Dinner was simmered boar cutlets, miso soup with tofu and seaweed, plus salad and bread.
It really did make me want rice, but I felt like I was finally getting used to having bread with Japanese-style meals.
Besides, Shion’s cooking was just plain delicious.
“U-uuu... It’s sho good...”
Mamonaka’s eyes were moist with emotion as she rapidly packed the food away.
As expected of someone from an athletic club, each bite was big, and she ate fast too.
“Hehe, thank you. There’s more if you want seconds.”
“...Mom.”
“I don’t think I’m Myao’s mother.”
Shion gave a wry smile.
“Ahaha, but I get what you mean about Shion having mom energy. I didn’t notice it back in Japan, but she’s pretty domestic, isn’t she?”
Shoubu laughed too as she praised Shion.
“Do I? If people feel a motherly sense of acceptance from me, that might make me a little happy.”
As she said that, Shion glanced at me.
The look in her eyes was indecent, and I realized she was thinking back to that intimate maternal roleplay from the other day.
Shion seemed to show maternal qualities not only in the domestic sense, but also in certain special kinds of intimacy between a close man and woman.
As I remembered what had happened then and felt heat rise in my cheeks, I quietly continued eating.
“You really are impressive, Yomi-umi. I’m an adult too, so I need to work harder.”
Ms. Luminous seemed somehow depressed, but today’s meal was extremely satisfying as well.
After we finished eating, I cleared the tabletop with storage, and Mamonaka looked surprised.
“Huh? You don’t have to wash them?”
“My Inventory can also break down what I store at will. In this case, the image is that I separate the ‘dirt’ from the dishes and leave them clean. We use it as a washing machine substitute by the same logic.”
“Th-that’s amazing...”
“It’s convenient.”
Washing clothes by hand was hard, so being able to skip that work was huge.
“Speaking of convenience, Ms. Tanbi’s lighting magic is very bright, and I’m very grateful for it.”
Minori said.
“I know! Candles and lanterns were a big help too, but it was still a little scary once it got dark. Especially when I was alone...”
Shouko continued as if looking back on the days until now.
I hadn’t known she had felt that way, but several of the girls nodded in agreement, so they must have felt it to some extent too.
...Had they been too embarrassed to say it, or had they simply not mentioned it because telling the others would not have changed anything?
“You can all handle most things yourselves, so I’m glad there was something even a teacher could help with.”
Perhaps because Ms. Luminous was the only adult, she tried to help us as a teacher.
But our life was already fairly well arranged, so maybe she had felt frustrated that there were not many places where she could step in.
“Since they will be turned off at lights-out time, I believe there will still be chances to use the lanterns Master gave us.”
Roa the maid said it as if to follow up.
“Ahaha, I don’t mind. Anything we can make more convenient, let’s keep doing that.”
As the old and new members talked peacefully like that, the subject shifted to whether it was about time to take a bath.
According to the digital clock we had brought back from the bonus area, it had just passed seven p.m.
I was supposed to go into the bath first.
“Can I get in again too? I mean, I went exploring this afternoon.”
Maybe because it would mean bathing twice in one day, Shoubu checked with everyone.
“Of course. No way we’d leave only you out, Urume.”
“...Ugh. It’s going to get loud.”
Shouko welcomed her, while Yumekai let out a sigh.
“Serina! Want to wash each other?”
“No, I don’t.”
Yumekai looked annoyed as she pulled Shoubu off when the other girl clung to her, but she did not seem to truly hate it.
“Lady Serina. In that case, I shall wash your back.”
“...Why?”
“Because I am a maid.”
“...No, I’m fine.”
Roa answered with a sharp, composed expression, while Yumekai refused in bewilderment.
“Oh, everyone goes in together. It’s like a training camp or a school trip.”
“W-we cannot trouble Kuno over and over, after all...”
Mamonaka and Ms. Luminous looked embarrassed.
Still, when I thought about nine beautiful women and girls going into the same bath after me, it felt strange.
“So-kun, I’ll forgive you if you peek.”
“S-Sousuke, is that something you like...? Um, if it’s you, Sousuke, then I...”
Chiyu started saying irresponsible things again, and Minori, who took it seriously, blushed but accepted it.
“Class Rep, isn’t your character kinda different from back in Japan?”
Come to think of it, the Minori from the beginning would likely have said something like, “Lewd things are not allowed,” in a situation like this.
I had watched her change, so it had not bothered me, but I understood why Shoubu was confused.
“D-do you think so? No, you’re right... It is true that my way of thinking has changed.”
“Heeey? Oh, by the way, I’m okay with it too, Kuno.”
Shoubu smiled mischievously.
“So Kuno is into that? ...Well, if something like that would let me repay even a little of what I owe.”
“Wow, everyone really has opened their hearts to Sousuke, haven’t they? It’s a little embarrassing, but I’m okay too...?”
“Of course, I have no objection either. If it were any scoundrel other than Master, I would have to eliminate him.”
“Uh, seriously...? Can I wrap myself in a towel or something?”
Even Shouko, who was bold when the two of us were alone, seemed to feel embarrassed under her friends’ gazes.
“...No. Everyone, I don’t have that kind of interest, so please relax. Chiyu, if you’re going to joke, make it one people can tell is a joke.”
“Mm. I underestimated everyone’s favorability. I didn’t think no one would object.”
Ah, I understood how she felt.
Until now, dirty jokes that should have worked on the assumption that someone would object had been accepted by the women before I could even jump in, so Chiyu must have been troubled too.
“I-it was a joke. Iyama, that is bad for my heart...”
“I froze too...”
Ms. Luminous and Mamonaka, who had not reacted until then, spoke with exhausted expressions.
Apparently, they had been bewildered by the bizarre sight of everyone else accepting the idea of a boy peeking.
“Then I’m going to head to the bath, but before that, there are things I need to give you.”
I handed soap, toner, lotion, and other items to Shoubu, Ms. Luminous, and Mamonaka.
“Huh? Kuno made these too...?”
Mamonaka was surprised.
“Well, with everyone’s help, in various ways. By the way, if there’s a scent you like, tell me, and I’ll make scented soap as early as tomorrow. I’ll hand out changes of clothes too.”
I was used to this by now, so I had already made changes of clothes matched to the three of their sizes.
“Thanks. Oh, Kuno, I think I want short-shorts pajamas.”
“Huh? Won’t you be cold?”
“Nope.”
“Got it.”
They were not especially hard to make, so I generated short pants that ended above the knee and handed them over.
“Ooh. Thanks! These look warm!”
“You’re welcome.”
“Even if Yomi-umi is in charge of the cooking itself, you can process ingredients, Kuno. That means you chose an ability that solves all of food, clothing, and shelter. The fact that you can use that power so generously for your friends is very admirable too.”
The more companions increased and the more necessities we needed, the more active the Crafting Ability became.
Consumables and food would always need to be generated, and even if there eventually came a point when there was nothing left to make, abilities like Inventory and Storage & Replacement would never become useless. I thought I had really pulled an all-purpose ability.
“Mm. As expected of So-kun.”
“Abbreviated as ‘as expected of So.’”
Around the time Chiyu and Shouko voiced the usual praise, I started feeling embarrassed and headed for the bath as if fleeing.
