As a result of our deliberation, we decided to explore the cliffside area that had once served as our base.

The Mashiro team would take charge of exploring the upper areas beyond the cliffs.

While there were spots where one could climb up and down the rock face, it would still be a long detour even with Mashiro's agility. Therefore, it was decided that Mikron, who could fly to cut across obstacles, would handle this leg of the mission.

"Um...! W-well, this is quite an uncanny sensation..."

Roa spoke up while perched on Mikron's back as they soared through the air.

Her tone suggested she was impressed by the experience, though she also seemed slightly terrified.

"Hehe, I know, right? Don't worry, Mikron-chan won't drop us."

I was in the lead position on Mikron's back, with Shion directly behind me and Roa at the very rear.

Shion's chest pressed against my back through her uniform. It had been seven days since we started this, and my heart still raced at the contact.

Soaking in that sensation from behind, Mikron swam through the sky for a while.

"Ah...! Mikron-chan, over there!"

Shion pointed to a specific spot.

Below us lay an open expanse resembling farmland.

However, the dominant hue was brown.

「Oh my, are they drying out...?」

「It's just the leaves. The soybeans themselves look to be in perfect condition, if you ask me」

According to Shioto, harvesting the beans while the leaves are still green turns them into edamame.

Conveniently enough, this desert island places all its harvests and gathering spots in an optimal state for collection, so it’s likely that the soybeans have been arranged this way on purpose.

If that’s the case, as a lover of edamame, I’d certainly like a field with green leaves too... provided one is actually available.

I stepped onto the ground and watched as Shioto ran toward the field that had turned brown.

Faintly, a rustling sound came from the vegetation.

It seems the sound was soybeans rattling inside the pods.

"Looks like I nailed it..."

"Alright. Let's start the harvest."

「What is the proper method for doing so?」

“It’s fine to cut the root base or even pull it up by the roots, as long as you can harvest the soybean part.”

Shion answered Roa's question.

Just to be safe, I handed both of them stone sickles and a harvest backpack basket.

I tried both methods for myself... personally, pulling them out seemed to require less effort.

Though that might just be because I’m a guy.

"Considering what's to come, we should pick up as many as we can."

"Yeah!"

"Understood."

Shion carefully harvested the soybeans one by one using a stone sickle.

Mikron mimicked my actions and helped me pull the plants out of the ground.

The technique involved biting down on the roots with his mouth and lifting his head to yank them free.

But the shocking part was Roa.

Buuuuuup!

With a rapid, rhythmic motion that almost seemed to produce that very sound, soybeans were being tossed into the basket in succession.

By the time we managed to reach halfway down our row, she had already finished clearing her second row.

—Fast...! Way too fast...!

"W-Wow... Roa-chan is amazing.

I knew you were efficient when helping with cooking and cleaning, but..."

"It is a maid's habit." ...Wait, what was a maid again?

When I thought about it properly, she had managed to survive alone for several days and even escaped after encountering beasts near the water source; her survival instincts were undoubtedly high.

If things were ideal, maybe it wasn't unreasonable that she could do this... No, on second thought, it really was a bit off.

Perhaps we had gained a partner who was a superhuman by the name of Maid.

On an island like this, the utility of someone who can boost gathering efficiency goes without saying.

That said, I couldn't just leave it all to her, so Shion, Mikuron, and I continued harvesting at our own pace.

"Master. I apologize, but my basket is full, so may I please store what I have?" "Ah, yes.

Of course."

"Thank you."

"No, thank you. Loa, you're amazing."

"I flatter myself too easily to say that. It is only because of Master's abilities that the ingredients retain their luster, and only thanks to Head Chef Shion's skill that they are transformed into such a magnificent meal. My own efforts are still lacking in comparison..."

Even as she said that, Loa seemed pleased.

"Without the raw materials first, we couldn't do anything, so being able to gather them is quite an achievement."

