Nejimaki Seirei Senki – Tenkyou no Alderamin

Chapter 3

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All Quiet on the Eastern Front

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Crackle, crackle--with the sound of sparks popping, the young girl opened her eyes.

It felt like she was being swallowed by cold, black, bottomless darkness.

There was no way to resist it. Being tossed about by the raging current with no sense of up or down, her eardrums screeching and shrieking with the pressure of the water- but more than that, the pressure of despair crushed her heart. Staring down the terror of death before your eyes for the first time since birth is not something you could possibly face with the power of reason.

The strength of her floundering arms and legs quickly exhausted. --As that happened, a light shone.

She could vaguely see that something was coming, traveling along a straight path[1] that pierced through the darkness. At first, her arm was grasped- from there, her body embraced. She could hear the sound of a heart extremely close by. She could only think that it seemed the two of their pulses, pa.s.sing through their touching skin, were synchronizing.

Inside her fading consciousness, she could tell that Death was clicking his tongue and growing distant from her as she was wrapped in light and warmth--

“...Nnn…”

Crackle, crackle--with the sound of sparks popping, the young girl opened her eyes.

Her view was dark. With a small open fire as the sole light source, in the center of the orange light, human silhouettes emerged. A handsome young man anxiously gazing at the fire together with a plump youth whose teeth were chattering. As she turned even more, there was an imposing female with hair the same color as flames sitting on the left end. She was closely hugging her partner, a spirit, whom everyone was sharing to warm themselves.

“...Ah! Were you woken up?”

With a gentle voice close to her ear, she gradually noticed that she was being held upright. There was a feeling of soft b.r.e.a.s.t.s on her back, and warmth was being distributed from the skin in contact with hers across thin undergarments.

“...You, are…?”

At her voice, before anything the red-haired female--Yatori rose and immediately knelt reverently.

“You were able to awaken, Your Highness, the Princess. ...Please allow me nothing but the privilege worshiping you like this.”

Except Haro, who was embracing the young girl, the others followed Yatori’s example and lowered their heads. Being shown respect from them, the young girl as well remembered, once more, her own rightful position.

“...You, raise your heads. You may eliminate etiquette- Under what circ.u.mstances...”

“Ah, as you wish. ...If I may explain concisely, during a boat trip headed to the venue for the High Grade Military Officer Exam, the Hirgano Archipelago, the boat which we happened to ride together encountered a storm and sunk. The only ones to narrowly escaped on lifeboat, were the six of us, including Your Highness. More importantly, after approximately two days of drifting, we drifted ash.o.r.e a beach somewhere…thus, we are now living in an underground cave.”

Receiving Yatori’s report, the young girl widened her large eyes and sank into silence...after that, she took a full several minutes and organized her memories, making up for the gaps with the information she heard a moment ago.

“...I see, the ship… So that really wasn’t a dream?”

The unpleasant memory of being swallowed up by the pitch black ocean surface was brought back, and her shoulders suddenly trembled. Inside the layered outer garments she wore, Haro, embracing her small body, anxiously looked at her face from the side.

“During the two days of drifting, since the body of Your Highness, continuously struck by rain, became completely cold…this Haroma Bekkel and I, Yatorishino Igsem, had the honor of warming your body with our body warmth in turn. We were aware of our impoliteness, but for the lack of other methods, kindly pardon this much...”

“K-kindly pardon…!”

When Haro ashamedly lowered her head, the girl expressed a wry smile and shook her head.

“I am grateful from my heart for your kindness. With this one fragile body, I don’t doubt that I might have died of the cold before waking. ...Incidentally, you. You just called yourself Yatorishino Igsem.”

“Ah...”

“It’s been a long time. I visited your home on the occasion of the Imperial visit of the reigning emperor, is that already a story from eight years ago?”

At the few words the girl spoke aimlessly, Yatori lifted her bowed head without thinking.

“...You remember it? At that time, Your Highness had just become four years of age…”

“Counting traditionally[2], you were 10 years old. You noticed me feeling irritated that my hand couldn"t reach a plate, and you took baked sweets from the table for me. Did you also similarly recognize my appearance?”

All the same, the girl herself knew that it might be an unjustifiable story. Yatori smiled vaguely and answered.

“Compared to that time, Your Highness has exceeded my imagination and grown splendidly, so… Your golden-colored hair and the Katjvanmaninik[3] engraved ring, if I had been negligent in some respect to even one of them, I wouldn’t have been able to be certain.”

That said, the girl pulled her left hand from an opening in the outer garments she wore layered together with Haro. What she fitted onto it was a ring plated with a design of the Eternal Spirit Tree, which served as the symbol of the Katjvarna Empire.

“...Indeed. This person is the third Imperial Princess of the present Katjvarna Empire, Chamille Kitra Katjvanmaninik.”

Except Yatori, who was half-convinced, the others appeared to realize that the existence in front of their eyes was n.o.bility with a self-introduction from the mouth of the person herself. After a dignified silence, the one first of all to start the conversation was Torway.

“...I’m Torway Remeon. I meet you for the first time, Your Highness, Princess Chamille.”

“Umm, you’re the youngest of the Remeons. I’ve also heard rumors of you.”

“It is an honor. If it pleases you, if you would allow me just one inquiry…”

Without waiting for the end of Torway’s proposal, Her Highness, the Princess, began to answer in a firm tone.

“If it’s the reason that I happened to board the same ship as you did, I’ll answer without needing to be asked. In light of the worsening of the state of war with Kioka, as an extension of Imperial Family, I came to see the faces of the young people burdened with the future of this nation. It is also encouragement to the test-takers. It is nothing more or less than that.”

“But, any accompanying military officers or...?”

“Don’t finish your question. It"s obvious that they sunk to the bottom of the ocean together with the boat.”

Somehow, there was an obstinance in the tone of Her Highness, Chamille- who"d antic.i.p.ated and answered the question- that didn’t allow him to challenge her. ...But if there had been escorts, it was troubling that they didn’t see anyone near her both when they met on board and when she came onto the deck. Torway kept that doubt inside his chest for the moment.

“I-I’m called, Matthew Tetdrich. Your Highness, the Princess, a-also allow me, a few words, if…”

Though his well fleshed-out body, clung to tightly by a wet shirt, was trembling, Matthew timidly cut into conversation. The gaze of Her Highness, the Princess, turned to him.

