Genius Wizard who sees Rainbows- Chapter 46

**#046. Where Malice Gathers (3)**

 

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“I don’t recognize your face. Are you a new recruit? What brings you all the way out here?”

“Ah, yes! He’s a new recruit who joined a few days ago. He’s really good at fighting, so he quickly rose to the rank of Vice leader. I wanted to make sure to introduce him to you, sir, so I brought him along!”

The man narrowed his eyes.

Before anyone could react, he closed the distance and grabbed both of Ray’s shoulders tightly, pressing his face close to his until their eyes met.

“You look familiar,” the man said.

His face was devoid of any humor now.

The man’s and the boy’s gazes locked, with their faces so close that the space between them was barely the width of a hand.

“I’m sure I’ve seen you somewhere before. Hmm. I’m not the type to keep trivial memories in my head.”

Perhaps irritated that the memory was just on the tip of his mind but out of reach, the man gritted his teeth.

Though his expression and sound were very threatening, Ray did not show any reaction.

He simply met the man’s gaze with his usual indifferent look.

It was fine.

No matter how hard the man stared, he wouldn’t recognize Ray.

When they had crossed paths a few days ago at the entrance of the basement building, there had been no sign of hostility or suspicion in the man’s demeanor—**not even a little**.

This meant that the man’s subconscious hadn’t made the connection between the boy wandering near the basement and the one he had fought in that same basement.

And, unless something drastic happened, that connection would never be made.

Ray, who had long observed the emotions and behavioral patterns of people, knew this well.

*…I never expected him to forget our encounter at the building entrance, though.*

His memory wasn’t very good.

Ray hadn’t anticipated this.

But it wasn’t an issue, as it worked in his favor. It didn’t harm his plans in any way.

“Have we met before?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t remember.”

The man released Ray’s shoulders and took a few steps back.

The cold, stern expression he had earlier was replaced by a sinister smile.

“Well, your build is a bit lacking, but it’s fine. Your muscles feel firm enough. You’re fit… no, well-suited to become one of Mercred’s recruits.”

The word fit might have been replaced with sacrifice, but Kedrick didn’t catch the slip. Instead, he reacted to the mention of Murcred’s recruits, and a faint feeling of confusion bloomed in his mind.

*…Ray said this person was up to something bad. I don’t know exactly what, but…*

He had accepted this statement.

But what if Ray was wrong? What if the man, whom Kedrick had been calling “sir,” was actually right?

What if he was throwing away the rare opportunity to become a member of a massive organization?

“Let’s finish this explanation then. Kedrick, were you playing with fire in the hideout?”

As the man grinded his teeth, struggling to come up with an answer, Ray moved his lips behind the man’s back, silently speaking something to Kedrick.

**“Trust me.”**

The confusion in Kedrick’s mind dispersed like powder, scattering in all directions.

“There was a fire, but it wasn’t because we were playing around. A drum barrel fell over last night…”

Kedrick calmly and skillfully continued explaining as he guided the man to the site of the abandoned factory.

Ray, watching them for a moment, began to follow, maintaining a slight distance.

*Kedrick is doing even better than I expected.*

Ray had noticed it before when teaching Kedrick fighting techniques, but the boy was quite competent.

No matter what instructions were given, Kedrick understood exactly what to do and executed it without fault. He was also quick on his feet when unexpected situations arose.

Though he often struggled with emotional instability due to the aftermath of the red mana, it was never a serious problem.

Ray knew that all that was needed was to calm him down, like he had just done.

*…It’s actually not a bad thing either.*

Guiding another’s emotions in the desired direction was a rather meaningful experience for Ray.

“The hideout was completely burned down. So where are the rest of your people? Please tell me they’re not scattered all over the place.”

As the man frowned, Kedrick quickly added.

“No, they’re living outside for now.”

“Living outside, huh?”

