Link and the two walked into Zacia's gorgeous tent after the briefing, unlike the fire pit in Link's tent, a metal brazier was lit in the center of the tent, a large amount of smoke was twisted by the warm air currents and overflowed from the hollow at the top of the tent, Link smelled a familiar smell of camel dung, Zacia sat on comfortable soft cushions, staring at Link and the two with raised eyebrows.

Link looked at Zacia with some complications, his own father, who already knew the identities of Nyata and his mage's apprentice, and intended to help the two escape from the desert. Link froze, succinctly explaining his and Niata's experiences today, highlighting the location of the Santarim's supply points and the remaining staffing.

Zasya groaned slightly, but began to ask about Link's progress in learning magic: "How are you learning magic, can you use first-level spells?"

"I can only use Niata's spell scroll to cast first-level spells right now. Link said with some embarrassment.

Zacia nodded slowly: "You have to speed up the progress of learning magic, there may be chaos recently, the Santarin Society has never penetrated into this area, and has also sent three scout teams, although they are all cannon fodder for Toucheng, but all kinds of resources are also very precious to be transported here, and they will not do meaningless things." ”

Njata, who was handling the horse's entrails, couldn't help but talk, "Are they really going to invade the tribe?"

Zacia nodded heavily: "We thought that their supplies would not be able to penetrate so far north, if they want to fight the tribes here, they need to build a series of military stations along the way to store supplies, we will not be unaware, but the tribes in the east were wiped out by them without warning, even the oasis was destroyed, the wells were filled, we don't know how they did it." ”

Niata said thoughtfully, "Probably magic, they have a large number of mages. ”

Zacia rubbed his forehead a little tiredly, his nose smelled the aroma of roasted horse liver, and he said with a little excitement: "The key is that they can do this, even if they dare to destroy the oasis directly, they are not afraid that the army sent will lose supplies, the strength of the tribe in the east is similar to ours, and if the same thing happens, the tribe may not be able to resist." ”

Link glanced at Niata, "Niata and I can help. Njata dodged and didn't respond.

Zacia smiled bitterly and shook his head, not to mention that revealing the identity of the mage Link and the two would be in danger, I am afraid that I, a deep adopted daughter who learned magic without a sound, would not want to die with the tribe.

Zacia took a deep look, this adopted daughter dared to learn the magic that the desert people avoided like tigers, she actually came to the door when Link failed the trial and was secretly distressed, took the initiative to show herself the magic, and offered to protect Link from the desert, as long as she helped.

Without Niata, Zacia would not have any illusions about Link's future, becoming a shepherd is his only destiny, but if a powerful mage can do his best to protect Link, and even let Link, who is not skilled in martial arts, learn magic. Link has a chance to get out of the desert, there are no parents in the world who don't want their children to be good, Zacia loves Link's mother deeply, with the death of his wife, this love is doubled to Link, although Link disappoints himself again and again, but love is unjustified and uncontrollable.

So, on the night of the sacrifice of the lizardman, the flickering light of the fire in the tent set Zacia's face cloudy, and the love for the child overcame the chief's duty and the fear and disgust of magic, and instead of killing the evil mage's apprentice Nyata, he promised to help her get out of the desert on the condition that she take Link with her and take care of Link later.

Leaving the desert is another serious betrayal in the eyes of the desert people, born in the desert, growing up in the desert, and dying in the desert is the normal life of the desert people, leaving the desert is equivalent to turning away from the ancestral spirit, the soul will not merge with the ancestral spirit, it is a betrayal of the outer gods, and everyone in the desert people hates it. Preparing shepherd slaves and women of childbearing age are the precious assets of the tribe, and in order to preserve traditions, the tribe will not sit idly by and ignore the escape.

Zacia smiled self-deprecatingly, how far did he want to fall, in order not to let his son become a herdsman, choose to let his son become an evil mage apprentice, and even let him escape from the desert, what will happen to his soul, what will happen to his soul?

After thinking about it, Zasya said: "You must become strong as soon as possible, just recently the tribe will come to a caravan to trade with the tribe, this is your best chance to leave the desert, if you wait, I don't know what will happen." ”

"Are we in the caravan?, is the caravan leader your friend?" Link asked, curiously.

Zasya shook his head: "The leader is not reliable, he is doing business with the tribe, not with the chief, this kind of caravan that has been running in the desert for many years knows all kinds of customs of the desert people, understands that I, the chief, may be finished at any time, violates the customs of the desert people, knows what it means to smuggle preparatory herdsmen and women of childbearing age out of the desert, and knows what it means to be a mage apprentice." ”

"So what are we going to do?" asked Niata, frowning as she roasted the meat.

"Isn't there a similar spell to find a way to use magic to sneak in? I'll cover you up, and that's the only way to do it, if you buy the caravan leader with a lot of money, that guy might betray you in order to curry favor with the old priest, after all, I'm going to step down after all." Zacia said nonchalantly.

"We can walk together. Link, who had been silent for a long time, said abruptly.

There was silence for a moment, and Nyata stared at Link with a sharp gaze, stopping the movement of the fork in her hand, and looked at Zacia faintly, only the sound of the campfire burning and the dripping of horse oil on the fire could be heard in the tent.

Zacia rubbed Link's head fiercely with his rough big hands, and said in an unprecedentedly gentle voice: "I have to cover for you, it's impossible to leave, and I, as a chief, also have to do my duty, merge with the ancestral spirit, and protect the tribe is the pride of every chief, just let you go." ”

Link was a little speechless and didn't know what to say, but Njata breathed a sigh of relief, and for a moment no one spoke, and everyone began to enjoy the roasted horse offal and mare's milk wine.

In the silence, everyone finished a hearty meal in the desert, and when they left, Zaxia stopped Link, asked Nyata to go out first, and whispered to Link: "You have to be on guard against Nyata, you are now a partner and a target to share the pressure with her, but once you escape from the desert and safety, you will be a burden, maybe this will be the case when you flee, two people's supplies are not enough, one person's materials are very rich, and you have points in your heart." ”

After saying that, he grabbed a handful of purple dates and gave them to Link, and let him out, Link looked at Niata who was a little hazy in the dim light, called her, and went back to his tent with her, and with the help of Niata, he changed into the medicine given by Zaya, and the two were silent.

After sending Niata away, Link lay on a fur cushion with sweet and sour dates in his mouth, looking at the starry sky in the hole of the tent overhead, thinking of today's experience and Zacia's words, and couldn't sleep for a long time.