Legend

A line of Augusto, with Ray as his escort, had been able to advance through the desert without being particularly attacked by monsters since the end of the battle, which could not even be called the battle with Sandserpent.

"If we keep going, the rock desert will disappear completely and become a desert colour in a few moments. Gosh is a city that developed around oasis, with several oases in the center.... Well, there's a lot of trouble, but it's basically a good city"

Ray, spanning across Seto's back, looks around at Zaroust's words as he sits on the carriage's podium and controls the camel.

If you ask me, the percentage of sand was considerably higher than where Ray defeated the sand serpent.

"If you're going to make a city, I think you'd rather have a rocky desert for the stiff down there, not the desert."

"I know that, but I can't make cities and villages in the desert without an oasis."

It was the only word I could convince if you asked me.

Water sources are essential for people to live in, and that is why cities and villages are created around oasis.

The oasis was also scattered throughout the desert, naturally some large and others small.

The size of the oasis also determines the size of what is called a city or village.

Naturally, the breadth of the oasis was finite, because the number of people who could benefit from the oasis was determined.

Also, given the number of merchants and adventurers who come there, there's no reason to support the maximum number of people in the city.

"... given the circumstances around, Gosh owns several large oases, one of the best in this Ferris Desert... no, it's the biggest city"

That's what I told Zaroust, but with a carefree glance behind him... he turns toward the carriage Auguste is in.

"Is there a reason?"

I was somewhat predictable of getting into trouble at the time I originally penetrated, and Augusto is very fond compared to the merchants who have gathered on me in the Guild.

So, I didn't mean to get involved in the troubles, but that's what I ask in the story.

... Even though I knew Zaroust had successfully guided the story towards the area, there was nothing like Ray getting angry.

"Oh. Actually, a certain chamber of commerce that has been a gosh lately has given it a wide margin. Mr. Ougust is being harassed against it."

"Uh... that way?"

Zaroust nods at Ray's words as he decides that events with the Azot Chamber of Commerce pass behind his brain but still won't be that bad.

"When I say the Eléma Chamber of Commerce, it was originally a mid-level chamber of commerce in Gosh, but if I replace my son from my previous meeting, I'm growing up all at once. So, his son is at odds with Mr. Auguste, and he's trying to get under his umbrella to seal it up."

"That's a lot to hear."

"Right. Sure, it's a lot to hear, but when it comes to actually experiencing it, the story is completely different. I didn't get the package I was supposed to go in, my order was suddenly cancelled and I got a bad review... honestly, I think Mr. Ougust is doing well in that situation"

"In that situation, Zaroust often took on Augusto's escort. It's not like you're a dedicated escort, is it?

If you're a normal adventurer, you don't take the job from someone you're involved in such trouble with.

Zaroust snorts at Ray for not being funny to say so.

"Are you that way too?... That's not to blame, but I was blinded by Mr. Ougust's father. I don't want to imitate that ungrateful. The same goes for those who are now attached to the escort."

"A rookie, too?

Zaroust sighs small at Ray, who tells him he's not impressed to involve an adventurer who's still new and unskilled.

"This time it was sudden. I really didn't have enough power. I've chosen one of the newcomers to stand up in arms. Plus... a lot of people have been asking me to take them for a long time"

I suppose I'm subtly frowning at you for saying that because I still understand that Zaroust is reckless, too.

Still a monster that comes out in the desert...... if it's about dessert goblins, is it at least the sincerity of Zaroost that we have carefully selected those who have enough strength to normally defeat them?

"Can you see the tree growing over there?

It is the tree growing out of the sand that Zaroust showed and showed as if to distract from the story.

Ray is just a little surprised by the sight of trees growing out of the sand.

If it was Ray's perception, the plants growing in the desert were basically only about cactus.

"Is that... a tree? Why are you in the desert?

"You look like a tree... Well, I'm pretty sure it's actually a tree, but those are magic plants. It's carnivorous, too."

Zaroust describes a tree in a remote location.

A carnivorous plant that is said to grow only in the Ferris Desert, calling for monsters nearby by drifting the smell preferred by the monsters, letting them sleep and nourish with the smell as it is.

"You're a monster, right?

"No, it's a magic plant. There's no magic stone."

If a monster is a monster, it is naturally a demonic stone that must reside in it.

Beyond the non-existence of that demonic stone, it follows that the presence shown by Zaroust is a magical plant, not a monster.

While I understand that, I still wonder if it would be dangerous if it were such a magical plant even if it wasn't a monster Ray...

"Don't worry. That magic plant...... Tyra trees do no harm to humans at all. That's why there's nothing wrong with humans nearby."

"... what kind of tree is that? Isn't that too convenient for humans?

"I think so, too. But it's also true that the number of monsters in the Ferris Desert is being held back to some extent by Tyra's trees, so you can't help it."

Calling monsters, killing them. And while you're at it, there's nothing harmful about humans.

It was a magic plant that was convenient for the people who made it.

"Then that tree... was it Tyra's tree? Would more of that make desert travel easier than it is now?

"I don't know. At the Eléma Chamber of Commerce, like Ray said, I'm up to it... Mr. Ougust is against it"

"Why?

