We spotted Sumofeng Reika's team and headed toward their base.

There, Sumofeng reunited with Shoushi.

On the watchtanks flanking the entrance, one was occupied by Sumofeng, and the other by an archer.

The woman holding a drawn arrow, waiting in standby, should have been a member of the Kendo club's female division.

"What's the occasion, Reika-chan? We're here to make a deal~" "......A deal?"

"Sumofeng-san! Could you please listen to what we have to say?"

"...No way. Is that Sensei Tanshina?"

Noticing Sensei Luminus riding the dragon, Sumofeng's eyes widened.

"Yes. Sensei assisted Kengai's team. After hearing our proposal and consulting on how to coordinate with other students, Kengai's group agreed to cooperate."

"...I see. Among students, emotions can easily cause a deal to fall apart. By having a teacher intervene, you've ensured a rational dialogue is established. Well played, Kengai Shoushi."

The fact that she so quickly read through our intentions suggested she was quite sharp.

"I don't really get it, but why are you calling me by my full name, Reika-chan?"

Come to think of it, for something that isn't a manga character or a hospital receptionist, that's pretty unique way to call someone.

"It's meant to show an even greater emotional distance than just using last names!"

"Oh, really? But aren't we friends?"

"Since when are we friends! Since when!"

Sumika is fuming with anger.

She seemed to view Saeko as a rival, but for Saeko, she was just considered a friend in class. That disparity in their mindsets must have only fueled her competitive spirit further.

"...Reika, calm down. What matters more is listening to the terms of the trade.

It's going to be hard to turn down any demands from an opponent who has both a Giant Wolf and a Flying Dragon with them anyway," the female archery club member scolded Sumika.

"I know that. Let's go inside. However, humans only."

"But the trade items are in the cages being carried by Mashiro and Mikron."

"You can just put them back in once you've decided to make the trade."

"We have shampoo, soap, spare clothes, lotion..."

"...Reika, let's bring in the summoned beasts too. The ones who might panic have already been evacuated to the cave."

"...~ Fine. Got it. Bring them all in together."

A section of the fence was removed, allowing Mashiro to enter the base.

Because Micron floats, he simply advanced through the air.

Only a handful remained as combat personnel; the rest had fled into the cave.

I had counted them earlier—there were exactly fourteen. All of them were women; there were no male members.

Considering that she was commanding such a large number, Juno's leadership capabilities must be considerable.

...Or perhaps some ability was influencing the situation.

"So, about the deal? ...No, could I please leave the explanation to Professor Amanusa?"

Micron descended, and the Professor set his foot on the ground.

"Yes. Then I will proceed with the explanation."

Professor Luminus explained to the Juno party the same things he had discussed earlier at our base.

"...I see, I understand. There are probably various motives at play, but it is undeniably beneficial for both parties."

Juno placed her slender hand against her chin and spoke with a pensive expression.

"Suzuka. I think it's fine for us to accept."

"I agree." "Wearing the same clothes all the time is unbearable already." "It's impossible to just wash my body with water." "I don't dislike everyone, but sleeping in a large group just isn't right for me..."

Promising an improvement in their environment, the girls of the Chenghuang party let out their accumulated grievances.

"May I ask one thing? The items provided to us are generated through 'Crafting ability'... that is, by Ino's power, correct?"

"Yes. Mr. Ino is a team member of Sensei."

"Will we be able to speak directly with Ino?"

"If we build trust through repeated transactions, we will be able to have opportunities for interaction between our teams."

"I see. I understand. We accept the proposal for transaction."

Chenghuang likely picked up on their wariness as well.

On top of that, she judged it was best to respond candidly now.

At Chenghuang's words, her party members rejoiced.

So did Moushi.

"Wow, Suzuka-chan! You get it~!"

"……Honestly, I don't think of you as the leader."

"Eh? W-What do you mean?"

Shouko's acting was painfully obvious, but that didn't seem to be the only reason.

"You were concerned about Kudo. It's impossible that you would come up with a deal involving using your lover's abilities."

"N-No, that's not it! At least, when we were in Japan, it definitely wasn't that obvious!"

"Are you being serious right now?"

"……Hey, Kain. Sorry to say this, but even I, someone with barely any connection to you guys, could figure it out."

Following Seihou, the other female kendo club members lined up, looking just as awkward as she did.

Left alone in the basket, I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me.

"I-It's not like that……"

Shouko hung her head, her face flushed red.

