Chapter 3

In the desert, a child who had collapsed was being targeted by what seemed to be desert goblins.

The camel was also trembling in fear; I had to help!

"Sand Spear!"

The sand spear I launched pierced the goblin. Thinking it was over, I was about to relax, but more goblins emerged from the sand.

These guys can hide in the sand! I've never seen such behavior from the goblins in the empire.

Moreover, they appeared around me. They might have been planning to take the child while I was distracted by the goblins here.

But I won't let that happen.

"Sand Magic: Sandstorm!"

When I cast the spell, the sand spiraled upward, creating a wind that swept up the surrounding goblins.

Good! That takes care of the goblins here! Now for the others.

"Sand Magic: Circular Sand Blade!"

I created a rotating blade of sand and sent it toward the goblins. This spell has a wide range of movement. The sand blade, flying in an arc, sliced through the goblins.

Good, they won't come out of the sand anymore. It seems I've taken them all down. Goblins don't usually drop anything useful. They're not edible, and I don't want to eat them anyway.

Now, I rush to the fallen person. When I slightly pulled back the hood, I saw that it was a girl. And she was incredibly beautiful—

I almost got lost in her beauty. But I can't, I can't; this isn't the time for that.

"Ughh"

The camel looked worried. This camel must have brought her here.

"Don't worry, I'll help her. You should come with us too."

"Ugh? Ughh!"

The camel seemed happy. I lifted the girl onto the camel and started moving with a wave of sand.

"Ughh!? Ughhhhh!"

The camel panicked as we moved on the wave of sand. But it seemed to understand when I explained.

"Ugh♪ Ugh♪"

It seemed to be getting excited. We were approaching the castle.

"We've arrived at the castle. Let's bring her here."

"Ughhhhh!"

The camel looked shocked, its eyes wide. It must have been surprised by the sand castle.

"Ugh!"

"It's okay, don't be so scared. These are golems that protect this area."

The camel was also surprised by the golems guarding the castle. But once it realized they weren't attacking, it started to relax. The sand made it easy to clean up.

"Ugh..."

"Are you hungry? I'll give you some feed later."

"Ugh! Ugh♪"

The camel rubbed its head against me. Does it understand what I'm saying? It's a smart camel.

Now, I laid the girl in a relatively well-ventilated and cool room. I even made a bed out of sand.

Since sand is malleable, the bed is soft and comfortable.

"Peck! Peck!"

"No, even if it's sand, you can't eat it."

"Ugh..."

The camel licked the bed and spat again. I'm not sure if it's smart or not, but it's cute.

Now, she's quite weakened, so first, I need to give her water. Then, I need to find some feed for the camel. What does it eat? Probably grass?

"Do you eat meat?"

The camel shook its head from side to side. So, it doesn't eat meat.

"Grass?"

The camel nodded up and down. So, it eats grass. I also needed to secure water, so I headed to a water source. The camel drank the water greedily, taking in a considerable amount.

"You can eat the grass around here."

"Ugh♪"

The camel was happy. I told the golem to guard the camel and returned to the room with water.

"Can you drink this?"

I tilted the sand-made bottle to her mouth, and I heard her throat moving. Good, she can drink. I let her drink slowly.

Her complexion seemed a bit better, but she still can't speak. She's still lacking nutrition.

Should I give her something to eat? But all I have in storage is meat. The plants haven't fully grown yet.

I need something nutritious and easy to eat. I want her to get better.

I went outside the castle and expanded my sand perception. Is there any food that meets these criteria nearby—

I sensed a reaction. Multiple biological reactions. But that's not all. Something unknown, but it might help her.

It's just a hunch, but I moved with a wave of sand. A distance that would take over half a day on foot took much less time on the wave.

I could see it. Are those ants?

Yes, they are ants. Some have golden bodies, and others are black and sturdy, and they are fighting.

From what I can see, the golden ants are being attacked by the black ants. What caught my attention is that the golden ants' abdomens are unusually swollen and round.

This is concerning. The golden ants are at a disadvantage. Surprisingly, the black ants are fighting with spears in their hands.

Are they monsters? Anyway, I decided to help the golden ants.

"Sand Geyser!"

I cast the sand magic, and sand erupted from beneath the black ants, sending them flying.

"Aggh!"

"Agghh!"

The ants hit the sand, got up, and fled.

"Ant?"

"Antt"

"Ant! Antt!"

Now, the golden ants, which I helped, are swarming around me. I thought they were attacking, but it seems they are thanking me.

Hmm, I was concerned about their swollen abdomens, but I can't hunt them now that they're so grateful.

"Antt♪"

But then, the ants took something from their swollen parts and offered it to me.

They gave me a golden orb, wrapped in some kind of membrane, and it smells sweet.

This smell—

"Is this a gift?"

"Antt Antt♪"

Yes! I was right; even if it's not a person, if someone is in trouble, you should help them.

"Thank you, ants!"

"Antt"

I took the orb, thanked them, and headed back.

When I returned to the castle, the camel was looking satisfied. It rushed over to me when it saw me.

"Ughh?"

"Yes, I found something good. I think this will help her recover."

"Ugh! Ugh♪"

The camel rubbed its head against me. It seems happy. It must have been very worried.

Now, let's feed her right away.

Camel: "Ughh!"

Protagonist: "Yes, I'm grateful to everyone who read this."

Camel: "Ughh! Ughh!"

Protagonist: "Yes, if you like it, please bookmark it."

Camel: "Ughh♪ Ughh♪"

Protagonist: "Yes, if you leave a review, it will boost the author's motivation."

Camel: "Ughh"

Protagonist: "Yes! I'm looking forward to your comments and reviews!"