READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 17
“Why are we going to the northern forest?” Iori asked as she refilled her water bottle from the well.
“We need to leave from the north side of the island to escape. To do that, we have to pass through the northern forest,” I replied.
“Why not just go around from the coast? It’s safer, isn’t it?”
“That was my initial plan, but my thinking changed after going to the river.”
“What do you mean?”
“According to the information in the house, the cabin is located in the middle of the island. You get that, right?”
Iori nodded in understanding.
“We came here through the forest from the southern beach, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you remember how long it took?”
“I don’t have a watch, so I can’t say for sure… maybe less than two hours?”
“My sense of time was similar. Feeling like it took less than two hours is because it’s about the same distance as going from this cabin to the river in the east.”
“Ah…!”
Iori seemed to have caught on.
However, I continued explaining.
“In other words, while the north-south distance of the island is short, the east-west distance is much longer.”
Beyond the river to the east, there was a deep forest. Moreover, there was no hint of the typical ocean scent one would expect near the sea. Though it wasn’t certain, there should be a significant distance between that river and the ocean.
“If the house is in the middle of the island, crossing through the northern forest would take about two hours to reach the ocean. But if we go around, it would take 4 to 5 hours… maybe even more.”
“That’s tough.”
“Especially in this heat. By the time we reach the ocean, we’ll be utterly exhausted. We might even run out of water in our canteens.”
“True…! Based on your explanation, I think it’s better to cut through the northern forest.”
Deciding between cutting through the northern forest and circumventing from the eastern sea was challenging. Both options had their own risks. But with that understanding, we chose the former.
“Well then, let’s make the spear.”
“Understood!”
“… Huh?”
“That’s my grandfather’s catchphrase! It means ‘understood.'”
“I thought you suddenly went off track there.”
“Hahaha, don’t sweat the details!”
“Understood!”
“Don’t copy me!”
◇
The process of making the spear was enjoyable as we made full use of carpentry tools.
With a towel wrapped around my forehead, I felt like a carpenter.
“All that’s left is to heat the tip with fire… and it’s done!”
I raised the freshly made spear triumphantly.
Iori applauded with a cheerful “Yay!”
“It’s looking pretty good.”
“Yeah! Quite authentic!”
It resembled more of a stake than a spear, but I didn’t mind the details.
The excellent craftsmanship using a file and a plane created a pleasant tactile sensation. There was no worry about accidentally getting splinters or thorns.
“I want to celebrate my accomplishment, but let’s head to the forest.”
“We’re running out of time.”
We had spent too much time making the spear.
It was likely that there were less than four hours until sunset.
With the spears in hand, we entered the forest.
“By the way, I just realized how odd the combination of hakama and loafers is.”
“The shoes are the only modern part.”
We chatted as I regretted tying my waist cord too tightly. Since I was carrying the bamboo water bottle and machete, I had fastened it tighter than usual. As a result, my waist hurt.
(But if I loosen it, the water bottle or machete might fall…)
As I was lost in thought…
“Grrrr!”
A lion appeared ahead of us.
It was a male adult, just like the one we encountered before. There was only one.
It stopped about 10 meters in front of us.
“It showed up quickly.”
Iori was tensed.
“We won’t run away this time.”
I took a step forward. Holding the spear with both hands, I pointed the tip at the lion.
“Come at us!”
The basic tactic in a one-on-one fight is to counter. You strike the enemy’s face with the spear from a safe distance as they charge in. No matter how fast they are, they can’t avoid it.
However…
“Roaaar! Roaaaaar!”
The lion only roared and didn’t charge.
“It seems to be cautious,” Iori remarked.
“The first time we encountered it, it was just intimidation too.”
Since the lion didn’t appear to have any intention of attacking, we needed to change our strategy.
“Iori, I’ll make the first move. If the enemy evades, I’ll leave the follow-up strike to you.”
“I’ve got it!”
“Alright, let’s go!”
I charged forward with a loud cry of “Uooooh!”
“As long as I can take… Huh!?”
Just as I was about to attack, an unexpected turn of events occurred.
“Garrgh!”
The lion turned on its heel and fled.
“Wow! Your intimidating presence overwhelmed it, and it just ran away!?”
‘Seriously?’
It felt a bit anticlimactic. However, if the lion got scared, it was in our favor. We wanted to avoid a fight as much as possible.
“For now, let’s keep our guard up and continue moving.”
We resumed our journey. We walked through the unfamiliar, dimly lit forest covered with broad-leaved trees. The path was relatively flat, but my loafers were causing discomfort.
…And then I remembered.
“Iori, is the sole of your foot okay?”
“I’m fine! I’m wearing socks today!”
Iori stretched her right leg towards me.
My gaze went from her ankle to her thigh.
If her robe was just a bit shorter…
“Perverttttt♪”
Out of nowhere, Iori started saying something. She was grinning at me mischievously.
“W-What’s with the perverted comment?”
“Masato-kun, you know, your eyes are so honest.”
“W-What…?”
“You can tell exactly where you’re looking!”
Iori laughed and said, “You perv!”
Embarrassed, my ears turned red, and I averted my gaze.
“A-Anyway, if you don’t have blisters, that’s good enough!”
I tried to forcefully change the topic.
(Even if she catches where my gaze goes, it seems like she doesn’t hate me… But I can’t just continue peeking while getting caught. I need to learn how to sneak glances without being noticed. For that, I should train the muscles in my neck and be able to move my face super quickly…)
I was thinking of ridiculous things quite seriously. And that’s when it happened.
“Grrrrrr!”
The male lion that had fled before reappeared.
“This guy again! Is he in the mood this time?”
“If so, let’s work together and take it down!”
We readied our spears. However, our confidence ended there.
“Roaaaaar! Roaaaaaar!”
A pride of lions, including the male lion that had appeared before, emerged from the surrounding bushes. In total, there were 10 lions, including the male lion up ahead. All of them were adults, with 3 males and 7 females.
It was a group of lions commonly known as a “pride.”
“These guys ambushed us!”
We were completely surrounded.
Two high schoolers with no combat experience versus a group of ten lions, known as the “Kings of Beasts.”
Even a kindergartener could tell the outcome of such a situation. It was utterly hopeless.