Chapter 59: How to Cross the Desert (6)

Kieeek-!

The scorpion's roar echoed loudly.

Right after, a giant tail fell from the sky.

The single poisonous stinger rushed down as if to crush the prey before it.

I responded with a swift strike.

Clang-!

The sharp sword tip deflected the poison sting.

Following the intensely ringing burst, sparks flew into the air.

A heavy impact transmitted to my palm.

"It's still tricky indeed...!"

I swung my sword.

A pitch-black line was drawn. The shot black collided with the incoming pincers.

The scorpion charging recklessly.

Clang! Crack...! Boom!!

The successive collision sounds deafened the ears.

Perhaps because it was a mutant, its pattern was on the tricky side.

Due to its hard shell, it wasn't easy to inflict damage, so I naturally had to take a defensive stance.

I put strength into my sword tip.

Thud! Clang-!

I stealthily moved my steps backward.

The excited scorpion followed. It didn't seem to realize its body was leaning forward.

As I was luring it to the designated spot like that.

Ting, swoosh-!

The crossbow fired.

The arrow full of mana tore through the air and soon lodged precisely between the scorpion's brows.

It aimed for the gap where armor-like skin didn't exist.

Kieeek...!

The huge silhouette collapsed with a single scream.

It was instant death without a doubt.

I wiped the sweat beaded on my forehead and gave a thumbs up to the old man walking up from behind.

His frail white hair scattered in the sand wind behind him.

"It was a good strategy, Elder."

"You worked hard too."

"Huhu, it was nothing."

"This one was especially tricky. I'm not sure if it can be considered a normal magical beast."

"From now on, there will be plenty of such individuals."

"Hmm? How do you know that?"

"Well... Let's call it intuition?"

We exchanged light small talk after the battle.

As we were taking a rest like that, Regia who had been waiting behind ran out.

"Y-Young Master!"

"Miss Regia."

"Are you perhaps injured anywhere? I-I can treat you...!"

"Unfortunately, I'm not particularly injured anywhere."

"Ah..."

The girl sighing while fidgeting.

It seemed she wanted to help but was frustrated that no such situation arose.

I smiled slightly and stroked her pink hair.

"Thank you for worrying."

"...I-I'm sorry. For not being of help this time either."

She made a gloomy expression.

As I was gently comforting the protagonist for a while, suddenly a coughing sound was heard from the side.

It was the old man's cough.

"Cough cough...!"

The old man spitting out blood without fail.

Now it had gone beyond coughing up blood and was close to vomiting blood.

"E-Elder...!"

"Are you alright?"

We immediately supported his staggering body.

Having exerted himself to defeat the mid-boss, it seemed he had overworked his already poor body.

"Cough... I'm fine."

The old man waved his hand as if he was fine.

Though blood stained his mouth, he didn't lose his characteristic gentle smile.

The atmosphere was still calm.

"Didn't I say it's a chronic illness? There's nothing to be surprised about."

"B-But...!"

"How can you still not be used to it after seeing it for several days already? Instead of that, lend me a handkerchief."

"I-I'll wipe the blood for you......"

"Thank you."

Regia wiping the red marks with trembling hands.

Tears were welling up in her eyes before I knew it.

The old man looked at the girl like that and laughed softly, then suddenly spoke towards me.

"You're truly a blessed person."

"Hmm?"

"To have such a kind child as your lover. I think she might be too good for you."

"Hooh."

"Eh, eeh...?"

A mischievous joke.

Regia who had been in a daze for a moment soon reacted as she belatedly realized the old man's words.

Her snow-white face flushed with heat.

"Wh-Wh-Whaaaat?!"

She even dropped the handkerchief she was holding.

Perhaps because she had no immunity to this kind of thing, she immediately broke down.

I suppose this is the fun of teasing.

I responded in a subtle voice.

Pouring oil on the fire the old man had thrown.

"You're right. She's too good for me."

