38
Chapter 38
It was an ordinary morning, nothing out of the ordinary. I woke up early, opened my subspace, and checked my gear.
'What are you doing?'
'I need to get ready for the ruin exploration.'
'You're going on an exploration? I thought you said you'd spend a week at home doing absolutely nothing...'
'You're the one who suggested it.'
I've felt strange ever since May visited two days ago.
While I was flustered by her sudden arrival, the house felt empty once the commotion died down and she left.
I slept in and even went fishing yesterday, but I still can't seem to find any peace of mind.
Perhaps it's because I lived so diligently while in the Capital, but it feels as though I've developed some kind of illness where I get anxious if I'm not moving.
Still, I have no intention of returning to the Academy, so I decided to go on the ruin exploration that Ark had been nagging me about.
I don't expect to find anything in a short amount of time, but it'll be better than just staying at home.
'Where are you planning to go? The East Great Forest? The Frozen Earth?'
'If you go to the Frozen Earth this time of year, you'll actually freeze to death. Not the East Great Forest either.'
The East Great Forest is too far, and moving through a snow-covered forest is too difficult.
'Then where?'
'Didn't you say before that there might be ruins in the Krinis Desert?'
Since I planned to return as soon as I felt a bit better, I decided on the Krinis Desert, as it was the closest destination to my house.
Desert nights would be colder in winter, but the days should be better than most other places.
Most of my gear is in subspace, but my clothes are too worn out, so I figured I'd need to get some from a territory near the desert.
I left the house and headed for the Gate.
It hadn't snowed yesterday, but the melting snow had created icy patches, so I used magic to melt them.
I'm confident I won't slip, but the Village Chief next door or other neighbors might get hurt.
After passing through the Gate twice, I arrived at Maridia, the city closest to the Krinis Desert.
It belongs to the Callos Duchy and is a place with active exchange with various tribes living in the desert.
I bought some missing supplies, such as clothes and desert shoes, at a nearby market and left the city.
After walking for about ten minutes, sand began to appear, and the greenery completely vanished.
Everywhere I looked, there was nothing but golden sand.
The Krinis Desert is a vast desert that spans from our Beluga Empire to the South of the Quasar Empire on the Western Continent.
The East and Western Great Forests are large, but this is so immense that I think you'd have to combine both of them to match its size.
According to Ark, he can detect things within a radius of about one kilometer.
It might be difficult if there are obstacles in the way, but since it's mostly sand, it shouldn't be a big deal...
It's not exactly like looking for a needle in a haystack, but since I don't even know the direction or general location, it's not much different.
That said, the situation isn't entirely hopeless.
There are a few places where I suspect ruins might be located.
Having frequently used the Krinis Desert as an escape route while performing missions on the Western Continent during my active days, I know it reasonably well.
'By any chance, is there anything around here?'
'Nothing.'
I guess I hoped for too much luck.
I steadied my mind and took out my compass and map.
It's supposed to take about six hours, but I think I can cut that in half if I run.
I ran and ran toward my first destination.
Even though it's winter, the sun is beating down, so it's not cold, but the sand in my shoes is quite annoying.
I bought and wore desert shoes, but it's impossible to completely stop sand from mixing in every time I kick.
'Ark, how many hours have we been walking?'
'It's been about two hours.'
Fortunately, I saw a giant cactus patch ahead, so I quickly ran over and settled in the shade.
I took off my shoes and shook them out, and sand poured out in a heap.
They say leaving home is where the struggle begins.
How on earth did I manage to travel through here during my active days...?
Feeling the cruelty of time, I took some water from subspace and gulped it down.
Now I feel like I can finally breathe.
'Did you detect anything on the way?'
'If I had, I would have told you. In the first place, this wasn't a desert back then.'
It was a bit disheartening that it still wasn't a desert, but it couldn't be helped after 5,200 years.
Besides, all the candidate sites I had predicted were in the center of the Krinis Desert anyway.
After a short break and more running, I finally arrived near the first candidate site.
It was Death Valley, where sandstorms raged incessantly between giant dunes.
According to Ark, the ruins left by the Seven Stars had measures to prevent those unqualified from easily finding them.
He said the ruins on my backyard hill where I first found Ark had an Eight Trigrams Array, in addition to traps that had deteriorated over time.