“Tetdrich… That is a pedigree entrusted with the Stationing Unit of Ebdorch Island in the Southwestern part of the Empire. I learned your name as well. If there is something you’d like to ask, then do as you like, Matthew Tetdrich.”

Yatori, who was next to her, admired Her Highness, the Princess, who had fluently stated a summary of the Tetdrich Family, for her extensive knowledge. On the other side, starting to make his way over, Matthew himself, seemingly without the time to even notice that he"d met someone who knew his family name, faintly choked out a plea from his discolored, purple lips.

“I-if your body is s-sufficiently warmed, if you, would n-now r-r-return the outermost layer, you’re wearing, m-my coat…”

Hearing that, Her Highness, the Princess, then noticed for the first time that the outer garments of everyone in that area were lent for the purpose of warming herself. As one would expect, Haro, thinking that it was inexcusable, panickedly restrained the girl trying to slip out from inside the layered garments which subst.i.tuted for blankets.

“Kya- y-you shouldn’t come out! Both the Princess and I are only in our underwear, you see!? Yatori-san, please return Matthew’s clothing to him!”

Nodding, Yatori retrieved the just the outermost mantle and returned it, well-dried, to its owner. Merely taking advantage of that, Matthew, wrapped in the middle of superior fabric and seeming to devote all his effort into not losing body heat, didn’t say anything since.

“Ah, the Princess’s clothing is also mostly dried… Then, I think that it’s a little difficult to do, but could we have you change clothing like this?”

“If it is your wish, then we don’t mind dismissing the males. Well, but there is a storm outside.”

At the image of Yatori speaking cruel things with a smile, Matthew’s body trembled violently for a reason other than the cold. Her Highness, the Princess, refused her proposition- which wasn"t good material for a joke- dismounted from Haro’s lap while wearing too much clothing with an unexpected promptness, and stood on the ground with her own legs for the first time in two days.

“Umm… I don’t feel unwell. I wonder if it’s because you warmed me.”

“That is above all, but now for a while, please be located near the fire. Under these conditions, if a cold or the like is caught by Your Highness, there’s nothing that can be done, even by us.”

Her Highness, the Princess, obediently complied with Yatori, who requested politely, but in a firm tone. Since sitting on the bare ground meant that her lower back would grow cold, she sat back down Haro’s lap in the end.

They surrounded the open fire in silence for a while, but Her Highness, the Princess, suddenly opened her mouth with a face as if she had been struck by lightning.

“...That’s right. I wonder if, the time the ship sunk, the person who rescued me when I was thrown out to the ocean is among us? There’s no mistaking that you all are the benefactors of my life, but I particularly want to express my thanks to that person. Come forward.”

“.... Please wait a moment.”

Rising, Yatori slipped out of their circle around the open fire and walked into the pitch dark depths of the cave. As a replacement for her disappearing figure, the sound of a limp, heavy object being kicked echoed across accompanied by a scream.

“Wake up, Ikta. It’s a call from Her Highness, the Princess.”

“...Have her reschedule. For me to meet with a party without an appointment... oof.”

The same sound and a yell echoed back three times. As for whether the ordeal was finally over, a youth with a hand affixed to his hip like an old man worrying over lower back pain, naked above the waist and wearing a light spirit in a pouch, revealed his form.

“...I’m Ikta Solork. Thanks, Your Highness, the Princess- in a good mood?”

“How- so there was another person? Then, you’re the one…?”

“Well, it was the spur of the moment, or should I say, I was the right person at the right time…. Since I was the only light spirit holder…”

Dressing up formally with a shirt handed to him by Haro, Ikta, in a dreadfully inappropriate gesture, bowed to Her Highness, Chamille. Although in actuality, that was just him being kicked from behind by Yatori.

“I see. In any case, I give my thanks, Ikta Solork. In addition, to your partner, light spirit-dono as well. After I’ve safely returned to the capital, I’ll arrange for due compensation regarding your brave deeds.”

Kusu raised his head from inside the pouch. However, Ikta was sitting cross-legged at the moment.

“Then, it’s best if you can return safely, isn’t it...somehow…”

“Ikta. Stop speaking in a way that meaninglessly agitates anxiety.”

Yatori advised in a low voice. However, it was after their companion’s anxiety was already agitated.

“...It’s possible that return can’t be realized, you mean?”

“For us- who don’t know where this place is- quite so. It was fortunate that we were able to drift ash.o.r.e while still alive, but even so we were carried away for a full two days in the middle of a storm. ...although on the way, I saw the sun come out in the upper right front side of boat’s course, so I just know that we were carried to the northeast.”

Ikta’s tone was trivial, but there was no aspect in contents that was glossed over with optimism. When Her Highness, the Princess, sunk into silence, Torway stood up to change the atmosphere, which had become considerably heavier.

“It seems the sound of rain has grown weaker. We also need to confirm the present location, and if that means going to observe outside, then perhaps we should go now. --Ik-kun, if you like, shall we go together?”

“That nickname, you really don’t learn…”

Even while grumbling, Ikta stood up with surprising obedience. With each of their spirits stored in their hip pouches- after Torway took up his own bag in addition to that- the two lined up and left the cave.

The time appeared to be early morning since the sky was already bright, and the pounding storm had weakened to the degree of a light drizzle. Brushing aside thickets, Ikta and Torway pushed their way through a trail-less forested region that spread along the beach. During that, they had some slight conversation.

“Thank you for coming with me. To be honest, I wondered if Ik-kun wouldn’t think this was too much trouble.”

“Since Matthew was in that state of health, and the girls were needed for the Princess’s protection, the lineup was decided by the process of elimination, right? I slack off when I need to slack off, but at times when if I slack off I’ll die, I’ll work.”

It was a twisted argument, but Torway never disliked that character of Ikta’s.

“So, about Her Highness, the Princess… Ik-kun, what do you think?”

“Even if there are suspicious points, I think that it’s best not to make any strange investigations. At best, you’ll get trapped in a bad situation.”

“Aw, right to the core of things. When you talk with me, you won’t return with humor?”

“I deliberately flip a switch. Even if I’m the funny man here, Yatori[4]isn’t with me… ah, I found something good.”

Ikta, finding a fruit-like object hanging from poison ivy, plucked it and threw it over to Torway. While biting into his own share, he explained.

