Upon reaching the new town, the first task was to secure accommodations and gather information at the Adventurer Guild.
After deciding with rock-paper-scissors, the team was split with Lily and Fiona securing the inn, while Sariel and I would head to the guild.
“Lily, be careful of kidnappings.”
“Okay!”
The young girl Lily promptly replied.
“Chrono-san, my concerns are…”
“Right, if any trouble arises, request ‘Spitfire’ instead of ‘Walpurgis.’”
“Now that you mention it, I want to shoot ‘Walpurgis’ even more.”
“Sorry, I was joking. In a real emergency, I’ll rush there even using ‘Demon King of the Storm.’”
Fiona looked more dissatisfied than expected. It turned out that I wanted her to genuinely worry about me in that moment. The complexities of a maiden’s heart are difficult to navigate.
After somewhat misjudging our choices, we waved farewell to the Lily and Fiona duo as they set off to look for an inn, and we departed towards the guild.
The Rockwell Adventurer Guild headquarters faced the same street as Garuda Transport, so it was very close. In fact, we passed by it before arriving here.
Walking with Sariel through the bustling main street, filled with people of various races, wagons, camels, and Garma freight cars, I began to think.
“By the way, since we got to this town, I’ve been thinking… don’t we stick out a bit?”
“Yes. We are the only ones not wearing outfits to shield against the sand.”
As a port in the desert, Rockwell had winds that lifted sand whenever they blew. Given it was just before the big storm, sand-laden gusts blew through fairly regularly.
Naturally, being exposed to that isn’t pleasant, so cloaks and robes suitable for sand protection were widely available. Local residents, and likely adventurers passing through, were all properly dressed in cloaks and robes.
In other words, we were the only fools wandering around dressed as usual.
“Alright, let’s at least buy cloaks.”
Sariel nodded in agreement.
Since this was the main street, it wouldn’t take long to find a clothing shop or two. In fact, we discovered two shops just ahead.
One was a rugged weapons shop that screamed “adventurer’s choice.” It was clear from just peeking in that they had everything necessary for conquering the dungeons of the Atlas Desert, including gear to protect against sand, alongside standard swords and armor found in any country.
The other was a stylish store, seemingly aimed at the general public and tourists, purely focused on fashion. A cute sign posted in the shop indicated its brand name, possibly quite famous.
Now, which shop to choose… I pondered as both options had their merits.
Logically, the weapons store would suffice, but what I wanted wasn’t serious gear for the desert. I simply wanted clothing that blended in with the locale, so going to a brand store was fine. My wallet was doing well, so the price didn’t bother me too much either.
Glancing at Sariel, her gaze was fixed on the weapons shop. However, her attention briefly shifted to the brand store as well.
Hmm, could she be interested? At this age, it’s natural to care about fashion. No, after all, Shirasaki-san is just an ordinary high school girl, so she shouldn’t be indifferent to that aspect. If that’s the case, maybe Sariel has her own concerns based on those memories. It’s possible she thinks my outfit is ridiculously uncool… though, to a modern Japanese perspective, it’s just cosplay gear.
“Alright, I’ll go with that shop over there.”
It’s not that I had lost confidence in my fashion; I just decided to choose the brand shop.
After all, Sariel is a girl too, so there’s nothing wrong with wanting to dress up on this occasion. Now, choose whatever you like.
“If you’re looking for performance, the weapons shop would be more suitable.”
“I’m not planning to tackle a desert dungeon, so a regular store will be fine.”
I couldn’t tell if Sariel’s resistance was genuine or if she was being modest. From her mechanical expression, I couldn’t read that deep, but I had already made my decision, so I headed towards the brand shop without further argument.
“Welcome!”
The smiling shop staff greeted us with a bright and refreshing demeanor. The tanned older sister in a casual blue robe…
“Are you a couple? Your girlfriend is super cute! If you’d like, I can coordinate something that would suit the both of you!”
Oops, not this again!
Why are clothing store employees so active even in another world? Not everyone is comfortable with this kind of thing, you know!?
“No, we’re fine. Also, she’s not—”
“What are you looking for today?”
“A sand-resistant cloak or robe. Something with an understated design would be ideal.”
