Ch.56Heavy Relationship (4)

As time passed, the engineer’s trembling subsided. She blushed and moved away from her seat.

“What do you think you’re touching?”

“You’re the one who clung to me.”

[“According to our coordinate system, you’re the one who approached and embraced me.”]

This is maddening.

Either way, I can’t hide it anymore.

I explained the engineer sisters’ past to the Valkyrie and the Holy Maiden. I also explained what that symbol meant.

After hearing the story, the Valkyrie spoke up.

“I know that symbol.”

“…You know it?”

“The wizards who attacked my village had similar symbols on their robes. It’s not a memory I want to recall, so I’m not entirely sure…”

I swallowed hard. These are no ordinary people, it seems.

The Holy Maiden said, “One body, two souls… Were those wizards experimenting here as well?”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

“Wait, there are letters inside the circle!”

“Really?”

The Holy Maiden was right. There was an incantation written on the monster’s back.

“What does it say?”

“Test subject 973.”

“…Test subject?”

“Recommended to feed with recently deceased human or spirit corpses. Frozen meat has been proven ineffective for bearing fruit. Harvest mature fruit periodically. The management of this test subject is assigned to the 3rd Corps.”

3rd Corps.

“What does 3rd Corps mean?”

“It’s not our military.”

“Not ours either.”

“Then…”

The Holy Maiden’s face turned pale.

“…The Demon King’s army.”

“Hmm.”

I had suspected it. The Alraune and Ghoul had occasionally let things slip.

The Demon King’s army.

“We can’t be certain yet.”

The Demon King’s army is known to have been annihilated hundreds of years ago. People usually laugh off stories about the Demon King. That’s how ancient the history is.

“The incantation was likely written by pseudo-wizards. They’re probably using the long-extinct Demon King’s name for their own gain.”

That’s a much more rational explanation.

It was then that the Valkyrie spoke up.

“Something seems strange.”

“What is it?”

“Fish-people on the first island, ghosts on the second, and plants on this one. It’s as if each island has its own theme. Could someone be using each island as a research facility?”

“The Major has a point. Perhaps this entire archipelago is a base for pseudo-wizards or remnants of the Demon King’s army.”

“Remnants of the Demon King’s army? Could they have survived for hundreds of years until now?”

“Given the size of the archipelago, it’s not impossible.”

“Then…”

“We must escape this island. We need to inform our country. To do that, we need to survive.”

While the two were talking, I organized my thoughts.

First, the most important thing: mana acupuncture.

I took out the Origin Stone from my pocket and collected mana from the surroundings. Then I picked up a wooden stick and thoroughly searched the wooden puppet’s corpse.

“…”

Nothing.

There wasn’t a single Magic Stone.

[‘How disappointing. How can something disguised as a monster not give any rewards?’]

[‘Maybe it’s not registered as a monster because it’s a test subject?’]

This complicates things again. Is it right to try escaping the island once more? Was this not the leader either?

While I was thinking about this…

“…!”

I sensed an alien mana.

It was faint, but when it comes to detecting magical creatures, no mage can match me. I reflexively turned my head and focused my vision on where the mana had been disturbed.

For just a split second, something heavy passed by quickly.

[‘What was that just now?’]

[‘Did you see something?’]

The stones didn’t seem to notice. But I saw it. It was clearly a monster with a human upper body and a spider’s lower body.

“Damn it.”

It was quite large. Could that be the leader?

Then why didn’t it attack us? I’m completely defenseless right now.

[‘Oh, by the way, what about that tree?’]

“…Tree?”

[‘The small tree that was attached to the wooden puppet monster’s head. Where did it go?’]

Yeah, where is it? Why can’t I see it?

It was nowhere to be found. Not only the tree but even the Magic Stone it had been wearing was gone. All that remained was the charred corpse of the monster and the smell of burning embers.

The Holy Maiden declared, “Let’s head back for today.”

I tried to get up with a bitter feeling. It wasn’t easy due to mana depletion. The engineer extended her hand.

“Here, mage. Grab Riyo’s arm and get up.”

The engineer lent me her shoulder. She giggled. The Valkyrie was watching us with narrowed eyes. She probably doesn’t like me getting friendly with her comrades.

I’m worried about when I’ll be able to clear the air with the Valkyrie.

By now, shadows were falling in the forest. The sun was setting.

“Walk faster, hurry!”

“I’m doing my best…”

My thighs are stiff. My muscles seem cramped.

[“If you’re male, use your strength properly. With this level of stamina, who are you to offer to teach magic to anyone? Are you really a first-class mage?”]

“Don’t talk to me when I’m struggling…”

[“Weak. Pathetic. Useless.”]

“Ah, seriously.”

I felt competitive.

“Tomorrow I’ll be sore but I’ll walk… Huh?”

