Chapter 1216 – Ep.1214 Smith, a Black Company in Another World
The sound of crunchy sand every time you take a step.
“Heo, heo, heo… !!”
I could hear Nuit’s heavy breathing, as if he was about to suffocate, but I ignored it because I had already confirmed through several experiments that my body was not weak enough to collapse at this level.
“What on earth happened here in the past?”
And Rihina, still unable to believe that this bleak environment in which not even a single blade of grass could grow, was created naturally, muttered as she walked behind Ardel and his group who were walking ahead in the distance.
‘Honestly, it’s not strange to have that kind of reaction if you suddenly encounter the desert without knowing anything.’
From the perspective of Lihina, who has lived in the elven forest centered around the World Tree and always overflowing with vitality for over a hundred years, the desert would not seem much different from the literal landscape of hell where demons roam.
“Isn’t there something big that we don’t know about?”
“How terrible something happened… “I can’t imagine it.”
Later, when I found out the truth about the desert, I was curious about Rihina’s reaction, so I secretly encouraged her imagination without telling her the truth.
The sun, which had already begun to tilt crookedly, set beyond the horizon, turning the sky crimson.
“The footprints overlap well, right?”
“Don’t worry, I’m walking with care.”
“No, not you.”
“…”
Nuit was now being dragged by Grimm, trudging with her tongue sticking out like a thirsty puppy.
“Don’t worry.”
He was someone I couldn’t help but worry about, but Ingrim gave me a stern look and told me to trust him, so I decided to trust Ingrim and not worry about Nuit anymore.
‘It’s fortunate that the power of the token is shared.’
Rather than disappearing, Nuit is walking fine thanks to her ability to regulate her body temperature. If she wasn’t like that, she would have been carried on Ingrim’s back a long time ago.
‘… Now that I think about it, it’s a shame, isn’t it?’
Thanks to her token ability, she should be free from the heat, but she’s panting like that no matter how long she walked.
When I visited the desert before signs were made, I also spent hours pounding iron under the sun.
If you think about the consumption of physical strength, it would be worse when I was hammering than Nuit now, and it would definitely not be less. But it’s hard to believe that Lepinel’s body, which is not an ordinary person and has grown up with intense training, is having such a hard time.
‘Is it a faking illness?’
I naturally thought that he was acting with the intention of arousing my sympathy and making it a little easier for me.
However, since it was not something that needed to be checked and punished right away, I decided to keep this incident in mind and return it later.
As the sun set, and the moon rose, lights began to bloom one by one in the procession of soldiers walking in the distance.
“It looks like they plan to keep going without stopping.”
“Unlike others behind us, Ardel’s soldiers are not this tired.”
An elite of the elite who fights against monsters that come at every opportunity, and frequently goes out of the fortress to subdue monsters and collect their by-products.
There is no way these girls would get tired after just walking for about half a day.
Even if they are tired, those who remember Ardel will never show signs of fatigue in front of Ardel.
‘Well, Ardel will be able to control it on his own.’
I don’t know how they are going, but Ardel and his group have changed direction a total of four times since the moon rose. I just hope that Aria is going the right way.
If even that was wrong, it was obvious that Ardel’s anger would be directly directed at Aria.
‘But walking like this makes it even more difficult.’
I wouldn’t know if I walked with my own feet.
As soon as I got off the elevator, I fell in the middle of the desert, and before I could walk, I was captured by slave traders and immediately put in a carriage. No matter how much I chew and tear, I wonder if I can remember anything.
‘Now that I think about it, those bitches are amazing too.’
To think of bringing a whole wagon to the middle of this desert.
Of course, as there are all kinds of magic, if you imprint light weight and various convenient magic, running on sand would not be too much of a problem, even though it may be slightly inconvenient.
“Nuit.”
“… “What is it?”
As I walked a little further, Nuit, who was barely following me, staggering as if he had been dragged around like a piece of luggage, raised his head with difficulty.
“You’re doing research, right?”
“…”
Nuit’s eyes rolled back.
“Ingrim.”
“Say it.”
“Untie that rope.”
“I understand──”
“Now, wait a minute!!”
“It’s noisy.”
“Listen to me!!”
Nuit shouted, desperately pushing away Ingrim, who was reaching for the ropes that bound her waist.
“Isn’t it like walking separately? If that’s the case, then the search ranges overlap!! “I was just resting for the sake of efficiency!!”
As if she had said everything she wanted to say, Nuit gave an expression that asked, ‘What do you think?’
I felt a bad feeling momentarily creeping up on that disgusting expression that made me cringe, but since there was nothing wrong with what Nuit said, I sighed a little and turned my head.
