Because there might be a group of scarabs nearby, the convoy set off the next morning after they finished repairing.
Locke curiously rummaged through the shell of a scarab while riding on his horse.
"What do the casters want this for?" He thought that the scarab's shell had no special characteristics other than its abnormally hard shell.
He tapped it with his finger and it made a dull thud. The shell was lighter than steel, but it was as hard as steel. It would be great if it could be made into armour.
Locke's bright yellow armour had a small part of it sprayed by the scarab's acid during the battle last night. This high-quality armour was worthy of the large amount of military merit he'd spent to exchange for it. Only a thin layer of it had been corroded.
After putting some oil on it and maintaining it properly, it was another ninety percent new set of armor.
They were heading north. According to the map, there was a sizable oasis two days away from them.
In addition to replenishing their water supply, they would also be able to meet people from Ridson for the first time.
"That's an outpost built by Ridson in the desert," said Bond. He had done a lot of work and had already investigated it thoroughly. "There will probably be a platoon of Ridson's garrison and a small village with a population of three hundred."
As an envoy convoy, Locke didn't have to worry about Ridson making things difficult for them. The king had personally approved the document and the pass given by Aomar, so their journey would be smooth.
In fact, they had to worry more about bandits and other creatures on the way from Faustian to the Aomar Empire than the regular army of the empire.
In many countries, the bandits and bandits in their countries weren't as small as they were in Faustian. Faustian's strong military culture and tough people made it difficult for large-scale bandit groups to develop.
It was different in other countries. Take Ridson as an example. The bandits in their country dared to confront the army head-on. It was hard for Locke to imagine how the royal family of Ridson could tolerate the bandits that numbered in the thousands.
Perhaps Sha Zhao's attack that night had left a deep impression on them, the convoy moved a little faster than before. Two days later, at noon, the delegation arrived at the oasis called Mocamo. In the desert language, Mocamo meant a new place.
He didn't know if the mocha really represented a new life. What he knew was that he could finally take a good bath. He wasn't the only one who had the same thought. Many people in the team shared the same thought.
The two documents from the king of Faustian and the Aomar Empire made Knight Ellison, who was stationed in Mocamo, warmly welcome and treat the diplomatic mission.
The mid-rank Knecht platoon jarl of Ridson had probably received news from the higher-ups a long time ago. Whether it was food or accommodation, they were well-prepared for the envoys.
After paying Captain Yellison 200 Silver Derahls in one go, the convoy was given two days of supplies and rest time.
After taking a cold shower in the sheepskin tent, he had the opportunity to observe the lives of the Ridson civilians up close.
Most of the men in Ridson had tanned faces, skinny limbs, and longswords hanging from their waists. They gave off an incongruous vibe.
On the other hand, most of the women in Ridson had fair skin and chestnut-colored hair under a white veil. They always wore a bunch of bells on their wrists. According to them, the bells were used to drive away the sheep.
Mocamo mainly made a living by transporting supplies and receiving visitors. From the locals' accounts, Locke found out that there was a cavalry division stationed in the far west of the Ridson Desert, at the border between Ridson and the neighboring Kingdom of Cote.
Mocamo was one of the bases that transported supplies to the cavalry division.
As for the visitors, the locals said that this was the third group of visitors that they had received in the past three years.
"Vast land but sparsely populated" was the description of the situation around Mocamo.
At night, Knight Yellison organized the whole town to hold a grand welcome party for the envoys. Locke was fascinated by the exotic ethnic customs.
Under the bonfire, enthusiastic Ridson dancers swayed their slender waists. The bells that they carried with them jingled in the cool night breeze. It was the first time Locke felt warm since he left Faustian.
The convoy stopped at the oasis for two days. This was the first welcome they had received after almost a month. Locke would often think of the hospitality of the locals in Mocamo for a long time to come.
After replenishing their water and dry food, the convoy set off again. This time, there were a few camels in the convoy.
Locke walked around a camel with two humps a few times and was amazed. This was the first time he had seen a camel.
There was also a desert in Faustian. He had heard of camels, but he had never seen one before. He rubbed the camel's hump, and it snorted impatiently.
Locke had been using a lot of strength, so he probably hurt it just now.
Before the camel could raise its leg to teach the person who had offended it a lesson, Locke glared at it and it immediately bent its legs and sat on the ground.
"It's scared of you!" Angelina said to Locke with a smile.
"Is it so scared that its legs have gone soft?" Locke didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He carefully helped Angelina sit in the middle of the two humps, and Locke sat on it as well. The camel groaned and straightened its body.
"This camel is quite timid, but it's quite strong," said Locke. He and Angelina weren't light together, but the camel walked as if it was flying. Because it was good at walking in the sand, it was faster than warhorses.
These camels were bought from the residents of Mocamo at seventy silver thalers each, which was cheaper than warhorses.
Of course, the currencies of the two countries were different. Thalers weren't circulated in Ridson, and it was Jarl Yellison who did the exchange on his behalf. He didn't suffer a loss either. After conquering Shalor, the value of Faustian thalers in the surrounding countries soared by at least ten percent compared to before.
These camels took over the work of many warhorses in the convoy. They could endure hunger and thirst, and they had the advantage of being strong, which greatly increased the convoy's speed in the desert.
After leaving Mocamo, the diplomatic group encountered a few more small oases.
Perhaps it was because they were about to leave the desert, the air was less hot and humid, and there was more moisture in it.
Locke looked into the distance from the tall horse. "Where's our next stop?"
"Frye Military Station, the northwestern border station of Ridson." Bond was a competent adjutant.
In the distant horizon, the endless Gobi Desert had disappeared and was replaced by rolling hills. Locke didn't know if it was an illusion, but he could feel the lush greenery that he hadn't seen in a long time from those hills.
By mid-October, the envoy's convoy had finally left the Ridson Desert. The night before they bid farewell to the desert, all the soldiers in Frye Military Station put down the dry rations that they had been eating for nearly a month.
The soldiers' request had always been simple: a mouthful of hot and fresh food.
In the military station, Locke exchanged a few pleasantries with the officers of Ridson and declined the dark-skinned Ridson people's request to have dinner with him. Then, he returned to the convoy.
"Why don't we see the famous desert bandits?" asked Laffey during dinner. Suzanne, who was sitting next to Locke, also shot him a curious look.
They had also heard about the rampant desert bandits in Ridson, especially in the desert. However, it had been almost a month since they entered the desert, and apart from the scarab attack, the convoy hadn't been attacked at all.
Locke wasn't very knowledgeable about politics, so he was also curious. Grace explained, "Those desert bandits can only bully ordinary people. Not to mention that we're a envoy to Aomar, even if we're backed by Faustian, they still can't afford to offend us."
Through Grace's explanation, Locke also understood that it wasn't that Ridson couldn't deal with the desert bandits that had been causing trouble for a long time, but the price was too high. The desert in the west of their country was uninhabited, and if they sent an army to encircle the desert bandits, the supply line would be stretched too far, and it might even cause the bandits to retaliate.
"To a certain extent, these desert bandits also ensure the safety of their western border," said Grace. "If other countries were to invade Ridson, they would first have to face these jackals that are everywhere in the desert."
Perhaps the higher-ups of the Ridson Kingdom were among the bandits who were wreaking havoc in this area?
Of course, this wasn't something that Locke, an outsider, had to consider.
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