Chapter 204: Crossing the Southern Desert
On the northern coast of the Afri continent, at the port of Hadasht.
As I returned via teleportation, I found that the Silesie Ocean Fleet was preparing to set sail for pirate extermination, leaving behind their flagship, the Beautiful Queen Silhouette.
It didn’t bother me that they left the flagship behind.
Before I could call out, Captain Drake had already given his orders and set off for the pirate hunt. I could see him waving his prosthetic arm from the deck of the ship.
「I’m off now, King General!」
「Hey, Drake! You’re really too fired up!」
And just like that, they were gone.
In the harbor were eight captured pirate galleys and two xebecs that Captain Drake had brought back.
After Silhouette’s delivery, I had been away for about two days—just how many pirates had they taken out during that time?
When I asked the port staff, it turned out that the fleet, led by Admiral Drake, had already set out for the third time. They were going all out. Well, it’s fine since they’re unlikely to lose against those weak pirates around here.
Still, while I left Drake to have his fun, I needed to focus on my own work.
We decided to accompany a reptilian merchant from the city on his return trip.
Flying over the desert would allow us to cross it quickly, but we chose to travel overland for a reason.
I wanted to investigate whether human merchants could engage in trade on the Afri continent.
The conclusion—impossible.
During the day, temperatures soared to fifty degrees Celsius in the desert.
Frequent sandstorms battered us, with grains of sand hitting our bodies painfully.
Thanks to Kaara constantly using water magic to lower the temperature and wind magic to blow away the sandstorms, we managed to keep moving.
However, crossing this desert was tough even for someone like me, who was enhanced by the hero’s power.
It was far too dangerous for ordinary humans, so I was glad it was just me and my escort, Kaara.
If regular soldiers had attempted this, they would have been wiped out.
The gifts for the reptilian tribe were being transported by the merchants.
The reptilian race, known as the Reptilians, had incredibly sturdy bodies.
After all, their skin could even deflect musket balls, so it made sense that they could withstand powerful sandstorms without issue.
While there were small oases scattered throughout the Sunahara Desert, only the keen sense of smell possessed by the Reptilians could detect the scent of water.
There were no maps in the desert, and no paths to follow.
If we strayed even slightly from our route, we would be attacked by a horde of man-eating Sand Snakes, measuring four to five meters in length.
In fact, even if we didn’t stray, the scent of humans, which had become a rare delicacy, would lure them in.
As we were surrounded by a swarm of Sand Snakes, I wondered how to handle the situation when I noticed the merchant panicking unexpectedly.
Uh-oh, this might actually be serious.
Isn’t the Reptilian merchant supposed to be well-traveled?
「What should we do?」
「Run! Run!」
Run? There’s no way we can escape this!
「Nation’s Father, may I?」
「Oh, Kaara, just do it!」
「Kaara Demonia Demonicus prays, let the dark king of dawn shining far beyond the stars descend upon the earth from the rift of time and space, bringing destruction to all!」
The sky darkened, and from the starry expanse, numerous meteors fell, annihilating the massive swarm of Sand Snakes.
「Amazing! Amazing!」
The emotional fluctuations of the cold-blooded Reptilians were hard to read, but the way they swung their long tails and clapped their hands made it clear that they were overjoyed.
But it wasn’t me who was amazing—it was Kaara.
The merchant, acting in his typical fashion, began negotiating to see if he could work for me. I couldn’t help but chuckle; it was us who wanted to hire him.
In any case, it was now clear that traversing this desert would be impossible for anyone other than an advance mage.
However, at the same time, I discovered that this land was incredibly rich.
It was a region with strong miasma, where magical gemstones sparkled on the surface of the desert.
No wonder the reptilian merchants could sell magical gemstones at such low prices—they could simply pick them up while moving around.
While that was understandable, I found that if we dug a little, we could even uncover mines with rubies and diamonds.
Apparently, if we traveled further into the land inhabited by the Reptilians, there were even gold mines.
Moreover, there were places where crude oil bubbled up—this was truly a land of gold and silver treasures. Perhaps the legendary El Dorado was actually this Sunahara Desert.
If we could successfully develop this area, it could become a source of immense wealth.
However, the current harsh conditions meant that only the Reptilians could operate in this desert.
It seemed we would have to trade for rubies and diamonds with food they preferred and gradually advance the development process.
Now, these Reptilians lived at the foot of a mountain called Erta Ale, beyond the Sunahara Desert.
On the map of the Eura continent, this area was labeled Abysinia.
They referred to themselves as the Sheba tribe and called their land Sheba.
As the name suggests, Erta Ale was an active volcano, emitting smoke from its lava, and it turned out to be lower in elevation than I had expected.
From the foot of this low mountain, springs gushed forth, forming a large river.
The smoke was likely due to the abundant underground water supply. Surely, if we searched well enough, we would find hot springs too.
Though it’s often misunderstood that the Reptilians live solely in the desert, the land of Sheba actually boasted a large river, allowing for fertile fields suitable for agriculture.
Of course, there’s no food in the desert.
As for food sources, there are tropical shrubs from the yam family, such as cassava and cacao trees, which the Reptilians seem to rely on for sustenance.
You might not be familiar with cassava, but when the starchy roots are processed, they become tapioca, commonly found in milk tea. It’s actually a well-known ingredient.
「I’d love to drink tapioca milk tea.」
「Is it a delicious item, Nation’s Father?」
Yes, it’s delicious, Kaara.
I should bring some back and try to cultivate it in Viola’s test farm. Given the different climate, it should still manage to grow.
Cassava does contain toxins, which means it requires a detoxification process before it can be eaten. That’s the downside.
