Chapter 303: We’ll Blast through the Desert in Char!

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I sent a letter alongside a bottle of wine as thanks to my uncle. While at it, I also added a gentle refusal, basically telling him to not send anything else since I was going to go on a journey again, and then I departed quickly.

Now that I knew my uncle was heavily doting on his niece, I wanted to be spared from being swamped with more frilly stuff. Being dressed up like a doll every day by the maids, I naturally felt an urgent desire to get away.

＊

After having fully enjoyed the little request from Bennyboy, concerning his sister, the next place we decided on was the desert. A desert zone existed near the demon king’s country.

By the way, the only way to reach the demon king’s country――if you exclude sailing the ocean――was to go through the one and only check station beyond the desert. The two countries were divided by mountains and desert…or rather, since it was quite a challenge to cross the desert, the whole region was simply set as a national border for both sides, according to a book about geography and history.

As far as I could tell from looking at the map, the demon king’s country appeared to be a fairly rough place to live. It had many deserts, and I think the clusters of deep green are probably jungles. It also had many mountains and volcanoes which were connected to each other.

So demonkin are able to survive in such a cruel environment, huh?

…Hmm? Wait…

The one demonkin I know, Smith, didn’t really look like he’d be able to live there, but the other demonkin are fine with it?

＊

Upon checking the map once more, I spotted a fairly big patch of water and greenery in the desert area on the Kingdom’s side.

“Gotta be an oasis,” Sword said while stroking his jaw when I pointed to the map.

“I see… So, how about we try going there first?”

With that out of the way, we blasted towards the oasis on Char.

Roaring across the desert on Char must make for an incredible picture, I’m sure.

“Considering cliches, I’d really love to have Char’s eyes glow crimson.”

Sword apparently imagined the sight of my suggestion, and then looked rather dismissive.

“…If a huge magic bug with multiple, crimson-shinin’ eyes were to blast through the desert, ‘nythin’ would steer clear from it.”

You can count on that, yes.

＊

Having said that, monsters showed up every once in a while. Monsters which could dig through sand, and undead which didn’t need any water. The appearance rate of undead was actually quite high.

They were crushed underneath Char’s caterpillar track, though.

I instructed Char, “If they got any magic stones, pick them up, okay?”

『Aye, aye, Ma’am!』

You can never have enough of those. No matter how small a splinter, I can use any magic stone as toy material, potions, or fuel (once processed).

Sword grumbled that we don’t need any.

However, I refuted his complaint, “Even dust turns into a mountain if you keep piling it up, right?”

“Big stones will quickly turn into a mountain even without painstakingly piling up dust. We can just buy some more if we run short. Also, won’t we get as many as we want if only we dive into a dungeon? I mean, we got plenty of big stones from Sir Dungeon Core whenever we went to the capital and dove in the dungeon over there, so why would you act like a miser and collect all the magic stone scraps?”

It’s just, I’m using lots of them!

“Since I made loads of horbs, I need a huuuuuge amount!”

Once I visualized the huuuuuge with my hands, my head got roughly stroked.

“‘kay, ‘kay…I never know whether your a kid or an adult. Just as you make calculating, indifferent statement like some old dude at times, you throw a tantrum while flappin’ your arms and legs around like a lil’ brat at other times.”

I’m not throwing any tantrums, pahh! Rather, I’m simply acting my age!

It’s just that I got the knowledge from my otherworld self, but it’d be weird to treat me as an adult. My intellect might be adult, but I’ve only lived my current age. Treating a little child as an adult just because she saw a movie of someone else’s life, what sort of sense does that make? Moreover, in my case it’s not like I’m remembering all of my otherworld self’s knowledge and life either!

＊

Once I became sulky, Sword soothed me with a wry smile, “I know, I know, but look, even I’ve been treated by you as an old man and youngster. Both of us are simply unbalanced, got it?”

Now listen, Sword, it’s common for men to remain brats no matter how old they become.

Just when I thought that, my mind was read by that esper, and he strengthened his stroking of my head.

＊

We had left the Taking It Easy members behind. After all, it wasn’t clear whether we’d find any people in the desert, let alone a place to run a stall! In the first place, no one is around us right now.

Sword is looking in the distance while listlessly driving Char.

“…I’m gettin’ tired of it.”

Well, it’s a desert, so that part can’t be helped. But, to be honest, I kinda like the contrast between azure and sandy beige.

I soothed Sword who appeared to be bored, “Now, now, we’ll reach the oasis in a little bit. Maybe we’ll be able to see some interesting monsters or plants. It’d sure be nice if there’s monsters around which overflow with spirit. So far as it goes, I made a turban and dschellaba to follow the customs of deserts!”

Sword looked at me with sparkling eyes. Is he mistaking these two for gadgets?

I shot him down while shaking my head, “You got it wrong. I made clothes. Clothes as they’re worn in the desert.”

Ah, now he’s crestfallen. The light in his eyes vanished instantly.

I put on a sullen look and scolded him, “Baaah! Even though you’ve already got such a huge number of options when it comes to serving you, you still want new ones!?”

“Don’t phrase it like that.”

Lately, he’s started to beg for a personal horb too!

Once Sword noticed how my mood had turned sour, he started to line up excuses.

“Isn’t it fine? I’ve been lettin’ ’em serve me while cherishin’ all of ’em. I’ve been walkin’ ’round while having all of ’em with me, ‘kay? Isn’t that incredible?”

“You’ll be cursed for life if you get bored of any and throw them away. The magic tools and golems made by me all have a soul!”

I threatened him for good measure.

＊

At last, we got close to the oasis.

“Hmmm?”

Once I took a peek with a zoom-in spell, the place seemed to be surrounded by a tall wall. Assuming that’s a wall to prevent monsters from invading, that place could house a town?

Sword apparently noticed it with his detection skill, too.

“Maybe there are some people over there. …In that case, Char could be misunderstood as a monster. Guess we’re gonna walk.”

I nodded. I totally don’t feel like getting embroiled in a battle where the other side feels like fighting with a heroic resolve to die after falling into panic.

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