Chapter 38: The Oasis Departure and the Eagle’s Token

A gentle breeze caressed the surface of the oasis, making countless starlights shimmer atop the water.

“Are you alone?”

A man stepped forward and asked.

The others around him instinctively moved aside, giving him space.

From their demeanor, it was clear he was the leader of the group.

I nodded and took a closer look at him.

The turban on his head gleamed, and a red gemstone adorned the fabric wrapped around his forehead.

His robe was unlike the simple garments worn by the local people; it was crafted from fine material with golden, star-like patterns embroidered across its surface.

He appeared to be quite affluent.

“Yes, I am.”

“Judging by your appearance, you must be from outside the desert?”

“What gave it away?”

“Your skin is too fair to belong to anyone native to this region.”

He pointed at his own face, which had a soft, bronze complexion.

“My name is Kashin. What’s yours?”

The moment he introduced himself, the others standing behind him flinched.

It seemed that revealing his name was not something he did lightly.

Yet, for some reason, he had chosen to share it with me.

“I’m Seris.”

“Ah, Seris. Would you consider joining us, at least until you decide to leave this oasis?”

“Hmm…”

“If you agree, we can offer you warm food and some wine.”

“Why are you being so kind to a stranger you just met?”

“Because that’s how it should be at an oasis.”

It wasn’t an offer I felt comfortable accepting. Even though he seemed friendly now, people’s behavior could change in an instant.

I decided to keep my distance.

“No, thank you.”

“That’s unfortunate…”

Kashin accepted my refusal without hesitation and turned away.

His calm demeanor caught me off guard—it felt almost unsettling.

Perhaps this was a cultural norm unique to the desert.

Snort

“Alright, I get it…”

While I stood there hesitating, Nightmare started moving on its own.

The creature wandered toward the shade of a large tree and settled there.

Naturally, I had no choice but to set up camp beneath the same tree.

I set up a campfire and spread out a blanket.

Just then, Nightmare leaned its massive head toward me, flicking its tongue.

It was obvious—it wanted meat.

I prepared some meat and water for the creature, placing them in a dish.

Nightmare, clearly famished, devoured the chunk of meat in an instant.

It was sandworm meat I had bought earlier from the butcher.

At that moment, a man approached from a distance, walking slowly.

It was Kashin, the one who had introduced himself earlier.

He came empty-handed, raising both hands toward the sky as if to show he meant no harm.

But Kashin couldn’t come too close.

Nightmare, now standing on alert, glared at him with wary eyes.

Seeing this, Kashin stopped a fair distance away.

“Impressive horse you’ve got there,” he remarked.

“What do you want?” I asked.

“Don’t be so guarded. I just want to chat,” Kashin replied.

“What kind of chat?”

“You’re from outside the desert, aren’t you? I’d like to hear about the world out there.”

“Is that all?”

“Of course,” Kashin answered with a relaxed smile as he sat down on the sandy ground.

I glanced toward the direction he had come from.

His group, who seemed to be his companions, were anxiously watching us from afar.

“They seem worried about you,” I said.

“Don’t mind them. They’re not really my people,” Kashin replied casually.

“Hmm…”

After a brief hesitation, I nodded.

I had some questions of my own, so this might be a good chance to exchange stories.

If I shared my tales, I could ask him about blacksmiths who worked with starlight.

Reaching into my memories, I began recounting my experiences—the snow-covered Karum Mountains, my battles with goblins, my encounter with a wizard, and my clash with an ogre.

“An ogre, you say… I’d love to see one for myself,” Kashin commented, his expression alight with interest.

I left out any mention of my ability to use magic and continued my story: crossing the sea to reach the Karma Empire, traveling through the Hiran Plateau, and finally arriving here.

“That’s the end,” I concluded.

Kashin, who had listened intently to the very last word, nodded in admiration.

“The world beyond the desert sounds utterly fascinating.”

“I have something I’d like to ask as well. May I?”

“Go right ahead,” Kashin replied with a welcoming smile.

I asked Kashin about rumors of a blacksmith who worked with starlight.

He tilted his head upward, his expression thoughtful, as he stared at the vast expanse of the starry sky.

The starlight, like a slow-moving river, seemed to flow across the desert.

Time passed as I waited in silence, watching the drifting stars. Eventually, Kashin spoke.

“Perhaps you’re referring to the legend of the Star Forge.”

“Star Forge?”

Kashin nodded.