“It’s the insect trap of the pitcher plant. When it ripens and becomes used for attracting insects, it’s not good anymore, but if it’s before the mouth has opened, the fluid inside can be used for drinking. It’s surprisingly sweet, so give it a try.”

“...Ah, it really is. It’s tart and delicious.”

“Put some in your sack for me. It"ll tide us over until we find real food.”

Unable to put anything in their mouths outside the water created by Haro’s water spirit, everyone in the cave was being tormented by hunger. Torway merrily took down the sack from his back, plucked the insect traps within reach, and began stuffing.

“But, you and Matthew both are people I look up to. Since, even when the ship we boarded sank, you carried those heavy things out with such great care.”

What Ikta meant was the iron, gun-like thing inside Torway’s sack that conspicuously a.s.serted its existence. The firing of leaden b.a.l.l.s with the pressure from using a pump such as that installed onto the "wind tunnel" in abdomen of his partner, a wind spirit, was the main weapon of modern-day soldiers-- so to speak, it was an air shooter barrel.

“Haha. I considered it a little, but I thought that thinking about whether or not it’d be a burden and throwing it away could wait until after we boarded the lifeboat. Since, for me, an applicant to the Air Gunner Division, it’s the most important thing next to the lives and partners[5] of my allies.”

“Although it would be nice if we didn’t run into circ.u.mstances where that’d serve a purpose. At any rate, ahh I’m hungry…”

Throwing away the insect traps that had their contents sipped dry, Ikta and Torway hurried ahead while listening to the chorus of the insects inside. While looking at a compa.s.s so they could move forward in a straight line and not lose their way, they emerged to a gra.s.sland that interrupted the forested region in about 15 minutes.

“...We’re screwed.”

As his field of vision suddenly cleared, Ikta surveyed the area and thus complained as the first thing out of his mouth. Coming a little later, Torway, upon witnessing the same sight as he did, was at a loss for words.

There was nothing surprising regarding the terrain. Extending considerably from east to west, an open field with a few undulations sprawled out uninterrupted. However, on the ground on the west side which they were supposed to follow back-- in addition to a natural mountain range and hills, ‘’something else’’ stood as a further obstacle.

“...There’s no way…. I mean, that’s the west side…no matter how much we were carried off, this…!”

Even Torway, who had boasted a composure rivaling Yatori’s until now, couldn’t suppress the trembling of his voice this time. Displayed in his view were barbed wire entanglements running perpendicular to the sh.o.r.eline that divided the open field in two, and within them, separated by fixed distances and dotting the area one by one, turrets meant for watch-keeping. From the closest one, he could even see the figures of actual soldiers coming in and out.

“...Somehow, it doesn’t seem like a delusion. The ‘’eastern’’ border of the Katjvarna Empire looks like it’s on the ‘’western side’’ from here. Meaning, basically…”

In any case, as to not be found by the guard soldiers, the two hid their bodies in the shadows of the trees. --First three clicks of his tongue. Then he huffed out a single sigh, generously blended with resignation until he was satisfied, and-

“This place is already territory of the Kioka Republic… it’s regrettable, but it looks like we’ve descended into h.e.l.l but for a paper-thin difference.”

Ikta Solork described a reality similar to his own personal nightmare with quite a simple metaphor.

Due to the report spilled from the mouths of Ikta and Torway once they returned, the atmosphere of inside the cave, far from becoming lighter, instead welcomed an increase in pressure to one similar to lead.

“...That… to think we were carried off to the other side of the national border.”

Haro murmured with a paled face. Matthew, who just finally warmed his body, also let out a scream.

“Dammit…How can it be like this? Just when I thought we made it through…”

Regardless whether that was good or bad, Matthew’s words spoke for everyone’s true feelings. Even the great Yatori was silent as if there was a need to rethink her words of encouragement. Before that, Ikta acknowledged the circ.u.mstances.

“Because it turned out like this, the options that we can actively select are limited. So before anything, concerning that point, I think it’s wise for us all to establish a common goal.”

Without waiting for a response, Ikta raised his right and left index fingers and held them up so they could be seen by everyone.

“The first, surrender to the Kioka Army and request reception as prisoners of war. Well, if anything it’s relatively reliable.”

A heavy silence filled the cramped s.p.a.ce. There was not one person among them attracted to that option.

“The second, cross the national border and return to the Empire with our own power. This one’s quite the gamble, no?”

Talk was cheap. When they considered the difficulties of putting it to action, no one could easily give their support.

After having a not-brief pause for consideration, appearing to be speaking timidly, Matthew opened his mouth.

“I-if we become prisoners of war, with the wartime treaty, our safety is guaranteed. Of course, we might be confined, but if we wait for a while, wouldn’t we be able to return to the Empire via a prisoner exchange...?”

Rather than a view grounded in reality, it was a wishful observation. Yatori shot it down completely.

“Still, that’s too optimistic, isn’t it? I think that even people without self-awareness are among us, but for the moment we are High Grade Military Officer cadets bearing the future of the Imperial Army, right? Just that is reason enough on Kioka"s side to not want to send us back… even if you leave out that point- and this something including myself- among us, there are too many people who can serve as material for diplomatic exchange.”

“That’s true, isn’t it? Not even mentioning Her Highness the Princess, there’s Yatori-san, a descendent of the Igsem Family, and me, a descendant of the Remeon Family… under any circ.u.mstances, high prices would be set for us three as prisoners. Say for now that we are able to return, how much compensation will be required?”

“Goodness, people with high prices on their lives really suck, don"t they? We can’t even secure our self-interests how we want to.”

Not one person had the composure to respond to the cynical remark which Ikta had uttered with a stunned expression.

“Well, that’s it in a nutsh.e.l.l, my buddy Matthew. Even if we become prisoners of war in this place, we won’t be returned that easily to our country[6], and say we were returned, then quite the cost would be wrung out for us. And you should imagine the narrowness of our shoulders among other things once we’ve return to our country. ...Well, in addition, the situation if we choose this option[7], we can only hope that the people of Kioka won’t find the Tetdrich Family’s fame as hot information, right?”

Even reaching this point, there was no escaping the harshness of the sarcasm from Ikta’s words. Matthew held his face and agonized, but, the next moment, a roar sounded across the cave as if to drive off those worries.

