Ch.64How to Overcome Trauma (3)

The highest cliff on the island.

A five-story stone pagoda surrounded by blue flames stands majestically, guarding its position.

And at the top floor of that stone pagoda.

A monster in human form, its entire body covered in rock, sat on a stone throne.

[-Report from the 28th Army. The 3rd Army suffered devastating damage and has effectively been disbanded. The specific cause is under investigation. End of report.]

The monster read the words appearing on the stone tablet and muttered quietly.

[“…So Binyol has fallen.”]

The report stated that the cause was under investigation, but only an amateur would take this at face value.

Someone had omitted part of the information.

But why?

While lost in thought with eyes closed, it happened.

[“Lord Redof!”]

A fire lizard came running in a hurry.

[“What is it?”]

[“There are humans who have come to this island!”]

[“Tell me specifically.”]

[“Two humans, one beastkin, and one Lumina. They pulled a small boat onto the southeastern sandy beach. They killed our scout and set up camp!”]

Redof opened his eyes and rose. Rock fragments fell with a crumbling sound.

[“So it’s because of them.”]

[“What do you mean?”]

[“Recently, news from several islands has been cut off. Since there can be no division in the Emperor’s legion, it must be them sweeping through this area.”]

Just who are these people? What kind of fools are interfering with the paradise plan?

[“Investigate further. Once their strength is assessed, I’ll make plans to capture them.”]

[“There’s no need for you to do that, Division Commander. We will kill them ourselves and bring them to you.”]

[“Hmm, yes. That’s how it should be.”]

Redof smiled with satisfaction.

Right after the fire lizard left, wagging its tail, Redof moved to a small room. It was a space where magic stones and intricate devices were gathered as if on display.

[“Beautiful.”]

Woom woom woom.

All the stones vibrated at once. Redof’s gaze, which had been scanning the surroundings, stopped for a long time at one spot. There were two magic stones with gem-like beautiful colors.

Today, it would be good to experiment with these.

Click.

After inserting the stones into the signal device, a woman’s voice flowed out.

[“Cough, cough! Do you think you’ll survive after this?”]

[“The rescue team from our Holy Spirit Kingdom will come soon. When Captain Rachel arrives, you’re as good as dead!”]

Redof snickered. He continued with his daily routine without concern. After transplanting the two magic stones into a dummy golem, he brought a red-hot piece of iron and pressed it against them.

[“Aaaaargh!”]

[“Kyaaaah!”]

[“Six seconds, seven seconds. About that much, I suppose.”]

The two stones only cried out in pain after several seconds had passed. This was far from adequate. The time from stimulus to response was too long.

[“This is unusable.”]

Even if a soul descends, it’s useless if it doesn’t synchronize with the body. This way, not only would His return be impossible, but he couldn’t meet the client’s requirements either.

Redof continued his research, pondering for a long time. And so, the screams of two women echoed throughout the top floor of the pagoda for hours.

***

“…I apologize.”

Rachel bowed her head.

“I showed weakness. I have nothing to say since I caused trouble. Please deal with me according to military law.”

“Major, please get up. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Tiria helped Rachel stand.

“Major, you’re mentally unwell right now. It’s strange for anyone to blame someone who’s suffering. None of us are angry, so please stop being depressed.”

“That’s right, Major.”

Riyo agreed. The mage nodded slightly from a distance. He didn’t seem to care much about Rachel’s mistake either. Rather, his eyes showed concern.

“Still, I’m truly sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize to us. You should thank the mage instead.”

“What?”

“Thanks to the mage, you were able to quickly recover from your panic.”

Rachel’s gaze wandered blankly.

“I know you two have deep grudges. But it was the mage who calmed you down at the critical moment.”

“Why on earth…”

Rachel knew it too. Thanks to the mage, she had regained her mental stability faster than expected.

Suddenly, she recalled the memory of that day.

The day she encountered the Siren.

Under the influence of illusion magic, Rachel had an unpleasantly vivid experience. That day, she died once more before her parents’ eyes. And if that wasn’t enough, she nearly suffered assault from mages.

If she had been beaten to death there, Rachel would have been completely broken. The one who appeared before her at that moment and dealt with those false mages wasn’t a priest of the Holy Spirit Church.

The mage, Erich Lohnstein.

She recalled that name. Although it was an illusion, Erich was outraged by those mages’ actions. He knocked them down and helped Rachel escape from the illusion.

Illusion magic is a forbidden art. In the end, it turns the victim’s brain to mush, leading to death. That day, Rachel nearly died, but miraculously survived thanks to Erich.

He was her lifesaver.

And this time was no different.

“Ah…”

Not only had he saved her from the monster’s surprise attack, but he had also calmed her seizure.

If he had simply offered food or blocked a monster’s attack, she would have thanked him without hesitation. She could have considered those as calculated kindnesses.

This was different.

She had completely incurred a debt of gratitude.

Rachel had already spent months with the mage, seeing only his gentle side. There couldn’t be a kinder person. The only evil deed the mage had done to her was killing her two comrades.

