Escape From a Deserted Island With Enemy Female Soldiers - Chapter 69



68 – Three Hundred Yards in Search of a Friend (3)

“Oh, I can move! I can move!”

Breaking news: David and Calon have been resurrected.

“How long has it been since I’ve had a physical body!”

“The sensation of moving limbs feels unfamiliar. Perhaps it’s because it’s not a human body.”

The voice coming from the golem’s vocal cords was quite different from the voices of the two I knew. But other than that, the tone and manner of speaking were exactly the same. That’s why I was sure. These were definitely my seniors…

“ooo!”

“Weeeeeee!”

This is fucked.

“It’s a miracle enough that we’ve come back to life after dying once. Of course, I wouldn’t call this resurrected body our own, though.”

“Hey, is this a dream or reality? Erich! Let’s hug just once!”

“Commander, how can we embrace with this body? Do you want to kill Erich-senpai, too?”

“Then how about just us?”

“Senpai.”

“My junior.”

“I’ve been yearning for you for a long time, senpai.”

The two dinosaurs were hugging and making a real ruckus. A sight you might only see once in a lifetime.

“W-What’s going on here?”

“They’re my comrades.”

“Comrades? So those stones you’ve been showing me all along were…”

“You didn’t trust me?”

“It wasn’t something you *could* trust!”

“I suppose, since I’m the enemy, you could think it was a deception tactic.”

“No! It’s not because you’re the enemy! How can you think someone who talks to rocks is normal? I thought you were hurting!”

“But I was wrong, wasn’t I?”

The Saintess’ eyes changed to a deep pink. I let out a weak, hollow laugh. It wasn’t just because the Saintess was cute or the sight of my two comrades turned into dinosaurs was ridiculous.

My head is spinning. I feel like I’m going to get dizzy.

Something, a feeling like my heart is being squeezed.

“…Magician, are you crying?”

“What?”

The Saintess made a sniffly sound.

“It’s okay to cry if you want to. But, not now. Only cry when I’m here. If you burst into tears in front of everyone, it’ll just be embarrassing, won’t it?”

The most embarrassing person is you, you don’t even realize it.

I twisted my lips. Anyway, from now on, it was meeting-the-family time.

“Victory is assured, 269th Magic Stone Management Battalion, the Madok Kingdom of Hazkail, Lieutenant Colonel Johannes Kalon, former battalion commander.”

“Reporting, Lieutenant David König, magic stone officer of your squadron.”

The two figures flailed short arms, offering a salute.

“We were originally Major and Lieutenant, but we died, so we self-promoted.”

“If we die here again, do we become Colonel and Captain?”

“Hah, I don’t want to die twice.”

The Holy Woman, who had been standing there blankly, snorted with laughter. She returned the salute.

“I am Tiria Casten, Colonel of Ascalia. This is Major Rachel Brokenheart, and this is Sergeant Liyo. My two friends don’t speak the Magical Kingdom’s language well yet, so I will introduce them for them.”

Enemy officers, greeting each other. A sight impossible in normal circumstances.

Especially the Holy Woman. I don’t know how hard it was to get her to even talk when I first met her. That woman right there used to scowl at even the word ‘magic’.

Thinking about it now, so much has changed. And it’s only been four months.

“Despite being enemies, thank you for treating our Major so well.”

“No, it’s just… given the situation…”

“To say it’s ‘unavoidable’ seems to overlook your efforts. Do you know what the Major said about you to us? That the Holy Woman is cute.”

“Huh?”

The Holy Woman’s gaze turned to me. Her eyes were as empty as a deep well. And the emotion rising from that well was… shame.

The Holy Woman’s eyes flushed pink. David’s sudden bombshell seemed to have embarrassed her. Ah, damn it. He had to go and spout nonsense… I’ll get him later.

“Ahem.”

I cleared my throat.

“This isn’t the time for this. If we waste time, more monsters might swarm us. If we’re going to move, let’s move quickly.”

“Ah, what about food and water?”

“We’re short on it. But if we go back and try to hold out, we’ll be even shorter. Now is actually the most comfortable time.”

They must be aware of our existence by now. So, then.

“We need to make this a short, sharp fight.”

Quick and decisive.

Before they realize David and Calon are our golems, we take the leader’s head.

We decided to move forward. Unanimous.

“Erich, ride on my back with the beastkin lady.”

“Senior, ride on my back with the Saintess.”

“……?”

“……?”

The two golems tapped each other’s heads.

“Beastkin lady.”

“Saintess.”

Seriously, these guys?

