Ch.19Ghost-Filled Island (1)

The Valkyrie and I divided our tasks to survive on the island of fishfolk.

The Valkyrie handled hunting and gathering.

I took care of water purification, cooking, and making tools.

Wait.

Somehow it feels like I’m doing more?

But hunting isn’t an easy task, so I let it slide. If I nitpick every little thing, there’d be no end to it. When someone can do something I can’t, I should respect that.

Anyway.

“Let’s divide the work,” the Valkyrie said through the Holy Maiden’s mouth.

“This island, I don’t know it. There might be dangers. Only two people should enter the forest. At minimum, someone needs to make sure no one steals our lifeboat. One person should stay and guard this place.”

“So you two will go together?”

“Yes.”

From the Holy Maiden’s perspective, meeting me for the first time today, it’s a perfectly reasonable decision. Staying close to the Valkyrie would be safest. If I were her, I’d have done the same.

“You need to return before sunset. It seems all the monsters appear at night.”

“I know.”

“And while you’re at it, please bring back food if you find any. With more mouths to feed, our fish reserves won’t last long.”

“I know that too.”

The Holy Maiden waved her hand dismissively.

“May I ask one last favor?”

“What is it?”

“Let me use your stockings.”

“Use? What?”

“Your stockings.”

At that moment, the Holy Maiden’s expression suddenly froze. Her eyes shifted from orange to quickly turning pink.

“W-what are you saying? That? So suddenly!”

“I need to make fish traps and fishing rods, and I need durable fibers. If you’ll allow it, I’ll make as many as possible before you return.”

“…Oh.”

The Holy Maiden’s indignant expression subsided. Separately, her irises were growing increasingly darker. If they were light pink before, now they were deep pink.

This is my first time seeing someone from the Lumina tribe, and those eyes are even more fascinating than I imagined. I wonder if certain neurotransmitters released during specific emotions are connected to their visual cells?

“What about other threads?”

“Nylon works best.”

“What about those leaves over there?”

The Holy Maiden pointed at a palm tree.

“Can’t you use those?”

“I could, but it would take several times longer to make anything. We haven’t exactly reverted to primitive humans, so we should use whatever tools are available. Why do you ask?”

“I-I…”

The Holy Maiden stammered.

“I was going to wear them. The stockings.”

“Is it so hot you’d die?”

“Then don’t look at my legs!”

“I wasn’t looking.”

“It’s uncomfortable even if you’re not directly looking! High-ranking clergy in our order must never show bare skin except for face and hands to anyone but their spouse! Especially someone like me, a Holy Maiden!”

Has this Holy Maiden caught heatstroke? The very idea of wearing stockings in this sweltering weather is absurd.

“Clothes should serve functional purposes. Clinging to regulations in this situation won’t help anyone. When we get back alive, you can wear something better then.”

“Haaa.”

The Holy Maiden sighed deeply. The Valkyrie whispered something beside her. Soon, the Holy Maiden nodded as if in agreement.

“Goddesses of Ascalia, please forgive my irreverence. Though I must break the rules out of necessity, my faith remains steadfast.”

As the Holy Maiden began to pray, the Valkyrie also clasped her hands. Perhaps atoning for showing bare skin to a strange man? That’s kind of funny.

I secretly chanted my own spell while pretending to pray with my Origin Stone in hand.

[“Settle.”]

I should focus on making magic stones.

***

Tiria and Rachel walked through the forest. There wasn’t even a proper path, so they had to cut through the vegetation as they advanced.

“I’ll climb this tree to survey the surroundings.”

Rachel skillfully climbed the tree. Her movements were fluid and unhindered. In just about a minute, she reached the top, quickly looked around, and came back down.

“You’re good at climbing trees?”

“Climbing to high places is part of Valkyrie training. After all, we need to tame and ride dragons that are much larger than humans.”

“I see. How does it look up there?”

“To be honest, not great. Forest in every direction. There’s only one mountain over there that can serve as a landmark.”

“Perfect conditions for getting lost.”

“We’ve cleared a path on our way here, so as long as we don’t stray from it, there shouldn’t be major problems.”

“This place seems quite large. Is it really an island?”

“I confirmed there’s a horizon beyond. So it is an island, just a fairly large one…”

“No signs of civilization, right?”

“No, not so far.”

The absence of civilization was a double-edged sword. Without other variables, Tiria and Rachel would have numerical advantage against that man. However, it confirmed their isolation.

