４
If my watch is reliable, then today would be November 23rd, and three months have passed since we drifted to this island.
The A-team, consisting of Saori and I, moved from the center of the jungle towards the northeast coast of the island.
We were there to explore the east side of the island (which is supposed to have military installations as well). Today, in addition to food and water, we brought binoculars that we had picked up earlier.
Originally, we planned to cross the sea to the island, but on the map, it looked like we couldn’t cross the strait between the main island and the small island.
“I don’t know what I’ll find this time, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
Finding things is the most important thing we do in our lives here, and it’s also the biggest part of the fun every day.
“Fair enough, but when you think about it, there’s no way we’d be able to go into the jungle like this if we didn’t get a good catch every time. Like this while being bitten by bugs and having injuries all over your body.”
“If you work hard you’ll get results, and that’s actually what track and field is like, except you don’t get bitten by the bug practicing track and field is all.”
“Probably, Saori is so productive because of her talent in athletics.”
“Then you probably have a talent for searching, Captain.”
Saori laughed as she spoke.
The relationship between the two of us (it’s a bit ambiguous to put it that way) still hasn’t changed much in terms of progress since that night in the Commander’s office. Or I should say, the other person doesn’t think about it that much, that’s why there’s no progress.
But I still think that I’m the “best damsel in distress”.
Our search and distribution of supplies has been quite fruitful.
In the center of the island there is an airfield with a runway, and near there, from what looks like a warehouse, components of the plane were found, as well as tools.
What pleased the professor and Rika the most was the discovery of the wire saw. It’s actually just a wire saw, but the professor was amazed by it.
Rika says she’s going to use this to make the hut more secure.
There’s a harbor to the north, and inside the facilities near there, compasses, frying pans, wires, transformers, AC motors, and so on were found, from small things to big things, where we got many items we could use.
We also found a map of the world, but unlike the map that Mr. Soldier Bones had taken, there were no markings on it, so we still didn’t know where we were…
And the B-team, Prof. Yukari and Rika, really deserve to be the cream of the crop on our team. They also found many things in nature. There was clay, rubber from natural rubber trees, and crude oil.
We are going to build a kiln for clay, so that we can make pottery, and we will make natural rubber thin enough to make raincoats and bags for carrying water. In addition, the crude oil, although there is a lot of smoke, will be used for fuel for the time being.
Of course it contained something I had found, but I knew neither what it was nor what that could be used for.
But after the professor and Rika explained everything, I’m still the captain of the team, so I have to work harder… hahaha.
In just three months, I’ve learned things that would surprise even myself. If I were still in Japan, I probably wouldn’t have learned it in my lifetime.
“Wow! This is so awesome, it looks as if we’re building our own country!”
The construction of a country… I guess you could say that.
If our border in this country is the coast, it’s a border that can’t be crossed.
But it’s better not to say that to Saori.
“But then again, it’s a beautiful day.”
Saori raises her head to look at the sky while speaking her heartfelt feelings to me.
After November, it rains here roughly every two days, sometimes in one concentrated downpour, like a thunderstorm, and sometimes all day long.
When the weather is bad, it’s hard to be in a good mood.
Erika-san and Rika’s arguments increased as they did.
“If this weather lasts, the mood will be better too, I guess.”
“But I’ve gotten four sunburns since I’ve been here yay.”
“You look like a snake shedding its skin, but that’s the best evidence of growth.”
“Well, it’s nice to grow up, but I’m a snake…”
Saying that Saori suddenly closes her mouth and then grips my hand hard.
“Saori, what are you doing? Why are you suddenly…”
Ahead of us all of a sudden it opened up and in the center of that clearing we could see men of brown complexion, naked and kicking something that looked like a ball in play.
We hid in the shade for a while to watch them closely, and realized that there was a clearing surrounded by houses built of many trees.
“Does this mean that this is…”
“An aboriginal village? Captain, I’m scared…”
“It’s okay, there’s nothing to be afraid of…”
Suddenly a little boy looks this way. Oh, no, he’s been seen.
“Kali dat ha dat, uncle!” The child ran off toward the house.
“Hey, hey, was he just talking about Uncle?”
“Uh, there’s talk.”
“I think it’s better to run away now.”
But when we were about to run away.
“Hey, Japanese? Come here, we won’t do anything to you.”
“Huh!?”
“We are, Parai-Ru, Japanese, friends.”
When we looked, it turned out to be an obese man with a cloth around his waist waving at us.
He has a white beard and seems to be quite old. With red and white paint on his cheeks and a smile on his face, he didn’t look like he should be a bad person.
“Do you speak Japanese?” We scowled as we advanced, then posed the question to the old man.
“Ah, we old people, former Japanese soldiers came here and learned Japanese.”
“So it is.”
“I’m Hassan, of the Paleru tribe.”
“I’m Kouichi Nakata.”
“My name is Saori Kurashima.”
“Our plane fell off three months ago and that’s how we got here.”
“We kids, we talked about a big bird dropping in the south.”
The old man said as he stroked the head of the small child beside him who had been staring at us.
“Japanese everyone, good people, hakarugi, sada, it’s okay.”
It doesn’t matter. After hearing that, the children let out a cheer all at once as if they heard a code word, and then fertilized me and Saori and surrounded us.
“Nakara Makah Dohana, tongyongyongyong.”
“Kidomanaka.”
“They’re saying come along for the ride.”
“What did they just say?”
“That one is in Japanese, and there are many others…”
“Even pork cutlets and tempura…”
“It was all taught by the Nikki people.”
It seems that the Japanese soldiers who were stationed on the island had a good relationship with them, and not only do the old man now speak Japanese, but even the local vernacular has left a Japanese moniker.
Looks like schnitzel and tempura are the words that stayed.
“We raise pigs, catch shrimp from the river, then grind the manioc into flour, then oil from the grass. Men, women and children eat it.
”
Men, women, and children… It’s remarkable that they can even say such things.
“We want to go back to Japan no matter what, do you have any good ideas?”
“That one we can’t help, but, Japanese friends, help.”
Hassan heard that we had company waiting for us to return, and gave us pork and tree potatoes, and three hides of treated pork.
“Next time we all come together, play, and the village people a hundred men, women, and children are happy.”
“Thank you guys so much, so we’ll go first.”
“Ah, wait, one forgot to tell you, west side of the island, under the mountain, Zinn.”
“Zn? What does that mean?”
“The Zinn, who like to fight and be rough, be careful.”
Turns out there’s another tribe. Good thing we didn’t go there.
While thinking about it we left the village.
Although we didn’t make it to our original destination, we came back with a lot of stuff, so it was a triumphant return.
“Great, you guys did a great job, so there are aboriginals here.”
“Wow! It’s meat! Look at the meat, Ululu.”
“Ululu doesn’t eat meat la. But this meat looks so delicious.”
The four men who were waiting for us to return in the camp saw these things and all at once a great commotion arose.
We cut the meat with a knife, and then using a pot, we sprinkled the meat with the salt created by boiling the sea water, and we roasted the meat in such a humble way to eat it.
Recently we have made cooking much easier with a stove made of rocks, and this is said to be the work of Eirina and Suzume.
“Hey! Don’t burn it, I’ll eat it half-cooked.”
“No way, Professor, this pork must be cooked before you eat it.”
“Then hurry up and bake it, hurry up.”
So everyone gathered around the stove and kept roasting the meat.
From among the circle of people, I carefully called Eirina-san out from among the people.
“What the hell, Captain!”
“I have something I want to ask of you.”
“Aiya, this is really rare. The person who purposely hides to the side every time he sees me would actually come and ask me for a favor.”
Well, indeed… So I was a bit speechless for a moment, and then I was able to tell what I had been thinking about since I left from the Palayru clan.
“That pork skin, can we use it to make shorts or something, Erika-sama and Suzume together…”
“There’s still Saori’s share, isn’t there, you’re a nice guy.”
“I mean, wearing a skirt at work is just a bit…”
“So you still think the wrong way, Captain, huh?”
That’s why I told you not to let me see her smile like Miki again, it’s unbearable.
“This is just really really good, don’t you think so.”
“Eh, a feeling of happiness enveloped my entire body after eating it,” I didn’t expect that even the incompatible Rika and Erika-sama would actually agree on something, the power of this pork is just amazing.
