When I got back to the base, the black dragon Micron came flying toward me. I reached out and scratched her snout.

Seeing that, Minori took the lead in ushering the few chickens we’d captured into the coop for me. With a new member joining us, even if they started laying eggs like crazy, I could just preserve them in my Inventory, so I’d grabbed every bird I could find. I’d also swiped a few eggs from near their nesting spots.

"Oh? The mud and grass are gone. She’s clean."

The grime Micron had picked up while leveling the ground for the house was gone. Her scales were slightly damp; she must have taken a bath.

"Welcome home, Master, Shouko-sama, Minori-sama."

The front door opened, and Roa stepped out, giving a graceful bow. She was dressed in the maid outfit I’d given her earlier, and her hair and skin seemed to have regained their natural luster.

"Yeah, we're back. Is the outfit okay?"

"Yes. It fits remarkably well. To have mastered your ability to such a degree... as expected of Master."

After generating outfits for the girls so many times, I’d developed a knack for measuring sizes just by looking.

"Glad to hear it. Did you wash Micron, too?"

"I did. Was it an intrusion?"

"Not at all. Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah! Thanks, Roa-chii! We’ve got tons of fruit for you as a reward!"

Shouko was all smiles, clearly happy to see her phantasmal beast companion being treated with such care.

"It is my honor to be of service."

Just then, Mashiro the Fenrir trotted over to me and started nudging my back with his snout. Okay, okay, I get it.

"Actually, Roa. When the girls go for their bath tonight, could you wash Mashiro as well? The others have done it before, so it’ll be easier with help."

Our Mashiro was, after all, a male Fenrir who absolutely adored girls.

"Understood. ...If I may be so bold, shall it be only Mashiro-sama?"

"Eh?"

"I would also like to scrub Master’s back, if you would permit it."

Roa said this with a slight blush, making my heart skip a beat.

"S-Sousuke-san isn't the type of person to force such lewd acts on others," Minori interjected, having finished putting the chickens away.

"Of course not. Chiyu-milady and Shion-sama have already told me of Master’s character. Therefore, this is of my own volition."

"Whoa, hold up... We know Sousuke’s a good guy, but Roa-chii, you haven't even hung out with him yet, right? Is-Isn't doing erotic stuff with Sousuke a b-bit fast?" 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Shouko made a fair point. Even with Shion, who I hadn't known well before the transfer, her Lie-Detection Ability allowed her to trust me instantly. Roa only had the debt of being rescued while passed out. Gratitude is one thing, but romantic interest is usually another.

Roa offered a gentle, easygoing smile at Shouko’s remark.

"Fufu. Master’s caliber is not something that can be measured by time."

"I don't think I have that much 'caliber'..."

"On the contrary. At least regarding this household, Master possesses the qualifications and the presence of a leader. One only needs to look briefly to see that."

"If you say so..."

Well, looking at the state of the other transfer participants during the event, our group was exceptionally well-organized. Even accounting for people like Roa who couldn't move, there were still many students I hadn't seen at the sphere capture, so I didn't know their status.

"Anyway, let’s put the bath stuff aside for now. I’m starving!"

Shouko rubbed her stomach, using her own rhythmic shorthand. Minori stood nearby, muttering something like, "I wonder if rhyming is the key..." but I just ignored it. As long as the meaning got across, it was fine.

"On that note, Shion-sama—or rather, the Head Chef—wishes to have lunch in the yard. It is a great honor, but she says we are having a Yakiniku party to double as my welcome party."

"Yakiniku! Sweet!"

Guys love grilled meat. It’s a universal law.

"We had Yakiniku when I joined, too," Minori recalled.

"Yeah. It feels kind of nostalgic," Shouko added.

Each day was so dense that even though it was only Day 6, it felt like we’d been here forever.

"Everyone wait here. I’ll check the kitchen to see if they need help."

I stepped through the entrance and headed to the kitchen.

"Ah, welcome back, Sousuke-kun."

"Welcome back, Hubby."

"I'm home. And Chiyu, cut it out with the 'Hubby' stuff."

"Not only did he get his own house, but he hired a maid. Impossible for a normal high schooler."

