Genius Wizard who sees Rainbows- Chapter 249

#249. The One Who Shines (4)

—

The saint, Pieta, was enveloped in darkness.

Not because of the deep navy veil covering her face.

“……”

It was by nature.

Because she had been blind since birth.

Even so, her steps as she moved about the room were quite natural, and her body never bumped into anything.

*Sssrk.*

Her dry fingers brushed against the frame on the wall.

…Her body had developed other senses to survive in place of sight.

It was a sensitivity to mana.

Mana, which existed everywhere in the world, flowed along the surface of objects and outlined their forms, while it flowed through people and animals, revealing their positions.

Thanks to this, she was able to picture the world in her mind to a certain extent.

But there were clear limitations.

Elements engraved on flat surfaces—like colors and letters—were completely indiscernible to her.

So, for instance—

“……”

—an object like this painting she now felt beneath her fingertips.

What could it possibly look like?

She was told it was something that captured the world’s scenery and shrunk it into a frame.

*‘They say that depending on the painter’s skill, it can move the viewer to tears.’*

She had never once felt resentment or despair about her blindness.

But even so, she couldn’t deny a pang of regret at moments like this.

Just then—

───.

She felt a tremor of mana in the hallway.

Worried that she might be scolded for wandering around the room, Pieta quickly returned to her bed and sat down.

*‘The mana outside has been restless for a while now. That rattling sound… Are they bringing food? I smell something delicious.’*

Pieta’s senses—apart from sight—were incredibly sharp.

Her sensitivity to mana was especially remarkable. She could detect disturbances in mana from hundreds of meters away.

A truly innate gift.

In other words, there was no one in the cathedral who could deceive Pieta’s senses.

*Knock knock.*

—Saint, I’ve brought your meal. May I enter for a moment?

“Yes.”

*Click—!*

The bishop entered and placed a tray on the table.

And then—

*“Tch.”*

He couldn’t help but twist his lips at the sight of the saint frozen on her bed.

Truthfully, he didn’t know much about the girl before him.

Just that she was a fake saint, and a crucial component in the Dawn Society’s plans.

*‘She was brought from an orphanage, wasn’t she? Born of lowly origins, no doubt.’*

The devout clergyman who had once dedicated his life to helping the poor and hungry was gone.

Only a greedy mage addicted to the power of the Hybrid Circles remained.

*‘If the plan succeeds, every member of the Dawn Society will gain immense power. I’ve already grown more than twice as strong thanks to the Hybrid Circle, and now they say we can get even stronger… I can’t wait.’*

Pleased by the thought, he left the room after a curt farewell.

“I heard you don’t require help with meals. Then please enjoy your food.”

*Click—thud!*

Once his footsteps had receded enough, Pieta moved toward the table.

The bishop’s disdain, small yet overt.

*Clatter.*

“The fork is here, and this is the knife.”

She didn’t pay it any mind.

She’d experienced such treatment thousands of times since childhood, and she knew well that many religious people were hypocrites.

Their aura could be intimidating, yes… but it didn’t hurt her anymore.

*‘Better to fill my stomach than waste time being upset.’*

As Pieta methodically separated the broccoli and bell peppers—

“You won’t grow tall if you’re picky with food.”

A voice spoke.

Startled, she tried to scream, but her mouth opened soundlessly.

“────!”

“────?”

No matter how many times she tried, no sound came out.

The voice spoke again.

“Sorry for startling you. I’m here because I wanted to ask something. If you promise not to scream, I’ll release the spell.”

The voice was flat and emotionless.

Still… she didn’t sense any malice.

She slowly nodded, and soon—

“Ah.”

She could speak again.

And she sensed the presence of someone who had suddenly appeared in the room.

“How did you get in here? Where did you even come from?”

More than the intruder’s identity, she was shocked at how he’d entered.

No one had ever been able to sneak up on her since her sensitivity to mana had fully developed.

“I came in with the bishop when he entered.”

“You came in with him…? That’s impossible. I didn’t feel any mana movement at all.”

“Mana? You mean the mana stored in circles?”

“No, the mana that flows inside the body.”

“If you mean internal mana, I matched its flow exactly with the ambient mana in the air.”

They were both astonished.

Ray was surprised at how sensitive Pieta’s mana detection was—even able to sense internal mana.

And Pieta was shocked that this unknown intruder could control their internal mana at will.

*‘He controlled the mana flowing in his body perfectly…? Is that even possible…?’*

She had never heard of such a thing. Never experienced it.

Ordinarily, it should be impossible.

She wondered if it was a lie—but if not, there was no other way to explain how he got in.

As she continued to sense the mana flowing in Ray’s body, Pieta spoke.

“You… you’re that person, aren’t you? The one who was mixed in with the transport unit outside the cathedral earlier.”

“You could tell even that?”

“Yeah. It’s possible. Because…”

Because I can’t see. So I have to be this sensitive just to survive in this world.

Pieta trailed off for a moment.

*‘The kids my age always mocked me for being blind. They bullied me constantly.’*

Then she shook her head internally.

Whatever reaction he had, it didn’t matter to her anymore.

“I can’t see. So I perceive the world through mana. That’s why my senses are so sensitive.”

