125 – A Momentary Settlement (1)

I started the cleanup.

We buried the dead and erected a memorial. It didn’t take long, thanks to the golems and spiders. After burying those who needed to be buried, Tiria led a prayer.

“May they show kindness in their next life…”

We washed ourselves in the underground stream near the altar and left the crystal cave.

It was night.

A deep night, past midnight.

“Woah…”

The brilliantly risen full moon was chillingly beautiful.

“It’s all over now, right?”

“Just need to get home! Gotta build that motorboat with gusto.”

“Let’s sleep on it and think tomorrow.”

Everyone was exhausted. They wanted nothing more than to lie down right there.

“Follow me.”

“Bbeem-bbi!”

Thanks to Salbira’s sharp night vision, we were able to return to our quarters safely.

As soon as we entered the barracks, the female soldiers threw off their outer clothes and collapsed onto the beds.

“Erich, you worked so hard. Come lie down with us.”

“Are you suggesting we share a bed?”

“We used to do this all the time, didn’t we?”

Tiria said with a soft laugh, then stopped, her eyes widening at my gaze. Her pupils were gradually turning cherry blossom pink. The other three women were glaring at Tiria. The sight made my lips suddenly dry.

“You’ll have to choose one of us, senior.”

Indeed.

Now that most of the immediate threats were gone, it was time to give them an answer.

Whom I held in my heart, what exactly was the relationship between us who had weathered so much hardship together.

What was to come, came at last.

“Pfft.”

Riyo chuckled.

“Today is a truce, a truce. We all nearly died, we can’t be bickering, can we? Erich is having a hard time. Hey, over here. Over here now. Come lie down.”

At Riyo’s beckoning, I moved like a fox bewitched.

As I cautiously settled onto the bed, the four women surrounded me like a venus flytrap. None of them wore makeup, yet the air thrummed with a womanly scent. It was the first time seeing the women I always saw made me so tense.

“I’ll sing you a lullaby, Erich.”

Riyo, the most intimately close, whispered, her tail wrapping around my waist.

“Lullaby, lullaby, my darling.”

The soft fur of her tail and its savory scent sent my mind reeling. Adding to this, her gentle, murmured voice, I drifted into a dreamlike haze, as if hypnotized.

Wait, something’s not right.

Isn’t her tail touching a rather… peculiar place right now?

“Miss, wouldn’t Erich be troubled if you put your tail there…?”

“W-what are you doing in front of everyone?”

While Rachel and Theria stuttered, Adora peeked her head out. Her cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk as she looked down at me.

“Uup.”

“What?”

“Uhhhuupp.”

“I can’t quite… understand what you’re saying…”

The ambush struck the next instant. Adora’s lips covered mine like a tent.

A sultry nasal hum and warm breath met me. Water trickled down her slender jawline, following the curve of her neck, disappearing into her cleavage. And…

Theria shrieked.

“What are *you* doing now!”

“…Pffhuuu, replenishing mana.”

“Replenishing mana, my foot! You just filled your mouth with water!”

“Lower your voice, Saintess. We all nearly died; must we fight even in the bedroom?”

“You’re the one providing the excuse! Get away from Erich! He’s having a hard time!”

Theria and Adora bickered. Up to this point, I could just about take it, but a certain soft sensation persisted. Something heavy and amply endowed… it was indeed what I thought it was.

Damn it all. The stimulation was too much. There was a limit to how much one could suppress this physiologically.

“Ah, it’s gotten hard.”

“Huh? Kyaaa!”

I decided to stop thinking.

*

Tired. Feels like I didn’t sleep enough. But the thought of lying back down doesn’t appeal.

I had a nightmare.

A simple dream where I was chased by monsters and fell off a cliff. I’ve been having it a lot since being stranded on this deserted island. Having only bad experiences while awake, I hardly ever dream good dreams.

“Ughh.”

And it seemed Rachel was the same.

“Erich, Erich.”

“……”

Did she just say my name?

I went over to Rachel, who was tossing and turning, and held her hand tightly.

Even though I was touching the hand that had killed my comrades, I felt no repulsion. That’s how precious this woman had become to me, I suppose.

“Haa, haa.”

Her ragged breathing, like she was still caught in a nightmare, was heartbreaking. I stroked her hair and back, like I used to do sometimes on the previous island.

Her once silky hair had become rough. Her clothes were torn in places, beyond repair. Nevertheless, she was beautiful. No, she was even more beautiful because of it. This appearance held the memories we had made together, melting like snow.

“Erich, don’t go. Don’t go…”

Lost in that thought, my body was suddenly yanked closer.

“Hngh, hngh.”

Rachel pressed her face against my hand and rubbed it. It hurt. I was trapped, unable to escape. I couldn’t bring myself to do anything. Rachel’s ragged breathing was gradually returning to normal.

Come to think of it, Salbira had said so. Rachel’s mental state seemed the most fragile. Apparently, she’d been about to take her own life as soon as I was on the verge of death.

Also, she’d apparently given me as much of her blood as she could to keep me alive.

“Don’t leave me alone…”

Noticing the tears welling up in Rachel’s eyes, I gently wiped them away with my sleeve.

I stayed with her a little longer, and Rachel’s hand slowly loosened its grip. Her nightmare was over.

It was still early dawn, and everyone else was asleep.

I got out of bed and left the barracks in just my shirt.

[‘Wow, is that really true?’]

[‘Every bit of it is true. It was a little tough at the time, but I did my best… Oh, oh, oooh!’]

David, who was talking to Daisy, saw me and collapsed backwards.

“Honestly, senior. Why are you up already?”

“Ah, couldn’t sleep, thought I’d take a little stroll.”

“Did you… conduct the grand ritual successfully?”

