**#209. Uninvited Guest (5)**
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“Are the people here right now trustworthy?”
Solite flinched for a moment.
The chilling voice and eyes that felt like they could freeze someone on the spot were nothing like the boy he knew.
And this suffocating pressure—what was it?
‘Trustworthy people…’
If he had to answer, then yes.
The eight behind him, members of the Seventh Priest Corps, were long-time friends, subordinates, and colleagues who had shared the dream of making the world a better place since childhood.
“They’re trustworthy. Enough that I would entrust my life to them without hesitation.”
Solite’s answer was unwavering.
Ray stared intently at the area near the priests’ chests before finally speaking.
“Seems so. Their loyalty, affection, and sense of camaraderie toward you are surprisingly strong.”
“What do you mean by that…? No, first, could you explain what exactly is going on?”
Solite and the Seventh Priest Corps had been distributing food in the slums, he explained.
Then they saw the sky turn indigo and came to investigate its source.
A collapsed tower. A boy covered in wounds.
A body sprawled lifeless on the snow.
Clearly, something extraordinary had happened.
Ray fell silent for a moment.
‘…If I let these people leave without taking any action.’
The indigo sky and the incidents of today would surely be reported to Bishop Sardio once he returned to the sector in a few days.
That wouldn’t bode well.
Especially if the bishop had been unaware of the overseers’ visit to this manor.
After a moment to collect himself, Ray spoke.
“That dead man over there was a member of a group called the Azure Dawn.”
“Azure Dawn…? That’s the first I’ve heard of such a group.”
Ray explained about the Dawn.
Their signature trait was the use of mixed circles
—circles that combined multiple elemental forces into overwhelming destructive power.
Three overseers had visited this place today to evaluate Binjin’s qualification to inhabit the manor and the tower.
There was even speculation that they intended to use the Order’s artificial sun for some unknown purpose.
Solite looked dazed, overwhelmed by the influx of information.
“Alright… I think I understand. So the mysterious spell cast by that man caused the indigo sky. But this suspicion that they’re trying to use the artificial sun—what is it based on?”
“Bishop Sardio possesses mixed circles. He’s a spy the Azure Dawn planted in the Order. With very high probability.”
The priests stirred restlessly at Ray’s claim.
“What…! That’s absurd…!”
“Solite, do you know this child? How long do you plan to indulge such outlandish and downright rude claims?”
“We should take him into custody and interrogate him at the central temple. This is nothing but a shameless lie born of wild imagination.”
“Thanks. I’ve been working hard lately on cultivating my imagination.”
Solite raised his hand to quell the commotion.
“Lafi, Piyote, Matani—please watch your words. We are not the ones holding control of this situation.”
“Excuse me? What are you saying—”
“Are you saying we’re at a disadvantage?”
He didn’t respond to the questions. Instead, he locked eyes with Ray.
“If it came to it… you would be willing to eliminate all of us right here.”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for attempting persuasion first.”
Staring into Ray’s pale white eyes, Solite eventually nodded.
“I had no idea. Bishop Sardio has always been a model member of the Order throughout his long service.”
“You didn’t notice anything strange about him?”
“We never spoke face-to-face. I considered questioning his words a form of disrespect, so I was careful to avoid even making eye contact.”
“Have you ever seen him use magic? Mixed circle users have magic that glows indigo.”
“Never once. I now understand why Bishop Sardio avoided using magic in front of others.”
The priests burst out again.
“Solite, are you seriously believing what this boy says?”
“This is Bishop Sardio we’re talking about! To claim he’s part of some unknown organization—that’s an insult!”
“To lie so calmly… what a viciously imaginative child…!”
“Thanks. I’ve practiced a lot.”
Solite raised his hand once more and silenced them.
“Trust me.”
That quiet statement hung in the air.
The priests looked at one another, confusion in their eyes.
Their suspicion and discontent swiftly waned and soon vanished altogether.
It was a testament to how deep their trust in Solite ran.
Once the mood had settled, Solite turned back to Ray.