“This is delicious, Ululu.”
Even Suzaku was getting serious about the meat cubes, and although he took some tree potatoes for Ululu to eat, he seemed to prefer the banana.
“The rest of it, I think it would be good to preserve it by smoking it, I just don’t know if I can do it right is all.”
“If it’s smoked it becomes a ham.”
“Hmm, fair enough, that makes for a tasty ham.”
When in a good mood, the professor’s lame jokes sound extraordinarily different.
The satisfaction of a full belly made everyone laugh like they were eating laughing mushrooms, and laughter was among us.
After a good meal, the meeting on the way forward began again.
Even though it’s Friday, yesterday’s meeting ended up declaring the meeting aborted after a heated argument between the two of them, Rika and Erika-san.
“I’ll be the first to report.” Rika began to speak.
“The house, which is now under construction, is scheduled to be completed by next week should be ready.”
“I wish it was done earlier.” Suzume intoned her feelings.
Because there was a storm in late October and all the banana leaves on the roof blew away, and it was a miserable time.
“After that house is finished, there will be another, larger house to be built along the river.”
“Huh, what’s that going to be used for?”
“Because the tools are in place, we’re thinking it’s time to implement that plan.”
“What are you talking about, please don’t pretend to hurry up and say yes?”
“I’m going to build some equipment there.”
“Equipment?”
“I should say it’s a factory or something like that, but it sounds good to say that the equipment sounds like it’s more handsome.”
Rika smiled as if she was a little embarrassed.
“My plan is to set up a waterwheel by the river and use it as a power unit, and then using that power, you can do a lot of things in the cabin.”
I could only understand half of what Rika was saying, but it sounded like it was an amazing plan.
Rika always looks very energetic when she’s creating something, and when she’s trying to carry out a certain plan.
“Like what kind of things can it be used for?” The professor asked.
“First simply you can grind the cassava into powder or something like that. Next is weaving, weaving can’t be done without a machine, but if it’s done, like clothes and pants can be made.”
“That’s great! Remember to make cute clothes for Suzume!”
“Also don’t we have AC motors, if we utilize that we can generate electricity. Though currently even if there is electricity, there’s nothing to use it with is all.”
Electricity. That’s a shocking word.
It made me suddenly remember my history textbook, something about an industrial revolution coming up.
“And, although we haven’t tried it yet and don’t know, it might not be possible to create machinery that uses centrifugal force to separate crude oil out.”
“What is this centrifugal force…?”
“If you use centrifugal force, you can make gasoline or kerosene. This way, with a strong fire, you can use a kiln to burn pottery that doesn’t break easily. This way, the lighting would be much more efficient than the campfire or torches used now.”
“Wow! That’s awesome!” Suzume’s eyes widened as she listened.
“That’s amazing, Rika, you’re really the Edison of the southern island.”
Even the professor couldn’t help but admire it.
“That’s not all, although these are currently just imagined; don’t you see mountains to the northwest? I’m thinking that the teal color should be evidence of rich iron ore. That’s why if it goes well, it should be possible to create tools made of iron, and after reprocessing them they can be used to make a lot of things.”
If I were a foreigner, I’d have screamed “Jesus!” or “Unbelievable” on the spot!
“She’s a genius.
But at this time, I suddenly remembered what Hassan had told us.
“That… I suddenly remembered what I heard from the chief of the Palayru clan…”
“Eh, he said something about it being dangerous in the mountains near the west side of the island, where the warlike and brutal Zinn are said to live.”
Those words came out at once, but Saori, who hadn’t said much earlier, picked up my words.
“Gee, so that’s what it was like, that must have been scary.”
“So that’s how it is, fortunately we’ve been lucky that we haven’t encountered it until now. This way, we’ll try not to go to the west from now on.”
It was the first time since life began on this island that there had been such a clear danger.
As soon as this matter came out, the atmosphere of the originally lively and happy meeting place became silent all of a sudden, so I endeavored to say in a cheerful voice.
“However, they haven’t been recorded as coming here so far, so I think if I just stay away from there as much as possible in the future I should be fine. And if those guys come I’ll use… karate against them.”
I crouched up and took a stance.
“Huh? Captain do you know karate?”
“Eh, but I learned it in a correspondence course.”
Hearing Saori say that, I quickly knocked myself on the head and made a joke.
But it was a bad joke, and if you told such a bad joke in school, you probably wouldn’t have to hang around anymore. But the guys still had a good laugh.
Although the professor was probably the only one who was really laughing, but this way the smiles returned to everyone’s faces, and this way it wasn’t a waste of my painstaking efforts to endure the humiliation of being funny.
Finally, I could breathe a sigh of relief as I looked at everyone’s happy smiles.
Then my eyes stopped on Saori, who was also watching me with a smile.
Saori’s cute lips moved a few times. Captain… △☆×○…
Huh? What’s she talking about? Captain and then what?
So I purposely went to look at Saori’s face again, but she lowered her head shyly, and from the side I saw that her ears under her dark hair looked as if they were turning a little red.
After the meeting everyone went back to their cabins and went to bed, but I was still standing alone on the beach looking at the sea.
Forget about the Zinn for now, but it looks like life here is starting to see less hope again, and I’m trying like a captain.
But what exactly was Saori trying to say just now?
From the shy way she looked just now, does she mean that she likes me?… I don’t think that’s possible. Never mind, it’s impossible to think about such things.
“You were so good back there, it looks like I’m going to have to impress you.”
It’s Rika-san. I don’t know when she was standing beside me.
“I used to call you Captain, but I always just thought of you as a kid who didn’t know anything about anything, and I felt a little bit sorry for you…”
“Ah, kids, that’s true.”
“But you acted like a captain today, so I’ll be asking for more guidance in the future.”
Rika smiled out slightly while saying that, then immediately turned around and went back to the hut.
After hearing her words, I don’t know why my eyes suddenly got hot for a while, and I hurriedly raised my head to look up at the sky.
But human beings are such animals… I pondered while hiding under the wide shade of the jungle.
The other day I was finally recognized by Rika, so since then I’ve been trying to be a good captain, and today…
“Gee, that’s a great seat, should be here in a little while.”
The professor was hunkered down in the shade as was I, binoculars in both hands, and was looking out of his mind.
On the opposite side, about twenty meters away, a rocky outcrop could be seen, unrelated to the surrounding trees, and in the center of the rocky outcrop a gust of smoke was rising.
Oh, is it okay to do this here? If Saori finds out… “Here it comes.” The professor whispered at his side.
GURU…
My throat made a gagging sound.
“Wow! It’s true yay. Eirina-san you’ve really found a great place.”
“You guys see I’m right, people’s friends used to call them lucky Eirina oooh.”
“It’s just great, I didn’t realize that when I came to this island, I could actually soak in a hot spring.”
“Whoa! I’m going to take a nice soothing bath!”
While stirring, the girls took off the clothes they were wearing.
In an instant, all of my blood went to my lower body, and the sanity I had up until that moment was shattered in an instant.
“Wow! This is really great… it’s really the best care for your eyes… it’s the best thing on earth.”
The professor, who was peering through the binoculars, also exclaimed in an old man’s tone while doing so.
From here the first thing that caught my eye was Erika-san’s overwhelmingly bold figure.
These are really huge tits, and the black part underneath is quite thick, and the lines of that little ass are perfect…
My left hand unknowingly probes towards the ground, but as soon as I mold to the leaves, immediately I come back to reality. There’s no Kleenex, this isn’t watching AV in my own room.
Compared to Erika, who was all round and soft, Rika looked much more slender. However, the tips of her breasts still stood firm and upward, and her buttocks were tight… Of course, Suzume still had the body of a child, with no circumference at all, and she looked like a muppet with Ururu on her chest.
But… but… Saori’s…
“Saori you need to stop being shy and take it off.”
While talking, Rika and the three of them had already stepped into the hot spring.
However Saori still hadn’t removed her bra yet, she bent forward on one side and then slowly took off her skirt, and underneath it was the same little blue panties that she had last glimpsed.
It wasn’t easy to see, but there was hardly any flab on her entire body, and she was quite fit.
Wow, she’s got her hand on her panties, well, it looks like she’s going to start at the bottom first.
However, at such a distance, it is difficult to see the details clearly, and it is impossible to realize the mystery of women… “Hey, let me borrow the binoculars too! Lend me your binoculars, too.”
