Chapter 78 - Another Journey in the Desert
Chapter 78: Another Journey in the Desert
The next day, at dawn.
Kant had finished his breakfast and packed his luggage. He walked to the street corner.
Manid was waiting for him.
Five Sarrandian Horsemen wearing chain mail armor and linen robes were also waiting, followed by ten Desert Bandits who were wearing leather armor and holding spears. However, their rebellious appearance was constrained by the Sarrandian Horsemen.
That was the difference between soldiers and bandits.
Although the Desert Bandits were fearless, they were still inferior to the well-equipped and skilled Sarrandian Horsemen.
Both of them were light cavalry, but they had completely different roles.
The role of the Desert Bandits was to disrupt the enemy’s infantry formation or to attack the enemy’s supply line with their desert horses’ high mobility and their short javelins. Their goal was to cause a psychological blow to the enemy instead of fighting head-on.
The thin leather armor on their bodies was not enough to protect them during the violent close-quarter fighting after charging.
The Sarrandian horsemen were the main attacking force, they were able to completely destruct the enemy’s formation. Although they were no match to the Swadian Heavy Cavalry, they were still very powerful.
“Looks like you guys are all ready.”
Kant said while looking at them and nodding with satisfaction, “Then let’s set off as soon as possible.”
“Understood, ” Manid and the others replied.
“Have a safe journey, my Lord. ”
Firentis and the soldiers in the Oasis Lookout who did not have important guard duty came to bid farewell to Kant. Even the 200 construction workers were reluctant to part with him.
Kant was, after all, the Lord of the Oasis Lookout. He was a majestic existence in their hearts.
“Alright then.”
Kant waved his hand and urged his horse forward with a spur.
Manid also cracked his whip and followed.
The five Sarrandian Horsemen and the ten Desert Bandits followed them at a relaxed pace. They were vigilant, they scanned through the surrounding dune and were constantly on the lookout for any abnormalities.
As guards, they were much more serious than Rowan and his men who were in charge of escorting Kant.
The horses’ hoofs clattered.
A Sarrandian Horseman led the way.
These desert clansmen were very experienced in dealing with the Nahrin Desert.
They were moving forward along the edge of the dune at a very fast speed.
“This is the feeling. ”
Kant tightened the hood on his head. The scorching sun made him sweat profusely, especially since it was almost noon.
However, this reminded Kant of the pain he had suffered when he first left the Stone Pass and came to the Nahrin Desert. Thinking about the foundation he had built in the Oasis Lookout, all sorts of feelings surfaced in his mind at that moment.
It was very difficult to start up a business, not to mention a business in the desert. It was like walking in the fire.
“My Lord, it’s almost noon. Let’s get to the back of a dune and rest for a while.”
The Sarrandian Horseman who was leading the way held his Sarrandian horse and slowed down beside Kant. Looking at the endless sea of sand in front of him, he advised, “We cannot only focus on the speed when marching in the desert.”
“I understand.” Kant nodded. He instinctively licked his dry lips and said, “I’ll listen to you. Set up a tent and rest.”
“Yes, sir.”
The Sarrandian Horseman, who was leading the way, let out a sigh of relief. He continued urging his horse forward to look for a suitable spot.
Soon, they found a slightly larger dune. They came to the back of the dune and dismounted. They quickly spread out the tents they took out from their bags and used a spear to prop them up. They dug a cool sandpit and a temporary camp was formed.
Marching in the desert was not only about speed and distance.
They had to also ensure that they had enough physical strength and stayed hydrated.
Those who did not know these things had long become dried corpses in the desert. They were buried miserably in the sand and would not see the sun ever again. Perhaps when the sandstorm hit, the dune would move and they would be exposed again.
They consumed some fresh water under the tents.
They also ate some bread, dried meat, and date palm for lunch.
After resting for two hours and waiting for the day to become less hot, Kant led the team and carried on with their journey.
According to the plan, they had to reach the Stone Pass in three days.
They were traveling with a cavalry, their speed was naturally fast.
If there were infantrymen and the accompanying supply carriage in their team, it would take seven days.
Kant and his men continued to quickly move forward under the scorching sun. Especially as the sun was setting, the heat from the sun was slowly reducing. They were like fish swimming in the water.
