The reactions of the remaining students varied widely.
Most of them were crying in despair.
It was hardly surprising—they'd fallen into confusion and panic, given that the teachers, who should have been their pillars of support, had been utterly powerless.
However, some of them were already taking the initiative to huddle together with their peers, checking their belongings and taking stock of what they had.
And the non-combat support teachers hadn't forgotten their duties, either.
"The teachers' conditions are stable. There are no aftereffects from the combat, and no traces of curse-type magic were detected. They should wake up after a day of rest."
The school nurse was a silver-haired beauty who wore large glasses.
She was remarkably composed, carrying out her work without missing a beat.
The four teachers
She'd spread out blankets from her Space Storage underneath them, paying careful attention to hygiene as well.
As expected of faculty at the Tempest Academy of Human Resource Development.
Incidentally, when boarding Muten Airlines, a baggage inspection was conducted—but items stored in Space Storage were exempt from this.
In practice, verifying the contents was nearly impossible anyway.
More to the point, if you obviously weren't carrying weapons, they more or less turned a blind eye. The reasoning was simple: people who were strong bare-handed were still strong, period. Getting hung up on weapons alone didn't accomplish much.
The baggage inspection was more of a formality. What truly mattered was making sure everyone understood that the use of magic or abilities aboard the aircraft was strictly prohibited.
To that end, a system for monitoring in-flight magic and ability use was already in place.
The Magicule Disruption Radiation developed in the Empire had been miniaturized and was standard equipment on every aircraft. It didn't project outward—instead, it rendered the entire interior of the cabin a no-magic zone.
That said, for someone like me who could freely manipulate magicules without incantations, it was completely ineffective. But this miniaturized Magicule Disruption Device also served as an excellent monitoring tool.
By detecting fluctuations in magicules, it could identify distortions in space.
Beyond just detecting magic use, it could pick up on Space Storage activations, anticipate Spatial Transfers, and had value well beyond its original purpose.
Thanks to that, anyone who committed a prohibited act aboard the aircraft could be identified and apprehended immediately.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
That was why the silver-haired, bespectacled beauty of a doctor had brought her work tools in her own Space Storage.
She even had a compact tent ready, and with practiced efficiency, she began setting up a treatment facility.
Several students stepped in to help, and in the blink of an eye, a rather spacious tent had been erected.
A makeshift field hospital had been established.
Incidentally, at this point the silver-haired, bespectacled beauty's score had already surpassed twenty points.
The students who had volunteered to help had probably earned about three points each as well.
It was obvious that rescue operations were far more efficient than actually fighting monsters. It was a clear illustration of why cooperation mattered more than acting unilaterally—but how many students would actually realize that?
From where I stood, only the students who had helped seemed to have figured it out.
The survival challenge had only just begun, but the students' actions over this coming week would be fascinating to observe as a way of predicting how the situation would unfold.
She wasn't the only one who'd acted quickly.
A research faculty member from the Development and Research Division had also remained faithful to their duties.
This one turned out to be a teacher from the NNU Academy of Magical Science and Research.
"We can't make contact with the outside. It appears a high-density magicule storm is blanketing the entire island. If someone used powerful magic to blow the storm away from the island's edge, we might be able to establish a communication link, even if only temporarily…"
This one, too, calmly delivered the worst-case report in an even tone.
I could see the students who had been hoping that Laplace's departure meant they could now call for external help crumbling in despair.
I felt a bit sorry for them, but this was a trial. I wanted them to do their best.
Setting that aside, this teacher—had he stated the facts so bluntly on purpose, intending to force the students to confront reality?
Being told plainly that no help was coming in a situation that could easily trigger panic—could that actually have the reverse effect, forcing people to calm down?
I wasn't sure if it was deliberate, but while some students were grieving, not a single one was acting out.
Besides, a path was being laid out.
Some of the more capable students had apparently grasped from the teacher's explanation a strategy for saving themselves.
"So you're saying we should head for the island's perimeter, find the point where the magicule storm is weakest, and then—with everyone except the communication specialists working together—take countermeasures against the storm to establish a communication link? Is that the idea?"