“No way, whoo! Wow! Erika-san didn’t have that… how could she…”
“Lend it to me…”
“I said no, who told you to lose the guessing game just now.”
“Asshole, cheapskate, greedy, horny old man, lend it to me!”
“Shut up, who wants to borrow you!”
We lowered our voices to each other and argued, an ugly war between me, who was fighting hard for the binoculars, and the professor, who was desperately trying to get them back.
Suddenly, someone was tapping on my back. Huh… I turned around and what was there turned out to be… “Oooh squeak! Squeak squeak squeak!”
Jumping onto my shoulder, Ululu let out an unimaginable yelp from its tiny frame.
“What’s the matter, Ululu?”
Hear the sound of the bell.
Crap, I panicked and tried to get away, but the trees behind me actually made a louder noise than I thought they would.
“Who is it! Who is it! Over there!”
“Ughhh! It’s a pervert!”
Erika-san screamed loudly.
I pulled hard on the professor with my soon to be frozen hand.
Then we eased away from the scene as best we could without making a sound, and then ran wildly through the jungle like animals.
“Whew~~ that was a close one just now!”
“That’s right, if they found out just now, I don’t know what will happen in the future.”
The two of us, after returning to camp, sat on the beach breathing heavily.
But… my heart was beating wildly as I recalled the scene.
I don’t know if I should say it’s a pity that I didn’t get to see Saori naked just now, or if this look is enough.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen anything good… ah, they’re back.”
Just as the professor was muttering to himself, he heard the girls return.
“Hey! How’s the spa?”
The professor asked in a deliberately matter-of-fact voice.
“Really, it’s horrible that there are perverts!”
“Suzume was seen without her clothes on!”
“That’s just it, I didn’t think I’d run into a perverted peeping tom in a place like this.”
“It’s a good thing I didn’t take my clothes off just now, that’s a damn shame.”
The four men who came to where we were sitting still had a mixture of indignation in their mouths.
“What did the pervert look like, did you see him?” I asked uneasily.
“No, didn’t see what he looked like, he ran off into the jungle.”
“Wow, so that’s what it looks like. Ah! Maybe it’s the Zinn clan… If that’s the case, that was really dangerous just now.”
Again, the professor deliberately acted as if the thought had just occurred to him, casually blaming it all on the Zinn, who had yet to be seen.
“Boss – so then maybe they’ve already been here.”
“Huh!?”
“Look guys, isn’t this one ours?”
Rika took out the very binoculars that were… supposed to be on the professor’s person, and it was a disaster!
“I’m sorry!”
“Outrageous!”
The professor and I immediately fell to our knees on the spot.
“No, tomorrow you will be punished by not being allowed to eat for the whole day!”
“And for a month from today, you will be responsible for carrying water and preparing food!”
“Yes, we know we’re wrong, so here’s the deal.”
“I get it too, and we won’t say anything to complain.”
“That’s too cheap, I think it’s better to let them both sleep outside from today until they reflect.”
“That’s a good idea, better yet, tie them to a tree.”
“As expected of Rika, this is a really good idea.”
“Boss… no, please spare us…”
“Serves you right, hahahahaha!”
Our heads were grinding against the sand on one side, and we had to make humiliating noises on the other side of our mouths, as the girls’ giggles echoed above our heads.
５
The sea level slowly drained into red, the sky seemed to gradually seep into the sea, and then the sun gradually showed its face.
“Happy New Year!”
“Happy New Year!”
“Squeak-squeak-“
White waves broke apart at their distant feet, and the six men standing on the eastern cliffs, along with a monkey, mouthed loud and mutual Happy New Year greetings.
It has been almost five months since we came to the island, but the chance to go back to Japan still hasn’t appeared, and we are welcoming the New Year in such a clueless situation. But lately no one complains or sighs in front of everyone, not even Erika-san.
The phrase that has been trending in our mouths lately is, “Great energy, great work.” (The professor did it.)
Because we all believe that as long as we have the spirit to live, one day the opportunity will surely come.
With healthy wheat-colored skin (I should say tanned) from the sun, everyone had a healthy look on their faces and a sparkle in their eyes, with Saori’s side looking especially bright and attractive.
“Has everyone made a wish for their first sunrise?” The professor asked.
“What does that mean?”
“Hahaha, don’t you know? It means that you can make a wish on the first sunrise of the year.”
Everyone laughed and Rika explained the origin to Suzume while laughing.
“Anyway, the wish is not for good health, and then you can get off this island…”
“Eh, everyone makes the same wish, right?”
“Ululu is not! ‘He must be wishing for more bananas this year’, right, Ululu.”
“Ugh, I’ve known people other than Ululu who wished for something different oooh.”
It hasn’t been long since Erika-san had her New Year’s Eve, and she’s showing her Miki style smile again for me to see.
The man’s intuition seems to be only so good at times like these, doesn’t it?
Only Eirina-san, among the team, noticed that I was in love with Saori.
“Does that mean captain?”
I don’t know if it’s because she doesn’t understand what I’m thinking, but Saori’s innocent voice pierced into my chest. But the pair of pupils that had been looking at me seemed to be looking right into the depths of my chest, as if they had glimpsed what was going on in my mind, which made my heart beat faster.
“Ah, Si, I also made a wish that the standard of living would improve.”
“True to form, this proves that picking you as captain wasn’t a mistake.”
“That’s true, I should have gotten the factory going too come what may.”
Whew – finally got me to mix it up.
But when I peeked at Saori again, eh? She looks like she’s a little bit disgruntled, and I don’t know how to explain that.
“Okay, I’ll do a little comedy next. This is my first time performing this year, ah… Sky… Hey! Why did you guys just leave me here alone and leave.”
The professor who stayed behind to try to put on the first show of the spring, but we rushed back.
The guys were so united on the first day of the new year (what kind of unity is that?).
Since the end of the year was hardly spent exploring, and I was buried in the assignments Rika instructed me to do, my wish to “improve my standard of living”, as I was compelled to say just now, has in fact progressed quite a bit.
There are three huts now, and in addition to the tent I made at the beginning, the one I built later for living in, as well as the larger working hut (which is the factory Rika was talking about earlier) are almost finished.
The waterwheel used as a power unit is also in the completion stage.
“After finishing the waterwheel, it’s time to start making the loom.” This was Rika’s conception, in short, Saori, Erika-san, and Suzume were temporarily propped up with shorts made of pigskin.
That was nice, from between the leather and the thick twine, leaving a gap just enough to see the body.
So I have a look or two at times, which of course is the best proof that I’m a healthy man.
In addition to “clothing” and “housing”, “food” has also been enriched.
Progressing from firewood to having charcoal, we are getting better in terms of what we eat.
Since stoves made of clay are still active, it is possible to make pottery, which is now considered much more civilized than in the old days when food was eaten on leaves.
The pottery was also used as a return gift (that is, barter) from Hassan and the others to give us pork, tree potatoes, field oil, etc., and our friendly relations with the Paleru grew better and better.
Of course the New Year’s Eve dish is all about pork.
The pigs raised by the Paleru people are arguably the best delicacy on this island. Even Erika-san, who has eaten all the world’s food because of her work, says so.
“After eating this kind of pork, you’ll never want to eat pork that’s fed feed again.”
She was talking like a nature-loving Obasan when she talked about how good the pork was.
“Hey! It’s about time you guys started!” The professor suddenly spoke up.
“Should be going to Hassan’s, and old Grandpa Meguro’s, that’s a really good idea.”
“I wonder if I’ll get a yearbook?”
“Oops, right actually forgot about Suzume’s yearbook.”
Everyone had a “Oh shit” look on their faces.
For Suzume, who was still only ten years old, the New Year’s Eve, when she could get her New Year’s money, was considered a very important holiday.
Of course, even I want it.
“Hohohoho… look at this.”
Eirina-san snickered while opening her palm to show Suzume.
“Wow! So pretty! Is this going to be for me?”
“Eh, that’s the pressure money.”
They were small translucent stones with a greenish tinge that were slightly smaller than a thumbnail.
Is Erika-san’s personality good or bad?… Anyway, she was especially gentle with Suzume.
“Lend me that, ouch! Isn’t this an emerald, and where did you find this?”
“I found it by the spring when I went to carry water.”
