Chapter 211: Wandering the Desert
The Forest House is nearly complete. Now I just need to think about the furniture and make some adjustments. What should I do about the walls inside? Should I go with white plaster and leave the trowel marks, or opt for cream-colored diatomaceous earth walls?
But the furniture I made from that wood doesn’t quite fit this rustic house. I want something a bit more rugged, something that feels like it belongs in a fairy tale.
Ah, I’ve decided! I’ll finish the walls with plaster and trowel marks. For lighting, I’ll use retro lamps. The first floor will be simple, while the second will be filled with carpets and cushions. And I’ll stuff in the mysterious knick-knacks I couldn’t resist buying.
Well, they’re not really mysterious; I know what they’re for. It’s just that I have no plans to use them at all.
I’ll take a few days to paint the walls and gather the carpets and cushions I like.
Now, today I’m heading to the old Temple of Es. It’s a dungeon that can only be accessed for one month out of the year.
Next to the Es River, there’s an ancient well used to measure the water level. The entrance is one of those wells, but a long time ago, the river changed its course, and the building has been forgotten, crumbling and half-buried in sand.
Finding that spot, which has almost blended into the sand, is the real challenge! The river’s meander has changed, and the surrounding scenery is mostly the same. I can’t help but think I should have found it earlier as I repeatedly use [Teleportation] and catch Spirits to ask for directions.
Some Spirits don’t know, while others give me vague directions. It’s not their fault; there are no landmarks to guide me.
Thud!
“It’s hot.”
“Cheer up, Master!”
My partner is the Ex-Staff.
I thought the Ex-Staff, being made of wood, might be weak to dryness, but it turns out it has resistance to all climates. Well, it makes sense that it would be desired in desert countries or snowbound lands.
So, I’m the only one feeling worn out. I’m fine since I can return to the house, but when I come back to this place, I lose my sense of direction. So, I keep heading to the riverside and then towards the desert.
Outside the Es River, it’s all desert! Once I cross the sand dunes, I can’t see the Es River anymore. So, I’m trudging along steadily.
Thud!
“Master, aren’t you getting a bit lazy? I’m having fun over here!”
“Moving uses up energy.”
As I move through the sand, Demon Beasts that resemble snakes or crocodiles attack me. But before I can confirm their forms, I strike at them with the Ex-Staff while they’re still buried in the sand.
At first, I waited for them to come out and fought, but these creatures always have their heads poking out first when they approach, making it easy to hit their weak spots.
If I wait too long, they’ll suddenly pop out and bite me, so it’s best to strike just before they do.
The Ex-Staff seems to prefer poking at invisible things rather than fighting. It aligns well with the purpose I chose for it, so it seems to find its existence meaningful.
For a moment, the face of the Butler flashed through my mind. What was that about?
Speaking of which, I heard the continuation of the story about the Butler’s quest for a branch. It turns out that while he did manage to acquire the branch, when he returned to the kingdom, the prince he was supposed to present it to had already been assassinated. What a grim ending.
The moment the young man who succeeded in obtaining the branch learned this, the branch vanished. His ideal included that prince ruling the kingdom.
Since the kingdom can’t let such news surface, they’ve decided to pretend the acquisition was a failure. I learned this after the recent family turmoil.
By the way, when he returned, the third prince had quickly been eliminated, and the half-brother second prince ascended to the throne.
The young man who obtained the branch—though I imagined him as a young man, it turns out she was a woman and the late prince’s lover. And she was Ash’s grandmother. There were political motives, but it seems Ash’s grandfather, the previous duke, worked hard to woo her.
Isn’t it a bit much for women in Ash’s country to be so bold? I thought as I listened to the Butler’s story.
“Oh, it’s really a person!”
As I continued walking, striking at the Demon Beasts in the sand ahead and behind me, someone spoke to me.
“Hello.”
“Yes, hello.”
The only ones who would talk to me out here are Spirits. Peeking out from under a flowing cloth, I saw golden skin. With red floral patterns on her forehead and around her eyes, long, wavy golden hair spilled from the cloth she wore.
She’s large—could she be a Desert Spirit? A little while ago, the small Spirits I asked for directions were flitting around nearby.
“Excuse me, I heard there’s an old temple buried in the sand around here. Do you know where it is?”
I didn’t just hear it; I read it in a book, but still.
“Oh, you have business at that place? There’s nothing there, you know?”
“I enjoy wandering around. It’s my hobby to see things with my own eyes.”
Since I’m the one asking, I put on a polite smile.
“Right, Master loves to poke around everywhere!”
“Don’t say ‘poke around’!”
The Ex-Staff’s cheerful words ruined the moment.
“…Is there a Wood Spirit here? A turning point, perhaps? Very well, follow me.”
The Spirit elegantly turned, her cloth fluttering.
Turning point? What does that mean?
I don’t quite understand, but since she seems willing to guide me, I happily follow her.