“Wait, so you got a 20-year sentence just for cursing the Pope on the street?”
“Yep.”
“Geez, are you seriously expecting us to believe that?”
*Clatter clatter!*
In a noisy bar, a shabby-looking man raised his glass and chuckled heartily.
Of course, nobody believed him.
To a Majin, time is an endless treasure, and 20 years is just a fleeting moment for meditating alone against a wall. How many people would truly grasp that?
As the traveler pondered this, he clinked his glass with the pointy-eared guys seated around him.
“He’s a bit of a liar, but still an entertaining fellow, huh? Unlike anyone else.”
“Anyone else?”
“Oh, there was another dude who recently traveled from the West… Forget it. I don’t want to talk about that guy. Anyway, what brings a pale fella like you here?”
“Heh…”
It seemed that because of his pale skin and round ears, he was assumed to be from the West in this desert.
The traveler took a sip from his newfound glass and started to gather his thoughts.
Should he speak the truth?
Or make up some excuse? It was a matter of choice.
But getting drunk and fabricating excuses could lead to a mess of contradictions later.
So he decided to distort the truth just a little.
“Well, I’m on a tour of the continent.”
“A tour of the continent? You don’t seem like you have much money.”
“Money? I earn it locally.”
“Ha ha ha! At that rate, it’ll take you 30 years to finish the tour!”
“Hahaha…”
That was wrong.
It’s already been over 100 years, and he’s only about halfway through.
There have been countless temptations to use his Majin power and wipe out a bank here and there.
But every time, the traveler held back.
The moment he triggers his power, Tilpitz would likely come flying with eyes wide open.
‘Once I move, the landscape changes so quickly—does it even make sense to take a tour…’
This journey started with a desire to capture the image of this world with his own eyes.
But just the other day, a lush forest had turned into a thick village, and a brilliant city had been submerged underwater—the changes were too frequent.
What he saw yesterday was gone when he turned his back, so there was no point in trying to remember it.
That’s why he decided to wrap up his journey in the desert.
After all, he would soon have things to do here, so settling down wouldn’t be a bad idea.
“So what are you planning to do here?”
“Well, I heard there’s a profession called ‘Adventurer’ here? Apparently, if you work hard, you can make quite a bit of money.”
“Adventurer? Kkeuh! Ha ha ha!”
“…?”
Suddenly, laughter erupted from all sides.
As soon as the word ‘Adventurer’ was heard, people at other tables burst into laughter too.
The traveler, confused by their reactions, found it odd.
He thought being an adventurer was a romantic job admired in the desert.
“Seems like those western folks just read a ton of novels. *Cough cough* What’s your idea of an adventurer?”
“Aren’t they the ones who fight against magical beasts roaming the desert and take on requests for money?”
“Exactly, you got that right.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“If we have an adventurer here, I’d like to ask for a heads-up. Anyway, ‘adventurers’ are essentially just thugs or thieves in essence. Not figuratively, but literally. In times of rampant beasts, adventurers pop up everywhere, raking in cash. But curiously enough, when the beasts disappear, the adventurers vanish too, as though swept away by a giant airship. Instead, thieves swarm in… This makes you wonder if it’s just a conspiracy theory.”
“Ha ha ha!”
Now the traveler nodded, understanding.
It seemed that the perception of adventurers here wasn’t great.
Whether that conspiracy was true or not, it was clear that wherever you go, those doing dirty work made quite a bit of cash.
“So, about being an adventurer—”
*BANG!*
At that moment, the bar door swung open harshly.
As the wind whipped up, swirling dust blew in, and the traveler turned to see a man standing at the door.
He had the face and clothing of someone clearly not from around here.
“That guy…”
“Moron.”
“What’s he doing here?”
People clicked their tongues and displayed their animosity.
However, the man stood in the center of the bar, unfazed.
“I’m looking for an adventurer who can take me to Gorgan’s Rock. Is there anyone who knows the way?”
“No, I’ve told you a hundred times, you idiot!”
“No one is crazy enough to go there!”
Trash and insults rained down on the man.
After glancing around, he sighed and turned to leave.
“Hey, young friend!”
“…?”
“I think I know the way. Want me to take you?”
“What’s that…?”
Gorgan’s Rock.
He knew exactly where it was.
After all, it was the Majin who named that rock, so he couldn’t possibly not know.
“That guy’s lying again…”
“Looks like those pale folks are putting on a show.”
The traveler set down his glass and approached the man.
Now that he looked closely, he was rather handsome.
If he kept himself well-dressed, women would surely flock to him.
“Aren’t you from the west?”
“Yeah, but I know the terrain well here. Didn’t you need a guide?”
“That’s right. What should I call you?”
“I haven’t really named myself… Just call me Traveler.”
“Got it. My name is Hertlocker.”
“Hertlocker.”
As they shook hands, the traveler felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
It felt like he had met this guy somewhere before.
As he racked his brain, staring intensely at Hertlocker—
“Hey! The liar! You better pay for the drinks on your way out!”
“Oy, let’s hurry and run!”
“Wait? The money—”
“I’m saying that because I don’t have any!”
Without looking back, the traveler made a clean getaway.
Seeing his quickly disappearing back, Hertlocker sighed in disbelief.
“Hey! You’re the one who hired that guy! Pay for it!”
“Huh?”
“That guy downed more than ten bottles! Hey! Stop right there!”
