Ch.126A Very Brief Settlement (1)

# We began the cleanup.

We buried the dead and erected a memorial stone. With the golems and spiders helping, it didn’t take long. After burying those who needed to be laid to rest, we offered prayers under Tiria’s guidance.

“May you spread goodness, if there is a next life…”

We washed ourselves with groundwater near the altar before leaving the crystal cave.

It was night.

A deep night that had passed midnight.

“Wow…”

The brilliantly risen full moon was piercingly beautiful.

“Is it all over now?”

“We just need to go home! I’ll have to work hard on building a boat.”

“Let’s sleep first and think about it when we wake up.”

Everyone was exhausted. If we could lie down right here, we would.

[“Follow me.”]

[“Beep beep!”]

Thanks to Salvira’s good night vision, we were able to safely return to our quarters.

As soon as we entered the barracks, the female soldiers stripped off their outer clothes and lay down on the beds without hesitation.

“Erich, you worked hard. Come lie down with us.”

“Are you suggesting we share a bed?”

“We used to do this before, didn’t we?”

Tiria laughed softly as she said this, but then froze with an “Ah” at my sharp gaze. Her pupils gradually turned cherry blossom pink. The other three women were glaring at Tiria. My lips went dry at the sight.

“You’ll have to choose one of us, senior.”

That’s right.

Now that most threats had been eliminated, it was time for me to give them an answer.

Who I had feelings for, and what kind of relationship we actually had after going through all these hardships together.

The inevitable moment had finally arrived.

“Pfft.”

Riyo laughed.

“Today is a truce, a truce. We all nearly died, so how could we bicker? Erich is having a hard time. Hey, over here. This way. Come lie down here.”

At Riyo’s gesture, I moved like someone bewitched by a fox.

As I carefully lay down on the bed, the four female soldiers wrapped around me like a Venus flytrap. None of them were wearing makeup, but the scent of powder was overwhelming. It was the first time I felt so nervous around women I saw every day.

“I’ll sing you a lullaby, Erich.”

Riyo, who was clinging to me most aggressively, whispered as she wrapped her tail around my waist.

“Hush, hush, my baby.”

The soft fur of her tail and the savory scent made my head spin. With her gentle voice added to the mix, I felt dazed as if falling under hypnosis.

Wait, something’s not right.

Isn’t her tail touching a rather sensitive spot right now?

“Ma’am, I think Erich might be uncomfortable with your tail there…”

“Wh-what are you doing in front of everyone?”

While Rachel and Tiria stammered, Adora peeked her head out. Her cheeks were puffed up as she looked down at me.

“Mmph.”

“What?”

“Mmhmph.”

“I can’t quite understand…”

The ambush happened in the next moment. Adora’s lips covered mine like a tent.

A strange moan and hot breath touched me. I could see water flowing down her slender jawline, then along her neck and into her cleavage. And then.

Tiria let out a shriek.

“What are you doing now?!”

“…Puhuu, I’m just replenishing magic power.”

“What magic power replenishment! You just had water in your mouth!”

“Lower your voice, holy maiden. We all nearly died, do we have to fight even in bed?”

“You’re the one causing trouble! Get away from Erich! You’re making him uncomfortable!”

Tiria and Adora squabbled. If it had stopped there, I could have ignored it, but I kept feeling soft sensations. Something heavy and voluptuous—it was exactly what I thought it was.

Damn it. The stimulation was too strong. There’s a physiological limit to how much one can endure.

“Ah, it’s getting hard.”

“Huh? Kyaaaah!”

I decided to stop thinking.

***

I’m tired. It seems I didn’t sleep much before waking up. But I don’t feel like lying down again.

I had a nightmare.

A simple dream of being chased by monsters and falling off a cliff. I’ve had it often since being stranded on the uninhabited island. With all the bad experiences while awake, I rarely have good dreams.

“Uuugh.”

And it seems Rachel was having the same problem.

“Erich, Erich…”

“…”

Did she just call my name?

I approached the restless Rachel and firmly held her hand.

Even though these were hands that had killed comrades, I felt no aversion. That’s how important this woman had become to me.

“Haa, haa.”

She looked pitiful, gasping as if having a nightmare. I stroked her head and back as I occasionally did back on the island.

Her once silky hair had become dry and brittle. Her clothes were torn beyond repair. Yet she was beautiful. No, she was even more beautiful because of it. This appearance contained all our shared memories, melted in like snow.

“Erich, don’t go. Don’t go…”

Lost in these thoughts, my body was suddenly pulled close.

“Huu, huu.”

Rachel rubbed her face against my hand. It hurt. She had gripped me so tightly I couldn’t escape. I couldn’t move either way. Rachel’s labored breathing was gradually stabilizing.

Come to think of it, Salvira had mentioned that Rachel’s mental state seemed most precarious. This girl had apparently tried to take her own life the moment I was on the brink of death.

Also, she had offered all her blood to keep me from dying.

“Don’t leave me alone…”

Noticing moisture gathering at Rachel’s eyes, I gently wiped it away with my sleeve.

After staying with her a bit longer, Rachel’s hand slowly released me. Her nightmare had ended.

It was still dawn, and everyone else was asleep.

I got up from bed and left the barracks wearing just my shirt.

[‘Wow, is that true?’]

[‘It’s all true. It was a bit difficult at the time, but I worked hard and… Oh, oh, ohhhh!’]

David, who had been talking with Daisy, saw me and fell over.

[‘My goodness, senior. Why are you up so early?’]

“Oh, I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d take a short walk.”

[‘Did the deed go well?’]

“The deed?”

