Genius Wizard who sees Rainbows- Chapter 147

**#147. Misunderstanding (3)**

 

—

“Of course, this is assuming what that person Binjin said is true, but—don’t you think the doctor could be a Guardian? According to Curie, that person has the red gem.”

Ray and Philip’s gazes locked onto Veronica’s face.

“W-Wait… don’t stare so openly, it’s embarrassing. Ahem! Anyway, continuing my theory
—didn’t we say that the doctor’s goal is to return the world to its original form? Couldn’t that mean rebuilding the fallen Magic Kingdom? That would explain why they’re collecting the gems. Supposedly, once the rainbow is complete, any wish can come true.”

Veronica fanned her flushed face with her hands as she spoke without hesitation.

Philip clapped his hands.

“Brilliant deduction, our honorary investigator of the Rainbow Expedition. But there’s one fatal flaw in your theory. The ancient era we’re talking about dates back at least a few hundred years. There’s no way a Guardian could still be alive.”

Veronica, sensing the teasing in Philip’s tone, snapped back immediately.

“The doctor could be an elf!”

“Hm, but didn’t you say yourself that elves are inherently peaceful? I doubt someone like that would create a crime syndicate.”

“T-That’s…!”

“Oh! My mistake. I forgot for a moment that all your knowledge about elves is nonsense. Their diet was… what again?”

“Elves eat vegetables and fruits!”

Philip grinned slyly.

“Excuse me? Don’t be silly. It’s canned meat, obviously!”

“No it’s not! My grandfather said elves are vegetarians!”

Veronica’s breathing grew heavy.

She was so frustrated she was on the verge of tears.

She’d felt it countless times before, but defeating this wicked-tongued apostle of rhetoric in a verbal spar was utterly impossible.

Clenching her lips tightly, the girl shouted:

“Nero! Bite him!”

*Haaak!*

“Y-You cat that discriminates against humans!”

As the two humans and one animal bickered loudly, Ray finally spoke up.

“Veronica’s point… has some merit.”

The squabbling stopped.

“See! Even Ray says it makes sense!”

“He said it makes sense?”

As the two turned toward him, Ray nodded.

“There’s definitely a possibility that someone from the ancient era, including a Guardian, could have survived to this day. Maybe an elf, or perhaps another long-lived race we don’t know about.”

Philip blinked in confusion.

“There are races other than elves and humans…?”

“They said the Guardians were chosen from among many exceptional individuals across various races. If that’s true, then… there could even be cases like Blue, where memories are passed down from generation to generation.”

Ray paused for a breath before concluding:

“So, we can’t rule out the possibility that the doctor is a Guardian or a successor of one.”

With the backing of the Rainbow Expedition’s top authority, Veronica beamed with pride.

“Hmph! See? Nero, come here! Don’t you dare go near that nasty human again!”

“Hm, now that Ray says it, it does suddenly sound a lot more convincing.”

While this commotion
—not quite a quarrel
—was stirring…

Outside the window, behind a veil of thin clouds, the sun continued its steady arc across the sky.

*
*

Evening, when everyone wrapped up their hard day and began winding down.

A warm, crimson sunset spread across the entire Sector, wrapping it in a tender glow.

Gentle rays of sunlight fanned out in all directions.

One beam, particularly warm, passed through the glass of a building in a busy district.

*Shhhhhh—*

It shimmered like sand as it broke upon a head of luscious red hair, swaying with each stroke of a brush.

“……”

The girl paused her brushing and looked into the mirror.

Her hair, once battered by the wind and sand of the desert, was now in even better condition than when she stayed at the bookstore—thanks to Lady Lenia’s secret techniques.

“My hair’s okay… but my face… ugh, my cheeks are too red…”

Her cheeks were flushed, giving off a warm glow.

It wasn’t just the sunlight.

Right now, the words the boy had left behind were echoing endlessly in the whirlpool of her mind.

—*I’ve got something to talk about before dinner. I’ll be waiting in the backyard.*

*I’ll be waiting…*

*…waiting… waiting… waiting…*

*…waiting… waiting… wait—*

The girl covered her burning face with both hands.

Of course, she’d already received the declaration of intent during the rickshaw ride earlier that morning.

*“I want to get a quiet place and talk.”*

*“It’s something really important. I want you to hear me out.”*

‘But I didn’t think it would be today…!’

Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst from her chest.

It was like her own heart was trying to assassinate her.

The girl took deep breaths.

“Hoo-ha—hoo-ha—”

Right.

She had known a day like this would come eventually.

It just arrived a little sooner than expected.

She had to handle it gracefully and wisely
—like a proper lady…

Was she even graceful enough for that?

‘Ugh, if I’d known this would happen, I would’ve asked Lady Lenia more than just hair care tips…’

She crossed her hair in front of her face to hide her flushed cheeks, agonizing.

After a moment, she laid out the items she’d bought from the general store that day.

A set of makeup tools.

“……”

She had never worn makeup before.

Much less learned how to apply it.

All she knew was what she’d glimpsed from the older girls at the orphanage who’d secretly gotten their hands on some.

She remembered some of it, but…

‘Can I really do this…?’

There had never been anyone around to teach her those so-called rites of passage for her age.

There were no adults in her life.

No one to guide her about the shape and texture of life.

The same held true for the two boys as well.

The boy and the girl had no choice but to figure out everything on their own.

Through trial and error.

Clumsy at first.

But they’d gradually find their rhythm.

And eventually, they’d discover their own way.

“Hoo…”

With a resolute expression, Veronica gripped the makeup tools like a sword and shield.

She’d listened to the shop assistant’s explanation and had a rough idea of how to use them.

