Nameless Desert -2

Air flows around the exposed metal, distorting the landscape. It radiates heat so intense it seems to surpass even the already scorching temperature.

"The steam engine's overheating. It needs to cool down for a while."

"That's not good. This area is notorious for Sandworm appearances. We should get through it as quickly as possible."

I'm getting anxious. I don't want to fight in this kind of environment. Just standing here is exhausting enough.

Yet the magical tricycle comes to a halt.

No choice—though I'd rather not show it to anyone, I have no alternative but to use another spell. I pull out a wind crystal.

"What's that, Taro?"

Graum leans in to look.

"A secret weapon."

Hastily, I cut my explanation short.

This spell is difficult to cast and still requires great effort to activate.

Stare at the magic stone and concentrate deeply. Gradually, the stone begins to glow, and a wind starts swirling around it, growing stronger. Enough wind has now been gathered.

Direct the wind onto the exposed steam engine. You can visibly see the steam engine cooling down. But this makes it impossible to focus on operating it.

Erin, I'm sorry, but can you switch drivers?

"Wha— me!? I've never touched one before!"

"Eryn, switch with me."

To her surprise, even her older brother, Gran, urged her strongly.

Curious but obedient, she gripped the control lever.

From behind, I continued blowing air onto the steam engine.

Eryn cautiously took hold of the lever and began moving the magitech tricycle. At first, it moved slowly, but gradually, it picked up speed.

It seems the cooling effect from the airflow is working well—just like the familiar motion of a steam engine.

The magitech tricycle steadily progressed across the desert, climbing sand dunes and descending them. Eryn, unfamiliar with the sensation of speed, nearly lost control while going downhill, but thanks to her sharp reflexes and calm judgment, she managed to regain balance and forge ahead, even on paths with no clear way forward.

Though there had been a brief struggle, by the time the sun set, she had managed to cover the distance she'd planned. Perhaps due to the intense wind magic control she'd maintained under the scorching sun? She was utterly exhausted, unable to rise even to set up camp.

It felt just like undergoing training in magic control. I was completely drained, eating dinner, when I noticed another person who looked equally worn out.

Eriin, too, seemed to have been tense the entire time during her first drive, her shoulders visibly relaxed now.

Fortunately, that day we managed to travel without encountering any sandworms.

According to Gram, we should reach Puetji in another one or two days.

It's good that things are going smoothly. Still, the thought of being in this state for several more days makes me feel drained...

As I slowly finished my dinner, a completely energetic person came and sat down beside me.

Taro! You pulled off two spells at once? That's amazing, man! And that gem—never seen anything like it. What's up with that, huh?

Coil, excited and eager, bombards me with questions. Though tired, I had no choice but to explain since I'd been seen, and a poorly worded response could make things worse.

"Please, no more words. This is a magic stone I developed. It's difficult to handle, but I can manipulate the air around it. Moreover, I can use a magic technique with this stone—its effect is simply amplified, but the output is off the charts."

"Wait, seriously? If you're that powerful, joining the nation's magic unit wouldn't even be a dream. Why are you even working as an adventurer?"

Coil took a sip from his drink, then asked in a more broken tone than usual.

I explained what I was aiming for, the purpose of my journey.

"Hah... Seems like a pain in the neck. I've been following my parents around since I was old enough to remember, doing this job all my life, so I don't really care about where I came from. Is it really that important?"

It's common during the journey to have a little drink to ease the tension.

"That's right, it's important. Just like Coil has a purpose, I have things I want to do."

"Is that so? Then keep pushing forward. I'll be counting on you while we're in the desert."

Saying that, he seemed satisfied and went into the tent.

But it's unrealistic to keep using wind magic and walking around saying to keep it a secret every time. Should I just make up my mind and go ahead and build a name for myself? Though Marie just warned me not long ago... Maybe I'll stick to staying in the shadows for now.

Gram keeps glancing at me sideways. Seems he wants to ask something about magic.

After that, he bombards me with questions for a while.

The sun's glare is unbearable.

The next day was just as scorching from morning on.

I alternate between wind magic and scouting magic to advance my movement. It wasn’t as hot as yesterday, but sandworms appeared frequently, forcing me to detour or wait until they disappeared, which took a lot of time.

As a result, I’ve made no progress at all.

I haven’t fought a single sandworm yet. Nothing significant happened, and night eventually fell.

I was just about to head to bed, having eaten and feeling utterly exhausted today.

"Why did you tell me to be the driver?"

I'd asked Erin to drive again today.

She seemed to be questioning that.

"If you really want to know, it's kind of hard to explain... I'd say it was intuition... I didn't really think much about it."

"Is that so... Then, I suppose it doesn't matter who drives from now on?"

I deliberately glanced around, making sure no one was nearby, then lowered my voice slightly.

"In fact, there's one more reason—I thought the one among those three who seemed most skilled at riding a magic trike would be the best choice. I figured they'd be able to make calm, rational decisions even in emergencies."

Elin stared at me, stunned. Then she chuckled softly.

"You're flattering me, but thank you. I'm really glad you said that."

Since that day, I've noticed Elin smiling occasionally.

Today, we're moving through a sweltering desert. Before us stood a mountain formed by wind and sand.

"Wind here blows in complex patterns. If we cross this area, we'll reach the city."

"Finally arriving. It's been a tough journey."

I kept repeating the same routine—cooling the steam engine and then using scanning magic. After doing this nonstop for several days, I’d gotten fairly used to it.

Scanning magic reacted sluggishly when used in sand, making it hard to accurately gauge how close something was.

I wasn’t overconfident this time. Still, the sheer amount of sand delayed my detection.

Just as I activated my exploration magic, the reception magic stone lamp suddenly flashed, and the sand dune directly in front of me erupted.