“Tsk.”
And a sound of Ingrim clicking his tongue in disappointment was heard.
**
Approximately two days after leaving the fortress.
“You?”
“Useup…”
I said I would close my eyes for a moment, but it looks like I fell asleep.
It seems like the only scenery I can see is a barren desert, so I can’t stand the boredom that comes with it. But the title came back.
After Ardel arrived, she constantly called me savior. Perhaps it was because the frequency of physical contact increased recently, but Rihina also started calling me ‘you’ just like Ardel.
“It looks like we ran into each other.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Led by Nuit, who had stopped whining after I once threatened to let go of the rope, and the faithful Ingrim, Lihina leaped over a fairly high sand dune.
After crossing the hill, what appeared was an open sandy plain.
And two groups facing each other in the center of my field of vision.
One was, of course, the soldiers led by Ardel, and opposite them were quite well-dressed… Women with the same healthy tan skin as Irina, who was comfortably resting in a mall and not wearing much of anything that could be said to be worn, were facing each other.
‘Is it right to face it? ?’
The women, who were natives, were shrugging their shoulders with quite anxious faces, as if they knew who Ardel was standing in front of the soldiers.
‘Well, Ardel has been guarding the fortress for over a hundred years, so it’s not surprising that the rumor spread.’
“Let’s get closer.”
“Yes.”
We narrowed the distance to the women confronting us by following the footsteps that led forward like a signpost.
As he stopped nearby, Ardel’s pure white eyes glanced this way for a moment.
“I brought preserved food just as I wanted. “Let go of the hostages you have captured and go away.”
“Well, I’ll bring it to you right away.”
The woman at the forefront.
I don’t know what kind of creature it is, but it’s wearing a helmet made of bone… As the huge woman in many ways glanced back, several people from the group of natives left the place.
I watched the native women closely until the people who left the scene brought the hostages.
‘I didn’t really feel it, but looking at it like this, I understand why people misunderstand me as a desert native.’
Black hair and brown eyes that are rarely seen on the continent. And even healthy, well-tanned skin.
However, what caught my attention was not their beautiful appearance, but their clothes.
Unlike Ardel’s soldiers, who are not dressed in ordinary robes but magically treated robes, the native women wear bandages to compress their chest and short, thin skirts that are unclear whether they are underwear or not.
These two things were all I was wearing that could be called clothes.
They were even barefoot.
“Ardel.”
“…”
Ardel, who was looking at the native women with indifferent eyes, glanced at me.
“When the hostages are exchanged, tell the twins to lead the soldiers and send them back, while you stay behind.”
“…”
Ardel nodded her head very slightly.
No matter how much we thought about it, it was impossible to investigate this large desert on our own.
And for a smooth investigation, hiring a local guide is common sense.
… Grunting.
A few very familiar monsters appeared in the distance.
It was the Desert Drake, the same kin as El, who was filling his stomach with nothing to do in Molingta.
Behind the Desert Drake, Arua and the knights were tied to a wide raft-like board and were being brought this way.
“Pathetic.”
“…”
When Ardel broke free from the rope and walked towards Arua, she gave the same reaction as she did to Arya.
“Everyone, put down your burdens.”
At Ardel’s command, the soldiers quickly put down the bags they were carrying on their backs.
“You take your troops and go back. And do not let anyone into the fort until I return.”
“The top of the black line… Is it?”
“There are no exceptions.”
“… Yes.”
Aria supported Arua, and her soldiers quickly left the scene, supporting the rest.
“… Can I take it?”
Ardel lifted his chin once in response to the very cautious question.
They carried the bags the soldiers had put down on their backs and quickly distanced themselves from Ardel.
“Then…”
“Who said it was okay to go?”
As Ardel tilted her head and spoke, dozens of women froze.
I felt like it was finally time for me to step out. The very moment I got down from Rihina’s arms.
Slurp!
The woman wearing her bone helmet pulled out an unusually shaped sword from her belt.
“Forgive me for my life!”
She moved her hand as if she was about to slit her own throat.
Of course.
“Ugh?!”
The knife in her hand froze her entire arm before it reached her neck, so she did not lose her life.
I quickly got away from Lee Hina, took off her hood, and appeared in front of them.
“I don’t mean to cause any harm, so calm down first… ?”
The woman, who had a serious expression on her face as if she was going to do something at any moment, looked at my face with her blank eyes and slowly lowered her frozen arms.
“Over there?”
“Uh…”
When I lightly shook her hand, she seemed to come to her senses and blinked her eyes.
“I want to have your child──”
Pow!
Her head fell into the soft sand with a dull sound.
