WOSE Chapter 12

Thud!

With that single movement, the sand serpent, its waist severed clean through, toppled to the ground.

Iyu, Tamia, and even the coachman who'd just crawled from the quicksand couldn't suppress their shock at such overwhelming force.

'He dealt with it that simply?'

She knew well how formidable Kalix was—a swordsman counted among Midgard's finest—but this man might be the greatest warrior in all nine worlds.

As she stared blankly at the creature writhing and spurting green fluids, and the White Branch still serene at its center, a similar tremor reached them from behind.

Waaah!

A beat later, the knights' triumphant shouts rang out.

Through the hazy sand clouds, she glimpsed another sand serpent's corpse, priests offering prayers of thanks to the gods, and Kalix with his shemagh half-lowered, wearing a faint smile.

And... the only person neither cheering nor rejoicing. Kelgrida stared fixedly in their direction.

After all the monsters fell and safety was restored.

"Are you all right?"

"You must have been terribly frightened. For such an accident to happen so suddenly..."

"This place wasn't usually this dangerous."

The dust-covered priests swarmed over, reading Iyu's mood as they poured out various words.

They seemed worried the shocked savior might declare she was going home, or abandoning the journey.

Iyu half-listened to their words while checking on Tamia beside her again.

Though a child, she was fundamentally a beastfolk, sturdier than humans—she appeared uninjured.

However, the sand serpent corpse sprawled nearby seemed quite shocking, for her shoulders and tail trembled as she suddenly thrust forward even more crooked handwriting.

[Is that a darkness monster?]

"That's not a demon beast."

The answer came from behind them. Having finished confirming the kill, the Hundredth White Branch sheathed his bloodless sword as he approached.

He was correct.

Creatures consumed by darkness sometimes became neither dead nor alive, transforming into monster-like forms—these were called darkness monsters, or demon beasts. But the sand serpent was simply one of the White Desert's bizarre creatures.

"If it had been a demon beast, we wouldn't have finished without casualties."

He added matter-of-factly.

Iyu surveyed what had transformed from organism to mere organic mass.

If an ordinary creature of this land was so threatening, she couldn't even imagine how horrific the monsters the holy knight order usually faced must be.

After encountering the pack of desert wolves on her first journey, Kalix had grown even more sensitive about her safety, so while she'd met people harmed by demon beasts, she'd never properly faced an actual demon beast herself.

"At least it wasn't a demon beast. That's fortunate."

Iyu spoke the lifeless words while quietly observing Kelgrida, who had been silent.

Had she summoned sand serpents instead of desert wolves because of the Hundredth White Branch's presence?

With the martial prowess of both the Hundredth White Branch and Kalix, they'd handle things before she ever fell into danger.

"But for sand serpents to appear in broad daylight, and two of them no less—that's rather strange."

Kalix muttered as he roughly shook dust from his hair.

The situation had been so urgent she couldn't be certain, but there was a strong possibility the pouch Kelgrida had abandoned contained 'something' that lured sand serpents.

"Is there some substance that attracts sand serpents? Perhaps it accidentally got mixed into our supplies."

She spoke casually while observing Kelgrida's expression.

No visible agitation. However, veins bulged on her clenched fist, and her red eyebrows twitched slightly.

Iyu mentally applauded the excellent acting while pointlessly adding:

"How about we search the area?"

"I'd love to, but if we delay any longer, we might have to spend the night here. As everyone saw, this isn't a safe place—we should move quickly."

Kelgrida, unable to endure it, poured out plausible excuses.

She even sought wordless agreement from the Hundredth White Branch and Kalix, the ones in charge, with a stiff smile.

"That's certainly true, but..."

Kalix was falling into brief contemplation when—

"We found a carriage!"

Several knights shouted from not far away.

The results they'd diligently uncovered were rather tragic. All but two supply wagons were completely destroyed, and even the survivors were half-wrecked.

Yet somehow, only Iyu's carriage, which Kelgrida had personally crafted, remained intact.

