Me and Mikron got home almost at the same time as Mashiro, Miko, and Chiiru.

By the time I hopped down from Mikron and she soared back up to the Fenrir cabin, the Mashiro group had returned. "Yo. Welcome back, too."

"Oh, Sou-suke... yeah, I'm home..."

"...Soudan's search seems to have gone well, at least. You can tell just by looking at his face."

Judging by Miko and Chiiru's expressions, theirs hadn't gone so well.

Mashiro was good at tracking a scent once she'd caught it or hunting down beasts, but for plant-based things, maybe due to how the humans described them, she seemed to have trouble pinpointing exactly where to find them.

Still, her sense of smell was incredibly useful beyond measure.

"You didn't come back empty-handed, right?"

"Hmm. I don't really know what it is, but I grabbed it just in case."

"I found blueberries instead of strawberries... I don't hate them, but they're not the same berry..."

It wasn't that I was happy about their failed search, but at least my own expedition hadn't been a waste.

"For now, can I just put these away?"

"Mm. I hope we can eat them, or at least find out for sure~"

"If it's Shion-chan, she'll probably turn the blueberries into jam or muffins."

They stored Masiro away along with the basket she was carrying.

What the two of them had brought back were "muskmelon," "blueberries," and a "nectarine."

"They all seem edible, but let's ask Fukuma or Shion for the details."

"Yay~. Thanks to you too, Masiro~"

"Mm. I do appreciate your hard work."

Masiro seemed a bit downcast, perhaps feeling responsible for the disappointment on their faces, but the moment the two of them hugged her in comfort, she began huffing and puffing heavily.

An easy-to-read Fenrir.

"Welcome home. Master, Lady Chiyu, Child."

The entrance opened, and Roa came out to greet them.

"Oh, I'm home... Hm? There's a sweet scent here."

"Yes. Head Chef Shiin is baking cookies—"

"Cookies!? I want one! I want two!"

"My body is craving some sweetness..."

Zwip... Menoko and Chiyu sprinted through the building at wind-speed velocity.

"A-ah, please refrain from running in the hallways..."

Roar wouldn't be hearing her warning.

I gave a wry smile at their retreating figures before stepping inside.

"How did the exploration go?"

"Success. Thanks to Roar, I think we can get everyone what they want."

"I'm glad I was of help."

"Aa. And about Roar's shoes, too."

"...! Y-yes, ma'am. Thank you."

Roar smiled, her face flushing with a mix of shyness and delight.

"Yum yum!"

I heard Shouko's voice coming from the living room.

Sōsuke and Roa exchanged a glance and laughed.

"We'd love some cookies too, if it's no trouble."

"Right away!"

Drawn by the sweet aroma, we made our way to the living room, where Shouko and Chi-iyu were voraciously eating a plate piled high with cookies.

Fukaho ate them one by one, in restrained bites.

"Oh, welcome home, Sōsuke-kun. Please have some if you like."

"Thanks."

I picked one up and popped it into my mouth.

"Mm... they just melt right away. Freshly baked ones really are something else..."

The cookies crumbled delicately across my tongue. The scent of butter and the sweetness of sugar exploded in my mouth, making me crave another one instantly.

"Sōsuke! If we store these while they're fresh, couldn't we eat crispy, moist cookies anytime?"

"Ah, that might actually work."

"Heh, I think it's a great idea, but today's batch is going to disappear in no time. We'll probably have to wait until the next bake."

Shion beamed with delight at the huge success of the cookies, letting out a soft, suppressed laugh.

Chi-iyu had her cheeks puffed up like a squirrel's.

I worried that this would certainly dry out her mouth, but she washed the entire down with a stream of sheep's milk.

"Ecstasy."

"Sena-san... do you always eat like that? I'm jealous that you don't gain weight no matter what you eat."

At Shino's remark, Miko's hand stopped dead in its tracks.

"Ah, maybe I should stop around here. L-Look, there's still dinner to make!?"

