Genius Wizard who sees Rainbows- Chapter 198

**#198. What You Lose When You Become an Adult (6)**

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The base beneath Sky Island.

The meeting, prompted by Ray’s imagination, had come to a close, and with a few more matters to handle, the group remained in Rael Row for several more days.

Isra’s role as guide naturally continued.

“Deck 17, armor replacement complete.”

“Mana condenser 11-2 has also been repaired.”

The destroyed facilities were flawlessly restored, and the handling and mourning of the deceased were swiftly carried out.

Perhaps quick recovery was yet another trait of the dwarf race.

As if the intrusion had merely been a brief mishap, all the dwarves of Rael Row promptly returned to their daily lives.

All but one, that is.

“……”

“Isra, that’s a wall you’re walking into.”

Thud!

“……”

“That’s a staircase.”

Clatter—bang!

“……”

“That’s a railing, you know.”

Aaaaagh—!

That one was Isra.

Seemingly shocked at the fact that he was stuck in Rael Row, he spent the entire day looking utterly dazed after the meeting.

That was when Isra suddenly muttered in a determined voice,

“Just wait. I’ll keep causing trouble until they kick me out.”

They were in the cafeteria at the time.

Isra deliberately dropped his tray just as he received it.

Clang!

“Oops, oh dear. I accidentally dropped my tray, didn’t I?”

His awkward smile and the way the food splattered everywhere made it obvious he’d done it on purpose.

But the response from the food servers was far from what he expected.

“Oh, it’s you, Isra?”

“We heard all about it! Thanks to your brilliant judgment—shining like your magtonium—we were able to stop the intruders!”

“You must’ve used up all your strength dealing with them. No wonder your hands slipped. Here, a new tray. Try not to drop it this time.”

Their expressions and tones were incredibly kind.

“Huh…? Huh…?”

“Eat plenty!”

“We’re giving you extra, just for you!”

Before Isra could collect himself, the new tray was heaped with food.

A moment later.

Isra found himself seated at a table with Ray, tray heavy with food.

“What is this reaction…? What went wrong…?”

“It was your acting. I’ll teach you later when we have time.”

Ray’s words went unheard in Isra’s confusion.

Shaking his head hard to regain focus, Isra braced himself and tried causing more trouble.

He flipped the tray again.

Yelled loudly.

Banged on the table with utensils.

But again, the reaction from those around him wasn’t what he expected.

“He must’ve been under a lot of stress fighting off the intruders.”

“Of course. That’s understandable.”

“Those powerful gestures remind me of my prime days.”

“I heard he was reinstated as a candidate for leadership too.”

Gone was the previous attitude of looking down on Isra.

No matter how much mischief he caused, it was the same.

“Aaaargh──!”

Eventually, a frustrated Isra threw food in every direction, but the dwarves only smiled fondly or looked at him with approval.

Before long, Isra realized—

He had fallen into a deadly trap.

Ah, this terrifying results-oriented culture…!

Gritting his teeth, he muttered anxiously as he bit his nails.

“This won’t do. Unless I do something like burn off all the elders’ beards…”

“I can help with that, if you want.”

“How?”

“I could use magic…”

Anyway, the meal ended.

Afterward, Isra and Ray arrived at the central power facility.

Technicians in workwear, holding notebooks and folders, were waiting for them.

“You’re here!”

“We’re counting on you again today!”

Their eyes were full of expectation and curiosity as they looked at Ray.

The power facility had been swiftly restored, looking the same as before—except for one thing.

The central glass sphere, where the electrostone used to sit, was now empty.

“……”

Ray summoned the electrostone onto his palm from the circle at his side.

A flawless, uncracked form.

The electrostone, now united as one, was in Ray’s possession.

*“Without the electrostone, Rael Row would grind to a halt. It wouldn’t be able to operate.”*

The problem the elders posed had been resolved surprisingly easily.

“I’ll begin.”

Ray approached the large mana tank mounted on one side of the facility.

His warm palm touched the cold metal surface.

Bzzzzmmm──!

The yellow gemstone’s mana surged through Ray’s body and then flowed from his right hand into the tank.

The gauge showing remaining mana began to rise rapidly.

“Incredible speed…!”

“Even seeing it with my own eyes, I can’t believe it…!”

The technicians murmured in awe as they hurriedly took notes.

The mana of the electrostone, notoriously temperamental, had always been extracted slowly.

Since its output and consumption rates were nearly identical, the tank gauge had always hovered around the same mark.

But now.

After several days of work, the gauge was nearing full capacity.

As the technicians trembled with excitement and awe—

Beep──!

The full-charge signal sounded.

Ray pulled his hand away from the tank and asked,

“How long will this last?”

“At least half a year…! No—considering the quality of mana has also improved, Rael Row should be able to operate without worry for a full year. Even if the distortion field runs 24/7…!”

The senior technician, breathless with joy, looked ready to cry.

After a Q&A with Ray, the technicians bowed and left the facility.

Looking around the cube-like power room, Ray asked,

“Isra, do you know anything about Rael Row’s designer?”

“Not really? There aren’t any records. Probably some super powerful and smart dwarf, don’t you think? Like me.”

Saying so, Isra fetched a box from the corner and placed it in front of himself.

