Chapter 28: Rainy Days and Melancholy
Chapter 28: Rainy Days and Melancholy
A new day dawned, and Rod awoke to the sound of raindrops pattering against the window. As he got out of bed, his legs felt sore and stiff.
Yesterday, he must have pushed himself to the limit, either from the shock of the day’s events or from quietly making a resolve. He had gritted his teeth and run until he collapsed, unable to get up.
To get home, he had specially summoned a Swift Crab from the Rift, using its tentacles to carry him on its back.
Before going to sleep, Rod had applied a cold, damp towel to his legs and found some anti-inflammatory medicine from the large box of supplies Erza had given him.
Now, he was grateful for his foresight.
Rod dragged his sore legs to the bathroom to take care of his morning routine and wash up. Afterward, he decided to apply more medicine.
"Ah, I forgot to bring in the laundry!"
Checking the balcony, Rod found that the rain had indeed been heavy last night, soaking all of his clothes.
He gathered them up and placed them in a basin with the sweat-soaked clothes from the previous day.
After staring at the basin for a moment, Rod reluctantly sat down to wash the clothes.
There was no other choice; apart from these two sets and his pajamas, he only had one more outfit in his wardrobe. Each time he opened the closet, it felt empty.
If anything unexpected happened, Rod would soon be facing the embarrassing situation of having no clothes to wear.
"I should get a couple more outfits when I have some extra money."
Rod rinsed and wrung out the clothes, hanging them temporarily in the laundry room.
He briefly considered taking them to the guild to have Natsu dry them but quickly dismissed the idea—too risky, and he couldn’t afford to take that chance.
After the morning’s flurry of activity, Rod was ready to head to the guild. However, the rain showed no signs of letting up and seemed to be getting heavier. Even Goodman, the usual street vendor, hadn’t set up his stall today.
Opening the door, Rod realized he had a new problem—he didn’t have an umbrella.
"This is so hard..." Rod grumbled, feeling the weight of his poverty.
"Rumble~"
At the crucial moment, Worm emerged from a corner on the first floor, carrying an umbrella in its mouth.
"Great job!" Rod praised, summoning the Swift Crab and hopping on, umbrella in hand, to head to the guild.
Before leaving, he left a note for Goodman explaining that he had borrowed the umbrella.
The Swift Crab slowly made its way down the street, enjoying the rain rather than minding it. Rod sat cross-legged on the highest point of the crab’s shell, tilting the umbrella to shield himself from the rain.
The streets of Magnolia were much quieter in the rain, with the usual morning vendors absent and only a few pedestrians hurrying by, either under umbrellas or in raincoats and boots.
Rod had seen many such scenes before he came to this world, but... he looked down at himself and felt out of place.
Yes, he was an outsider, a stranger in a world not his own.
But this small bout of melancholy vanished the moment he reached the guild’s entrance.
Laki, holding a wooden umbrella and wearing wooden boots, was walking slowly from the northwest corner, carrying a wooden box in her other hand. Her long purple hair swayed gently, looking especially welcoming in the rain.
From the other direction, Gray was walking with a beautifully crafted ice umbrella. The rain slid off the umbrella without freezing or melting it, adding a beaded curtain-like effect to the ice.
Noticing Rod and Laki, Gray casually lifted his hand. "Hey!"
Laki greeted them with her usual energetic tone. "Good morning!"
"Good morning!" The Swift Crab disappeared, and Rod found himself standing on solid ground. Seeing his two equally 'odd' companions, he couldn’t help but smile.
This is also the significance of having a guild, isn't it?
The three of them walked into the guild hall, and Laki glanced at the floor by the entrance: "I feel like I'll be cleaning the floor all day today."
Rod thought about what they do at cafes and supermarkets on rainy days and suggested, "How about laying down a few more cardboard sheets at the entrance?"
"Good idea, let's do that. But..." Laki decided to use her magic, "Wood Make: Pure Love Untainted by Dust!"
Swish, swish, swish... thin wooden boards appeared both inside and outside the guild entrance, with the top surfaces intentionally made rough.
"Shape magic is really convenient," Rod remarked again, and he couldn't help but comment on the name. "It should be called 'Clean Feet Untainted by Dust.'"
There wasn't much to do in the morning, so after a brief busy spell, Rod sought out Gray.
"Natsu's weakness?" Gray blurted out, "He's hot-headed and impulsive, a fiery idiot."
"But..." Gray thought for a moment, "That's true in everyday life, but in battle, it's a different story. His instincts are as sharp as a wild animal's, and facing him in a serious fight is really troublesome."
Even though he often called Natsu an idiot and didn't get along with him in terms of personality and magic, Gray would definitely give Natsu a high evaluation if he had to seriously assess him. Unless, of course, Natsu was right there.
"Well, that's just perfect. I'm definitely going to get beaten up again today," Rod sighed. "Is there nothing practical, obvious, something that would work right away?"
"Right, Natsu challenged you to a duel today!" Gray slapped his palm, intrigued by the idea of helping someone beat up Natsu!
"An obvious weakness? There is one!" Gray said, "That guy can't handle transportation. Just create a vehicle under his feet, and you'll win for sure!"
"Great idea, but I don't know shape magic!"
"I'll teach you right now!"
"Right now?"
"Exactly, right now!" Gray excitedly raised his hand, and his shirt vanished, "Follow me..."
Rod glanced at Gray's bare chest: "Sorry to interrupt, but I don't think I'm cut out for Ice Make."
Becoming a pervert just to beat Natsu... Rod didn't think it was worth it.
"..." Gray had just struck a pose, his right fist against his left palm, and looked puzzled as Rod fled, "Huh? I haven't even started teaching yet."
Taking advantage of Natsu's absence, Rod decided to find a quiet place to meditate.
"Rod," Laki called out, handing him the wooden box she had brought, "This is the magazine you wanted."
Rod felt the weight of the box, which contained over fifty magazines: "Thanks... why doesn't this box have a lid?"
"Because I was worried it might get wet in the rain, so I didn't make one," Laki explained, "When you get to a place where you can relax, just give the box a good whack."
"..." Rod nodded, "I see, you really think of everything."
She meant to say, just smash it open at home, right? It took Rod a moment to understand her meaning, given his still imperfect grasp of the common language.
Also, it turned out the box was made just before they left. Wood Make magic was really perfect for everyday life.
Rod put the box down and sat cross-legged at the library entrance, closing his eyes to meditate.
Feeling his magic power grow bit by bit, Rod experienced a sense of satisfaction.
He didn't know when the next summon would come, but hopefully, it would have some offensive capabilities.
(End of Chapter)
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