Chapter 173 – Place of Stay (Three)

“No one is leaving?”

“Right. No one is leaving. Everyone decided to stay at the mansion.”

…This was an unexpected situation.

Currently, including Ayla and her sibling, there were 26 disciples at the mansion.

I had thought at least half of them would leave, but for all of them to decide to stay…

I immediately voiced my question.

“Why?”

“Well, because you said you’d teach us magic.”

At Ayla’s words, the lined-up disciples all nodded in unison.

Each and every one of them had a strong light of longing and aspiration flickering in their eyes.

“Everyone is grateful to you. They say it’s a debt they could never repay in a lifetime, but thanks to you, they can continue their studies.”

“…I did say I would teach you magic.”

But it wasn’t said with such grand intentions.

It was simple profit calculation.

If I built a force of similar strength, it might help when dealing with the Indigo Dawn Society or Mercread later.

Ray, after looking over the disciples once, opened his mouth.

“As I said, I will teach you magic. But not right away. I have to leave the Sector in two days.”

“Le… leaving?”

“I’ll be back in about a week at the shortest, a month at the longest.”

The momentarily buzzing atmosphere in the hall calmed down at Ray’s following words.

“Though, I might not come back.”

It didn’t.

Ain raised his hand sharply from among the disciples and spoke.

“Hyung, are you going somewhere dangerous? Then take me. For you, Hyung, I can risk my life to help!”

“No.”

“Th… that fast? Why?”

“You’re only at the 1st Circle.”

Ayla, who had been listening to the conversation, leaned in with expectant eyes and asked.

“Then what about me? I’m at the 3rd Circle.”

“You’re not coming either.”

“For what reason?”

“You have to stay at the mansion in my place and teach the kids magic.”

A brief silence.

Ayla asked again, somewhat awkwardly.

“Me…?”

“You teach the magic. You can follow the curriculum Binjin made. Or make a completely new one.”

Ray took a breath and concluded.

“It’s your choice.”

“…….”

Ayla didn’t say things like she wasn’t capable, as she had before.

She just thought for a moment and said.

“Alright, I’ll try.”

After giving Ayla and Ain a few more instructions, Ray left the mansion and opened his umbrella again.

Pang!

Tududu─! Tudududu─!

Listening to the sound of rain pouring down overhead, he crossed the garden.

Unlike when he entered, many vehicles were gathered near the tower.

Workers in hard hats and raincoats were repairing the disgracefully damaged tower.

A man who had been giving instructions on-site hurriedly ran over and bowed respectfully.

“D… did you sleep well last night? We are proceeding with the work as instructed.”

It was Basel, who had become the number one of the Amon Family thanks to Ray.

He trembled incessantly, unable to even make eye contact.

“How long until the repairs are finished?”

“A… at the latest, within three days!”

“Move all the artifacts inside to the mansion’s warehouse. Move them carefully. If even one goes missing in the process, I’ll hold you responsible.”

The artifacts Binjin had collected over his lifetime numbered exactly 172 types.

Among them, the uses of many were not yet known, and even those that were mostly weren’t items with particularly amazing functions.

But later, when Curiosa arrived and examined them, she might make new discoveries.

Basel’s head bowed even deeper upon hearing Ray’s threat.

“D… don’t worry. I’ve already warned the workers, and Operatives are stationed inside for surveillance. Also, I’m personally on-site managing it. No one would dare lay a hand on the Wizard’s property.”

Basel, hastily appealing to his management skills, spoke as if he remembered something.

“Ah…! And I brought the vehicle matching the conditions you requested earlier.”

Basel guided Ray to the side of the work vehicles.

There, a double-decker bus of a size that couldn’t be described as merely large was showing off its majestic presence.

“It’s an item Mercenaries modified and used. The windows are bulletproof glass, and the body is reinforced with steel plates, so it won’t budge against most attacks. There’s plenty of space for luggage, and the second floor is divided into several small rooms….”

“Cannons?”

“Huh?”

“I prefer ones with cannons. It would be good if it could drive in water or fire too.”

“…….”

For a moment, Basel felt like saying something.

But life was precious.

“S… sorry. It’s difficult to find a vehicle that meets those conditions as well….”

“It’s fine.”

Tossing a dry remark, Ray moved his steps and examined the bus himself.

