9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 84 - Treasure Chest (1)

The Great Desert is vast.

From the eastern edge to the western edge, if you rode camels walking ten hours a day, it would take roughly thirty days.

The west and south of the Great Desert bordered endless seas, while the east and north bordered human nations.

The ruins Namir guided them to were close to the western edge of the Great Desert.

After two weeks of forced marching, when the scent of salt began flowing into their nostrils, suddenly the searingly blue waves appeared before their eyes.

“Wow…!”

Daniel let out a delighted exclamation.

They had stopped at the top of a high sand dune. The hillside stretched down to the coast in a gentle slope.

Seabirds landed on the sandy beach, then took wing and soared up to glide over the water.

“This is where there used to be a port.”

Indeed, the bay that curved deeply inland was calm with hardly any waves.

“But I don’t see any traces.”

“They probably tore down and sold every last brick.”

When Daniel tilted his head in confusion, Fael answered matter-of-factly.

“After the kingdom fell, many people left this place for corners of the continent. When the massacres occurred and the tribes disintegrated. After that, it was abandoned and disappeared.”

Listening to Namir’s explanation, Daniel imagined the elves leaving their homeland.

On a night when the full moon shone brightly, people who had walked for days carrying bundles on their backs and heads, boarding small boats and heading out to sea.

“There was a time when splendid merchant ships came and went.”

Fael added as if making an excuse.

“Even so, it doesn’t change the fact that the massacres and great migration happened!”

Namir said curtly and headed down the hill.

“So why did we come here?”

When Daniel followed and asked, Namir turned back with a serious expression.

The day before, they had passed through the site of what had been the capital of the ancient elf kingdom. Namir had insisted they had to go all the way to the sea.

“There’s something I must do.”

***

What he had to do was perform a traditional elf ritual.

A ritual of praying to the gods for all things to go well, apparently.

The reason they came all the way to the sea was due to some rule, but Daniel didn’t understand it exactly.

Anyway, when they had departed, the tribespeople had also held a feast wishing them good fortune, but this time it felt more complex and serious.

“Interesting.”

Daniel’s eyes sparkled as he sketched the ritual preparation process in his notebook.

“I couldn’t see anything this elaborate even when I was at the Fa tribe’s village.”

“Well, Namir was always more fascinated by tradition than anyone else.”

Just as those words suggested, there was a certain affection, or perhaps obsession, felt in Namir’s movements as he ran around here and there.

He asked the workers to set up tents and build a wood fire. Having picked up basic Schufaben during their time together through observation, he earnestly conveyed his meaning even while mixing in gestures.

Evening came with the sunset over the sea and stars appearing.

“Normally a shaman would be needed, but…”

Namir grumbled as he lit the firewood.

“A shaman?”

“A mage. Before we had contact with humans, we called them shamans.”

“Then Fael, you could do it, couldn’t you?”

“There are various conditions to officiate a ritual. Since we can’t fulfill them anyway, it’s better for Namir, who knows the procedures well, to take charge.”

“When I give the signal, everyone follow me.”

When Namir’s clear voice rang out, everyone nodded.

When they asked the workers, even though they lived as far from the Great Desert as Schufaben, they vaguely knew about rituals like praying to gods for wishes.

‘Even after so many years have passed, they still haven’t abandoned their faith.’

Daniel was newly amazed.

Elves generally possessed faith, whether shallow or deep. Rather, Fael was unusual for being indifferent to gods.

Even while crossing the Great Desert, when the appointed time came, they would offer brief prayers. That sight was both pitiful and admirable.

‘That’s why they’re persecuted more. The more they’re persecuted, the more they stick together. And they’re branded as a dangerous people again…’

Perhaps Fael’s plan would be the best. If they built a nation just for elves and all lived together, such unnecessary conflicts might disappear.

Namir drew elf letters in the sand with a long staff.

Then he had everyone stand in a circle holding hands, slowly walk around the fire, and recited an incantation by himself.

“Atar ela— netzach!”

