Escape From a Deserted Island With Enemy Female Soldiers

62 – How to Overcome Trauma (2)

The Sandstone Bug’s ambush.

But in reality, it was only a half-assed ambush. I’d been reading its mana for seconds. Thanks to that, I reacted faster than anyone else in the group.

[“Pierce it.”]

I struck the monster’s head with a line of thermal energy. *Thung.* The trajectory of the flame it was spewing warped. I grabbed Valkyrie and rolled across the sand.

“Ugh!”

The ground is hot. If I weren’t wearing this uniform, my arms and back would already be burned.

*Fwoosh.*

The burrowing creature, having done its tunneling, dug back into the earth.

“Mage!”

“Are you alright?”

When the Saintess and Riyo finally caught up, the creature was already preparing its next attack.

I traced the flow of mana.

The attack is going to come from below, upwards.

It’s fast, but not so fast that I can’t dodge it.

*Whirr!*

I yanked Valkyrie toward me and snatched the spear from her hands. The moment the thing burst out of the earth, I brought the spear down.

*Snap!*

The creature clamped its fangs down, shattering the spear’s tip. Sickly blue flames spilled from between its teeth. A chilling heat crawled up my arm like a centipede, and I hastily pulled my hand away.

I retrieved another mana stone from my pouch.

After capturing the wooden golem on that last island, I acquired a batch of quality mana stones. I don’t know which of these was the key to escaping the island, but one thing’s for sure: every mana stone has its own specific use.

[“Leaf, blossom.”]

As I uttered the incantation, vines erupted from the mana stone.

Stretchy, taffy-like tendrils forced their way into the creature’s mouth, piercing it all the way through from head to tail.

The creature thrashed, but its struggles were futile. The vines were lined with barbs that pointed in reverse. The more it tried to pull away, the more they would scrape and dig in.

“Mage!”

“I’ll help!”

Riyo and the Saintess charged in, axes drawn.

The blades of their axes sunk into the monster’s head seam. Riyo strained, eyes wide, putting her weight into it.

Crack!

The monster’s head split open, dangling precariously. It let out a long, thin shriek before collapsing.

“…Did we get it?”

You never know.

I pulled my carbon steel knife from its sheath. Where Riyo had buried her axe, I plunged the knife and twisted. Cutting a diagonal line with the force of completely severing the central nervous system.

Glug!

I felt the skin tear. Clods of clay-like blood welled up.

I pulled out the knife and stomped on the now-loose head, crushing it. With the sound of jelly squishing, konjac-like clumps oozed out. The stench of rot filled the air. I barely managed to suppress my gag reflex as I finished the job.

“Hoo.”

I just wanted to get the magic stone quickly, then kick the monster into the sea.

“Is everyone alright?”

“I’m fine.”

Even though we were ambushed, we were lucky to have repelled it without any significant losses. That concludes our battle.

But for the Valkyrie, the battle was just beginning.

“Ugh, hugh, hughhh.”

“…Major?”

“Ah, aaaH!”

Valkyrie screamed and plunged into the ocean. She scrubbed her skin raw, drenching herself in seawater.

“It’s hot! It’s hot! It hurts!!”

Valkyrie wasn’t on fire. No burn marks were visible. Maybe she got singed, with all the sparks flying, but even then, there was no reason to overreact like this.

The reason for the pain had to be something else.

Trauma.

“Major! Calm down!”

“Major, you’re not on fire! You’re okay, Major!”

The Saintess and Riyo clung to her, trying to calm her, but it didn’t seem to be working.

“Mom! Dad! Someone, someone help me!”

The last two years.

I’ve seen so many soldiers return from the battlefield suffering from mental illness.

They often became hypersensitive in certain situations, or angry, or even attacked their own comrades.

Valkyrie’s showing the same symptoms.

I need to calm her down before things get worse.

“Kasten.”

I pulled the Saintess, who was trying to soothe Valkyrie, back.

“Let me try.”

“How? Even the Saintess’s calming holy magic isn’t working. It won’t be easy!”

“I’ve calmed down a lot of soldiers with these symptoms, even without holy magic. Can I just try?”

“…Okay. Do you need anything?”

“Is there… Could you give me a few words so I can communicate?”

The Saintess nodded.

After asking the Saintess for a few difficult words, I carefully observed the Valkyrie’s actions. She was scooping up seawater and splashing it everywhere.

Just as I suspected.

The memories from that day were replaying in her head. The day her home and village were burned by the pseudo-mages.

In cases like this, simple comfort wouldn’t calm her. I had to see what the Valkyrie was seeing. I had to empathize with the situation.

I cleared my throat and opened my mouth.

“Little girl, what’s going on at the fire station?”

“Fi-fire, I need to put it out…”

“Oh no, your body is all covered in soot. Aren’t you hot?”

“It’s hot, help… help me.”

“Just wait a moment. I’ll help you soon.”

The seawater is warmer than I expected. Must be because this island is burning.

