Chapter 42 - The Great Desert
We got off the carriage and saw sand, sand, sand - a series of sand dunes as far as the eye could see. There was nothing but dunes. There were no rocks, no people, no plants, nothing.
「So this is the Central Desert.」
「Yes. It's been called 『The Desert of Death』, 『The White Sea』, 『The Place to Get Lost Forever』......, and many other names, but it's the biggest desert on this continent.」
「Saki, are we all set?」
If you go in there with half-baked equipment, you won't make it back alive. I'll check with the sub-leader of the Black Cat of the Wind about that.
「Of course. We have prepared cloaks and robes for the desert, and we have plenty of water in our 【Item Storage】. I've got a highly accurate map and compass from the Magic Kingdom, so I'm sure we won't get lost.」
「I'm impressed. I'll give you a compliment.」
「Oh no, my darling praised me. I'm so happy!」
Saki shook her short-cut black hair and was honestly happy.
「Then, it looks like we're walking from here.」
Serina, clad in a robe, said that. Well, in this sand, I don't see how we can go on with the carriage wheels.
「I guess so.」
「If that's the case, you coachman should wait for us in the city of Toran. If we don't come back in two weeks, you can cancel the contract.」
「I understand. Then, take care.」
After returning the coachmans with the carriage, we stepped into the 『Desert of Death』.
「Ohhh, the sand is so smooth and interesting!」
「Hehe, yes, it is.」
「It really is~!」
Lily, Jouga, and the others were innocently stepping on the sand and playing, but I guess we can only laugh about it for now.
「You'll get tired later, so play in moderation.」
That's all I said and let them do as they pleased.
The temperature here must already be quite high, but we've all taken 【Flame Resistance Level 5】, so the heat is no problem. I felt hot, but not so hot that it bothered me. I also gave Selma some points and let her take 【Flame Resistance】.
The group formed a vertical line and chose to walk along the dunes and the mountainous part of the dunes. If we walked in the valley, we would be buried immediately when the dunes collapsed, and there was another reason.
「 GRURURURU......」
Tama were groaning, and I was constantly on the lookout for them under the dunes.
「I think there's something in there.」
「It's definitely ant hell. The sand there just moved a little.」
Selma also frowned nervously.
「I've heard that the ant hell in the central desert can swallow a whole carriage.」
Hannah said, but that's pretty big. With our level of skill, it's probably not impossible to defeat them, but for now, it's better to move quickly through this desert to our destination than to spend time leveling up.
「I heard there are other Sandworms out there, I'd like to take a look at them.」
Letty says.
「You've got to be kidding. It's also known as the 『Sand Dragon』, and it's a feared monster.」
When Selma said this, Letty laughed happily.
「That's why it's okay. I heard that they have beautiful magic stones.」
「If they drop magic stones, we might as well hunt one or two of them down.」
Luka, who covered her mouth with her robe, as if she didn't like the sand, said that, Well, if they're going to attack us, that's fine. We don't need to go looking for them.
「The wind spirits are making a lot of noise. Watch out! There's a sandstorm coming!」
Selma shouted at the sky. As we all stopped and braced ourselves, a white mist filled the sky and several tornadoes began to form. They were small at first, but as they grew larger in the blink of an eye, they swept up the sand around them - damn, I can't see a thing.
I stepped on my feet to keep from being blown away by the wind, but the sand was hurting my face. On the contrary, the strong wind started to agitate me, and my body started to float.
「Hawa!? Aaareee!」
Crap, Nene, who weighs so little, is being blown away!」
「Leave it to me! ――O Setu-chan, great God of Destruction and protector of the raging desert, appease his wrath, for he has falsely accused for killing our brother, and we are the ones who know the truth. Mayonnaise for the lettuce! For honeymoon salad 【Sandwich!】」
As soon as Letty chanted the incantation, the sandstorm that had been brewing up until then quieted down and disappeared like a lie.