"Now, everyone, please form a line. While our representatives finalize the trade, we will be providing supplies."

Not just the combatants, but even the women who had been eavesdropping in the cave crowded around Lora.

The turnout was so massive that Chiiru was also drafted to help with the distribution of supplies.

The Seihou party obediently agreed to the trade and provided their information.

Shion's ability had already confirmed the veracity of this information.

I asked them to jot down a simple map and list the items they had acquired in the area on the paper we provided. Based on that information, I specified which materials we wanted them to gather.

"……You seem to be handing out a pretty generous amount of supplies, but isn't that more than what's covered by the intelligence you gave us this time?"

"Hmm? Think of it as prepayment? Just make sure whatever I asked for is gathered by the time we come back."

There was also the thought that handing things over halfway might just build up resentment instead.

The decision was made to provide clean clothes, soap shampoo, and blankets first.

If hygiene and warmth were securely handled, they had their own food supplies anyway, so they should be able to settle down mentally.

We didn't intend to exploit them, so it was in our best interest for the other party to regain their energy and well-being.

"……I see. Well, if we fail to fulfill our end of the contract, you'll just stop coming, so it's a simple case."

"Suzuka-chan, right? She'll keep her promises, won't she?"

"What makes you so confident...?"

Sumuho stared at Moushi with a complicated expression.

"Sorry for the trouble, Inaka-san. Even on that desert island, Suzuka was full of competitive spirit toward Inaka-san, determined to ensure her companions lived a better life than you did, but it seems your standard of living turned out to be significantly higher, so she's been sulking about it."

"Hey, Yumi!?"

The female member of the kendo club is named Yuno. Now that he thought about it, the name did ring a bell.

She was a beautiful girl with long, black hair tinged with purple. Seen from her perspective, the sideburn on her right was tucked behind her ear, while the strand on her left was wound with a cord.

"Oh? But I just got lucky. It's all thanks to Sousuke."

"...I see. Well, I'm grateful to Kudo too."

"Huh?"

"After all, it was only because he mentioned the word 'Craft ability' that the concept of choosing a specific ability even came to mind."

"Ah~. Yeah, you're totally right. That's for sure."

"What?"

"I-I mean nothing!"

Soko, our team-specific shorthand doesn't translate well to other groups...

Anyway, it felt like Soko's contribution was far greater, considering she picked up on his remarks and turned them into a class-wide topic... But Sumefeng probably didn't want to touch on that point.

"Well, let's leave it at that. Pass this along to Kudo: tell him my group can provide a position more worthy of his contributions."

"...Huh? What does that mean?"

"It goes without saying that Kudo's ability and his performance hold immense value on this island, don't you think? But we shouldn't let him rely on that. His success must be rewarded properly."

“— Heh, if that's the case, I think our party would be perfectly adequate.”

Shion cut in with a smile.

"……Dokkai Shioto. Have you stopped looking people in the eye?"

"I don't know. But I truly trust Sounosuke-kun, and since he needs us, I don't think we need recruitment from other parties."

"Heh?"

"Ryoka. No matter how hard you try, you can't be a villainess, so don't push yourself. Besides, the way you're acting like you'll 'reward' him... you're still a virgin, aren't you?"

Perhaps thinking there were no men around to hear, strong information was exposed.

"Yumeno, which side are you on since earlier?! And you're still a virgin too!"

"I don't hide that, and I never pretend to be experienced."

"Ghh... A-Anyway! I'll make sure to meet Kunou someday! K-Kunou will surely realize my charm eventually and want to be with me."

"Heh heh, really?"

"Hmm. So-kun is devoted to us. If you want to join in, you should surrender to our side."

Sena, who had finished helping with the supply drop, joined the fray.

"Grumble grumble. Dokkai Shioto, Iyama Chiya! You guys have become even more infuriating than before!"

There were moments when the girls traded sparks like that, but the transaction proceeded smoothly.

After the event, they promised to visit again on the morning of the eleventh day and set off to return.

"Aaaah, wait, wait! Shouko~!"

While distributing supplies, Loha and Seryu were often approached by their classmates, and Loha in particular seemed to genuinely enjoy catching up with several old friends.

But since Shouko and Shiune were in the middle of a transaction, they didn't have that opportunity.

Perhaps sensing an opening as they prepared to leave, one girl rushed over to Shouko.

"Hm?—Ah!"

Shouko reacted to the girl's approach.

Brown skin, gray hair, and bouncing tits.

