Chapter. 15. Can someone who has seen the end of the world plant an apple tree? (7)
****
The day after, my friend, who had become a money-eating monster, stuck his head in the corner and turned away, and had a friendly tea time with the lord of Kalashan and his daughters.
“….baron. I think I heard wrong. “Are we really talking about the Great Desert?”
“Ha ha ha ha ha. You must have never experienced the desert. Yes, that’s right, saint. “You can cross the Eastern Great Desert by boat.”
The Baron, who had invited me to breakfast, must have liked the conversation we had at tea time last night, and said what I had asked before the pork had even cooled.
“The sand of the Great Desert is soft as silk and hot as lava. If you take a horse and buggy ride, you’ll be able to hear the sound of heated horseshoes sizzling on the horses’ hooves. “Usually, for small groups of less than 10 people, we tame unique creatures called desert beetles, and for those with more than that, we travel by sliding across the sand in sand boats.”
“Put sand on desert beetles….”
For me, who vaguely thought that desert meant camels, the means of transportation that the Baron explained seemed quite different.
After listening to the circumstances, it is said that the desert here is much more extremely hot than we think, so it is not a place where creatures made of flesh and skin can tread. In particular, the radiant heat emitted by sand heated by the desert sun is said to be enough to cook the eyeballs of people looking down at the ground.
To prevent this, they ride on desert beetles that build up multiple layers of air inside their bodies and spread out their large wings to cool themselves in the shade when walking. Or, you can ride a boat that sails on the sand with the wind.
“The saint’s prestige is prestige, but in addition to special training, the desert beetle also requires magical measures, so it cannot be ridden by a priest who is incompatible with magic. Also, since there are many dangerous creatures in the great desert, crossing by boat is superior in all three aspects: comfort, travel speed, and safety. “My family will provide the ship and crew, so you and your party can just sit back and relax.”
“Hmm. At first glance, I misunderstood the Baron as a snobbish person, but I guess I should apologize now. “A very kind and grateful favor.”
“Ha ha ha ha ha! That is absurd! Isn’t Lord Daphlin of House Selmeyer a great knight whose name is well known in Teldrat? “You introduced me to a noble family from a good family, but the treatment was so harsh that Kalashan’s name is a waste.”
“ha ha ha. I didn’t know that a small relationship in the empire would lead all the way to Teldrat like this. “I hope that today’s relationship will lead to laughter shared with someone else.”
It seems that he really liked the letter he wrote in front of the Baron while transitioning from tea time to alcohol time. Well, the knights I met at Wuthering Heights were young knights of a famous knighthood. This time, they are the ones who transferred the saint’s soul to the ‘Guardians of the Saints of Mercy’ and engraved their names on top. In fact, as several knights were split up due to an incident in the capital, the opportunities for knights on the outskirts to advance to the center increased significantly. I also introduced you to friends who have their own vision.
We need transportation and supplies to cross the desert, and about 20 crew members.
The Baron received a letter of introduction with the handwritten signature of Saint Gwangmyeong, the rumored Emperis Maker and a person close to the founding of the empire.
‘This is a pretty good deal. If the Baron or his three daughters were idiots, they might have attacked me, but they didn’t cross that line. He is a nobleman who is quick-witted and good at understanding the situation. Even as an introducer, I won’t feel sorry to the other person.’
A satisfied smile formed on the lips of the baron, who shouted a toast, and the professor, who raised his glass to each other.
Jjaeang-!
Sailing in the desert. Honestly, I couldn’t hide my anticipation.
****
“Latura. May the Baron’s future be bright.”
“Ha ha ha ha ha. I hope that everything you do goes well with you! Ratura!”
After thanking the Baron, the professor and his group followed the butler to where the boat was waiting.
As I rode the baron’s carriage and passed through the vast Kalashan territory, the exotic scenery, different from Roderick’s, gradually changed into a hot wind mixed with the smell of sand.
Whoa!
The moment he passed the gate of the castle wall, which was thin and high for a castle wall, at the end of the territory, the professor had to narrow his eyes at the suddenly brighter vision.
As soon as you leave the shadow of the castle walls, the sun beat down and the scorching desert heat. And, a feast of red sand that stretches out endlessly, rolling and moving as if alive.
“The name ‘Great Desert’ wasn’t just given….”
“Such dry land. “Something, something feels strange…”
“Oooh. hot.”
Crunchy Crunchy-
While the Professor, Otman, and Notum are overwhelmed by the heat and vastness of the desert, Idrasil picks up his notebook and sketches the group facing the desert. The butler who was watching us admire took out what looked like white robes according to the number of people in the group.
“for a moment. If you look at it with the naked eye for a long time, it may cause damage to your eyes. “Please change into these as they are more useful in the desert than ordinary travelers’ robes.”
“Hmm. “Thank you.”
The professor changed from the travel clothes he had already worn into the clothes given by the butler and gazed at the swaying desert.
