Chapter 136: The City Where Black Rain Falls Part 1

– Flap, flap…

A purple butterfly fluttered into the carriage; it started scattering sparkling dust as it flew around. After circling the carriage once, it gently landed on my fingertip.

– Thump!

Legion swung his fluffy front paw to catch the butterfly.

"A-Aaah, Legion. You shouldn't do that."

– Beeep!

The butterfly avoided Legion's paw and moved to my shoulder, only to be attacked by Beepy in a hurry.

"Beepy, are you joining in too?"

I waved my hand to shoo them away, then gently caught the butterfly and spread its wings carefully. I felt Khalid's magical power in it.

– Theodore, you shouldn't run away like that.

"Running away? Sir Khalid."

– I appreciate the 'gift'. But isn't it too insignificant compared to the godfather position?

"A perfect dragon's first molt is 'insignificant'? That's quite an exaggeration."

– Of course, it's an extraordinary item, enough to make me willing to forgive your deceit. But…

"Go ahead."

– Hand over all the materials from Legion's molts as it grows. That's the least you can do.

"Dragons grow until they die. You want all of them until then?"

The materials of a dragon's molts had their own advantages depending on the timing. Of course, the most precious was the first molt, since it contained the purest magical power. That's why I handed it over to him, but it seemed that as a wizard Khalid was not satisfied with just that.

The twelve molts that occurred within the first year of a dragon's life were very soft and easy to process, while the subsequent molts increased in magical intensity as the dragon grew, becoming more useful. The molts that happened every ten, fifty, or one hundred years were almost like higher versions of magic stones.

"I can't do that."

– Let me ask you bluntly. What do you want?

"…"

However, if this became a "deal", the story would be different.

"I will give you an answer after I have thought about it sufficiently."

– Theodore. If you hand it over to anyone else in the meantime, I swear I will…

"Have you ever seen me break a promise?"

– What about the godfather position…

"Oh, that wasn't me breaking a promise. Legion made the choice."

You little…!

"Oh dear, why can't I hear you? It seems the magic is becoming unstable. Is it because of Legion?"

– Theo…!

Before Khalid could say anything more, I quickly handed the butterfly to Legion.

– Splat!

Legion grabbed the butterfly with his fluffy front paws and immediately devoured it. _Crunch, crunch, crunc_h. He seemed to enjoy it. Since Khalid's magic was high-grade, it must have been quite a decent snack.

– Yawn.

Legion let out a long yawn and licked his lips before sprawling back on my lap. He looked adorable as he curled up as if he was ready for a nap. Beepy who was perched on my head watched Legion warily. Even though it had been a month since Legion and Beepy had met, it seemed it would take quite a while for them to become friends.

I looked out the window. A light drizzle was falling outside. The surroundings were shrouded in mist, creating an eerie atmosphere with not a single insect sound to be heard.

I have a bad feeling about this…

We were leaving Solen, following the great river that flowed between the Barak Empire and Lysette. Our destination was the Barak Empire. Having spent more time than expected in the Silver Mountains, we had lost touch with the rest of the world. We were on our way to the Barak Empire, a place that could be described as a collection of everything on the continent, to observe the general movements of the continent.

– Knock, knock.

While I was lost in thought, I heard Lloyd tapping on the window. He was riding a fine black horse and leading the way in front of the carriage. Lloyd shook off the rainwater that had soaked his raincoat and said,

"The rain isn't heavy, but the ground is getting muddier. I'm not sure if the riverbank has collapsed. It's hard to see clearly because of the fog. Should we continue this way?"

There was still time before sunset. After a brief hesitation, I asked him,

"But isn't it difficult to camp here?"

"..."

"If we go just a bit further to the bridge, there might be a house where we can stay…"

"It's hard to say."

"In that case, we'll do it this way."

I tapped the ceiling to stop the carriage. Then, after moving the sleeping Legion from my lap to the seat beside me, I put on my raincoat and got out of the carriage. I could hear Legion meowing and scratching at the carriage door belatedly.

"Stay put, Legion. Now, El. Let's switch."

"Oh, yes!"

El who had been on the coachman's seat shook off the rainwater from her raincoat and entered the carriage. As I untied the tools connecting the carriage to Storm, I spoke to Lloyd.

"Please drive the carriage for a while, Lloyd. I'll clear the path with Storm."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

I slipped lightly into Storm's saddle and rode alongside him before I started scattering grass seeds and using my skills. If the tough grass sprouted on the muddy path, we wouldn't have to worry about the carriage getting stuck. I adjusted the growth of the grass to ensure it grew densely as we moved forward. Storm who was a former wild horse seemed quite used to such rough weather and rugged paths.

