The nearest town to the
The town was decently sized, but naturally it couldn't compare to the water-gate city of
The highways spanning the kingdom were well-maintained everywhere, and the journey to Milur aboard a dragon carriage had been a stable one, but for a town sitting at the eastern end of the line, it felt unbearably desolate.
"Still, I guess it can't be helped. Looking at the map, there's really nothing east of here except the Augria Sand Dunes, and south is the kingdom's largest great forest, right? It's far from all five major cities, so it makes sense there aren't many travelers passing through."
Walking alongside Subaru,
She had a white hood pulled over her head, gently concealing her beautiful silver hair and features. If a gorgeous girl like Emilia showed up in a backwater town like this, it would send a shock through the locals' sense of beauty — that was Subaru's joke, but she really did hold an extraordinary position. It wasn't just her appearance; including her identity, she needed to avoid attracting trouble, so this was a small measure of consideration.
Though, the reason for covering her head and mouth went beyond just that.
Aside from hiding her identity, there was Milur's infamous "disaster" — the sand wind's influence.
"No way to develop east or south, and on top of all that, this sand wind. What a pain."
Standing with Emilia on the leeward side, Subaru positioned himself upwind as a meager act of resistance. He pulled the cloth wrapped around his face higher over his mouth and murmured that. When he moved his tongue, he could feel sand scraping between his teeth, and a wave of nausea washed over him.
This wind laced with sand flowed into the town from the east, blowing down off the dunes.
On windy days, the sand storms seemed to blow relentlessly, and such sand-proof fashion was indispensable for walking around town.
"…? Subaru, what's wrong?"
"Nothing — I was just thinking the desert's not quite what I'd pictured."
Emilia tilted her head at Subaru, who had glanced sideways at her.
She was covered from head to toe by a cloak that hid nearly all exposed skin, draping all the way to her ankles. In principle, Subaru believed that cute girls should dazzle onlookers in all sorts of outfits, but in attire this defensively bulky, there was nothing for the eyes to enjoy.
When you said "desert," you thought of sun-protective outfits, dancer costumes, or something — or so he'd imagined.
"That reminds me — I probably should've listened to the innkeeper after all."
"It's the 'Sand Hour' right now, right? Nobody on the streets."
The wind wasn't all that strong, but the sand was so light that it had turned into a fine dust. In the yellowish haze, the only people visible on the town's streets were Subaru and Emilia.
The townspeople, thoroughly accustomed to this environment, holoped up indoors during the "Sand Hour," when the sand wind blew — stuffing every crack in windows and doors with meticulous thoroughness.
In truth, a sandstorm demanded considerable effort not just for visibility but even for breathing. The innkeeper had been emphatic about telling them they shouldn't go outside during the Sand Hour.
However, there was a reason they'd pushed past the innkeeper's protests and ventured out.
"If it's like this in town, the sand storms on the dunes must be something else entirely."
"…Yeah, you're right."
It wasn't exactly a rehearsal, but there was a reason for deliberately going out during the Sand Hour — to steel themselves.
The dunes, surrounded on all sides by sand and swept by sand winds even outside the Sand Hour, would be far worse than this. And this was the visibility in a densely built town some distance from the dunes itself.
They needed to properly brace themselves for how brutal the dune crossing would be.
"Let's go inside somewhere, at this rate, both you and I are going to become lumps of sand."
Brushing away the clinging sand, Emilia pointed at a building across the street. What appeared to be a tavern was functioning as an improvised shelter.
The other shops had a "closed, keep out" air about them, but at least this place's entrance wasn't shut.
Following Emilia's suggestion, the two hurried toward the building at a brisk pace.
In front of the push-door, they shook off as much sand as they could before slowly stepping inside the tavern.
"…Welcome, sand and all."
The owner, who had been polishing a glass behind the counter, greeted them in a low voice the moment they entered. He probably realized at a glance that they were caked in sand — which was why his tone wasn't exactly welcoming.
They'd done their best to shed it, but the amount of clinging sand was still enormous. Feeling apologetic about it, they tracked sand into the shop as they entered.
"What'll it be?"
"Cold milk, please."
"Warm milk, please."
"……"
The owner narrowed his eyes at the counter-seated pair's orders but said nothing.
Incidentally, the cold one was Subaru's order, and the warm one was Emilia's.
"Doesn't exactly scream 'bustling business'… is the shop shut for the Sand Hour?"
