After the meal, I was hurried out by my mistress, who was eager to get going.
“I know where we’re going, so let’s have you take us there.”
“Okay! Then I’ll stay behind, Mashi.”
Mashi barked in agreement as she poked her head out of the Fenrir hut.
She came running so fast that I could barely keep up, so I petted her and got on.
I was in front, with my mistress clinging to me from behind.
I couldn’t help but tense up at the feeling of her breasts against my back.
“All right, Mikun, take us to where we were before.”
She nodded and took off, flying straight ahead.
She headed straight for the spot where the invisible barrier had been.
“Go, Mikun! Straight to Sera’s place!”
“It’s great that we can go straight ahead in the air since there’s nothing to get in our way.”
Once again, the mobility of the phantoms is a blessing.
Ordinary students have limits when exploring the forest on foot.
If we set up a base, we have to return there before dark, so the range we can explore naturally becomes smaller, and if we’re careful not to get lost, the range will be even smaller.
As a result, the types of materials we can obtain are also limited.
I remember how we used to eat only mushrooms in the early days.
Even if new items are placed, we can’t get them if they’re out of our range of movement.
But we don’t need to worry about that.
We have Mashiro and Mikuron. “Thanks, Mikuron.”
Feeling grateful, I petted the fluffy black dragon.
“Huh? Mikuron is indeed a good kid, but what’s with this sudden gratitude!?”
“No, I just felt grateful.”
“That’s true… But, if that’s the case, shouldn’t you thank me too, since I called Mikuron?”
「Yeah, I’m glad you’re here, Shouko.」
There’s no doubt that her positive attitude and cheerful demeanor contribute to the party’s lively atmosphere.
「Mwah. I’m glad I got to meet you again, too.」
With that, Shouko leaned in and hugged me tightly.
For a while, we flew through the sky, feeling happy, until Mikron started to descend. 「This looks like the place.」 「Isn’t this just a regular forest?」
「Yeah, the barrier is invisible.」
「Ah, in manga, you can see transparent barriers, but that’s probably just for the reader’s sake.」
「Exactly. The readers get to see it because it’s easier to understand that way, but in the story, it’s supposed to be invisible.」
If the reality of the story isn’t conveyed to the reader, it’s pointless, so I’m all for such visual aids.
Pictures of barriers look pretty cool.
Anyway, unfortunately, the barrier of the dream world is invisible.
Mikron brought us down to the ground, and we got off.
I feel around and soon my hand touches something.
“Ah, here it is. Even though I can’t see it, there’s definitely a wall.”
Seeing me patting the air, Shouko reaches out into the void as well.
”…Ah! It’s really here. Wait, it feels weird. Is Serina on the other side?”
Instantly, arms reach out from the other side of the boundary and grab us, pulling us in. “Wah” “Kyaa”
I’m a little surprised, but since it’s the second time, I don’t get confused.
Shouko seems to be quite surprised, but she immediately breaks into a smile upon seeing the person in front of her. ”…Really is Shouko.” “Serinaaa!”
Shouko hugs me in the dream world. She’s about to rub her cheek against mine. “Stop it, stop it. Get off me.”
“Ugh, Serina, you’ve gotten so skinny…”
“You’re so annoying. I’ve always been like this. You know that.” “Your uniform’s all wrinkled too…”
“It’s because I washed it and wrung it out. And why is yours still like new?”
“It’s because Sohji cleans it for me.” “Huh?”
The design that allows dirt to be cleaned off when the storage is rearranged hasn’t been explained yet.
A sharp gaze flew over, and when I explained it, I received praise like, “Kouno’s power is just too convenient, isn’t it?”
“Seirina’s amazing too! The power to create barriers!”
”…Well, it’s nice that nothing gets in the way, but honestly, it’s kind of inconvenient.”
In modern Japan, it’s possible to live comfortably without interacting much with other people.
However, such a convenient lifestyle is only possible because of the work of people you don’t see.
In this desert island, if I really end up alone, it would be a life without any interruptions, but also one filled with inconveniences.
Hey, is Seirina really alone?
Of course. There were people who gathered friends during events, but I couldn’t be bothered with them. “Gather friends?”
Dream World nods at my words.
You didn’t run into them? Suuou was trying to form a team with herself as the leader.
Suuou Ryukou is the leader of one of the two major girl groups, alongside Shouko.
Shouko, Shiomi, and Mu Kai are part of the Shouko group, while there’s also the Jinou group.
There are also people like Roa and her friends who aren’t affiliated with any group, but most people are either in the Shouko group or the Jinou group. By the way, Senyuu is also unaffiliated.
They aren’t exactly enemies, but Jinou seems to have a competitive attitude toward Shouko.
“I see… That’s why there weren’t many people at the event.”
It turns out that the reason so few people were chasing after the light spheres was because one of the factions was busy recruiting allies there.