To calm the Valkyrie, I need cool water.

I took out a Purifying Stone and converted some of the seawater into fresh water. During this process, I condensed mana to its limit. The condensed mana causes condensation. When condensation occurs, endothermic reaction takes place.

In other words, the purified water is colder than the seawater.

I slammed in mana until my lips were numb. Two portions of ice water were created. I slowly poured the cold water over the Valkyrie’s arms, legs, and head.

“Ah, it’s cold…”

“That’s good. The fire is all out. We almost had a big problem. Now I’ll put bandages on you, so let’s get some rest. Okay?”

“…Ah.”

Valkyrie’s eyes slowly closed. I supported her, unconscious, with both hands.

“It’s done now.”

“H-how?”

The Saintess asked, surprised.

“How did you do that?”

“Just adjusted to Valkyrie’s perspective. These kinds of roleplays are surprisingly effective.”

“Mage, you are…”

The Saintess’s eyes held three colors for the first time. Pink, yellow, and blue.

“I’m ashamed of myself. I received power from the Goddess of Healing, yet I can’t even heal someone else’s trauma.”

“No, you’re already doing a good job.”

I wasn’t even sure if this method would work. It was just something I did based on experience that happened to hit the mark. In other words, I got lucky.

[“Riyo, Miyo. Make some fans out of the remaining bamboo. Big ones if you can.”]

“Huh? Okay.”

“Mr. Karsten, it seems we’ll have to spend the nights on the lifeboat this island. Please prepare our sleeping arrangements.”

“I think that’s best too. It’s too dangerous here.”

Blood splattered on my uniform while fighting the monsters. The stains don’t really matter. The problem is the filth itself and the smell. If I don’t wipe it off well, other monsters might smell the stench or I could catch a disease.

I took off my clothes and Valkyrie’s outer garment too. The Saintess, who had tied the rope to a rock and returned, was horrified.

“W-what are you doing…!”

“It’s not what you think.”

“How do you know what I’m thinking?”

“Eyes, pink.”

“Ah.”

The Saint covered her eyes with both hands and let out a kee-ahhh sound. She gets like this sometimes, acting up.

I smirked and said,

“Pervert much?”

“What pervert! And why are *you* hugging the Major naked?”

“Psychological therapy.”

“How is that psychological therapy?”

“In the Magic Kingdom, they say you’re supposed to do this for people with trauma. It unconsciously makes them realize they’re not alone.”

“Then I’ll do it.”

“It’s best if the person who calmed them down does it.”

Gray tinged the Saint’s eyes. She answered sulkily.

“You’re not doing this to fulfill some selfish desire, are you?”

“Have you forgotten that I’m enemies with Valkyrie?”

“That… that’s true, but…”

“It’s all for survival. Valkyrie needs to pull her weight if we want to break through this island. I’m going to help her overcome her trauma no matter what. Absolutely, I’m not doing this because I like it.”

Thinking about Valkyrie’s trauma, entering the island was a gamble.

But when you think about it, going back to the previous island is the same. If we run into a typhoon on the way, it’s over. Either choice, we can’t guarantee 100% safety here.

If it’s dangerous this way and dangerous that way, then forward is better than retreat.

“Goddess of Healing, grant peace to this poor lamb.”

The Saint chanted a prayer of stability. Valkyrie’s breathing became noticeably calmer. I held her and headed for the lifeboat. Even after sitting in the lifeboat, I continued to hold Valkyrie.

“Tch.”

This island is insane.

Designed so that you can’t break through unless you comfort your enemy.

Those two rocks were making ‘oing oing’ noises, distracting me, so I sharply told them to be quiet.

*

Blazing flames.

Rachel was right in the middle of them.

Her whole body was on fire. It was so hot she couldn’t bear it. She tried scooping water in a bucket and pouring it on her body and the house, but it was useless. The pain wouldn’t subside.

She felt like she would suffocate from despair.

And then, a hand of salvation came down.

-Little girl, what’s happening at the fire station?

She met a firefighter.

Rachel spoke urgently. Asking for help. Saying she needed to put out the fire. That her whole body was hot, painful, and tormenting her.

-Just wait a moment. I’ll help you soon.

Soon after hearing those words, an ice-cold chill came down. Rachel shrugged her shoulders. The hot sensation vanished in an instant.

The fire was extinguished.

-Now, I’ll wrap you in bandages, so let’s get some rest. Okay?

After that, a warm sensation was felt. Yes, warmth, not heat. It felt like being embraced in the arms of family.

She wanted to feel more of this warmth. Rachel pulled her arms in tight. And, she slowly opened her eyes.

“……?”

The first thing she sees is the man’s skin. Solid muscle, right there in front of her. And she’s completely naked too, wrapped in his arms.

Startled, Rachel lifts her head.

“Ah, you’re awake.”

Erich’s eyes gleam in the dim light.

Rachel recoils, pushing Erich away. Her cheeks flush crimson as the situation begins to sink in.