Kazuma held his cloak tight for what good it would do. The thin cloth was soaked through, providing little protection from the biting autumn winds. Not expecting the sudden squall, he had left the manor with neither coat nor umbrella and now he had paid the price. He increased his pace, breaking into a run as his teeth chattered.

        “Stupid truck… damn goddess… shitty medieval world…”

        Muttering a litany of complaints under his breath, he hiked the top of his shirt over his head. His boots were flooded, his clothes were soaked, and a promising day had been irreversibly ruined. All he wanted was to get home and curl up in front of a roaring fire. A mug of mulled wine wouldn’t be amiss either… some company would be even nicer but, well, his luck with women had never been particularly good.

        The rain only intensified as he ran and he was soaked to his underwear by the time he arrived at the nondescript magical item shop. The thunderstorm had brought an early nightfall, causing the temperature to plummet. His teeth chattered as he slammed his fist against the door.

        “C-COME ON WIZ! OPEN THE D-DAMN DOOR ALREADY! I KNOW YOU’RE I-IN THERE!”

        He stomped his feet as he waited for an answer, huffing his breath into trembling hands. The eave provided protection from the rain, but not from the cold. He hammered the door again.

        “I’M F-FREEZING TO DEATH OUT H-HERE! G-GET OUT HE-!”

        Suddenly, the door swung inward under his fist, causing Kazuma to fall silent mid tirade. He blinked stupidly, his hand held up in front of him, before scurrying inside and slamming the door behind him. He dripped water on the welcome mat as he rubbed his hands together and puffed, trying to warm the frozen digits.

        Fumbling in the gloom, he managed to locate a lamp. Kazuma cursed under his breath as his numb fingers struggled with the matches. Finally, after wasting two, it was lit.