When I asked what an array was, he said it was like illusion magic, but it didn't just deceive—it could even lead to death.
Those kinds of things are hard to deal with; I had been lucky.
Anyway, since so much time had passed, he said some traps might have been deactivated like those in the backyard, but others could still be operational.
That's why I thought of looking for places where anomalies occur in the Krinis Desert.
When I explained this to Ark, he said such things didn't exist in his era.
'Do you feel anything?'
'I'm not sure yet. Can you enter that storm?'
You want me to go into that sandstorm right now?
'If the range is 1km, shouldn't you be able to tell from here?'
'The sand is constantly shifting. We don't know how deep it is, so just go check.'
...He's really running me ragged just because it's not his own body.
I cast Barrier Magic and slowly advanced.
After about twenty minutes, my vision disappeared completely.
It felt like the inside of the barrier would soon be the same.
Although the barrier blocked the wind, it didn't completely cut off the air, so I couldn't stop sand from slowly seeping in.
After ten more minutes, the inside of the barrier became hazy, and I could taste sand in my mouth.
The wind grew even stronger; I felt as if I might be blown away along with the barrier.
'Ark, I don't think I can go any further. Is there anything here?'
'Hmm, here...'
'Why? Is there something?'
I asked, but Ark didn't answer for about five minutes.
I wondered what on earth he was thinking.
'Ark?'
'It's not a ruin of the Seven Stars. At least, not for now. Let's get out.'
He could have just said so sooner.
I immediately turned around and escaped the storm.
Not just my shoes, but my clothes and hair were completely covered in sand.
I took some water from subspace to rinse my mouth and roughly wash my face and hair, but I still felt gross because so much was stuck to my skin.
I wanted to take a shower, but I didn't know how long I'd be in the desert, so I had to conserve water as much as possible.
Not to mention, there were no oases nearby.
'From now on, tell me immediately if a place isn't it. Don't drag it out.'
'With your current level, it'll be difficult...'
'What do you mean, difficult?'
'You don't need to know. Let's move to the next location.'
What a demanding master I've got.
Despite my annoyance, I pulled out my compass and map, checked the direction, and started running again.
After repeating the cycle of running and resting for two hours, I felt like I was finally nearing the second location.
As the sun began to set and dusk crept in, I cast Light Magic.
With my vision brightened, I pushed forward a bit more and saw sand swirling incessantly like an ocean.
Good thing I used Light Magic.
To be sure, I took an empty bottle from subspace and tossed it in; it vanished in less than five seconds.
It was the Devil's Sand Swamp, the Devil's Swamp, which sucked everything in.
'How about here?'
'I'm not sure yet, so let's head inside.'
...He wants me to go in there?
'Are you insane? How am I supposed to get in there?'
In the sandstorm area, I could at least keep my feet on the ground.
But here, once you fall in, no one ever returns—that's why it's called the Devil's Swamp...
'I have a feeling, but I'm not certain. We have to go in to find it anyway, so let's go.'
'Are you sure about this?'
'I'm telling you to go in precisely because I want to be sure.'
'Then I'm not going.'
'There's no need to worry. If my prediction is correct, it won't be that dangerous.'
'No...'
'And you call yourself a Sword Master? Honestly, what a waste of the wild ginseng you devoured.'
For a moment, I almost agreed just out of spite, but I barely managed to keep my composure.
'Fine, but if there are no ruins here, is there any way to get out?'
Seeing as he remained silent, it seemed there wasn't.
Was this jerk Ark just acting all this time? Maybe he's actually some kind of malevolent spirit.
Even with a prosthetic arm, it was too dangerous for someone like me who was missing a limb.
'It can't be helped. Excuse me for a moment.'
A huge chunk of magic power surged out, and it wasn't that black silhouette I'd seen before.
Rather than smoke, the form grew denser until a black-haired boy who looked about thirteen or fourteen appeared.
"Ark?"
"Wild ginseng really is something. I'm still far from enough, though."
"You're really Ark?"
"If you're too scared, I'll go first."
As soon as he spoke, Ark leapt straight into the sand swamp.
****
I wonder if it's because of the report I submitted last time.
Just as I was about to finish work and head home, I received an order to enter the palace.
