Escape From a Deserted Island With Enemy Female Soldiers

34 – The Second Escape (1)

All three of us were a mess.

The Valkyrie was bruised all over her body, and the Saintess had a long gash on her abdomen. I couldn’t move my right arm and my side at all.

“We’re three invalids.”

“The Magician suffered the most. If it weren’t for this man, we’d be dead by now.”

“The Major’s right. So, try to support me properly.”

“I’m sorry. I’m completely drained, this is the best I can do.”

Two female soldiers clung to me on either side, supporting me. But whether it was actually support or just them hanging on, I couldn’t tell. Uh… it *is* support, right?

“…Heavy.”

“What’s the mage saying?”

“He says he’s heavy. Major, don’t put so much weight on him.”

“Colonel, it seems you’re the one having trouble holding yourself up.”

“I said I’m heavy, you guys!”

Swaying this way, swaying that way. I nearly fell countless times coming down the mountain. Not a single one of us was in good shape. Just three cripples.

The sun was setting. We somehow managed to get down the mountain, but we still had to walk further to reach the coast where the life raft was.

“Ugh, I can’t see anything.”

“Should we camp for the night?”

“There’s no suitable place. How about we speed up? If we walk faster, we might be able to get out of the forest before it gets completely dark.”

In the twilight, Valkyrie nodded. She poked my back and opened her mouth with difficulty.

“Mage… light.”

I barely managed to pull up the remaining mana to activate the single glowstone I had. I’d brought it just in case, and it was a brilliant choice.

“Wow, now I can see. You could have told us you had this, you know, *phew*.”

“Let’s cut him some slack. He probably didn’t have time to tell us.”

“Major, you’re strangely taking the mage’s side?”

“Absolutely not. I’m just stating the facts as they are.”

“I heard you whispering sweet thank yous to the mage for saving you earlier.”

“It was just a polite formality.”

The Saint was giggling, something so gleeful. It was making me feel left out. If they’re trading jokes, they could’ve included me too.

But it’s fine.

[‘Major.’]

I have David.

[‘Would you like to play a word game with me?’]

“Sure. You go first.”

[‘Foothills.’]

No way.

Ugh, I’m tired.

[‘Just kidding. Actually, I have something else to tell you.’]

“What is it?”

[‘I felt the presence of the ex-Battalion Commander on the mountaintop earlier.’]

Of course you did. I’m your Battalion Commander.

[‘I’m talking about the *former* Battalion Commander, not you.’]

That stopped me dead in my tracks. Valkyrie and the Saint said something when I braked so suddenly.

“Why’d you stop so suddenly?”

“Did you stumble or something?”

“…No, it’s nothing.”

I moved my feet again. David had said he’d only *sensed* something, adding it wasn’t definite. But the words that stone had spoken were already lodged in my head, refusing to leave.

The former commander… no way.

No, like David said, nothing’s certain right now.

First, get my body back to normal. I’m going back up the mountain after I’m fully recovered.

Maybe because we’d taken down that ghoul, but we didn’t see any more monsters. Thanks to that, aside from the darkness, we got out of the forest without any major problems.

“I see the lifeboat!”

“We finally made it! Ah, I missed this…”

The three of us were completely drained. As soon as we arrived, we all rushed into the lifeboat without even setting up a watch.

“Ugh.”

“Haah…”

“Sssip.”

The moment the tension broke, the pain doubled. The lifeboat was filled with groans. It was like a makeshift ICU.

Me, and the enemy female soldiers too.

All of us had paid this price to kill that one ghoul.

What if even one of us hadn’t been there?

“If this mage hadn’t been here, we would have been victims of that monster.”

If the Valkyrie hadn’t been there, the saintess and I would have been eaten by the ghoul a long time ago. Conversely, if the saintess hadn’t been there, even if we somehow managed to kill it, we wouldn’t have been able to immediately exorcise the ghoul’s spirit, and the fight would have dragged on and we’d have been killed by attrition.

Either way, it would have been a defeat.

In the end, we were all necessary to each other.

It didn’t seem like I was the only one who realized this. The eyes of the two women who had shared life and death with me today looked quite different than they had the day before.

“Mage. Are you alright?”

“I feel like I’m dying.”

It felt like we’d been on a forced march for over ten hours. Exhausting enough as it was, and now I’m even injured…

“Rest today. I’ve cast healing and hemostatic spells, so you don’t have to worry too much about infection. I’ll give you a proper treatment tomorrow.”

“Thank you. But… you’re calling me a Mage now.”

“I’ve decided to acknowledge it, a little. There isn’t just a Wizard, there’s also a Mage. My understanding was limited. I need to rethink my faith until now. Thank you.”