Miko tried to brush it off with a deflection. She might have thought she was covering her tracks, but it was undeniable that she had reacted to the comment about gaining weight.

"I'm not worried about it at all. All the nutrients go straight to my chest."

I don't think that's something a normal person would say out loud...

It sounds like one of those lines a big-breasted character in a manga or anime says to another character, doesn't it?

Since Sena is short and skinny yet has huge breasts, nobody can even bring themselves to point that out.

"A-Ahaha. Anyway, I should probably start dinner soon. Sousuke-kun, could you do me a favor and store the leftover cookies for me?"

"Oh right. But before that, there's something I want to give everyone."

I had everyone take their seats and cleared my throat, breaking the tension.

"Taking the liberty of using Roa's power, I've investigated everyone's 'desires.'"

I placed a small basket woven from vines in front of each of them. The size of the boxes varied by person, as did their contents.

Upon hearing that I had looked into what they wanted, the only one blushing was Fukaho, whose wish had been 'underwear.'

I feel a bit guilty for going that far, but please forgive me.

"Does it contain condoms?"

"...No, Sengi's is what she wanted second."

"Sousuke-kun, is it okay if I open it now?"

"That works. You can do it now or later. You can show everyone or keep it to yourself. Feel free to handle it however you like."

Sensi immediately lifted the lid of the box and blinked.

"...! Did you find strawberries? I love you, Sousuke."

Menoko followed suit, removing the lid with shining eyes.

"Oh~! It's melon! You found it for me, Sousuke? Thank you!"

Shiine also opened her box.

"Waaah, there’s so much in here. …Wait, ginger? And this is… garlic?"

"Sorry, I wasn't sure if it was a good gift for you... but I thought these might be things you wanted..."

"What are you talking about? I’m really happy! ...! With this, my cooking repertoire expands, which means I can help everyone out even more! Right, Sousuke-kun, there’s so much else here too... for example, what is this?"

The fruit Shion held up was roughly the size of an egg and, at first glance, looked like a walnut.

"Um... that one's called 'Nutmeg.' I think it’s a spice—"

"This is nutmeg?! Wow, Sousuke-kun! It’s one of the Four Great Spices!"

Shion was bursting with excitement.

Apparently, besides going well with meat dishes, it pairs excellently with potatoes and dairy products, and is even used in baking sweets.

"I'm glad you like it. The rest are 'Cinnamon' and—"

"Cinnamon?! Oh, no way, are these cinnamon sticks!?"

She must have always been good at cooking, but since becoming the head chef, she was a fish in water.

It felt like her interest in ingredients was accelerating.

Amidst Shion's excitement bordering on character breakdown as she exclaimed, "Fooh... t-this is amazing, Sousuke-kun!"

Fukami briefly opened the box, then immediately slammed the lid shut, her face burning bright red.

Inside were her 'underwear'.

There was no underwire, so the bra was a tie-style design, but it should be perfectly fine for use.

I stepped closer to her and spoke in a low voice.

"Sorry I couldn't keep it a secret. But... uh... honestly, I'd be happy to see you in all kinds of outfits."

It was a bit embarrassing to admit, but she would probably be happier if I told her clearly.

"S-s-So, that's nice... It's okay, you don't have to apologize for anything. And... um... I'm happy too."

Fukami smiled shyly, her gaze cast downward.

"Glad you like it. Uh... show me more next time."

"Wh—! Y-yes, of course. Um, I want you to see... a lot too..."

Being spoken to with such innocence made my heart race.

Well then, the last one is Loa.

She was looking down at the box in silence.

"Loa? I think the size will work out fine."

"Um, ah, yes. I... was simply admiring them. My master, what exactly did you do to these?"

"We used deer leather for the uppers because it was the most suitable hide we had on hand. Then we stained them with soot and made the soles out of rubber. I couldn't add any fancy metal decorations since we don't have any, but please forgive that."

"...No, they are a magnificent piece of work. Thank you truly."