「Hawawawa, I'm going to fall~~!」
I'll move with my 【Levitation】 and catch Nene as she falls from the sky.
「Hawa, thank you very much」
「Yeah」
「Wow, that was awesome! So this is the sandstorm, huh」
「*spit-spit*, ugh, sand got in my mouth~!」
「Letty, you're so different.」
「And the sand was delicious!」
It looks like the rest of the group is safe.
「Okay, let's keep moving.」
「I-I can't believe ...... that she can calm a sandstorm so easily. Letty-dono, no, Letty-sama! You can even control the Desert God!?」
Selma asked excitedly.
「Fufu~n, Well, Setu-chan and I are such close friends that we can almost read each other's minds, so this is not so bad. Give me more praise.」
Letty made a clear face with only her mouth twisted in a good mood, and fiddled with the brim of her hat.
「Oohhhh......You two are friends, huh. Hmm?」
I heard the sound of the wind blowing again.
「Whoa, crap, here it comes again! A sandstorm!」
「But that's weird, unlike before, there's only one tornado.」
Serina's words caught my attention and I shouted.
「Everyone, get away from Letty!」
「「R-roger that」」」
「Huh? What's that? No matter how many times the sandstorm comes, if you ask Setu-chan――Setu the great God of Destruction and protector of the raging desert, his wrath will be――Bwah!? Sand is coming in my mouth! Aaargh!」
I knew it. You're so arrogant against a god. What kind of fiends is that? The other party is definitely pinpointing your anger.
The sandstorm that engulfed only Letty passed by and disappeared. The area became quiet as if nothing had happened.
「Ummm... I guess you weren't a close friends after all.」
Selma said with a look of disappointment on her face.
「The power of nature is beyond human control. That is why we are in awe of the great power and pray to God.」
Fianna said, putting her hands together in prayer, but it's important to be humble, as human being.
We once defeated a sleeping god, but that was probably because the god were not fully awake.
「All right, let's move on.」
「Ah, uhm, Alec-sama, Letty-sama is still ......」
「Leave her alone, Selma. She'll be fine anyway.」
「You know what they say... "Hatred makes the world go round".」
Serina says something relatively terrible, but it seems that Letty has done something recently that has caused her personal resentment.
「Sigh. But what a harsh land. I thought we were relegated to the thin lands, but maybe our village is still better than here. ......」
Selma let out a sigh of relief, but I guess most of the land is fertile compared to here.
「Selma, where is your hometown? Was it in Morph Country?」
Serina asked with interest.
「I'd like to say that we can't tell the humans about the elven villages, but I think It's okay to reveal it to you. We live in a hidden village in the Black Forest, deep in the north of the Morph Kingdom, close to the Vernia Kingdom.」
「So you want to move to the top of the World Tree because you're having trouble with the thin land?」
「Yes. Partly because it's such a thin land, but also because we're shunned and persecuted by the other beasts.」
「That's terrible.」
It's certainly terrible, yes, but that's just Selma's version of events. I'll have to listen to what the beasts have to say before I can find out the truth.
「But if I can bring back this 『Book of the Dead』, we can wipe out those beastmen who are in our way.」
Selma is smiling with a dangerous look in her eyes, but I don't understand her purpose, whether she wants to move or take revenge on the beastmen. Well, it's none of our business. I have a bad feeling about this, so I think I should take away the 『Book of the Dead』 and arrange for her to live in the World Tree.
If I ask the headmaster, she'll give me permission. I'm sure no one lives in that tree right now.
「*cough-cough*, Ugh, I had a terrible experience.」
Letty used her levitation magic and came back from the sky.
「Letty, are you okay?」
「I'll heal you. ――Goddess Eir, grant my wish. Heal!」
「Oh, ......,Wheew, I feel alive again. Thank you, Fianna.」
「No, you're welcome.」
We started walking again, but the scenery of the dunes, which didn't seem to change as we walked, was starting to take away our energy.
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