**#246. The One Who Shines (1)**
—
Veronica’s heart was pounding hard.
Though Ray’s words and actions had always had a tendency to be sudden and unpredictable, never before had they left her this flustered.
*‘Stay calm. This is just one of Ray’s traps.’*
Huuu.
A deep breath followed.
But the emotions surging like waves within the girl’s vessel showed no signs of calming.
*‘Ugh, my face is way too hot.’*
What did he mean by asking what she thought love was?
Why would he suddenly ask something like that?
She stared intensely into Ray’s eyes, but within the calm, white concentric circles, she couldn’t read a single thought.
Then a realization suddenly struck her.
*‘Ah, no way…! Is Ray trying to confess to me right now…?!’*
“Grrng? Lady Veronica? Your heart rate is abnormally fast. It seems your body is experiencing a major irregularity—grrnrk!”
Philip’s long snout, speaking from her arms, was tightly clamped shut by Veronica’s hand.
“……”
Her flight of imagination was brought to a halt, but thanks to it, the heat in her head cooled down a little.
Right. If she thought about it logically, there was no way Ray was about to confess his feelings for her.
*‘Seriously, he just asked because he’s curious about what I think love is.’*
Now somewhat calmed, Veronica met Ray’s gaze again—who was quietly waiting for her answer.
And she thought.
About what love is.
Nothing specific came to mind right away.
She could imagine bright colors and warm temperatures, but they didn’t connect to a concrete image.
She had never learned about it.
And never felt it either.
The girl paused in her thoughts, then shook her head internally.
*‘No, I *have* felt it before.’*
To be precise, she was *still* feeling it.
She could sense it instinctively.
The little sparks that flared up in her heart whenever she looked at the boy—she could tell that emotion was what people usually called love.
But for the girl, that soft yet unyieldingly firm emotion was something she still lacked the ability to define clearly in words.
Countless thoughts whirled in her mind.
*‘I don’t even know what love is myself. But Ray can read emotions with his eyes. That means… he already found out about my feelings a long time ago, didn’t he…?’*
…Then how could he ask me something like that with such a clueless face?
A sudden surge of emotion overcame her.
“Hmph! Love! Of course I know exactly what kind of feeling that is! I’m a love expert, you know! But I’m not telling you! At least! Not right now!”
Veronica spoke each word with force.
As if to express her anger, her hand yanked at Philip’s tail fur, and a vein bulged on the back of her hand.
“Grrng…!? Lady Veronica! Why are you suddenly pulling my fur! Ow! Ow! That hurts! Grrng!”
“I’m not telling! Never! Absolutely not!”
Thump, thump!
With angry footsteps, Veronica stormed off toward the far side of the settlement.
Her retreating figure grew smaller.
Ray watched the emotion endlessly shifting outfits atop her vessel and thought to himself.
*‘Red, orange, yellow… and flickering in so many colors in just a moment—it’s definitely love.’*
Since she was experiencing it firsthand, it was only natural that Veronica knew what love was.
But he couldn’t understand why she was hiding her knowledge of it.
…He had been sure she’d tell him.
Ray pondered deeply, then suddenly wondered:
So then—who does Veronica like?
*
*
*
Three days later.
Curiosa watched Ray as he packed the bus’s supplies into his personal bag and asked,
“You’ve really decided to leave this massive bus behind, huh?”
“I told you—I’m going to be introduced to Bishop Sardio as someone from the upper class. Dragging along a bus modified for the wastelands would make no sense.”
“Well, yeah. This thing *does* look like something mercenaries would use.”
*Zip—!*
Ray zipped up his bag after stowing the last of his art supplies and said,
“Also, if I leave the bus here, you can go back and forth between the settlement and the mansion to prepare for the Doctor’s attacks.”
“tsk. You’re squeezing every bit of labor out of me.”
“There’s a chance the Doctor’s attacks on both locations might intensify. It’s just a guess, but those dark red orbs seemed like they had surveillance functions.”
Those orbs that scanned the ground from above.
Now that they were destroyed, it would be harder for the Doctor to determine Ray’s movements.
“…So because tracking you is harder now, he might focus attacks on the mansion or the settlement. Got it.”
“Though I’m not certain. With the effort that went into making them, their destruction might make him go into hiding for a while.”
Curiosa nodded in agreement.
After a brief silence, she changed the subject.
“You said you’re having a meal with Bishop Sardio today.”
“Yeah, it’s today.”
Ray’s request had been delivered to Bishop Sardio via Solite, along with a forged identity.
An upper-class youth who wished to capture the moment of the rising artificial sun in a painting.
Then yesterday—
Solite relayed the bishop’s reply.
He would allow Ray to join the transport convoy, but wanted to speak with him in person first.
“Hmph… Wants to see your face in advance, huh. Kid, are you sure he hasn’t figured out you wiped out the Azure Dawn envoys?”
“I think it’s unlikely. Both Krymer and Sardio seemed unaware of each other’s existence.”
Ray’s theory was that the members of Azure Dawn didn’t share full awareness of one another.
“It’s more likely that he really just wants a conversation. I only spoke to him once in the cathedral, but he seemed quite interested in art, especially painting.”
“Hah, what a joke. To talk about art when he modified his Circle into *that* abomination…”
*Vmmm—!*
Just then, Jang appeared at the end of the bus hallway.
“Ah, Master Ray, you’re here. Priest Solite has arrived at the mansion.”
It was already noon.
Returning to the annex, Ray found Solite admiring a painting in the studio.
“You’re early.”
Startled by Ray’s voice, Solite seemed to finally register where he was.
