Chapter 72

The First Vow's Trace.

Whose trace was it, and where was it carved?

The moment the question arose, the past, buried deep in the dark depths of 14 years of accumulated memories, surfaced.

* * *

The southern archipelago of the empire.

A small island, Queen, located at the southernmost tip of the archipelago.

That day, I was swimming by the seaside.

“Phew!”

Damn. Another dead end today.

After wringing out my soaked clothes, I crossed the beach and climbed up a rock. I opened the bag I had left there and unfolded the map of Queen Island that I had folded inside.

‘Beach, left rock crevice, below it...’

I checked to see if I had missed any places and then picked up a pen. I marked a large X on the Land Beach where I was standing.

‘So far, five places have been dead ends, so there are about seven places left.’

Lifting my head to look at the sky, I saw it was already half red.

Night falls quickly on the island. I thought I should head home before it got any later.

After picking up my bag and shaking off the dust, I was moving when I paused at the sight of a back of a head visible between the conifers.

‘There he is again, that guy.’

It was the third time I had seen him today.

The first time was at the western beach, the second time at the northwest beach, and now at the north-northwest beach, Land Beach.

It was hard to dismiss this as a mere coincidence unless he was a fool.

‘He doesn’t seem to be a resident of Queen Island.’

His clothes also looked strange. Why is he following me?

‘Maybe he’s just a crazy guy who drifted in from the sea.’

The world is going mad, so it’s not surprising that people might go mad too.

For some reason, I felt a bit sorry for the man.

The next day, I was swimming in the sea again.

“Phew!”

Drip, drip.

Unfortunately, thin raindrops began to fall as the sun was high in the sky.

Judging by the clouds and the air currents, the rain would soon become heavier.

‘Why now, of all times.’

Should I go back?

The new beach I was exploring was much wider than the western beaches, and it would take at least 2-3 days to check the entire area.

If I waste time like this, the search will fall behind, and if it keeps falling behind...

“No, no. No more depressing thoughts.”

If I continue the search stubbornly and get into an accident, it would be even worse. I decided to go home with my bag.

But then I saw that man again.

The man with strange clothes and strange hair.

I could have ignored him as usual, but maybe because I was planning to waste half a day, my steps naturally headed towards him.

Drip, drip, I sat down next to him on the rock where the small raindrops were spreading and asked,

“Sir, who are you, and why are you following me?”

The man raised an eyebrow in surprise at my question and then smiled with a somewhat playful grin.

“Wasn’t I here first today?”

“So you admit that you were following me until yesterday?”

“...”

“Do you admit it?”

“...”

He’s closing his mouth because he’s at a disadvantage.

He narrowed his eyes and examined my face, then smiled more deeply.

“Because you’re interesting.”

Interesting?

“Is this your first time seeing a person?”

“I’ve seen people before, but... meeting the only resident of this island is quite interesting, isn’t it?”

Maybe because of his extremely normal and logical way of speaking, he seemed even stranger to me.

Why would a normal man come to a burnt-out island?

What is his purpose?

Or does he even have a purpose? He’s been watching me all day.

‘Suspicious.’

I didn’t continue the conversation and went back home. As I walked, the rain became heavier, making it hard to see.

When I finally arrived home and opened the front door,

“You take a long time. You really went all the way to those distant beaches.”

What, when did you follow me?

I glared at the man standing right behind me with a shameless face.

“Do you have business here? If not, go away.”

The man ignored my words and stepped into the house.

“Cold, aren’t you? You were the one who initiated the conversation, right? That means you’re inviting me to dinner, doesn’t it?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Then how about now? Give me the precious opportunity to invite me to dinner.”

“I don’t want to...”

Boom!

That’s when it happened.

A tree not far from the house was struck by lightning and fell with a loud noise. It was a common sight on Queen Island.

If this unnecessarily tall man were to be struck by lightning while walking...

That would make me feel quite guilty.

‘Is it okay to let this man in?’

It might not be. But if I refuse, he will be completely exposed to the rain, and if he catches a severe cold...

“...Come in.”

I pulled him in and immediately closed the door.

I then lit the fireplace with the wood stored in an old metal box. As the warm air spread, the unpleasant dampness from the rain seemed to dissipate.

The man, who had glanced around the messy house, let out a short exclamation.

