Without much thought, I put my bag down under Tilatha's blue sign. Then, holding only the bandages, herbs, water, and dagger, I walked toward the direction where the screams had come from.
Even though it was to cover up her father's sins, Veronica had helped me once. This time, it was my turn to help her.
“Lady Veronica!”
I ran down the mountainside, shouting in a low voice. Perhaps because the bag that had been weighing heavily on my shoulders was gone, my steps felt as if I was flying.
It was so hard to come up, but going down was a breeze. My calves were so weak that I was half-rolling down.
I shouted her name loudly one more time in the middle.
"Veronica!"
My surroundings were quiet, as if the screams I had heard had been fake.
I quickly became anxious. The sun was setting. Once the sun began to set on the mountain, it would be a matter of seconds before it was completely dark. Then it would be impossible to find Veronica.
It was a moment when I had to turn back, if only for my own safety. I raised my voice once more.
“Lady! Answer me!”
“Ugh...”
I heard a faint groan from down there. I looked down, stretching myself out by holding onto the thick vines.
At the bottom of the cliff was Veronica. She had apparently fallen off the short cliff while returning from a hunt.
“Your ankle, a little bit...”
“Can you move?”
“Not even a little bit...”
She spoke, sobbing in pain. It was shocking to me to see her usually confident face distorted in pain.
I looked for a way down. Fortunately, there were a few rocks here and there that I could step on, so it seemed like I would have no problem going down.
“Just stay there and wait!”
I pressed down on it a few times with my foot, picking out any dry or rotten vines or firmly attached rocks, things that would be suitable for putting my weight on.
I grabbed them and slowly started to climb down the cliff. My palms were all cut up, but that wasn't the point.
Because I had to get Veronica back to that blue marker before the sun completely set.
In hindsight, it wasn't a wise thing to go down to save someone who had fallen off a cliff.
Even if I was lucky enough to get close to the person who had fallen, there was a limit to what I could do. One wrong move and we could both end up trapped.
But if the same moment comes again, I will make the same choice without hesitation. At least feeling someone's body temperature will be a great comfort to someone who fell off a cliff.
And I was willing to share my body heat, just as Olga did for me when I was left alone in the world.
I recalled Olga's black face once more and tensed my hands and feet. Ever since I came to this island, Olga has been popping into my mind.
Perhaps this island had some kind of primordial motherhood, and whatever kind of motherhood it was, it reminded me of Olga.
"Veronica?"
I called out to her again, panting, my feet still not touching the floor.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
There was a certain stability in Veronica's voice. It felt like she had come a long way from the initial fear and pain.
I looked down at my feet to figure out how much more I had left before I could go all the way down, but I was still blocked by fear. Finally, I shouted out in pain once more.
“Do I still have to go down a lot?”
“I think it’s okay to let go of your hand. You’ve come down a lot.”
When I heard that, I let go of my hand without hesitation. And then I fell straight to the floor.
If we measured it in time, it would only have been a few seconds, but it felt like five minutes.
After a brief moment of falling, my feet finally touched the ground. Where did it hurt? Where did it hurt? Nothing, nothing.
I opened my tightly shut eyes. A look of bewilderment was clearly visible on Veronica's face.
“How could you... just let go of my hand after hearing what I said...?”
The sight of this cold beauty, who seemed to have never stuttered, with a blank expression on her face made me laugh, forgetting the situation.
“I told you to let go of my hand.”
“If I had lied, Your Highness would have died.”
“If that’s the case, then I was wrong about the person.”
“...”
She seemed speechless. Her blue eyes narrowed.
“You really believed me?”
“Isn’t that okay?”
“...”
She seemed speechless for the second time. I shrugged my shoulders and walked over to Veronica.
“First, look at the legs.”
She hesitated and then carefully pulled up her hunting clothes. Her cheeks were very red. She seemed too embarrassed to receive my help.
I knelt down and examined her ankle. Everything else was fine, but there was a large purple bruise running from her left ankle to her knee. It seemed like she had fallen and broken the bone.
