In a World Filled with Deserts, an Old Man with Electronic Money

"Mu, this should be quick."

"Hmm, I didn't expect the sandbags to catch up."

But, La Label, you're worried about fuel efficiency.

"It's good to be fast, but it's not fuel-efficient or anything."

"This time, we are in a bit of a hurry, so by fitting two magic engines in parallel and constantly replenishing Tallow's enormous magic, we will arrive in" Water City "in a short time. However, this is the only time I've ever been so reckless."

The central sea is gone, and the dry rock that remains exposed on the seafloor is blown away by an airship specially modified by Muu.

The destination used to be the "Water City", an urban state ruled by merchants who used to have great power as relay places as countries scattered sparks over the central sea.

Water City was finally in the heart of the dead central sea, filled with love from Marilyn, the spirits of the sea.

The ocean disappears completely in just one night.

When there were no living creatures in the sea at all, and it became impossible to fish in the Central Sea, it was a huge blow, but this time it was even bigger.

Water City, as a staging area, is now completely disabled.

Many sea-going vessels could not even move, so it was impossible to move the dead traces of the ocean on sandboats because the bottom of the central sea was not sand.

The same was true of all countries, and the Kingdom of Bart's port town of Liss, which had scheduled flights to Water City, was devastated by a terrible recession, with no fishing and no trade with Water City.

In that case, why are we going to Water City?

It was because of a report from the Garcia Chamber of Commerce in Shipland.

Ah? Is the Kingdom of Bart trying to capture Water City?

That's right. The Central Sea, which had so far brought enormous wealth to all countries, suddenly dried up, and the church was preparing to build a new Spirit of the Sea statue, but it doesn't make any sense anymore. Since the spirits of the previous sea were useless due to selfish theory, I was collecting donations saying that it would be okay if we built a new bronze statue of the spirits of the sea that we designed, but it seems like the Central Sea was a great shame. In the meantime, the Kingdom of Bart, which dropped squirrels to the bottom of the recession, is targeting Water City to gain popular support. It has flourished a lot as a relay. There's a lot of storage. "

When I first spoke to Mr. Tarrant on "Base Transfer" to Shipland, he told me that the King was preparing to take away the wealth that Water City had accumulated so far, and that he himself was going to win the war as King and gain popular support.

Can you win? The Kingdom of Bart. "

Even a handful will win if the army arrives. It's an island, so it's a small population, and there's hardly any armaments. "

Moreover, since it was a relay site used by several countries, the merchants who operated the water city thought it would attract the vigilance of all countries if armaments were to be strengthened.

Now, because of the lack of armaments, it's a windy light....

"So, what do you want us to do?

No. It's over there. The councillors who run the Water City began to escape knowing that the Kingdom of Bart would invade, leaving the water vessels unattended. I can't even take it out. Speaking of which, does the Grand Chief of Katu have a seaship? It's just a little information.

There was such an exchange, and when we rushed to Water City on a prototype aerial vessel, the idle birds were already ringing in the water city, which boasted the glory of relaying trade from all over the world.

Due to the depletion of the sea, various sea ships, large and small, remained abandoned in the port, and there were only a few people.

When we landed at the port, we spoke to a young man carrying a large luggage.

"Um...."

"What? Osan"

"Are the residents of Water City already getting ready to escape?

"On the contrary, more than half of them have escaped. Especially those with money. I hear the Kingdom of Bart is targeting this worthless water city. There is little armament in Water City, so there is no chance of winning. They took my property, so I ran away long ago."

"You said you escaped... the seaship can't move, so you left it in the harbor? How are we gonna get out of here?

"The rich hired a hunter who was romantic, mounted several magic engines on a small one of their ships, loaded them with all the magic boxes they had and ran away. You can't escape with all your assets, but you're better off than being robbed of everything you have left. The commoners are also paying each other to hire a guard hunter and starting to escape on foot. If we can escape to a port town in a country other than the Kingdom of Burt, we'll be safe for now. I hope we get there."

The young man answered the label question that way.

Water ships cannot be used in dry seas, and sand streamers cannot run on rocks.

In this world, there are few livestock that can carry people.

There were very few camels, but there was no need for camels in Water City until the Central Sea withered.

So the rich people sent one or a few of the smaller ships in their possession to a magical technician who hired a modification like Mu's, packed their magic box with something of high value, loaded it onto the ship, and fled to a port other than Lilith.

The councillors who run the water city are like this, so the commoners also seem to have packed their bags and fled, so the whole town is probably idle.

However, we do not know if the ordinary people who escaped on foot can cross the dry sea to reach the port town.

Because it's originally a dry sea, there are almost no sandbeards, but it's not zero, and the hunters still have escorts... in the Great Desert climate, they may fall from weak old people, women, and children.

Because they are on foot, they won't be able to bring out much water or food.

"Are you reckless in trying to escape and not preparing yourself?