"...Ah, thank you. Then, I will go clear up the rest as quickly as possible."

When I handed Loa the empty basket, she returned to gathering once again.

In the end, the soybean field we discovered vanished in less than an hour.

"Pff... th-that was exhausting..."

Shion let out a wry smile as she pressed her hand against her lower back.

I was in about the same boat.

「If Chi-Iyu were here, she could cast『Basic Healing」 on me」

Even so, my physical conditioning had improved significantly since before the transfer, and a brief rest should allow me to keep going.

Roa, true to form, stood with immaculate posture despite visibly sweating.

I pulled a canteen from my Inventory and handed it to the two of them.

"Thanks, Sousuke-kun."

「…To create such intricate details within this medium is possible. Only Master could achieve such precision」

It was a flask with a lid mechanism that rotated by engaging with fine grooves.

Stroking Micro in appreciation of its hard work, I also drank some water.

Since it stored water chilled in the refrigerator, it was cold and refreshing against my throat.

I handed handkerchiefs to everyone, and we wiped the sweat from each other.

「Good job, everyone. Let's take a short break, then resume exploration」

We paused briefly to steady our ragged breathing before remounting Micro's back.

And so, we were attempting to venture into an area not marked on the map.

It froze in mid-air.

"What's wrong, Micron? Did you find something?"

Micron tilted her head, then jerked it forward and back.

For an instant, her head collided with the space itself, sending ripples spreading outward through the air.

Just like a stone dropped into a lake surface...

"What was that?"

After Micron repeated this motion several times, I managed to grasp the situation.

There was some kind of invisible wall there, preventing her from advancing any further.

――Are the Mysterious Blackboard side setting up a no-entry area...?

――No, if that were the case, there should be an announcement.

"Does that mean it's an ability?"

I was recalling my dream before the teleportation.

Besides, I had been sharing information among the team members.

I had compiled all the data I remembered regarding who had given which answers.

"Is it an ability that creates an invisible wall?"

I had Mikuron fly around for a while, avoiding touching the wall, but it seemed the invisible barrier enclosed a specific range in a rectangular prism shape.

"I wonder if any other kid claimed to have such an ability... Oh no, d-don't tell me..."

Shion seemed to realize something.

"Ahh, this is probably a Barrier Ability."

After Takanoko joined our conversation with Chiyu and me.

It briefly turned into a joke contest about abilities, but one girl described it like this:

―"An ability to set up a barrier that prevents bugs, beasts, or other people from entering."

We landed on the ground for a moment and knocked on what appeared to be the boundary.

It felt like a transparent wall had been erected.

And it was pretty hard, too.

Yet, no sound came out when we knocked.

The landscape on the other side looked continuous with ours, but we couldn't step into it.

It was just like a game.

You could see the scenery spreading out, but it wasn't made for players to enter or anything.

It was incredibly frustrating.

"Well, we've got a rough idea of the scale. Let's continue our search while avoiding this barrier."

"Yeah, let's do that."

"Do either of you happen to know who is inside?"

"I'm not exactly close with him, but wasn't he part of Sayoko's or Shion's group?"

"Hmm... more like Sayoko was the one actively trying to talk to him. He doesn't seem like the type who enjoys socializing."

"I see. Putting aside whether we can speak through the wall, if it were possible to communicate, should we bring Sayoko along?"

We didn't even know how many people were inside, but Sayoko would surely be happy to find a friend.

Besides, considering this ability, it could be incredibly useful for monster defense if used correctly.

If we could make a deal where she erects a barrier around our base in exchange for us providing food, clothing, or other supplies, that would be a great help.

"Given Sayoko-sama's communication skills, that might just be possible."

As the three of us chatted about these things and tried to climb back onto Mikuron's back—

A thin arm stretched out from behind the invisible wall and grabbed my hand.

"Wha...!"

Caught off guard, I couldn't put up much resistance, and was pulled through the invisible barrier with a wet, squelching motion.