It was a bigger injury than I thought. If it was a sprained ankle, I could have cooled the swelling with cold water from the stream. And if I had just endured it a little and walked, I could have gotten to where the horse was. In any case, it was impossible to move like this.
I found a long, sturdy branch nearby and placed it against her leg, wrapping it tightly with a bandage.
I remember reading in Tilatha's account that if you break a bone while hunting, you can endure it by doing this.
Thank you, Tilatha. Without you, I wouldn't have known what to do.
Veronica moaned softly.
“Does it hurt a lot? Should I tie the bandage a little looser?”
“I’m okay, I’m okay...”
“Can you get up?”
I said that, bending down so she could comfortably place her hand on my shoulder.
Veronica put her arm around my shoulder and supported me. She was larger than me, so it was quite difficult for me to fully support the weight.
I braced my legs and waist to support her so she wouldn't fall.
With every step we took, our breath caught in our throats. We eventually had to lean against a nearby rock before we could walk more than a few steps.
Veronica said as I gasped for breath.
“...Just leave me alone. If you continue like this, Your Highness will get hurt.”
“How is that?”
“The horse is nearby. If I stay here for one night, people will come looking for me.”
“...What about the competition?”
She pointed at something with her chin. I was so out of it that I couldn't see it, but a dead fox was lying nearby.
It was a giant fox with red fur that flowed and the light reflected off it like gold. Even to me, who was not familiar with animals, let alone hunting, it looked like an extraordinary beast.
“What the heck is that...”
“It’s a red-tailed fox. It’s said to be the first beast that Emperor Ridrian caught in the First Lands. It has good symbolism.”
“...”
“So, you don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be well enough to move my body by tomorrow, so if I can just get to the horse I tied down below, I’ll be able to go back on my own from there.”
“But how can I go alone, leaving behind an injured person...”
“Your Highness, shall I tell you an easy way to win this contest?”
She said as if she was frustrated.
“With that in hand, Your Highness will ride down on my horse. Any fool would do that!”
...I didn’t even need to hear any more. Are you asking me to steal someone else’s effort?
Yes, I know it's the easy and quick way. I'm just a novice hunter, and I'm just starting to learn how to hunt. Whatever I catch won't be better than her prey.
But even I know one thing: I must not covet what is not mine, for that is where all the evils of the world begin.
“If you’re going to talk nonsense, just shut up.”
I tried not to shoot at the sick person, but it wasn't easy.
Veronica seemed to realize that it was impossible to stop me.
I put my shoulder between her armpits once more and held her waist tightly to raise her up.
Her sigh reached my neck. Veronica put more weight on me and took a step forward.
“Ugh...”
Our breaths were tangled. If we go down a little further from here, there is a well-maintained path. From there, we can walk along the path even after the sun has set.
Then I could go to the cave and avoid the night dew. If I left Veronica there and went to find the horse, I could return tomorrow without delay.
The problem was my poor stamina. I had only walked so long that my knees were already buckling.
“Ugh, just a little bit more, please. Hold, hold on...”
It was like I was telling myself. I found a long, sturdy wooden pole on the road and used it as a walking stick. From then on, everything became a little easier.
We soon reached a flat path. From there, it was not a long walk to the cave. We arrived at the entrance of the cave just before the sun had completely set.
I helped Veronica up and made her lean against the cave wall. We each drank half of the water that was left in the jug.
After several failed attempts and finally lighting a campfire, it seemed like a place where people could stay.
I made sure Veronica closed her eyes and got up from my seat. At the sound, she opened her eyes again.
“Just close your eyes for a moment. I’ll get my luggage.”
"...Your Highness."
She spoke in a weak voice, like a dying light.
“As you go down the road, you will come to a fork in the road. I left my horse there.”
“...”
“Your Highness, please do what I would do if I were in your situation. That way, I will feel at ease.”
I didn't answer, just turned around and left the cave.
People often tell me that they understand if I abandon them, if I betray them, like Olga or Veronica is doing now.
