Chapter 60. Road to the Desert (7)
14.
The appearance of an unexpected person.
At the sudden appearance of Istan, Ulan and the others looked blank. At that time, Istan spoke again.
“I guess I saw a letter since you’re here.”
Information about the detour was contained only in letters he sent to the county. This means that Ulan and his party stopped by the county.
Meanwhile, the group quickly came to their senses after listening to Istan’s words. Ibella then asked Istan a question on behalf of everyone.
“Why are you here… … ?”
Currently, a summons has been declared in the empire.
As a result, not only the wizards belonging to the Magic Tower but also the masters called the Five Swords had to gather at the headquarters of the southern front.
On the other hand, since this place was quite far from the headquarters, it was natural to have doubts. Then Istan spoke indifferently.
“The North’s deadly sword hasn’t arrived yet. “Thanks to you, I have some free time.”
Lightsword of the East, Limer Yen Lapidis.
The powerful swordsman of the West, Seorik al-Ghorfant.
Blind Sword of the South, Istan el Deorg.
These three were located close to the south, so they arrived at the front line immediately after the summons was announced.
On the other hand, the North was not.
It was natural. Just looking at the map, you have to move from end to end of the imperial territory, so it will take quite some time to reach the southern front.
“So I came here under the pretext of looking around the front lines. “I also want to prepare supplies for you.”
After explaining why he was able to leave the headquarters of the Southern Front and come here, Istan drew a line around his mouth as if he was amused.
“But I never thought I’d meet you guys.”
It takes more than two days to travel from the County of Deorg to here by horseback.
On the other hand, the Ulan group arrived in just one day, so they were naturally surprised.
“There would be no carriages that would come here and the road would have been quite rough. How on earth could we arrive so early?”
“Ahaha, that’s… … .”
“This and that happened.”
Noah bursts out laughing with an awkward face.
Afterwards, Delia sighed deeply.
Perhaps because of his somewhat complicated expression, Istan did not ask any more questions and changed the topic.
“Rather than that, everyone, please sit down instead of standing. Since we’ve met after a long time, I’d like to treat you to a cup of tea. I also have a story I want to share with you… … .”
Even before Istan finished speaking.
Gurgling!
A loud sound echoed through the tunnel.
The group all looked at Ulan, the epicenter of the sound, and Ulan, who was receiving everyone’s attention, scratched his head as if he had no shame.
“I’m sorry. “I’m a little hungry.”
“Well, I must have been hungry since I ran that distance without stopping.”
He even moved with Noah, Delia, and Sirpi all on his back. No matter how monstrous your physical strength is, it is natural to feel hungry.
“Then I’d better prepare a meal.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
Istan put away the teacup he had previously taken out and instructed his subordinates to prepare a meal. Then, small dishes were laid out on the table.
White bread, black pudding, stews with plenty of vegetables, beef jerky, etc. Eventually, when all the meal preparations were completed, Istan smiled sheepishly.
“Because it’s an electric wire, there aren’t many different types, but if you don’t have enough, feel free to let me know. “Because you have enough.”
“Then I will eat it gratefully.”
As soon as Istan finished speaking, Ulan started eating ravenously without hesitation.
The other members of the group followed Ulan’s lead and picked up bread one by one, perhaps because they thought it was their last meal before heading to the desert.
Of course, the exception was Sirpi, who recited everything he ate before coming here.
While we were continuing our quiet meal, we suddenly heard a voice breaking the silence.
“Oh, now that I think about it, I have something to tell you…” … .”
“Hey, Count. if… … .”
They were Istan and Noah.
The two spoke at almost the same time and immediately faced each other with their eyes wide open. It was Istan who spoke next.
“You speak first.”
“yes? but… … .”
“It’s okay. “If it’s a topic related to the desert, it would be better to listen to you first.”
As Istan said, Noah’s question was about a topic related to the desert. So he meekly accepted Istan’s consideration and opened his mouth.
“What I wanted to ask was about the trends of the pagans. At first glance, it sounds like they want to expand their power beyond the desert… … .”