“Aside from Bishop Sardio, did you see anyone else with a mixed circle?”
“The one I saw at the Grand Cathedral was him alone.”
“A small mercy. But I don’t think we can report this to higher-ups right away. We have to consider the possibility of more infiltrators—perhaps in other dioceses, or worst case, even the central temple.”
A valid point.
There was no guarantee that Sardio was the only one infiltrated into the Order.
Ray approached Krymer’s corpse and searched his belongings.
Though the inside of his body had been charred black, his exterior remained relatively intact, and Ray recovered a few items—including a wax-sealed envelope.
Solite spoke from beside him.
“Hopefully it contains some information about the Dawn.”
*Rip—*
Opening the envelope revealed a long letter.
> “Receiving this invitation means you’ve sufficiently proven yourself worthy of membership in the Dawn. We sincerely congratulate you on joining the great mission to bring about His resurrection and bathe the world in indigo.”
It appeared to be an invitation originally meant for Binjin.
Ray skimmed the contents, looking for useful information.
> “There will be a first meeting for new members on the date listed below. It will be a significant occasion to see each other’s faces and receive the first grand directive of the Dawn. Do not miss it, or suffer the consequences.”
After confirming the date and location, Ray turned to the final page.
> “…In the end, the lowest of the low shall become the highest. Rising from the darkest, lowest indigo horizon of dawn to the brightest and highest place—overlooking all things on earth, like the sun itself.”
> —From your dear *Indiago*.
> *P.S. The enclosed ring is both your admission token and proof of membership. Do not lose it.*
Inside the envelope was a small ring adorned with an indigo gemstone.
Ray checked whether it was a power-storing gem like Murcred’s bloodstone, but it appeared to be just a normal stone.
Solite read the letter carefully and then spoke.
“The meeting place is Sector 28, about eight weeks from now. Judging by the letter, the ring alone grants entry. This could be an opportunity to dig deep into the Indigo Dawn.”
Infiltrate the meeting under a false identity.
…If the one leading the gathering is Indiago.
“…Revenge.”
The word slipped from the boy’s lips before he could stop himself, prompting an internal question.
Can I get revenge?
Six months ago, Indiago had taken precious things from him, manipulating golems. At the time, he possessed four circles.
But is that still the case?
Krymer, despite being a formidable fourth-circle mage, had called Indiago superior.
It was only logical to assume Indiago now had *at least* five circles.
‘He’s added more since six months ago.’
And honestly, that wasn’t surprising.
Indiago had harbored immense ambition—enough to chase rainbows to the farthest reaches of the sectors where no one else dared go.
There was no way he had been standing still for six months.
At least a fifth-circle mage.
‘And considering the indigo orbs and unique magic of the Dawn…’
His combat prowess could easily exceed what a simple five-circle mage should have.
Even so, Ray didn’t think of giving up.
Nor did he feel like he was doomed to lose.
Eight weeks was *plenty* of time to sharpen his imagination into a deadly weapon.
When his thoughts cleared, Ray realized the ring had vanished from his hand.
He turned his head—and saw Solite pocketing it.
He noticed his stare and looked back.
“Ah, perhaps… are you planning to hand the ring over to me?”
“Thief.”
“I was only checking if it would fit in my pocket.”
“Thief.”
“We’ve spent a good deal of time painting this picture together. It would be hurtful if you branded me a thief over something like this.”
“Thief.”
“So… you’re not planning to give it to me, then.”
Without much expression, Solite handed the ring back.
“I’m going in person.”
“Understood. The Order is my birthplace and my home. I can’t stand by while such corrupt elements threaten its peace. If there’s anything I can do to help, don’t hesitate to let me know.”
Despite his calm exterior, Solite’s vessel roared with immense anger.
Ray thought he must be quite skilled at emotional control.
Next, they examined a marble-like object whose material couldn’t be identified.
“I don’t sense any particular magic. Could be another symbol of the Azure Dawn, like the ring.”
“It’s a communication orb.”
The voice came from behind.
