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The scorching heat of the desert, embracing those who are thoroughly prepared, was no exception for even the most ready.

Skin dries up, throats ignite, and due to thirst, they unknowingly guzzle down all the water they had brought to fend off the desert’s heat.

Every step feels like it sinks into the continuously flowing sand, draining stamina away.

Wrapping a cloth around oneself to escape the glaring sun’s rays only worsens the situation, trapping body heat and making it even more unbearable in a vicious cycle.

Surviving in such a harsh environment as the desert isn’t easy unless you’re a being that has adapted and evolved to it.

And, of course, that applied to Alice, Eric, and Pinna as well.

“Phew… Phew….”

The most problematic among them was the hero Eric.

This famed hero, known for defeating the Demon King, was barely enduring the blazing heat with sheer mental will as he trudged forward.

“Eric, you don’t look so good.”

“I-I’m fine…”

“No, this isn’t gonna cut it. I’ll cast a heat barrier spell just for you.”

“No, it’s alright. This cloth Pinna gave me is doing its job; I’m just struggling because I’m not used to it.”

Eric forced a smile as if he was okay. Alice, not satisfied with his appearance, glared at him with a pout.

Having sweated so much that not a single drop was left, the traces of evaporated sweat formed a light saltiness on his skin.

If they continued on like this, leaving Eric in such a state, it wouldn’t be long before they’d find a dried corpse.

Thinking this, Alice lightly flicked Eric’s forehead, causing a sudden sting that left him bewildered.

“It’s just putting a simple spell on you. That’s all. It’s not a big deal. The only issue is that the range for the detection magic will be reduced a bit.”

That “a bit” actually meant cutting the range in half, but Alice kept that part to herself.

“Alice.”

“Eric, this isn’t just for you; it’s for my sake too.”

Alice continued in a small voice.

“I’m weaker now. So, you have to protect me. If you tire out and collapse in this heat… I’ll be in danger too.”

“But…”

“It’s necessary. So just be quiet and accept the spell.”

Only then did Eric seem to relent, nodding slightly.

He didn’t want to become a shackling burden to her, the one he decided to accompany in helping.

So what if the range of the detection magic shrinks? Even if more monsters appear because of it, it’s much more reassuring to fight while protecting her than to leave her in danger.

Therefore.

“Thanks, Alice.”

Eric sincerely expressed his gratitude.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Thanks to Alice’s magic, Eric’s condition improved rapidly, liberated from the heat.

Despite the reduced range of detection magic leading to a few ambushes by monsters, the three of them managed to fend them all off somehow. So in the end, it turned out pretty well.

“To be honest, I thought the heat-retaining cloth Pinna gave me would be enough before setting foot in the desert.”

“I didn’t think the desert heat would be this intense either.”

After receiving the heat barrier spell from Alice, Eric returned the heat-retaining cloth to Pinna.

With Alice’s magic perfectly blocking the heat, they didn’t need the cloth anymore, and as they went deeper, the temperature kept rising, making things harder for Pinna too.

“I can usually handle considerable heat, but this is a bit much.”

“On the bright side, it has also lessened the monster ambushes.”

It seemed that even monsters found it challenging to withstand such extreme heat, as their appearances began to dwindle.

Thanks to that, the burden on Alice’s detection magic gradually decreased.

“By the way, how come Alice is enduring this heat without breaking a sweat?”

“Apparently, a great mage can move their magical power just by relying on will without using spells. Maybe it’s something like that?”

“Hmm… I’m not so sure. She seemed fine even in the bitter cold of the North. I guess it could just be her constitution.”

Strictly speaking, it is indeed a constitution—a body born of the Demon King.

Her body, housing an immense amount of magic, could efficiently alter the surrounding environment to suit her.

The capacity to create a massive Demon Castle from nothing.

Of course, Alice, not being the Demon King, couldn’t achieve such feats… but she could unconsciously transform the few centimeters above her skin into a comfortable environment.

Thanks to that, while Eric nearly withered up and Pinna, well-acquainted with high temperatures also struggled without the heat-retaining cloth, Alice moved energetically through the scorching desert.

“Well then, let’s take a break here for today.”

When it came time to rest, Alice magically gathered sand, hardening it into a rock, and then extracted thin stones to create a shaded area where they could relax.