It didn’t meet all the conditions, but it could be called a sufficiently excellent vehicle.

Basel, as if waiting, handed Ray a bundle of documents as he got off the vehicle.

They were blueprints for several mansions.

“As you mentioned, I prepared several designs. If none of them suit your taste, I’ll prepare them again.”

“No need.”

Ray, examining the blueprints, picked out one of them.

It was a blueprint depicting a small mansion with a plain design.

“Y… yes, where should we build the structure?”

Ray, checking the area of the mansion noted on the blueprint, raised Mana.

Nearby stones floated up and flew to a distant part of the inner courtyard, landing in a specific shape.

“Build it like that.”

“Yes. Understood.”

“Be careful. It’s a place where I’ll be staying.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

To be precise, it was a place where he and his entire party would be staying.

“But it seems you’ve decided to settle completely in Sector 37.”

“To some extent.”

It was half right and half wrong.

Ray stroked the two stone fragments in his pocket.

─Clatter.

They were the Spatial Stones that had been stored in the top-floor safe of the tower.

Consumable items that could construct a permanent Spatial Path connecting two locations.

‘According to Binjin’s memory, that is.’

Ray planned to later ask Curiosa to connect the bus and the mansion with a Spatial Path.

That way, no matter where he moved by vehicle, he could freely come and go to the mansion.

Of course, constructing a passageway using Spatial Stones was a high-difficulty task requiring a Spatial Magic expert to expend physical and mental energy over a long period.

‘Curiosa will do it anyway.’

It didn’t matter.

Ray continued his thoughts.

He had been thinking about a stable Hideout for a while.

However, the reason he chose this place as the location for that Hideout was…

“…….”

Ray turned his gaze and looked back at Binjin’s mansion.

The window.

Ayla, who made eye contact, hurriedly hid her figure with a wooden puppet-like gesture.

Beside her, Ain and the children were waving their hands with bright faces.

So.

The reason he chose this place as the Hideout location was because there were things holding warmth nearby.

But with the hope that warmth wouldn’t be too close.

That was the reason he deliberately spaced out the distance between the old mansion and the new mansion.

After hearing a few more reports from Basel, Ray turned his steps toward the main gate again.

Then, something running from afar.

─Woof! Woof woof!

“Kelly, I told you not to run.”

Hearing Ray’s words, Kelly hurriedly slowed down and approached hesitantly.

“You don’t have to go that far.”

Returning to Kelly’s normal walking speed, it came and sat before Ray.

Ray grabbed the giant tongue that was trying to lick his face with a thwack.

‘It really is like a tongue. What on earth is it made of?’

Imagining disassembling Kelly for a moment, Ray released the saliva-drenched tongue and said what he originally intended.

“Kelly, sorry, but unless it’s absolutely necessary, don’t run around in the inner courtyard. The more you run, the more Black Smoke billows up.”

Kelly just panted.

But Ray knew it understood his words.

Stroking Kelly’s head with a friendly hand, he continued.

“Who made you?”

“Huff huff.”

“Who was your original owner?”

“Huff huff huff.”

“Can I take you apart?”

“Woof! Woof woof woof!”

Ray fled from Kelly, who bared its teeth.

Soon, he realized Kelly was chasing him with slow steps.

‘If only the Black Smoke didn’t appear, I’d let you run around as much as you want.’

Suddenly, something crossed his mind.

Ray approached Kelly and infused it with Gem’s Mana.

Vroom!

The brilliant yellow Mana drove out all the various Hues of Mana flowing through Kelly’s body, and then.

Instantly.

“Woof! Woof woof! Woof woof!”

Kelly started running.

At an incredible speed never seen before.

As if it couldn’t control its strength.

─Wh… what’s this! It was so docile earlier!

─Dodge! Oh, oh, it’s coming!

─Th… the wall we just filled!

─It’s collapsingggg!

Chaos broke out at the worksite due to Kelly running amok everywhere.

Ray looked not at Kelly but at the empty space above it and thought.

‘The Black Smoke isn’t billowing up.’

The yellow Gem’s Mana was now performing the role alone that the previously mixed various colors of Mana had been doing.

Just as Ray was marveling at this newly discovered fact.

“Huff, huff, huff! W… Wizard! Th… that thing! C… could you please stop it?”

