Chapter 104 – 104 – Sand Dust and Letters
According to the Tigris guys’ claims, they seem to have crossed the long road from the East Continent to the West Continent just to meet Eshen.
I wanted to tell them that my parents, the leaders of the tribe, were worried, and to test whether the skills of Eshen, the strongest member of their generation who had abandoned tradition and ran away, had rusted.
It was natural that they, who were secretly following Eshen’s tail, would run into Gunther Waldenhardt, who was chasing our party.
“But again, we never intended to kill you. We didn’t know that Gunter really hated you that much, and we even didn’t know that he was a demon lord or something. We just thought it was a public fight between parties. “I went with them because they said it would help me get together with strong people.”
“Even baseless mercenaries accept requests for murder on the spot. If anyone wants to use us as assassins, they must go through the Tigris elders. We, the younger generation, can’t just kill people as we please, and of course we can’t save them for the small amount of money he gave us. “The service that can be provided is limited to suppression.”
Tigris are a special race specialized in combat. And although I only learned it properly after experiencing the incident in Linden, it is said that they are also famous as mercenaries in the East.
Through the tradition of the strong leaving more children, they develop their fighting power and use it as a family weapon to act as mercenaries or assassins. This is a point where you can see why they hate mixing blood with the weak outside the tribe.
A group of mercenaries who dedicate their lives to fighting and maintain a reputation for marrying the strong. Eshen’s tribe may have been even more fearsome than I thought.
But there were things even they couldn’t bear.
“So, can I put it in?”
“···Are you bored?”
“I’m going crazy.”
“···Do you know how to play cards?”
When Morgan sighed and motioned for them to come closer, the Tigris guys happily accepted their share of cards while still wearing handcuffs. The interior of the cabin container, blowing over the cool sea breeze, became even more noisy.
However, Garam Taiga did not intervene. She sat in a corner like a poisoned prisoner and just glared at her older sister Eshen, giggling.
The western continent where we live is largely divided into four major countries.
The ‘Holy Armatam Empire’, and its strangely non-existent rival ‘Summeris Allied Powers’. And the twin kingdoms as well as the homelands of our party’s ‘twins’, ‘Greater Elan’ and ‘Lesser Elan’.
The buffer zone between them is filled with numerous small nations like a puzzle, such as the pirate nation of Tovetan, the lake kingdom of Vanir, and the warlord principality of Linden. If you look at the map, it looks like there is no unused land.
On the other hand, the eastern continent…
“For some reason, when I look at the map, it seems like there are more names of deserts, mountain ranges, and glaciers written on it, rather than the names of countries.”
Lennie muttered, looking down at the map that was being used as a playing card.
Then Garam in the corner grunted in an attitude just like her older sister. While nodding, I pointed out the window.
“Well, you can’t build a house on land like that, and you can’t send officials there.”
A few people, including me, lost interest in the cards and turned to the window.
The view from the cabin on Nidroga’s ship was mesmerizing at every moment. The noon clouds flowing like a flock of sheep and shining white, and the horizon that embraces the sun and turns its cheeks red.
This morning, after crossing the sea that is the border between the West and East continents, the first thing that comes into view is a vast desert. An incredibly vast pile of sand stretching across the harborside city and the mountain ranges that are the home of the Eshen.
As soon as we were mesmerized by that yellow light, Garam Taiga laughed and scared us.
“The Eastern Continent where we live is different from your fragile world with its vast plains. Those who let their guard down will immediately be eaten by such vicious nature.”
“I’ve said it ten times already. Is living in a shitty town something to be proud of, little brother?”
Garam tried to ignore Eshen’s muttering.
“That’s the Great Desert of Lanbo. It’s a vicious wasteland where city-sized sandstorms collide with each other. The mighty wind will crush and kill even the noble dragon Nauri, so you won’t be able to fly and move around with ease like this anymore.”
[What did you say just now?]
