Chapter 44
Amid a strange atmosphere, we decided to explore the cabin together.
The cabin was a two-story structure.
On the first floor, there was a spacious living room with a fireplace and a kitchen, and on the second floor, there were two rooms with wooden beds.
In the original story, Yuanna seemed to have assumed it was just a cabin built by someone who lived on this isolated island. My guess wasn’t much different.
I explored the cabin first with Kaiden, Enoch, and Bishop Ruzef.
After we finished exploring and returned to the first floor, Yuanna and her group would then take their turn to look around.
Having thoroughly examined every corner of the cabin, a question arose in my mind.
I had thought I had heard that the cabin contained modern clothing, yet strangely, there were no clothes at all—apart from the sneakers Kaiden had brought earlier, there didn’t seem to be anything else.
“This is different from the original too. Or maybe my memory is off?”
Lost in thought, I sat in the living room on the first floor and opened a backpack I had picked up in front of the cabin.
It was a backpack neatly placed as if someone had meant to take it but had forgotten.
“That’s an unusually shaped bag.”
Enoch approached and examined the backpack with me. Kaiden also sat casually in front of me, glancing at it with curiosity.
Then Kaiden looked at the scabbard at Enoch’s waist and asked,
“The sword that was sheathed—His Highness the Crown Prince probably took it. What else is inside?”
Bishop Ruzef, hesitating, crouched beside me holding a first-aid kit.
“I’m curious too. What’s inside?”
I shrugged and rummaged through the backpack.
“This is a dagger.”
“Give it to me. I’ll use it.”
Kaiden’s eyes sparkled as he held out both hands toward me.
Though he was a wizard who relied on his intellect, he surprisingly possessed immense physical strength. So a dagger suited him better than the longsword Enoch had received.
Without hesitation, I placed the dagger into his hands.
Kaiden examined the dagger with a joyful expression as I continued to rummage through the bag.
Next, I pulled out a compass.
“A compass?”
Enoch looked at the item in my hands.
While Langrid Empire did have compasses, this one was a modern stainless-steel model. Moreover, its needle glowed in the dark, making it usable at night.
The needle was well-aligned on its axis, so it seemed to function properly.
“I think I should keep this one.”
I held the compass in my hand and continued searching the backpack. The last item I found was a small crossbody bag.
“Perfect, a crossbody bag.”
I put the compass, flares, and a pouch of bullets into the crossbody bag and slung it over my shoulder. I gave the large backpack to Kaiden.
Kaiden packed wooden knives, twisted sticks for tying, and other daily necessities into it.
“Don’t I get anything?”
Bishop Ruzef, quietly observing us, asked with a hint of disappointment. He hugged his first-aid kit like it was his lifeline.
“Please, just keep carrying the first-aid kit carefully, Bishop.”
We were short-handed, and someone needed to carry it.
“What? You’re leaving the kit to a lackey? Isn’t that dangerous?”
“Lord, I agree with your reasoning. It’s better to share the kit between us.”
Enoch and Kaiden protested, questioning how I could trust Ruzef, but there was no choice. Each of us had our most efficient role. And since Ruzef was a priest trained in healing, he was perfect for the task.
“In fact, no matter what we carry, nothing is more important than this right now.”
I said to Ruzef with a serious expression, devoid of any hint of playfulness.
“Even if you drop the sword, you can’t drop the kit. Understand?”
Ruzef, initially bewildered, glanced at Enoch and Kaiden, then nodded resolutely with the determination of a general heading into battle.
Somehow, it was so cute that I chuckled, then pulled ointments and disinfectants from the kit and divided them among Enoch, Kaiden, and myself as emergency supplies.
“Is this okay now?”
Enoch and Kaiden looked slightly dissatisfied but finally fell silent.
Then suddenly, Yuanna’s voice rang out.
“Sir Diego, you can just put me down now.”
“I’m fine.”
“I’m not fine. My back’s hard and uncomfortable.”
“It’s… dangerous…”
“Ugh, fine. I get it.”