“Understood! Right this way! Are you tourists? A sand-resistant outfit is essential if you’re staying in Rockwell. And of course, the best clothes are those that fit you well! We have everything from casual options to unique pieces just for you, so you’re sure to find what you want!”
“The more choices, the better.”
“Yes, indeed! Clothes are best when you choose them yourself!”
Wow, Sariel seems to be interacting quite naturally with the staff while accurately selecting the desired items.
Before I knew it, in the corner where the sand-resistant outfit was displayed, the staff began fluidly introducing various cloaks and robes.
“When it comes to understated designs, beige or gray are great options. These classic traditional colors suit anyone, but with a beauty like your girlfriend, you could definitely rock something like this!”
The staff spread out a fluttery white cape that looked like flower petals. Whether it’s suitable for sand protection is questionable, but as far as design goes, it certainly seems like it would look good on Sariel. As expected of a shop employee; their cunning extends even to the fact that the prices are above average.
“I’ll match what the Master chooses.”
“A matching look, huh! That makes sense, how nice!!”
No, that’s not good; what are you talking about? Just wearing similarly plain cloak designs means that’s all it takes, right?
“What color do you think your boyfriend would prefer?”
“Eh?”
Don’t put me on the spot.
But since Sariel was looking at me, making up some obfuscating statement would be difficult. This is when I should state my opinion honestly.
Black, I thought reflexively, but then realized black isn’t suitable for a desert. I really shouldn’t be the one to say that, especially since I’m currently in ‘Devil’s Embrace.’
So, what color would be best? Perhaps gray or beige, as the employee first suggested, in a subdued hue would work. Honestly, I’m okay with anything, but considering Sariel, I should refrain from saying something too arbitrary.
Hmm, there’s something that comes to mind…
“Well then, how about blue?”
“Blue! That’s a great choice, a very good one! A refreshing blue is a classic color that stands out in the desert!”
The blue cloak immediately reminded me of the one worn by the young merchant Jafar. I feel like blue would look lovely on Sariel with her pure white hair as well.
“Is blue good, Sariel?”
“Yes. If it’s something the Master chose, it’s right for me.”
Her response casually implied a heavy sense of responsibility. I’m glad I gave it some serious thought.
“Wow, such a devoted girlfriend! It’s such a treat for a man to hear something so cute; I’m getting jealous!”
Could you keep quiet for a moment, store clerk?
Unexpectedly, we exited the brand shop, which had turned into a hassle, and put on a vibrant blue sand-resistant cloak of decent color, quality, and price before walking once again through the sand-laden streets of Rockwell.
Thanks to the cloak, it felt relatively comfortable even with the wind blowing. While both Sariel and I are superhuman in terms of physical abilities, we still share the discomfort of gritty sand. It might be good for Lily and Fiona to also go shopping together later. Although, they might have already bought their outfits, and considering Lily’s barrier, she might not even need one in the first place.
As these thoughts crossed my mind, we arrived at the Adventurer Guild facing the same street.
Strangely enough, Adventurer Guilds everywhere share a similar vibe, creating a sense of calm upon entering, perhaps because I’ve become quite accustomed to being an adventurer myself. It might be an exaggeration to say it felt like home.
While the interior reflects each country’s local characteristics, the services are fundamentally the same. Sariel and I quickly proceeded with our business as if we knew this place like the back of our hands.
Collecting updates on the recent activities in the desert nations, including Rockwell, was Sariel’s task, while I focused on checking for quests of interest and gathering information on monsters appearing in the desert.
As expected, there seem to be scorpion monsters of various ranks. From small Rank 1 types to the terrifying Rank 5 ones capable of taking down flying dragons.
However, what intrigued me was the prevalence of aquatic monster variants or very similar-looking monsters residing in the sea. Apparently, they swim through the sand just like they would in the real ocean.
Among the Rank 5 monsters, there were giant whale types and creatures similar to Krakens.
“If we end up fighting in the desert sea, it could get troublesome…”
I wondered if it was possible to walk normally on a vast sand sea like that. Would simply stepping down mean sinking right in? The image of slowly sinking into the sand like a bottomless swamp is somehow chilling.