"Y-Y-Young Master?!"

"I always think I'm very lucky."

"Uu, uugh..."

As we were teasing our protagonist like that, before long the heavy air loosened.

The old man who had cleanly wiped away the blood by now.

He was smiling gently while looking at us.

It seemed he had aimed for this from the start.

"Now, now, how about we stop chattering and move?"

"Sounds good."

"Y-Yes..."

We finished our rest and moved.

Rustle rustle-.

The desert still with no end in sight.

As we were treading the ground with our respective steps.

"Um... Elder."

The girl who had calmed down somewhat opened her mouth.

"What are you calling me for?"

"It's nothing much... I found something strange while looking around earlier. I was wondering if you might know about it."

"Hmm? What kind of strange thing are you talking about?"

"Sometimes there were strange things sticking out of the ground."

"Strange things...?"

"Should I say they looked like building roofs? As if something was buried under the sand... Do you perhaps know what they are?"

"......"

Pause.

The old man suddenly stopping his steps.

He seemed to be even holding his breath.

"E-Elder...?"

Regia tilted her head as if asking why.

The old man who had held silence briefly soon smiled vaguely as usual.

"...Well. I don't know either."

His pupils were trembling faintly.

***

The journey continued for several days.

We were steadily advancing forward while enduring the scorpion attacks given each time.

Of course, the situation was not very good.

The old man's condition worsened with each passing day.

The intervals between coughing up blood gradually shortened, and now he even collapsed losing consciousness occasionally.

Despite our worried words, the old man insisted on continuing the journey.

In fact, we couldn't turn back at this point anyway, so we moved while taking care of him as much as possible.

The speed inevitably became slower.

"This is... I feel bad for being a burden."

"W-We're fine...!"

"We need you to guide us to the city anyway, Elder. There's no need to feel sorry."

"Thank you. Both of you."

The monster waves were also starting to feel tougher.

Perhaps because we were getting close to the destination, even the ordinary small fry had risen to a considerable level.

All of them were mid-level magical beasts or above.

It wasn't called an extreme episode for nothing.

"Y-Young Master! They're swarming from behind!"

"Confirmed."

"If you lure them like last time, I'll handle them from here."

"Will you be alright?"

"No problem."

"Then, I'll leave it to you."

Every battle flowed in an intense aspect.

We were reaching the limit of our strategies.

It was a situation I had intended to some extent.

I was only moving enough to barely maintain balance.

The old man's condition continued to be poor, and this situation kept pushing the protagonist into hardship.

"I-I'll handle one more...!"

Regia seemed to feel a sense of responsibility.

A gap stemming from the absence of ability.

She seemed to be trying to fill it somehow.

Of course, effort didn't solve everything.

The crisis was gradually escalating.

A situation approaching the extreme.

Fortunately, the attacks were set to not occur more than six times a day, so we could catch our breath and recover occasionally.

Like that, it was the point when over a week had passed since we fell into the desert.

"......"

Whoosh-.

A gentle wind blowing.

Under the night sky where nothing was visible but brilliant starlight, I was keeping night watch alone.

A faintly glowing magic lamp kept me company.

It was the end of a grueling day.

Had the hot desert fallen asleep too?

Only chilly air remained.

As I held the faint silence between my lips like a cigarette, suddenly an alien noise touched my ears.

It was the sound of shoes stepping on sand.

Rustle-.

I raised my lowered head.

Where I slightly turned to look, white hair stood.

"...Elder?"

"Hello."

The old man standing with stars as his background.

When our gazes met, he smiled gently then soon approached and sat beside me.

He had seemed to be tossing and turning earlier.

Had he ultimately been unable to sleep?

Perhaps his ailing body was hindering his sleep.

I quietly asked.

"Are you alright?"

"Haven't I said many times? There's no problem at all."

"I know you barely touched your meal today."

"I'm tired of scorpion tails now."

"That's an understandable reason."

