Escape From a Deserted Island With Enemy Female Soldiers - Chapter 92



91 – The Heart Starts to Beat (2)

Mana to destroy the tumor.

The Saint’s divine power to protect the heart.

Riyo’s blood, in case of emergency.

The rhythm clicked into place, successfully crushing the tumor and saving the small intestine.

“Did we do it?”

“We’ll keep watching, just a bit longer, until we’re sure.”

We maintained our focus, waiting for certainty. We continued the search, prepared even for the slightest trace of the tumor.

A person’s life hung in the balance; nerves were razor-sharp.

Maybe that’s why.

While completely immersed, I felt as though I was becoming one with the universe.

A state as if I’d touched upon the very secrets of the world.

The moment I thought I had stepped onto the edge of that state, cold sweat poured out and my breath hitched.

“Huuuh…”

I pulled my hand away with the exhale. Beads of sweat trickled down my fingers.

The small intestine was breathing with difficulty. Her pupils looked at me, then closed. She must be exhausted. Let’s let her rest now and watch the progress.

The Saint, having finished her assessment, spoke.

“Thankfully, the bleeding has stopped. Magician, I’m sorry to ask, but go help the Major right away. This woman will be looked after by my superior and I.”

“Understood.”

With no time to celebrate the success of the surgery, I headed to the battlefield. I joined the Valkyrie who was fighting at the front lines, and we formed our formation.

As always, you in the vanguard, me in the rear.

“Damn it, these b*stards are tough.”

“Aim for the arms and legs instead of the head or chest.”

When the Valkyrie chopped off arms and legs and knocked them down, I spread the embers. When the Valkyrie cleared the enemies in front, I supported the flanks. When the Valkyrie engaged in close combat, I took on ranged defense.

We moved as one, unified like a single being.

Whumpf!

The monsters alight reeked of a foul odor. I could see their numbers dwindling.

Boom!

The last monster lost its limbs to Valkyrie’s blade. I threw the remaining Sunstones and waited for them to incinerate.

Crackle, crackle.

The blackened, carbonized monster crumbled and fell. I crushed the spore mass with my combat boot, mashed it like the potato stew the elves eat.

“Was that the last one?”

“Yeah, done.”

“That was a tough fight.”

Valkyrie and I slapped hands. And right after, I lost my balance as the world spun.

“Uh oh.”

“Hey!”

Valkyrie caught me as I staggered to the side.

“You okay?”

“Feel like I’m gonna die.”

“Don’t joke, you idiot. I’ll kill you if you die.”

Nothing special, just another mana drain. Carefully managing my mana during the first half to heal Sojang took its toll on my concentration, too.

Tired. I shouldn’t use any more magic today.

“How’s Sojang doing?”

“She’s completely asleep. She took a bullet and lost a ton of blood, so I’m gonna let her rest for a few days while we monitor her progress.”

All possible measures were taken.

Now, we just have to wait for Major Adora to wake up.

It’s obvious, but the Major is from the Mado Kingdom. I’d be more effective at gathering information than the Saintess or any other female soldier. And I’d probably provoke the least hostility.

For those reasons, I volunteered to nurse the Major.

“Are you really okay with this?”

“Just help me out in an emergency. I’ll handle everything else. Everyone did a great job today.”

Even the Saintess was showing signs of divine power depletion. That’s how powerful the Geas was. Liyo also needed rest after donating blood. Valkyrie was the only one relatively okay, and she’s on watch duty.

Looks like it has to be me, after all.

“Ah, this isn’t good…”

“What did you say just now?”

“I was just mumbling about not feeling well. Sorry, Mage. Guess I need some rest too.”

The Saintess narrowed her eyes and went toward the bonfire. She said she was going to rest, but she looks like she’s about to make dinner. Watching her for a moment, I realized something. The Saintess’s pupils were glowing green.

Green is the color of jealousy for Lumina.

It’s puzzling. The Saintess, jealous? Especially in this situation? What could she possibly be jealous of?

Just as I was feeling the strangeness, David came over and said,

“Senior, you probably already vaguely know this, but the Saintess has feelings for you.”

“What… Ah, never mind. So?”

“The Geas on Major Gifold had no known cure. If it becomes certain that you were the one who solved it, she’s bound to fall for you.”

“Who? The Major?”

“Yeah.”

I glared at David.

“You actually think that makes sense?”

“With your face, no, your mug, no, your head, no, your face, Senior, it’s totally possible.”

“I might get a thank you, sure. But falling in love just because I treated her? Emergency room doctors would all be womanizers then, wouldn’t they?”

“Well, I now know Senior has womanizer tendencies.”

David twerked as he backed away. Then he came back and added one more thing.

“Getting together with the Saintess is the best.”

“Hey.”

I scoffed, completely dumbfounded.

And how many hours had passed since I’d nursed her?

“Ughh.”

As the night deepened, Director Adora woke up.

“Where…?”

“Deserted island.”

The Director squinted, meeting my eyes. She then let out a sigh.

