Ch.102How to Save an Enemy (1)

The Valkyrie’s condition was extremely serious beyond words.

The holy woman sighed after struggling for a long time.

“I’ve cured the curse. But there’s a strange substance remaining throughout her body. I don’t know how to break these things down.”

“I’ll take a look.”

Upon examination, I could see something round like seeds spreading in the Valkyrie’s stomach. I couldn’t sense any magical power. It had been physically injected.

“It’s difficult to treat with holy power. We need more precise surgical tools.”

“So surgical intervention is needed.”

Director Adora muttered.

“It’s similar to the curse that affected me, yet somewhat different. This is terrible in its own way. What kind of magic is this even supposed to be…”

At the point where the holy woman couldn’t help, there was nothing we could do. The holy woman wasn’t a specialized surgeon to begin with. If anything, she was closer to a priest and pharmacist.

I bit my lip.

Is there really no way?

“Erich, let’s eat something first and then think about it. We’re all hungry.”

“I have no appetite right now.”

“I know you’re worried about Major Rachel. But we need to eat to survive.”

I lit a fire with a magic stone, and the engineers fetched water from the stream. While the director prepared the ingredients, the holy woman boiled a soup.

“It’s been almost half a year since we were stranded. The rainy season will return soon.”

Soon it would rain whenever there was a break in the weather. We needed to focus on maintaining the ceiling in preparation for that time. If possible, we should also make raincoats.

Of course, that wasn’t possible right now.

I expanded my mana to examine every corner of the Valkyrie’s body. I could tell that the seeds in her stomach had started to sprout.

When I reported this to the holy woman, her expression darkened dramatically.

“Could it be a parasitic magic?”

Parasitic magic.

Also known as symbiotic magic.

It sounds unethical just from the name. Because of this, it’s designated as a forbidden spell in the Magic Kingdom. Being forbidden means it’s that dangerous and difficult to use.

“I’ll try to stop the germination with mana.”

After investing several hours, it wasn’t working well. It was growing by stealing nutrients from the Valkyrie. The result was only that my magical power was being drained.

“Ha.”

This isn’t working.

I can’t lose you like this.

“Major, it’s already night. That’s enough for today, go to sleep.”

“Just a little longer…”

“That’s an order.”

The director spoke in a firm tone.

“If you keep holding onto something that’s not working and ruin your body too, then it’s really over. You need to know when to compromise.”

“Shouldn’t I try as much as I can?”

“I’m telling you this because you seem to have reached your limit.”

“I’m still fine.”

“Haa, really… Senior!”

At the director’s sudden change in address, I doubted my ears.

“Just for now, I’m speaking privately as a fellow alumnus of Larron Academy. Do you know what your face looks like? You’re as gaunt as a terminally ill patient! To my eyes, you look like you’ll die before this woman!”

“Director?”

“You just said it right. I’m the director. A general. As a general, I’ll do everything I can for you as my senior. If you don’t sleep, I won’t hesitate to pull rank on you. Now just lie down!”

After firing off words like a machine gun, the director caught her breath. The holy woman and the fox sisters, who hadn’t fallen asleep yet, stared at us with blank expressions.

After a moment of silence.

“…I won’t say it a third time. Lights out.”

The director concluded with her usual tone.

I reflexively lay down.

Nevertheless, I couldn’t leave the Valkyrie’s side as she was afflicted with this strange parasitic magic, so I pretended to sleep while keeping watch over her.

I’m tired.

But I can’t sleep.

It seems like severe insomnia has come upon me.

How much time had passed like that?

Rustle, rustle.

An alien sound was heard.

“…Haa.”

At the sound of Director Adora drawing her sword with a swish, the hair all over my body stood on end.

Probably a night attack.

The director didn’t wake any of us, including me. Despite being tired from being awake since daylight, she was going to fight.

Her concern for others is admirable, but fighting alone could be dangerous, especially in her condition.

I secretly placed my hand on the hip pouch at my bedside. Just as I was about to take out a magic stone, the bonfire suddenly went out, plunging us into complete darkness.

Whoosh.

A chilling wind blew.

Simultaneously, I felt an overwhelmingly evil mana. Several levels stronger than that old hag monster. A true monster had entered our base.

The director could lose.

Having reached that conclusion, I gritted my teeth and raised my upper body. The holy woman and Riyo, who had been sleeping soundly beside me, also stirred and came to their senses.

“What is this now?”

“I have a bad feeling…”

The two, being believers of the Holy Spirit religion, reacted more sensitively to this powerful mana.

I took out a makeshift luminous stone and shone it.

And then, I faced it.

A monster with a human upper body and spider lower body.

