Multiple updates today.
Here is Chapter 2.
I’m your average high school guy with black hair and black eyes.
I have a “Craft Ability” designed after mechanics found in survival island exploration games.
Chi-i, my childhood friend, is a beauty with platinum blonde hair and blue eyes.
She has a “Healing Magic” ability based on the concept of a white mage.
Sho-ko is a blonde gal with a side-tail hairstyle.
She has a “Fluffy Summoning Ability,” chosen because she wanted to summon a Fenrir from an isekai comic.
Shion is a wholesome beauty with long, straight black hair.
She has an “Ability to Detect Lies,” which she selected anticipating a class transfer to a survival island.
And now, Yotetsu has joined us. She’s a serious, beautiful girl with long black hair tied in a ponytail.
“I-What I chose was a power like that of the wizards in stories… but apparently, due to the type of wizard I had in mind, my ability became ‘Elemental Magic.’”
This happened while they were riding on Mashiro’s back, heading back to their base camp.
Mao, Shion, Chiyu, me, and finally Shiroe at the very back.
So I was holding onto my childhood friend’s waist while being gripped by the Student Council President’s hands on my own waist.
From the front came Chiyu’s sweet scent, and from behind, Shiroe’s chest was pressed against my back.
Unlike me or Chiyu, who had experience with riding on the outbound leg, this was Shiroe’s first Fenrir.
I decided to chat with her during the ride, but her voice was high-pitched and shaky, likely due to nervousness.
“Elemental magic. It seems we can figure out how to divide the roles between us.”
“Mm. Now that a superior version has appeared, I don’t have to worry about being replaced.”
“I wouldn’t do something like that.”
When I said that with a hint of anger in my tone, Chiyu murmured “I know” with what seemed to be delight.
That is, calling it “delightful”—her voice lacked intonation, so an ordinary person probably wouldn’t have noticed.
“What I can cast right now are four spells: ‘Fireball,’ ‘Rock Bolt,’ ‘Wind Blade,’ and ‘Water Wall.’ Things made with magic don’t last very long, though.”
Very game-like; for someone used to it, the effects were easy to visualize.
As expected, it seems I can only use rudimentary magic right now.
“Ah, I see. Maybe the system just doesn’t allow you to secure drinking water or start a fire with pure magic… Whoa!”
The stone wall of our base came into view, and in the instant Mashiro leaped over it—
Yotsue’s breasts pressed against my back, scraping upward as she landed, then down in a soft thud.
“Hya.”
Plus, with him making such a fuss, it was only natural that I ended up speaking up too.
“Good work today, Mashiro.”
Moyo commended Mashiro on his efforts.
“Mino-chan, if you don’t move your hands, Sō-kun can’t get off.”
At Chiyu’s words, Yotsue said, “Oh, r-right!” and released me from her grip, climbing down from Mashiro’s back with the rest of them.
“I’m sorry, Kunou-kun. I was worried I might fall, so I grabbed you too tightly.”
Yotsue’s face was red. She seemed embarrassed by our earlier closeness.
“It’s fine. Mashiro is running while watching out for us, so it’s all safe.”
“E-eh? But, um, I’ve been in this outfit since yesterday, and, well, I’m dirty, aren’t I? Your clothes are so clean, like they’ve just been washed, so I feel terrible thinking I might have dirtied them.”
She hung her head low, seemingly ashamed of her current appearance.
I didn’t much care about that sort of thing, but Tetsubou in her current state simply didn’t know the full extent of my abilities.
She had only been listening to talk about herself, and I hadn’t really managed to get a word in edgewise.
“Sousuke! Sousuke! Let’s get some food going! Minorin must be hungry too, right?”
Shouko walked in on us.
“Is it all right if I join you for the meal? Food is a precious commodity in an environment like this, isn’t it?”
What a genuinely earnest girl.
“It would be good to have you as a comrade.”
“That’s true. Right now, our military strength is heavily skewed toward Mashiro, so it would be a relief if Tetsubou could become an ally. What do you think, Sousuke?”
Hearing Chiyu and Shion’s words, I nodded in agreement.
“That’s right. I trust Tetsubou, and it would be a great asset to have her by our side. Of course, we won’t force the issue, but even if you decline, please stay and eat with us.”