In such extreme conditions, preparing something to eat wasn’t easy. The three of them made do with dry bread and jerky while taking brief power naps. Once the next day arrived, they resumed their journey.

Their destination? The heart of the blazing desert—the towering mountain.

The mountain home to the Ifrit, often called the Sacred Flame.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

After three days of walking, the three finally arrived at a spot where they could see the mountain housing the Sacred Flame.

“What’s that?”

“Undead…?”

In front of the mountain, they spotted a horde of undead gathered.

“Undead? Why are they appearing in the blazing desert? They’re not bodies buried in the sand rising again, are they?”

“That’s…”

It seemed Eric and Alice had picked up on something vaguely, but Pinna just stared back and forth at the two, utterly clueless.

“Surely it’s that guy, right?”

“Yup. No doubt about it. It’s his magic.”

“That guy? Who are we talking about here?”

“It’s someone persistent like a bug, keeps coming back again and again.”

The self-proclaimed master of death, the Lich wizard.

It seemed this tenacious necromancer, who continued to appear even after being slain time and again, was still active now that the Demon King had vanished.

“Things have been quiet for a while, huh? Guess he’s back again.”

“Yeah, I feel you. It’s so annoying.”

“Annoying? We’re talking about Undead here! And in significant numbers! Is it okay to just call it annoying?”

Pinna slightly panicked at Alice and Eric’s nonchalant demeanor. Well, it’s not strange since she just didn’t understand why they were so relaxed.

“Don’t worry. It’s no big deal.”

“But, they’re Undead! Monsters that refuse death and rise again even after dying! They’re relentless, reassembling and charging at you even after you break their bones!”

“Seriously, it’s alright. I have an affinity with them.”

Alice said this and began to walk toward the horde of Undead.

“Alice! It’s dangerous! Eric! Stop her!!! Even though she’s a mage, facing that many Undead is risky! Maybe if she were a priest from the Church of Life, we could talk!”

“It’s okay. Just leave it to Alice.”

“But…”

Eric calmly nodded and spoke, and even if Pinna felt a bit displeased, she started to just watch.

“If it seems even slightly dangerous, I’ll charge in right away!!”

“Sure, if it gets dangerous. In that case, I’ll jump in too.”

Eric confidently claimed it as if such a situation wouldn’t happen at all.

As Alice approached the horde of Undead, one of the Undead stepped forward from the crowd.

Wearing a tattered black robe and holding what looked like a staff carved from ebony wood.

The necromancer who called himself the master of death, with no name left of his own.

“Honestly, to have come to such a hot place, this is too much.”

“Then, why don’t you just not come?”

“I can’t do that, can I? It’s been revealed that what we lost is within you—how could I stand by?”

The blue flame that erupted from the empty eye sockets gazed directly at Alice.

“For the preservation of the Demon King’s legacy, the existence of the Demon King is required. I shall reclaim the Demon King you have taken, Dragon Priestess.”

And with that, a multitude of Undead began to surge forward.

Skeletons with nothing but bones, dried corpses forcibly animated into mummies, and Liches that command and move such Undead.

All believed to be here for the Dragon Priestess, Alice, who they thought stole the Demon King.

However, the vast majority of the Undead couldn’t stand against the life energy emanating from Alice, leading them to collapse.

Even in her weakened state, the difference in compatibility brought about such results.

So foolish was it for the Undead to try to confront Alice, who could effortlessly dissolve such weak creatures without a second thought.

Harnessing the life energy radiating from her own body, she gathered her magical power to create arrows of light and shot these arrows infused with her life energy at the Undead.

While the individual power might not have been overwhelming, as the life force seeped into them, the Undead began to quickly lose strength and fall one after another.

Thus, as Alice dispatched all the Undead with her light arrows, she continued onward with a light step, as if it was no trouble at all.

“Uh-oh, isn’t that the Undead that was babbling earlier?”

“Hmm, looks like it got melted in Alice’s radiant attack. It’s always the same story, huh? Guess it doesn’t have the learning ability since its brain is rotting.”

“Always the same story…? By the way, that guy just referred to you as the Demon King and Dragon Priestess… Could it be…?”

“That, I will tell you about once this is over.”

Pinna merely nodded quietly at Eric’s evasive words regarding their identities.

 

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