If Shouko was a white gal, this girl would be a black gal, I suppose.

Back in Japan, she had been part of Shouko's group.

"Uwah— I really missed you so much~"

The girl threw herself at Moyoko.

"Me too! Me too! So glad you're okay~"

“Meyuko~ take me with you~”

The girl pleaded, eyes brimming with tears.

—I see...

That makes sense. When I think about it, this kind of development was entirely possible.

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We headed toward their base after discovering Sumeru Ryouka's team.

There, Sumeru and Shouko met again.

One lookout post on either side of the entrance was occupied by Sumeru, while the other had a marksman.

The girl who was holding a bow and waiting there should have been a member of the archery club.

"What's up, Ryouka? We came to make a deal~" "…A deal?"

"Ms. Sumeru! Can we talk to you for a moment?"

"…Could it be, Mr. Danbi?"

Sumeru, who noticed Mr. Lumina riding a dragon, widened her eyes.

"Yes, Mr. Lumina was saved by Mr. Kouna's team. And after hearing the story, they agreed to help us negotiate with the other students."

"…I see. Between students, emotions can easily ruin a deal. By having a teacher mediate, they're trying to make a rational conversation possible. As expected of Kouna Shouko."

She seems to have quickly figured out our intentions.

"I don't really get it, but why are you calling me by my full name, Ryouka?"

Indeed, it’s not like they’re manga characters or hospital receptionists, so it’s quite a unique way to address someone.

“I’m doing it to show my feelings even more!”

“Really? But we’re friends, right?”

“Since when are we friends! When!” Suzuha was clearly upset.

She seemed to see Shouko as a rival, but to Shouko, she was just a classmate, which probably made her even more competitive.

“…Ryouka, calm down. We should hear what the deal is. It’s going to be hard to turn down the guy who brought along a giant wolf and a flying dragon anyway.”

“I know that. Come in, but only humans.”

“But, the materials for the deal are in the baskets hanging from Masiro and Mikuron.”

“You can put them in after you decide to make the deal.”

“There’s shampoo, soap, clothes, lotion, and stuff like that.”

“…Ryouka, I think you should bring in the summoning beasts too. The kids who might panic have already been evacuated to the cave.”

“~~. Fine, bring them all in.”

The fence was partially removed, and Mashiro entered the base.

Mikuron was floating, so it only moved through the air.

Only a few combatants remained, the rest having rushed into the cave.

I counted them earlier, and there were fourteen of them. All girls, no male members.

Considering she's commanding that many people, Seiho's leadership skills must be quite impressive.

...Or perhaps some kind of ability is influencing her.

「So, what's this deal? ...Oh, can I let Mr. Tanbiki explain it?」

Mikuron descended, and Mr. Tanbiki set his foot on the ground.

「Yes. Then I'll explain it to you.」

Luminas explained the same thing to the Clear Phoenix party that he had told us at our base earlier.

「...I see, I understand. There must be a lot of intentions involved, but it's clear that it's beneficial for both sides.」

Clear Phoenix placed his slender hand under his chin and said with a thoughtful expression.

「Ryoka, I think I can accept it.」

「Me too.」「I've been tired of wearing the same clothes all the time.」「It's too hard to wash my body with just water.」「I don't hate everyone, but sleeping together with a large group isn't really my thing...」

The girls of the Seiwa party express their previous grievances now that the possibility of improving their situation has been presented.

「May I ask, the items provided here are the result of the 'Crafting Ability'... in other words, they were generated by Koyo's power, right?」

「Yes, Koyo-kun is a member of Kua's team.」

「Can I talk to Koyo directly?」

「If we build trust through repeated transactions, we can also have opportunities for exchange between teams.」

「I see, I understand. I'll accept the proposal.」

Seiwa probably picked up on our caution as well.

And she judged that now was the time to respond positively.

Her party members cheer at Seiwa's words. Shouko is happy too.

「Way to go, Ryoka! You really know how to talk!」

「…Honestly, I don’t think of you as the leader.」

「Huh? W-why?」

Shouko’s acting is obvious, but there seems to be more to it than that.

「You were concerned about Koji, weren’t you? A trade using your loved one’s ability is something you wouldn’t even think of.」

「N-no, n-no, that’s not it! At least when I was in Japan, I wasn’t that obvious.」
「Are you serious?」

「…Kuwa-san, I’m sorry, but even someone as uninvolved as me could tell.」

Following Shouka, the female archery club members also join in, looking awkward. I’m blushing alone in the basket. "S-such…" Shouko turns red and lowers her head.

