Chapter 56
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 56
I wiped the blood off the blade and glanced down at the rabbit's carcass.
"..."
I had thought about letting it go because it was too much of a hassle, but in a fit of pique, I had chased it down with my sashimi knife and slit its throat in one go. Since it had essentially cut its own life short, I didn't feel much of anything.
After sheathing the sashimi knife, I drew my machete and began skinning the rabbit.
I had only ever filleted fish, so this was my first time skinning a wild animal, but the flesh peeled away much more smoothly than expected.
Once I finished the rough deboning, I gathered some dry grass and firewood, then lit a fire with the matches I had brought along.
Next, I placed the butchered meat over the fire, stretched the hide over a tree stump, and began tanning it.
Though my clumsy processing left a few gaping holes, the beast had been so massive that even after discarding the damaged parts, there was still enough left to use as a blanket.
I scattered the drained blood far away to distract any predators, and buried the rest of the remains in the ground to mask the scent. Then, a sudden thought struck me.
"...Wait, why am I so good at this?"
Even if I had prepared by reading survival books, I never expected my survival skills to be this strong.
Maybe life in the wild suits me better than the Academy... Chuckling softly at this newly discovered side of myself, I thought:
'It would be fun to go camping with the club members later when we have some free time.'
Still, I shouldn't let the main goal of being here get overshadowed. Since there wasn't much time left, I planned to thoroughly explore the island tomorrow based on the rough map I had drawn.
"...I really want to find that blessing before I go back."
Sizzle.
Meanwhile, the meat was browning nicely. I trimmed off the burnt parts and rolled it around over the flames.
After spacing out while staring at the fire for a moment, I looked up to see that the once-vibrant blue sky was also ripening into a golden yellow.
Yggdrasil glowed in tandem with the sunset. Its infinitely benevolent majesty seemed to embrace the entire island.
The mesmerizing view, which blew my sense of reality far away, held me spellbound for a while.
Feeling as though my soul might be stolen if I kept staring, I lowered my head and looked back at the campfire.
Whenever the fat pooling on the surface of the meat dripped onto the firewood, a puff of smoke rose with a soft hiss. I wiped my watering mouth with my sleeve.
'Come to think of it, I haven't seen a single soul since dropping onto this island.'
If I recall correctly, the area of Avalon Island is roughly similar to Earth's Jeju Island. On top of that, the island's terrain and landmarks change constantly.
Considering that, it wasn't particularly strange that I hadn't run into anyone yet.
'Still, I can't let my guard down.'
I had to keep my sharp sensory perception active and constantly scan my surroundings. Judging by my past experiences, variables always crop up without warning.
In case any strange presence was detected, two sashimi knives lay quietly asleep inside my coat.
I poked at the campfire with a stick, adding more dry grass I had gathered. They said wild animals should be thoroughly cooked to prevent any potential infections.
Just as I was poking the meat repeatedly, wishing it would cook faster—
Rustle, rustle—
The sound of rustling bushes brushed against my ears. It wasn't close enough to be right next to me, but my sharp sensory perception quickly picked up on the presence.
My head whipped toward the sound reflexively. Gently setting down the stick and the machete, I reached into my coat and gripped a sashimi knife, ready to unsheathe it at a moment's notice.
'It's not the presence of a beast.'
Rustle, rustle—
The unidentified object drew closer. With just a slight flick of my wrist, the sashimi knife was ready to unleash its brilliant blue sword cry.
As I drew closer, the bushes shook violently, and a human figure suddenly burst out. At that exact moment, just as the sheath of my sashimi knife was about to slide off—
The moment our eyes met, my twitching wrist froze.
"What... you?"
A soaking-wet Abel looked up at me, her face flushed. Just as she hesitated, about to speak—
Growl—
A loud rumble echoed from Abel's stomach.
* * *
By the time the sun, which had ripened the sky golden, began to sink below the horizon, Kang Geomma and Abel sat in front of the campfire.
"..."
A heavy silence hung over them. Neither of them spoke first, both staring awkwardly at the burning fire.
Letting out a short sigh, Kang Geomma poked at the meat with a twig he was using as a poker. At the savory smell—no, the aroma—wafting to the tip of her nose—
Growl—!
A fierce rumble echoed once again. Immediately, Abel's cheeks turned as red as tomatoes.
Embarrassment rushed all the way to the crown of her head, making her shoulders tremble.
'I've lost my mind, I've completely lost my mind!'
She hated her past self, who had dismissed the three-day, two-night training as no big deal right after arriving on Avalon Island.
If only she hadn't been so complacent, things wouldn't have come to this...
Her chest, which had been swelling with vague confidence, quickly deflated as she hit a wall starting with the most basic element of survival: securing food.
She had planned to get by by hunting whatever wild beasts caught her eye, but the animals that grew up feeding on the vegetation rich with nutrients from 'Mimir's Well'—also known as the Lake of Life—were...
Even if it was just a rabbit, its body was monstrously huge, and its feet were so swift she could barely track them with her eyes.
She had even activated her blessing to chase down a single rabbit, but the creature had simply twitched its ears and leisurely lost her.
To make matters worse, once it gained some distance, it would even mock her by shaking its butt.
After running around the mountain like that for several hours, darkness fell over the ridges, and the constant running began to take its toll as hunger set in.
