New chapter of Nameless Hero is out! (1/3 chapters)
Nihilo Desert
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Thanks to Irene, I’ve started to get a hazy understanding of myself. Apparently, before washing ashore on the Lucur Beach, I had been an adventurer on the Rauda Continent—together with a legendary party called Chevalier de Liberta.
“Hey, when are you coming back to Soltaire?” (Irene)
Suddenly, Irene’s words floated through my mind. I have a place to go back to as well. Someone is waiting, like a hometown I’ll return to someday.
—
If you walk one full day east from the labyrinth city of Azarigrad, you’ll hit a great river. Cross that river and pass through the wetlands, and you’ll reach the Nihilo Desert. From there, after an exhausting two- or three-month trek across the desert, you’ll finally arrive at the Baira Volcano. It’s said there are several Demon settlements at the base of the volcano, but there are no rest stops in the desert. It’s a journey that requires endurance, reaching the destination is a challenge in itself.
We arrived at the Irikai River, which cuts through the landscape like a tear between us and the Nihiro Desert. It was my first time this close to the river, and seeing it now, I realized how fast the current was. Crossing on a raft would be a serious challenge. And this time, we were traveling with a large group, including a wagon train. We’d need to get the horses across as well.
Anfan-san raised a hand, signaling the seven people behind us to halt. Then, he called Yustin over.
“Yuu, have you gotten the hang of that thing yet?” (Anfan)
“Yeah.” (Yustin)
Saying that, Yustin reached into the air and pulled it out. His pocket exists in subspace, he could pull objects from anywhere.
What he retrieved was a simple tube made of blue glass. It was the Aquaram Volga, a gift from the Water Sage Undine-sama. Now it belonged to Yustin.
“……Tch!” (Yustin)
Yustin thrust the tube forward and poured his mana into it. Immediately, ice pillars formed from both ends of the tube. It was like watching icicles grow in fast-forward, lengthening more and more. The ice tips, then, rounded into a smooth shape, transforming into a long staff.
That’s the Aquaram Volga. It looks like an ice staff, but it’s said to amplify the wielder’s magic power to the point where even an average mage can unleash devastating spells.
“Well done, Yuu. The rest is up to your magic.” (Anfan)
At his father’s encouraging words, Yustin gave a single nod.
“――――Eis Bereich (Silver Plate Formation).” (Yustin)
With just those words, the spell activated. The Aquaram Volga drew on Yustin’s mana, emitting blue waves of energy that rippled outward. When it reached the Irikai River, the raging current froze solid in an instant.
“An incredible technique.” (Gina)
Said Gina-san, a fellow magician, with clear admiration.
“Let’s cross. Yuu, once everyone’s across, return it to normal.” (Anfan)
“Got it.” (Yustin)
Since that intense father-son duel, Yustin had become much more obedient to his father. Once all eight of us had crossed, Yustin used the staff to melt the ice and restore the river’s flow.
—
The Aquaram Volga is indeed part of the legendary Volga series. Its power with water and ice magic is astounding. For instance, it can create a vast pool of water on the dry desert sands or even generate waves beneath Yustin’s feet to carry him across the ground like a surfer. Such abundant magic generation is rare.
Most spells, even advanced ones, are just variations of mana blasts. Magic is classified as beginner, intermediate, or advanced based on the size of the energy construct and the mana consumption involved. But with the Aquaram Volga, Yustin can cast large-scale spells considered quasi-divine or even divine-class, magic capable of influencing nature itself, sometimes to the point of causing natural disasters. Historically, only a handful of mages have achieved such power unaided. But with the Volga’s help, those limits no longer apply.
I know all this from the books I read day and night. Yustin’s ability to cast quasi-divine magic comes from the staff’s mysterious power. It’s a weapon that challenges the caster’s ethics, given its potential to disrupt natural balance.
“Yuu, don’t overdo it.” (Anfan)
That was why he gets scolded by senior figures. Hearing that, Yustin stopped riding the water waves he’d conjured at his feet. For a magician, he sure has a knack for flashy antics.
—
Hot. It’s unbearably hot.
Even though we were traveling in this damn hot desert, Irene still didn’t stop clinging to me. And as if to counter that, Shia desperately stretched out her arms and shared her parasol with me from the other side. I had flowers in both hands, but those flowers were becoming a heat source and were surely draining my strength.
“Hey!” (Irene)
“What is it?” (Shia)
“Get away from my Jack!” (Irene)
Irene glared at Shia, grinding her teeth.