Rosalie, a student from NNU, posed the question to the teacher as though representing everyone.
Rather than answering directly, the teacher closed his eyes in thought.
"Hmm… I can't say for certain whether that's possible. However, it is one option—that's all I can say. Since waiting here for rescue is no longer an option, your choices are either to obey the Desire Clown Troupe or to refuse. Think of it as a third option having been added: request rescue from outside within one week. Whichever you choose, you'll have to trust your own judgment."
He spoke in the same measured tone.
Rather than providing answers, he was leaving it to the students' free will.
In this situation, that took some real composure.
While that was going on, a magic teacher from Ingracia Academy spoke up.
"This bracelet—I've completed a performance analysis. It appears to be an item crafted with advanced magical techniques. It also has functions for communication among allies and monitoring vital signs. Its structure closely resembles that of a parasite-type monster, which means removing it would be quite difficult."
Standing before the students, the teacher began relaying the results of the Parasitic Bio-Analysis Bracelet analysis.
An impressive teacher—they had even noticed the hidden functions.
The communication function allowed a maximum of five registrants plus one for a total of six participants in a conversation. If they had successfully investigated it to that level, that was quite something.
Well, anyone who actually used it would figure it out quickly enough.
"What do you mean, 'difficult'?" one student asked.
A teacher perceptive enough to spot hidden functions probably wouldn't miss that detail, either.
He looked like a chubby, middle-aged man, but appearances were deceiving.
You really can't judge a book by its cover.
"Good question. The moment you put this bracelet on, it parasitizes its host—in this case, us. What's remarkable is that the visible outer casing is only a part of it. The main body forms a network of fine tubes, like a nervous system, and has rooted itself throughout the entire body. Removing it would be extremely difficult, even with the academy's most advanced medical equipment. Even if you severed the arm and regenerated it, the roots would almost certainly regenerate throughout the whole body again!"
The chubby teacher explained this with what could only be described as delight.
Well, he wasn't wrong.
To deactivate it, you had to input the specific deactivation key.
"Does it have any effect on the body?"
"None whatsoever. In a sense, it's like a magical organism. It absorbs ambient magicules as nutrients, so it poses no harm to the host. It even has the function of notifying other registered users of your health status or if you're in a dangerous situation. The comm-capable headcount I mentioned earlier means that your status is completely exposed to the other registered allies! Red for critical condition, yellow for danger, blue for normal—that sort of thing. Its original purpose was presumably as a communication and notification device among allies. The thief earlier only explained the points system, but perhaps he didn't know its true function… or perhaps—"
The chubby teacher continued his explanation with mounting excitement.
He had read the bracelet's secrets practically down to the edge. But for the students, that wasn't what mattered.
What mattered was that with five or fewer allies, the bracelet's function enabled Thought Communication among them.
Once that information sank in, the room fell silent once again.
Incidentally, I was wearing one too.
It would have been unnatural for me to be the only one without one. Besides, wearing it seemed convenient for various reasons.
I could deactivate it easily enough if I wanted to, but for now, I'd leave it on.
◇◇◇ And so, it seemed all the information had been laid out.
Thanks to the teachers proving more competent than expected, the students had regained enough composure to consider their next steps.
About an hour had passed since Laplace left.
For them to have regained their calm in such a short time, the students were clearly no slouches themselves.
Then the teachers exchanged glances, and one of the older ones stepped forward.
"Well then, everyone. My name is William Loars of Ingracia Academy. Faced with this dire situation, I wish to think together with all of you and find a way through this difficulty."
After that preamble, he addressed the students in a calm voice.
It was nearly noon. They were probably getting hungry by now.
There was no point in just standing around lamenting—they needed to take some form of action.
As if anticipating this, William—Ingracia Academy's magic teacher and the eldest among them, a former nobleman—proceeded to explain the situation in clear terms.
"As you should understand from what has been explained so far, there are three options.
The first is to remain here and wait for rescue.
Muten Airlines is famously a company belonging to Demon Lord Rimuru-sama. There is no way he would forgive those who interfered with it. It is entirely plausible that he will locate this place and send help before the Desire Clown Troupe returns.