Removing his hood and taking a sip of the milk that arrived, Subaru asked the owner. The unfriendly proprietor gave a curt "Yeah," then continued: "Even without that, this town doesn't get much outside foot traffic. During daylight hours the shop's technically open, but it's more of a hobby than a business."
"I see. Well then, we outsiders who are also customers must be your prized regulars, huh."
"Milk at a tavern and you act all pleased about it. Here — the young lady's."
"Ooh, thank you."
The warm milk was offered, and Emilia grasped the ceramic cup with a sigh of relief. Glancing at her blowing on the milk, Subaru leaned forward over the counter.
"No other customers, and you've got some time now, right? Would you mind letting me ask a few questions?"
"Even if I really were free, talking to someone on the clock about their downtime is bad form. …What does an outsider want to know?"
"Straight up — about the Augria Sand Dunes."
Subaru raised a finger and pressed the question before the owner. Hearing this, the owner's expression finally cracked for the first time.
The gray-haired, grizzled owner narrowed his thick-browed eyes suspiciously. He looked back and forth between Subaru and Emilia, then let out a small sigh.
"I don't know what kind of joke you think this is, but if you're heading there for fun, don't. You'll die."
"Whoa, whoa — what's that supposed to mean? Do we really look like we're doing this for kicks?"
"If you look like anything else, would I be giving this warning? That place is a sea of death where nobody comes back alive. It's not somewhere you take a woman for a romantic outing."
"The bridge effect is a valid approach, I'll grant you that, but I'm not that desperate. Tell him, Emilia-tan."
"Phew, phew… ow… wait, what? Sorry, I wasn't listening."
"See? This is the E.M.T. I'm talking about."
"I'm saying something serious — go home before you die."
Watching Subaru and Emilia's exchange, the owner's trust dropped even further.
That said, the owner clearly didn't have bad intentions. The Augria Sand Dunes' danger was well-known from their reputation alone. But — "Retreating isn't an option for us. If the only path is forward, then all we can do is pick the safest route we can find. You understand, right?"
"You're the ones who don't understand. Listen — that dune is beyond saving. It's a nest of mabeasts, the air reeks with miasma, and that tower you can see in the distance — you can't get near it."
Growing irritated by Subaru's persistence, the owner began listing the dunes' threats. Pointing at the window (sealed shut to keep sand out) and indicating the town's eastern side, the owner's lips twisted.
"Every year, reckless fools like you show up heading for the dunes. The goal is the Sage's Tower out in the Sand Sea, but… nobody reaches it. If you make it back alive, that's a miracle, but most either dry up in the desert or become mabeast food. That's the end of it."
"Seriously? Has nobody ever actually made it?"
"How long do you think that tower's been standing there? Hundreds of years. The number of idiots aiming for it never dwindles, and if someone had reached it, they'd make it known. Don't you know? It's something even the Sword Saint failed to accomplish."
"……"
The conquest of the
Subaru had heard that from the man himself, and it spoke volumes about the tower's abnormally extreme difficulty.
But even so, it was precisely what Subaru and his companions had to overcome now.
"Of course, I'm not stupid enough to charge in with no plan. That's why we're gathering intel first. The tavern is the go-to spot for that, right?"
"Is it? Why somewhere people drink?"
"When you ask for details, I honestly don't know the specifics, but probably because everyone's loose-lipped after drinking and all sorts of rumors circulate?"
"So basically, drunk talk from unreliable sources. Charging in blindly isn't great, but leaning too hard on bad information isn't good either."
"Oof! That's a direct hit!"
Bludgeoned by a frontal assault of sound logic, Subaru drained his milk and sank into silence.
Even at his normal conversational pace, when dealing with a full-grown adult, Subaru was outmatched. The owner was probably used to dealing with reckless dune-challengers like Subaru. In truth, Subaru's dune challenge wasn't exactly reckless, but since the owner didn't know that, he was treated the same way.
At this rate, they'd return empty-handed without a single lead — "Bringing a girl along and heading into that kind of hell…"
"Sorry, Innkeeper. You've been worrying about us this whole time, and Subaru just keeps complaining."
When Subaru slumped in frustration at the dead end, Emilia cut off the owner just as he was about to launch into another lecture. The owner's eyes went round at her words, which started with an apology.
To the wide-eyed owner, Emilia gave a small bow.
"You don't even know us, but you've been so kind with all this advice."