Discovered the hot springs and now actually found the gems, what a lucky man.
“Wow! Ululu, look, it’s New Year’s money!”
Everyone looked happily at Suzume’s joyful appearance.
This sight looks like a real family.
Even Saori and Rika were happy for Suzume together, and I had expected them to look a little envious.
I want that emerald, too. I envy it from the bottom of my heart.
If I could have one…
Of course the person I’m sending it to has already been decided.
On the first Thursday of May, during the regular evening meeting, I asked Rika about homework for the first time.
“Rika, I was wondering if there’s any way to repair that rubber boat because I want to check out the island to the east.
”
Not only is it adventurous, but you could get something important if you mess up.
“That being said, it is necessary to cross the sea to that island to see it.”
“As long as we can repair that, we can cross the river at will, and this way we can carry back whatever we find no matter how big it is.”
“Eh, good point!”
I felt like a schoolboy being praised by his teacher.
“So it can be fixed well.”
“Eh, I think it should be repairable, not only do we have natural rubber, but if we use crude oil to melt it down afterward, we can probably patch up the hole.”
“What about the air inside?”
“Use a rubber and a board to make a manual pump… Anyway, I’ll think of something.”
As expected of Rika, her mind’s reaction is really fast.
“If we sail out in that boat, there’s a chance that a ship or an airplane will spot us.”
Suzaku, who was listening from the side, interjected.
“That’s no good, that’s for six people, and there’s room for water and food, plus it’s just a dinghy, it can only be used for drifting…”
“So, it’s going to die.”
“However, I have an idea that will get us out, but not with a rubber dinghy. I’ve kept it to myself, but it’s better to say it now.”
The professor said as he went back to the hut and brought out the world map he had gotten before.
“You see, in the southern hemisphere, the surface currents… simply put, the surface currents, flow counterclockwise, like the Southern Equatorial Current and so on. There is a theory that the indigenous people who live on this island used to be dispersed across the island by utilizing currents like this one.”
It sounded a bit complicated, but I listened hard and finally got a bit of it.
“In 1947, from Beleigh, South America, we sailed for Icadacon, Dacic. The same doctrine was advocated by Tru. Hayadar advocated the same doctrine.”
Although it was said that Rika must have understood it, even Suzume was listening with interest.
“That is to say, if we just ride the currents and reach the islands scattered around here, we can definitely get to a place where we can ask for help.”
The professor pointed out “Melanesia” on the map.
“The island can be almost described as isolated, so it can’t be judged by common sense.”
“Basically, we’ve got the professor’s idea all figured out, but how are we going to go about it specifically?”
“My idea was a canoe, because a rubber boat has no propulsion at all until it hits the current, so I thought of using a canoe.”
“Suzume has been in a canoe, too.”
“However, it’s going to be much bigger than the one Suzume has done, and we’re going to have to sit in it. It has to be able to seat six people, and it has to be able to store a certain amount of food and water. Depending on what happens afterward, I hope there will be sails as well.”
This was the first specific departure scenario I had come to the island with, and my mood felt a little lighter all of a sudden.
“But the likelihood seems low.”
I don’t think so. Hearing those conceptions that were outside the scope of my own knowledge, I had thought that I could already go back, but I didn’t expect Rika’s words to startle me.
“Yes, that’s the problem.”
What?
I didn’t realize how Rika’s opinion was immediately accepted when even the professor himself said so.
“At the very least, it would have been nice to have a clear chart of the island’s location and the direction of the currents and so on… so I would expect to be able to get that information at the military base or elsewhere.”
“That means just have the stuff.”
“Well, but I think I’ll start on the canoe first.”
“I’m for it!” Suzaku let out a cheerful cheer.
“That… that thing about me talking about fixing the rubber boat…”
“Don’t worry, I’ll fix it for you first thing in the morning at the latest.”
“Thanks!”
The rubber dinghy, with patches everywhere, actually managed to float up the river anyway.
“Whoa! It worked, can I sit on it?”
Suzaku jumped off the shore into the rubber boat in one swift motion, followed by Ululu, who jumped in as if she were a swallow.
“Looks like it’s in pretty good repair.”
“It’s still daylight, so I’ll see about trying to get to the spring today.”
Hearing Saori’s words, I nodded before diving headfirst into the journey ahead.
The first night will be at the springs, then the next day should be just right for a night at the Palaeru village.
The river’s water source is in the center of the island, and then it splits into four directions, so the only way to get to the island in the northeast is by going around.
Although there is another route around to the east along the beach, the waves are so big below the cliffs to the east that the battered rubber dinghy shouldn’t last.
The boat was loaded with two days’ portions of food and water, as well as pottery to be given to the Paleru people, and the two of us, Saori and I, sat in the boat then propped ourselves up on sticks to make our way to the bottom of the river.
So when tired, or where the water is shallow, get out of the rubber boat and pull on the front rope, or use a push from behind.
But it takes a lot more time this way than with walking.
Probably because of this, the feeling of clothes being soaked with sweat and sticking to the body is particularly strong, making it extra unbearable.
On the morning of the third day after our departure from camp, our spirits were lifted by the warm welcome we had received from the Paleru the night before, and we then proceeded up the river.
“I really like them, everyone there is a good person.”
“Fair enough, they talk almost like demons.”
“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I mean they don’t have schools or tests like this either.”
Ahahaha, Saori laughed openly, and seeing her like that I suddenly thought.
At this point it doesn’t matter, anyway, I’ll just ask to see what she thinks of me.
I don’t think Saori hates me, I’m so sure of myself.
“That… there’s something I want to ask you…”
“Boss? What is it?”
But seeing myself reflected in Saori’s eyes suddenly scared me.
“Ah, forget it! I’ll say it next time, it’s not a big deal.”
“Well… is that so?”
Sandy Weaver’s voice sounded as if he felt a little bored.
Then the two of us didn’t talk much after that in silence about the boat.
In about two hours our boat arrived at the mouth of the river.
A green-covered island could be seen in front of us, with a very high rocky mountain in the center that looked almost like a hat floating in the sea.
I don’t know how far it is, maybe a kilometer in a straight line, no, maybe two kilometers.
For me, who can’t swim, that’s really quite a distance.
We were two on one side matching our voices to the water with our homemade paddles, but the more anxious we were to move forward, the slower we went.
Perhaps it was the fatigue along the road, Saori’s voice became quieter and quieter.
It was a pretty heavy job, and when we managed to reach the shore, both hands were sore and aching.
“Now hurry up and get to the base.”
“Uh…”
The buildings here are really covered with a layer of ivy on top as well, so from a distance, you can only see that it’s just a green hill.
Going in and taking a look inside… this was surprising! Even ignorant me knew that we had made a great discovery.
“Wow! It’s a radio, it’s great!”
“┅”
“I don’t know what the others are, but there are a lot of machines, take them back Rika will be happy now.”
“I guess…”
Saori, who was panting heavily, chimed in.
“Then I’m going to push down lo, one, two, three!”
The two of us pushed the boat, which was loaded with radios and various machines, into the sea. But Saori’s body suddenly collapsed on the spot as if she had lost all her strength at once.
“Sha, Saori!”
I immediately ran over and tried to pick her up.
It’s hot. She’s got a high fever!
It didn’t take long for me to touch my hand to her forehead before it felt hot, and the heat on her body was even more intense.
KA-DA-KA-DA…
There was a dry sound as teeth collided.
Even as I supported her I felt the intense spasms reaching me.
“Are you okay, pull yourself together!”
“I’m sorry… Captain…”
She closed her eyes after that.
After that it seemed like something else was said, but only a faint voice could be heard coming out.
I’m such a useless man that I didn’t realize Saori was like this all the time.
Damn, all in all, it’s better to go back to the island now.
So I picked up Saori, who had no strength at all in her body.
Saori’s body is really light as can be, which makes me can’t help but have an ominous feeling.
And on her body, the pores all over her body worked like a breath of air, discharging a huge amount of sweat at once.
I put her quietly in the boat and went out to sea.
Darn it, darn it, darn it!
I was talking to myself while making all my strength water.
But no matter how hard I tried, the island across the street looked as if it was as far away as Japan.
The blue sea inexplicably seemed to widen, and Saori’s body looked a little worse for wear.
