The moon hung low in the sky, its silvery light filtering through the canopy of the forest surrounding Willowweil. Rina stood outside her house, clutching her staff tightly as she glanced back toward the dim glow of the town. Keitaro, sitting in his usual spot by the wall, broke the silence.
"Are you ready, Rina? The sooner we get this over with, the better. You don't want to run into a late-night toilet emergency, after all."
Rina sighed, shaking her head. "I swear, Keitaro, you always manage to say the weirdest things. But yes, I'm ready." She planted her staff firmly on the ground, muttering a short incantation.
In response, a glowing translucent disc shimmered into existence before her, hovering just above the ground. The magic radiated a faint warmth as Rina adjusted its size to fit Keitaro's bulky frame.
"There we go," Rina said, wiping her brow. "Hop on."
Keitaro, if he had arms, would have crossed them. "Hop on? Do you think I've got legs to 'hop,' young lady? I'm a toilet, not a gymnast."
Rina rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. I'll do it." She pushed him onto the floating disc with some effort. Once settled, the disc stabilized, and Rina took hold of her staff again, guiding the construct forward.
As they moved silently through the forest, the sounds of chirping crickets and rustling leaves filled the air. The town lights faded behind them, replaced by the shadows of towering trees. Rina kept her focus on the path ahead, using faint magical light from the tip of her staff to illuminate the way.
Keitaro broke the quiet. "You know, Rina, this forest has a classic fantasy feel to it. Creepy shadows, mysterious sounds… I wouldn't be surprised if we stumbled into a cliché villain's hideout."
Rina shot him a sideways glance. "Keitaro, you're surprisingly relaxed for someone stuck in a fantasy world as a toilet."
"Well, what can I say? I'm embracing my unique isekai destiny," Keitaro replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
They walked for a while longer, the faint trail winding deeper into the forest. Rina glanced around, her eyes scanning the darkened trees for any signs of danger. "We should be careful. Wild animals or monsters could show up."
The faint glow of a few scattered torches in the distance signaled they were close. Rina slowed her pace, guiding the disc off the main path and into the underbrush to stay out of sight.
"We'll take the back way," she whispered, her voice cautious. "The last thing we need is someone seeing us with a talking toilet and thinking we're up to no good."
Keitaro remained quiet for once, sensing her seriousness. They crept closer to the small settlement, its modest houses and central well barely visible in the dim light.
"Once we're at the well," Rina whispered, "I'll collect the water quickly. Stay quiet."
"As quiet as a toilet can be," Keitaro muttered under his breath, earning a glare from Rina.
The forest fell eerily silent as they approached their target, the faint sound of the settlement's well creaking in the breeze their only guide.
Rina crouched low behind a thick bush, her staff clutched in one hand while she kept her eyes fixed on the small cluster of houses ahead. Keitaro, perched atop the translucent disc, whispered from behind her, his voice barely audible.
"See anything suspicious?"
"Shh," Rina hissed, her brow furrowing in concentration. The settlement was quiet, save for the faint creak of shutters swaying in the breeze. The warm glow of candlelight spilled from the windows of a few homes, and now and then, a shadow moved across the glass.
"It looks like people are still awake," Rina murmured. "But no one's outside. The area around the well seems clear."
They waited a moment longer, scanning the area for any signs of movement. The settlement was small, and most of its inhabitants were likely winding down for the night. The well stood in the center of a clearing, its silhouette stark against the backdrop of scattered homes.
"It's clear," Rina decided, standing and brushing off her robes. She guided the floating disc forward, keeping her movements slow and deliberate as she stepped into the open.
The pair moved silently across the clearing, the sound of their approach muffled by the soft hum of Rina's magic. Keitaro couldn't help but break the silence.
"You know," he whispered, "this reminds me of one of those sneaky infiltration scenes from—"
"Keitaro, please," Rina interrupted, her voice strained.
"Fine, fine," Keitaro replied, suppressing a chuckle.
They reached the well without incident. Rina knelt beside it, her hands deftly untying the rope attached to the wooden bucket. The faint scent of damp earth and moss wafted up as she lowered the bucket into the darkness below.
Rina pulled the rope, her movements careful and measured. The bucket emerged, filled with clear, shimmering water that caught the faint glow of her magical light.
"Alright," she whispered, reaching into her satchel to retrieve an empty bottle. She poured some of the water into it, her movements quick and efficient.
Keitaro watched intently from his perch on the disc. "Mission accomplished?"
"Almost," Rina replied, securing the bottle and returning the bucket to its original position. She gave the well one last glance, ensuring everything appeared as it had before.
"Let's get out of here," she said, rising to her feet.
With the water sample safely collected, Rina guided the disc back toward the cover of the forest. The settlement's lights dimmed behind them, the shadows of their retreat merging seamlessly with the night.
The soft chirping of crickets filled the air, and the moon cast dappled light through the canopy above.
