**#138. Light and Shadow (1)**
—
Ray gazed at the black ash scattering across the sky above the wall with dry, emotionless eyes.
*Swish.*
When he lowered his gaze, he saw the alley scorched with burn marks.
‘Four organizations, huh.’
He mentally sorted through the information he’d extracted from those who had existed in this world until just moments ago.
The underworld of Sector 37 was broadly divided among four major organizations:
– The Amon Family of the East.
– The Nostra Clan of the North.
– The Thorn’s Cactus of the West.
– The Camoli Family of the South.
Each group numbered from at least 200 to as many as 400 members.
Each was a large-scale faction, comparable to or even surpassing Nisoha.
‘And each of them supposedly employs mages.’
The seven men who had pursued him were low-ranking members of the Nostra Clan.
Perhaps because of their rank, they knew little about the mages in their organization.
Still, Ray had managed to glean one useful piece of information.
“……”
He looked down at the leather gloves in his hand.
The same gloves all the enemies had worn — red mana coursed faintly over the wrinkled leather.
An enhancement spell.
They boosted the wearer’s physical strength.
Ray recalled their earlier conversation.
[“You thought you could catch me because of *these*?”]
[“Y-Yes…! I-I mean, you look really young, so…”]
The man kneeling on the left trembled as he snuck glances at Ray’s face.
He clearly still couldn’t believe the person before him was just a child.
[“I’ve seen these gloves a few times around the streets. Did your group make them?”]
[“N-No, sir. I heard there are technicians who occasionally make magic tools in the black market, but most of the ones out there are mass-produced items.”]
Just as the man had said, the name of a manufacturer was stamped on the glove’s wrist.
To Ray, it wasn’t anything particularly impressive.
[“Even with these on, they don’t feel *that* strong.”]
[“Uh… what?”]
It didn’t even come close to using enhancement magic directly.
It might be useful in everyday life or between ordinary people, but against mages, it was essentially meaningless.
However—
[“Still, they’re very expensive. Supply’s so limited that they’re nearly impossible to get. Even used, they go for at least 100,000 shillings…”]
[“10,000 shillings?”]
[“100,000 shillings.”]
[“Your hand.”]
[“S-Sorry?”]
[“Hold it out. It’ll be easier to take off that way.”]
Ray took seven pairs of gloves, including those from the dead.
It wasn’t out of greed.
It was merely a precaution — however small the chance — against the possibility that John and Skyle’s accounts might be empty.
Afterward, Ray rapidly gathered more intel through physical interrogation.
The group usually shadowed targets and only acted when the job seemed profitable.
Today’s hasty attempt was partly due to underestimating their target for being a child, but mostly because the organization’s funds had dried up and they needed an urgent cash injection.
And that funding issue stemmed from being heavily outmatched in their turf war with the Amon Family of the East.
‘This might complicate things.’
He didn’t care what the relationship or situation between the two groups was.
The issue was the ripple effect it caused elsewhere.
[“Technically speaking, the Cube falls within Nostra Clan territory. Our main business was getting cards from clients faster and differently than anyone else.”]
But the prolonged power struggle had caused trouble for their operations.
To choke off the Nostra Clan’s finances, the Amon Family had started recruiting or killing all card technicians in Sector 37.
[“Most of the skilled ones have gone over to Amon. The rest have shut down and gone into hiding.”]
In other words—
Even if Ray acquired a card, finding a technician to make it usable had become nearly impossible.
“……”
He absentmindedly fiddled with John and Skyle’s black cards inside his coat.
After a brief moment to gather his thoughts—
He turned and exited the alley.
*
*
*
Thanks to the thin mana barrier he’d maintained during the fight, his clothes and face were unstained by blood.
Ray reentered the clothing store, looking just as clean and neat as he had when he left.
“I’m here to pick up the clothes I left.”
“Oh! You’re the one from earlier. Here they are!”
He entered the fitting room and changed back into his original clothes.
*Slide—*
“The clothes you bought are in this paper bag, so—oh… oh?”
The boy’s hair and eyes had turned white again.
The shopkeeper froze mid-motion.
“I’ll make good use of the bag.”
Ray took the bag, neatly packed his clothes into it, and briskly left the shop.
*Creeeak—*
—White, black, and then white again? Am I just really tired today?
Leaving the shopkeeper’s dazed muttering behind, Ray cut across the plaza at a swift pace.
Suddenly feeling a bit dizzy, he removed Philip’s glasses.
‘How does Philip wear these things all the time?’
He intended to keep wearing a disguise when acting alone from now on.
Leaving traces in his original appearance might put Philip and Veronica at risk.
However, if he was going to keep using glasses as a disguise, he’d need a pair without prescription lenses.
*Tap tap tap tap—*
Ray’s pace didn’t slow.
He could sense Philip and Veronica’s location through binding magic.
They weren’t far.
Likely in a nearby commercial district.
Their lack of movement suggested they had found lodging.
After walking for about ten minutes—
He spotted a stylish inn with a rickshaw parked outside.
It was in the center of the sector
— ideal for activity
— and the high fence ensured privacy from prying eyes. A perfect base.
“Ah! Did everything go well, sir?”
The rickshaw driver, Jang, stood up with a start from where he’d been resting, hunched over.
“Are the others inside?”
“Yes, they are.”
Ray tilted his head slightly.
“If you’re resting, isn’t the back seat more comfortable than the driver’s seat?”
“Ah, that is…”
Jang hesitated.
Of course, the wider back seat was more comfortable than the narrow saddle.
