The One and Only Sami Chapter 47

Dust rose from beneath his feet. The hazy cloud didn’t drift sideways with the wind; instead, it pooled in a perfect circle around his step.

“Go.”

At Razard’s short, commanding word, the wind that had been pinned under his foot burst outward, carving the sandy field into a precise square. A bizarre pattern remained where the wind had eaten away at the sand.

The pattern—intricate and sharp—etched and interlocked with absolute precision, expanding into a larger mandala. It radiated out from Razard in all directions, eventually reaching the spot where Sami sat.

“W-Whoa…!”

Startled by the momentum of the wind crawling toward him like it was devouring the ground, Sami scrambled, backing up and then crawling forward in a panicked mess. Watching the spectacle, Razard uncrossed his arms and held out a hand.

Sami didn’t hesitate; he lunged forward and snatched the hand.

The moment Razard pulled their joined hands and tucked Sami into his chest, the wind that had been biting into the sand stopped dead. Simultaneously, Razard covered Sami’s eyes.

“Keep them closed. You’ll get dust in your eyes.”

“Sir?”

“Because we’re about to drop.”

“What?!”

Before Sami’s brain could even process the words, an ominous vibration rumbled beneath their feet.

“Razard!”

“Cover your mouth, too, unless you want a mouthful of sand.”

Only Razard, who clearly knew exactly how this played out, remained nonchalant. Sami, like a mouse sensing an earthquake, had no choice but to tremble and cling tightly to Razard’s collar.

Then, the ground beneath them gave way entirely. It was the sensation of falling endlessly into a void. Sand be damned—Sami let out a terrified shriek, unable to hide his horror.

“What! Is! This! Crazy! Stunt! Now?!”

“What’s the problem? You said you hated being in the middle of the desert.”

“I didn’t say I wanted to be under the sand!”

He had expected the underside of the desert to be packed with grit, but surprisingly, the pit they were falling through was deep and cold. It felt less like being buried and more like falling down a well.

Whether you’re drowning in a desert quicksand or plummeting to the bottom of a well, neither is a particularly great experience for the person falling.

“This isn’t an outing!”

Even while falling, Sami had no choice but to cling to the man who had shoved him into this hole.

Through the gaps in the fingers Razard had pressed over his eyes, Sami could see the man’s chest. He saw the necklaces jangling and the collar fluttering as they fell. Every time Sami blinked, his eyelashes brushed against Razard’s palm; the man let out a soft chuckle, apparently finding it tickling. Despite the fact that they were plummeting toward an unknown bottom, he remained utterly serene.

“Haha, this is much more fun than a regular outing.”

Don’t you think? Sami’s blood boiled at his leisurely attitude. I am never trusting him again.

The fall felt like it lasted forever, but their speed was slow and steady rather than a terminal plunge. Naturally, they didn’t hit the bottom and turn into flat pancakes. Razard had clearly used the power of one of his rings.

He landed calmly and without danger, and Sami, still hitched to Razard, found his footing safely as well.

“Phew…”

They had reached the floor securely, but the sensation of the ground suddenly vanishing beneath him was still vivid. The back of his legs tingled and his knees felt so shaky that he ended up collapsing to the floor.

From his lowered vantage point, he surveyed his surroundings. It was a vast, hollowed-out space, making it hard to believe such a place existed under the desert.

In the dim underground cavern, stone pillars stood tall at regular intervals, each topped with a yellow, flickering torch. It wasn’t just the hole Razard and Sami had descended through; between the pillars, golden sand fell in thin, shimmering veils.

The sand piled up on the floor like heaps of gold coins before disappearing into cracks in the ground. It seemed this was why the space didn’t fill up despite the constant downpour of sand.

Every pillar was carved with beautiful reliefs.

Flowers, birds, tigers, and suns—various images stood out colorfully under the torchlight, though it was difficult for Sami to guess their meaning. He could tell, however, that each carving was incredibly precise.

“This place is…”

Though it was a strange place he’d never seen before, Sami felt a sense of déjà vu.

