Hard Carried by My Sword-Chapter 159

“Do you remember me?” Zahar asked, grinning faintly beneath his turban.

His upper body was still swathed in bandages. However, compared to when he couldn’t even stand on his own, he looked somewhat better.

As Leon drew closer, a sharp scent of blood reached his nose. Even with an Expert’s recovery ability, the wounds had not fully healed. Dark stains seeped through the bandages, proof of how powerful Hati’s kick had been.

Leon studied him quickly and reached a conclusion.

It’ll take at least a month before he’s fit to return to the battlefield.

If the blow had gone just a little deeper, it would have been fatal. Without perfect treatment, such as Holy Law healing, the Bedouins’ modest medical skills could only reset bones and pour potions on the wounds. Had Zahar not been an Expert-level warrior, Hati’s Aura would have rotted his organs.

“Of course. I haven’t seen you since your duel, though,” Leon said.

Zahar inclined his head in agreement. Regardless of the outcome of the duel, he was still a great warrior of the Bedouins. He might have lost to Hati, but within the Bedouins, his status and influence were anything but small. He could prove invaluable in the coming crisis.

“You don’t look healthy enough to be moving around like this. What brings you all the way to the city?” Leon asked.

“I didn’t think you’d see through me so quickly...”

“You didn’t even hide the smell of blood. Did you think no one would notice?”

“Few people are as cold-eyed as you. As long as I can stand on my feet and raise my voice, most will think my sword is as sharp as ever.”

Predators, when wounded, saw a sharp drop in their strength just like any other creature. Their bloodshot eyes, snarling growls, bared fangs, and stench of blood were mostly an attempt to intimidate their enemy to avoid a battle, but it was enough to strike fear into most.

“Well, I never expected it to work on you, anyway. You’re a few levels above me, or even that wolf girl. Even if I were in full health, I couldn’t bluff my way past you,” Zahar said and shrugged as if it were nothing. “But in fact, your timing is perfect. You asked why I came to Nuas, didn’t you? I came for you.”

“For me?” Leon blinked at the sudden answer. “Do you need another overseer for a duel?”

“Hah, absolutely not.”

Zahar tapped the table lightly with his finger. His tone was cautious, and the way he glanced at Hans and Elahan made it clear he would rather fewer ears heard.

“You can trust Hans and my companion,” Leon said. “They’re responsible, and they’ve no reason to side against the Bedouins.”

“Hm... Then I’ll trust you on that.”

Zahar let out a long sigh, realizing he had once again been read by Leon. It wasn’t easy to speak of this matter, as it was close to exposing his people’s shame. However, the reality was that he needed help. Looking back and forth between Leon and Elahan, he finally spoke.

“Lord Rahmu and the warriors who followed him have vanished.”

Both Leon and Elahan stiffened, while Zahar continued.

“‘Vanished’ might be an understatement. Within our tribe, we’ve already judged them to be annihilated. Everyone who crossed paths with that unknown thing that appeared months ago has disappeared without a trace.”

“Months? This has been happening that long?” Leon asked.

“The frequency only grows. Reports of unexplained vanishings began four months ago.”

At first, they thought it was mere misfortune: a sandworm attack, or someone stumbling into an antlion’s nest. Such things were not unheard of in the desert, even entire caravans disappearing without a survivor.

However, when it happened a second, a third time, suspicion grew.

The Bedouins were born and raised in the desert. They could pierce mirages with a glance, and seasoned veterans could predict a sandstorm an hour before it struck. They could avoid most accidents with ease.

“Thirteen,” Zahar muttered.

“Pardon?”

“Thirteen Bedouin villages have gone silent since last week.”

The revelation struck like a hammer. Thirteen villages gone meant casualties in the thousands. In just one week, thousands of lives had been extinguished. Leon and Elahan’s eyes flared with resolve.

At the same time, Leon coldly assessed the situation.

So, it’s finally begun to move in earnest.

El-Cid chimed in, —Yep. Its instincts have passed the stage of hunting individuals and now it’s targeting settlements. It’s still incomplete, but it can already think, already strategize.

Which means from now on, it’s a battle against time.

The Black Pharaoh, Nephren-Ka, was incomplete. A true summoning would bring forth a demi-god, but such a ritual required a terrible price.

The Evil Order had cut corners: calling him forth imperfectly, then feeding him living beings so he could recover to full strength. They had chosen the vast desert for cover, stirring conflict between beastkin and nomads to create an endless food supply.

—Even so, he’ll never reach that demi-god level. Unless Evil manages to actually start a war, devouring a few villages like it’s doing right now won’t be enough.

However, El-Cid’s voice carried grim certainty.

—But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s still a formidable foe. Only by uniting the savannah and the desert, and striking with full force, will a path open.

Leon nodded, turning his somber gaze back to Zahar and listening intently.

“Our chief has already ordered all villages to evacuate along the creature’s projected path. Rather than striking prematurely and losing more strength, he intends to gather every available force and take its head in a single blow.”

“A wise decision,” Elahan said, nodding in agreement.

It was a bold move. If it turned out to be nothing, the losses would be great, and so the decision could not have been easy. Yet the Bedouin chief had made it without hesitation. The result was more time bought before Nephren-Ka could fully recover.

Zahar continued, “That’s why I came to you. With its power uncertain, we must consolidate our forces. Since my injuries keep me from the front line, I was given the task of rallying allies.”

“I see.”

The Bedouins had done what they could. Now it was time for Leon to share the news he had brought. As he spoke, Zahar tilted his head in disbelief. How could they have traveled all the way to the Great Savannah, joined the chieftains’ council, and secured the beastkin’s cooperation in such a short time?