Well, she’s not wrong. I was about to retort when I noticed a low hum—a mechanical whirring sound. I looked at the large machine sitting in the kitchen and nodded.

"The refrigerator is on."

"Yeah. It'll take a while to get fully cold, but it’s working," Shion said happily.

"That's great. If it stays stable, we can look into getting more solar panels or a newer model."

"Fufu, definitely."

"More importantly, So-kun. Did you get the goods?"

The "goods"?

"Yeah, we got plenty of fruit and some other edible-looking things. Can you check them later?" I asked, looking at Shion.

"Sure. Actually, I want to check the fruit right now."

"Roger."

"So-kun, not that. The thing I was asking for." My childhood friend grabbed my sleeve and gave it a couple of tugs.

"The eggs? Of course. I didn't forget the extra chickens, either."

"Condoms."

Losing her patience, Chiyu hit me with the direct approach.

"Right... the rubber trees. We searched quite a bit, but we managed to find them."

"Whoa. So, Sousuke-kun... were you able to make them?" Shion’s face went red, but she looked intensely curious. It seemed Chiyu was just the most vocal about it—the other girls were interested too.

"Y-Yeah. The Recipe unlocked."

"That’s good, So-kun. Tonight, you become a grown man." Chiyu patted my shoulder.

"What kind of perspective is that...?"

"The perspective of a delicate maiden whose virginity is about to be taken by So-kun."

"Urgh."

When she put it like that, I didn't have a comeback.

"A-Ahaha. That’s a great topic, but can we talk about lunch for now? Sousuke-kun, I need your help with a few things. Mostly storing and placing items."

"Of course. Just tell me what you need."

The meat was still raw since we were grilling outside, but the kitchen already smelled amazing.

"I made egg soup," Chiyu added.

"Oh, nice! That sounds perfect." It would go great with Yakiniku.

"Fufu. Sousuke-kun getting all excited for Yakiniku is actually kind of cute," Shion teased.

"Mm. It’s like when he was a kid. Moe."

Teased by both Shion and Chiyu, I felt a bit embarrassed about how high my tension had gotten.

"E-Everyone is waiting outside. Let’s hurry."

My ability was perfect for transporting things and keeping them warm. We finished the prep in a flash and headed ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) out.

"Yakinikuuu!" Shouko was practically bouncing. I felt a sense of kinship finding someone who loved grilled meat as much as I did.

I’d lit a lantern in the kitchen, and I thought about using that flame to start a campfire... but then I had a better idea.

"It’d be better if we could eat standing up, like a barbecue."

I used my Crafting Ability to create a stone table. I made the "drawer" section extra deep and stoked a fire inside with firewood. A stone grill station was complete. Nearby, I set out a standard wooden table. For just Yakiniku, a campfire would do, but with other dishes, we needed a proper table.

"Ooh! 'As expected of Sousuke'! With this, we don't have to keep putting our plates on the ground."

"I see. Even without metal, Master can form various things depending on his imagination. Truly impressive."

Shouko and Roa both showered me with praise.

"For the meat, we have boar and venison. I’ll grill the venison with salt and butter," Shion said, taking the meat platters and lining them up on the stone grill with long chopsticks. Immediately, the sound of sizzling fat and a delicious aroma filled the air.

"Sousuke-kun, can you bring out the rest?"

"On it."

I placed a clay pot filled with egg soup on the table, along with some flatbread that looked like naan, and enough bowls and utensils for everyone.

"Eh? Bread!?"

"Is that... chapati? I suppose you can make unleavened bread even without yeast," Minori noted, impressed. Since we didn't have rice yet, this would serve as our staple. Yakiniku and bread isn't a common combo, but meat and bread always go well together.

"The fruit you three and Mashiro-kun gathered will be for dessert."

"Ah...! How wonderful. By combining everyone’s strength, we can enjoy a meal like this even on a deserted island," Roa said, clasping her hands in genuine emotion.

"Everyone, it’s cooked~!"

We picked up our chopsticks and plates, said "Itadakimasu," and began our lunch.

The Yakiniku party under the blue sky was a massive hit—both for the taste of the food and the company.