We successfully slew the 『Needle-Yōju Treant』.

"In battle against monsters, Shiori's barrier and Fuka's magic combination are absolutely the strongest."

Being able to fire off magic while remaining invisible to the enemy is a massive advantage.

"I'm glad it was useful. I just need to figure out how to deploy more barriers simultaneously, though..."

Shiori seemed troubled by having one of her barriers broken earlier.

It certainly was a pinch, but with everyone's cooperation, we managed to hold the line.

In the worst-case scenario, I could have used my 『Inventory』 skill to place stone shields or walls as a defensive measure.

More defense is always better, but there was no need for Shiori to worry so much.

"Shiori-san, Fuka-san... you're amazing..."

Genchu voiced his admiration in a tone that carried a hint of resentment.

"Don't beat yourself up about it, Genchu. You have your own strengths. I was pretty useless this time, too."

"Chiiru's right. Being able to transform into various creatures when the situation demands it is incredibly reliable."

"I, I see... Right. Thanks, Chiiru-sensei, and Kunno too..."

"But shouldn't we take a break? Momo's exhausted."

"Hey, Momo..."

The female archery club member Tsubasa protested, but...

"Nah, I think it's a good idea. Let's take a breather."

Chiiru could heal physical damage and fatigue, but mental weariness was a different story.

If he were in a rage, calm might do the trick, but there was no magic to cure spiritual exhaustion right now.

If a break could solve that, it was the cheapest solution around.

"You're amazing, Sōsuke! You really get it~"

And so, we decided for everyone to descend to the surface.

As we had hoped, the phantom beasts slowly descended back down to the earth. "Hm.

A scorched field."

"I'm, I'm sorry!"

To Chiiru's joke, Fukami made a face full of guilt.

Calling it a scorched field was an exaggeration, but the traces of the fierce battle were significant; areas where all vegetation had been wiped out and spots where the ground itself seemed gouged open were prominent.

"It'll be fine. On this island, everything resets itself if you just leave it alone."

Yorina chimed in, brushing it off with a shrug.

And she was right, actually.

If a wild beast gets killed by a monster, it takes twice as long for the respawn timer to complete, but otherwise, the environment recovers before you even notice.

It works like gathering points in an MMO; after a while, the resources become available to harvest again.

"Anyway, let's take a break."

I set up a single long wooden table and arranged chairs for everyone.

I could have prepared separate tables for each party, but since we'd managed to build some rapport through our cooperation, I figured it was better to sit together at one shared table.

"Sousuke, can we sit next to you?"

"Cheater! Momo wants to sit next to Sousuke-kun too!"

The two of them scooted over, looking up at me with pleading eyes.

"Hm.

For now, Mino-chan is definitely our MVP for this run," Chiya said, nudging Fuppo's back.

Fuppo, dressed in her wizard outfit, approached me with a flush on her cheeks.

"Uh... um... if it's alright with you, Sousuke-san..."

"Ahh, ugh. I doubt this kind of thing will count as a proper reward, but..."
"It's not like that at all. I'm happy."

Fukaho took off her witch's hat and pressed it to her chest, offering a soft smile.

Her smile was so captivating that it made my heart skip a beat without me even noticing.

"It makes sense that Fukaho is next to you. So I guess I'm in second place," I said, realizing the implication.

"Buuu! Sōsuke's team members can just pick another time slot, right? I think we should let some of the other girls have a turn!"

Momoe whined about it, but Sekina didn't seem willing to give up her spot either.

Even so, sitting next to me being treated as a reward felt strangely strange.

In class, I was barely more than background filler...

"Momoe, step aside there. If you keep performing like this in the future, who knows? Maybe you'll get to sit next to Kukino-kun eventually. Be glad you know that now."

"...Sōsuke-kun. If I do well, will you let me sit next to you?"

"Ahh, yeah, sure. But don't push yourself too hard."

"Promise?"

Momoe skillfully looped her pinky finger around mine and tugged it up and down a few times before letting go.

No doubt there are plenty of guys who fell for a move like that.

Anyway, that’s how the seating arrangement was decided. “Haa~...

I'm so thirsty...”

Momo, having taken her seat, propped her elbows on the table and rested her head on her arms as she spoke.

“Yeah... Ah, there is some juice.”

“Oh? Then like, maybe orange juice?”

Momo popped her head up sharply, shooting me an inquisitive look.

I returned the gesture with a smile.

“Sure, go ahead.”

I placed a glass of orange juice in front of Momo.

The orange liquid was, so to speak, one-hundred-percent juice.

“...Wow. It’s delicious! Sozuku-kun, you can create stuff like this too? Amazing~”

Momo’s eyes lit up like a child’s.

“I can make all kinds of drinks made from squeezed fruit, so just ask.”

This was thanks to 'Production Assistance' as well. I thought generating juice leaned more toward cooking, but Crafting had made it possible.

“How about strawberry juice?”

“Oh, let’s give it a try.”

As for me, I'm one of those people who prefer strawberries fresh, but if Senju wants me to, I'll try creating some.