“I see.”

“…Huh?”

Ray’s reaction was so casual that Pieta was taken aback.

“That’s it…?”

“What is?”

“I told you I can’t see.”

“And?”

“Since birth—”

“So what?”

“……”

Pieta realized instinctively.

*This kid… is not normal.*

“Well, maybe your parents were exposed to the black rain for too long.”

“Black rain?”

“My friend Veronica said so. She’s researching black rain and the diseases it causes. Apparently, long exposure can result in children born with physical defects.”

“Hm, I don’t know about that. I was abandoned at an orphanage when I was little.”

Ray nodded slightly.

“So you don’t have parents.”

“……”

“No mom or dad.”

She knew it was just sympathy, but it still rubbed her the wrong way.

“You… are you saying that because I’m an orphan—”

“I don’t have parents either.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t have a mom or dad. I’m an orphan too.”

An unexpected response.

Pieta was briefly left speechless.

“Anyway, you’re the saint, right?”

“So they say.”

“Can you tell me how you first met the people from the Order?”

Pieta clamped her mouth shut.

She had been drawn into the conversation without realizing it, but now Bishop Vassel’s warning not to speak with outsiders echoed in her mind.

“……”

A long silence followed.

Ray wasn’t fazed—he had expected this.

He simply glanced around, searching for a conversation tool.

Then he noticed the broccoli and bell peppers pushed off the tray.

*‘Target acquired.’*

If he made her eat those, she’d probably spill everything—including secret hideouts she didn’t even know she had.

Just as he was about to act, he noticed a flicker of emotion gleaming from Pieta’s dish.

Curiosity, expectation, and yearning.

“Hold on.”

“Uh, huh?”

Ray walked over to the object her emotions were pointing at.

The framed picture on the wall depicted a vast green field.

A landscape not found in the real wastelands—clearly a product of imagination.

“You want to see the picture?”

“……”

“If you want, I can show it to you.”

Pieta choked up.

“You’re the worst. I don’t know how you figured it out, but how are you going to *show* me when I can’t even see? That kind of wish—how dare you mock—”

She fell silent.

The mana in the room had suddenly distorted, forming a massive structure.

“Can you distinguish the difference between the two manas in front of you now?”

“Y-yeah. The right one feels a bit heavier…”

“Then I can go into more detail.”

Ray used mana to recreate the image in the frame, explaining as he went.

“This is green.”

“Ah…”

“This bright one that gives a cheerful vibe is sky blue.”

“Mm…!”

Pieta nodded, spellbound.

No one had ever explained color to her before.

No one had loved her enough to try.

And even if they had, it wasn’t something she could simply learn.

Because she had never seen.

But now, it was different.

“This is red.”

“I understand…!”

She was beginning to understand color.

“This is orange.”

“It feels so warm…!”

It wasn’t the usual method.

It was merely a feeling.

But that was enough for her to experience a new world.

And finally—

When the image was fully drawn—

*Drip.*

Tears flowed from beneath her veil.

“Yeah… So this is what it feels like. I’ve always wondered. Every time people talked about photos or paintings. I always wanted to know what was inside them.”

Ray saw that all the wariness and tension had disappeared from Pieta’s aura.

After collecting herself, Pieta spoke.

“I’ll tell you what you wanted to know. But you can’t tell anyone else.”

The story wasn’t long.

The priests had visited a rundown orphanage in the northern district. The moment Pieta touched the Terranote, a brilliant light burst forth.

“That was three weeks ago. After that, I was brought to this grand cathedral, hailed as a saint. But it’s strange. I don’t think I’m really a saint.”

Pieta had already noticed the mana pattern within the Terranote.

When she held it in her hand…

When the pattern activated and light exploded…

She sensed a slight delay between those two moments.

As if someone else nearby was manipulating the Terranote separately.

“I think you’re right. You’re a fake saint.”

“Well, being called fake doesn’t feel great, but… it’s fine. The Order must have brought me here for a reason. As long as the headmistress at my orphanage can live happily, I’m satisfied. I heard the orphanage received a massive donation. I mean, it annoys me that even the kids who bullied me are benefitting… but still.”

The headmistress was the only person in the world who had ever treated Pieta with kindness.

Everyone else, whether adults or children, remained only as unpleasant memories.

“So you’re saying you don’t have any friends. Do you have any idea why the Order brought you in?”

“That’s true, but… I don’t know, it doesn’t feel great hearing it. Anyway, they did run a bunch of tests on me. They told me I had a unique constitution? That I was born with a body that naturally draws in and anchors mana just by being still.”

That part was true.

Right now, Ray was watching the colorful strands of mana clinging to Pieta’s body.

She looked like a human magnet.

After a bit of conversation, Ray came to a conclusion.

‘It’s clear that the Dawn Society plans to use Pieta for something besides just presenting her as a saint.’

Most likely, it was related to Pieta’s unique constitution.

After a moment of thought, Ray spoke.

“Could you lift your veil and show me your face?”

“All of a sudden?”

“I just thought… maybe it could be a small clue.”

“Bishop Vassel told me not to show my face to anyone… but okay. You did grant my wish, after all.”

The dark navy veil was slowly lifted.