[‘Senior Kalon told us. He said Senior Erich was making babies in the barracks. He told us to stand guard and not to enter even if we heard strange noises…’]

I frowned.

“Where is that guy?”

[‘He’s in the barracks on the opposite side with Olivia. Ah, but he said not to come because they have something important to focus on. Huh? Senior? I warned you! Please proceed with caution?’]

I walked around the large tent to the bushes on the opposite side. I kept my breath quiet and my footsteps light and silent.

I could hear voices.

It was Senior Kalon’s.

[‘…So, I’d like to have a serious talk with you.’]

[‘Does that mean you’re interested in me?’]

[‘Is that not acceptable?’]

[‘Hmm, I wonder?’]

The female golem circled around the bulky golem.

[‘I was very confused about becoming stone after I died. Honestly, I still am. I don’t know what to do with this body even if we leave the uninhabited island. And then to hear such things…’]

[‘I feel the same way. I understand the feeling of uncertainty. Perhaps I want to rely on someone in a similar situation.’]

[‘I think it might be fine to just achieve enlightenment.’]

[‘We both died too young. There’s no need to rush.’]

The female golem, Olivia, twisted her body and whispered.

[‘I’ll talk to you again after I sort out my thoughts. Is that okay?’]

[‘I’ll be waiting whenever you’re ready.’]

The conversation between the two golems ended as Olivia scurried away.

Kalon scratched his head and sighed repeatedly. I stood up from my crouched position and approached him.

“Senior.”

[‘Ack! You startled me! How long have you been there?’]

“I just arrived.”

[‘R-really?’]

I barely managed to hold back a sigh. I wondered what these golems were up to.

Feeling it would be impolite to mention it, I brought up something else.

“Did you tell everyone not to enter the barracks because I was ‘doing the deed’?”

[‘I did. How was it? Did you finish your night’s work well? Huh? Hey, wait. What are you doing?’]

I removed the magic stone from the golem’s head and kneaded it roughly. After a while, I put it back into the body.

[‘Ugh, tuh-tuh…’]

“Stop spreading false rumors. I’m letting you off easy because you’re my senior.”

[‘Tuh, tuh-tuh-tuh-tuh.’]

“By the way, have you seen Master?”

[‘…Tuh?’]

“I mean Salvira. The spider woman.”

[‘Tuh! Tuh-tuh-tuh-tuh!’]

“Speak like a human.”

[‘If you mean the spider woman, she went that way earlier.’]

Kalon pointed to a place where large cocoons were lined up.

[‘She said she was organizing things and told us not to come.’]

“Organizing? Doesn’t that sound suspicious?”

[‘What does?’]

“Senior, let me ask you one thing. How did I survive?”

[‘What do you mean how? By binding your soul with a forbidden spell, forcibly keeping your life in this world instead of letting it go to heaven…’]

“Then, what about the lifespan?”

[‘Lifespan?’]

“Isn’t the basic principle of magic the law of conservation?”

In other words, the law of equivalent exchange.

“Since I saved the Holy Spirit Kingdom’s female soldiers alone, to save me in return, three Holy Spirit Kingdom female soldiers would have to offer their lifespans as payment. Even considering Director Adora’s presence, they must have lost a significant amount of lifespan.”

[‘That’s not what happened.’]

“Then who paid the price for my life?”

[‘Hmm.’]

Kalon didn’t answer. I couldn’t tell if he didn’t know or was pretending not to know… The problem is that I can’t read his expression because he’s a golem.

“I’ll go see Salvira for a moment.”

***

Salvira was among the bushes. She was looking up at the night sky, muttering something. It was obvious what she was trying to do, so I made my presence known without delay.

[“Who’s there?”]

[“It’s me, Master.”]

[“…You’re up already?”]

Salvira didn’t look well. She seemed flustered, like someone caught trying to hide something.

[“Why have you come here?”]

[“I came out to thank you separately.”]

I bowed my head.

[“I heard you helped me and the female soldiers perform the Soul-Binding. Thanks to you, I survived when I was about to die. Thank you.”]

[“It’s nothing, I only did what I should as your master. It wasn’t a big deal, so don’t feel burdened.”]

[“No, you saved me by sacrificing your lifespan with a sacrificial spell, so I should rightfully feel burdened.”]

I probed directly. It seemed to hit the mark. Salvira’s rigid expression soon relaxed as if in resignation. She rubbed her eyes firmly and turned around, her eight legs fidgeting.

[“…You knew.”]

[“Yes.”]

[“Still, don’t feel burdened. High-level magical beings like me can easily live for 1,000 years. Life is precious whether you live a day more or less. A few decades is just a fleeting moment.”]

[“Did you pay the price?”]

[“I was about to do it now.”]

[“Why wasn’t it exchanged immediately?”]

[“Even I don’t quite…”]

[“Is it because the price of my life is different from others?”]

Salvira fell silent at my words. As I thought.

[“Master.”]

[“…This demon seems more cautious than it appears. It would be good to just take this life as is, but perhaps because the price of your life is so valuable, it seems to be contemplating. Now that it has even obtained a deferment, at this rate, I might have to pay with interest.”]

[“Then, Master…”]

[“Actually, I’m not afraid of dying. Perhaps I might lose something even more precious than life.”]

Salvira looked back. She gazed at me with empty eyes, as if she had let go of everything, and spoke softly.

[“My disciple, you seem to have many questions.”]

[“Why did you go this far for me?”]

[“So that was what puzzled you most.”]

I nodded.

And at Salvira’s following answer, I could only close my mouth.

[“Because you are the descendant of the man I loved.”]