“Prisoners of war and the like-- this isn’t a joke!”

Her Highness, Princess Chamille, doing well to vigorously stand up, shouted with a look menacing enough to shake the flame of the open fire. Even as astonished gazes gathered on her, she still didn’t loosen her tone.

“There is no time to be stranded in a place like this! I- I must return as quickly as possible! Forget guard soldiers- cross the border using any means necessary! You, listen, in the event of our success, whatever reward- mmph!?”

At that moment, impolite to the extreme, two fingers pressed directly down on the lips of the tirading princess. While the other actors were dumbfounded, Ikta was looking down on the n.o.bility in front of his eyes with a horribly cold expression.

“Quiet down a little, Princess. No matter how much you rant and dangle an extravagant reward in front of our noses, there’s no making the impossible possible. That degree of reason is something I’d like you to learn from history. That is, from our[8] history of repeating the same things to a sickening degree.”

“---H-how…!”

Having called him the benefactor of her life, the princess overlooked his shameless rudeness until now, but still, she was at a loss for words with this contempt. Since it escalated higher than she could handle, she didn’t know what to say back right away. In the end, there wasn’t a need for her to say anything. Since Yatori broke in between them, twisted Ikta’s arm up, and pulled his body to the ground without warning.

“--Your Highness, this thing has committed a grievous irreverence. Upon my word, he won’t speak such profanity a second time, so this time if you could somehow be merciful. In light of this thing’s service at the time of the ship sinking.”

Though she used enough strength to make his bones creak and his joints produce an unpleasant grinding sound, Yatori begged forgiveness in an unstrained voice. At her terrifying power, the princess forgot her fury and only shook her head vertically.

“I-t’s fine…. Certainly, it seems that I lacked composure…”

Ikta, having received forgiveness, was finally released from her defense technique. He stood without groaning once, but he was holding his twisted shoulder and seemed to be enduring considerable pain.

“You’ve reflected, haven’t you? Once you’ve given thanks for Her Highness’s generosity, go cool your head outside a bit.”

“Roger that.”

Leaving behind a reply which didn’t suggest that he’d reflected at all, Ikta left the cave together with Kusu. When his figure disappeared outside, Yatori turned to everyone remaining and made a single proposition.

“Whatever choice we make, there’s no point if no one has normal powers of judgment. It’s impossible to try to have a constructive discussion while hungry. For now, how about prioritizing our immediate survival and gathering food?”

“...Yep, I approve. If we can fill our stomachs, surely a good plan will come to mind.”

Following Torway, Haro and Matthew also agreed one by one. The last remaining, Her Highness, Princess Chamille, with the fiery haired girl’s intense eyes in front of her, had no other choice but to nod.

Chased out of the cave, Ikta began a food supply to satisfy his hunger without even being prompted by someone else. He appeared twisted on the surface, but, fundamentally, he was only moving according to the three main desires, and his behavioral principles were simple.

“Hm~m, cohune palm nuts sure are hard to harvest without a tool…”

Palm trees laden heavily with nuts were standing here and there, but he let them be for now and looked at the ground. When he concentrated his eyes intently, inside the damp brushwood, the living creatures of the forest, having greeted the morning, were moving around.

“Ah, he~y snake-san over there, quietly become meat for my plate, would you?… wha, you"re long! S-s-s-so you were a python-sama? No, that- sorry, it was nothing.”

Watched intently by prey of an unexpected size, Ikta withdrew dejectedly. Ikta didn"t possess the nerve to grapple with a three meter cla.s.s serpent. Wearing a snake around one’s neck among other things wasn’t considered very fashionable.

“In times like this, maybe I should follow Mother Nature’s heartless principles, and aim for weak things rather than big game. ...Oh, I found a gra.s.shopper. Al~right, if I fry and eat this one, it’ll smell pretty good...”

“This is only fine for us, however. Insect eating is low-cla.s.s cuisine, so Her Highness, the Princess, will definitely reject it.”

As he continued chasing gra.s.shoppers around on all fours, the voice of his friend, who not long ago mercilessly wrenched his shoulder to its limit, rang out from behind. Ikta continued his acquisition without turning around, but Yatori continued speaking regardless.

“That affair earlier wasn’t very like you. Even if he spits out sarcasm as easily as breathing, the one who"d never make it serious would be Ikta Solork, right?”

“Rather than being flawlessly consistent, it’s more charming for a character to be agitated once in a while.”

“Even if that’s the case, we can’t have your true character exposed here, can we? Show yourself taking a solid, composed action during a pressing state of emergency. There isn’t another appeal as effective as that, you know.”

Strangely, the exchange of words with Yatori in the lead stopped there. There, with a bundle of gra.s.shoppers in one hand and his back turned to his companion, Ikta began to speak emphatically.

“Even like this, I’m reflecting, you see. I had the background knowledge that she was n.o.bility, but I didn’t think that being fl.u.s.tered by someone in front of me would make me feel so aggravated.”

“That’s what I thought. ...So you can’t forgive a person of the ruling cla.s.s behaving unintellectually?”

“Even though I was supposed to have given up a long time ago. Nothing would happen even if I didn’t allow it.”

Ikta gave a self-deprecating sigh. Yatori opened her mouth after choosing her words a little.

“...This is a slightly irreverent way of saying it, but the behavior of Her Highness, Chamille- before suggesting whether the Imperial Family is this way or that- is appropriate for her age. No, just not bursting in tears with these circ.u.mstances is a sufficiently considerable thing, don’t you think?”

“Right, that’s it. For someone like me, just saying that I spoke with royalty is the best two-thirds of me. --Ah, by the way, if you have a knife, lend it to me?”

When Ikta skillfully turned around while crouching, Yatori, who was standing there, had unnoticedly armed herself with equipment without her clothing being disheveled in the slightest. She wore a saber on her right hip and on her left hip, a　main gauche.

This was the two-handed swordsmanship stance that became the reason for the “Igsem of the Blade, Remeon of the Bullet” fame rivalry. As the air shooter was to Torway, this to her was the next precious thing to her life- the object of her pride.

“If you nick the blade, I’ll kill you.”

Even so, Yatori extremely easily removed the main gauche that was half of that pride from her hip and granted it to Ikta. Of course, she wouldn’t allow that just anyone. However, concerning the strength of their relationship of mutual trust, there were parts that somehow exceeded the understanding of other people.