“Shit, it wasn’t a dream then.”

“Do you remember what happened?”

“…Ah, right. You. You guys tied me up and did something weird.”

“It was to undo the geas that was placed on Director Gifford. Did you know about the forbidden spell called Anti-Talisman?”

“……”

The Commandant was silent for a long moment. She kneaded her solar plexus, checking her own condition. I waited without rushing her.

The Commandant’s thin eyebrows flickered up and down. Soon, her pupils slowly widened.

“It doesn’t feel… constricted.”

“I lifted the curse.”

“That’s impossible. How?”

“I protected your heart with the Saintess’s divine power, and used my mana to find and remove the tumor. You were spitting up so much blood that I also transfused some blood from my fox beastman friend in the middle.”

I stopped there and added just one sentence.

“You endured it well until now.”

“…Ha, haha. Ahahaha.”

The Commandant laughed hollowly. An emotionless voice echoed thickly.

“This… This is a dream too, isn’t it? There’s no way. I’ve suffered for decades since I was a child, they said there was no way to undo it, not a single person recognized it. But what, I’m cured in a single night? Does that make any sense?”

“Commandant.”

“It’s definitely a dream. A really fucked up daydream! Please, don’t let me have this kind of hope! I’ve gotten used to it now!”

The Commandant yelled in an agitated tone, grabbing my collar. At that voice, not only the Valkyrie on guard, but even the Saintess and the fox sisters stood up.

Just before the three female soldiers stepped forward, I raised a hand to stop them.

I waited silently, answering the Commandant’s next words.

“You… What did you say your name was?”

“Erich Ronstein.”

“This is definitely a dream, right?”

“Yeah, it’s gotta be a dream.”

“What kind of dream?”

“It’s the kind of crazy dream where the Commander, sent to a deserted island, meets me and enemy female soldiers and gets our help to break free from the Führer’s taboo.”

“Right, a crazy dream. It really was a crazy dream.”

Only then did the Commander lower her voice. She let out a long sigh and whispered softly.

“You’re saying you resolved the taboo placed on me?”

“That’s right.”

“So, I can say anything I want here?”

“Yeah, anything goes. There’s no heart tightening or exploding or anything. Relax and say whatever’s on your mind.”

“Then…”

With that, the Commander leaned in close.

*Smack.*

The sound of my brain getting bleached tickled inside my head.

I dazedly touched my lips. There was warmth. At the same time, the scent of strawberries tickled my nose.

“Thank you.”

The Commander, with her hands still bound, entrusted herself to me.

“Well, it’s a dream, so it’s okay, right? Not a crime or anything. I’ve been into you since the first time I saw you. So, I’m just going to stay like this for a little while.”

And then, for several minutes, the Commander buried her face in my body and rubbed against me.

That’s where I got caught off guard the first time.

I realized things were taking a seriously strange turn the next moment.

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

Valkyrie, Saint, even the Fox Sisters.

They were all looking at me and the Commander with the eyes of a patriot who’d lost their country.

“Um, hello?”

“……Yeah, whatever. Fine.”

The Commander sighed, lifting her head. She leaned back, closing her eyes.

“It’s time to wake up from the dream, right? I know.”

The corners of the Commander’s mouth curved upward. She was smiling. But clear tears were starting to squeeze out from her eyes, clenched shut way too tight.

“Goodbye.”

Adora Gipfel bid farewell to the dream world. That was the only kindness, the only true feeling, she showed today. Tomorrow she’d go back to being a villain.

But that didn’t matter. It was now certain that the curse on the Commander had been broken. She’d know soon enough that what happened today wasn’t a dream.

It should have been something hopeful, something to look forward to.

I couldn’t bring myself to be happy about it.

“Tch.”

“Heh.”

“Grrr.”

The reactions of the Holy Empire female soldiers who’d witnessed our… not-quite-secret rendezvous were ominous.

The three women narrowed their encirclement like wild beasts hunting prey. I’d never felt such a deep chill. It felt like being a watermelon slowly freezing under a winter frost.

“What the hell was that just now.”

“Tell me I just imagined it.”

“Should we just kill that woman after all.”

The female soldiers each spat out a word, their eyes chilling. The four stone golems added their little “Oing oing, oh my oh my” chorus on top, as a bonus.

“This won’t do.”

“Erich. That woman’s dangerous after all. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be nursing her, so Erich, you can take on other duties.”

“To repay kindness with betrayal! Give me back my blood!”

And thus, I became certain of the fact that the three female soldiers held feelings for me that went beyond simple trust.

And the next day.

“……It wasn’t a dream?”

“If you don’t believe it, try calling the Führer a bad guy.”

“Bill, Wilhelm. Fucking b*stard son of a b*tch.”

“……”

“……”

*Crack.*

The Major freed himself from his restraints.

“Oh you fucking madman. How much rage has been building inside you to turn your face that red?”

A mini golem said this while twerking, then walked past. That day, I had to repair David’s torso five times.