Dusk was approaching.
The sky was about to turn dark.
The horses that had been trekking in the desert for the entire afternoon were also snorting, and their eyes revealed that they were tired.
“Rest for two hours. ”
Kant let out a breath and raised his hand as a signal for his men to stop. “Let the horses rest as well. ”
His team members behind him stopped one after another.
Manid, who was born and raised in a merchant family, was lying on the horse’s back and slowly got down. After a day-long bumpy journey, both of his legs were sore, and he looked strange when he walked.
“Are you alright?” Kant asked. He valued his business partner very much.
Manid gave him a wry smile, “I’m alright.”
“It’ll be fine once you are used to it.” Kant nodded and said thoughtfully, “At night, put something soft on the saddle. ”
“Thank you.” Manid sighed. “I hope it won’t delay things. ”
In reality, if a person who was not good at horseback riding rode on a military horse that was bumpy on a long journey, his whole body would probably fall apart. Even the inner part of his thighs would be bruised, and he would not be able to walk at all.
Manid was a businessman, he did not have the horse-riding skills that Firentis had as a result of the training that had begun since he was a kid.
He was even worse than Kant, the second son of a nobleman.
After all, Kant had to learn sword skills, riding skills, and etiquette. Although the scholar who taught him did not take him too seriously because he was the second son, he was still much better than Manid, a pure businessman.
Well, when Manid first arrived at the Lookout Oasis, he was riding a docile packhorse.
The men set up tents, ate dinner, and rested.
They then continued their journey.
Although it was cold at night in the Nahrin Desert, it was not totally unbearable.
It was much better than the scorching heat during the day. At the very least, if they wrapped themselves up in warm clothing, they were able to withstand the cold breeze.
The team continued to move forward.
The bright moonlight and the splendid starry sky gave them quite some light.
There were no clouds in the Nahrin Desert, so it was very bright.
Kant was riding on the horse, and white mist came out of his mouth and nose. His whole body was cold, and even when he swallowed his saliva, he did not feel much heat. Moreover, the feeling of tiredness brought about by the darkness at night also made him feel exhausted.
“I haven’t reached my limit.”
He swallowed his saliva and looked at Manid and the cavalry behind him.
Thoughts gradually emerged in his mind because of the tiredness due to the long journey. Seeing that the moon had already reached the center of the sky, he asked, “Who knows what time it is now? ”
His voice was hoarse, and he sounded a little weak.
This was normal after a long march, not to mention that they were marching in the Nahrin Desert, which consumed a lot of physical strength.
“It’s almost midnight, ” answered a Sarrandian Horseman.
“Midnight.” Kant took off his hood and his breath formed a condensed white mist from the cold air. He murmured, “So, we have traveled for a day and a night? ”
“About half of the journey,” one of the Sarrandian Horsemen estimated and said.
Manid also nodded weakly and said, “According to the calculation, we have already traveled more than half of the total distance.”
“Okay,” Kant swallowed his saliva.
Kant closed his eyes, his thoughts quickly connected to the system in his mind, “Can we build a posthouse and a well here?”
“You can build a posthouse but not a well,” the system replied.
This answer made Kant frown, “Why can’t we build a well?”
“There’s no underground water,” the system’s answer was straightforward.
Kant was stunned.
There was indeed such a rule for the construction of a well.
He looked at the vast sea of sand around him under the bright moonlight. He couldn’t help but laugh bitterly, “How would there be underground water in such a damn place? ”
Manid and the others behind him kept quiet.
Even the Sarrandian Horsemen and the Desert Bandits, who were born and raised in the desert, were unable to quickly locate the underground water in the unforgiving desert.
Locating the underground water required some sophisticated skills. Luck also played a part.
There was a vast area of nothing but sand. Finding shallower underground water?
It was no different from finding a needle in a haystack!
However, the system replied, “There’s an underground lake three miles ahead, a well can be built on it. ”
At the same time, Kant’s retina also displayed some abnormalities.
A light blue line extended from the bottom of Kant’s feet all the way to the south. It seemed to be the location of the lake three miles away that the system mentioned.
“Let’s go. ”
Kant swallowed his saliva and gave the order.
Of course, he chose to trust the system.