A Fire in the Rain
"Aigoo! Aigoo! What are we going to do with our young master! If anything happens to the young master too, what will become of our lord!"
"Dammit all! This rain is useless at a time like this! Why won't it just pour down properly!"
"S-sob! Young Master Bayul...!"
Outside the burning building was, quite literally, pandemonium. Everyone was pooling their strength and laboring hard to smother the flames, yet even amid the torrential downpour, the fire refused to die down by so much as a flicker.
He was the young master who had come in place of their absent lord. Of all the moments for such a catastrophe to strike, why did it have to be while such a precious guest was visiting? If something truly went wrong, they would never have the face to look their lord in the eye again.
"Waaagh!"
"No! It can't be!"
Sobs echoed from every direction like a mournful chorus.
"Gah! What on earth is going on here?"
At that moment, Bayul burst out from among the crowd.
"What's a fire doing in all this rain? Is anyone hurt?"
"Th-the young master?"
"I-it's Young Master Bayul!"
The villagers, catching sight of Bayul out of nowhere, shouted and welcomed him all at once.
"Oh, heavens above! Thank you!"
"Agh! You scared the living daylights out of us, young master!"
"Haah, now we'll live! We'll live!"
Only then, reassured of Bayul's safety, did the people offer up prayers of gratitude to the gods. Every last one of them was genuinely overjoyed.
"Y-young Master! Are you truly all right?"
Bayul had appeared at the very instant Ian, steeling himself with reckless abandon, was about to plunge through the flames into the building. He had resolved to do it even if his own body burned away in the process. If Bayul had been just a moment later.
"No, Knight Ian—are *you* all right?"
There wasn't a spot on him, face or clothes, that wasn't smeared with soot. Ian, who always maintained such impeccable grooming, was now caked head to toe in rainwater and ash, a sorry sight.
"I'm perfectly fine, of course! Where on earth were you? I was under the impression you were trapped inside there!"
Seeing Bayul unharmed put his mind at ease, but his heart was still pounding. Barely a single day had passed since his arrival here, and already disaster after disaster kept erupting—his thoughts were a muddle.
"Ah, well, you see... I felt a bit cooped up, so I was just out for a walk."
"A walk? At this hour of night, in this downpour?"
Ian's face twisted as though he had never heard a more absurd excuse in his life. For Ian, whose expressions rarely changed under ordinary circumstances, to react like this spoke volumes about just how flimsy Bayul's pretext was.
Still, it was the best alibi Bayul had.
"I'm sorry, Knight Ian. It seems I've caused you needless worry."
"Needless doesn't begin to cover it! Do you have any idea how startled I was? I really...!"
Ian couldn't bring himself to finish. That brief moment had felt to him like an eternity of torment.
"Haah!"
But who was there to blame at this point? He had returned safely, and that was enough. It was his own failing, his failure to guard his charge more meticulously. He would confess everything to his lord upon his return and accept whatever punishment came.
"In any case, I'm relieved you're unharmed. I have just one request—please, don't go wandering off without a word again. This is not Hamilton Castle."
"Yes, Knight Ian. I'll be careful. I'm sorry again for frightening you."
"It's quite all right. Believe me, I couldn't be happier that you were outside this time. If anything, I owe you my thanks. You've given me a moment to breathe."
Showing his guilt to the relieved Ian, Bayul quietly reached out to the spirits.
'Everyone! Now help put out the fire, quickly!'
At this rate, the miners looked set to battle the blaze all night long. They were already worn ragged from the tunnel collapse and the earthquake—to put them through this as well made Bayul feel so guilty he could die.
—Ha! A fire this size is nothing at all!
—Hey, follow my lead!
Innocent and Tempesta shot up into the sky simultaneously. And then, unusually united in purpose, the two of them unleashed a raging storm across the entire area.
Shaaaaaa!
The sudden tempest made everyone freeze in fear for an instant, but when they saw the flames begin to sink, relief broke over their faces and they soon erupted into cheers.
'Spinel, keep the fire from spreading any further.'
—As you command, my King.
The fire of the moment had been an accident, an unavoidable consequence of Spinel's growth into an Intermediate Spirit. Knowing this, she took full responsibility and did exactly as Bayul wished, calming the blaze slowly enough that the people would find nothing strange in it.
"Bayul!"
"Young Master Bayul!"
Derek and Father Juan came scrambling up to Bayul, belatedly and out of breath.
"What in the world is all this! Oh my goodness, thank heavens you're safe! Do you have any idea how startled I was? It took ten years off my life!"
Father Juan had tended to Bayul's health since his earliest childhood. It was only natural, then, that Bayul held a special place in the old priest's heart. The moment he confirmed Bayul was safe, his legs gave out beneath him and he sank to the ground.
"Father!"
Alarmed, Bayul rushed to help him up, but the priest waved his hands off with a weak refusal.
"No, no—let me just sit here a moment. I feel it will help me calm down faster. Only now is my poor hammering heart beginning to settle."
"Ah... yes, of course."
By now, Bayul was so ashamed before everyone that he hardly knew where to put himself. Spinel, a fire spirit, had merely undergone her awakening—yet it was stirring up needless misunderstandings and heaping worry after worry upon these people. All he could do was lament a reality he was powerless to explain.
"Bayul, are you really all right?"
"Yes, Derek. Like I said, I was out for a walk and saw the flames leap up, so I came running in a fright. Are *you* unharmed, Derek?"
"I'm perfectly fine. Your lodgings weren't far from mine, remember? How a fire this big could start in rain like this, I'll never understand."
What were the odds of a fire breaking out in a city this drenched with moisture? Anyone would find it baffling.
Bayul hastily improvised.
