Ch.27Birds of a Feather (4)

It’s not just soldiers from the Magic Kingdom who lose their lives in war. Innocent young men from the Holy Spirit Kingdom were also suddenly dragged into this unexpected conflict and bled.

Those who died on the Tatangkur Waters were somehow drawn by an unknown force to gather on an island. Their numbers reached at least several thousand.

A place where the aura of death was so strong that even migratory birds wouldn’t land.

This was the birth of what became known as the Ghost Island.

“It’s the Holy Maiden!”

“Ah, the Goddess hasn’t abandoned us.”

“But why in such a desolate place?”

Tiria and the mage encountered souls from the Holy Spirit Kingdom on their way back. Roughly dozens were clustered together in one massive spiritual mass. Having believed in the Holy Spirit religion, they maintained their pure white forms.

“Why haven’t you ascended and instead remain here?”

“We cannot ascend of our own will. An unknown force is binding our souls.”

“We’re too filled with resentment to ascend!”

“I was conscripted while having a family to feed, and now I’m dead. Alas! What will happen to my elderly mother and younger siblings!”

“Please calm yourselves, brothers. The Goddess will take good care of your remaining families.”

As she prayed with her hands clasped together, the souls venting their frustrations became momentarily calm. The divine power Tiria emitted was infinitely warm and comforting to the believers.

“May you all find your way to a better place. May the afterlife be filled with joy and glory.”

Normally, souls from the Holy Spirit Kingdom would ascend after this. However, the spirits bound to this island seemed to be lacking something.

“This is all because of the Magic Kingdom. If only they hadn’t started the war…!”

“Please, Holy Maiden! Bring down the Goddess’s divine punishment upon those mages!”

“Yes, of course I will.”

“But Holy Maiden, who is that man behind you?”

Tiria’s lips sealed.

“That uniform, isn’t that an officer from the Magic Kingdom?”

“Could he be a mage?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The souls stirred. Tiria carefully soothed the soldiers who were demanding to know what was going on, and she explained everything that had happened without omission.

“I ended up stranded here. I’m just temporarily traveling with him to find a safe way off the island.”

“That’s absurd. What kind of mage would help the Holy Maiden?”

“He must certainly have ulterior motives. You must never trust him!”

People only see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear. This remained true even after death. No matter how much Tiria tried to explain about the mage, the souls wouldn’t listen and only grew more indignant.

“If he’s a Magic Stone Officer, isn’t he the one who makes magic stones for drones? I lost my life to the Magic Kingdom’s unmanned aircraft!”

“So he’s a creator of killing machines. How can someone wearing human skin create such cruel weapons?”

“Holy Maiden, I lost my life to magic. I feel so wronged. Even if this island weren’t imprisoning me, I couldn’t ascend due to this injustice.”

“No, brothers. You must ascend. The Goddess is calling for you.”

“Then at least kill that mage right here. This is our request. Even the Holy Maiden must return safely.”

“It will be too late once that man turns on you! Please kill the mage!”

“Holy Maiden! You must think of your sacred body first!”

Tiria had been feeling a sense of déjà vu. She finally understood what it was.

The Magic Kingdom soldiers they met at dawn. Hadn’t they also asked the man to kill her and Rachel to avenge their grudges?

Ah. A small sigh escaped her lips.

“I’m sorry. I cannot kill this man.”

“Holy Maiden! Why not?”

“Survival. It’s for survival. This mage knows how to do things I cannot. Although he’s a military chaplain, he won’t exercise summary execution rights.”

The pistol at her waist felt particularly rigid. She hadn’t shown the gun to the man yet. If she caught him off guard, she could easily kill him.

But what then?

This was an island full of ghosts. Among them were vengeful spirits of Magic Kingdom soldiers. Ironically, only this man could comfort those violent souls. Not herself, the Holy Maiden.

“Holy Maiden, please. You’re making a mistake. All mages are demons who know nothing of faith…”

That’s when the mage stepped forward. He had been quietly observing the situation from behind before taking action.

“The mage is attacking!”

“Everyone protect the Holy Maiden!”

“How can we protect her when we’re already dead!”

