Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Desert Night
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After slipping out of the Hayar headquarters, Durel and I raced aimlessly through the scorching desert. We hadn't picked out any particular destination. We simply wandered wherever our feet led us, wherever our hearts pulled us.
In the end, we arrived at a public campsite. Even in the dead of night, the people gathered there sat around a massive bonfire, chattering away with their own tales.
Not every story held only the truth. With so many different people sharing, each carried its own purpose. Some boasted to show off their prowess, others to draw interest, and some just for the fun of it.
That meant plenty of exaggerated bluster mixed in. Everyone present knew it full well, but no one made an issue of it. Instead, they added cheers and applause, lifting the mood even higher.
They were all travelers drifting through the desert. It was their entertainment, a way to soothe weary bodies and minds scorched by the relentless heat.
Of course, Durel and I weren't part of that circle. Mages always stood out as outsiders among ordinary folk. Not wanting to shatter the easy atmosphere, we sat a polite distance away, ears wide open to eavesdrop on the stories.
"You seem quite taken with their tales."
I gave a light chuckle at Durel's question. How could I not be? Most of the stories drifting over on the wind were utterly absurd.
"They're fun."
"Most of them are fabricated. Full of excessive bragging."
"That's what makes them fun."
As I replied to Durel, I leaned into the breeze and focused back on the voices. The one speaking now was a swordsman with a blade at his hip. He waved his bottle of booze around, bellowing loudly.
"I saw it clear as day in the Razga Basin! Another sky floating down below!"
"A sky beneath the basin? Tell us more."
"Just like I said. A sky hanging in the ground, like another world stretching out underneath."
"So, did you get close? Was there a new world?"
"Ah, come on... You folks are impatient. I did go, but I couldn't get too near. There were giant beasts guarding the area..."
"Giant beasts? Hahaha! And you survived? You're one lucky bastard!"
"Hahaha! You got that right! I'm a lucky guy!"
It was obviously laced with tall tales. Both the teller and the listeners knew it. And yet the stories kept flowing. They laughed and bantered, hanging on each other's words. That's what made it fun. That's what sparked the interest.
"The Razga Basin, huh... Know where that is?"
"Planning to go check it out?"
"There's a sky under the basin. Doesn't that make you curious?"
"...It's probably just someone seeing the sky reflected in water."
I clicked my tongue and shook my head at Durel's buzzkill response. The kid had no sense of wonder. Had he grown up too fast?
"Still, it's not an entirely baseless tale. The Razga Basin is a place with a rather different backdrop from this Red Desert."
"...Yeah? How so?"
"They say it fell from the sky."
"From the sky...?"
"Yes."
Durel nodded at my question. He'd pulled out a slim guidebook from who-knows-where and flipped it open. When I stared at it pointedly, he naturally handed it over.
Two weeks' trek south along the lower Kazakh River from the heart of the Red Desert. Where the river's path under moonlight ends, where even the desert sands fall still. The Razga Basin is a massive crater in the middle of the desert. Spanning several kilometers, it blocks out the external heat with its unique environment, home to bizarre lifeforms rarely seen in the sands. Strange legends persist around the Razga Basin. Long ago, a tower of human hubris collapsed, splitting the land that touched the heavens. The fragment that fell became the basin—or so the common lore goes. Standing at Lake Nakcheon in the basin's center, I gazed down at the sky.
— Lu, the Explorer and Author
"Gonna go?"
I closed the book at Durel's question and looked up at the sky—or rather, imagined looking down at it.
Creating new magic required special inspiration. A brilliant spark to weave together past-life memories and talent. A visit here might just prove a worthwhile experience. I nodded and handed the book back to Durel.
The wind seemed to whisper.
"Let's go."
Early morning, before the desert heat rose. Durel brought over a bowl of reddish soup, calling it breakfast.
"From the never-ending pot?"
"Yes. It's pretty decent."
The never-ending pot. Every public campsite had one. True to its name, the pot's heat never cooled as long as visitors kept coming. Each new arrival added fresh ingredients.
That meant the taste was hit or miss. Some were fishy, others too salty. The soup changed on the spot with every addition, embodying the adventurer's life in its very essence.
No spoons for sipping. You just lifted and drank.
Slurp—
The soup was nicely savory.
After a light breakfast, while checking the airboard for our departure, I sensed someone creeping up behind me.
"Excuse me. Could you spare a moment?"
I glanced back just enough to size up the newcomer. He wore the typical desert traveler's garb, but his features were a bit off. Like us, he was from beyond the sands.
"Will it take long?"
"No. I just have a proposal..."
"What kind?"
"I overheard your companion mentioning heading south. If it's not too much trouble, might we travel together? We'll provide food and water along the way. If it gets uncomfortable, feel free to go ahead anytime."
At the man's offer, I turned to look at Durel. It was a bit surprising. The guy usually treated non-mages like they didn't exist. That he'd even chatted with someone was noteworthy.
"Why... are you looking at me like that?"
"Nothing. Just... pleased?"
What master wouldn't be happy at their disciple's growth? It put me in a good mood. Fate being what it was, I accepted the man's request to join.
"Sure. How far are you headed?"
"R-Really...? Ah, we're planning to go near the Kazakh River."
"Not bad. We'll go that far together. What about your group?"
The man turned at my question and waved toward a distant cluster. At the campsite's edge, by two massive lizards and a large wagon hitched behind, stood a man and a woman.
'The woman uses mana...'
The man opposite looked like a well-trained swordsman, but no mana traces on him. Instead, something familiar pulsed from his chest—a small orb-shaped object.
'A golem?'
It rang a bell. Just like the one Bashek used to summon the caravan.
'Sent by a merchant group?'
Maybe payback for that time. But it was too soon to be sure. They could be like Bashek, providing aid to merchants in exchange for the item.
"I'm Vera. The woman there is Karin, and that's Gideon."
"Lumia. This is Durel. Go on ahead. We'll pack up and catch up."
Vera nodded at my words, then turned and headed back to his group.
I sat astride one leg on the airboard and spoke up.
"Durel."
"Yes?"
"Did those guys approach you first?"
"No. I spoke to them first."
"You?"
"Yes. They were talking about Shamshir and Hayar. Since they knew the greatness of mages, we had a brief chat."
"Hmm... So they didn't approach you first, huh."
"Is there a problem?"
'I'll probe later... For now, just watch.'
I shook my head and unlinked the airboard. Durel always bristled at normals. No need to plant needless suspicions now that he was softening up.
With the airboard disassembled, Durel and I headed to Vera's group. The three looked genuinely shocked as we approached.
"Y-You really came..."
"Never thought I'd live to travel with mages... Vera, what did you promise them? Gold?"
'Their faces don't look feigned...'
Karin and Gideon mounted the giant lizards. Vera, who'd first approached us, boarded the small wagon facing us.
"Alright, let's head out!"
At Vera's signal, the two giant lizards surged forward. The wagon rattled behind, leaving the campsite.
'Time to test the waters.'
I spun the mana circle in my heart and slowly opened my mouth.
"How long have you three been in the desert?"
"Close to half a year, I'd say."
"Plenty of experience, then. Ever visited any merchant caravans?"
A brief silence fell. A subtle, split-second reaction. As Vera's gaze flicked to the two ahead on the lizards, I slammed my mana-infused right hand down on the wagon floor.
Thud—!
Crack-crack-crack—!
A small explosion erupted from my hand, mana surging out in a blast of freezing cold. A bitter winter descended on that spot.