"If you ask me, when the lava erupted during the earthquake earlier, I suspect some sparks went flying somewhere."
"Ah! That could well be it. They did say lava came up when the quake hit. It never even crossed my mind."
"We should have caught those embers at the time. We'll need to give the mine a thorough inspection now, as it happens."
"...Is that so?"
"Yes. The list of things to investigate keeps growing."
As though entirely oblivious to what Derek might be thinking, Bayul continued on.
"More importantly, how are the workers who were trapped in the tunnel? Things were so chaotic I never got the chance to ask."
He had met Derek on his way to check on the miners directly, and Spinel's little interference (?) had spiraled things all the way into this crisis. It struck him anew just how long this single day had been.
"To worry for the workers even in the midst of all this—I am awed once more by your noble heart, Young Master Bayul! I noticed it the very moment you brought those herbs here all the way from your distant home. Truly, you are the son of Duke Randert!"
Father Juan rose to his feet and abruptly showered him with praise. Bayul, already flushed from all the acting he'd been doing, felt a sudden urge to flee somewhere, anywhere.
"The workers need not concern you. It will take a little more time, but every one of them has come safely through the worst of it. Not a single life remains in danger."
"That's Father Juan for you! Thank you for all your hard work. Truly."
"What little have I done to deserve such words? It's all thanks to your swift handling of matters, Young Master. I heard everything you accomplished."
"I was merely blessed with a bit of good fortune. I'm only glad everyone made it through unharmed."
"And who do you suppose called that good fortune down upon us, if not you? That is what I cannot help but believe."
"Even so, without your divine power, Father, would any of them have survived? I will never forget the labor you've endured coming to such a harsh and distant place."
While Bayul and Father Juan traded compliments back and forth, crediting one another, Derek cut in abruptly.
'Hm?'
Was it just his imagination? Something about the way they spoke seemed to leave him out entirely, and Bayul felt an odd twinge.
"Wow! The flames are dying down!"
"Thank you, rain! I've never been gladder to see you than I am tonight!"
Somewhere along the way, the fire had weakened to a smolder. It was all thanks to the spirits' concerted assault, of course, but the people, knowing nothing of this, gave thanks to the falling rain and bustled about to stamp out the last embers.
Having expended considerable strength conjuring the storm, Innocent and Tempesta were fading by degrees. Spinel, newly risen to Intermediate Spirit, by contrast, was perfectly fine. Shame was recovering, though not yet fully himself.
'The Spirit Stone, turned into an earring. That's where the answer lies.'
"We have prepared different lodgings for you, Young Master Bayul. It would be best for you to rest now, I think..."
While Bayul stood staring at the fading flames, lost in thought, Belgofsky, the mine's overseer, had crept up carefully and addressed him. He kept his head bowed, unable to lift it, as though the fire had been punishment for some sin of his own.
"That would be for the best. I'll see to the rest here, so go inside and rest."
"I should go with you and look after your health as well—I think it wise, my lord."
Derek and Father Juan backed Belgofsky's suggestion. Bayul, for his part, was eager to resume the conversation with Spinel that had been cut short, so he did not refuse.
"Yes, I will. But there's really no need to examine me. As you can see, I'm perfectly fine. Father Juan, please focus on the workers. I need to catch up on all the sleep I've missed getting here."
"Ah—now that you mention it, you haven't rested a single moment since you arrived! Go, quickly! If you need me, I'll come running whenever you call!"
"Yes, Father. I'll be off, then."
After a light farewell to Father Juan and Derek, Bayul followed Belgofsky's lead toward his new quarters.
"I thought you might prefer somewhere quiet, so I arranged it a good distance from the mine."
"Thank you."
"I'll be in the room next door, so call if anything happens."
Ian badly needed a wash more than anything. Once he and Belgofsky had gone out, Bayul finally had the solitude he'd been waiting for. The new room was far smaller than his previous one, but it had everything he needed. No one had gotten around to lighting the fireplace, so apart from a slight chill, the atmosphere was cozy enough.
Whoosh!
The house had apparently stood empty a long while—not a single log lay in the fireplace. Yet flames suddenly leapt up in it, and Bayul no longer startled at such things. Whose handiwork it was, he didn't need to ask.
"Thank you, Spinel."
—It is my honor, my King.
"Good work to you too, Tempesta and Innocent. Everyone, get some rest."
—Yaaawn... I miss the Water Garden.
—I *am* pretty tired, actually.
The two of them grumbled as they plopped down, one onto the bed and one onto the sofa.
Knock, knock.
"It's Death."
That was when their visitor arrived. Death opened the door and stepped inside with an armful of dry firewood.
"That Belgo-something fellow told me to bring these."
"Ah, did he?"
But the fireplace was already burning. Firewood or no, seeing it roar so merrily would surely strike anyone as odd. So Bayul was subtly angling his body to block Death's view—when Spinel abruptly planted herself in front of him.
—My King, stand back.
'S-Spinel?'
Her sudden shift in demeanor made Bayul freeze. He couldn't begin to guess why she was like this again, or what words she would use to shock him this time.
—That one is not human.
'Huh?'
—One who has no place in this world—how could he...!
'What are you talking about? "No place in this world"? What does that mean?'
—He is a demon.
'...A demon?'
Fwoosh!
Flames surged up from Spinel once more. As though to shield Bayul from Death, she wove a barrier of fire between them.
'Spinel, calm down! This is going to cause another disaster! Death, a demon? That's impossible!'
Bayul tried to restrain her, but it was no use. Spinel's eyes blazed like twin embers, fixed on Death.
"My, my. Keep this up and you'll burn down another building."
Death clicked his tongue and shook his head. Standing before flames that had erupted out of nowhere, he showed not the slightest trace of fear. If anything, he was smirking.