Genius Wizard who sees Rainbows- Chapter 157

**#157. Frozen Things (1)**

—

Noon, under a hazy sunlight.

“Hm, hm-hmm, hm~”

A red-haired girl was humming as she walked down the street.

Her thick medium-length hair fluttered along with her lively steps.

“The first mission’s complete, and the second one is… Ah! I should go this way.”

Following Ray’s instructions, Veronica was making her way through different areas of the sector.

She had just come from a mercenary office.

In her hand, she held a map of the sector and a small booklet.

It was a listing of recruitment notices and requests distributed to mercenaries and explorers within the sector.

Normally, it wasn’t something a young girl on the street could get her hands on, but—

**Whiiirrr──!**

She had spun a blade of wind like a chainsaw and sliced the office manager’s desk in two—solving that problem quickly.

“Hmm, Ray said he’d look for an expedition team with the same or a similar destination as ours.”

Veronica flipped through the booklet.

Only publicly listed notices and requests were included, but even so, the number of pages was considerable.

Flip— flip—

Her fingers stopped flipping.

“Oh, here it is.”

**[Notice Poster]**

**[8-year veteran relic explorer, Gaiole.]**

**[Discovered a marker indicating the location of an undiscovered relic site at coordinates 412. 32 in the northeastern outskirts of the sector.]**

**[According to the marker, the relic is believed to be located at coordinates 877. 129.]**

**[However, there is no guarantee that a relic site truly exists at that location. The path is expected to be extremely dangerous, and survival cannot be promised.]**

**[But success promises a wealth so great, you could live in luxury for life.]**

“Eight years of experience? That’s a long time.”

Veronica recalled what the office manager had said.

**“Whether an expedition succeeds is almost entirely dependent on the abilities of the team leader. But it’s incredibly hard to find someone competent.”**

**“Why?”**

**“Haha, because they all die before gaining any real experience.”**

He had said it with a smile, but his words were chilling.

Most expedition teams heading for relic sites were said to vanish without a trace.

“Eight years. That’s a very solid track record.”

No, it was outstanding.

Even compared to other notices, most listed only 2–4 years of experience.

“Alright, this one’s a yes. Perfect fit for our needs.”

Veronica pulled out a pen and marked the notice with a star.

Ray had said that once the account for Ignis was opened and the vehicle secured, they would recruit an expedition team and set off for the relic site.

Estimated departure: about ten days later.

The notice posted by the 8-year veteran also had a departure date around then.

Feeling proud of herself for successfully completing Ray’s request, Veronica continued her steps with a light heart.

She stopped by general stores, bought the requested daily necessities and tools, and completed the second mission.

*Ding─*

Hugging the paper bags filled with supplies as she stepped out the door, she thought to herself:

‘Hehe, see? Ray really can’t manage without me.’

Because Ray didn’t know how to love himself.

So she had to love him for him.

*Love…?*

Veronica flinched for a moment at the word she had just used.

She quickly corrected herself.

‘Ahem, it’s not love. Just a tiiiny bit of interest. It’s hot today. My cheeks are warm. Yeah. Must be the heat. Ugh, it’s hot.’

It was early November—wintertime.

At that moment, a tuft of Veronica’s bangs suddenly stood upright like a lightning rod.

It spun around, then pointed in one direction.

‘……!’

A signal that Ray was nearby.

Her heartbeat quickened.

Energy surged through her body.

Filled with excitement and anticipation, Veronica rushed off without hesitation in the direction the “Raydar” was pointing.

‘He said he’d be having a meal again at that wizard Binjin’s mansion today.’

But maybe, unlike yesterday, he was eating outside?

She didn’t want to interfere with his work.

Still, just seeing his face from afar wouldn’t hurt, right?

With her heart pounding, she passed the last alleyway—

And when she saw Ray on the opposite side of the street—

“…….”

*Thud! Clatter!*

Veronica dropped the paper bag she had been holding.

In that frozen moment, as if time had stopped,

With the small clatter of items rolling across the ground,

The smile that had traced an arc across her lips slowly returned to its original shape.

And then, as time resumed—

“Who… is that girl…?”

Veronica’s face turned cold.

Her chilling gaze locked onto the blue-haired girl walking beside Ray.

Her response was swift.

*Whoosh!*

She summoned wind to gather her dropped belongings and stuffed them into the bag slung over her shoulder.

After tying her shoelaces, she rose and began tailing Ray and the blue fox girl.

*Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!*

Her emotions were turbulent, but her tailing was discreet.

Veronica bought a hat and sunglasses from a street stall and put them on.

She pretended to be a passerby, hid behind fountains or lampposts, and quietly followed the two.

After some time—

───?

────.

Ray and the blue fox girl stopped in front of a restaurant and exchanged inaudible words before heading inside.

Veronica silently counted fifteen seconds and then followed them in—

“I’m sorry, this establishment is for members only.”

—only to be blocked at the entrance.

Through the glass behind the guard, she could see Ray and the girl seated by the window on the first floor.

Without looking away, Veronica said:

“I have a membership.”