The second is to make for the island's edge and seek rescue on your own. Naturally, this carries considerable danger. It is more difficult than the first option, and the success rate of magical communication is unknown until you try. But even so… if you are students with pride, it is well worth attempting.
The third option, I cannot particularly recommend. It involves submitting to the Desire Clown Troupe and becoming their subordinates. In essence, the plan would be to 'fly out of the magicule storm on the airship and exploit a gap to send a rescue signal.' You would need to earn their trust to a sufficient degree and demonstrate a certain level of competence.
In any case, after deliberation among the teaching staff, these three options were judged to have the highest probability of success and feasibility. That said, I would like to hear all of your opinions—"
Hmm, hmm.
This was shaping up exactly as I'd wanted.
Honestly, I'd set up this whole points system, and nothing was sadder than having students who didn't participate in the game. I'd genuinely worried they might just lie around in lethargy, doing nothing but waiting for rescue.
If that had happened, I'd have been prepared to make them do a full year of forced labor right here on the spot.
Obviously, I wasn't going to build a base or anything.
Since this was a secret realm after all, I'd been thinking of building a massive leisure land that doubled as both a resort and an entertainment facility.
Well, it'd be leisure for us, but for ordinary people it might be a horror show…
I'd also been wanting somewhere other than the labyrinth to concentrate wealth and training resources.
I'd probably need to negotiate with the quasi-Demon Lord-class special individuals who held dominion over different areas of the island, as well as the Degenerate Demon Lord species reigning at the island's center, and secure their cooperation.
The Rotbeast dwelling in the Decay Swamp to the east.
The Heatsand Scorpion in the Burning Desert to the west.
The Toxic Green Tiger in the Poison-Dense Jungle to the south.
The Frost Dragon in the Glacier Bay to the north.
And the Mountain Rock Elephant reigning at the center.
To avoid disrespecting the island's apex predators, I'd left the negotiations to Laplace. I was a little worried, but in terms of strength, there was nothing to worry about.
Degenerate Demon Lord species were as powerful as former Demon Lords, but they lived by instinct. They could lead a pack, but they lacked the intelligence to command subordinates.
That was precisely why, if a higher-ranking being appeared before them, there probably wouldn't even be a conflict.
I'd love for this to be the start of an ongoing relationship rather than a one-off… but if they really didn't want anything to do with us, well, we could always look for a different island.
I was getting off track.
The students had gathered into groups of friends and begun discussing their options.
They were weighing William's words and pondering how to maximize their chances of survival.
And then— "Hmph, how absurd. Professor William, you've truly lost your marbles. Hoping for help from the Demon Lord… Such a disgraceful notion is an insult to Masayuki-sama—the hero and champion who saved my brother Eric! Moreover, it constitutes an affront to our royal house. As the rightful heir to the Kingdom of Ingracia, I cannot let such remarks go unchallenged. I—no, as the Second Prince, I shall walk a different path from all of you!"
That arrogant noble youth, Julius, flushed with rage and shouted his declaration.
Ah, right… yeah.
Come to think of it, the Kingdom of Ingracia had faced a crisis of national survival, hadn't it?
During that great war, members of the royal family and some of their knights had gone rogue.
They bore a grudge against me, but from Julius's perspective, those were his own kin who had committed those acts. It wasn't hard to understand why he didn't hold particularly warm feelings toward me.
At that time, Masayuki had resolved the incident and even protected Prince Eric from execution, and his standing in Ingracia had been cemented forever after that.
It had seemed pretty unshakeable to begin with, but now he was apparently worshipped like a god… I remembered him showing up not long ago in tears, blaming me for having coached his acting. I'd mentally told him to take that up with Ciela-san and let it go.
Oh wait—while I was busy remembering things about Masayuki, Julius's faction had started to move.
"Those who wish to fall under my command and walk together with me are welcome! In the name of Julius, I guarantee your safety!"
The dazzlingly handsome young man delivered his stirring words.
That alone was enough to make several female students stagger to their feet and start following him.