"Senpou mentioned before that he'd like a cup of cocoa. But I'm sorry, cacao hasn't been found on this island, so I can't make it."

"Oh... you remembered... That's very kind of you, and your intent makes me happy enough. In that case... may I have some banana juice?"

"Yeah, that'll definitely taste good."

I truly think bananas are a versatile ingredient.

Terina ordered melon juice, saying, "If I tell Minako about it, she's bound to get jealous," while Genchu stammered out an order for apple juice.

Mokiba and Hayate wanted the same thing as Momo: peaches, and Inshin asked for herbal tea.

"What are you having, Inui?"

When I asked, she wore a face of unexpected seriousness.

"Inui."

"Yes."

I blurted out a respectful reply without realizing it.

"In an environment like this desert island, it goes without saying how important beverages are. Water itself can become a luxury item at times. Fortunately, we aren't short on ways to hydrate ourselves..."

"I... suppose so?"

"While everyone else has taken it rather easily, I think it's truly remarkable that your ability allows you to create such a variety of drinks."

"I... thank you very much."

"Building on that premise, may I ask—can you create carbonated water?"

Inui wore an expression of utmost seriousness, but I was left staring in dumbfounded surprise.

"Nene, you really do love carbonated water, huh. Isn't that bitter?"

Momo said this while holding her glass cutely with both hands.

"Momo, I'm being serious right now." "Well...

I can create it, though."

"Really?!"

Nene stood up, placing both hands on the table as she leaned forward.

With that motion, her ample breasts swayed grandly.

"I can't extract oxygen from nothing, but for example, if I place a box and then store it, the air inside gets 'itemized' along with it."

This was a byproduct of when I was searching for things like koji mold.

Looking even further back, one could say it was a byproduct of the time I managed to get 'nigari' from seawater.

In other words, not everything that gets 'itemized' is displayed immediately; it's added to the item list only when my perception catches up to it.

I love carbonated drinks too, so when I checked, I found that I had already acquired a massive amount of 'carbon dioxide.'

"I can add a lemon-scented flavoring too, but how do you want to proceed?"

"Ino-kun, you're a genius."

I'd always thought of him as having a mysterious vibe because he kept an Inu, but so this was another side to him?

I must've been looking pretty human for a moment.

I handed the sparkling water to Inui, who seemed moved by it.

"It's actually tastier when it's ice cold, though."

"Don't worry about it. Really, thank you so much."

We consider ourselves lucky to be living such an easy life now, but that doesn't mean we've been able to reclaim everything from our former lives.

It was a simple thing like having sparkling water available, but I could well understand the joy in recovering it.

We were just enjoying our break like that when—

"Hey, Sou-suke. What do we do now?"

Yorina wore a troubled expression.

"What's wrong?"

"Slimes are spawning outside the barrier."

...It seemed that slimes would be our next opponents.

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We successfully defeated the Needle Demon Tree Trent.

"Against monsters, Seiren's barrier and Shinpo's magic combination is the strongest."

Being able to shoot magic while remaining unseen by the enemy is quite an advantage.

"If I'm being useful, that's good. But I need to be able to deploy more barriers at the same time..."

Seiren seems to be bothered by the fact that her barrier was broken once.

Indeed, that was a dangerous moment, but we managed to prevent it with everyone's cooperation.

In the worst case, I could have deployed stone shields or walls from my 'Inventory' to defend.

While it's better to have higher defensive power, there's no need for Seiren to worry about it.

"Seiren, and, Shinpo-san, are amazing..."

Kenzou expresses admiration but also seems a little envious.

"Don't worry about it. Mya-chan has her own strengths. I was useless this time too."

"Chiyu is right, the ability to transform into various creatures in a pinch is very reliable."

「S-so that's it... Yeah, that's right. Thank you, Senyuu-san, Kouno too...」

「Then, should we take a break? Momo's tired.」 「Hey, Momo...」

The female archery team member, Kageha, raised her voice in a reprimanding tone, but...

「No, I think it's a good idea. Let's take a short break.」

While Senyuu could heal physical damage and fatigue, mental exhaustion couldn't be treated the same way.

If they were raging, calming magic could help, but there was no magic to cure mental fatigue at the moment.

If a break could help with that, it would be worth it.

「Good job, Souzoku-kun! You understand~」

So, everyone decided to head down to the ground.

The phantoms descended slowly, as we hoped. 「Hmm. Burnt wasteland.」 「I-I'm sorry...」

Senyuu's joke made Shinpo look apologetic.

Calling it a burnt wasteland was an exaggeration, but the traces of intense battle were large, with areas where the grass and trees had been destroyed and the ground gouged out clearly visible.

「It'll be fine. This island will probably go back to normal if we leave it alone.」

Seirina casually adds. Actually, she's right.

In the case of wild animals killed by monsters, it takes twice as long to reset, but otherwise, the environment will recover on its own.

It's like a game's resource collection point; it'll be ready to collect from again after a while.

