Sera led him to the west. To Nathan's surprise, there was a lake in the middle of the ground, with buildings surrounding it.
"An oasis?" Nathan frowned.
"Yes. According to the information, this is called Sand Dwell Village. They are the ones requesting help this time." Sera nodded.
Nathan crossed his arms as if he were in deep thought.
"Is there something wrong?"
"It's nothing. This is the first time I see an oasis, so I'm kind of surprised." Nathan shook his head.
While walking to the village, Nathan couldn't help but ask, "Since we are going to fight together, do you mind telling me your angel and fallen angel abilities? If I know what to expect from them, maybe we can work together better."
"I don't really mind. My fallen angel is mainly the one fighting in the front. She has a darkness spear ability and very high speed. Meanwhile, my angel has the power of light magic. He can send forth several holy spells, but they are most useful against the undead. There are some that can be used against normal enemies, but yeah..." She rubbed her cheeks, feeling embarrassed.
"I see. My jackal can heal while my wolf is a good close combatant." Nathan briefly told her about his familiars, but he didn't tell her anything about Nidhogg.
"I hope we can work together." Sera nodded, thinking about the combination they could do when fighting together.
It didn't take too long for them to reach the village. The temperature around the oasis was much lower, allowing Nathan to take a breather.
Still, the villagers were staring at him as if he were a rare animal. On the other hand, Sera was asking the villagers for the village chief's location and ultimately led him to the house.
The village chief was a muscular, middle-aged man. He was sitting with his legs crossed on the floor while asking, "So, you are the only person who comes to our call?"
"Yes. My name is Serafina." She nodded.
"Unfortunately." The village chief shook his head. "My apologies. Even though we want to help you, we are too scared of them."
Nathan nodded before saying to Sera. "I think we should scout the enemy's stronghold. What do you think? You are the one asking me to join, so I need your opinion."
"Scouting?" Sera tilted her head in confusion. "Can't we just attack them and somehow lure the enemies?"
"If we don't know where the enemy we should lure out, what are we supposed to do? It's better to scout the area first and see what we can do."
"People say I'm gullible, so I guess I will just follow your plan. It looks like you know what you're talking about."
Nathan let out a long sigh.
"Then, let's go tomorrow morning." Nathan turned to the village chief. "Do you know where the inn is?"
The village chief shook his head while saying, "Please stay in my house. Although it's not much, I'll definitely fulfill whatever request you have. This is the least I can do for the two summoners who go all the way here to help us."
"We appreciate it." Sera prayed.
The village scratched the back of his head, feeling embarrassed.
Since they had received the accommodation from the village chief, Nathan chose to go around the village as if he were trying to satisfy his curiosity during his first visit to an oasis.
Nathan never expected that there would be a city prospering in such a harsh land. Still, the city felt empty. There weren't any foreigners around, but what could he expect from a trial?
Meanwhile, Sera remained in the house. After getting beaten pretty badly, the only thing she wanted was sleep.
After he was satisfied, Nathan returned to get some sleep. This was probably the first time he had a roof above his head after entering this desert, so he had to get a good rest for an exhausting battle against the bandits.