"No, sorry for being so naggy. I just don't think I've said anything wrong. You young folks, every time…"
"Do that many people really try to go meet the 'Sage'?"
"Not many people have the real spirit to meet the Sage, I'd think. Most are after the glory of conquering the Augria Sand Dunes. Some probably hope to have the Sage bestow wisdom upon them, but the idea that you get a reward just for reaching the tower — that's dubious at best."
The owner shrugged and sighed with a weary expression.
True to his words, he'd probably seen off many challengers to the Pleiades Watchtower. For someone with such a rough demeanor, he was surprisingly decent — there was clearly something gnawing at him.
"Does that mean… you can't reach the 'Sage' even if you make it to the tower?"
"I haven't heard anything about anyone reaching that far, either. The rumor is that the Sage still looks down upon the dunes from atop the tower and delivers divine punishment upon the impudent, but… I haven't seen it with my own eyes. To me, the whole dune area just looks like a trap — hanging out bait to lure in prey."
"Mabeasts and miasma — you mentioned both. What exactly are those?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. That place is a nest of mabeasts… mabeasts come in all sorts of species throughout the kingdom, but the dunes are peculiar in that every single kind is found there."
Getting into the rhythm of it, the owner spoke in a lowered but voluble voice.
When Emilia gasped and nodded, the owner gazed off into the distance.
"The Mottled King Hounds and Black Wing Rats are almost cute by comparison. The unicorns and the Sand Earthworms are endemic species you'll find nowhere else. And if there happened to be flower fields in the sandy soil, that'd be an Oiran Bear's hunting ground. Think nightmare."
"Oiran Bear…"
"Apparently they're only supposed to live near
"Mabeasts really are something else… nasty."
"Mabeasts are beasts that kill humans" — who had he heard those words from again?
The owner snorted at Subaru's scowling, attentive face, as if to say "See?"
"But the thing you need to be most wary of on the dunes isn't the mabeasts — it's the miasma. The sand wind and environmental shifts are dangerous too, but miasma takes priority."
"That miasma thing just doesn't click for me."
The owner clouded his voice again, and Subaru cocked his head.
Miasma — the word itself was familiar enough, and he could imagine something from the literal meaning. Essentially, it was air that looked and felt bad for your health, exerting some kind of harmful influence on body and mind.
It wasn't quite the same as toxic gas, but something close to it, perhaps?
"Emilia here. See, miasma is, to put it simply, mana that's been polluted by something bad. You can't see it, but it's everywhere, right?"
"Wait — mana becomes miasma?"
Subaru was surprised by Emilia's explanation. It was easy to understand, but the nuance shifted slightly from what he'd imagined.
Mana was undeniably a tremendous source of influence for magic users and spirits. But simply living one's day-to-day life, or riding a ground dragon for transportation — that shouldn't pose a significant problem.
However, Emilia slowly shook her head, as if she'd seen right through Subaru's crestfallen thoughts.
"Don't underestimate miasma. Normally, regular mana has no color and no directional bias — it's pure. But miasma… mana tainted by something bad can damage a living creature's body just from being drawn in through a gate. Since the gate is the organ that naturally draws in mana, it can't be avoided."
"Because you can't just hold your breath forever?"
"That's correct in principle, but the miasma drifting through the Augria Sand Dunes goes beyond even that. —The miasma there ruins not just living things, but food and drink as well."
"You mean you can't eat it?"
"I mean if you eat it, the pollution advances all at once. Taking in even trace amounts through your gate will drive you mad. Now imagine taking it in directly through your stomach. You'd be swallowed by the contamination."
"And then what happens? It's not just going crazy?"
"The accepted theory is that you go mad and die. In practice… well, I can't deny it."
The owner shook his head with sparse words, his complexion pale.
He hadn't said it outright, but he'd most likely witnessed it firsthand — the end of a person driven insane by miasma.
"If you can avoid going to a place like that, do so. That's far better."
"…Thank you for the milk. And for the conversation."
As the owner moved to wrap things up, Emilia finished her hot milk and offered her thanks.
Halfway through, the owner had probably realized he was being coaxed into talking. Even so, he'd continued to the end, trying to bend Subaru and Emilia's resolve.
But sadly, their destination remained unchanged.
"We'll leave the money here. Let's go, Subaru."
"Yeah… right."
Emilia set a silver coin on the counter and tugged at Subaru's sleeve. It was far too much for two cups of milk, but it included a tip for the information and concern.
