Genius Wizard who sees Rainbows- Chapter 205

**#205. Uninvited Guest (1)**

—

The red-haired girl turned her head.

“Hm? Whoa, you scared me—when did you get here? A drawing model? You’re not going to draw weirdly again like last time… right? I just need to act natural? Not be self-conscious and just go about as usual?”

*He nodded.*

“Hmm… that’s not easy. Ah! I was analyzing the soil samples that Curie gathered. Look—see how the higher-sector soil is less blackened? It’s proof that the soil gets cleaner the further up you go. The black clouds flow down the river and only fall as rain once they reach the lower sectors over time.”

What do you think imagination is?

“Hmm… that’s a tough question.”

Then tell me what you imagine the most in your daily life.

“Oh, that’s easy. It’d be about the person I like—no, no! That came out weird! You didn’t hear that, right? Tell me you didn’t hear that!”

I didn’t hear anything.

“Phew, thank goodness. Ahem. I most often imagine a clear sky with no black clouds. That way, the people suffering from illness might recover. Huh? You’re done drawing already? Wait! Show me before you leave! I promise I won’t get mad this time, no matter how you drew it!”

The boy quickly exited the room and headed to another floor, knocking on a brown door.

*Knock knock.*

—Who is it? Can you not see the “Busy Working” sign on the door?

*Creaaak.*

From between piles of documents, a boy with curly brown hair lifted his head.

“Who dares interrupt my concentration so shamelessly… Oh, it’s you, Ray. What is it? A drawing? Of me? I don’t mind, but wouldn’t someone else be a better model? Well, if you’re fine with it, I don’t mind. Work’s satisfying lately. I haven’t been sleeping much, but it’s been rewarding. Just wait—you’ll see me change the digits in our account.”

What do you think imagination is?

“That issue you’ve been fixated on lately? If I were to answer in my own way, I’d say it’s the dreams a person has. What they want or wish for keeps floating to their mind even unconsciously. For me, it’s finding my mom. I imagine her every day. Based on the faint memories I have… Oh, you’re done already? I’m curious, but I’ll look later. I’ve got way too many papers to deal with right now. See you.”

The boy left the mansion and boarded a bus.

A person working inside flinched and turned around at the boy’s voice.

“Damn it—! You startled me! You little devil of a kid, how many times have I told you to make some noise when you show up? What’s with that ominous look in your eyes? Don’t tell me you’re giving me more work! I’m already pouring nearly every second of every day into building this dimensional passageway! No! I refuse! Just kill me already!”

I’ll tell you what kind of food I like.

“You probably didn’t know, but I actually enjoy this kind of work. As long as you give me meals, I could keep doing this for months or years. Huh? A drawing? No. I’m never taking off the mask.”

If it’s because of burn scars, I don’t mind. I can’t distinguish between beauty and ugliness anyway.

“I said no means no, you cheeky brat. I’ve never once taken this off since I found it at the ruins.”

Then how do you wash your face?

“……”

You don’t wash?

“……”

I’ll just draw the mask then.

What do you think imagination is?

“No idea. Don’t care.”

Then just tell me what comes to your mind most often.

“Breaking the emotional curse placed on me and my brother and regaining our emotional freedom. No matter what I try, it won’t lift… makes me think I might have to kill the doctor. That’s enough chit-chat. Get lost—I’m busy.”

Then came a shout.

The boy followed the sound to the clearing behind the mansion.

A blue-haired boy who was teaching kids how to use magic in combat came running over, panting.

“Hyung-nim! Where have you been rushing off to lately? It feels like ages since we’ve seen your face. I’m honored you’ve finally come to teach in person—wait, what? You want *me* to keep teaching?”

You’re someone I’ve acknowledged.

“A man acknowledged by you, Hyung-nim…! Of course I’ll teach! Still, wouldn’t it be good for you to show a demonstration just once? These kids just created their circles, so there’s a lot they could learn from seeing. Right now, we’re practicing fireballs—”

*FWOOOSH!*

*BOOM—!*

A fireball the size of a car slammed into a scarecrow target at the far end of the clearing.

Where the target once stood, now only a massive crater remained, scorched clean.

*Waaaaah—!*

The children, who had fled from the heat, fluttered back like a flock of sparrows to gape at the crater.

The blue-haired boy, his bangs curled from the heat, said solemnly,

“Please spare me, Hyung-nim. I’m sorry.”

All of a sudden?

“You’re angry because I secretly stole your jerky, right? You’re giving me a warning with this fireball…”

So it *was* you.

“I’m truly sorry. I lost control for a moment because of my gluttony.”

I’ll forgive you just this once.

“Thank you. Uh, you want me to continue the lesson? As usual? With you watching, I’m too nervous to… Oh, you’re drawing me? I’ll do my best, then.”

What do you think imagination is?

“Imagination? Hmm, a fun game you can play without money? I think up weird stuff all the time. Like what if I could go back to when I was 7 with all my current memories. Or what if I could fly. Or stop time. My thoughts never stop.”

What would you do if you went back to being 7?

“First thing—I’d cut off Tommy’s wrist. He’s the perv who tried to mess with my sister. That bastard’s eyes were creepy.”

I see.

Still, it’s impressive that your thoughts never stop.

“Eh? Isn’t that normal? Isn’t everyone like that? Just me?”

The blue-haired boy tilted his head in confusion, but resumed the lesson regardless.

Some time passed.

