Book Eater

Chapter 122: Crossing the Wilderness (2)

There were tens of thousands of magicians and scholars who had sought to uncover the cause of the catastrophe. It didn’t fall under any theory of meteorology, and even Blundell had returned empty-handed back when he was a 7th Circle magician.

However, Gluttony replied in a casual tone.

- You want to know the truth of the drought?

“Yes.”

- I’m sorry, but I can’t answer that question free of charge. If you want to hear it, the question will use your right for a question today.

The reason was enough to require using one of his nightly questions? It might not be worth it. However, Theo knew from his experience so far that the information itself was priceless. Even if the information seemed useless now, it might unravel a knot someday, especially when it was involving something like the drought.

When he nodded, Gluttony spoke.

- ... Hrmm, understood. Then I’ll tell you what I remember.

If anyone from Austen knew this was happening, they would have given an arm and a leg to listen in. The grimoire of the Seven Sins, the bottomless well of knowledge, was speaking of their greatest crisis. But there was also the chance that Gluttony, who hoarded secrets of the Age of Mythology, might not know about modern disasters.

However, Gluttony shocked Theo with a single sentence.

- The sand dragon, Desertio who lives at the center of the Meuse Desert, is at the epicenter of the drought.

“Dragon?!”

- That’s right.

The strongest species, the dragons, were the last of the naturally transcendent species who remained in this world after the Age of Mythology ended. They were monsters who lived for close to an eternity and looked down on all other species.

Sometimes heroes called dragon slayers would kill them, but there were only a handful of such people in the history books. The dragons were born as the strongest, and were often praised as a species who spread life everywhere they went.

However, the cause of this drought was a dragon...?

Theo couldn’t understand the response, and Gluttony continued as though it hadn’t finished yet.

- Don’t misunderstand. Desertio might not be causing the drought maliciously. After all, he has survived for nearly a million years, and is already closer to a spirit than a creature. Therefore, he changes the environment around him.

“Indeed, he is a sand dragon.”

- If Desertio was a red dragon, lava would flow from that area and a volcano would erupt every cycle. In a sense, desertification is still moderate in some ways. In other words, the sand dragon, Desertio, is just living.?

His lair is in the middle of the desert, and he is simply waiting for the end of his life, without any malice toward the humans. As the dragon is the strongest species in the material world, it will pay back the world’s grace by returning its flesh to nature. Desertio’s huge body will probably transform into grains of sand.

The grimoire fell into a comfortable silence. On the other hand, Theo’s face distorted subtly.

“What? So, the old dragon is waiting to die, and the Austen Kingdom is suffering from the aftermath?”

- Yes.

“That’s too extreme!”

Theo felt his head hurt at the unexpected answer. It wasn’t a monster in the desert aiming for the end of humanity, but an old dragon patiently waiting for his death? Furthermore, the other side had no idea. Humans were just so weak that they couldn’t endure being around him.

Gluttony chuckled like it was sympathetic.

- Yes, it is as you said. Too extreme. In the ancient times, there were more dragons, and this was more frequent. From the standpoint of the humans and other species, the dragons were too territorial.

“... It can’t be.”

- Yes, there was a war against the dragons.

It is known as Dracomachia, the great war of that era, where some records still remain. Most of the species in the material world joined forces to hunt the nearly thousand strong dragons. But despite being the strongest in the world, the dragons couldn’t endure hundreds of thousands of enemies. Back then, it was an age where there were 9th?Circle magicians in every country.

At the end of the devastating war, the dragons were slaughtered, leaving only a few survivors behind. The remnants of that mighty war still remain in this day and age.

Theo’s eyes dilated as he was suddenly told one of the world’s deepest secrets. The reason why the powerful dragons had almost been exterminated was so shocking that horror overwhelmed his curiosity. He now understood what Myrdal meant by a fact that one shouldn’t know.

As if it knew what he was feeling, Gluttony advised.

- If you want to solve the problem of the drought, you should give up now. A dragon is a species that only grows stronger with time. If you try to fight Desertio, he would snuff you out like a candle.

“I know that much. This isn’t a story I can afford to get involved in,” Theo answered as he turned away from the direction of the Austen Kingdom.

Theo hadn’t backed down against Pride, but his opponent was too monstrous this time. The greatest magician in the kingdom, Veronica, had killed a dragon who had only lived for three thousand years. Nevertheless, she had complained that she had almost died many times. Theo couldn’t even fathom just how strong a dragon who had lived for nearly a million years was.

Fortunately, the drought wouldn’t last forever. According to Gluttony, the drought would disappear if Desertio died in the next three hundred years. Until then, it would be painful, and the kingdom would just have to be patient.

Theo walked back the way he came in a bittersweet mood.

***

“Theo, you came back!” Bear welcomed him as he returned to the camp.

