After walking along the lengthy mountain path for over half an hour, they finally reached the mountainside area where Sun Worship Town was located.
According to the young townsfolk, they could have taken the Lift directly, but that would have prevented them from bringing their livestock. The two woolly camels needed to be taken to the beast pen in advance for storage.
Since the camels were carrying many important supplies, and they all wanted to take the opportunity to enjoy the scenery of the town, they decided to walk up instead.
They arrived in front of a building within the town before the young townsfolk stopped and said to them, "This is the Elder's residence. Please wait a moment while I call the Elder out."
The Professor nodded slightly, while Altaïr took the chance to observe the town's architecture.
"wi..."
Just then, a Vespoid flew overhead, catching their attention.
But the Vespoid didn't land and soon disappeared from sight, forcing them to refocus their attention.
Turning his gaze back to the buildings, Altaïr noticed that the architectural style here was somewhat similar to that of Loc Lac; both used sandstone for walls and heavily utilized the natural terrain.
Most structures were built upon caves or recesses in the cliff walls, with almost no freestanding houses on flat ground.
One shouldn't assume these buildings were crude. In the sand sea, where the temperature difference between day and night was extreme, such dwellings offered far better insulation than constructed buildings.
After waiting less than a minute, a Wyverian elder, who appeared to be in his seventies by human standards, hurried out of the house.
By conservative estimates, his actual age was likely more than double his appearance.
"My apologies, my apologies for not preparing a proper welcome in advance. I am the Elder of Sun Worship Town. I've kept you guild representatives waiting."
The Elder was exceptionally courteous, especially toward the Professor, who appeared significantly older than him.
The Professor extended his hand and shook his. "No need for formalities. We are from the Royal Academy, assigned by the guild to investigate the Vespoid infestation in Sun Worship Town. If deemed necessary, we will arrange for hunters to carry out an extermination."
"Excellent, excellent!" The Elder nodded repeatedly, completely unfazed by the Professor's conditional "if necessary." He seemed genuinely convinced that the scholars would inevitably conclude that intervention was required after their investigation.
"Let me arrange accommodations for you first. Sun Worship Town doesn't get many visitors, so we don't have many inns, but there are always vacant houses. One family moved out just last month, and their house is fully equipped. I'll have someone clean it up, and you can move in right away. Oh, the house has three rooms; will that be enough? If not, I can find another, though it might be farther up the mountain."
"That will suffice," the Professor nodded. "I'll share a room with the equipment, Altaïr and Erik can share another, and Isis will take the third. Any objections?"
The three youngsters, whose combined ages likely amounted to less than a fifth of the Professor's, naturally had no objections. They were here to complete a mission, not for leisure travel. They hadn't complained during ten days of roughing it in the desert; three rooms were more than enough.
"Your luggage will be delivered to your rooms, and I'll have someone take the woolly camels to the beast pen for proper care. The welcoming banquet is scheduled for tonight. Would you prefer to rest first, or..."
"Wi!"
Another Vespoid flew by. Erik pulled out his insect net to chase after it but was yanked back by Altaïr.
The Professor's graying eyebrows twitched slightly. "No need for rest. We only traveled for a small part of the day and aren't particularly tired. A banquet isn't necessary either; we're not here for the food. Just have some simple meals sent to our quarters. Please brief us on the situation here first."
The Elder was pleased by the Professor's efficient and straightforward approach. After arranging for someone to take charge of the two woolly camels, he personally led the way for the group.
"Let me first take you to see the limestone cave. That's where those damned Vespoids first appeared."
"A limestone cave?" Erik grew excited. "What kind of cave is it? What are the temperature and humidity like? Is there an underground river?"
Under certain conditions, underground limestone caves can form unique and isolated ecosystems, making them one of the most valuable terrains for a biology enthusiast like him.
The Elder opened his mouth but seemed unsure where to begin. The Professor interjected, "Start from the 'beginning' of Sun Worship Town. This place has unique natural environments and cultural factors that might be directly related to the Vespoid swarm's appearance."
"Alright." The Elder nodded and began explaining as he led the way. "Initially, this place had no name; it was just an unnamed rocky hill. Some Wyverians, who survived by nomadic life in the sand sea, discovered this location. They found that, unlike ordinary rock platforms, this one had numerous holes and caves inside, providing them shelter and protection from Monsters in the sand sea."
Here, the Elder paused briefly and glanced at Erik. "Regarding your earlier question about underground rivers, there are none here. However, moisture seeps from the base rock's bottom. Heated by the sun, this moisture evaporates and condenses in the upper caves of the base rock, forming some limestone caves and pools. That is the precious water source we rely on for survival."
"The ancestors believed all of this was a gift from the sun, so they named it Sunwheel Village."
Under the Elder's guidance, the group took the Lift to a higher opening in the base rock. Upon entering, they realized this was the limestone cave the Elder had mentioned. Compared to the dry, hot exterior, it was humid and cool, clearly more suitable for human habitation. However, according to the Elder, this was their precious water source. Since the condensed vapor wasn't flowing water, no one lived here to ensure the water remained clean.
With the Elder's permission, the Professor and Erik collected water and rock samples, hoping to find some clues.
"The base rock, the sun, and the limestone caves provide us with shelter and water. But to survive in the desert, these two alone aren't enough. So, for a long time, Sunwheel Village served only as a water source and refuge, not a permanent settlement."
"Until we discovered mineral veins in this base rock and the nearby rocky shores."
Altaïr and the others understood upon hearing this. The mined ores could be exchanged for food and other daily necessities. Combined with shelter and water sources, this bedrock possessed the essential conditions to become a settlement.
"Wi..."
The Elder's drooping long ears twitched. "From this point onward, our ancestors began settling on this bedrock, starting with just a few people, then growing to over a dozen, and eventually dozens.
Our ancestors worshipped the sun, mined ores, and lived quietly. This small-scale communal life persisted for hundreds, even thousands of years."
"Wi..." An irritating noise was approaching, but the Elder's story had reached a critical juncture, so everyone tried their best to endure it and ignore the disturbance.
"Until two or three hundred years ago, with the inclusion of humans, the development of Sunwheel Village began to accelerate.
It must be said, humans are truly a race brimming with vitality and creativity. The technology of the Wyverians, combined with human imagination, led to a leap in progress across all aspects of Sunwheel Village.
We no longer merely mined ores but developed unique smelting techniques and, with the help of human merchants, established trade routes.
Gradually, the ancient name 'Sunwheel Village' was abandoned, replaced by the more vibrant 'Sun Worship Town.'
The originally religious Sunwheel Emblem also gradually evolved into the current eight-toothed gear pattern."
"Wi...!" The shrill noise grew closer.
Isis, who had been fully engrossed in the story, finally reached her limit. Furious, she unhooked her weapon from her back, swung her arm, and unfolded the Gunlance. "Can I go kill it?"
The Elder hesitated. "Preferably not here in the cavern. Your weapon would blast the Vespoid to pieces, wouldn't it? If the corpse fragments contaminate the water source, we'd have a serious headache."
Isis took a deep breath. "Don't worry, I won't shatter the corpse. Lend me your Long Sword."
With that, she folded the Gunlance and slung it back over her shoulder. Then, taking the Iron Gospel from Altaïr, she stormed off with a furious expression to hunt down that annoying giant mosquito.