episode_0225

Erina and her companions completed their assigned tasks and regrouped at their lodging. The rain continued relentlessly, showing no sign of stopping. Even a brief trip outside with umbrellas left them damp and uncomfortable. Since they’d be going out again soon, showering seemed pointless, so they simply wiped themselves down with dry towels.

“So… according to Mr. Levi, there’s no trace of Mr. Piki?”

“Yeah. There were various stories about the ruins, but nobody wants to go out in this weather. So what if it’s raining?”

“I, I also find this weather a little….”

Looking out the window, the driving rain made it almost impossible to discern anything outside. Even with a fire blazing in the room’s fireplace, the dampness persisted. The feeling of being half-submerged in water was so unpleasant that even Erina, who didn’t usually mind rain, felt drained by its intensity.

“Right. And there were rumors of monsters appearing near the river. Too much flooding to confirm, though.”

“The river… monsters… What are the guards doing?”

This wasn’t sarcasm; it was genuine curiosity. While clerics specialized in monster extermination, other professions weren’t entirely helpless against them. It might take longer, and there were plenty of orcs living in this area, so repelling them should be entirely possible, even with the weather hindering them.

Despite the unnerving sound of the rain, a glance out the window showed nothing but the downpour.

“Han-na, can you make those materials?”

“Probably…? It might take a little while. Ah, waterproofing is absolutely impossible, though….”

Han-na, already starting work, pulled small tools from the bag she’d brought. She felt a sense of satisfaction that her habitually carried tools would prove useful.

“Then, Han-na, please finish here. Let’s ask the fairies for temporary protection.”

Titania, the Fairy Queen, was currently guarding the church. It was the most important stronghold, so they’d decided to leave her there. Prim was also there, but Erina was the only one who could control Prim, so without Erina, she was completely useless as a guard. She was always too free-spirited. Erina had no intention of taming more dragons here. There were too many uncertain factors to justify the extra effort; they should be grateful for her not causing trouble.

Individually, the fairies were far from strong; Han-na could physically defeat them easily. However, they had the advantage of magic. Their magic wasn’t particularly high-level, either, but they were extremely quick at communication, although it had to go through Titania.

Erina mentally summoned Titania to call the fairies. This made her wonder if having the fairies constantly nearby would be better, but the problem was their low stamina. Although they used magic as sustenance, only Titania could effectively supply it. Even taking Aries along would be too much of a burden.

“Please take good care of Han-na, fairy-nim♡”

“Huh? Then what are we doing?”

“What do you mean? We’re going to the river.”

“Rain, lots of rain. Hate rain.”

The fairy spoke with slightly clumsy speech.

“Rain, protective magic, put on? Not wet.”

“We would be grateful.”

A translucent magical barrier formed over Erina.

“Should we ask Mr. Levi, too?”

“Yeah, understood. Time’s short.”

The same barrier was cast over Levi. The translucent barrier became completely transparent, almost imperceptible except for a slight unnatural feeling when breathing.

“Thanks~”

“Han-na, we’ll be right back. Contact us through the fairy-nim when you’re finished.”

“Uh, okay.”

Han-na immediately went into a state of intense concentration. Further conversation might break her concentration, so Erina gestured to Levi to leave quietly. Levi nodded and silently slipped out of the lodging.

“Oh, this is totally amazing.”

“Really? I should have learned magic….”

They could feel the rain, but it wasn’t wetting them. Moreover, even the harsh raindrops didn’t hurt.

“Aries probably couldn’t do this. Considering her personality… you know what I mean, right?”

“Oh my. Aries-ssi would be furious if you told her that!”

“You’re not denying it~ Say, what would it feel like to bathe like this?”

“Mr. Levi, let’s save that for later. We’re really pressed for time.”

It was one of Levi’s habits – excessive curiosity that constantly led her down tangents. Sometimes this was helpful, but not in this situation. Losing control meant the tasks would endlessly drag on.

“Ugh, I should change, but I can’t.”

