Chapter 88

The villagers were gulping down the water they hadn’t been able to drink for so long. Fedeshar, watching them from the side, asked, “By the way, brother, aren’t you quite exhausted? I wonder if you’ll be able to keep bringing rain like this…”

 

Since the well had been so profoundly parched, it seemed he had exerted a lot of strength. Bastien’s complexion darkened slightly.

 

“……I must do my best.”

 

“Shall I help you?”

 

I looked at Fedeshar. I didn’t think he had learned spirit arts. Bastien also looked at him inquisitively.

 

“Whether it’s spirit arts or magic, what is ultimately consumed is mana. I can share my mana with you.”

 

I see. But that means he has to have mana to begin with, right? I had never once seen him use magic. Fedeshar spoke as if he read my mind.

 

“My father had me take lessons for a while, wondering if I might have a talent for magic. Because of that, I know how to share mana.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Bastien welcomed his help, knowing he couldn’t do it alone.

 

“I am simply doing what I must do.”

 

Fedeshar transferred mana from behind him. The spirit, receiving sufficient power, shone even larger and brighter. Then, like fireworks exploding, it scattered light all around and created dark clouds.

 

Despite using a great deal of power, Bastien’s expression looked comfortable. Contrary to his claims of having no talent for magic, was his mana actually abundant? Something didn’t quite add up.

 

While I was tilting my head in confusion, the people who had been rejoicing over the puddles in the well witnessed the dark clouds rolling in.

 

“D-Dark clouds!”

 

Then, with a sudden pitter-patter, a rain shower began to fall. It was a light rain limited only to the village, but the sight allowed everyone to feel a swelling sense of profound emotion.

 

Without realizing it, I stared blankly at the sky, letting the rain hit my body.

 

“Thank you, Your Highness…! Thank you!!”

 

The villagers bowed deeply toward Bastien and Fedeshar. Beside them, Count Delta’s eyes welled with tears.

 

Everyone was rejoicing. I glanced at Fedeshar, who had been sharp toward Bastien the entire time. The moment I saw his face, I couldn’t help but flinch.

 

There was absolutely no emotion to be found in his gaze as he looked down at the villagers praising him. The faint smile that usually sat on his lips had vanished. It was incredibly eerie.

 

Why was he looking at the people like that? Did he dislike them praising Bastien? Yet, the look he gave Bastien wasn’t exactly sinister either.

 

“Is something wrong?”

 

“I don’t know much about magic, so… does having a lot of mana not necessarily mean you’re good at using magic?”

 

“If your ability to apply it is lacking, then yes.”

 

But Fedeshar…

 

Noticing my gaze, Fedeshar had approached us before I knew it.

 

“Is there something on my face?”

 

“Ah, no.”

 

I shook my head awkwardly.

 

“Brother truly is fit for the throne.”

 

A subtle smile played on his lips. Fedeshar gazed at Bastien, who was receiving the spotlight, like a guest watching a musical. Count Delta wiped his tears and expressed his gratitude once more.

 

“Your Highness, I am truly grateful. With this, the lives of our villagers will surely improve at least a little.”

 

“I only did what was natural.”

 

“You will surely receive even more love from the people.”

 

“……Is it not the same for you?”

 

“Is it?”

 

Fedeshar shrugged.

 

Why on earth did he come here? No matter how much it was by the Emperor’s command, looking at Fedeshar’s track record, he wasn’t particularly loyal to the Emperor’s orders. Unlike Bastien, who rarely disobeyed the Empress, Fedeshar acted on his own whims far more often.

 

The Emperor had never permitted him to attend the Academy, yet he entered by his own stubbornness. He nearly got poisoned to death because of it.

 

Just then, something was draped over my shoulders.

 

“Oh?”

 

It was Evan’s soaked outer coat. I tilted my head back to look at him. His earlobes were bright red, and he was covering his mouth with his hand. Then, he whispered quietly into my ear.

 

“Lep……. I can see everything.”

 

My eyes naturally drifted downward.

 

“Eek!”

 

At my scream, everyone’s attention naturally snapped toward me. At that, Evan pulled me into a tight embrace.

 

“Everyone, look away.”

 

I wrapped my arms around myself, and Evan stood in front of me as a shield. Understanding the situation, people began looking for blankets.

 

Because of the heavy rain that had fallen in such a short time, I was completely drenched. The wet dress was clinging to my body, revealing my silhouette in vivid detail.

 

‘I can’t believe I looked like this……!’