They stood and bowed to the owner, preparing to leave the shop.
"——In the past year or so, I've started seeing birds flying off toward the dunes."
"……"
As Subaru and Emilia pulled their hoods back over their heads, bracing for the sand wind, a voice reached their retreating backs. Turning, they found the owner had his back to them, wiping a glass in a tone that was almost a monologue.
"According to people who've seen them, the joke going around is that the bird is heading for the tower. There's no proof whatsoever, but…"
The owner set the glass down and stopped speaking.
Then — "If you lose your way on the dunes, try looking for the bird. If you're lucky, it might guide you to the tower."
"……"
"And if you're already lost on the dunes, your luck is at rock bottom anyway."
Without any reply to the owner's words, Subaru and Emilia stepped out of the shop.
Outside, the sand wind had weakened considerably. Confirming that the visibility was much better than when they'd entered the tavern, Emilia turned back to Subaru.
"Let's head back to the inn and regroup with everyone first. Anastasia and the others might be back by now."
"Yeah. I'm curious about their haul too."
Subaru walked ahead of Emilia, who had covered her face once more, serving as a windbreak.
When they'd put enough distance between themselves and the tavern that it was out of sight, Emilia murmured softly.
"The owner back there… was missing a leg."
"…I didn't notice."
"I don't know what kind of injury it was… but I think that tells us something."
At Emilia's pensive words, Subaru understood what she was getting at.
The owner had been genuinely concerned for two complete strangers, earnestly warning them of the dunes' dangers.
If that advice had been born from his own experience, then they were terrible people for ignoring that concern and charging ahead into the dunes anyway. That's how it felt.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ "Oh my, looks like Natsuki-kun and Emilia-san made it back safe and sound."
Returning to the inn, brushing off the sand and heading upstairs, Subaru and Emilia were greeted by Anastasia — who, like them, had been out.
She'd changed out of her outdoor clothes and was sitting gracefully on a cot with a refined smile.
The inn where the group was staying was the best Milur had to offer.
That said, it couldn't compare to Priestella's Waterbird Pavilion or similar establishments, but that was simply the gap in city tiers — nothing to be done about it.
"Where's Julius?"
"After he dropped us off at the inn, he said he'd look around the town a bit. Probably getting his eyes accustomed to the sand, I'd wager. Same as you lot, yeah? How'd it go?"
"Honestly, I'd kill for some dust goggles — clear glass or something that covers the area around the eyes like this."
Imagining swim goggles, Subaru gestured around his eyes and asked. Anastasia tilted her head at that and nodded thoughtfully.
"Glasswork would have durability issues, but it's worth considering… The sand-wind problem isn't irrelevant even in Kararagi, so it might be a workable idea."
"Right, but that's not what I want to talk about regarding future patents. If that's not an option… well, as long as we avoid the Sand Hour, I don't think we'll be completely immobilized."
"The real problem seems to be the mabeasts and miasma, not the sand.
Emilia said this while glancing toward the wall separating them from the adjacent room.
That room was currently under Beatrice's surveillance of Meili. Emotionally, one wanted to believe she wouldn't betray them, but given Meili's track record, they couldn't trust her blindly. And her claimed severed connection with her mother couldn't be confirmed definitively. Nor could they guarantee her mother wouldn't attempt to silence them.
"And for navigation, we're counting on Anastasia. A real tightrope walk."
"It's always like that, isn't it?"
"That it is."
At Emilia's rare quip, Subaru's lips relaxed. He then glanced over at Anastasia. She straightened her back on the cot and continued: "So, about what we set out to do — it's all been taken care of, so rest easy. The dragon carriage's wheel adjustments and our arrangements for entering the dunes should all meet our requirements."
"Really… I'm sorry. It feels like you've handled everything."
"No worries, no worries. In exchange, we'll be relying on Emilia for combat strength."
Anastasia waved her hand magnanimously.
The objectives she'd mentioned — one was adjusting the dragon carriage for the dunes. Normally, dragon carriages were only designed for well-maintained highways, or at least solid roads. But this route was mostly sand, and a standard dragon carriage would be nearly immobile.
Leaving the carriage behind and traveling on ground dragons was an option — but with so many women and children in the group, plus an unconscious
So they'd been forced to modify the dragon carriage for desert conditions and swap out the ground dragons.
