---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team ‌‌and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------

Chapter 44
In an oddly charged atmosphere, we decided ‌‌‌to explore the Cabin together.
The Cabin was built with a two-story structure.
The first floor had a spacious living ‌‌‌room with a fireplace and a kitchen, while the second floor contained two rooms, each furnished with a wooden bed.
In the original story, Yuanna had apparently assumed this Cabin was built by someone who once lived on this Isolated Island. My own assessment wasn't much different.
I explored the Cabin first with Kaiden, Enoch, and Rujeep.
Once we finished our inspection and descended back to the first floor, only then did Yuanna's group begin ‌‌their own tour of the Cabin.
After examining every corner of the Cabin, a question arose in my mind.
I could have sworn I'd heard there were modern clothes in the Cabin, yet strangely, I couldn't find any garments at all. Apart from the sneakers Kaiden had brought out earlier, there seemed to be nothing else.
'This is different from the original story too. Or did I misremember?'
Lost in thought, I sat in the living room on the first floor and opened the backpack I'd found in front of the Cabin.
The one ‌‌‌that had been lying there so neatly, as if someone had forgotten it while preparing to leave with it on their back.
"That's ‌‌‌quite an unusual-looking bag."
Enoch approached and examined the backpack alongside me. Kaiden also sat down casually in front of ‍‌‌me, his curious gaze flickering over the ‌pack.
Soon after, Kaiden ‌glanced at the sword sheath at Enoch's ‌‌‌‌waist and asked.
"The sword that was sheathed there seems to have been taken by the Crown Prince. What else is inside?"
Rujeep, who had been hesitating, approached with a medical kit in hand and crouched down beside me.
"I'm curious as well. What's inside it?"
I shrugged and reached into the backpack, rummaging through its contents.
"This is a short sword."
"Give it to me. I'll use it."
Kaiden's eyes sparkled as he extended both hands toward me.
He was a mage who relied on intellect, yet he possessed ‌‌extraordinary physical strength that seemed incongruous with his nature. So a short sword like this would suit him ‌‌‌better than the longsword I'd given Enoch.
I handed the short ‌‌‌sword to his outstretched hands without hesitation.
Kaiden examined the short sword with delight, turning it this way and that, and I resumed rummaging through ‌‌‌‌the bag.
The next item to emerge was a compass.
"A compass?"
Enoch spoke as he examined what lay in ‌‌‌my hand.
Compasses existed in the Langrid Empire as well, but this one was a modern instrument made of stainless steel.
Moreover, the needle of this compass was luminescent, so it seemed it could be used even at night.
Judging by how well the needle adhered to its central axis, it appeared to be in working order.
"I think it would be best if I kept this."
I held the compass in my hand and peered into the backpack once more. The last item to emerge was a small crossbody bag.
'Perfect, a crossbody bag.'
I took out the crossbody bag and placed the ‌‌compass, a flare, and a pouch of ammunition inside it, then slung it over my shoulder. ‌‌I gave the large backpack to Kaiden.
Kaiden packed it with various necessities like a wooden practice sword and cord made by twisting branches.
"Is there nothing for me?"
Rujeep, who had been quietly observing us, asked ‌me with a tone of feigned disappointment. He was clutching the medical kit as if it were a lifeline.
"Please make sure to carry the medical kit with you, Bishop."
I already had enough baggage and needed someone to carry the medical kit separately.
"What? You're entrusting the medicine chest to Rujeep? ‌‌‌Isn't that dangerous?" ‌
"I agree with Kaiden, Margaret. I think it would be ‌‌‌‌better to divide the medicines among us."
Enoch and Kaiden protested to me about how I could trust Rujeep, but there was nothing I could do. We were short-handed, and everyone had their own efficient role to play.
Besides, Rujeep was a priest who had mastered healing arts, making him perfectly suited for this task.
"Actually, even if we combined everything we have, it wouldn't be as important as this."
I spoke to Rujeep with a serious expression, devoid of any hint of jest.
"We can abandon our swords, but never the medicine. You understand what I'm saying, don't you?"
At my words, Rujeep's bewildered face turned toward Enoch and ‌‌‌Kaiden before he nodded with ‌‌‌‌an expression brimming with a sense of duty.
"Leave it ‌‌‌to me."
The aura emanating from his expression was like that of ‌‌‌‌a solemn general marching onto the Battlefield.
Finding it oddly endearing, I let out a soft chuckle, then removed ointments, disinfectants, and other items from the first-aid kit to divide among us as emergency supplies along with Enoch and Kaiden.
"Is this good?"
Enoch and Kaiden wore expressions full of dissatisfaction, but they said nothing more and closed their mouths.
And then, suddenly, Yuanna's voice rang out.
"Diego, you can put me down now."
"It's fine."
"It's not fine for me. Your back is hard and uncomfortable."
"I-it's dangerous...."
"Ugh. Alright, I get it."
