Ch.65How to Overcome Trauma (4)

Dawn broke.

“Let’s use the purifying stone for water and prioritize finding food.”

The four of us left the beach by boat. We sailed around to the opposite side of the island and landed in an area with gentle fields.

Fortunately, there were edible things in the fields. Things like roots, or Rakut beans, a type of primitive grain. Insects and small reptiles crawling among the low bushes were also excellent sources of energy.

“…It’s not exactly abundant.”

“Better than nothing at all.”

On such a barren island, we should be grateful just to find any food.

If I had to name one advantage of this island, it would paradoxically be the fire.

Fires were everywhere in the fields. These fires neither emitted smoke nor spread to their surroundings. They just stayed in place, burning with a soft glow.

Nevertheless, they were just as hot, so any meat placed on them would cook quickly.

I skewered a freshly caught lizard on a branch and roasted it. After killing our hunger with a bit of meat and water, we continued moving.

“Setting up a base on this island wouldn’t be efficient. Should we just keep gathering food as we see it and explore the island more thoroughly?”

I nodded and unfolded the stone tablet. After recording the current terrain, I compared it with the completed tablet mapping the island’s perimeter to locate where the cliff might be. It didn’t take long to determine the direction.

“The leader should be that way.”

Riyo and the holy maiden moved forward first, keeping watch on our surroundings. Riyo in particular, being skilled in exploration and reconnaissance, alerted us to approaching monsters one step ahead.

I turned around.

“Haa, haa.”

The Valkyrie was gasping for breath.

That was understandable, as we were surrounded by burning fires.

As long as we didn’t get too close, there was no worry about burns, but for the Valkyrie, just the sight of them was deadly.

She seemed determined to come along today after feeling she had been a burden to everyone yesterday, but that’s easier said than done. There are plenty of things in this world that can’t be overcome by willpower alone.

I extended my hand.

“Take it.”

“…”

“I can clearly see you’re struggling. Won’t you take it?”

The Valkyrie grabbed my hand. At the same time, her trembling gradually subsided.

***

Rachel thought to herself that this couldn’t continue.

Sooner or later, she needed to overcome her trauma. If she, as the vanguard, couldn’t use her strength, she would only hold everyone back.

Rachel walked with all her might. The crackling sound of fire echoed in her ears. Even with her eyes closed and ears covered, she could vividly feel it through her skin. Every step felt as difficult as walking with full combat gear.

-Mom! Dad!

She kept hearing voices.

-Daisy! Olivia!

Even knowing they were hallucinations, it was painful. The screams simply wouldn’t stop.

This wasn’t working. It was too frightening. She had reached her limit.

That’s when the mage reached out his hand.

“Take it.”

His voice was flat and calm. But there was subtle concern within it.

Was it calculated kindness, or was he just naturally like this?

There was no time to consider. She was desperate enough to take even an enemy’s hand. She grabbed it, squeezing her eyes shut tighter and trying to ignore the auditory hallucinations by counting sheep.

After a while, something changed.

“…!”

Her gasping breath gradually calmed. The hallucinations were fading away too. The warmth felt through the mage’s hand was driving away her fear.

“Just follow me closely and you won’t get burned, so don’t worry too much. Even if something happens, don’t panic. I’ll be your firefighter. Got it?”

The mage was saying something. She couldn’t quite understand.

But why? She felt reassured.

Rachel shook her head vigorously. I must have finally gone crazy, she thought. Feeling relief in front of an enemy? I’ve clearly lost my mind. Why not just give up my life while I’m at it?

“Um, Colonel Kasten.”

Tiria, who had been walking ahead, turned around. She looked at Rachel with concern.

“Major, are you uncomfortable? Are you perhaps short of breath, or hearing strange sounds? Would you like me to cast a holy stabilization spell?”

“No, holy magic is fine. Instead…”

It was time to test her hypothesis.

“Could you walk with me holding hands?”

Tiria blinked. Her gaze dropped downward. Rachel and the mage were holding hands tightly like lovers. Tiria’s expression soured.

“Why not link arms instead?”

“What?”

“I was suggesting we walk with our arms linked. Wouldn’t it be easier to overcome trauma if you have a clearer sense of being with someone else?”

Rachel nodded. That was exactly the hypothesis she wanted to test. Whether her fear lessened when in contact with someone other than the mage.

It seemed plausible. In fact, Olivia and Daisy had previously played that role. Thanks to the comfort of those two comrades always by her side, Rachel had been able to endure on battlefields where shells were constantly exploding.

