ushernet Chapter 254 : Chapter 254
Chapter 254 : Chapter 254
Guided by Ian Rau, Radel toured the northern reaches of the Carmine Desert.The oasis where the Lizardman tribes gathered was so vast that it was hard to believe it lay within a desert.
Trees grew along the water’s edge, and Lizardman children splashed about, playing.
The sight of such an ordinary scene brought a sense of calm to Radel’s heart.
“I never imagined I would see an oasis this large in the desert.”
“That is understandable. Compared to this, the oasis occupied by the Horizon Knights is barely more than a puddle. Of course, even this place has less water than it used to.”
Ian Rau narrowed his eyes, as if reminiscing about the past.
“When I was a child, I thought this oasis was a lake. The books said that a place full of water was called a lake. It was only later, when I went to the Empire and saw a real lake, that I realized I had been mistaken.”
He said that, having been born the Great Chieftain’s son, he had been exposed to more books than other Lizardmen.
That was not very typical of Lizardmen, who valued becoming strong warriors above all else.
“My brother and I were ordered by our father to read one book every night. I think that might have been around the time the water began to dry up. Perhaps Father believed that if we became smarter by reading, we might find a solution.”
However, Ian Rau did not particularly like books.
He preferred swords.
Like other Lizardmen, his dream was to become the strongest warrior of all.
Instead, it was his younger brother, Ishan Rau, who developed an interest in books.
Ishan Rau would shut himself away all day, reading.
He even cast aside the sword he had loved as a child.
“One day, my brother said this to me. That we had to change. That becoming strong warriors alone was no longer enough.”
“That must have been quite a shock.”
“It was. He said he would not become a warrior. Instead, he wanted to become a mage. Ridiculous, really. A strange fellow. A very strange fellow.”
With Radel’s timely responses, Ian Rau found himself opening up more than he intended.
“To be honest, I also have a younger brother who does not listen to me. He is quite a strange one as well.”
Radel added that he had a twin brother whose behavior was often hard to understand, leaving him, as the older brother, unsure of what to do.
“I see… To think there are so many strange ones like this.”
A sense of kinship bloomed between the older brothers who each had an unusual sibling.
“Speaking of strange things, there is one story that comes to mind. Long ago, it is said that a very peculiar Archmage once passed through the Carmine Desert.”
“An Archmage?”
“Yes. From what I heard, he hid ruins in the desert and then left.”
An eccentric Archmage who created ruins in the desert.
Well, most mages had worlds of their own, and all of them were peculiar in one way or another.
An Archmage would be even more so.
‘But do I not know one strange Archmage myself?’
His ancestor, an Archmage and Great Sage.
Hayden Reinhard Cretian.
***
After that, Radel continued touring the oasis and the Lizardmen’s kingdom under Ian Rau’s guidance.
The last place Ian Rau took him to was a vast expanse of open desert.
The sand beneath their feet was darker than that of the southern desert where the Horizon Knights resided.
‘It is even redder than the south.’
As Radel was thinking this to himself, Ian Rau spoke.
“There is a story passed down among the Lizardmen.”
The Lizardmen did not record their history in writing, but passed it on orally.
From the old to the young.
Their myths and legends were conveyed as stories.
Pointing to the desert, Ian Rau said,
“We were born here.”
The Lizardmen were born in the desert?
They were a desert-dwelling race, so that much was expected, but…
Ian Rau was now speaking of their history, extending courtesy to his guest.
Radel chose to listen quietly.
“This is the place where the last surviving dragons fought and died. We were born from the blood and flesh they spilled as they fell upon the desert.”
Was that why the Lizardmen came to resemble dragons more than any other race?
Listening to Ian Rau’s tale, Radel imagined the ancient dragons.
Hard scales, enormous wings lined with membranes, and overwhelming power that could burn everything to ash.
Hearing of the dragons’ end from the Lizardmen, after having learned of it from the Spirit of the Library, felt strangely new.
Perhaps the reason they always dreamed of becoming strong warriors was their desire to be strong like dragons.
“But without water, we can no longer survive.”
Ian Rau’s expression grew solemn.
“Owner of the griffin. I believe you already know why I sought you out.”
Radel knew how much courage it must have taken for Ian Rau to come to him.
“Please tell us the location of the water source. In return, I and all Lizardman tribes will never forget this debt and will repay it for the rest of our lives.”
Radel could not help but be startled by Ian Rau’s words.
The fact that he spoke on behalf of the Lizardman tribes meant that the Great Chieftain’s will was also behind this conversation.
It showed just how desperate the Lizardmen were.
He had only come out for major practical training and ended up digging because there was no water.
And now they were pledging a lifelong debt.