*Ding─ ding diriding─*

A bell rang inside the mansion.

The white-haired boy stood up and headed indoors, seeing children pour out from the classroom at the end of the hall.

A blue-haired girl ran toward him cheerfully.

“You’re finally here to teach a class yourself, right?”

Nope.

“So I’ll keep teaching…?”

I think that’d be best.

I don’t have the ability to explain things as systematically as you do.

“Well… I don’t mind continuing with the theory classes, but I think it’d be nice if you occasionally taught a special lecture. Since all the kids chose to stay at the mansion because of you.”

I’ll try.

“Even if it’s just once a month… Huh? Are you drawing me right now?”

The girl quickly pulled her hair to cover her face.

“W-Why all of a sudden? Why me? Do you have feelings for me or something…? Ahem. If you *really* want to use me as a model, I’ll allow it if you call me *noona* and use honorifics. I *am* a year older than you, after all.”

There’s a dictionary in the lobby, right?

“I like being called by my name more than *noona*. I think anyone within 20 years up or down is still a friend.”

What do you think imagination is?

“Imagination?”

If that’s hard to answer, just say what you often imagine or think about.

“Well, I often wonder what would’ve happened if I hadn’t met you. I’d probably have been killed by Binjin. So… thank you again, Ray.”

So you can imagine the past, too.

“Of course. Wait, you’re already done drawing? I’m not going to look. Too embarrassing.”

After the conversation ended, the boy walked away from the girl and ran into a man cleaning upstairs.

“Good day, Young Master. Still working today, I see. I stocked up the first-floor storage with large quantities of sketchbooks, tools, and supplies. But… are you drawing me? Ah, as naturally as possible? Understood.”

What do you think imagination is?

“I no longer possess such a thing.”

Why not?

“‘Worn away’ might be the best way to put it. As a child, I had all sorts of thoughts, but as I aged, it became harder to imagine anything new. Like the wheels of a rickshaw—it takes great effort to get going at first, but afterward, it only moves by inertia. With no thought, just buried in a repetitive life. That’s why I’m so deeply grateful to you, Young Master.”

You’re grateful to me?

“Thanks to you, not only is my life stable, but I’ve been able to begin a new chapter. I’m very satisfied with this post-rickshawman life.”

I see. Here, I’m done drawing you.

“So this is how my face looks through your eyes… It feels both similar and not. A strange feeling. May I see the other portraits you drew today?”

I don’t mind.

“All of them are faces. Viewed from very close up. May I ask if there’s a special reason why you chose faces as your theme today?”

……

The reason the boy drew was to establish a clear image of the world.

And among all images, the most difficult to solidify were human faces—ones that required intense concentration to truly perceive.

If he could recall someone’s face even with his eyes closed…

Then, by comparison, images of objects or landscapes—those requiring less effort—would become easier to picture.

In the end, drawing faces was the most efficient form of training.

But—

“To remember.”

—there was a far more important reason.

*

The blue-haired boy, Ain, recalled what Ray had told him yesterday.

—Your role is the most important.

Even the children knew that villains associated with Binjin were coming to the mansion.

Second Circle and higher mages, including Ray, were preparing for an ambush inside the tower.

First Circle mages were standing by in the mansion lobby, ready to respond at a moment’s notice.

*My role is important.*

His heart pounded loudly, like it might burst.

Taking a deep breath, Ain threw open the mansion’s front doors and deeply bowed to the arriving visitors.

“Welcome. Master is waiting for you inside.”

There was no reply.

As he cautiously straightened, he saw the visitors chatting among themselves.

“Didn’t they say he’s only Second Circle? Letting someone so inferior join the Dawn Society… I don’t understand what the leader is thinking.”

“Who knows? The condition was to tame that creature—so as long as he’s succeeded in that, he qualifies.”

“Personally, I hope he has. If such a spirit has been fully bound, it would be a terrifying power indeed.”

The visitors were three middle-aged gentlemen.

They looked polished and refined.

But—

*…I can’t breathe.*

Ain felt a crushing sense of suffocation.

It was the instinctual fear a mage experiences in the presence of someone several tiers above.

He glanced down at the micro communicator attached to his sleeve and thought of Ray, who would be listening in.

And in that moment—

Ray stood at the window on the tower’s top floor, watching the mansion’s entrance.

*Four circles, three circles, three circles.*

All of them colored deep navy.

Not an easy force to deal with.

From what he experienced through Binjin, navy blue circles—formed by mixing all elemental attributes—had the major drawback of extreme mana consumption. But they more than made up for it with rapid spellcasting and high output.

And if one of them was a 4th-circle mage—

‘Even Curiosa might not be able to handle them easily. The only relief is that the bishop wasn’t the overseer.’

Since their first encounter, the bishop—who had displayed four navy blue circles—had not been seen at the cathedral.

According to Solite, he had gone on a business trip to another sector’s parish.

It was unclear whether the bishop had been aware of today’s visit to the overseers’ mansion, but the fact that a definite enemy had left the sector was something to be welcomed.

“……”

The boy’s thoughts continued to flow.

What actions the enemy would take once inside the tower, how they would respond to unexpected situations.

And then, the moment a certain image naturally took form in his mind—

*Crackle.*

A yellow shimmer sparked to life in his hand, taking shape.

It looked as though he was gripping a bolt of lightning.

“Ready?”

The boy asked as he turned his head.

There stood Binjin, who had once been dead.

—