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Chapter: 283

The rain poured down from Encia’s magic, soaking the dry ground and blessing the village.

The crops that were withering regained their life with the drops, turning the once red desert land into a small patch of green.

The creek, which had only faint traces of water, began to flow cleanly, allowing those who had been scraping together muddy water to drink and relieve their thirst.

Encia, praised by everyone in the village, quickly became known as the girl with the power to summon rain.

“I had no idea so many people were suffering from drought.”

“Water is an absolutely necessary element for life. Especially if you’re living near a blazing desert.”

“Is that so?”

“That is so.”

Encia nodded at Tia’s words. It was only natural to feel thirsty in a hot place, and plants needed water to grow.

All these things were obvious.

“But why did I oppose bringing rain to other villages?”

“You don’t understand the value of the power you possess, Sia. The ability to bring rain at will is an immense power. You could save those who are withering away, and it could sway the agriculture of that land. If you consistently bring rain to the desert, you have the potential to change the environment itself.”

“Is that so?”

“That is so.”

Encia merely tilted her head at Tia’s words.

It was a joyous thing that rain fell in her dry village, making everyone, including her parents, happy… but was it a bad thing to share such an event with other villages?

Still young, Encia was naive.

“I want to bring rain to other villages.”

“No. If you plan to do so, make sure to receive an appropriate price for it.”

“Why? Should I demand a price for helping others? Isn’t helping people a good thing?”

“That’s true, but for the first few times, people will be very grateful. However, human hearts are exceedingly treacherous, and they tend to see what has been done as a given.”

“Kindness?”

“Yes. Let’s put it this way: people will start to take kindness as a right. If that happens, they won’t thank you, and they’ll grumble about why your rain doesn’t fall in their village. They might even use underhanded tricks to exploit you.”

“Is that so?”

“That is so.”

Tia’s words caused Encia to nod slightly. While she didn’t fully understand, Tia wouldn’t be wrong if she said it.

Nothing Tia had shared so far had been incorrect.

“If people ask me for help, I’ll help as much as I can. My power is immense enough to bear the complaints of countless people. But you can’t. You can’t cater to the endless grievances of so many. If you keep hearing their complaints indefinitely, it will only lead to suffocating results for you.”

Tia’s words were steeped in deep emotion.

The experience of having been tormented by countless people. The feelings born from that experience.

“So if you wish to bring rain, pay the appropriate price first. That way, those who are truly desperate will request your help while still valuing it. And above all.”

Tia paused for a moment and then continued.

“You shouldn’t give away something you excel at for free.”

Encia didn’t quite grasp the meaning of those words but merely nodded. Tia had never been wrong, after all.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Encia’s rumor spread far and wide, reaching even the city of Procyon, home to mages.

A sorceress with the power to cover an entire village in rain clouds. A mage with immense magic, akin to that of the Dragon Priestess.

The interest directed towards Encia only continued to grow.

“Come to Procyon. We will make a space for you.”

“A space?”

“Yes. With your abilities, you could become one of the most notable mages in Procyon. Many mages will envy you.”

Encia tilted her head slightly at the mage’s words.

She had heard enough tales of Procyon, but hadn’t felt the need to go there.

“If you gather a little experience in Procyon, you might be able to unify the divided Procyon. You have that potential.”

“Unify Procyon? Was it split into pieces?”

“Outwardly, there’s only the single mage city of Procyon, but inside, there are numerous sections fiercely competing for their territory. However, the abilities of the mages governing each section are balanced, so equilibrium is maintained.”

“The divisions of Procyon were established because if one person ruled over this mage city, it would potentially lead to a rampage… What is this mage talking about?”

While considering Tia’s words, Encia addressed the mage before her.

“I’m still young, so I don’t know about such things yet. I don’t understand talk about unifying Procyon. I just want to study magic and live.”

“Well then, you should come to Procyon even more. Magic research is currently in full swing there. Efforts are underway to grasp the potential of magic and form it into theory. If you come to Procyon, you’ll witness the fruits of that research firsthand.”

That sounded incredibly tempting.

