Juvia…
If nothing unexpected happened, she was probably drawn here by the little sun I tossed into the sky.
Thinking of the rain maiden's identity, Aurel watched the watery scenery sliding by beyond the carriage window and couldn't help musing.
"I can't keep my eyes open. Wake me when we reach Oak Town, okay?"
Putting her book away, Levy covered a yawn and very naturally lay down across his lap.
After last night, she'd fallen asleep close to three in the morning; by now, drowsiness had her in a chokehold.
"Mm. Got it."
Aurel gently stroked her lustrous short blue hair, his brown eyes quietly admiring the girl's sleeping face.
She still wore the off-shoulder dress, and the clean, porcelain curve of her shoulder was in full view—look closely and even the fine down was visible.
Lower still, the slender waist and hips drew a graceful line; her fair, taut legs bent slightly, inviting the touch.
Reining in the sudden stir of impulse, Aurel turned his gaze back to the lovely view outside.
No rush…
She'd be his sooner or later.
…
Half an hour later, the carriage rolled to a stop inside Oak Town.
He woke Levy softly. The two of them disembarked at an unhurried pace.
"Ahh… I'm dying of sleep. Ever since I met you, I don't think I've had a single decent night."
Resting her head weakly against his back, Levy's eyes watered as she grumbled under her breath.
They'd known each other less than a week, and she'd already gone three nights short on sleep.
"As compensation, how about I keep you company when we get back?"
"Nope—men aren't allowed in the girls' dorm!" Levy crossed her arms in a little X… then let a smile creep onto her lips. "But I can come to your place at night."
They'd already done something far more intimate; sharing a bed hardly seemed like a big deal now.
"Let's move. If we don't finish this by afternoon, we're making the trip for nothing."
Remembering the due date on the request slip, Levy urged him along toward the town center.
The client was a middle-aged merchant, and the job was simple: drive off the bandits haunting the roads to neighboring towns.
"Leave it to us!"
Levy thumped her chest with confidence.
So what if her two former teammates weren't here—Aurel was way more reliable anyway!
"Just you two… for this job?"
The merchant's expression turned doubtful as he looked the pair up and down.
Unbelievable—was that famous guild really sending out two kids who didn't even look of age?
"Should've posted this with Phantom Lord…"
He shook his head with a sigh.
That guild's members had awful personalities and demanded high pay, but at least they had strength.
"Don't underestimate people, mister!"
Levy frowned, her tone prickling with displeasure.
"Talking won't fix it. Showing will."
Aurel spoke mildly. He stretched a hand toward the broad river beside them, and the Gift of the Sun surged out of him.
In an instant, the roiling water turned into searing steam, and the entire town vanished into a fog like the haze after a downpour.
"Hot!!"
The mist licked at any exposed skin, and the merchant yelped at once, flinging his coat over his head.
"That personality… is it noon already?"
Thanks to the blanket the Shadow Corps slipped over her, Levy wasn't hurt at all.
Peeking out from under the fluffy cover, she stared wide-eyed at the familiar yet unfamiliar Aurel and put it together in a flash.
According to Aurel, every day there was one minute when he lost control of his mood and his magic ran wild.
So these past two days, near midday, he'd always slipped away for a bit—to avoid hurting her by accident.
That lofty, scornful persona didn't even submit to his own predictions.
Better to play it safe.
"Is that good enough? If not, I can always turn it up…"
And then it wouldn't just be a river that disappeared.
His smile was as gentle as ever, but his eyes were pure contempt, the kind that sent a chill down the spine.
"E-enough! More than enough!!"
Staring at the hundred-meter riverbed laid bare in a heartbeat, the merchant swallowed hard and nodded frantically.
Terrifying—this man was scarier than Phantom Lord's Gajeel!
Once they'd secured the bandits' location, Aurel and Levy left the misted streets behind.
"Aurel…"
On the road, Levy called to him cautiously, amber eyes searching his face.
"Mm? Tired again?"
He turned his head without thinking; his expression had already slipped back into its familiar warmth.
A minute had passed.
Levy let out a tiny breath of relief.
Truth be told, facing that version of Aurel squeezed a sliver of instinctive fear into her chest—his oppressive aura was suffocating.
A little farther on, it was lunchtime.
Using gathered branches, Aurel set up a small campfire. He took out yesterday's Lobster Fish, ready to do it justice.
"I've never seen that creature before…"
Levy's eyes half-lidded as she eyed the blue fish with massive crab claws.
Ever since she'd been with Aurel, he kept producing things that upended her common sense.
A cat-shaped robot with a mind of its own, a never-heard-of Sun magic, and now this crab-fish hybrid…
"Are you sure it's edible?"
"Probably…"
Aurel nodded, a touch uncertain. It came from the Gourmet world—no way it wasn't food.
Just then, fine rain began to fall again, hissing where it met the flames.
"Rain again… ugh. What is with this miserable weather?"
Watching the clouds mass once more, Levy felt her spirits flag.
"I actually rather like rainy days. Something about this weather is oddly soothing—especially that crisp patter…"
Aurel summoned the Shadow Corps to hold an umbrella, propped his cheek on his hand, and smiled softly.
He likes rainy days… which means—
Hidden behind a tree, a figure lightly pressed a hand to her chest. Two pink blooms rose on her cheeks, and her quick breath fogged the air.
"He likes me!!"
(End of Chapter)
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