Darkness in the mountains is dangerous. The thick gloom robs one of their sense of direction. Moreover, here on Avalon Island, the terrain changes constantly, making the atmosphere especially...
With no other choice, she had resigned herself to spending the first night on an empty stomach, but she soon lost her footing and tumbled into a stream that had suddenly appeared.
Though she had been scanning her surroundings diligently, her foot had slipped in an instant due to the maze-like terrain that had shifted right at that moment.
Fortunately, she wasn't seriously injured, but a sharp pain throbbed in her sprained ankle.
"First, I need to find a campsite to get through the night."
As she walked along the dark forest path in her soaking-wet clothes, she spotted someone warming themselves by a campfire. A savory aroma drifted over, carried by the warm breeze.
Avalon Island was uninhabited, so that person had to be from the Academy. Though her appearance was wretched after a series of misfortunes, her starving stomach was enough to temporarily paralyze her reason.
Even so, as the direct descendant of the Nibelung family, she dragged her exhausted body toward the campfire with as much dignity as she could muster, savoring the smell of meat tickling her nose.
When she got within about fifty meters, Abel's eyes widened as she realized who it was.
'Is that...?'
It was Kang Geomma. In front of him, a large chunk of meat was browning nicely over the wood fire, and Geomma sat by the flames with a fur pelt draped over his shoulders, quietly staring into the fire.
At that sight, Abel's paralyzed reason snapped back, and a bitter taste instantly filled her mouth.
'...Even here, I've lost to Kang Geomma.'
Even in the most trivial matters, he was always ahead of her, as if looking down from above.
Even the fighting spirit that had burned so fiercely toward Kang Geomma until recently now died down like spent firewood. Shaking her head to dispel her thoughts, Abel murmured bitterly:
"...Let's just go."
Just as she tried to slip away, Kang Geomma, sensing her presence, approached her with a sashimi knife gripped in each hand.
Startled, Abel fell backward onto her rear with a thud. Normally, she would have fled nimbly, but her sprained ankle held her back.
And the next moment was this very situation, sitting silently in front of the campfire.
Kang Geomma glanced at Abel. She shifted her eyes, avoiding his gaze.
He was already the last person she wanted to face, and having her stomach rumble so loudly right in front of him made her want to run away this very instant.
However, the situation was far too awkward for that, and her feet felt as heavy as wet cotton due to her injured ankle and hunger.
Then, Abel suddenly began to shiver. The chill of the cold night wind wrapped around her wet clothes, rapidly draining her body heat. Her lips were slowly losing their pink color.
Kang Geomma stared at her for a moment, then took off the fur pelt he was wearing and thrust it toward her.
"Wrap yourself in this."
"...Huh?"
Abel looked back and forth between Kang Geomma's hand and his face with wide eyes. He nudged his wrist, offering the fur pelt again, and Abel reluctantly accepted it.
'It's warm.'
Kang Geomma's lingering warmth still remained on the fur. Then, he suddenly pulled off Abel's shoe. A flush of embarrassment and bewilderment bloomed on Abel's face.
"Wh-What?!"
"If you leave your ankle like this, it'll fester while you're here."
Kang Geomma split a piece of wood to use as a splint, secured her ankle, and then tore a spare set of clothes he had brought into strips to bind it.
After checking that it was tightly secured, he stepped back. Her eyes wide and round, Abel suppressed her racing heart and spoke.
"...Thank you."
Kang Geomma gave a silent shrug in response and fixed his gaze back on the meat. Abel opened and closed her mouth a few times before shutting it tight.
In this fluttering mood, she couldn't easily bring herself to speak. It was an incredibly unfamiliar emotion for someone who had held nothing but a sword her entire life.
Instead of speaking, Abel gazed at Kang Geomma, who was bathed in the warm glow of the campfire. His jawline and features seemed sharper than before.
His pitch-black eyes held something indescribable, making her stare endlessly. What had happened to him in the meantime? The thought kept swirling in her mind.
At that moment, their eyes met. Just as Abel began to stammer in embarrassment, Kang Geomma tore off a chunk of meat and held it out to her.
"It's fully cooked."
The meat was beautifully browned. Feeling Kang Geomma's gaze on her, Abel took the meat in a daze.
Abel cautiously read Kang Geomma's expression at his continued kindness. Geomma spoke as he carved the cooked meat off the bone.
"Eat it while it's hot. It's too much for me to eat alone anyway."
"...Okay."
Abel gave a small nod and took a large bite.
"Wow, what is this?"
Abel gasped in admiration despite herself.
The surface was exquisitely coated in fat, perfectly salted, and there wasn't even a hint of the gamey smell typical of wild beasts.
They say hunger is the best sauce, but even putting that aside, the taste was incredible. At that, Kang Geomma, whose expression had been blank until now, smiled faintly and spoke.
"Wild game has a strong smell, so if you just grill it, it's too gamey to eat. Fortunately, there was a bay laurel tree nearby, so I wrapped the meat in its leaves to draw out the smell. Then I seasoned it with rock salt I scraped off a nearby boulder."
Kang Geomma explained the cooking process with sparkling eyes. After rambling on for a bit, he scratched his chin, seemingly embarrassed.
As Abel watched him for a long moment, a faint smile played on her lips. As if in response, she took another large bite and chewed happily.
"It's delicious."
Kang Geomma smiled.
"Eat up."