Seeing everyone around her vanish in an instant, Sophie almost screamed with joy—she'd succeeded! But before she could let out a sound, she realized her predicament: she'd teleported herself high above a vast desert.
"Aaaah—!" Her scream echoed across the sky. Sophie, who couldn't fly, instantly regretted learning spatial magic. Was she really going to die like this? Maybe she'd look like a shooting star or a meteor, going *splat* on impact! No way! That would be such an ugly way to go!
In the middle of the desert, a merchant caravan trudged forward under the scorching sun. A man riding atop a towering Monibeast frowned as he faintly heard a woman's scream. He glanced around—nothing. Had the desert heat finally made him hallucinate?
"Baron, did you hear something?" he asked the guard beside him, just to be sure.
"Hear what?" Baron listened carefully. "Actually… yeah, sounded like a woman screaming."
"Huh." So he wasn't imagining it. But where was she?
"HELP! CATCH ME! SOMEONE CATCH ME—!" From high above, the caravan had looked like a tiny worm in the sand, but now Sophie could see it clearly—a long line of wagons and people. She stopped screaming and switched to desperate pleas.
The man looked up just in time to see an unidentified human-shaped object hurtling straight toward him. Without hesitation, he yanked his Monibeast aside, dodging the danger zone, and barked at his men to do the same.
Sophie nearly choked with rage when she saw the open space where they'd been standing. Were they seriously just going to let her die?! If someone had tried to catch her, she might've had a chance! Now she was doomed to faceplant into the sand. (Not that she considered the fact that catching her would've turned *them* into pancakes too.)
"DON'T MOVE! CATCH ME, YOU IDIOTS!" she shrieked as the ground rushed up to meet her.
"Moron," the man muttered, rolling his eyes. "Everyone, defensive magic—NOW!"
A flurry of magic barriers and sand shields materialized beneath Sophie, but gravity and velocity smashed her right through them. The shields only slowed her descent slightly. With just a few hundred meters left, Sophie squeezed her eyes shut.
*Goodbye, cruel world.*
Seeing the barriers fail, the man quickly conjured a massive sandball—since, well, sand was the one thing the desert had in abundance.
*THUD!*
Sophie crashed into the soft sandball, which cushioned her fall as it slammed into the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.
Coughing and spitting out sand, Sophie crawled out of the crater she'd created, covered head to toe in grime. The entire caravan stood there, pristine behind their protective barrier, staring at her.
"Pfft—bleh—*ugh*!" She wiped her face and glared at the man who looked the most arrogant. "You've got *zero* decency! You just stood there and watched me fall! Do you know how much that *hurts*?! What if I'd died?!"
The man's eye twitched. He'd expected gratitude, not a scolding.
"Move out," he snapped, ignoring her rant.
As the caravan began packing up, Sophie finally grasped her mistake—this was the *desert*. If they left her behind, she was dead. Sure, her Phoenix Pouch had food, but under this blazing sun? No thanks. And she *definitely* wasn't risking another teleport—next time, she might end up in the ocean.
"WAIT! Don't leave me!" She sprinted after them and scrambled onto the man's Monibeast. Time to swallow her pride.
"Get. Off." His voice was ice.
"I'm *sorry*, okay?! I was just scared! Thank you for saving me—really! Please don't abandon me here!" She covered her face, pretending to sob. (No way was she crying in front of strangers.)
The man's eye twitched again. He *hated* tears.
"Baron. Take her."
"Got it." A whip lashed out, yanking Sophie off and onto Baron's mount.
"WAAAH—!" Her fake crying turned into a real shriek as she flailed midair.
The man caught a glimpse of her *completely dry* face under all that dirt. She'd *tricked* him. Whatever. He'd dump her at the next stop.
Once settled behind Baron, Sophie sheepishly introduced herself.
As the endless desert stretched on, Sophie quickly befriended the entire caravan—except for the arrogant leader, *Serei*. (She'd learned his name from the others.) The Monibeasts were basically giant lizard-horses, and the group was a merchant team from Bel City heading to the exotic lands beyond the desert.
Sophie did the math—walking back to Bel would take *months*. Might as well stick with them. Plus, she had a *little* revenge plan for Serei. Payback was gonna be sweet.
When they reached a small oasis, Baron kindly pointed out Sophie's… *appearance*. She gasped at her reflection in a water hole—she looked like a *mud monster*. No wonder the caravan had been so patient with her!
After a thorough wash and a change of clothes (thank you, Phoenix Pouch!), Sophie rejoined the group.
Everyone lounged around the campfire, except for Fizz, who stirred a pot of bubbling… *something*.
"What's that?" Sophie wrinkled her nose.
"Traveler's gruel. Best meal you'll get in the desert," Fizz said, offering her a spoonful. Then he froze. "Wait… *Sophie*?"
The others turned—and gaped. The grime had hidden a *stunning* girl beneath.
"Wha—? Is there a monster behind me?!" Sophie spun around, but only Fizz stood there.
"*Sophie?!*" The men erupted, lifting her into the air with cheers. This trip just got *way* more interesting!
"Enough! Eat!" Serei snapped, annoyed.
Fizz handed the first bowl to Sophie instead of Serei.
"Thanks!" She took a sip—and gagged. "Ugh, this is *awful*."
Serei smirked. "Take it or leave it, Princess."
"Don't worry," Hurrd said. "We'll reach the Beastmen Kingdom soon. I'll treat you to a feast."
Sophie grinned. "No need to wait! I'll cook for you all *right now*."
She pulled ingredients from her Phoenix Pouch, leaving the men speechless.
*Who the hell carries a whole kitchen in a magic bag?!*
**Will Serei survive her cooking—or her revenge?**