Section 8: Desert Dubai (Ⅰ) / Bane

Good morning, everyone! Today, we'll be touring the desert in Dubai's southern district!

In stark contrast to the futuristic cityscape you've seen so far...

...the desert is a veritable explosion of Dubai's wild nature and panoramic beauty! Or so they say!

Just checking, but what's going on with the Beast alert?

Is it still in effect throughout the city?

O-oh, um, I don't know. I'll go ask at the front desk.

I-it looks like the answer is "Yes." There's been no change with the alert.

But, um, I get the feeling we don't need to worry about it too much? That it doesn't have anything to do with us?

(Hmm. It wouldn't be right for a Chaldean Servant to agree with her here.)

No. I don't think that's a chance we can afford to take. We should at least be vigilant for any sign of it.

(Hey. What do we do now?)

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(I'm...not sure what she was talking about, but it still kind of concerns me. Maybe we should take some time to figure out how we handle things today...)

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(Don't you think that's a little too devil-may-care?)

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(...!)

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(Sigh) All right, if you insist. Ugh, I swear...

(I guess Master is hoping to find whatever information he can, too.)

(In that case...)

Apologies, but could you give me five minutes? I think I left something behind in the restaurant.

Please, go ahead. I'll meet you aboard the bus.

O-oh, okay. No problem...

Your hotel is actually quite close to the desert, so it won't be a long trip.

Ooh, so this is a bus. It uses an internal combustion engine to turn its wheels and propel it along the ground.

No rockets, no subspace navigation... How strangely quaint.

Hm? How come there's so much empty space out here?

There is still a great deal of ongoing development in Dubai, so I'd guess it is related to that.

Ah, so it still has a lot of room to grow, does it? How youthful.

...Not to say I no longer have the potential for growth myself.

What do you think, Tlamacazqui? What kind of buildings would you like to add to me?

Please, don't be shy. As long as they don't violate any zoning codes, I'll do my best to accommodate your requests.

In fact, zoning codes differ from country to country, so depending on how you interpret them... Hehehe.

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Okay, this is the part you've all been waiting for. From here, we'll be taking a buggy out on a desert safari.

We'll be delving deep into the heart of the desert as we race up and down the sand dunes!

Now, um, there should be a driver coming along to pick us up... Oh, maybe that's them now?

There you are. Is everyone present and accounted for?

It looks like there's one more of you than I was expecting. Not a problem. I've got plenty of space.

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You're going to be our driver, Barghest?

I am. I believe you know that I devote the majority of my time and energy these days to forest preservation.

And I trust you also know that there are various projects underway to turn deserts green.

Which means this desert could one day become a forest!

All of this is to say that my duty is to keep the peace not only in forests, but in deserts like this as well.

Be warned that I will not tolerate any form of littering. Plastic in particular is notorious for not being biodegradable.

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All right, get in.

I'm going to treat you all to an exciting, pulse-pounding desert drive on our way to your destination and its beautiful scenery.

Be warned: I won't be taking it easy on you. Partly because the income I earn here goes directly toward conservation efforts...

...and partly because I want you to experience what it's like to ride the desert waves. Most people never get the chance.

That said, I advise anyone prone to motion sickness take the middle seats.

I've never ridden a roller coaster, but I understand this ride may produce similar sensations.

Really? Damn, I'm getting a bad feeling about this...

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Hold on tight! I'm going to kick it up another notch! YAAAH!

I-i-it really feels like you're falliiing!! These sand dunes are way taller than they loook!

These merciless g-forces are assaulting my entire body...

It reminds me of the time I had to make a desperate getaway from the Galactic Police by weaving through a space debris graveyard... Urk.

I've never experienced turbulence on the ground before. What a great way to train your balance and core strength.

Hahaha, this takes me back to all those storms I weathered out on the open sea.

Hey, how sure are we that this is meant to be fun, not some kind of torture?

Th-that was my understanding, but now I'm not so sure!

Wait. Aah! Ereshkigal, your hat! It's showing your

Aaah! (Hurriedly holding her hat to her head)

It's not safe to let go of the pole. Here! I'll keep you anchored in place!

Oh, but please be careful not to fall into my cleavage. It's really dangerous in there!

I appreciate the help but, um, could you try to give me a little more breathing room, please!?

(That looks rough. On a bunch of levels...)

We're here. Nice job hanging in there, everyone. Now, go on. Drink in three-hundred and sixty degrees of panoramic beauty.

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I know we've been to deserts before...

...but this one feels different. It somehow seems...safe.

Maybe because it's so close to a modern city like Dubai.

This is nice. Great breeze. Not too hot, not too cold.

This is exactly what my inner ear needed after the trip here nearly killed me...

What a wonderful place...

The beauty of the desert, the beauty of the sun, and the breathtaking grandeur of nature are all at their peak here.

Right you are. In that sense, this desertwhich may one day become a forestis already like any other forest.

Thank you for saying that, Mash. That sentiment really helps me see the value in what I do.

(Not to mention there aren't any of the High Queen's detested caterpillaHmm, strange. It almost feels like there are some enormous ones lurking here somewhere...)

Hm?

Excuse me. I need to take this call.

It's me. ...You've pinpointed its location?

Understood. Thank you.

What was that about?

Hmm... I suppose there's no point in hiding this.

We've received reports of some sort of creature in the desert skulking about, corrupting and ruining heroes.