I am not someone who is particularly particular about fashion, but I understand that for those who do care, it is something of immense importance.

It is something that can lift one's spirits, or make them feel put together, or give them confidence in themselves—or conversely, allow them to become a completely different person.

On this desert island, we were cast adrift wearing our uniforms.

And that has been our daily reality for six days now.

It might not be the time or place to talk about fashion, but it is easy to imagine how painful these days must have been for those who value such things.

The fact that maid outfits are within reach suggests that, for Lora, this means even more than I had imagined.

Watching her hold the shoes with such reverence, I thought so.

"My master, may I try on the shoes you gave me?"

"Ah, of course."

Lora changes from her slippers into the boots.

If she is to move around the house as a maid, boots would surely be more suitable than slippers.

It’s a bit off for Japanese sensibilities, but she’d probably get used to it right away.

"It fits perfectly," Sozo said.

"Indeed, it suits you very well."

"I can't believe I've been given something so wonderful... I don't know how to thank you..."

Seeing Rua look so happy as she expressed her gratitude, Chiyu and the others reacted.

"...Damn it. We should have asked for something that would last a while, just to show off as 'the childhood friends who cherish what Sozo-kun gave us.' That would have boosted our approval rating."

"...! A-ah, should we change what we want now? But asking so late might come across as too bold..."

"Yeah. It’s already hard to pay back the favor he did for us; piling on more requests would be shameful."

"Y-Y-Yeah, exactly."

Fuminari nodded in agreement while looking away, but the other women didn't miss his flustered reaction.

"...Did you get something that lasts too, Minochan?"

"Oh? Tell us what you got, Minolin."

"While we were hoping for things that would just disappear into our stomachs, what kind of wonderful present did Fuminari-chan get from Sozo-kun?"

"N-No, um... I think we need some privacy, even if it is a party."

As Fuminari tried to escape to her room clutching her box, the three of them closed in on her slowly.

"Information sharing between harems is standard procedure."

"Yeah yeah, info-share, Mino!"

"Ugh..."

Shinhou's face was bright red.

She must have been mortified to find that she alone had received underwear as a gift.

"Everyone, I don't just want stuff for this occasion. I'll do my best to prepare gifts whenever possible. Please forgive Shinhou."

At my intervention, the three of them stopped with reluctant looks on their faces.

Taking advantage of the moment, Shinhou hurried up to the second floor.

Well, since they're underwear, I assume it's only a matter of time before people find out she wears them in daily life...

Anyway, I'm glad I could make everyone happy.

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I got home with Mikuron almost at the same time as Mashiro, Shouko, and Senyuu.

When I got out of Mikuron and she flew back to Fenrir Cottage, Mashiro and the others returned. "Yo. Welcome back."

"Ah, Souya... Yeah, welcome back..."

"...Souya seems to have had a successful search. You can tell from his face."

Shouko and Senyuu seemed to have had a difficult time, judging from their expressions.

Mashiro is good at tracking scents and finding animals, but it seems to be difficult for her to pinpoint plants, perhaps because of the way humans describe them.

Still, her sense of smell is more than sufficient.

"You didn't find anything, right?"

"Hmm. I'm not sure what it is, but I got something."

"I found blueberries instead of strawberries... I don't mind, but they're different berries..."

I didn't celebrate their failure, but at least my search wasn't in vain.

"Can I put them away for now?"

「Yeah. Tell me if they're edible or not.」

「Shio-chan would probably make blueberries into jam or muffins.」

I put the basket with Mashiro inside away.

They brought back cantaloupe, blueberries, and nectarines.

「They all seem to be edible, but let's ask Shinpo or Shion for more details.」

「Thanks a lot. Mashiro, thank you too.」

「Yeah. I'm grateful for Mashiro's work.」

Mashiro seemed to feel responsible for the two being down, but when they hugged her to comfort her, she started breathing heavily.

She's a very clear Fenrir.

