Genius Wizard who sees Rainbows- Chapter 92

#092. The Weeping Woman (2)

 

 

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—Oh my, what an adorable little traveler we have here. I wonder how you managed to get inside.

Someone picked Nero up from behind.

Because the senses weren’t perfectly shared, the voice wasn’t entirely clear.

It resonated as if submerged in water.

Moreover, due to the way Nero was held, he couldn’t turn his head to see the person’s face.

—I’m sorry, but this is not a place you should be entering. I suppose I should help you find your way out.

Click— Click—

Footsteps echoed through the hallway, and the view advanced forward.

During that time, Nero remained still, showing no signs of resistance.

‘…At least, this person doesn’t seem to be evil.’

It was said that animals had a transcendent intuition for distinguishing good from evil.

Whether the sensation being conveyed through Nero was exactly that, Ray couldn’t be sure, but he strongly felt that this person was not an evildoer.

Creak—

The mansion’s front door opened, shifting the view to the garden.

With each step, the main gate in the distance drew closer.

At the same time Ray lifted the synchronization with Nero’s senses, he opened his eyes and spoke.

“I think we should meet the owner of this mansion.”

He had a suspect in mind.

A woman. A mage. A red hue.

A familiar tone of voice.

The odds of such coincidences occurring were slim, yet every clue pointed to a single possibility.

***

“Oh my.”

The woman straightened up from her bent posture with a gentle smile.

She looked at Nero, who had slipped past the bars and was rubbing against Ray’s feet.

“I had no idea the little gentleman from the bookstore was a mage.”

That same serene smile.

She didn’t appear particularly surprised.

As expected, this woman had already realized that Nero was a summoned beast.

“What brings you here? This is quite a remote place, not somewhere a gentleman and a lady would normally visit.”

Her smiling eyes swept over the group.

Philip seemed quite shocked that the owner of this mansion was the woman they had met at the bookstore.

Veronica, too, hadn’t fully concealed her wariness, having already been informed that this woman was a mage.

Ray stepped forward and asked.

“There’s something I’d like to ask you.”

“What are you curious about?”

“My friends have disappeared. I was wondering if you knew anything about it.”

A direct question.

The woman and the boy’s gazes met.

Ray was the one with a blank expression, yet strangely, it was the woman’s smiling face that felt cold.

A moment of tense silence passed before the woman lifted the corners of her lips and spoke.

“Has everyone eaten? I was just about to have lunch.”

***

Four pairs of footsteps broke the silence of the hallway, spreading in waves.

Click— Click—

One pair at the front.

Tap— Tap—

One pair in the middle.

Tap— Tap— Tap— Tap—

And two pairs at the back.

“All the lights are off.”

“Hm… That’s strange. A mansion of this size shouldn’t have financial issues.”

At the very back, Veronica and Philip whispered cautiously as they looked around.

Just as they said, the mansion’s lights were completely off.

Sunlight streamed in through the windows along the walls, so it wasn’t an issue for movement.

Still, there was no apparent reason to keep the lights off.

Moreover, the deeper they walked into the mansion, the fewer windows there were.

Which meant there was also less light illuminating the interior.

The dimming view gave the eerie sensation of being drawn into a dense forest.

“At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if ghosts appeared.”

“I told you, ghosts don’t exist.”

As Philip and Veronica bickered in hushed voices—

Aha-ha—! So then… Haha—!

Hehe—! Yesterday… I… Hehe—!

Laughter, a dozen voices overlapping, echoed from the far end of the hallway.

It was the same voices Ray had heard while sharing Nero’s senses.

Philip and Veronica, who had not yet been informed of this, gasped and fell silent.

Then, slightly intimidated, they hurried to follow Ray.

At last, they arrived at the dining room.

With an energetic gesture, the woman opened the door.

“Welcome, madam!”

“We’ve been waiting! Let’s eat together!”

Bright, cheerful voices of welcome filled the air, and the view suddenly brightened.

Squinting against the light, they saw a large table.

A rectangular banquet table.

Seated around the prepared feast were eighteen children, including Petro, who had gone missing the day before.

At the far end of the room, behind an empty seat, stood a large arched window, spilling sunlight into the space.

“Madam! Please, have a seat!”

“We even placed the forks and knives in the right spots, just like you taught us!”

The children eagerly called out to the woman.

They didn’t spare a single glance at Ray’s group—not out of deliberate neglect, but because they were entirely focused on the woman.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting. You must all be very hungry.”

Smiling, the woman stepped forward, meeting the eyes of each child.

“We’ll start the meal right away. But first, let me introduce our new friends.”

She turned to Ray’s group.

Eighteen pairs of eyes simultaneously locked onto them.

“…All this attention… Especially from the boys, it’s overwhelming.”

“I-I’m a little scared.”

Feeling the weight of their gazes, Philip and Veronica swallowed nervously.

“These are the friends who will be joining us for today’s meal. Some of you may recognize them, so please give them a warm welcome.”

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap—!

“Nice to meet you! I’ve never seen you before. What district are you from?”

“Welcome! You’re really handsome!”

Showered with enthusiastic greetings, Ray’s group followed the woman inside.

“Joseph, Hormel, could you move over for a bit? I’d like to chat with our new friends today.”

“Yes, madam!”

“Understood, madam!”

