Drifted Into a Reversed World ~ The One Method for Me, a Japanese Guy, to Survive in a World Where Men and Fertility Are Scarce ~ - 17

Chapter 17: A Discovery

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“Elraine-sama, let us stop the search. General Firis is already…”

At the subordinate who made such a suggestion timidly and hesitantly, Elraine almost let out a shout of anger. For a woman known as a calm and composed intellectual, it was a rare surge of emotion. Two days had passed since Firis and the battalion were separated. Elraine, Firis’s direct subordinate and right hand, had not given up on Firis’s survival. However, although she had already dispatched several scouting units into the Great Forest, not a single piece of relevant information had arrived.

(There is no way Firis-sama would die…!)

To dispel the scorching impatience, Elraine slapped her own cheeks. She told herself that in times like these, she must remain calm. What good would it do to vent her frustration on her subordinates? With the pain in her cheeks, the blood that had rushed to her head eventually receded. Having regained her composure once more, Elraine shook her head “no” at her subordinate’s suggestion.

“Firis-sama is surely alive. If it is her, she can hold out for a week even without sufficient equipment and while being pursued by Imperial soldiers.”

“B-but, that Ronia Ilfitte was over there too, you know?”

“…If it is Firis-sama, she will surely emerge victorious. Do not worry.”

As she spoke, Elraine narrowed her eyes.

…It was a lie. Elraine could not affirm from the bottom of her heart that Firis could win against that Ronia in a simple duel. But even though she knew that in her head, she could not back down. She didn’t want to think for a moment that Firis—who was sometimes strict, sometimes kind, and always worried about the future of the Kingdom and this world—was dead.

Elraine shook her head, pushing the stray thoughts away. The search would continue. She did not think that this was a calm decision for a soldier to make. However, Elraine could not give up until her death was confirmed.

(…Firis-sama.)

But it was at that moment, as Elraine pulled her lips into a firm line…. The purple eyes behind her glasses reflected something strange. Far, far away, from the depths of the forest, she saw something odd coming toward them sluggishly. It wasn’t a deer. It was a human. But it wasn’t a soldier. Not from the Kingdom, nor from the Empire.

The figure was clad in rags and walked with an unsteady gait. On the back of that tottering human was a woman with long, beautiful golden hair…

“Firis-sama!!!”

Elraine was quick to realize who it was.

“A… a man…!?”

Elraine’s eyes widened at the sheer absurdity of the situation. A man. It was a man. Furthermore, he was young and exceptionally beautiful. Accompanied by several subordinate soldiers, Elraine ran toward Sota faster than the wind. Firis was alive. But more than that, she couldn’t hide her agitation at the fact that the person who had saved Firis—as Elraine could surmise at this point—was a young man.

“Eh, a man…!?”

“And he has black hair too… h-how beautiful…”

“Is this a dream…?”

“Why is he in a place like this…”

The female soldiers who had accompanied Elraine grew restless and stirred with excitement. After all, it was a man. If it were a young, handsome man at that, it was an opportunity they would almost never have. Even in the rare event they could see one, it would be a mere glimpse of a profile through the window of a heavily guarded male protection zone building at best. That was why they couldn’t help but be flustered to see a real young man right before their eyes.

Furthermore…

“…”

Gulp. 

The female soldiers swallowed unintentionally in unison.

The reason, as expected, was Sota’s appearance. His figure, with nothing but a cloth draped over his naked body, was far too much of a temptation for the young women. Sota’s white, smooth skin on his thighs was easily visible through the gaps in the rags, and depending on his movements, not only his chest but even his nipples might be seen. The way he was slightly damp with sweat from exhaustion was also provocative.

The female soldiers narrowed their eyes, their faces slackening with desire. Sota’s attire was no different from a vagrant’s, but because his skin and hair were kept clean by Japanese standards, that gap was one of the reasons they were salivating. Sota, who was looking around timidly to gauge the situation, was truly a kitten surrounded by wild beasts.

“Ahem! Cough!”

However, the one who did not let herself be swept away by lust was indeed the brilliant Elraine. She let out a loud clearing of her throat and took a step toward Sota, putting on the softest smile she could manage.

“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Elraine of the Vedna Kingdom Army.”

When told this, Sota’s expression bloomed like a sunflower.

“The Kingdom…! That means you’re Firis-san’s!”

“Yes, we are Firis-sama’s subordinates. We shall guarantee the safety of both you and Firis-sama from this moment on.”

“Th-thank goodness…”

“However, it is still dangerous here… We have much to discuss, but let us move first.”

“Y-yes, you’re right…!”

Elraine took Firis from Sota’s back and handed her over to a nearby subordinate. Since there were no major external injuries visible, Elraine exhaled a sigh of relief inwardly.

“We have horses prepared over there. Can you walk that far?”

“Yes, of course.”

Sota nodded vigorously.

(…But why would a man be in a forest like this…? And this outfit… if the Empire had found him…)

Elraine had a mountain of things she wanted to ask Sota. She did, but strangely, no sense of wariness arose. He had carried and protected Firis on his back through the rugged forest while drenched in sweat… Just for that, Elraine couldn’t help but feel a certain level of trust and respect for Sota. An average man living in the Kingdom would never have helped a woman in the first place.

“Please follow me. This way.”

“Yes.”

Elraine led the way, Sota followed behind her, and the female soldiers followed as if trailing them.

He remained completely unaware that their gazes were fixed on his legs and buttocks.

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