As soon as we fell asleep, we woke up in the bonus area.
I guess we’d really gotten used to this routine by now.
Loa, back in her school uniform thanks to the dream logic, was just staring right at me.
Our eyes met, and despite a flush on her cheeks, she smiled.
Someone was watching us do this. “Hm. Looks like it worked.”
“Since we have ‘Pain Relief’ and Sousuke is already the fifth one, I don’t think things could fail, though…?”
“It’s nice that the group is growing, but j-just how are we going to handle the order?”
“I think we need to discuss that once, too. If it’s one person per night, that means every five days in our current situation… And if this became ten people, it would mean only three times a month…”
Chiiru, Shion, Moe, and Fukamitsu were whispering among themselves.
“Sure, it’s an urgent agenda item. But Mino-chan has been making out with Sou-kun even when it wasn’t night.”
“Heh heh heh, true. I tried my best to cook and wait for him, you know.”
“Wouldn’t things have gotten a bit worse if I hadn’t gone with Mashi to pick him up?”
The three pointed out their mistake, and Fukaho flinched for a split second.
“Ugh. I, I do regret it. But but! There should be others besides me who’ve been getting physical with Sousuke during the day, right?” “Mm. Let’s stop fighting.”
“That’s right. Let’s get along and support Sousuke-kun together.”
“Mm-hmm, it’s pointless to blame a friend anyway!”
At Fukaho’s counterattack, the three immediately indicated their intention to cease hostilities.
”…Besides that, Leader. What are we bringing home today? You said something about an announcement later.”
One-wolf-type cool girl Yumekai spoke up.
Despite that, I felt she had recently started to acclimate a bit to this party.
Just as Yumekai said, I had indeed conveyed that to everyone during post-meal time.
“Ah. Today—we were planning to have you choose your swimsuits.”
The reactions varied.
“Swimsuits! Sousuke, does that mean…!”
While some lit up their eyes with expectation, like the little ones.
”……Kuno-san, you really like to spoil people, don’t you?”
Someone shrugged with an air of exasperation, much like the dream world.
“B-bikinis…?”
Others showed a demeanor of confusion, much like the Sensei.
“I figured, since the plan was to find all the guys once we got to the beach, and we’ve gathered up quite a bit of what we need for daily life, it’s okay to spend a day picking out swimsuits.”
If it were just about the shape, I could reproduce it with the materials I have now, but I can’t compete on design and such.
No, if I studied hard enough, I might be able to get closer to the ideal, but for that, I’d have to explain in detail my preferred swimsuit, which would be a high hurdle for you as a girl too.
“As per Master’s command. Working all the time must be tiring. It is important to set aside time for rest.”
“Since it’s decided then, everyone hurry up!”
Teo rushed them along with an energy that suggested she was about to bolt at any moment.
“No no, we’ve got three hours, so we’re fine, right?”
I said with a wry smile, but…
“Sou-juu, what are you talking about? Three hours is pretty short.”
Teo’s expression was serious.
“U-uuh…”
The other girls didn’t contradict me either.
“Sōsuke-kun, shopping with girls always takes forever, you know.”
Shion said to him, as if gently teaching him a lesson.
“I, I see. But, Chiyu never took that long, did she?”
He had occasionally accompanied his childhood friend on her errands, but he recalled her being quite efficient about things.
“Because she had planned out what she was buying in advance so she wouldn’t keep you-kun waiting.”
It seemed she had been looking out for him behind the scenes all along.
“So that’s how it is… But we didn’t really have time to make a list today, did we? Just pick whatever catches your eye.”
“Mm. I will. I’ll choose the cutest swimsuit and use it to hypnotize Sousuke-kun.” Hypnotize…?
That word was a bit strong.
“…So, what kind of swimsuit do you, Sousuke-kun, prefer?”
“Flashy type? Elegant type? Or cute type!?”
“…Between one-piece and bikini styles, which would you say suits your taste better?”
“I would be most grateful if you could enlighten me on that matter as well. And I would also welcome the opportunity to assist in selecting a swimsuit for Master.”
Prompted by Chiyu’s words, the remaining four lovers closed in on him.
“Um… doesn’t the one that suits you best just work perfectly fine?”
Honestly, I know nothing about swimsuits, so I can’t even speak to personal preferences.
Five lovers caught up in a frenzy of excitement. Meanwhile… ”…Haa. Well, whatever.”
“Where were the swimsuits again? Which floor?”