“Therefore, I recommend verifying our movement over quicksand before boarding the ship.”
Just as I finished my investigations and exited the guild, I relayed my concerns to Sariel, who returned with this response.
That makes sense. If we don’t know, we should try it out.
“Right, at a beach-like spot, it shouldn’t be too deep, so it seems safe.”
“It appears that there’s a way down to the quicksand sea over there.”
Alright, let’s head over there right away.
Straying off the street, we descended down the steps from the rampart-like wall, revealing an area of gently flowing sandy ground.
Here, it still seemed possible to stand and walk regularly. There was no feeling of feet sinking in.
“It seems that the flow speeds up further out.”
If anything, it was strong enough to propel a massive ship forward. The sand, as a solid, continually flows, potentially possessing a stronger force to sweep us away than ocean waves.
Floating out there feels highly hazardous.
“What’s causing this to move, anyway?”
Quicksand is a phenomenon that occurs when pressure is applied to a fragile substrate with moisture. In other words, it’s a state of ‘currently collapsing’ which ultimately comes to a standstill. It’s impossible for it to keep flowing extensively as a sea does. At least, not on Earth.
“It’s due to the workings of the earth veins that spread across the Atlas Desert. The tremendous currents of primary earth attribute magical power influence even the surface sands. Moreover, the quality of the sand is different from usual, making it more susceptible to changes from earth attribute magic.”
“It’s rare to find a spot where the influence of the earth veins is so visible.”
In this other world, while everywhere is somewhat affected by magical power, implying the influence of earth veins that form the flow, there’s nothing that can visually indicate that flow. It’s not like there would be something glimmering like auroras to assert its presence.
“Right, the quicksand flows in a direction towards Karamala and outward from there.”
“Yes. Karamala undoubtedly remains an active dragon hole even now.”
Points where multiple earth veins converge are termed dragon holes. Since the flow of earth veins runs throughout the world, not every dragon hole behaves as a terminal but has both inflow and outflow along the currents.
Thus, by following the flow of inflow and outflow, it’s possible to travel between Karamala and other destinations. Conversely, it means that desert ships can only travel along those currents.
In addition, quicksand waterways circulate around the Atlas Desert, roughly looping around Karamala. As long as one doesn’t sink midway, any flow they take will eventually lead back to their original location.
“Shall we proceed a bit further?”
More importantly, the concern lies in whether I can safely walk here.
We moved ahead to a place where the flow was stronger and deeper to assess the situation. If it became difficult to walk—oh, no, this is too much; walking is impossible.
“Oh, it’s getting tough around here.”
“Yes. A normal person wouldn’t be able to stay upright.”
I suddenly found myself bracing my legs to withstand the pull of the quicksand. My strength was being exerted, which indicated that a significantly strong force was pressing down on me.
“Even with strong effort, it’s too tough to hold my ground here.”
It’s hard to keep my footing if the ground isn’t stable. Although I could still stabilize my footing here with determined pressure, any further advance would definitely lead to deep enough sand to grasp my feet.
“This is an extremely dangerous location.”
“Despite that, Sariel, you seem unfazed.”
“I have acquired ‘Sonic Walker.’ I can run on any terrain except the air.”
You can also perform multi-jumps in the air, right?
Watching Sariel gracefully stand still on the quicksand made me recognize her amazing skill once again.
“I can run fast, jump high, and maintain balance, but walking in unusual places seems to be my weakness.”
At the moment, I can neither run on water nor walk across this quicksand.
Walking on such fragile terrain will require a completely different approach than just enhancing leg strength.
However, movement-enhancing martial arts represented by ‘Dash’ incorporate both leg strength enhancement and the capability to traverse poor terrain all into one technique. That’s why it becomes complicated. Usually, one can’t figure it out, thus needing to learn through years of training by body memory.
Does that mean I also have some training to do? If I don’t have Sariel teach me ‘Sonic Walker,’ my maneuverability in the Atlas Desert would remain questionable.
“Wait, Rudra was able to walk on walls without needing martial arts.”
“Yes, Master. Movement enhancement doesn’t necessarily have to rely on martial arts. If you can substitute with your proficient magic, that’s often more efficient.”
