“Then... I’ll go to Kuno and the others’ base.”

“Yeah. Thanks. Do you have any luggage?”

“No. All right, I’m taking down the barrier.”

From the outside, nothing seemed to change, but we found out the barrier was gone in a different way.

Micron came closer.

She wrapped her long body around me and Shouko all at once.

“Whoa.”

“Wah!”

Once Micron coiled around us, Shouko and I were inevitably pressed together.

I could feel Shouko’s warmth and scent right up close, and her huge breasts were pressed against my chest.

“M-Micron. We’re safe.”

“Y-yeah, Micron! So let us gooo.”

“...What am I being forced to watch?”

Yumekai was looking at us with cold eyes.

Once Micron finally let us go, I stroked her and explained to Yumekai.

“The creatures Shouko summons love Shouko, their master. She was worried about what happened to us inside the barrier.”

“Huh... Looks like she loves Kuno a whole lot too, though.”

“Well, yeah, that’s true too...”

Micron in particular was very attached to me.

“Good girl, Micron, good girl. This girl’s name is Serina, and she’s my friend. Be nice to her, okay?”

Micron stared at Yumekai for a while, then shook her head as if to say that if Shouko said so, she had no choice.

“Good. Looks like introductions are done, so let’s head back.”

“Ah, Sousuke! I’m riding in front on the way back. I mean, I’m the one who summoned Micron, after all.”

She seemed oddly restless. Maybe she wanted to look cool in front of her friend.

I understood that riding in front looked more master-like, so I decided to let her have it.

“Wait. Then Kuno has to hold on to me, or I have to hold on to Kuno. Isn’t Kuno, Shouko, then me better?”

“Huh? ...Well, Serina, you’re a girl too.”

“What did you just assume? Whatever it is, you’re wrong.”

“It’s okay. Once we get back, we’ll have Sousuke put you in the bath.”

“See, you’re absolutely getting the wrong idea.”

Leaving Yumekai’s real feelings aside, Shouko’s consideration probably wasn’t that far off.

She must have been washing both her uniform and her body at a water source, but seven days of that would be a bit rough for a modern person.

“Then I guess I’m in front after all.”

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

“Hey. Both of you, stop looking at me like you’re being considerate.”

We mounted Micron in the order of me, Shouko, and Yumekai.

“...Hyah!”

When Micron floated up, a high-pitched voice came from behind me.

“Was that voice seriously...”

“Serina’s voice is cute when she gets startled.”

“Shut up...!”

Then, for some reason, Micron started moving like a roller coaster.

“Myuaaaah! What!? Is this dragon getting revenge on me for leaving her outside the barrier!?”

Normally, Micron cared about making the ride comfortable for us, so Yumekai’s guess was probably right.

“Make sure you call her Micron properly.”

“Shouko...! You’re laughing, aren’t you!”

“I’m not laughing, myua.”

“Don’t tease me...!”

So Yumekai could raise her voice like that.

In class, I’d had the impression she was completely low-energy, so this was pretty fresh.

Still, it looked like it was true that she and Shouko were close.

After all that, we managed to make it back near the base safely.

“Look, Serina! That’s our house! This Sousuke built it!”

“...Wow, there really is a big house there. Kuno, isn’t your ability way too far outside the norm?”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Yeah, I mean, it is a compliment. I’m just honestly surprised.”

“Chiyu said when this kind of thing happens, you’re supposed to say, ‘That’s our Sousuke.’ Like a standard bit?”

“...That’s impressive, Kuno.”

“You don’t have to force yourself.”

I smiled wryly.

“No, I really do think it’s amazing. So, is the one next to it a storehouse?”

“Nope. That’s Mashiro’s Fenrir hut.”

Shouko was the one who answered.

“Don’t say that like I already know what that means. Well, I can imagine.”

“I’d like to use this whole grassland as our base, but how’s the barrier range?”

