I don't want to spoil things, but it's
supposed to feel like everything is going fine right now. In fact, the next chapter (Chapter 14) is called "All's Quiet" and the one after is called "Revelations". I can see why there doesn't seem to be much narrative tension right now, but that's intentional at this point. I do have a fair number of twists planned in the next few chapters that I don't want to spoil, but hopefully you can take my word for it.
Good feedback that I should keep
more narrative tension in the future, so I'll do that.
Also, re the duel - the fact that there are no consequences
now doesn't mean that there's no consequences when they return. The Church tried the shock-and-awe and somewhat-sneaky approaches already and they failed. Just because the characters are away from the island and can't see the plots unfolding against them doesn't mean that they aren't happening. I can promise that they will
not have an easy go of it when they return, or even in the next few chapters.