who can afford them usually have their own vehicles.”
He said the income wasn’t great.
Some days, after paying a cut to the agency, he couldn’t even afford meals.
Ray looked at the company name engraved on the rickshaw frame and spoke.
“Are you familiar with the geography of this sector?”
“Uh… yes, I’d say so.”
“Then you can keep the change. We’ll hire you exclusively for a while. Is that possible?”
At first, the man looked dazed, but once he processed Ray’s words, his mouth slowly opened.
“Y-yes! Of course! That would be amazing…! But why, if I may ask…?”
“We’ll be moving around a lot for a while.”
The most efficient solution would’ve been to buy and use a car right away.
But Ray had seen Niles’ vehicle turning into a metal can in disguise.
So he realized he’d need a vehicle suited for travel.
*Right now, I don’t have enough money. Not for the type of car I want.*
If he could secure John and Skyle’s deposits, he thought it would be feasible.
…But there were conditions he had to resolve before using that money.
That’s why he hired the man.
To be their ride until they had a car, and to guide them through the sector.
“Hold onto that money and deduct fares each time we ride.”
“Yes! Yes! Understood! Thank you so much!”
The man, putting the change back into his pouch, bowed repeatedly toward the group.
“Then, while the young master and ladies conduct your business here, may I visit the nearby agency briefly? I heard I need to recharge—what was it called…”
“Mana.”
“Ah, yes! Mana! If that blinks, I heard I need to recharge the rickshaw’s mana.”
The man glanced at the electronic panel.
The fuel-gauge-like symbol was blinking rapidly.
“No need to go.”
“Sorry?”
The man, bewildered, stepped out of the rickshaw at Ray’s instruction.
Ray gripped the frame with his hand.
A few seconds later—
*Whirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…!*
Watching the suddenly rampaging pedals, Philip said in a highly alarmed voice,
“Ray… it’s not stopping…”