“I’m only shading Lost-san because he looks like he’s overheating.” (Shia)
“Don’t talk like I’m in the way!” (Irene)
“I never said that… probably.” (Shia)
“Probably?! Did you just say probably?!” (Irene)
“It’s my right to use the word ‘probably’ as I please.” (Shia)
These two could argue forever.
“You’re the one making it hotter!” (Irene)
“Right back at you.” (Shia)
“Jack thinks you’re the suffocating one!” (Irene)
“I’d say it’s you, height-wise.” (Shia)
Pointless. This exchange leads nowhere. All that’s left is for me to grow weaker, thirstier, and more delirious with every passing moment.
The endless desert horizon stretched before me. My consciousness began to blur, not only from the desert’s heat but from this endless argument as well. I was seriously starting to feel faint.
“Look! Jack’s looking pale!” (Irene)
“Oh no! You need to stay hidrated!” (Shia)
Shia turned the handle of her Higasa Volga. The parasol’s nozzle released a sudden stream of water, far more forceful than expected, shooting right past me and splashing directly into Irene’s face.
That’s true. Sometimes you misjudge how hard you turn the faucet and water comes out with great force. So, please don’t blame Shea.
“Kyah…! What was that for?!” (Irene)
“S-sorry. My hand slipped.” (Shia)
“You totally did that on purpose!” (Irene)
“On purpose? Of course not… probably.” (Shia)
“There it is again! You said probably! You always say probably!” (Irene)
“It’s my right to use ‘probably’.” (Shia)
Every little incident sparks another fight. The casualty? Me. But if I’m going to die like this, I have no regrets. Being smothered between two beautiful girls isn’t the worst way to go.
“What’s with that fancy parasol anyway?!” (Irene)
“This is the Higasa Volga. Lost-san bought it for me. With his entire fortune.” (Shia)
“……What?!” (Irene)
Shia emphasized the words entire fortune with relish. The blue-haired half-fairy rarely gets this competitive. She was leaning into the venom now. Even Irene faltered at that.
“Ha! I bet you just begged him to buy it for you!” (Irene)
“Lost-san bought it entirely of his own accord. As a surprise gift.” (Shia)
“…What?!” (Irene)
Shia stressed both entirely and surprise. The words struck Irene like a hammer blow.
“Grrrrr… You thieving cat!” (Irene)
Irene, on the verge of tears, drew her sword, still sheathed, and swung at Shia. Apparently, she’d hit her limit. Shia met her with a cold, devilish smile, raising her parasol to block the blow.
The Higasa Volga’s frame was reinforced with a metal skeleton, making it remarkably sturdy. Steel clashed against steel with a sharp crack. Irene followed with a rapid series of strikes, her swordsmanship refined to lethal precision. But Shia dodged each one with ease, then activated the parasol’s boosters and soared into the sky.
The sun glared down from above. The desert heat scorched my skin. And the battle between these two continued without end. I stood there in the middle of it all, melting away, drop by drop.
“Eh, what the heck is that?!” (Irene)
“Fufufu.” (Shia)
Then, using the air-pressure control skill, she floated down softly from the air. Upon landing, she closed her parasol and pointed the tip toward me. From the frame crackled high-voltage electricity, concentrating at the tip. That’s the murderous weapon railgun that Earth Sage Gnome-sama forcefully built in for the sake of “romance”… That parasol is why it’s called the “Higasa Volga”.
“Hey! Shia, are you serious?!” (Jack)
“W-What… what’s coming?!” (Irene)
“A railgun! If it hits, your body will be blown to pieces!” (Jack)
“Eeeeh! Is she seriously trying to kill me?!” (Irene)
Even so, Shia pressed the switch that acted as the trigger.
“Dodge it!” (Jack)
“Kyaaa!” (Irene)
I covered Irene, pushing her to the ground to shield her.
―――Paaaan! But the next moment, the sound that echoed was once again a dry crack, like a party popper. It was a blank shot.
“Ahaha!” (Shia)
“Ugh… that really is bad for my heart, seriously.” (Jack)
Shia’s pranks sometimes went too far. I really wish she’d stop already.
“T-this…! This, this!” (Irene)
“Huh?” (Jack)
Looking down, I saw Irene, who had been pushed down, blushing as she stared up at me. The young lady’s upturned gaze pierced me as she lay on her back. Her flushed body. Her big, round eyes on that childlike face.
―――”Um… I… it’s okay, you know?” The girl closing her eyes. A quiet night. A children’s paradise. Me in black combat gear.
