Chapter 10: Taking Shelter from the Rain
I went to the adventurers’ shop to buy a rank 1–10 magic pouch, and while I was there, I asked about clocks.
They showed me a large, scratched pocket watch and told me it cost three gold coins. But since knowing the exact time could mean life or death for me, I insisted on a new one.
The next one they brought out was the same size, neatly boxed, spotless, and cost five gold coins. They said I’d have to wind it about every two days.
They told me that for anything better, I’d need to go to a magic tool merchant. I paid the five gold coins and got myself a brand-new pocket watch.
When I went to the guild, as usual, to sell my game, I was suddenly surrounded by the staff.
Before I could ask what was going on, the submaster showed up and glared at me.
“Did you pick a fight with the Bloodsmoke Code?”
“We work the grasslands. We wouldn’t even run into that lot.”
I replied.
“What’s going on, Submaster?”
“One of their members ran to the count’s estate and accused you. Specifically you, of attacking them with magic.”
“That’s strange. I could understand if they complained to the guild, but why go to the count’s place?”
“Because one of them, a fire mage named Simon, happens to be the count’s sixth son.”
“You knew that?”
“Nope, first I’ve heard of it.”
“Same here.”
“So, the count’s family demanded we hand you over.”
“Submaster, my wind magic only brings down birds. It’s not the kind of thing you’d call an ‘attack spell.’”
“I thought so too, but apparently five of them, including Simon were blown away and went missing. The one who made the report was covered in wounds with a broken arm.
He led the count’s guards to search the area, and they found the bodies of three men, Simon among them.”
I had tossed them pretty high, but since I flung them into the forest, I figured maybe they landed in the trees and survived. Guess not.
“So, they only demanded me handed over?”
“Yeah, that’s just an excuse. They really want to get their hands on you.”
“An excuse?”
“The count’s magic corps is weak, bottom rank in every annual tournament in the capital.
Even if the accusations were true, there’s no proof. Still, they’re insisting you be handed over because the accuser said so. Their own misconduct gets ignored too, since there’s never any evidence. It’s all about family connections. But demanding we hand you over without proof? That’s a stretch. My guess — they want to force you into the magic corps.”
“So, Submaster, are you going to hand me over to the count?”
“As Scott said, we can’t arrest someone based on one accusation with no evidence. They didn’t even file the complaint through the guild, and Bloodsmoke’s own troublemaking has always been overlooked for the same reason. Still… it’s bad for the guild to butt heads with the count’s house. My advice? Leave town.”
“That doesn’t sound like advice. What about my family? If I run, what happens to them?”
“You’re an adventurer — legally, that makes you a drifter. Bloodsmoke doesn’t know you’ve got family here. Even if you were guilty, your kin wouldn’t be punished.”
“The count himself is reasonable enough, but his second son, Lord Clyde, is a stickler for appearances — a pain to deal with. The magic corps captain, Gobran, is desperate to recruit strong mages. If he catches wind of you, he won’t let go.”
Looks like I’ll have to leave earlier than planned.
“The guild isn’t going to put a bounty on me, right?”
“Not unless you actually commit a crime. The count’s family is only demanding we hand you over, not that we arrest you.”
“Then I’ll get ready and leave town tomorrow or the day after.”
“Give me your guild card.”
I hesitated, but refusing wasn’t an option. When I handed it over, the submaster smirked.
“You’re skilled enough — I’ll promote you to Bronze Rank One.”
A promotion after just one year and eight months of being an adventurer.
“Come back in a year or two. Things should have cooled down by then.”
“Working with you made everything too easy, and we couldn’t find anyone as good before you left.”
Scott said.
“Maybe next time we’ll look for someone serious about training in magic. Come back if you get tired of traveling.”
The submaster tossed my card back lightly, while Mintz and Scott grumbled beside him.
I decided not to go home, just in case, and instead stayed at the Olivetan Hotel where my mother worked.
She was surprised when I checked in. I usually only stopped by to sell some Chiki-Chiki Birds — but she quietly gave me a room.
When I explained what had happened, she was shocked but accepted it, since I wasn’t actually wanted for a crime.
She tried to give me a purse of travel money, but I refused. I’d already saved up the same amount myself.
I bought new boots and clothes, and just to be safe, I stocked up on a folding cot, a fabric chair, a hooded robe that could double as a blanket, and a tarp for camping.
Three mornings later, I slipped out through the east gate of Lynas, blending in with the adventurers heading to work, wearing old, inconspicuous clothes.
