Published: July 30, 2025
The Next Day
In the end, we didn't go to the church in the City of Kereban. It seems that the destination city, Gimul, also has a church, so we'll go there instead. Until then, we prayed to the portable stone statue we made yesterday. We thought today would be another leisurely journey by carriage, but...
"It's a bit chilly, isn't it..."
"That's because it's raining."
"It's rare to have such a downpour this season."
"Bad luck, Elia."
A few hours after leaving the city, it seems we've encountered an off-season downpour. The road is terribly muddy, making the carriage shake a lot and progress very slow.
It's been a long time since we've had such clear bad luck. Since coming to this world, unlike when I was on Earth, I haven't really felt unlucky. Being inside the carriage, a downpour might still be considered lucky? But it seems there’s more to it.
The carriage stopped, and one of the guards quickly came over.
"My lord, it seems this rain has caused a landslide. From a distance, I confirmed that the road ahead is blocked."
"What? Really?"
"Yes, the road is completely blocked. Large rocks and fallen trees are in the way, and we can't pass as it is."
"What about a detour?"
"From here, it would be quite a long detour. Alternatively, there is a path rumored to have a rather large bandit group, which hasn't been confirmed yet. Someone with a weather prediction skill says the rain will stop in a few hours. So, the fastest way to reach Gimul would be to camp at a safe distance from the landslide, wait for the rain to stop, and then clear the debris tonight and tomorrow. I seek your judgment, my lord..."
Mr. Reinhardt thought for a moment before answering.
"Hmm... A long journey would be tough for Elia, who isn't used to traveling, and I’d prefer to avoid dangerous paths. I’ll go with your judgment."
"Thank you. We'll start the work immediately."
The carriage started moving again. I heard there was a tree a little further ahead where we could take shelter from the rain, but standing near trees in a downpour feels risky... Well, there’s no thunder, so maybe it’s okay? For now, I decided to stay at least two meters away from the trees to stay safe from lightning.
About five minutes later, the carriage stopped again, and things got busy as Arone-san came in.
"We’re currently preparing the camp. Please wait a little longer."
Arone-san spoke with a smile, but I noticed the guards behind her, soaked to the bone and working hard, which made me uneasy.
Having worked in a harsh company on Earth, I know that standing idly while others work, even if it’s their job, makes me want to help—not wanting to disturb their work as an amateur, but still feeling guilty. Ah, there was barrier magic for rain protection, but I’d forgotten since I hadn’t used it in a long time. If I used that, it wouldn’t get in the way!
"Can I use barrier magic?"
"Why all of a sudden?"
Oops, that was abrupt. They wouldn’t understand without an explanation.
"Some people outside are wet... Using rain protection barrier magic... blocks rain and makes work easier."
"I see, that would be helpful. If you do it, it’ll help them too."
After getting permission, I took out a fur coat from the Item Box. The coat has fur on the inside and cloth on the outside, so it looks reversed but I wore it as is. The outside cloth is coated with sticky slime’s adhesive liquid, which hardens like resin when dry and repels water well—a favorite rain gear of mine. Since making it, rainy-day hunting has become much easier.
I put it on quickly and approached the group working nearby, then cast the barrier magic.
"Envelop them and become a shield that repels the rain falling upon them—‘Rain Protection’."
As I chanted the spell, a dome-shaped barrier formed over the workers, protecting them from the rain.
Since barriers and mana aren’t visible, the people inside were surprised when the rain suddenly stopped, but Kamil noticed, waved, and thanked me. Others followed suit, but I only waved back and looked for the next group to protect.