The thin brush trembled in her hands as it approached her eyebrows.

*Swish—swish—*

Extreme focus and tension.

Despite it, she pressed on.

‘Is this how it’s supposed to go…?’

Contrary to her worries, Veronica was doing quite well.

She had a naturally steady hand.

An outstanding sense of aesthetics.

Those two traits came together beautifully.

*Tap tap tap tap.*

Her movements gradually gained confidence.

Her bowl now held a rainbow of mana hues.

Red, yellow, orange…

Even a bit of sky blue peeked through.

Emotions linked to joy and cheerfulness.

But more importantly, those colors only appeared when someone truly cared about themselves.

Time passed.

‘This should be good enough…?’

The girl in the mirror looked completely different.

It was still a light makeup—she wasn’t confident enough for anything flashy.

But that suited Veronica perfectly.

A hint of maturity had been added.

The once fresh-faced girl now looked like someone who’d turn heads on any street.

‘Not bad, I think…?’

She stared at the mirror for a while, then checked the time
—and bolted out of the room in a panic.

In the backyard of the lodging, the white-haired boy was waiting.

Just imagining the words that were about to come out of his mouth made her heart thump like crazy.

*Hoo-ha. Hoo-ha.*

Calm down, heart.

Veronica twirled her toe on the ground and asked, bashfully:

“S-So, what did you want to talk about?”

“Let’s walk a bit first.”

“O-Okay. Sure.”

Right.

This wasn’t going to be an ordinary conversation.

Ray probably needed time to gather his courage, too.

*Tap—tap—*

The backyard had the form of a small garden meant for strolling.

Stone steps and benches.

Flowers and shrubs in various colors.

Though not particularly well-kept, the amber sunset blanketing the scene only heightened the girl’s excitement and anticipation.

*Tap—tap—*

An intense silence fell between them as they walked.

Veronica, her face red as a beet, couldn’t even lift her head.

‘Thank goodness I wore makeup.’

At least it helped hide her tomato-like face.

‘But… Ray isn’t saying anything either.’

He was always the quiet type, but this silence felt different.

This was the kind of silence Ray showed when he was deeply lost in a single thought.

Suddenly, her heart sank.

‘He’s… preparing to say it.’

Right now, Ray was waiting for the right moment to speak his decisive words.

Realizing that, her world tilted and spun.

‘W-What do I do? What should I do?!’

*Hoo-ha. Hoo-ha.*

Was Ray as nervous as she was?

Was his heart racing too?

Steadying her pounding heart, Veronica thought:

‘Ray, be brave. I’m rooting for you.’

How long had they walked like that?

*Tap.*

The boy stopped, and the girl flinched.

‘Is it now?’

But instead, Ray just stared at the ground for a moment and kept walking.

Veronica hurried to match his stride.

And again.

*Tap.*

‘Now?’

Once more, Ray looked at the ground before moving again, and Veronica followed quickly.

And again.

*Tap.*

‘Still not yet?’

*Tap.*

‘I’m ready now!’

After about the fifth time, Ray finally spoke.

“Veronica.”

“Yes!”

“What do you think?”

What do I think? About what?

About our future married life?

A hundred scenes flashed through Veronica’s mind in an instant.

Head lowered, she replied in a tiny voice:

“I-I think one son and one daughter would be nice. O-Of course! We’d decide together, you and I.”

“One son and one daughter?”

“And I think trust and respect are the most important parts of a relationship, and settling down doesn’t have to be in a big city either.”

“Trust and respect…?”

“And if we ever became a long-distance couple because of work… I don’t even want to imagine it, but I hope that never happens. But even if it did, I’d still want us to be buried in the same land when we die.”

Ray tilted his head in confusion throughout, but reacted at the word “land.”

“Right, the land. Veronica, what do you think of the ground we’re standing on right now?”

“Huh? This is where the black rain fell, so it’s not suitable for… ah?”

Veronica suddenly looked up.

She noticed the transparent vinyl roof covering the entire garden.

The holes scattered throughout, and the patches of soil below stained black.

She finally remembered Ray inspecting the ground earlier.

“So what you wanted to talk about was…”

“It’s about the black rain. I’ve recently discovered a few things that might help your research.”

“Ah…”

Veronica’s entire body sagged along with her burning face.

Crouching down, she buried her face in her knees and muttered like a reddened radish.

“I’m an idiot… a fool… the world’s biggest dummy Veronica…”

“…?”

Ray tilted his head, watching her.

He tried to discern the cause of her reaction by observing the feelings in her bowl—but it wasn’t easy.

Red, orange, yellow, and…

‘This color combination looks familiar somehow.’

But he couldn’t quite place it.

And then—

Up on the third-floor window sill, someone was sitting, cleaning a pistol with a cloth, watching everything unfold.

‘I told you, didn’t I? That Ray probably wasn’t calling her out for that reason.’

Watching the girl slumped in embarrassment, Philip let out a sigh and spoke aloud:

“Veronica, did you enjoy your happy little dream?”

*
*
*

The next afternoon.

A luxurious mansion on the eastern outskirts of the Sector.

“You must’ve had a long journey. It’s an honor to have you here.”

A middle-aged gentleman waiting at the front gate bowed politely to the boy approaching from afar.

Then, straightening up, he whispered:

“Since you said you wish to conceal your identity as an elf, I introduced you to the disciples as a mage from a noble background.”

Ray nodded.

But he hardly heard what Binjin was saying.

His attention was entirely fixed on what lay beyond the iron-barred gates.

‘There’s something there.’

…Within the mansion, he sensed an unshakable feeling of wrongness.

 

 

 

 

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