Before long, Hertlocker sprinted after him.
Just when they managed to shake off the chase and blend into the crowd, someone nudged Hertlocker on the shoulder.
It was the traveler who had just fled in an instant, now standing there.
“You… If you need money, just lead the way quickly.”
“Ready to depart? Then we’ll have to camp midway.”
“I don’t care.”
“Do you have a warm sleeping bag?”
“Why would I need that? It’s a hot desert.”
“…”
The traveler was at a loss for words.
It seemed that this brat was experiencing his first day in the desert.
Scratching the back of his head, the traveler sighed.
“I think you need to calm down a bit. It’d be better to prepare a little more.”
“Is Gorgan’s Rock that dangerous? Why do people hesitate to go there?”
“Dangerous? That place? Why?”
“…?”
The traveler tilted his head.
Hertlocker began to feel that this clueless guy might not actually know.
Come to think of it, didn’t some drunk just call this guy a chronic liar?
Could he really guide him to the right destination? That doubt started to stir again.
And along with that, the complaints he had been suppressing began to boil over.
‘No one said it would be this tough to get there… You bastard.’
Hertlocker had been dispatched to track down the roots of the Asylum.
Since Schlus couldn’t come himself due to various complications, Hertlocker had no choice but to go.
But just before leaving, Schlus suddenly advised him to check out Gorgan’s Rock.
Then he disappeared before Hertlocker even had a chance to ask why.
Now, Hertlocker found himself wandering aimlessly, not knowing what was at Gorgan’s Rock.
‘It better not be anything trivial.’
Thinking back, he felt his anger boiling again.
Schlus had mentioned it almost like it was a generous tip.
As if a treasure chest was hidden at Gorgan’s Rock…
But here’s the strange part: That guy had clearly never set foot in the desert.
Even the locals avoid Gorgan’s Rock—how could a guy living in the Empire know what’s there?
No matter how he thought about it, it felt suspicious, but not going was not an option.
After all, it was Schlus’ advice.
Until now, nothing had gone wrong according to his words and intentions.
If something truly important was there, great. If nothing was there, at least he would have a weapon to use against Schlus.
Hertlocker took comfort in that thought and swallowed down his frustrations.
“Let’s pack a sleeping bag and prepare a bit more—”
“Please guide me right away. It’s urgent.”
“Sigh… This way.”
“Thank you.”
As Hertlocker urged him on, the traveler sighed and pointed in the exact direction of Gorgan’s Rock.
Where he pointed was a harsh desert, with sandstorms whipping about and his feet sinking into the sand.
However, Hertlocker was unfazed and took strides toward it.
“Wow! You’re something else, huh!”
“An average person could trek the distance in half a day.”
“Confident young man, huh? Been on your share of journeys, I see?”
“If it’s marching, I’ve done it to the point of boredom.”
Was he an ex-soldier?
With his delicate looks and now revealed background, the traveler touched his chin.
Soon, a gust hit, enveloping everything in sandstorm.
While Hertlocker floundered, losing his direction, the traveler was already far ahead.
Although he began to question whether he was actually heading in the right direction, Hertlocker continued to chase after him.
“By the way, I don’t think I’ve heard why we’re going to Gorgan’s Rock!”
“Ah, that…”
He couldn’t just say he didn’t know.
And just as Hertlocker fumbled, trying to figure out how to respond—
*Rumble rumble…!*
“…?”
The ground began to shake.
Surprised, Hertlocker dropped to the ground, pressing his ear to the earth.
The frequency of the tremors was getting shorter.
Something was moving toward them from beneath the ground.
‘Darn it.’
A Sandworm.
A magical beast that moves swiftly through the sand and devours anything alive indiscriminately.
It has no eyes or nose but possesses ears that detect vibrations incredibly well.
So, as long as they stayed still, they wouldn’t get attacked, right?
At that moment, as the traveler silently brought a finger to his lips—
“Is it a monster?”
“…!”
Hertlocker sprang forward with a dagger in hand.
The traveler froze in place, eyes squeezed shut.
To save that man, he would inevitably have to use his powers.
But that would completely nullify the no-use-challenge he had focused on for 100 years.
As he endlessly hesitated over whether to save the guy, a massive tremor erupted, sending a geyser of sand shooting into the air before them.
“Keeeeeek!”
“Damn it! Get away! I—”
Before the giant maw that emerged from the ground could reach Hertlocker, the traveler shattered the sound barrier and dashed out.
But Hertlocker stood there, watching the maw, completely frozen.
‘He’s got paralyzed with fear!’
The traveler sensed the imminent doom.
At this speed, if the Sandworm collided with Hertlocker, he would be shredded to ribbons by those multitude of teeth.
It was already too late.
*BANG! CRASH!*
In that instant, a deafening noise echoed as sand flew everywhere.
As the traveler’s vision blurred, he coughed.
Finally, when the dust storm settled, before his eyes lay a sand floor soaked in green blood.
And in front of him, the massive body of the Sandworm was pierced through by jagged black pillars that erupted from the ground, lifeless and still.
“I want to return before sunset. Let’s move quickly.”
“…”
The black pillars crumbled and vanished.
Hertlocker calmly stepped over the Sandworm’s corpse, as if it were nothing, and began walking again.
The traveler watched in bewilderment.
“That’s the wrong direction…”
“Ah.”