“Our leader is Sousei.”
“Shouko, you were worried about Kouno.”
“Ch-cho…! Why are you saying that now!?” Shouko’s face is bright red.
Even though I already knew, I still felt embarrassed.
“Anyway, let’s talk about the deal.”
“Don’t say ‘anyway’ if you’re going to change the subject!”
“I understand that Shouko is on our side and that you trust Kouno. The conditions you’ve proposed are also very favorable to us. However, this power isn’t infinite.”
「Is there a limit to the area it can cover or the distance between the caster?」
「…You’re quick. Well, that’s about it. So, here’s my proposal.」
Summarizing what Dream World said:
・Move to one of the bases and set up the barrier there.
・I’m not suggesting we live together, but I’d like both of us to be able to move freely within the barrier.
・Besides providing meals, I’d like you to clean my uniform once in a while. That’s all.
In other words… it’s too modest. 「Um, Dream World?」 「What? Asking too much?」
「The opposite, actually. Ah, Servant, could you explain the basic treatment here?」
「Of course! We have a big house, so you’ll get your own room! There’s a bed, a warm quilt, a desk, and a lantern in your room! Meals are three homemade meals a day, and they’re super delicious! You’ll get clothes and pajamas too! You can take a bath every day, and Tsugusa will make soap, shampoo, lotion, and more! If you’re tired or hurt, Thousand Heal will fix you up in a flash! If you have any questions, Minori will explain most things, and recently, Roa-chan the maid has joined us! Fenrir’s Mashiro and Black Dragon’s Mikuron are super fluffy! We have lots of chickens, so you can eat eggs all you want! We’re all working together, so we have plenty of meat, vegetables, mushrooms, and fruit! All of this is standard if you’re part of the team!」
Dream World froze as the treatment was explained in a torrent of words.
After ten seconds, then twenty, and with concern, the Servant shook her shoulder, and she snapped back to reality.
「Sorry, I was having a dream about an ideal world. What were you saying about the treatment?」
「Dream World, what you heard wasn’t a dream.」
「Huh? No, while I appreciate my friends’ help, the foundation of my life is my ability, right? The benefits and contributions don’t match up. What? Are you saying I have to pay the difference with my body?」
「N-No, I wouldn’t say something like that.」
I’m glad you’re trying to protect me, but I wish you could have stayed calm.
Dream World misunderstood and hugged me protectively, taking a step back.
「…Honestly, there are still things I haven’t told you, but I wouldn’t ask you to sacrifice your body for the team, so you can relax.」
「Misa, this is true. I’m not acting out of self-interest.」
「…Well, I’ll take your word for it. But I can’t really accept it. I prefer to keep things even, without owing anyone. I feel uncomfortable when I owe too much.」
I can understand how you feel.
「Dream World, the barrier ability is more important than you think. You might know this, but the more you use your ability, the more it grows.」 「Yeah.」 Dream World seems to have experience with this.
Well, if you’ve been expanding the barrier for seven days straight, it’s bound to grow.
「I want you to apply the barrier’s range and strength every time it grows. That way, we’ll be able to explore safely and sleep soundly without worrying about monster attacks. This is a benefit that would make everyone want to welcome you on board.」 Misa looked at Misa.
「That’s right! Everyone agreed to have Serina as a comrade!」
「…Hmm. So you’re not just friends with Shouko, but you also see the usefulness of her barrier abilities. …Still, it feels like you’re getting too much. Well, maybe there’ll be a chance to pay it back in the future.」
Every time the barrier strengthens, Serina’s contribution to the dream world increases.
Then maybe one day, she’ll see it as a fair trade. 「Well, I guess, nice to meet you.」 「Yeah, nice to meet you too.」
「Yay! Serina’s a comrade too!」
「She’s not a comrade. She’s a business partner.」
The dream world seems to have a problem with the word “comrade.”
「Hey, aren’t we friends?」 「That’s irrelevant.」 「You’re so mean!」
「…By the way, how many members do you have over there?」
Pulling Shouko away, the dream world looks at me. 「Including me, there are seven.」
「…From what you just said, doesn’t that mean everyone except for Kouno is a girl?」 「…That’s right.」 The dream world took another step back.
「N-no, Serina, it’s not like that! Tsugusa isn’t just picking girls to be his comrades, right?」
Shouko, I’m glad you’re protecting me, but I wish you could be a little more calm. The Dream World is pretty shocked, you know.
“…That’s just a joke. I’ve seen guys in events too, so I know that having someone like that as a partner is messed up. You’re picking people who can help you and have abilities based on your standards, right?”
As for abilities, to be honest, it’s not an absolute thing…
Well, for now, I don’t really need to deny it.
“I’ll work hard to live up to the treatment.” “Welcome, Dream World.”
A classmate who can deploy a barrier has become either a partner or a business partner.
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