“The grassland itself is really huge, so I can’t cover all of it yet. But I think we won’t feel cramped. —Actually, I already put up the barrier.”

Fast work.

Well, since beasts or people could come in otherwise, I was grateful.

“Yumekai, you can tell where the boundary is, right? Can you show me later?”

If we set up stone walls or something along the boundary, it would be visually obvious to our companions that “this far is safe.”

And since Storage & Replacement made moving things easy, if the barrier range expanded someday, all I’d have to do was adjust the position of the stone walls.

“Sure.”

“Also, Serina, make sure my fluffy ones can pass through.”

“I know. It feels like I grant entry and exit permission to each individual, so if you summon a new creature, tell me.”

“Got it!”

“And are all the other members inside?”

“Yeah, I asked them to wait.”

“Then when we introduce everyone, I’ll set them so they can come and go too.”

“Please do.”

When Micron landed in front of the entrance, Roa was already waiting there.

“Welcome back, Master, milady Shouko. And welcome, milady Serina.”

“Yeah, I’m back.”

“I’m hooome.”

“...I didn’t ask Kuno earlier, but why is Houzuki wearing a maid outfit and acting like a maid?”

“Because I am the maid of this household.”

Roa put one hand to her cheek and said it as if she were troubled by the question.

“I see. I understand now that I don’t understand.”

Yumekai seemed to give up on understanding.

“Thanks, Micron. Hey, Sousuke, sorry to ask right away, but could you set up the bath?”

After she finished petting Micron, Shouko looked at me and asked.

She probably wanted to get her friend cleaned up as soon as possible.

“Yeah, of course.”

“...Wait, does that mean Kuno stores hot water after heating it so you can take a bath anytime?”

“Yeah. Good catch.”

“Your ability has way too much room to expand... Kuno, couldn’t you have survived alone?”

“No, I don’t think so. At the very least, I don’t think I could have lived this richly.”

“Hmmm...”

“Milady Serina, shall I wash your back?”

Roa’s eyes sparkled as she spoke, ever eager to take care of others.

“No thanks.”

Yumekai declined.

For the time being, we all went into the house.

While the girls gathered around the dining table, I went to the bath area.

After taking hot water out into the tub, I headed back to the dining table.

“Yumekai, you can go in now. Shouko, I think it’ll be fine, but why don’t you explain various things to her?”

Soap and shampoo were one thing, but our house even had a hair dryer.

It would be less confusing if someone explained all the details in advance.

“Ah, right! Come on, Serina!”

“Yeah... Um, Kuno, and everyone... thanks. I’ll do my job properly.”

After saying that, Yumekai headed for the bath area.

“Serina’s uniform was pretty tattered. It must’ve been hard being alone...”

Shion looked worried.

I didn’t want to do anything that felt like doubting her, but I should probably have Shion listen to Yumekai’s story later just in case.

With Shion’s ability, she would see through it if there happened to be any lies.

“The same applies to me, but being welcomed by all of you truly is fortunate.”

“That’s fine, but I’m worried there’ll be character overlap because she has a cool personality too.”

“Chiyu, don’t say character overlap.”

“Mm. I’m the quiet type, but she’s the low-energy type. Even if two people both don’t talk much, being hard to read emotionally and seeming listless are different. As expected of you, So-kun. You understand.”

Chiyu convinced herself on her own.

Well, in reality, I didn’t think Chiyu and Yumekai were similar either.

“Sousuke. Does this mean she’s going to become one of our companions?”

“Yumekai herself wants to call it being a deal partner. For now, she’ll live in this house, and it looks like she’ll put up the barrier for us too, so I think we can feel secure about defense.”

Once everyone was gathered again, we would need to discuss Yumekai, and also Roa’s formal joining.

If we welcomed both of them as official companions, the party would have seven members.

Since we currently had one Right to Return, that meant we couldn’t go home until we gathered six more.

It was a pretty important decision, so we would have to talk it over with everyone.