Ch.133Night on a Deserted Island with an Enemy Female Soldier (1)

The twilight had settled. Complete night had arrived.

Rachel stood before me with a worried expression. She whispered in a small voice.

“Erich, let’s walk together.”

“Where are you going?”

“Just for a moment.”

Hearing that, I got up. Rachel’s eyes looked serious, so I followed her as if bewitched. I could hear the golems shouting behind us, asking where we were going and why we weren’t keeping watch.

Perhaps there was something she needed to discuss with me alone.

Rachel and I walked along the beach. As we walked, various thoughts came to mind. On the first day, we had been in exactly this same situation.

Back then, Rachel had warned me not to walk behind her. She thought I might stab her in the back.

And now that same Valkyrie was naturally allowing me to walk behind her.

Time really has passed.

“Here.”

We arrived at a spot behind some rocks, not far from the base. It was a beautiful place where white sand grains made crunching sounds as they were scraped by the waves.

A few starfish and strands of seaweed washed up by the spray were visible.

The fresh salty smell tickled my nose.

“Here, sit.”

We settled side by side on the sand.

Rachel took off her shoes and placed them beside her. Then she buried her feet in the sand. When she wiggled her toes, the sand grains wriggled as if alive.

What did she want?

I wanted to ask directly, but I waited. Rachel’s lips kept moving slightly. She was choosing her words.

“Erich.”

“Tell me.”

“Over there.”

Rachel, who had called my name with difficulty, pointed beyond the horizon.

The sea, reflecting the moonlight, rippled with shimmering scales. Beyond that stretched the endless ocean. Our homeland must be over there. Along with the stones we left behind.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Yes, it is beautiful.”

If I had a camera, I would have taken a few pictures. What a shame.

“Beyond there is home. And then, Erich… we’ll be separated, won’t we? Far apart.”

“I suppose so.”

“I’m glad we’re escaping. But I’m afraid.”

The trembling in Rachel’s voice gradually worsened. The language I couldn’t understand disappeared, replaced by the emotion of fear.

“If you become a prisoner, there’s nothing I can do. Managing prisoners isn’t my unit’s role. I might not be able to see you until the war ends.”

“Listen, Rachel.”

“What if the higher-ups decide to deal with you in the meantime? What if they confirm your identity and execute you as an example, then…”

“There’s no need to worry so much.”

“Even if by some chance you return to your country, it’s still a problem. Your name is on the Valkyrie’s death list, Erich. If the war doesn’t end, I might receive orders to kill you again!”

“Why are you so upset all of a sudden?”

“What should I do? If that happens, what am I supposed to do? Fight you again? Kill you with my own hands, you who are everything to me?”

Her anxious voice revealed Rachel’s mental state. She was gasping for breath as if in panic.

As her emotional balance broke down, the words she used became simpler. That’s why I could perfectly understand what Rachel said at the end.

“No, I absolutely refuse. What should I do, Erich? I don’t want to leave here…”

Rachel was crying.

My beloved woman was trembling with fear and shedding tears.

What had reduced the once-mighty war hero of the Holy Spirit Kingdom to this state?

The remnants of the Demon King’s army who directly caused the war?

Some of the higher-ups of the Magic Kingdom, including the Seven Swords and the Chancellor?

The cult-like magician group, the Eight Shadows?

While they all contributed to the cause, the one who had inflicted the most recent trauma was someone else.

It was me.

The military magic stones I created had killed countless of Rachel’s comrades.

Some magic stones burned Dragon Riders even underwater after they were shot down, some had homing properties that pursued targets to the end, and some were toxic, causing respiratory distress and cardiac arrest.

What thoughts went through Rachel’s mind as she watched her comrades disappear one by one?

Anger.

Fear.

The emptiness of wondering how long this would continue.

“Erich, I’m scared, so scared…”

I bear much of the blame for this innocent girl experiencing such hardship.

Of course, some might argue that she also inflicted painful memories on me.

Well, what of it?

The pain of someone I love hurts more than any pain I’ve experienced myself.

I embraced the sobbing Rachel.

And with a warm, gentle kiss, I stopped her tears.

“Rachel.”

“…Erich.”

“Don’t even think about the worst-case scenario. Think about the best.”

“The… best?”

“Yes, the best.”

No country continues a war without justification and practical benefit.

“The war broke out because both sides were manipulated by the Demon King’s army and some lunatics. Although our countries have had poor relations before, there’s never been a conflict of this magnitude. Do you know what that means?”

That international society operates more rationally than one might think.

“Once we show them there’s no reason to fight, the conflict will end quickly. Instead, the two countries will join forces to investigate this island, and then the truth will be revealed to some extent.”

When the truth comes to light, the end of the war approaches.

The Holy Spirit Kingdom and the Magic Kingdom will no longer be enemy states, and once all the aftermath is settled, the relationship will recover in no time.

