Chapter 23 – Bookstore Veronica (Four)

Crash───!

A shattering window.

Glass fragments scattering in all directions.

And a rock flying precisely toward the startled girl’s face.

“……!”

Who could have possibly anticipated such a situation?

The girl’s pupils were dyed with terror.

Sensing it was too late to dodge, she squeezed her eyes shut.

But no matter how much time passed, no horrific pain was felt.

“……?”

She slowly opened her eyes.

And couldn’t close her gaping mouth in surprise.

The rock was held in a boy’s hand, right in front of the girl’s face.

A breeze was felt.

The glass fragments were fixed in mid-air as if preserved.

A drop of blood fell from beneath the fist of the boy holding the rock.

‘Ah.’

Veronica could tell.

The boy had used Magic to create wind.

But he hadn’t been able to completely slow the rock’s speed with wind alone.

“Are you oka─.”

The boy’s actions were faster than the girl’s words.

Tap.

Ray immediately approached the window and looked outside.

Amid the pouring rain.

He could see several boys wearing raincoats fleeing across the street.

‘Jepper’s Gang. 4 of them.’

Different guys from yesterday.

Their identity was immediately apparent.

It wasn’t a targeted throw.

Since the inside of the room couldn’t be seen from the street.

Then it should be considered thrown simply as a threat.

He thought breaking the arms of those three yesterday would have been warning enough.

It seemed Jepper had no intention of easily giving up on the ‘request’ regarding the Bookstore.

“This… I’m in your debt again. Thank you. It should have been my job originally. If only my body were intact.”

A voice from behind.

Ray turned around.

The old man’s Mana, starting from his Ring, was just about to be released through his palm.

He had tried to use Magic immediately upon seeing the rock, but his reaction hadn’t been faster than Ray’s.

“Veronica. Please heal him.”

Veronica looked at Ray’s hand with a tearful face.

“Your hand….”

The boy didn’t understand the girl.

It wasn’t a fatal wound, just a slightly scraped palm. Was that something to shed tears over?

Moreover, it wasn’t even her own palm, but someone else’s.

The boy just stared blankly.

Veronica pulled Ray’s hand toward her and used healing magic.

Huum──

The wound healed quickly.

But only up to a point.

After that, Veronica brought a first aid kit and meticulously applied ointment and wrapped it with a bandage.

“This way, it won’t leave a scar.”

“…….”

He didn’t care if it scarred.

It might even help scare off enemies as proof of a fierce fight.

…That might actually be okay.

Anyway, the old man spoke to Veronica after she finished the treatment.

“Now, try not to use Magic until you create a Circle. The number of times you’ve drawn on Atmospheric Mana seems to have piled up quite a bit, from what I remember.”

“Yes. I understand, Grandfather.”

After confirming Veronica’s nod, the old man turned to Ray and said.

“It’s hard to believe you learned Magic on your own. Using Atmospheric Mana faster than the Mana in a Circle is not easy. No matter how much my body and mind have deteriorated.”

The old man’s words weren’t properly reaching Ray’s ears.

Because his mind was entirely focused on Jepper’s Gang.

Ray glanced at the window and spoke.

“You said rocks have been flying in for quite some time now.”

“Over a month. Seeing it continue, not just once or twice, it seems like someone is behind it.”

The old man made a bitter face.

“There’s someone who persistently suggests I sell the store. The probability it’s that person’s doing is likely high.”

“…….”

Ray fell deep into thought.

The Bookstore was the place where he would learn Magic from now on.

If it were to be disrupted by something as trivial as rock-throwing, that would be extremely, very, utterly irritating.

“You have no intention of selling the Bookstore, right?”

“I’ve already poured too much into this Bookstore. Money, dreams. But it’s also true that holding on like this isn’t easy.”

It was a self-deprecating voice.

Lament and regret over his own powerlessness seeped through.

He said there were two main reasons for settling in Sector 49 and opening a Bookstore.

To nurture a disciple and to have a place to finish the research book he had been writing all his life.

“I couldn’t open a store in a better Sector. There were financial limitations. But I was satisfied in my own way. It wasn’t like there were absolutely no people here looking for books. Moreover, I met Veronica and the children here in this Sector now.”

