Translator: Nox

Episode 45

I shrugged at Kaiden and turned to Asdal, adding,

“Ah, but there might be poisonous mushrooms, so don’t eat just anything. Be sure to show them to me.”

Then, Yuanna picked a few mushrooms and held them out to me.

“Are these okay?”

She usually said a lot of strange things, but she was so enthusiastic about the tasks she was given, she seemed like a top student.

I checked that they were beefsteak fungus, the same as what I had picked, and nodded.

“Yes. These are edible. See if you can find more like these.”

Yuanna nodded earnestly with a determined look on her face.

Yuanna went back to Sir Diego’s side, and after what seemed like a conversation about the mushrooms, they started looking for more together.

No, let me correct that. She was showing Sir Diego the mushrooms she had shown me and making him find mushrooms that looked the same.

She wasn’t a top student, but a slacker who made others do her homework.

‘I should live like that too.’

Asdal seemed to be quite shocked by what had happened earlier, as he clutched his arm and muttered like a ghost, “My arm almost got cut off.”

“What have you been eating all this time?”

I asked Yuanna, who was not far away, while picking mushrooms. Yuanna paused for a moment, looking thoughtful, before sighing and answering.

“I mainly survived by gathering berries or collecting shells from the water. It was really hard. Ah! I did catch a rabbit once.”

At her words, Asdal, who had regained his energy, laughed and retorted.

“I was the one who caught the rabbit.”

“So what? There was no one who could butcher the animal, so we couldn’t eat it after all.”

At Yuanna’s retort, Asdal closed his mouth again, looking as if he had butted in for nothing. He didn’t even get his money’s worth.

I listened to their conversation and tilted my head in question, puzzled.

“Can’t Sir Diego butcher it? Usually, when you go out for Monster subjugation or battles, don’t you camp out?”

Sir Diego, who had been silently collecting mushrooms next to Yuanna, stopped moving. Yuanna glanced at him and burst out laughing.

Aren’t Kaiden, Asdal, and Yuanna all people in high positions who should have some refinement? I don’t know how they can burst out laughing so freely.

“Sir Diego can’t stand anything cute. He loves rabbits and squirrels too much.”

……Huh?

“I don’t know what kind of knight he is. Has he ever even been to the battlefield? Is it a honorary position?”

Yuanna sighed and shook her head, and Sir Diego’s face turned bright red.

“O-Oh, that’s a misunderstanding. I do it if it’s necessary. And fighting people and animals are completely different.”

“Really?”

Yuanna answered casually, and Sir Diego closed his mouth without saying anything. He must have thought it was better that way.

Listening to them, it seems like they really have no survival skills. I wonder how they’ve survived until now.

“I heard you don’t know how to make a fire, how did you manage that?”

“Ah, I accidentally picked up a spark and survived for a few days with it until it rained.”

“You……? You picked up a spark……?”

I’m hearing about picking up a spark in this rainforest. The female lead can do anything, I guess.

“I happened to be walking in the forest when I smelled something burning, so I went to see, and some dry leaves were on fire. It was a stroke of luck.”

At Yuanna’s additional words, I rested my chin on my hand and fell into thought. It’s a tropical area, so the humidity is high, but dry leaves in this forest……

Well, since it’s hot, if it was a sunny spot, it might be possible?

Anyway, we collected enough berries and mushrooms and returned to the cabin.

We shared the water that Luzef had purified and started a fire. Then, we put the mushrooms and water in coconut bowls and boiled them.

Sir Diego and Yuanna inhaled the mushrooms in a state of nothingness. And Asdal, who was still looking at the mushrooms with suspicion, cautiously tasted a bite.

Asdal, who had been chewing the mushroom, widened his eyes. He looked back and forth between the mushroom and me with disbelief.

Soon, he swallowed the mushroom without hesitation.

Watching him, I opened my mouth.

“Before we talk about our future plans…… shall we introduce ourselves first?”

“It seems like all the major figures from the empire and the kingdom are gathered here, more or less?”

Yuanna retorted.

Enoch maintained a detached attitude with his arms crossed, while Asdal swallowed the mushrooms he had been chewing and said,

“Well, it seems so. But in Lady Flone’s case, she’s more of a celebrity than a key figure in an important position……”

He didn’t seem to have any malice. He was just stating a fact, but it made me feel a little strange……!

“Pfft, our Margaret isn’t just any celebrity. Her nickname is ‘Madwoman,’ you know.”

Kaiden burst out laughing at Asdal’s words.

I glared at Kaiden with a face full of annoyance. I can’t tell whose side he’s on.

“Don’t egg him on, just shut up. You’re a madman too.”