A mysterious space revealed by Razard’s magic, a peculiar atmosphere that somehow made Sami’s heart race.

“Razard.”

It was similar to when they entered the cave beneath the oasis.

“…Is this another ‘Marut hunt’?”

Standing behind him, Razard held out a hand. After a moment’s hesitation, Sami took it. Razard pulled him up from the floor and brushed the dust off Sami’s trousers.

“Yeah.”

“You said it was an outing.”

Honestly, how many times was he going to fall for this?

Sami pulled off his messy turban. He shook his head to fluff up his flattened hair.

His face, looking somewhat wilted, was full of disappointment. He looked like a child whose trip to see the camels had been ruined by rain.

“The content isn’t that different. We’re outside, and there’s no room for boredom, right?”

“…”

Total fraud.

“Don’t call me a fraud.”

“I didn’t say it out loud.”

“It’s written all over your face.”

“If you had just told me from the start to risk my life, go into a cave alone, fight through poison mist, resist the temptation of snakes, dodge a Djinn, and bring back an old lamp, I wouldn’t think you’re a fraud.”

“Instead, you’d suspect me of being a villainous Mage who traps you in the cave and makes off with the lamp.”

Razard retorted as he flicked his hand through the air. By the third flick, a sword had appeared in his hand. It was the blade Sami had seen before.

A scimitar with a massive jewel embedded where the hilt met the blade.

As expected, there was no scabbard at his waist. Razard rested the dangerously curved, crescent-like blade over his shoulder and used his other hand to ruffle Sami’s hair.

“Besides, I’d never make you risk your life. I would never let you go in alone. As for the poison mist and the snakes… well, let’s skip that for a second.”

“…Wait, so they might be here?”

“And it’s not about dodging a Djinn; it’s about absorbing it into your body and bringing it back to me.”

“So you basically want me to be the lamp. And I asked you just now. The poison mist and the snakes—”

“I would never send you into anything truly dangerous.”

Razard cut Sami off mid-sentence. He was smiling.

“Ah… since Sami doesn’t believe in my sincerity, I suppose I have to explain it as a means to an end.”

The fingers that had been idly tapping the crown of Sami’s head now toyed with the ends of his hair. When he let go, the hair fluttered back into place. It was just long enough to graze the back of his neck.

“Sami, you are likely the only one of your kind in the world. I trust that ability of yours. Very, very much.”

His voice, serious and devoid of laughter, was lower than the sound of the falling sand curtains.

“Soooo.”

He instantly shifted back to his playful demeanor and slung an arm around Sami’s shoulders. Sami, who had been dazed by the conversation, felt his hair stand on end.

“I’ve kept you by my side to make the Marut recovery go more smoothly.”

Marut recovery.

Yes, that reason actually made sense. It was much more believable than his airy claims about liking Sami or keeping him around because he was cute.

He understood, but somehow his shoulders slumped. This was likely the lingering trace of the excitement he still felt whenever he caught a glimpse of a fantasy in the man.

Sami looked down, then subtly twisted his body to escape the arm Razard had wrapped around his shoulders.

He took a step forward. The stone floor, covered in a thin layer of sand, echoed with a deep, crunching sound.

“Razard, why do you collect the Maruts so obsessively anyway?”

“To protect myself from Mages who jump me at every turn, for revenge, and to satisfy my own personal desires?”

Following the path ahead, Razard let out a light whistle.

“I can’t exactly keep dancing around the truth with a partner who helps me this much.”

Should I spill a little? Unlike someone revealing a hidden secret, his behavior remained light and bright. From his brisk stride to the way his fingers tapped the hilt of his sword like it was a musical instrument, there wasn’t a single trace of secrecy in his vibe.

“The biggest reason is that they help regulate the energy of Harut.”

“The energy of Harut?”

Wasn’t Harut just the title of the ruler?

Noticing the confusion on Sami’s face, Razard tapped the charm hanging from his bandana with the tip of his sword and began to speak.