「Let's take a break for now.」

I set up a wooden long table and chairs for everyone.

We could have prepared a separate table for each party, but since we had already established a cooperative relationship, I thought it would be nice to sit together. "Sou, can I sit next to you?"

"Cheater! I want to sit next to Sou too, Momo!"

The two of them moved closer and looked up at me with puppy-dog eyes.

"Hmm. For now, Minori-chan, MVP of the day, is a given." Chiyu pushed Seifuu's back.

Seifuu, in her mage outfit, approached me with a red face.

"Um... If it's okay with you, Sou..."

「Ah, yeah. I don't think this is enough to be payment, though.」 「No, it's fine. I'm happy.」

Deep Magic took off her witch hat and pressed it to her chest, smiling gently.

Her smile was so charming that it made my heart skip a beat.

「I understand why you'd want to sit next to Deep Magic. So, I'll take second place.」

「Buuu! Isn't it okay for the kids on Saou's team to sit with him during other times? I think you should give some other kids a chance.」

Momo complained, but Seraena didn't seem willing to give up her spot.

Still, it felt strange to think that sitting next to me was a reward.

In class, I was just a background character...

「Momo, you should step back. If you work hard, you'll understand why it's good to sit next to Kouno-kun.」

「...Saou-kun. If Momo works hard, will you let her sit next to you?」

「Ah, yeah, that's right. But don't push yourself too hard.」 「Promise?」

Momo skillfully entwined her pinky finger with mine, shook it a few times, and then let go.

…There must be a lot of guys who’ve been caught off guard by this kind of intimate contact.

In any case, the seating arrangement was decided like that. "Haaa~ I’m so thirsty~"

After sitting down, Momo laid her arms on the table and used them as a pillow while saying that.

"Right, right. Oh, I have some juice."

"Really? Like, orange juice?"

Momo suddenly lifted her head and looked at me with a searching gaze. I smiled back at her. "Yeah, help yourself."

I placed a glass of orange juice in front of her.

The orange liquid was one hundred percent juice.

"...! Oh, it’s delicious! Suguru-kun, you can make this too? Amazing!"

Momo’s eyes sparkled like a child’s.

"If you want, I can make any kind of juice from fresh fruit."

This is thanks to the ‘Production Assistance’ ability. I think making juice is more on the cooking side, but I can do it with my crafting ability. "Suguru-kun, strawberry juice." "Sure, I’ll give it a try."

I personally prefer to eat strawberries as they are, but if Senyuu wants me to, I'll make them.

「Deep, you said you wanted cocoa before, right? But I'm sorry, I can't make it because I haven't found any cocoa on the island.」

「Oh, you remembered... It's okay, I'm happy just knowing. Um... Can I have some banana juice?」
「Yeah, it's definitely going to be delicious.」

I really think bananas are a versatile ingredient.

Seirina ordered "melon juice. If I tell Shokuzi, she'll probably be jealous," and Genjuu ordered "a, a, apple."

Tatsumi and Kazefu ordered the same as Momos, and Inshin ordered herbal tea. "What about Inuuke?"

When I asked, she had a surprisingly serious look on her face.
「Kouya-kun」
「Yes.」

I couldn't help but reply in a respectful tone.

"In this desert island environment, it goes without saying how important drinks are. Even water can sometimes be a luxury. Fortunately, we're not lacking in water for hydration."
「Y-Yeah, you're right.」

「Everyone else seems to be taking it in stride, but I think it's incredibly amazing that you can generate various drinks with your ability.」
「T-Thank you.」

「That said, I was wondering... Can you make carbonated water?」

Inuuke had a very serious expression, but I was left dumbfounded.

「Nene, you really like soda water, huh? Doesn't it taste bitter?」

While holding the glass cutely with both hands, Momo says.

「Momo, we're having a serious conversation here.」 「Um... I can do it.」 「Really!?」

Nene stands up and leans forward, putting both hands on the table.

In the process, her ample chest bounces around.

"I can't create oxygen out of thin air, but for example, if I set up a box and then store it, the air inside it will also be 'itemized.'"

This was a byproduct of searching for things like koji mold.

If we go back even further, it was a byproduct of getting 'lye' from seawater.

In other words, not all 'itemized' things are displayed, but they are added to the item list when my recognition catches up.

I love carbonated drinks too, so when I imagined it, I found out I had already obtained a large amount of 'carbon dioxide.'

"Should I add a lemon flavor? What do you think?" 「Kino-kun, you're a genius.」

I thought Inugai had a mysterious image, but she had this side to her too.

I suddenly felt very human.

I handed Seikai a bottle of soda water.

"I actually think it tastes better cold."

"It's fine. Thank you so much."

We may have a comfortable life, but we haven't recovered everything from our past life.

I could understand how happy she was to have even this one thing back.

We enjoyed our break for a while like that.

"Hey, Sousuke. What should we do?"

Serina looked like she was having trouble saying something. "What's wrong?"

"There's a slime outside the barrier."

...Looks like our next opponent will be a slime.

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