“Ah, but that’s pretty difficult.”
I remembered when I saw Rudra walking up the building walls during the God-Destruction Domain Avalon raid, and I also tried to do the same by envisioning my feet sticking to the walls. Sadly… it didn’t work out as planned. I tried materializing black magic into a sticky substance on the soles of my feet, but it just turned gooey without any real effect.
In that case, swinging through the air using tentacles would undoubtedly be much faster.
“Then perhaps it might be best to blacken the entire ground to claim it as my territory.”
“Oh right, while I regularly blackened the ground, I’ve never done it solely to walk.”
Actions like ambushing with ‘Burrowing’ from the combination of Hitsugi and Devourer, or erecting a more robust defensive magic wall, are common, so blackening the ground happens quite often.
However, if I solidify the ground with blackening, it’d become a tough surface on which I could brace myself no matter where I stood. Not just solid, but I could also manipulate it according to my will, presenting additional applications.
Let’s give it a try; it’s worth attempting.
“…Ah, I did it. Somehow, it just worked.”
“Congratulations, Master.”
Sariel’s expressionless congratulatory words only added to my sense of emptiness.
It was a surprisingly anticlimactic victory, but still, it was indeed a success—a huge success against the odds.
By blackening not just my feet, but the ground itself, I was able to stabilize my footing. Trying to forcibly attach my feet to unstable or vertical surfaces created unnecessary strain.
By blackening, if the ground itself transformed into my domain, I could easily control whether to step or unstep with my physical form.
Thus, I was able to stand effortlessly atop the quicksand by blackening the ground beneath my feet.
Blackening merely a few dozen square centimeters isn’t much magic power and can be completed instantly unless it’s a material like holy silver with poor compatibility.
While walking or even at full speed, I can continuously blacken to form a solid surface. With this method, I feel like I could run even on water or up vertical walls.
“Though it succeeded unexpectedly simply, it’s definitely confirmed. Thank you, Sariel.”
“No, it’s all thanks to your abilities, Master. My advice holds little value.”
“No way, that’s not true; shifts in thinking can be an incredible thing. In reality, it’s something I never thought of… it’s something only you could have suggested, Sariel.”
Lily has flying capabilities innately, and Fiona isn’t specialized in this area. This advice is rooted in my affinity for black magic, which would stem from my experiences combined with Sariel’s deep array of personal experience.
“That’s why… I…”
“Ah, and so, thank you. You genuinely helped me.”
With this, I should be able to handle either giant whales or Krakens in the quicksand sea. If I can gain ground, I can fight as usual.
I was about to declare confidently that we could board the ship without worries, but the phrase had to be abruptly changed midway.
“Hey, Sariel, did you just smile…?”
Sariel, who had maintained a face like that of a doll, unchanging despite any pain, displayed a smile. It was barely more than a hint of a grin, but without a doubt, her mouth relaxed slightly, basking in some form of joy.
In that fleeting moment of an almost imperceptible change, a smile lesser than a smile served as a profoundly shocking impact akin to being struck by lightning.
That Sariel smiled. No way… what exactly brought her such delight?
“I did not smile.”
“No, you definitely smiled.”
“That’s just your imagination. I possess no human emotions.”
Indeed, she now resembled her usual self again, making me question whether that momentary smile was merely an optical illusion.
“Let’s just say you smiled. Even if you lack emotions, there can still be things that blossom. You’re no longer the puppet of the gods.”
“Yes, I am a slave who has pledged eternal loyalty to the Master.”
Oh no, I intended that to sound cool, but the slave setting ruined it. What an unexpected boomerang; I had no right to say that…
“Anyway, there’s nothing wrong with becoming emotional. If you want to laugh, then laugh.”
Saying this, I stroked Sariel’s silver hair, perhaps to cover my embarrassment.
“I will try my best.”
Smiles aren’t something to be obtained through mere effort… Still, I will wait eagerly for the day when Sariel can smile freely and naturally.
“Well then, I’d like to practice moving over the quicksand a little longer, so accompany me.”
“Yes, Master.”
Then, for a stretch of time, I ended up joyfully engaging in a game of tag with Sariel, celebrating how freely I could move. What am I, a child?