After we finished checking the inside of the house, we headed back to the living room for the moment.

There, we made plates to hang on each room.

Mine were just rectangular boards with names written on them, with linen used for the strings.

“Mine will be like this.”

Chiyu wrote “Chiyu (Legal Wife),” and the air went tense for a split second... or felt like it did, but then everyone began making their plates however they liked.

Shouko and Shoubu were particular even about the shapes of their plates, so I generated heart-shaped and star-shaped boards exactly as ordered.

Then, on a whim, I made a plate shaped like a witch’s hat for Minori and handed it to her.

“Minori, how about something like this? Of course, if you don’t like it, I’ll make you a normal one.”

“...No. I’m happy.”

When Minori smiled with her lips trembling softly, Shouko slumped her shoulders and muttered, “Ah, I should’ve asked Sousuke too...”

“In your case, I’d have trouble deciding whether to make it shaped like a Fenrir or a dragon.”

“Y-you’re right...! I love them both about the same, so I’ll stick with the heart this time.”

“Ahaha, good idea.”

The phantasmal beasts were not going to come inside the house, but if they saw it, whichever one had not been chosen might get a little depressed.

As Shouko and I were talking about that, Shion looked awkward and out of place.

Maybe she was thinking that even if she wanted to ask for a plate symbolizing her ability, there was nothing to be done with “Lie-Detection Ability.”

After thinking for a moment, I generated a circular plate. Then I drew a little round shape near the bottom.

“...Sousuke, what is that?”

“It’s your plate, Shion. Like the Mouth of Truth.”

I thought it was something where, if you put your hand into the mouth, liars could not pull their hands back out... or something like that.

That was what came to mind from Shion, who could see through ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) lies.

When she accepted it, Shion blinked.

“...Hehe. Thank you. I’m happy.”

Shion’s face looked as if she were smiling through tears. Apparently, I had not made the wrong choice, but...

“But, Sousuke. I’m the opposite.”

“The opposite?”

“Because you’re a truthful person, Sousuke, you’re the one who can’t get away from me.”

Shion smiled mischievously as she said it, and she was unbelievably cute.

It had enough destructive power to make my face flush before I knew it.

“Our So-kun is so charming, his harem might not end with just the deserted island.”

Chiyu was murmuring something.

Incidentally, Roa, Yumekai, and Ms. Luminous used ordinary plates like mine.

They wrote “Maid Standby Room,” “Yumekai Serina,” and “Tanbi,” respectively.

Once we had finished generating plates for places like “Library” and “Game Room” too, all that was left was to go hang them on each room.

After that, it was lunch.

We went outside, set out the tools, and started grilling all sorts of things on stone slabs.

Today, we did not just have grilled boar meat. We even had okonomiyaki and yakisoba.

As a growing teenage boy, I was extremely happy with the menu, but how would the girls react?

“Huh? Amazing! Having that kind of food outside makes it feel like a festival! It gets me so hyped!”

Shoubu’s eyes were sparkling.

“I know, right? I know.”

Shouko agreed too.

I felt the same.

One of the smells that drifted around during festivals was the smell of sauce.

And right now, that smell was wafting around us.

Ms. Luminous was impressed again, just as she had been at breakfast, saying, “Yomi-umi, you’re amazing.”

Incidentally, Roa had helped with the cooking too.

I did want to help once in a while, but the parts that affected the flavor of the food were Shion’s territory, and Roa was absurdly reliable when it came to support work, so I almost never got the chance.

Actually, Roa’s movements were so good they were practically on the level of a special ability. Even now, it looked as if she had split into about three people.

She moved swiftly with a SHUBABABABA and handled the okonomiyaki and yakisoba so they would not overcook.

“Raw ingredients are one thing, but sauces and seasonings like this would be impossible to make alone on a deserted island. It really is impressive.”

Yumekai said that while eating yakisoba little by little with her small mouth.

“That part is thanks to everyone exploring and Sousuke’s ability.”

“Well, at first, all we had was salt.”

“No, Kuno, salt is super amazing too, okay? We went without anything for a while!”

Shoubu shouted with hardship seeping into her expression.

Suou’s base was far from the ocean. It would have been difficult to reach on foot, and there were boys who kept harassing them too, so going far was dangerous. They had no way to get salt.

Fruit had appeared, so they had secured sweetness, but having only that must have been rough too.

We had given them some seasonings during this trade, so they should be able to enjoy a variety of flavors now as well.

“Even mushrooms were way different with just salt sprinkled on them. Then little by little, we increased the food and the seasonings and stuff. It was hard, but it was fun too.”

Shouko spoke with deep feeling.

“I agree, but... Shouko, the way you said that makes it sound as if it is already over.”

Minori gave a wry smile.

“You all went through that much...”

Maybe imagining our hardships, Ms. Luminous looked a little like she might cry.

She had also directly seen Suou and the others, so she could probably imagine what sort of lives the students had been living.

“To repay the kindness of being rescued from hardship, I shall continue to serve with all sincerity.”

Roa, the maid, declared.

Considering that she had wandered through the forest alone for five whole days, I felt like I could understand why she was so deeply grateful to us for rescuing her.

“So-kun, what are we doing this afternoon?”

“Hmm. While exploring, I guess we can also look for anything that might work as pigment for cosmetics.”

“Yahoo!”

Shoubu jumped up and down in joy.

Shoubu was the one especially excited, but the other girls were fidgeting too. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

“Oh, I’m thinking we’ll split into groups. One will explore, and the other will search for girls.”

“Expanding the harem?”

“That is not what this is. I told you there are three girls who haven’t been able to meet up with any group, right? I’m thinking we should find them and bring them to Suou’s group. Considering the situation with the boys, I think that would be safer.”

Everyone agreed with that opinion.

“Kuno...! How admirable...!”

Maybe because I had taken the initiative to propose searching for the female students, Ms. Luminous looked at me with sparkling eyes.

“So, Shouko, can I borrow Micron’s help?”

“Totally!”

“Totally totally!”

Shoubu continued from Shouko’s words.

“Hey, Uru-chii! Don’t steal my line!”

“Ahahaha.”

Shoubu was already fitting right in.

Lunch continued in that lively way.

Then, in the afternoon, it was time to explore.