Chapter 394: A Place to Live
“Alright, then you two can take your time and have a nice chat as a couple, while us outsiders will take our leave,” Retze said, clapping his hands softly to draw attention, sounding like a typical matchmaker.
“Y-Yeah,” Haulon replied, moving closer to me. So, he wants me to【Teleport】, huh?
“I want to check outside…” Karn said, slowly walking over to my side, his heavy footsteps echoing.
“…” Dinoss hurriedly approached us.
“Well then, see you later,” I said, giving a brief nod to Asas and Es.
“Y-O-U,” Es said, while Asas rattled in response, “Y-You guys!” Leaving behind the entangled Es and the shaking Asas, I【Teleport】ed outside as Karn wished.
We emerged next to a square well that led to the entrance of the Underground Temple.
Outside, the sky was a brilliant blue. The grand hall we had just left had a high ceiling, illuminated by both the Spirit Lamps and Haulon’s magical light, but it couldn’t compare to the openness and brightness of the outside world.
“The Es River…” Karn murmured.
Looking around, the landscape had completely transformed. The desert that stretched as far as the eye could see had turned into water. Aside from a small area around the well, it was overflowing with black water. Black water, or rather, was the sand absorbing the water and appearing black?
The Es River slowly seeped in, wide and shallow, swallowing the sand dunes. The opposite shore was already out of sight, a large black stain formed in the desert.
“Is it really okay for it to spread out like this? It’s too flat,” I wondered aloud as another sand dune crumbled, surrounded by water. I hope the water reaches the coastal city of Es. I want to avoid any water disputes.
“…It’s fine. Though buried in sand, the old riverbed still exists. We need to gather ships, donkeys, and people for trade. —Before the residents of Es notice,” Karn said, gazing at the Es River with a serious expression. Trade, huh? Perhaps it’s about the ebony trade from when the river used to flow differently. Wasn’t it near the land of the Dragons? I wonder if that settlement still exists.
Well, if everything goes smoothly, as Karn said, if the people of Es notice, the trade will be taken away. But before that, we need a house.
“There are a few small countries that might collapse due to the Nakahara War. I’ll reach out to talented individuals who are too valuable to lose. Then there are those who have connections with me, and the capable people from the king’s hopeless territories. If we surround them with their citizens, they’ll likely agree,” Haulon said.
So, before that, we need a house. I think it would be tough to be brought to the middle of the desert.
“Baylis,” Karn called out.
“Yes!” Baylis, who had been hiding, answered.
“Hehehe…” She twirled around gracefully, raising both hands, and the sand began to move.
A massive amount of sand shifted like a living creature. Strangely, no dust was kicked up; it simply flowed away. As the sand moved away, the Es River, which had been spreading out, began to reveal its flow, leaving a large island-like area in front of us while two streams merged behind.
It seemed this was the old riverbed, and where the sand had been cleared, solid ground was visible. Just how much sand had moved? The river’s flow was organized far into the distance.
Along with that, there were several enormous sand dunes, larger than anything I had ever seen. Eventually, they would be shaped by the wind to match the height of other dunes, but for now, they were awe-inspiring. Just thinking about that sand avalanching down is a bit frightening.
What appeared was not just the flow of the old river. In front of us were houses made of stone, resembling yellowish pyramids. The straight road, lined with houses facing the main street, was adorned with reliefs.
After the water flowed and settled, the thin layer of sand left on the island began to flow away, revealing a beautifully arranged city.
It was the prosperous Fire City that Karn had shown us before, filled with children. The geometric patterns in the plaza were beautiful even from a distance. Water flowed from the fountain set up there.
“Wow…” Dinoss said, unable to hide his astonishment as he gazed at the city emerging from the sand.
“The temple and castle will need to be rebuilt,” Karn said, surveying the area with a satisfied smile.
“Hehehe,” Baylis chuckled proudly, hugging Karn around the neck.
“Preserved by sand?” Retze asked.
“Yes. After the King’s Branch went mad, the Spirits that had been subservient to the kingdom could no longer be contained. But I knew it would come to that, so after evacuating the people, I covered it with sand at Karn’s request,” Baylis explained. “Other cities couldn’t manage it, but this one could.”
“As an Adventurer, every time I see the Spirit’s Power being used, I thought I could outsmart them with knowledge and preparation, but the Spirit’s Power displayed here is truly impressive—it’s beautiful,” Retze remarked, shifting his gaze back to the city.
“I want to learn from you. Like your ability to avoid danger and your judgment…” Haulon said, looking at Retze.
“I’m weak, you know,” Retze shrugged.
My mentor, my mentor!