“Even if you don’t manage to get swept away by the wind, it’s just as dangerous. They say a dragon’s weak point is its eyes, is that true? The moment sand touches its eyeballs, it will probably not be able to endure the pain and fall, and it will roll around on the ground covered in sand like a fried chicken and become a fossil. “It’s going to turn out. It’s going to be terrible to see, isn’t it?”
[Are you serious about that?]
As Nidroga’s booming voice came from outside, the faces of the other Tigris who had been enjoying the card game gradually hardened. It seemed like he was worried that Garam’s arrogance might get him kicked out into the air outside the room.
Nidro seemed to be displeased and loudly vibrated his body…
[The eyes are not the only weak point.He hates falling and breaking his wings, and he hates the pain of breaking them. Ugh, I don’t want to go through that again.”
He landed in a port town on the Eastern Continent and obediently returned to his human form. He was grateful for Garam’s advice.
Garam actually looked disappointed. It seems he just wanted to start a fight.
I think that childish pride resembles Eshen when we first met. The corners of his mouth were twitching as if the senior party members had similar thoughts.
“Isn’t that cute thing you do, Eshen? The way you just rush into it without even knowing what will happen.”
“When I just joined, I feel like I’m just like everyone else. You bothered a lot of people, including me, right?”
“···I know what you’re trying to say, but don’t make fun of me in front of Garam. It’ll hurt my pride.”
When he was just hired, he persistently attacked Tena and said he would sort out the ranks, but he got scolded. He couldn’t admit that a tiger was weaker than a dragon, so he argued with Nidroga day and night.
He must have been embarrassed by the person he was in the past, so Eshen grabbed his face. I smiled and changed the subject and rescued Eshen from trouble.
“You may be able to fly at a height where the sandstorm cannot reach, but it would be dangerous if you get tired and lower your altitude. Moreover, looking at travel books, it seems that from here on, it is faster to cross the sea on a lizard. It costs a little money to rent it. “I will, but I’ve withdrawn quite a bit of gold, so it’ll be okay.”
“What is a lizard?”
A question from the Tigris guys, not even from our party members.
It is common knowledge that you need a lizard when traveling in the desert. I had to shut up for a moment and find something to say.
“Then what did you ride in the desert? A camel?”
“That’s right, I walked.”
“···Did you just walk like a gangster? Are you crazy?”
“Oh, I guess we’re not stupid and we just walked around in such a rough place. Sometimes we even ran. So what is a lizard?”
“It’s literally a lizard the size of an ordinary one-seater boat. It crosses the desert like a wave.”
Instead of me, who was left speechless by the bombshell remarks of my ignorant Tigris friends, someone rushed out with an answer. From the marble building with the Party Federation’s emblem stamped on it.
As it was a sunny desert area, a receptionist wrapped in cloth held out her hand. I managed to get over my shock and held my hands with a grin.
“Welcome, are you a member of the ‘Special Monster Destruction Removal Team’ party?”
The long name is spoken fluidly and without a single twist in pronunciation. It gives the impression of being professional.
“Nice to meet you too. Oh my, I guess it’s true that you’ll be able to meet Party Federation officials anywhere.”
“You guys are catching monsters all over the world, shouldn’t we also be helping everywhere in the world?”
The local branch receptionist nods with a smile on her face. ‘Anywhere in the world’. That is the party alliance’s slogan that has been around since the first time it supported the warrior in history.
People who are proud of their organizational culture naturally like to have that philosophy confirmed. I added a few more compliments about their service, making the receptionist smile from ear to ear.
Since they are the ones providing us with help, it is good to leave a good impression. Especially since I have something to ask of you.
“It’s help, I guess. You mean renting a lizard? It’s completely free indefinitely.”
“Oh?”
“For a party like yours, we would be happy to help. Recently, in our self-assessed hero party performance rankings, your party ranked in the top 10 for 30 consecutive weeks. What have you accomplished in the past couple of months? “It was something incredible that couldn’t be expressed in words.”
“As soon as we hire a porter.”
The sister whispered softly and patted my back. It feels like a weight is being lifted onto her shoulders.