I glanced sideways and let out a dry laugh at Yuanna, who was fast asleep on Diego’s back.
By now, it was getting quite dark, and everyone was starting to organize their belongings and prepare sleeping arrangements.
‘I really don’t want to get involved with them.’
Watching them, I shook my head. As I’d suspected, Diego was particularly fussy with Yuanna.
The “hardtack prince” remained annoyingly present but didn’t approach me easily. Enoch stayed close to me like a guarding dog, growling whenever he came near.
Kaiden, meanwhile, stayed right next to me, watching as I reorganized the backpack.
“Margaret, you really are like the queen of this island.”
I made a face at the cringe-worthy comment.
“Have you ever seen a queen without dignity?”
“What does dignity matter? You’re already our queen.”
‘…?’
Was this some new type of teasing?
At that moment, Ruzef, who had been looking for an opening to speak, added,
“Since that’s a mouthful, how about a nickname? Island Demon King—it suits you perfectly.”
Damn.
“Shut up.”
I’d rather it be Bear Grylls.
“Island Demon King…!”
“Shut up.”
Ruzef finally stopped speaking, and Kaiden, who had been holding back laughter with a flushed face, burst out laughing.
It was clear he had suggested that just to tease me.
For now, the meeting about Yuanna’s key and the island itself was postponed.
The sun was setting, and we were pressed for time to prepare food and sleeping arrangements.
Excluding Bishop Ruzef, who was purifying water, the rest of us went to gather whatever edible fruits we could find.
Seeing Ruzef purifying water in front of the cabin, Asdal’s expression was one of shock.
“Where did the bishop learn to do that? You didn’t know how to do this before.”
Ruzef looked at me.
“Miss Flonne taught me.”
“…What?”
The gazes of Asdal, Diego, and Yuanna turned toward me. Meeting my eyes, Asdal gave a wry laugh and looked back at Ruzef.
“You expect us to believe that now?”
Ruzef shrugged nonchalantly.
“You truly are capable, Miss Flonne. I saw that correctly.”
Yuanna smiled at me, clearly impressed. The smile was somehow ominous, so I deliberately avoided her gaze and went to collect a basket with Enoch and Kaiden.
“Aren’t you coming?”
I asked, and Asdal sighed, taking a basket of coconuts.
Fortunately, there was plenty of food near the cabin, so berries and edible mushrooms could easily be found.
I collected oyster mushrooms growing on an oak tree.
Foraging mushrooms in such a strange wilderness required great caution. Even if they looked familiar, they might not be safe.
Fortunately, I had some expertise with mushrooms, so I carefully selected edible ones.
Asdal, unfamiliar with mushrooms, looked at what I was picking as if I were handling some bizarre object.
“You’re really going to eat that? Even if you’re hungry, picking and eating unknown things is dangerous. Don’t just think about yourself; consider your stomach too. It’s about to suffer.”
His concern for my stomach was remarkable. Well, it was understandable; as someone of high noble status, he probably only ever saw mushrooms pre-sliced and cooked.
I cut the roots off the mushrooms with a wooden knife and placed them in the crossbody bag, nodding.
“These are oyster mushrooms. They don’t taste bad. The texture is similar to meat.”
“Meat-like texture? Really? Hmm… thinking about it, it’s a problem that I’m seriously listening to a delinquent lady talk about this. Haha!”
Snap!
I stuck the wooden knife into the oak tree. Asdal, startled, stepped back a little.
I was annoyed at Asdal, who was always interfering, but then remembered he was the crown prince and grit my teeth.
Hold it, hold it.
“What the…!”
“My hand slipped.”
I muttered as I pulled the knife out of the tree.
“You kept interfering, so my focus slipped. If I had missed, I could have stabbed your arm, Your Highness. Sorry about that.”
I apologized with a neutral expression and turned away.
Asdal was left with his mouth agape, shocked, but it wasn’t my concern—I had shown proper manners.
“Pfft.”
Kaiden, watching us from the other side, burst into laughter.
“Puhahaha!”
He laughed heartily, and in the distance, Enoch smirked as he collected berries.
