I Parry Everything: Volume 6 [Parts 1 to 13] by Nabeshiki

Author:Nabeshiki
Language: eng
Format: epub

Chapter 119: Desert Journey, Part 1

We entered the Mercantile Free State of Sarenza through Sandwatch Fort, a massive stone bastion built into the vast wall that separated the nation from the Kingdom of Clays.

The enormous wall reaching toward the sky had surprised me when I’d first seen it from a distance. Its main purpose was to prevent sand from blowing north into the Kingdom, but it also served as the border between our country and Sarenza. As far as boundaries went, I couldn’t think of anything more clear-cut.

As soon as our coach rolled into Sarenza’s side of the fort, a group of spear-wielding soldiers stopped us. They wore headdresses made from wrapped white cloth. Lynne showed them some documents, and they let us pass without any trouble.

There sure were a lot of armed guards around, which made me realize just how tough it would have been to enter Sarenza on my own. I didn’t know why there were so many...but I could guess why none of them wore armor. It was blisteringly hot near the wall. The sunlight was harsh enough that anyone clad in metal would probably be cooked alive—and we weren’t even in the desert proper yet. I hadn’t expected the weather to change so drastically when we were barely south of the border.

The severe heat made me especially thankful for our coach, which had a large awning to keep us in the shade. I’d wondered about its strange shape, but now I understood: it was absolutely necessary for a journey through the desert.

Beyond the massive gates, an empty stretch of sand awaited us. Sand, sand, and more sand; dunes as far as the eye could see. The only companion to the seemingly infinite expanse was the clear blue sky.

Though the desert before us was barren, it wasn’t without its charm—the ripples made by the wind joined in all manner of beautiful patterns. It was a shame I could admire them only in short bursts; the reflected sunlight was bright enough to hurt my eyes.

As our coach kept trundling along, the scenery never changed beyond the appearance of the odd small insect or strange, thorny plant. That alone was enough to fascinate me—I’d never experienced anything like it—but anyone would eventually tire of staring at the same old sights for what felt like an eternity.

“Deserts really are nothing but sand, huh?” I said to Lynne, who was sitting beside me. It was stating the obvious, but I couldn’t help my impression from slipping out.

“Indeed,” she replied. “The scenery will remain much the same for quite some time. Sarenza is mostly desert, and attempting the trek unprepared is a sure way to perish from heatstroke. Our coach was designed to maximize our comfort, but even that has its limits.”

Just as Lynne said, though everything around us was a scorching desert, we were the picture of comfort. A single door separated us from the lethal outside, but our coach—which had apparently been custom-built by the royal magical equipment research laboratory—was equipped with advanced magical instruments that kept a cool breeze blowing for us.

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