Yukino Yukinoshita nodded, finally agreeing with Kikyo Kushida’s statement:
“A sturdy stone weapon is indeed far better than having no weapon at all.”
Kushida barely suppressed her fake smile, cursing Yukino a hundred times in her head:
‘You stinky bitch!
Bitch, bitch, bitch!’
Seeing how Yukino naturally countered Kushida’s passive aggression, Natsuyu mourned for Kushida in his mind:
‘In this life, you really can’t escape long-black-haired, cold-hearted girls.’
Emma Sakuraba whispered softly:
“Should we protect Natsuyu-kun while he unlocks his crafting abilities and explores the surroundings?”
“Even though we aren’t starving yet, an empty stomach feels awful.
We need to find food and water as soon as possible.”
Speaking of food, Emma swallowed her saliva with a small gulp sound, though no one knew what delicious dish she was imagining.
Kiana flexed her arm, showing off her strength, shouting excitedly:
“Just leave all the scout work to this Young Lady!”
Natsuyu looked around.
After uniting the team, besides Emma and Kiana who had already spoken, Yukino and Kushida—two troublesome girls in every sense—also turned their large, beautiful eyes toward him, awaiting his orders.
Natsuyu had earned their complete trust through his calm leadership, becoming the core leader of the group, making these stubborn heroines willing to follow his commands.
‘All that effort I put into binding you girls together was totally worth it!’
Natsuyu felt relieved.
Looking at the four girls, he spoke thoughtfully:
“We don’t know how dangerous the surrounding wilderness is, so caution is our top priority.”
“Right now, Kiana and Yukinoshita-san are the most capable in combat.
Sorry to trouble you two, but please explore the outer perimeter.”
“If you encounter any living creature, no matter what species or how harmless it looks, do not touch it.
The same goes for strange plants.
I don’t want any of you getting hurt.”
Natsuyu remembered his status panel.
Next to his Charisma stat, it said [Hostile towards all living creatures].
He had always been confident in his looks and charisma:
When he was little walking down the street, older girls would stop to give him snacks.
When he walked into a cafe as a teenager, if there were female customers, their chatter would pause for a few seconds just from his entrance.
The average adult Charisma score was 1.0, while Natsuyu’s was 1.3.
He guessed Kushida and the others were around the same range, differing by no more than 0.1.
Since Natsuyu had the [Hostile towards all living creatures] modifier, their minimap would likely be filled with hostile red dots without a single neutral yellow dot.
They had to be careful of every living creature!
As for being cautious with plants…
Natsuyu glanced at the gothic girl’s corpse hanging from the vines on the giant door.
He continued giving instructions:
“Emma, Kushida, you two explore the inner perimeter.”
“If you spot anything that looks edible, mark its location.
Also gather info on the terrain, especially water sources—we desperately need drinking water.”
“As for me, by the time you guys finish exploring, I should be able to craft basic gear for everyone.”
“Once we’re equipped, we’ll venture out together to gather food and water, minimizing any risks.”
This was the safest, most logical plan.
The girls eagerly approved Natsuyu’s deployment.
Kiana flashed a victory sign, puffing out her round, snow-white chest: This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
“Leave it to this Young Lady!
I’ll find water and food in no time!”
Emma displayed initiative contrary to her gentle appearance:
“I’ll explore the left side!
Natsuyu-kun, do your best too!”
Kushida clasped her hands over her chest, smiling sweetly:
“Since it’s Natsuyu-kun’s request, I’ll do my absolute best!
If Emma-chan takes the left path, I’ll explore the right path.”
Kiana put one hand on her hip, raising the other high, shouting excitedly:
“Awesome!
I’ll go right too!
Yukinoshita, the outer area on the left is up to you!”
“Alright everyone, let me hear you cheer!
Let’s go~!”
Natsuyu watched the three girls set off enthusiastically, then looked back at Yukino, who was standing still, staring up at the sky.
“Is there something you want to tell me in private?”
