After tying up the Sand Bandits on the deck and subduing the ones who had been inside the Sand Ship—whose resistance to King's Intimidation had been weaker than those on deck, likely because the hull had shielded them—a considerable amount of time had passed.
Even so, it was not yet evening, so they naturally resumed their advance toward Gauche. But a problem arose.
The Sand Ship now belonged to Rei, which was fine, but how were they going to transport it?
Augusto and Zarust both knew Rei possessed an Item Box, but common sense dictated that while a Sand Serpent might fit, a Sand Ship surely would not. Rei, showing no particular concern, touched the Sand Ship and stored it into his Misty Ring.
Storing something as massive as a Sand Ship gave them their first real, tangible understanding of what an Item Box truly was. Rei himself, however, opened his mouth without any particular reaction, as though it were business as usual.
"Well then, shall we go?"
"No, no, I never expected it to be this effortless... Normally, wouldn't you boast a little more? If you possess a rare magic item like an Item Box."
Augusto looked as though he wanted to say wait a moment, but Rei, without any particular concern, turned his gaze toward the bound Sand Bandits who had begun walking.
Thanks to King's Intimidation, the majority had been captured without injury. Only those who happened to be inside the Sand Ship had fought back and been subdued, sustaining injuries in the process.
Naturally, just because they were injured did not mean anyone gave them treatment.
There was no one here kind-hearted enough to do such a thing for people who had just attacked them.
The Sand Bandits were chained together with rope, the front end tied to a carriage, forced to walk through the sand as they were dragged along.
The expressions on their faces were, naturally, despair—or so one might think. But Rei noticed that several of the Sand Bandits wore defiant smiles.
(What? Do they think they can escape from this situation? No, they can barely move, so escape should be impossible... They saw with their own eyes what kind of being Set is and felt it directly. They should understand that it's impossible.)
Then why? That question formed in Rei's mind.
"Zarust."
As they advanced over the sand, Rei called out to Zarust nearby.
Unlike before, Zarust was now riding a camel, and he turned his gaze toward Rei while trying to calm the animal, which was frightened of Set.
"What is it?"
"Don't you think the Sand Bandits' behavior is strange?"
"...The Sand Bandits'?"
At Rei's words, Zarust turned his gaze toward the chained prisoners.
Since they were walking rather than standing still, the effect of King's Intimidation that Set had released had already worn off. While some of the Sand Bandits directed expressions of fear toward Set, among them were a few with smiles on their lips.
"Yeah, I see them. But why do they look so confident? If things continue like this, they'll definitely be sold to slave merchants."
"They must have something up their sleeves. ...Just to be sure, there isn't anyone among the guards who's in league with the Sand Bandits, is there?"
Rei had expected Zarust to deny it immediately, but instead of replying right away, Zarust only wore a troubled expression.
Eventually, he let out a sigh and gave a small shake of his head.
"I can't... say with certainty that there aren't any. This was a sudden escort request, after all. Because of that, there are new recruits among us, so I can't deny the possibility that one of them could be involved."
The faces of those serving as guards alongside him passed through Zarust's mind.
He excluded those he had partied with before and set aside those he was already acquainted with. As expected, the most suspicious were the new recruits.
Of course, Zarust was also acquainted with the new recruits and understood their personalities to some extent. But even so, he didn't understand them as deeply as his own party members, nor did he have the same level of familiarity as with long-time acquaintances.
Given that, the most suspicious under the current circumstances were inevitably the new recruits.
Since he was at least somewhat acquainted with them, Zarust didn't want to suspect the new recruits, but...
(Even so, the fact that we were attacked by Sand Bandits is undeniable.)
The desert, due to its vastness, made it no easy matter for Sand Bandits to find their targets.
That held true even if they possessed a Sand Ship.
But with the power of the Elema Trading Company, which could lend out a Sand Ship, turning one or two rookie adventurers was not a difficult proposition.
(If they've been completing requests in Gauche, they'd naturally become well-informed about the Elema Trading Company. Considering their recent influence...)
Suspecting his own comrades was an unpleasant act, but as long as it was his job, he couldn't afford to cut corners.
"Then, what do you think we should do? Answer from your position, Rei."
From Rei's position—that is, as a goodwill cooperator. Asked for his opinion, Rei turned his gaze toward the other carriages before speaking.
"Right. It might be dangerous to assume that only the guards are the traitors. We can't deny the possibility that there are traitors among the merchants as well."
"...I'd rather not think about that."
Since they were merchants who had worked with Augusto for years, the idea of betrayal among them was something Zarust would have preferred not to believe.
But at the same time, he knew that humans would readily betray others if their weaknesses were seized, so he couldn't deny Rei's words.
Watching Zarust's reaction, Rei continued.
"We're arriving in Gauche tomorrow, right? We camp tonight."
"That's right. ...In other words, they'll move tonight?"
"It's a possibility. You're planning to gather information from the Sand Bandits tonight, aren't you?"
"That's the plan. I'd normally want to gather information right now, but... moving takes priority."
Looking at the chained Sand Bandits, Zarust let out a sigh.
He didn't say it aloud, but he also anticipated that they wouldn't talk in front of their comrades.
Because if they did, it would become clear that they had sold out their fellows.
In order to overcome that psychological barrier, interrogating them one by one was the best option.