“For some special parties like that, all branches of the Party Alliance provide special benefits. Not to mention mounts.”
“That’s really good news. Do you also give discounts on item storage?”
The alliance branch that supports adventurer parties not only brokers missions but also takes care of many of the party’s conveniences. Among them, it also functions as a safe to temporarily store money or goods.
So the receptionist shouted coolly.
“Of course it’s free!”
And a little later, he looked like he wanted to take back what he said.
“Maybe not.”
A cargo the size of a train car, bigger than all the branch’s safes. The moment they saw the cabin container of the Nidroga airline we were flying on, all the branch employees were embarrassed with their eyes wide open.
“You didn’t come by boat, did you?”
“···Yes. Anyway, we can’t carry this around. Can you keep it here for a few weeks?”
“I think I should ask the branch manager about this first…”
“If that’s not possible, it would be a good idea to hide it in a cave and cover it well. We often did that.”
Nidrogar smiled shyly and took out the tent and handed it to the receptionist. The receptionist just blinked with a bewildered expression.
———-
Many people who like to travel are people who simply fall in love with capturing scenery they have never seen before. One could say that he is a womanizer in the sense that he cannot be satisfied with just a familiar partner.
The Great Desert of Lanbo was a scary gangster who taught humility to such revelers. ‘Return to the scenery of your hometown that is familiar to you like your companion. If you don’t want to be left behind.’
It has a heterogeneous and beautiful scenery with red and gold intertwined, but at the same time, it does not give you time to admire it in a daze and take in the wonder. Three times a minute, the sun or sand hits her eyeballs, forcing her to close them.
It was fortunate that we found the cave before the sandstorm got stronger. When we arrived at the rocky hill, one of the few landmarks in the barren desert, we quickly ducked through the gap and started shaking off the sand from our bodies.
The lizards standing outside looked at us with a bit of pity, but there was nothing we could do since there were so many people.
“Ugh, your shoes are half full of sand. Even someone like my father would be disgusted if I were asked to go on a mission to a place like this. I’m sure the Sunstorm family will have more stories of saga.”
“If I were to say that I fought a dragon slayer-level sandstorm, I would definitely be proud of it. Ugh, my eyes…!”
“Nidro is going to get conjunctivitis like this. He looks like this even though he’s wearing the best goggles.”
The sister grabbed Nidrogar with both hands full of healing pink light. It didn’t take long for Nidroga, who was shedding tears, to feel fine.
The sister’s talent as an apt healer is not limited to the ability to instantly heal sensitive areas such as the eyeball. The deep patience and sense of responsibility developed while caring for children can also be said to be a healer to the core.
The Tigris made a dark expression as the sister forcibly held their legs. However, once their swollen and bruised bare feet completely healed, they all looked like domestic cats gaining weight every day.
“Oh, this feels really good…”
And then it started making some unpleasant sounds.
When I looked at her in shock, she suppressed her laughter. I tried my best to pretend that the problem was something other than jealousy.
“···Even if I put them on, they keep taking them off like a child, so it’s pointless to say more, but you guys, please put your shoes on.”
“Then you become weak. When you start compromising with the trials of nature like that, your body becomes weak, and when you become weak, you are eliminated.”
But no matter what, there is a degree. They were not accompanied by porters or healers on that long journey, and they did not even rely on lodgings or inns. Only because I believe that is the way of the fighting race Tigris.
To me, a person with common sense, it looked like a grandiose suicide attempt.
Although it was because I insisted, Eshen at least stayed at Cheshenyi’s hotel. On the other hand, even if you give them money and put them in a room, these guys will probably rip off the door and come out and sleep out in the mountains.
If ridiculously frustrating people like these were the standard in Tigris, I think Eshen couldn’t stand it and would have stormed out even if it wasn’t a matter of mating.
“You’re a naturalist. If you’re like that, why do you wear clothes like that?”
“Going around naked is pervert. Why do you want to see me?”
