Chapter 107

Revena was soaking her feet in the lake, completely engrossed in knitting.

Knitting was one of Revena’s favorite hobbies since she was a child. With every stitch, her heart felt at peace.

It was as if the worries in her heart tangled up with the thread and disappeared.

But today, no matter how much she knitted, her worries wouldn’t go away.

The current situation was a bit too serious to be resolved by knitting.

This morning, Revena had received shocking news from Archbishop Andersen.

“…The movements of the Demon King’s army have been unusual lately,” Archbishop Andersen said with a dark expression.

“The Kastark family in the north is already preparing for war. There are even talks in the royal court about forming a Hero Party. It might happen sooner than we think, Saintess…”

To be honest, not long ago, Revena had wished for the Demon King’s army to invade the Empire.

That way, the Hero Party would be formed.

If the Hero Party was formed, Revena, as the Saintess, could leave the Cathedral and eat all sorts of delicious food.

But to wish for war just for some tasty food…

It made her feel immature as a Saintess, but she had once wished for it so desperately.

However, now that such a situation was actually upon her, Revena felt uneasy.

The Demon King’s army? War?

Many people would die. If they lost the war, the Empire would fall.

Archbishop Andersen, Bishop Havier, and even Delight in the heart of the Imperial Capital would all disappear.

“!”

Perhaps her worries were too much. She pricked her finger with the needle.

A sharp pain spread through her finger.

Revena blankly stared at the blood flowing from her finger.

She could heal the wound with Sacred Magic, but she just kept staring at the blood.

“What are you doing?”

Something shuffled over to her side. When she turned her head, she saw the torso of a white rabbit mascot costume.

“Did you get hurt?”

It was Rakia.

Rakia was wearing only the torso of the rabbit mascot costume, leaving the head part off.

She had seen Ash carrying the head part earlier, so it was probably rolling around somewhere in the forest.

“It’s fine, just a small prick from the needle.”

“Hmm.”

Rakia plopped down next to Revena.

“By the way, do you think Ariel and Roo are doing well?”

Rakia muttered.

“It feels a bit empty without them.”

Ariel and Roo had left early this morning for an adventure in the southern jungle.

By now, they should have completely left Elysion’s lair and be heading towards the Caldera Desert.

“But Revena, what are you making?”

Rakia asked, looking at what Revena was holding.

“Are you making clothes?”

“Yeah.”

Revena nodded.

“It’s clothes for Ash.”

“For Ash?”

Rakia frowned, looking puzzled.

“But Ash is a wolf. Why would a wolf need clothes?”

For a moment, Revena looked at the rabbit mascot costume Rakia was wearing.

Then what about dragons…?

“Just… I wanted to dress her up.”

Admittedly, Ash didn’t need clothes.

Wolves have fur, and the Evergreen Forest is warm.

This was just Revena’s hobby.

She wanted to make cute clothes for Ash.

“Then what’s that?”

This time, Revena asked, looking at what Rakia was holding.

Rakia had been tapping the ground with a black, stick-like object.

“This is the lower body of that evil god.”

“Ah… Nakshis’s? But why is there only one leg? Didn’t Nakshis have two legs?”

“It got split in half.”

“……”

Revena slowly nodded.

It wasn’t unreasonable for it to be split in half, considering how roughly Ash had torn into it.

Nakshis’s lower body was now tattered, and the ominous aura had completely disappeared.

Now, it was just a toy for a young wolf.

It was hard to believe that this was once part of a terrifying evil god who tried to bring about the end of the world.

“Then where’s the other leg?”

When Revena asked, Rakia pointed towards the forest.

“Ash gave it to the bear cubs. She’s been getting along well with them lately, so she probably gave it as a gift.”

“Ah…”

Revena couldn’t help but chuckle.

What would people think if they knew what was happening here?

A young wolf and bear cubs playing with the corpse of an evil god.

And a dragon, one of the most powerful beings on earth, walking around in a rabbit mascot costume.

Just yesterday, Rakia had been practicing a rabbit dance, shaking her butt ridiculously.

