Tohoshima Mitakan, who possesses the ability to produce food, has asked to join our party.
She used to be close with Roa the maid; it seems she simply wants an easier life.
Presumably, she figured that joining me would allow her to receive Roa’s care and let her live more comfortably than in the Seiho party.
Hmm… I don’t mind it personally, but…
It probably isn’t a decision I should make on my own.
“Given how valuable Tohoshima’s ability is, wouldn’t Seiho want to keep her for herself?”
“No, I don’t mind at all.”
I expected her to agree, but instead, Seiho gave a mischievous smile.
With that grin still on her face, she continued.
“With Takano Sousuke, I’m sure you’ll be treated with care.”
…Hm?
There was something slightly off about the way she phrased that.
”…You weren’t trying to poach Soosuke, were you?”
Exactly as Serina pointed out, Seiho must have been attempting to pull me away from my current party.
Yet, sending Tohoshima to a party that had previously tried to snatch me away? That wasn’t at all like the loyal, group-oriented Seiho I knew.
「My feelings haven’t changed, but the current Kuno has plenty of lovers now, doesn’t he?
If Kuno comes to me, wouldn’t all those lovers come with him too?» And so, Seiō continued.
«Since Houjin Ruai is also a lover of mine, Tōshima Mitsuami, who relies on her completely, will end up returning as well, won’t they? I don’t mind them being apart for a short time.»
«Whooo.
There’s no escaping this dominion~» Tōshima slumped his shoulders in defeat.
«You’re just directing the show, aren’t you? That’s quite an exaggeration.»
Seiō twisted the corners of her eyes in mock indignation.
«Tōshima, I apologize.
When it comes to choosing housemates, I can’t make a snap decision.
I’ll discuss it with everyone else.» «That’s to be expected~ Got it!» Tōshima backed down obediently.
«Phew. I’ve talked too much. Wake me up when the food is ready~»
This time, Seiō didn’t stop Tōshima as he walked away.
«Well?
She loves to slack off, but she’s a good kid.» «That’s true.»
It is an ability I’d be grateful to possess.
Moreover, I could empathize with her having hobbies like games and manga.
«By the way, Kuno Sōsuke.
What did you think of this current event?» A serious tint settled into her eyes.
I paused for a moment, feigning contemplation, before I spoke.
“What catches my attention is the timing—right after our party established collaborative ties with every last classmate.”
“Aye. And the sheer majesty of the Behemoth; it was visible even from afar. I imagine many students were praying to get home as soon as possible.”
“Evoking that very fear might have been the intent.”
Yes. With the supply line established from our side, they had secured an environment where they could live safely as long as they avoided the waters.
An emergency event that seemed designed to shatter such stability—I couldn’t help but sense a deliberate hand behind the Mysterious Blackboard’s actions.
Besides, this time it was a massive giveaway of ‘Return Rights.’
I obtained two, and Teacher Luminous received two as part of her benefits. That made four in total.
Fukami, Chi-i, Sei-ou, Nagahata, Kenki, and Serina each got one. That made six.
Of course, it’s hindsight, but we ended up securing ten rights in total.
As if daring us to use them.
The fact that every single person who acquired a right chose to hold off on exercising it—was that an unexpected outcome for the Mysterious Blackboard?
Anyway, neither my party nor Cheng Huang’s lost a single member.
That made the future movements of Mysterious Blackboard a cause for concern.
“The entity that sent us here likely wants to observe us. If we lead a stable life, it would get boring.”
“Ah. So going forward, they might try to disrupt things even more than before.”
“I’m relieved I’m thinking the same thing, Kudo Souji.”
“It’s not just me who’s had that thought.”
Chiyu seemed to have noticed something too, and there were surely other members among us who felt a sense of unease.
“Even so, it’s a good thing the leaders are sharing their thoughts.”
Certainly, cooperation would be easier to maintain.
”…So, for the sake of the future, you want to put Sousuke under your command?”
Seireina fixed Cheng Huang with a sidelong glance.
Cheng Huang took it in with a smile and nodded.
“That would be best.”
“What if it doesn’t work out?”
“Then I’ll aim for the next best option.”
“The next best option?”
Terina glared at Sumisou with a suspicious intensity, though she did not elaborate on the specifics of her best alternative plan.
“Su-Suke, you don’t need to listen to this woman’s ramblings. She just wants to feel like she won against Shōko.”
Terina’s words were harsh, but it was undeniably true that Sumisou harbored a competitive spirit toward Shōko.
Perhaps, because Terina had been part of Shōko’s group and understood the reality of the situation firsthand, emotion crept into her words.
