Shou chose the ability to “complete makeup in an instant” and arrived on the desert island.
Up until now, it had been a useless oddity, but going forward, if they could stock up on cosmetics using their crafting abilities, it would likely become a huge asset for the women of the group.
That said, even with only moisturizing milk and lotion available right now, the women’s enthusiasm was intense.
“Hehe~ Being popular is great! But I suppose it’s no help to Kunino.”
“Hey, as long as it helps my companions, that’s more than enough.”
“Wah, you’re so sweet… Wanna see my underwear again?”
“Shou-san!”
“Lumi-chan is scary~”
Hearing the scolding tone in Miss Luminous’s voice, Shou shuddered for dramatic effect.
“Sōsuke is a good guy, but he’s really perverted too, so you need to be careful.”
“Oh? Is Yōko feeling jealous?”
”…………”
Yōko glared at Shou, her face flushed red.
“I’m sorry. But if I become part of the group too, that might happen eventually, right? How do you feel about that?”
”…Well, as long as both sides are okay with it, I won’t stop it. But if we start saying things like that, then Shī-chan and me would be off-limits too.”
“Mm. As the overwhelmingly winning heroine with a childhood friend as her main partner, I’ll graciously lend out our Sou-kun and make peace.”
Chiyu nodded magnanimously.
“Whew, Chiyu-chan is so generous! You’re right, it would be a catastrophe if we started fighting over Isono here. Sharing Yuri-o-buken among ourselves? Chiyu-chan is really smart.”
Since they had been standing and talking for a while, they decided to return to their base of operations once more and remounted their phantoms.
“Isono~. About what I asked earlier, but how do you actually make cosmetics?”
“I looked into it, and basically, the stuff applied to your face isn’t all that different. It’s just a matter of the dosage ratios; otherwise, they mix in pigments and other things that seem good for the skin.”
“No way. So if we just have the pigment, we could make it?”
“Since we already have the moisture and oil components covered, yeah, I guess so. But that’s where it gets difficult.”
“Is that so?”
“The pigments used in cosmetics tend to be minerals…”
“Huh? So we’ve just been smearing rocks on our faces all this time?”
Kamibeyi’s blunt phrasing made me burst into a soft laugh.
“If you put it crudely, yes, that’s exactly what happens.”
It means grinding minerals into powder and utilizing their color.
“We see stones on this island too, but are there no mineral deposits?”
Professor Luminas asked.
「In the case of trees, as our recognition deepened, we eventually got a handle on what specific kinds they were… but in the case of stones, they just stay as “stone material.”」
“Since ‘Mine’ was one of the two options before, I’m starting to think it might just be that there aren’t any mines placed on this island.”
Shiin narrated his deduction.
I felt the same way.
“Probably so.”
“Oh, I remember! Wasn’t it day two? A question like ‘Mine or Water Source’?”
Moe recalled.
“Whoa, you actually remembered that well, Moe. I completely forgot about it.”
“I see… Given that the vegetation and climate are also strange, it seems the environment itself was prepared and adjusted by someone. That explains the convenience, as well as the distortions caused by it…”
Professor Luminas looked as if he were deeply analyzing the situation.
“So does that mean cosmetics are on hold until we get our hands on some ore?”
“There is a way to extract pigments from plants, technically speaking.”
“Huuu~! Why isn’t that allowed?”
“It’s not that it’s forbidden, but I’ve heard the color development is poor.”
“Like the colors are thin? Wait, but just being able to do makeup on a desert island is already too perfect, so isn’t it totally fine either way?”
That was a fair point.
It’s better to have something usable than nothing at all.
It seems to be the same with cosmetics.
“If that’s the case, I’ll give it a shot.”
Having said that, I noticed the gazes of the other girls besides Shoube.
“—Of course, once we get back to base, I intend to hear everyone’s wishes too.”
It felt as though the girls’ expressions had relaxed a bit.
Shoube, who apparently noticed the same look in my eyes, smiled playfully.
“I feel sorry for everyone’s boyfriends, huh? Obviously, I’m fine being last in line. Collecting pigments? I’ll really give it my all. The whole thing of looking for and grabbing plants with colors I like?”
