Ch.9Sleeping with the Enemy (5)

David asked.

“Didn’t you bring the magic stones you obtained from the monsters?”

“Ah.”

I rummaged through my pocket.

There it was.

Even when I’m out of my mind, I always make sure to collect stones.

“These are magic stones that haven’t been reported to academia yet. Try conducting a simple analysis. There might be one that produces fire or heat among them.”

A reasonable suggestion.

I laid out the magic stones obtained from the monsters and observed them calmly.

I had almost no mana left in my body from the continuous fighting, but that was fine. The magic stones were full of mana. I could use them to cast magic.

“By the way, are those fish people really monsters?”

“They probably are.”

When I tapped the magic stones, each one began to change.

Some emitted light, while others grew darker. Some circulated the mana they contained, some radiated power, and others converted mana into Ekirel.

“I can’t use them as they are.”

I recited an incantation.

[“Rotate.”]

At the same time, the Valkyrie flinched. She tried to move away from me.

“What are you trying to do?”

“Make a fire.”

The Valkyrie narrowed her eyes.

“Wait. I’ll make it warm soon.”

Combining magic stones to create new functions is similar to designing scroll circuits. The skill of the person handling them matters more than the raw materials.

I quickly figured out what role each magic stone played.

“It would be good to create a heat source using the heat generated when mana transforms into Ekirel.”

“You had the same thought as me?”

“What?”

“Not you. I was talking to the stone.”

To put it simply, I couldn’t make a fire with the magic stones I currently had.

But I could make a lantern.

I gathered the dark gray magic stones obtained from the Walker and made the magical power inside them rotate. As the mana circulated, it gradually disappeared. Light, heat, and Ekirel filled its place. The stone glowed brightly.

“This is pretty decent.”

I could feel the temperature rising. Not as much as a campfire, but warm enough.

As the surroundings brightened, I could see the interior of the cave better.

“It seems to be quite a deep cave.”

When I stretched my arm toward the inside, I felt a chill. A cool breeze seemed to flow from the depths.

“Let’s get by with this today.”

“Hoo.”

The Valkyrie exhaled.

“Cold.”

I brought the lantern closer. I wasn’t sure if it was just my imagination, but the cave temperature seemed to be dropping compared to earlier.

“Hey, stop fidgeting.”

The Valkyrie pulled her body back. Then she shivered from the incoming wind and pressed her shoulder against mine again. Her eyes wandered, looking lost.

“Ugh.”

Unable to decide what to do, the Valkyrie finally chose to bury her face against me.

It’s uncomfortable.

The posture was physically uncomfortable, but the psychological discomfort was much greater. And the overall situation itself was thoroughly unpleasant.

No shelter, no lifeboat, no water or food. I had lost everything.

Could there be anything that better expresses the word despair?

“Ha, fucking military.”

“The Air Force really sucks…”

What’s so sweet about the Air Force? My situation is like a honeybee being ravaged by hornets.

Still, it’s fortunate that I’m not alone. It gives me some comfort to think that this woman from the enemy country is experiencing the same suffering as I am.

I know. It’s a petty thought. But if I don’t rationalize it somehow, I’ll fall apart.

The rain grew heavier. At least for today, there was nothing we could do.

Rest was the only answer until we could go back, defeat the monsters, and establish proper defenses. We had to stay put and recover.

Besides, I was starting to get chills. It seemed like I was coming down with a cold. Damn it, it comes on so quickly.

Well, whatever happens, happens.

If I’m going to get sick anyway, I might as well get a little warmer.

I changed positions. I placed the lantern behind the Valkyrie’s back and embraced her from the front.

“Eek.”

“Stay close. Keep the wind out.”

“Wait, this is, this is too close.”

“Wow, it’s cold.”

“Move away a little. Ah, hmm. Never mind. It’s better to stay close.”

The Valkyrie’s hair smelled like lotus flowers.

I leaned my head against the cave wall while holding her with both arms. And then I closed my eyes.

Ah.

This is truly my limit now.

***

Rachel huddled her body tightly. The man’s body heat bothered her more than the cold air.

She could hear his breathing up close. She could even feel his heartbeat. Rachel unconsciously lowered her eyes.

