…
"Hehe--"
"It seems that Class C has had a hard time this time," Hoshinomiya Chie seemed to smile.
As the head teacher of Class B, she was, of course, happy to see problems arise in the class, that was closely following Class C.
"But the base where Class C is now located is actually occupied by Class D," she continued. "I just checked Chabashira's computer, and 37 out of the 40 students in Class D are in the same base, or they have not moved since they arrived at the first base.
But the other three continued on their way. Then two people fell behind halfway. But there was one single student, Kouenji, who was running very fast."
"In other words, now that Class C's base is occupied by Class D, the 37 people who are not moving cannot possibly be the team leader."
"So, is Kouenji from Class D actually the leader? Can he go anywhere to find bases?" Hoshinomiya Chie mused aloud. "And that Kouenji also met Ichinose and the others. So, Class D is already self-destructing."
Hoshinomiya Chie felt that she had obtained some good information. Then she quickly realized that she might be overthinking.
"Because... 'We took a break!'" More than an hour later, the students from Class C came back. To be precise, Ryuen came back with all his students. They needed to exchange supplies, then wait on the beach.
"I also want to know the specific penalty rules related to occupying bases, such as how long we're allowed to stay in someone else's base," Ryuuen said.
"But I can't disclose more detailed rules," Teacher Mashima replied. "This is what your class has been informed of."
Ryuuen felt irritated. "Then we'll wait patiently. Soon enough, Class B will also face challenges."
"If you're unable to handle the exam from the start, you can't shoulder the responsibility for the school," Mashima pressed.
"What do you mean?" Teacher Mashima frowned, but Ryuuen ignored him and began exchanging supplies with the class C teacher.
After trekking for over two hours under the blistering island sun, water replenishment became necessary. These details can't be overlooked. Or perhaps... they can only make do...
If his assumption was correct, with Class D stocking up, Class B wouldn't be able to save on supplies this time. They'd have to request 200 basic points worth of supplies, leaving him with just 50 points.
Providing mineral water for 40 students also required 5 material points. Additionally, purchasing a standard toilet would cost another 20 points.
Moreover, as time progressed, the sun intensified, and the teachers' parasols couldn't shield all 40 students.
"Exchange for two more parasols," Ryuuen directed.
Yet... it was clear he didn't have enough basic points left. Numbly, he pondered his options.
…
About three hours later, Teacher Hoshinomiya Chie gathered her students from Class B. Everyone was present.
However, contrary to her initial expectation, the students in Class B hadn't assigned anyone to set up camp first. Instead, they moved as a unified group.
But something seemed very wrong.
"Why did it turn out like this?" Hoshinomiya Chie asked in surprise, scanning her students.
Class B students were usually cooperative and united, but now many looked on the verge of tears. Hadn't they passed by numerous strongholds? They could have chosen one and set up camp, utilizing the two tents, garbage bags, sunscreen, and other supplies distributed by the school.
How had they managed to carry all of that back to the beach?
The school provided large tents capable of accommodating 8-10 students each, weighing several dozen kilograms. Carrying them out and then back must have been incredibly taxing.
The boys seemed frustrated, while the girls appeared on the brink of tears.
"Teacher," Kanzaki-san, standing beside Ichinose, couldn't hold back any longer. "We need to report it! Class D cheated! Every stronghold we passed was already occupied by Class D. There was absolutely nowhere for us to rest."
In other words, as Class B kept searching for a base, they discovered each one was taken by Class D. Each time, the base had already been claimed.
Furthermore, fearing point deductions, they dared not rest in Class D's occupied bases. Thus, they were forced to keep moving passively, lacking motivation.
"So, you've been walking non-stop since the beginning?" Hoshinomiya Chie inquired, gauging the students' exhausted expressions.
"5000 steps? 8000 steps?"
"No... It's probably more like 20,000 steps."
…
"Hahaha..."
Ryuuen and his Class C had been resting on the beach for two hours. Despite his discontent over the 50-point deduction, Ryuuen couldn't help but laugh heartily at the sight of Class B students emerging in such a pitiful state.
"Weren't you trying to save supplies?" Ryuuen mocked.
"When we disembarked earlier, I offered to exchange 200 points of supplies for you directly, but you wanted to wait and see. Now, you've wasted half a day!"
"You haven't even had a sip of water," he continued, "and Ichinose, you're sunburned—"
Indeed, the students in Class B were miserable. Perhaps no one had anticipated the island test to be this harsh. Despite the distribution of sunscreen, no one applied it, likely to save time, resulting in everyone returning with red patches on their necks and hands—a clear sign of sunburn.