“There’s a specialty swimwear store on the fourth floor! We’re all going to the beach, agaru~”
“S-Sensei… won’t you have to pick one out too? No, I’m completely fine accompanying everyone as the supervising instructor… ugh, blah blah…”
Yumekai, Genchuu, Shoubu, and Sensei Lumines seem equally opposed to the idea.
Since Sensei is the only adult here, she probably feels out of place among the students’ leisure activities.
Though if you think about it rationally, I’m the one who’s truly out of place as the only male.
Nah, looking closely, Sensei is staring down at her midsection; maybe she’s actually worrying about her weight?
“Alright, here we go—Off we set!”
Leading the way, Shoushi and the rest of the girls head toward the specialty swimwear store.
I was worried about whether they sold men’s sizes, but it seemed the clientele included families, as their Inventory covered a wide range of options for men and children alike.
Parting ways with the women for a moment, I casually selected a dark-colored swimsuit.
I generally dislike overly cheerful or flashy patterns, so I tend to settle for darker shades.
“What else do we need besides the swimsuits?”
As for beach sandals… maybe I could just substitute with geta or zōri?
Parasols and mats shouldn’t be an issue, either.
Now then, when it comes to the sea, what would people think of… a barbecue?
How about watermelon cutting or beach volleyball?
While waiting for everyone, I had plenty of free time, so I found myself thinking about various things.
In manga, there’s usually a plot point where characters accompany each other to try on swimsuits, but apparently she wants to keep the swimsuit a secret until we reach the beach.
“Master, I believe this would be a better choice?” “Whoa… Roa?”
Roa, who had appeared at my side without me noticing, suggested a different swimsuit for me.
It was navy blue, but it certainly looked better than the one I’d initially picked out.
Water repellent… meaning it had a treatment applied to make water bead up and roll off.
Since price didn’t matter here, I went with what Roa recommended.
“Thanks, I’ll take this one.”
“I am delighted to be of service.”
“By the way, have you made your selection yet?”
”…Are you interested?”
Her gaze was somewhat probing.
“Tell me… I’m curious, but… is it a secret?”
At my words, Roa nodded with satisfaction.
“Yes. Please look forward to the day of our swim.”
Smiling like that, she looked like any other girl her age.
Normally, her sharp, capable maid persona obscures the rest of her, making the bare-faced girl she is hard to see; so this feels fresh.
“Roachii~”
“Yep, I’m home.”
After bowing to me, Roa returned to the women.
In the end, we managed to pick out swimsuits for everyone and made it back to the hall just thirty seconds before the deadline.
◇
『Day Ten has ended』
My vision shifted, replacing everything with a blank, white void.
“Phew, that was way too close~”
Sayingo wiped her forehead with a gesture as she spoke.
“If you needed more time, you could have just taken some other items home and chosen tomorrow, right?”
In response to my words, Sayingo raised an index finger and shook it side to side.
“No, no, no! That’s too sweet of you, Sōsuke! You can’t waste a chance when someone’s offering to buy!”
Several of the girls nodded along to my words.
“I suppose that’s how it is.”
The Bonus Area isn’t going anywhere, and… well, no, it’s not impossible for it to end abruptly out of nowhere.
With our party members steadily increasing, the perks of the Bonus Area were growing larger and larger.
It wouldn’t be surprising if there was a cap somewhere.
I’d better ask about any conditions on that mysterious blackboard later.
[Question: Harpy vs. Trent?
Fight] [Harpy / Trent]
The women, who had been frolicking in their swimsuits, fell silent as they looked at the text floating on the blackboard.
“Well, it’s not like we’re just adding one new type of monster…”
The first pick was between a Goblin and an Arvank, and the Arvank got selected.
That’s why monsters started appearing in the river.
Our party aside, everyone else is probably using ‘water bodies,’ including rivers, as their water source, so this is going to be quite a nuisance for them.
“Give us a rundown on the monsters again.”
“About Harpies…”
A half-human, half-bird monster. Its arms have transformed into wings.
It possesses the intelligence level of a human child.
They are exclusively female and capture human males for breeding purposes.
They make their homes in caves or crevices on cliffs—locations where other creatures cannot easily intrude.
It is carnivorous, feeding on prey other than humans, as well as human females.
Notes/Precautions
It takes twice the usual amount of time to reposition biological entities killed by a Harpy.
A teleporter is considered dead at the moment they are drawn into a Harpy’s nest, resulting in an increase of ten Harpies within the island’s population』
“I see… So Goblins were targeting women, but Harpies are the ones going after men.”