“Ah, that’s right. We’re a good match. A mad couple.”

Kaiden replied as if he was enjoying himself.

“I’m not as crazy as you are.”

“Who would believe that?”

“Enoch will understand.”

I turned to Enoch with hope. As expected, my savior Enoch took my side.

“Only Lord is crazy. Don’t put Margaret on the same level as you.”

As expected, it’s Enoch. I smiled brightly at him. Enoch met my gaze and chuckled.

I turned to Kaiden triumphantly.

“See?”

“The Crown Prince is jealous because we’re a mad couple. Don’t be fooled, Margaret. You’re a madwoman.”

“……Do you want to die?”

Luzef covered his face with his palm as if he was used to this kind of conversation and avoided our gaze. He seemed embarrassed by us.

Yeah, I admit it. I’m like this, but Kaiden is especially embarrassing to take anywhere.

Yuanna and Sir Diego stared at us with bewildered faces. Asdal had an interested expression on his face as he watched our conversation.

“You both certainly don’t look like nobles. You sometimes use language like back alley thugs. It’s very nice to see you being so free-spirited.”

Did he just call us back alley thugs and then say it’s nice to see? I can’t tell if Asdal is insulting us or complimenting us.

“Both of them are born from noble bloodlines. Enviously so.”

Yuanna replied to Asdal’s words on our behalf. It didn’t sound sarcastic, but it didn’t sound like she was really envious either.

And in fact, she wasn’t wrong. The status of House of Floone was comparable to the imperial power.

And House of Rohade, where Kaiden was born and raised, was also a conservative, traditional noble faction.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the Langrid Empire was founded by Wizards, and the power of Wizards was so great that the influence of House of Rohade was also significant.

To put it simply, House of Floone was the representative family of civil officials, House of Bilterheim, Sir Diego’s family, was the representative of military officials, and House of Rohade was the representative of arts, sports, and commerce.

The fact that people like Margaret and Kaiden came from such great families was really close to a mutation.

Yeah, in some ways, Kaiden is right. We’re a good match. A mad couple.

“I’ll introduce myself properly. Not a madwoman, but Margaret Rose Flone.”

I stood up from my seat, grabbed the torn and tattered hem of my dress, bent my knees, and greeted them gracefully.

Margaret’s etiquette was perfect. She was dreaming of becoming the Crown Princess, and she needed to polish her exterior to look good to many people.

Even though she was a madwoman, she was a lady from a prestigious family and had received a high level of education, so if she put her mind to it, she could do anything above the basics.

Kaiden, who had been watching my greeting silently, smacked his lips and exclaimed.

“Why didn’t you greet us like that? I want to see you greet me so prettily too.”

“Please be quiet, Kaiden. You’re embarrassing me in front of people I’m meeting for the first time.”

I gritted my teeth and replied to Kaiden before sitting down.

The Saintess looked at us and smiled, then stood up from her seat, placed her palm on her chest, lifted the hem of her ceremonial robe, and bowed to me. It was a clerical greeting.

“It’s an honor to meet the Lady I’ve only heard rumors about. I’m Yuanna Lucy.”

I, Yuanna, Luzef, and Sir Diego were the only ones who stood up and showed proper etiquette, and the rest sat in their seats and greeted us.

“Does anyone have any idea how we ended up on this island?”

As expected, Yuanna took the lead and started the conversation.

In reality, Enoch and Asdal were the highest in status here, but neither of them seemed to want to take the lead.

Especially in Enoch’s case, he seemed too busy putting mushrooms in my bowl to even think about taking the lead.

Enoch said he was working, I said I was enjoying tea time at the mansion, Kaiden said he was going to turn the temple upside down, and Luzef said he was praying when they opened their eyes and found themselves here.

The others were not much different from us. Sir Diego said he was doing swordsmanship training, Yuanna said she was praying at the temple, and Asdal said he was taking a nap when he woke up and found himself here.

Asdal, who had been resting his chin on his hand and staring at me, opened his mouth.

“Lady is very mysterious. And suspicious. As I said before, Lady is the only one here who is not in an important position.”

Asdal stared at me with a thoughtful expression before asking.

“Lady, do you really not know anything? Lady is the kind of person who would know something and follow Banhwang here.”

“……Am I crazy to go to a deserted island?”

At my retort, everyone looked at me with strange expressions. Even Enoch and Kaiden.

What’s driving me crazy is that I couldn’t refute it. Damn it. Margaret really seemed like the kind of person who would follow Enoch even if she knew the truth.

If it meant she could be alone with Enoch on a deserted island.

I really have nothing to say, nothing to say.