He opened the Bookstore half a year ago.

Thanks to being the only Bookstore in Sector 49, he said the income to operate the store was maintained.

There were intellectuals and the asset-owning class here too, so the demand for books wasn’t completely nonexistent.

“After I fell ill and daily life became difficult, Veronica has been taking over the operation.”

Veronica, having finished the treatment, put the first aid kit back in place and brought a broom and dustpan.

The moment Veronica bent her waist.

Whoosh──

All the glass fragments on the windowsill and floor were swept up by wind and settled onto the dustpan.

Veronica said with a pout.

“…Grandfather said it’s best to use only the Mana in your Circle as much as possible. He said the more you use Atmospheric Mana, the more emotionally unstable and mentally unsettled a person becomes.”

“It’s fine. I’m emotionally dull.”

It was meant literally.

His emotions weren’t just ordinarily dull.

Perhaps thinking it was a flippant excuse, Veronica pursed her lips.

Then, as if asking him to scold Ray instead, she looked at the old man.

“Well. Basically, it’s best to use Magic only with the Mana inside a Circle after creating one….”

The old man trailed off.

The boy who had used Magic twice with Atmospheric Mana showed no aftereffects whatsoever.

‘Usually, symptoms appear in some way.’

His gaze wasn’t unsteady.

His hands and feet weren’t trembling.

No emotionally unstable behavior was visible.

Suddenly, the question the boy had asked earlier brushed past his mind.

「If there is a person who can use Atmospheric Mana without getting Mana poisoning. That person would have a tremendous advantage.」

‘Don’t tell me….’

Blooming confusion.

Following denial.

It couldn’t be.

Such a thing couldn’t be possible.

It would be an act of denying all the knowledge about Mana accumulated so far.

…No, but then again, considering the boy’s near-miraculous talent shown so far.

“What are your plans going forward?”

Ray’s question.

The old man snapped out of his thoughts.

“…When I die, the situation will surely become more troublesome. A store with only young children. There couldn’t be easier prey than that.”

Veronica, who was listening, became anxious.

She seemed to know what the old man would say next.

“So, before it’s too late, we should close the store and get a small house for the children to─.”

“No!”

The old man and the boy looked at the girl.

“It’s a space filled with your dreams, Grandfather. You said you wanted to run a Bookstore since you were very little.”

Veronica bit her lip hard.

Complex emotions surfaced over her face, flushed red with heat.

“Veronica. I appreciate your feelings. But worldly affairs don’t always go as one wishes.

“Even so, I don’t want it!”

Tears flowed from her large eyes.

They dripped down her snow-white cheeks and fell to the floor.

“Oh dear….”

The old man was flustered.

Because it was the first time Veronica, who had always followed along politely, showed such a side.

“I don’t want it. Grandfather dying─ the Bookstore closing─ all of it─.”

Veronica clung to the old man’s embrace and wept profusely.

The pent-up emotions had finally burst.

Taking care of family and running the Bookstore.

It was a burden far too great for a girl to shoulder alone.

Her two younger brothers helped, but being young, it was essentially the girl who had taken on all the work.

The old man’s wrinkled hand patted the girl’s trembling back.

Multicolored Mana swirled around the Vessels of the two.

Ray watched that scene.

Then muttered to himself.

It’s okay.

Because it’s a problem that will be solved.

He turned his head and looked out the window.

Swoosh───

Heavy Black Rain was falling.

Somehow, that night in Sector 50 came to mind.

The old man had a few more conversations with Ray before slowly falling asleep.

“It’s the illness he’s suffering from. He said the sleeping time gradually increases until you never wake up again. Mobility also becomes difficult. Now he can only stay awake for about two or three hours a day.”

The formal name was Eternal Slumber Syndrome, he said.

A rare disease of unknown cause that suddenly manifested two months ago.

“Can you come again tomorrow? He’s usually awake in the morning. There are many things we couldn’t finish talking about today.”

Ray nodded.

The old man wouldn’t wake up just because he rushed, and there were many other matters to handle immediately.

He left the room and went through the hallway.