“Dodge, Holy Maiden!”

The man’s gaze fixed on each soul from the Holy Spirit Kingdom in turn. His eyes, dark as squeezed ink, were deep and profound, possessing a power that overwhelmed even those already dead. It was the habitus that high-ranking mages typically possessed.

However, contrary to the impression that he might unleash attack magic at any moment, the man clasped his hands together. Then he calmly uttered a sentence in Ascalian.

“May the afterlife be filled with joy and glory.”

His pronunciation was awkward. But it was definitely a prayer. A funeral rite to comfort unjustly deceased souls.

Both Tiria and the souls stopped what they were about to say.

They could only wonder: how?

“What on earth?”

“Why is a mage saying a Holy Spirit prayer?”

“Could he have been a believer?”

“But our church considers all mages enemies. This doesn’t make sense!”

While the confused souls were in disarray and unable to reach a conclusion, the man continued.

“I don’t know who you are.”

“What’s he saying?”

“Anyone understand the Magic Kingdom language?”

“No need to listen. It’s probably just garbage…”

“…I don’t know who you are.”

The ghosts’ attention turned to Tiria. She moved her lips after each sentence the man finished.

“Nevertheless, I know you were innocently sacrificed in this war. Although I may not be in a position to speak for the Magic Kingdom, as an officer belonging to this country, I ask for your forgiveness. Please, rest in peace.”

It was at that moment that the previously outraged souls fell completely silent.

***

The Holy Maiden was having trouble helping the Holy Spirit Kingdom souls ascend. It seemed my presence was becoming a stumbling block for them.

At this rate, we wouldn’t make it to the beach in time. I carefully observed the prayer and posture the Holy Maiden was reciting, then adopted the strategy of imitating her exactly.

The result was quite successful.

“They’re gone.”

The Holy Maiden turned around after finishing the ascension prayer. Her eyes had a sunset-like orange glow.

“You, you know how to speak Ascalian?”

“I just imitated what you were doing. Honestly, I don’t even know what I said.”

“I see.”

The Holy Maiden raised the corners of her mouth. Her eyes had already changed to a blue color. A deep blue. The color representing emotions like sadness or compassion.

“The souls were surprised. They felt sincerity in your prayer. Their resentment was somewhat relieved.”

“That can’t be possible.”

“It must have been. They didn’t ascend when only I prayed, did they? There are times like this. When a sincere apology from an enemy provides more comfort than consolation from an ally.”

I sighed. My mind was complicated.

“I never expected to witness souls ascending with my own eyes.”

“Indeed. I wonder what the reason is. Could this man possibly have been blessed with the Holy Spirit’s vision…? No, that’s too much of a stretch.”

“I think there might be something in that lake.”

It was the only event that could be considered a factor for immediate change. Being dragged underwater by a water ghost while bathing.

By this point, I was becoming suspicious of the mysterious man who had suggested I bathe here.

“Anyway, I’m surprised. To think you would recite a Holy Spirit prayer. Mage, you continue to confuse me.”

“Not mage, but Mage.”

Of course, Mages don’t typically believe in religion either.

The Holy Maiden smiled brightly.

“Perhaps we’re in the same situation.”

“Why state the obvious?”

We’re stranded on a deserted island and forced to cooperate.

In this wilderness, we could only share in each other’s misery.

***

We returned to our shelter as the sunset approached. The campfire had gone out, so the Holy Maiden summoned the Valkyrie and questioned her.

The Valkyrie, who rarely showed emotional changes, was trembling like a reed. It didn’t seem like she was being scolded by a superior.

I approached from behind the Holy Maiden, who was gently reprimanding the Valkyrie.

“You should stop there.”

“Aaah?! D-don’t approach suddenly from behind!”

Strange. I thought I had made enough noise to signal my presence.

Since this morning, I’d been so focused on the Holy Maiden that I’d forgotten the Valkyrie had trauma related to fire. I blinked as I looked down at the extinguished campfire.

Come to think of it, it wasn’t a major issue.

“Fire management is a matter of life and death. I naturally assumed you were handling it well. Sigh, it will take an enormous amount of time to relight it…”

“I’ll relight it.”

