Ch.30The Ghoul’s Altar (3)

A new morning dawned.

The first thing I did upon waking was to carve another mark on the rock.

It’s been exactly 30 days since I arrived on this island. Including the time spent on the previous island, it’s been a little over two months.

Honestly, even keeping track of days is exhausting.

More than that, I’m sleepy. I’m dying of exhaustion, but the sun is up so I can’t go back to bed. In this cursed wilderness, not even the slightest laziness is tolerated.

There’s one thing I’ve added to my daily routine lately to shake off drowsiness.

Brushing my teeth.

I boiled seawater in a stone bowl. Using the primitive salt obtained this way and a brush made from Rmilana tree branches, I first clean my teeth. This alone removes most foreign substances.

But is this enough to prevent cavities?

Who knows?

That’s why I also use herbs like Chikapy and Spionos.

Chikapy is a plant famous for its nickname “tropical mugwort,” with a very pleasant and strong scent that has traditionally been used as toothpaste by common people. Recent research shows it has significant antibacterial properties as well.

And then there’s Spionos. It has a tingling scent and contains components that prevent acidification. You could say it plays an important role in preventing tooth erosion.

One gargle with water infused with ground Chikapy. Another with Spionos. After this, a pleasant fragrance and tingling sensation burst in my mouth, helping me wake up.

“Phew.”

This was all thanks to the Saint who was well-versed in herbology.

Saints chosen by the Goddess of Healing often double as medical practitioners, but the Kasten Saint was apparently afraid of blood, so she invested more in pharmaceutical studies than surgical ones.

Thanks to her, I’m living somewhat like a human being even in this primitive place.

“Damn it.”

The morning squall put out my campfire. Even with rain precautions, this happened.

I brought the firewood I had set aside the previous day and tried to light the fire again… Wait, why isn’t this catching?

[‘It must be because of the moisture.’]

So I placed the firewood on a rock where sunlight falls well.

With tools, lighting a fire was easy, but the problem was the firewood. Since it rains at every opportunity here, I had to invest two to three hours daily just collecting wood. If only this place had a temperate climate, things would be so much better.

“Mage.”

The Valkyrie waved her hand. The Saint was beside her.

Unlike the Valkyrie who seemed the same as usual, the Saint’s complexion had been strange for the past two weeks. At first, I thought it was due to fatigue, but it remained the same as time passed.

Any guesses?

I do have one.

“We’ll be going now.”

The Saint said weakly and departed.

The Valkyrie’s group always has similar objectives: collecting drinking water, fish, herbs and fruits, and useful vines or dry branches for firewood.

I’d like to make some progress, but we still can’t move beyond the basic level.

This is because our goal is not “living” but “escape.”

Who knows? Maybe later, if we find a decent and abundant island, we might start building a house and farming in earnest.

Anyway, I’ve secured enough water and salt, so now I just need food and conditions to clear the fog. Once all preparations are complete, I plan to climb the mountain to check the direction and try to escape again.

However, that’s not the only reason I’m planning to climb.

I took out the magic stones from the skulls of the skeletons I had defeated.

The frequency of skeleton appearances has increased significantly lately. Before, there were at most a dozen or so in a night, but now it seems like there are dozens.

Thanks to that, I have an abundance of magic stones.

Still, they’re spoils from defeating monsters. I pondered how I could put them to use. Then, a while ago, I noticed something incredible.

These magic stones copy information.

In other words, they can send and receive signals.

When mana is injected into one place, stones of the same kind resonate and store the same information. If used well, there’s a lot that can be done with this. I could immediately make a communication device or a mana compass that operates on magical power.

Especially the mana compass. I absolutely must make one.

As the Saint said, if this place is surrounded by a barrier constructed with mana, then there should be a mana needle on each island.

If I could follow that needle precisely?

I could head straight to the “door” of the barrier.

[‘That’s a brilliant idea. If we can make a mana compass, it will be of great help in the long run.’]

I named the magic stones obtained from the skeletons “Origin Stones.” It means stones that record elements.

[“Return.”]

I manipulated the mana recorded in the Origin Stone. After setting the zero point for one stone, the rest reset automatically. Now they’re in a state with no magical power stored.

But this alone is not enough.

I need to find the “origin point” of this island.

My head naturally turned toward the mountain.

Mana tends to rise unless specific conditions are attached. The density is likely higher up there than here.

The origin point of this island is most likely at that summit. Maybe if I just go up there for a quick hike and come back, we can escape.

While I was thinking about this, a mysterious man appeared.

[“…You again.”]

[“It’s been a while, friend.”]

[“We just saw each other the day before yesterday.”]

[“Good friends feel distant even after not seeing each other for just a day.”]

No lie, I’ve seen him seven or eight times in the past two weeks.

The man always appeared when I was alone. He would start with small talk, discuss various things, and when the mood was right, bring up ways to escape this place.

The man also knew that this deserted island couldn’t be escaped by conventional methods.

Just a week ago, when we had enough food, we tried going far away on a lifeboat. Fog set in, and we ended up back where we started. It was exactly the same phenomenon described in Siren’s diary.

At that time, I thought:

Wow, this place is truly amazing.

[“As I said before, there are many unfortunate souls here. Those who haven’t received salvation cry every night, disturbing my sleep. That’s also why all the animals have left.”]

[“How do you know that?”]

[“I’ve lived here for quite a long time, you see.”]

[“Don’t you want to escape?”]

[“I’ve been waiting for you to ask that.”]

The man, who had always come empty-handed and left empty-handed, took something out for the first time. It was a parchment with a fairly detailed drawing of this island and its surroundings.

[“I made this while exploring this area.”]

Oh, this map might be somewhat useful.