“Don’t be so cocky.
I have nothing to tell you, nor do I have any shameful secrets to hide.”
“Then what’s the issue?”
Yukino grabbed her own arm with her left hand, maintaining a stiff, perfect smile:
“Your plan is very sound.
At the very least, I couldn’t have come up with a better deployment.”
Natsuyu glanced at Yukino, whose chest was unabashedly flat:
“So what are you actually trying to say?”
Yukino sighed softly:
“Haven’t you noticed the fatal flaw in your plan?
This is an uncharted wilderness.
You only considered combat and safety, but overlooked the most critical point.”
“Modern humans navigate based on familiar landmarks, asking for directions or using GPS.”
“Here, there are no maps, no one to ask, and no landmarks.
What if someone gets lost?”
Natsuyu nodded in agreement:
“You make a fair point.”
Yukino smiled with confidence:
“Therefore, let me pair up with one of them so I can protect them from getting lost.”
“I refuse.”
The smile on Yukino’s face froze, replaced by complete confusion:
“Why?”
Natsuyu explained:
“Kushida and Emma are only exploring the immediate surrounding area.
This terrain is wide open with high visibility—it’s impossible for them to get lost.”
“Kiana was able to travel across countries alone at a young age, so her navigation skills must be top-notch.
Even if she goes far, she won’t lose her way.”
“The ONLY person I need to worry about getting lost is YOU—Yukinoshita-san, are you actually a directionally-challenged ditz who’s rambling just to cover up your own fear of getting lost?”
“You could have just been honest.
It was my oversight for failing to account for your ‘lost puppy’ trait.”
“Come with me for a bit.
I just need to gather raw materials.
You can explore the immediate area with me as your anchor center.
As long as you stay within my sight, you won’t get lost.”
Staring at Natsuyu like he was a teasing child, Yukino clenched her fists, maintaining her stiff smile as she spoke calmly:
“I am NOT a ‘lost child’.
How could I possibly get lost?”
“Alright then, I won’t accompany you.”
Yukino couldn’t hold her smile anymore.
She quickly brushed her hair aside, her eyes darting around as she desperately tried to preserve her dignity:
“…However, since you insist, for safety reasons, leaving you here alone might not be safe.
It would be better if we move together.”
Natsuyu let out a soft chuckle.
‘People really do laugh when they’re at a loss for words.’
Natsuyu rolled his eyes with the patience used to coax a stubborn tsundere girl:
“Yes, yes, yes.
You’re completely right.”
Yukino silently gritted her teeth:
“Don’t laugh.”
Natsuyu looked at Yukino:
Her silky black hair fell like a waterfall, her skin was smooth as crystal, and her large, bright eyes were clouded with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance.
Her thin cherry-red lips were pressed tightly together—her tsundere face was utterly adorable.
Furthermore, her long, well-proportioned limbs and slender waist created a flawless silhouette, highlighting that she was a top-tier beauty.
The only slight pity was that her “Kanto Plain” chest was far too vast, not even comparing to a fraction of Kushida’s or Kiana’s.
But she was still absurdly cute.
Natsuyu smiled gently:
“You must have a hard time taking such long detours just to ask for help.
Next time, just get straight to the point.
We’re teammates and friends—it’s completely natural for us to rely on each other.
I’ll be counting on your protection for a while.”
Seeing Natsuyu offer a polite bow, Yukino’s lips twitched imperceptibly.
Her left hand gripped her arm tighter as she maintained an elegant, confident smile, bowing slightly in return:
“Please take care of me as well.”
Yukino straightens her back:
“Let’s go.”
Natsuyu raised his palm:
“No, wait a second.”
Yukino looked confused:
“Do you have other business?”
Natsuyu looked toward the portal:
“I need to inspect the corpse.”
The corpse of the mysterious gothic girl still hung in front of the giant door, wrapped in vines—forming a cruel, beautiful, and haunting sight.
Waiting for Natsuyu to examine it.