Tiria Casten’s eyes, as she gave her thanks, truly seemed saintly.

Not simply blindly following a manufactured belief, but one who cultivates faith based on her own free will. Those eyes were as bright and warm as the stars in the night sky.

“Close your eyes now, Mage.”

Anyway, the fact that the Saint changed my title was a positive sign.

My gaze shifted to Valkyrie next. She was lying on my right, constantly tickling my right arm with her fingertips.

“Why?”

“Are you okay?”

“Are *I* okay?”

She nodded, nodding.

“Umm, I don’t know if I should say this to you. I think you got really hurt because of me, so, I’m sorry…”

A different kind of emotion was perceptible in Valkyrie’s voice as well.

“…Haa, I really don’t get it. Whatever. I’m too tired to think straight.”

Valkyrie said her piece and closed her eyes. Judging by her tone and gestures, I don’t think it was a negative sign at least.

Did I gain some favor by taking that metal spike for her?

No, no way.

Maybe with the Saintess, but my relationship with Valkyrie isn’t that simple. We killed each other’s friends. Thinking back to that day on Tatankur, it still sends shivers down my spine. If I feel like this, how must Valkyrie feel?

Valkyrie was far more rational and reasonable than I thought. She probably knows that I’m being friendly to her for my own benefit.

Ultimately, once we escape the island, we’ll grow distant again. Perhaps one of us will die by the other’s hand.

I suddenly think about a scenario like this:

If I met Valkyrie again on the battlefield… could I cast magic on that woman like that day?

– You’re too sentimental for your own good.

Well, I don’t know.

– An officer shouldn’t hold personal feelings on the battlefield. It may sound harsh, but that’s reality. It’s the only way you’ll survive.

Admiral Dietz’s words keep coming back to me. Back then, they sounded like comfort, telling me not to grieve too much for my comrades, but now they sound like a warning not to show mercy to the enemy.

What happened to the Admiral? I haven’t seen him even once since that battle began. I don’t even know if he’s alive or dead.

[‘He was a good man.’]

I can only pray that he’s still alive.

I couldn’t fall asleep because of all these thoughts. Before I knew it, the sound of soft breathing tickled my ears from both sides. Both the Saintess and Valkyrie were completely knocked out.

I stayed vigilant a bit longer, wondering if any monsters might appear, but then just lay down. I was completely exhausted. Now that the ghoul was gone, it seemed the monsters had disappeared too.

It’s already been two months since the shipwreck.

The final battle was in midsummer, so now it’s early autumn. Time flies. I definitely feel like the weather has gotten a bit cooler than the first day.

“…Ugh, cold.”

Valkyrie mumbled in her sleep and shifted her position. She rolled onto her side, draping her arms and legs over me.

[‘oooh.’]

This is fucking insane.

I closed my eyes for the last time too. Soon my consciousness faded, and I began to dream.

In that dream, I had a fox-like wife and an elf-like child, and we lived happily together.

*

That day, after returning from defeating the ghoul, Rachel also had a dream.

It was the same kind of brutal nightmare as always. A village consumed by plague, burning houses. Rachel was trapped in a room, crying.

Help me!

Is anyone there?

No matter how much she cried, the only sounds that answered were the cackles of mages.

-Burn them.

-With the blood and flesh of these villagers as offerings, we’ll contribute to his resurrection.

Soon, the flames were right in front of her. Rachel gasped for breath. No. Don’t come closer. Get away from me—!!

At that moment, a mage appeared, cutting through the fire.

It was Erich Ronstein.

The mage smashed the skulls of the mages who had been mocking Rachel with calipers, then used magic to break the wall and secure an escape route. Soon after, he extended a hand, and Rachel grabbed it.

Barely feeling the warmth of their joined hands, that warmth engulfed Rachel’s entire body. The mage had scooped her up into his arms and jumped.

With a feeling of floating freedom, Rachel turned her head.

An endless field of flowers in full bloom stretched out before her.

“……”

At that point, Rachel’s consciousness returned to reality. A stuffy feeling, the scent of salt-tinged wind. She was still on the deserted island.

“Hah.”

Rachel rubbed her face. A subtle heat lingered there. Was she catching another cold?

Whatever, the dream she’d had this morning was half gibberish.

Rachel sighed and started to stretch out her body.

The mage and Tiria were already up, preparing breakfast. The mage, having noticed Rachel waking up first, waved a hand.

“Good morning.”

“Uh, yeah. G’morring.”

The mage’s lips twitched at the corners.

That smile was starting to get on her nerves, strangely enough.