But I couldn't abandon someone desperate. When I abandoned someone, I was sure that they would only hurt a little because of me and would soon forget about me.
Even though it was to cover up her father's sins, Veronica had helped me once. This time, it was my turn to help her.
“Lady Veronica!”
I ran down the mountainside, shouting in a low voice. Perhaps because the bag that had been weighing heavily on my shoulders was gone, my steps felt as if I was flying.
It was so hard to come up, but going down was a breeze. My calves were so weak that I was half-rolling down.
I shouted her name loudly one more time in the middle.
"Veronica!"
My surroundings were quiet, as if the screams I had heard had been fake.
I quickly became anxious. The sun was setting. Once the sun began to set on the mountain, it would be a matter of seconds before it was completely dark. Then it would be impossible to find Veronica.
It was a moment when I had to turn back, if only for my own safety. I raised my voice once more.
“Lady! Answer me!”
“Ugh...”
I heard a faint groan from down there. I looked down, stretching myself out by holding onto the thick vines.
At the bottom of the cliff was Veronica. She had apparently fallen off the short cliff while returning from a hunt.
“Your ankle, a little bit...”
“Can you move?”
“Not even a little bit...”
She spoke, sobbing in pain. It was shocking to me to see her usually confident face distorted in pain.
I looked for a way down. Fortunately, there were a few rocks here and there that I could step on, so it seemed like I would have no problem going down.
“Just stay there and wait!”
I pressed down on it a few times with my foot, picking out any dry or rotten vines or firmly attached rocks, things that would be suitable for putting my weight on.
I grabbed them and slowly started to climb down the cliff. My palms were all cut up, but that wasn't the point.
Because I had to get Veronica back to that blue marker before the sun completely set.
***
In hindsight, it wasn't a wise thing to go down to save someone who had fallen off a cliff.
Even if I was lucky enough to get close to the person who had fallen, there was a limit to what I could do. One wrong move and we could both end up trapped.
But if the same moment comes again, I will make the same choice without hesitation. At least feeling someone's body temperature will be a great comfort to someone who fell off a cliff.
And I was willing to share my body heat, just as Olga did for me when I was left alone in the world.
I recalled Olga's black face once more and tensed my hands and feet. Ever since I came to this island, Olga has been popping into my mind.
Perhaps this island had some kind of primordial motherhood, and whatever kind of motherhood it was, it reminded me of Olga.
"Veronica?"
I called out to her again, panting, my feet still not touching the floor.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
There was a certain stability in Veronica's voice. It felt like she had come a long way from the initial fear and pain.
I looked down at my feet to figure out how much more I had left before I could go all the way down, but I was still blocked by fear. Finally, I shouted out in pain once more.
“Do I still have to go down a lot?”
“I think it’s okay to let go of your hand. You’ve come down a lot.”
When I heard that, I let go of my hand without hesitation. And then I fell straight to the floor.
If we measured it in time, it would only have been a few seconds, but it felt like five minutes.
After a brief moment of falling, my feet finally touched the ground. Where did it hurt? Where did it hurt? Nothing, nothing.
I opened my tightly shut eyes. A look of bewilderment was clearly visible on Veronica's face.
“How could you... just let go of my hand after hearing what I said...?”
The sight of this cold beauty, who seemed to have never stuttered, with a blank expression on her face made me laugh, forgetting the situation.
“I told you to let go of my hand.”
“If I had lied, Your Highness would have died.”
“If that’s the case, then I was wrong about the person.”
“...”
She seemed speechless. Her blue eyes narrowed.
“You really believed me?”
“Isn’t that okay?”
“...”
She seemed speechless for the second time. I shrugged my shoulders and walked over to Veronica.
“First, look at the legs.”
She hesitated and then carefully pulled up her hunting clothes. Her cheeks were very red. She seemed too embarrassed to receive my help.
I knelt down and examined her ankle. Everything else was fine, but there was a large purple bruise running from her left ankle to her knee. It seemed like she had fallen and broken the bone.
