'It's over. The princess is going to be furious.'
That was the only thought left in Hashimoto Masayoshi mind after the whole ordeal.
He couldn't help but be shocked because Kaoru performance was just too absurd.
Despite it being their first time on the uninhabited island, Kaoru moved around as if he were at home.
Most of the time, before Hashimoto could even figure out the direction, Kaoru would lead him down a side path, and suddenly a checkpoint would appear right before their eyes.
Not only that, but Hashimoto also noticed that Kaoru had a very clear route planned out.
The two of them swept from the outskirts of the uninhabited island all the way to its deepest parts without encountering any obstacles, covering the entire island at the fastest possible speed.
It was obvious that Kaoru had deliberately chosen the most convenient shortcuts.
It seemed like Kaoru hadn't left a single base for the other classes.
"Do you often go on outings?" Hashimoto asked subtly.
Kaoru knew he was being probed and casually deflected.
"When I was a kid, I lived at my grandfather place in the countryside. I used to run around the mountains a lot, so I'm somewhat familiar with the outdoors."
"I see. But come to think of it, I still don't know where you're from."
Hashimoto question stumped Kaoru Mitoma.
He couldn't very well talk about his past life, could he?
He had to ask the wish-granting machine what identity it had arranged for him.
Only after receiving the answer did Kaoru respond to Hashimoto question.
On the way back, the two of them chatted intermittently.
Although Hashimoto was clearly fishing for information, Kaoru didn't mind.
When they returned to Class A, they saw Katsuragi Kohei directing everyone to work together.
The two tents allocated by the school were nowhere to be seen, and makeshift toilets and showers made from cardboard boxes were being installed in an orderly fashion nearby.
Katsuragi Kohei quickly noticed their return and called out.
"You're back just in time. There's a cave here with a check-in device inside."
"Why set up camp here?" Hashimoto Masayoshi looked around, feeling puzzled.
The spot Katsuragi had chosen wasn't particularly ideal.
They were in a small valley deep in the forest, with a cave that looked like a monster's gaping mouth.
The toilets and showers were planned to be set up right at the cave entrance.
What was even stranger was that Katsuragi seemed to be planning to hang up some kind of barrier at the cave entrance, likely to block prying eyes.
"This place is hidden enough. Other classes won't be able to see what we're doing here" Katsuragi said with a strange expression.
"Not long after you left, Ryuuen suddenly showed up, saying he wanted to cooperate with our Class A."
As long as someone saw the tents, toilets, showers, and other conspicuous items, it would be easy to deduce how many exam points Class A had used.
They could also observe who the suspected leader was.
This was probably why Katsuragi cautious nature had kicked in again.
However, there were also a tower and a cabin nearby, both very close, meaning Class A now directly occupied three bases.
At this point, Katsuragi Kohei still didn't know that Kaoru Mitoma had already checked in all the bases outside.
"What kind of cooperation does he want?" Kaoru Mitoma walked over to Katsuragi, casually handing the map back to him, his gaze falling on the busy campsite.
"Ryuuen wants to exchange exam points for personal points. He'll use the exam points to buy the supplies we need and then sell them to us…"
As he spoke, Katsuragi suddenly paused.
What was going on with this map in his hand?
Not only did it have landmarks, but it also marked out routes and bases, complete with a scale and compass directions.
Was he sure he hadn't just copied the school's map?
In fact, it wasn't just Katsuragi who was shocked.
Hashimoto had taken the opportunity to look at the map Kaoru had drawn on their way back, and he was completely dumbfounded.
While anyone could draw a map, creating one that was both accurate and easy to understand still required a certain level of skill from the cartographer.
"What's the scale?" Kaoru Mitoma asked.
"They're willing to transfer all their supplies to us, including daily necessities and food. However, each member of Class A will have to pay Class C 20,000 personal points every month until graduation" Katsuragi Kohei replied without hesitation.
"Eighty thousand personal points a month, nearly three million over three years—that's no small sum" Kaoru Mitoma said with a smile, looking at him.
"Have you already agreed to it?"
Katsuragi Kohei paused for a moment.
"I was waiting for you to return to discuss it. Whether we agree or refuse, it's best to give them an answer before roll call today."
Hearing this, Hashimoto couldn't help but feel a pang of curiosity.
What exactly was the relationship between these two?
"Let me see the guide."
At this, Katsuragi Kohei handed the usage guide to Kaoru Mitoma.
If Class A wanted to preserve their exam points while maintaining the minimum living standard, they only needed to prepare a week worth of food, drinking water, and essential daily supplies.
According to the guide, if they purchased food packages as a class, the cheapest meal would cost ten exam points.
Two meals a day would amount to twenty points, which included drinking water.
Thus, a week expenses would total 140 points.
However, since the school had stranded them on this uninhabited island, it was unlikely they'd have to rely solely on exam points for everything.
There were probably plenty of "wild resources" hidden around.
Kaoru Mitoma remembered seeing plenty of wild fruits along the way, and there seemed to be fish and shrimp in the river below.
Therefore, by making rational use of resources, they could significantly reduce their food expenses.
Once the food source was secured, the remaining expenses wouldn't amount to much.
An eight-person tent only cost ten exam points, and they could make do without a shower or toilet for a while.
Moreover, since Class A had occupied the cave, they didn't even need a tent. In extreme cases, they could just lay sanitary pads on the ground, as hygiene supplies were unlimited.
"We can trade with them, but we'll only pay for what we use. There's no reason to give them 20,000 personal points" Kaoru Mitoma said calmly.
Honestly, even if there were no food on the island, he could still find a way to get some.
Katsuragi Kohei frowned.
While he understood Kaoru Mitoma point, class points were the real priority, and losing some personal points wasn't a big deal.
However, since Kaoru Mitoma had made his stance clear, he silently put away the guide and the map.
"By the way, we've already checked all the external points."
Katsuragi Kohei nodded instinctively, then suddenly realized something was off.
Had he heard that correctly?
"All the points?"
"Yes, assuming nothing was missed."
Kaoru stroked his chin.
He planned to go back tonight, curious about what expression Horikita Suzune would show.
Meanwhile, Katsuragi Kohei nearly trembled.
He had thought Kaoru Mitoma had only discovered the points, but it turned out he had already checked all of them.
Wasn't that efficiency a bit too insane?
After all, they had just chosen their campsite, and they hadn't even finished assembling the toilet yet.
"No, is this how you usually conduct investigations?"
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