And standing there was the beautiful girl who owned those hands.

"……It's you, Kuno, right? We were just talking about Shouko, weren't we?"

A navy-blue downward bob, a sharp gaze, taller than Chiyu but still petite in stature, and large-breasted.

She radiated a lone-wolf vibe; she was the girl herself who had coveted barrier abilities.

A new heroine...?!

Somesuke continues to expand his circle of companions, embodying the subtitle:

'Seems I'll be living a slow life with beautiful girls.'

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As a result of the discussion, we decided that the cliff-bottom area, which used to be our base, would be our responsibility.

The Mashiro group would explore the cliff-top area.

There are places where we can climb up and down the cliff, but even with Mashiro's leg strength, it would be a detour, so the Micron group, who can fly and take a shortcut, were assigned the task.

"Wow...! This... This is quite an unusual feeling..."

Roah said from the back of Micron, who was flying in the air.

It sounded like she was both impressed and a little scared.

"Hehe, yeah. Don't worry, Micron won't drop us."

I was in the front, followed by Shion, and Roah was at the back.

Shion's chest was pressing against my back through her school uniform, and even on the seventh day, it still made my heart race.

Enjoying that feeling on my back, Micron continued to glide through the air.

"Ah...! Micron, look over there!" Shion pointed at a spot.

Below us was an open space like a field. However, what stood out was the brown color.

「Oh, are they dried up...?」

「The leaves, though. I think the soybeans are just right.」

Shion says that if you harvest the beans when the leaves are still green, they become edamame.

This desert island is kind enough to have all the crops ready to be harvested and collected, so that’s why the soybeans are like this.

But then, as someone who loves edamame, I would want a field with green leaves... but will there be one?

Shion runs towards the brown field as we land on the ground.

I can faintly hear a rustling sound.

It seems to be the sound of the beans rattling inside the pods. 「Looks good...!」 「Alright, let’s harvest them.」

「How should I do it?」

「You can cut the base or pull them out. As long as you get the soybeans.」 Roa’s question is answered by Shion.

I handed them both a stone sickle and a harvesting basket to carry the crops.

I tried both methods... but personally, I felt it was less work to pull them out. Maybe because I’m a guy.

「Considering the future, let's try to harvest as much as we can.」 「Yeah!」 「Understood.」

Shion carefully cut each soybean plant with a stone sickle.

Mikuron helped me by pulling them out.

She used her teeth to bite the roots and then lifted her head to pull them out.

But the surprising one was Roa. Shwababababababa...!

With swift movements, the soybeans were being thrown into the basket one after another.

By the time we reached the halfway point of one row, she had already finished collecting the second row.

――Amazing...! She's too fast...!

「W-wow... Roa-chan, you're amazing. I knew you were good at helping with cooking and cleaning...」 「It is the way of a maid.」

Thinking about it, she had managed to survive alone for days and even escaped from a beast at the water source, so she must have a high survival skill.

In perfect condition, she could do this much, but... no, that's still a bit strange.

Maybe we've got a superhuman maid on our team.

The usefulness of someone who could improve the harvesting efficiency on an island like this was self-evident.

Still, I couldn't leave everything to her, so Mikuron and I continued harvesting at our own pace, too.

"Master, I'm sorry, but my basket is full, so I'd like to ask for a moment to store them..." "Ah, sure." "Thank you."

"No, thank you. Roa, you're amazing."

"I'm flattered, but it's only because of Master's ability that the ingredients shine and because of Chef Shion's skill that they become a wonderful meal, so my work is still far from enough..."

She said that, but Roa looked happy.

"You can't make anything without the ingredients, so harvesting them is a big deal."

"...Ah, thank you. I'll clear the rest as soon as possible, then."

After I handed her an empty basket, Roa returned to harvesting.

In the end, the soybean field we discovered disappeared within an hour.

"Phew... I'm so tired..."