It’s a strange thing. The Kalashan Territory is a cool granary with abundant wheat crops, but when you cross over to the other side, a desert of heat and death begins. Even if shade is created with high walls, it is not a natural environment.
“Is there some great magic in those castle walls? Or that the entire territory is blessed with abundance…”
“It’s both. The castle wall is under the protection of the West Wind, and it is also a land blessed by the priests of abundance. But most residents, including me, believe it is because Kalashan has escaped the wrath of the old gods.”
“God’s… anger?”
‘This seems like pretty important information, right?’
[Based on your experience so far?]
The professor listened intently to the words of the deacon passing by and asked for a more detailed explanation. Unfortunately, the butler didn’t seem to know much either.
“It’s not that big of a story. It’s just a little story passed down by word of mouth. There is a story that the Great Desert is a land that dried up due to the wrath of a god who disappeared a long time ago, in a past that was not even recorded in history. It is not known why or for what reason this happened. “The people here think that the area right in front of Kalashan is the territory of those who had to endure that anger.”
“God’s wrath….”
Let’s remember this. Now that I think about it, I think they called the natives of the Great Desert “ancient humans.” It might have something to do with it.
“In fact, what you are seeing right now is not the Great Desert, but just land covered in a thick layer of sand blown in from the desert. The desert is neither this flat nor cool enough to make you think it’s hot. “Perhaps if you go over the high sand dunes visible in the distance, you will be able to see the true appearance of the Great Desert.”
“That’s right. “I’m looking forward to it in many ways.”
“Remember the saying that although the desert is beautiful, it does not easily give you the opportunity to enjoy its beauty. You arrived while we were talking. From here, carriages cannot go, so you will have to walk for a while. Now, this way.”
The butler seems to be used to guiding people who are seeing the desert for the first time, so he puts clothes that look like a combination of a turban and a cape on the heads of the dazed Otman and Idrasil, and a cape for Notum that is almost the size of a tent, which I don’t know when he prepared it. It was covered skillfully.
Deep.
“Oh my.”
“A change of shoes is available on the ship. “If you ever have to walk on sand, it is better to walk as if you are not walking, but rather gliding and moving on shallow frozen river water.”
As soon as I got off the carriage, I felt an unfamiliar sensation in my legs and hot sand digging into my shoes.
Since it was a desert, I thought it would be similar to a real wasteland, but it was completely different.
‘The sand feels a bit light and slippery.’
Should I say that there is a difference in the particles, or should I say that the sand is a bit coarser?
When you step on the sand in the wasteland, you feel like it sinks in a bit and then gathers together to support your feet, but the sand here doesn’t have that feeling.
Only Idrasil, who was used to jumping between fragile tree branches, was walking on the sand, while the other three were waddling and adjusting to the soft sand.
As I followed the path half-buried in the sand, I came across what looked like a workshop that was also half-buried in the sand.
“two three! Pull!”
“Puuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!”
Wow! Jee profit!
“Who is the guy who tightened the shade? “Some Mojiri decided to overrun the ship!”
Ttung ttang ttung ttang!
Wow!
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The sound of a mallet hitting wood. The sound of several men hanging on a thick tar-coated rope and pulling it violently, and the sound of violence flying without hesitation.
Even though it was a boat, I imagined it to be something like windsurfing, but this… was really unexpected.
“I hope you tell my lord that I really appreciate it.”
The butler responded by bowing politely.
conceive. A really big wooden ship.
While Idrasil, who arrived first, inspected the workshop built on a sandstone hill, the reactions of Otman and Notum, who slowly climbed up, were similar to mine.
“Ship…ro.”
“Iknow, right. “The ship we know.”
“They said ‘bae’ in a place where there wasn’t a drop of water, so I thought it was another word with the same pronunciation… It’s really just ‘bae’.”
“It looks a little different here and there than a normal ship, but yeah. “It feels like I’m really going on a boat.”
Otman looked up at the suddenly formed shade and the large wooden structure that caused it.
A tall sandstone hill, and a sand dune that extends below it like a ski slope. And, on top of that hill, a ship with rough men waving the flag of the Gwangmyeong Church and wreaking havoc.
A fairly large and spacious ship with three large sails.
“Let me introduce you. The pride of Kalashan Territory, a great ship that navigates the desert with the wind in its wake. “This is the Dry Oasis.”
Surprisingly, what the Baron gave our group as a means of transportation across the desert was a real sailing ship, reminiscent of the Age of Exploration.
****
“Sniff! So, is that the Saint of Light who wants to board our ship?”
After the butler left with his final request, the man who had been yelling on the boat a little while ago came down and approached where the group was, as if he was waiting for the butler to leave.
“Well, let me just pretend I’m glad to see you. Deckmaster Gallard. Just in case, since you are the captain, I am afraid you will talk about the ship’s work, so I will say a few words in advance.”
“no….”
“The Great Desert is a place completely different from the solid land you used to walk on, and from the real sea. If you fall into the water, you can swim out, but if you fall into the desert sand, your skin will peel off like a slightly blanched lizard. “We sail from village to village, and it’s like the sea where we can’t get off the ship.”