“So everyone’s a.s.sembled. Well then, please report each of your harvests.”

When the sun that was above the horizon had risen directly overhead, all six people a.s.sembled in front of the cave and contributed the results of their search for food. Flora and fauna of delectable color and form were lined up on the gra.s.s.

“Umm, since I wasn’t very good at chasing prey that moved around, I tried gathering while focused on fruit and mushroom species. For mushrooms, with the Boletales supply as my focus, I gathered large, filling ones, but fruits were more of a problem, and…. At first, I thought that I might find bananas or papayas, but in actuality these were the only things I could harvest.”

What Haro, saying that with a bit of a wry smile, was pointing at were fruits resembling orange bell peppers. There was easily enough for the number of people, and the vibrant, warmly-colored rind did indeed seem delicious. Her Highness, the Princess, having an interest, picked one up from the middle and looked at it.

“What kind of fruit is this? I haven’t seen it before…”

“Ahh, Caju, right? Well, rather than being inedible, isn’t it a hundred times more preferable? It’s precious carbohydrate after all.”

Everyone excluding the princess shared a forced smile. On her clueless behalf, Haro added an explanation.

“Princess, you’ve eaten cashew nuts before right? Those are a part of this fruit’s seed.”

“Oh, cashew nuts? If that’s the case, you seem to have an expectation for the taste?”

Not saying much, Haro only suggested, “Have a bite.”

As told, the princess, putting the orange fruit into her mouth, creased her brow and stiffened the moment her teeth bit into the surface. Her mouth regained freedom with about 30 seconds after apparently quite some difficulty biting through.

“How is it, Princess?”

”...It’s hard...puckery...gra.s.sy…. ...And, somewhat sweet…”

Despite being simple, the impressions. .h.i.t the mark. Feeling for the first time that the atmosphere of the area relaxed even slightly, though the mood had yet to change completely, Torway took over.

“With that, I think it’s my turn next. Simple preparation in addition to good flavor, the coconut crab. Although I could only catch two since it’s the afternoon.”

Two enormous, bundled creatures resembling hermit crabs were laid out side by side on the gra.s.s. Voices of admiration spontaneously rose for them. Coconuts crabs hid in burrows in the ground during the afternoon. To be able to catch them, it was necessary to find the entrance to the burrow and dig them out, but that wasn’t an easy task.

“...The middle of the day, moreover in this short time, two specimens of this size? You’re not half-bad...”

Yatori was watching Torway with burning eyes, but the person himself, embarra.s.sed at being watched by Yatori, averted his eyes and repeatedly scratched his face. They were two people on completely different wavelengths.

“With that, I’m next. ...It was a close fight, but I plan to take responsibility as the one who suggested this.”

Giving that introduction with a broad grin, Yatori walked off to a nearby bush and came back dragging her own prey out from there, which she’d hidden aiming for a surprise.

Shouts of joy rose immediately.

“Ehhh!? I-is that a wild boar...!? No way, how did you with just one person…!”

“One stroke of a sword at the nape of its neck… if you look, that’s the only wound. That being said, did you really use that sword…!?”

Yatori, having gathered looks of awe to herself, threw her chest out with pride. For her, who had been in a cla.s.s of her own from the start, when she received those two things, admiration and respect, the more she received, the greater her priceless reward was.

“...Next is me, isn’t it, as I expected…”

At a glance, Matthew was in low spirits. Looking at the harvest he brought in, it was no wonder.

“Although I’d like to proceed that way… What is this? Three smallish palm nuts- that’s fine, but the rind is broken and the juice inside all but leaked outside, isn’t it? I’m curious what kind of harvesting method you used that it ended up like this.”

“.... When I tried to harvest palm nuts, they were in a higher place than I thought. Since they didn’t fall when I threw rocks, I thought I’d rather try to shoot them down...”

His partner, the wind spirit Tsuu, turned to Matthew from his hip pouch with anxious eyes. Even though no one said anything, his eyes and the air shooter barrel worn on his back his told the entire story of his failure.

“...My buddy Matthew, every tool has has its uses. You can’t fire your gun to reach a solution for everything, you see. That kind of random shooting spree, without mincing words it’s something third world countries do.”

“Y-you’re the last person I wanna hear that from! Aren"t you worse off than I am?”

Quite the dangerous joke slipped out of Ikta’s mouth, but before anyone noticed, Matthew’s shout changed the conversation’s target. Cold stares were concentrating on Ikta’s harvest which was piled in a mountain his feet.

“...Cicadas, gra.s.shoppers, long-horned beetles, water scavenger beetles, giant water bugs, every kind of caterpillar…. How should I put it, that, it’s an extremely wild line-up, isn’t it...”

“W-well insects were the most convenient source of protein. Don"t you think so?”

“And frogs…? You considered preservation and dried it- well, can I give you an evaluation?”

Although Ikta received a very delicate evaluation, the person himself whistled without eating. Her Highness, the Princess, looking at the food he gathered, lost some color in her face and timidly asked a question.

“Y-you, eat this...? That is, how should I say it, are they really insects…?”

“Of course I eat it. This is my personal opinion, but giant water bugs are so disgusting I could die.”

“Hey- that’s where you should smooth things over! ...Your Highness, the Princess, please relax. Since even if you don"t touch the insects, there is flexibility in the food we have."

Her Highness, the Princess, breathed a sigh of relief. Putting the ingredients they sc.r.a.ped up in front of her, Haro got fired up and rolled up her sleeves.

"With that, shall we immediately prepare some food? Even if I say that, although since we don"t have a pot, we can only basically fry it. If we use things like leaves and clay cleverly, I wonder if we can manage something like steaming in a covered pot...?"

"Putting aside the part we could eat now, I"d like to smoke the boar meat, but sending up conspicuous amounts of smoke isn"t the best. Matthew, Torway, can have your partners suck in the smoke?"

When the cooking began under Haro and Yatori"s leadership, nice smells immediately began to drift around the cave.

The performance of Haro, who"d been entrusted with the cooking, was surprisingly good, and when the sun began go down, they were able to take a late lunch. With the sensation that they were being restored to life, the six people stuffed their cheeks with their first decent meal in roughly two days.

"The meat is delicious~ You didn"t even add any seasonings, but when I bite through, strong flavor comes out..."

