Ch.2Shipwreck (1)

I moved as far away from the battleship as possible.

My entire body shook violently. The wind and rain made it impossible to keep my eyes open. Each time a tidal wave surged and fell, the salty smell penetrated deep into my lungs. Clinging to the rope was all I could do.

I wish this situation would end quickly. When will this war ever end? I want to go home. Damn those Holy Spirit Kingdom bastards. Why do I have to go through this?

All kinds of random thoughts flashed through my mind like a kaleidoscope. Then I must have passed out from exhaustion.

“…”

When I closed my eyes and opened them again, the scenery had changed.

The rain had stopped. The waves that had been thrashing like an angry dragon had subsided. Only the occasional squawking of seagulls could be heard.

How much time had passed?

I lay in the lifeboat like a corpse, then got up and looked around.

Behind me was the sea, and in front was a pebble beach. Land. My lifeboat was straddling the boundary between land and sea.

“What the…”

Where am I?

It seems too large to be just a reef. Not a continent, but perhaps an island.

I’m not sure. There’s too little information to go on.

One thing was certain.

I had been shipwrecked.

There was no sign of the many warships or the enemy Dragon Riders. From the circumstances, it seems I was swept away by the current and drifted here alone…

If that’s the case, the situation wasn’t good.

How do I get back?

To return to my unit, it would be advantageous to meet people. Whether allies, natives, or citizens of a neutral country. Anyone would do. As long as they weren’t Valkyries.

I pulled the lifeboat as I stepped onto the shore.

And as sensation returned to my body, I suddenly began to shiver.

“Tsk.”

I’d been in the rain for too long.

I knew instinctively that if I stayed like this, I would develop hypothermia.

I measured the sky with my palm. The sun would set within two or three hours at the latest. I needed to solve the shelter problem before then.

Adventuring in an unknown place at night would be suicidal. Though reluctant, I would have to sleep outdoors.

For that, I needed to make a fire first.

I checked what I had.

The rope and vinyl attached to the lifeboat, my soaked uniform, a carbon steel knife, and one White Phosphorus Stone in my hip pouch. That was all.

I could start a fire directly with the White Phosphorus Stone, but that wouldn’t be a good idea. For three reasons: First, white phosphorus releases toxic gas when burned. Second, my mana is barely enough to infuse into a high-grade magic stone after the fierce battle. Third, I should save it for when I really need it to prepare for unknown threats.

With the carbon steel knife, I could create a spark if I found a suitably hard stone and dry grass to use as tinder.

Having made my decision, I walked around the pebble beach looking for a flint-like rock.

While doing so, I heard an eerie sound from the shore.

Splash.

“…?”

I turned my head but saw nothing.

Was it just a wave?

I stared intently in the direction of the sound, but there was nothing unusual. Just an ordinary shoreline.

Though it felt unsettling, I decided I must have misheard.

“Oh.”

For some reason, the quality of the stones was good. Some even contained traces of magical energy.

“This is unusual.”

My interest was piqued. But closer observation would have to wait for another time. The sun was beginning to set.

I finished my work and left the pebble beach.

“Wow.”

A star-shaped stone.

I should take this home. Though I’m not sure if I’ll be able to return.

“Phew.”

Following the gentle slope of the terrace, I came upon vegetation.

Except for one large rock, the area was wide open. A position where I could detect and prepare for any wild animals that might appear.

I leaned the lifeboat against a nearby rock. Then I picked some suitably broad leaves and laid them on the ground. This would complete my sleeping place. It should provide some protection from rain, if not wind.

Now all that remained was fire.

I broke off some nearby pampas grass and ground it into powder. I bundled together well-dried grasses. I arranged some stones to create a place for the bonfire and placed the tinder separately on a flat stone.

Finally, I recited an Incantation.

[“Earth, grow new flesh.”]

Woong.

Crystals grew from the rock I was holding. Mana circulated. Impurities were removed, leaving only the parts suitable for use as flint, concentrated.

A stone with a pale silver color was created.

Sparking Stone.

It’s one of the magic stones that is a primary mana receptor of quartz. It’s known to show high reactivity when in contact with transition metals, especially iron.

I struck the Sparking Stone with the back of my carbon steel knife.

Clang!

Sparks flew.

One collision was enough to transfer fire to the powdered plants. Thanks to the performance of the Sparking Stone.

I transferred the burst spark to the tinder. Soon, flames began to breathe as they consumed the dry grass.

Done. The bonfire was complete.

Finally, I could take a break. I took off my upper garments and dried my body and uniform. The warm heat warmed my body temperature, and the crackling sound calmed my mind.

I watched the setting sun in the west and fell into thought.

“Sigh.”

What should I do now?

The faces of my seniors, peers, and juniors flashed before me.

Especially the juniors. I bear some responsibility for their deaths. Because I was their superior.

What happened to Admiral Dietz? I don’t know. I don’t even know the outcome of the battle. Everything seemed hopeless.

Nevertheless.

There was hope to survive.

I calmed my mind and body while enjoying the sunset sea. Rest is the best option for now. I should sleep tonight and think again tomorrow. And before sleeping, I should replenish some mana through meditation…

But wait.

“…What is that?”

I saw something below the horizon.

It was black in color and round in shape. It was repeatedly surfacing and submerging. It was different from a buoy.

Could it be a person?

If so, I should go check. My current goal was to meet anyone. Seeing it in the sea, they might need help.

