Chapter 54 – Uninvited Guest (One)

“…….”

Ray bent down and picked up the photograph.

The worn black-and-white photo, looking as if it would crumble at a touch, was taken in front of the entrance of a two-story building.

‘An orphanage?’

In the center of the photo stood a large man wearing a bowler hat and a coat.

Under his long arms spread out to either side.

Six children stood huddled close together.

Although the photo was old and blurry, upon closer inspection, one could see they all had uneasy expressions.

Of course, Ray wasn’t good at recognizing human facial expressions, so he could only roughly guess their ages by their builds.

‘Youngest, 7… oldest, 12. All within that age range.’

Ray continued to examine the photo.

The large man wore sunglasses and a mask, making his face unidentifiable.

His attire was similar, so at first Ray thought he might be the man from the basement, Walter, but upon closer look, his build was distinctly different.

Above his head was written the word ‘Master’. Comparing it to the handwriting in the letter, it was unmistakably Walter’s writing.

The large man was very likely not Walter.

Unless there was a very special reason, he wouldn’t refer to himself as ‘Master’.

Instead, the boy on the far left, with the word ‘Me’ written above his head, was a strong candidate for being Walter.

Also, above the other children’s heads were written names presumed to be their own.

“…….”

Ray compared the face of Walter he recalled as best he could in his mind with the boy on the left.

But recognizing human faces was still not easy for Ray.

The fact that the photo itself was old and blurry only increased the difficulty.

‘I’ll need to examine this in more detail later.’

Putting the photo away, Ray next examined the notebook.

The reddish leather notebook was full of peeling spots and grime from handling.

Flap—

The inside pages were the same.

The more recently used pages were in relatively good condition, but the further forward he went, the more evident the traces of time became, giving a feeling of traveling back in time.

Flap— Tick.

The page turning under Ray’s finger stopped at the very first page.

「B-071. Sector 43. Maledrich. Assassination. Leave the scene immediately after the disturbance occurs during the march.」

He turned the page.

「G-009. Sector 38. Kedermany Bank. Transport vehicle. Seizure. Block escape route using barricades.」

「F-142. Sector 47. Sekro Field. Contact. Transaction. Magic use permitted.」

The subsequent pages were also densely filled in that manner.

All in Walter’s handwriting, they appeared to be the orders he had received from the organization over the years.

Next to each order was a date.

Flap— Flap—

The very first order on the front page was dated a full 20 years ago.

‘Walter’s estimated age is early to mid-30s, right? According to the note Philip gave me before.’

That meant Walter had been working for the organization since at least his early teens.

Ray continued turning pages, examining the notebook’s contents.

Flap— Flap—

Combined, the orders recorded in the notebook numbered over a hundred.

The intervals between orders ranged from a few weeks to several months.

Furthermore, a large circle was drawn around each order, with the word ‘Completed’ written beside it.

On every single one of the hundreds of orders.

“…….”

Ray’s finger, which had been turning the pages, suddenly stopped.

Because there was an order marked not with a circle, but with an X.

「Sector 31. Investigation regarding green gemstone. Kellygold Auction Hall.」

「Failed. No results.」

He turned the page again and stopped.

「Sector 48. Investigation regarding blue gemstone. Gront Mountain Range.」

「Failed. No results.」

There were a few more orders marked with an X throughout the notebook.

They all had the commonality of containing the word ‘gemstone’.

What did this mean?

What immediately came to mind was the hypothesis about the Rainbow.

The hypothesis that the Rainbow is a gemstone that generates infinite mana, and is currently divided into seven shards, slumbering somewhere.

“…….”

Is Mercread’s boss also searching for the Rainbow Shards?

By scattering subordinates across the Sectors to investigate.

Of course, a hypothesis is just a hypothesis, and the gemstones recorded in the notebook could refer to entirely different gemstones, not the Rainbow Shards.

But it was clearly a conjecture that could somewhat smoothly explain the revealed situation.

Ray put the notebook away in his coat and thoroughly searched every corner of the basement.

Crumpled bedding.

Clothes scattered haphazardly.

Food ingredients fluttering in a corner, etc.

There were many clues that could allow inferences about the person Walter himself.

But the information that could allow inferences about the organization was limited to what was written in the notebook.

A considerable amount of time had passed.

Judging that further search was meaningless, Ray gathered what he could take and headed for the door.

A small amount of money found in the clothes.

A few red gemstones remaining in a tin can.

Before stepping out the door, Ray looked back one last time.

Fizz— Bzzzt—

The light bulb, alone in the ownerless room, swayed its body, emitting a precarious light.

“…….”

Staring at the light, Ray approached and turned it off.

And then he left the basement.

Screeeeeech— Clang!

The iron door closed with a sound like someone’s scream, and the light entering through the crack gradually diminished until it completely disappeared.

A peaceful darkness descended upon the basement.

Only the sound of footsteps ascending the distant stairs could be heard.

Time passed quickly.

Philip, who had been pounding the pavement every day, found a new abandoned factory suitable for use as a hideout.

The location was the western junkyard, the exact opposite direction from the eastern junkyard where the hotel was located.

“Thanks for everything during this time.”

An afternoon on a day when the sky was less hazy than usual, thanks to the rain that fell last night.

Over a hundred children were gathered at the hotel entrance.

“Thanks for what? Who do you think is responsible for all the profit the hotel’s seeing? Providing this level of convenience is only natural.”

The boys crowded near the entrance were Philip and the hotel kids.