“I won’t deny that feeling exists. But this is something far more serious than mere class rankings—things like those are trivial by comparison.”
“Huh?”
Sumisou tilted her head in a natural gesture.
But to me, who was standing right before her, it looked less like curiosity and more like she was checking her surroundings.
”…Well, I suppose that’s fine. You just won’t leave Yumezawa Terina’s side, no matter what.”
“Naturally.”
Sumisou shrugged before fixing me with a stare.
“I want to stay on this island right up until the very limit. Until the point where it becomes completely unbeatable.”
I was not surprised by her statement.
Her expression suggested she was struggling to suppress an intense thrill.
“This island is wonderful. It allows for infinite refinement and extends one’s lifespan, doesn’t it? If we can bring back our memories and abilities, we’ll be able to live a rich life thereafter.”
“Yeah, that makes sense.”
Our party has even been hauling textbooks back from the bonus area to study here on the desert island.
If they could bring the knowledge gained from studying here back to Earth, it would be hugely beneficial for their academic performance and university entrance exams.
They can hone their sports skills to their heart’s content.
They can train their bodies right up to the limits of their physical endurance.
They can practice as long as they like until they’ve mastered every technique.
In this limited span of youth, they must accomplish so many things. But here, they can take their time and do them slowly.
As for romance, they could go on hundreds of dates or engage in physical intimacy as often as they wish.
They can go to the beach or have picnics as much as they want.
These are certainly the perks of living on this island.
However, many people aren’t focusing on these aspects.
They’re so desperately focused just surviving day to day that their minds can’t even stretch to consider the advantages of being transferred to an desert island.
But going forward, everyone might finally have the headroom to appreciate them.
And the tricky part of this time’s reward is ability awakening.
Due to the nature of the event, the balance was set so that it would be difficult to clear unless you were an existing user, but who knows what will happen in the future.
To obtain more stimulating observation results, the Mysterious Blackboard might try to increase the number of users.
If a newly empowered person were to lose control… it could develop into the student-versus-student conflict I had been worried about for some time now.
It’s all just possibility. But the fact that it is possible is what makes it terrifying.
“Do you know how to continue living on this island for a longer period of time, Soukuro Kudo?”
Through her question, Sumika was trying to test me.
I had sensed that since earlier, but it didn’t put me in a bad mood.
Because I am also trying to judge Sumika myself.
”…Keep only the companions you can trust, and send the rest home.”
At my words, a look of ecstasy flashed across Sumika’s face.
“Yes!”
For a brief moment, raising her voice, Sumika quickly lowered it again to continue speaking.
“Especially for those who have gained abilities and risk going berserk, we should grant them the right to return home and request their departure from the island. It’s no loss for them either.”
They would be receiving a right that is normally only earned by clearing an event or performing exceptionally well. While there is something in it for them, they have nothing to lose.
One could argue that staying on the desert island means losing out on the days of growth and training one might have gained.
In exchange, however, we can reduce the unpredictability factors other than the mysterious blackboard’s directives.
“If you’re going to do it, sooner is better. Right now, many people still wish they could go home immediately, but once they realize the benefits of staying on the island, there will surely be those who choose to stay.”
“Exactly. We might even need to threaten that if they hold back on exercising their ‘Right to Return,’ we will cut off our trade with them.”
This refers to transferring the ‘Right to Return’ from my party.
In the case of the Seifeng party, it’s simpler; they just need to honestly let their female members go back home.
Among the girls, there are likely some who want to return to their original lives as soon as possible.
Desiring to live long-term on a desert island where monsters exist is not normal behavior.
It is those who have acquired abnormal abilities and gained memories or bonds they do not want to lose that would think in such a way.
“Just so you know, I have no intention of giving special treatment to the girls alone? Of course, I’m happy if those suited to it stay, but there are also those for whom it is simply impossible no matter how hard they try.”
It would be best for them if we let those kinds of kids go home first.
“What we must fear most is not that a threat emerges on this island.”
That probing gaze again.
“True. The worst-case scenario would be if the resulting threats carried their memories and abilities back to Earth.”
Johou’s satisfied smile seemed to deepen with each passing moment.
“Yes. And besides, the boys are watching you build your harem, aren’t they? Even if it’s impossible here on this island, I can just imagine them fantasizing about what might happen once they’re back in Japan.”
The painful part was that she couldn’t be denied.
There was no need to worry about Tsutsui, the reformed pistol boy, or Tenshourin, who was deep in a pure romance with their history teacher, but I couldn’t vouch for the rest of the male students.
Before anyone had gained abilities, there were those who harassed the girls of the Johou party or chased after Fukami.
The thought of them obtaining cheat abilities and returning to Japan was terrifying.