“May I have your name?”

“Veronica.”

While the guard was checking the list, Veronica made a dash for the side area.

Next thing she knew, she had been lifted by the collar and thrown out the entrance.

“You street kids are getting real annoying. Always trying to sneak in and cause trouble.”

*Thud!*

The door slammed shut behind her.

“…….”

Looking back at the window, Ray and the blue fox girl were ordering food from a waiter with their menus open.

Scanning the area, Veronica spotted a nearby bench.

She snuck behind it and peeked just her eyes over the top.

From here, she could stealthily observe the window seat on the first floor.

‘Ray and I have never even eaten outside together like that…!’

The strap of her bag crumpled under her tightening grip.

Then her eyes widened.

She saw a familiar bandage on the girl’s finger.

‘That’s the bandage I gave Ray…!’

Why are *you* wearing it?

Did Ray give it to you?

Veronica trembled in betrayal.

It was like one of the orphans back at the orphanage—10 years old—had said: “There’s not a single man in the world worth trusting.”

‘He said I was his sun…! He gave me a flower…! He even said he’d propose sometime in the next hundred years…!’

The wooden backrest of the bench shattered in her hand.

Then she saw Ray reaching out—maybe to brush something off the girl’s hair.

Veronica’s lips moved instinctively.

“Ray, if you don’t want to see me go crazy, you’d better take that hand back.”

“Hey, if you don’t want to see me go crazy, you’d better smack that hand away.”

At the sudden echo of another voice, Veronica turned her head.

A blue-haired kid with a surprised expression similar to hers was standing next to her.

“Who are you?”

“Who are *you*?”

A brief silence.

Then both spoke again, simultaneously.

“I’m Ray’s sun.”

“I’m the romantic guy of the cold sector who protects Ayla-noona.”

Silence again.

Both thought at the same time:

*‘What a weirdo. Must’ve hit her head.’*

*‘Is she mentally unwell?’*

But as they cautiously exchanged words, they soon realized—they were on the same side.

“Oh! If he gave you a flower, it’s over then! So you’re basically my sister-in-law!”

“Right? That was basically a done deal!”

“Yes, sister-in-law. For now, let’s think of a way to split up my brother and my sister.”

The two joined forces and began plotting how to get inside the restaurant.

“What if we try this?”

“No, I think we should first…”

They were in a rush.

Because even now, inside that restaurant, who knew what kind of romantic whispers were being exchanged?

*
*
*

Meanwhile, at the same time.

Window seat on the first floor of the restaurant.

“I’ve never cried in my entire life.”

Ayla spoke with a hint of pride.

Ray nodded with genuine admiration.

“That’s impressive.”

Because he had cried before.

Back in Sector 50, after witnessing Niles and the children’s deaths.

Even he—emotionally stunted as he was—had cried then, overwhelmed by sincere sorrow.

So for Ayla to have never cried even once—

‘Then I just need to make her cry twice to win.’

He thought that to himself as he continued the conversation.

“Is there a reason you don’t cry?”

“I’m not really sure. Tears just don’t come. It’s always been that way since I was a kid.”

“How young are we talking?”

“Six? Seven? I’m not sure, but ever since I can remember.”

That meant the “ice plate” in Ayla’s vessel had been there since she was little.

The plate that froze away emotions like sadness, pain, and joy—sealing off her tears.

‘She probably wasn’t born with it.’

There must’ve been some kind of trigger—something that caused the formation of that ice plate.

If he could figure that out, it might help him analyze the one inside himself.

“You said you lived with your parents before coming to the mansion. You mentioned it briefly yesterday, but can you tell me more? What kind of people were they?”

Ayla hesitated before answering.

“It’s not hard, but… it’s probably a boring story. Are you sure?”

“It’s fine. I want to hear it.”

“Alright. So, my parents…”

As she spoke, Ray kept a close watch on Ayla’s emotional vessel.

The fundamental emotion she held toward her parents was affection.

‘Her mother’s side is fine.’

But when she talked about her father, a deep fear emerged.

…A fear that looked very similar to what appeared when she spoke about Binjin.

“What do you think of Binjin?”

“Uh, Master…?”

And again—beside the fear for her father, there was fear for Binjin.

Not just similar—they were nearly identical.

‘Is she equating the two?’

As Ray continued his observation, Ayla began expressing her thoughts about Binjin.

“More than anything, I’m grateful to Master. He took Ain and me in when we had nowhere else to go, without asking for anything in return. He’s an admirable person.”

One line snagged at Ray’s mind, making him lean forward.

“Admirable?”

“Yeah. He speaks harshly sometimes… but it’s all to help us do better.”

Ray leaned back into the sofa, arms crossed, and looked at her.

This doll-like girl was repeating her teacher’s exact words.

**“Yes, I’m aware my words often sound sharp. But they come from a place of wanting the best for my students.”**

Binjin had meant those words.

Regardless of how others saw it, he believed them to be true.

As for Ayla…

‘She’s lying.’

She didn’t genuinely believe Binjin’s barbs were well-intentioned.

Because—