[“At first, I too thought about escaping. But as time passed, I came to think that it’s better here than outside. Living in poverty but finding contentment, you might say?”]

The man held out the map.

[“Take it if you need it.”]

[“Really? Is that okay?”]

[“I don’t speak with two tongues.”]

[“There’s no price to pay?”]

[“Being my conversation partner was enough.”]

During our past few meetings, I asked several pointed questions to uncover the man’s identity without him knowing. This was one of them.

With this, my deductions return to square one. However, I decided to consider all possibilities, including that the map might be fake.

Slowly, it was my turn to probe what the man wanted.

[“About the fog. Do you have any insights?”]

[“Indeed I do.”]

The man answered swiftly.

[“After looking around the island and conversing with the wandering souls, I learned one fact. Those souls are the cause of the fog surrounding this island.”]

[“Could you elaborate?”]

[“Fog, souls. Both are hazy, aren’t they? Based on that observation, I conducted research upon research. As a result, I discovered that they gather to create a kind of constraint on this island. Although I couldn’t analyze it precisely, using all my magical knowledge led me to that conclusion.”]

[“…”]

[“Think about it. Souls are beings that can’t leave because of their resentment. They were desperately seeking someone with divine power to comfort them. They told me that if an altar for the dead is built and sincere devotion is offered upon it, the chains binding this island could be loosened.”]

[“So, if a cleric from the Holy Spirit Kingdom prays and helps all the souls on the island find peace, would that work?”]

[“I thought so too, but it seems that’s not the case.”]

The man straightened his long fingers. His nails were pointed, as if he hadn’t cut them.

[“The comfort the souls speak of actually means an offering from someone with divine power. To put it simply… Yes. It means recruiting a devout religious person who will accompany them to heaven.”]

[“Hmm.”]

[“Do you understand roughly?”]

I swallowed and pondered for a moment.

The wind blew, causing rustling sounds from behind. Trees and bushes shook violently, then became quiet again.

After making my judgment, I looked at the man.

[“I understand.”]

[“If you want more information, come find me on that mountain. I’m in an easy-to-find place, so you should be able to locate me quickly.”]

[“Yes, thank you.”]

[“They’ll be coming soon. I should go now.”]

The man rose from his seat. Before he left, he added one more thing.

[“Ah, and remember this. Betrayal should be done at the most appropriate time.”]

To that, I nodded.

[“Yes, I will.”]

***

For the past two weeks, Tiria had deliberately increased the frequency of moving together with Rachel. This was to confirm whether the Magic Kingdom’s mage continued to contact the mysterious man.

Her expectations were largely correct. The two men met only when Tiria and Rachel were absent. The man had never directly revealed himself in front of them.

The black-bandaged man always held the initiative in their conversations. The mage was passive, either agreeing or just asking questions. However, the content of the conversations was always ominous.

Can you trust an enemy?

Since you’ve built some trust, wouldn’t it be okay to plan betrayal?

In front of the enigmatic man who said such things, the mage offered no objection or even a response.

Why?

For what reason?

Troubled, Tiria began discussing this matter with Rachel from that day. Rachel answered with a somewhat calm expression.

“Major, you should think about it simply.”

“Simply?”

“The man and we are merely in a contractual relationship. All the favors we’re exchanging now aren’t even as good as a shack built on water. There’s a saying: you might not develop feelings, but I know when feelings develop.”

“Then…”

“If it becomes certain that the man has betrayed us, we can confront him at an appropriate time.”

In fact, Rachel thought it wouldn’t be bad if the man stabbed them in the back. After all, he was the enemy who had killed her precious people right before her eyes.

If all feelings were lost, this ambiguous relationship could be clearly resolved.

“Of course, we could use him as a negotiation card when we meet Magic Kingdom forces, but isn’t our immediate safety more important, Major? We can’t live in the same space with a traitor, even if not an enemy.”

“You’re right. That makes sense.”

Tiria’s mood improved a bit with Rachel’s calmness. Thinking rationally, it was a problem with an immediate answer.

But.

Why?

There was a part of her that hoped the mage wasn’t thinking of betrayal at all.

She truly hoped he wasn’t so cunning that he had been deceiving them all along. She hoped that the unexpected side he had shown her, those humane actions, were truths without a hint of falsehood.

Yes, she would rather lose her faith.

There was a Saint having such impious thoughts.

Paradoxically, Tiria calmed her mind through prayer. This was all she could do.

Today too, the two women returned earlier than planned. As usual, the man wrapped in black bandages from head to toe was sitting face to face with the mage.

The Magic Kingdom mage’s voice was heard first.

[“…I understand.”]

[“If you want more information, come find me on that mountain. I’m in an easy-to-find place, so you should be able to locate me quickly.”]

[“Yes, thank you.”]

[“They’ll be coming soon. I should go now.”]

[“…”]

[“Ah, and remember this. Betrayal should be done at the most appropriate time.”]

The mage nodded at the man’s final words.

[“Yes, I will.”]

Tiria’s heart sank to the depths.

“Ah.”

Her pupils turned deep purple.

So after all this time, her initial suspicions were correct?

Then what about the mage’s efforts to appease the wandering souls and his prayers of apology to the Holy Spirit Kingdom souls while reciting prayer texts?

Was all of that… just an act?

“Major, what did that mage just say?”

“That he would… betray…”

“…”

Rachel stood up calmly. She bit her lower lip and gripped the spear that the mage had repaired for her. Though she didn’t show it, why did a part of her chest feel tight?

As the two female soldiers were suppressing their complicated feelings and anger.

The mage took out a brilliantly shining magic stone and spoke.

[“Lightning, strike down. With the flame of truth, shatter the lies.”]

That incantation became a spell that pierced through the black-bandaged man’s chest.