By the time I realized this, my mouth and limbs were already restrained. White threads bound my body. The holy woman and Riyo were in the same situation.

“Mmph!”

The red eyes of the spider monster gleamed in the light of the luminous stone. She manipulated the threads with a flick of her hand. Director Adora, whose mouth and arms were also bound, was helplessly dragged over.

“Mmph, mmph!”

[“Shh.”]

The spider woman put her index finger to her lips and whispered softly.

[“Lower your voice. Don’t show even the slightest resistance.”]

Only I.

Among all those who were bound, only I stopped moving upon hearing those words. I was facing the spider woman’s eyes directly. I couldn’t sense even a hint of hostility in her eyes.

[“You know you don’t have the strength to fight right now, don’t you?”]

I nodded. It’s frustrating, but it’s true.

[“Mage, I’ll free you first, so immediately extinguish the light. If you want to leave this island alive, you’d better listen to me.”]

Many thoughts crossed my mind.

After quickly thinking it through, I concluded that we couldn’t fight this monster right now, and also that she was harmless.

As soon as my hands were freed, I followed the monster’s instructions and concealed the light of the magic stone.

[“Good.”]

Then the threads around my mouth gradually loosened. I could finally breathe.

I didn’t say anything.

As I maintained silence, I heard a satisfied laugh.

[“You seem like someone I can talk to. I’ll watch the others a bit longer before freeing them, so wait.”]

Even after my eyes adjusted to the darkness, it was still dark around me. Unfortunately, it was a new moon, so there was no moonlight. I couldn’t see the spider woman, but she could see me.

[“You must have been very surprised to be attacked while sitting still. You can speak now.”]

[“Who are you?”]

[“…Formal speech?”]

The monster was surprised by my question.

[“Why are you being so formal?”]

[“We’ve just met, haven’t we?”]

[“Aren’t you being subservient because your lives are in my hands right now?”]

[“You’re being formal, so I’m just responding with appropriate courtesy.”]

[“Ahaha, you have spirit. A human who uses formal speech to a monster who attacked them at first meeting. In all my long years, I’ve only seen this once before.”]

The woman brought her face close. Pale skin, black hair, and red vertical pupils. In the darkness, it looked like just a head floating in the air.

It gives me chills.

Barely maintaining my composure, I introduced myself.

[“I’m Erich Lohnstein.”]

[“Lohnstein… I’ve heard that somewhere before. It has a nice ring to it.”]

[“It’s a common surname. May I ask your name?”]

[“Salvira.”]

The monster who introduced herself as Salvira tapped my forehead with her finger.

[“You’re an interesting human. They say humans who see me instinctively feel hostility or disgust, but I don’t see any sign of that in you.”]

[“Even so, how could I judge someone just by their appearance?”]

[“Do you think I look hideous?”]

[“That’s not it.”]

[“Then?”]

[“I was surprised at first, but that’s because I wasn’t familiar with you. I’m much better now than before. You have a charm different from humans.”]

[“Looking at how you talk, you’re going to make many women cry.”]

Kuk-kuk-kuk, Salvira let out an eerie laugh.

[“Well, are you a bit more relaxed now?”]

[“Yes.”]

[“Then let’s end the small talk here…”]

Now comes the main point.

[“From what I can see, you seem to have noticed a lot already, but since time is short, I’ll only tell you the main point. The reason I attacked you at night, when others couldn’t see, was to avoid the eyes of other monsters.”]

[“Are you saying you want to help us?”]

[“That depends on what you do from now on.”]

The next moment, something was placed in my hand. A rough feeling. It was paper.

[“There are many watching eyes here, so I can’t talk for long. I’ve given you a map, so if you trust me, come to the marked place in four days. It’s in our legion’s territory, so enter while fighting moderately with my children.”]

After saying that, the spider woman pulled her head back.

Rustle, rustle.

The sound of footsteps faded away, and soon her presence disappeared like a mirage.

I waited a bit before turning on the luminous stone. The director, the holy woman, and the fox sisters were still bound.

I understand what this means.

The spider monster tested us for some reason. And I was the only one who passed that test.

If I had offended the spider’s sensibilities even slightly, we might all have died here.

I cut my companions’ threads one by one with a knife. All three seemed to have a lot to say. I made them take deep breaths first, then lit the bonfire and had them sit around it.

“What was that monster?”

“How would I know?”

“It didn’t seem like it wanted to fight… but it was so scary. Hiing.”

We couldn’t easily calm down. Not only had we been ambushed by a powerful monster, but another variable had also emerged.

Riyo, who had been breathing heavily, exclaimed in shock.

“Major Rachel is gone!”

That spider woman took the Valkyrie.