Two heads peeking out from the corner again sent wary glances before popping back in.

Ray went down the stairs with Veronica.

Before putting on the new raincoat from the Bookstore, opening the door, and leaving.

Cree─

He turned his body and looked at the girl.

“Don’t worry. It will be resolved well.”

He couldn’t empathize with another’s sorrow.

But he knew a few words and actions of comfort.

“Huh?”

While the girl was flustered by the unexpected words.

Jingle─

The boy disappeared through the door with his usual expressionless face.

Swoosh──

No people were visible on the street.

The stores had also temporarily closed their doors to avoid the Black Rain.

Tap tap tap──

He passed through the street with quick steps.

The Black Rain couldn’t penetrate the thin, multicolored Mana barrier wrapped around Ray’s body and bounced off around him.

Continuing his walk, he surveyed his surroundings.

He looked for places to take shelter from the rain, but Jepper’s Gang couldn’t be found.

‘Seems they’ve all returned to their Hideout.’

He’d likely have to revise his plan to confront Jepper directly right away.

He turned his steps toward the eastern outskirts Junkyard.

To meet Philip.

Since Black Rain was falling, he’d probably be at the ‘hotel’ with high probability now.

Since he said he had connections with other groups besides Cedric, he could arrange a meeting with Jepper.

Tap tap tap──

Around the time he arrived at the eastern outskirts.

Ray could spot a group of boys gathered in front of a small container.

‘That’s….’

Raincoat attire. About a dozen members.

Each one had pitch-black fear swirling in their Vessels.

Like sewage water.

Sewage water sloshing with the rain.

The current location was the very end of 22nd Street.

Number-wise, it belonged to Cedric’s territory.

He quickened his pace.

As he got closer to the container, the sound of something being hit and faint groans began to be heard.

“Uh… you….”

One boy made a surprised face seeing Ray approaching nearby.

Along with him, the entire group turned to look at Ray.

“It’s that guy. The one fighting the boss soon.”

“What do we do?”

“Don’t touch him for now. He said he’d crush him personally during the Duel.”

The group buzzed, looking at each other.

But Ray wasn’t listening to the conversation at all.

He was focused solely on the sounds coming from inside the container.

Thud──! Thump──!

Fuck… right in front of me…!

Ugh……!

Beating. An angry voice. Groans.

There were two voices, both belonging to people he knew.

One was Cedric.

The other was Philip.

What in the world was going on?

Was there some connection between the two that he didn’t know about?

Ray moved his body toward the container door on instinct.

Tap.

A boy grabbed Ray’s shoulder.

“Hold on. Who gave you permission to──.”

Thunk!

Ray’s fist shot out and returned to its place in an instant.

It landed precisely on the solar plexus.

The boy, his eyes rolling back, collapsed onto the rainwater-puddled ground.

Thud!

“Huh, huh?”

“What just… didn’t even see it.”

“Fuck! Subdue him first! He said not to let anyone in!”

The boys were panicked.

But soon reached out toward Ray to follow the order.

The opponent was just one person.

In contrast, they were over ten.

Thunk─! Thud─!

But there was a fact they overlooked.

Thunk─! Thud─! Thud─!

Dozens of fights on the streets.

Also, the moments of magical Revelation that had visited several times.

Through them, Ray’s strength had already far surpassed the level of street fights.

Thud─! Thud─!

The elite members of Cedric’s Gang.

It took less than a minute for all of them to have their faces planted in the rainwater.

Ray stepped over the fallen boys and stood in front of the container.

Creeeak──

He opened the door and went inside.

“Die! Just die! When I see scum like you─!”

Philip, collapsed on the floor, curling his body tightly.

Cedric, kicking with a voice filled with malice, shouting.

…And the thick stream of red Mana from the Ring connected to his heart.

Ray strode over and grabbed Cedric’s shoulder.

“Fuck──! Who the hell are you──!”

Cedric turned his body.

He threw a punch with bloodshot eyes.

Swaaak──!

Toward Ray’s face.

With a force that would clearly shatter bones if it hit.

Pat!

And Ray’s hand moved.

Mana swirling around.

At a speed easily several times faster than the incoming punch.