Chapter 193 – What You Lose When You Become an Adult (One)

Ray met with the Elders in the conference room after their duties ended.

“So? Did you get a good look around Rael Row?”

“Thanks to Is, I was well guided. I haven’t seen every place yet, but it was interesting how your lifestyle seems similar to humans yet different.”

The Elders nodded with gestures full of pride and briefly discussed Is among themselves.

“Still, it seems Is performed his role well, so that’s fortunate.”

“Hasn’t he been a bit quiet lately? He hardly talks about wanting to leave Rael Row anymore.”

“He’s maturing bit by bit.”

Hmm.

Ray inwardly repeated the thought and asked.

“I heard Is could have become an Elder in the future.”

“That’s right. He voluntarily gave up during his training. Does anyone remember what Is said back then?”

At Parun’s question, an Elder in the next seat answered.

“He said he couldn’t bear being taxidermied inside a rigid life. That he might suffocate and die.”

“Right, that’s what he said. It was a statement brimming with the recklessness of youth.”

The Elders’ laughter followed.

Ray suddenly realized he was feeling a certain kind of unpleasant emotion.

The identity of that emotion, with its rough texture, was a faint sense of displeasure.

“I don’t think it’s reckless at all.”

The abruptly thrown words brought silence to the conference room.

Parun, his eyebrows twitching, soon asked in a probing voice.

“Why do you think so?”

“Is’s thoughts aren’t that immature. It’s a decision made after plenty of contemplation and heartache.”

At Ray’s words, Parun chuckled.

“I wondered what you meant, but it seems you’re still young and taking Is’s side. Let me give you one lesson: unrefined, raw freedom is no different from self-indulgence. What awaits at its end is only profound chaos. You too will understand how important and precious a quantified life is once you grow older and become an adult.”

“……”

Freedom and self-indulgence.

Adult. Quantified life.

Many thoughts and words came to mind, but after confirming the unshakable emotions within the Elders’ Vessels, Ray chose not to open his mouth.

However, differences of opinion soon arose again in the continued conversation.

“Still no thoughts about selling the Current Stone?”

“I still have no such intention.”

“Reconsider. That Current Stone is of no use to you whatsoever.”

“I said in our last conversation that my goal is to complete the Rainbow. So, I’m actually thinking I’d like you to hand over the Current Stone to me.”

Parun let out a hollow laugh.

“The Rainbow, isn’t that too fanciful a tale? The kind of fantasy only young children would believe…”

“It’s not fanciful at all.”

“I simply cannot understand your thinking. Anyway, if we obtain one more Current Stone, we can increase the output of all facilities built inside and outside Rael Row.”

“That output should actually be lowered.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I heard you’re looking for a Settlement.”

Parun frowned.

“Who said that?”

“Is.”

“How curious. It’s not that secretive a story, but our young libertarian isn’t the type to open his mouth to just anyone.”

Parun, trailing off for a moment, nodded as if understanding.

“Well, you’re similar in age, so you must have become close quickly.”

That didn’t seem to be the case.

Though he did give him growth pills.

Anyway, Ray explained the reason why the facilities’ output should be lowered.

Excessively mixed and used Atmospheric Mana becomes Black Smoke, rises into the sky, and forms the Black Cloud.

“Ultimately, the faster Rael Row moves, the more the land gets polluted, and finding a Settlement becomes even harder. The Mana extracted from the Current Stone is fine, but it’s better to reduce the usage of Atmospheric Mana.”

The Elders, having heard Ray’s story, maintained silence for a moment, then burst into laughter in unison.

“In all my life, I’m hearing such a story for the first time!”

“What’s the source of this tale? The imagination of a jester living in your head?”

“We’ve also collected rainwater and conducted various analyses. But not even a single component, let alone Mana, was detected inside. The cause of the Black Rain we’re presuming is something else.”

Ray further elaborated on the process of Mana transforming into Black Smoke, but the Elders, showing strong confidence in their research capabilities, didn’t believe the story at all.

“……”

Ray discovered he had given up on convincing them at some point.

Afterwards, the topic returned to the Current Stone, but the conversation merely went in circles without any results.

“It seems our respective positions are too strong for the discussion to conclude easily. How about staying in Rael Row a few more days to find a compromise?”

Ray nodded and left the conference room.

Is was outside the door.

“You haven’t gone back.”

“My guiding duty lasts until all of you return to your rooms.”

“I’ve memorized the way, so I don’t need it.”

“No, I’ll guide you.”

The two boys headed to the rooms using stairs and elevators, passing through corridors.

During the move, Is suddenly asked.

“I heard loud laughter from inside earlier. Was there some funny talk going on?”

He seemed curious if his own story had come up.

It seemed this was the reason he insisted on staying to guide them.

“Nothing much. Just that the discussion about the Current Stone wasn’t resolved, so we’ll probably have to stay here a few more days.”

“How long?”

“Up to 5 days.”

More than that would be difficult.

Because tasks piled up like a mountain needed to be handled back in the Sector.

Like with Blue’s case, he might have to be satisfied just identifying the materials of the Rainbow fragments for now.

“After that, we have to leave.”

At the words about leaving Rael Row, a flicker of envy passed through Is’s Vessel.

Afterwards, Is kept circling around with various probing questions to see if his story had come up.

But Ray consistently gave the same answer from start to finish.

“I’m not sure.”

“……”

Finally unable to bear the frustration, Is asked directly.

“Was there no talk about me?”

“They seemed to still consider you a candidate for Elder.”