“Grand ritual?”

“Senior Kalon said you were inside the barracks, making babies. He told us to stand guard and, if we heard any strange noises, to absolutely not enter…”

I frowned, a tic tugging at my brow.

“Where is that b*stard?”

“He’s in the tent on the other side, with Olivia. Oh, but he said he has something important to focus on, so we shouldn’t interrupt. Ah? Senior? Did you hear my request? Please take care?”

I circled the massive tent and walked toward the thicket on the far side. Breath held, my footsteps fell light, almost silent.

Voices drifted on the air.

It was Senior Kalon’s.

“…And so, I believe we should have a serious discussion.”

“Are you implying that you have… feelings for me?”

“Is that so impossible?”

“Hmph, I wonder?”

The female-form golem circled the hulking golem, tracing a slow path around him.

“I was so confused when I died and became this stone thing. To be honest, I still am. Even if we escape this deserted island, I don’t know what to do with this body. And now I’m hearing things like that…”

“I feel the same. That overwhelming feeling… I understand. Maybe that’s why I want to lean on someone in a similar situation.”

“Maybe it would be better if I just… ascended.”

“You both died too young. There is no need to rush.”

The female-form golem, Olivia, squirmed, her voice a low murmur.

“I need to sort out my thoughts before we talk again. Is that alright?”

“I will be waiting, always.”

Olivia scurried away, ending the two golems’ conversation.

Kalon scratched his head, sighing heavily. I stood from my crouch and approached him.

“Senior.”

“Ugh! You scared me! How long have you been standing there?”

“I just arrived.”

“Oh, really?”

I barely managed to choke back a sigh. What in the world were these golems even doing?

It felt impolite to mention it, so I brought up something else.

“Did Senior order that no one enter the barracks while he was ‘handling business’?”

[‘He did. How’d the nighttime work go? Eh? Hey, wait a minute. What are you doing?’]

I yanked the magic stone from the golem’s head and kneaded it furiously. Only after a good while did I reinsert it into its chest.

[‘Ugh, Twuh-tah…’]

“Don’t go spreading blatant falsehoods. I’m letting you off easy because you’re Senior.”

[‘Twuh-oo, Twuh-tah-tah-tah.’]

“Anyway, have you seen Master? “

[‘…Twuh?’]

“Salbira, I mean. The spider woman.”

[‘Twuh-oo! Twuh-twuh-tah-tah!’]

“Speak in human language, please.”

[‘If you mean the spider woman, she went that way a while ago.’]

Kalon gestured towards a place where enormous cocoons were lined up.

[‘She said not to go there, since she’s ‘tidying up.’]

“Tidying up? Doesn’t that seem a bit suspicious?”

[‘What does?’]

“Senior, just one question. How did I come back to life?”

[‘How did you come back to life? By using a banishing spell to forcefully pull your soul back from the gates of Heaven…’]

“Then, what about my lifespan?”

[‘Lifespan?’]

“Isn’t the fundamental principle of magic the Law of Conservation?”

Or in other words, the Law of Equivalent Exchange.

“I single-handedly saved all those Holy Empire female soldiers. To bring me back, it would have taken the lifespans of at least three Holy Empire female soldiers in exchange. Even with Adora in charge, that would have meant a significant amount of lifespan being taken.”

[‘That didn’t happen.’]

“Then who paid the price for my life?”

[‘Hmm.’]

Kalon didn’t answer. Was he ignorant of the truth, or feigning ignorance even though he knew? It was difficult to tell with a golem, their expressions were unreadable.

“I’ll go see Salbira for a moment.”

*

Salvira was nestled amidst the thickets. Eyes fixed on the night sky, she murmured something. It was rather obvious what she was attempting, so I wasted no time in announcing my presence.

[“Who’s there?”]

[“It is I, Master.”]

[“…Already awake, are you?”]

Salvira’s complexion was poor. She seemed flustered, like someone caught concealing something.

[“What brings you here?”]

[“I came to offer my personal gratitude.”]

I lowered my head.

[“I heard you helped the women soldiers and me secure our marriages. I nearly died, thanks to you. I am grateful.”]

[“Nonsense. I merely did what a teacher should. It is not a great matter, so do not feel burdened.”]

[“No, you sacrificed your very lifespan through *beonje* to save me, I must be burdened.”]

I prodded directly. It struck true, it seemed. Salvira’s face, which had been rigidly set, relaxed as if in resignation. She rubbed her eyes with force, then, with a rustling of her eight legs, turned away.

[“…You knew.”]

[“Yes.”]

[“Even so, do not feel burdened. A high-ranking demon like myself can easily live for a thousand years. Life is such that one might regret living even a day longer, or be perfectly content to live less. Decades are but a fleeting moment.”]

[“Did you pay the price?”]

[“I was about to, just now.”]

[“Why was the transaction not immediate?”]

[“That, I also do not know…”]

[“Is it because my life’s value differs from that of others?”]

Salvira was silent at my words. As I suspected.

[“Master.”]

[“…This devil appears to be more cautious than most. It would be ideal if it were to simply take this life, but I suppose your life is too precious, and so it hesitated. Now, it has even bothered to secure a deferment; if this continues, it will end up owing me with interest.”]

[“Then, Master…”]

[“The truth is, I am not afraid of death. Perhaps I will lose something even more precious than life itself.”]

Salvira turned to face me. Her eyes, devoid of all expectation, stared at me with a hollow gaze as she spoke softly.

[“Disciple, it seems you have many questions.”]

[“Why would you go to such lengths for me?”]

[“So, that was the greatest of your questions.”]

I nodded.

And then, Salbira’s answer left me speechless.

[“It is because you are the descendant of the man I loved.”]