“……”

Suddenly, Revena felt as if her anxiety and worries were being washed away.

The absurd happenings in the Evergreen Forest were calming her heart.

Yes, there’s no need to worry just yet.

Thinking this, Revena began to focus on her knitting again.

A serene smile, like the calm surface of the lake, had formed on Revena’s lips.

*

Caldera Desert.

Often referred to as the “Twilight Sea,” this desert is known for its mysterious and beautiful scenery.

At sunset, the vast sand dunes and endless desert plains turn red, creating a spectacle as if the sea is sinking into twilight.

And at night, the sky fills with countless stars, and the desert is illuminated by their soft glow.

The starlight shimmering on the sand creates an illusion of the sky touching the earth, making the quiet desert night even more mystical.

However, the reason Caldera Desert is called the Twilight Sea isn’t just because of its beautiful scenery.

Behind the beauty of Caldera Desert lies deadly danger.

During the day, the extreme heat threatens life, and at night, the temperature drops below freezing, freezing travelers.

Occasionally, massive sandstorms blow in, disorienting travelers, and deep sand pits swallow them whole.

Above all, Caldera Desert is home to many dangerous monsters.

Griffins that appear out of nowhere, terrifying hydras near oases, and giant sand worms hiding in the sand.

Because of these threats, Caldera Desert isn’t just a travel destination but a place of life-and-death adventure.

Due to the extreme environment and unpredictable dangers, many travelers have disappeared without crossing the Twilight Sea.

Caldera Desert is as dangerous as it is beautiful, a true test for adventurers…

“That’s what it says, sis.”

Roo recited from an adventure magazine and looked at Ariel.

“Are you really going to cross Caldera Desert?”

“Yeah.”

Ariel nodded.

Having left Elysion’s lair early in the morning, Ariel had quickly flown to Caldera Desert using telekinesis.

She could have flown all the way to the southern jungle, the ruins of the Giant Race, but Ariel wanted to cross Caldera Desert herself.

She wanted to face the experience and challenge of crossing the desert.

“Hmm, alright. I’ve never crossed a desert before either. It sounds fun.”

Roo climbed onto Ariel’s shoulder and sat down.

“Then let’s hire a guide from that village up ahead. Crossing Caldera Desert requires a guide, according to this adventure magazine.”

Roo tapped the adventure magazine with her hand.

This adventure magazine was also something Roo had secretly taken from under Lionel’s bed.

Ariel looked up at the village ahead.

The village’s name was Sandspur.

Sandspur was a village located at the entrance of Caldera Desert, a must-visit for travelers planning to cross the desert.

Here, travelers could buy supplies and equipment for the desert crossing and hire experienced guides.

“We must buy a camel.”

Ariel said as she walked towards Sandspur.

The romance of crossing the desert was, without a doubt, the camel.

In Ariel’s mind, images of riding a camel across sand dunes and sleeping under the starlit night sky with the camel were already unfolding.

“Well, alright. I don’t particularly like camels, though… Aren’t they just bizarre creatures? With their humped backs… And they store water in their humps, which is just too weird.”

Roo quietly grumbled.

Shortly after, Ariel and Roo arrived at the entrance of Sandspur.

At the village entrance stood two large palm trees, with people bustling between them.

Roo sniffed the air, catching the scent wafting from the village.

The unique aroma of Sandspur’s spices tickled her nose.

“Hmm, sis, should we eat first?”

“Yeah.”

Buying a camel was important, but trying Sandspur’s unique cuisine first didn’t seem like a bad idea.

Ariel and Roo followed the scent of spices and soon arrived at the village’s central plaza.

In the center of the plaza was a large oasis, surrounded by various food stalls.

“Wow, sis, look over there. That dish on top of the bread looks really delicious… Sis?”

Roo stopped mid-sentence and looked around.

Ariel had disappeared.

She was right beside her just a moment ago, but now she was gone.

Fortunately, Roo quickly found Ariel.

Ariel was standing in front of a stall selling sweet desserts made from desert fruits.