“Still holding up okay, Elena?”
“Yes, I’m fine, Alia.”
Elena and I had taken turns napping until evening and begun moving once we’d judged that the temperature had dropped enough. Though her body had grown healthier thanks to the aethercrystal in her heart diminishing in size, her health points were still lower than an ordinary person’s.
Instead of taking our time preparing to cross the desert, we’d decided to aim for a settlement—making sure to skirt the ruins—while we still had health points and provisions to spare. Our first objective was the south side of Reisveil, where we presumed people would gather, since it was very likely that adventurers braved the ruins for monster drops and treasure. It was a gamble, but it was better than wandering around aimlessly.
According to the geographical information Elena remembered, the Empire of Kal’Faan was south of Reisveil, but it was a month’s journey away on foot. Traveling that far would be a reckless endeavor.
“Skreee!”
A beetle-type monster, about one meter long, attacked us. Elena used a water spell to stop it in its tracks, and I lunged at it; I thrust my knife into a gap in its shell and sliced off its head. Though it had been only Rank 2 or so, unfamiliar enemies were not to be underestimated.
Insect-type creatures could stay alive for some time even with their heads cut off, but it no longer posed us any threat in this state. Normally, I would’ve taken it apart to harvest its materials and aethercrystal, but for now, our sole priority was to keep moving forward.
Now that we had a goal, Elena seemed to have grown more proactive. She didn’t just hide behind me in combat anymore, and had begun actively asking me for instructions. I figured it was possible she was just trying to put on a brave face, though.
Had I been alone, I could’ve survived off monster carrion if I’d had to. But Elena wasn’t like me. She understood that too, and had been doing her best to survive.
“Let’s go,” I said.
“Yes,” she replied, despite the traces of fatigue on her features.
Elena was strong, but...fragile. She’d hate being offered a helping hand as though she were weak or a burden. I knew that, but I nevertheless extended my palm to her as she walked behind me. She offered me a small smile and took it, and we began walking hand in hand beneath the cloudless, starry desert sky.
We moved at night and rested in the shade of rocks during the day, occasionally stopping to hunt monsters for meat. After four days of this, we finally spotted a small town from atop the rocky area we’d been traversing.