“Damn old men. May all their beards fall out and never grow back.”

“Why beards?”

“Beards are a Dwarf’s pride. I don’t get it at all, though. Men can’t even be treated as adults if their beards aren’t lush.”

Recalling the well-groomed beards of Dwarf men, Ray nodded.

They were sometimes dyed or twisted in various ways.

It was a moment later that Ray stared at Is’s Vessel and parted his lips.

“If you want to leave, then leave.”

“What?”

“I said, if you want to leave, then leave.”

“What nonsense. I told you. The Elders won’t give permission.”

“Make them give permission.”

“How?”

“Cause trouble.”

Is looked incredulous.

“That’s getting kicked out.”

“Sneak into the bedrooms and burn all the Elders’ beards.”

“……”

“Or tamper with the clock tower hands in the square to mess up everyone’s schedules. There are many ways.”

While Is was giving him a look as if he were a madman this time, the guest room appeared before them.

“Thanks for the advice, but I can’t do such crazy things. Those are actions that break Rael Row’s rules.”

Having said that, Is turned and left.

And then.

“You’re just not desperate enough.”

A single phrase heard from behind stopped his steps.

Is turned his body, but Ray had already disappeared into the room.

The young Dwarf stood frozen in a daze, unable to leave the spot for a while.

The next day. And the day after that.

Time passed quickly, but the conversations with the Elders showed no particular progress.

“I told you. They’re stubborn old men you can’t reason with. Of course, I don’t believe that story about Mana tangling and becoming Black Smoke either.”

The watchtower of Rael Row, temporarily anchored in a fierce sandstorm.

A boy wearing a helmet in the shape of a gas mask and a thick coat spoke to the boy next to him in the same attire.

“And that Rainbow thing is also a bit unrealistic. A seven-colored band appearing in the clear sky.”

At Is’s words, Ray replied.

“It seems much more realistic than the thought of flying in the sky.”

“No. This is much more realistic.”

“Not really.”

“Your thought is even less so.”

“Your thought is even more less so.”

The two boys, exchanging sentences growing longer by one word each, stopped talking and gazed at the sandstorm enveloping them and the swirling Magics.

Suddenly, Is spoke.

“Later, when I go high up into the sky, I’ll check for you. If there really is a Rainbow there.”

“……”

Ray was curious about that too.

What indeed existed above if one pierced through the ash-gray and black clouds that always covered the sky.

Ray asked.

“But why are you out here even during your free time after duties? Especially now when you can’t even see the sky because of the storm.”

“Just. It’s stuffy inside.”

Is’s gaze directed forward.

The vigilance filling his Vessel.

‘It seems more like monitoring for any potential enemy approach.’

Was it some kind of inevitable affection because it was his birthplace?

It was a somewhat contradictory action compared to his words about being ready to leave Rael Row anytime.

How much time passed like that?

“That thing now…”

“……”

The two boys witnessed a shimmering red dot beyond the sandstorm.

An extremely ominous aura.

A phenomenon of a completely different nature from the naturally occurring Magics within the storm was approaching in their direction.

Is felt a chilling sensation run down his spine.

“Run, inform the Elders immediately.”

Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, he immediately disappeared through the door behind them.

Scre─eech! Thud!

Ray spread Mana throughout his body and stared at the red dot.

The red dot approaching in a straight line gradually elongated, taking the shape of a sharp, pointed rod.

What completed was.

‘A sword.’

The moment a certain figure suddenly flashed in Ray’s mind.

──.

The red sword leaped explosively toward the watchtower dozens of meters high.

──────!

Simultaneously, hundreds of bundles of electric current shot from the boy’s grasp.

The world flickered for an instant within the raging storm.

When the light cleared and the scenery revealed itself, two figures stood on the watchtower.

A figure in storm gear gripping a red sword plunged into the watchtower floor.

A boy enveloped in yellow currents, keeping his distance from him.

Feeling his throbbing pulse and boiling blood, Ray stared at the opponent.

Similar height to him.

Mask and goggles.

Four Rings containing Crimson Mana.

And a thick storm suit with its right side charred black.

‘He dodged my attack by a hair’s breadth.’

It was at that moment the opponent’s bewildered voice came from behind the mask.

“I dodged this?”

Crackle! Crackle-crackle!

The longsword pulled out from the floor with force dissolved into red energy and was absorbed into the opponent’s hand.

The opponent looked at Ray and kept tilting his head.

“I can’t believe he dodged my attack so easily. Plus, he’s enveloped in Magic. I heard Dwarves can’t use Magic. Ah, maybe he’s wearing special equipment or something. No, but he’s also quite tall for a Dwarf.”

…A more youthful voice than expected.

Without loosening the heightened sensory threads for even a moment, Ray simultaneously deduced the opponent’s identity in his mind.

Unlike the confused opponent, he had quite a few clues.

Red sword. Boy. Storm suit.

‘An Executive of Mercread.’

It was that very figure who had appeared at the Ruins, cut down the Keepers, and advanced to the tower in one go.

Many questions interlocked, collided, vanished, and arose again in the boy’s mind.

Why did the opponent appear here?

Was it under Doctor’s orders?

Or was it an independent action?

How much combat power does the opponent possess?

If we fight, is he an opponent I can defeat?

If I fight and win, what benefit can I gain?

The more he thought, the more the boy could feel rising excitement and exhilaration.

Then, finally, the opponent’s voice, as if realizing something, was heard.

“You, you’re human?”

“I’m a Dwarf.”

Ray said with a straight face.