However, despite the hassle, it is highly nutritious as a tuber, and it can be easily propagated by simply sticking the stems into the ground.
The leaves can be fermented to remove the toxins, making them suitable for livestock feed. It’s quite a versatile crop.
Additionally, there are rare trees that serve as the source of frankincense and valuable sandalwood growing in this region.
This land, surrounded by a vast desert, can be considered a miraculous place for agricultural bounty.
The local reptilian merchants believe that this bounty is a blessing from the Mother of Chaos, whom they worship.
The worship of the Mother of Chaos among the Demons is similar to the worship of Asama among the humans.
The smoking mountain Erta Ale, which spouts springs and provides blessings to the land of Sheba surrounded by arid deserts, symbolizes this belief.
The clash of hot smoke rising from the crater and cold clouds gives birth to the wind and flame dragon, the fire dragon Salamander.
Reptilian shamans worship the fire dragon Salamander as the messenger of the Mother of Chaos and, while expressing gratitude for its blessings, they also employ it as a powerful ally in their battles.
「Wel cum, steamed kita human!」
「Hello there!」
Thanks to my language cheat ability, I could understand the unfamiliar demon language.
However, the chieftain of the Sheba tribe tried to speak in a half-hearted human tongue, which made his speech sound oddly rhythmic.
I stepped into a large earthen house belonging to the reptilian merchants, greeting the Sheba tribe’s leader with a casual tone. The elder, De Sheba Deba, had white hair and was said to be sixty years old.
In a tribe where the lifespan of the reptilian race barely reaches forty years, an elder like De Deba is especially valued for his ancient wisdom.
As we talked, I found the Sheba tribe to be straightforward and very friendly. The demons of the Afri continent are entirely different from the impression humans have of them.
Surrounded by the harsh environment of the desert, the necessity to engage in trade for survival likely fosters a sense of friendliness among the southern demons. They especially appreciated the sugar among the gifts I brought.
As the advance mage Revenant from Castilia had informed me, reptilian merchants have an insatiable sweet tooth. Therefore, the cacao fruit, which is the only source of sweetness in the land of Sheba, is highly valued by them.
What they truly desire are the cacao fruits; while the beans inside can be eaten, they’re not particularly sought after. It made perfect sense that they welcomed us, who offered sugar with an intensely sweet flavor, in exchange for the cacao.
As it had been a while since I last visited, they began a feast with a dish made of cassava flour that had been kneaded and steamed. However, merely drinking alcohol felt a bit dull.
「Let’s celebrate our friendship with a toast of tapioca milk tea!」
「Tapioca milk tea?」
I prepared the tapioca from the cassava, combined it with the tea I had brought, and added milk from their only domesticated animal, the camel. I sweetened it generously with sugar to match their preferred taste and served the tapioca milk tea to them.
「How is it?」
「It’s delicious!」
The camel milk has a higher salt content than cow’s milk and carries a slightly distinct flavor, but when mixed with the bitterness of the tea and the sweetness of the sugar, it strikes the perfect balance. It turns into a highly nutritious drink rich in iron and vitamins, which are often lacking in the desert.
「I’ll teach you how to make it, so please give it a try!」
「Thank you! You are a far better person than the previous mage who visited. You even teach us new ways to enjoy our food!」
Chieftain De Deba was extremely pleased, but I had my own ulterior motives. If they could start selling tea alongside the sugar, it would greatly benefit my trade as well.
Given the abundance of unique resources only found here, trade with the Sheba tribe would become crucial in the future. It was a stroke of luck to seize the trading rights with them from the Kingdom of Castilia.
Truly, treasures lie buried in the deserts that people overlook. My own El Dorado seemed surprisingly close at hand.
※※※
「Kita human!」
「Yes, Chieftain De Deba, what is it?」
For some reason, I was being referred to as ‘kita human’ by the elder with the white beard. I suppose it means ‘a person from the North’. It felt much more flattering than being called the hero of Silesie.
「Since you’ve come all the way from the North, could you leave some seeds behind for us?」
「Seeds?」
With a swift motion, Chieftain De Deba opened the curtain of the tent, revealing several reptilian girls.
Describing the reptilian girls is a bit tricky. They aren’t snake-women, but the closest comparison I can think of would be something like that. Their irises are elongated vertically.
The most distinct difference between the reptilian and human races is the large tails that extend from their tailbone.
Their skin resembles reptilian scales, yet it feels smooth and cool, almost reminiscent of humans. The beautiful ones have faces that are quite human-like, and their forked tongues and alluring glances carry a unique charm reminiscent of snake-like girls.
「Having some seeds left behind would be a great help.」
「No, no!」
Wait, so that’s what they meant by ‘seeds’.As a few of the reptilian girls tried to pull me into their bedding, I hurriedly declined. I had heard somewhere that in isolated places with little contact with the outside world, there were customs involving the infusion of blood from the occasional traveler.
However, I never expected them to suggest it to someone of an entirely different species like me. I explained that I was married and didn’t cheat, hoping that would get me out of the situation.
It seemed they thought I would be fine since I had Kaara, a demon, with me. While it was flattering that they felt so close to me, I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea.
The reptilian girls had a more primal vibe compared to Are, a dragon maiden with half dragon god blood. While their cold, scaly skin was not unpleasant to touch, crossing that line would mean transcending my humanity.
I found myself tempted to see what it would be like, but I decided against it. I had made a promise to myself not to stray from my wife.
「Goodnight, Nation’s Father.」
「Yeah.」
Even during my travels across the Afri continent, I shared the same tent with my wife, Kaara, so it wasn’t much of a hardship.
Still, traveling in a foreign land brought about all sorts of unexpected experiences.