Rina stepped outside into the cool morning air, the door creaking softly behind her. She glanced back at her small shed, where Keitaro waited inside, before adjusting her satchel and setting off toward the well.
The village of Willowweil was still waking up, with only a few townsfolk moving about. Rina kept her head down, avoiding eye contact, her heart pounding slightly. It's just a quick trip to the well, she reminded herself. Nobody will notice.
The well near her house was one of the less frequently used ones, tucked away at the edge of the village. It was a simple stone structure, weathered by time but still sturdy. A wooden bucket rested beside it, attached to a crank and rope.
Rina paused a few steps away from the well, scanning the area. The trees rustled gently in the breeze, and birds chirped in the distance. Everything seemed normal.
Still, a sense of unease lingered.
She approached the well cautiously, her boots crunching on the dirt. Placing her hands on the cool stone rim, she leaned over and peered inside. The water below reflected the faint light of the morning sun, rippling softly. Nothing unusual caught her eye.
"Looks fine to me," she murmured to herself, though her voice was uncertain.
She grabbed the crank and began lowering the bucket into the well. The rope creaked as it unspooled, and soon there was a soft splash as the bucket hit the water. Rina turned the crank in reverse, pulling the bucket back up.
Once it was within reach, she carefully tilted it to fill a small glass bottle from her satchel. The water inside glimmered faintly, completely clear.
Rina held the bottle up to the light, studying it closely. No odd colors, no floating debris. It looked like normal water.
"Maybe it's not the well," she said softly, slipping the cork into the bottle.
Satisfied she had what she needed, she tucked the bottle back into her bag, grabbed the bucket, and returned it to its place by the well. One last glance around confirmed no one had seen her, and she turned to head back to her house.
As she walked, her thoughts swirled. If the water looks fine, then why is Keitaro sensing magic in it? Could it be something I can't see?
The shed came into view, its weathered planks standing resolute against the backdrop of trees. She quickened her pace, eager to share what she'd found with Keitaro—or rather, what she hadn't found.
Rina slipped back inside, closing the door behind her. Keitaro was where she'd left him, his porcelain surface glinting faintly in the light that streamed through the cracks in the walls.
"Well?" he asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.
Rina pulled the bottle from her satchel and held it up. "I got some water from the well. Everything looked normal, but… I figured you might be able to sense something I can't."
Keitaro felt a flicker of anticipation. "Let's take a look. Pour it in."
She uncorked the bottle and tipped it over him, letting the clear water flow into his basin. Keitaro fell silent for a moment, processing.
The same strange sensation from earlier returned, faint but unmistakable. A subtle, almost imperceptible pulse of magic lingered in the water, invisible to the naked eye but undeniably there.
"Yeah," Keitaro said after a pause, his tone grim. "There's definitely something in this. It's faint, but it's there. This water's not as pure as it looks."
Rina frowned. "So it really is the water. But why does it seem fine to me? I didn't sense any magic when I touched it."
Keitaro considered this. "Maybe it's too subtle for most people to notice. Or maybe whoever—or whatever—is causing this wants it to stay hidden."
Rina sat down, her expression serious. "If that's the case, we're dealing with something bigger than I thought."
Keitaro's voice broke the quiet. "If there's something strange in the water near your house, shouldn't we check the other wells too? If it's everywhere, that'd mean this is a town-wide problem."
Rina nodded, thoughtful. "That makes sense. I'll head out now and take samples from the other wells."
"Be careful," Keitaro said. "The last thing we need is for someone to ask why you're running around with bottles of water—and no, you can't tell them it's for your talking toilet friend."
Rina let out a soft laugh and grabbed her satchel. "I'll be back soon."
She left quickly, her steps purposeful as she made her way through Willowweil. The village wasn't large, but the wells were spread out, and Rina took her time drawing water from each one, avoiding any attention from curious villagers.
…
Rina returned home hours later, her bag clinking with bottles filled with water from every well in the village. Keitaro was waiting, his usual porcelain shine oddly comforting in the dim light of the shed.
"How'd it go?" Keitaro asked as she uncorked the first bottle and poured it into him.
Rina watched him silently, her face tense with anticipation.
Keitaro fell into the same stillness as before, analyzing. Moments later, he groaned. "It's the same. This one's got traces of magic too."
Rina set her jaw. "Let's try the others."
One by one, she poured the water from the remaining bottles into Keitaro. Each time, the result was the same: faint traces of magic.