It seems we've got a fix on its position, so I'm going to go bring it in.

Did you say...a being that corrupts heroes...?

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Th-that's an oddly specific but, um, purely hypothetical example...but, I suppose it could technically be possible?

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Frankly, I would be grateful for the help, Master. But are you sure you want to do this?

We're sure. We may be here on vacation...

...but we've also been looking for potential leads on the Beast alert going around the city.

A Beast, huh...

People have been talking about that, yes. Even I've caught its scent, though only faintly.

Oddly enough, that scent seemed to get both stronger and weaker today...

(That's probably because I'm here now and because I adjusted my disguise spell the way XX advised yesterday.)

(Then again, that scent could also belong to some other being that has nothing to do with me...right?)

Of course we'll help. If this creature is a threat, then it's our duty to stop it.

If this is what you want to do, Fujimaru, I guess it's fine with me.

Great. Then let's get back in the car and go bring this thing to justice.

My contact tells me our target has been operating out of this cave.

Yeah, this seems like the kind of place a villain might be doing some plotting.

Hm?

Coucou! Goodness, nobody told me to expect guests. Welcome to my humble abode, everyone.

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Oh my. Why are you looking at me like that, Master?

It feels like you suspect me of being responsible for every problem here. How terrifying!

Hmm? No way. Are you...

...Black Goat the Devil Summoner, Grand Master of the Knights of Temple Noir, who's plotting to conquer the galaxy!?

What? No! What are you even talking about!? Also, "black" and "noir" mean the same thing.

...Now that I look closer, it seems you aren't. That's a relief.

I may be a villain, but even I kind of hate the idea of an interstellar black mass.

What is it you're doing here?

Hm? Hmm...

Well, I have lots of things I want to do, so I guess I'm picking one that seems feasible and tackling it exactly how I want.

Though that doesn't mean I'm just doing whatever I feel like.

Elaborate. For example...are you using evil power to transform heroes' basic natures?

My, my, those garnet eyes of yours are so serious. Whyever would you be asking?

This isn't a game. Answer me. Now.

Aww, you're no fun.

So, you're asking if I'm up to my usual tricks.

Namely, whether I've been conducting bizarre and obscene rituals to summon horrifying demons?

If so, the answer is "Non."

I mean, don't get me wrong. I was trying to do just that. But, for some reason, I just couldn't get it to work here.

It was kind of like the demons I tried to summon weren't home or something... Still not sure what that's about.

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Hmm. Maybe?

At any rate, I definitely haven't been summoning any demons.

And as for corrupting heroes, I have no idea what you're talking abou

Woman! Are you here!? I need another loan! That last one wasn't nearly enough.

I got a little carried away at the club again last night.

I'm a generous sort, so I decided to buy everyone else a couple of rounds.

This Dubai place is a lot of fun, but it sure ain't cheap!

...Hm?

Merde.

You may not have summoned any demons, but it seems you have been up to other nonsense.

Looks like a good, old-fashioned loan shark to me.

I see. So this is what those reports about corrupting heroes were referring to...

Wh-what is it? Why's everyone looking at me like that!?

What'd I do!? Is it so wrong to borrow money so I can go out to eat and drink!?

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(Sigh) This isn't at all what I was hoping to learn here.

Nonetheless, our objective remains the same. The last thing this desert needs is an illegal moneylending operation.

You're under arrest; I'm bringing you in for questioning.

Whaaa...? Come on, what's the harm? I just wanted to run a little side business this summer.

Oh well. I figured that wouldn't be enough to get you to let this slide.

Okay, time to turn the lemons of this client's terrible timing into lemonade.

See, if I get arrested here, you can kiss any future loans goodbye. That may well be the least of your concerns.

So if you want to keep living the good life, now's the time to fight for it! (Heavy thudding)

Tch, fine. I sure don't wanna give up my swanky Dubai lifestyle if I don't have to. But you're gonna owe me extra!

Got you!

Merde. I had a feeling we might be outnumbered.

Nooo... M-my carefree Dubai lifestyle...

Just to make sure, do you happen to know anything about the supposed Beast that's got all of Dubai in a tizzy?

If I did, I would have done a little better job here. A better job taking advantage of it, obviously.

I see...

Please don't feel discouraged, Ereshkigal. Even if we've only eliminated one possibility, that's still progress.

...Oh! I mean... Um...

O-of course we're all discouraged at having come all the way out to the desert only for our lead to be a red herring!

R-right. I mean, it WAS pretty out of our way, wasn't it? Hohoho...

(That was too close. I was so obvious in my disappointment that I almost let them find out.)

All that aside, I'm surprised you managed to find my hideout so quickly.

I thought I'd made sure I was flying under the radar with my little operation.

I wasn't the only one looking for you.

My contact gave me the intel that led us to you.

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It just goes to show that I'm not the only one who wishes to keep the desert safe.

...Oh. Speak of the devil.

Ah. So you're the one running the illegal moneylending operation near my camp.

I came as quickly as I could but it seems you've already taken care of things here.

Thank you.

Yeah, thanks for handling this so quickly.

I would be a poor queen indeed if I were to let you leave unrewarded after you did such a fine job bringing this loan shark to justice.

Allow me to invite you all to my camp.

If nothing else, we can all have a lovely teatime together. I have plenty of dates to go around.