“…Where exactly did you say the Fortune Spring was?” Norren said, as the Star Seekers braved their way through the desert. It was already the third day of their search. Their third day of wading through the same endless expanse of black sands, hot enough to make air above the ground waver, and shimmer with heat. Thankfully, they had completed their quotas for the Black Desert Trial in the past three days, allowing them to focus all their attention on finding the Fortune Spring. But finding the Fortune Spring was not easy.
“It was supposed to be in this area… around ninety seven to a hundred and five kilometres northwest of the Lost City,” Karl said in an apathetic tone, trying to save as much energy as he could, while glancing at the desert around them with a frown.
“But that is just what I heard a few teams discuss. It could be true, or it could be false. After all, a hundred kilometres beyond the Lost City is already the territory of Adult Stage Oren Beasts. And the teams I heard the rumour from was… weak to say the least. I do not see them making it out alive from an encounter with Adult Stage Oren Beasts.”
“…Then why are we searching this area?”
“Because we cannot let go of any clue,” Alnea said, crouching down to sift through the sands with his hands. “Have any of you experienced Fortune Springs?”
“…I did,” Vestia said. “The Erwein Forest is rife with countless Fortune Springs. It is one of the reasons why my clan chose to settle there in the first place.”
“What’s so great about experiencing the Fortune Springs of your clan?” Cecilia said with a snort. “We have experienced wild Fortune Springs. Fortune Springs occupied by hordes of Oren Beasts. We even had to—
“Except the girls,” Alnea said, cutting Cecilia off before she could goad Vestia into another verbal fight. “Have the rest of you ever searched for Fortune Springs before?”
“…I tried searching for them back in the Umber Forests,” Karl said. “Although they do not have as many Fortune Springs as the Erwein Forests, they do have a few sporadic Fortune Springs. And my clan does not restrict its people from searching for these Fortune Springs. After all, one can enjoy a Fortune Spring only once in their life. It is useless for them to keep the Fortune Springs as a secret. But they do not hand out the information of the Fortune Springs either. If anyone wishes to experience the Fortune Springs, they will have to find them on their own.”
“Same with my clan,” Norren said, scratching the back of his head. “The Red Trail Desert that I come from also has a few Fortune Springs, but my clan did not tell me where the Fortune Springs are, or how to find them.”
“So? Did you find them?”
“Of course, not,” Norren said. “This is why I hate deserts…”
“What about you Karl?”
“I did not find any Fortune Springs either,” Karl said, shaking his head. “Apparently, the Fortune Springs do not reveal themselves to the unworthy…”
“Is that what your clan told you?”
“…I guess.”
“And what about the rest of you?”
“…Someone as talented as me does not need the help of Fortune Springs…”
“Got it. You did not find any Fortune Springs either… Ralph?”
“…My story is a little different,” Ralph said, rubbing his nose with his index finger. “Though I am sure that there are Fortune Springs in the Stone Valleys… I did not even know what Fortune Springs were before coming to the Lost City.”
“…I am sure that you will gain the recognition of your clan soon, Ralph.”
“…I know. I am already starting to draw their attention.”
“Fran…”
“…The Fortune Springs of the Green Lightning Valleys are a bit too overbearing for False Wanderers, so no, I did not search for Fortune Springs before coming to the Lost City.”
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“…The Winstoke plains do not have any Fortune Springs, and even if they did, I would not have wasted my time searching for them. What Karl said earlier was correct. Fortune Springs bestow their Fortune on only those who are worthy. And I will not be worthy until I find the answers I am looking for…”
“…You are correct in a sense, but that is not exactly how Fortune Springs work,” Alnea said, letting go of the sand in his hand, before getting back onto his feet. “Although there are many types of Fortune Springs, all of them have one thing in common. They bestow their Fortune on only those who pass their tests. And sometimes, finding the Fortune Springs itself is a test.
