The suns heat was intense.

It went without saying that the heat of the desert was extreme during the day.

The sand was boiling hot and the dry air burned their throats every time they breathed.

What was even worse were the temperature swings. While it was hot in the day time, the temperature dropped down to freezing temperatures in the evening. The deserts climate was simply too inhospitable. One could say that it wasnt a suitable habitat for humans.

Desir and Romantica walked along that very desert. If their legs ached, they took a break, and if they needed water, they made some with magic.

To all those who traveled the desert, finding water was the biggest concern, but magicians who knew how to invoke water magic didnt have to worry about that.

Romantica stared at Desirs back as she trailed along. She opened her mouth a few times in an attempt to speak, but she gave up every time.

Shed already missed the right time to voice her gratitude. Romantica wasnt straightforward enough to thank him now.

But the one obvious fact made her waver.

He risked his life to save me.

If he hadnt jumped in as soon as she fell, he wouldnt have made it in time. Simply put, there hadnt been a moment of hesitation.

Every time she was reminded of this fact, her face burned as if the sun had increased in temperature.

Meanwhile, Desir was thinking about his next steps.

This was unexpected.

By this point, they should still be on the airship undertaking their mission.

There were other threats waiting for them, but overall, the Shadow World would have been easy to clear with the Grand Masters help. But not even Desir expected things to turn out this way.

They did say theyd be taking a break in the middle.

That was probably their only chance to get back onto the airship. The problem was whether they would be able to arrive at that city in time.

Its impossible to reach it by foot.

Even if they were to ride a carriage, there was no hope. In that case, they had just one other option.

Im pretty sure there was a city around here somewhere

It was when Desir was trying to recall the map to find his bearings.

Desir, whats that?

A massive structure stood where Romantica was pointing.

It was a utility pole. The long pole stretched out towards another one somewhere off in the distance.

The structure that was placed awkwardly in the middle of the blazing desert was so absurd it almost amazed them. Building something like that in the middle of nowhere was quite a feat.

Hermes Wing. Its a magic utility pole. It was used frequently by the Empire before the development of communication magic. It was used for many other purposes besides communication too. It allowed magical networks to be connected between cities.

I cant believe theyre connecting cities with something like that.

Realistically speaking, its impossible to connect all the places people live. Thats why its pretty rare to see them outside big cities.

There was only one place in the southern desert that could be called a big city.

The Desert Flower city must be somewhere around here. Well get there if we follow where the utility pole leads to.

Desir let out a sigh of relief.

If it was the Desert Flower city, there was no doubt that all the conditions would be present to allow for them to regroup. If they missed this opportunity, there likely wouldnt be another.

There must be a teleportation gate here.

Unlike in modern times, teleportation gates were almost impossible to come across, but if it was the Desert Flower city, there was no doubt theyd see one.

After reorganizing, well use the teleportation gate.

Having decided on his next course of action, he started heading towards the utility pole in the blazing heat once more.

They eventually arrived at Desert Flower city and needed to be inspected by the guards, but Desir and Romantica had already made identification cards for each major time period before entering the Shadow World.

They easily slipped into the city.

Most of the buildings in the city were built by shaving back rock or hardening sand, which explained the lack of taller buildings.

Desir. People keep staring at us.

The citizens eyed the two warily, but that was to be expected since they were wearing black suits. Both the attire and the color were unsuitable for desert environments.

They had no choice but to stop by a store to buy some clothes. Luckily they still held on to the deposit that Kei had given them.

Is that how you travelled through the desert?

Thats right.

Hmm.

The merchant clearly exuded hostility towards these outsiders. He demanded they pay twice more than the locals.

Romantica was livid but after weighing up the consequences of causing a scene here, ended up paying full price.

Having somewhat blended in, Desir and Romantica stopped by at a nearby restaurant to eat. Romantica wolfed down her food as the pair had been unable to get a proper meal since embarking on their journey across the desert.

But something seemed off. There were a lot of seats in the restaurant, yet no one dared to sit close to them.

Desir called an employee over.

Why is everyone here so wary of outsiders?

I cant have my mouth run in front of an outsider like you.

I suggest you think again.

Desir tossed him 10 silver.

The employee quickly took it and hid it before anyone could notice.

Its because theres been an increase in mysterious disappearances lately. Every night, they disappear one by one. We cant help but be wary of strangers.

Is that so.

So that was what had happened. If that was the case, their hostility was valid.

Desir determined that they needed to leave the place as soon as possible.

I want to go to the Lords castle. Which way is it?

Just pass through the northern market and turn right. But before you meet the Lord, youll have to meet the Sage. Commoners like us cant see him unless we get approved by the Sage.

The Sage?

He is an amazing Sage that turns lead into gold. Not even a magician would be able to do that.

Desir was able to get some more information after that.

Once the employee stepped away, Romantica whispered.

Did you hear that Desir? The Sage is most definitely an Alchemist.

An Alchemist.

People of such professions had mostly disappeared as alchemy was replaced by magic. The foundations of alchemy could be applied to magic as well, so the idea of it still lived on. However, its applications in modern times were limited.

Regardless of who their opponent was, they didnt have a choice.

It was customary to get approval from the Lord to use the teleport gate. It seemed that they had no choice but to meet this Sage.

Desir and Romantica first headed to the Sages residence, which the employee pointed them in the direction of.

The Sages home was extremely massive. It was situated right in front of the Lords castle, making it structurally impossible to meet the Lord without passing through it.

Before them was a long line that made them sigh just from the sight of it.

As they unwillingly headed to the end of the line, the man standing in front glared at Desir and Romantica with hostile eyes, but after finding out about their situation, didnt bother them any further.

About an hour had passed and it was when they were about to pass through the main gate. Desir was able to confirm that mana detectors had been installed at the gate. They would have sent a signal inside after detecting Desir and Romanticas mana.

They were waiting for magicians to show up.

Sure enough, one of the servants approached Desir and Romantica moments later.

You two please come this way.

They escaped the line and went through the residences back door, arriving at a large room.

There, the servant bowed his head.

My master is waiting for you.

The moment they entered the room, the smell of gunpowder wafted by. The room was filled with various solutions and metals.

From the room that appeared to be a lab, a man greeted them.

May all creations of goods be with you.

?

This is the greeting of alchemists.

Is that so.

At his explanation, Desir and Romantica also bowed to greet him.

Being the first to raise his head, Desir spoke to him.

The Lord must put a lot of faith in you since everyone must gain approval from an Alchemist before seeing him.

Thats to be expected. The city runs smoothly because Im around.

I heard you make gold. From my understanding, making gold seems to be a very advanced form of alchemy.

As Desir stated the information hed heard from the employee, the Alchemist laughed.

Everything was conducted through legitimate research. These are the books, and these are the materials that were used during the research. Please feel free to take a look.

Desir stared blankly at the documents that were presented to him.

What is the reason youre showing me all this?

Excuse me?

His face stiffened momentarily. He then burst into laughter and put away the documents hed presented to Desir.

Hahaha, Id assumed youd be curious. Dont they call it a magicians thirst for knowledge?

A thirst for knowledge? It was a ridiculous excuse. Des1r immediately realized what his actions meant.

Hes mistaken us for investigators.

He had presented the research material, as if expecting them to ask for it.

There must be something hes guilty about.

Just then, an alarm rang out.

[A second main quest has been detected]

[As of now, it is only a hunch. Gathering more detailed information will allow you to start a new main quest.]

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Chapter brought to you by the Patrons.

ED2: Purplemen101

TLC: N/A