Today’s breakfast consisted of a cup of sheep’s milk, bacon-style pork belly roasted until crispy, a mushroom soup with wild herbs salad, and—sunny-side-up eggs.
“Zuuuun”
Chiyu was slumping in defeat.
If each person had received an omelet, the individual portions would have ended up quite small.
Realizing this in the kitchen, Chiyu reluctantly abandoned the idea of making omelets and decided to fry them instead.
They say presentation is key in cooking; apparently, she refused to compromise on that point.
“Hehe… I told you it was okay to eat my portion too.”
“That’s not acceptable. Unequal distribution of food resources could lead to discord.”
I understood they were referring to the initial serving size, even though our household wasn’t short on supplies and seconds were actually permitted.
“Fried eggs are tasty too. Chiiru’s cooking always has such a comforting vibe.”
Today we were eating them with salt, but I also liked the way they tasted with soy sauce.
“Hmm. I’ve been feeding you since you first learned to cook, so your palate is thoroughly trained on my dishes.”
Chiiru instantly regained her energy.
Counting back to when our childhood friend started helping her mother in the kitchen during kindergarten, that meant I had been eating Chiiru’s cooking for over ten years.
Our families were close, so there were times we were invited to each other’s homes for dinner.
“…Heh, heh. Since you’ll be eating a lot of my cooking from now on, I’ll make sure the flavors settle down quickly.”
Shion said this with a bright smile.
“I’m entering the fray with egg dishes from here on out, so the gap isn’t going to close anytime soon.”
The two of them traded sparks, but there was no real tension in the air, so I decided not to intervene.
“This goat’s milk is rich…!”
“Yeah, it has a hearty texture. I can’t drink much of it, but it’s delicious.”
Terae and Fukanori were also fully focused on their meal.
“The bacon-style dish is tasty too.”
If we get some spare time, it might be good to try making real bacon.
I should casually ask Fukanori for her advice.
She’s our knowledge担当 after all.
This morning’s meal was satisfying as well.
Even the first day’s fare—just grilled mushrooms with salt—was quite luxurious considering we had just been transported to an desert island.
Properly prepared meals really do differ in terms of satisfaction.
After dinner, we turned our attention to discussing the event.
“For now, I want us to be on the same page. Is everyone planning to participate?”
“Mm,” “Of course,” “Yeah,” “Yep.”
The four of them nodded.
“Good. I’m in too. I don’t think anyone would jump the gun, but if they did, it wouldn’t be a problem. If one of our companions could return home, that’d be a good thing.”
“I’d never leave So-ku behind and go home.”
At Chiiru’s displeased tone, I offered a wry smile.
“I know. What I’m trying to say is that it’s fine if any one of us in this group secures the orb.”
“So for now, everyone just rides on Mashiro’s back to move around?”
I nodded in response to Shoushi’s question.
“That seems like a good start. We’ll adjust our strategy depending on how fast the orb moves.”
“If you can keep up on foot, forming a pincer movement is better. If they’re too fast, it’s smarter to aim for Mashiro from behind.”
Shion’s point was well taken.
“Exactly. As I mentioned in my dream, if you think you can secure it with your individual abilities, feel free to make your move when the moment is right.”
“Then I’d like to do my magic training on a live target today.”
That sounds exactly like the diligent Fukubō.
“Yeah. I’m going to have Shiro carry all of us for transportation, so let’s make this a practice run and hunt together.”
The time we spent riding with five people after meeting Fukamuri was brief.
Today, I wanted to know the limits of Shiro and his mobility when carrying five passengers.
I’m putting a bit of a strain on him, but with the asses of four beautiful women getting to ride, it should be his greatest wish anyway.
With Senju’s Basic Healing care, too, there was no carrying fatigue into the next day.
“Um.”
Shion raised her hand.
“I’m not thinking of slacking off or anything, but do you think I’ll just be a drag?”
With her ‘Ability to Detect Lies,’ it means she wouldn’t be able to use her ability to secure the light spheres.
“There are a few reasons. First, having extra numbers could work in our favor in certain situations. Second, I don’t want anyone left behind to keep watch, so it’s better if everyone sticks together. And lastly—there might be occasions where I can rely on you for things other than securing the light spheres.”
“Huh?”
“It’s unclear when and where the light spheres will appear, but before someone can secure them, we might encounter other classmates. Those people could potentially become allies in our activities on this island, or they might not.”
“Oh… Would my ability help you judge that?”
