"Will we meet again?"
Rain looked into Irene's eyes, a faint trace of hope shining within them.
"Of course."
Seeing that expression, Irene smiled gently and nodded.
She wanted to meet Rain again—otherwise, there would have been no reason for her to appear at all.
"I understand."
Rain nodded seriously, something quietly taking shape in his heart.
"When your strength is sufficient, we'll meet again naturally."
With those words, Irene stepped forward and pulled Rain into her arms. She pressed a soft kiss against his cheek, leaving behind a lingering warmth—then her figure faded, vanishing from the spot.
"Irene…"
Rain stood there for a moment, stunned. He could still feel the faint moisture on his cheek where she had kissed him.
But soon, his gaze sharpened, firm and resolute.
"Don't worry, Irene. I'll become strong—strong enough as soon as possible. When that day comes, you won't have to keep running anymore. You'll be able to stay by my side."
In Rain's eyes, Irene's constant wandering had only one cause.
Acnologia.
The Dragon King who sought the annihilation of all dragons would never overlook her existence. Because of him, Irene had no choice but to keep changing locations, endlessly avoiding discovery.
"Then I'll start with a small goal…"
Rain's eyes lit up.
"I'll surpass Acnologia first."
"Rain!!"
Just as that thought settled, familiar voices echoed from the distance—Erza, Dimaria, and Brandish calling out at once.
Rain turned his head in time to see a cloud of dust rushing toward him. A magical road vehicle sped forward, carrying the three of them at full speed.
"Rain!!"
As soon as Erza and Dimaria reached him, they didn't even bother stopping the vehicle properly. They leapt straight off and crashed into Rain's arms.
"Ouch—?!"
"I'm still driving!!"
Dimaria, who had been controlling the vehicle a moment earlier, was sent flying by momentum alone. Brandish, left behind, froze in shock.
"Wait—!"
She hurriedly activated her magic, shrinking the vehicle in an instant before jumping aside herself.
The next moment—
She found herself falling into a warm embrace.
"Huh?"
Brandish lifted her head.
"Rain…?"
Only then did she realize she was being held by him—while on either side of him, Erza and Dimaria were clinging tightly as well.
"I'm fine."
Rain's expression softened the moment he saw the three of them.
Compared to before, they all looked visibly worn down. Their faces were tired, their auras strained—it was obvious how desperately they had searched for him.
"Thank you… all of you."
"W–We're so glad," Dimaria said, her voice breaking as she finally let herself relax. "You're really okay…"
Even Erza and Brandish weren't spared—moisture gathered quietly at the corners of their eyes.
...
A nearby city.
Rain booked an entire courtyard-style inn and decided they would rest there properly.
The main reason he chose this place was simple—it had a small hot spring.
Still, with four people, soaking together would be a bit cramped.
"Obviously, the three of us will soak first," Brandish said matter-of-factly, glancing at Rain. "You can go in afterward."
"So that's how it is…"
Rain's gaze became oddly subtle as he looked at her.
"Huh?"
Brandish blinked, confused.
A few minutes later—
"This feels amazing… I swear all the exhaustion just melted away."
"Mm, same."
"Now this is what rest feels like."
Rain, Erza, and Dimaria leaned back in the hot spring, steam curling lazily around them. The tension that had clung to them for days finally eased from their expressions.
"…I really want to soak too."
Brandish knelt beside the pool, holding a tray filled with fruit and juice, dutifully feeding them one by one. Watching the three of them relax so comfortably made envy swell in her chest.
She loved bathing more than anyone—but now she was stuck serving from the sidelines?
Wasn't this just cruel?
"What are you standing around for, Randi?" Rain said casually. "Give me a massage."
"…Understood, Master."
Even though she was grumbling inside, Brandish obediently moved over and began massaging Rain's shoulders.
She complained with her mouth, but her actions were honest—through and through.
Rain could tell she was already worn out. After barely two minutes, he reached out, lifted her effortlessly—
"Huh?!"
—and set her down directly into the hot spring.
Brandish froze.
Warm water surrounded her, soothing and gentle. Before she could even react, Rain's hands were already pressing lightly against her shoulders, easing the tension there.
"I… am I dreaming?"
Her eyes went unfocused for a moment.
Letting her soak—and even giving her a massage?
That didn't make sense. Not from him.
"…Are you planning to punish me again?"
Brandish's voice grew cautious as she looked at Rain. Her shoulders stiffened slightly.
If he wasn't planning something, why would he suddenly treat her this kindly?
That didn't match his usual behavior at all.
Rain smiled.
"Because you care about me, Randi. I've seen it—every time. So this time, I wanted to take care of you."
--------------------------------------
Support me at patreon.com/Arthorain and read upto 50 Advanced Chapters and R-18 Content!
--------------------------------------
Update schedule: 7 chapters/week
Every 100 power stones = 1 Extra Chapter
By voting with [power stones], you can easily get double the number of chapters.