Reduce the number of monsters, a magic plant that does no harm to humans. Then Ray can also understand the idea of the Erema Chamber of Commerce to increase the number.

So it was questionable whether Augusto would disagree with it.

"Tyra trees are magical plants. I don't care if it increases naturally, but I can't predict what will happen if I try to do it intentionally."

Ougust, with his face out of the carriage window, tells Ray so.

"Is that what this is? I think it would be beneficial for me to live a normal life."

"Right. I really hope so..."

That being said, Augusto had denied his own words as if he were certain of something.

(You got something?

Looking at Augusto and wondering how he is progressing...

"Grrrrrrrr"

I squeal my throat as Seto inadvertently turns his gaze toward the dunes a little off the merchant's path.

What dwells in that squeal is vigilance.

"Enemy."

Ray, who has been dating Seto for a long time, naturally reads and quickly tells the emotions that reside in his ringing voice.

Zaroust, who is wrapping up a merchant escort, looked at Seto with a harsh look on his face...... he was looking to the dunes.

I wonder if it's okay to be vigilant with just Seto's ringing if it's normal, but Zaroust, who looks firmly at Ray's strength with his eyes, doesn't hesitate to tell everyone to be vigilant if that Ray puts his full confidence in him.

"Mr. Ougust. What do you want to do? Shake it off like this or intercept it here"

"Which would you recommend as an escort?

"Even once you shake it off here, you want to avoid being chased after the extension. Especially given the risk of being attacked at night just having to camp tonight..."

"Should I intercept, sir?"

"Yes, if the escort isn't mixed with newcomers, there's also a hand in ambushing the other side of the target who's been committing the night raid... although it's suspicious to be alarmed that the target is a monster"

"Maybe it's people. Probably a bandit."

Ray pinches his mouth as he interrupts the Augusto and Zaroost stories.

"... how do you know?

"There are rarely any monsters that come close to me even though Seto is there. Well, it's not like there's none. With a guy as retarded as a goblin? But it's more likely a bandit who can't feel Seto's signs than that. I can't say absolutely."

If you sense the presence of Seto, a Rank A monster, most monsters run away judging themselves to be the opponents you will never win.

If it was time to hunt, Seto was naturally trying not to be perceived for his signs, but if it was time to escort him, as he is now, it was different story.

When you're here, you keep the monsters away by showing them so.

If you're coming this way even though you feel Seto's presence, it was likely a person, not a monster.

Zaroust, who heard an explanation from Ray about Seto, makes an immediate decision.

"Let's intercept here. Bandits...... When sand bandits are opponents, they definitely persevere to follow. It's quicker to end up here than to camp and ambush. And..."

Zaroust's gaze was directed at Ray, naturally.

If we were alone, we could undoubtedly have been harmed in dealing with a sand thief... but if we had a non-standard power owner named Ray and Seto, we would naturally expect that power.

Ray nods, not feeling anything in particular, at Zaroust's gaze like that.

I like Augusto. He's hired me as an escort, so there wasn't an option to escape on this occasion.

(Even so, sand thief? Well, it would be the name of a bandit operating in the desert. Like bandits and pirates)

It was Ray leaning his neck inside into the unfamiliar word "sand thief," but in the end if he decided it would be a form of banditry, he had decided what to do next.

"Then why don't I do a recon? I don't care if you destroy bandits from the sky."

"... That's a lot of radicality..."

One of the adventurers nearby groans at the word annihilation.

Apparently he was a newbie and was amazed at what Ray said when he lightly killed the sandburglar.

But Ray just flaunts his shoulders in such an adventurer's words.

In the first place, the Kingdom of Mireana devastated numerous bandits and repeated imitations such as robbing them of the treasures they had accumulated, which led them to be called bandit eaters.

Naturally, I don't hesitate to deal with bandits, and I basically don't have anything like mercy for bandits.

"So, what do we do?

The rookie was Ray asking Zaroust as he was, but Zaroust shook his head sideways after a little thought.

"No, I don't want Ray and Seto's existence to be known over there. If they find out, they could get away with it."

"... wait. Is that an insult? Even if the bandits escape, and you think me and Seto can't catch up?

As Ray, who has annihilated bandits many times before, he could not admit the words that came out of Zaroust's mouth.

But Zaroust opens his mouth to persuade him to such a ray.

"It's not like that. But is this the first time Ray's ever fought a sand thief, too? Well, don't you think we should see how it goes in the first place to find out what means they're going to use to attack us? And..."

Once cut off, Zaroust turns his gaze to a new adventurer who reacted hypersensitively to the word Ray's annihilation earlier.

Fished by it and Ray turns his gaze to you, but the gazed adventurer was tilting his neck because he couldn't understand why he was being seen.

"I have the power to fight like a corner ray. I couldn't let these guys experience the fight in the end when I was sandserpent, and I thought it was just fine...... what do you say?

"... ok"

People are good at what they make. Ray nods as he thinks like that.

"Coming! A sand thief!

One of the adventurers screams sharply.

Ray turns his gaze to the sand thief...

"Huh?"

The sight I saw from it gives me an unexpected voice from Ray's mouth.

The same was true of the likes of Zaroust and Augusto.

Because... I showed up over the dunes because it was a ship of considerable size.