Sunlight, glittering like scattered gold, spilled across the parasol's top. The unfamiliar warmth rooted Juvia to the spot; her sky-blue eyes stared blankly up at the suddenly clear heavens.
"The rain… stopped?"
She widened her eyes in disbelief.
Born with an excessive affinity for magic, the girl named Juvia knew all too well—wherever she went, the rain followed.
That power, too strong for its own good, kept her from making friends and even made her a target for bullying—people called her "rain woman."
Because of that, Juvia gradually came to hate herself… and to hate this seemingly endless rain.
A bright day like this—she was seeing it for the first time in her life.
"So warm… and the hateful rain is gone."
Juvia tilted away the ornate parasol and narrowed her eyes with a faint smile, letting the bright, gentle light wash over her.
So this is what it feels like beneath the sun—so comfortable!
But… were there always two suns in the sky?
Squinting into the glare, she saw one large and one small sun above and cocked her head, sinking into thought.
…
"Amazing!?"
Watching the clouds disperse in an instant, Levy put her fists to her chest and blurted out in awe.
"So your magic doesn't just buff yourself—it can do something this powerful too?"
Even from a distance she could feel the heat rolling off that small sun overhead.
If it hit someone, there wouldn't even be ashes left, right?
"My magic is Sun. Making a small sun is perfectly reasonable."
Aurel sounded matter-of-fact.
In truth, if he wished, he could detonate that man-made sun at any moment.
When it exploded, it could probably wipe this little town right off the map.
"That's not reasonable at all!"
Levy folded her arms and shot him a look.
Magic on that scale would count as super-magic, wouldn't it?
If he could create something like that so easily… she hardly dared imagine how deep his mana reserves ran.
Ugh, such enviable magic…
Her gaze snagged on the great fountain in the square, and a thought struck her. Light and quick, she stepped up the stairs.
When she reached the top and turned, Aurel was already strolling after her, looking up at her with mild puzzlement.
"I'm tired, so—please!"
The blue-haired girl smiled, opened her arms to him, and her eyes sparkled with expectation.
Her posture and tone made it obvious what she wanted. Aurel couldn't help the smile tugging at his lips.
"Two steps and you're wiped out? I worry for your future."
"Hehe~"
As Aurel crouched, her petite, soft body slid onto his back. Cheeks pink, she nuzzled him and let out a satisfied giggle.
He'd handed the travel pack to the Shadow Corps that morning, so she didn't feel heavy at all.
With a figure like Levy's—how heavy could she be?
Supporting the fair, slender thighs beneath her dress, Aurel carried her as she directed him toward the carriage rental.
Not long after they left, a parasol-bearing figure appeared nearby. She fixed her gaze on the pair's intimate silhouettes, fingers tightening around the handle.
That boy… is he the one Juvia is looking for?
Since Aurel hadn't hidden the process of making the sun, plenty of townsfolk had seen it and were abuzz with curiosity.
"What a terrifying magic—he changed the weather in a heartbeat!"
"Which guild is a wizard that strong from…?"
"Guild-wise, there's only one near here, right?"
At that last line, more than a few fell silent, sweat beading on their foreheads.
"H-hey, don't tell me he's from Phantom Lord?"
At the mention of her guild, Juvia's face didn't change. She lifted her head and asked coolly, "That mage you just mentioned—what direction did he go?"
Once she got her answer, she hurried to the central square.
And found… only the pair's receding backs, the girl with the cute build on his back.
"Juvia has found you."
She whispered it, then followed without hesitation.
…
On the rented carriage, Levy sat beside him, for once absorbed in her book and not pestering him.
"Show today's quests."
Watching the drizzle stipple the window, Aurel rested his chin on one hand and spoke soundlessly.
[Quest 1: Master of Reading!]
[Description: Speed-read twenty books in a single day!]
[Reward: Light Novel Writing Techniques (from the world of Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend)]
If he wanted to clear that, he'd have to borrow Levy's Wind-Reading spectacles—and it would eat nearly a whole day.
Aurel shook his head and looked to the next quest.
[Quest 2: So-Called Ashina Sword Saint!]
[Description: Don't let the sword in your hand limit your thinking. Defeat ten enemies by any means!]
[Reward: Ashina Swordsmanship (from the world of Sekiro)]
Well, that's a thing.
Conveniently, he could clear it while dispersing the bandits.
Hand at his chin, he flicked his eyes to the third quest—then froze at the title.
[Quest 3: The Heartbeat of the Rain Maiden!]
[Description: Bullied since childhood, the rain maiden has finally found her sun. Answer her feelings!]
[Reward: Sunny Doll (from the world of Doraemon)]
Rain maiden… one of the Element 4, Juvia?
At the target, a certain yandere-tinged girl surfaced unbidden in his mind.
"No wonder it kept raining… so it was you."
(End of Chapter)
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