「Welcome home, Master, Lady Chiyu, and Lady Summoner.」

The door opened and Roa came to greet them.

「Ah, we're back. ...Hm? There's a sweet smell in the air.」

「Yes. Chef Shion made cookies―」

「Cookies!? I want to eat them, I want to eat them!」

「My body is craving sweets...」

Buuun...! Miyako and Senyuu dash through the house at lightning speed.

「Ah, please don't run in the hallway...!」

Loa probably didn't hear my warning.

I chuckled at the sight of them and stepped through the doorway. "How did the search go?"

"It was a success. Thanks to Loa, I think I'll be able to get everyone what they want."

"I'm glad I could be of help."

"Yeah, and Loa's shoes too."

「...! Y-Yes, thank you very much.」

Loa smiled, looking both embarrassed and pleased. "Yummy-yummy!"

I heard Shouko's voice from the living room.

Roah and I exchanged a smile. "Let's have some cookies too." "Understood."

Drawn by the sweet aroma, we headed to the living room, where Shouko and Chiyu were greedily munching on a plate full of cookies.

Deepo was eating them one by one, in a restrained manner.

"Oh, welcome back, Souzoku-kun. Would you like to try one?" "Thanks."

I picked one up and put it in my mouth.

"Mmm... It's melting in my mouth. Freshly baked cookies are amazing...!"

The cookie crumbled in my mouth. The buttery scent and the sweetness of the sugar exploded in my mouth, making me want another one right away.

"Souzoku! If we store freshly baked cookies, we can have them anytime, right?!" "Yeah, that sounds good."

"Haha. It's a great idea, but since today's batch will probably be gone soon, maybe we can start with the next batch?"

Shion looked delighted by the cookies and chuckled.

Chiyu was stuffing her cheeks like a squirrel.

I thought my mouth would dry up, but I gulped down the sheep's milk in one go. "Delicious."

"Chiyu-san... do you always eat like that? I'm envious that you don't get fat."

When Shinpo spoke, Shouko's hand froze.

"Ah, I think I'll stop here. Look, there's dinner too!?"

Shouko tried to cover up. She might think she's just deflecting, but she definitely reacted to the comment about getting fat.

"I'm fine. All the nutrients go to my chest."

That's not something someone usually says about themselves...

Isn't it something a character with huge breasts would say in manga?

Chiyu is short, skinny, and has big breasts, so no one can call her out.

"Ah, hahaha. Anyway, it's almost dinner time. Can I ask you to store any leftover cookies, Sou-kun?"

"Yeah, but before that, I have something to give everyone."

I asked everyone to sit down and cleared my throat, nervous.

「Without asking, I used Roa’s power to look into what everyone wanted.」

I placed a small box woven from vines in front of everyone. The size of the boxes varies depending on the person, as does the contents.

The only one blushing after hearing that I checked what they wanted was Shinpo, who wanted underwear.

I feel a little guilty about this, but I hope you’ll forgive me.

「Will there be condoms in it when you open it?」

「…No, for me, it’s the second thing I wanted.」

「Shouzoku-kun, can I open it now?」

「Sure. You can open it now or later. You can show it to everyone or not. Do whatever you like with it.」

Without hesitation, Chiyu took the lid off the box and blinked.

「…! Strawberry, did you find it for me? Soku-kun, I love you.」

Shouko followed suit, taking off the lid and her eyes shone brightly.

「Ooh! Melon! Did Shouzoku find it for me!? Thanks!」 Shion also opened the box.

「Wow, there are so many! ...Oh, is this ginger? ...And this is garlic?」

「Sorry, I didn’t think they were suitable as gifts, but I thought they might match what Shion wanted...」

「What are you talking about? I’m so happy! ...This will expand my cooking repertoire and let me be more useful to everyone! Hey, Sohatsu-kun, there are a lot more here... like, what’s this one?」

The fruit Shion picked up looked like a walnut or an egg at first glance.