"It's terribly unappetizing."

"Especially since we've been eating the same thing for a week already."

"Chewing cactus would be better at this point."

"I agree."

Voices exchanging frivolously.

Though we seemed to be making small talk for a while, before long both fell silent.

It was due to each other's somewhat subdued atmosphere.

"......"

"......"

We were sinking into silence.

Night dyeing hazily.

The snake and old man sat side by side.

What broke the stillness that seemed like it would continue like that was none other than the old man's hoarse voice.

"I'm sorry."

An apology recited gently.

"I know I'm being greedy. That I'm just becoming a burden to you."

"Not at all."

"Don't say that."

Despite my denial, the old man just smiled.

His eyes shone transparently.

"But still... I really want to meet her."

"You mean your friend?"

"She's still everything in my world."

"How romantic."

"Well, Rosalyn always said she disliked this side of me."

"She probably liked it inside."

"I think so too. Rosalyn was shy after all."

There are things you only realize after losing them.

That's how it was for the two of them.

When you're together you don't know, but the pain of parting is agonizing to the point of death.

Like that, they became aware of each other and fell into belated love.

It was content written in the official setting book.

"I... have never forgotten her even once."

Even when continuing a lonely life in a distant foreign land.

Even when drafted into war.

Even when running fiercely on the front lines.

Even after finally finding peace following the end of the war.

Even when receiving a mysterious letter from his hometown where contact had been cut off for a while.

The old man lived thinking only of the girl.

"Isn't it foolish?"

"......"

"The promise to meet again. I've lived believing in just that one promise for 50 years."

Even though the person in question might have forgotten.

The old man muttered as if bitter.

White hair fluttering in the wind.

I was silently watching that.

"It's stupid."

Adults don't remember their childhood.

But if one hasn't forgotten childhood despite growing old, what should we call them?

A type of person I had never met before.

The old man was an adult, but also a boy at the same time.

"It's not foolish at all."

I politely returned an answer.

It was words arising from sincerity.

The old man seemed to feel that too, as he responded with a smile in his eyes.

"Tsk tsk... Thank you for saying that at least."

Someone said.

The reason deserts are beautiful is because they hide oases.

Originally, the most precious things are invisible.

Life was the same.

The reason the old man's life moves someone is probably because of his desperate heart towards a single flower.

A flaming rose was shining in his heart.

"How about you?"

"Hmm?"

"Looking at you reminds me of myself back then. You're always smiling as if cheerful, but you never reveal your true feelings to anyone."

Probably because you're afraid.

"You've suffered similar wounds too, haven't you?"

"......"

I couldn't say anything.

I just froze as if struck at a vital point.

The old man recited leisurely.

"How can a life without regrets exist?"

Whether child or adult.

People live accumulating regrets.

But just as dawn comes because there is daybreak, happiness finds us because there are painful days.

That's why life is beautiful.

"You just have to live dreaming of a better tomorrow even amidst such regrets."

A wrinkled hand stroked my head.

It felt awkward.

When was the last time I received comfort like this?

I couldn't even remember. Perhaps it could be counted on one hand even combining this life and the previous one.

"You'll be able to do well."

"......"

I was always in the position of comforting others, so it felt strange to receive comfort in reverse.

As I was chewing over such a fresh sentiment.

A single word unconsciously popped out from between my closed lips.

"You said it when we first met."

The one request the old man had made.

-Could you perhaps take this old man to the stars?

I answered remembering that time.

"I will definitely... take you to the stars."

The old man looked surprised for a moment, then soon nodded his head.

His aged lips burst into a small laugh.

"Pfft... That's an encouraging thing to say!"

"Let's do our best."

"I'll do my best to guide you to the city too!"

"It's truly a symbiosis."

"Hahaha!"

Time remaining until the episode's end.

One more day.

I exchanged a few more words with the old man while recalling the conclusion soon to come.

It was a night when the desert shone especially beautifully.