“Damn it! I’m not going to lose to you! I must go over there! I’m not going to lose, no matter what I’m going to go over there!”
I don’t know why, but I was cursing angrily in anger while I was in the water.
How about how long it took for the boat to finally reach the other side of the river.
After entering the estuary, it was only possible to push forward from the back, but it was never possible to move forward smoothly, which was a real source of anxiety.
It had darkened around us, and the trees of the jungle looked as if they were blocking our way.
By the time we reached the village of the Palai Lu, it was completely dark all around.
Maybe it was because I had been running, my lungs were gasping for air like they were going to turn over.
“Hassan! Hassan!”
This loud shout of mine drew Hassan and the others out of the hut.
“Oh… it’s Kouichi, what’s wrong?”
“Crap! That’s a high fever.”
Hassan, who was visiting Saori, suddenly widened his eyes.
So I was taken to the hut and then Saori was made to lie on the floor.
At Hassan’s direction, several village people immediately began to move. There also seemed to be people busy outside the hut.
Saori was practically just breathing at this point, she wouldn’t move no matter how much she was screamed at.
“How can you get a fever like that when only one person a year will get it, and only one person in ten years can be saved.”
“No, no way!”
Hearing Hassan say this, I called out at once, and at this time three men came in from the entrance of the hut, with their faces and bodies covered with white and red paint.
The men knelt down towards the outside of the hut and bowed their heads. Then one of them approached Saori, took out the pot in his hand, and took red paint from it and applied it to Saori’s forehead.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and take the medicine…”
“Don’t talk, you sit here and watch!”
Hassan beckoned to me from the corner of the room where he was sitting, his tone sounding different from the usual Hassan, with the authority of a matriarch. Overwhelmed by this aura, I just sat down obediently.
“O high fever! O evil spirit of the forest! O God of Fire of Paleru drive it away, and come thou and pray.”
One of the men in the back of the trio stood up and then began to beat the drum between his waist. At the same time one of the men in the front chanted an incantation in a low voice while feeding Saori the same thing that he had just applied to his forehead.
I turned my head to see that Hassan beside me had also closed his eyes and was chanting a spell.
“Pray! Kouichi!” Hassan said quietly.
“Pray! Light One! To the God of Fire!”
So I closed my eyes and whispered a prayer as well.
“O God of Fire of Palailu, please save Saori. Please save Saori, the god of fire of Paleru. Please save Saori, the God of Fire of Palayru.”
The same mantra over and over again.
DONG DONG DONG DONG DONG DONG…
I also prayed continuously as the low sound of the big drums resounded all around.
DONG DONG DONG DONG DONG DONG…
Unconsciously the sound of the drum drilled into the cranium like a creature, and an incredible sensation invaded. As soon as the drums picked up speed, the sound was like a whirlwind in the brain, and then it felt like a lump of fire exploding in the brain.
Oooo… Oooo… What the hell is wrong with me.
A paralyzing sensation inside his head.
I straightened up and looked at where Saori was sleeping. Since the surrounding is still dark although I can’t see it too clearly, I can see Saori’s smile.
“So I’m saved…”
I walked over to Saori’s pillow and sat down, then probed my hand to try and see if there was still a fever on her.
Then slowly really slowly, her eyes opened.
“I…”
Lovely lips moved slightly, and the moment the words came out of her mouth, I felt a huge shock hit my brain, as if it was going to break my brain like a major blow. A large number of tears flowed out of my eyes at once.
“I, I, I…”
I was really worried about you… I thought Saori would die… I wanted to say it, but I couldn’t.
“Can you hear me?”
“Boss-?”
“Although I couldn’t hear anything else, I kept hearing Kouichi keep saying ‘Please help me’.”
Kouichi… She usually called me Captain, and she did call me that at this time.
Saori’s hand slowly took hold of my hand that was resting on her forehead for a moment before her hand gradually came up along my wrist. Then she pulled my body over in one go before she tightly wrapped her arms around me.
I panicked all of a sudden.
Her voice was small but clear.
“Kouichi… thank you… I love it…”
Now my head is even more confused than it was during the ceremony earlier, so it feels like I’m going to pass out again.
In the vicinity of my shoulder, the area where Saori had just leaned her head up was still wet.
The tears that I had managed to stop a moment ago, welled up again, why do I shed tears so easily.
“I’m sorry, I really should have said sorry to you. I’m really sorry that I didn’t even notice that you were sick… I’m really sorry.” Saori shook her head vigorously.
“We must go back to Japan together, and when we get back to Japan… I will… I will… Saori… all the time…” I said while gazing at Saori’s face, which had straightened up.
I’m really impatient.
The words that had been on my mind could not be uttered.
“It’s okay… I understand. When we return to Japan, I’ll make a pact with you…”
“Saori…”
“Here, Kouichi, you are everyone’s captain… I’ve gotten better, Captain.”
Saori doesn’t look as cheerful as usual, but still tries hard to squeeze out a smile for me.
“Eh, fair enough. Uh-huh.”
Like an idiot I just nodded my head desperately.
６
“Captain, Professor, look!”
Professor and I, who were doing canoeing on the beach near the estuary in the east, Suzume suddenly ran over.
As soon as she ran to us, she immediately pulled the dress apart with her hands to show us.
“What do you think?”
“Not bad, it looks like it fits, even Ululu…”
“Rika-san and Eirina-san made this for me.”
Suzume was currently wearing a different top than the one she had always worn, but instead she was wearing a T-shirt-like top, and Ururu was wearing clothes made out of the same texture.
So that’s what it is, it’s made out of hemp, I realized that right away.
The truth is that although the clothes we wear on our bodies are often washed, after wearing them for so long, they can’t help but still get a little dirty on them.
Suzume’s blouse in particular, and the sailor uniform blouse that Saori was wearing, were so dirty that they were unrecognizable as originally white.
“Has Rika finished the loom already?”
“Eh, the cloth is almost all done, and this is what Eirina-san sewed.”
Even though the two of them have rarely fought lately, the fact that those two would actually make something together amazes me when I think about it.
“Erika-san said, ‘I’m going to make a dress that fits me well.’ Then I said, ‘Then I’ll make one for Suzume, too.’ And Rika said, ‘That’s impossible.’ So then…”
“I told you, it’s still because of the fight, ahahahaha.”
We laughed out loud as we watched Suzume imitate the two of them arguing.
“But with the loom… this is really a civilizing tool, and it will be good to have this for the future.”
The professor said to himself.
I thought to myself that the professor was telling jokes again, but every time he told a joke something good would surely happen or something delightful would happen.
“But this way it’s almost a year since we came here.”
“There were no seasons once I got here, and I haven’t made plans to move again lately, so I’m almost on the verge of forgetting what month it is.”
“To be able to live like this for a year with the processing of found and collected things, there are really times when you can’t quite believe that this is true.”
“Really yeah, and I heard that Rika’s about to start generating electricity too, and then she’s going to repair the radio, she’s really energized.”
“I see, it will be much more reassuring when both the canoe and the radio are finished.”
“Huh? Can we go back to Japan?”
Suzaku misheard what we said.
“In another three to four months both should be completed. That way, by the end of this year… Professor.
”
“Well, this is the time for a showdown, and if we’re going to have a showdown, we can’t afford to lose…”
The professor’s face, who had been smiling just a moment ago, instantly tensed up.
“What are you talking about a showdown?”
Suzume asked with the look of a curious baby. Just as we were worrying about how to explain it to her, from the campground came Saori’s voice calling out to us.
We went over to see what was going on and we didn’t realize that Hassan had come to our camp, which was a rare thing. The women working in the camp were all gathered and talking to Hassan.
“Oh, so it’s the professor and Kouichi.”
“It’s been a long time, and I really thank you for last time.”
“No, no, you’re too kind.”
I bowed and saluted Hassan, who bowed his head and returned the salute.
Suzume laughed loudly when she saw us like this.
I haven’t been to the Pararu villages since Saori got better.
Speaking of that illness… that day was the first day in my life that a girl had told me that she liked me, and I still didn’t grow up enough to say that I liked her.
All in all it was a sweet yet distressing memory of youth… I thought so while peeking at Saori’s face, and Saori laughed out loud when she saw me looking at her.
But beside her, Erika-sama also smiled.
“Ah, Hassan, what is the reason for your visit today?”
