Chapter 135

Translator: Willia

Ricardt and Hashim walked toward the blazing, unreachable horizon, pushing through the hazy and stuffy sand dust under the intense sunlight.

Aslaf kept his promise. While passing through his kingdom, Ricardt had not been attacked by bandits or anything else.

But the moment they left his country, what greeted Ricardt was an uninhabited, utterly unlivable wasteland desert.

“At this rate, the horses will collapse before the people do.”

Ricardt, who had wrapped cloth around his head to shield himself from the sunlight, spoke. Sure enough, the pack horses were breathing heavily, foaming at the mouth. Even the red horse was struggling.

“We’ve already passed more than half. There’s no turning back now. Remember this. A thousand years ago, the Great Sword of God Khalid crossed this wasteland and continued his war of conquest.”

“You're telling me an army crossed this place? I can’t believe it.”

“Of course, that’s why the Amirs and Sultanates beyond this desert, strictly speaking, have nothing to do with the Empire. They’ve been going their own way for hundreds of years now.”

It was the fate of an empire with vast territories for its domains to become divided. With such a harsh wasteland in the middle, it was naturally difficult to maintain lasting dominance.

But while Ricardt and Hashim were talking, one of the pack horses suddenly collapsed with a thud. It had reached its limit.

And once one horse went down, the others followed. Even the red horse, which played the leader among them, no longer posed any pressure on the others.

“We’ve got no choice. Let’s kill them and drink their blood. Take only the treasures we can carry…”

As Hashim gave his practical advice, Ricardt silently began unloading the heavy cargo from the horse’s back and stacking it neatly on the ground.

“What are you doing?”

“Help me out. Tie this for me.”

After stacking the cargo and tying it with rope, Ricardt tried to lift it onto his own back.

Hashim had known Ricardt was unusual and extraordinary, but this seemed like too much. A person could collapse just as easily as an animal.

“I understand your noble intentions, but no matter what, a man can’t sacrifice himself in place of a beast.”

“Oh, come on, that’s not what this is about…”

Ricardt hoisted cargo several times larger than his own body onto his back, then, with his upper body bent forward, turned only his head and said,

“I’m doing it because I can. If it really becomes unbearable later, we’ll reassess then.”

With that, under this scorching sun, he began to walk step by step on the sizzling ground. Hashim blinked in disbelief.

The horses, perhaps sensing that their master was taking on the burden in their place, got up from where they had collapsed, now relieved of their loads.

Thus, the man carried the heavy cargo, while the horses simply walked.

An ordinary person would have collapsed hundreds of times, but Ricardt, thinking only to endure until nightfall, walked on silently. Hashim walked beside him, filled with concern.

Then, after walking for several hours without rest, they saw someone standing near the shimmering horizon.

Was it a mirage, or a wasteland demon watching from afar? At first, it looked like some kind of rock, but it was clearly a person.

The figure raised a hand and pointed in Ricardt’s direction. He seemed to be turning his head and speaking to someone.

Could it be a bandit group? Hashim quickly called out to Ricardt in alarm.

“Hey, hey, Ricky, it’s bandits.”

“What? There are bandits out here? Impressive! Banditry even in a place like this!”

Ricardt set the cargo down for now, grabbed his scabbard, and looked around. His face and body were soaked with sweat.

“Where? Where? Ah, over there.”

Ricardt also spotted the figure standing near the horizon. The person kept staring in their direction, then started walking toward them.

After walking for a while and emerging through the shimmering air, the figure gradually came into view, it was a small, dark-skinned, cute-looking child. Not just tanned from the sun, but with naturally black skin.

Wrapped in shabby rags, and walking barefoot in this scorching desert, that alone was astonishing. His arms and legs were extremely thin, but it didn’t seem like he was ill or anything of the sort.

The boy strolled over as if he were out for a casual walk in the neighborhood, swaying his body playfully, then said with a bright smile,

“Are you gentlemen stupid?”

“...What?”

“Over there, in that direction, there’s an oasis. I’ve never seen a person carry luggage instead of an animal.”

Then he burst into laughter, finding something incredibly funny. Ricardt, seeing the boy’s innocent demeanor, wondered if he might be some messenger sent by God. It was also the first time he had seen someone with black skin.

Hashim looked at the boy and asked,

“Hey kid, what tribe are you from?”

“We’re the Azure Tribe. Descendants of the people of the Empire.”

“...”

These days, it seemed like every dog and cow claimed to be from the Empire. Who knew what incident or story had happened at some point in history for this peculiar boy to call himself a descendant of the Empire?

