When the giant, sand dwelling creature had returned to the sand, everyone remained silent.
"We should keep on moving. We're not too far from Tahan now." Gustavo was the one who broke the silence.
"Do you think you could beat that thing?" Eugene asked as he put the automobile back into gear.
"No. If I was alone, I could maybe draw with it and force it to retreat, but with you all here... I wouldn't be able to beat it if my attention is split between preserving my own life and yours as well." Gustavo shook his head.
A few moments passed in silence before Eugene shrugged and started up the automobile again. The vehicle moved smoothly and they avoided the depressions in the sand that had been created by the giant sand monster.
When they moved past a few more dunes, the sight of a brightly lit and massive city came into view. It was many times larger than the Blazing Sun City. The disparity in size and prosperity showed just how much more powerful Tahan was when compared to Blazing Sun. In fact, this was just the capital. The other cities and villages were spread out but relatively connected with the capital. Most of them were too close for comfort with Blazing Sun, though, so the group had opted to travel straight to Tahan.
Not only that, but one reason why they had managed to reach Tahan so quickly was because the capital city was at the border of the territory, and not nestled within the entire territory, like some other kingdoms. That allowed them to reach the most prosperous city that they could seek refuge in a short time.
The automobile did not stop moving until they reached the city. A relatively short que of carriages were lined up in front of the gate, undergoing a routine check from the guards that were posted at the gate. When the automobile rolled up, it drew attention to it.
The desert kingdom of Tahan was a prosperous and wealthy kingdom. It was not too rare to see an automobile, but each and every one was a sign of wealth.
The sight of an unfamiliar automobile was a surprise for the guards and traders that were usually coming and going.
An armed soldier walked up to the front of the automobile while sizing up Eugene and Gustavo. May and Felix were inside the vehicle while Gustavo came out to make things smoother.
"Who might you be? I don't recall ever seeing you two around." The middle aged man said when he came to a stop by Gustavo.
"We're from Blazing Sun." Gustavo pulled out the insignia of the honor guard of the city lord and showed it to the man. He did not mention anything of Eugene being the young master or himself being the captain of the guards, but the insignia alone should be enough to convince them of their identity.
"Oh, here on request of the city lord? I heard your Lord has been up to something lately." The man idly commented as he nodded and rubbed his chin. He noticed the frown that briefly passed over Eugene's face and noted it before turning and walking away.
When the man was far enough, Gustavo spoke up. "He is suspicious of us. There is a good chance they will stop us and question us. I want you to listen to me." The man whispered to Eugene.
"What do we do?" Eugene asked.
"Nothing. If it comes down to it, we can only be honest and hope for the best. There is a chance that the king of Tahan will accommodate us, but there is also a chance that he will just hand us over to our enemies to save himself the trouble." Gustavo sighed.
'Dammit!' Eugene cursed in his mind and let out a deep, troubled breath. Everything was going to shit. First, his father was killed, then the city was overturned by traitors and assassins, and now, they did not have anywhere to lay their heads safely.
Soon, it was their turn to be stopped at the gate and searched. Eugene had prepared himself to be stopped by the city guards and told to leave the automobile, but after a perfunctory search where they opened up the back for the guards to peek in, they were allowed through.
"Huh... They let us through without any hassle." Eugene was stunned.
"Stay sharp. This might just be a ploy." Gustavo warned him. The man was much more knowledgeable of all these things and wanted Eugene to keep on his toes.
The automobile smoothly carried on into the city. Felix's head popped through the latch at the front as he looked around.
"Turn right here, I have a place we can stay the night!" The boy said excitedly. He was a citizen of Tahan and lived in the capital city, so he was familiar with the place.
According to what he had said earlier, he was a newbie adventurer and had a place that he shared with another person. They had a place where they usually stayed, although it was not large at all. He would need to talk to his comrade first.
The automobile soon came to a part of the city that was not too crowded. There were residential homes on either side of the road and people walking about.
"There it is!" Felix pointed at a small wooden house. It looked aged, and its size was nothing to be proud of.
"Where do I park?" Eugene asked. The road was quite narrow.
"You can park anywhere. No one on this street owns a carriage or anything so you don't need to worry about anyone needing to get through." Felix waved dismissively.
"..." Eugene looked at Gustavo. He knew he did not have to worry too much about someone trying to steal the vehicle, as only the special key he had could open it.
"Alright, let's see what we are dealing with."