“Hmm, I did some research and knew we didn’t need any heat measures, but it’s still strange. It’s a desert, and the sunlight is strong, yet Ednail isn’t hot… It should be dry, but I’m not even thirsty.”
“It really is strange, isn’t it~? The environment looks pretty harsh, but… maybe it’s because of the magical power infused in this land?”
Diar and I moved to Ednail’s desert for some fieldwork. But… this is something.
“It’s more like the sea than a desert. The fine sand is flowing like water… Is the sand vibrating and moving because of the reaction between the magic stones in it and the sunlight?”
I scooped up some sand with my hand and observed it. It was vibrating finely. I focused my mind and channeled my magic. The sand followed the flow of magic and moved in the direction I guided it.
But seriously, it’s just sand as far as the eye can see. Occasionally, I spot huge pillars, but all I see are sand and cacti.
“The large flow of magical power in the land, the ley lines, are moving this sand, and the magic stored in the sand circulates… When creatures or monsters die, their magic gets absorbed into the sand and circulates again… If life flourishes on the desert, then the magic from creatures dying increases too… In that case…”
“I get it! Big brother! This desert is growing! It’s really like a giant living thing! So the creatures and the Ednail Desert are in a symbiotic relationship, aren’t they?”
“Yeah, that’s probably it. Even though it’s a desert, it’s not hot, we’re not thirsty, and it’s comfortable… The desert is providing benefits to help life flourish. This doesn’t seem like man-made magic. Either the desert itself has these properties, or it’s the will of the land’s god.”
“Oh, look, look! Big brother, over there! That cactus is floating on the sand! It’s so cute—do you think it’s the honey cactus we ate earlier?”
“Haha, it’s like a jellyfish or a float. Hm…? What’s that, the sand is kicking up… Is that a ship? Now that I think about it, there are sand ships that run on top of the desert here in Ednail! We didn’t get to see them on the way here!”
A yacht-like ship, about 7 meters long, was sailing toward us on the wind. It’s pretty fast—about the speed of a typical horse in this world… but horses can’t run in the desert. I see now, whoever controls these ships rules the desert.
The sand ship passed by us. They were using spears—or rather, harpoons and nets—to hunt desert creatures. Their main catches seemed to be scorpion-like crabs, lizard-like sharks, and large shellfish that sprayed sand.
“Hm? What’s going on…? They got off the ship… Were there other people over there? Are they fighting…? Let’s go take a look.”
“Huh!? Big brother, if they’re fighting, we should stay out of it…”
“If they’re fighting, that means there’s a problem, right? We might be able to get information we wouldn’t otherwise find. If it gets dangerous, we’ll just run for it.”
“Wait, wait, big brother, did you see how fast that sand ship was? Even I couldn’t outrun that while carrying you in the desert!”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry! I’ve got a plan! Trust me, Diar!”
Diar looked worried, but I really wanted to know what was going on with them. It might have historical significance, or it could be connected to their beliefs or mythology.
As we got closer to the group arguing, we could hear their voices.
“Don’t you dare take the desert crystals! You’ll drain the land of its power!”
“Hah? Who cares about that outdated fishing! Selling desert crystals will make us rich and bring prosperity to Ednail! If you’ve got a problem, take it up with the royal family. They support us.”
“Dammit, something’s really wrong here… The flow of sand has changed recently. A storm’s coming. The desert creatures are fleeing… This is bad, really bad. I’ve been a fisherman for 40 years, and this is the first time I’ve seen anything like this.”
It seemed like the group fishing from the sand ship was in a dispute with a different group carrying large bags and sifting the sand through nets. The second group appeared to be extracting crystals, beautiful light blue magic stones, from the sand and placing them in large sacks. It looked like some kind of “sand magic stone mining.”
“Hey, you outsiders! What are you looking at?! This isn’t a show!”
One of the desert fishermen noticed us watching and angrily shouted.
“Oh, sorry, sorry. We didn’t mean to upset you. We were just curious why you were fighting. I honestly just wanted to know what was going on.”
Diar and I ran up to them, trying to explain ourselves.
“Hah? So you’re just here to gawk after all!!”
“Please don’t misunderstand, Mr. Fisherman. I wasn’t here to enjoy watching you fight. I’m investigating Ednail, so if there’s a problem, I wanted to know about it.”
“Huh…? What…? What’s with this kid? But… those eyes are sincere. He’s not lying, even if I don’t quite get it.”
It seemed my sincerity got through to the fisherman. He still looked confused, but the hostility in his eyes faded.
“So, you guys are arguing about whether to take the desert magic stones or not? Is it really that profitable?”
“Eh? Are you asking me? Ah, yeah, it can make you money. The sand magic stones from Ednail turn into high-quality magic stones when refined. Recently, the demand for magical weapons has been increasing, so the sand magic stones, which are the raw materials, sell more and more the more you sell.”
The young sand magic stone miner answered, confused. So, they’re materials for magical weapons… In this world, magic exists, but generally, people cannot use it. All living beings possess magical power, but they can only channel it to enhance their physical characteristics, and that’s not the same as magic.
Only special humans known as magicians, along with certain magical creatures, demons, elves, and gods, can use magic. However, humans have developed magical tools. These tools allow even those who cannot use magic or magic techniques to wield them as long as they channel their magical power. The form that these magical tools take as weapons is called magical weapons.
“The demand for magical weapons is increasing, huh… Is war approaching? So, is Ednail making magical weapons as well?”
“No, the technology for making modern magical weapons like guns or cannons isn’t very developed in Ednail. That’s why the royal family sells magic stones cheaply and instead buys magical weapons from other countries at a low price or gets taught their technology. I’ve heard that the Jinedore Empire is their biggest trading partner.”
“Hmph, what do they know about modern magical weapons? Our harpoons and spears are far more useful. They fit in the hand better, and our bodies carry the memories of our ancestors’ battles. Spears are better than guns; spears are the strongest!!”
“Oh? The memories of your ancestors’ battles are etched into your bodies. That’s a wonderful expression! I can picture the lives of ancient Ednail’s people. They must have navigated the vast sandy seas in their boats, repelling invaders, defeating magical beasts, and securing their sustenance. It’s not hard to imagine that spears and boats were a part of their bodies! Uoohhh! I want to experience that too! Fisherman! I’m an outsider, but can you let me help with the fishing? That’s right! You sand magic stone miners! Why don’t you join in as well?”
“Huh!? Why us too!?”
“Hey, hey! After hearing that story, doesn’t your Ednail blood stir? I’m so fired up as an outsider! Come on, please! I’ll treat you to drinks and dinner! Right!?”
“Wait, drinks and food too!?”
“Yeah! You all know the delicious food of Ednail, right? Teach me!”
So, it was decided that we would all experience fishing in the desert together. At first, the young sand magic stone miners seemed reluctant, but I didn’t miss it. Their bodies were invigorated. They craved the experience of fishing in the desert, of sailing boats across the sands.
“Hehe, you really are pushy, big brother. But it seems everyone has forgotten their quarrels.”