“He said there’s a festival next week, a festival for the God of Fire.”
My heart raced again at the sound of the God of Fire, and at the same time I remembered the experience of that night when the big drums rumbled without calling it a thought.
“Was there any special ceremony that day?”
I asked timidly, not wanting to see that ritual again.
“There’s something particularly happy, very happy, it’s the annual festival in the village.”
“Wow! Seems like a lot of fun yay!”
“It’s going to be a year here in a little while, so why don’t we stop by and celebrate the fact that we made it through the year safe and sound.”
August… It’s already been a year. As I looked at the “AUG2” on my watch, I was surprised at how quickly time had passed.
“Can I get a big meal?” Yu Yin asked curiously.
“There was a lot of great food, and wine, and singing, and laughing.”
“Hey, is there any more wine?”
“I can’t believe there’s even wine, I can’t miss this. “Ah, wine… wine…”
Upon hearing that there was wine, both the professor and Erika-san’s eyes sparkled with light. The professor opened his mouth wide in oblivion and stared off into the distance with a dazed look on his face.
But it was true that since arriving here, he hadn’t had half a drink so far. And then again, never seen a Paralu drink either.
“Paralu, drink once a year, only the festival.”
“Huh, so that’s what it looks like.”
“So drink when you drink, children and adults alike, men and women, young and old, and have a good time.”
“Can kids drink too. Wow, I’m so happy.”
“That’s not good. Suzume, alcohol is an activity for grown-ups, ooh. Even Saori and the captain aren’t adults yet.”
What is she talking about.
“Besides, Saori is this year’s festival queen.”
Hassan spoke these words to Saori as if he was making some major declaration.
“Huh, me? I’m the queen of the festival?”
“Saori defeated the evil spirits of the forest and was blessed by the God of Fire.”
My Saori has not only become the “best damsel in distress” in my eyes, but now she is also the representative of the gods.
“Saori, you’re amazing, now you’re Vulcan-sama-ro.”
“I’m Saori is a beauty la, this is perfect.”
“That’s not true… what beauty…”
Being praised like that by the professor and Rika, Saori smiled sheepishly while doing so.
As I looked at Saori like this, I suddenly felt my feet become light and wanted to backflip a hundred times on the spot (even though I wouldn’t).
“People have been Ms. What’s-her-name a few times even when they were students.” Erika-sama suddenly spoke up.
“Like ‘Miss Wet Tissue’, and ‘Miss Countryside’, and ‘Queen of Soy Sauce’.
With ‘Empress Wu Kwok Fish’ and so on, ah, and that ‘Miss Stinky Salted Fish’…”
“Ms. Stinky Salty? That’s so weird. Please, will you, it’s not like anyone’s listening to you.”
“What does it matter, that’s like you, ah, who has never been a lady of anything, ugly girl.”
“What did you say?”
“Hey, hey, it’s okay, really.”
“Don’t fight, peace, peace.”
While I watched the big commotion that started again as usual, I kept thinking about Ms. Vulcan.
Oooooooooooooh~! A cheer rang out from the square of the Paralu village.
It turned out to be Saori who came out surrounded by the village girls.
Special garments were worn, with brightly colored cloths wrapped around their bodies, and decorated with flowers or bird feathers, and shells and other ornaments that hung from their hair and necks and wrists.
The firelight from the campfire shone on her tanned face, creating unspeakable shadows.
If there was any difference from her normal self, I would say that she was a cute type of woman, but now she seemed to have a mature beauty… No, I should say a beauty beyond maturity. Perhaps I should use the word “divine” to describe her at this point in time.
“Saori is so pretty!”
“Our best queen, Saori!”
“The most beautiful! The world’s first beauty!” Cheers from all around rang out.
“Geez, Captain why don’t you go say something complimentary? Hee hee hee!”
I couldn’t react to Erika-san’s words for a moment, I should say I was frozen.
Being picked out by Vulcan, so to speak, it wasn’t just that Saori was chosen solely because she got better from being sick, or was blessed, but that Saori was special in her own right to be chosen.
After a short time, Saori sat with her back turned here, toward the campfire burning brightly in the center of the square, which looked like an altar boy.
All the villagers knelt down and we learned to do the same.
Presumably speaking some words of thanks to God, Hassan spoke aloud alone.
The village people all raised their asses high in the air and then put their heads on the flowery ground and rubbed them.
I also had gratitude in my heart and made the same gesture as the people of Paralu.
Chosen by God…” I thought to myself as I assumed a strange kneeling position.
But in that case, God and I are enemies. But even if it’s God, I can only lend him Saori for today.
Not only cured the sick, make heaven spare me, I don’t know why such a feeling welled up in my heart. It is really too careless.
If the festival is over, return it to me quickly… It’s not a public organization.
Please, give it back to me. Hurry up and give me back the baby Bebi… What am I talking about?
I’ve already experienced the power of Vulcan myself.
God, please forgive me, don’t punish me.
“Captain how much longer are you going to kneel there.”
When I heard Rika’s words, I realized that I was the only one left still kneeling there.
Dancing has begun in the square.
A hundred of the Palaru formed a circle and then danced to the rhythm.
Clanging and clanging… The sound of the drums echoed in the night sky.
The rhythm was different from the heavy rhythm at the time of the cure, which made one feel that the heart danced to the rhythm, and it seemed as if the blood in the whole body flowed to the hands and feet.
Adults and children danced to the rules to match the rhythm, taking small, brisk steps. The movement felt a bit like the rhythm of the cheering voices when cheering for a soccer ball. The sweat of a hundred people flew, and their jumping up and down shook the ground.
“Come on, let’s all dance together, children dance, adults dance, men and women dance.”
When Hassan said so, we joined the circle of people and danced.
After the dancing comes the party.
There is roasted pork, and Paralu’s famous tempura, pork cutlet, and so on are piled up like a mountain on a banana leaf.
In front of each of them was a cup cut in half from a coconut fruit and filled with a white liquid. Since my throat was dry after the dance, I drank that in one gulp… pfft!
And ended up throwing up.
“It’s, it’s wine, and it’s very strong wine.”
“Ohhhh, the scent, it’s overwhelming, it’s just so blissful.”
The professor grunted and took a small sip, pretending to know what he was talking about and muttering to himself.
“This should be considered a cocktail…”
“Rather than a cocktail, I think a cloudy wine would be more appropriate.”
While talking about the quality of the sake, Erika-san and the professor showed smiles.
Even Rika, who usually seemed serious, quite surprisingly drank vigorously.
“I’ve never had a drink before yeah.”
Saori, who finished her task of being a queen, just sat beside me in her queenly attire, and for a moment, I felt as if I was being a king as well.
“Saori you were so beautiful just now.”
“Really, even people are getting jealous.”
“I’m so happy to give you guys that.”
Praised up by the group, Saori smiled a little embarrassed.
The party was getting bigger and bigger, especially for Ms. Erika…
“Hahahahaha! Let’s all drink, and you too, Captain.”
Rika was next.
“Oooooooooo… what’s going on, haha snail’s… pi plus differential integral, protractor… aaaaahhhh, X squared…”
The professor started to read too.
“Really, former students, there’s nothing like you guys! School is a place to learn, not a place to poop!”
“Hahahahaha, everyone’s so funny, aren’t they, Ululu.”
Suzume became happy to hear those words.
When the school used to have a party at the Fishing Eight, no one drank like this, but today was an eye-opener for me.
“People are really still accumulating a lot of stress.”
I because the Sandweaver Queen was sitting right next to me and this tension made me not drink too much.
“How? Are you drinking? Let’s have some fun.”
“There, there, there, you’ll see.”
“Yeah, that’s the way it should be.”
Hassan staggered over, and after those words, staggered away again.
The afterglow in the center of the square seems to be starting to unfold.
But the afterglow of the village people is a bit of a mystery.
‘Like swinging a rock over your head (hilarious), then letting it fall (hilarious), then stepping over it again (hilarious).’ ‘Or swinging a banana leaf as hard as you can (superb burst of laughter all round).’
Most of them were afterthoughts like this one, and the performers themselves had no expression on their faces at all.
“What incredible people, hahaha.”
When the Queen said that, the Paralu clan’s position was gone.
“Hinoki man, what a show.” Suddenly, Hassan named names.
