Maeno, Manaka, and Goto were gone.
Saying they had returned to Japan… that wasn’t quite right.
We could only return to our original daily lives if everyone either escaped the island or died.
They had managed to leave the island, so describing their status as “return pending” was the most accurate way to put it.
“Sounds good. I’ll go grab the supplies those three left behind.”
“Ah, yeah, that’s right.”
My childhood friend was calm as ever today.
I stowed away the supplies, the hut, and the stone walls.
It looked like they had caught some chickens, so I decided to take those in as well.
We put them in a cage for now and hung it up on Micron.
I was zoning out, staring at the items I’d acquired in the [Inventory], when I noticed several new materials included among them.
I’d heard of them before, and they were marked as edible… but what were they?
I’d ask Fuka or Shi-on about it later. “Um… Kouno-kun.”
“Professor Luminous? Is something the matter?”
「Setting aside our party and Seiō’s, I think the other guys are likely in a state of confusion after what we just saw. I’d like to go talk to them to help calm things down, but…」
「I see. It is reasonable that some might feel uneasy without any reassurance at all」
「Hmm. In the worst case scenario, they might even get angry about us not choosing them」
Like getting pissed off after failing a drawing or an exam?
We had just finished uniting the entire class, so we really wanted to avoid that.
「In that case, I believe Master Luminas’s persuasion combined with Chiyu’s ‘Sedation’ would be effective. Let’s contact headquarters via radio and quickly move through them」 「Yes.
I agree with that plan too」
“You think I can’t tell if you’ve accepted it or not?”
Shion was right, of course.
「Alright then, counting on you. Can Mikuron and Miyo join us?」
Mikuron and the griffon Miyo both nodded in agreement.
After sending a quick report to our comrades over the radio, we moved swiftly.
Just as we had feared, there were some anxious boys, but after listening to Master Luminas’s words of comfort, experiencing Chiyu’s magic, and hearing that they would be transferred to us in the future, everyone eventually calmed down.
As a precaution, we hunted down any monsters we encountered along the way.
It takes ten days for monsters to respawn in a cleared area, so we should be safe for the time being.
That said, it’s a different story if new monster types get added to the rotation……
But then again, is it really all that bad? I can just sweep through the bases each time new monsters show up and hunt them down.
Monster hunting earns you points, I get to collect materials from the creatures for crafting, I can do some exploring while I’m at it, and Professor Luminas will probably be relieved to know his students are safe.
It might not be such a bad deal after all.
I’d already relayed the intel to the Rotation Wheel, but I reached out just to be sure and got a simple “Roger that.”
As for other things worth noting……
Hida, who had been holding onto an airplane, also seemed eager to get home. Given his contribution during the raid, I promised him priority access in the next drop shipment.
Tsutsui, who had been carrying a handgun, was deeply moved by our actions and cried out, “You’re something else, bro!” while shedding tears.
Using Shion’s ability, I checked her state once more. It was confirmed that she harbored no further malice toward us and was genuinely determined to turn over a new leaf. After consulting with the group, we decided to return the gun to her.
If she had a handgun that fired endlessly, monster hunting would be a bit easier for everyone, and having another capable fighter on our side could only be a plus.
“Just know that if your heart changes and you aim at anyone—”
“I won’t! I’ll ride with you till the very end!”
“If you can acquire the ‘Right of Return’ on your own, it’s safe to come back home once you’ve got it.”
“No, please! I’m bringing my memories back with me so I won’t forget my brother’s heroic feats!” “W-well…
I see…”
It was quite a change for him, though…
But for now, I suppose I could believe him.
So, things work out like this.
There are sixteen male survivors excluding me.
Katenrin and Tsutsui aren’t going to leave just yet, so that’s fourteen.
Maeno, Manaka, and Goto have already left, bringing it down to eleven.
That means there are eleven men still with lingering doubts about combat capabilities.
Should our goal for the time being be to ensure these eleven can make it home?
“I guess I’ll head back first.”
Slimes are said to appear anywhere, but naturally, they don’t inhabit every corner of the island.
Apparently, they have specific habitats and prefer certain environments; even if you encounter one, if you run away, it won’t chase you for long.
It would be a hassle if our base overlapped with a slime habitat, but otherwise, as long as we stay alert, they’re manageable.
We’ve taken down the troublesome unique individuals, so we should be safe for today.
I just hope the monsters that get added going forward aren’t any trouble.
Lost in thought like that, we arrived at the base.
“Welcome back.”
