Mashiro picked up a female student.

I laid down some straw matting for now and placed the girl on top of it.

"Chiyu, I'm counting on you."

"Roger—'Intermediate Heal.'"

White light enveloped the girl.

"Mm... Mmm... Hnn..."

Her breathing gradually steadied as she let out a strangely alluring sound.

"Her complexion looks much better, too."

"She's lost quite a bit of weight, so she might not be eating well. Maybe I should make some soup for her."

"Ah, there's some leftover mushroom soup from before if you need it."

Even though Shion cooks, she doesn't always finish everything down to the last drop of the pot.

When I make a large batch of soup, I store it in my 'Inventory' while it's still hot, so I can serve it up anytime.

I took advantage of that feature to devise a method of serving the same meal over several days.

"Right, that's how it was."

Shion nodded slightly, as if remembering now.

"This girl is Roa-chan, right?"

"Luoaluai-san."

Moushiko used her nickname, while Shinfu gave her full name.

Her long, cream-colored hair rippled like waves, and currently closed were eyes of the same hue.

She was taller than average, the second tallest among our female group after Moyoko.

She had massive breasts that strained against her uniform and, from what I could tell, a gentle, easygoing personality.

In class, she belonged to a different social circle than Moyoko or Shion, and none of us were particularly close with her.

Only Moyoko, with her high social intelligence, and Fukubou, the class representative, really knew who she was.

"Sokkun's harem just got bigger."

Chiyu's comment seemed to make the rest of the girls tense up... at least, it felt that way.

"A-Actually..."

"Half-joke."

"Is the other half serious?"

"Considering it's you, Sokkun, once you pick someone up, you can't just discard them. We wouldn't sleep well letting her fend for herself either. But integrating her into the group like this might make everyone else uncomfortable."

Currently, all four of us have a relationship with him.

In that context, treating her like a guest while living together in a group would indeed make for an awkward situation.

Moreover, from the perspective of the four girls, they can't do certain things with me whenever Hyujin is present, so their feelings need to be considered.

Naturally, I'm in the same boat.

It might start out fine, but there's no guarantee that a subtle, tense atmosphere won't eventually lead to things falling apart.

I get the logic of it, and all that.

"We've got things running smoothly with Sousuke taking point, so I think we should just leave that alone."

"S-so true. Setting aside the matter of Haremu... but you need to recognize that Sousuke is our leader, yeah?"

"U-uh huh. I get it too... not everyone can be part of the group..."

Yoshi was the one in the class who interacted with everyone the most.

Consequently, she was likely the one suffering the most over the current reality that they had to pick and choose their companions.

But at the same time, Yoshi understood.

She understood how difficult it was to save everyone, and the burden of forcing that standard on her comrades if she insisted on it.

None of us ever voiced a desire to "save someone specific we're close to," because everyone recognized that reality.

And accepting this girl as a companion would require every member of the group to make a serious decision.

As long as returning together was our goal, every additional member increased the required "return rights."

In other words, increasing the number of comrades meant accepting that the uncharted island survival scenario would be extended.

No matter how privileged our lives may be, it's far from simple.

More than that, we have some breathing room as things stand, but there's no telling what might get 'added' in the future.

If the Mysterious Blackboard decides to give us a new challenge, it's entirely possible monsters could be deployed or brutal events triggered.

In every sense, choosing companions requires caution.

But then again...

"For now, we can't just leave her out in the cold, so let her stay until she settles down."

"Besides, there might be new info hidden in what she has to say."

"I'll figure out if any of it is a lie."

"Hmm. Until we know who can be trusted, better keep everyone's abilities secret."

"My crafting ability and Sayoko's summoning power are hard to hide, but we'll keep the explanations to the bare minimum."

For instance, I could just describe it as a skill in making things.

Sayoko could simply say she can call forth spirit beasts.

Knowing the general outline and knowing the details are worlds apart, so this should be enough for now.

It’s also intriguing what Houjin chose to bring to this desert island.