Believing that we would be safe might be arrogance, but the potential for disaster was undeniable.
“That’s why we should cooperate, no?”
“You mean we decide who stays on the island and who goes home? That we sort them out ourselves?”
“Yes. It’s not as if it’s difficult, is it? We simply send home those who want to leave.”
Truly, those who return to Japan stand to lose nothing.
They likely won’t be able to bring back their memories, so they’ll probably forget what happened on this island.
It will be as if nothing ever happened at all.
For us, losing our “Right of Return” has the advantage of reducing the threat we pose.
If Sefu and we work together, this scheme might actually go well.
Besides, Shion is on our side here.
We could pose the question: would you immediately exercise your “Right of Return” if you obtained one? That should flush out any liars.
“But there’s a chance that even this fits Mysterious Blackboard’s plan, doesn’t it?”
This time, it was our turn to test Sefu, directing our gazes toward her.
Sefu seemed to grasp my point right away.
“It’s possible we won’t get enough ‘Rights of Return’ for everyone. But that’s no problem. If there aren’t enough, the child with the most monster kills can simply yield their seat.”
Exactly. It’s not guaranteed that a “Right of Return” will be distributed to every single person present.
The plan to distribute the surplus is only viable as long as that surplus can be generated.
But it seemed like Seifang had accounted for that too.
I nodded in agreement.
“Even if you die, accepting a penalty allows you to return to Japan. Even if the penalty points are deducted from your total acquired points, as long as some points remain, you won’t fall into a coma.”
That was how the rules worked.
The only concern would be that the amount of points obtained from defeating monsters remains hidden from us.
However, I don’t think it’s set to such a maliciously low level.
If they were stingy with point allocation at this stage, one would expect that same reluctance to have been reflected in the rewards for previous events.
“So? How about it? If you agree to cooperate, I’ll do whatever it takes to add every woman in my party to your harem. Well, how many of them will actually remain is another question, though.”
There are twenty-three girls in our class. Adding Professor Luminus brings the total to twenty-four.
Building a harem with all of them might be the kind of dream that makes any man salivate.
”……Regarding matters like ‘the right of return,’ honestly, I had been considering something similar as well.”
“I suppose so. Your party is certainly the most favored among us.”
Our goal isn’t simply to go home.
It’s to bring back our memories and abilities.
It’s impossible to say how much time that would take.
If it were just us, I’m sure we’d find a way through.
But what about everyone else?
Because of the friction between the men and the women, they can’t all live together in one place.
But what if a being like Behemoth had appeared before someone other than us?
They might have been forced to accept a death penalty.
That’s a thought that would keep me up at night, and Teacher Luminus would surely be devastated, too.
“Which is why it would be a great help if we could cooperate with Sumphong and the others. Of course, I’d like to consult with my comrades first.”
“Indeed.”
“But that last part is a no.”
“The last part?”
“If there are those who want to go home and those who want to stay, they might not object to having a harem if it meant joining forces with us. But I don’t want to form romantic relationships through a transaction like that.”
“Are you not interested in the dreamlike life of a harem?”
“It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t.”
I let out a bitter laugh. Even if they thought me pathetic, it felt wrong to put on airs here.
“And yet, you’d refuse?”
“I do want to cooperate. But I don’t need that kind of reward.”
I answered, and Seofu opened her eyes wide.
“Magnificent.”
She let out that single word of praise.
It was probably just another part of her testing me, so I offered a bitter smile.
“Ha ha, thank you—”
No, she wasn’t simply praising me.
Seofu threw her arms around me and pressed her lips against mine.
Yurina, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, seemed too taken aback by the sudden ambush to react.
“Huh?”
He let out a low voice, staring at Seofu with a look of shock.
Seofu smoothly pulled her body back and looked at me, her face slightly tinted with crimson.
“Mm. It’s precisely because you’re a man like that that I want it.”
In the eyes of Seofu Ryouka, a person possessing the “Charisma” trait and an embodiment of upward ambition.
There shimmered a light of lust I had never seen before in her.
Thank you all for your support this year as well.
Even though there were periods where I took breaks along the way, reaching 600,000 words in just over a year was…
That’s thanks to the people who have supported me.
Please continue to support me next year as well.
To Our Dear Readers:
If reading this work has made you even the slightest…
I was struck with the thoughts: “That was interesting!” “Keep writing like this next year!” and “Please keep going.”
・ Adding to your bookmarks
・ Add the book to your bookmarks, and
・ Change the ☆☆☆☆☆ button in the “Use Points to Support the Author” section at the bottom of the page to ★★★★★.
That would be a huge encouragement for my future updates!!!
Thank you so much!!!