At the far end of the table, in front of the woman’s assumed seat, the two children promptly stood up, picking up their plates and trays to move elsewhere.

Following the woman’s lead, Ray’s group took their seats.

“You must have a lot of questions, but let’s talk over a meal, shall we?”

“……”

Ray gazed at the emotions contained within the woman’s vessel.

Rage, hatred, regret, sorrow.

The types and distribution of emotions filling her vessel were identical to what he had seen at the bookstore.

And the question Ray had harbored remained the same.

‘Why hasn’t it exploded yet?’

With that sheer volume of emotions, it should have erupted long ago.

Emotions inevitably burst when they accumulate beyond their limit.

Of course, there were rare cases where emotions completely filled the vessel without exploding.

‘Like when Skyle had artificial emotions implanted.’

But that had been a special case, where emotions were carefully and precisely layered over time.

Furthermore, that instance had included a gradual release—like subtly pilfering objects from a table.

‘And the greed that had accumulated was remarkably static.’

It had felt like hardened, densely packed cheese.

But the woman’s emotions were different.

Each emotion within her vessel churned violently, like heated air in a sealed container.

It was a state where an emotional explosion could occur at any moment.

‘Then how….’

How was she maintaining such a composed exterior?

Clatter.

While Ray was lost in thought, the woman was the first to pick up her utensils.

Clatter, clatter.

The children followed, beginning their meal.

Not with the ravenous mannerisms of street-dwellers, but with precise use of forks and knives.

Their conversation, too, was exchanged in calm, measured tones.

‘Now that I think about it, their clothes are immaculate as well.’

‘Did the madam dress them herself?’

Philip and Veronica exchanged glances before looking at Ray.

Now that everyone had started eating, they seemed to be asking for permission to join.

Ray nodded.

Though the woman’s vessel was brimming with negative emotions, none of it was directed at them.

Which meant there was no reason to tamper with the food.

At Ray’s approval, Philip and Veronica slowly began eating.

Clatter— Clatter—

“We followed the red light to get here.”

Ray initiated the conversation.

“…So, you saw it. I did try to be careful, so people wouldn’t be alarmed.”

She didn’t look particularly concerned about being caught.

With a gentle smile, she spoke.

“I’ve been living here for ten years. For recuperation.”

But the story that followed contained little useful information.

Her name was Lenia, a 2nd-circle mage.

Recently, she had taken an interest in street children and had begun sheltering them.

“I once experienced a terrible tragedy. It felt like my entire world was collapsing. For a long time, I couldn’t even step outside the mansion. But recently, I overcame that grief. Now, I live happily with these children.”

With a compassionate smile, she gazed at the children.

And at that moment, within her vessel, one particular emotion swelled greatly.

A mana imbued with a faint, warm orange hue—

The emotion people called ‘maternal love.’

Ray observed Philip and Veronica’s reactions.

“……”

Philip wore a blank expression, and Ray could easily guess why.

‘Because of the “ten years ago” remark. Philip was separated from his mother ten years ago as well.’

Philip already knew Lenia was not his mother.

But upon hearing that timeframe, the possibility must have rekindled in his mind.

And Veronica—

“You mentioned ‘rescuing’ the children… Did you ask for their consent—”

She stopped herself mid-sentence.

Because the children eating in front of them wore faces of pure happiness.

Expressions they never could have made while living on the streets.

“……”

Veronica fell silent.

From then on, questions about one another were exchanged over the table.

“That necklace… It has a very unique design.”

Ray inquired about it, seeking clues about Murcred.

“Could I ask where you lived before…?”

Philip’s question carried a lingering attachment.

“What exactly made you decide to start rescuing children?”

Veronica asked about the children.

But none of the responses were satisfactory.

Whenever a pointed question arose, Lenia deftly steered the conversation away.

“Well then, may I ask what kind of daily lives the children lead here—”

“My, my. You’re such a pretty young lady. You look just like a doll. I bet you’ll break many hearts when you grow up.”

“Huh? N-no, I wouldn’t… Hehe.”

“But your hair is quite damaged. Traveling a lot must have taken its toll. I know a great remedy—would you like to hear it?”

“Yes! That sounds great! One moment, let me write it down… Ah?!”

Just as she eagerly pulled out her notebook, Veronica snapped back to her senses.

This was how it went.

Every time they asked something, the conversation shifted, and they forgot the original question.

‘Is… Is this the power of adult conversation skills?’

Veronica felt as if an insurmountable wall stood before her.

Desperate to overcome this obstacle, she turned to the Rainbow Expedition’s negotiation expert.

“……”

Philip, wearing a dazed expression, stared blankly at Lenia.

Unfortunately, the one who was supposed to do the sweet-talking was currently out of order.

“You’re quite impressive. A mage at such a young age. I also started magic around your age, but I never learned summoning magic.”

Lenia showed keen interest in Ray and Veronica’s magic.

Especially Ray—she asked him twice as many questions as she did Veronica.

Then—

“Oh dear, I completely forgot to bring tea for after the meal. Could you wait just a moment?”

She momentarily left the room.

The door closed.

The sound of footsteps faded.

And in that instant—

All movement stopped.

The clinking of cutlery ceased.

The quiet laughter vanished.

Eighteen pairs of eyes fixed directly on Ray’s group.

 

 

 

 

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