For the time being, I leave the ladies in charge of that, and I have Mashiro level the ground.

Micron acts as if to say "I can do it too!", lowering her long body to the ground and starting to roll back and forth like a child at play.

Given her weight, she’d likely be more than sufficient for leveling the earth.

My phantoms are hard workers, which is a great help.

Micron will probably need to wash herself later, though.

With their combined efforts, the ground was flattened, so I placed the base camp.

I set up the bathhouse, Fenrir’s hut, and the chicken coop, along with the stone wall and surrounding facilities, but I might expand the area covered by the wall later.

By the way, I placed the refrigerator in the kitchen area.

"Shenhou, sorry to trouble you, but would you mind helping me install the solar panels?"

"Oh, of course not."

Since she’s the one who chose them, it might be better if I didn’t just touch them clumsily myself.

I stuck strictly to my role as the placer, leaving the specific work to Shenhou.

"I think this should do the trick."

The machine connected to the solar panel had a small monitor attached that displayed the current charge level.

"Maybe we should wait until it's charged up a bit before plugging in the fridge."

"That sounds like a good idea, just in case."

I stood up with Shinpou and decided to leave the solar panel alone for a while.

"Souto-kun."

Chi-iyu called out, so I turned my head. It seemed that Houjin had woken up.

So Houjin wouldn't see what was being prepared, I arranged Obon, the mushroom soup, and a cup of water to take over.

"...Wh-where am I?"

Houjin sat up and blinked his eyes awake.

"Supp, Lova-chii."

"S-Shoiko-san? And, Iyama-san, Dokkai-san, Shizuo-san... and Kouno-san?"

Everyone except Shoiko, with whom they had a slight connection, were addressed by their surnames.

"My comrades found you unconscious. Go ahead and drink some water and soup for now."

For the time being, Mashirowa and Mikuron were staying inside Fenrir's cabin.

Even if we introduced them, it would only be after they got a handle on the situation.

"Well, thanks for your kindness."

Houjin bowed slightly before accepting the cup.

"Whether it's the tray, the cups, or the spoon, how could all of this be...? No, wait—first things first. Bless us."

With her hands pressed together in prayer over her chest, Houjin drank the water in gulps before delicately sipping some soup.

Her movements were exceptionally refined, radiating a sense of good upbringing.

After drinking the soup, she let out a breath of relief.

"Hoo... It's a soothing flavor. Thank you, I feel a bit more at ease now—eep!?"

Lifting her gaze, Houjin stared wide-eyed at our house.

"Ahaha, it is quite a surprise, isn't it?

Totally get it," Meiko nodded in empathetic understanding.

"The one who created these things is none other than our King, Takano Sounosuke."

Chiyu, don't crack such obscure jokes at someone you aren't exactly close to.

Look, Houjin is clearly confused right now.

"K-King...? Oh right, it was Takano-san who mentioned a 'Craft Ability' in that dream, wasn't it...? So, this magnificent residence belongs to Takano-san?"

It seemed Houjin remembered as well.

It was quite possible that more people than expected had been listening to my comments.

"Um, what did Houjin-san choose?"

Shion casually tacked on a question, likely referencing my ability.

"I truly didn't expect to be stranded on an desert island. However, hearing Konno-san's answer regarding 'abilities,' I found myself immediately visualizing the specific ability I wished for."

That meant Houjin was also one of the rare individuals who had acquired an ability.

"What ability is it?"

Shinhou asked.

"The ability to discern what people want."

We both tilted our heads in confusion.

W-What exactly does that mean...?

No, knowing what someone wants would make negotiation much easier, and it would be just as easy to gain their favor.

Shion had initially assumed the classmates would teleport together in a group, so she chose the "Ability to Tell Lies." Perhaps Houjin was the same type of person?

"Does that mean you chose it to keep group life running smoothly?"

As if seeking confirmation, Shion asked. In response, Houjin shook her head from side to side.

"No. I simply love taking care of people. Seeing their joyful expressions makes me feel truly happy. Therefore, I thought that if I could know what they desire, I would be able to make them even happier."

