Beginner Magic and a Short Sword: The Jack-of-All-Trades Peddler Trades Peacefully Again Today - Rainy Highway

The rain kept falling. The gravel of the old highway soaked up the water and sank heavy, and the wagon wheels bit into mud with every step. Dan held the donkey's reins, his eyes tracking the sway of the cargo bed as he walked in silence. His coat had long since soaked through and grown heavy. Drops falling from the edge of his hood traced the old scar along his cheek. Fifth day since departure. Since leaving Orvielle, the sky hadn't cleared once. "Damn it, what's with this rain?" Rick stopped three paces ahead and glared up at the sky. His light brown hair, plastered to his forehead by the rain, and his leather breastplate—looking brand new—was splattered with mud. His amber eyes narrowed, making no effort to hide his irritation. "This region gets a lot of rain this time of year. The road surface softens, so we slow down." "I know that. But at this rate, how many more days till we reach Luca Village?" Rick's voice was fast, his words sharp at the edges. His habit of gripping his sword hilt hard when he got impatient was showing again today. The fingers of his right hand opened and closed over the grip of his longsword. Dan didn't answer. He gave the donkey's back a light pat. The donkey flattened its ears and plodded forward slowly. Rain pattered against the canvas over the cargo bed. (This one's still impatient.) Dan thought it while watching Rick's back. He'd already learned a hard lesson from their encounter with the orc. But the habit of rushing wasn't something you shook off so easily. Dan had been the same way when he was young. Desperate for results, blind to everything around him. "Hey, you." Rick spoke without turning around. "What?" "How long is this rain gonna last? Can't you blow the clouds away with wind magic or something?" Dan let out a small breath. "Beginner magic can't move clouds. And even if it could, forcing the weather to change just causes heavy rain somewhere else. Better not to fight nature." "Ugh... You know, you really get the short end of things. You can use magic, but everything you do is so plain." "Plain is fine. The plainer it is, the fewer mistakes." Rick said nothing more and started walking again. The rain showed no sign of letting up. The forest stretching along both sides of the old highway was hazy with rain, its outlines blurred. Leaves trembled under the raindrops, and water fell ceaselessly to the ground. The air was cold, the smell of earth and rotting leaves mingling and stinging the nose. Dan pressed a hand against the canvas and checked the cargo inside. The bundles of dried herbs were wrapped in oiled paper and secured with rope. The short sword with fire enchantment was in a wooden box in the corner of the cargo bed. He checked with his eyes whether water had gotten in. (It's fine. Still dry.) But if this rain kept up, the canvas alone wouldn't be enough. If the herbs absorbed moisture, their dryness would be compromised and their value would drop. "Rick, we're stopping for a moment." "Huh? Why? We can still keep going." "Cargo inspection. The canvas knots are loosening. I'll fix them before water gets in." Dan guided the donkey to the edge of the road and tied the reins to a tree root. Rick looked displeased but came back reluctantly. "I'll help. What do I do?" "Hold the knots at the back of the canvas. I'll retie them." Rick went around to the back of the wagon and pressed the edge of the canvas down with both hands. Dan cast a thin layer of beginner wind magic without chanting, brushing the water droplets off the canvas surface. For just an instant, a film of wind wrapped around the canvas, and the water scattered like mist. "Oh." Rick let out a small sound. "That was magic, right? Kind of, uh, really plain, though." "Plain is fine." Dan undid the knots, pulled the rope tight, and retied them. His fingertips were cold, and the rope was stiff with water. "All right, let's go." "That's it?" "Yeah. We make distance while we can. This rain won't stop till evening." Dan looked up at the sky. The clouds were thick, stretching gray in every direction. The wind smelled wet, and the raindrops were growing steadily larger. (It's going to get worse.) Dan's premonition proved right almost immediately. Within an hour of walking, the rain became a downpour. It came down with a roar, and puddles began forming all along the road. The gravel of the old highway loosened into slush, and the wagon wheels sank deep. The donkey stopped. It pinned its ears back and shook its head, refusing to go on. "What's wrong, can't move?" Dan stroked the donkey's back to soothe it, and it let out a small bray. Its front hooves were caught in the mud, sunk deep in the mire. "Hey, the wagon's sinking!" Rick pointed at the back of the cargo bed. The right rear wheel of the covered wagon was deeply stuck in the mud. More than half the wheel had sunk, and the cargo bed was tilting to the right. If they kept going, the axle would be damaged. "We're stopping. Rick, help me push." "Leave it to me. I've got the strength." Rick rolled up his sleeves and went around to the back. He pressed both hands against the wagon boards and braced his feet. "Here we go!" Rick pushed with all his might. But the wheel didn't budge. Instead, the mud beneath his feet splashed up, splattering thickly across his legs and waist. "Damn it, one more time!" Rick pushed harder. His face went red, his teeth clenched. But the wheel stayed sucked into the mire, not moving an inch. More mud splashed, this time hitting Rick's chest and cheek. "Gah—why won't it move!" Rick flung his mud-covered hands wildly and kicked the wagon. The wheel wobbled faintly, but only sank deeper. "That's enough. Get back." "But I can still—" "Pushing with brute force only makes it sink more. If the axle bends, it's over." Dan's voice was quiet. He didn't shout. But there was a weight to it that left no room for argument. Rick bit his lip and let go of the wagon. He wiped his mud-covered hands on his