“Ouch…” (Jack)
A sudden headache interrupted me at the last second. I felt like I almost remembered something.
“How was it, Lost?! Did you remember something?!” (Irene)
Irene looked up at me with expectant eyes.
“I think… I was close.” (Jack)
“…Take your time. I’ll help you remember, no matter what.” (Irene)
Saying that, Irene kissed me on the cheek. It felt like a repeat of that one night long ago. I found myself reflecting.
How had I overlooked such a cute girl who kept showing me so much affection?
But before I could feel any guilt, I heard the cold, metallic click from behind and regretted the present instead.
―――Kachari.
The object pointed at me was the surprise gift I’d handed her. The wielder: a blue-haired angel with a cruel smile.
Shia-san… I’m sorry.
—
The desert night was cold. With no cover across the vast sands, the chill wind blew freely. Under a cloudless, moonlit sky, we huddled around a campfire for the night watch.
“Youth is a wonderful thing…” (Gina)
“Isn’t it just? You damn womanizer.” (Yustin)
At the moment, it was me, Yustin, and Gina-san from the Magic Guild watching the fire.
“Womanizer? Hey, I object to that.” (Jack)
“You’ve got that girl Shia, yet you’re out there sweet-talking other girls.” (Yustin)
“I’ve got memory loss. I don’t even remember doing that… Besides, aren’t you the one who’s more popular in town, Yustin?” (Jack)
“I flee whenever that happens. The path of a mage is one of solitude. I can’t waste time on distractions like you.” (Yustin)
“I’m not exactly wasting time here either…” (Jack)
The path of a mage as solitary. It did sound convincing coming from Yustin. He’d already demonstrated that resolve during the battle on the Névé Snowfield.
“I wish you would hurry and enroll in the magic university to focus on your studies properly.” (Gina)
Gina-san nodded firmly, her amber eyes warmly fixed on Yustin.
“I’m sure you’d accomplish great things. And when that time comes, I hope you’ll join our Magic Guild.” (Gina)
“I… want to become a great mage of justice.” (Yustin)
“You could uphold justice within the Magic Guild, couldn’t you?” (Gina)
“………” (Yustin)
Yustin hesitated at her words. Probably because he was only now realizing that the “great mage of justice” he’d been dreaming of was still too abstract.
What does it mean to act justly? What goals would bring him closer to that ideal? Around our age, we start grappling with those kinds of questions.
“What about you, Lost? Do you have a sense of justice?” (Yustin)
That was a tough one.
“I’m just an ordinary guy. I can’t play God and treat everyone equally… but I do want to protect the people close to me. I don’t know if that counts as justice, though.” (Jack)
Hearing my answer, Gina-san smiled with visible relief.
“That’s perfectly fine. Justice is something you find within your own heart.” (Gina)
—
The journey was long, but for a party made up of veteran warriors, archers, and mages, it wasn’t too daunting. The desert predators, including sand-burrowing flesh-eating fish like “Wizard Piranhas” or giant “Sandworms”, often attacked from below, but sand-based enemies usually have a weakness, water. Yustin’s Aquaram Volga spell dampened the sand, deterring most threats. Food wasn’t a problem either, thanks to the Schwarzschild family’s signature portal magic.
Earth Sage Gnome-sama was supposedly living somewhere in this Nihilo Desert, but considering how hostile this environment was, I couldn’t blame her for leaving. Shee’d once said, “Who in their right mind would live there?”, and honestly, I agreed.
After three long months, we finally reached the volcanic region of Mount Baira. It was a relief to step onto solid ground after so long on shifting sands.
“Finally. It really was a long journey.” (Gina)
Gina-san said this with an unfazed expression.
Despite our own exhaustion as seasoned adventurers, she looked perfectly composed. Irene, however, wasn’t doing nearly as well. She’d practically become luggage by the second half of the trip. She spent most days lying down, attended closely by her butler Davi and maid Liona.
“B-bed… let me sleep in a real bed…” (Irene)
She’d done well for a noble lady. The Nihilo Desert would have broken many seasoned adventurers.
“Ojou-sama… the return trip will take just as long.” (Davi)
“Hiii…” (Irene)
Regret flickered across her face. But her determination never wavered.
“Lost is here… so I’ll… do my best!” (Irene)
She shook her head and steeled herself. Her stubborn resolve was admirable. Most nobles her age would’ve quit long ago.
Before climbing to the top of Mount Baira Volcano, we decided to take a break at a nearby demon village and headed for that village.
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