Rain, Rain, Fall Right Here

With the surrounding crowd watching, Alexia gripped the battle-axe and channeled mana into the magic circle.

An enormous amount of mana, visible to the naked eye.

It rose from the circle into the sky and spread over the city.

Normally, a spell of this scale, one capable of altering the environment, could never be used inside a city.

It was dangerous, and permission would never be granted.

Only a city in circumstances this extreme would authorize it.

Besides, the request from the officials had been more plea than order.

I had let them know that, if rain actually fell, we'd appreciate it if they and the onlookers dropped some coin into a wooden crate.

The mana covering the city first became water, then steam.

Alexia had called it a compound spell of water and fire, and I was curious about the mechanics behind it.

This state persisted for a while.

Gradually, the murmuring of the crowd grew louder.

Mana continued to pour out.

Even more time passed.

"Maybe rain really is impossible after all?"

A voice nearby said that.

No one was openly criticizing Alexia.

But a dark mood of resignation was starting to settle in.

I didn't understand magic. Even so, the air felt far too dry.

In the midst of it all, an elderly woman got down on her knees in front of Alexia and began to pray.

"At this rate, my grandchild… it's too pitiful. Please, please…"

After seeing the old woman, I looked back at Azu and Alexia.

Sweat was beginning to bead on Azu's forehead.

Alexia's hood hid her expression, but I couldn't imagine she was handling this kind of mana output with a calm face.

Just as voices started saying this might fail, a boy pointed at the sky.

"Clouds! Clouds are coming!"

Gray clouds were gathering from the surrounding area, writhing as if alive.

The crowd erupted in commotion, voices rising nearly to panic.

In the middle of it, Azu's legs gave out and she sank to the ground.

I rushed over and supported her.

"Don't push yourself."

"I can… still go. Once it rains, everyone will be so happy."

Saying that, Azu stood back up.

Her legs were trembling.

She had to be at her limit just staying upright.

I looked at Alexia's face.

She had entered a complete trance, lost in concentration.

She probably wouldn't respond to anything until her mana was fully depleted.

Something small was clinging to the area around her.

Tiny blue spheres, about the size of a fingernail.

What were those…?

The instant the thought crossed my mind, one of the spheres collided with the battle-axe, flowed into the magic circle, and shot skyward.

The moment it merged with the clouds blanketing the city, the smell of soil hit my nose.

This was the smell you noticed right before rain fell.

Then something struck my forehead.

Something cold.

"Rain!"

Someone shouted.

It was raining.

In this city that was supposed to be bone dry, rain was falling.

A cheer like a scream engulfed the city.

The rain intensified, drenching everything.

Some people scrambled to line up water jars. Others just stood there fully clothed, letting the rain wash over them.

"When was the last time we had proper rain…?"

That murmur came from the gate guard.

Apparently he'd abandoned his post to come watch.

Azu, relieved, collapsed, her strength giving out. I put her arm over my shoulder.

She was so exhausted she fell asleep.

"Good work."

Alexia was still maintaining the spell.

Now that the rain spell had succeeded, she seemed to have come out of her trance.

"The air was drier than I expected. Had me a bit worried for a moment."

When I handed Alexia a drink, she downed the whole thing in one go.

Not as badly as Azu, but Alexia was swaying on her feet too.

She was only staying upright by leaning on the battle-axe.

The one in the best shape was undoubtedly Elza.

"Maintaining that blessing was hard on me too, you know?"

"I know, you did great too, Elza."

"You could sound a little more sincere."

Ignoring Elza's needling, I turned back to Alexia.

"You actually did it. I'll be honest, when you first said you'd make it rain, I half thought you were joking."

"I don't say things I can't do."

"Right. That's who you are."

Along with the city's grime, the rain washed everything clean.

People's anxieties, their thirst… all of it.

A young girl approached with the old woman.

"Onee-chan. That was amazing."

"Are you happy it's raining?"

"Mm-hm. Grandma had been so worried about water all this time, so I'm really happy."

The old woman said nothing, simply pressing her palms together toward Alexia in reverence.

Then, as she turned to leave, she murmured a single line.

"No one blames you, dear."

I turned to face Alexia.

It had been quiet. I didn't know if those words had reached her ears.

But the look on her face said everything.

It was the first time I'd ever seen Alexia on the verge of tears.

"Don't… look."

She said that and lowered her face.

The area around the magic circle was repelling the rain.

Thanks to that, all four of us had stayed dry.

"How long will this rain last?"

"About two days. Any more than that and we'd risk flooding…"

True enough. No matter how desperately the rain was wanted, having it pour endlessly would be a problem.

It was all about balance.

But once the rain spell wore off, the parched air would return.

We had to prevent that, but…

"Heh. Did you think I made it rain without a plan?"

Alexia, having wiped her tears, pointed a finger at the sky.

"It was immediately obvious that Baron Aarg has little knowledge of spirits. If he had any, he could have offered the Water Elemental compensation in exchange for a bit of Elemental Stone."

Then she pointed toward Baron Aarg's manor.

"And if he'd had that knowledge, he would never have authorized rain."

Alexia grinned with an audacious smile.