"The steamed mushrooms and coconut crab are pretty good too. If I have any complaints, there isn"t enough salt."

"If you boil sea water, you can get it easily, but if we go out to the sh.o.r.e, there really is too much of an un.o.bstructed view. It"ll be bad if we"re found by Kioka soldiers watching from the national border, so I guess we"ll make do with the taste of the raw materials here.”

Surrounding all sorts of menu items which were placed on leaves and lined up on the ground, they continued a harmonious dinner within their limitations. When some time pa.s.sed, Matthew, who suddenly regained energy with food in front of him, began revealing his positive view on their failures until now.

“I’ve been thinking the whole time, you see, since we have two air shooters here, isn’t it possible to even cross the national border depending on how we do it? Since somewhere on the long border, there has to be a place where their guard is understaffed.”

“When your stomach is full, you sure become c.o.c.ky, don’t you? However, just listening to Ikta’s story- perhaps Kioka is focusing their course of advance to the side of the Empire in this area- their defense seems quite strong. Even if we walk along the national border to a place where their surveillance becomes thin, I think the odds are 10 to 1 that we’ll be discovered enroute.”

Matthew, having received Yatori’s relentless criticisms, folded his arms and hummed. Next to him, Ikta inserted a remark while tossing grilled gra.s.shoppers into his mouth.

“We can’t take crossing the national border lightly. A chance of success is born only after there is an a.s.sistant to both this side and the other side of the line. We don’t have that person. Although preferably if we can bribe a soldier it’ll probably be quick, but as for goods that might turn into money among these members’ belongings…”

Ikta’s eyes were turned to the hand of Her Highness, the Princess, picking at the coconut crab meat- to be exact to the small ring fitted onto it. Speaking of straightforward valuables, that fit the bill, but still it was too much.

“...It might be a stretch to try and bribe the Republic’s soldiers with a ring openly engraved with the Imperial Family crest. If that’s the case, it’s still realistic to sell Yatori’s two blades. The craftsmanship is plain, but that, it’s quite a sharp blade right?”

“Oh, what an expert eye. Who was it I wonder who was allowed to prepare a frog with that sharp blade?”

“It was you used it to bring down a wild boar, no? A blade is a swordsman’s life.”

It was Ikta’s hypocritical excuse, but at any rate, there was no change in that it was insufficient as bribery material.

With the topic about to be paused since everyone was thinking, Her Highness, the Princess, who had been silent until now, opened her mouth for the first time.

“...Whether we’ll cross the national border on our own, or content ourselves as prisoners of war. Everyone has been contributing wisdom for a while, and when a plan where we can expect an adequate chance of success emerges, or if possibly nothing emerges, I want the decision made properly. ...The reality is that nothing changes no matter how much shout. I trust your judgment power and effectiveness.”

Hearing her speech, the other actors stared at the princess with surprised expressions. Ikta’s abusive words became a point of regret for himself who had spoken them, but they seemed to have also prompted the side that heard them to some reflection. In any case, that she was moved a small degree from the discussion was a desirable thing. Since, from a genuine standpoint, no matter what kind of unreasonable demand was spoken by Her Highness, the Princess, the others had to obey.

“...As Her Highness said, there’s no need to rush the decision, right? We can’t be leisurely about it, but let’s thoroughly take time to decide. Since we can’t be easily found here, and the difficulty of survival isn’t that high in this environment. I think it’s fine if we have take one or two days as thinking time.”

Everyone agreed to Yatori’s words and established a lengthy grace period for the present.

When lunch ended in the middle of an atmosphere which was quiet in its own way. Everyone, having recovered their energy and stamina, was outdoors each spending time on work for securing and maintaining their living s.p.a.ce. But--since that was the case, because she had neither survival knowledge nor experience, one person emerged twiddling her thumbs.

“--Yatori, what is that used for?”

While idly coming and going in and out of the cave, Her Highness, Princess Chamille talked to her scene partner who continued her manual labor in silence. Not stopping her hands which proceeded with their work, Yatori turned just her face toward her scene partner. Her partner, the fire spirit Shia, also sent an indifferent gaze from her hip pouch.

“Yes, Your Highness. I’m making a simple alarm device that uses nuts and string. If we lay this around our surroundings, when someone comes close, the nuts of the tree hanging down near the entrance of the cave will make noises and alert us.

Yatori’s answer was crisp and fluent, already just like a soldier’s. When the princess tried to say, “is there something I can help with,” she had already finished her work and promptly stood up vigorously.

“Then, I’ll install the finished product and come back. I apologize for forcing your inconvenience, but please don’t go out further than the range visible from the cave.”

When she confirmed that her companion nodded, Yatori jauntily turned her body around and disappeared into the trees. Her Highness, the Princess, having once more lost her place, drew closer nearby Haro, the sole remaining person of the same gender.

“Haro, what are you doing?”

“Ah, Princess. Umm, now I’m making medicinal plants that are effective for swelling into a paste. If you are cautious about injuries, you can avoid them, but you can’t do that as much for insects bites.”

On top of a stone with a sunken center that she must have chosen on her own as a subst.i.tute for a container, Haro was grinding leaves, roots, and the like. Her partner, the water spirit Miru, was standing on the stone’s edge, and occasionally poured water from the “water spout” on his torso, helped Haro make smooth paste.

“Is there something, that I can also help with?”

“Huh? No, no, that’s- to borrow your hands, Princess! Please go on resting!”

“I-I see.”

Compelled by Haro’s intensity, who was rapidly shaking her head horizontally, Her Highness, the Princess, with neither knowledge nor experience at hand, withdrew unable to say anything. Something that even I can do-- while thinking that, she shifted her gaze to another place.

“Oi, Torway. That air shooter, isn’t the barrel a little too long?”

“Umm… It’s because I want to aim accurately as far as possible, and I can’t no matter what with something shorter than this. Although if I were a hunting soldier, who’d have to shoot while charging, then Maa-kun , as you say a shorter one might be better.”

Tsuu and Safi, the two wind spirits, while sucking in smoke, were sending out fresh air and controlling the open fire. Around there, Matthew and Torway were holding their air shooters in their hands.

“...Mmm.”

Even here, she didn’t feel that she could easily force her way in. After hesitating and hesitating, she reluctantly chose Ikta Solork, who was sitting slightly removed from the cave’s entrance,

“...Solork. If you’re doing something, is there something I can also help with?”

