---

Gray skies poured down heavy rain. The gentle droplets soaking the ground soon transformed into thick sheets of rain.

The sentry, sheltered beneath the eaves, scanned the desolate land. His gaze, surveying the widely known red desert imbued with extraordinary mysteries, was utterly indifferent.

As the intense rain hammered against the sand-colored bricks, his calm eyes fixated on the end of the street.

“Private, are you okay?”

In response to the sentry’s inquiry, the machine gunner answered in a trembling voice.

“Y-yes, no problem.”

He was perched atop the roof of an old tactical vehicle, which served as both a mode of transportation to the checkpoint monitoring the road to the border and a defensive measure for guarding this place.

Soaked by rain while defending the vehicle positioned on the road, the gunner shivered, scrunched up as droplets dripped from the edge of his helmet.

“Just hang in there a bit longer. The shift change will be here soon.”

“Understood…”

The response came back weakly, barely piercing through his raincoat.

As if to comfort the sentry, a gust of wind swept past the building. The flag of the peacekeeping force, placed atop the sand-colored bricks, soared upwards in the gust.

Noticing the precariously fluttering flag, the sentry looked down at the desert. Indifferently scanning the horizon, he pulled out the radio attached to his bulletproof vest.

“Something is approaching from 1.5 km away. Do you see it?”

“Yes, I see it.”

A voice emerged from the radio.

“It’s a vehicle.”

“Was a vehicle scheduled to arrive today?”

“No, there were no planned visits.”

“……”

The peacekeeping forces guarding the border of the Mauritania Continent. The soldier, with a nervous look, lifted the binoculars placed beside his rifle.

In the distance, a city rested at the edge of the desert. Bright headlights pierced through the dense mist created by the torrential rain.

When the vehicle crossed into the checkpoint, the soldiers had already armed themselves, ready for anything.

A soldier from the peacekeeping force, adjusting his rifle, approached the vehicle through the downpour and knocked on the window.

“Where are you coming from?”

The glass window rolled down smoothly.

A woman with red hair answered from the passenger’s seat.

“From the headquarters.”

—

Episode 17 – The Tree That Drinks Blood

Nearby the border, at checkpoint number 31, the soldiers of the peacekeeping forces finished their shift and set off toward the forward operating base.

A peculiar silence enveloped the vehicle’s interior. As the driver steered toward the base, the lead soldier glanced at the rear seat in the mirror. A woman, said to have been sent from the headquarters, was seated there.

Cautiously observing the back seat, the lead soldier tried to deduce the woman’s identity.

A scarf shielding her from the hot sun and sand, casual clothing prioritizing mobility over formality. Her gaze focused outside the window appeared calm, and despite the unsettling vibrations of the seat, she looked quite at ease.

She seemed like an ordinary person—nothing particularly special. But what caught attention was the robe she wore.

Merely seeing that made it easy to guess she was a magician. She might also be a shaman, but it didn’t matter.

Whether she was a magician or a shaman, everyone was well aware that they were as threatening as anyone armed with a gun. Perhaps even more so.

Despite the dangerous aura of someone who could annihilate a squad with a mere gesture being on board, there was scarcely a trace of worry on the faces of the peacekeeping soldiers. Instead, they cast hopeful glances towards the magician in the back seat.

The lead soldier, glancing at the rearview mirror, started questioning the magician.

“Are you a magician?”

“Ah, yes. I am a magician.”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

The lead soldier’s smile widened, confirming his prediction. Turning to look at the back seat, he spoke with a hint of eager anticipation.

“Welcome. It’s rare to see a magician around here lately, so it’s nice to meet you. You said you came from the headquarters? Are you with the alliance or the peacekeeping forces?”

The magician nodded. Her red hair swayed a beat behind.

“It seems you aren’t from around here. Where is your hometown?”

“Um….”

The magician began to wear a mysterious smile upon receiving the question. Then she responded with an answer that was rather hard to grasp.

“You probably wouldn’t know it even if I told you.”

At first glance, it sounded like a rude reply, but the lead soldier didn’t mind. Magicians often behaved in quirky ways, doing things that ordinary people couldn’t comprehend.