With a whoosh, the flames shot up as he burned bunches of dried flowers used as spices. A scent that seemed like it would make one’s mind hazy filled the air.

People followed Namir’s cry and went round and round, round and round.

“Faster!”

Namir waved his staff. People’s steps quickened.

“Ela natan!”

After the same incantation was repeated several times, everyone was running around in circles at nearly full sprint.

This mystical ritual was so strange and interesting that it was quite some time before he realized something unusual was happening beneath their feet.

Rumble…

“Hmm?”

Fael’s ears twitched and moved like an animal’s. He suddenly stopped, causing Daniel beside him to nearly crash into him violently.

“Ow!”

“Ah!”

Voices of people staggering from the sudden stop popped up here and there.

“What’s wrong?”

Namir, who had been waving his staff and hopping around as if possessed, looked at Fael and asked.

“The ground is strange.”

“What?”

Rumble…

The ground beneath their feet shook. Definitely.

A slight vibration felt along with a sound like hinges grinding out of place.

“An earthquake?!”

“Everyone back up!”

Rumble rumble rumble!

“Kyaaah!”

“Uwaaah!”

While they hesitated, the vibration spread instantly. The ground heaved and sand scattered mercilessly, so people began staggering and running toward higher ground.

“Hurry! Hurry!”

Daniel tried to keep his balance while helping up a fallen worker and ran frantically. When he suddenly looked back, he could see Fael crouched low with his hand extended.

“Fael! What are you doing!”

Rumble!

The vibration had now become unbearably intense. Even Daniel’s shout was drowned out by the ominous sound.

“Brother!”

The stacked firewood collapsed with a crash. Burning logs bounced everywhere, barely missing the hem of Namir’s tunic as they flew past.

Fael stretched out his hand.

“El groom—!”

Pop!

The moment a protective barrier spread around Namir, his body bounced up into the sky ridiculously.

“Namir!”

Fael kicked off the shaking ground. He flew up into the sky and barely caught Namir.

The dangerously surging seawater crashed over the beach. The sandy shore where the ritual had been taking place was swept away by fierce waves, and water droplets poured down on Fael and Namir.

And a massive form rising from within the seawater.

“Th-that…!”

Daniel, who had been calling for Fael, was so shocked his eyes nearly popped out.

Bright red scales revealed under the brilliant moonlight, a gleaming tail and wings slowly spreading.

“It’s a red dragon!”

One of the workers running toward the hill collapsed with a thud and screamed convulsively.

“A red dragon…”

It was a red dragon, but still…

“It’s too big!”

At another worker’s cry, Daniel also nodded dumbly.

He had little connection with dragons.

The only dragon he could properly say he’d ‘seen,’ excluding photos or pictures, was Second Lieutenant Ian Keller’s green dragon Elizabeth, who was a regular at Redan Tavern.

And Elizabeth’s size wouldn’t even be a quarter of the dragon before his eyes.

Even though dragons on the continent had long been bred to be larger, stronger, more magnificent, and more docile!

“Kyaaaaaah!”

When the dragon roared, a thrill ran through his entire body like being struck by lightning. And a fragment of memory that flashed through Daniel’s mind.

“They say there are many dragons sleeping in the sandy ground of the Great Desert. I’m envious, Daniel. You might be lucky enough to meet one! Oh, but if you happen to see a dragon awakening, run immediately. Dragons that finish hibernation start hunting right away. Bred species will usually follow humans, but those wild dragons there will be different.”

That’s what Oscar had said.

Daniel’s face turned pale as he cupped his hands and shouted.

“Faaael! Run awaaay!”

And he turned and began running again.

“Run! Quickly! If you don’t want to be eaten, hurry! Camels! Untie the camels!”

The workers who had been gathered on the hillside worrying about Fael and Namir looked bewildered at Daniel throwing himself desperately toward the camels.

The camels tied to rocks were also struggling to flee, sensing the fear. As soon as he untied the ropes, they bolted so fast that his body was dragged across the sandy ground and his hands holding the ropes were scraped raw, but he felt no pain.

