Escape From a Deserted Island With Enemy Female Soldiers

109 – Awakening (2)

I learned a lesson through several battles on this island.

That reserves are essential.

Even the most fucked-up army has reserves. There needs to be somewhere to get help when unexpected situations cause losses in combat power.

Although it’s a special situation being stranded on a desert island, it’s not like there’s no one to help.

[‘Looks like I’m finally getting a proper body.’]

[‘It doesn’t have to be too elaborate, just a dinosaur that can fly and shoot guns.’]

[‘Isn’t that elaborate?’]

[‘Oh my.’]

Liyo and I had been preoccupied with making golems for the past few days. Forgetting even meals, we gathered materials, including stones, and poured in divine power and magic to obtain a light and strong material. We used these materials to maintain the drones.

And we rebuilt the makeshift furnace that was over there. If we do it right, we might be able to produce a small amount of steel.

“Hwaaam.”

“Sleepy?”

“Yeah.”

Riyo came over and lay her head on my lap. She wiggled around, getting comfortable for a while, then just fell asleep. Her cute little shoulders rose and fell with each soft snore.

Cute. Seriously cute.

How the hell did I get charmed by this fox?

[‘So, are you gonna take in all the women who say they like you?’]

[‘You were serious? Wow, that’s wild.’]

The murmuring echoed in my head. Valkyrie’s colleagues were especially loud.

Not that David and Kalon were exactly quiet.

[‘Erich, I never imagined you were this kind of guy.’]

[‘Whether it’s the Mage Kingdom or the Holy Spirit Nation, you can only legally marry one person. Why are you having such pre-modern thoughts?’]

I was thinking I’d take them all in, if they were okay with it.

The thing is, I owed each of them my life at least once.

Not to mention Valkyrie, if it weren’t for the Saintess and the fox sisters, and this time, the Commander, I’d have been dead a long time ago.

And the reverse was true too. I’d saved their lives countless times as well.

The bond we forged in crisis and anxiety is as hard as diamond. Even though our time together has been short, the density of the time we’ve spent is different, so I was certain of my feelings.

“Mmph.”

I stroked the fox sister’s hair and closed my eyes. It’s still not safe. Let’s just get out of here first, then think about it.

[“Beep-bee-ee.”]

That’s when the spider monster beside me made a noise.

[“Beep-bee-bee. Beep-bee-beep-bee.”]

Deep dawn.

A rustling sound presses down, resonating on the earth.

Magic of a different caliber is felt.

It was an oppressive force, but I recognized the owner of the mana and relaxed my guard slightly. Before long, from within the darkness, an Arachne with black hair and crimson eyes appeared and approached.

Salvira, former commander of the 20th legion of the Demon King’s army.

A high-ranking demon, yet a mysterious being helping us without any recompense.

[“Where have you been?”]

[“Back to the nest.”]

The nest.

The place where the Demon King’s revival ritual begins.

The source of the monster surge on this island, and the final destination we must reach to break the barrier.

[“The ritual has already begun. It will continue until the next full moon. On the final day, when the preparations for the offering are complete, we will use the sacrifice as a price to perform a holocaust and revive the Demon King.”]

[“Should you be telling us such important information?”]

[“Hmm. Normally, no.”]

[“Then, do you want us to stop it?”]

[“Ronstein, you whelp.”]

Salvira crouched down. Her eyes, illuminated by the crackling bonfire, were coldly fixed.

[“What do you think of demons?”]

It was an unexpected question.

[“This is the first time I’ve ever met one directly, so I don’t know.”]

[“Then tell me, even if it’s just that brief experience.”]

In that moment, I recalled the conversation I first had with the Saintess.

Originally, the Saintess believed mages to be vile creatures. Worshipping demons, resorting to lies and deceit for their own gain, and disrupting the world with forbidden spells…

Isn’t that how I see the Mazoku now?

Up until now, we’ve only encountered Mazoku who were aggressive. There was no way to form a good impression.

However, one noteworthy point was that they also have individual wills and slightly different personalities.

They have things they desire, and entities to whom they pledge loyalty.

And, the Mazoku before my eyes.

[“I’m a little curious to know how you humans view us.”]

Even though she’s probably stronger than me, she’s watching my reactions.

After a moment of contemplation, I came to a conclusion.

[“Your question is flawed.”]

Salbira’s expression grew puzzled, as if it were an unexpected answer.

[“…What do you mean?”]

[“If there are a hundred people, there will be a hundred personalities and values. I can’t just take a few examples and say that all Mazoku are like that.”]

Just like how the Saintess made hasty generalizations about mages.

[“Someone’s evaluation differs from person to person, and it also changes over time. Someone I thought was good might be a bad person to someone else, and someone who seemed so-so yesterday might seem okay today.”]

