"Where are we?"
I looked beside me and watched as Ana looked all around us.
There was nothing to be seen for miles except sand.
The sand, however, was black. Black grains of sand were trampled upon by our feet, and the spread out for miles.
"This is the Dark Desert. It's a vast body filled with nothing but black sand. It is said that this entire place used to be the territory of a nation before they gave themselves to Dark Magic and became ruined as a result." I smiled.
Looking at how there was nothing to be seen but darkness, the story seemed even more plausible.
The sun was hardly shining, and dark clouds spread for miles.
It appeared to be early evening despite me being certain that were in in the daytime.
"Oh? I've never heard of that story before." Maria's voice sounded beside me.
I glanced in her direction and spotted a confused expression.
'Well, Maria was taught so many things about the Eastern Kingdom. If there is such a story marking a historical monument, she is expected to know about it. But, I'm not surprised that she isn't aware of this place...'
"Well, were currently not in the Eastern Kingdom. This is the Southern Continent, you know?"
"A-ah, the South?" She seemed even more surprised.
"Yeah. Arcanas aren't concentrated in the Eastern Kingdom, you know? They're all over the world. I'm pretty sure one of the groups will have to go underwater to get an Arcana."
"What? For real?".
"Yeah. I don't know their exact locations, but after compiling all my life's research and also using Automatons to scour the areas, I've reached a reasonable conclusion."
Even if I couldn't get the exact place, I could map out the surroundings. Afterward, all we had to do was find the place.
According to this particular Arcana, several stories and tales have spoken about it. How;
'In the darkest of days and blackest of nights, the sands of time possess no light. Thick clouds block the way, and it appears to be a land of the depraved.'
Cross-referencing several other stories that indicated an absence of lofe and a sea of darkness, I managed to link everything together and arrived at the Dark Desert.
"It matches all the descriptions, although some of them were exaggerated..." I sighed.
Stories, though considered silly, were the hallmark of realities.
It wasn't easy sorting through everything, but since I was dedicated to finding out more, I looked for the everything—even the seemingly irrelevant ones.
'Looks like it paid off.'
Still, though...
"... Where exactly do we start from?"
There was only one way to find out.
"I'm going up." With that, I floated above and began getting a better view of the Desert.
It was truly a large expanse of nothing but black sand.
I could see no semblance of life, and the entire place simply looked eerie
'Where could the Arcana be?'
I doubted it would be so easy to get a law-bending artifact, but I was truly hoping to easily get one.
"I guess we have to try this one out." I brought out a card from my pocket.
It was, of course, the [Strength] Arcana.
'I've still not mastered its use, but its also resonating with this place... I must be in the right area.
The [Strength] card glowed golden, and it started beeping.
I couldn't initially understand it until a slow realization dawned on me.
I sharply descended, rendezvousing with Maria, who was waiting patiently.
"Sorry for taking too long."
"It's fine." Her voice was calm, as usual.
Her expression didn't also show that she harbored any offense—though I had already learned it a long time ago not to trust what kind of reaction Maria made.
"So, did you get any clues?"
In response to her question, I nearly shoved the [Strength] Arcana in her face.
"This one is resonating with the Arcana that is here. If I can resonate with it, I should be able to find out where the new Arcana is."
"Ohh..." In response to my words, Maria nodded, ready for what would come.
"Here I go!"
Closing my eyes, I Resonated my Primary Core—which had become a Fused Core—and connected with the Card.
I got a faint trace, but it wasn't enough... not nearly!
'I need more.... more.' Twitching my eyes, I began connecting more of my Cores—both Mana and Miasma.
Fortunately, the [Strength] Arcana did not refuse either.
The more Cores I resonated, the more I was able to get a clear image.
'A-h...?!'
In my head, I saw brightness.
It was a sharp contrast to the desert I was currently in, and I found myself enveloped with absolute light.
'... This is—?!'
I remembered at that moment... that there were to sides to the story if the Arcana.
While an aspect talked about the darkness surrounding the object, another side referred to another essential factor.
'At the end of the darkness, there is light. Journey to the very depths of despondency and see hope. Walk through the valley of shadows and fear no evil. The good that purges evil. The purity of everything... search and find it.'
I could finally understand why.
Right before my mind's eye, I could see just what the story meant.
'I-it's so beautiful...'
With a smile in my face and an inexplicable feeling in my heart, I found the place.
And then—
"Haa... haa..."
—The Resonance was cut off.
"... That sure took a lot out of me." I murmured, feeling very drained.
The [Strength] Arcana required synchronizing with its user to function, but it took a lot of my energy, if I was being honest.
Still, it was worth it!
"Did you find it?" Maria's question snapped me away from my momentary delirious state.
"Y-yeah. I've not exactly found it, but I know where it is..."
"Where?"
"You'll see." I smiled.
My mind wondered what Maria would think once we got there.
"So... how do we reach the place?"
I was sure she—no, pretty much anyone—would find it hard to believe what I was about to say.
However, it was the truth.
"It's located underground, deeper than you can imagine."
"Eh?" I heard her voice squeak.
"Yeah..." Pumping my Mana, I readied myself to begin work.
"... Let's dig!"