She was likely from a small country, whose name was little-known. Resolving not to pry into her hometown, the lead soldier halted his inquiry.

The scenery outside flowed past the bulletproof glass. The city they looked upon held the scars of war.

The walls and exteriors pressed shoulder to shoulder bore vivid marks of a long civil war. Even in a city that suffered civil conflict just a few years ago, traces of disputes were still evident everywhere.

The signs of bullets and shells piercing through, abandoned ruins left in a collapsed state, lifeless people. The armed convoy of the peacekeeping forces silently traversed the grim gray city.

The magician remained silent, observing the scene reflected in the window with a tense expression. Sensing the atmosphere, the soldier beamed, trying to ease the guest’s tension.

“It’s a bit much, isn’t it?”

“…Ah. Yes.”

“Since we’re near the border, there are all sorts of skirmishes occurring. Generally, this area has always looked like this.”

As the soldier made a jest with a grin, the magician smiled with a calm face.

“It must be really dangerous here?”

“You wouldn’t believe it. Rebels, militias, it’s complete chaos! And now, monsters are crawling into the city too! Just last spring, they were only lurking near the border, and now suddenly they’re showing up out of nowhere…”

“Well, don’t worry. Monsters won’t come all the way down here; we’re quite a distance from the border.”

On the way back to the forward operating base, the magician had seamlessly mingled with the soldiers, engaging in all kinds of conversations. They talked about the situation in the operational area, peculiar circumstances, culture, hometown, food, hobbies, and everything in between. The atmosphere of the conversation was cozy and comfortable.

“My hometown is known for its frequent rains, which is why I thought I’d enjoy coming to the desert, but now that I’m here, the rain is pouring like crazy.”

“Just because it’s a desert doesn’t mean it doesn’t rain. The rainy season exists everywhere.”

“It’s pretty uncomfortable. The food doesn’t suit my taste, and there’s nothing to do. And due to religious reasons, they don’t sell alcohol here either.”

With faces filled with curiosity, the soldiers began to ask questions. Where is she from? How many people came? Could it be from the Magic Tower?

Despite the continuous questions, the magician remained unfazed. With a calm voice and smile, she answered their inquiries.

“Well, I started from Abas. I had promised to meet up with my scattered colleagues, but I set off first, so I haven’t been able to meet them yet. I plan to update them as soon as I arrive at the forward operating base.”

“Abas? Really?”

“Yes, but, I’m not from Abas. That was just my departure point.”

A small gasp escaped. It seemed like a disappointed reaction.

“I thought troops were coming from Abas, but that’s not the case… how many companions are with you?”

“About five, including me?”

Silence fell over the vehicle. It was an uncomfortable silence.

The awkward atmosphere was palpable; both the person being questioned and the questioner could sense it.

“Um, five. Five, huh…”

The soldiers nodded with ambiguous expressions. They tried to manage their faces, but the magician caught a glimpse of their deep disappointment in their eyes.

“I see. Well, welcome. But what brings you here, magician?”

The woman, questioned by one of the soldiers, smiled brightly.

“To help people.”

“Ooh—”

Gasps of admiration erupted simultaneously from various corners of the vehicle. In a place where survival was a shallow joke due to civil war and monster threats, someone with such a pure purpose was indeed a rare type.

On the other hand, the squad leader knitted his brows. He turned to the magician and asked, his tone questioning the sincerity.

“Is that really all you came here for?”

The once-chattering soldiers now looked at the executive with surprise. Though the soldiers, clearly flustered, sent silent signals for him to stop, the executive continued unabated.

With a sigh that seemed to convey absurdity, the executive spoke with concern.

“I’ve been deployed three times, and everyone with that kind of mindset has run away in fear.”

While the alliance sends magicians to conflict areas worldwide every year, peace that once departed stayed far away.

No matter how much funding a powerful nation government provided, it remained the same. Governments with the strongest militaries were reluctant to send troops to conflict areas. Instead, it was the middle-tier developing nations that were sent into battle in place of the mighty governments, which merely paid for blood with money.

“Peace, my foot…”

It was the same this time too.

