Chapter 87 – The Missing Children (One)

Under the blazing sun.

A vehicle with a dazzling white exterior raced across the wilderness.

Vroom──!

The silhouettes of the Sector 48 buildings faded into the distance behind the billowing dust.

“What kind of person do you think that Elf is?”

Veronica, seated in the back, fiddled with the small pot in her hands as she spoke.

One of the four seeds had been planted. Based on Hender’s words, she guessed it would sprout in about a month.

“Someone who, like you, travels between sectors researching the Black Rain. That seems the most likely.”

The reply came from Ray in the passenger seat.

Unusually, Philip was at the wheel. His body was rigidly upright, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on the windshield, clearly showing signs of tension.

Philip had volunteered.

「I think it’d be good for me to learn how to drive too. Who knows when I might have to take the wheel again.」

He didn’t want to be a burden to the group if an emergency arose.

His skill wasn’t too bad.

That is, if you excluded the one incident where he nearly gave the vehicle a half-bath in the Elton River by confusing the accelerator and brake.

“I hope so. It means there are others besides me looking for a solution to the Black Rain.”

Veronica’s voice continued.

“I’m also curious what this plant will look like when it’s fully grown. It might have abilities beyond just purifying the surrounding land.”

The red-haired girl couldn’t hide her excitement as she looked at the pot.

Ray, who had turned to observe Veronica’s emotions, looked forward again and sank into thought.

‘That traveler told Hender that the fully grown plant would save a life someday, right?’

And that when the time came, the meaning of those words would become clear naturally.

So, did that mean a dangerous event threatening enough to take a life would occur sometime in the future?

Some event related to the Black Rain?

“…….”

He pondered it, but couldn’t reach any particular conclusion.

There weren’t enough clues.

For now, it was better to focus on other things.

Staring at the scenery, Ray quietly closed his eyes and began his Circle training.

“Whoa! Whoa! Wait! The speed won’t go down!”

“…….”

No, he tried to begin.

So, that’s the accelerator, I said.

On the horizon, the buildings of Sector 47 came into view.

“That was long. So long. It makes me appreciate Ray all over again. He drove this distance alone last time, you know.”

“That’s why Ray is special.”

The time taken was exactly eight days.

One day less than the last crossing.

Ray recalled Michael’s words that the distance between sectors decreased the higher you went.

「Rumors say the rate at which the distance shortens follows a specific numerical sequence. If that’s true, it means the sectors weren’t naturally formed along the Elton River, but artificially created by someone.」

A remark heard in passing.

Honestly, how the sectors were formed wasn’t an important issue for Ray at all.

‘I’ll be able to save more and more time on travel.’

The fact that he could arrive at the next sector a little faster and continue the search.

That single fact was all that mattered.

Having entered the sector, the group secured lodging in the central district and headed out into the streets.

They had taken a shower, but made sure to keep their well-worn everyday clothes.

To lure out the gangs they could use as informants while roaming the streets.

“Hey, stop right there. Don’t recognize your faces.”

“Mind if we have a little chat?”

And so, the same situation as the last sector repeated itself several times.

The gangs who led the group into alleys ended up getting enthusiastically beaten up instead.

“Tell your Captain. If he wants this money, come find me in front of the Flonen Inn on 16th Street.”

They fled, hobbling on broken legs, Ray’s provocation etched in their minds.

After roaming a few streets like that,

Philip suddenly asked.

“Didn’t those guys just now also say the Captain’s name was Melom?”

“They did. So far, the Captain names that have come up are Melom and Denine. Only one of the two.”

Normally, for a sector of this size, there should be at least five, and up to dozens, of gangs dividing the streets.

But the fact that only two Captain names had appeared so far meant…

“Hmm. It seems two gangs have divided the sector into very large territories.”

“I agree. Whoever they are, they’re quite capable.”

They occupied many streets.

This didn’t just mean the Captains had excellent fighting skills.

‘It also means they possess leadership ability.’

Because as occupied territory increases, so do the areas and personnel that need to be managed.

“Philip. If they’ve taken this many streets, how many members do you think the gangs have?”

“Umm… let’s see. One, two, three… At the very least, well over a hundred each.”

Combined, the two gangs would have over two hundred members.

If that many people charged in wielding clubs or iron pipes, it would be a threatening number that would make even a decent gang hesitate.

But the direction of Ray’s thoughts was slightly different.

‘Two hundred. I can search the sector more thoroughly.’

It was actually good.

The more informants, the more information he could gather in a short time.

About ten minutes after they had been roaming the streets.

“Ray, wait, over there.”

Veronica pointed to a building across the plaza.

「Garden of Knowledge」

It was a mid-sized bookstore that looked several times larger than Bookstore Veronica.

“Is it okay if we stop by for a bit? I want to see if there are any materials on the Black Rain.”

“Sure.”

The bookstore was a place they had intended to visit in the last sector anyway.

The books brought from Bookstore Veronica had been finished long ago, so he was in need of new reading material.

Ding-dong──

The interior of the bookstore was incredibly spacious.

