5. Here We Go Again (2)
5. Here We Go Again (2)
The heroine of Survival Academy who washed ashore a few days ago.
A sudden disturbance that erupted in the bears' territory.
Bears caught in traps and killed.
The balance of power on the uninhabited island had cracked.
This fact heralded news I found far from pleasant.
First, the island's power dynamics were shifting.
The cause remained unclear, but roughly twenty percent of the entire bear population had been in such a panic that they couldn't even avoid traps they normally sidestepped with ease. Moreover, tremors had also resonated from areas beyond the bears' territory before quickly subsiding.
Why it happened would require further investigation, but the most likely explanation was a fight between the alpha and a challenger seeking to take its place. The alpha hadn't changed once in ten years, but... ten years was by no means a short time for either humans or monsters.
The alpha was markedly larger and far stronger than even a brown bear, so there was no guarantee its lifespan matched that of ordinary bears, but it was still a definite possibility. And if the alpha had changed, my workload would increase accordingly.
Up until now, the previous alpha had been reasonably intelligent. After I'd grown strong enough, it had realized that picking a fight with me would only cost it dearly, and left me alone. But if the alpha changed, the story would be different. A new alpha meant the entire pack's disposition might change.
If the new alpha was excessively aggressive, war would be unavoidable. The snakes would probably keep it from acting rashly, but... the fact that eight bears had panicked so badly they died in traps still troubled me.
Second was the snake bastards—the snakes with multiple heads. Unlike the bears, they were fairly cunning, regularly sending small snakes to scout my territory even now. The likelihood of those bastards running rampant was increasing.
That was what I dreaded most. The bears, being bulky, couldn't easily breach my traps, but the little snakes were adept at slipping through the unavoidable gaps in my trap layouts. I scattered things snakes hated around the perimeter, but that had its limits too.
The last was the dungeon.
The name was one I'd arbitrarily assigned, but the word "dungeon" suited that cave perfectly. Monsters of a different kind from the ones infesting the island emerged from there. Zombies, living skeletons. And occasionally, bizarre creatures.
Once it was a dog that breathed fire from its mouth, once a golem. Another time, something that looked like a troll. Each and every one had been a formidable, troublesome foe. Not that they were impossible to deal with.
If I hadn't been able to deal with them, I'd have been nothing but bones long ago.
In any case, while the balance among the three powers held, each faction dealt with the monsters emerging from the dungeon on its own. But if the bear faction weakened, it would become harder to hold back the dungeon monsters. As a result, they might invade my territory.
"Things just got complicated."
My original plan had been to deal with the snake bastards first, then hunt the bears. With this development, things could only get more complicated.
For now, I had no choice but to scrap my existing plan, scout the bears' territory to assess the situation, and draw up a new one.
...Though Karina's recovery took absolute top priority.
Nothing had happened at the hideout, had it?
Fretting more than necessary, I headed back to the hideout.
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"Um... so you're saying the balance of power has undergone a major upheaval?"
"Yeah."
Once I returned to the hideout, I immediately relayed what I'd learned to Karina.
Even though my explanation came out a garbled mess because I still wasn't used to conversation, Karina still understood perfectly, and I nodded at her response. As expected of a student who'd earned excellent grades at the academy. Or wait—had Karina even enrolled yet? Asking outright felt a little awkward.
I wanted to know exactly where we were in the timeline, but aside from whether she'd enrolled at the academy, I had no way to tell.
I didn't know the game's timeline. Even if someone told me, "Year XXX, Month XX, Day XX," I had no way of knowing when that was. In the end, my only option was to steer the conversation toward the academy somehow and ask whether she'd enrolled.
"Isn't this a disaster?! We have nowhere to run..."
"It's fine."
Honestly, it wasn't fine. The island was changing in a completely unexpected direction, after all. But I couldn't tell her that. Karina hadn't been mentally fragile in the game, but her body was weak right now. I didn't want to give her anything else to worry about.
"Trust me. I've lived here for ten years."
Karina's eyes met mine. They were beautiful. What did that look mean? Unable to bear it, I turned away and stared into empty air. This kind of connection was far too much for me. It would have been easier to grab a passing bear and make eye contact with it.
"Isn't there anything I can do to help?"