Her calling of only this person by his family name and not his first name expressed her complex mental state. But then, the person who was called, without an indication that he sensed it, continued his manual labor without looking aside.

“Nn, you’ll lend me a hand? I’m weaving these vines like this.”

When she looked into his hands, he knitting st.u.r.dy vines together and making some sort of woven object. Concluding it might an animal snare or something, Her Highness, the Princess, learned by imitation and took part in the work.

“Right, right, like that. There isn’t really a need to make it pretty.”

“I see, understood.”

It was her first experience making something with her own hands, but once she understood the trick, the task wasn’t that hard. While moving her hands on the object in silence without any conversation, the princess repeatedly stole glances at Ikta’s face.

He is an oblivious male, she thought at first. Considering those rash remarks from earlier, and that he let me help with the work normally, I wonder if he doesn’t differentiate between social statuses at all.

“Your hands stopped moving.”

Finally, the directness of even giving that reminder. The princess, unembarra.s.sed, eagerly wove the vines. After about 10 minutes, their whole-hearted work came to fruition, and the thing the two of them were making was finished.

"...Solork, what is this? It doesn"t seem like it"s wide enough for a net."

"It is an essential item necessary to a human lifestyle, much more so than a net. Will you try using it?"

Saying that and standing up, Ikta cleared a suitable s.p.a.ce, chose two standing trees, and stretched the woven vines between them like a spiderweb. Looking at the readied object, he nodded with satisfaction.

"It"s pretty good craftsmanship. --Well, go on."

""Go on"... you say, but-"

Being urged on was fine, but this was comparable to a situation where nothing could be done since Her Highness, the Princess didn"t know what the thing was used for at all. As she stood still with a confused face, Ikta took the initiative and went out before her.

"Put your hips in a little. You use it like this, see."

He agilely placed his hips on the vines, and using them as a pivot point to rotate his body, turned sideways with his body swinging between the trees.

Watching that figure, Her Highness, the Princess, finally enlightened about what it was used for, thought of the time and labor that was spent and hung her shoulders.

"...A bed, right?"

"It"s something called a navy purveyor, that is to say, a hammock[9]. When you get used to it, it"s quite comfortable."

File:Alderamin v01 101.png

Ikta clapped his hands for the princess who somehow succeeded in lying down.

He spoke while skillfully climbing off using movements reversed from when he got on. Ikta recommended the,-as he put it- "essential item necessary to a human lifestyle" to Her Highness, the Princess, a second time. The princess was a princess, and- drifting toward the idea that she wanted to take back at least the cost of her help- timidly placed her hips on the hammock.

"Right, right, now as if straightening your body with your hips as an axis-- Oh, wow, you were able to get on without a problem, weren"t you?"

Ikta clapped his hands for the princess who somehow succeeded in lying down. She was made to feel ridiculous, but experiencing a hammock"s snugness for the first, she didn"t have the time to say something about it.

"Although, beginners usually overturn once when getting on. Your highness is pretty talented."

"Were you hoping that I would overturn just now...? H-however this doesn"t suit me. Rather, I"m afraid it might fall. I can"t believe there are actually people who can sleep on this."

"Don"t be so nervous, please relax your strength in the most stable position. Rather than laying out leaves on the bare earth and sleeping, I think you know that this is much more comfortable."

She adjusted her body position, and at the end of her troubles, when she found a position that couldn’t possibly unstable, the princess made up her mind and dismissed the strength from her body. For a moment, she that that she might overturn, but the makeshift hammock was unexpectedly taking her her body weight securely.

When she overcame the first hurdle, the composure to simply enjoy the circ.u.mstances was finally born in the princess. First of all, her perspective- that itself was fresh. The well-bred princess hadn’t had the experience of lying down outdoors until now.

The pleasant sound of leaves rustled in her ear, and the blueness of the sky peeking through the gaps in the green ceiling was beautiful. Due to the good ventilation of her back, she didn’t mind the heat that much. After falling into a dark ocean and opening her eyes to a dark cave, this felt like somewhere in her ever stiffened heart, something was coming unraveled.

“...I see, this isn’t bad. I feel at ease.”

“Right? The beginning of a single perfect day is only from a comfortable bed.”

The princess was thinking that it was amusing how Ikta puffed out his chest, but, suddenly, something cut across the piece of blue sky she was looking up at. Initially, she wondered if it was a bird, but the movements were too slow for that.

"...Solork. The strange thing floating on the sky, do you know what that is?"

Charged with that question, Ikta searched up at the sky, but the instant the same thing arrived in his line of sight, his expression immediately became grim. From there, his right arm firmly pushed his body weight on one side of the hammock.

"--Wha!?"

As he kept watch, Ikta’s arm cleanly caught the body of the princess, who was on the verge of overturning and falling. Neglecting the dazed girl, he turned his heels and hastily began walking.

“They are Kiokan Aerial Warfare soldiers. One aircraft flying without setting a formation means that its mission is either reconnaissance or patrolling. Whichever it is, if it’s in a position that we can see from here, then there’s the fear that we’ll be found by them as well. It’s too bad especially since it seemed that you were understanding the joys of a hammock, but we’re holing up in the cave for a while.”

Giving her approval after the fact, the princess was carried off nearly without consent. She just surrendered to that audacity, but when she was being carried by not particularly strong arms, a memory was unintentionally brought back.

From inside his arms, Her Highness, Chamille, quietly peeked at Ikta’s face. Then, she remembered—that she had her first encounter with this man inside the cold ocean, within the single beam of light that shredded the despair and darkness.

Faced with the existence of the Aerial Warfare soldiers, everyone hid inside the cave as a cautionary measure, but before long the blimp hid its form inside a low cloud, and at approximately the same time, sunset arrived. However, for a while after that, the reality that they were "being watched from the sky" proved to be a great pressure, and the number of words they spoke became few.

Dead of night that same day. Inside the cave echoing with their individual, unconscious breathing, Her Highness, the Princess, opened her eyes.

In addition, it was not because Matthew’s snoring was loud. Her sleep wasn’t disturbed to that extent. Despite that being the case, waking up was the result of a more severe, pressing circ.u.mstance.