It was an answer I hadn't expected.

……Like the "self-sacrificing type," but, uh, an enhanced version of that?

Seeing that look on Shiomi's face, she nodded with a expression of complete bewilderment.

So, this is Honjin's true feelings, I see.

"Oh! I just remembered! Roh-chan, you were working part-time at that maid café, right?"

"Oh, Miss Master? We must have overlooked mentioning it in our discussion, I suppose. Yes, you are correct. Of course, please rest assured, it is not a place of ill repute. It is a tearoom for gentlemen and ladies who understand the concept of 'maid' and 'master.'"

I guess they call that a concept café, huh?

I don't know much about the scene myself, but I've heard there's actually quite a number of female customers.

However, I never expected one of my classmates to be working there.

"Honjin, have you been alone all this time?"

"Yes. I gnawed on the acorns that seemed familiar and fortunate discovered a water source on the second day. I was making that my base of operations when... well, bears started using the water source too. Getting frightened, I moved along only to get lost in the forest... During the event, I couldn't move properly, eventually losing consciousness. When I woke up, all your faces were right in front of me."

Shiomi nodded at this part as well, confirming she wasn't lying.

I see, so there were people who couldn't move properly even at the start of the event.

Besides, just because something is newly deployed doesn't mean it will automatically serve as a salvation.

For an ordinary female student, encountering a beast would be nothing but terror.

Perhaps, if she had merely managed to survive until today, she might have gnawed on the added fruit.

In that scenario, she might never have met us at all.

For her, which outcome would have been better?

—And yet, "the ability to know what you desire."

Honestly, I have a desire to borrow her power and know what my companions want.

Everyone gives me appropriate requests, but I also understand that they are quite restrained around me.

I appreciate their consideration, but since I enjoy crafting, I want to do whatever I can.

"Hmm. Let's verify for now. What is it that I desire?"

Chiyu stepped forward.

Fengjin looked at my childhood friend and blushed bright red.

And with his head bowed, he answered in a muffled voice.

"Um... well, Iisa-san seems to want some... 'condoms'..."

"Correct answer."

Chiyu... you've got an incredibly tough mental state.

But it seems Hyoushin's ability is the real deal. The accuracy is pretty impressive too.

An awkward silence passed, and Hyoushin resumed eating.

Then, after a while.

After finishing the soup, Hyoushin slowly stood up and bowed deeply to us.

"Thank you for helping me. And, I know this is an inconsiderate request, but if it is all right with everyone, could I be hired as a maid?"

A polite, gentle-behaved beautiful girl declared she wanted to work as a maid.

The next heroine is a devoted maid?!

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Mashiro brought a female student back.

I laid a futon out and placed the girl on it. "Sen'yuu, please."

"Understood—‘Intermediate Healing’." White light enveloped the girl. "Nn...nnn..."

As she made an oddly alluring sound, her breathing gradually calmed. "Her complexion looks better."

"She looks a bit gaunt, so she might not be eating much. Maybe I should make her some soup."

"Oh, I have some leftover mushroom soup from before."

Shion doesn't always eat every last bit of her cooking.

I can store large quantities of soup in my ‘Inventory’ while it's still warm and serve it whenever I want.

I've figured out how to serve the same batch of soup over several meals. "Oh, right."

Shion remembered this and nodded. "This girl is Roa-chan, right?" "Fujin Roa-san."

Sho calls her by her nickname, and Shin calls her by her full name.

Her wavy cream-colored hair and closed eyes of the same color.

She's taller than average, and the second tallest in our group, after Shouko.

She had huge breasts that would lift up her uniform, and I think she had a gentle personality.

In class, she belonged to a different group from Shouko and Shion, and we didn't have anyone in our group who was close to her.

Only Shouko, who's good at socializing, and Shinpo, the class representative, knew her name.

"So, Souchan's harem is getting bigger."

The girls seemed to tense up at Chiyu's comment... "Uh, you know..." "Half kidding." "So the other half is serious?"