“It’s a tale from long ago, now faded into myth. It’s about the vanished dwarves.”

He wrinkled his brow, struggling to recall details as if pulling them from the depths of a hazy memory.

He recounted a story about dwarves who forged swords from falling starlight, a sinister dragon that coveted their creations, and a city called the Star Forge that disappeared alongside the dwarves.

“Does that mean there’s no way to find the Star Forge now?”

“Of course not,” Kashin replied with a laugh. “It’s just an old story—a city that doesn’t exist in reality.”

“Even if someone searched every inch of this desert?”

“Hahaha!” Kashin burst into hearty laughter at my question before continuing.

“Many have thought the same and tried, but all of them failed. Not a single one succeeded.”

“Hmm…”

“Don’t take it too hard. It’s only a legend, after all,” Kashin added with a smile.

I chuckled lightly, gazing at the starlit sky.

“Even so, I’d like to try.”

“Well… I won’t stop you if that’s what you want,” he said, standing up.

As he rose, fine grains of sand scattered from where he had been sitting.

I watched as Kashin walked back toward his campsite, then lay down on my blanket.

A cool breeze gently brushed against my golden hair.

“What should I do…” I murmured softly.

Nightmare approached me, curious, its crimson eyes looking down at me.

“My heart is racing,” I admitted, placing a hand on my chest and closing my eyes.

Beneath the sound of my pounding heart was the faint hum of something turning.

Kashin had called it a forgotten legend, a story about a city that no longer existed.

Yet, through his tale, I learned much—about the existence of dwarves in this world, the swords forged from starlight, the wicked dragon, and the city of the Star Forge.

The story ignited a fire within me.

After meeting the Thunderbird in person, I couldn’t dismiss such tales as mere myths.

Where had the dwarves gone?

Perhaps they had hidden themselves within the starlight.

I reached a hand toward the sky.

I couldn’t possibly touch it, but the starlight flowing like a river shimmered as if it might be within my grasp.

By the time dawn began to break, a faint light edged the horizon.

Kashin’s group swiftly completed their preparations to leave the oasis.

As I lay half-asleep, he tossed a small pouch at me.

“Last night’s story was entertaining. Show this at Burning Road, and no one will look down on you.”

Rubbing my eyes, I picked up the leather pouch from the ground.

Inside was a brooch shaped like an eagle, intricately carved from blue gemstones.

“Wow…”

As the sunlight reflected off the oasis’s surface and struck the brooch, the eagle shimmered with a green radiance.

The color seemed to change depending on the angle of the light.

Kashin, clearly of high status, had casually handed me something so exquisite.

With a sharp whinny, Nightmare, now refreshed after a good night’s sleep, seemed ready to depart.

“Let’s go!”

Mounted on Nightmare, I left the oasis behind.

The silver sands of the desert stretched endlessly before us, and Nightmare galloped like the wind.

But our pace didn’t last long.

As the sun’s heat intensified and the temperature soared, Nightmare began to falter, its energy draining rapidly.

Traveling through the desert was a grueling ordeal.

Sandstorms were mercifully absent, but other annoyances abounded—rolling tumbleweeds, occasional gusts of sandy wind, and frequent attacks from unknown monsters.

Five days after leaving the oasis, we finally spotted a massive city by a wide river.

Burning Road.

With renewed vigor, Nightmare dashed toward the city, its excitement palpable as it caught sight of the cool shade within.

Thud, thud, thud!

“Whoa, slow down! Stop!”

As we approached the city gates, the guards stationed there drew their swords and spears, aiming them at

Nightmare.

Clearly, they mistook the large creature for a monster.

I tugged on Nightmare’s reins, trying to calm it down.

“Shh… Stay calm.”

Nightmare neighed in frustration, stomping its hooves and flailing its front legs, clearly displeased with the weapons pointed at it.

“Uh, could you lower your weapons, please?” I asked awkwardly.

“No, we can’t!” one of the tense guards snapped, their grip on their weapons tightening.

As the standoff continued, I remembered the brooch Kashin had given me.

He had said it would command respect in Burning Road.

Reaching into my pouch, I retrieved the small brooch and pinned it to my chest.

The sunlight made it gleam brilliantly in shades of green and blue.

“T-That’s…!”

“We apologize!”

The brooch’s effect was immediate.

The guards quickly sheathed their weapons and stepped back, bowing their heads in deference.

What exactly was this brooch to command such reverence?

As I led Nightmare past the guards, I couldn’t help but wonder about its true significance.