(If we hear from enough of them, we can generally figure out who's lying, too.)
Perhaps noticing that Zarust's gaze was fixed on them, several of the Sand Bandits averted their eyes in fear.
Some were probably thinking about what would happen to them, but those who smiled likely did so to prevent others from discerning their thoughts.
"In any case, gathering information will have to wait until night. For now, let's focus on moving forward. You might not understand, Rei, but the desert easily claims people's lives."
"I know. It's not like this is my first time in a desert. ...Well, it was a desert in a Dungeon, so I wouldn't say I fully understand deserts."
At the word "Dungeon" from Rei's mouth, Zarust wore a slightly interested expression.
"A Dungeon, huh. I've thought about wanting to visit one at least once, but... unfortunately, there are no Dungeons near Gauche, let alone in the country of Solrein."
"A Dungeon? A small country like ours couldn't turn one into a Labyrinth City even if we had one. Let alone whether we could clear a Dungeon on our own."
Whether the absence of a Dungeon in one's country was something to rejoice over or lament—opinions varied from person to person.
The cause for rejoicing: a Labyrinth City was an extremely valuable place to establish. Merchants would gather for the magic stones and materials obtainable from the Dungeon's monsters, and adventurers would also flock seeking the Dungeon itself.
As a result, the economy would develop, and tax revenue as a nation would increase significantly.
The cause for lamenting: the danger of a Dungeon. Monsters could overflow from it, and if people gathered seeking it, conflicts would escalate accordingly.
There were various extreme—or rather, two sides of the same coin—issues, but it was clear to Rei's eyes that Augusto leaned toward the latter perspective.
"Well, it's true that Dungeons come with all sorts of problems."
"A Dungeon isn't something that simply appears just because you want one, after all."
Augusto replied to Rei's words.
As they conversed while advancing through the desert, evening eventually fell, and Zarust spoke to Augusto.
"Augusto, I think we should start preparing camp soon. It's a bit early, but we need to extract information from the Sand Bandits as well."
"...You're right. Let's do that, then."
Augusto thought for a moment, but ultimately nodded at Zarust's words, and preparations for camp began.
That the desert nights were cold was common knowledge, and it was not uncommon for temperatures to drop below freezing.
Compared to the daytime, which could only be described as a scorching hell, it was a hell in a different sense.
That was precisely why preparation was critical when camping in the desert.
Building a campfire, preparing meals, setting up tents, and so on.
Also, caring for the camels that pulled the carriages could not be forgotten.
Even so, camping this time would definitely be easier than usual. The reason being...
"Are you sure it's fine to leave the watch to Set?"
Zarust asked as if to confirm, and Rei returned a nod with a confident expression.
"Yeah. No problem. As you know, Set is a Gryphon. It possesses senses far sharper than a normal human's. If anyone tries to come rescue the captured Sand Bandits, it absolutely won't let them slip by."
Rei's words were heard not only by Zarust but by the others as well.
This was intentional—a deterrent in case there was anyone in the caravan or among the guards connected to the Sand Bandits, or to those behind them.
With an A-Rank monster standing watch, there would be very few who could bring themselves to make a move.
The Sand Bandits had apparently heard Rei's voice as well, and those who had been thinking of somehow escaping during the night had no choice but to give up at that point.
"So, you have your own tent, right, Rei?"
"Yeah. I'll handle that part, so don't worry about it. But Set doesn't seem to like being too far from me, so my tent will naturally end up around the center of the camp."
Set, acting as watch, would naturally be near the center of the camp. Considering Set's abilities, it could fulfill the role of a watch from anywhere, but for Augusto and Zarust, who had only met Set today, they probably couldn't trust it that far.
The number of watchmen was fewer than usual, but they still told Rei that at least two people would stand watch alongside Set.
Even so, Rei accepted it without complaint.
If anything, he was uneasy about Augusto and Zarust's attitude, wondering whether it was really wise to trust Set that much.
But according to Augusto and Zarust, they had witnessed a fraction of Rei and Set's power with their own eyes.
If Set had any intention of harming them, it could have done so at any time—that was their reasoning.
Once camp preparations were complete, it was time for the meal.
Normally, Rei would have taken out his own portion of food from his Misty Ring, but since he had come all the way to the desert—to another country—he figured he might as well eat cuisine characteristic of the region, and accepted Augusto's invitation.
What was served was a dish resembling rice porridge.
What set it apart was that instead of white rice, finely torn bread was used, and instead of cow's milk, camel's milk formed the base of the soup.
It was truly a dish that could be called rough-and-tumble men's cooking, but considering what adventurers in this world ate while active outside of town, it was a fairly decent spread.
In exchange for being treated to that dish, Rei provided water to Augusto and his men using the Dagger of Flowing Water.
Upon drinking that water, Augusto and his men shed tears and praised its taste.
For those who lived in the desert, water was truly something special. It was an incident that deeply impressed that fact upon Rei, and as a result, he received hospitality from Augusto and his men that treated him as an honored guest.
Incidentally, the Sand Bandits who had been taken prisoner would normally have been given only the bare minimum of food and water, but since the Dagger of Flowing Water provided an abundance of water, they were given a reasonable amount.
This was because Rei was concerned that if they were too weakened, they might be bought at a low price by the slave merchants.
And then... eventually, the night grew late.