Chapter 351

Furthermore, seeming to realize he might have caused an unnecessary misunderstanding, Sete mumbled before hastily adding, “S-So, directions, at least, I can give you right away!”

Azar, who had been listening quietly to Sete’s explanation, tilted his head slightly. “You want something from us, don’t you?”

“…!” Sete’s shoulders flinched involuntarily at the direct question. In response, Rafa and Pasera instantly moved forward, flanking their young leader protectively. Had Sete not quickly waved them back with a placating gesture, a minor confrontation might have erupted. Only after reassuring his guards several times that he was alright did Sete turn back to face Azar.

“…You’re right. We were hoping to ask something of you when we tried to approach. We thought… you might be able to help us.”

Just then—

“[──!]”

One of the Naga who had been examining the centipede carcass hurried over and began speaking rapidly to Sete in their own tongue.

“Ah, ah, just a moment, we were still talking…”

“It seems urgent, feel free to talk first. It’s alright,” Azar offered.

“…Are you sure? My apologies. Please wait just a moment.” Sete accepted Azar’s understanding and listened intently to the report. Did he hear bad news? His expression grew increasingly grave.

“Is something wrong?” Azar inquired once the exchange seemed finished.

“Ah, well…” Sete looked troubled, glancing back at Azar and Ali. “It’s about the centipede you defeated. They say its condition is… somewhat abnormal.” After a moment’s hesitation, he tentatively asked the two outsiders, “…Would you care to take a look as well?”

“Alright.” Azar readily agreed with a nod. Though he was curious about the interrupted conversation, he had a feeling this current situation might be intrinsically linked to the favor the Naga intended to ask. Besides, he was intrigued as to what could warrant such a serious reaction.

As they approached the massive centipede carcass, the gathered Naga addressed Sete again in their language. After listening, Sete gestured for Azar and Ali to come closer. “It’s this area here.”

Following his gesture, they immediately spotted the anomaly.

“…The skin is blackened.” A section where the exoskeleton had been peeled back for examination was stained a deep, inky black, as if submerged in ink. Alarmingly, this discoloration covered nearly a third of the giant creature’s body. Frowning, Azar moved closer, scrutinizing the affected area. Upon closer inspection, dark bluish, vein-like patterns were visible beneath the surface.

Now he understood why the Naga had immediately begun examining the carcass after its defeat—a behavior that had initially seemed rather odd. They were already aware of this phenomenon and were searching for its tell-tale signs. Having witnessed similar sights before, Azar easily recognized the likely cause.

“…Again,” Sete murmured gravely.

“Sete,” Azar prompted, despite already having a strong suspicion, “could you explain what you mean by ‘again’?” He needed more details.

Sete met his gaze, his youthful face imbued with an uncharacteristic seriousness, and nodded. “Well… recently, the number of creatures exhibiting these strange symptoms has been increasing. And it’s not just the creatures. Humans, animals… even the golden sand itself is experiencing a similar phenomenon.” Suddenly, Sete pressed his fingers to his forehead, letting out a weary sigh. “…Truthfully, we were traversing the desert in search of a way to resolve this very situation.”

The young Naga was a poor liar, lacking any real aptitude for circumlocution. Especially towards those he felt a budding affinity for, his guard lowered considerably. After hesitating, his lips trembling slightly, Sete confessed with another sigh, “And then… a few nights ago, we saw a brilliant white light and came all this way.”

The story Sete then recounted unfolded as follows:

Not long ago, strange occurrences began plaguing the desert. Sand turning black and dying, sudden and frequent black sandstorms, creatures becoming unusually aggressive, and even an increase in the number of standard monsters. The entire region was in a state of chaos.

“Ah, we saw that too. We got caught in one of those sandstorms; that’s how we ended up separated and lost,” Azar confirmed.

“Is that so?” Sete asked, surprised.

Azar nodded lightly and elaborated. “Well, we originally came to this desert with a specific destination in mind. On the way, we found that abandoned oasis and stopped to rest… Then, without any warning, a sandstorm hit. We knew escaping it was impossible, and sure enough, our bodies were just swallowed up by the storm.”

“Th-That’s terrible…”

“It was certainly my first time flying through the sky quite like that. And yes, I also saw the sandstorm gradually turning black.”

“…Then you must also know. That black sand is extremely harmful to living things.” Sete went on to explain that the range of these unknown black patches was continuously expanding over time, that they had found no way to stop it, and that it acted as a lethal poison to anything possessing life. “Are you experiencing any ill effects? That substance is incredibly dangerous.”

“Nia here had a rougher time than I did.” As soon as Azar finished speaking, worry clouded Sete’s face as he scanned both Azar and Ali for any lingering signs of affliction. Azar crossed his arms, half-listening with amusement as Ali dramatically exaggerated how close to death he had been, while simultaneously glancing between the centipede carcass, the vast desert stretching around them, and finally, back to Sete.

“Do you have any idea how this happened?”

“Hmm, we have a suspicion… but I, for one, hope this hypothesis is incorrect.” Sete looked extremely uncomfortable, suddenly avoiding eye contact with Azar and Ali.

Azar tilted his head. “What kind of hypothesis makes you look at us like that?”

“Yeah, don’t keep us in suspense…” Ali added, equally curious.

Hesitantly, under their combined (though unintended) pressure, Sete finally voiced the Naga’s prevailing theory. “…Just before these strange events began, individuals from the ‘outside’ visited Verseke. Ah, for reference, Verseke is the central settlement of the Naga, located at the largest oasis in this desert. It’s also where I used to live.” Pausing, Sete suggested they move, anticipating a longer explanation. They relocated a short distance away from the Naga currently dealing with the centipede carcass, settling in a circle on the sand. The large figures of Rafa and Pasera provided welcome shade, creating a somewhat more relaxed atmosphere.

“Continuing from before,” Sete resumed, “if you wish, I can take you to a nearby settlement, or help you find your way out of the desert. However… I would strongly advise against going to the village.”

“Why is that? Is the path complicated, or is it unexpectedly far?”

“No, it’s not for reasons like that. Actually, getting you to the nearest city isn’t difficult at all. The closest settlement, Lambda, is only about three or four hours from here.”

“Then why…? Is there some problem at the village? Or… is there a specific reason we shouldn’t go there?”

“The latter. To be precise, the current situation among the Naga is… volatile. Most Naga believe that outsiders are the cause of this catastrophe.” Sete sighed deeply. “Specifically, they are pointing fingers at the Hero.”

“What?” Azar drawled, incredulous. “The Hero? What possible reason would the Hero have to cause something like this?”

“More accurately, they believe the Hero influenced the occurrence of this disaster.”

“…That makes even less sense.” Honestly, the more Sete explained, the more baffled Azar became. This was completely different from what Kassel had described. A matter he had assumed would be simple was rapidly escalating in complexity, making his head throb. ‘At this rate, getting back within a week really is going to be impossible.’

While Azar wrestled with his complicated thoughts, Sete continued. “The timing was just unfortunate. Since you also came from the outside, you must know. That we made a peace treaty with the Hero, promising coexistence.”

Azar nodded in affirmation.

“The treaty itself was successful. It wasn’t bad. Not at all… but… this is where the more sensitive internal affairs come into play.” Sete glanced briefly at the other Naga, who were watching their conversation with undisguised curiosity, before lowering his voice and speaking cautiously.