The village marketplace was far livelier than Adrian had expected.
Rows of wooden stalls lined both sides of the broad dirt road, their colorful awnings providing shade from the afternoon sun. Merchants loudly advertised their goods while customers wandered from stall to stall, haggling over prices or inspecting merchandise. The air carried the mixed scents of cooked food, spices, leather, and freshly cut wood, blending into the familiar atmosphere of a busy market.
Lina walked a step ahead, occasionally pointing out different shops.
"Most of the essentials are sold here," she explained. "Food, clothes, tools, and farming supplies. If you need anything rare, you'll have to visit the city."
Adrian nodded, quietly observing everything around him. Rather than drawing attention to himself by asking too many questions, he simply watched how people dressed, how they spoke, and what they bought.
Before long, they stopped outside a clothing shop.
"You should probably buy a few more sets," Lina suggested. "Wearing the same clothes every day will not be suitable for a magician like you."
"I was already planning to."
The shop wasn't particularly large, but it carried enough everyday clothing for ordinary villagers. Adrian selected several simple outfits along with a sturdy pair of boots.
While Adrian picked out clothes for himself, Elena selected another set as well. Borrowing Lina's clothes had only been a temporary solution, and she wanted at least one outfit she could truly call her own.
After the shopkeeper finished packing everything, Adrian settled the payment for both of them before the three stepped back into the busy marketplace.
As they passed through the central square, a town crier rang a brass bell to gather everyone's attention.
"Hear this! During the night, a large shipment of water crystals was stolen! Anyone with information leading to their recovery will be rewarded!"
The announcement drew surprised murmurs from nearby shoppers before the market gradually returned to its usual bustle.
Adrian merely glanced toward the crowd before continuing on. A theft involving valuable goods wasn't particularly unusual in any world.
A short distance later, a small stall displaying various magical items caught his attention.
Most of the merchandise meant nothing to him, but one item looked immediately familiar.
Water crystals.
"How much for a water crystal?" Adrian asked.
"One gold coin," the merchant replied. "If you want one with water, that's five."
Adrian considered it for a moment before purchasing a single crystal and slipping it into his backpack.
As he put the coin away, he couldn't help doing the math in his head.
Five gold for a single filled crystal.
Forty of them would have been worth two hundred gold at market price.
He glanced toward Lina, who was browsing another stall a short distance away.
At least now I know what to charge next time, he thought.
As they resumed walking, Adrian continued scanning the marketplace.
He had expected to find something resembling an adventurers' guild or a mercenary hall where people accepted commissions, but after walking through nearly the entire marketplace, nothing of the sort appeared.
It was becoming increasingly clear that this world had very little in common with the fantasy stories he knew. There were no goblin attacks, no oversized rabbits threatening villages, and apparently no adventurers' guild handing out quests either.
Which left him with one rather important question.
What exactly was he supposed to do in this world?
So far, the only thing he had discovered was that people were willing to pay for the water he could create. Beyond that, he had no real direction, no obvious goal, and no idea where someone like him fit into this world's society.
By the time the three returned to the farmhouse, the afternoon had begun giving way to evening.
As soon as they stepped inside, Adrian looked toward Lina.
"Where's the bathroom? I'd like to wash up before dinner."
"I'll show you," Elena said before Lina could answer. "I used it earlier, so I know where it is."
Lina nodded.
"That saves me the trouble. I'll start preparing dinner while you're gone."
Leaving Lina in the kitchen, Adrian followed Elena through the house until they reached a small room attached to the side of the building.
The room was simple but practical. A large wooden tub sat in one corner, several empty buckets rested neatly against the wall, and a stone drain had been carved into the floor to carry the used water outside.
"There isn't any water prepared," Elena said. "You'll have to create it yourself with magic, or I can fetch some."
"No need. I'll do it myself."
Adrian picked up one of the empty buckets and held it beneath his hand. Water quickly gathered inside until the bucket was nearly full.
He placed it beside the tub before glancing toward Elena.
"...Would you mind waiting outside for a bit?"
Elena blinked before realizing she was still standing inside the room.
"Oh... right."
A faint blush crossed her face as she hurried outside and gently closed the door behind her.
Only after hearing her footsteps move away did Adrian slide the wooden bolt into place.
With no one else around, he let out a quiet breath.
He removed his dusty clothes, poured the cool water over himself, and began washing away the dirt and sweat that had accumulated over the past two days. The cold made him shiver slightly, but by the time he had finished, he felt considerably refreshed.
After drying himself with a rough cloth, he changed into one of the new outfits he had purchased from the village. Compared to his old clothes, the fresh set felt far more comfortable.
Gathering his old clothes into a bundle, Adrian unbolted the door and stepped outside.
Elena was waiting quietly against the wall.
"Finished?" she asked.
Adrian nodded.
"Yeah."
The two returned to the house together.
Meanwhile, Mara carried the first of the freshly filled water crystals toward the spice fields behind the farmhouse.
She carefully placed it into one of the stone holders connected to the irrigation channels.
Almost immediately, water began flowing from the crystal, spreading through the narrow channels that wound between the rows of spice plants.
Mara watched the water travel through the channels for a moment before moving to the next holder.
One crystal after another found its place.
Unlike before, she no longer had to calculate how much water each section of the field could receive. Every crystal had been filled to its limit.
The dry soil gradually darkened as it absorbed the fresh water, while the spice plants swayed gently in the evening breeze.
For the first time in months, Mara found herself smiling.
At least for now, she no longer had to worry about where the next supply of water would come from.
She continued making her way through the fields, placing the remaining crystals into their holders until the entire irrigation network was flowing once more.
Several villagers passed along the dirt road bordering the farm. A few greeted her with a friendly wave, while others slowed just long enough to notice the irrigation channels carrying water through the spice fields before continuing on their way.
"Looks like Mara finally managed to water the fields."
"That's good to hear."
The remarks were little more than casual observations before each villager continued with their own business.
Mara smiled politely in return and carried on with her work.
By the time she placed the last crystal into its holder, the sun was already beginning to dip below the horizon.
She took one final look across the neatly watered rows of spice plants before turning back toward the farmhouse.
Tomorrow would be another busy day.
---
Author notes:
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