I turned my head away slightly ‌and stifled a hollow laugh upon seeing Yuanna dozing peacefully on Diego's ‌‌‌back.
The sky had already grown quite dark, and the atmosphere was one of everyone organizing their belongings and preparing sleeping arrangements.
'I really don't want to get involved with those two.'
I shook my ‌‌head watching them. I'd felt it for a while now—Diego was being unusually attentive to Yuanna.
The hardtack prince was still being annoying, but he couldn't easily approach me.
Enoch clung to my side like a watchdog, growling whenever he tried to come near.
And Kaiden, pressed against my side, watched me reorganize my bag before opening his mouth.
"Margaret, you're just like the king ‌of this Island."
I made a face of exasperation at such an embarrassing expression.
"Have you ever seen a king with so little dignity?"
"What does dignity matter? You're already our king."
'...?'
Is this some new form of mockery?
Then Rujeep, who had been waiting for a chance to chime in, added ‌a comment.
"The title is too long, so how about we call you something shorter? Island King—that fits perfectly."
Damn it.
"Shut up."
I'd rather be compared to Bear Grylls.
"Island King...!"
"I said shut it."
Rujeep finally closed his mouth, and Kaiden, his face flushed ‌‌‌‌red as he tried to stifle ‌his laughter, ‌‌‌burst into uncontrollable ‌‌‌guffaws.
That bastard definitely brought up that nonsense to mock me.
* * *
We decided to postpone the ‌‌‌serious discussion about Yuanna's key and the Island for now.
Since ‌‌the sun was setting, we were pressed for time preparing sleeping arrangements and gathering food.
Everyone except Rujeep, who was purifying water, ‌‌agreed to collect edible fruits.
Asdal, watching Rujeep purify water while ‌‌sitting ‌‌‌‌‌in front of the Cabin, made an astonished expression.
"Where on earth did the Bishop learn to purify water? I never knew you could do that." ‌‌
At Asdal's question, Rujeep glanced toward me.
"I learned it from Flone Young Lady."
"...What?"
Along with Asdal, Diego and Yuanna's gazes ‌‌‌fixed on me. When Asdal's eyes met mine, he let out a hollow laugh and turned back to Rujeep.
"You expect me to believe that now?"
At ‌‌Asdal's retort, Rujeep shrugged with an unbothered expression.
"The Young Lady is truly capable. I saw it clearly."
Yuanna smiled at me approvingly. Her smile felt ominous somehow, so I deliberately avoided her gaze and picked up a ‌‌‌basket along with Enoch and Kaiden.
"Aren't you coming?"
At my question, Asdal sighed and picked up a coconut basket.
Fortunately, there was plenty to eat near the Cabin, so we could easily ‌‌‌find wild berries and edible mushrooms.
I collected tongue mushrooms growing on oak trees.
Mushroom gathering in this unfamiliar wilderness required extreme caution. Even mushrooms that looked familiar could turn ‌‌‌out to be something else entirely.
However, I ‌‌‌possessed considerable expertise regarding mushrooms, so I carefully selected only the edible ones.
Asdal, as if he'd never seen mushrooms before, pointed at the ones I was gathering as though they were strange objects.
"You eat these? No matter how hungry you are, isn't it dangerous to pick up random things without knowing what they are? Don't just think about yourself—consider your stomach's position too. Your stomach is already suffering at the thought ‌of the pain coming its way."
He was even concerned about ‌‌my stomach's wellbeing—his consideration was remarkable. And well, Asdal's suspicion was understandable. As someone of the highest nobility, he'd ‌‌probably only ever seen mushrooms ‌‌‌‌‌finely sliced and prepared.
I cut the mushroom's root with a wooden knife and placed it in my crossbody bag, nodding.
"These are tongue mushrooms. They taste quite good. The texture is similar to meat, actually."
"Meat texture? How does that make sense? ‌Hmm... now that I think about it, there's something wrong with me for seriously listening to a reckless ‌‌Young Lady. Haha!"
Crack!
I drove the wooden knife I'd been holding into the oak tree. Asdal jumped back in shock, putting distance between us.
I ‌‌‌‌‌was irritated by Asdal's constant provocations, but I belatedly remembered he was the Crown Prince and clenched my teeth.
Just endure ‌it. ‌‌Just endure it.
"What are you—!"
"My hand slipped."
I muttered as I pulled the wooden knife from the tree.
"Your Highness keeps distracting me, so my concentration breaks. If I'd missed, I might have stabbed Your Highness's arm instead. I apologize."
I turned away after ‌offering an apology with a blank expression.
Asdal's mouth hung open in shock, but ‌‌‌that ‌‌‌‌wasn't my concern. I'd been sufficiently courteous.
"Pfft."
Kaiden, who'd been watching us from across the way, burst into laughter.
"Puhahahaha!"
I burst into hearty, uninhibited laughter. In the distance, I could see Enoch chuckling ‌‌softly as he gathered fruit.

---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------