“Yes. But we found a new place for the hideout recently. Once the furniture is set up, we’ll move in. It’s not far from here, so you can check it out today…”

“Let’s do that. You can’t build a nest in some strange place.”

“Yes! And we should be able to reach the target number of people soon.”

The mention of reaching the target number caused the man’s previously contorted expression to relax, and the vessel in his heart filled with intense joy and excitement.

“So how many people are there now?”

“There are exactly 63 people now.”

“Three more. The conditions must be just right.”

“Yes, of course. As you saw last time, we’ve selected only the bigger and stronger individuals.”

**Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!**

“Heh heh. Hahaha──!!”

The man suddenly burst into wild laughter, clapping his hands as he did so.

It took quite a while for him to calm down before finally speaking again.

“Alright. Let’s go. To this new hideout of yours. When I come next time, all 66 of us should be gathered there, right?”

“Yes! Exactly! I’ll guide you!”

The man, along with Kedrick, headed deeper into the garbage dump.

Just as Ray was about to start following them, the man turned around and asked.

“You there, the Vice-leader. What’s your name?”

Ray hesitated for a moment but soon replied.

“Niles.”

“Niles, huh? That’s not a very common name. Come here. Don’t walk so far behind.”

“Yes.”

Ray quickly adjusted his pace to match theirs and listened to the conversation between Kedrick and the man while questioning himself.

Why did I use the name Niles?

I had a fake name prepared beforehand.

That moment was truly strange.

The name Niles had slipped out so naturally the moment the man asked.

As if it were the only correct answer to fill in the blank.

Why?

To the boy, the world was made of cause and effect, and this rule applied to his own actions as well.

Every action had a reason.

Helping Veronica was to gain knowledge about magic and access books.

Helping Philip was to save as much money as possible while staying in Sector 49.

But this time, he couldn’t find a motive, and that fact left the boy puzzled.

—
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“I still can’t believe we’re becoming real members of the organization.”

“We were lucky. The organization happened to be training a special task force at this time. Once we arrive at headquarters, everyone will live in dorms and undergo training.”

“It feels like a dream. Meeting you feels like the greatest fortune of my life.”

Ray decided to focus on the present situation and joined the conversation.

“Sir, may I ask a question?”

“Hm? Go ahead, vice-leader. Speak your mind.”

The man’s demeanor radiated a sense of superiority and satisfaction, a result of Kedrick’s continual flattering remarks under Ray’s instruction.

Ray understood well.

People were more prone to reveal vulnerabilities when they felt positive emotions rather than negative ones.

And this man seemed to be starved for recognition.

It wasn’t easy for someone to become this elated by the flattery of minors much younger than himself.

“I was wondering if the headquarters is in a separate sector, and if so, which one?”

“That’s right, sir. I’m curious as well.”

Perhaps in a good mood, the man answered the question quite readily.

“Murcred doesn’t have branches. Members carry out missions as they move from place to place.”

There was no significant shift in his emotions, indicating the statement was true.

“And the headquarters is in Sector 43. All the organization’s operations are planned there.”

This time, a faint tremor ran through his emotional state.

The ambiguity suggested a mix of truth and falsehood.

The idea that headquarters was the central hub of all operations likely held some truth.

“…The claim that headquarters is in Sector 43 is a lie.”

From the outset, the notion of bringing street kids into the organization had been an outright falsehood.

He had no intention of taking them to headquarters; the sector number was likely fabricated on the spot.

The man’s real purpose was to use the children as offerings for something.

—

“What kind of work will we be assigned once we’re part of the organization?”

“You’re full of questions, aren’t you? Well, it makes sense—you’re about to experience a life-changing moment. Fine, ask me anything. Haha.”

Ray continued to ask questions, carefully observing the man’s emotions.

Although answers came easily, they offered little valuable information.

It didn’t seem that the man was deliberately hiding information; rather, he appeared genuinely uninformed about many aspects of the organization.

—

The three continued walking, their steps kicking up dry dust from the barren ground.