After Rachel and Tiria walked arm in arm for several minutes…

“Huu, huu…”

Rachel’s breathing began to quicken again.

“Major? Major! Pull yourself together!”

“Let me try.”

Erich quickly stepped forward and embraced Rachel. He sighed softly and whispered in her ear.

“Breathe, it’s okay. It’s okay.”

Strangely, as soon as she heard those words, a sense of relief spread through her again. Erich took Rachel’s hand and continued walking.

Tiria’s eyes momentarily flashed green, but neither she nor anyone else noticed.

“The cliff area seems to start over there. Since the Valkyrie is struggling, let’s just explore up to that point today and head back.”

Rachel felt strange.

Why did she feel relief only when in contact with this man, and no one else?

This was quite confusing for Rachel.

***

Early evening.

We returned to the beach and were checking our food and water supplies when two lizards covered in volcanic rock emerged from a sand pit.

One of them breathed fire. The Valkyrie immediately shrank back with a “Hik!” sound.

Two of them.

Riyo or I could each handle one, but now was the time for a different approach.

“Rachel.”

I called her name. Rachel looked up.

“Take this.”

I handed her a spear. Then, with the holy maiden’s help, I conveyed my thoughts.

“To overcome trauma, you need to face it head-on. Just running away means you’ll live like this forever. Don’t you want to cook for someone you like someday, or go see fireworks together? Wouldn’t it be sad if you couldn’t do those things because of this?”

I took out a water bottle and shook it.

“I’ll help you. Even if your body catches fire, I’ll definitely put it out, so try to catch one. You need to overcome this.”

“I-I can’t…”

“You can’t? How disappointing. I didn’t realize you were this weak.”

I looked at the Valkyrie solemnly.

A very brief silence.

Then the Valkyrie’s eyes changed. That sharpness from when she tried to kill me was returning. She gripped my hand tightly and forced out words.

“…Fine, whatever.”

Based on my observations yesterday and today, the Valkyrie seemed to experience less fear when in physical contact with me.

I could guess the reason.

We had shared memories when defeating the Siren.

The cause of the Valkyrie’s trauma was that incident from that day. And in the space recreated by the Siren’s illusion magic, I had interfered with the Valkyrie’s past memories.

To be precise, I had overlaid them. I responded to her desperate pleas for help and showed those black mages who tried to harm her what a rock to the head feels like.

The reason I can give her comfort despite being her enemy is probably because of that.

[‘That’s really the only explanation that makes sense.’]

[‘I guess the romance is about to begin.’]

What romance? Our lives are in danger right now.

I channeled mana and spoke to the holy maiden.

“The Valkyrie and I will take the front. Please provide rear support.”

“Are you two majors really going to be alright?”

“Would the enemy wait if we weren’t?”

Shaaaak!

As soon as I finished speaking, one of the lizards charged in.

There were two lizards in total.

One was large and the other relatively small. The one that attacked was the large one. It moved as sluggishly as its size suggested.

Whoosh!

It spat out a fireball. The Valkyrie and I dodged together while holding hands. We both rolled in exactly the same direction.

The lizard monster charged forward like flowing water. The ground shook.

“———.”

When the holy maiden uttered a divine word, a flash of light burst forth. The flash was behind us, so it didn’t affect our vision. The monsters hesitated.

The Valkyrie would never miss this opportunity.

“Mage!”

“I know!”

We ran together. She gripped her spear tightly, and I took out an ice-flower stone. It was a freezing-type magic stone I had created yesterday after observing this island’s ecosystem.

Just as the lizard was about to shoot another fireball.

[“Freeze.”]

Crack!

I sealed its mouth with the ice-flower stone.

Simultaneously, the Valkyrie slashed the lizard’s side with her spear. She gritted her teeth and slammed holy power into it. The monster’s belly burst with a “pak” sound.

[“…You bastards!”]

The lizard monster spoke for the first time. So it was an intelligent one.

It hastily retreated and burrowed into the ground.

“Mage!”

The fox sister, who had been keeping the smaller lizard at bay, came to my side. She handed an axe to each of us, me and the Valkyrie.

One was an axe filled with holy power.

The other was an axe filled with magical power.

A smile spread across my face as I examined the mana-filled axe. Has she improved this much already? This must be why professors keep graduate students.

Having received an axe, it’s only natural to use it on a monster.

The monster burst through the sand from behind us. But we had anticipated this. The Valkyrie and I turned in exactly the same direction at exactly the same time, and brought our axes down on the monster in one fluid motion.