As always, our maid Lora greets me at the door.
“I’m home. Nothing’s happened on your end, has it?”
“Yes, Master. It seems to be thanks to Miss Seriina’s barrier.”
“That barrier fades, too, if they’re chosen on ‘The Day of Vanishing.’”
Yorina muttered.
Losing the “Barrier Ability,” which is the backbone of our defense, was a bitter pill to swallow, even if it was only for a single day.
Yet, that seemed exactly the kind of predicament the Mysterious Blackboard wanted us in.
“Soji-kun, um… could you please show me that thing we talked about earlier?”
Shion asked, her voice betraying just how eager she was.
In addition to the materials harvested by Maeno, Manaka, and Goto, I had also taken the opportunity to trade with the other guys.
When I consulted Shion about the materials I’d acquired along the way, her eyes lit up.
By the way, since I’d given the boys some rice, an earthenware pot, and some clean water, they were probably feeling pretty grateful for the steamed white rice they got to eat.
“Fair enough. Let’s head to the kitchen, then.”
We stepped inside the house.
Sena purified everyone, leaving them all clean.
With that, Sena said, “I’m going to bring the newcomers into the chicken coop,” and headed toward the coop carrying a basket full of chickens.
“Um… ‘Cumin,’ ‘Coriander,’ ‘Turmeric,’ ‘Cardamom’…”
I arranged the items Shion had told me about in the kitchen.
“Whoa… This alone was worth trading with the guys…!”
Shion was excited.
Her eyes shone like a starry sky.
“Is there anything else missing?”
“Hmm… Yeah, we really do need some vegetables. If it’s not too much trouble, I thought maybe I could go into the ‘Bonus Area’ and bring back one of each type…”
“Do you think we can make it today?”
“I can’t include the standard ingredients, but luckily we have plenty of meat, plus flour and butter… Yeah, I’ll give it a try!”
Shion roused herself.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Lord Shion, let me help you.”
“Thank you, Roa-chan.”
Leaving the kitchen up to the two of them, I approached Shinpou.
“Shall we?”
Shinpou’s shoulder twitched slightly as he gave a curt nod.
Her face had flushed red, burning with heat, but it wasn’t due to poor health.
Her eyes were glazed over with excitement, fixing on me as if anticipating what was about to happen.
“I’m going out with Fukaminori to forage. We can never have too much wood or stone.”
After checking in with everyone, I headed toward the entryway.
“Set a barrier centered on Sōsuke, alright? Configure it so it releases automatically when we return, and do have some fun.”
Seirina had come to see me off as she said that.
I glanced sideways at Fukaminori.
Still blushing, Fukaminori forced an awkward smile in my direction.
It was the kind of look someone makes when trying to laugh off shame and fumble through a deflection, but failing miserably.
Realizing that she had asked Seirina for the barrier so she could be alone with me, my chest tightened at her endearing innocence.
What a cute girl she is.
“Thanks, Seirina. I really appreciate it.”
“Well, Fukaminori has seniority as the first-resident cat, after all. But don’t think you can get away with not spoiling me either.”
Seirina gave a brief smile; she was incredibly cute too.
“Alright then, leave it to me.”
”……Sozou-san, shall we go?”
Fukadatsu took my hand gently.
“A—ah, yeah, let’s go.”
Leaving Fukadatsu at the base, we walked a bit deeper into the forest before I stopped.
In an instant, Fukadatsu latched onto my lips.
She went straight for my tongue.
It was a violently intense kiss, uncharacteristically fierce for her.
Looking into her eyes, I saw a lewd light gleaming in them.
“Hearing that there would be a reward… I’ve been looking forward to this ever since…”
When our lips parted, a string of saliva connected us.
“F-Fukadatsu…”
“I… can’t hold back anymore…”
With those words, Fukadatsu began unbuttoning her school uniform on her own.
…It seems the switch has already been flipped.
(※ Updated as of 5/25)
As I wrote in my activity report,
the manga adaptation project is currently underway!
I hope you will continue to support this work as it expands across the web, books, and manga!
-------A Request to Our Readers-------
If reading this work has moved you, even just a little—
If you felt, “That was fun!” or “I want more Enkei scenes!” or “Write it!!!!”
- Please add to bookmarks
- The ‘Support the Author by Awarding Points’ section at the bottom of the page
If you could change the ☆☆☆☆☆ buttons to ★★★★★ to show your support,
it would be a huge motivation for future updates!!!!
Please!!!!