'Should I call this impressive?'

Iyu clicked her tongue internally. Kelgrida's suggestion to distribute some supplies, including drinking water, to her carriage had actually been in preparation for precisely this situation.

'We had quite a struggle reaching the village in the past.'

But naturally, those who hadn't anticipated the accident were greatly troubled by the situation where most supplies were also lost.

Amid the knights and priests buzzing with concern, the Hundredth White Branch spoke.

"What would you like to do?"

The person he asked wasn't Kalix or Kelgrida, but Iyu.

Attention suddenly converged. In the past she might have been flustered, but Iyu calmly fell into thought even at the center of attention.

Demanding they search this desert when she didn't even know what the evidence was exactly wasn't reasonable.

Letting Kelgrida's scheme remain buried was quite galling, but considering the circumstances, there was really only one answer.

"We'll have to abandon the supply wagons, but fortunately everyone—both people and horses—is safe... As Kelgrida said, we should move quickly to the village."

Ultimately it was decided they'd obtain new supply wagons and lost supplies in Kelgrida's village, and for now accelerate their movement.

At Kalix's command, the knights began moving in unison. They transferred what supplies they'd salvaged into the sand-covered carriage, packing it full.

They all mounted their horses, leaving behind the sand serpent corpse already being covered by sand grains.

The priests who'd ridden in supply wagons divided themselves among the knights' horses, while the coachmen took seats on the horses that had pulled the carriages.

The problem was Iyu.

Since her carriage was filled with supplies, she'd have to travel by horse like the priests.

However, she'd never properly learned to ride—shortly after departing on pilgrimage, her arms had quickly grown uncomfortable.

Meaning she'd have to travel with someone.

When she revealed this, Kelgrida's eyes widened.

"Don't people ride horses in the savior's world?"

"No, there are vehicles like carriages without horses."

'I shouldn't have kept back some of the supplies.'

If not for that, she could have traveled by carriage like in her previous life.

Iyu answered weakly, sunk in belated regret. Kelgrida, who'd asked, seemed quite interested in this 'vehicle' and inquired about its structure and principles. Naturally, she couldn't provide answers.

Then Kelgrida shrugged and abruptly extended her hand.

"Well, it's fine if you can't ride. You can just come with me."

In the past, worried about the injured Kelgrida, she'd stayed close to her continuously.

But now, knowing she might be the culprit behind both past and present accidents, Iyu wasn't particularly inclined.

'Who knows what she might do next.'

As she looked down at that hand with distaste, another voice flew in from the side.

"If you're scared, want to go with me? I can promise I absolutely won't let you fall."

Kalix, finished talking with the knights, curved his eyes gently as he extended his right hand.

Iyu looked down at the two hands extended toward her with mixed feelings. After a final glance at the back of the White Branch adjusting his horse at the front, she grasped one person.

"I'll..."

What was the desert like in my world? Had the earth, heated beneath the intense sun, been hot enough that you couldn't endure it for even a moment? Had the stifling sandstorms made your mouth feel completely parched and your skin sting? Had it turned both head and body to mush like that?

She couldn't dare compare what she'd seen in videos to actual experience, but Iyu thought vaguely.

Perhaps this world's desert wasn't so different.

Unlike the early stages when she'd struggled desperately to remain aware of the presence behind her, she was gradually facing limits in a different sense.

Her new body, unadapted to long journeys, wasn't accustomed to the saddle, and consequently suffered crushing pain in her buttocks and thighs with every movement of the horse.

Moreover, because of light pouring down and reflecting off the white sand, she could barely keep her eyes open.

The humidity was so low that even though she'd thoroughly soaked the scarf wrapped around her neck and face, it dried quickly and breathing became painful.

'I never thought I'd miss the carriage.'

She'd reached the point of longing for the carriage that had felt like being inside a dryer.

Then the person riding behind her, guiding the horse, spoke.

"Is it very hard?"

Iyu tilted her head back weakly. Blue eyes resembling the sky were steeped in worry.