"We can't just leave
"She's super smart, after all. If you talked about leaving her behind, Subaru, you'd probably get bitten…"
In truth, that did seem likely, so he couldn't comment. He wasn't leaving her behind anyway.
"So the other negotiation…"
"It wasn't really a negotiation, per se. I just reassured them about their worries and explained things properly."
She gave a charming smile, but sensing that the smile wasn't what it appeared to be, a chill ran down Subaru's spine.
The dragon carriage and the other matter. In short, the other was a rite of passage for entering the dunes — specifically, an agreement about who would bear responsibility should Emilia and Anastasia, both royal selection candidates, go missing in the Augria Sand Dunes.
As things stood, both of them held positions that could be called among the most important in the kingdom. If those two were buried in sand at the Augria Sand Dunes, it would be a major crisis, and naturally, a huge uproar over where the responsibility lay was expected.
The Augria Sand Dunes — whoever managed the dunes themselves was one thing, but for the lord governing the Milur region where the candidates had last been seen, the weight of that responsibility would be unbearable.
So in advance, Anastasia had gone to the lord to secure his agreement — and a written document — to the point that "whatever happens, it is the candidates' own responsibility."
"Still, since we couldn't actually stop them, we might end up bearing the blame… Our lives aren't solely ours to risk. The responsibility is enormous, isn't it?"
"That's always been the case — not because of the royal selection or being candidates. If we don't find a way to meet the 'Sage' and recover what needs to be recovered, there are countless people who won't be saved. This isn't something new to bring up now."
"How reassuring."
Anastasia returned Emilia's resolute declaration with a somewhat pleased look. Then she tilted her head and turned toward Subaru.
"So, Natsuki-kun, did your outing yield anything? I'm sure you didn't just go out to get your eyes accustomed to the sand, right?"
"Well, we weren't exactly trying to have a date in a sandstorm. But I did manage to hear a few things from someone who knew what he was talking about."
"The owner happened to be well-informed, though."
"Choosing the tavern — that was my foresight shining through."
"Pretty sure I was the one who suggested that place…"
In any case, how the conversation had gone and whose idea it was had no bearing on the information itself.
When Subaru relayed the tavern owner's story to Anastasia, she took on a contemplative expression.
"Seeing birds… hmm."
"What, does that interest you?"
"The rest of it is roughly common knowledge at the level of 'one step above the basics for tackling the Augria Sand Dunes.' What's really interesting is the change itself. Birds seem like they'd be the most sensitive to that miasma-laced wind."
"When you put it that way, you're right…"
At Anastasia's words, Emilia touched her own hair, lost in thought. While Subaru watched her ponder, he leaned quietly toward Anastasia — "——You don't actually have something in mind, do you?"
"Nothing concrete comes to mind. But the fact that it's interesting is undeniable."
"……"
"Don't make that suspicious face. Look, you'll make her uneasy."
Anastasia's true nature peeked through, but since she'd pointed it out, he had no choice but to back down. Fortunately, the still-contemplating Emilia hadn't noticed their exchange, though Subaru felt oddly like a man desperately hiding an affair — which was a strange feeling to have.
"When do we set off?"
"The sooner the better, right? The concerns about the carriage and those talks are done… Once we stock up on supplies to load, we could head out immediately."
"Tomorrow might be a bit hasty, but the day after?"
"Let's go with that."
At Anastasia's decision, Emilia nodded in agreement.
She then turned her gaze toward the room's window — the glass pane sealed shut to keep the sand out — and narrowed her eyes.
What Emilia's violet eyes were fixed on was the scene to the east, beyond the window.
There, rising above the town's skyline, stood an enormous shadow.
"Pleiades Watchtower."
In a small, bell-like voice, Emilia named the structure.
The tower they sought was so large and tall that it could be seen from within Milur itself.
——Could anyone really miss something that massive?
Ever since the Pleiades Watchtower had come into view along the highway before their arrival in Milur, Subaru had been harboring that question.
How could you possibly miss such a landmark?
But even as he thought that, the tavern owner's warning also pierced his mind.
"No plan is out of the question, a bad plan is a last resort."
No matter what, there was no option to not take on the challenge.
That was precisely why he'd chosen to select every means available to increase their odds — or so he believed.
He was different from the reckless, foolish adventurers the owner had described. Or so he thought.
And that was precisely why Subaru didn't realize — couldn't realize — That no matter what, there was no option to not take on the challenge.
That by this point, he had already closed off the very first path by his own hand.