The powerful governments represented by the Kingdom of Abas and the Kien Empire promised to send their armies to Mauritania, claiming they would contribute to global peace and security as members of the international community. Yet, tens of thousands of expeditionary troops remained in their home countries, never even making it out of the military ports.

Instead, they said supplies were coming. The powerful governments promised to establish refugee camps on humanitarian grounds and send logistical support and vast amounts of aid, but only if their parliaments allowed it.

To put it bluntly, that meant they wouldn’t help right away.

In such a situation, it was only natural for the citizens of the Mauritania continent to curse the international community.

In a scenario where hundreds die daily and tens of thousands of refugees swarm, it was practically impossible to rely on assistance that might never come.

The same could be said for the peacekeeping force caught in between the international community and Mauritania.

“Just turn back. Don’t go getting yourself in trouble for nothing. This romanticism crap doesn’t mean a thing. You need to at least stay alive to feel any romance.”

With that, the squad leader closed his mouth.

While the awkward silence continued to hang in the air, a senior soldier, keeping an eye on the situation, whispered into the magician’s ear.

“I’m sorry. There’s no bad intention behind this. That guy used to go on operations with adventurers, but things went awry back then… I’ll apologize on his behalf.”

“It’s fine. I completely understand.”

The magician smiled warmly.

“I’ve had similar experiences myself.”

“…Ah.”

“But someone has to be left here to protect the citizens, right? It’s something that needs to be done.”

The magician accepted the apology nonchalantly. A strange silence fell just as the rain began to hammer down harder against the glass.

—Grrr…!!

A tremendous rumble shook the ground.

As tremors like an earthquake began to jolt the city, chaos erupted. Citizens scrambled into buildings, unsure of what to do, while soldiers held onto their belongings and gritted their teeth in the shaky vehicle.

“What’s happening? Is it an earthquake?”

“Like it would be an earthquake!”

As thick raindrops pounded sharply against the bulletproof glass, the squad leader quickly gathered his wits and cast a glance out the window.

“This isn’t an earthquake zone. There’s no reason for the ground to shake like this…!”

If nature wasn’t angry, the cause must be something else.

Just then, the squad leader spotted that cause.

—Grrroooaaaar!!

A pillar rose from beneath the ground. No, it wasn’t a pillar—it was a monster.

A creature that looked like a blend of a parasite and a worm burst through the ground. With long appendages reminiscent of tentacles, it plunged its razor-sharp, toothy maw into a building.

Crash! The impact shook the area, followed by a scream that tore through the air. The enormous mouth that crashed into the building swelled, and soon a bulging object began to extricate itself from the maw, dragging along as it connected to the body.

I didn’t want to know what that grotesque mass of flesh had swallowed. I didn’t want to know and felt I shouldn’t.

As the machine gunner pulled the trigger, the heavy machine gun began firing.

Amidst the chaotic symphony of gunfire and radio chatter, the squad leader shook the driver awake.

“Request support from the base and abandon the scene!”

“We can’t get out with the vehicle! The roads are all blocked!”

The road was choked with fleeing cars dodging the monster. Seeing the jammed-up road, the squad leader issued another command.

“Abandon the vehicle! Everyone dismount and move—No, what are you doing there?!”

“What?”

The magician turned her head, perplexed.

“What are you talking about?”

She was moving toward the huge monster that was smashing down both road and buildings.

It looked like she was gearing up for a hunt, ready to confront the giant creature.

“Stop!”

The squad leader shouted.

“That’s insane! Fighting that thing? What do you think you’re doing?!”

“I have to catch it.”

The Peacekeeping Force advised her to run away.

The soldiers who abandoned the vehicle were retreating while assisting civilians. It was simply impossible to attack the monster without fire support or a magician.

Of course, the magician was indeed there. But it was all in vain.

What could a single magician possibly accomplish? The mass that had surfaced was equivalent to a five-story building, and if not killed instantly, it would likely retreat underground again.

Thus, the Peacekeeping Force urged retreat.

“Get back! You can’t do anything!”

“You’ll see when you try.”

“You’ll lose!”

The voices of the Peacekeeping Force sounded like a last-ditch effort.

Casting aside her robe, the magician opened her mouth.

“I’ll win.”

With a tone full of conviction,

red flames began to flicker in the air.

 

---