Fortunately, it seemed that everyone including the spirits was sleeping well. The princess stealthily went out alone.

“...If I’m here, then I should be fine.”

When she came to a grove of trees fairly removed from the cave, the princess, anxiously looking around, reviewed the area and, after hesitating quite a bit, lowered her underpants along with her shorts. Since she met the experience of relieving herself outdoors once in her life during the afternoon, this was only her second time. She didn’t want to become even this accustomed to it over an eternity.

“...Whew…”

Taking time and finishing urinating, Her Highness, the Princess, took a handkerchief from the pocket of her coat and used it to wipe. Ordinarily, this would be when she’d throw it away, but now, it was her single precious sheet. She would need to wash it with water and dry it.

She raised her underpants while feeling miserable, and when she thought to stand up, then--.

“--There, who’s there!?”

The rustling sound of someone pushing through brushwood, and next the hoa.r.s.e, echoing voice, made time stand still for the princess.

Going slightly back in time. The noise of rattling when hard fruits collide woke four of the five inside the cave who were lying in the depths of slumber, excluding Matthew.

“--Everyone, please wake up! Something crossed our trip wire!”

“...Whaa!?”

Yatori’s voice, perfectly suppressed as to not echo outside, along with rousing Matthew, stirred vigilance in the already awoken actors. A moment later, a lamp that dimly radiated light burned inside the cave. A white light different from a flame-- It was a lantern from the light spirit Kusu, whom Ikta had been hugging as he slept.

“...Wh-what? The Princess…?”

Haro frantically rubbed her sleepy eyes and looked around the area, but the figure of Her Highness, Chamille, wasn’t anywhere. The moment they realized that fact, Yatori, Ikta, Torway- those three stood up nearly simultaneously.

“...Yatori, Torway, two seconds. Ready your weapons.”

Even before that was said by Ikta, two swords were worn on Yatori’s hip, and Torway was finished installing his air shooter barrel the torso of his partner, the wind spirit Safi. Kusu and Shia also stored their bodies in their respective pouches.

“We can go anytime. --But Ik-kun, you’re going unarmed?”

“It’s the forest at night. There’s no weapon superior to a light spirit, and if there’s no light your air shooter’s useless.”

“When I looked, the one that moved was the second sensor from the left. Our opponent is straight on our left when we leave the cave.”

Haro and Matthew, in contrast with the three who were exchanging knowing looks, weren’t keeping up with the change in their situation. However, among Yatori’s group, the people from which one could expect a proper performance during an emergency, no one urged on the remaining two people after figured out their objective.

“Matthew, Haro. If we don’t come back, please choose to become prisoners of war without hesitation.”

Taking Yatori’s short and severe words as a signal, the three went off running outside the cave.

She’d been found by the enemy. The instant she understood the reality, Her Highness, the Princess, couldn’t make any kind of reaction. While making the dry sound of stepping on dead branch, she knew that the presence was rapidly coming closer. Rough footsteps and breathing overlapped and began to be audible. He wasn’t alone. Was it two, or three, or more-- the princess, in a state of half-panic, didn’t know what to do with her thoughts, which were spinning uselessly as if to make up for her unmoving body.

“Quickly raise both your hands and come out! We have a gun, if there is strange behavior, we’ll shoot you on the spot!”

The noun gun, the verb shoot- she remembered for a second time the image of death carved out in stormy sea. Even though she had to escape quickly, when that happened, her body listened less and less to what she was saying. While facing her ruin, this time as well as before, holding her breath and crouching down was the best she could do, but--

“S-stop, don’t shoot! I’m coming out now…!”

A panicked shriek rose from the shadows of a tree other than the area where Her Highness, the Princess, was crouching. Her firmly shut eyes opened widely. That was undeniably Ikta Solork’s voice.

“Over there! Don’t make any more movements, we’ll confirm your location from here.”

Following that voice, a dazzling light ran through the center of the dark forest. The enemies, seeming to have a light spirit holder as well, used a high beam and started probing the source of the voice. Before long, a black haired youth was illuminated inside the white light.

“Your speech, that’s a dialect from the Empire, isn’t it? Who the h.e.l.l are you?! Why are you here!?”

“I-I escaped the Empire and came here! Since the war won’t ever end, and my house was burned up by Aerial Warfare soldiers, I’m really fed up with that Empire! I mean, the Republic’s looking pretty good, ain’t it!? Take me with you as an ally...!”

Every single word of Ikta’s lines implied desperation, and even to Her Highness, the Princess, who was listening nearby, it didn’t seem to be an act. He was clinging merely to hope and fleeing here, just a refugee begging for his life.

“...I thought that’s what it was, another refugee, huh.”

“Ahh, that’s right! On the night of the storm the day before yesterday, I crossed the border by sea! Rolled up in the waves, I thought I was going to die, but like finally, I barely made it!”

“What about your allies? You came here alone!?”

“My mom is with me! She’s sleeping the cave in the place straight in front of here! She"s not doin" so hot ‘cause she kept on being hit by the rain. I mean, you guys are Kioka Army soldiers, right!? Help us out!”

While squinting his eyes in the radiance of the high beam, Ikta continued his words with a desperate expression. His fervent speech seeming to have born results, the men, wearing deep green military uniforms with their air shooters readied, slowly approached him.

“We understand the circ.u.mstances, lead us the cave. You can relax. The Republic universally accepts refugees.”

“...You’re going to help us? T-thanks, it’s this way! It ain’t that far-- Ah, ow!”

Ikta, turning his body with a face as if meeting the Buddha in h.e.l.l- possibly having a bad experience with a tree root- stumbled forcefully. When he hastily tried to get back up, this time he gave a scream and ending up crouching.

“Hss, I twisted my ankle…. S-soldier, sorry, but won’t you lend me a shoulder…?!”

“You’re a troublesome guy, aren’t you. ...Hey, Nihad. You help too. Also Irik, we don’t need the high beam anymore, so come here with a lantern.”

One soldier holding an air shooter already came and took Ikta’s hand. Furthermore from behind, the man with the light spirit walked over while changing the light emitted from the “light cavity” into a gentle lantern.

“I-is this all of you guys? My mom can’t walk on her own, and even for carrying her, the help…”

“We’re the only ones who come here. But, if she’s not a very plump madame, we should be fine.”

“...I see. ‘’So it’s only you guys&rsquo

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