“Japanese, Japanese, Japanese…”
A chorus of voices in the venue urged the Japanese to come out and perform.
And the one who jumped out amidst all the urging was Erika-sama.
“Go go go go!” Eirina-san picked up a leaf that was in her hand and then matched it with the clapping and drumming, and then actually danced Jurikenna’s dance, which was a bit outdated, and it had taken off her top and was only wearing her bra.
“Come on, come on, come on!”
YAHOO! I forgot that there was Saori around and actually let out an involuntary cheer.
Huge boob level, no, I should say bursting boob level boobs swayed fiercely from side to side.
“Captain do you like girls with big breasts?” Saori beside her asked in a small voice.
“People… don’t have very big breasts…”
Oh, you’re drinking too! You don’t look very happy.
With her pouty lips and a bit of a serious look in her eyes, she couldn’t be jealous, could she?
“Huh, no… that was… ah, I’m a little drunk…”
I panicked and stood up.
“Ugh, what a defeat for her.”
I was talking while in the bushes, then after finishing my pee, I was about to return to the mat when I suddenly heard someone’s footsteps rustling behind me.
“Captain um…” I turned back around and Erika-sama was standing in front of me in just her underwear.
“Hey, Erika-sama… what’s wrong?”
“Captain, do you hi persuade me? Or do you hate me? Please tell me.”
“I don’t hate it…”
“Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe, so that means you like it? If you like me, hug me~ Hey, hey~”
That horrible smile was back, and it was a tenth grade feat, with huge breasts pressing into my hands.
Ah ah, oh, I… my lower body has risen.
Will reason prevail, or will desire, as the heart and the lower body wage war?
Ms. Erika kept blowing into my ear and her huge breasts kept attacking me. I was having a real crisis inside…
“Erika-san, we should go back, you’ve had too much to drink…”
“I don’t want to, Saori’s over there, I’m…”
I returned to the plaza while holding Eirina-san who was already about to collapse.
Great. Conscience won out. Luckily I didn’t drink too much.
While thinking so, I let Eirina-san sleep beside Suzume, who still has traces of tears on her face, and then I returned to my seat.
“Eirina-sama is fine, right?”
Saori’s eyes were a bit strange, with an expression that seemed to say, “I don’t think you’ve done anything to Erika, right?
“It’s okay, she’s just drunk, it’s really okay…”
I put a lot of emphasis on the second “nothing”.
“In that case ooh, that’s good, I’ve always believed in Captain…” smiled Saori and nodded.
And then gently leaned over and leaned on me. How bold.
In the center of the square, Suzume and Uluru are performing an afterglow program.
“That’s a lot more than usual!”
Thanks to her lovely voice, cheers of amazement rang out in the square, and countless claps were heard. But these things seemed to me as if they were very far away.
I felt Saori’s hair on my shoulder and my body trembled…
August is almost over too, and it’s been over half a month since that party.
The professor and I were sweating as we built the canoe.
“Oooh, could you bring me that board over there for a moment, evil spirit of the forest.”
“Please, can you stop calling me that.”
I grumbled as I passed the board to the professor from the other side of the canoe.
The reason why the professor called me “the evil spirit of the forest” was because of the afterglow of the performance at the festival; I was just performing a pantomime, and an easy-to-understand pantomime at that.
The so-called “escalator” maneuver is when you stand in the grass at waist height and crouch down while moving forward. Standing next to a thick tree trunk and pulling on the collar of your shirt to act as if someone is pulling on your shirt. And pretending that there is a rope in the air, and then pulling the rope over there.
The result was the opposite of the popularity… and the room was silent.
It turned out to be a riot to live with.
Some peeped through the grass and under the shade of trees, while others reached up into the air. In the end, everyone assumed that the evil spirits must be responsible for such behavior, so some people fell to their knees and begged for forgiveness, others desperately chanted incantations to drive away the evil spirits, and small children howled and cried…
I desperately tried to explain it to Hassan, and then had a hard time explaining it through Hassan to the village people to understand it, and was so scared that I thought the friendly attitude of the Paralu people was going to end from then on.
And it’s just not funny that this looks like a couple pairing of the Queen of the Vulcan Festival and the Forest Evil Spirit has appeared.
But I really don’t want to talk about the professor like that, because it’s a wonder that he keeps telling jokes in Japanese in front of the Paralu people, who don’t understand half of them, and Hassan is the only one who understands them, for heaven’s sake!
“That, the forest’s… no, I mean the captain!”
“What’s wrong?”
“On the second day of the festival, I heard a word from Hassan, the hill…”
While saying that, the professor pointed to the north. Although you can’t see the hill from here, the so-called hill is a rather high rocky mountain. We usually call the one to the northwest a “mountain” and the one to the north a “hill”.
“I have heard that over there beyond the back of that hill, there are remnants of ancient times that exist, and perhaps that is the one that I have spoken of before, those who came to this island in former times.”
“You mean the people who rode the ocean currents to get here?”
“That’s right, if we know how they got here, we might be able to find a clue to get out of here.”
“Finally, you can use the archaeology you specialize in. Well then, this is good, as soon as the canoe is finished, let’s go together.”
“Really, because it’s still quite a distance to get there, not to mention a mountain to cross, and it’s not like I have that kind of stamina like you and Saori.”
“I see, anyway, it would be great to find out what’s going on.”
“Maybe it’s a trip to an investigation that holds our destiny in its hands, too.”
The professor looked to the north, determination on his face.
The canoe was finally completed by November. Launched at the mouth of the river on the east side of the camp, the canoe was eight meters in length with a central mast.
Between the deep and shallow horizontal lines, a sudden sense of, just now, going well forward passed over his face.
“That was really well done.”
“Well done, let’s use this canoe to go to Disneyland in America.”
“Huh? Really?” I was just so happy.
“Hope is better when it’s bigger, but this scale is not the same as hope…”
“Oooooh, not bad!”
“This is the first time I’ve done this well since I’ve been here, wahahahaha!”
The professor and I smiled while tightly shaking each other’s hands.
“Wow! That’s great!”
“It’s finally done yay!”
“Floating on water looks full of pep yeah-“
The girls who were called by Suzume also let out cheers.
“Will it capsize?”
“No, don’t worry, we made a special device on it to prevent it from capsizing.”
Hearing Saori’s question, the professor pointed to the two thick pillars in the center of the canoe and said.
“Is this ready to move? Suzume wants to boat so bad!”
“Ah, that one’s going to take a little longer to move ooh!”
It didn’t take much time to prepare the cloth to be used as a sail, and the oil to follow the rudder, although it was prepared later.
“By the way Professor, where do I put this?”
“Eh, it’s a bit of a pain in the ass if you put it completely on land, so I thought it would be better to lean against the shore and then tie the canoe to the factory with a rope.”
“Eh, just the way it is. The factory’s pillars are made pretty solid should be fine.”
“Well, it’s decided then. Then, for the ship’s inauguration, let’s drink a little bit of the bar we asked for from Hazama.” The professor smiled while looking at Rika and Erika-san.
“Not good, Professor.”
“That’s just it, it was too much last time.”
That time after the festival when those two were drunk (Erika-san doesn’t seem to remember what she did to me), the professor’s that look was also unseemly.
And it was on the second and third day after that that the problem really arose, as Rika and Erika-san couldn’t take a step out of the Pararu clan’s hut because of their hangovers.
Especially on the first day, the whole day was filled with screams of “my head is splitting”, “I’m going to die” or “kill me”.
The older two women caused a lot of trouble for Saori as well as Suzume.
“Suzume and Saori are really sorry for last time.”
While saying that, Rika smiled embarrassedly, then went back to talking about the factory in a serious manner.
“The other thing I want to announce is that the power has finally been successfully generated, as well as the crude oil separated.
”
“Really? It’s just too good to be true.”
“Eh, I’m just combining what the captain and Saori recovered, and the radio is almost repaired…”
Whoa! Everyone together all let out a cheer.
“However, I’ve just left out the jargon, and there are actually one or two troublesome parts, if only those parts are resolved…”
“Really, just try harder.”
That said, the radio thing gives everyone quite a bit of hope.
The expressions on everyone’s faces seemed as if they were dreaming.
Because it’s not just talk or plans or imagination, the props to actually get out of here are right in front of us, so it’s only natural.
