Genius Wizard who sees Rainbows- Chapter 262

**#262. When the Sun Rises (1)**

—

The day before the Day of the Sun.

There were many possible reasons why Veronica’s heart was pounding so hard.

“It’s tomorrow! Finally, it’s tomorrow!”

“How bright the world will become!”

It could’ve been the festive atmosphere in the streets that filled her with excitement.

“Veronica, your steps look a bit awkward.”

“Uh, huh? N-No? Not at all!”

Or perhaps the thrill of walking alone with Ray.

“Don’t turn your eyes away. There’s one over there too. A Dawn Society member.”

“…They’re already mingling in with the crowd.”

It could also have been the tension from knowing that the Dawn Society would bare its ambitions tomorrow.

Veronica whispered quietly.

“You said there are just over 100 of them, right?”

“As far as I could determine.”

Ray replied as he cast sidelong glances at the dark blue circles within the crowd.

If the guerrilla warfare hadn’t worked to thin their numbers, the count wouldn’t have been around a hundred—it would’ve reached nearly 150.

That was a larger force than expected.

There were no groups outside the walls, other than the Order, that had more than triple-digit numbers of mages.

If you included the traitors within the Order, the number of enemies they’d have to face would approach 400 or 500.

As they passed through the plaza, Veronica spoke softly while looking at the avenue ahead.

“If things go according to schedule, this is the route the Saintess’ vehicle will take, right?”

Ray nodded.

Tomorrow at noon—when the sun would be at its highest—the Saintess was supposed to ride in a vehicle.

Departing from the central cathedral of the Order.

Heading to the Sun Sanctuary at the center of the sector.

It was essentially a procession.

As the vehicle moved slowly, people gathered along the avenue would cheer with joy.

And then—

Amid everyone’s blessings and prayers, the Saintess, upon arriving at the sanctuary, would meet her death at the hands of the Dawn Society.

*“Because she’ll be used as a sacrifice to stabilize the indigo mana in the artificial sun.”*

Of course, that was only if everything went according to the Dawn Society’s plans. In reality, such an outcome would not come to pass.

The anti-traitor faction had no intention of letting the Saintess leave the main cathedral.

On the Day of the Sun:

Their plan was to first eliminate all the traitors inside the Order through a surprise attack, then mount a standoff against the external Dawn Society.

That was the anti-traitor faction’s strategy.

Solite had said:

*“The Dawn Society’s goal is to color the sun with their own hue and launch it into the sky. To do that, they need the Saintess. So eventually, all the members scattered across the sector will converge here, on the Grand Cathedral.”*

The advantage of shifting the battlefield from the city streets to the cathedral was clear.

The priests were familiar with the building’s interior, giving them a strategic edge.

Pre-set devices and magic traps could also be used to greet the enemy.

For example—

*Clink.*

The bluemoon stone that Veronica felt in her pocket.

This small gem, which emitted a gentle light under moonlight, released a unique pulse the moment it shattered.

Veronica had explained:

*“It creates a pulse that temporarily increases the weight of mana. It doesn’t have much effect—normal circles are unaffected. But according to Dawn Society records, mixed circles are different. Since the elements are irregularly intertwined, they’re tens of times more affected. It’s due to their separation and amplification traits… Ray, are you listening?”*

He had tuned out the beginning, but he understood the conclusion clearly.

Breaking a bluemoon stone would weaken the surrounding mixed circles.

Thus, inside the cathedral, objects containing hidden bluemoon stones had already been discreetly placed.

Of course, obtaining large quantities of bluemoon stones with high gem value required astronomical funds.

*But that wasn’t a problem at all.*

After all, money was practically piled like mountains in Acrassium.

*“We didn’t steal it.”*

It was borrowed—and they intended to pay it back.

Philip, left behind at the mansion, was diligently managing the Amon family businesses and growing the group’s shared assets.

If he worked hard for ten years, maybe he could clear all their debts.

*Nod.*

That was Ray, giving Philip a strong motivation to earn money.

As the boy and girl walked, they carefully memorized the route of the Saintess’ vehicle.

It was a contingency, in case they failed to protect her at the cathedral.

And then—

“Over there…!”

Veronica suddenly pointed at something, surprised.

On a worn-out mat, a beggar sat in front of a donation box.

From the rooftop of a nearby building, a steel beam was falling.

The beggar didn’t even move to avoid it.

Ray ran. Veronica ran too.

*Bang—!*

The barrier was deployed just in time.

The steel beam rolled to the ground with a clatter.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Th-Thank you…! I-I think I’m alright, just a bit scraped…!”

*Whooom.*

A white glow enveloped the beggar’s scratched area.

As Veronica cast healing magic, Ray looked at her and thought:

The white mana of her circle seemed to shine more brightly with each passing day.

“That sound just now…”

“Was it light? Magic?”

People were starting to gather, but Veronica seemed too focused to notice.

“At least it’s nothing serious… Ah.”

Veronica spotted the beggar’s blackened leg and let out a quiet gasp.

“…Is it paralysis syndrome?”

“Yes, y-yes it is.”

The beggar explained he used to work on construction sites.