Basel hurriedly ran over and requested.

Ray answered blankly in a voice still lost in thought.

“It’s fine. Kelly doesn’t bite.”

“H… huh? It… it doesn’t bite, but it’s smashing everything…”

“Right. But it smashes instead.”

Then, another anomaly that occurred grabbed Ray’s attention.

Something yellow was rising from the ground around Kelly.

“Woof! Woof woof!”

Kelly started barking towards that thing made of Mana.

But it rose endlessly, growing huge.

“Kyiing! Kyaang! Kyaaeng!”

Soon, Kelly started fleeing, chased by it.

Ray looked at the spectacle and thought.

‘Why are you coming out from there?’

That thing with a long, huge body made of yellow Mana was Lacria.

I definitely saw it flying far into the sky yesterday after helping subdue the Amon Family.

For now… judging by its appearance, it seemed to be targeting the Gem’s Mana flowing in Kelly’s body.

“Kyaaeng! Kyaang! Kyiing!”

It seemed intervention was necessary.

Creak─ Clank!

Exiting the mansion’s main gate, Ray hurriedly moved his steps for the next task.

The destination was Ignis’s Cube.

He needed to check John and Skyle’s accounts, which he hadn’t been able to verify while focusing on Binjin and the mansion.

Next, he had to head to the Metropolt Inn on 27th Street to meet the exploration Captain Gaiol.

Squelch─ Squelch─ Squelch─

“…….”

While rapidly advancing, stepping in puddles, he focused his mind on the Ring.

He could feel the strangely shaped patterns floating along the Ring’s surface.

They were Contract Seals.

Signifying that the boy and the snake were bound according to a mutually agreed-upon promise.

The content of the Contract was that the boy would periodically supply the snake with Gem’s Mana, and the snake would lend its power to the boy whenever he wished.

Squelch─ Squelch─

‘It’s a bit puzzling.’

According to Binjin’s memory, making a Contract with a Spirit was an extremely difficult task.

Spirits had very strong pride.

They absolutely did not make Contracts with just anyone.

Moreover, according to Lacria’s words—no, its thoughts—Spirits didn’t particularly like humans.

‘But it showed favor towards me.’

And deep favor at that.

An immense favor that couldn’t be explained by mere gratitude for the help received yesterday.

Lacria said through its thoughts.

「You are definitely human. But I don’t feel the same aversion as with other humans.」

It was an unknowable matter.

Though the Contract was accepted because the Gem’s Mana was infinite, so there was no particular reason to refuse.

While lost in thought, he had already arrived before the Cube at the 1st Street plaza.

The Nostra Clan, the occupying organization of 1st Street, was in a situation of being greatly pushed by the Amon Family.

Perhaps because of that.

The Nostra Clan Operatives who targeted Cube users were nowhere to be seen.

Without hesitation, Ray approached the Cube and took out his Black Card, holding it against the wall surface.

────.

Soon, a sensation of his body moving somewhere and his vision being dyed with light.

And not long after.

As the light gradually cleared, a cube-shaped room made of white marble appeared on all sides.

A voice echoed from the Light Cluster floating ahead.

[Soul recognition complete. Welcome to your 3rd visit. User number 1. Your current location is Business Processing Room number 14.]

“You’re not actually a machine, are you?”

[Ignis, boasting the highest security, currently only allows new membership through introductions from existing members.]

“Everyone knows you’re human.”

[Ignis boasts the best service for easily finding or entrusting money anywhere.]

“How much is your salary?”

Unable to let go of the suspicion he had harbored for a while, Ray spoke to the Light Cluster before returning to his original purpose.

“I want to withdraw money.”

[You have selected the ‘Withdrawal’ service. Please place your card on the sensor above.]

Whirr─ Clack!

The floor split open, and a small pillar rose to chest height.

Ray’s subsequent actions were swift.

He scanned his card on the panel placed on the pillar, pressed the pad to input his password, and placed his palm to authenticate the pattern.

[Owner verification complete. Ray.]

[Password matches.]

[Pattern recognition successful. Pattern matches registered owner.]

[Checking account.]

A holographic number panel showing the account balance soon flickered in the air.

“Oh.”

Ray, checking the number, let out an exclamation of admiration.