When the winds finally calmed, Ravine City fell silent.
For a long moment, no one moved. The black storm that had raged for hours — the one that tore roofs off and swallowed mana circuits whole — was suddenly gone.
"…Is it over?" a guard muttered, lowering his spear.
Another mage squinted at the sky, water still dripping from his hood. "That… shouldn't be possible. The mana field just—reset itself?"
Someone pointed shakily toward the upper air. "Wait, what's that—someone's falling!"
The city guards, mages and warrior too busy to save everyone didn't even have time to watch the projection so they miss the scene of the girl who leaped up calm the storm.
A few wind mages scrambled to help, but before they could act, a faint gust steadied the falling figure. She hit the cobblestones with a thud, stumbled, then crumpled onto her knees before collapsing altogether.
A small circle formed around her.
"…Who is she?"
"I—I think she's one of the Evigheden students? The one from the Hearts Class?"
They exchanged uncertain looks. No one was sure what to do — the girl was pale as paper, soaked, clearly half-dead from energy exhaustion. And yet, above them, the clouds were scattering like dust.
A few healers rushed forward, checking her pulse. "Still breathing. Barely."
The guards looked at one another again.
"So… she did that?" one asked quietly, gesturing at the sky.
"Maybe?" another said. "Or maybe the storm just gave up."
"…Right. Because that's so likely."
They decided to leave the question unanswered. The healers carried the unconscious student away, muttering about unstable mana flow and overdrawn circuits.
No one cheered. No one bowed. Most were too tired to think straight.
But as the minutes passed, and no more thunder shook the horizon, one of the officers sighed in relief. "Whoever she is," he said, "tell the city lord the storm's down. And get a blanket ready. The kid looks frozen."
The others nodded.
And that was how Ravine City survived — quietly, awkwardly, and without realizing that their salvation came from a girl most of them didn't even know by name.
Ravine City might not know, but the other cities certainly saw what had happened.
A student of Evigheden Academy — one who seemed so insignificant compared to the other class representatives — had calmed the storm.
A natural disaster, tamed by a child barely thirteen years old.
The students from the other cities who witnessed it through their projections were left stunned. Their expressions slackened in disbelief.
That Yuna? She calmed the storm? How? Wasn't she supposed to be weak?
"Damn, what the hell... did she hide her strength all along?" Enyo muttered, still dazed.
Even if she had been hiding it, the display of power she just showed wasn't something any of their peers could possibly achieve!
Enyo's eyes widened. "!!!!!"
The Crown Prince withdrew his gaze, his expression dazed and distant.
Dain let out a low chuckle. "It seems our information guild needs to start paying attention to this girl," he murmured. "Keep track of everything about her."
A prodigy had emerged.
...
While the others were still reeling in amazement over the girl who had calmed the storm, the Hearts Class students were in a panic beside Yuna, who lay unconscious on the bed.
The doctor assured them that she had merely overdrawn her energy and that nothing serious had occurred, but the lingering worry couldn't be shaken off.
They paced back and forth nervously until Celeste finally clapped her hands.
"Alright, this can't go on. Yuna will scold us if she wakes up and finds us all just sitting here. I'll stay and watch over her. The rest of you — get out there and help clean up the wreckage in the city."
"The black rain is still falling, and we need to help the villagers stranded on the roads. City Lord Borris said the temple has already set up a refugee camp nearby, so we don't need to head to the villages. Just focus on rescuing those still stuck outside."
Though they wanted to stay by Yuna's side, they knew she would be upset if they didn't help with the recovery. Reluctantly, they nodded at Celeste's words and filed out one by one.
Yuna had always been kindhearted. She'd feel terrible if she woke up and saw the state of the city. Better to clear everything up and make it look presentable for when she opened her eyes again.
...
Lord Borris let out a long sigh of relief as the storm finally subsided.
He thought of the girl who had made it possible, and his expression turned complicated.
He owed her a debt of gratitude.
If they had waited for the Sagan to arrive, the delay would've caused heavy casualties — especially for those stranded outside the city.
Students of Evigheden Academy… they really couldn't be underestimated.
A new report arrived soon after: the Mage Tower had successfully created a portable structure capable of warding off the clouds that carried the black rain.
The Lalrem Empire truly wasn't some helpless kingdom. With talented and powerful people scattered throughout, the crisis was bound to be resolved sooner or later.
Still, Borris couldn't help but wonder how the royal family planned to retaliate against those responsible.
After all, this black rain wasn't natural — it was man-made.
Ruining the reputation of the Lalrem Empire… that seemed to be the real goal behind it all.
He gave a weary sigh. The Empire, it seemed, would not know peace anytime soon.
As he turned back to his desk, his gaze fell on the document neatly placed there — the file listing the hidden crimes of the recently assassinated noble. It hadn't been there before.
An assassin must have left it.
Borris didn't know whether to be pleased or terrified. On one hand, the evidence could expose a deeply corrupt man. On the other, the fact that an assassin could enter and leave his office so easily made him feel… distinctly unsafe.
If he handed this file over to the authorities, it might ease public anger. But it could also make it look like he had hired the assassin.
He groaned softly, rubbing his temples. "All I want is peace, prosperity, and safety. Why is that becoming so hard?"
…..
Yuna slept for a long time.
By the time she finally woke up, even the black rain had disappeared — the Mage Tower's portable wards had already driven it away.
Now, only the wreckage and the polluted water remained to be purified.
There would be some food shortages for a short while, but it wouldn't last long.
Yuna stretched, feeling oddly refreshed. Her body, now filled to the brim with elemental energy, hummed faintly with vitality.
Actually, as a pure elemental construct capable of both actively and passively absorbing element from her surroundings, she shouldn't have fainted at all.
But this was the first time she had completely drained her reserves in one go.
It wouldn't happen again.
Before the students could assist further with the city's recovery, however, the ever-capricious principal abruptly recalled everyone to the Academy.
Yuna grumbled inwardly as she packed up. She hadn't even gotten to enjoy the city life — or buy anything.
...
As Yuna and her entourage left, three figures arrived in Ravine City.
"The students already left?" Seir's expression turned sour.
"It must be that old hag," Ragan replied. "She doesn't want us to get our hands on her student."
Seir snorted. "A prodigy beyond all others appears, and before we can even meet her, the principal whisks her away."
"We'll visit the Academy," Ragan said.
"We'll need the old hag's approval to enter," Seir retorted bitterly.
"Damn it."
Who would have thought that a child so young could already touch upon the faint traces of a Law?
Even now, Seir could sense it — the other Sagan were already stirring, each eager to take the girl under their wing. Developing this young prodigy.