“Well, no large-scale battles like this have taken place yet. However, local wars are occurring here and there.”
Istan then responded that a full-scale war would not break out until the aforementioned northern thugs arrived at the southern front.
“Hmm, I see. Then it would be better to move quickly before an all-out war breaks out.”
“That’s accurate. “Nothing good will come of standing out for no reason.”
Istan nodded as if agreeing with Noah. When Noah closed his mouth, it was Istan’s turn. He immediately spoke with a serious face.
“… … Ulan.”
“hmm?”
“Can I ask you a favor?”
“What is it about?”
“It’s just that I’m a little disturbed by what I experienced in the recent battle.”
Istan’s eyes flashed fiercely.
He soon started talking.
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
“As Cadet Noah said earlier, the heretics have currently deployed their troops to the front lines to expand the power of the Desert Church.”
And Istan personally led his soldiers and fought several local battles to prevent them from heading beyond the desert.
“But I think the reality is a little different.”
“You mean different?”
“If I had to put it bluntly, the pagans at the time didn’t look like invaders no matter how I looked at them.”
“What do you mean?”
“Everything about their facial expressions and actions made them look more like fugitives than invaders. “It’s as if I’m being chased by something and trying to leave the desert.”
After finishing explaining everything.
Istan looked back at Sirpi and asked.
“So there’s something I want to ask… … .”
“I don’t know either.”
But before he could finish his sentence, Sirpi shook his head resolutely.
In response, Istan and Ulan pulled out their swords and axes at the same time, and Sirpi, who saw this scene, stepped back with a very frightened look on his face.
“Really! It’s not like I know everything. “It’s already been a year since I left the desert in the first place.”
So, I have no choice but to not know the latest information.
Hearing Sirpi’s desperate explanation, Ulan looked back at Dilia. Then, Delia, who was observing Sirpi, immediately shook her head.
“Yes, it’s not a lie.”
With her answer, Ulan and Istan retrieved the weapons they were aiming at Sirpi.
Sirpi breathed a sigh of relief, and the two men looked in the direction of the desert.
“Then again… … .”
“I guess I have no choice but to go and see for myself.”
The heart of the desert.
The site of an ancient oasis and the birthplace of a new religious leader. I had an intuition that only by going there would I be able to find out the whole truth.
“So, will you do me a favor?”
“I understand. “Let’s handle it as we please.”
“Thank you. Then please accept this.”
Seeing Ulan willingly accepting the request, Istan handed him the signal flare he had prepared.
“What is this?”
“It’s a signal bullet. If you shoot that, no matter where you are in the desert, my men will find you within half a day.”
“… … yes?”
Noah asked blankly at Istan’s words.
It was worth it.
No matter where Ulan and his group are, their subordinates are coming. Doesn’t that mean that Istan’s men are all over the desert?
And this guess turned out to be true.
“Thanks to serving in the desert for a long time, I have a lot of eyes and ears planted here and there.”
Istan smiles meaningfully.
He left Sirpi, who had a surprised expression on his face, and turned his gaze back to Ulan.
“Or you can use it when you need urgent help locally. So, even if it’s not my request, use it if you need it.”
“I will keep that in mind. instead… … .”
“instead?”
“We also have something to ask of you.”
Immediately after his bright red eyes flashed.
What Uhlan brought up was none other than the story of Count Demuel Ron dermore.
Noah also revealed the fact that Count Dermore was connected to the Abyss worshipers and even the Lord of the Abyss.
“Of course, it may not be easy to believe, but… … .”
“No, I believe it.”
Before Ulan could finish answering, Istan shook his head. Afterwards, he muttered in a serious tone with a dark complexion.
“Because I was also investigating him.”
“yes? That means… … .”
“Because I heard that the person who helped that guy get into Arsene Academy was Demuel Ron Dermore.”
Istan glanced at Sirpi.
Sirpi turned her head as if intimidated by his gaze, and Istan sighed repeatedly.
“But I never would have guessed that he was collaborating not only with the Abyss worshipers, but also with the monsters of the Abyss.”
Istan looks confused.