Fael, drenched in seawater, swept back his wet hair and looked down at Namir.

“Are you okay?”

“Are you crazy! This isn’t the time for such questions!”

Namir, who had been flung by the dragon’s tail and had his back torn with scratches all over his body, shouted angrily.

“Get away from this thing quickly! When it comes to its senses, we’re all dead!”

Fael grabbed Namir and flew toward the hill. In the distance, he could see people riding camels and running.

“Kaaaaaah!”

“Aaaah! Uwaaah!”

The dragon’s roar and Namir’s screams sounded like a duet. The dragon that had been sleeping for so long finally spread its wings wide and took flight.

Whoooosh!

The sound of the dragon drawing in air tore at their eardrums.

“Aaaah! Barrier! Barrier!”

“It’s not strong enough to block a dragon attack!”

Fael, who didn’t have much magical power to spare in the first place, was already struggling just to fly while carrying Namir.

“Then at least go higher!”

“Kyaaaaaaak!”

Once again, hellish heat approached rapidly with the roar.

“Damn…!”

Fael squeezed out his magic power with a pale face. Their bodies shot up dizzily high.

“That thing can even breathe fire?!”

Namir frantically shook his feet as flames that melted the soles of his sandals passed beneath.

“Stay still!”

“My shoes caught fire!”

The dragon, which had approached close behind them, opened its mouth wide and caught the sandal that fell from Namir’s foot. Then, with yellow eyes as large as a human torso flashing, it opened its mouth once more.

“At this rate we’ll be eaten!”

Namir wailed.

Just then, a voice shouting at the top of its lungs came from below.

“Hey! Red dragon! Over here!”

Looking down, they could see Daniel, tiny as a dot, jumping off his camel and waving his hands.

“Let’s abandon the camels!”

Daniel, who had been glancing up at them, shouted with determination.

“What?!”

“The dragon is looking for prey right now. Let’s tie all the camel reins together and send them off, while we get down and scatter. It’s a smart beast, so it’ll choose the side with more meat!”

The workers hesitated for a moment, but when roars and screams came from the sky again, they quickly nodded.

They forcibly pulled the reins to control direction and made the group of about twenty camels run side by side.

Starting from the person in the center, they tied their camel’s rein to the next person’s camel and jumped off. Little by little, little by little, as they tied knots, the camels lost their balance while running desperately.

Daniel, the last to jump off, hurriedly dug into the sand and hid his body. The other workers had already scattered in all directions.

“Good thinking.”

Fael stopped in mid-air. The rapidly flying dragon instantly passed by them and glided down toward the group of camels tangled together and struggling.

“Haa, ha…”

Fael and Namir hid in a sand pit near Daniel. In the distance, the dragon’s shadow landed gently on the ground.

“Kiiiiick!”

Crunch! Crunch!

The cries of camels being torn apart alive were heartbreaking. Fael’s face scrunched up a little, and Namir was covering his mouth with his fist.

***

“Kyaaaaaaak!”

After what felt like an eternity, the dragon let out a satisfied roar and spread its wings again.

With tremendous wind sounds, the dragon that flew up into the sky moved eastward, farther and farther, until it finally disappeared.

“Huaaaaah…”

Namir, his face covered in tears, finally let out a long breath and slumped over. He had nearly died trying to hold back his screams.

“……”

“……”

A moment of silence flowed. At the end of the silence as quiet as the cold desert night, Fael spoke.

“It seems to have gone quite far.”

“Th…”

Namir’s murmur was drowned out by his words as he kept his eyes on the dragon.

“Hmm? What did you just say?”

“Th-thank you. I lived thanks to you.”

“I’m not heartless enough to ignore someone in danger.”

Normally a retort of ‘Yeah, how great!’ would have come back, but right now Namir just lay sprawled on the ground.

“Fael! Namir!”

Daniel was running toward them.

“The dragon seems to have left. Let’s find the scattered people.”

“We should.”

Namir tried to spring up energetically but suddenly collapsed.

“Namir!”

Daniel was startled and caught his body. His entire body was burning hot with fever.