"Nevertheless, if we stay, the Royal Bart Army will loot us all. Women are dangerous and children may be sold off as slaves. I paid for the hunter's escort and ran away as a group."

I don't think the Royal Bart Army behaves very well, or perhaps any country's army would do the same in a war.

Especially since the armies are more numerous and cannot afford them, they will have to be plundered in war.

Otherwise, it's hard to replenish because of the desert.

Well then, I'll run too. You better get out of here. "

The young man left Water City with dozens of residents heading north on the other side of Lilith's direction.

"Mr. Tallow, you don't have a sailor."

"There's no point in putting a seaship in a place without water because it can't be moved. I have to leave the ship because I can't get away with it."

A number of large vessel types must have been trading ships owned by merchants.

It's too big to run away with it, and all of it would have been abandoned.

Just to create an instant floating aerial vessel.

The ship was always equipped with magic engines, all of which were removed.

A wooden hull, a magic engine.

Both are expensive, but relatively bulky, and only magic engines that are easy to use in magic boxes were removed and taken out.

It'll be a lot of money if you sell it.

What a waste of a wooden hull, Master Tallow.

"Mr. Taranto gave me information that the ship would be here. Desert Elves will be delighted to steer a seaship. I wish I could take it home."

It's okay.

My "Different Dimensions Warehouse", but due to the impact of the level-up, the capacity has also increased considerably.

We've arrived in Water City, so we should be able to transport all the abandoned hulls together with "relocate bases".

"You're a fire thief. This is..."

"They threw it away, so you can't steal it?

"Is there such a way of thinking? Let's get it back before the Royal Bart Army arrives."

As much as Mu says, we will begin to retrieve the hull.

That's why I went from one end of the abandoned hull to the "Different Dimension Warehouse", and when the capacity was full, I returned to Gori Town and floated the ship to the port.

"Oops! That's a lot of big ships. Thank you very much."

"Magic engines are easier to procure from us than wooden hulls, thank you. I'm going to install a new magic engine."

"We plan to train those who wish to use as many ships as possible."

Since many mobile cities are located along the coast and also serve as ports, trading and movement of people using market ships will become more active in the future.

I couldn't build a large ship so easily because of the timber, and I was in trouble because I didn't sell it in "online shopping", but I felt like I was crossing a ship.

Desert elf sailors were delighted to see a large vessel being brought to Golitown's port and began a quick check.

"Is this what the ship looks like?

"You don't have any more children... no matter how beautiful my brother says, the army is bad in the occupied territories. I deserve to run away, but I don't know about that water city...."

The neighboring kingdoms thrived beyond reach until the sea withered, despite the merchants running Congress and ruling it.

They would never have dreamed that the spirits of the sea would be treated like Dobbs and moved to the newly created Far South Sea.

But you deserve it...

"The label knows Water City."

"I hear the feathers were pretty good. Now it's Ghost Town....."

No town, no country.

Perhaps you'll be surprised to die like this.

"Mr. Tallow, there's a lot of stuff in the warehouse."

"It's true."

Without a ship, we would not be able to carry a lot of cargo, so the necessary amount of water, food, and then money and jewelry would have been our top priority.

There was a lot of cargo left in the warehouse.

There were some signs of theft, but the stolen men had to run on foot, so the load in the warehouse wasn't that low.

"No matter how many magic boxes there are, there is a limit to the amount of cargo that can be carried out, so I wonder if the cheap ones are left here... I'll take this too."

"Collecting what you threw away isn't a theft."

Mu is right.

We also retrieved what the residents left in various parts of Water City and brought it into Golitown.

"I see. Lord Taranto wants to deplete the Kingdom of Bart for Shipland."

It's like a scorched-earth operation.

It is true that the lost water city has no strategic value, but if the Kingdom of Bart takes over, the king's authority will rise.

At least domestic support will rise.

That's why he decided to take down Water City even if he couldn't.

With the ocean dying and the ship unable to move, the rich water city has plenty of supplies left.

They promised to distribute it to the nobles who complained about sending troops.

"But Lord Tallow has taken them all out. There's nothing here."

"We still have the town."

"The ocean is dead, and there's no value in a land island or a transformed water city. The island's water supply is limited to the number of people it can feed. If the taste of the trade relay disappears, this is just a small oasis. However, the fact that my brother attacked and occupied another country is important."

But when the army gets there, there's nothing left.

Water comes out, but Water City produces very little food, and the arriving Royal Bart Army will be the first to apply for replenishment.

Lord Tarant has set up a soft scorched-earth operation on the King while feeding us on the hull.

"We got Water City, but this should be a huge burden for the Kingdom of Bart. I can't help but reward the nobles who gave out their armies. I see. This will slow down preparations for an invasion of Shipland."

"That's an amazing merchant. Don't even think about it."

"War is rare in Great Desserts. I'm busy killing sandbags. But if we're going to have a war, we need to hear from the merchants who will help us with the supply. Local sourcing alone can drown the army in the occupied oasis."

It was ironic to say that war was rare due to this harsh environment.