A Sudden Rain

As Lily departed with light steps, Ensi joined Agniele. Rather than asking how he could help, Ensi moved tactfully, observing Agniele’s actions. He pulled out the tent fabric and the support frames, moving them to a suitable spot, and gathered heavy stones from the surrounding area to act as anchors.

Agniele, pausing his task of organizing the gear, discovered the tent parts Ensi had set aside and began to assemble them.

“What on earth is this…?”

Agniele fumbled for a moment, as the support frames were of a design he had never seen before. It wasn’t difficult to use, and he managed to assemble it with his natural knack for mechanics, but the form remained alien. He stared blankly at the completed pillars.

Tent poles in this world were typically made of carved wood designed to fit together. They were usually braced against nearby trees with ropes to prevent sagging. This metal frame was an entirely different concept.

“Is something the matter?”

Ensi spoke up, noticing Agniele had stopped midway through pitching the tent.

“I’ve never seen this before. I was just admiring how it was made.”

“Ah.”

Right, this product hasn’t been released to the public yet.

Belatedly realizing his mistake, Ensi pondered what excuse to make before simply blurting out the first thing that came to mind.

“A friend named Donovan lent it to me. He said it was developed by the Eclipse Merchants Guild. I heard it’s still a prototype.”

It wasn’t exactly a lie; these items had been developed specifically for Donovan. Perhaps due to the prevalence of magic, detailed survival technology in this world hadn’t advanced much. Despite numerous wars and the vast distances between villages—making camping a daily necessity—tents that were common in Ensi’s previous life had never evolved here.

Those with money simply used magic to bypass discomfort or hired others to do the labor for them. Regardless, it was a piece of equipment Ensi and Luke had co-developed for Donovan’s smoother travels, so he felt no guilt in using it. There was no reason to suffer when a convenient, lightweight tent was available.

“Are these the stakes, then?”

“Yes. Stakes.”

Having grasped the purpose, Agniele moved without hesitation. He politely declined every time Ensi tried to assist, and despite it being his first time, he pitched the tent magnificently.

Ensi checked the neatly arranged tent and reached for a large stone to add weight to the base. However, before he could grasp it, another hand moved faster, picking it up for him. When he reached for the stone next to it, Agniele snatched that one up midway as well.

After the same thing happened twice, Ensi looked up at Agniele. Avoiding his gaze, Agniele moved briskly to place the stone in its proper position.

Letting out a soft sigh at the silent signal that Agniele would handle it, Ensi turned to finish the luggage organization Agniele had abandoned. There was gear for three people, and since they had purchased a significant amount of food, the load was substantial. Still, he figured a few trips would suffice.

Just as he was about to lift the heaviest-looking bundle, a hand appeared out of nowhere and gripped the luggage first. Ensi was certain Agniele had been far away just a second ago. He was left stunned by Agniele’s speed in intercepting the task.

Is this… really necessary?

Every time he tried to work, Agniele blocked him. If Agniele did all the lifting, what was he supposed to do? Ensi had no desire to lounge about watching someone else labor, so he tried to squeeze out another task.

“Then I will go gather some branches.”

“No, there is no need for that.”

Agniele shook his head instantly, adding that he would do that as well. Proposals to assemble the field cots or prepare for dinner were similarly rejected. Ensi’s lips pursed involuntarily. He tried not to show his frustration, but he couldn’t hide it from Agniele’s keen, observant eyes.

Agniele, belatedly realizing he had done nothing but oppose Ensi without considering his feelings, looked down. What is a task that isn’t strenuous, but still feels helpful? After deep deliberation, he finally thought of something.

“The Sun Grass.”

“Pardon?”

“I haven’t seen you burn any Sun Grass lately. If you’ve run out, or even if you haven’t… how about preparing the herbs for later?”

Agniele added in a smaller, less confident voice that “maintaining one’s health is important.”

It was undoubtedly a suggestion born of pure intention. There was no malice or spite in Agniele’s expression. In fact, he looked genuinely worried. However, to Ensi’s ears, it didn’t sound entirely pleasant. It felt like being told: “You’re sick, so stay still and just play with your herbs.”