I decided to follow the Brange Highway east, the road connecting the Olivetan territory of Count Arwright to the royal capital.
The neighboring town of Colfutz was still under Arkwright’s territory, but beyond that lay Landru, part of Count Radcliffe, the Marcanne territory.
If I could reach Landru today, I’d be out of Arkwright’s jurisdiction.
The Brange Highway also extended into the neighboring Holtland Kingdom, so there were plenty of travelers — it felt relatively safe to walk alone.
Still, as I quickened my pace with magic, I couldn’t help noticing how many people with longer legs passed me by.
Hmph. I’m short, alright? My stride’s small. So what.
I made it through Colfutz safely, but just before reaching Landru, I was still on the road — definitely closer to Landru than back to Colfutz.
The sky had been gray and heavy, and then suddenly, a wall of rain came rushing from behind.
I hadn’t been paying attention to the weather behind me, so by the time I heard the roar of rain closing in, it was too late. I was caught in a downpour of giant, hammering drops.
I hurriedly pulled out my robe, threw it on, and pulled up the hood.
I had a strange sense of déjà vu—though this wasn’t a canyon and there were no steep slopes nearby, I couldn’t shake off a bad feeling.
I stepped off the main road to a slightly raised spot, wrapped the robe tighter, and watched the rain. The clouds were thick and heavy, dimming the daylight, and there was no sign the rain would stop anytime soon.
Standing there blankly like a teruteru-bōzu wasn’t going to help.
After a moment’s thought, I decided I might as well test out something I’d been planning to make for camping.
I created a ring, an air wall, strong and solid… no, that wasn’t quite right.
I imagined it having a certain hardness but also the flexibility to absorb strong impacts, and then invoked [Ring!].
I kicked it experimentally—it felt firm, like kicking stone.
To test its durability, I pulled a stone about the size of an apple from my magic pouch and launched it at the spinning ring.
Thud! A dull sound echoed as the wall dented slightly, but the stone dropped harmlessly to the ground, and the ring returned to its original shape.
I fired off another [Bullet!] or two, and again, each strike made a heavy thud but left no damage—the ring absorbed the impact and bounced back.
Then I tried launching a short spear, which was also deflected.
I couldn’t help but grin. For a final test, I tried stabbing a knife into the barrier—but the blade just slid off without leaving a mark.
Right then I thought again of that line I’d read before: “Magic is all about imagination!” The light novels were right after all!
If I could form this much structure, maybe even wind blades were possible… but for now, building a shelter took priority.
I formed a ring about four meters wide, tapering the top to create something like the upper half of an acorn.
Though it was made of air, I imagined it as being hard and durable, leaving a small air hole at the top as a safety vent just in case.
Adding two “grains” of magic power to extend its duration, it should last around twenty-four hours.
The first thing I’d done after buying a clock was test how long a whirlwind would last before dissipating—it disappeared after roughly three minutes, just as I thought.
Next, I tested what I called “Explosion”—a compressed air balloon—by placing a dish on top of it and timing it.
Sure enough, after about three minutes the balloon popped, sending the dish flying and making a loud bang. That confirmed my “color timer theory.”
From earlier experiments, I’d found that a standard explosion spell lasted about three minutes, but adding one “grain” of magic extended its life from morning till evening—about twelve hours.
With two grains, it lasted from morning to the next morning—twenty-four hours. That test had been so boring I gave up halfway through.
For now, I named this modified barrier form [Dome].
I hung my soaked robe on a folding chair to dry, then sat down on my portable cot inside.
Since I was a little off the road, travelers and carriages passed by at a distance, hurrying through the downpour.
Some noticed me, but because the dome was made of transparent air, they couldn’t tell what it was—just stared, puzzled, and kept walking.
They probably thought I was some weirdo sitting on a cot in the middle of a stormy field.
As I lay back and relaxed, I sensed movement—something approaching through the heavy rain.
Sitting up, I saw a group of drenched adventurers heading my way.
They stopped a few steps away, surprised to see me alone.
We just stood there, staring at each other—a standoff of sorts. There were seven of them, all soaked and fairly young.
Their eyes showed no hostility—just curiosity. One of them reached out toward the dome, so I watched quietly.
He knocked on it a few times, testing its strength, while the others stood silently behind him, observing.
“Hey, brother. We’ll pay you for your trouble. Can you make us one of these?”
Apparently, they thought it’d make a perfect rain shelter.
Their tone was polite, no hint of malice or danger, so I decided to accept his request. It’d also be a good chance to gather information about the road ahead.