There was an open central space, so the first and second floors shared the area. Wooden bookshelves covering the walls exuded an antique atmosphere.

“I’ll be looking around the research materials section over there.”

“I’ll be over there. There are some things I want to know about finance.”

Veronica and Philip disappeared towards the shelves containing the books they wanted.

Left alone, Ray strolled slowly through the bookstore without a specific destination.

“So, this year’s new work by Dupheu is…”

“I’d like to inquire if the next scheduled restock date is known.”

“Have you read about Ziffen’s synesthesia? I think…”

The surrounding conversations were generally hushed and polite, with people using respectful tones towards each other.

Their demeanor felt as dignified as the clothes they wore.

Well, that was natural.

After all, books weren’t generally something the lower class could enjoy.

‘You need a certain amount of leisure in life to enjoy books.’

From Ray’s perspective, books were the exclusive domain of the upper class.

The upper class. Those who had so much they had no reason to be hostile towards each other.

Or perhaps, because they had so much to lose, they were even more polite to one another.

Tap.

Ray’s footsteps suddenly stopped at a shelf where novels and fairy tales were gathered.

‘Grandmother Viola used to tell many stories to the younger ones.’

Stories of rainbows and various other mysteries.

He randomly pulled out a book and flipped through the pages.

It was a fairy tale about a boy guarding a birdcage who, unable to restrain his impulse, sets the birds free and is punished.

─I couldn’t help but set them free. The red, the orange, the yellow, and…

─I just had to see those birds with their beautiful feathers flying in the sky.

─Punish me if you must. I don’t regret it.

“…….”

It was the boy’s dialogue.

He wondered if his emotional range had broadened a bit lately, making him different from the past, but as expected, he felt no particular resonance with the fictional story.

Tap.

He slid the book back into place and began moving again.

Then he spotted a noblewoman standing in front of a bookshelf and stopped once more.

What seized Ray’s attention was the turmoil of various negative emotions—anger, obsession, and more—churning within her Vessel.

Tension shot through his entire body.

“…….”

It was generally impossible.

For that many types of negative emotions, in that large a volume, to simultaneously occupy a Vessel.

So, the past case where something like this was possible was─.

‘Walter.’

His case also showed a highly distorted form of emotional distribution, and his actual behavior revealed violence and instability.

It was presumed to be due to Mana Addiction with high probability.

And.

As if to support that conjecture, the noblewoman also had two Rings encircling her heart.

‘…A Wizard.’

The sixth Wizard he had encountered since leaving Sector 50.

In a way, it was close to a gain.

He had met a being from whom he could obtain information about Magic almost immediately upon arriving in the sector.

But a question soon arose.

‘Her actions are calm. Why?’

Emotions drive actions.

If angry, one breaks things or shouts; if sad, one bursts into tears or collapses.

Yet right now, the noblewoman was turning the pages of a book with calm movements.

“…….”

Focusing his mind, he recognized the noblewoman’s face.

She appeared to be in her mid-to-late thirties. No signs of negative emotions like trembling or frowning showed on her face either.

What was going on?

Occasionally, there were people whose emotions and actions were contradictory, but emotions of that volume weren’t something one could control.

‘…But if she is* controlling her emotions.’

It meant she was exercising an incredible level of mental strength.

Just then, the necklace the noblewoman was wearing caught Ray’s eye.

An elegant silver chain.

In its center, a shining red gemstone.

‘Mercread.’

It was said that Mercread operatives carried red gemstones that served as Charging Stones.

Was the noblewoman a Mercread operative?

Ray slipped his hand into his pocket and touched Walter’s Ring.

‘…She’s not an Executive.’

Something he had already confirmed upon arriving in the sector.

The Arrow indicated by Walter’s Ring was still pointing to a much higher sector far above.

‘The possibility of her being a regular operative remains.’

A Wizard and a red gemstone.

Not an easily overlapping intersection.

However, no particular movement of Mana was felt from the gemstone in the necklace, so it seemed he needed to examine it more closely.

“I’ve picked out my books!”

Just then, Philip appeared from behind the noblewoman.

An armful of books piled up to his face.

His staggering gait suggested the weight was no joke.

Thud!

One book fell beside the noblewoman.

Unaware, Philip arrived next to Ray, placed his books on a nearby shelf, and asked.

“How about you? Find anything worth reading?”

“Not yet. I plan to look around a bit more.”

“Yeah? The bookstore is pretty spa…”

Philip, who had been rotating his arms to loosen his muscles, suddenly froze mid-motion.

His words cut off, his mouth agape.

He stiffened in place like someone electrocuted.

Following Philip’s gaze, Ray confirmed it was directed at the noblewoman.

‘Is there something surprising… Ah.’

Ray soon realized the reason.

Under the wide-brimmed hat, the noblewoman’s abundantly flowing hair was brown.

A deep brown exactly matching Philip’s hair color.

Philip’s hurriedly lowered gaze checked the noblewoman’s neck, but her turtleneck hid her skin.

The noblewoman bent down and picked up the fallen book.

She slowly approached Philip, wearing a sunny smile, and spoke.

“You dropped your book. Young sir.”