‘I only did my major practical training…’
Radel had originally intended to learn the location of the water source, receive appropriate compensation, and then leave.
‘At this point, this is almost an alliance proposal.’
He could feel the matter growing larger and larger.
***
The Lizardmen’s banquet began.
The Lizardmen gathered in a wide clearing with a circular fire pit at its center.
Skilled musicians from each tribe came forth, beating drums to heighten the atmosphere.
Boom boom!
In the temporary tents set up for the feast, food and liquor made from dates grown in the oasis were served.
The Kau tribe Lizardmen, who had been captured by the Horizon Knights, adorned themselves with cactus flowers and danced the warriors’ dance as they circled the clearing.
“Hahaha!”
“It has been so long since we were free!”
As the Kau tribe warriors danced with gusto, Lizardmen from other tribes joined in without hesitation.
“They say you discovered the blessing of God Nava? Impressive!”
“It is all thanks to our chieftain following God Nava’s guidance!”
“Chieftain Geheram, you say? As expected, a warrior among warriors!”
It seemed that the news of successfully digging the water source had spread, and their popularity among the Lizardman tribes had soared.
“Long live Chieftain Geheram!”
“A warrior among warriors! Geheram!”
He had practically become a hero.
Yet someone watched the scene with a bittersweet smile.
That person was Radel, who had put the captured Lizardmen to work.
“They were such capable workers… Just when they became truly useful, they return to their tribe.”
Radel muttered with a regretful expression.
Hearing this, the third-year seniors shuddered.
They did not say it out loud, but all of them felt Radel’s greed.
They were certain this was what he was thinking.
Where else would he find labor like that?
It was a truly ruthless thought.
‘We thought of the Lizardmen as comrades…!’
‘That junior really is insane!’
‘Lizardmen, run while you can!’
The third-year seniors cried out in unison within their hearts.
Behind the horrified seniors, Inette and the others gathered, chatting among themselves.
Gusto spoke while watching the Lizardmen enjoying the banquet.
“Now that they have discovered a water source, the entire tribe seems full of life.”
“Indeed. It is fortunate that water appeared at just the right time.”
“It is all thanks to His Highness.”
This time, Inette nodded, acknowledging that Radel’s contribution had been significant.
“Well, it is true. Without him, would the Lizardmen be this happy? They would have kept looking miserable. And it was only because he is on par with a Great Spirit that he could find the water source.”
Snorting lightly, Inette asked Radel,
“More importantly, Radel, what are you going to ask the Great Chieftain for as compensation?”
“Well, I am not sure… Maybe I will ask for a manticore tooth.”
Everyone reacted with disbelief.
Inette, in particular, looked ready to grab Radel by the collar and shake him.
Manticore teeth were indeed rare materials, but compared to the information Radel had given the Lizardmen, it was a pitifully small reward.
“Are you kidding me? You are going to take nothing more than monster teeth from the Lizardmen at a time like this?!”
Inette leapt in protest, but Radel only smiled.
***
Now that everyone was asleep,
Radel quietly headed into the desert.
It was to hunt a manticore.
From the start, Radel had come to the desert to obtain a manticore tooth in order to create a Hayden-style Intermediate Potion.
Earlier, Radel had casually asked Ian Rau about the manticore’s habitat.
Perhaps never imagining that Radel would actually go hunt one, Ian Rau had answered without hesitation.
‘If you head farther north, there should be a few. But they are extremely cautious creatures, so they are difficult to find.’
Manticores were cautious?
They were apex predators of the desert, were not they?
It was surprising.
Under the pitch-black sky, Radel crossed vast sand dunes and arrived at the location Ian Rau had indicated.
“He said they would appear around here…”
Radel scanned his surroundings.
Crunch.
At that moment, he sensed someone’s presence.
Radel lowered his body, placing a hand on his sword.
‘Who is it?’
Since his Superhuman Intuition did not react, it was not someone harboring killing intent toward him.
As Radel held his breath, a Lizardman emerged from the darkness.
It was the Great Chieftain of the Lizardmen, Ilin Rau.
“Great Chieftain.”
Radel was startled by the appearance of someone he had not expected at all.
He had intended to secretly hunt a manticore within Lizardman territory, and he had been caught red-handed.
It felt as though he had trespassed into a hunting ground without permission.
However, in situations like this, remaining calm was essential.
Outwardly, Radel’s expression did not change.
Seeing this, the Great Chieftain spoke.
“You had something you wanted from the beginning.”
So he had been found out.
Radel judged that it was too late to deny it.
He decided to be honest.
“Great Chieftain, this is…”
“There is no need to explain. I came here expecting this.”
The Great Chieftain looked up at the desert night sky.
“From the moment you appeared riding a griffin, I may have known that it would come to this.”