Meanwhile, Ryuuen's Class C students were leisurely enjoying the beach. Ryuuen had exchanged points for several parasols, sipped soda, and even dipped his feet in the water, looking quite relaxed and cool.
"There's no comparison in suffering," Ryuuen remarked, contrasting their situations.
The morale of Class B students plummeted further upon seeing this stark contrast.
"Ichinose! Kanzaki!" Ryuen called out. "I'll sell you two bases now."
"But it will cost 10 basic points!"
Kanzaki protested.
"10 points?!" Shibata interjected. "The brochure says a base is only 3 points. Why can't we just grab one?"
"Are you sure about that?" Ryuen retorted. "I'm in the same boat as you."
"Everywhere we go, Class D is already occupying it, so I'm afraid both Class D and Class A have secured many bases by now," Ichinose observed.
"Then they must be racking up a lot of bonus points," Kanzaki added.
"And don't forget, Class A and Class D are in a cooperative state, so Class A can maintain their basic points," Ryuen pointed out.
"How far will this exam distance Class A from you, Ichinose? Can you bear it? Can your classmates bear it?"
Ichinose and Kanzaki noticed that the students from Class C had also gathered at the beach, enjoying parasols, water exchanges, and using the toilets.
Speaking of toilets, some students were already experiencing physical discomfort. After walking non-stop for more than three hours, everyone's feet were sore and blistered, causing excruciating pain when they walked. Except for a few boys accustomed to regular exercise, most were struggling to endure.
The boys looked visibly fatigued, while the girls appeared on the brink of tears.
"So, let's proceed with the supplies exchange," Ryuuen announced. "I don't want to delay any longer. I'm fed up with this ridiculous exam."
"Me too. I don't want to continue this stupid exam," someone muttered in agreement.
Indeed, after walking 20,000 steps, signs of weariness and fear were evident among the Class B students. Nevertheless, Ichinose rallied their spirits.
"Let's work together," Ichinose urged, addressing everyone.
Then, turning to Mr. Mashima, she asked earnestly, "Mashima-sensei, could you please clarify the rules for us in more detail?"
Ichinose felt a pang of guilt for not being able to secure a base with her classmates, which had led to many tears and frustrations. She sought guidance from the teacher who could provide answers.
"This time, I stand firmly on the side of my students," Hoshinomiya Chie interjected swiftly. "It seems like Class D might be cheating if they're occupying all the bases. What are the other classes going to do about it?"
"I don't think the school would approve of this kind of test," Ichinose remarked firmly.
"In that case, I'll apply too," the homeroom teacher of class C quickly spoke up after being glanced at by Ryuuen.
Mashima glanced over at Chabashira Sae, who remained composed.
Now he understood.
Why had Class A's students halted after securing 5 bases?
One of those bases was a 10-meter-high white tower in the center of the island, offering a strategic vantage point over many other strongholds.
Having secured that location, why hadn't they moved on to capture other bases?
Perhaps, emotionally speaking, Class D had already claimed all the remaining bases.
Then, Class D and Class A had likely collaborated to divide up the bases, with Class A taking 5.
Before Ryuuen led all of Class C back to the beach, Class D had exchanged nearly 300 points of supplies, a significant portion of which likely benefited Class A.
Majima pondered.
Had the cake been divided before the exam even began?
But now, all eyes—teachers and students alike—were on him.
As the teacher of Class A, naturally, he wanted to act in their best interests. Yet, because he was their teacher, he also needed to be impartial.
"Chabashira-sensei," Mashima addressed her, seeking clarification. "It seems Class D holds the majority of strongholds, more than 30 out of 40. Can you vouch for the integrity of your students?"
"My students did not cheat," Chabashira asserted firmly. "I can guarantee that."
Mashima fell silent for a moment.
"I understand," he finally replied, turning to address the gathered students. "Due to this unexpected situation, I will now explain additional rules."
"These are the rules for the current situation:
1. You are not allowed to plunder or destroy other people's base resources. Violating this rule will result in a deduction of basic points.
2. You cannot stay in other people's bases for too long. The maximum allowed stay time is 1 hour. Violators will have their basic points deducted as a penalty."
However, these rules left the students in Class B feeling disheartened. They had refrained from stopping at Class D's occupied bases out of fear of point deductions.
"Now we can rest for an hour," Ichinose remarked. "Maybe we won't have to keep walking until we're on the verge of tears."
Ryuuen, however, snorted in disdain.
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