The fruits of their research. She was genuinely curious about what the mages of Procyon had been studying.

“Hmm… Honestly, I wonder how far the mages in Procyon have gotten with their research… But well, I guess this could be an experience as well. Sia, do as you wish.”

With Tia’s permission given, Encia nodded slightly.

She couldn’t speak to Tia because of the mage in front of her, but she could convey her intentions just by nodding.

“I won’t completely relocate. This is my home. I’ll go to Procyon under the condition that I return home once a month.”

“Well thought out. If you visit Procyon, you might become so entranced that you’ll want to settle there, but let’s leave that for later.”

The mage smiled and extended his hand, and Encia hesitantly took it with a slightly skeptical look.

Thus, the rain-summoning sorceress, Encia, headed for Procyon.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

“Wow…”

“Quite the dazed expression, Sia.”

“But I’ve never seen such a big city before.”

It was only natural for Encia to look like a deer caught in the headlights the first time she faced a city.

In the square, huge flames roared, and many people offered prayers to them.

Merchants arriving to buy magic scrolls and apprentice sorcerers transporting the materials for those scrolls.

A cart full of Mana Stones moving into the Church of Life and another cart full of Mana Stones exiting to head elsewhere.

And… the numerous towers rising in a spiraled fashion.

The sight of Procyon was like a different world that Encia had never seen before.

“Alright. Since I’m here, I’ll have to work hard!”

“Hmm. You seem really motivated. Do your best.”

Thus, Encia settled into her life as a mage in Procyon.

“Whoa! Papyrus!!”

“Your magic can’t be fully captured on the papyrus. Would parchment work? No, with the Mana Stones’ magical power, that’d likely be impossible.”

While trying to create a magic scroll containing rain-summoning magic, she encountered failure.

“Your magic was meant to rain over a wide area, wasn’t it?”

“Yes?”

“That magic of raining… it sounds closer to magic that deals with natural elements. Why don’t you join our Elemental Research Society?”

“Hold on! What are you saying?! Her magic reads the predetermined weather and twists it to bring rain! She should be coming to our Prophecy Union!”

“If she’s controlling existing clouds to summon rain, wouldn’t that be more suitable for our Conjuration Magic Research Institute?”

Encia found herself caught between numerous gatherings of mages eager to acquire her magic.

During her life in Procyon, it happened.

“Please! Bring rain to our village!”

“Excuse me?”

A dusty, ragged man bowed his head before Encia.

“I heard the rumors of the rain-summoning sorceress and came looking! Please!! If we don’t get rain, our village’s agriculture will be ruined!”

Seeing the mud-covered man, Encia hesitated. Following Tia’s words, she shouldn’t do it for free.

“I can’t do it for free.”

“Th-then, I’ll find a way…”

With a desperate expression, the man. Encia let out a small sigh upon seeing him.

“Did you not bring anything with you? Did you come here empty-handed?”

“Well, you see… I spent everything on my travel expenses to get here… please! Is there no way?!”

Seeing the man in such a state, Encia sighed again, as if watching an unseen gaze.

“Then let’s make it post-paid. Please send me a portion of the sales from your village’s crops. If you agree to that promise, I’ll bring the rain.”

“Are you really?! Thank you! Thank you!!!”

The man bowed low in joy at Encia’s words.

And then…

“Sia. You’re planning to help him post-paid?”

“Tia.”

“Do you think he’ll keep that promise? Hearts can change, you know? The feelings can be different going to the bathroom and coming out from it.”

Encia couldn’t respond. Honestly, even she felt a little uneasy about it.

“Well, there’s no helping it. If he doesn’t pay up later, he’ll have to face the appropriate consequences.”

“Is that so?”

“That is so.”

Nodding at Tia’s words, Encia felt her words were right. That’s what she should do.

Thanks to Encia’s magic, the village receiving rain was able to harvest its crops safely that year, but it is said that the following year, an even stronger drought ruined all agriculture.

“Cause and effect, huh.”

“Yeah…”

Encia felt a slight pang of conscience but chose to bury it. After all, though the village was devastated, no one died.

 

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