What was truly alarming was that some of the teachers were about to follow suit.
Not only that pompous teacher Eujiras, but one of Ingracia Academy's teachers had also risen and seemed ready to follow Julius.
This one was clearly combat-oriented, yet hadn't challenged Laplace earlier. Like Eujiras, he was apparently one of the rotten teachers. Or perhaps he was simply cautious by nature—but still…
"Wait! In a situation like this, you can't just go off and do as you please! Everyone should be cooperating to escape this island, shouldn't we?!"
A red-haired beastman, a young man who was the very embodiment of justice.
It was the perfectly correct argument, and I agreed. If anything, what puzzled me was why that old teacher William had presented three choices in the first place.
There was certainly an element of making the students think for themselves, but in this case, it only seemed to be fanning confusion. Wouldn't the normal approach be for the teachers to decide on a strategy and lead the students in coordinated group action?
The three options had been within my expectations, but having a teacher lay them out didn't quite sit right.
William appeared to be a strict and intelligent old teacher, so he probably had some kind of ulterior motive…
The worst-case scenario was the students panicking and scattering in different directions.
If that happened, I'd have no choice but to interrupt the trial—I had to ensure the students' safety.
Beyond that, I'd planned to reveal my identity and forcibly retrain them.
But if that happened, my presence here would be exposed, and this escape drama would be over. To prevent that, I needed to guide the situation carefully.
Laplace,
That meant separating into three groups was about the absolute limit of what I could allow.
Needless to say, all of them acting together as one was the ideal.
But that was the perspective of the ones running the show. For students placed in an extreme survival situation, maximizing their odds of survival was what mattered most.
Taken from that perspective, Julius's actions couldn't simply be dismissed as wrong.
In their extreme circumstances, rallying students under his command was, in a way, the quickest method of establishing a group.
By enforcing Julius's rules, establishing a chain of command and maintaining order would certainly become easier.
Even from the standpoint of keeping everyone together—he was saying that if that was what people wanted, they should join his command. It was self-righteous, yes, but under crisis conditions, it was a method that couldn't be denied.
"Hmph, what a thick-headed mutt. I am no longer mere Julius. As the Second Prince of Ingracia, I am in a position to lead everyone. The need for a leader to prevent the students from acting recklessly—as you put it—should be self-evident, shouldn't it?"
Hmm, so he had genuinely committed to that declaration with real resolve.
He wasn't just another arrogant noble—or royal, for that matter.
"But if we're going to choose a leader, shouldn't we respect everyone's opinion—"
"Hey, hold on, Calma. Julius has a point, you know? In a situation like this, we don't have the luxury of sitting around gathering everyone's input."
The one who stopped Calma—the red-haired youth who had been about to challenge Julius—was a young man named Magnus, who had casually called out to me earlier with familiar ease.
It was a surprisingly rational observation, shutting down Calma before he could launch into his idealistic argument.
"Magnus. But we can't just allow him to act on his own authority—"
"I said hold on. We haven't even eaten yet, have we? For a whole week, we have to source our own water and food. Anyone with Space Storage might have secretly stocked up on preserved rations, but that's not going to be everyone. We were on our way to a presentation—nobody was planning for a dangerous field trip. Very few people would have prepared that far ahead."
"That's—"
"Let's first see how he actually manages everyone, and then decide. We definitely need a leader, so…"
"…You're right. Fine, I understand."
To my surprise, Magnus had successfully persuaded Calma.
He wasn't just a smooth-talker—he had a sharp mind to boot.
And I hadn't missed the barely audible murmur Magnus had let slip: "For now, at least."
He looked like the type who was friendly with everyone on the surface, but that wasn't necessarily the whole story.
I made a mental note not to let my guard down around him.
With Calma and Magnus having convinced their respective peers, no other objections arose from the rest of the students.
Whatever their private thoughts, they had apparently accepted the decision for the time being.
It was a relief that in this situation, there wasn't a single fool foolish enough to try anything reckless.
With the leading figures from each academy having given their approval, all the students would follow Julius for the time being.
And so, the communal life of the group led by Julius was about to begin.