Swish, slash.

Rachel diligently cut through branches to clear a path.

“Isn’t that tiring?”

“I’m just doing what needs to be done.”

“Let me help a little.”

Tiria murmured. Rachel couldn’t hear her words directly, but she could see bright particles swirling around her.

“I’ve blessed you with physical enhancement. How does it feel?”

“My body feels much lighter. Thank you.”

“I just did what needed to be done.”

“Having a Holy Maiden with us is reassuring. At least the risk of dying from injuries or infections is greatly reduced.”

“Divine healing power isn’t omnipotent. The most important thing is to avoid getting hurt in the first place.”

The two women kept checking the sun’s position as they moved. Finding food and water was their top priority, even more than reconnaissance.

But something was strange.

No matter where they looked, there wasn’t even a bird’s chirp, let alone signs of land animals.

In a jungle-like terrain, they should at least see a snake, but there was nothing.

“It feels eerie. As if the forest itself is dead.”

“Still, there are berries and insects. Should we gather these and head back for now?”

“Berries are one thing, but insects? Ugh.”

“It’s just a precaution.”

Rachel was already prepared. Whether eating larvae or maggots—she’d do anything to survive. She had starved for more than half a month. Her stomach was ready to accept anything.

The Holy Maiden wasn’t. As a symbol of her order, always wearing fine clothes and eating good food, everything was unfamiliar to her.

“If we could at least catch some fish…”

“Wait, Commander.”

Rachel, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped. She put her finger to her lips, making a shushing sound.

“Do you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“I think there’s a stream nearby.”

Tiria held her breath and listened carefully. With her slightly pointed ears perked up—though not as pointed as an elf’s—she could indeed hear the gentle babbling of a stream not far away.

“Let’s go.”

The two quickened their pace.

They arrived at a stream with clear freshwater. Through the crystal-clear water, they could see schools of minnows swimming about.

“There are fish.”

“If we can catch them, we won’t have to worry about starving. But they’re so small…”

“Can’t we use the spear we brought?”

“That would be better for sea fishing. These little ones are too small to spear.”

“Let’s go downstream.”

After just wetting their throats, Tiria and Rachel headed downstream.

And they witnessed an amazing sight.

“My goodness.”

“I can’t believe a place like this exists here.”

The two had arrived at a lake. It didn’t seem particularly large, but it was a suitable environment for freshwater fish of decent size.

“The water is clean. No salt either. We could even bathe here.”

Rachel glanced at Tiria.

“Would you like to join me?”

“What? So suddenly?”

“After not washing properly for a month, my body is itching all over. To be honest, I want to jump right in.”

“But this is such an open area…”

“Don’t you need to wash off the seawater too, Commander?”

“Well, yes, but…”

“If this is a deserted island, no one will see us anyway.”

“Alright, fine. Let’s just wash up.”

Rachel quickly removed her clothes. Tiria also carefully folded her outer garments and placed them on a nearby rock. Looking at the neatly arranged uniform made her face flush.

Splash.

“Commander, hurry and come in!”

“Just a moment.”

A body without a stitch of clothing.

Tiria’s mind was already overloaded. The sexual norms she had been taught were crumbling miserably.

Actually, they had already half-collapsed before.

During puberty, Tiria had asked a fellow Holy Maiden how babies were made and received an erotic novel as a gift. She had seen all kinds of audacious descriptions then.

It was obscene. It was filthy. She clearly thought so, yet her hands kept turning the pages.

She thought that was the most shameful and sinful experience of her life.

Today topped it.

Outdoor bathing!

“I’m coming.”

Yes, let’s get this over with quickly.

Taking a deep breath, Tiria stepped into the water.

***

What is life?

Discharged two years ago only for war to break out immediately, forcing me to re-enlist. Working as a Magic Stone Officer until just a month ago, then suddenly participating in a large-scale operation and getting stranded on a deserted island with enemy female soldiers…

And now I’m making fish traps using a Holy Maiden’s stockings and tree branches. If this is life, how many sins must I have committed in my past life?

“Haah.”

It’s hot. It’s humid. The weather is absolutely terrible.

The Valkyrie and Holy Maiden must be suffering too right now. They probably want to wash up as badly as I do, so I can’t just whine about it.

But even so.

Not being able to properly wash for a month is too much.

“I want a bath…”