Turning around, they found Curiosa standing there—emerged from a rift in space.
“When did she—?!”
“A suspicious figure…!”
Solite and the priests immediately flared their mana in alarm.
“No need to be on guard. She’s my—”
Ray began to explain but got stuck trying to find the right word.
“She’s my—”
Everyone tensed.
Swallowed hard.
Curiosa tried to play it cool, but her vessel betrayed a sense of expectation.
And finally—
“—my *employee*.”
“Ugh. I’m an idiot for getting my hopes up.”
Clicking her tongue, Curiosa leapt into a rift in space.
To be precise—she *pretended* to leap, Ray closed the rift, then reopened it with a time delay just as she actually jumped.
*Thud!*
And she landed face-first in the snow, caught off guard by Ray’s faster-than-expected timing.
A hand holding the marble hovered in her skyward-facing view.
“Explain what this is before you leave.”
“…Wow.”
“It *is* a magic item, right?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
After a moment of disbelief and dry laughter, Curiosa shot to her feet and spoke in rapid-fire.
“Communication tools often found in ruins. Always come in pairs. Inject the assigned combination of elemental mana into one, and the other glows the same color. That’s it. Just lights up. Usually used to report survival or signal mission success. Doesn’t react to anything but the designated type of mana.”
With that blunt explanation, she stormed off into a rift in space, her body language making it abundantly clear she was annoyed.
Solite, who had been blankly watching the scene unfold, asked again.
“…Did you say she was an employee?”
“She’s also a friend.”
“I see. Well, according to your friend, it seems this orb is a tool meant to notify the Dawn Society that the matters at the mansion have been successfully concluded. I believe it would be best to activate it and send the signal.”
Solite began injecting the orb with various combinations of elements he could control.
However, the orb showed no reaction.
“May I give it a try?”
“I’d like to try as well….”
The priests each took a turn, but the result was the same.
“I doubt the activation code would be made up of an easily manipulated elemental combination….”
As he pondered, Solite suddenly turned his gaze with a look of realization.
Toward the area around the dead Krymer.
There, emanating from the dissipating circle, was a turbulent wave of element compounds—chaotically entwined.
“I suspect the correct combination lies in those element compounds being detected over there.”
Solite focused his mind and tried to control the element compounds.
But the mass of elements was so great that it wasn’t easy to manipulate.
Just as he was sweating and fully absorbed in the task—
“Oh!”
“It moved!”
The element compound shifted dramatically.
The priests let out exclamations of amazement, but upon seeing Solite’s hollow expression, they realized that the movement hadn’t been caused by their superior.
Solite let out a weary laugh and said to Ray,
“I figured as much from your words, but this confirms it—you’re a mage as well. And quite a skilled one at that.”
“I wasn’t trying to hide it.”
“Yes, I know.”
Ray infused the orb with Krymer’s indigo mana.
The orb glowed with a deep blue light, then gradually settled.
“It seems the signal has been sent. I don’t think the Dawn Society will send another overseer, but… I can’t say that with one hundred percent certainty.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
As Ray stared quietly at the orb, he asked,
“You said Bishop Sardio would return exactly five days from now, correct?”
“That’s right.”
“Then don’t report what happened today. Bury it. The azure dawn is small in area, so not many people would have seen it. Even if rumors spread, they’ll last maybe three or four days at most. We can still cover this up.”
“Of course. I plan to withhold any report to the higher-ups and begin the search for the infiltrator with the 7th Priest Corps here.”
Speaking with resolve, Solite hesitated for a moment before continuing.
“I say this purely out of concern, but I recommend relocating your residence. There’s a chance the Dawn Society might issue a new directive, and Bishop Sardio could start keeping an eye on this mansion.”
“No, I won’t be moving.”
Ray’s voice was firm.
His gaze was fixed on the front gate.
Veronica, Philip, Ayla, Ain…
The children from the mansion, who had evacuated, were already back.
Ray murmured to himself.
Running away and abandoning something—once in a lifetime is more than enough.