He had often been exposed to the black rain during outdoor labor, and eventually, one leg darkened and stopped functioning properly.

“….”

Veronica bit her lip after hearing that.

Paralysis syndrome was one of the most devastating diseases caused by the black rain.

*Rustle, rustle!*

She pulled a pouch of pills from her bag and handed it to the beggar.

“I made this myself. It eases the pain of paralysis syndrome and relaxes the muscles so you can move again. It’s only temporary and not a permanent cure, but… I hope it helps, even a little. I’m sorry I couldn’t give more. The ingredients are rare, so this was all I could make.”

The beggar stared, bewildered, between Veronica and the pouch.

“It’s okay. I’ve tested it several times. It definitely won’t harm your body.”

Veronica reassured him with a warm voice.

Medicine, pharmacology, healing magic—

She had studied all of them whenever she could find time.

She analyzed patient samples and soil from various sectors.

The result:

While she couldn’t create a complete cure, she had managed to produce a medicine that eased symptoms.

A new drug.

Usually impossible for a single individual to develop, but her persistence, dedication, and innate comprehension made it possible.

The herbs gathered from the Last Forest and the dew-turned reagents in her lab also played a key role.

And the girl had come to understand—

Why no medicine for black rain diseases existed in the market.

The reason was simple.

*“Because there’s no profit in it.”*

Developing new medicine costs a fortune.

Using farmland for rare herbs also carries significant opportunity costs.

Naturally, such drugs would be expensive.

But victims of the black rain were almost always lower-class laborers.

*“A new drug wouldn’t sell.”*

So no company developed one.

Unless the heads of pharmaceutical firms suddenly grew a conscience.

But Veronica was different.

She had always handed out her medicine for free to the sick she met in the streets.

“Try swallowing this. Here’s some water.”

Just like now.

The beggar, hesitating with trembling lips, finally swallowed the pill.

“Try standing up.”

Veronica held the beggar’s hand as he shakily rose.

“Are you ready?”

“J-Just a moment…”

The beggar already seemed to sense a change in his body.

After a deep breath, when Veronica let go—

“Ah…”

The blackened leg moved.

He walked a few steps—by himself.

While he stared in disbelief, a shout rang out.

“He was paralyzed, but now he’s walking!”

Veronica looked around and finally realized how many people were watching.

“Huh? Since when were you all here…?”

“For a while now.”

Unused to being the center of attention, Veronica turned bright red and hid behind Ray’s back.

Then she pulled up his hood to cover her face.

But she couldn’t block out the voices.

“It’s the Saintess!”

“The Saintess!”

“She made the paralyzed man walk!”

“The Saintess has performed a miracle!”

Veronica whispered under her breath.

“A-Are they talking about me?”

“Seems like it.”

Swept up in the moment, the crowd was already chanting “Saintess” like a mantra.

Her head was spinning.

Her face burned like fire.

Still wearing Ray’s hood, Veronica pushed at his back and shouted loud enough for the beggar to hear:

“Please use them sparingly when you need to! And please wait for me! I’ll develop a cure!”

“The Saintess is fleeing!”

“Don’t leave us, Saintess!”

“Saintess!”

Dodging the flood of cries, the two ran into a deserted alleyway.

Catching her breath, Veronica spoke with a bitter smile.

“It would’ve been nice if the real Saintess appeared. Don’t you think?”

“…….”

Ray knew this kind of emotion from her was rare.

Because Veronica was always so cheerful.

“Then Pieta might have lived a happier life. Instead of struggling to survive, only to be sacrificed to those Dawn Society people.”

Veronica looked up at the sky, blanketed in black clouds.

Pieta, who could not see.

Blindness was another disease caused by the black rain.

If she was born that way, it meant her mother must have been exposed for a long time during pregnancy.

Ray lifted his head too, glaring at the black clouds as Veronica did.

Of course, the clouds didn’t disappear.

As they stared upward together—

“Ray.”

Veronica said.

“Yeah?”

“I think I know now.”

“Know what?”

“Why the black rain causes disease. From what the Guardians said, mana *is* emotion, and emotion *is* mana, right? And black rain forms when overly mixed mana rises to the sky and darkens.”

So—

“It must be incredibly harmful. If the black rain is made from clumps of emotional residue.”

Ray looked at Veronica.

“Do you think emotion is harmful?”

“If it doesn’t overflow and stays in harmony, it’s okay. In fact, it’s wonderful and beautiful. But if it’s all jumbled together without order, it has to be harmful to the human body.”

It was something he could agree with.

That tangled, black mana filled with all kinds of emotion symbolized malice and fear toward others…

How much time passed like that?

“But if we do find the real Saintess, the reincarnation of the Sun, then black rain won’t fall anymore, right?”

Veronica looked like her previously sunken mood had lifted a little.

“Isn’t it so romantic? The Sun coming down in pursuit of the rainbow it loves.”

“I don’t really know.”

“Ray, are you trying to get yourself killed?”

“I meant I don’t see why it wouldn’t be romantic.”

Faced with her sharp glare, Ray swiftly revised his stance.

Veronica, gazing up at the sky, continued to murmur sentimentally.

“Do you think the rainbow knew the Sun loved it?”