He knew he was over-interpreting. He knew he was being unnecessarily prickly. But after being repeatedly sidelined, his temper flared just enough for him to snap back sarcastically.

“Do you pity me? Or is this your way of telling me to stay out of the way because I’m a hindrance?”

“No, that’s not it! It’s not like that…!”

A startled Agniele shook his head violently. Because it was a reflexive response, his words trailed off awkwardly. A smooth excuse failed to follow. Agniele let out a low groan, struggling for words, before finally offering his blunt, honest truth.

“I just didn’t want you to suffer. Ensius, I know you are capable, but since these are things I could do for you… I wanted to do them.”

Revealing his heart so nakedly was awkward. It was unfamiliar, and at the same time, embarrassing. He had always considered himself emotionally stable, but he felt a sudden, surging impulse to run away out of sheer bashfulness. Agniele lowered his head, unable to meet Ensi’s eyes.

Ensi’s body leaned back slightly at the weight of a sincerity that held nothing back. As they both fell silent, a stillness settled over the clearing, but Ensi’s mind was in turmoil.

Did I hate it? No, he didn’t even have to think deeply to know that wasn’t it. It felt closer to being “overwhelmed.”

…No, is that really all it is?

Ensi’s face flushed with confusion at an emotion he couldn’t quite define. It felt as if Titania’s words were becoming a reality. It was an emotion Ensi himself hadn’t recognized, suddenly surfacing. Or perhaps, it was a new feeling Agniele had planted within him that was just beginning to sprout.

Tap.

A sudden cold, wet sensation touched his cheek, making Ensi’s shoulders flinch. As he reflexively looked up, a second drop hit his forehead, confirming it wasn’t his imagination.

“…Rain?”

The thing that finally broke the long, tangled web of thoughts was a single, indifferent drop of rain.

“I bet the atmosphere got awkward again while I was gone. If it did, I really don’t have the confidence to fix it this time.”

This practical is a disaster. Ugh, why is my life like this? It’s not like my destiny lacked… well, romance.

Regardless, she was busy enough dealing with her own feelings for “Bambi,” yet here she was, dragged into a forest under the guise of a practical exam, suffering between two classmates who were stuck in a “will-they-won’t-they” limbo. It was a truly desperate situation. On the day she first heard about the practical, her heart had been thumping with excitement.

Lily let out a sigh, dipping her hands into the ice-cold valley water.

Tink, tink.

Despite her gloomy mood, the artifact was making clear, pleasant sounds as it worked hard to purify the water. A small, involuntary laugh escaped her lips. The pure sound, so out of place with the heavy atmosphere, brought a senseless smile to her face.

“I have to head back eventually, but…”

She couldn’t stay at the creek forever. She had to go back, eat dinner, and check her weapons for tomorrow’s subjugation. Seeing the canteens were all full, it was time to move. Lily collected the artifact from the canteen mouth and tightened the caps.

The entire process was agonizingly slow. It was a small trick to delay her return as much as possible, but naturally, it couldn’t last. Just as she closed the last canteen and let out another sigh, a cold drop of water fell on the crown of her head.

“—Eh?”

She looked up, wanting to deny the sensation, only for another drop to land right on her eyelid. Realizing it wasn’t a mistake, Lily slapped her forehead.

“Dammit.”

Looking at the sky, it didn’t seem like a passing shower that would stop soon. It was spring, not even summer yet—a season that was biting cold for someone like Ensi! And it had to rain today, of all days, right when they arrived at the site!

While a mere human couldn’t control the weather, she couldn’t help but feel lamentful. Clicking her tongue and suppressing her annoyance, Lily stood up to head back to base camp before the rain worsened.

Was the tent we prepared waterproof? She had left the tent matters to Ensi, so her memory was fuzzy. They might even have to move the base. Lily tried to visualize the map in her head, but she stopped in her tracks as a thought suddenly occurred to her.

In a way, this practical was reeking of that “artificial” scent unique to novels. It felt as if an author had meticulously crafted the situation just to push a specific couple together.

The fact that the group consisted of exactly Lily, Ensi, and Agniele… and the fact that it started raining the moment they reached Mount Lakes.

Realizing how incredibly coincidental the whole situation was, she clutched her forehead as it began to throb.