“Yeah. If someone came offering their cooperation and it turned out to be a lie, I’d immediately know I couldn’t trust them, right?”
“Right…! Oh yeah, exactly, we might run into other transmitters. Since I’ll be meeting people, maybe my power could actually come in handy too…”
Shion expressed her joy with her entire face.
Amidst the general mood of relaxation that settled over the group thanks to her, the agenda returned to securing the light orb.
“I did consider using Sou’su’s ‘Placement’ to drop a massive net…”
“I thought of that too, but Placement only has a limited range it can cover.”
For an area the size of a classroom, it could reach from one end to the other.
But for something as large as a gymnasium, it would be pushing it.
That middle ground is roughly our current limit.
“Then, how about riding Machiro close enough and then—”
“Yes, I intend to aim for that strategy. Everyone, does anyone else have anything?”
“I do.”
Chiyu opened her mouth.
“Tell me.”
“I learned a new magic.”
“—Ah, so that’s it! It was right that mastering existing skills could unlock new spells!”
“Mm. The new ones are ‘Intermediate Healing’ and ‘Muscle Strength Enhancement.’”
An upgraded version of the healing magic, and a buff-type spell.
A classic White Wizard addition to the repertoire, right on track. “And then… ‘Endurance Boost’.”
A silence fell over the dinner table, and after a moment, the women swallowed hard.
Then they glanced at me.
Presumably, they were recalling their experiences with me and imagining just how much further things could go if this spell was cast.
“I seem to have picked it up because I overused ‘Novice Cure’ to restore my stamina… Honestly, it’s a little embarrassing.”
Chiyo kept her expression blank while resting both hands on her cheeks.
“I feel embarrassed too…”
Anyway, adding three new spells was a good thing.
Especially the first two; there would surely be moments when they came in handy.
…Though it felt like we were heading for a punchline where the last one ended up being used most frequently.
“If you’re reporting, I think my summon size limit has increased too. Before, besides Mashiro, I could only summon two sheep, but now I feel like I can handle up to four!”
“That’s nice! Maybe one day you’ll be able to summon a second Fenrir?”
“Ideally? Like a wife for Mashiro?”
What happens if the summoned creatures produce offspring?
A mystery…
“I’m sorry, it seems my magic hasn’t increased.”
Fuhō reported the current situation, her face showing a hint of discomfort.
“There’s no need to apologize. Chi-yu used ‘Basic Healing’ and ‘Purification’ on everyone quite a bit, and Mako had Mashiro out the whole time. It might not just be about proficiency; the number of uses or activation time could also be factors.”
“Oh… yes. I’ll continue to use magic frequently from now on and work hard so I can learn new spells.”
“Ah, I’m counting on you.”
With the discussion settled, everyone began preparing for their outing.
“Excuse me, everyone. Could I go take a quick shower before we leave?”
No one voiced any objections, seemingly understanding what Shi-on meant.
Mako and Fuhō’s faces were slightly flushed.
”…Sōsuke-kun, why don’t you wash off lightly too? Let’s just get it over with together, nice and quick.”
Calling it a natural progression was a stretch, but since he had bathed with Chi-yu the previous morning, everyone likely understood the situation.
“That’s fine. Shouko-chan, I want to increase the chicken population before the hunt. Help me out together with Mashiro.”
“Sure thing! The egg dishes were delicious, so if it means getting two eggs a day, I’m totally up for helping!”
“Well then, I’ll go practice my magic outside and wait for you there.”
Separated from the group, Shion and I headed toward the bathhouse.
“It’s no lie, but we’ve kept a secret from them.”
As soon as we entered the changing room, Shion knelt in front of me and placed her hands on my trousers.
“Since I didn’t get to finish this morning before we left, shall we take care of that now?”
I couldn’t keep the group waiting too long, but it was true that the desire which had arisen earlier wasn’t entirely gone.
”…Please.”
“Heh, consider it done.”
After Shion served me diligently.
We hurried out to the bathing area, cleaned up, and rejoined the others.
Request to the readers
If reading this work has made you feel even the slightest bit
If you felt, “That was fun!” or “I can’t wait to see what happens next!” or “PLEASE, JUST WRITE THE NEXT CHAPTER!!!!”,
・Adding it to your bookmarks
• In the section at the bottom of the page titled ‘Support the author with points’
Please change the ☆☆☆☆☆ button to ★★★★★ to show your support.
Your encouragement will give me so much motivation for future updates!!!
Please, I beg you!!!!!