At this moment, exhausted and worn out, Ricardt could only feel bewildered. Even Hashim, well-versed in worldly knowledge, felt the same.

He had heard of the existence of Black people, but it was his first time seeing one in person.

“My name is Auku. What about you, sirs?”

“I am Hashmid Abhazid. This is Ricardt.”

“Those names are hard to pronounce. Can I just call you Hashim and Ricky?”

Huh? Did he have some sort of supernatural power?

Maybe it was just a coincidence among strangers, but given the extraordinary circumstances and the string of coincidences, Ricardt and Hashim both felt a strange sensation. The boy before them felt like a real messenger of God.

“Well, sure...”

“Follow me, Hashim, Ricky.”

Auku said cheerfully, swinging his arms widely. The boy’s laughter was the only refreshing thing in this scorching place.

The two men, still bewildered, decided to follow Auku.

Turning left from the direction they had been heading, they followed Auku, and before long, a real oasis appeared. They had suffered all that without even knowing it was right nearby.

Around the oasis grew grass and palm trees, and several tents made of leather cloth stood there. Inside the tents lived people with black skin like Auku.

Auku ran up to them and pointed at the two men, saying something. The adults definitely looked at Ricardt and Hashim with some caution, or perhaps curiosity.

When unfamiliar peoples met for the first time, it was natural to start by observing each other’s appearance and attire.

To Ricardt’s eyes, the Azure Tribe’s attire bore some resemblance to that of the Salaman people, yet it also had something uniquely distinct. Because it was a hot region, their clothing was thin and loose-fitting.

It looked somewhat like a priest’s robe, or perhaps the attire of a merchant.

Auku came back and said,

“The chieftain wants to see you.”

Ricardt and Hashim followed the boy into a large, cone-shaped tent.

As soon as they entered, a familiar scent hit their noses, agarwood. But mixed in with it was a sharp, spicy odor.

On one side, incense was sending smoke into the air, and an old man with deeply wrinkled skin was seated. When he opened his mouth to speak, an unintelligible language came out.

With a harsh, guttural tone, it almost sounded like he was sick, or clearing his throat with phlegm, but it was a language.

Fortunately, Auku acted as interpreter.

“There’s no owner of the oasis, so you’re allowed to drink the water. But they can’t offer a welcome. Just like beasts call a temporary truce at an oasis, we can do the same.”

“Truce?”

“It’s when people who fight each other stop for a while.”

“No, I know what that means. But we didn’t come as enemies in the first place. Please tell him that. We’re not enemies, we were just passing through.”

Through Auku, Ricardt clearly conveyed to the chieftain of the Azure Tribe that he had no intention of fighting.

The old man listened quietly, then tilted his head as if he didn’t understand, and said something again.

“He says, how can we trust you, when the Steel People are so warlike they even kill their own tribesmen?”

“Steel People?”

“People like you, sir. White-skinned and clad in steel from head to toe.”

There had been a bit of a misunderstanding. From their perspective, all people with white skin were considered part of the same tribe, and seeing them kill each other, whether in war or otherwise, had come as a shock.

They simply couldn’t comprehend the idea of killing one’s own tribe members.

“I’m not a Steel Person, though.”

Hashim said.

“You’re called a Gold Person. Steel People are warlike, and Gold People are prone to betrayal.”

“Gold Person?”

“You’re called Gold People because you eat gold. You people go crazy at the sight of gold.”

It was a name born from misunderstanding, but oddly enough, it cut to the core. The Frankens were known to be aggressive, and the Salaman were obsessed with money.

Ricardt thought for a moment and then spoke.

“Anyway, I understand what you’re saying. We’ll drink some water and regain our strength, then leave right away. We will never harm the Azure Tribe. I swear it on my family’s honor. Please tell him that.”

Auku translated Ricardt’s words. The chieftain nodded and said something again.

When Ricardt looked to Auku, the boy didn’t even wait and began translating right away.

“He says he understands. And if a trade can be made, he might be able to trust you. For starters, he’d like to buy some horses.”

“If we don’t have horses, we can’t carry our cargo.”

“You won’t make it to the next oasis without them. But instead, I’ll guide you. And how about we trade for the cargo too?”

The cargo Ricardt carried wasn’t just any luggage, it was treasure gifted by Sultan Aslaf.

Silk, ceramics, golden goblets, silver candlesticks, silverware, items that would seem far too expensive for these people to afford.