「Since you're Sō-kun, you can't be cold to someone you've picked up. We wouldn't feel good about abandoning you either. But if we keep you around, everyone might end up feeling uncomfortable.」

Right now, all four of them have some kind of relationship with me.

It would definitely be uncomfortable for her to be treated like a customer while living with a group.

And for the four girls, since they can't do anything with me when Fūjin is around, they need to be considerate.

Of course, I need to be considerate too.

Even if it's fine at first, the awkward atmosphere might eventually lead to a breakdown.

Well, I guess I understand the reasoning behind that.

"I think it's best not to mess with the way we've been running things with Tsousuke-kun as the leader."

"T-That's right. Even if we put Harume aside, we need to make sure everyone understands that Tsousuke-san is the leader of our party."

"Y-Yeah. I get that you can't just take anyone as a member..."

Shouko was the one who communicated the most with everyone in the class.

So, she was probably the one who was suffering the most from having to choose who to take as a member.

But at the same time, Shouko understood.

The difficulty of trying to help everyone and the burden that would place on her teammates if she insisted on it.

None of us were saying we wanted to help our close friends because we all understood that.

And if we were going to take this girl as a member, everyone would need to be prepared.

Since our goal was to return as a group, the number of "return rights" we needed would increase with each member added.

In other words, taking on more members meant accepting the continuation of the island survival.

Even though we lead a privileged life, it's not an easy thing to do.

In fact, as long as things stay as they are, we have some leeway, but we don't know what might be added in the future.

If the Mystery Blackboard wants to give us new stimuli, it could place monsters or hold harsh events.

In many ways, we have to be careful about who we choose as our allies. That said, however.

"For now, we can't just leave her here, so we'll let her stay until we calm down."

"And who knows, she might give us new information."

"I'll be the one to tell if she's lying."

"Hmm. Until we know if we can trust her, it's better to hide everyone's abilities."

"My crafting ability and the summoning ability of the summoned girl are hard to hide, but we'll keep explanations to a minimum."

For example, I could just say that I have the ability to make things.

The summoned girl could just say that she can call out a phantom beast.

There's a huge difference between revealing the broad strokes and revealing the details, so this is a sufficient temporary measure.

I'm also curious about what Honju chose to bring to this desert island.

For now, I leave the women to Honju and ask Mashiro to flatten the ground.

Mikuron declares, "I can do it too!" and lowers her long body to the ground, rolling around like a child at play.

Considering her weight, she should be able to level the ground sufficiently.

Our phantoms are hard workers and a great help.

Mikuron will probably need to wash her body afterward.

With the two of them working together, the ground is now level, so we can set up the base camp.

I'll also set up the bathhouse, Fenrir's hut, chicken coop, stone walls, and other facilities, but I might expand the stone wall area later.

By the way, I placed the refrigerator in the kitchen.

"Deep, I'm sorry, can you help me set up the solar panels?" "Of course."

Since she chose them, it might be better if I don't mess with them.

I stick to my role of setting up the equipment, leaving the specific work to Deep. "I think this will do."

There's a small monitor attached to the machine connected to the solar panels, showing how much it's been charged.

"I think we should wait until it's charged a bit before connecting it to the refrigerator."

"Let's do that just to be safe."

Standing up with Shinpo, we left the solar panels alone for a while. "Sokun."

When Senyuu called out, I turned to see that Hyoujin had woken up.

I arranged the tray, mushroom soup, and a glass of water so that Hyoujin wouldn't see me, and carried them over. "...Where am I?"

Hyoujin had woken up and was sitting up, her eyes wide open. "Hey, Roachi."

"Sh-Shojo-san? And, I-Isayama-san, Dokumi-san, Shijou-san, and... Kouno-san?"

Apart from Shojo, who I had some interaction with, she was addressing everyone else by their last names.

"My friends found you lying there. Drink some water and soup for now."

For now, Mashiro and Mikuron are inside Fenrir's cabin.

I'll introduce them after she gets a grasp of the situation. "Oh, thank you very much."