“Senior, David. No need to overthink it. Situation’s urgent. The people we need to ride together are already decided anyway.”

I held out my hand to Valkyrie.

“Take it.”

“Ah.”

“What?”

“No, it’s just…”

Valkyrie shook her head furiously.

“Nothing. Let’s go.”

Valkyrie’s hand met mine. Carefully, she intertwined our fingers.

“Tch.”

“Tsk.”

What the hell was that sound just now.

“Then let’s be off.”

“Hold on tight.”

No saddle, no reins. To not fall off, we need to support each other. For that reason, I held Valkyrie tightly from behind.

Thud-thud!

The two golems plowed through the thicket. Any densely packed areas were incinerated by the flamethrower, and small monsters blocking our path were easily trampled.

Roughly 300 meters to the stone tower.

I’ll take down the leader who’s there, and this time I’ll find out for sure. Just what the hell is going on in this place.

*

Kugugung!

The stone tower shook. Ledoff, who had been handling the magic stones, emerged from the laboratory. Stone debris rained down from the ceiling like hail.

[“What’s going on!”]

[“Urgent news! Intruders!”]

[“Talk sense! Intruders? What intruders!”]

[“It’s those humans!”]

[“What? Those b*stards came? Did they suddenly learn to fly or something!”]

Redoff craned his neck out of the stone tower.

[“Shit.”]

The thornbush forest was a goddamn wreck.

[“Current status?”]

[“Floors one and two are breached. Enemy’s on three. They’re trying to get to four, but Lord Siskemus is holding them off.”]

[“They’re that strong?”]

From noble mtl dot com

Just then, a fire salamander came tearing in, panting.

[“Reporting! The two large golems we released on the south side have been turned by the enemy!”]

[“Don’t talk bollocks.”]

It was so absurd, his voice came out calm.

[“There’s hardly anyone who could break my defense magic. Do you know how long it takes from disabling to resetting? If there was a mage who could do that in such a short time, I’d have noticed him by now.”]

[“But it’s true! Lord Siskemus just fell in battle! Ugh!”]

The fire salamander face-planted and passed out. His tail had been cut off. Another messenger whispered.

[“Maybe that mage was hiding his power?”]

[“Even yesterday’s report said his magic was minuscule, though?”]

[“So he was hiding even that magic, then.”]

[“Ah, so you’re saying you didn’t even properly investigate and just reported bullshit?”]

[“Huh.”]

[“Guards. Execute this one, now.”]

[“Commander, please spare me! Spare me!”]

A lizard was dragged away. A small rattlesnake slithered in, taking its place.

[“Tsk, tsk, that’s why, four-legged, things are….”]

[“Want to be beheaded for treason too?”]

[“Huk.”]

The white snake wriggled, twisting its body.

[“Looks like you’re from downstairs. Report the situation.”]

[“Uh, um, it’s screwed.”]

[“……”]

[“Those golems, the hijacking, it’s true. The mage’s power is, beyond imagination, strong, we, low-level monsters like us, can’t do anything…”]

[“Enough, that’s enough.”]

Kugugung.

The ground shook once more. The snake fainted, flipped over. It let its tongue loll out, playing dead. Redoff said calmly.

[“Round up all the guys on the 4th floor and tell them to go up to the lower floor. I’ll grab my gear and move out too.”]

[“Huh? Go up?”]

[“Didn’t you hear me?”]

[“Y-yes sir!”]

The white snake slithered away. Redoff headed for the lab. He pulled out all the mana stones stuck in the dummy golems. They were the ones who had suffered so long in the experiments.

[‘Cough, Olivia!’]

[‘Haa, haa!’]

[‘Olivia, are you okay? Olivia!’]

[‘I, I’m okay. More than that, Daisy, you first…’]

Olivia, Daisy. Names as common as wildflowers in a field. But to Redoff these days, they were particularly remarkable test subjects.

[“You’re the first to survive for more than four months. I commend your mental fortitude.”]

[‘You, you piece of trash! I will never forgive you!’]

[‘If we get out of here… I’ll kill you, no matter what.’]

Redoff twisted his lips.

[“You weaklings have sharp tongues.”]

*KWaaak*, he gripped the magic stone tightly. Flames bloomed from his fingertips. Daisy and Olivia screamed as if burned. Elegant colored mana writhed along Redoff’s wrist.

Redoff headed to the deepest part of the laboratory. He pulled back the curtain there and took out the golems that were furthest inside. Two scorpions, designed for sacrifice and self-destruction, revealed themselves.

[“Be glad, you lesser creatures. You will soon be released from your suffering.”]