“You don’t need to change. Just… be a little more discreet. It’s actually a very admirable quality for a hero, you know?”

“I, is that so? Hehe….”

They followed the map. Walking quietly through the rain-soaked streets, a sense of excitement bubbled up. Sometimes, walking through the rain like this felt nice, but getting carried away now was a bad idea. Erina felt embarrassed at having scolded Levi. She needed to focus.

The river monsters. A few possible species flitted through Erina’s mind. As she wasn’t a priestess or paladin, she had few opportunities to directly fight monsters, but she needed the knowledge, a kind of certification for becoming a nun.

“Wow.”

“…Even from a distance, it’s overflowing.”

A massive waterfall cascaded down, resembling a river itself. The roar of the water drowned out speech; you couldn’t hear anyone even next to you unless they shouted. The overwhelming volume of water, roaring with the sound ‘kugugu,’ was so awe-inspiring that it rendered words meaningless.

“Do you sense any magic?!?”

“I don’t!!!!”

If there were monsters in the city, they would have felt it beforehand. They’d come prepared for dulled senses or detection failure. They shouldn’t rely on intuition, but on sensory confirmation. Though only water was visible and audible, they had to search.

Heeheeing―.

The sound of a horse’s cry. While it sounded odd to say that a horse was barking, it undeniably bellowed, a sound powerful enough to pierce through the crashing waves.

“Did you hear that???”

“Let’s go!!”

Levi took the lead, sprinting toward the sound’s origin, driven by intense curiosity about what awaited them. Despite their rain protection magic, running through the downpour was quite strenuous; they matched Erina’s pace, which wasn’t overly rapid. Erina continuously scanned her surroundings along the way, but saw no one.

‘It’s odd. Even with over a week of rain, there isn’t a single soul outside. This isn’t a small city…’

Rain of this intensity would deter anyone from venturing out. Yet, people couldn’t simply avoid going out entirely. They needed groceries, daily necessities, and economic activity; the lack of anyone leaving these densely packed buildings was illogical.

The buildings indicated ongoing business and habitation; it wasn’t a full evacuation.

‘It’s… like there’s some kind of suggestion or barrier keeping people from going outside… that’s the feeling.’

Being surrounded by so many diverse individuals in the Order had broadened her perspective. Was it a monster? Piki’s doing? It could be either. Possibilities and thoughts raced through her mind. Her breathing grew heavier, dulling her thoughts.

“Huk, huk… Why is running so, tiring… huu.”

“Because you don’t train! …You stay up all night when you’re…”

“That’s… I don’t know why, either. The Goddess’s blessing, I suppose.”

Heeingiiing―.

The horse’s cry came from nearby.

Fortunately, the magical buff and the blessing of divine power were stackable, so she applied the blessing. The enhancement to physical abilities wasn’t huge, but it was helpful. More importantly, it significantly boosted resistance to magic, making it very effective against monsters.

“I’m always saying this…”

“Be careful, right? I know. It’s been a while since I faced one directly.”

They caught their breath. Levi drew her sword, preparing to engage the monster. The surging river water still splashed wildly.

“From the river!”

Levi pulled Erina back, sensing the monster’s presence. Immediately, the head of a horse creature emerged from the torrent. Although possessing a horse-like head, it was a distinct monster, with vicious gums and sharp teeth.

“Is that… a Kelpie?”

“There are quite a few horse-type monsters…!! We need to lure it to land first.”

Inflicting damage with divine power would make it retreat back into the water.

“Ack!”

A jet of high-pressure water slammed directly into Erina. Erina didn’t react in time, but Levi quickly pulled her forward to safety.

“I had a good idea.”

“You don’t mean you’ll jump in there?”

“Hahaha. You know me too well.”

It was the perfect opportunity to answer her earlier question—what would it be like to bathe with the protective magic still on? Erina honestly wanted to dissuade her, but Levi’s shining eyes, even in the downpour, convinced her.