"They were done in by wild aura beasts, Your Excellency," Sir Arthur concluded, stepping back from one of the wrecked carriages.
"Well, newly-formed oases are aura beasts' favorite hunting grounds," I replied, eyes scanning the remains of the caravan. "It's quite a pity. It looks like they were merely looking for a temporary shelter to pass the sandstorm."
Thick merino wool lay shredded across the sands. It was a kind of fabric was usually used to keep out the sand from the carriage windows. It seems that the caravan had the rare misfortune to encounter both aura beasts and an onslaught of a sandstorm.
A typical case.
This was an inescapable reality for those residing in the East. No matter how much the Konstantin family contributed to the progress of Sonomi, the danger will always be as constant as the sands.
Lorillis Desert is and will always be one of the deadliest terrains on the continent. It will never bend to civilization.
And that is precisely why the empire never had the guts to take it over, even now.
A fact that is both a blessing and a curse.
No human empire could conquer the eternal sands. We could only live alongside it.
The Konstantin family held on to this belief. That is why no matter how prosperous Sonomi becomes, we remain respectful to Lorillis.
"They must be from a small merchant company if they couldn't afford to hire aura wielders for security," Sir Arthur said as he rummaged through the sole intact carriage. "A new one at that, since they can't even afford proper security."
I stared at the said carriage and the bodies that surrounded it. The setting sun cast long shadows that stretched the scene into a somber mood.
It isn't a surprise that it remained mostly undamaged except for a few dents from a few unavoidable attacks. The people protected it to the very end.
How curious.
I strode forward, drawn by something beneath the carnage. A treasure that remained from the tragedy, refusing to be forgotten.
"Oh?" I murmured. "That is interesting. This pale complexion as if never seeing the sun… a Northerner trait. And see here, Captain Arthur, only jewels from that Lion's place could give off a wintry brilliance like that."
I crouched beside the remains, my eyes flicking between a bloodied hand near the carriage's wheel and scattered intricate jewelry boxes with their treasure spilled out like useless trinkets.
I took a jewel, clear and pristine like ice and pressed my thumb over it appreciatively.
The jewel's quality was of the highest class. No ordinary small merchant could afford them.
This caravan was hiding something.
"It's rare for northern merchants this far, isn't it, Your Excellency?" Sir Arthur inquired; brows furrowed.
I don't blame him. It was an undeniable fact. Northerners avoided Sonomi as much as they could. Our climate alone was punishing enough.
Where Boleoti basked in perpetual snow, Sonomi burned year-round.
The drastic temperature rise is too much for someone who lived through the cold every single day.
Some even fall ill and never rose again. Heat stroke became the culprit of their death.
Hence, Sonomi usually acquired Northern goods through Capital intermediaries or those from the Western ports.
When Northerners do come, it is only for two desperate reasons.
They are either fleeing.
Or hiding.
I wonder which of the two this caravan falls under.
"Quite so," I said mildly. "Or maybe they were just hopeful. Intrigued with new prospects our land has to offer. Maybe they had a more critical reason. Alas, dead men tell no tales, Captain." I answered rather pensively.
I couldn't be bothered to elaborate more and save Sir Arthur from his confusion. He can only try to enlighten himself on his own.
I had something far more important demanding my attention at that moment.
At the corner of the carriage, half-buried by the glimmer of jewels and rolls of cloth was a familiar dull, bronzy glint.
It was an oil lamp weathered down by years of use. Yet there was something undeniably arcane and mystical from the cracked markings on its body.
It reminded me of a story from the Arabian Nights that was popular back on Earth that it was adapted into motion pictures and multiple live movies.
The tale of a poor, vagrant boy and a wish-granting genie imprisoned in a lamp.
Well, in this place, they are called Jinns.
This is a world of fantasy. Beings and creatures existing only in myths and legends actually exist here, albeit, a lot less benevolent and a lot more dangerous.
Jinns are immensely powerful beings, elusive to the physical world. Encountering one is a matter of divine luck, especially if it was a good Jinn.
However, if it wasn't, then just count it as having cosmic levels of misfortune and may your soul find peace.
I'm not saying that this particular lamp held a Jinn. It only reminded me of the tale since it's uncannily similar to the movie props, I guess I got… nostalgic.
It is always pleasant to see things that remind me of a life I once lived.
Anyhow, I reached for the said lamp and tried to study it against the light of the sunset.
My old occupational habit possessed me. I wanted to find out if the writings were something I have encountered before.
My past life influenced me to have a fondness for antiques and anything history-related. And the lamp in my hand screamed exactly that in every inch of it.
I squinted, trying to make out the words that circled the lamp's body. It seemed to be the language of the old continent.
Ancient Paravel.
Thankfully, the Konstantins had an extensive archives and records of bygone eras. Or else I would never be able to understand what was written in the lamp.
The curiosity would have caused me to lose sleep and a lingering dissatisfaction. Both are dire consequences in my opinion. Maintaining this caliber of attractiveness still require some kind of effort.
I squinted and read slowly, tracing the words with my thumb:
"I ask thee... Art thou human?...
Nay, I am the cosmos.
The cosmos... of undying wishes and desires."
Just as I finished reading the last of the cryptic words, a flash of light enveloped me along with the lamp in my hands.
I vaguely made out the frantic shouts of the Knight-Captain and the rushing steps of a panting William before I vanished in place.
I kind of feel sorry for alarming a dutiful knight and making an old man rush about. But I certainly did not expect to have this kind of encounter as well.
A towering, absurdly muscular man with bronzed skin and eyes like molten amethyst stood before me, gazing down with lazy amusement.
…What in the actual hell.
I was just reminiscing about a genie in a lamp. I wasn't trying to summon one.
What am I? An Aladdin knock-off?