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From noon until evening, Bokue Keikain spent the entire afternoon being dragged around by a certain War Dancer girl—who'd sworn before landing that this would be a short-term mission—exploring practically every inch of the island's forest.
Yet they still hadn't found a single trace of a certain princess.
So as the sun began setting over the sea, after wandering the island for most of the day, the two finally returned to the beach where they'd first landed.
The seaward-facing hemispherical defense bunker had baked under direct sunlight all day, its surface temperature now hot enough to fry an egg. The heat had penetrated inside—even without a fire, the humid interior already resembled a sauna.
"You're sure you want to stay in there tonight?"
Bokue—still spotlessly clean and refreshed—stood on the beach facing the sea, glancing sideways at Sayaka, who stood frozen like a statue at the bunker entrance, hesitating whether to go in.
His timing for this comment was definitely provocative.
After all, working hard for half a day with nothing to show for it had already soured a certain War Dancer girl's expression considerably.
Especially since they'd spent that half-day pushing through underbrush, wading through mountain streams, and circling swamp edges—a full workout regimen.
Though Sayaka's War Dancer stamina was undoubtedly strong, she was still human. After such intense physical activity, not sweating at all was simply impossible.
Her bangs clung to her skin with perspiration. Her usually neat kyudo-style high ponytail had become somewhat loose and disheveled. Her clothes were covered with various leaves and plant stems, her entire being radiating nature's essence.
At least Bokue had the foresight to deploy an insect-repelling barrier before they'd started, incidentally protecting Sayaka from mosquito harassment. Otherwise, she'd probably have a couple grasshoppers hanging off her by now.
"...A-anyway, first we gather firewood and food to fill our stomachs, then prepare to spend the night on this island."
Gritting her teeth in annoyance, Sayaka then sighed helplessly, shifting her gaze from the sunset-reflecting horizon back to the jungle behind them.
"Fortunately, this island has abundant water and food. During our exploration, I noticed plenty of coconut trees—sufficient as a food source. There's also a freshwater lake. With some treatment, the water will be safe to drink..."
"Why not return to Itogami Island to rest?"
Bokue offered a caring, sympathetic look while proposing a highly constructive suggestion.
Sayaka froze.
"W-what did you say?"
"I said we could return to Itogami Island for the night. No need to play wilderness survival here."
Bokue coaxed patiently.
"Forgot? I can teleport you back."
"..."
The momentary silence said everything.
But the next second, the War Dancer girl gave her response.
"No. Princess La Folia is still stranded on this island. Though nighttime isn't as convenient for searching as daytime, it's still valuable rescue time. We didn't find her today partly because searching together was too inefficient, and partly because I think Princess La Folia is hiding from her pursuers, so she'd be more careful about concealing herself during the day. But at night, if we build a fire for light and the Princess sees it, she should..."
"But speaking of which, Sayaka, why are you so certain the Princess is on this island?"
Bokue interrupted her.
Eh?
The War Dancer girl froze, then asked incredulously:
"W-wait, what did you just say?"
"I said why are you so certain..."
"The first part!"
"I started from the beginning, didn't I?"
A massive question mark appeared above Bokue's head.
"I was just asking why Sayaka, you..."
"That's it!!"
Hearing that intimate address again, Sayaka's voice suddenly grew excited, her cheeks flushing red, her small fists clenching tightly at her sides.
"Y-y-you... you actually dare call me by my first name!"
Hmm?
Bokue thought for a moment, then tried a different approach.
"Then Miss Sayaka?"
"Stop being sarcastic!"
"Lady Sayaka?"
"I'm not that old!"
"Sayaka..."
"Shut up!"
After several rounds of verbal sparring, the War Dancer girl finally couldn't take it anymore and shouted to end this farcical argument.
Being repeatedly teased by Bokue, Sayaka was now completely red-faced. Her green eyes brimmed with embarrassed frustration that seemed about to overflow as tears.
She looked ready to cry from anger.
How cute~
"A-anyway, only Yukina can call me that."
"Got it, Sayaka. No problem, Sayaka."
"You...!"
The War Dancer girl's blood pressure started rising again. But Bokue directly avoided her glare, turning to look at the empty beach beside them.
"So back to the point—Sayaka, why are you so certain the Princess is on this island?"
"Eh? Well, obviously based on the lifeboat signal's movement path detected by radar..."
"Got it. Since we're staying overnight on the island, let's at least make decent accommodations first."
With that, the youth snapped his fingers lightly.
[Magnetic Field Rotation—Matter Reconstruction!]
Like entering an admin command in an open-world game, as the snap echoed, the beach beneath them began trembling violently without warning.
The next second, a brand-new beachfront mansion rose from the ground in completely unreasonable fashion, standing on the sandy beach illuminated by the sunset's afterglow.
Looking in from outside, warm lights could even be seen glowing through the first-floor windows. The air conditioning unit hanging outside the second-floor balcony hummed steadily as it worked.
This...
The War Dancer girl was completely stunned.
"That should about do it."
Bokue acted like it was nothing, just carefully examining the mansion he'd casually created before nodding in satisfaction. He approached the front door, climbed the steps to the entrance, pressed the door handle, opened it, and glanced back at the War Dancer girl still frozen in place.
"Don't be shy, come in. There's food and water—no need to hunt for coconuts. The second floor has two bedrooms with private bathrooms. Pick whichever you like."
"..."
This was undoubtedly a tempting invitation.
On one side: a dilapidated bunker with only hard concrete floors and stifling heat.
On the other: a beachfront mansion with air-conditioned comfort.
Anyone would know which to choose, and Sayaka was no exception.
Though she'd endured harsh training since childhood and could adapt to any wilderness environment, that didn't mean she enjoyed unnecessary hardship.
But this was still a house created by that Bokue guy. Who knew if he'd secretly installed cameras in the rooms—
"...Fine."
After several seconds of internal struggle, the War Dancer girl ultimately leaned toward air conditioning and soft bedding.
Of course, that absolutely wasn't the main reason!
"A-after all, I still need to watch you. Can't let you have a chance to return to Itogami Island and do something to Yukina and Miss Nagisa!"
As if this reasoning could convince herself, Sayaka repeated this mantra while her legs honestly followed him inside.
But she absolutely wouldn't use the bathroom shower!
She absolutely wouldn't undress in this house!
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