Currently, operating as a single unit was the fundamental rule for all of us.
This was because, as Shion had pointed out, Mashiro carried the burden of our physical combat power.
However, if someone who possessed “Attribute Magic” joined us, it would become possible to split up into two separate groups.
That meant our scope for exploration and daily life would widen considerably.
“Decline? How could I… Rather, it’s me who should be asking a favor. It’s… thank you for letting me join a group with such a wonderful atmosphere.”
It seems the lecherous glances that two guys had directed at her yesterday have become a traumatic experience for her.
“Sougo may be perverted, but he’s a good guy, so don’t worry about it, Minori-chan!”
Keiko clung to Yotsue in a welcoming manner.
“Kyaa! Mr. Kien…! You’re… going to make my clothes dirty!”
Yotsue wore a soft smile that looked both troubled and ticklish at the same time.
“It’s okay~. I have a bath with Sougo’s imprint, so it’s fine~” “Wait?
A bath…?”
Yotsue’s eyes shined.
“Aaah… Okay. Let’s split into two groups for now. A cooking team and a bathing team.”
“I’ll join the cooking team.”
“Oh, I can help out a little too.”
Chi-iyu and Shion volunteered.
“Then, it’s just me and Minori for the bath group. I’ll heat up the water for you.”
“Do… do we really have a bath? You mentioned Sougo’s imprint, so did Mr. Kano create it using his ability?”
“We can go into the detailed explanation during dinner, but here is roughly what I’ve prepared.”
I arranged the full set of bathing supplies.
In front of him appeared a stone bathtub, a clothes basket, a screen, and firewood.
”…Wow. I see, so the storage and placement of crafting-related tools are part of that ability. Because Kuwano-kun imagined an ‘Anytime Crafting’ ability, the skill was structured to realize exactly that, isn’t it?”
“Well, yeah, basically that’s how it is.”
He placed a large stone slab and a fire starter a bit further away.
“Right, Yotetsu-san. Let me explain how to use the equipment.”
“Mm. Also, if you put your clothes in the undressing basket, I’ll take them out past the screen. I’ll skip the detailed explanation, but Soukun will tidy up nicely for you.”
Shion and Chiya pushed Yotetsu’s back, dragging her toward the bath area.
Left behind were me and Shouko, who was blushing deeply.
—What’s going on? It feels like she’s deliberately trying to leave just us two here…
“S-so, I’m in charge of starting the fire today, right?”
That’s right. We had talked about that this morning.
“A-ah, yeah, please take care.”
Just like with the two of them earlier, he asked me to hold down the stone and the board.
I focused on the rope, pulling it with my hands in alternating motions.
“Um, Sōsuke… about what happened just now. You might be feeling self-conscious, but for you, it’s a different story, right? I mean, regarding his gaze.”
Was she talking about the man’s stare?
“Yeah, I get it. Thanks for covering for me earlier, too.”
“Th-that, and… if I say no, I want you to stop, but when I say it’s okay… then please…”
At that moment, my mind drifted back to the continuation of our conversation from this morning.
The time when Chiyu had started talking about her “panty encyclopedia.”
“Well, um… Sōsuke has been a real help to me, so it’s not a problem… if that’s all…”
That was what Yobiko had said.
If that earlier comment was connected to what she just said…
I swallowed hard and slowly raised my gaze.
Her legs, boasting a healthy complexion, were spread wide, and at the very center sat the pink lace panties she was wearing.
“Heh, Sōsuke really is a pervert, isn’t he?”
She teased me with those words, but Moei’s cheeks were flushed deep red.
That face was so cute that my heart skipped a beat. “Smoke’s coming out,” I said.
“Ah, ah!
Yeah, it is.”
I hurriedly grabbed the fire starters.
We set up the bonfire and had him move over to help heat the bath.
Moeuchi said, “Ah, it’s hot. I’m all sweaty. After we eat, I’ll jump in the bath, too,” as she helped stoke the bath fire.
Chiiru and Shion returned, and the cooking team was formed.
They immediately got to work preparing a dish using the boar meat.
But despite this being their long-awaited meat feast, my mind kept circling back to Moeuchi’s face from earlier for a while.
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