[“So you’re saying…”]

[“I can’t definitively say whether all Mazoku are good or evil, or good or bad. However… you’ve treated us well, so at this point in time, I think you’re a good Mazoku.”]

I thanked her once again for saving Valkyrie. Even though the being before me was an alien existence, the fact that she helped us was undeniable.

Salbira let out a dry, hollow laugh.

[“…I heard the exact same thing from Jeriem, back in the day.”]

[“Is that why you’re helping us? Is it related to him?”]

[“That b*stard gave me homework.”]

Salbira leaned in close.

[“Find out why we lost the Human-Demon War, he said.”]

Hundreds of years ago.

The Demon Lord’s army’s defeat and decline can be roughly divided into two processes.

First, there was the incident where a special unit composed of the Holy Sword’s Hero seriously injured the Demon Lord.

Second, there was the magicians’ uprising in the Demon Lord’s occupied territory, resulting in the founding of Hazkaiyl.

The hardliners of the Holy Spirit Church omit the latter from their teachings, but essentially, these two events are grouped together and called the Human-Demon War.

[“I think I understand a little. Why you’re weaker than me, yet in a position higher than mine.”]

[“Higher position… you mean?”]

[“Look at the companions around you, and the companions around me. I only have familiars I created. I have no demon companions with intelligence and shared goals.”]

As soon as the queen bee died, the bee monsters disappeared, and when the Calamity Witch died, the mushroom monsters rapidly decreased. Based on Salbira’s words, if she dies, the spiders here will soon run out of magic power and disappear.

Salbira lamented.

[“The Hero, the Archmage, they both had something they were willing to sacrifice their lives to protect. And they were always surrounded by friends and lovers. Maybe… I envied that.”]

I added more firewood to the fire and replied.

[“Human lives are shorter than demons’.”]

[“By at least tenfold, even more. We’ve lived different lengths of time. I couldn’t understand why our master lost.”]

“Maybe they were more desperate *because* their lifeline was short. They knew every minute, every second was precious. Because they age fast, get sick, die quick, I think they fought even harder to not be left behind.”

“……I see.”

Salvira nodded. Her gaze was fixed on the burning firewood.

“Kid.”

“Yes.”

“You’re going to storm the nest as soon as you’re ready?”

“To break the barrier and escape, isn’t that what I have to do?”

“You might be maturing mentally, but you’re physically weak. Mages have traditionally armed themselves with mana to protect their frail bodies, but even that mana seems feeble in your case, because of the curse.”

“I’ll be alright, I have my comrades.”

“That’s exactly what Jeriem said, too.”

Jeriem, Jeriem, always singing about Jeriem. Did this woman like our ancestor that much? What happened that day?

“Anyway, an era of ruling by force like in the past must not be repeated.”

Salvira rose from her seat and looked down at me.

“I think I can help you.”

“How so?”

“By becoming your teacher.”

My measly mana pool is actually a curse etched into my bloodline. Hard to believe, but on the other hand, it made sense.

It sounded like Salvira was saying she could solve that curse.

“Even before Jeriem ascended, I’d been training to increase the absolute amount of mana within my body. And I discovered a method.”

“What method is that?”

[“If I tell you, you’ll be scared shitless. It’s not an easy path, you know.”]

[“I’ll do whatever it takes.”]

I just wished my mana pool would grow to what everyone else had. There was a chance, supposedly, and as someone steeped in magic engineering, I couldn’t just skip trying.

Salbira’s answer was a bit of a shock, though.

[“From now on, for a month straight, cut off all grains.”]

[“Ah.”]

This was a bit much.

[“You mean don’t eat rice at all?”]

[“Yeah.”]

[“Is water okay?”]

[“Normal water is out. You need to survive only on magic water with a mana content of at least half. And while doing that, repeat Mirqil and the process of casting magic. Then, the total mana amount will gradually increase.”]

Basically, she was telling me to eat nothing and focus solely on magical training for a month.

When I told this to my comrades, they all opposed it, starting with the Saintess.

“Are you telling our Erich to die?”

[‘Ooh, *our* Erich.’]

“Even if he just drinks water and starves, he’ll be in danger in three weeks. He could become a wreck, or even die. And you want him to train too? For a whole month? Are you insane? What’s your hidden agenda?”

I conveyed these words back to Salbira, and a calm answer returned.

The choice was mine.

However, if I didn’t do it, there was a high probability of being annihilated by the Legion Commander, known as the Vampire Princess.

Hearing those words, I looked at the others.

“Remember? We promised we’d all survive together.”

“Of course. So, Erich, absolutely don’t do any—”

“I will.”

“Erich!”

Despite the Saintess’s roar, I decided to try trusting the Spider Woman. Of course, if it really felt wrong, I’d stop at any time.

Having made that decision, I began my training.

And, I started kissing Adora’s Director every single day without fail.