At dusk, the temperature difference between day and night in the Golden Sea began to manifest.
Alicia stood on a relatively flat patch of sand near the pool, coordinating her attendants as they prepared camp and food.
“Pitch the tents over there, away from the seedlings. Light the bonfire downwind of the pool, and watch out for sparks.”
Following the princess's orders, the attendants responded in low voices and moved quickly. Soon, a small bonfire was lit, and an iron pot was set up over it.
Inside the pot, some unrecognizable beans were boiling. With the addition of a little salt and spices, they smelled rather delicious.
Afterward, an older attendant scooped out a bowl and respectfully handed it to Alicia. “Your Highness, please eat.”
Alicia took it but didn't eat right away. Instead, she looked at Elon, who was sitting not far away. “Mentor, is this what you mentioned before...?”
“Yes,” Elon replied calmly.
He walked over to the bonfire, accepted a bowl of bean soup, and said with a somewhat serious tone, “Those are the beans I spoke of. I was thinking of using them as an early food source in the Golden Sea, since this variety is one of the few that can survive in barren sand.”
“I had them try boiling some so we could get used to the taste beforehand, and also to prepare for future planting.”
As he spoke, he took out several small leather pouches from his travel bag and untied the drawstrings, revealing plump seeds of various colors inside.
“These are a few particularly drought-resistant varieties, and they don't have very high nutritional requirements for the soil.”
“If... Mr. Shane doesn't mind, perhaps we could try partitioning a small plot of land at the edge of his oasis. We could test-plant them together, which would help us accumulate cultivation experience here much faster.”
There was still a hint of awkwardness in Elon's voice, and his face grew slightly tense when he mentioned Shane, but the suggestion itself was practical.
When these words reached Shane, who was standing a few paces away, he was surprised.
For the current Shane, being a necromancer meant his dietary needs were minimal. Coupled with his past life's familiarity with desert survival, he could barely get by on just seabuckthorn berries, suppressing any culinary desires deep within his heart.
He was surprised that Elon, a druid, was actually starting to seek cooperation with a necromancer.
Shane glanced at Elon, knowing the man still detested death magic, yet was still trying to understand the current situation and propose practical solutions.
Then he looked at the princess.
Was it because the princess he followed was truly unique?
Shane withdrew his gaze. He didn't dislike the peculiar aura of this Third Imperial Princess, and after their recent conversation, he actually felt a bit of goodwill toward her.
Birds of a feather flock together; a princess who could attract and retain a druid mentor like this was certainly no ordinary figure.
Shane nodded to himself, slightly raising his assessment of this cooperation in his mind.
“H-how could this happen?”
Just then, an exclamation of alarm came from one of the attendants organizing the luggage, their voice carrying clear panic.
Everyone's attention was immediately drawn over.
A young attendant was half-kneeling on the ground. A thick cloth was spread before him, upon which lay five fist-sized, oval stones with dark red flame patterns on their surfaces.
Those were Ashstones.
They were a widely popular alchemical product that worked on the principle of slowly releasing heat using stable fire elements, making them a common warming tool for adventurers, travelers, and ordinary families.
A fully functioning Ashstone was enough to keep a small tent or room comfortably warm during a freezing night, making it an essential item for desert travel.
But now, the flame patterns on the surface of two of the stones were dimming at a visible rate. The originally warm orange-red glow quickly faded, turning into a lifeless grayish-black, leaving only the other three functioning normally.
“The temperature is dropping rapidly... and the elemental circuit has become unstable!”
Another attendant, who knew a bit of basic alchemy, leaned in to inspect them, and his expression instantly soured. “It looks like they've been interfered with. Perhaps the magic turbulence damaged their internal structure when we crossed the desert.”
Hearing this, the atmosphere instantly grew heavy.
In the desert at night, especially in a region with chaotic mana like the Golden Sea, the cold could be lethal.
The daytime heat of forty to fifty degrees Celsius could plunge below freezing once night fell.
And three functioning Ashstones were far from enough to cover their group of over a dozen people.
Sensing this, Alicia set down her soup bowl and quickly walked over. Her voice remained calm, and she did not scold the attendant. “When did you notice the anomaly?”
“J-just now, when I was preparing to take them out to preheat the tents...”
Seeing the princess approach, the young attendant's voice trembled, filled with self-reproach. “They were kept safe in the insulated box all day. I checked them...”
Raising her hand to soothe the attendant, Alicia knelt down and personally picked up one of the failed Ashstones.
The stone felt cold to the touch, its patterns dull and lifeless.
She turned it over to inspect it, then gently rubbed its surface with her fingers.
There were no signs of physical damage, but she could see that the core inside had gone out.
“It wasn't an issue with storage.”
She set the stone down and stood up, her gaze sweeping over everyone's anxious faces. “The magic environment of the Golden Sea is inherently abnormal, interfering with many alchemical creations.”
“Continuous exposure to the chaotic mana likely exceeded the limits of these standard-issue Ashstones.”
Alicia didn't blame anyone.
To her, every supply was precious, but pointless finger-pointing was meaningless in a desperate situation.
Her mind was already racing as she considered alternatives. “Gather all the intact warm clothing. Prioritize the weak and the night watch.”
“The bonfire must not go out. Pitch the tents as close together as possible to share body heat.”
She spoke rapidly, but her orders were clear, obviously racing against time. “Mentor Elon, is there any spell that can temporarily boost cold resistance? Or perhaps grow some fast-burning plants?”
Elon shook his head grimly. “This desert suppresses my magic, only allowing me to cast low-tier spells. I'm afraid I'm powerless here.”
He looked at the failed Ashstones, his brow furrowed. “But perhaps I can try to temporarily nourish the failed stones with my natural magic. However, I am unfamiliar with alchemical structures. The success rate is very low, and it might destroy them completely.”
Hearing Elon's response, Alicia nodded and didn't press further.
The attendants had already begun executing her orders. The three functioning Ashstones were carefully placed in the center of the camp, but the warmth they radiated was a mere drop in the bucket against the freezing wind.
Not far away, Shane watched everything in silence.
The drop in temperature had almost no effect on him.
A necromancer's constitution naturally gave him a high tolerance for cold; the biting chill that froze ordinary people was nothing more than a passing breeze across his skin.
Thus, he felt no panic at all and simply observed closely.
The princess's performance made him think even more highly of her.
He looked at Elon, and thinking of the druid's words just now, he began to approach Alicia.
Since even the druid had shown sincerity, he should also show some goodwill.
“I...”
He stepped in front of Alicia and glanced at the Ashstones on the ground. His flat voice broke the oppressive silence of the camp. “...might have a way.”
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