The settlement disappeared long before Haruto stopped thinking about it.
Even after the walls vanished beyond the dunes.
Even after the well was no longer visible.
The image remained.
A place where people had stayed.
A place where they had built something.
A place where they had left.
That last part still bothered him.
Not because it was mysterious.
Because it felt familiar.
People left things behind all the time.
Homes.
Schools.
Cities.
Dreams.
Sometimes willingly.
Sometimes not.
Haruto kicked a loose stone as he walked.
It bounced once.
Twice.
Then disappeared into the sand.
"...you've been quiet."
Belial glanced at him.
"YOU'VE BEEN THINKING."
"Same thing."
"NOT EVEN CLOSE."
Haruto snorted.
Belial looked far too pleased with itself.
The desert stretched endlessly around them.
Heat shimmered in the distance.
The wind dragged thin streams of sand across the ground.
Nothing new.
Nothing unusual.
Which meant something was probably about to happen.
That seemed to be how this world worked.
Haruto had barely finished the thought when Belial suddenly stopped.
The goat's ears twitched.
Then flattened.
Haruto noticed immediately.
"...what?"
Belial didn't answer.
Its gaze remained fixed ahead.
The casual attitude disappeared.
That alone was enough to make Haruto alert.
Slowly, he followed Belial's line of sight.
At first, he saw nothing.
Just sand.
Then—
movement.
Far away.
Haruto narrowed his eyes.
A dark shape moved across the horizon.
Then another.
Then another.
His brow furrowed.
"...people?"
Belial immediately shook its head.
"No."
The answer came too quickly.
Haruto looked again.
The figures were distant.
Too distant to identify.
Yet there were definitely several of them.
Moving together.
Crossing the desert.
Not wandering.
Traveling.
The formation looked deliberate.
His curiosity immediately won over his common sense.
"...let's go look."
Belial stared at him.
"...you say that way too often."
"I know."
"No, seriously."
Haruto started walking.
Belial groaned loudly.
Then followed.
The figures slowly grew clearer as they approached.
Not people.
Not exactly.
The first thing Haruto noticed was their size.
They were enormous.
Twice the height of a man.
Maybe larger.
Long-legged.
Covered in pale fur.
Their bodies resembled a strange mixture of camel and deer.
Except far larger than either.
Each carried bundles strapped to its sides.
Supplies.
Tools.
Containers.
The creatures moved steadily across the desert without hesitation.
Like they had walked the same route countless times before.
Haruto stopped.
"...well."
Belial blinked.
"...well what?"
"There goes the theory that we're alone."
The goat didn't answer.
Because several people were walking beside the creatures.
Actual people.
Humans.
Or close enough.
Haruto couldn't tell from this distance.
Their clothing was loose and practical.
Layers of pale fabric designed for heat.
Faces covered against the sand.
Travelers.
A caravan.
His heart skipped slightly.
Not from excitement.
Relief.
The settlement had proven people existed.
This proved people still existed.
A subtle difference.
A huge one.
Haruto took a step forward.
Belial immediately moved in front of him.
"...no."
Haruto looked down.
"...what do you mean no?"
Belial didn't move.
The caravan continued across the desert in the distance.
Unaware of them.
Or pretending to be.
"...we don't know who they are."
Haruto nodded.
"True."
"...or what they want."
"Also true."
"...or whether they're dangerous."
Haruto thought for a second.
Then pointed.
"They're carrying water."
Belial blinked.
"What?"
"They have supplies."
Haruto pointed again.
"Which means they have somewhere to go."
Belial continued staring.
Haruto shrugged.
"Bandits don't usually look organized enough to manage inventory."
The goat looked deeply offended by that logic.
"...that's your conclusion?"
"It's a good conclusion."
"It's a terrible conclusion."
"Fair."
The caravan continued moving.
Neither side approached.
The distance remained.
For a moment, Haruto considered leaving it alone.
Just continuing his journey.
Avoiding unnecessary risks.
A sensible decision.
Which was probably why he ignored it.
"...I'm going."
Belial closed its eyes.
"...of course you are."
Haruto smiled slightly.
Not because he was confident.
Because he was tired.
Tired of ruins.
Tired of clues.
Tired of following people who had already left.
For the first time since arriving in this world—
there were actual living people ahead.
People who could answer questions.
People who might know where they were.
People who might know what this world even called itself.
As they moved closer, one of the travelers finally noticed them.
The figure stopped.
Then raised a hand.
The rest of the caravan immediately halted.
Haruto stopped too.
The desert suddenly felt very quiet.
The distance between them wasn't large anymore.
Large enough to be safe.
Small enough to be dangerous.
One of the travelers stepped forward.
A woman.
At least, Haruto thought so.
Most of her face remained hidden beneath desert cloth.
Only her eyes were visible.
Sharp.
Alert.
Careful.
She studied him.
Then Belial.
Then him again.
Nobody spoke.
Several long seconds passed.
The wind drifted between them.
Then—
the woman tilted her head slightly.
And asked a single question.
A question Haruto understood perfectly.
"...Traveler."
Her voice carried across the sand.
Calm.
Steady.
Curious.
"Why are you walking alone in the Sea of Glass?"
Haruto blinked.
The Sea of Glass?
That was apparently the desert's name.
Good to know.
The more important realization came a second later.
He understood her.
Perfectly.
Haruto stared.
The woman waited.
Belial slowly looked up at him.
Haruto slowly looked down at Belial.
Belial immediately knew.
"...you don't know the language, do you?"
"...not even a little."
The goat sighed.
The woman continued waiting.
Haruto smiled awkwardly.
Then pointed at himself.
"...Haruto."
A pause.
He pointed at Belial.
"...Belial."
Another pause.
Then he spread his hands.
"...lost?"
The woman stared.
Belial buried its face in the sand.