“What a romantic house. You can feel the breath of nature.”

“Don’t worry. It won’t collapse in this kind of rain and wind.”

“Really?”

The man, who had bent down to collect rainwater, picked up two buckets and poured them out the door. He’s strong.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

The rainwater, the musty dust, and the wind seeping through the gaps in the walls.

This house is not actually ours.

Our house was completely burnt down, leaving only the foundation, so we were staying in the only relatively intact building in the neighborhood.

We scavenged usable cloth and daily necessities from the burnt-out neighborhood and always kept dry firewood on hand for days like today.

Our staple food is seafood. It was still livable.

I asked while filling a blackened pot with water.

“Sir, are you trapped on this island? Did the boat you came on break down?”

The man, who had been looking around the house with interest, looked at me with a strange expression.

“Trapped? I am looking for something.”

“Are you looking for something like a treasure or something?”

“Ah, girls your age do have quite vivid imaginations.”

“Then why are you following me?”

“Just because. It’s boring to be alone.”

It was an absurd answer. He doesn’t seem to be desperately looking for anything.

“In a way, we’re the same. I’m also looking for something.”

“So that’s why you’re staying in this ruin, unable to leave this dying island?”

I shrugged, not wanting to answer.

Today is a special day.

I found a can of tomato soup in the blackened ashes. I heated the soup and poured it into a chipped cup and handed it to him.

Even if he’s an uninvited guest, a guest is still a guest.

“Here, have some.”

The man took the cup without refusing. It seems he doesn’t know the word “no.”

“Mm. Excellent hospitality. Thank you, I’ll enjoy it.”

The man, who drank the soup without hesitation, was silent for a while.

As if he had frozen, he stared at the bottom of the cup.

“...Not good?”

Is it spoiled?

It had rolled in the fire several times and been exposed to the scorching sun for a long time.

“Can I go to the bathroom?”

“Is it really spoiled? Wait, I’ll get a bucket...”

“Just kidding.”

He then emptied the cup into his mouth for the second time. What a frustrating guy.

I stretched a long clothesline across the room, with the fireplace in the middle.

“Hang your clothes here. If you keep wearing them, they won’t dry, and in the worst case, you might catch a cold. There’s no medicine here, so be careful.”

“Are you telling me to take off my clothes in a room with just the two of us?”

“I’m fine. I’ll take mine off too.”

“Sexual harassment.”

What is he talking about? A shameless guy who barged in and even got a meal.

But I can’t force him to take off his clothes just because he’s talking about sexual harassment. I opened a second metal box and threw him a blackened, loose-fitting nightgown.

“Take off your clothes. Put this on.”

“Too forward for a first meeting, aren’t you? Did you fall for me at first sight? It’s a common thing, you know.”

“If you keep annoying me, I’ll kick you out. Got it?”

I opened the front door wide and threatened him, and he started unbuttoning his clothes one by one.

I went outside to wash the dishes in the rain, considering his convenience. I was tired.

When I returned to the room, the man was sitting on my bed, wrapped in a blanket.

Ignoring him, I pretended to take off my clothes in front of the fireplace, and he turned his body towards the wall as if he had been waiting for it.

“This is a bit small, but it fits. Did you find this too?”

“It’s my brother’s clothes.”

“Your brother was quite tall, I see.”

“Yes, he was the tallest on the island. He used to call me a little dirt ball when I was young. He would cry and whine when I pushed him.”

“Is that so? You two must have been quite a pair. Is your brother on this island too?”

I didn’t answer and dried my body with a dry towel.

Ah, I feel better now that I’ve changed into dry clothes.

The night was already as dark as dawn, and my body was as tired as always.

I didn’t have the courage to sleep on the damp floor, so I pushed the man to the wall and lay down on half of the bed.

The man, crouching with his large body, muttered,

“To strip a man you just met and then let him sleep in the same bed? Your hospitality is terrible.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have the energy to joke right now. I’m only letting you stay for tonight, so remember that.”

“Be kind.”

Maybe because of the warmth I hadn’t felt in a long time,

I felt strange.

As I drifted off to sleep with the sound of the heavy rain, the bed creaked slightly.

The man got off the bed, and the tilt of the bed decreased. I felt him moving towards the old wooden chair and fell into a deeper sleep.

I hope I can find my brother tomorrow.