CH 15

Chapter 15: It may Rain

I look up at the sky, which is deep and calm blue.

The pleasant sunshine, filtered through the clouds in places, brightly illuminates the path in front of me.

A short distance away from this spot, there is the mist that seems to be covering the sky. It's ...the "Whispering Forest" that we came through.

It's nice weather. A perfect day to travel.

Closing my eyes for a moment, I admire the fresh morning scent.

In front of me is the figure of Lark. On my right hand is Spica with her hood covering tightly over her head.

-Life is made up of encounters and farewells. Such thoughts pass through my mind.

The following words are, "Make every effort to have a pleasant farewell.”

These words: "Just make sure you say hello" were said to me by my parents in my previous life, so much so that I almost feel like I have paralysis in my ears.

However, it's the truth of the world.

"... Do you really have to go on the trip already?"

"Yes.”

"You can take it a little slower… The village will be settled in a few days, and I've been discussing with the village chief about throwing a big party to show our appreciation.”

"I'll just take your feelings. It's hard to calm down when the person who caused the commotion is still here.”

"Well, I can't deny all of it, but…”

In the first place, our actions were not aimed at helping the village. It would be strange for us to receive such an acknowledgment.

It's hard to tell Lark this, but as the one who can contact the Lord of the Big Mouth, I might be worshipped like a second Thanatos, and the Lord of the Large Den is itself a problem for me. If they go into it too deeply I will not be able to bear it.

Anyway, this is too much trouble for a mere traveler like me.

I had decided with Spica that I would be leaving this village at the end of the day.

“Hey, you should definitely come back again. That time, the whole village will come together to make this village's famous dish!”

"I'm looking forward to it. ...Let's go, Spica.”

I wave my hand and turn my back to the place and start walking. I can hear the sound of Spica's light footsteps as she follows close behind me.

But the truth is that I managed to get more than just a thank you.

Yes, it was a night spent in the devil's den.

Spica and I were the only people in the world who have enjoyed the real view of the Devil’s Den. If it hadn't been for that incident, we would never have been able to enter the Devil's Den.

It’s a precious experience that I will not trade for anything.

Unfortunately, it's not all that good.

I failed to get the supplies or information on the dragons that I had been hoping for, and it had been a very hectic and uncomfortable stay.

I turn to Spica, who is following close behind me.

Before I know it, she takes off her hood, exposing her silver hair, which is shimmering.

She tilts her head softly in response to my gaze, and her hair sways freely in the air.

It’s probably her who is in more trouble than me. Not only has she been hurt by Thanatos, but her homeland has been destroyed by humans. I wonder if I can do anything for her with such a past.

Maybe she is surprised to see me staring at her in silence, but she rolls her eyes and gives me a childish look.

"The next destination is ...a place called the town of Miel, right?”

"Yes, that's right. I'm sure Spica will enjoy it, so you can look forward to it.”

Miel means "honey" in French.

It's one of the stages that appeared in the game, and it's big enough to be a village but small enough to be a town. It's a place like that.

This is the next destination that I had discussed with Spica last night.

It's also the place I stopped by before coming to Parose Village.

"By the way, you should be careful when they serve the famous cheese in Miel. The cheese is fermented with worm eggs planted inside. The texture and aroma of the larvae. They seem to enjoy the scent of cheese, but ... my limit was only a single bite. "

"Humans are amazing, aren't they?... "

Her tone of voice is indescribable.

...I'm sorry to be so rude to the Miel people, but please don't include this type of food in the category of humans.

Oh, yes.

"Before I came here, I found a beautiful place. Do you mind if we stop by there?"

"Sure. I'm looking forward to it."

She looks me in the eye and smiles at the corner of her mouth, her eyes narrow with an unmixed feeling of anticipation.

“...Oh.”

She shows many expressions openly to me now. I feel so embarrassed by this that I turn my eyes away from Spica and look up at the sky.