The heaps of scrap metal lining the path glinted dully under the dim sunlight.

After several more questions, Ray asked the one he had been saving.

“What kind of person is the boss?”

The man abruptly halted.

Ray and Kedrick stopped in tandem.

“……”

The man’s previously constant smile vanished completely, leaving him tight-lipped.

Two new emotions had emerged in his heart, replacing the earlier ones.

Admiration. And fear.

To Ray, these feelings weren’t particularly remarkable—he had seen them frequently among the children in the hotel and on the streets.

But when these two emotions appeared together, the story changed.

‘They don’t naturally align.’

All emotions had oppositional counterparts:

Happiness contrasted with sadness.

Trust opposed distrust.

Anticipation countered disappointment.

Ray had meticulously categorized these emotional pairs in his mind.

Why?

Not because he had a profound understanding of emotions—he could barely claim that as a boy who was half-crippled emotionally.

Rather, it was more of an instinctual realization.

‘These two emotions are repelling each other.’

Like opposing forces, the two clashed within the man, with fear slightly dominating.

“Boss… Yes, the boss is incredible. Someone so great that someone like me can’t even dare to look at him…”

The man muttered, biting his nails.

His admiration and fear, while not exact opposites, clearly belonged to different realms.

—

The man’s actions grew more erratic. He moved faster, muttering to himself incomprehensibly as the three reached an abandoned factory.

“This is the place, sir.”

“Let’s take a look inside.”

The creaking sound of the metal door echoed as it swung open, revealing the interior of the factory.

Cracked tiles and exposed dirt floors.

High ceilings where sunlight filtered through broken windows.

—

Ray watched the man as he began pacing, seemingly measuring the space.

‘If I were to attack him now, could I win?’

The man possessed two mana circles, while Ray had only one.

Through recent practice, Ray had learned the extent of his abilities and had come to a conclusion:

‘The difference in the number of mana circles is absolute.’

Defeating him through direct confrontation seemed impossible.

For now, Ray resolved to wait. Observing and finding the right moment had always been his strength.

Time would reveal vulnerabilities in even the strongest opponents.

—

While Ray continued to observe intently, the man spun around and addressed Kedrick.

“When is the move to this place scheduled?”

“There’s someone I know at a furniture store. We’ve arranged to pick up discarded furniture tomorrow! With everything else taken care of, I believe the move will be finalized the day after tomorrow!”

“That date is definite, Hu?”

“Yes, absolutely!”

“Then, three days from now, I’ll return to this location. I’ll properly introduce myself to your subordinates and formally greet them.”

“Yes! We’ll ensure everything is ready by then!”

The man smiled in satisfaction at Kedrick’s spirited reply.

He then turned around and began to wander through the abandoned factory, slowly surveying the area.

His palm faced downward.

From it, a crimson mana spilled like fine sand, sinking into the ground along the path he walked.

It began to emit a vivid, glowing light.

‘What is that…?’

A typical mage would not have been able to discern what the man was doing.

Not without exceptional mana-sensing capabilities.

But Ray, with his unique perception, couldn’t help but notice.

The man was drawing a pattern using mana.

He was treating the entire abandoned factory as a massive canvas.

From Ray’s perspective, it wasn’t possible to identify the exact shape of the pattern since he wasn’t viewing it from above.

But one thing was clear: the design was highly intricate and meticulously detailed.

Once the pattern appeared to be complete, the man stopped moving.

He then reached into his pocket and took out an object—red gemstones, the size of fingernails, like the ones Ray had seen in the basement.

*Woom—*

The gems rose from the man’s palm, floating upward.

They scattered outward, positioning themselves at several critical points along the pattern’s edges.

There, they hovered, gently bobbing up and down.

*Snap!*

With a snap of the man’s fingers, the gems began to radiate a sinister crimson light.

In Ray’s pale eyes, reflecting the eerie red glow, an intense curiosity shimmered.

 

 

 

 

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