She had used that as a mental barrier until now. She had drawn a line. She hadn’t shown kindness beyond what was necessary for survival on the deserted island.

Therefore.

If she thanked him here, it might be irreversible.

“Major, please.”

Tiria spoke kindly. Her tone suggested that as a human being, she should at least show that much courtesy.

Rachel struggled to speak.

“Th-thank you…”

The mage nodded slightly. His face was also quite complicated. Perhaps he was having the same concerns as her.

Yes, come to think of it, this too was a kindness for survival. He needed her help to capture the leader of this island. He had no choice but to help her.

But even if it was false kindness, it was still kindness in the end, and she couldn’t coldly reject it.

“…Sigh.”

Rachel sighed.

At this rate, she might not be able to avenge her dead comrades.

It was truly a frustrating day.

***

After flattening the boundary between the sandy beach and the sea, we placed the boat at the edge. We secured it firmly to a large rock with a rope to prevent it from being swept away by the waves.

So the four of us lay down in the lifeboat. But…

“Ugh, it’s cramped.”

The space is indeed tight.

The fortunate thing is that one of the four needs to stay awake. Someone has to keep watch.

“I’ll take the first shift.”

The holy maiden sat on a high rock. The boat first accommodated me, Riyo, and the Valkyrie lying side by side. The sleeping arrangement was in this order: Valkyrie, Riyo, and me.

In a way, it was natural. Riyo had feelings for me, while the Valkyrie almost didn’t. This arrangement was better for everyone.

The night deepened. Miyo smiled at me.

[“It’s cold at night, isn’t it?”]

[“Not really?”]

This island is dry and hot. I had my upper body exposed, but I didn’t feel particularly chilly.

Miyo puffed her cheeks.

[“As I said before, you’re too oblivious.”]

[“What do you mean?”]

[“At times like this, you’re supposed to say you’re cold. Then I was going to offer you my coat.”]

I pondered before speaking.

[“I guess it is a bit cold?”]

[“Hmm.”]

Miyo’s eyes narrowed. She rustled about and took off her outer garment, draping it over both our shoulders.

[“Now we’re like a couple sharing a blanket, aren’t we?”]

[“…What are you implying?”]

[“Guess, for, your, self.”]

Miyo tilted her head. At her smiling eyes, the stones went wild.

[‘Oh my goodness, I’m almost in tears. To see the day when Senior Erich flirts with a woman. Even if she’s a beastkin.’]

[‘I know, right? Is this really the same Erich who used to say he was more attracted to stones than women back at the academy? My heart is truly swelling with pride.’]

What’s with these stones?

[‘But if he acts this way with the Valkyrie, the engineer, and now the holy maiden, who will he end up with?’]

[‘I, I… have opened my eyes to a new world. I think beastkin are the best.’]

[‘This is crazy. No matter what, wouldn’t there be a physiological aversion?’]

[‘They just have human forms with ears and tails, what’s the problem? And who do you think is better?’]

[‘Personally, I prefer the holy maiden. Senior Erich is full of affection but somewhat taciturn. Wouldn’t he have more potential with a responsive and caring woman?’]

[‘What potential are you talking about? Gravitational potential? David, you know nothing. Marriage is supposed to be between people with matching interests. The engineer is interested in magic and engineering, so why pair her with a devout Holy Spirit Church believer? Are you trying to cause a family breakdown?’]

[‘I just prefer a virtuous wife over a tomboy. Look at what the holy maiden is doing. She cooks, does laundry, comforts—she does everything, doesn’t she?’]

[‘Argh—!!’]

This is driving me crazy. Now the stones are giving advice on my marriage prospects. Just go to sleep quietly!

[‘We’re stones, we don’t need to sleep.’]

[‘You must be tired, so we’ll speak more quietly.’]

Don’t speak at all.

[‘Let’s continue. It seems we need to find a compromise.’]

[‘If not the holy maiden, how about the Valkyrie?’]

[‘The Valkyrie killed us, so we have to deduct points for that. That’s partly why Erich doesn’t like her. But who knows what the future holds? If the two want each other, there’s no reason not to support them.’]

[‘Realistically, will that day ever come?’]

The debate between the two stones showed no signs of stopping. Although their voices had lowered considerably, presumably out of consideration for me, they remained just as earnest.

[‘Damn it, David. No matter how I think about it, I still prefer the beastkin.’]

[‘Why can’t you understand the aesthetics of the holy maiden? I didn’t know your academic depth was so shallow, senior.’]

[‘You, little, blue-faced, punk, I’ll…’]

I fell asleep first.

How much time had passed?

Feeling it was about time to switch shifts, I tried to regain consciousness.

“…?”

As I tried to get up, a warm, heavy sensation enveloped me from chest to legs.

Ah, it must be the fox sisters.

I could hear steady breathing from within my embrace. I lifted my eyelids and brought over a luminous stone from my bedside to illuminate and wake Riyo.

“…”

It wasn’t Riyo.

The Valkyrie was snoring in my arms.