Ray created a gust of wind that sent the box tumbling away.

“There’s a structure outside that looks just like this place.”

“My footstool! You’re afraid I’ll get taller—huh?”

“There’s one in the sector too, and one at the ruins.”

Ray explained the cube-shaped structures he’d seen in Ignis and at the ruins.

“I think the designer of Rael Row and the creator of the cubes might be the same person.”

“Hmm… Just from your description, they do sound identical. And dwarves are probably the only race with the tech to make something like that.”

“There’s a rumor that they were co-developed by dwarves and elves. I even saw spirits in the vault beyond the space rift.”

Elves.

Isra paused, then spoke reluctantly.

“That’s a bit… joint work with elves?”

“You’re kind of proud of dwarven tech, huh?”

“No! I’m sick of dwarves! I want to leave this place right now!”

“Your tech kinda sucks, though.”

“You bastard?”

Their brief bickering subsided, and Ray said,

“I think dwarves could originally use magic. Without relying on tools.”

“Sounds like that other theory—that dwarves used to live under sunlight.”

Ray nodded.

The murals showed exactly that.

Dwarves living under the sun, using magic.

“I always thought that was a ridiculous fantasy…”

Isra trailed off, then shrugged.

“A dwarf using magic, huh… Not bad, actually. Kinda cool when you picture it.”

*
*
*

The next morning, the group’s bus was lowered to the base of Rael Row.

The elders emerged and approached them.

Parun spoke.

“Once again, on behalf of Rael Row, I thank you. We’ve realized many things thanks to you—things no technology could ever teach us.”

Ray nodded and held up a small object.

“Are you sure it’s okay not to take this back?”

It was the bolt.

Ray had received it when he took ownership of the electrostone, but the elders hadn’t reclaimed it.

“It’s fine. Keep it. Use it for another request, if needed.”

“……”

He didn’t quite understand, but had no reason to refuse.

Ray tucked the bolt away and said,

“We can’t head straight to our destination. We have to return to the sector first—some things we need to take care of.”

“Take your time. Rael Row doesn’t move very fast. At this pace, it’ll take about a month to reach the wilderness on the outskirts of Sector 33, where Sky Island is located.”

“I’ll try to get there as soon as possible.”

The group boarded the bus under the elders’ send-off.

Rumble—

The bus, dormant for days, roared back to life.

Its wheels began to turn amidst clouds of dust, and Rael Row slowly shrank in the distance.

That’s when they spotted a silhouette on Rael Row’s watchtower.

“Oh, Ray! Isn’t that Isra?”

“……”

It was, just as Veronica said.

Isra, who hadn’t shown up to say goodbye, was now slowly waving from the tower.

Staring quietly at his reflection in the rearview mirror, Ray unconsciously moved the hand resting on his lap.

Gently, slowly.

As if returning a quiet farewell.

Soon, Rael Row vanished into the scenery.

Staring out the window, Ray softly muttered.

“Imagination.”

“Huh?”

Veronica turned to him.

“Imagination?”

“They said you can’t imagine once your mind becomes rigid.”

Veronica quickly caught on.

“You mean what that deceased officer said?”

“Yeah. About why someone from 20 years ago still looks like a child. They said it’s because you can’t imagine once your mind stiffens. So… does that mean adults can’t imagine?”

“Hmm, logically, yeah. But honestly, I’m not sure!”

Ray vividly recalled a certain image in his mind.

Bzzzmm—

The mana of the circle and gemstone resonated with the boy’s imagination and gathered in his palm.

What formed was a pale yellow-glowing dagger crackling faintly with electricity.

Veronica exclaimed,

“Still amazing, even after seeing it before. Electric and metal elements usually conflict—one always dominates the other. But you just imagined it and made it happen again?”

Ray nodded.

Even after the battle, the boy’s imagination remained intact.

While he couldn’t invent completely new magic from nothing, he could vividly recall and recreate spells he had used before.

*“They say this imagination fades once you become an adult.”*

…What defines an adult?

It had been nearly half a year since they left Sector 50, chasing after a rainbow.

He had accumulated what people usually referred to as “age,” and was now 2–3 centimeters taller than Veronica, when he used to be slightly shorter.

He’d also gained high-quality experiences he never could have imagined before.

But he still couldn’t be sure.

Whether any of this truly meant he was becoming an adult.

“Veronica, when do you think someone becomes an adult?”

“An adult?”

Veronica’s face instantly bloomed with a bright red flush at Ray’s question.

It was because she suddenly remembered what the older girls at the orphanage used to say—that you only become an adult once you’re married and have a baby.

*‘If I sleep holding Ray’s hand… will a Rockdeer really bring us a baby…? What should we name the baby…? A boy…? No, maybe a girl would be better…?’*

Her imagination went into overdrive.

While Veronica hyperventilated and tried to wrestle down her presumptuous, overexcited heart—

“……”

Ray was quietly coming to his own conclusion.

He still didn’t know exactly what defined an adult, but one thing was clear: he needed to cultivate this power of imagination.

“Is there a way to develop imagination?”

A voice spoke up from the back seat.

“How about drawing?”

A strong scent of salt seasoning from jerky wafted through the air.

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