A Peaceful Land of the Orcs (5.5)
A surge.
From his limbs, waves of mana began to seep out, becoming an unending torrent.
It raced across the hill, reached the tent, enveloped Dineluth and her companions, and continued unabated, covering the entire land.
Astonished, they could only surrender themselves to the flow.
―――Warm. Incredibly warm.
If mana were visible, it might have appeared golden.
It resembled something.
Wheat.
Yes, a wheat field.
The earth's bounty.
A land covered in golden wheat, swaying in a gentle breeze. The undulating waves of abundance. Such a golden hue.
The massive wolves, seemingly engulfed by the waves, let out a unified howl toward the heavens.
And then―――
As if riding the wave, the flow surged upward into the sky.
From behind Dineluth, the wave reversed with the intensity of a tsunami or a torrent, climbing into the heavens.
Endlessly.
Infinitely.
Before they realized―――
The overcast sky that had been shrouded in clouds cleared, sunlight streamed through, and beams of light rained down here and there.
A dazzling azure sky spread wide.
Above the horizon, gray clouds still lingered but were dissipating at an unbelievable speed.
"........"
Dineluth stood frozen.
Her shoulders trembled, and she seemed about to collapse. Yet it was not from fear. Before she knew it, tears flowed like a downpour. Even when her kin were slaughtered, even when crossing the Sylvan River, she had not shed a tear.
What is this?
What could this be?
Impossible.
Unbelievable.
Such...
Such a thing cannot be.
Mana is like sharpening the five senses. It cannot directly affect others.
Much less control the weather, or the heavens.
This isn't magic.
It is no longer mana.
It is divine.
If such a thing exists in this world, it belongs to the Gods―――
"... The King. When we realized Our King could do such a thing, it was after the battle at Rosalind Valley.”
Said Schwerin.
"We were thoroughly defeated and began retreating. But after walking and crawling all night, by the time dawn broke, no one had words left. That year was a terrible drought, and there was no water to drink. To make matters worse, your people ambushed us at the water sources."
"........"
"Someone said, 'If only it would rain.'"
"........"
"And then, the King—back then, just a young soldier, barely more than a boy—muttered something, half-dazed. And unbelievably, it rained. A torrential downpour. Everyone rejoiced, collected the rain, drank, and managed to return. Without that blessed rain, our race might have truly perished. He himself didn’t believe he caused it."
―――Uncle... Uncle, I’ll pray to the sky for rain.
―――What’s that, boy? You say funny things... Hah, do it. Show me.
"It feels like yesterday... At first, no one thought he had caused it. But after it happened a few more times, we knew it was real."
"And so, we made him Our King. We begged him to become Our King."
"You were the one who proposed it, Zebek."
"Yes. Then Our King began bringing rain during droughts, calling forth sunshine when it rained too much. If the south suffered poor harvests, he went there. If the north’s land dried, he went there."
"Which year was it... When famine loomed, he even made fish fall from the sky."
"Yes, yes. That startled us all. Haha."
What on earth...
Not just rain.
Could he control everything that falls from the sky?
Was this some divine prank? There were stories of fish raining down in far-off lands.
―――Could King Gustav have caused it?
"As I said earlier, you too must have benefited. I heard the rain and snow lessened when you crossed the Sylvan River."
"Ah, Our King actually wanted to clear the rain entirely. But using such power strongly would attract attention, especially from the Elves. So, it was used sparingly."
―――Oh.
The weakened rain during the crossing.
I thought it was heaven’s mercy.
That too... That too was him?
"In any case. After that, Our King began devising all sorts of things, leading us. Enriching this nation."
"Indeed. Agriculture, science, even the General Staff—much of it stemmed from His Majesty’s ideas."
"Thus, he is Our King... My King."
Schwerin dashed off.
Gustav, staggering as he tried to return, was now being assisted.
"... Schwerin. Mobilize the Kobolds. Use magic to search."
"I know, I know. So please..."
"Major General Andariel!"
"... Yes, yes!"
"Assist as well. With your subordinates too."
"... Yes, of course. As you command."
"I... I’m sorry, but I need to rest."
And so.
Gustav collapsed as if losing consciousness, and in an exceedingly rare occurrence, began snoring loudly.
―――In the end.
Dineluth and her group didn’t need to rush to the scene of the accident.
Ria Efildis, heading from the Blue Army’s supply base to inspect the stalled situation at the pontoon bridge, heard the news and voluntarily joined the search. She discovered Taubert, half-submerged beneath reeds along the riverbank, before they arrived.
If the Dark Elf with her immense mana hadn’t been there, Taubert might not have been saved. No, he certainly wouldn’t have been saved—at least that’s what those present, especially the Kobolds, believed.
Ria herself firmly declared she wouldn’t have found him if the rain hadn’t stopped. While a group might detect magic, the rain scattered the faint presence of the lone Kobold. If the water level had risen further, he would have drowned.
Taubert, diagnosed with hypothermia, required three days of treatment but recovered after being admitted to a military hospital.
He later returned to service.
Before reaching the end of his discharge term, he participated in the war that erupted in this nation.
―――And perished in battle.
What do you think about this chapter?
