Chapter 144: Invitation to Stay Over

The three boys who had been causing trouble near Suou Party.

Thanks to Chiyu’s new spell and Ms. Luminous’s persuasion, they accepted the deal.

Then they apologized to Suou and the others, and were forgiven.

That was all well and good, but Suou noticed me after I accompanied them and brought up the fact that I had given the boys huts.

Once that happened, I could not exactly ignore the fifteen girls living in a cave.

So I generated and placed small huts for the girls who wanted private rooms, and slightly larger huts for the girls who found sleeping alone on a deserted island too hard.

After seeing Crafting Ability firsthand, Suou’s eyes sparkled, and she began openly trying to recruit me.

Her long, wavy blond hair shone like gold, and her generous figure gave a soft bounce.

If this were fiction, she would have been the kind of young lady character every school story had at least one of. She had both noble bearing and beauty.

“I’m not handing So-kun over.”

Chiyu clung to my right arm.

And, almost certainly on purpose, she had my arm caught between her chest.

“You’re getting items in trade anyway, Ryouka! Isn’t that good enough?”

Shouko attached herself to my left arm and protested.

“Oh, Kanna Shouko. How strange. Shouldn’t Kuno be the one who decides?”

“Sousuke is with us because he chose to be.”

Shion also joined the conversation, sounding slightly displeased.

“That may be so. But people always have the right to seek a better life. He has already experienced life with you. Next, he should experience life with us as well, and then choose the path that will make him happier. Don’t you think?”

“You were thoroughly excluding boys, yet Sousuke alone is an exception?”

Minori pointed out.

“I excluded boys with wicked intentions in order to protect the girls’ bodies and hearts. In contrast, what about Kuno? Quite apart from his own nature, his ability gives him tremendous room to breathe emotionally. As you can tell by looking at all of you, he puts thought into his companions and generates many things for them. And in events and the like, he has the initiative to step forward himself. Welcoming him does not contradict my policy. I had thought you, Shijo Minori, would understand that much.”

At Suou’s smooth reply, Minori choked on her words.

“Now, now, Suou, please calm down.”

“Ms. Tanbi, do you not think our side would be fairer? I believe we should be given a chance too.”

“U-um, well...”

Ms. Luminous tried to mediate, but having the word fair thrown at her left her struggling to respond.

“Of course, everything is for Kuno Sousuke to decide. But is this truly fine? If I were you, I would want him to make the best possible choice. Even if that choice was not by my side. After all, if you truly care about someone, you should be able to put that person’s happiness first.”

Honestly, being recruited with such passion did make me happy, but...

I had no intention of leaving Chiyu and the others behind and going somewhere else.

“I’ll take that provocation on purpose.”

“Huh, Chiyu?”

“I do think Ryouka is attractive, but even knowing that, Sousuke will choose us!”

“Yeah. We trust Sousuke.”

“Sousuke will surely think that his days with us are the best.”

Even Shouko, Shion, and Minori...

“Um... it is up to Kuno, yes.”

Ms. Luminous glanced at me.

“Sorry when you’re all getting worked up, but I don’t intend to leave my current party.”

“Oh my, what a strange thing to say. When someone goes to visit a friend’s house, no one steels themselves as if they are ‘leaving home,’ do they? It is the same. You would simply be spending a little time at a friend’s base.”

Suou was good with words.

It felt less like she was saying what she wanted to say, and more like she was saying whatever was necessary in that moment to push her position through.

“Still...”

“Why not spend one day here at our base first? I will answer every question you have, including questions about our members’ abilities, and I think the materials around this area would be easier to collect if stored with your ability. It goes without saying, but I will make sure you do not lose out.”

It was true that considering we might clash in future events too, that information would be welcome.

That alone was probably worth staying a day.

“Hmm...”

“I know. Then I will also permit Yomi-umi Shion to accompany you. That way, you can see through truth and lies, yes?”

“...! Y-yeah, yeah. That sounds good, Sousuke.”

Shion had turned positive.

It seemed the part where she alone could come with me appealed to her.

When Shouko puffed out her cheeks, Suou laughed with a triumphant little “hmph.”

I thought Suou was a good girl and an amazing one too, but apparently, her rivalry with Shouko was still burning.

...I should probably accept this.

Refusing under these conditions would be a fairly strong rejection.

Not only Suou’s pride, but also the girls listening to the conversation, might feel as if they had been denied too.

I wanted us to keep getting along, and this was not an issue I absolutely could not compromise on.

That said.

“I can’t answer here. I need to consult the companions who stayed home too.”

Suou smiled faintly. Somehow, it looked pleased.

“Naturally. Even as leader, you decide your actions after consulting your companions. Admirable.”

“With that said, I’ll try to give you as positive an answer as I can.”

“Yes. I will await a favorable reply. We ended up talking for quite a while, even though you were in the middle of searching for boys.”

Suou saw us off with a smile.

We would give our answer at the next trade.

We mounted Mashiro again and resumed our search for the boys.

“Still, I wonder what Suou is thinking. ...No, I understand that having someone with Crafting Ability as an ally would be useful in all sorts of ways. But is it still because of her rivalry with Shouko?”

But although she was not as focused on profit and loss as Yumekai, Suou also seemed to think in terms of gains and costs.

In other words, I did not think she would, or could, work me to the bone for her own convenience.

If she asked me for something, she would absolutely prepare compensation for it.

In that case, our current relationship as deal partners should be enough.

As I thought, there did not seem to be any need for her to consider pulling me over.

“So-kun, you’re naive.”

“Sousuke really doesn’t understand his own appeal, does he?”

“Sousuke, a boy who can be relied on here on this island is really, really precious. And when it comes to someone already trusted enough that nine girls can live with him, you’re the only one.”

“If I were Suou, I would try somehow to pull Sousuke over too.”

I see. Apparently, there were things about me being evaluated besides my ability.

Though since we had not been close friends before, I doubted she knew my inner self all that deeply.

...No, the same was true for me.

That was probably exactly why she had suggested I spend a day there, to create an opportunity for us to get to know each other.

“I don’t intend to move to their party, but maybe learning about Suou and the others wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

“Mm. I trust you. Worst case, the harem just grows.”

At Chiyu’s words, the party members smiled wryly.

Only Ms. Luminous looked troubled.

It probably would not happen tomorrow or the day after, but apparently, I was likely going to stay over at the base where all the remaining girls lived.