Just as I was about to get up.

I sensed a presence behind me.

I turned around.

Footsteps, a faint vibration. Another being was approaching from the twilight. I picked up a few stones and held them in my hand.

Soon, a woman appeared.

A beauty with hair as black as ebony and eyes as yellow as a wheat field at harvest time.

Her gaze was hollow, and her clothes were torn in places. Water droplets dripped from her hair that reached down to her waist. She was soaked. The woman was using a branch as tall as herself as a walking stick.

She looked every bit like a castaway.

However, the first emotion I felt upon seeing her was not sympathy or compassion.

Anger.

An indescribable anger rose up my throat.

“Excuse me, perhaps…”

The woman, who was about to say something, narrowed her brow after making eye contact with me.

Harsh words crossed my lips. At the same time, the woman also changed her tone and growled lowly.

We looked at each other and spoke simultaneously.

“You damn bitch.”

“Ha, you damn bastard.”

Yes. She was a Dragon Rider from the Holy Spirit Kingdom. A Valkyrie from the White Lotus Battalion. I could tell from her Holy Spirit Kingdom uniform and the lotus decoration on her chest.

From the overall atmosphere, there was no doubt she was the same woman who had fought me last. The one who killed my comrades and tried to kill me too.

Strange. She should have fallen into the sea.

How did she survive? And how did she get here?

No, it doesn’t matter.

This is the worst.

Of all people, it had to be a Valkyrie. A crazy group that specifically targets Mages.

This Valkyrie seemed to be in the same situation as me, but she showed no hesitation. She glared at me with an even sharper gaze.

“Lord, thank you. For allowing me to avenge my comrades before I die.”

Her eyes were as empty as a dead fish and as rotten as spoiled milk.

I remember seeing similar eyes in soldiers before.

Those were the eyes of someone with nothing left to lose.

The ominous feeling was not wrong. The woman gripped her spear. She lowered her waist slightly and charged like a cutting wind.

Crack!

She’s fast. The distance closed in an instant.

A faint glow enveloped the crude wooden spear she was holding. She had wrapped it in holy power. The power of the holy spirit is fatal to mages. I hurriedly widened the gap.

Whoosh!

I barely dodged it.

The Valkyrie clicked her tongue.

Judging by her appearance, she looked like she needed rest immediately, but her movements were surprisingly quick. As expected of a special forces unit.

In fact, I might be in worse condition. Both my physical strength and mana were about to run out.

If I fight, I’ll lose.

But to survive, I must fight.

Enduring this contradiction is what it means to be a soldier.

I picked up a stone and recited a fake spell.

“Rum huktun, magnahun.”

“…!”

I didn’t give her time to react. I immediately threw the stone. While she was dodging, I grabbed my hip pouch from the ground. I took out the White Phosphorus Stone.

[“Sea, breathe. As you leave my embrace, sing of flames and spit out lamentations.”]

Whoosh!

The magic stone responds to the Incantation.

“Tsk.”

A bitter taste filled my mouth. A sign of mana depletion. Saying two sentences at once, and rapidly at that, made my insides feel like they were burning.

The woman’s eyes widened. It was an expression of dismay.

“You cunning bastard…!”

“Yes, you took the bait. You know what happens if you come closer?”

I had just used up almost all the mana inherent in my body with that spell. I couldn’t push any further.

No, I could, but then I would be consuming my life force instead of mana.

I had only one chance.

I needed to finish this decisively with the White Phosphorus Stone in my hand.

The Valkyrie became more cautious than before. Yet she didn’t give up. She prowled around in an arc, seemingly looking for an opening.

I gradually retreated.

I circled around the rock where I had leaned the lifeboat. Having confirmed the woman’s good reflexes when I threw an ordinary stone earlier, I needed to aim for her blind spot. Yes, I should attack the moment she turns the corner.

Splash, splash.

The sound of footsteps came from the other side as well. The Valkyrie seemed to have the same idea. From now on, it was a battle of wits.

Splash.

The sound grew closer. My heart pounded. I held my breath and raised my heels.

I slowly reduced my speed. Then I moved in the opposite direction from where I had been moving earlier, looking for an opportunity.

Just as the tension was building.

Whack!

The sound of something being struck carried through the air.

Thud!

Following that, the Valkyrie flew out in the direction of our potential meeting point.

I was about to throw the magic stone thinking she was attacking, but seeing her thrown to the ground, I quickly withdrew my hand.

“Ugh, grr.”

The Valkyrie was clutching her left side with her eyes tightly shut, as if she had been hit by something. She was completely defenseless.

Right after, something emerged from behind the rock.

It wasn’t a human holding a wide iron club.

“What, what is…”

A being covered in teal scales.

Its face looked like a mix between a lizard and a fish, and its back was hunched. Its arms were unusually long compared to its legs, with membrane-like webbing attached to each finger joint.

Neither human nor fish, what on earth was it?

A wooden spear was stuck in the creature’s abdomen. It was the one the Valkyrie had been holding until just now. I roughly understood what had happened.

“Grrrk.”

The strange creature pulled out the spear. Purple blood flowed out in waves.

Its horizontally slit pupils glanced at me.

Then splash, splash. It began to approach slowly, making footsteps. With an iron rod in its right hand and a wooden spear in its left. The sight was incredibly bizarre.

I reflexively threw the White Phosphorus Stone.