Shion was laughing while holding her waist. I was feeling pretty much the same.

「If I could get a thousand cures, I could get a ‘Basic Healing’ casted on me, you know?」

Even so, I’ve gained more stamina than I had before the transfer, so I still feel like I could move around for a while after a short break.

Loa, on the other hand, was sweating but still standing in a beautiful posture.

I took out the water flask from my ‘Inventory’ and handed it to the two of them. “Thank you, Souzou-kun.”

“...Such fine craftsmanship is possible, huh? As expected of my master.”

The flask had a mechanism with intricate grooves that allowed the lid to rotate.

While stroking Mikuron for her hard work, I also drank some water.

The water had been chilled in the refrigerator, so it was cool and refreshing.

I handed out hand towels to everyone and we wiped off our sweat.

“Everyone, you’ve done well. After a short break, let’s start exploring again.”

After taking a short break to calm our ragged breathing, we once again mounted Mikuron.

And we were about to head to a place that wasn’t on the map.

Micron suddenly stops in mid-air.

"Is something wrong, Micron? Did you find something?"

Micron tilts its head and then shakes it from side to side.

In an instant, its head collides with the space around it, sending ripples through the air.

It's as if a stone had been dropped into a lake. "…What's going on?"

By repeating this action several times, I finally understood.

There was something like an invisible wall that prevented any further movement.

――Does that mean the Mystery Blackboard has prepared an area that can't be entered…?

――No, if that were the case, there would have been an announcement. "So it must be a power?"

I recalled the dream before the transfer.

And I had been sharing information with my teammates.

I was collecting all the information I remembered about who had given what answers.

「So you're talking about a power that creates an invisible barrier?」

I had Mikuron fly around for a while so he wouldn't touch the wall, and it seems the invisible barrier is enclosing a certain area in a rectangular shape.

「I don't think I've heard anyone mention such a power... Wait, could it be...?」 Shion seemed to have figured something out.

「Ah, I think this is probably a barrier power.」

After Chiyu and I had our conversation, Shokko joined in.

For a while, it was like a talent show for abilities, and one of the kids mentioned this.

――“The ability to create a barrier that keeps bugs, animals, and other people out.”

We landed on the ground and tried knocking on what we thought was the boundary.

It felt like there was a transparent wall there, and it was pretty hard.

But when we knocked, there was no sound.

The scenery on the other side looked continuous, but we couldn't step into it. It was like a video game.

The scenery was visible, but it wasn't made for players to enter. It was really frustrating.

「For now, we've got a rough idea of the size, so let's continue exploring while avoiding this barrier.” “Yeah, that's a good idea.”

“Do either of you have any idea who might be inside?”

“I don't really know them that well, but they were part of the group with Shouko and Shion, right?”

“Hmm… I'd say it's more that Shouko was the one who approached people actively. She doesn't seem to be very sociable.”

“I see. Putting aside whether we can talk through the wall, if we can communicate, it might be better to bring Shouko along.”

There are an unknown number of people inside, but Shouko would be happy to find her friends.

Also, this ability could be very useful for defense against monsters, depending on how it's used.

If we could make a deal where we provide them with food, clothing, or something else in exchange for them setting up a barrier around our base, that would be great.

“With Shouko's communication skills, that might be possible.”

As we were talking about all this, just as we were about to get back on Mikuon's back—

A thin arm shot out from the invisible wall and grabbed my hand. “N-What...!”

I hadn't been expecting it, so I barely put up any resistance and passed right through the invisible wall with a squelch.

And there stood the beautiful girl who owned the hand.

"...Kouno, right? You were talking about Shouko just now, weren't you?"

She had blue shoulder-length hair, sharp eyes, and was taller than Senyuu but still petite, with large breasts.

She was the girl herself who had wanted the barrier ability. New heroine...!?

Kousuke was steadily increasing his number of friends, and was embodying the subtitle

'Living a slow life with beautiful girls.'

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