It seemed like the merchants had finished setting up camp, as white tents dotted the desolate plains. They had also erected a fence around the camp to keep small critters at bay. Bear seemed to live up to his words that he had made this trip many times.

“Yes, the wind was cool.”

“Hahaha! It’s an annoying place without any trees! It’s hot like hell in the daytime, but it gets quite cool after the sun goes down.”

Theo was confused. “Huh? If that is the case, shouldn’t we move at night? The hot daytime will tire the horses sooner.”

“Oh, good point! If this was a typical desert or tropical region, that would be the case.” Bear chuckled. “But on these plains, there are many creatures who think the same and like to move at night. For example, sand worms and desert ants only start their activities after the sand cools down.”

“Aha, I see.”

Indeed, it was the answer of an experienced merchant. Theo was convinced as he glanced toward the sleeping horses. The procession’s mobility depended on the horses and carriages, and they didn’t have enough strength to defeat swarms of enemies. However, if Theo were to reveal his power, they would be able to move at night.

However, Theo just sat down obediently where he was directed.

The meal… Smoked meat in a vegetable soup? Sounds good.

It was easy to fill the stomach with just meat, but it would be hard to cope with the constant movements if they weren’t getting the proper nutrients. Additionally, a tasteless meal would have a negative effect on the morale of the group as well as the mercenaries’ strength. This was why top trading companies developed basic and high quality food which could be conserved.

Dalgurak.

Unfortunately, he only took a few bites before Theo’s spoon was forced to stop.

... What is this ticklish feeling?

There was an itching on the back of his neck. It was just the barest irritation, like a piece of grass brushing against his neck. Theo put down the bowl and gazed in the direction his senses seemed to be pointing to. The plains rolled onward, but he couldn’t find any uninvited guests.

Bear was surprised by his sudden movement and asked, “Theo? What is going on?”

“Wait.”

Theo’s eyes shone gold as he used Hawkeye. Now he would be able to penetrate the darkness of the night much easier. At the end of his extremely sensitive field of view, a faint dust cloud could be seen.

“... Enemies!” he quickly shouted.

But who or what are they?

The dust cloud came from the animals that were being ridden, and moonlight bounced off unsheathed blades. They had to be the cause of the discomfort that had tickled his neck, the warning from his sixth sense about the approaching enemies. However, he intuitively understood why the warning was weak, and Theo couldn’t help laughing inwardly.

The opponents are so weak that my senses almost didn’t feel it.

His opponents had always been rather powerful. From the Elder Lich born from the power of a grimoire, and Pride who freely reproduced the traits of creatures, to the legend ranked grimoire Laevateinn, that burned the original world trees… His senses had screamed everyday, so he couldn’t help wanting to laugh now.

Theo brushed the dust off his collar and looked around.

“R-Really? Enemies are coming!”

“Take your formations! Archers, hurry up and move back behind the barrier!”

“Put out the campfire!”

The reactions of the merchants and mercenaries weren’t bad. They quickly extinguished the lights and armed themselves in defense positions. The mercenaries should be skilled enough to repel normal enemies.

However, Theo wasn’t too optimistic. Now that the group was closer, he could sense their strength. There were ten aura users, and one more who was almost at master level. He had to be the captain. Theo felt like he would be comparable to Rebecca, the prodigy of Andras. The mercenaries wouldn’t be able to face such a powerhouse.

I don’t know who they are, but I’m a little limited if I want to keep my cover intact.

Theo’s trademark move, Magic Bullet, was currently sealed. Any 5th Circle magic and the Ring of Muspelheim were also sealed. The only tools he had available in this situation were Mitra, magic of the 4th Circle or below, close combat, and artifacts. Umbra might be okay if he used it in a manner that wasn't obvious.

... Okay, let’s give this thing a shot.?

Theo acted quickly, inserting magic power into the bracelet hanging from his wrist.

Huuuuuuong!

The bracelet started to emit a low keening as it glowed with mysterious characters. The bracelet made by the Yellow Tower Master had been crafted with unknown materials and designed to be used to defend the king himself. The high-level magic contained in the bracelet soon produced warriors in the air from Theo’s magic.

Ching! Ching!

The magic coalesced into six suits of armor. The gaps in the boots and helmet gave away that they were empty, but the six suits of armor dropped into combat stances.

The spell engraved into the bracelet was Living Armor. Depending on the capabilities of the creator, they might be weaker than farmers or stronger than elite knights… and the one who designed these Living Armors was the Yellow Tower Master.

“Protect the company. This command should be followed until all enemies within a one kilometer radius have disappeared.”

[Yes, my master.]

Theo reassured his confused allies and stared at the approaching enemies. He didn’t feel any tension, nor fear. Compared to the enemies he’d faced so far, these people were just stones on the roadside.

Theo blinked, and an intense fireball wordlessly appeared above his head.