Chapter 112: A Fallen Civilization

「It’s terrible, Lord Kyou…Even though I was available, you ended up dancing with other people…」

「I…I understand, I truly understand. It was my fault, so please stop repeating it…」

And just like that, we were heading towards the Arabia Kingdom while riding in the carriage that Shin had prepared for us.

Along the way, Fitis complained many times over, so I felt an incomprehensible sense of guilt.

Should I do something to make up for it?

As I was thinking about this, the carriage, which should’ve been shaking, suddenly stopped and the door opened.

「We’ve arrived. Kyou-san, please come down. 」

「Eh? Have we arrived already? 」

I was surprised at how fast it was.

This was because it had only been a little over an hour since we had ridden the carriage.

「No, it will still take a little longer to arrive to the Arabia Kingdom. But we have to change our transport here. 」

What did he mean?

I, Fitis, Jack, Rock, and the others who were riding in the carriage came out without really knowing what was going on.

Then, I saw the scene that spread out in front of me and understood.

「I see. What a beautiful desert. 」

A vast desert stretched before the horizon.

A strange scene unfolded, as if the scenery had been cut in half along the way. What had been a rough road had turned into sand after crossing the border.

「A horse-drawn carriage isn’t suitable for crossing the desert. So, we’ll take the Kobuda from now on. 」

「Kobuda? 」

I couldn’t help but ask back at the strange name that Shin professed, but I was immediately convinced when I saw the monster that Shin’s servant had prepared.

It had two large bumps on its back, a rounded head at the end of its long, slender neck, and its legs were long and sturdy, just like an ostrich’s.

In general, it had the body of a camel and the head, neck, and legs of an ostrich.

「Then, please come on board. 」

Saying that, he handed one Kobuda to me, Fitis, and Jack.

「Shin, is this a monster that it’s safe for people to ride on? 」

「Yeah, it’s okay. Kobuda is originally a calm monster and gets used to people easily. Kobuda here will listen obediently to what the first-time rider has to say. 」

As Shin explained, the Kobuda bent its long neck and brought it closer to my face, touching my cheek in a friendly manner.

After that, the Kobuda pointed with his neck between the two bumps on his back, as if asking me to ride him.

「Well then, I’ll take your word for it. Rock come with me. 」

「Yeah! 」

I was riding Kobuda with Rock in my arms.

On the other hand, Fitis and Jack was also riding a Kobuda.

「Then, let’s set off again. We’ll be there in about an hour from here. 」

With Shin’s shout, all the Kobudas moved.

They were faster than I expected, moving their long, slender legs as they ran through the desert one after another.

「Wow, they are surprisingly fast. 」

It certainly looked like they could cover a considerable distance in an hour.

While I thought so, I looked at the ever-changing scenery.

Of course, I wasn’t just looking at it. I was curious about this desert.

「Shin. How many monsters are there that can be harvested as food in the desert? 」

I moved next to Shin and asked him while controlling my Kobuda as he ran at a galloping speed.

「Well, first of all, Cactus Balls are the main edible monsters. They are filled with pulp and can absorb a lot of water. The other monster is the Killer Scorpion. It’s a monster whose shell is filled with flesh and can only be obtained in the desert. Hmm, more. There are also Basilisks, which are higher species of Cockatrices, and Catoblepas* and Spinx. 」

「Spinx? 」

I couldn’t help but listen back to that word.

Did he say the word Spinx or Sphinx?

Also, an acquaintance of mine was a Sphinx, I mean one of the Four Heavenly Kings, and it was a messed-up humanoid, but could it be eaten?

「Spinx is a monster before it evolves into a Sphinx. The monster has a lion’s body and an eagle’s wings, and only the face is human. Other than the face, it’s a very delicious monster, and it’s quite valuable. However, it’s an A-rank monster, so it’s difficult to kill it unless you are an advanced adventurer. By the way, the Spinx becomes completely humanoid after it evolves into a Sphinx, so you cannot eat it afterwards. 」

I see…When it evolved, its rank and strength increased, but did it lose its value as a food ingredient in the process? That was quite the story.

「There are several others, but the number has decreased noticeably recently. It would be helpful if Kyou-san could cultivate these monsters… 」

After saying that, we went through the desert while listening to Shin’s story, but the number of monsters I could see in the landscape was quite small compared to the plains and forests I knew.

Occasionally, I could see Cactus Balls that looked like lying around. In fact, we hadn’t been attacked by any monsters so far.

「But what kind of monster should I cultivate first? 」

Seeds were required for cultivation. In that case, should I hunt the monsters Shin mentioned earlier and find those seeds?

Or was there another way to raise those monsters?

Hmm. There were many possibilities, but I decided to think about it once I got to Arabia.

「… … … …」

「What?! 」

In an instant, I stopped my Kobuda, who was running at a rapid pace.

Shin and Fitis seemed to have noticed something strange about me, and they stopped their own Kobudas involuntarily as well.

「What’s wrong, Lord Kyou? 」

「…Well. 」

Just for a moment, I heard something that resembled a call.

No, it was more of an ominous roar than a call. I didn’t know what it was, but it was something that touched my soul.

When I looked below, I saw that Rock, who was sitting on my lap, was also trembling slightly, as if she had sensed something.

「Rock…did you hear it too? 」

「…Yeah. 」

As Rock nodded her head slightly, I tried to find the source of the discomfort I felt earlier.

Then, I moved Kobuda to the left, and when I looked far beyond to the horizon, I saw something that looked like ruins.

「…Shin, what’s that thing over there? 」

Shin stood next to me, looking in the direction I was pointing at.

「Those are the ruins of the ancient civilization of Ishtar. 」

「Ancient civilization of Ishtar? 」

I couldn’t help but ask again when I heard the name for the first time.

「It’s the name of a realm that once ruled this land. It seems that that ancient civilization had more advanced technology and power than us, and at one time even held the hegemony of the world. I heard that they were destroyed in one night. 」

「Did you say that a civilization was destroyed in one night? 」

Was that even possible? If so, what kind of existence managed to destroy an entire civilization?

When I asked that question, Shin’s answer was quite unexpected.

「It was the Demon King. 」

「Eh? 」

Demon King? In other words, my mother?

I was such an idiot…Even though my mother was the Demon King, would she destroy an entire civilization?

I only knew my mother since I came to this world, but I saw that she was against taking people’s lives needlessly.

On the contrary, she was someone who wanted to avoid conflict if possible.

So, I couldn’t believe that my mother would destroy a civilization.

While I was thinking about that, Shin muttered something as if he had noticed my concern.

「I’m not talking about the current Demon King. I’m talking about the worst Demon King that existed in the past. 」

「What? 」

「It was the Demon King Flesbergh. It is said that the Demon King perished along with that ancient civilization, Ishtar.」

A Demon King that existed in the past. Flesbergh.

After hearing that name, Rock and I felt indescribable anxiety and fear.

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*According to Greek and Roman Mythology, the Katobleps (Catoblepas) was a large, bull-shaped of Ethiopia (sub-Saharan Africa) whose downward-hanging face, when lifted, could kill with a gaze or with the fumes of its noxious breath.