“So, when people say that Fortune Springs bestow their Fortune on only those who are worthy, they are not wrong. But as long as you keep striving, you are bound to find a few of them. And who knows, they might be the type who grant us their Fortune just by finding them? What if we are right above one of them, and give up just before we could pass their test?”
“…If we are right above a Fortune Spring, and have not discovered it, then I do not think we will ever discover it.”
“…Regardless, we cannot give up trying to find the Fortune Springs.”
“…The Oren Beasts…”
“Yuri is keeping an eye out for them. She is the best among us when it comes to scouting. And we also have a special Arcana to communicate. If she finds any signs of our enemies, I will cast the ‘Shelter of Light’ right away, and Cecilia will cast the ‘Tendrils of Shadows’ to bind everyone together. We can then quietly leave this area, and search in other places.”
“…This is our third day in the desert. Our rations are running out.”
“…I know… Vestia, how far is the place that you investigated?”
“Fifty kilometres, give or take.”
“…Let’s search for another day. If we fail to find the Fortune Spring by tomorrow, we can return to the city for some rest, and search the other location on our next trip.”
“That’s fine by me,” Cecilia said. “I am not that tired anyway.”
“Of course, you are not tired,” Vestia said. “Yuri is doing most of the work right now, and Alnea is putting the greatest effort in searching for the Fortune Spring… Though even if you did put in your effort, I am not sure if that would be of any help.”
“What do you mean? I am also looking for the Fortune Spring, alright? And I will have you know that I have experienced more than a dozen Fortune Springs. And not just the Fortune Springs that are guarded by my family, but wild Fortune Springs, found in Forbidden Areas of Rianra. What about you? How many wild Fortune Springs have you experienced?”
“…I admit that I have experienced less wild Fortune Springs than you, but how many of those Fortune Springs were found by you? I am sure that most of those Fortune Springs were found by Alnea and Yuri, and you just enjoyed the fruit of their hard work…”
“…Are you questioning me, vixen?”
“What if I am?”
“…Fine, bring it on.”
“…Are you sure?”
“I may have lost the last bet, but when it comes to finding Fortune Springs, I am sure that I can defeat you with my eyes closed.”
“…What about the stake?”
“The same as last time.”
“Whoever find the Fortune Spring first gets to spend a day all alone with him.”
“…Just thinking of your jealous face is making me feel excited.”
“…Before you get too excited, I think you two should ask for Alnea’s opinion first,” Yuri said, shaking her head helplessly at the two girls. “How many times is this going to be?”
“…Seventh? Eighth? I stopped counting a while ago.”
“That is not something to be proud of.”
“…He looked happy the last time we spent the day together though…”
“…Who would be happy if other people took him as their bet?”
“…You would think that he would be angry at us for taking him as our bet, but that pervert is probably thanking us in his Heart right now.”
“…Just because he plays along with you two, does not mean that is fine with all the stupid things that you do.”
“…I am not stupid,” Cecilia mumbled. “And if he was angry, then he would have told us already.”
“…You have no idea just how much he indulges you.”
“…I—
“She is right, Cecilia. We did go a little too far with our jokes,” Vestia said, with flushed cheeks, and a hint of guilt in her voice. As she turned towards him though, she could not hide the light of excitement in her eyes. “But I am sure that he would forgive us… won’t you, Alnea?”
“…Just get back to work, and start looking for the Fortune Spring,” Alnea said, trying not to read too much between the lines. Although he had learned how to deal with other Wanderers, he was still no match for Vestia’s manipulations. If he played along with her, he would probably end up thanking her for letting him wash her robes. Though that was not a bad idea in itself…
“The sooner we find the Fortune Spring, the sooner we can return to the city. And if you two can really find a Fortune Spring, then I do not mind spending a day with you. But only if you two promise to get along with each other.”
“I have no problem getting along with her, but…”
“…Is a promise really necessary?”
“…You two surely get along with each other when it suits you. Forget it. As long as you two do not create a scene, I will help you fulfil your bet.”
“Got it.”
“The bet is on then.”
“Let me show you how the professionals find Fortune Springs, vixen…”