When I glanced back, I saw the carriage following smoothly without any trouble.

Still, something feels off.

It wasn't even a torrential downpour, yet the light rain made it hard to see the surroundings. Additionally, it was strange for the riverbank to collapse from such a small amount of rain. Just like Lloyd said, the ground was excessively muddy.

This is unnatural…

No matter how unpredictable the weather could be, the climates of the Barak Empire and Lysette were usually mild and peaceful, just like Europe in my original world. Such gloomy weather only existed in cursed lands or the Dark Forest.

…Am I overreacting?

Well, sometimes the weather is like this. I looked up at the sky for a moment. Light raindrops were continuously falling from the indistinct sky.

It felt unpleasant. As soon as we found an inn, I planned to take a hot bath.

-Purrrrrr!

Storm also lightly brushed the raindrops off his mane and body, as if he thought the same thing. We continued forward and created a new path since the old one started to collapse.

"…Ah, light."

How much time had passed? Beyond the thick fog, a small light became visible. I gestured towards Lloyd who was driving the carriage. Lloyd raised his hand in acknowledgment. Storm and I increased our speed and made our way towards the light.

We arrived at a small farmhouse with a sign that read "Inn", though calling it an inn was a stretch. At least there was a barn, which was fortunate. Of course, spending the night in this farmhouse was far better than camping in the rain and fog. I was grateful. I shook the rainwater off my raincoat, removed my hood, and knocked on the old wooden door. A middle-aged man with a bushy beard answered. Behind him stood a plump woman who seemed to be his wife, and a warm orange light spilled out from inside the house. There was also a warm, savory smell, likely from dinner being prepared.

"Good evening. I'd like to rent a room for the night."

"Are you alone?"

"No, I have companions. Another adult, a child, a large dog, and a cat."

"Quite the unusual group, huh?"

"I hear that a lot."

The man laughed heartily at my joke.

"Fortunately, we have two rooms available. Actually, we always have two rooms."

"That's good to hear. My companions will arrive soon."

"Understood. Have you eaten yet?"

"No, we haven't."

"Good. We were just preparing dinner. Tie your horse in the stable and come on in."

"Thank you."

The stable the owner pointed to… it was closer to a shed. A shed that looked like it could collapse at any moment. It seemed like one kick from Storm would turn it into dust. Would it be alright?

I took Storm to the shed and tied him up, then wiped his entire body with a towel soaked in warm water and fed him a few fresh carrots. He seemed to be in a good mood and was prancing around on the dry straw.

"Rest well, Storm."

-Neiiiiigh!

Soon, I heard the sound of a carriage stopping outside. The rest of the group had arrived. We entered the house and were warmly welcomed by the owner and his wife.

"Wait a minute…"

"Yes?"

"Didn't you say it was a dog?"

"I said 'a large dog'."

I flashed a brazen smile at the owner who was surprised to see Ayla.

Anyway, we managed to rent one large room and one small room. El and Ayla took the small room, while Lloyd and I took the large room. The beds were old and small, but they seemed fairly soft, as if fresh straw had been laid recently. I gave Beepy some grains and Legion a plate of warm goat milk, then headed to the kitchen for the dinner prepared by the owner and his wife.

Clear potato soup and crispy roast chicken were laid out on a wooden table with a small additional tabletop. The dishes were simple but plentiful. Such homely meals were nice, especially since it had been so long since I had eaten food prepared by someone else! We gathered around the table and started eating in a cheerful atmosphere. We talked about where we came from, where we were headed, how mercenary work was, the rumors about the Silver Mountains collapsing, and whether they were true…

As the atmosphere warmed, I brought out the honey wine I had been saving. The owner, his wife, Lloyd, and I raised our glasses and toasted together.

"By the way, the weather is… I heard the scenery along the river is spectacular, but it's a shame we can't see it because of the weather. Is this weather common?"

"No, not at all. As you said, the scenery is quite magnificent. The glittering river under the sunlight, the green fields, and the forest… it's a sight to behold."

"Then, this weather now…"

"This rain has been falling for about two weeks now. It's good that it's not a heavy downpour, but considering the situation, it's really not that good either. The ground has become too soggy."

Light rain that seemed like it could stop at any moment had been falling for two weeks? Now I understood why the ground was in such a condition.

…"Is something happening?"

The owner and his wife looked at me with worried expressions on their faces.