Of course. I couldn’t help but feel skeptical that a great nobleman in the center could do such a thing while fighting for his life on the front lines of the empire.
“Have you found any physical evidence?”
“Unfortunately, I couldn’t find it. So, we would like to ask you to keep an eye on him while we are away.”
If the opportunity arises, it would be a good idea to find physical evidence or eliminate the guy.
But Ulan didn’t want to go that far. It was also a very risky mission, as Ulan wanted to personally kill Gurney and De Muel.
“I understand. “It would be best to get rid of the parasites that are eating away at the empire as soon as possible.”
Meanwhile, Istan seemed to have guessed Ulan’s intentions and accepted his request without saying anything.
Afterwards, the two men held each other’s hands.
With this, the conversation for each individual’s purpose came to an end.
15.
After finishing my meal with Istan.
Under his guidance, Ulan and his party moved to the other side of the tunnel entrance.
The exit leading straight to the desert.
Furthermore, the area near the tightly closed iron gate was full of supplies that Istan had prepared in advance. Meanwhile, the group who saw this had blank expressions.
“Uh, what can I say about this… … .”
“It seems like a lot, doesn’t it?”
As Ibella and Delia said, the items Istan prepared were quite numerous. So much so that I wondered if there was a need to take it this far.
So, I hesitated for a moment.
Istan continued.
“The desert night is colder than you think.”
To survive this, a warm blanket is essential.
In addition, a windbreaker, tent, and sleeping bag to avoid sandstorms. Moreover, these were not the only items prepared by Istan.
“Also, it is difficult to find food in the desert, so we added plenty of water and food. “You can’t hunt and eat a demonic beast.”
No sooner had he finished speaking.
In an instant, the eyes of the entire group turned to Ulan. Ulan, who noticed this, tilted his head with a puzzled expression on his face.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Noah smiled awkwardly.
Ordinary people might not know this, but it occurred to Ulan that it was possible to hunt and eat a demonic beast.
To begin with, Ulan was a human being who hunted monsters of the abyss, took out their hearts, and chewed them up.
“Anyway, I have a lot of baggage, but if you can afford it, take it all. “Everyone needs these things.”
“I understand.”
Ulan nodded silently.
Because it wasn’t that heavy.
Above all, considering that most of the food is food and the weight decreases as you go, it would be the right choice to take everything with you.
“Thank you for your generous support.”
“Because I promised. “Then I wish you luck.”
Ulan and Istan holding hands.
After a brief handshake, Ulan turned around with his luggage on his back. He was going to the exit leading to the desert.
“Thank you for your cooperation, Count.”
“thank you.”
The other party members also thanked Istan and followed Ulan. Then, Istan suddenly touched his lips.
“Ibella.”
A voice of constant pitch.
At the same time, Ibella, who was trying to sneak away, trembled. And not long after, Istan’s words continued.
“You too, be careful.”
“… … “I will try my best.”
Was it because of the worried tone of voice?
Ybella thought for a moment, then lowered her head and answered as quietly as an ant.
Considering that he usually didn’t even respond to Istan’s words, he seemed to have made considerable progress.
“Then I will open the door.”
“Everyone, please step back.”
By the time I finished saying goodbye.
Istan’s henchmen began to open the iron gate leading to the desert.
Clap! Geek!
The iron door made an old sound, as if to prove that it had not been opened for quite some time.
Not long after that, when all the iron gates were opened, a scenery I had never seen before unfolded.
“That place… … .”
“… … “Southern Desert.”
A world full of loose sand.
A place where it is difficult to find trees, grass, or rocks, and is truly called a wasteland.
Are you overwhelmed by this scenery?
At a time when everyone could not easily take a step, there was one person who took the first step.
“Then let’s leave.”
“oh! “Go, let’s go together!”
Noah quickly came out of his thoughts and ran after Ulan, and the rest of the group followed him and stepped into a world made of sand.
Geek! Clap!
Eventually, the entire Ulan party disappeared beyond the sand dunes, and the iron gate closed tightly again.
As if nothing had happened.
fantasy,