And the boys standing on the outside were Ray and his subordinates.

The two groups’ captains, or captain-equivalents, Ray and Philip, had stepped to the front of their respective groups and were conversing.

“I’ve already brought all the necessary equipment and placed it in front of the new hideout. Borrowed a truck. You just need to move it inside.”

“Okay.”

“They’re defective goods from a furniture store, but honestly, with a little repair, they’re not much different from normal products. It’s not like the hotel lacks technicians. I got them for a price almost like free.”

“Well done, excellent, Philip.”

At Ray’s mechanical reply, Philip chuckled.

‘I advised him to try praising the kids. Looks like he’s applying it to me too.’

Anyway, it wasn’t a bad thing.

Praise, with extremely rare exceptions, was a conversational skill that yielded a hundred percent benefit in human relationships.

“This is the remaining amount from the advance payment I gave you.”

Ray stared blankly at the money pouch Philip held out, then took it and put it in his coat.

“I’ll send the settlement payments daily through a delivery person.”

“Okay. That seems more convenient for you.”

“If you feel the settlement fee needs adjustment, feel free to say so anytime. Let me know in advance when you decide on a departure date.”

“I’ll do that.”

Philip meticulously checked the points that needed to be agreed upon in advance.

And with a feeling of regret, he parted his lips for the final farewell.

“Now, if you leave, unless something special happens, we won’t see each other for a whi—”

“I’d like it if you came with me when I leave the Sector.”

It was a statement with unexpected content, uttered at a timing no one anticipated.

Philip asked back with a bewildered face.

“I misheard just now, right?”

The surprised hotel kids and Ray’s subordinates who were listening were the same.

“Did you hear what the Hunter just said?”

“The Captain mentioned leaving the Sector within a few weeks before, right? Was that for real?”

“Th-that seems to be the case.”

“Hunter-nim, can I have some potato chips before you leave?”

The surrounding murmuring grew louder.

The colorful emotions surrounding Philip and Ray continued to flicker with large amplitude.

Amidst the commotion, the only boy showing no agitation spoke.

“What you heard is correct. I’d like you to leave Sector 49 with me.”

“You’re proposing to me?”

“You could say that.”

“It’s… too sudden a proposal. I’ve never left Sector 49 before. What you’re saying is like asking me to abandon everything I’ve built up here and leave.”

At Philip’s expression of negative intent, the hotel kids sighed in relief.

Philip was the hotel’s founder and also handled everything related to its operation.

Therefore, a hotel without Philip was unimaginable, and Philip himself thought so too.

But when he heard Ray’s next words.

Philip’s pupils couldn’t help but shake greatly.

“The real purpose for which you’re saving money. Ultimately, can’t you only achieve it by leaving this place?”

“……!”

The night of the day they defeated the Lotsson and Jepper gang, when a small celebration was held at the hotel.

Caught up in the atmosphere and in high spirits, Philip had mentioned it in passing.

The real reason he was saving money.

What it was.

‘He remembered. Even though I only mentioned it briefly, in passing.’

Philip gritted his teeth.

His heart pounded incessantly, as if struck hard by a hammer.

Ray’s words were not wrong.

If he truly wanted to achieve his goal, he had to leave Sector 49.

It was just that, due to fear of leaving a familiar place for a new one, he had been avoiding reality until now.

‘…This could be an opportunity that won’t come again. That’s for sure.’

Leaving one’s established base meant exposing oneself to many dangers.

And Ray possessed the intelligence and the powerful force of Magic to repel such dangers.

If companionship was possible, it would mean gaining an incredibly reliable protector.

But a question remained.

‘Why does he want me to come along? He wouldn’t feel any regret traveling alone, would he?’

He pondered, but no answer came.

Philip, who had bitten his lip hard, finally opened his mouth after a long while, letting out a sound akin to a groan.

“I need… time to think.”

Those around swallowed dryly.

Soon, the murmuring grew loud again.

“How much time do you need?”

“A week… that should be enough. You’re not leaving this place immediately within that time, right?”

“Understood.”

Ray nodded.

Although he gave him time to think, he believed the decision Philip would ultimately make was already determined.

The courage Philip sometimes showed.

The longing he revealed while confessing his reason for saving money.

Because he remembered the intense colors those two emotions had emitted.

‘Philip is not a coward. He can abandon what he sufficiently possesses and leave.’

There were two main reasons for wanting Philip as a companion.

First, the desire to continuously observe the emotions Philip displayed.

Second, the thought of entrusting all money-related matters to Philip and focusing solely on the investigation of the Rainbow.

Also, since he was more knowledgeable than himself about how the world worked, he would be helpful in various situations.

Afterwards, a few more conversations regarding business were exchanged, and the two captains exchanged their final farewells.

“Let’s move out.”

Ray said as he turned to his subordinates.

The shock from the two captains’ conversation had somewhat subsided over time.

The subordinates began to turn and move, following Ray as he distanced himself from the hotel.

About sixty boys, without exception, turned their heads to glance towards the hotel.

Then someone shouted.

“Thank you! For letting us stay when we had nowhere to go!”

Starting with that, the shouts began to spread.

“Thank you!”

“Thanks! For helping us!”

“I’m really thankful too!”

“Thank you──!”

A puddle of water pooled on the ground.

The scarlet gratitude contained in the boys’ Vessels was reflected there, swaying their bodies.

Like the palms of the hotel kids waving left and right in the distance.