“Hmm. No matter how you slice it, I can’t be added to Kun’s harem.”
“Since they attack from the sky, being on Micron-chan wouldn’t make us safe anymore, would it?”
“M-Micron won’t lose…! But yeah, it is dangerous, though…”
“Yes. Since we must constantly stay vigilant of the sky, it’s an option we’d prefer to avoid.”
”…Even if it’s only half, since they take on a human appearance, we might hesitate when killing them.”
Sena, Shion, Momeko, Shinpou, and Loa spoke.
Indeed, that was true.
For a split second—just a fleeting instant—a sense of regret swelled up within me, lamenting that the dream of mingling with monster girls in an isekai fantasy had shattered. But I quickly shook it off.
[About Treants]
Human-Face Trees. They normally disguise themselves as ordinary trees, making them difficult to notice.
They capture animals that climb their branches or creatures passing by, using them for nutrients.
Living requires a massive amount of water, and it inhabits areas near bodies of water
Notice
“Biopsies killed by Treant require twice the normal amount of time to reposition.”
“…This is a hassle too.”
“You mean they’re tree monsters? The whole island is just forest, isn’t that dangerous?”
“If we avoid the water’s edge, is it safe…? But it’s scary.”
“Umm… should I ask the other students to move to the grasslands as well? But either way, securing water remains a bottleneck…”
Yume Kae, Shoubu, Gensou, and Luminas-sensei voiced their opinions.
“If last time was a choice between ‘cave or water’s edge,’ then this time seems to be a binary choice of ‘sky or ground’…”
Since goblins were said to use caves as their habitat, I thought many would have avoided them. For the students based in the caves, competing with goblins must have been a nightmare.
This time, there’s no way to avoid either the sky or the ground, so it looks like a difficult choice will be required.
“Hmm. But this time, it’s a single choice: Treants.”
“I agree with Chiya-chan too. This is strictly just about our party, but if we pick Harpies, Sōsuke might get targeted and kidnapped, wouldn’t he?”
“Right! If we fail to take them down and Sōsuke gets taken to the nest, it’s game over, right? I don’t want that.”
“That’s true. Besides, if Treants also need water sources, it means the areas we need to be wary of haven’t really changed. Arvanks live near the water too, after all.”
“If we are considering this strictly from our perspective, then yes, that is correct. For parties struggling to secure water, having both Arvanks and Treants roaming around water sources constitutes an increase in threats to watch out for.”
Hearing the couple discuss, I nodded in understanding.
If we just think about it in terms of our own group, I get why being hit by a sniper is worse than dealing with Harpies.
Plus, if the threats concentrate near the water source, the rest of the area becomes relatively safer.
It’s true that what Roa said about other parties struggling to secure water is a valid point, but…
“In the worst-case scenario, we could just include water in the items we hand over as part of the deal.”
”…You’re still so naive.
I don’t think you should worry so much about other people,” Yume-kyou said dryly.
“I vote for Kuji. Once the water is distributed, everyone just avoids the water source, right? Problem solved? Peace and quiet?”
Kurogyaru, who wore heavy makeup, raised her hand to indicate her agreement.
“U-um. It’s not like anyone will actually die, but I don’t want anyone to take a penalty.”
Genchu, the tall girl from the volleyball club, added her voice as well.
If you died inside the Island, you lost one hundred points.
The point calculation took place upon return, including in cases of death; any negative balance was refunded to the player in the form of “unconsciousness.”
Even if they could return to Japan, it was a cruel fate to never wake up again.
Incidentally, committing suicide or killing another transmigrator incurs a penalty of 『1825』 points and a sanction equivalent to roughly five years.
The fact that no one here tries to make an easy escape from this life on the desert island is likely due to these penalties.
“Takano-kun, Shoubu-san, Genchuu-san, you all are magnificent…! Monsters that mimic trees are terrifying, but if we cooperate as a group, we should be able to stand up to them…”
Professor Luminas spoke passionately, hope shining in her eyes.
“Well then, we’ll cast our votes for the Treant.”
This party had grown quite large; between us alone, they held a bloc of ten votes.
And—
『A majority has been reached; voting is now closed.』
『Beginning on the eleventh day, 『Treants』 will be added to the environment.
Please note that defeated monsters will respawn after ten days.』
And so, a second species of monster was added to the roster on the desert island.
“Commencing Day Eleven.”
The view turned white.
Oh, I forgot to ask about the bonus area.
Well, I can just ask about it tonight.
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