He almost thought Leon was mocking him over such a grave matter, but Elahan cut the doubt short with a single line.

“In the name of the Holy Church, I vouch for it. Everything Leon has said is true, and the Church will give full support—food supplies, Holy Iron Inquisitors, whatever is required.”

Zahar’s eyes widened, and he shot to his feet, asking, “A-are you being serious?!”

“Shall I swear it here, upon the Goddess and the Holy Iron Breaker?”

“There’s no need to go that far. I’ll believe you. I came here hoping for one, and now you’ve given me ten. I can barely keep up.”

A handful of strong adventurers from the Guild would have been enough, but the full support of both the Holy Church and the beastkin? It was far beyond his expectations.

He regretted only that the achievement wasn’t his own, but in his condition, he could hardly ask for more. Taking a steadying breath, Zahar calmed the blood that had been heated by excitement. His reason returned quickly, and he read the meaning hidden in Leon’s words with ease.

“So, you’ve judged that we Bedouins cannot face this threat alone.”

Leon did not deny it.

“Yes. The involvement of the Evil Order is very likely.”

Zahar grimaced, gripping the back of his neck.

“The Evil Order... That is indeed another headache. If that’s true, then the chief must be warned at once. He must know it’s too dangerous for us to strike alone.”

“Is he nearby?” Leon asked.

“Not far. Four days by camel, riding day and night.”

The Bedouin chief was also the leader of the nomads. If Leon could reach him, there would be no need for others to interfere. The two forces could be brought together.

Leon and Elahan exchanged a glance, a wordless understanding passing between them. Elahan smiled gently.

“Zahar,” Leon called.

“Yes?”

“Would you take us to your chief?”

“Of course. I had hoped to ask it myself, but I didn’t expect you to offer. Then I’ll prepare at once, and as soon as we’re ready, we’ll—”

“There’s no need,” Leon interrupted softly. “With every second precious, we can’t afford four days.”

“What?” Zahar frowned, puzzled.

Leon grinned and replied, “We’ll just need one.”

***

The heart of the Great Desert. There lay a village of over ten thousand souls, encircled by four oases.

Named Amarh, it was both the seat of the Bedouin tribe’s core families and the place where all decisions were made. Though no rain fell all year, the oases never dried, nor did sandstorms ever touch them.

The place that many even regarded as holy ground was also where the Bedouin chief resided.

“How is the evacuation of our people?”

At the chief’s words from the high seat, the elders fixed their eyes on the carpet and answered, “Thirty-eight settlements have completed evacuation so far, and we’ve guided them to oases near the edge of the steppe.”

“And the rest?”

“Seventeen settlements haven’t returned our messengers, and eighty-nine are in the process of evacuating. As for those who refuse to move, even under conscription...”

“Leave them. If they value their lives so little, I’ve no reason to beg. Fools.”

The chief’s savage face twisted in a snarl, and the elders bowed deeply, unable to interject.

As the master of the desert, he had surpassed the threshold of Aura Master through talent and experience, cutting down over a thousand warriors to seize his position. The young idolized him blindly, while those who remembered the carnage feared him.

That was Al Razzaz the Tyrant.

“If it were up to me, I’d charge out and cut the beast down myself, but my gut tells me I’d only die. And my instincts have never been wrong.”

“...”

“At this rate, we’re all dead. I don’t know what that monster is, but if it comes to it, we’ll abandon everything and flee into the savannah.”

“C-Chief... if we do that, the beastkin will—”

Al Razzaz glared, growling, “They’ll come for us, I know. But against them, at least there’s room to bargain. That thing just devours until nothing’s left. Filthy and disgraceful, but survival comes first.”

He fell silent again, thoughts heavy.

Dammit. There’s no time. We don’t have enough food to feed the evacuees. Even if we empty our coffers, we’ll last half a month at most.

Not even a Swordmaster’s strength could feed an entire people. He, too, wanted to avoid war with the beastkin. Each one of them was a skilled warrior, making them far from easy foes.

A full-scale war would bleed them dry. To carve out a new home on the savannah, at least half would perish. Without his strength, not even a tenth would survive.

Zahar.

The name of one warrior drifted through his mind. The man he had sent to the Guild, to seek aid from outsiders. He hadn’t expected much. Too injured to fight, Zahar had only been given a rear-line task. Certainly not entrusted with turning the tide of this crisis.

And yet, cornered at the cliff’s edge, Al Razzaz found himself hoping. It was almost laughable.

“Hmm.”

That was when his Aura Master’s senses pricked—something was approaching at tremendous speed from the sky. A presence of no small power. He almost thought it was a drake before he laid eyes on it.

“It’s... a man?”

He rushed outside his tent. A shadow closed in, small as an ant to the naked eye, but unmistakably human. And then he sensed another presence, hidden only because the first was so overwhelming.

It was the same man he had been thinking of just moments before. Injured, Aura unsteady.

Then, Leon descended before him, golden wings flaring as he bore Zahar in his arms. Dust billowed with the impact, only to be dispersed in an instant as Al Razzaz flicked his hand. An Aura Master’s will could even quell nature itself.

Finally, their eyes met. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

He’s strong!

Leon’s hand went instinctively to his hilt. It was the reflex of a warrior. He knew that if Al Razzaz struck when he wasn’t fully prepared, he would be dead in fewer than ten exchanges. This Aura was unlike Karen’s secrecy, unlike Elahan’s grandeur.

Cold sweat beaded on Leon’s brow. And then Al Razzaz broke out in a booming, almost mad laughter.

“Hahahaha!”