“Even if one of us becomes a prisoner, it’s not a big problem. If you’re captured by the Magic Kingdom, Adora and I will do our best to ensure you’re treated well. Conversely, if we’re captured by the Holy Spirit Kingdom, you can help us.”

Rachel and I are considered war heroes in our respective countries. Adora is both a general herself and the daughter of an air force general with established power, and Tiria is a Saint, one of the highest positions in the Holy Spirit Order. Riyo is, well, Riyo.

Anyway, there shouldn’t be any major problems.

“Don’t be afraid of a future that hasn’t even arrived. You’re my wife, Rachel Lohnstein.”

“Lohnstein, Lohnstein…”

Rachel, who had been repeating my surname like a parrot, nodded. She nestled against me as if burying herself.

Rachel’s breathing was gradually improving.

We regained peace while listening to each other’s heartbeats. Not knowing how much time had passed, we continued to hold each other.

“Erich.”

Rachel called my name once more and raised her head.

“I, I have a good idea.”

“What kind of idea?”

“Th-that…”

Even the way she mumbled with her lips was cute. However, the action that followed was far from innocent.

Rachel muttered in a trembling voice.

“To make sure I never have to fight you… uh, that’s it. Discharge, yes, I need to be discharged from service…”

While gently rubbing her lower abdomen.

“Please, Erich. Make me… get discharged.”

What desire was contained in my lover’s expression as she looked up at me with a red flush and breathless sighs?

Even the most insensitive fool couldn’t fail to notice it.

***

[‘Emergency! Everyone wake up!’]

[‘Where on earth did those two go! Aaaah!’]

David and Johannes were screaming like fish on a cutting board. Meanwhile, Daisy and Olivia were struggling to calm these two stones down.

[‘Be quiet! Don’t you two have any sense?’]

[‘If we wait, they’ll come back on their own.’]

Despite the stones’ continued chatter, no one was waking up. Especially Miyo and Adora. Even though Salvira could be excused as she was resting far away, these two could hear the incantations yet were sound asleep.

[‘Hehehe, good. Everything’s going smoothly!’]

[‘Rachel, hurry and launch your pregnancy attack on that idiot.’]

Just as Daisy and Olivia were predicting their friend’s victory…

“Ugh, my head…”

Tiria woke up.

[‘Eek.’]

The four stones froze.

Tiria had slept poorly. She was sensitive to her environment. Even slight changes in her sleeping place would make her toss and turn and wake up frequently.

“Water…”

Tiria grabbed a nearby canteen, took a drink, and her eyes widened.

This smell from the canteen’s mouth.

“Erich? Ah!”

It was a Magic Kingdom canteen. She had accidentally drunk from Erich’s.

“Ah, heh, hehehe…”

Tiria chuckled. Her eye color changed from orange to pink, and finally back to yellow.

Is this what they call an indirect kiss?

The excitement chased away her sleepiness. Tiria got up to look around, hoping to have a brief conversation with Erich.

“Erich, are you keeping watch well?”

But there was no answer.

“Erich?”

Tiria held up a light stone and illuminated the surroundings. Front, back, both sides—Erich was nowhere to be seen.

Something was wrong.

“He’s not the type to disappear without saying anything.”

Her heart sank at his sudden disappearance. Could a monster that had been hiding secretly taken him? Or was he swallowed by a wave? Surely the Goddess hadn’t taken him?

While looking around with all sorts of thoughts running through her mind, Tiria noticed one more thing.

“Major?”

Rachel was gone too.

“No, it can’t be.”

Did they go somewhere together?

Finding them was important. They were likely together. Tiria remembered that she could sense Erich’s magical traces. If she followed those traces, she could find out where he was.

It didn’t take long.

Just a few dozen yards away.

Right over there, behind a large rock, she could sense Erich’s presence.

“You can’t escape from me, Erich.”

Tiria smirked as she moved forward.

The monsters were gone, and the island was safe. Right now, Tiria’s mind was filled with thoughts of Rachel and Erich possibly engaging in some mischief over there.

Tiria’s face turned bright red.

No, that couldn’t be. Unlike the fox sisters and Adora, Rachel wasn’t the type to openly seduce Erich. That girl was strong and decisive but lacked boldness. She had even taken a long time to realize her own feelings.

“Sigh.”

This was all because she had read too many adult novels. Having learned about relationships between men and women only through books, this was the result.

Above all, Erich had been mindful of Tiria lately. She had sternly warned him to stop fooling around and become more virtuous. After such a conversation, he wouldn’t make the first move on Rachel.

Shaking her head, Tiria approached the back of the rock. She peeked around to see what was beyond.

“…Ah.”

In a small space surrounded by several rocks, a man and woman were rolling around completely naked on the sandy floor.

Tiria’s eyes took on a pale hue.