It was a bigger injury than I thought. If it was a sprained ankle, I could have cooled the swelling with cold water from the stream. And if I had just endured it a little and walked, I could have gotten to where the horse was. In any case, it was impossible to move like this.
I found a long, sturdy branch nearby and placed it against her leg, wrapping it tightly with a bandage.
I remember reading in Tilatha's account that if you break a bone while hunting, you can endure it by doing this.
Thank you, Tilatha. Without you, I wouldn't have known what to do.
Veronica moaned softly.
“Does it hurt a lot? Should I tie the bandage a little looser?”
“I’m okay, I’m okay...”
“Can you get up?”
I said that, bending down so she could comfortably place her hand on my shoulder.
Veronica put her arm around my shoulder and supported me. She was larger than me, so it was quite difficult for me to fully support the weight.
I braced my legs and waist to support her so she wouldn't fall.
With every step we took, our breath caught in our throats. We eventually had to lean against a nearby rock before we could walk more than a few steps.
Veronica said as I gasped for breath.
“...Just leave me alone. If you continue like this, Your Highness will get hurt.”
“How is that?”
“The horse is nearby. If I stay here for one night, people will come looking for me.”
“...What about the competition?”
She pointed at something with her chin. I was so out of it that I couldn't see it, but a dead fox was lying nearby.
It was a giant fox with red fur that flowed and the light reflected off it like gold. Even to me, who was not familiar with animals, let alone hunting, it looked like an extraordinary beast.
“What the heck is that...”
“It’s a red-tailed fox. It’s said to be the first beast that Emperor Ridrian caught in the First Lands. It has good symbolism.”
“...”
“So, you don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be well enough to move my body by tomorrow, so if I can just get to the horse I tied down below, I’ll be able to go back on my own from there.”
“But how can I go alone, leaving behind an injured person...”
“Your Highness, shall I tell you an easy way to win this contest?”
She said as if she was frustrated.
“With that in hand, Your Highness will ride down on my horse. Any fool would do that!”
...I didn’t even need to hear any more. Are you asking me to steal someone else’s effort?
Yes, I know it's the easy and quick way. I'm just a novice hunter, and I'm just starting to learn how to hunt. Whatever I catch won't be better than her prey.
But even I know one thing: I must not covet what is not mine, for that is where all the evils of the world begin.
“If you’re going to talk nonsense, just shut up.”
I tried not to shoot at the sick person, but it wasn't easy.
Veronica seemed to realize that it was impossible to stop me.
I put my shoulder between her armpits once more and held her waist tightly to raise her up.
Her sigh reached my neck. Veronica put more weight on me and took a step forward.
“Ugh...”
Our breaths were tangled. If we go down a little further from here, there is a well-maintained path. From there, we can walk along the path even after the sun has set.
Then I could go to the cave and avoid the night dew. If I left Veronica there and went to find the horse, I could return tomorrow without delay.
The problem was my poor stamina. I had only walked so long that my knees were already buckling.
“Ugh, just a little bit more, please. Hold, hold on...”
It was like I was telling myself. I found a long, sturdy wooden pole on the road and used it as a walking stick. From then on, everything became a little easier.
We soon reached a flat path. From there, it was not a long walk to the cave. We arrived at the entrance of the cave just before the sun had completely set.
I helped Veronica up and made her lean against the cave wall. We each drank half of the water that was left in the jug.
After several failed attempts and finally lighting a campfire, it seemed like a place where people could stay.
I made sure Veronica closed her eyes and got up from my seat. At the sound, she opened her eyes again.
“Just close your eyes for a moment. I’ll get my luggage.”
"...Your Highness."
She spoke in a weak voice, like a dying light.
“As you go down the road, you will come to a fork in the road. I left my horse there.”
“...”
“Your Highness, please do what I would do if I were in your situation. That way, I will feel at ease.”
I didn't answer, just turned around and left the cave.
People often tell me that they understand if I abandon them, if I betray them, like Olga or Veronica is doing now.
But I couldn't abandon someone desperate. When I abandoned someone, I was sure that they would only hurt a little because of me and would soon forget about me.
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