“For now, that seems to be the plan.”
Sorting them out would just require relying on the ‘Craft’ ability and deep knowledge of Shinho.
“By the way, Kuno, why are you so knowledgeable about this? Are you a cosmetics whiz?”
“I don’t know if that title even exists… but it’s not me who knows more; it’s Shinho.”
“Shinho? I didn’t expect much since she looks so natural at school, but she’s surprisingly well-versed in it.”
I actually did some research on it in the bonus area, stopping by a cosmetics shop and a bookstore, but explaining the details now would get too complicated, so I’ll table that for later.
Once we get back to base, you’ll be shocked to see the home appliances there, so we can cover it then.
“Mimirin is amazing. Not only does she have incredible knowledge and keeps studying even on a desert island, but her magic is powerful too.”
“She helps with material gathering for Sounosuke-kun as well. She’s a true all-rounder.”
Megumi boasted about her friend while Shiine spoke with a hint of envy; both were praising Fukaho in their own way.
“Wow, that’s intense. Megumi has amazing Mofu-Mofu abilities and seems pretty high-level… Do you think I’ll fit in?”
”…I get that feeling. I struggled with it at first, too.”
“Shiyo-chan is now the head chef. She can make anything from bread to ramen.”
“Really? I really want some right now. …By the way, what about Chi-i-cha?”
“I can heal wounds and such.”
“That’s super amazing! And, um, Sensei handles our trade negotiations while also using magic, right? Yorina was talking about barriers earlier…”
“Master Yorina’s barrier functions as a shield that repels enemies in combat, in addition to base defense.
It is an incredibly useful power,” Roa explained.
Incidentally, everyone had disclosed their abilities to Shoubu, but this was largely because Shiine had used her ability to confirm that she had no hidden motives and was completely transparent.
Independent of Sumu’s scheming, Shōbu simply wanted to be part of Ayako’s group.
There was also the strategic consideration that by revealing our abilities as a sign of trust, we might coax Shōbu into sharing information about the ability users on the Sumu team.
Though at this point, it’s likely only Shion and I are thinking along those lines.
“Eh, aren’t you strong? Like, in an elite maid sort of way?”
It seems she had already explained at the Sumu base that she wore a maid outfit simply because she loved them.
Fair enough; otherwise, everyone would probably be wondering exactly why.
“I’m striving to make the day come when I can live up to such a title.”
“Right, and you’re the leader who can craft anything. …Hmmm, so it’s just me without an ability that can help Takano.”
As she had been saying all along…
The fact that while every other member possessed a skill or ability useful to the entire team, she felt her contribution was limited only to assisting the women, is clearly weighing heavily on her mind.
“Like I said before, don’t worry about it. If you do your best with what you have and are grateful for what your companions do for you, that’s more than enough.”
”…I see. So this is how everyone ended up being persuaded by Takano in the end.”
It was hard to tell for certain, but I might have seen the faintest hint of a blush on Sadabe’s cheeks.
“Right, right. Sōsuke is just naturally gentle. It’s so easy to be kind to him.”
“Mm-hmm. And since there’s no pretense in it, it makes me really happy.”
“He has desires, sure, but his kind heart stands above them all. He possesses the most trustworthy of natures.”
“Mm. That boy, I raised him myself.”
Motoshi, Shiin, Roa, and Chiyu said this with beaming smiles.
”…I think Mr. Kuno is quite remarkable, as well,” the sensei said.
She seemed to have a bone to pick about him being involved with multiple people simultaneously in her capacity as a teacher, but even so, she adhered to a style of praising what deserves praise, despite her complicated expression.
”…”
I was subjected to such an onslaught of praise that I lost my words entirely, overcome by embarrassment.
Unable to face everyone’s expressions, I kept staring straight ahead, only to notice Kururyū Mīkuron nodding repeatedly in a “I get it—really, I do” sort of way.
“A-ah, we’re almost there…!”
I fumbled over my words.
Choosing to act as if I hadn’t noticed the stiflingly warm atmosphere drifting from behind me, I continued to stare straight ahead.
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