But the rickshaw was essentially a vehicle for the wealthy.
And this was a bustling commercial area.
If a lowly laborer were seen resting in the passenger seat meant for customers, the scorn he’d receive was all too predictable.
“It’s just… if I sit in the back…”
Jang was momentarily flustered.
In the sector, everyone naturally learned the hierarchy and the order it entailed.
It was as instinctual as breathing — and no one had ever questioned it.
At least, not within the life of Jang, a man who took pride in nothing more than having lived slightly longer than the average slum-dweller.
“If you sit in the back, then what?”
…But the boy before him was different.
He asked a question so obvious it didn’t even seem worth asking.
As if he truly didn’t understand.
As if he wanted an explanation.
There was no mockery or ridicule in Ray’s even-toned voice.
Jang had never encountered someone like this before.
“If I sit… well, it’s just… if I sit…”
Suddenly struck by cognitive dissonance, Jang’s thoughts stalled.
Before he could gather himself—
*Grab.*
Ray took his wrist.
“If you don’t want to answer, that’s fine. But come inside first. You’ll need to refuel to keep pedaling later.”
Ray headed toward the inn entrance, pulling Jang along.
Jang instinctively tried to shake him off.
He’d already refused the same offer from Philip and Veronica earlier.
“Uh… uh…”
But Ray’s grip was impossibly strong — he couldn’t break free.
It felt like being dragged along by a giant’s hand.
Still caught in confusion, Jang ended up entering the inn.
The first floor, which served as both lobby and dining hall.
Veronica and Philip spotted Ray and Jang from a window-side table and called out.
“Ah, Ray’s back! Over here!”
“Oh, you brought the old man too. He didn’t budge when we invited him earlier.”
Ray led Jang to the table and sat him down.
“Uh… uh… I-I should go…”
Jang glanced around nervously, unable to calm down.
He was completely out of his element.
A rickshaw puller — that was all he was.
He believed his long life was thanks to knowing his place and never harboring foolish dreams.
In other words—
He had never once overstepped his bounds.
“…But I-I shouldn’t be here… I don’t belong here.”
And now, he had clearly crossed the line.
He’d admired these upscale establishments from the outside, waiting for customers — never once stepped inside.
The elegant, spacious interior made his head spin.
He felt like every customer was staring at him.
And the sunlight pouring through the window stung his eyes.
“I-I’ll wait outside!”
Feeling like he might explode, Jang shot to his feet.
*Thud!*
And immediately collapsed back into his seat.
Ray had used a weakening spell to sap his strength.
“I-I really shouldn’t be here—!”
*Spring up!*
*Buzz.*
*Thud!*
“I-I’m just getting in the way—!”
*Spring up!*
*Buzz.*
*Thud!*
The same sequence repeated several times.
From Ray’s perspective, it was like a car trying to refuel but repeatedly slamming the gas cap shut and reversing away.
‘Why is he like this?’
‘Why *is* he like this?’
The boy and the rickshaw driver exchanged bewildered glances.
*Tap—tap—*
The food they’d ordered began arriving.
Jang looked around, overwhelmed by the growing number of dishes.
“This filet dish goes well with the sauce—”
The waiter trailed off after noticing Jang’s shabby appearance.
He scanned Jang up and down.
Jang lowered his head like a man condemned.
Still confused, he instinctively knew how to act in this situation.
“…Please enjoy your meal.”
“……?”
To Jang’s surprise, the waiter said nothing more and walked off.
From above his bowed head came Philip’s whispered voice.
“It’s okay. If you’re with us, people won’t say anything outright.”
Then, through his lowered gaze, he saw Veronica gently place a fork and spoon in front of him.
“You can wipe your hands with the wet towel.”
Jang slowly raised his head.
Ray spoke beside him.
“Eat. You’ll digest better if it’s warm.”
The sound of cutlery clinked gently.
Jang sat frozen, stunned.
Everything was unfamiliar.
The scenery, the food, the words.
Even the sudden jab deep inside his trembling chest.
All of it.
“Thank you… Thank…”
Suddenly, Jang burst into tears, and Philip and Veronica were caught off guard.
“Uh—uh—why’s he crying all of a sudden?”
“Here! Tissues!”
Ray immediately moved the soup bowl away, just in time to catch the falling tears.
“Thank you… truly, thank you…”
Jang didn’t know why he was crying.
Or even what he was grateful for.
It just felt like the right thing to do — and the sunlight by the window was too bright to keep his eyes open.
As Veronica handed him tissues to wipe his tears—
Ray asked Philip,
“Why is he crying? I don’t see any sad emotions in his bowl.”
“Um… I’m not sure, but I think he’s crying because he’s happy.”
“Crying from happiness?”
“People don’t just cry when they’re sad or scared. Sometimes they cry because they’re so happy their heart overflows.”
At that moment, a small realization struck Ray.
‘So you don’t only cry when you’re sad or scared.’
It felt like discovering one of the world’s great secrets.
Street kids used to bawl when they got punched — but maybe that was actually because they were happy?
The boy made up his mind.
‘I should hit them harder next time.’
Then he turned his focus back to Jang, observing the emotions rising in the man’s bowl, trying to understand them.
Ray’s concentration was deep.
So deep, he failed to notice—
That the mana point orbiting his heart to complete the third circle was spinning faster than ever.
“*Sniffle*… Thank you… really…”
“Veronica, is there a spell to make someone stop crying by force?”
“U-Um, like splashing them with electricity?”
A gentle, warm sunlight streamed through the window.
Though not very bright—
Its direction was unmistakably clear.