“Now, wait a minute. Look…”
“Also, because the so-called monsters in the great desert are all as big as houses, battles often occur on ships. Do you know what I mean? The life of those who ride desert boats is to cross the burning desert in a small space, with limited resources, and fight frequently. That’s why desert ships have stricter rules than sea ones. “We gave you money without knowing anything, so listen to us. If you try to teach us by saying what a high-ranking person is or what a noble person is, you could end your life as a grain of sand in the desert without even a rat or a bird knowing….”
“therefore! “The saint is not this old man, but that big guy over there!”
“….what?”
Ottman suddenly noticed that the sailor who had approached him and growled had the same illusion as the people he had met so far, and extended his finger toward the person he should have been heading towards.
Wow!!
“Oh, it’s going up! Vixen! Grab the rope! “The sails are up!”
Flap – wow!
“Hey! “I raised the sails all at once!”
“Whahaha! Hey Flatlanders! Are you seriously thinking of taking a boat ride? “You do a better job than 30 idiots!”
As soon as the butler left, the man approached the ship with sparkling eyes, lifted a sail that had been repaired and hung it on the mast.
A man already entangled on the sand with the sailors, with a sculpted muscular body full of scars from suffering even more harshly than the rough sailors.
“….priest?”
Nod.
The deck captain, who thought he liked it when he saw him breathing deeply in the sand-mixed wind, unlike someone from a foreign country, found it difficult to understand the old man’s explanation.
He was born in the desert and lived with ships in the desert. In his 40s, he was reluctant to be a priest or was just an old-fashioned person who preached without even having the strength to lift a spoon.
“Well, let’s do it quickly! Why are sailors so slow? “It gets hotter as the sun rises, so let’s leave before then!”
“Hahaha! “This is a heavenly sailor!”
“All the supplies have been loaded, so go and fetch your noble person!”
“I am the highest person here, man!”
“Khahahahaha! This guy’s jokes are top-notch! cancer! The one who works well on a ship and drinks well is the king! Hahahaha!”
A strong, fit, and generous priest. He is not just a priest, but a person so famous and holy that even those who drive boats on the sand have heard of him.
“A saint who is more like a sailor than a sailor, a talking troll, and an elf who even came to a desert without a single blade of grass. “What on earth did your group come here for?”
“Hmm… I guess I’m here to save the world. for now.”
40 Galad, who had seen such a strange group for the first time in his life, remembered that the person who explained the circumstances of the strange people in front of him was also a wizard who was shunned wherever he went.
The wizard appears to be the most normal member of the group. oh my god.
Tuk-tuk.
“I understand everything. “You never know my confused mind.”
“Uh… a wizard. “Because I am ignorant of religion, but…”
“Don’t ask anything, don’t judge anything. In the end, he’s going to bring a lot of things we don’t know about. “Don’t understand, adapt.”
Otman, looking at the confused face of the sailor and reminiscing about the past years, felt a little proud of himself for adapting to such things, and took out a bottle of gray-brown potion from his chest.
“You will know when the time is right. When the time is right. “If you ever find yourself lacking in alcohol, drink this.”
Otman looked blankly at the deck captain who took the potion he handed over, patted him on the shoulder as if he knew everything, then passed him and headed towards the ship.
“embarkation! Come on board! “Get as much wind as possible before noon!”
Upon hearing the news that preparations for departure, which had been expected to end around sunset today, had already been completed, Gallard had no choice but to swallow his anxiety and run towards the ship.
“It’s departure!”
At the captain’s command, the rope tying the ship was cut, and the Dry Oasis, which slid down the sand dune, gained enough speed from the slope.
Jooooooo! Flap!
As if waiting, the three sails unfolded and began to move forward, catching the desert wind.
The ship departs, and the captain, who has confirmed the route, is anxiously looking for his precious guest.
“yes! That’s right!”
“What did I say? This guy isn’t just strong, he’s got a head for things! Hey ogre! Now hand that rope over to the others and come down here and take a look at us!”
“Are you an escort driver? Not like a paladin… mercenary? Looks like a mercenary? Now, it’s nothing special, we’ll be seeing each other for a while, so I thought I’d say hello, so I called you! Would you like some alcohol? “This is a liquor made from bald cactus that only grows in the great desert…”
“You have the constitution of a sailor! You knew right away when I saw you didn’t even blink in front of the sandstorm! A face that enjoys the feeling of a fistful of sand moving in and out of its lungs! Hey, if you have nothing else to do after this escort mission, just keep riding the boat with us!”
The professor, who was already highly anticipated by the crew and even nicknamed ‘Ogre’, was receiving enthusiastic greetings and invitations to recruit from the crew below deck.
This happened because the more strong and dependable people like the professor there were, the more their chances of survival increased in the life of a sailor where they were tormented by ship work every day and threatened by the hot sun and large desert monsters that visited from time to time.
****
fantasy,
