Chapter 91

On the weekend, after resting their bodies, Tora and his companions returned to the Wasteland of Broken Winds.

This time, they set out at midnight, learning from their previous experience.

The carriage stop they arrived at in the early morning was quite bustling.

Smoke from breakfast rose from various places, and the noisy voices of people could be heard everywhere.

"Hey, Muu, we're here."

"Huh? I was sleeping with Tora, so why am I outside?"

After getting off the carriage, Tora and his companions headed towards a wooden box table placed in the center.

They quickly found the guide they were looking for.

Galdor, who was munching on a hard biscuit with a blank expression, slowly blinked when he noticed Tora and the others.

"...You're full of energy this early in the morning."

"We turned back halfway last time. This time, we want to make more progress."

"Your perseverance hasn't changed a bit. If it were Salissa, she'd be changing clothes right now. Well, if you want, I can guide you."

"Is that okay? That would be a great help."

If the veteran shield bearer accompanies them, it would be reassuring in case of emergencies.

At Galdor's urging, Tora and his companions took their seats and shared breakfast.

"So, this time, we're thinking of taking the northern route, where we heard there's much less sand."

"...Indeed, there's no sand in the north. But I'll pass on that one."

"Is the northern route bad?"

"No, it's not that it's bad, but the compatibility is poor. You'll see when we get there."

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Tora..."

At that moment, Salissa called out from behind, cutting off the conversation.

The woman of the Blue Scales clan had her hood pulled deep over her face, so her expression was hidden, but from the tone of her voice, it seemed there was no problem.

"Good morning. I'm counting on you today."

"Good morning, Salissa."

"Nice to meet you!"

"Please guide us."

After finishing their preparations and loading their bags, Tora and his companions headed north.

They continued to walk steadily through the barren wasteland, where nothing obstructed their view except for the distant silhouette of what seemed to be rock formations.

White sand, carried by the howling wind, swirled at their feet, but the solid ground made walking easier.

Tora led the way, and the group, lined up in a single file, marched forward with high spirits.

After about an hour, Tora noticed a small discrepancy.

The size of the rock formations hadn't changed much.

He tried to increase their pace slightly.

After two hours, the rock formations finally began to draw closer.

Considering they had been visible from a considerable distance, Tora had expected them to be quite large, but they turned out to be surprisingly small, about the same size as the carriage they had come in.

However, as soon as they entered the leeward side of the rocks, Tora clearly noticed the difference.

The wind had died down.

When he poked his head out from the rock's shadow, he felt a significant resistance.

Unconsciously, the wind had grown stronger, and they had been facing considerable pressure.

"Before we knew it, the wind had become quite strong."

"Ah, really! I thought it was getting harder to walk."

"It's hard to notice because the wind is coming from the same direction."

Unlike the central area, the wind here seemed to come from only one direction.

While it was more tiring in terms of fatigue last time, this time it was more troublesome in terms of walking.

"T-Tora, Muu can't go on. If you don't carry me soon, it'll be a disaster."

The child was saying something similar to what he had said before, but it was understandable.

This time, they had brought a sled to carry the white hard copper they planned to bring back.

Because Muu was carrying the flat sled, he was more affected by the wind.

Watching Muu sway unsteadily, Tora realized why Galdor had declined to guide them.

"I see, carrying a shield while walking must be quite a hassle. Here, Tora will carry the sled."

"Muuu, Tora is so stingy!"

While patting the child, who was clinging to his waist and shaking his head, Tora sought advice from the guide who had followed them at the back.

"Sorry to bother you, but any advice would be helpful."

"Yes... Tora and Sora should be fine. The other two, however, have a problem with their walking style."

"Oh, is that so?"

According to Salissa, walking with a straight back and a brisk pace, which is good in the city, is not suitable for this wasteland.

The key is to take small steps, lean forward, and let the wind carry you.

"Also, walking with a slightly pigeon-toed stance and using your knees and ankles will help you avoid fatigue..."

While trying out the new walking style, Tora and his companions started moving through the wind again.

The air had become much more forceful, and they could now clearly feel the wind pressure.

Tora changed his course to a zigzag pattern, taking the wind on one side of his body.

They slowly made their way to the next rock formation.

As they moved deeper, the wind grew stronger.

Since there was almost no sand except for what was flying around, the ground, with its fine cracks, stretched endlessly.

All they could see were rocks, rocks, and more rocks.

These rocks, known as Condensed White Rocks, had flat surfaces with almost no irregularities.

Shaped by the wind, many of the rocks pointed in the direction of the wind.

They jutted out from the ground, resembling thick, white blades.

After several hours of struggling against the wind, Tora and his companions finally reached a place where the pointed rocks were spread out.

Rocks taller than an adult male stood at intervals, jutting out of the ground.

"This is called the Thousand Blade Plain."

"Phew, it seems like moving will be easier now."

"Huh? The wind has also calmed down?"

"Probably because of the many rocks."

"Let's take a lunch break when we reach that large rock in the center."

"Food? Tora!"

From a distance, they could see several large rocks standing in the middle.

Tora and his companions approached them, moving from one rock's shadow to another.

"It feels like we're playing hide-and-seek."

"You're right, now that you mention it."

While moving quickly against the wind, Muu suddenly spoke up.

"Something's there, Tora."

"...I was expecting it soon."

The rock Muu was pointing to was their next destination.

Tora, sword in hand, silently circled around to the other side of the rock.

But there was nothing there.

"......Where is it?"

"There, Tora."

At Muu's words, Tora moved his gaze for a moment, and at that instant, something suddenly flew out from under the rock.

Tora quickly swung his cloak.

But the rope-like object easily pierced through the blue-striped snake leather, which boasted maximum defense.

At the same time, something fell to the ground with a thud.

It was Tora's left arm, which had been cut off.