「Well... this is the nutmeg I mentioned. It’s a spice--」

「This is nutmeg!? Wow, Sohatsu-kun! It’s one of the four major spices!」 Shion was very excited.

It’s said to go well with meat dishes, potatoes, dairy products, and is also used in desserts.

「I’m glad you like them. The rest are cinnamon and--」

「Cinnamon!? Oh, is this a cinnamon stick!?」

She was originally good at cooking, but since becoming the head chef, she’s like a fish in water.

It seemed her interest in ingredients was accelerating.

Shion was so excited that she was practically breaking character, saying, “Fwooh... S, Sohatsu-kun, you’re amazing!”

Deepaku glanced inside the box and immediately closed the lid, her face turning bright red. It contained 'underwear.'

There were no wires, so it was the type that needed to be tied, but it should work just fine.

I approached her and spoke in a low voice.

"If you didn't want anyone to know, I'm sorry. But... I'd be happy if I could see you in different outfits."

It might make her happy if I told her, even though it was a bit embarrassing.

"S-s-s-s-sure. I-it's okay, you don't have to apologize. And, t-to be honest, I'm happy too."

Deepaku smiled shyly, looking down.

"I'm glad. Could you show me next time?"

"...! Y-yes, of course. I-I want you to see me too."

Hearing such a bashful response made my heart race. Now, the last person is Roa.

She was looking down at the box, blushing.

"Roa? I think the size should be fine."

「Eh, ah, yes. I was... mesmerized. Master, how should I use this?」

「We had deer skin, which could be used for shoes, so I used that. I dyed them with soot and made the soles out of rubber. I couldn't put on any metal decorations since we don't have any, but please forgive me for that.」

「...No, it's a wonderful job. Thank you very much.」

I'm not someone who cares about fashion, but I understand it's very important to those who do.

It could be something that boosts your mood, makes you feel more focused, gives you confidence, or even makes you feel like a completely different person.

On this desert island, we were thrown out wearing our uniforms. That's been going on for six days now.

We shouldn't be talking about fashion in this situation, but it's easy to imagine how tough it would be for someone who cares about it.

Having a maid outfit might mean more to Roa than I thought.

Seeing her hold the shoes carefully, I thought that.

「Master, may I try on the shoes you gave me?」 「Of course.」

Roa changes from slippers to shoes.

If she's going to move around the house as a maid, shoes would be more appropriate than slippers.

It might feel a bit off to Japanese sensibilities, but you should get used to it soon. "It fits perfectly." "It really suits you."

"I don't know how to thank you for such a wonderful gift..."

Seeing Roa react with a happy but embarrassed expression, the others react.

"...Damn. Asking for something that leaves a tangible impression would have been better, like showing off 'the childhood friend who cherishes the things Sou-kun gave her' to boost her popularity."

"...! Ah, should we change our requests too, even now? But maybe it's too much to ask..."

"Yeah. As it is, we haven't repaid your kindness enough, so it would be rude to pile more on." "Y-Yeah..."

While Minaho agrees with her eyes averted, the women didn't miss her flustered reaction.

"...Minaho, did you get something that leaves a tangible impression?"

"Oh? What did you get, Minorin?"

"Among us, who were all asking for things that disappear in our stomachs, what kind of wonderful gift did Minaho-chan get from Sou-kun?"

"W-Well, um. Even though it's a party, we still need some privacy, don't we?"

The three of them slowly corner Minaho as she tries to escape to her room with the box.

「Sharing information among the harem is basic.」

「That’s right, it’s just common sense, Minori!」 「Ugh...」 Minori’s face is bright red.

It’s probably embarrassing for her to have her underwear being the only one she got revealed.

「Everyone, I’ll try my best to get what you want, not just this time. Please forgive Minori.」

My intervention made the three of them reluctantly stop.

Seizing the opportunity, Minori went upstairs.

Well, it’s underwear, so if she wears it regularly, it’ll probably come out sooner or later...

Anyway, I’m glad everyone was happy.

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