clothes. No matter how he wiped, the mud wouldn't come off. "...I'm not doing anything useful." Rick muttered under his breath. His voice was half-drowned by the sound of rain. Dan didn't turn toward Rick. From the cargo bed, he checked the moisture level. He reached inside the canvas and touched the herb bundles. The surface was still dry. The oiled paper was repelling the water. "The cargo's fine. Nothing shifted from your pushing. That's enough." "It's not enough. I'm not helping at all." "You'll be useful from here on. For now, watch how I do things." Dan climbed down from the wagon and dropped to one knee in the mire. The mud wrapped around his knee. Cold. (First, solidify the ground.) Dan cast beginner earth magic without chanting. He held both hands over the mud. Mana flowed from his fingertips, seeping into the slushy ground. The loosened mud began to harden slowly. The soil that had swollen with water compacted, and the ground around the wheel flattened out. As if pressed down by invisible hands, the mire turned back into road. "What the hell is this..." Rick's eyes went wide. Dan then cast beginner water magic. The rainwater pooled around the wheel began to move, crawling across the ground. Guided by Dan's fingertips, the water flowed to the side of the road and drained into a small ditch he'd dug as a makeshift channel. "You're even moving the water?" "Beginner magic is all about how you use it. Solidify the ground, drain the water. That alone gets the wagon moving." Dan stood and pulled the donkey's reins. "We can go." The donkey took a step. Its hooves caught on the hardened ground, and the wheels began to turn slowly. The wheel that had been sunk in mud pulled free with a sound. The covered wagon righted itself and rolled onto the road. "...Incredible." Rick murmured. "How'd you do that just now? I thought magic was supposed to be flashier." "Flashy magic is for the advanced. I can only use beginner spells. So I just do everything I can with what I've got." Dan climbed onto the cargo bed and picked up a bundle of wet herbs. The surface was fine, but the humidity in the air had made them slightly damp. At this rate, mold might set in before they reached the village. "Bear with me a little longer." Dan cast beginner wind magic. A thin film of wind wrapped around each bundle of herbs, one by one. The wind threaded between the herbs, carrying moisture outward. Invisible to the eye. But he could feel the surface of the herbs drying, little by little. "What are you doing?" "Blowing the moisture off with wind. In this rain, the cargo's bound to get damp. I'll dry it as much as I can before we reach the village." "Even that kind of detail..." Rick trailed off. Then he wiped his rain-soaked face and watched Dan's hands with serious eyes. "Hey, can I ask you one thing?" Rick's voice was calm for the first time. No impatience, no bravado—just an honest voice. "What?" "Is that how magic's supposed to be used? I always thought magic was for fighting. But your magic is... different." Dan answered without stopping his work. "Magic is a tool. Same as a sword—it depends on how you use it. Magic isn't just for defeating enemies. Hardening the ground, draining water, drying things with wind. All of that is magic too." "...This is the first time I've seen it. Magic used to protect cargo." "Protecting the cargo is the escort's job. So I use magic to protect the cargo too." Rick nodded silently. Then he looked down at his mud-covered hands and gave a small laugh. "I was just pushing like an idiot back there, wasn't I." "Strength is necessary too. But there are times when strength alone isn't enough. Especially on a rainy day like today." Dan put the herb bundles back on the cargo bed and re-covered them with the oiled paper. When he released the wind magic, the herbs felt just a little lighter. "Let's go. The rain hasn't stopped, but Luca Village is ahead. We'll make it by today." "Luca Village—that's the herb collection point, right? You're going to sell the herbs there?" "Yeah. If the dryness is good, I'll get a better price. On a rainy day like today, dry herbs are especially valuable." Dan took the donkey's reins and started walking. Rick fell in beside him. Their footsteps, the sound of wheels, and the rain all melted into the old highway. It was nearly evening when they reached Luca Village. The rain had let up to a drizzle, but the sky was still covered in thick clouds. An old wooden gate stood at the village entrance, and beyond it stood rows of stone houses. A small village of about three hundred people, but as a supply stop along the old highway, it was always bustling with travelers and peddlers. "So this is Luca Village. Smaller than I expected." "Small, but it has a herb collection depot. All the herbs gathered in this area end up here." Dan headed for the collection depot in the center of the village. A single-story stone building, with bundles of herbs piled high at the entrance. The smell of herbs drifted out and mingled with the rainy air. "Dan, it's been a while." Standing at the depot entrance was a small man in his mid-fifties. His salt-and-pepper hair was tied back, and he wore a dark brown apron. Marcel—the herb buyer who ran the Luca Village collection depot. "Marcel, you look well. I brought herbs today. Take a look." "You came all this way in this rain. Come inside. You'll catch cold in those wet clothes." At Marcel's urging, Dan unloaded the herb bundles from the wagon. Rick helped too, and the two of them carried everything inside. The interior was filled with dry air. Bundles of herbs hung from the ceiling, and wooden crates were stacked along the walls. Marcel picked up Dan's herbs, smelled them, tore off a leaf and rubbed it between his fingers. "...Now this is good. With all this rain, everyone's been unable to dry thei

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Episode 3

Name: Beginner Magic and a Short Sword: The Jack-of-All-Trades Peddler Trades Peacefully Again Today
Author: Novelia

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