Chapter 108

The desert fruit desserts in Sandspur were cheap.

Moreover, they were delicious.

The sweet and tangy flavor spreading in the mouth.

Without realizing it, Ariel bought a ton of desert fruit desserts and stored them all in her inventory.

She wanted to eat until she burst right away, but if she did, she’d get drowsy, and if she got drowsy, it would be hard to go buy a camel.

Roo bought food with meat and spices piled on bread.

It was a unique dish of Sandspur, but according to Roo, she couldn’t quite tell if it was tasty.

Ariel also took a bite, and while it wasn’t bad, it wasn’t really her taste.

Anyway, after a quick snack, Ariel and Roo decided to go buy a camel.

“Big sis, the camel market is on the east side of the village,” Roo said while reading an adventure magazine.

Ariel headed straight to the east side of the village and soon arrived at the camel market.

The camel market had several tents set up, with camels sticking their long necks out, curiously watching the passersby.

In front of the tents, camel merchants loudly promoted their camels.

“Little lady, how about this fine camel? It’s the best camel for crossing the Caldera Desert in one go!”

“Our camel is obedient and healthy! Perfect for desert crossing!”

Ariel’s eyes sparkled as she looked around at the camels.

Each one had a different appearance, size, and color.

“Big sis, which one will you pick?”

The moment Roo asked, Ariel’s gaze stopped on one camel.

It was an elegant brown camel, tall with a balanced build and intelligent eyes.

“I like that camel.”

Ariel approached the camel.

The camel owner greeted her warmly.

“Welcome. This camel knows the desert best. It’s gentle and smart, so even beginners can handle it easily.”

“I’ll take this camel.”

“Oh, great choice!”

After completing the purchase, Ariel reached out and gently stroked the camel’s neck.

The camel accepted her touch with a relaxed expression.

“Take care of me, Sahara.”

Ariel had already decided on the camel’s name.

*

After buying the camel, they headed to the west side of the village to hire a guide.

According to the adventure magazine in Roo’s hand, guides could be hired at the ‘Guide Association’ located in the west of the village.

But on the way west, Ariel suddenly stopped.

She stopped in front of a shop selling desert clothing.

Come to think of it, she needed to buy clothes as well as a camel.

To cross the desert, she needed clothes to protect herself from the scorching sun and sandstorms.

…Though it didn’t really matter for Ariel, emotionally, she really wanted to buy them.

Crossing the desert without a turban and scarf was unthinkable.

Ariel energetically entered the shop and looked around at the various desert clothing.

She bought a long beige robe, a turban, and a scarf.

Soon after, Ariel was dressed like a full-fledged desert traveler.

The clothes were a bit big, but she liked them anyway.

Ariel then headed to the Guide Association.

The Guide Association was a sturdy, neat-looking building.

A large sign reading ‘Caldera Desert Guide Association’ hung at the entrance.

Opening the door, she saw a spacious and pleasant interior.

A large desert map hung on the wall, and a bulletin board with necessary information and precautions for desert crossing was visible.

Several guides were sitting on chairs waiting, and on one side, an association staff member was consulting with a traveler.

Ariel approached the counter.

The staff member greeted her with a welcoming smile.

“Welcome. Are you planning to cross the Caldera Desert?”

“Yes.”

“If you don’t have a specific guide in mind, may I recommend an experienced guide?”

“Yes.”

The staff member pointed to someone.

“Then that person would be suitable for you.”

The staff pointed to a middle-aged man sitting nearby.

He was a large, strong-looking man with skin tanned by the harsh desert winds and sharp eyes.

“That’s Kasim, a veteran guide with over 20 years of experience in the Caldera Desert. With him, you can safely cross the Caldera Desert.”

After hearing the introduction, Ariel and Roo approached Kasim.

Kasim stood up as he saw Ariel.

“Hey, kid, I’m Kasim. Planning to cross the Caldera Desert?”

Ariel nodded at Kasim’s question.

Kasim then asked again.

“So, how many are in your party?”

“Two.”

Ariel pointed to Roo sitting on her shoulder and answered. Then she shook her head.

“No, three. Including the camel.”

“The camel doesn’t count. But really, just the two of you?”

“Yes.”

“……”

Kasim briefly looked Ariel up and down.

She was dressed perfectly as a desert traveler, but the clothes were way too big for her, making her look awkward.

Moreover, her only companion was a fairy sitting on her shoulder.

He couldn’t understand what she was thinking, trying to cross the desert like this.

“Hmm…”

Kasim pondered. Could he really cross the desert with just this little kid?

He felt like he’d have to take care of her a lot.

Kasim scratched his head and looked at the receptionist. The receptionist gave a sly smile.

It was a smile that seemed to say, “If you don’t take this job, you’re done.”

*

Kasim was a veteran guide who was doing well in Sandspur.

Not only did he know the main routes of the desert, but he was also an excellent guide who could handle all sorts of dangers in the desert.

He had helped numerous travelers safely cross the Caldera Desert and had built quite a reputation in the process.

But Kasim’s situation started to get difficult when he developed a problem with his leg.

At some point, his leg would suddenly stop listening to him.

It was as if it was paralyzed.

Whenever that happened, Kasim would calmly rely on his camel to move around.

He thoroughly hid the fact that he had a leg problem.

He had no choice.

If it became known that a guide had a leg problem, Kasim would have to find another job.

No traveler would rely on a guide with a leg problem to cross the desert.

And Kasim didn’t know how to do anything else besides being a guide.

If he quit being a guide, he would lose the means to feed his wife and two daughters at home.

So Kasim kept coming to the Guide Association, but he tried to be selective about the jobs he took.

He preferred to join large caravans with other guides.

That way, even if his leg suddenly stopped working, the other guides could handle the situation.

But caravans crossing the Caldera Desert were rare.

Mostly, it was just one or two travelers needing a single guide.

Because of this, Kasim kept refusing jobs, and as a result, there were many complaints at the Guide Association.

People thought Kasim only took lucrative jobs.

Some sharp-eyed people even wondered if Kasim had a physical problem.

It was common for guides to develop physical issues like Kasim.

‘If I don’t take this job, I might really have to quit…’

Kasim sighed quietly and looked at Ariel.

There was no turning back now.

He had to somehow cross the desert with this kid.

“Alright, kid. I’ll take you. But you have to promise me a few things.”

Kasim said to Ariel.

“First, don’t disobey my instructions in the desert. Second, always stay together. Third, inform me immediately if there’s any danger. If you follow these three rules, we can safely cross the desert.”

Ariel nodded.

Wrapped tightly in a turban, only her eyes were visible.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement about crossing the desert, which oddly made Kasim uneasy.

But Kasim forced a smile, ignoring his unease.

After all, he was a veteran guide.

A veteran guide never shows unease in front of travelers.

Otherwise, the travelers would get uneasy too.

“Good, you’re a good kid. Then rest well tonight, and we’ll meet early tomorrow morning at the village entrance to depart.”

It’s best to start crossing the desert early in the morning.

The temperature gets dangerously high during the day, and visibility is poor at night.

“Make sure you have enough water and light food. As for clothes… they look perfect.”

At Kasim’s words, Ariel proudly puffed out her chest.

She felt she had made the right choice buying the clothes.

“See you tomorrow.”

Kasim patted Ariel’s shoulder and left the Guide Association.

He needed to prepare for tomorrow’s desert crossing.

Moreover, crossing the desert was dangerous, and anything could happen.

It was best to spend as much time as possible with family the day before departure.

After all, it might be the last time he sees them.