It seems he still has a lingering desire to woo a strong female.
However, in return for the giggling practical joke, the man Tigris was soon struck on the head by the sheath of his sword.
Lenny, lying down with his eyes closed, mumbled as he retrieved his sheath.
“Close your mouth.”
As the friend with the lump became quiet, the Tigris quietly began to heal.
The Tigrians, fortunately exposed to the healing power of travel, showed considerable ideological development. They reached a consensus that Tigris’s way of breaking through with his body, whether it was bleeding or catching a cold, might not be very good for his health.
“Being weak from whining in pain isn’t a good thing, is it?”
“Guys, we’re making sense now. Hey, Garam. You too, come here and relieve your muscle pain.”
Garam, sitting at the entrance of the cave, let out a sound like his own snort. He smiled, biting his lips as if he wanted to grab Eshen’s hair.
“Are you chewing?”
“I don’t like it. You’ve become weaker, Eshen. You can’t knock me down with one hit like you used to. You get snarky when you get hit by a sandstorm. You travel comfortably with a porter and a healer, so that’s right.”
“It’s like that again. Take us out.”
The remaining Tigris hesitated and sat a little further away from Garam. Because the atmosphere of the party members became violent.
“Why are you still so aggressive? Are you unhappy that we didn’t retaliate?”
“Even for us Tovetan, nothing at the port would work properly without porters. These guys don’t know how rough and treacherous the world is and are saying why we need to bring porters and healers with us.”
“That’s right. Let’s take it in moderation, Garam.”
Leni woke up with a disheveled look and approached Garam. She then patted her little sister on the cheek.
Garam patted his shoulder as if he was going to attack him at any moment. But Lennie didn’t even pretend to be scared.
“We almost died because of you guys. You saw that, right? Let’s get along better.”
“If you want to kill, kill. That’s the winner’s right. If I had done that, at least my pride would have been preserved.”
“Pride is damn good. If we just went around killing people, we wouldn’t be a warrior party, but mercenaries like you.”
Lennie, who had been smiling with his eyes closed, suddenly became expressionless.
“Of course, your life is on the line, so keep in mind that we can do as you say at any time. Your parents, who we need to ingratiate themselves with, will not be happy to hear about your disappearance, but there is not one daughter who can convince them. What do you think? Do you still want to ask me to kill you?”
“I said it would be over once I cleaned up my mouth. Will you listen to me now? Take off my pants and hit my butt like you did when I was little?”
“Hey!”
Since he was in a tied position in one way or another, it seems that Garam was quietly trying to calm his anger.
However, Eshen’s words seemed to be unbearable and eventually exploded. Garam, who pushed Lenny away and rushed at Eshen, soon became one lump and began to tangle violently.
Lennie spoke to me with an expression that seemed to suppress something very much about her.
“I really want to kill you. What should I do?”
“Hang in there. The orders said that the sooner you can get them safely, the better.”
A thought occurred to me and I put my hand into my arms.
Texture of three envelopes. One is a detailed order written to win the favor of ‘Hwangok’, the base of the Tigris, and return. One is Thena’s secret document delivered to Eshen, the leader of the Tigris, and Garam’s parents.
And the other one, which contains more detailed command details, is mine.
When I suddenly started grinning like a crazy person, Lennie’s face became even more shocked.
“Are you sure you’re holding TENA’s letter and smiling right now?”
“Huh.”
“Is it that good?”
“Huh.”
At those words, Eshen suddenly raised her head and glared at me. With eyes filled with deep and clear jealousy.
“What’s so good? Someone’s pulling their hair out, and you’re giggling while holding on to a love letter!”
“···Eshen, I’m telling you this, but I’m not saying I like it that way…”
However, Eshen did not have time to listen to my embarrassed explanation. Because Garam kicked him in the chin and knocked him down again.
While ignoring the combatants who tried to stop the two with all their might, Lenny gestured as if to give them up.
“I don’t know what it says that makes you smirk when you put your hand in your bosom. Let’s take a look together.”