The one who gave the order was, of course, His Majesty the Emperor.
Since he always summoned me for something unexpected, my heart felt heavy.
"Your Majesty, Count Daph, the Director of Intelligence, has arrived."
"Let him in."
"Please, enter."
I opened the doors adorned with a lavish lion crest and stepped into the main hall.
Trying my best to hide my anxiety, I crossed the vast hall and prostrated myself before the Emperor's throne.
"Director of Intelligence Daph Nois greets His Majesty, the Emperor of the Beluga Empire."
"Rise. I feel as though I've told you hundreds of times that you needn't bother with such formalities."
"I've told you hundreds of times that no matter how much favor I receive, the propriety between a sovereign and a subject must be maintained."
"Seeing as you still only speak the truth, I reckon you'll be fine for another ten years."
I'm grateful for the favor, but isn't ten years a bit much?
"I am not sure if I can endure that long, but I will always do my best for as long as time allows."
"Right, I can always trust Count Daph."
Suddenly, His Majesty the Emperor descended from his throne and approached me.
"We have important matters to discuss, so clear the room."
As the presence of others vanished, a figure emerged from the floor.
"Your Majesty, Count Daph is armed with a sword, so perhaps I should..."
"If Count Daph had ill intentions toward Me, I would have died a hundred times over. I hate repeating My orders most of all."
"My... My apologies."
He quickly bowed his head and vanished from the main hall.
I'd heard someone had recently been promoted to Vice Commander of the Royal Guards; this must be him.
"I haven't seen that face before. Is he a newcomer?"
"He is the second son of Count Diad. Duke Dylan recommended him, saying his skill and loyalty were certain, so I appointed him, but he's completely lacking in flexibility."
"I believe he is a most suitable talent for the Royal Guards."
"Now that I think about it, his fussiness and how much he worries about Me make him quite similar to you. Anyway, the reason I called you here today is because of Helena."
As I thought, it was because of the report.
His Majesty had suddenly ordered me to investigate Imperial Princess Helena's recent movements and situation, so I had submitted the report around noon today.
"Was there some issue with the report I sent this afternoon?"
"There was certainly an issue. Not a major one, but something strange."
"Could you tell me what specifically disturbed Your Majesty?"
I asked, but I had a rough idea.
In the report I gave this morning, I wrote that the Princess had become the disciple of Roy, the Tower Master of the Merdi Magic Tower.
Since His Majesty had even ordered nobles of Count rank and above to send Princess Helena to Quasar, he probably wasn't pleased that things turned out this way.
"That man Roy refused even when I offered him all sorts of gold, jewels, and the rank of Duke, provided he would only become the Imperial Chief Magician. How on earth did Helena persuade such a stubborn man?"
I intentionally left Bio's story out of the report.
His Majesty knew that Blue Mist was alive and that he had retired, and he had favored him greatly, but things were different now.
When Bio said he was retiring after losing an arm, the Emperor had opposed it.
He believed that if it were Blue Mist, losing one arm wouldn't significantly drop his skill.
I felt the same, but I couldn't simply ignore the request for rest from a guy who had suffered through all sorts of missions for ten years since he was sixteen.
In the end, I slightly exaggerated his condition when reporting to His Majesty, and fortunately, because there were juniors who could match him, I barely got permission.
In truth, even though Bio helped the Princess this time, it wasn't as if he gave her direct instruction, and it wouldn't be good for him to stand out.
Moreover, I was the one who barely convinced him to do it by bringing up Anna's name, even though he didn't want to...
"Count Daph?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"What are you thinking so deeply about?"
"My apologies. I was just wondering how she might have persuaded him..."
"Is that not something only the Princess or Roy would know, as you said at first?"
"Nonetheless, if I order an investigation, something will surely come to light. I will give the orders immediately upon my return."
"Forget it. He's so upset about the orders I gave last time that he won't tell Me even if I ask personally. And if we investigate, we might just lose our Intelligence Agency agents to that man Roy."
"Then what should I do, Your Majesty?"
"There is nothing special for you to do."
"Pardon?"
Then why did he call me here?
"I've already thought of a way. I called you to hear your opinion. There are the Chancellors, but I thought you'd be better for this sort of thing. Would you like to hear it?"