Rina set the glowing disc down gently, her expression tense as she uncorked the bottle of water from the settlement's well. "Alright, here we go," she muttered, holding the bottle over Keitaro.
"Bottoms up!" Keitaro quipped as the water splashed into his bowl.
Rina stood back and waited, watching Keitaro's rim glow faintly as he analyzed the contents. He was silent for a moment, and Rina shifted nervously. "So? What's in it?"
Keitaro's voice broke the quiet. "Same as before. Traces of magic in this water too. It's faint, but it's there. Definitely unnatural."
Rina frowned, her brow furrowing. "So it's not just the wells in Willowweil. This problem is affecting the nearby areas too."
Keitaro made a thoughtful sound. Then, with a sudden dramatic tone, he declared, "Just like in Detective Carbon, the case grows more complex! The plot thickens!"
Rina blinked, her expression shifting from confusion to mild irritation. "What… what does that even mean?"
Keitaro groaned. "Come on, Rina! Detective Carbon! The greatest mystery anime of all time? The protagonist always uncovers a bigger mystery behind the initial case!"
Rina sighed, shaking her head. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Keitaro. But I'll take your word for it."
Keitaro mumbled under his breath. "Uncultured isekai locals… I swear, one of my goals is to introduce this world to anime."
Rina ignored him, staring back toward the path leading to Willowweil. "If the water in the settlement is affected too, this problem might be bigger than I thought. We'll need to figure out where this magic is coming from."
Keitaro nodded—or at least gave the impression of nodding. "Right. But if anime has taught me anything, it's that the culprit always leaves clues. We just have to keep looking."
Rina tapped her chin thoughtfully, her staff resting lightly against her shoulder. "The water in Willowweil and the water in that settlement… they both come from the same source. It's all underground water that flows out from a cave nearby."
Keitaro's rim seemed to brighten slightly as he caught onto her train of thought. "A cave, huh? So, if the water's messed up, maybe something's going on in there!"
Rina nodded slowly but didn't look enthusiastic. "Maybe. But… that cave isn't exactly the safest place. Monsters sometimes hang out there."
Keitaro practically vibrated with excitement, or at least gave the impression of doing so. "Monsters? A mysterious cave? This sounds like a classic dungeon exploration! We've gotta go check it out!"
Rina frowned and waved her hand dismissively. "It's not a dungeon. It's just a cave."
Keitaro chuckled. "A cave with monsters. That's what a dungeon is."
Rina turned her head sharply, her brows furrowed in annoyance. "No, it's not. It's just a regular cave where monsters happen to show up sometimes."
Keitaro responded with mock seriousness. "Rina, in the world of anime and RPGs, if it looks like a dungeon, acts like a dungeon, and has monsters like a dungeon, it's a dungeon."
Rina sighed heavily and gave him a flat look. "This isn't anime, Keitaro. It's real life. And if you want to go rushing into that cave, be my guest. But don't blame me if you end up as a broken pile of porcelain."
Keitaro didn't miss a beat. "Ah, but every hero needs a noble cause! Besides, with you by my side, what could possibly go wrong?"
Rina groaned, rubbing her temples. "You're impossible sometimes, you know that?"
Keitaro chuckled. "It's part of my charm."
Despite her irritation, Rina sighed again and looked toward the path leading deeper into the forest. "We'll need to prepare if we're going to check out that cave. I can't risk going in there without some kind of plan."
"Agreed," Keitaro said. "But this could be our best lead yet. If there's something causing all this, it's gotta be in that cave—or dungeon, if you will."
Rina rolled her eyes but didn't argue further. "Fine. We'll talk more about it once we're back home."
The moonlit forest seemed quieter on the return journey, with only the rustle of leaves and the occasional hoot of an owl breaking the stillness. Rina carried her staff loosely at her side as she guided the disc holding Keitaro back toward Willowweil.
As they walked, Rina suddenly spoke, her voice softer than usual. "You know, Keitaro… I only met you yesterday, but it already feels like we're good friends. And now we're wrapped up in this mystery together. It's kind of amazing how quickly that happened."
Keitaro paused for a moment before responding, his voice playful. "Actually, Rina, it's past midnight now, so technically you met me the day before yesterday."
Rina stopped in her tracks and shot him an annoyed glare. "Really? That's what you're going with?"
"Okay, okay, I'm just joking!" Keitaro said quickly, his tone apologetic but with a hint of laughter. "No need to give me the death stare. You're right—it is kind of amazing how fast we've clicked."
Rina shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips despite herself. "You're impossible."
"And yet, here we are. The ultimate mage and toilet duo, solving mysteries and exploring dungeons—uh, I mean caves," Keitaro said with mock grandeur.
Rina rolled her eyes but didn't comment further. They continued walking through the forest, the path gradually becoming more familiar as the outskirts of Willowweil came into view.
In the distance, the faint lights of the village twinkled like stars on the horizon, a quiet reassurance that they were almost home.