Her face was full of determination to help however she could, and I shook my head. A patient had no business overexerting herself.
On an uninhabited island where even a trivial reason could get you killed, you had to maintain peak condition at all times. I hadn't managed that myself, but I at least wanted Karina to suffer less.
I wasn't a sadist, so I had no reason to want a new companion to suffer.
"For now, recover your body first."
"Yes, you're right... but once I'm all better, I'll work hard to help you!"
For some reason, Karina wore an apologetic expression. What was there to feel sorry about? These things couldn't be helped. Just helping prepare meals like she was doing now was more than enough. That was about all I'd expected from the start anyway.
I prodded the logs in the brazier with my shovel, lowering the flames. They'd burn out on their own if I left them, but it would be more convenient to preserve a few embers. I buried the remaining embers in the ashes as the fire died down. That would make it easier to start the next fire.
"We're heading back."
At my words, Karina staggered to her feet as if trying to walk on her own. Her movements were as precarious as a baby taking its first steps, and I quickly grabbed her shoulders. When I did, she seemed a little embarrassed, her face flushing as she looked up at me.
"Don't push yourself."
"But it's a long way, and having you carry me in your arms is a little..."
"It's fine."
I turned my back to Karina and crouched down. I meant to give her a piggyback ride. Maybe because I went around without a top on, or maybe she was just embarrassed, I could hear Karina let out a flustered little moan.
"Get on."
"P-pardon me, then."
Soft skin wrapped around my neck. The ample softness pressing against my shoulder blades, the feel of her arms around my neck, and her breath against my ear sent blood rushing somewhere it would be very inconvenient for her to notice.
...Should I have just carried her in my arms after all?
I'd told her to climb on because I thought a piggyback ride would be easier, but I hadn't anticipated this. Still, I had to endure it. I wasn't so far gone that I'd lay a hand on a patient who couldn't even resist.
If I caused trouble, my prospects would become very bleak. Without her cooperation, escaping—let alone surviving—would be in jeopardy, and the odds of the world of Survival Academy ending in ruin would rise as well.
Come to think of it, what was happening back in the world of Survival Academy? Wouldn't everyone be in an uproar because the Saintess had disappeared? The game's story couldn't proceed properly without Karina. There was even an early event where the protagonist would die if the Saintess didn't save him...
"Yohan."
"What is it?"
"Um, your hands are a little..."
Ah. Apparently, I'd been holding her butt. No wonder it felt so soft and plush. I shifted my hands to support her thighs and stood up. If we left now, we'd still get back in time to sleep at a decent hour.
I stepped onto the stairs leading out of the hideout.
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We reached the house when the setting sun had almost sunk below the water.
I immediately laid her on the bed, then shoved a few new logs into the brazier, which held nothing but nearly burnt-out firewood. The fire was still alive, so if I left it, it would soon brighten the house on its own. Once I confirmed the flames had properly caught, I drew water from the well and filled a pot about halfway.
Dinner that night, as always, was caterpillar stew. If I tossed in a few pieces of dried meat, it would make a passable meal. Karina should have recovered enough by then to eat the solid pieces without trouble, so there was no problem.
"Sitting by the fire like this, I can hardly believe all that commotion happened earlier today."
"Nobody sees a threat coming until it's right in front of them."
"Yes, you're right... Heh."
Karina, who'd worn a worried expression all day, finally flashed a relaxed smile. She'd probably been under a lot of stress today; I was glad to see her unwind a little.
I tossed the ingredients into the furiously boiling pot, then retrieved my shovel and wiped it down with a cloth. It was made from the bone of a monster that had emerged from the dungeon, not any mineral, so it wouldn't rust, but I still couldn't stand to see a treasured tool of mine looking dirty.
Once I started cleaning the shovel, the house quickly filled with the sounds of cloth rubbing, water boiling, and the fire crackling and spitting sparks.
The chorus of those sounds made me forget, just for a moment, that this was a place where you could lose your life at any time. Glancing sideways, I saw Karina sitting with her arms wrapped around her knees, gazing into the brazier with soft, relaxed eyes, as if she too found the peaceful mood pleasant.
It was a peaceful evening.
Though tomorrow would mark the start of another war.