Can’t help but ooze tears of joy at the thought. Of course I’m not the only one.
The professor and I, who had completed the canoe, set out at once, and it took three full days to finally discover the ancient ruins.
The ruins were located on the backside of the mountain. Although it is covered with vines, you can see several white stone statues of gods and humans. There are also some stone images that look like dogs to me.
And in the center is supposed to be the temple with a stone building, it’s a bit dark so you can’t see where the entrance is.
“This stone is not from this island, although I don’t know where it is…”
“What’s going on here?”
“I think it was shipped from somewhere else.”
“It’s amazing that such a large stone could be transported here… And even if it was transported here, someone would have to work on it, and it would take quite a number of people just to put up these pillars.”
I instantly visualized a large group of people yelling hard at work.
“Well, that’s exactly it. But how exactly did they bring the stones here, and how did they place them to look like this ruin… In short, there are megalithic ruins like this one existing all over the world.” The professor’s demeanor returned to that of a serious university professor.
“Well, let’s go in and take a look.”
The professor said as he pulled the flashlight out of his pocket, which was very important and would only be taken out and used in very important situations.
Then after lighting the torch, the professor led the way.
It was fairly spacious inside, but didn’t hold anything, except for a pile of stones in the center that looked like an altar or a large desk for small children.
A long, long time ago, a giant child used this desk to read… I realized that I was thinking of something else. So I imagined it while walking around the wall.
It turned out that the wall overlapped by the stone wall actually had a place that could be moved, and it looked like a revolving door in a department store.
“Professor, this!”
“Is it a hidden room…” the professor came trotting over in a hurry, and then we peered inside together.
Inside was a hallway about three meters deep and about twenty meters long.
The two of us walked in, the walls on either side crammed with unreadable text.
“This text I’ve never seen before… and it doesn’t belong to any system of any ancient text I recognize… this is fantastic… this may or may not be one of the great discoveries of ancient history.” The professor’s voice trembled a little.
“Captain, take this.”
Then handing me the torch, he himself copied down those texts in pencil on the back of the map. Seeing that pencil, I suddenly remembered.
This is the pencil that I got from the bone soldier along with the map when I first met the professor, so this could be fifty years old or more.
Probably too excited, the professor’s hand kept shaking and he never wrote well.
By the time it was all copied, it had taken five hours. It’s no wonder, then, that it was copied word by word to make sure it was correct.
But these are not the only texts we found.
At the end of the corridor there was a bulge where ten gold coins had been placed, and according to the professor, they had never been seen before.
After roughly completing one investigative step, the professor and I left the ruins.
Within these three days back among the camps, the professor was unusually excited.
Back at the campground just in time for the other girls to return with them.
“Where have you been?”
“Hot springs ah, once in a while we all go together.”
“Yeah, while the pervert is away.”
Please don’t make a mistake, you were drunk at the time of the festival and kept pressing me, and you’re actually saying this kind of thing. I looked at Erika-san while remembering that incident.
“But, just before we were going in, the water got so hot there was no way to get in, so we went to the spring.”
“That’s just it, and the smell of sulfur is heavier than before, it’s a bit of a shame but the hot springs can’t be used anymore.”
Rika’s face became glum because the onsen was no longer available.
“Captain? Did you find anything?”
“Of course there’s a discovery, and it’s a big one!”
The professor held out the text noted on the back of the map and the ten gold coins on the table for all to see.
“Whoa! It’s money!”
“I can’t believe there will be gold coins!”
“I wonder how much this one is really worth.”
Hearing the girls discussing nothing more than gold coins, the professor panicked a bit.
“That’s enough gold for now, you guys, this is a text I copied off the wall of the ruins. This text may or may not have been found yet. Isn’t that right, Professor.”
“Yes exactly, maybe these discoveries will be famous for ages to come.”
Hearing me say that, the professor happily continued, but everyone’s reaction seemed a bit less than favorable.
“Boss, is that so? That gold coin is important evidence.”
“So it’s an unknown civilization, then these gold coins they also…”
They say that women just love money, and that seems to be true.
“I see, does everyone like gold coins that much? Then I’ll give one gold coin to each of you. It might increase in value in the future.”
“Boss, can I really take it in?”
“Five for research should be enough.”
“Awesome!”
“Becoming rich.”
Everyone was happy, but Rika was just silently staring at the gold coins.
“Rika what’s wrong with you?”
Suzume said looking at Rika’s expression.
“Professor!”
“What’s wrong? Why are you screaming so loudly all of a sudden?…”
“Can I have another gold coin for this one?”
“Too greedy.”
“No, I was thinking maybe this gold coin could fix the radio!”
“What?”
“The mechanical contact parts, if you use lead those won’t work, gold if one it will.”
Rika grabbed another gold coin before rushing out of the hut.
Days with thunderstorms are becoming more frequent.
Last November we had the most thunderstorms but this year there were more than before. While it’s nice not to have to carry water, it’s the opposite of not being able to get out of the cabin.
But that didn’t affect the professor or Rika at all.
The professor was busy deciphering the text copied back from amongst that relic.
All day long, from morning to night, I glared at the records, and in lieu of notes the boards had some of the have-nots written on them.
Probably struggling to apply all the knowledge he’d learned from before, so he barely spoke to the person next to him.
And the way he was mumbling to himself while facing his desk looked like a mad scientist in a movie.
At night, under the light of the oil lamp, the professor looked really scary, and if someone who didn’t know him saw it, he might be so scared that he would pee out of his pants.
It’s because being in this atmosphere, and it’s raining and you can’t talk out loud, it’s so boring you can’t breathe.
Rika did the same, desperately trying to apply what she had learned at the table.
Rika shut herself up in the factory to work hard on her radio, and just never went back to the hut, sleeping inside the factory for more than a week or so.
Since both of them work in specialized fields, they don’t need us to help them, and the other four are really bored out of their minds.
Erika-sama and Saori and Suzume spend most of their time working as seamstresses.
And I’m now going to find the shed I used to build, which is now a warehouse, and go over there and lift some heavy stuff and train my body in the process.
I don’t work out because I’m bored, but it’s necessary training to be able to do all kinds of work if I’m going to continue to live on this island.
When I think about it though, I’ve continued to train so hard pretty much all year. I used to hardly ever work when I was in school.
I didn’t measure my height and weight so I don’t know, but I did grow a lot of muscle all over my body.
“Look, you guys, this flesh!”
I put on a show of muscle.
“I hear you!”
It’s been a while since I’ve heard Rika’s voice so excited about the rain.
The whole crew gathered at the factory, and then the group gathered around Rika, who was sitting in front of the radio.
“Listen, you can hear… finally!”
Rika put her ear to the earpiece and then said in an excited tone.
“Here, lend me your ears…”
“I also want to hear… ah ah ah, I hear it. Huh, which country’s words are these, I can’t hear them very well.”
“Suzaku too… Wow, someone’s talking. Saori-san is switching to you.”
After taking the receiver from Suzume, Saori just quietly passed it back to me.
I looked at Saori, then put the earpiece, which was all but showing the old-fashioned plastic parts, to my ear.
Through the earpiece came a voice, and from among the headphones came the voice of someone who hadn’t been heard in a while.
“Come on, Saori you listen too.”
“Wow, I heard it… Huh, why can’t I hear it again.”
“Is it broken?” Hearing me say that, the expressions on everyone’s faces were clearly worried.
“No, because this radio is shortwave, so it’s susceptible to noise interference.”
Suzume, a little flustered, began to explain.
“Does the so-called murmur refer to the Sun Black Thousand interference.”
“Yes, when sunspots are very active, they interfere so much that it’s almost impossible to receive the signal, so the condition of the radio waves, we can’t investigate it in this way now, and…”
“And what?”
“Even with all the attempts to adjust the antenna, the internal crystal transmitter is on the verge of failing, and I think the time to use it is almost at its limit.”
“So how the hell are we supposed to contact the outside world with this?”
I really couldn’t understand the conversation between the professor and Rika, so I hurriedly asked.
“It’s going to be a matter of luck.”
“What does it mean to be lucky?”
“In the middle of the time when there’s no interference, and someone has to be able to pick up our signal, I don’t know if the timing will work that well…”
As soon as Rika finished explaining, this time–
“Yikes! Earthquake!”
The cabin rattled and shook by the earthquake.