Houjin bowed politely before taking the tray.

“Trays, cups, spoons… how did you get them on this island…? No, first, thank you very much.”

She clasped her hands in front of her chest, then drank the water with a few gulps and gently sipped the soup.

Her movements were very refined, and it was clear she had been well brought up.

After drinking the soup, she sighed in relief.

“Huh… It’s a very soothing taste. Thank you very much, I feel much better now—eek!?”

Houjin raised her gaze and stared at our house with wide eyes.

“Haha, you’re surprised, aren’t you? I know, I know.” Shokushu nodded in sympathy.

“These were created by our king, Kouya Souji.”

Chiyu, don’t tell such obscure jokes to people you’re not close to.

Look, Houjin is confused.

“Y-You’re the king…? Oh, right, in that dream, the person who mentioned ‘Crafting Ability’ was Mr. Kouya…? So, this magnificent house is Mr. Kouya’s?” It seems Houjin remembered.

Surprisingly, maybe a lot of people were listening to what I said.

"What did you choose, Hyoujin?"

From my ability, Shion casually connected her question.

"I really didn't think I'd be sent to a desert island. But after hearing Kino's answer about his 'ability,' I thought of the ability I wanted."

So Hyoujin also has a valuable ability. "What is that ability?" Shinpo asked.

"It's the ability to know what people want." We tilted our heads.

T-That means... what exactly...?

No, if you know what someone wants, it's easier to negotiate with them, and it's also easier to gain their good favor.

At first, Shion chose the ability to "tell when someone is lying" because she thought her classmates would transfer together, so is Honjin the same type?

"So, you chose it to make group life smoother, right?"

When Shion asked as if to confirm, Honjin shook her head.

"No. I love taking care of people. Especially when I see them happy, I feel happy too. So, if I know what they want, I can be even happier, I think." That was an unexpected answer.

......Is she the so-called "self-sacrificing type," but on steroids?

Shion looks at me, nods, but with a confused expression.

So, this is her true nature.

"Oh! I remember! Roach-chan, you work at a maid cafe, right?"

"Oh, did you tell Shokun-san? Yes, that's correct. Of course, it's not an inappropriate place. It's a cafe for gentlemen and ladies who understand the concept of maids and masters."

A concept cafe, then.

I don't know much about them, but I've heard they can be surprisingly popular with women.

I never would have thought a classmate works there.

"Has Honju been alone until now?"

"Yes. I chewed on a nut I recognized, and on the second day, I luckily discovered a water source and used it as my base of operations... But when bears started using the water source, I got scared and moved, and ended up getting lost in the forest... I couldn't move properly during the event and eventually passed out, and when I woke up, everyone's faces were right in front of me."

Shion's nod confirms that she's not lying.

So, there were people who couldn't move properly even at the event.

Besides, the new addition might not necessarily be a salvation.

For an ordinary female student, encountering a beast would only be terrifying.

If she had managed to move around until today and nibbled on the newly added fruit, perhaps.

In that case, she might never have met us.

Which would have been better for her?

――Still, the ability to know what one wants.

Honestly, I want to use her power to find out what my friends want.

They do tell me their wishes, but I know they are holding back quite a bit.

I appreciate their consideration, but I like crafting and want to do what I can.

"Um. For now, let's test it. What do I want?" Chiyou began.

When I saw my childhood friend, Hyoujin blushed.

And then, looking down, she muttered.

「Um... well, Dr. Yama wants a... 'contraceptive'...」 "Correct."

Chiyu... You've got an overbearing mental strength, don't you?

But apparently, Bongjin's ability is the real deal. It seems to be quite accurate.

A subtle tension hangs in the air, and Bongjin resumes eating. After a while.

Having finished her soup, Bongjin slowly stands up and bows deeply to us.

"Thank you for your help. And if it's not too much to ask, would you consider hiring me as a maid?"

The polite, gentle beauty is asking to work as a maid.

The next heroine is a devoted maid?! Updates are scheduled for tomorrow!!!!

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