“The door was slightly ajar, and I saw the painting through the crack… I couldn’t help myself. Please forgive the intrusion.”
“It’s fine. I don’t mind.”
“Thank you for your kindness.”
Raising his bowed head, Solite glanced at the art tools on the table and the many empty frames lining the wall.
“So this is your studio, Lord Ray?”
“Yeah.”
“What a splendid place. Creating here must inspire a tremendous urge to paint.”
Solite let out a small sigh of admiration, then turned his gaze back to the painting he’d been viewing.
“Of course, being able to produce such marvelous work is solely thanks to your talent, Lord Ray.”
It was a painting of yellow currents chaotically layered over black darkness.
An abstract piece, reminiscent of auroras scattered across the night sky.
“If it’s not too presumptuous… may I ask what this piece represents?”
“…It’s just an image that popped into my head.”
Not a lie.
It was the first spell he had created using imagination.
The painting represented Electromancy.
If one looked closely, the strands of current formed the vague shape of a person.
*‘It’s best not to mention magic derived from imagination.’*
That was Curiosa’s advice, and Ray agreed.
Magic that ignored traditional theories and formulas would cause a massive stir in the magical community.
“To have painted something purely from imagination… truly fascinating. The massive tree and the fortress of machines in the frame beside it as well.”
Those were Yggdrasil and Rael Row—painted not from imagination, but from direct observation.
Either way, Ray chatted with Solite about the paintings for a bit longer before boarding the Church’s vehicle waiting at the mansion gate, headed for the city center.
He was guided to a room deep inside a high-end restaurant.
And before long—
*Slide—*
The door opened, and the bishop appeared.
“My sincerest apologies. The service ran longer than expected, and I ended up late.”
“Not at all. We only just arrived ourselves.”
Solite rose and bowed, and Ray followed suit.
Once everyone was seated, the bishop offered Ray a handshake.
“It’s been about a month since we last met at the cathedral, hasn’t it? Young gentleman. Or perhaps I should call you an artist? I’m very grateful you took the time to meet.”
“……”
Their hands parted.
Recalling the rough texture left in his palm, Ray slowly spoke.
“I’m not good enough to be called an artist yet. I’m still very young.”
“Haha, I don’t believe age is a requirement to be an artist. If one can create something that moves others, they’re worthy of the title.”
“Is that so.”
Ray responded calmly, all while examining the bishop’s vessel.
Due to his long life, it bore layers of colors like scars, making his emotions difficult to read—but at least it didn’t show signs of suspicion or hostility.
*‘Just as Solite said, the fake identity seems to have worked perfectly.’*
Still, he didn’t let his guard down.
The bishop was a 4th-circle mage—powerful enough to wipe out a small sector alone.
Ray was confident he wouldn’t lose, since they had the same number of Circles, but battle was never predictable.
In the meantime, the meal arrived.
*Clink. Clink.*
The bishop began eating with graceful movements, continuing the conversation.
“I assume you’ve already heard that the Saint has been found. Even if not from Solite, the rumors have spread enough that anyone who pays attention would know.”
That was true.
Even Sector 37 was buzzing with talk about the artificial sun and the Saint.
“Raising a new sun into the sky has long been the Church’s aspiration—and the people’s wish. Light is the source of all life. If we can secure a powerful luminary, vegetation will grow even in the desolate wastes, and humanity will be able to expand beyond the sectors.”
Light, the source of life.
That part, at least, was true.
Whether the light the Dawn Society desired was truly one that would warm all… that remained to be seen.
*‘The indigo orb Krymer launched… now that I think about it, it was similar to the crimson one. The density of mana, the elemental pattern inside, and…’*
…Could there be a connection between the Doctor and the Dawn Society?
It was still a leap, but Ray began to suspect that the Doctor might have shared his technology with them.
“…As for the main point—your request to join the transport convoy.”
The bishop’s voice brought Ray out of his thoughts, and Ray smoothly recited the answer he had prepared.
“Yes. I felt a strong desire to paint the moment the new sun rises. Of course, just being present would already be the honor of a lifetime.”
A brief silence followed.
The bishop, who had been staring intently at Ray, soon spoke with a gentle smile.
“If an artist like you, Ray, were to accompany us, we would be more than happy. We could hang a painting inside the cathedral capturing this historic moment. If the visiting faithful can experience—even indirectly—that miraculous event… what could bring more joy than that?”
At the bishop’s words, Solite let out a quiet sigh of relief.
It was because Ray’s participation had now been officially approved.
The conversation, which had continued in a friendly atmosphere, soon returned to the topic of the Saint discovered in the upper sector.
Upon seeing a small stone fragment the bishop pulled from his robes, Ray unconsciously muttered,
“Terranote.”
“Oh, so you’re familiar with it. This is Terranote, the material used to construct the artificial sun. It’s also a tool used in the search for Saints—each parish possesses only one.”
Ray had heard of it from Solite.
A heart that worries for all things without condition.
According to the revelation, if someone who meets the criteria of a Saint were to hold the Terranote, a certain colored radiance would emanate from it.
“From what we’ve heard, the moment the Saint we’re about to meet held the fragment in her hand, an overwhelming light flooded the entire street.”
Solite couldn’t hide his astonishment at the bishop’s words.
“…When I held it, it barely emitted a faint glow. So the revelation was true after all.”
“Indeed. When an ordinary person holds it, it gives off a small light before flickering out. Would you like to try holding it too, Ray? Who knows—it might even inspire your next work.”
Ray fell into thought, as if gauging the situation.
Then—
“I’ll give it a try.”
He accepted the Terranote.
One by one, slowly, the boy’s fingers began to close around the smooth stone fragment.
