141 – The Final Escape (1)

So tired. I spent the entire night awake.

“It’s raining.”

“We should rest today.”

In this foul weather, neither hunting nor crafting can be done properly. My motivation wanes, and everything becomes a bothersome chore.

I wasn’t alone in this sentiment, it seemed.

“Heeing.”

“What is it?”

“My tail is damp. I feel… blah.”

Riyo crawled groggily onto the stone bed. She found a comfortable spot and lay down.

“Gonna sleep.”

Sleeping is fine, but couldn’t she at least pull up her trousers a bit?

Riyo was soon fast asleep, utterly spent.

Well, it was rather intense. I should take this opportunity to replenish my stamina and mana as well. On a deserted island, you rest when you can.

The other female soldiers also looked drained. Rachel lay down as soon as she finished eating, and Tiria said she would rest as well, then curled up in a corner.

Scritch, scritch.

Tiria was carving something. A wooden plank. It didn’t look like a sculpture; she seemed to be etching letters. Curiosity piqued, I carefully approached her from behind.

[It was at that moment that Erich grasped Tiria’s chin. “Whether you are base or not, I am exceedingly fond of Tiria herself.” Erich’s face drew closer and closer, until it touched Tiria’s lips.]

What is she writing?

“Tiria?”

“Kyaaah! E-Erich?”

“…Jeez, why did you suddenly scream like that?”

“And you, why are you sneaking up on me without making a sound?”

Tiria clutched her chest and let out a long exhale.

“Hoo, that’s done. Is something the matter?”

“No. Just curious as to what you’re doing. What were you writing on that wooden board?”

“Th-this?”

Tiria’s hand, along with the wooden board, moved back defensively. She offered a wry smile as she answered.

“It’s nothing much, just a diary.”

“A diary?”

“Yes. I was organizing my thoughts about what we’re doing here. I should write it down while it’s fresh in my mind. That way, it will be a good source of historical information later on. Especially since I am a saintess.”

A diary, huh. My head nodded almost involuntarily.

How this matter will be recorded in history, I don’t know. What’s certain is that we are the only humans who have witnessed this situation with our own eyes.

As participants, it would be good to leave a record of everything that comes to mind.

[“Mingle.”]

I used magic to gather stones and leftover ashes. With a simple combination, I created two crude charcoal pencils. I held one out to Tiria.

“Ah, thank you.”

“The writing quality won’t be amazing.”

“Still, this is something, isn’t it? Magic is so convenient. Hehe.”

The fact that Tiria was saying something like this was proof that she had changed a lot. At first, she only seemed like a stuffy dogmatist, but now, doesn’t she really seem like a Saintess?

If there were more people like her in the Holy Order, mages might be able to see and accept the brighter side of religion. Then the world would move in a better direction.

Jeriem. In the direction he had hoped for.

Finishing that train of thought, I glanced at the saintess, diligently writing away.

[*Tiria, panting, moaning in a pitiful way. Even though it hasn’t been long since she began, her body, which had done some studying beforehand, naturally accepted the man’s touch and experienced pleasure. Oh no, am I really a pervert?*]

As expected, she really is a Saintess. Her handwriting is pretty, and she writes quickly. Even if she were to get kicked out of the Order, she’s a capable woman who could earn her own keep.

Taking a lesson from my prospective wife, I also grabbed the hastily made charcoal and tried to write something.

“Hmm.”

But when I actually tried to write, I didn’t know which part to start recording from.

Ah, right. A detailed account of how Tiria and I ended up in the relationship we’re in now is needed. Let’s trace back to that time.

Scritch, scratch.

Tiria and I continued to write, with the sound of the rain as background music. As we wrote, our eyes occasionally met. Tiria smiled shyly, so I raised the corners of my lips in return.

[*I grabbed the chaplain by the nape of his neck and the back of his knees and slowly lifted him up. I could feel his chilled body temperature through the soaked fabric.*]

[*Tiria clung to Erich and begged. She was impatient. Her mind was full of the desire to receive Erich’s seed, like Rachel.*]

[*If things continued like this, she’d get sick like Valkyrie or me that day. I had to take action before that happened.*]

[It was a woman’s yearning, and jealousy too. ‘I’ll be the one to get pregnant first…’]

Relaying the tale of how she came to call the Saint by name took well over a few hours. After a meal, I finally succumbed to my weariness.

“Major, do you have a moment?”

Adora cautiously sat beside me, holding something in her hand. It was the honeycomb we’d taken after raiding the hive a few days prior.

“What is it?”

“Oh, nothing much. Just thought we could have a little chat. Talk about things we’ve been too busy to talk about… if you’re up for it.”

Ah, here it comes. The engine’s starting.

Adora plucked a piece of honeycomb from the jar. Genuine, natural honey sourced directly from this very island. She chewed on it, sighing with delight.

“This honey’s amazing. Good for chewing instead of gum. It’s a shame I can’t blow bubbles with it.”

“Do you chew gum often?”

“Practically every day. I especially like pine-flavored. Calming, you know? Before I owed you my life, it was the only solace I had.”

“And now you have another?”

Adora chuckled, leaning against my shoulder.

“Here, you have some.”