 

I felt a sudden rush of heat to my face. I hurriedly wrapped my arms around myself and looked around, searching for a place to hide, but there was none. Others coughed awkwardly as they looked at me.

 

“You’re too careless……”

 

“E-Everyone else is the same……!”

 

Everyone gathered there was wet. Fortunately, the people handed out clothes to wear over our own. I accepted them, thanking each person individually.

 

Now that I was conscious of being soaked, my body felt heavier. The cumbersome dress clung to my legs, hindering my walk.

 

Evan seemed determined to turn me into a snowman, wrapping endless layers of clothing around me so that my undergarments or silhouette wouldn’t show through the wet fabric. Thanks to him, I became a “snowman” and had no choice but to waddle along.

 

Watching me, Evan suddenly hoisted me up and placed me on the horse. We left the bustling area, escorted by the bows of the villagers until we became mere dots in the distance.

 

“I am truly impressed. To see rain falling from the sky! You are magnificent. I will never forget this grace!”

 

“It was only a little rain.”

 

“To this parched land, it was like a blessing from heaven!”

 

The more polite Bastien became, the more overwhelmed Count Delta seemed to be with gratitude.

 

A short while later, we rode our horses toward the dried-up farmland.

 

“Evan, are you okay? Want one of these? Put it on. Or at least dry off a bit……”

 

“No. Then your clothes will get wet.”

 

Evan was in the same situation as I was. He had only roughly wiped off the water with a towel. For me, it was unavoidable because my undergarments were showing, but…

 

I gently brushed Evan’s hair to try and dry it quickly, noting that he wasn’t completely dry despite the quick wipe.

 

Even with the sun shining brightly above, a cool breeze was blowing, so his hair dried quickly, but his whole body shivered from the soaking wet clothes.

 

“Lep is the priority.”

 

“If you’re going to be that firm about it, I guess I have no choice……”

 

I tried my best to keep my gaze from drifting downward.

 

He was also in a state where his clothes were clinging to him, revealing his well-defined muscles.

 

I had occasionally seen his bare skin through his shirt, but somehow, seeing him wet like this was even more…

 

I forced my eyes to stay fixed upward to keep them from sliding down. Since it kept bothering me, I spoke to Count Delta to distract myself.

 

“Count, you said you moved the seeds to the farmland in advance, right?”

 

“Yes. The luggage wagon departed before us, so it should have arrived.”

 

The rain had fallen, and the drinking water was replenished. Now, if only food could be secured, the territory could recover enough to live without major issues.

 

“By the way, could you tell us what kind of seeds they are?”

 

The elderly Count’s eyes were sparkling with anticipation. I explained with a small smile.

 

“You all know that I succeeded in trading with the Zeiran Empire, right? The Zeiran Empire is a desert. They lack water there, too. How do you think they secured their food?”

 

“Is it a staple crop of the Zeiran Empire?!”

 

Count Delta nodded as if he had finally realized.

 

“Yes. Even if the ground is parched and rain doesn’t fall, there’s no need to worry. Of course, plants need a minimum amount of water to grow, but I think they’ll survive on just the rain that fell earlier. Though the rain was limited to the village…… it should have some impact.”

 

“……If necessary, I will try to generate a bit more water.”

 

“You’ll collapse if you do that, Your Highness.”

 

I flatly refused.

 

“But didn’t you say there was a small problem?”

 

Fedeshar interjected, picking at my words.

 

“Um…… actually, these seeds must not be allowed to bloom.”

 

“To…… bloom?”

 

“To be precise, it doesn’t matter if they bloom. But then they become difficult to handle. If you touch the flowers incorrectly, you’ll get poisoned. You could consider it a type of poisonous plant. It usually just causes a mild rash, but for some people, it can be fatal.”

 

At that, Count Delta’s complexion turned pale. I smiled brightly and told him there was nothing to worry about.

 

“The conditions for blooming are quite strict, so there’s no need to worry much. They only bloom after receiving more than half a day of direct sunlight.”

 

I quickly changed the subject.

 

“Oh, is it over there?”

 

I pointed ahead. It was a field where the effort to grow crops was evident. However, most of the crops were parched and yellowed instead of lush and green.

 

I dismounted and examined the crops; they crumbled in my hands. I wondered if they were even crops or just weeds.

 

“This is a serious level……”

 

“Please wait a moment. I will call the workers.”

 

Count Delta returned shortly with several people. They were the farmers who managed the land and did the actual farming. Since they were the ones who would grow the crops, I was asked to explain things to them. Meanwhile, I told Bastien and Fedeshar to rest in the shade nearby.