■■■

-The sky is filled with the sound of rain.

All I can hear is the sound of rain and the distant hooting of owls.

When I look up at the sky, it is filled with thick layers of black clouds. It’s sunset, but the area is completely dark.

“Ahhhh… it's not going to stop all night.”

The sky was clear when we set out, but as time went on, more and more clouds appeared, and now it’s pouring down, making me feel depressed.

"I guess we'll be camping here tonight.”

Then, I make an ice stick in my hand.

I walk a few steps away from the road and carve a magic mark on the ground. As soon as I finish digging the intricate patterns, I pour my mana into the pattern.

A sheet of my mana swells up.

The membrane swells up to envelop us and stabilizes in the shape of an upturned bowl.

It's a rainproof barrier.

It automatically repels the moisture from the wet ground and dries us out, so we don't have to worry about where to sleep.

"Whew, now I can catch my breath.”

As I cast a clean-clean spell on my body, the rainwater dries up and wipes away my discomfort. I feel like I have come back to life.

After that, I quickly make a fire and sit down next to it. The heat of the fire feels so comfortable on my wet and cold body.

One of the best things about the barrier is that it doesn't trap air when I build a fire, so I can use the fire with peace of mind.

"Are you okay? It will be terrible if you catch a cold or something. Let's get you warmed up.”

"Thank you…”

Spica removes the cloak which has been covering her body and she is now wearing only a single head garment.

The head garment, which was soaked by the rain and stuck tightly to her body, revealing the outline of her body. It seems that no matter how much magic is used to dry it, the thin cloth remains firmly wet.

I immediately look away and take out a blanket from her pouch and throw it to Spica. I just point a little bit at my chest… conveying my intention.

Her cheeks blush red and wrap the blanket around her.

Spica sits down very close to me with the blanket around her body.

… So close. I guess the distance is less for the two people to fit in.

Her hips seem to be uncomfortable and she wriggles around to find a place to put them.

She mumbles in a voice that seems to be lost in the sound of rain pounding against the barrier.

"My parents used to stay with me on rainy days and teach me how to study.”

“...They were good parents.”

"... I miss them.”

As she says these words, I try my best to hold back the emotions that are running through my chest. 

When we arrived at Parose Village, Spica, whose face turned bright red when I saw her startled by the roar, spitting out her weakness to me.

Spica's hands are clasped so tightly that it makes her white skin even whiter.

Not knowing what to say ….I look up at the barrier. The barrier is just hit by a drop of water that keeps falling and pops. 

The only sound is that of rain.

"I miss them.”

She spoke again. I'm sure she isn’t looking for a definite answer.

Even so, I feel the need to say something, so I open my mouth.

“... My parents died when I was little. The last memory of them was that they were being attacked by a demon.”

That was in this life.

The painful loss of someone who shares the same blood is too strong to put into words.

Thanks to that …,or rather because of that, the memories from my previous life came back to me. I was so desperate at that time that my ego, as an adult, could not bear the prospect of the future.

I was able to relax my mind - that is when I was able to put my feet on the ground in this world, I was happy to let go of the fantasy that was spreading all around me.

"I was sent to an orphanage, where I silently devoted myself to the training of magic. It's not a lie that it was both a… hobby and a practical benefit, and I enjoyed the improvement that I began to feel along the way.”

There was no one there to stop me from silently continuing my self-discipline, which was excessive for a child.

"I guess the worst part was probably that I didn't tell anyone about the pain I was feeling, and as I couldn't talk about it, the bad feelings were building up inside me. So..."

I stare at the flickering flames and continue to speak.

"I was relieved to hear Spica's words of weakness. You're going to be fine. I can assure you ...I can only listen to what you have to say, but I'll take you seriously, so just let it out."

Her voice leaks out like the sound of rain.

I'm sure Spica's mind will clear up like the rain after … the rain. I guess I'm being too cool.