As I was about to take a big step, my eyes, now adjusted to the darkness, caught sight of a strange outline.

Not a rock, not undergrowth.

It was close to a tree, but not a tree either.

It was breathing with mana. The sound was so faint that even the engineer’s ears couldn’t hear it.

I noticed it only because the flow of mana was unnatural.

A monster.

All the monsters we’d encountered so far scattered traces of magical power. So we rarely got ambushed.

If it can deliberately hide its magical traces, it’s no ordinary monster.

I tried to shout.

But before I could, it leaped up.

“…!”

It was aiming for the side. Bypassing the Valkyrie and the Holy Maiden, it was flying toward me and the engineer.

It’s targeting the engineer. It seemed to be planning to eliminate her first with her keen night vision, then the Valkyrie, the Holy Maiden, and finally me with no strength left.

“Danger—!”

As I shouted, I pulled the engineer and lay down.

Thunk!

I felt something pierce my waist.

“…Mage?”

The voices of the engineer and her sister rang out simultaneously. Her face is close. Her gaze was directed at my face, then moved downward. My eyes followed hers.

Something like a tree root had pierced through my side. My waist was gradually becoming numb, and a hot sensation poured in like a tide.

“…Huh.”

What a truly awful island.

***

Rustle.

The root that had pierced Erich slowly withdrew. At the same time, emptiness filled Riyo’s eyes.

A person collapses before her eyes. And they took the attack meant for her.

Incomprehensible bewilderment soon burst forth in words.

“Mage? MAGE—!!”

Rachel and Tiria immediately turned around upon hearing Riyo’s scream.

By the time Rachel drew her spear, it was too late. With a whoosh, Erich’s body flew toward the two women. He literally tumbled across the ground.

“…Mage?”

Tiria’s eyes turned crimson.

And Rachel…

“…What kind of creature is this.”

She sprang forward faster than anyone else.

When she threw a light stone, the monster’s appearance was revealed. It was a tree with Magic Stones hanging from its head instead of fruit. It had a barrel-shaped, plump body with only a mouth, no eyes, nose, or ears.

That mouth revealed sharp teeth and uttered an incantation.

[“Deflection.”]

TANG—!!

A blast like a gunshot blocked Rachel’s spear shaft. It happened before she could even infuse it with holy power.

CRACK!

The intense mana broke Rachel’s spear like a reed. But Rachel didn’t panic. She thrust the broken spear into the monster’s mouth.

She didn’t stop there.

She then took out the spare bamboo spear she had been carrying on her back.

Infusing it with the maximum holy power the weapon could withstand, she thrust it into the monster’s body.

[“Kuhak!”]

The monster lost its balance and collapsed. Its mouth tore apart on both sides. Purple blood splattered everywhere.

“Sergeant Riyo!”

Rachel lifted Riyo, who was sitting and trembling violently.

“Snap out of it!”

“The, the mage, instead of me…”

“Get up, Sergeant! That’s an order!”

Rachel slapped Riyo’s cheeks and sent her to where Tiria was. Riyo, seemingly not in her right mind, couldn’t respond nimbly.

[“Kak, ptui.”]

The monster quickly got up. Rachel gripped her bamboo spear tightly and readjusted her stance.

[“…Both of you are beyond my expectations.”]

Rachel couldn’t understand what the monster was saying.

On the other hand, Tiria and Miyo could. Tiria’s ears perked up as she was examining Erich’s condition.

[“I was planning to kill the sharp-eyed fox woman first, but to think that the mage who had used up all his power would detect me. I thought I had completely hidden my presence. And to even have the presence of mind to take my attack in a non-vital spot… He has good reflexes for a human.”]

The monster pointed at Rachel.

[“And you, human woman. Your ability to assess the situation, your spear skills… everything about you is extraordinary.”]

The tree monster pulled out the spear blade stuck in its mouth and took a defensive stance. It picked one of the fruits from its head and rubbed it against the spear blade.

[“Bloom.”]

Woom woom woom.

Dark mana overlaid where the holy power had been. Rachel’s eyes narrowed. The creature not only knew how to use tools but was also proficient in magic.

This must be the leader.

“Mage, mage! Erich! Open your eyes!”

“I’m sorry, it’s my fault. I couldn’t detect it and he took the attack meant for me. It’s all my fault…”

Riyo is young and fragile. Her rank is low. She’s not even in a combat role, so she probably doesn’t know how to respond in situations like this. She can’t be blamed.

At least Tiria quickly recognized the situation and was infusing healing holy power into the mage, but it wouldn’t be more than first aid.

[“I infused mana that interferes with blood clotting in that attack. Even if you try to stop the bleeding, blood will continue to leak out.”]

The monster laughed softly.

Rachel’s golden eyes blazed with fury. In this situation, she was the only one who could deal with the monster before them.