“This is… humiliating…”

It was because her clothes were completely soaked. If it hadn’t been for the downpour, she wouldn’t have had to be in skin contact with the man. Though she didn’t show it in front of him, it was extremely stimulating for Rachel.

Moreover, of all people, it had to be an enemy soldier. Not just any man.

No matter how cold it was, to be embraced by the mage who had killed her friends—there could be no greater humiliation. If Daisy and Olivia in heaven saw this situation, they would throw stones at her.

Rachel bit her lower lip hard.

Time passed like that. The man’s hands holding Rachel were gradually losing strength.

“…sleeping?”

Rachel poked the man’s thigh with her finger. There was no response.

“*cough* He fell asleep already.”

Rachel tried to slowly extract herself.

Whoooosh.

It was then that a strong wind blew from the depths of the cave.

That wind happened to penetrate the gap between Rachel and the man. A chilling cold was felt from front to back. Rachel instinctively pressed her body against him again.

Survival instinct was speaking. Share warmth with the man if you want to live.

“Why, why am I with a man like this…”

Rachel’s eyebrows trembled finely. It was shameful and disgusting. Not just the man, but she felt pathetic about herself.

Because she was feeling relieved.

Although the situation was desperate, she wasn’t alone.

While this mage was detestable, part of her was unconsciously glad he was there with her. Such duality made Rachel feel guilty.

“Ah.”

The warmth felt from her back suddenly seemed different.

The stone lantern the man had made with magic stones. It was emitting a soft light, driving away the darkness a little.

The man’s warmth from the front and the magic lantern from the back were maintaining Rachel’s body temperature.

It was strange. If this mage had embraced her with his back to the lantern, he could have been warm from both sides. Yet he chose this arrangement.

Was it intentional or not?

Was it simply consideration for a sick person, or had he not thought that far?

She would prefer it to be the latter.

“Hmm.”

Soon Rachel’s strength was also depleted. She closed her eyes, enduring the stuffiness rising from her chest and the ringing headache.

And so she ended up spending the night with her enemy for the first time.

Perhaps because she wasn’t alone, the night was more bearable than expected.

***

The Valkyrie and I, who had made the cave our temporary shelter, decided to move only near the forest for the time being. And we agreed never to go outside when it rained, but to rest instead.

The downpour didn’t stop quickly, and occasionally we heard monsters wandering around. Each time, the Valkyrie and I would turn off the glowing stone and hold our breath while embracing each other.

There was fear that our location might be discovered by monsters, but the bigger problem was hunger.

Breaking through the rain to find food was suicidal in itself. The only thing I could do was collect rainwater and purify it.

So we starved for three days straight. That was because the rain continued.

“Grrrr.”

The cold air was already rising just from being in the cave, and with the continued downpour, we were prone to catching cold with the slightest mistake. Because of that, the Valkyrie and I ended up staying close even during normal times.

As the physical distance decreased, the psychological resistance that was initially strong gradually diminished. A week after being stranded, the boundaries between us were slowly breaking down.

And the fate of someone who had prolonged contact with a cold patient was miserable.

“Cough, cough!”

I finally caught a cold. Damn it.

The Valkyrie glanced at me with a helpless expression.

Her cheeks, illuminated by the glowing stone, were as red as carrots. It wasn’t just because of the cold. I didn’t want to recall what position we had woken up in this morning.

“Cough, how are you feeling?”

“You caught my cold.”

“I guess I’m just starting.”

“I didn’t intend to pass it on to you.”

“I feel like I’m going to die from not eating.”

The rumbling sound from our stomachs had been continuing for dozens of hours. The Valkyrie’s situation was no different. We gulped down the remaining water instead of food.

It was fortunate that our clothes had dried. The Valkyrie and I put on our musty uniforms and arranged the front. We no longer had to wear just underwear.

After tidying ourselves up, the Valkyrie and I sat side by side. She hugged her legs and buried her head. She mumbled something.

“…sorry.”

From that afternoon, I began suffering from a fever in earnest.

***

By the fifth day after falling ill, Rachel had recovered her health considerably. Instead, the mage had started running a fever.

The man was lying like a corpse. He had the lantern by his side, a stone in each hand, and even one at his head.

Rachel sighed and looked outside the cave. When would the rain ever stop…

“Huh?”

Sunlight was coming in.