Arifureta: From Whelp to Dragonlord (ON Hiatus)

Part 27: I Hate Sand

^POV: Bahamut vibing within Keiji^

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A brown world.

Guryuu-en Great Desert was a place those words expressed, perfectly. The sand was brown, formed by millions of minuscule grains. The wind that was blowing constantly threw up the sand and dyed the air brown, and in a 360-degree radius, there was only one color as far as one's eye could reach.

Moreover, there were numerous sand dunes, big and small, whose surfaces were always stirred by the wind. Moment by moment, the surface's pattern of the dune was constantly changing, as if expressing "I am alive." The blazing sun and its unreserved heat made the temperature of the sand on the ground shoot up quickly. It easily exceeded 40 degrees Celsius. Coupled with the fluttering sand, it was the worst environment to travel in.

However, it was only for "ordinary" travelers.

Currently, inside such a severe environment, a black, box-shaped vehicle, a magic-driven four-wheeler, in fact, was advancing casually while raising a dust storm. Though there was neither road nor pathway, it was solved by the compass installed inside the vehicle.

"... The outside is amazing... I am really glad that this is not a normal carriage."

"I agree. I do not know how it became such an environment... but indeed it isn't a place I want to be actively moving in."

Sitting on the rear seat while watching the sand battering the window and observing the brown-colored world, Shia and Tio muttered so, wholeheartedly. No matter how much of an M Tio was, this environment only depressed her.

"Papa, why aren't we flying like we usually are?" 

Keiji looked down at Myuu  with a gentle smile, "I don't like sand Myuu..."

"Aww, but I wanted to fly..."

"Don't  lie to the kid Keiji,"

Hajime spoke not taking his eyes off the wheel. "Myuu, your papa doesn't like giant sandworms."

"But Papa is a huge dragon."

"It's for your safety Myuu, I don't want to be grabbed out of the sky by a giant worm that's the stuff of horror movies." Keiji trembled.

"You're supposed to be this godly presence and you're scared of worms."

"Yes, Yes I am but you missed the giant part."

Sitting on the lap of Keiji, who was seated on the side of the front seat, Myuu was excited because it was different from the time that she was here when she was kidnapped before. Myuu was looking at Hajime, who created such a comfortable space, with sparkling eyes.

That was natural. It would have been terribly severe for Myuu, who was a member of the sea-dweller tribe, to cross the desert. For a young child around four years old like her, it would not be strange for her to have died due to her weakened state. Having endured such an environment made Myuu's surprise further increase at the gap between that time and now. After all, this four-wheeler was equipped with air conditioning and Keiji's ability to have absolute control over his body temperature helped her beat the heat.

" Isn't Keiji-papa's power amazing Myuu-chan and do you want some water?"

"Yes please Kaori-oneechan but, I want to fly on Papa's back."

"I promise Myuu when it's safe." Keiji looked away trying to ignore what was said.

Following that, the one who took out some water for eiMyuu which normally didn't exist in the desert even if one hoped with all their might, was the one who made an impactful confession to Keiji and declared war on Shia and Tio in Holad, and, before he knew it, she had become one of their companions. She was Kaori. Incidentally, the water was taken out of the refrigerator installed in the car.