Instead of a honeycomb piece, Adora offered me her finger.

“Um, weren’t you going to give me a piece?”

“The pieces are right here. Hurry up and lick it. You can bite if you want.”

“……”

“My arm’s going to fall off.”

Adora forcefully pried open my mouth. Her finger slipped between my lips.

The honey’s sweetness, coupled with the peculiar saltiness of human skin. A hint of sourness lingered, too.

Tap, tap. Adora tapped my tongue with her finger, asking,

“How is it? The honey.”

“Extremely sweet.”

“… My body is just a little sweet in general, senior.”

My jaw dropped.

“Such a lewd officer. Who said you could stop? Come here. Closer. Lick it all off, I said.”

Adora made me lick each of her fingers, from thumb to pinky on her right hand, and then again on her left.

[“…Bimbi? Oh, Bimbi!”]

[‘Oh dear god, how can someone with stars on their collar commit such horrific injustices?’]

[“Bleep-bleep! Bleep-bleep! Bleep-blee-bleep-bleep!”]

[‘And that, from a military family that’s produced enemies for five generations. Where has the chivalry gone? Is *that* the bearing of a true soldier? Once I’m back, I need to report this to the press immediately…’]

[“Bleep-bleep-bleep, bleep-bleep-bleep!”]

[‘Oh, quiet down, will you? What would a multi-legged, pseudo-insect know? How many slaps will it take to make you listen?’]

[“BleeEEEeet!”]

[‘Oh, oh, ohhh!’]

Bleep-bleep spun a thread, binding David. David, uttering a plea for his life, was dragged away by the spider. They’re having such a good time.

Adora’s breathing grew louder. A strange atmosphere. I gently nibbled at her finger, caressed it, cautiously swirled my tongue around it. The stimulation, not insignificant, made Adora flinch, withdrawing the last finger.

“Let’s see, did you suckle well enough?”

The finger that had, just moments ago, been writhing with my tongue entered Adora’s small mouth. Then, *smack, smack*. She rolled her tongue as if sucking sugar off a pastry.

“Good, a spotless cleanup.”

“Commander, you really don’t have to overdo it.”

“Overdo? When have I ever overdone anything?”

“Even if you don’t do this, I love you, Commander. There’s no need to force a good mood.”

“Ha.”

Adora nudged my solar plexus. True to her noble lineage, her pride was strong. It was only natural that she’d find my words uncomfortable.

“It’s *you* who needs to try harder, Major Ronstein. Consider the difference in rank, in family. If you confessed to a woman like me, shouldn’t you make it a fait accompli before she gets bored and runs away?”

“But we’re on a deserted island, what does it matter?”

“Once we escape, it’ll be a different story again.”

“My point is, *this* world is a deserted island.”

“Huh?”

I chose that moment to steal Adora’s lips. At the sudden kiss, Adora’s eyes widened.

Ending the intense kiss, I pulled away.

“This, this planet where we live, is a small island in the universe’s grand sea, isn’t it? As long as we’re trapped here, and as long as the Commander desires me, I will follow you to the ends of the earth.”

“This, this guy, he’s quite the operator…”

“Do you dislike it?”

Adora hung her head at my question. She shook her head in denial.

“I thought the most painful moment in my life was when I was being manipulated by the Chancellor, but no. I misjudged.”

“When was it the most painful, then?”

“Now.”

This time, Adora pressed down on me.

“This is the first time I’ve ever regretted being born a woman. Seeing those enemy female soldiers clinging to you twists something inside me. Do you even know? That you, who freed the restraint on my heart, has now become the greatest threat to it?”

“…Major.”

Adora began to unbutton her military jacket. Clad only in a standard-issue undershirt, she continued her plea.

“Sunbae, those Holy Spirit b*stards must have all tasted you already, right? Even though they can’t understand you, even though they’re the enemy. What about us? We’re allies, aren’t we? We were born and raised in the same country, went to the same university. We have the most in common.”

“Adora…”

“I know my position perfectly well. Once I take off my clothes, I’m just… not a Major anymore, just a single woman. A foolish, pathetic woman who’s fallen in love with you.”

Her voice choked with tears. Wordlessly, I embraced Adora.

“You felt… hurt.”

“Yes.”

“But don’t call yourself foolish and pathetic. It hurts me to see the woman I love belittle herself like that.”

“Sunbae is truly… Every single word is like a precious gem.”

Our lips met once more, this time with neither taking the lead, our tongues darting out simultaneously.

And then, in the midst of that sweet kiss…

*Wooo-ooo-oong!*

The emergency signal beacon I’d crafted with Liyo began to vibrate.

There was no question of ruining the mood. Escape was paramount. Even escaping this barrier, sailing the Tatankur, a sea like a vast wilderness, required no small amount of courage and luck.

That’s why we had combined existing mana stones to create a mana transceiver, broadcasting a distress signal like a wave. Even though the signal was weak, hopefully it would be picked up if anyone passed near the Tatankur Sea.

For a month, we hadn’t received a single signal… Could it be?

*

[─This is the First Fleet of the Pinar Federation. We have received a distress signal from the Tatankur Sea. Please modify your transmission message to allow for specific identification. We will dispatch a rescue team upon verification. Over.]