"Then everyone, please line up. We will provide supplies while the representatives negotiate."

Not only the combatants, but even the girls who had been listening in the cave rushed to Roa.

The place was so crowded that even Senyuu was pressed into helping with the supply distribution.

The Shouka party readily accepted the trade and provided information.

The accuracy of this information was confirmed by Shion’s ability.

Here, I have prepared a simple map and a list of items to be collected on the paper. After you review it, I will specify the items I want you to gather.

"...It seems like you're distributing quite a lot, but won't the information I'm giving you be insufficient to balance it out?"

"Hmm? You mean as a down payment? The items you request will be gathered by the time you come back next."

There's also the consideration that if I give out too little, it might lead to more dissatisfaction.

A clean outfit, soap, shampoo, and a blanket are the minimum essentials that should be given first.

If they feel clean and are well insulated from the cold, they'll have more peace of mind, and they'll have their own food as well.

I don't want to exploit them, so it's best if they feel better too.

"...I see. Well, if I can't fulfill my end of the bargain, you won't come back next time."

"Ryuka, you'll keep your promise, right?"

"Where does that trust come from..."

Chouka is glaring at Shouko with a complex expression.

"I'm sorry, Kuan'a-san. Ryuka was determined to send her companions a better life even on an desert island, but it seems like the level of life over there is much higher, so she's sulking." "Hey, Yumi!"

The female archery club member is called Yumi, I think. Now that you mention it, I do remember hearing that name.

She's a beautiful girl with long black hair tinged with purple. Her right side bangs cover her ear, while her left side bangs are tied up with a string.

"Is that so? But I was just lucky. Everything was thanks to Tsugusa."

"......I see. Well, I do appreciate what Kouno has done." "Eh?"

"Because he was the one who said 'Craft Ability,' the idea of choosing an ability was born."

"Ah, yeah, that's true, isn't it?" "Huh?" "N-nothing."

Shouko, remember that your team's slang doesn't translate to other teams.

Anyway, Shouko's contribution in turning my words into a class-wide topic seems to be significant, but maybe Seiho doesn't want to acknowledge it.

"Well, it doesn't matter. Please tell Kouno that my team can offer a more fitting position for him to shine."

"......Hm? What do you mean by that?"

"Kouno's ability and his performance here on the island are invaluable, of course. But we can't rely on that. We have to reward his efforts."

"――Heh, I think our party can handle that just fine." Shi-on smiled and cut in.

「...Yukimi Shion. Have you stopped trying to read people's expressions?」

「I don't know. But I truly trust you, Sōsuke-kun, and you need us, so I don't think we need to join another party.」 「Huh?」

「Ryōka. No matter how hard you try, you can't be the villain, so it's better to give up. Besides, you're hinting at 'repaying' something, but you're still a virgin, aren't you?」

Since she thought only girls were here, she exposed some strong information.

「Yukino, which side are you on!? Besides, you're a virgin too!」

「I'm not hiding it, and I'm not pretending to be experienced.」

「~~. Anyway! I'll get to meet Kōya someday! Kōya will definitely be drawn to my charm and want to be with me.」 「Hmm, really?」

「Hmm. Sōsuke-kun is ours. If you want to join us, you should be the one to surrender.」

Chiyu, who had finished helping with the supply provision, joined in.

「Grrr. Yukimi Shion, Iseya Chiyu! You two are even more annoying than before.」

There was a moment when the girls were sparking with each other, but the deal proceeded smoothly.

We agreed to come back on the eleventh day morning after the event and returned.

「Ah~ wait, wait! Shouko~!」

When distributing supplies, Loa and Senyuu often talked to their classmates, and Loa in particular was happy to meet up with a few friends.

But Shouko and Shi-on were busy trading, so they didn't get the chance.

As they were leaving, one girl ran up to Shouko, thinking it was her chance. "Hm? --Oh!" Shouko reacted to the girl.

Dark skin, gray hair, and jiggling breasts.

If Shouko were a white girl, would she call this girl a black girl?

When she was in Japan, this girl was part of Shouko's group.

"Waaan, I really missed you~" The girl threw herself at Shouko.

"Me too, me too! I'm so glad you're safe~"

"Shouko~ take me with you~" The girl pleaded with teary eyes. --I see...

So, when you think about it, this kind of situation is possible.

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