When the last bottle was empty, Keitaro let out a heavy sigh. "So, it's not just one well—it's all of them. The whole village's water supply is tainted."
Rina crossed her arms, her brow furrowed. "This can't be a coincidence. Someone has to be doing this on purpose."
Keitaro paused for a moment before blurting out, "It's like an evil magical version of that classic anime trope—poisoning the hero's village to lure them out. Next thing you know, we'll find a mustache-twirling villain with a tragic backstory who just wants to be loved!"
Rina blinked at him, her expression blank. "…Keitaro, sometimes I don't understand you at all."
Keitaro chuckled awkwardly. "Hey, I'm just saying! The setup is practically textbook. This has 'big boss fight' written all over it!"
Rina sighed and shook her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips despite the situation. "Well, big boss or not, we've got to figure this out before anyone else gets sick."
"That's the spirit!" Keitaro said, his tone brightening. "With your magic and my… uh… toilet-ness, we've got this!"
Rina didn't reply immediately, but the resolve in her eyes said enough. Together, they were determined to uncover the truth behind the tainted water.
Rina paced back and forth, her brow furrowed in thought. Keitaro watched her quietly, the faint sloshing of water inside him the only sound in the small shed.
Finally, she stopped and turned to him. "There's a small settlement just outside of town. It's not far, maybe an hour's walk. They've got a well there too."
Keitaro considered this. "You're thinking we should check it out to see if this problem is isolated to Willowweil or if it's affecting the surrounding areas?"
Rina nodded. "If their water is fine, then maybe the source of the problem is something specific to Willowweil. But if their water is tainted too, then this might be bigger than we thought."
"That's smart," Keitaro admitted. "But aren't you worried someone might see us? I mean, a girl wandering around with a talking toilet isn't exactly inconspicuous."
Rina crossed her arms and tilted her head, thinking. "We'll go after dark. Fewer people around to ask questions."
Keitaro let out a small sigh. "Sneaking around at night? Feels like we're setting ourselves up for trouble, but… you're right. It's the best way to avoid suspicion."
"It's settled then," Rina said decisively. "We'll rest for now and head out after nightfall."
Keitaro gave a low chuckle. "Great. Just me, a mage-in-training, and the cover of darkness. What could possibly go wrong?"
Rina ignored his sarcasm, her mind already racing with plans. The small shed fell into a quiet rhythm as the two prepared themselves for what the night might bring.
…
The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows through the cracks in the shed's walls. Rina sat on a rickety wooden stool, pulling out a small, weathered piece of bread from a cloth wrap. She sighed as she examined it, the edges hard and unyielding.
Keitaro, as always, couldn't help but comment. "Another piece of hard bread? Seriously, Rina, are you living in an old-school JRPG? Next thing you know, you'll be carrying potions and finding random treasure chests."
Rina gave him a flat look, breaking off a corner of the bread with some difficulty. "It's not much, but it's what I have. Not everyone gets reincarnated as a porcelain luxury item, you know."
"Luxury item?" Keitaro scoffed. "I'm stuck in a shed, Rina. The only luxury here is the company—and even that's questionable."
She rolled her eyes and took a small bite of the bread, chewing slowly. "I'm used to it. The bread's cheap, it lasts a long time, and it fills me up. That's all I need."
Keitaro made a thoughtful hum. "Cheap, long-lasting, and tough to chew? Sounds like you're eating the bread equivalent of a training montage."
Rina stifled a chuckle, shaking her head. "You know, for a toilet, you talk a lot."
"Well, someone has to lighten the mood," Keitaro replied. "I mean, look at us. You're eating bread that could double as a weapon, and I'm sitting here plotting a nighttime heist of water samples. If this isn't the pinnacle of adventure, I don't know what is."
Rina finished her bread, brushing the crumbs from her hands. "You've got a strange sense of what's fun, Keitaro."
"Comes with being an otaku," he quipped. "Back when I was human, I lived for these kinds of stories—adventuring mages, mysterious curses, cute girls with questionable eating habits…"
Rina raised an eyebrow. "Questionable eating habits?"
Keitaro quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, we should rest up before tonight. You'll need your energy, and I'll need… well, I'll need to stay shiny, I guess."
Shaking her head, Rina leaned back, watching the fading light through the cracks. The task ahead weighed on her, but Keitaro's strange humor kept her grounded, even if she wouldn't admit it.