“How? With magic?”

“Strictly speaking, yes. I have a magic stone that works as flint.”

“Flint?”

“This.”

“You should have mentioned it earlier!”

I ground mushrooms I had collected from rotten wood earlier into powder and created sparks to transfer. Since eating wild mushrooms is practically suicidal, it’s generally safer to use them as tinder.

After clearing away the ashes, I broke twigs into small pieces and placed them on top.

Carefully blowing air into it while gradually increasing the heat, a warm energy began to rise.

“The wood isn’t completely dry. It’s not very efficient.”

“Still, it’s better than nothing.”

The Holy Maiden and I grilled the fish caught by the Valkyrie along with herbs. The Valkyrie was sharpening wooden spears and fishing rods a short distance away.

“I forgot to mention. I heard that friend lost her home and parents in a fire caused by mages.”

“…Ah, so that’s why she couldn’t manage the fire.”

“She can’t even approach it. She seems to have a particularly severe trauma with blazing or rising flames. Let’s be understanding about today’s incident.”

“I’m curious. How did she fight all this time? The battlefield must have been chaotic with flames rising everywhere. How did she endure it?”

“I suppose her anger was greater than her fear. Thinking about it that way, I feel somewhat sorry for my enemy. Ah, it’s done. This should be fully cooked.”

Two pieces of fish, tree fruits, and vegetables freshly grilled from nature. This was a feast in the wilderness.

I first filled a stone bowl with one portion and stood up.

“Here.”

The Valkyrie turned her head.

“Don’t just work on tools. Eat and regain your strength to do anything.”

“Give to commander first.”

“Her first? No. The person who brought the meat eats first.”

Here, meals aren’t served by rank. The person who brings the meat is king.

Especially fish—if grilled properly, there’s little risk of poisoning or upset stomach, and the fishy smell is easily masked with herbs, making it premium food in this natural environment.

“Take it. My arm’s going to fall off at this rate. Or should I feed you like last time?”

The Valkyrie, who had been hesitant, took the stone bowl. I watched until she brought the grilled fish to her mouth, then turned away.

“Ha, hu, hieek.”

Child, why can’t you wait for it to cool down?

By the time we finished eating, the sun had descended about two-thirds below the horizon. There really wasn’t much time left until sunset.

During this brief leisure time, I began creating a map.

The map was simply drawing on rocks using magic. Using our current location as the zero point, I roughly depicted the paths we had explored.

Once this map was somewhat complete, I planned to gather food and resources to plan our next destination.

Tonight, the Valkyrie and I would take the first watch. The Holy Maiden needed to recharge after using too much divine power since dawn.

I wondered if a Holy Maiden could really run out of divine power, but it turned out to be a matter of physical strength. Using power also drained energy, so she needed sufficient rest.

With nothing particular to do during the watch, I became the Valkyrie’s conversation partner.

“Uh, umm, good night?”

“Yes.”

In truth, our conversation consisted of exchanging just a few words. The Valkyrie’s pronunciation was still so clumsy it was almost cute. From her perspective, I probably sounded similar.

Most of our communication was physical. I would point somewhere and ask what it was, and the Valkyrie would tell me the corresponding word.

“Moon? Sea? Tree? Sand?”

After a few repetitions, we quickly became accustomed to it, allowing for rapid vocabulary acquisition.

“You? Me?”

We also learned personal pronouns.

The slight drawl was a flaw, but it was passable overall. At least it wasn’t incomprehensible.

“You, me. And…”

I could roughly guess what word she wanted to know.

“We.”

“We?”

“Yes, we.”

“We. We. We.”

“Good.”

Perfect pronunciation.

Sighing as we repeated only basic words like babbling, I wondered what we were doing. We weren’t children, after all.

Perhaps I should swallow my pride and ask the Holy Maiden to teach me Ascalian?

Just as I was thinking this.

“Like?”

My thoughts froze.

Damn it. She’s clearly an enemy, a Valkyrie, the nemesis of my comrades.

“Mage, like? What does this mean?”

After a moment’s consideration, I organized my thoughts.

Right, there’s no need to rush. It’s okay to learn slowly.