“Let’s trade it for spices. That’s better than carrying all this heavy stuff ourselves.”

Hashim said.

Ricardt knew spices were valuable. Saying they were more expensive than gold by weight wasn’t even an exaggeration, it was true.

“By the way, are you the one doing the bargaining?” Ricardt asked Auku.

“Where do you think I learned Imperial language?”

Auku lifted his chin and puffed himself up with pride as he spoke. He was a cheeky, lively, and curious boy.

There’s always an oddball in every group, and it seemed the boy was that among his people. Ricardt didn’t dislike him.

“Alright. Let’s see the goods.”

Ricardt replied pleasantly.

Before that, though it wasn’t quite a welcome ritual, Ricardt and Hashim shared a few drinks with the chieftain as a gesture of mutual promise. The drink was extremely sweet and strong.

Then, taking turns, they shared a cigarette until it burned all the way down. Afterward, the chieftain gave a slight smile.

A tipsy sensation came over them all at once, but it clearly wasn’t poison, the chieftain was grinning as well. Hashim, eyes half-lidded, kept puffing on the cigarette next to the chieftain.

Ricardt staggered to his feet. Stepping outside, the world spun around him. The sky and ground felt as if they were flipping. And yet, he felt good.

First, they gave the horses plenty of water to drink and didn’t hold back on the hay either. Then they unpacked the cargo, separating what they would sell from what they would keep.

They decided to sell most of the silver items, but anything with fine carvings or that looked like true treasure would not be sold.

Somehow, without even knowing how the trade was finalized, Ricardt dozed off.

When he opened his eyes, he was inside a leather tent, and it felt a little chilly. Wasteland temperatures varied drastically, and it got truly cold at night.

Regardless, it had been a long time since he slept so well. He felt incredibly refreshed and full of strength.

He sat up, and beside him, Hashim was completely passed out.

“Hashim, Hashim. Wake up. Wake up. Come on.”

“Ugh... Hm? When did I fall asleep?”

Hashim also quickly got up. His eyes were clear, it seemed he, too, had slept well.

“Were we drugged or something?”

“If we were, it was the kindest drugging ever. They didn’t harm us, gave us a tent, and we slept like babies.”

“Hmph... But what’s that?”

Hashim pointed to one side of the tent. There was a bundle of leather placed there.

When Ricardt opened it, he found several small pouches inside the bundle. They contained finely ground powders made from saffron, clove, cinnamon, pepper, ginger, chili, and the like.

There were also a few bottles of oil extracted from oil palms. Compared to before, their luggage had significantly decreased.

“Did the trade go well?”

“Well, I don’t even remember what I sold.”

“Half-honest people, I see.”

When they stepped outside, the other tents were gone. Had they packed up and left in the meantime? Or had he gone off to some strange world and returned?

Besides the red horse, three other horses were chewing hay near the oasis. Two horses were missing, they had probably been sold.

Just then, from behind, Auku tugged on Ricardt’s sleeve and said,

“Let’s go.”

“Huh? You haven’t left yet? Go where?”

“You said you wouldn’t sell the white silk, so I told you I’d show you where the treasure is if you sold it. And you did. A promise is a promise.”

“Did I? I don’t remember. Anyway, you gave us that drink on purpose, didn’t you? To make the trade easier.”

“Wrong. It was for an honest trade. Hashish tobacco makes people honest.”

“So you smoked it too? No, you didn’t.”

“I’m always honest. See? I stayed because I promised. And you’re lucky, sir. You can only get the Crystal Flower around this time.”

“Crystal Flower?”

“A flower that blooms only once a year, at night. If you pick it while it’s in bloom, it never withers. Brew it into a tea, and you can meet the dead, or at the very least, it has many uses. Like recovering lost memories.”

It was a hard story to believe, but the mention of retrieving lost memories made Ricardt instinctively look back at Hashim.

But Hashim, rather than looking pleased, seemed deep in thought and didn’t show much joy.

“And since you’re a Steel Person, Ricky, you’re not afraid of demons, right?”

“Well, I don’t deny fear.”

“I know where the old emperor’s tomb is. That’s where the treasure I told you about is. If you can defeat the demon there, you can obtain an incredible treasure. It’s not far from here.”

Ricardt turned to Hashim again. He spoke.

“Let’s go. I’ve never seen such a thing either. If we come all this way and don’t see it, we’ll regret it forever. When will we ever come back here?”

“That’s true. Let’s go, Auku.”

Ricardt said. He packed only one torch and, with Hashim, followed the young guide across the cold desert.

****

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