By the time the first container was finally filled, the sun had begun its slow descent toward the horizon.
The repetitive work had a way of dulling the senses. Adrian barely noticed the change at first—only registering it when the sound shifted, the distant splash giving way to a duller, heavier echo as the water crept toward the rim.
Mara stepped forward without a word. A brief check. The lid replaced. She moved to the next container and loosened its cover.
Adrian watched for a moment.
A quiet sigh escaped him before he willed the next sphere into existence and sent it arcing through the air.
This is going to take a while.
Both women had watched in silence through most of it, their attention following the steady rhythm of his work. But as the light softened and evening settled over the farm, that focus gradually broke.
Mara's gaze drifted toward the house.
"It's getting late," she said. "If we don't start on dinner now, it'll be well past dark before we eat."
Lina gave a small nod, though her eyes stayed on Adrian a moment longer.
Mara turned to Elena. "You should come inside and rest. Since this will take some time."
A brief silence followed.
Elena didn't answer right away. Her gaze moved—from Lina, then slowly to Adrian, still standing at the container's edge, another sphere already forming in his palm.
Something about leaving him here didn't sit quite right.
The thought lingered for a beat longer than she expected.
Then she exhaled, soft and quiet.
"Alright."
Mara nodded and started toward the house. Elena followed—though not without one last look back over her shoulder.
Adrian didn't notice.
His attention had already returned to the container—his new enemy. It wasn't dangerous, didn't move, and certainly couldn't fight back, but it was somehow more exhausting than facing a random group of goblins.
Lina stayed behind.
She lingered near the containers, her gaze drifting across the water's surface, something quietly thoughtful in her expression. After a moment, she picked up a small cup and dipped it in, lifting it carefully before bringing it to her lips.
She took a slow sip.
Her eyes closed.
"…It must be nice," she said softly. "Having magic like that."
Adrian didn't stop working.
Another sphere formed. Another throw.
"It's not that great," he replied flatly. "I can only manage small amounts at a time."
Splash.
He frowned at the container. "If it were actual water magic—proper water magic—it should be able to flood an entire area. Something that actually looks impressive. This is just…" He gestured vaguely. "This."
Lina looked at him.
Something shifted in her expression.
"That's not possible," she said quietly.
Adrian glanced at her. "Not possible?"
She shook her head.
"After the death of the goddess of water… magic of that scale is almost unheard of now." Her gaze returned to the container. "Being able to produce water at all is already rare. Most people can't even fill a cup."
Her voice faded, leaving the words to settle between them.
Adrian watched the next sphere take shape in front of him.
Had he misunderstood something about how magic worked here?
The thought lingered—then slipped away as the sphere left his hand.
Splash.
"…Still doesn't feel that useful," he muttered. "I couldn't even take down a proper monster with a water ball."
Lina studied him quietly.
"You must come from somewhere with plenty of water," she said.
Adrian glanced at her. "What makes you say that?"
She looked down at the container.
"Most people wouldn't call this useless," she said simply. "Not unless they've never had to worry about it."
Adrian was quiet for a moment.
"You could say that."
His gaze drifted toward the fields—green and wide under the fading amber light.
"Still feels strange," he added. "A place like this… it doesn't look like somewhere that would struggle with water."
Lina blinked, as if the thought hadn't occurred to her before.
"It's not that there's none," she said. "It's just… expensive."
Her fingers tightened slightly around the cup.
"There's no one here who can use water magic," she continued. "No one who can do what you're doing right now." She hesitated. "It might be better not to show it too openly."
Adrian paused mid-throw. "Why?"
Lina shifted slightly.
"The people who control the water in this region…" she said. "If they heard about this…" She didn't finish the sentence. She didn't need to.
Adrian frowned.
"…Then how did your mother decide to hire me?" he asked. "She didn't know I could do this, right?"
Lina shook her head.
"She didn't. When she saw you earlier, she thought you might fill one container—maybe two, if you were lucky." A small pause. "For the fields, we thought it would take a week. Maybe two."
Adrian glanced toward the farmland.
A week or two—and water was expensive. So how had they been managing before this?
"Then what do you normally use for the crops?" he asked.
Lina answered without hesitation.
"Water crystals."
Adrian gave a small nod, as if that explained everything.
He didn't ask anything further. For now, it was enough to remember. He would figure it out slowly.
More importantly, what exactly was he supposed to do in this world?
It couldn't just be this—standing here, filling containers with water.
The thought didn't sit right.
With time, another container was filled.
Lina remained nearby, quieter now, her earlier curiosity giving way to something more restrained.
The sky deepened as the last of the sunlight faded into a muted dusk.
Inside the house, preparations had already begun. Mara moved about setting things in place, while Elena lingered nearby, watching more than helping—for now.
--
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