Seeing Isn't Necessarily Believing

In Class B's camp, as various tasks unfolded in an orderly manner, Shimiya Kuki walked straight toward the nearby Teacher's Temporary Stronghold that had already been set up.

He knocked on the open doorframe. Hoshinomiya-sensei was sitting comfortably in a camping chair, leisurely sipping an Iced Drink.

"Oh? It's Shimiya~ Have you finished checking the supplies? Is there anything else you need?" Hoshinomiya asked with a smile, her tone as light as ever.

"Hoshinomiya-sensei, I've come to collect Class B's Leader Keycard." Shimiya Kuki stated his purpose directly.

"My, my, already decided? As expected of you, Shimiya!" Hoshinomiya-sensei seemed unsurprised. She deftly pulled a Blank Space card from her pocket, then took out a device resembling a Portable Printer, muttering softly as she operated it, "Leader, Class B, Shimiya Kuki... done!" She handed over the Exclusive Keycard, now printed with Shimiya Kuki's name. "Take good care of it~ Losing it would be a real hassle!"

"Understood." Shimiya Kuki took the card; its touch was slightly cool. He responded briefly, then turned and left.

He walked toward the Silver-Gray Mechanical Stronghold beside the waterfall. At present, the stronghold was cleverly surrounded by School-Issued Lightweight Tents, forming a temporary storage space that neatly held most of Class B's luggage—protecting the stronghold's equipment while making full use of the space.

Under the gaze of several classmates, Shimiya Kuki lifted a corner of the tent flap, stepped inside, and smoothly pressed the Leader Keycard against the Identification Zone.

A soft "beep" sounded, and the Indicator Light on the device shifted from standby yellow to occupied green. At the same time, a screen lit up, displaying:

[Class B Exclusive Use Time: 07:59:59]

The numbers were decreasing second by second.

He calmly glanced at the countdown, his expression unchanged. Then, he took a lightweight Bamboo Basket from the supply pile, strapped it to his back, and without delay, headed deep into the forest. His figure quickly vanished into the dense vegetation.

***

Shimiya Kuki's pace wasn't fast, but his steps were steady and silent. His sharp eyes swept the surroundings: towering Broadleaf Trees blocked out the sky, casting dappled light through the gaps; beneath his feet lay thick Fallen Leaves and tangled Tree Roots; various Vines wound around them, and the forest echoed with unknown Birdsong and Insect Noise, exuding a primal, vibrant life force.

He stopped occasionally, crouching to check Soil Moisture and Vegetation Distribution. More strikingly, at regular intervals, he chose a tree that was easy to climb with a wide view, scaling its crown with the agility of a leopard.

Standing atop the Tree Crown, he gazed into the distance, taking in the terrain, the density changes of the forest, and prominent natural landmarks. He pulled out a notebook and pen, quickly and accurately adding annotations to his existing sketch, refining the 3D Map in his mind. After confirming his bearings and information, he slid back down the trunk swiftly and quietly, continuing toward his set direction—the entire process calm and efficient.

***

Class D's Reconnaissance Mission was handled by Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, Sakura Airi, and Kouenji Rokkusu. However, the moment they entered the forest, Kouenji seemed to awaken some Primal Instinct, moving nimbly among the trees like an ape, leaving Ayanokoji and Sakura far behind.

At first, the two could barely keep up with Kouenji's pace, but as he accelerated and Sakura's stamina as a girl gradually waned, they soon became completely disconnected from him.

"Ah, Ayanokoji-kun, we're about to lose Kouenji-kun... I, we need to catch up!" Sakura said breathlessly, urging despite her obvious exhaustion.

Ayanokoji calmly glanced ahead at Kouenji, who was already out of sight, then at Sakura beside him, breathing heavily. He said flatly, "Sorry, but I feel like I can't keep up physically anymore. Let's slow down a bit. Do you mind?"

Sakura gave a Slight Nod, a hint of apology on her face. The two slowed their pace, moving through the forest while exchanging low whispers, continuing their reconnaissance.

As they walked along a path that seemed rarely traveled, Ayanokoji, in the lead, suddenly stopped. His keen hearing caught faint voices ahead. Almost instinctively, he reached out without hesitation, grabbed Sakura Airi's wrist behind him, and quickly pulled her into the shadow of a nearby tree to hide.

They held their breath, peering through the gaps in the leaves. Class A's Katsuragi Kohei and Tozuka Yahiko were emerging from a cave. Katsuragi's expression was serious, and in his hand was a conspicuous keycard—the one representing the class leader's identity.

Tozuka Yahiko looked at the cave, a hint of relief in his voice. "With a cave this size, setting up two tents would be more than enough, Katsuragi-kun. And we're really lucky to have occupied a stronghold so quickly."

Katsuragi Kohei countered coolly, "Luck? What have you been looking at all this time? I had already speculated about the cave's existence before we landed. In other words, finding it was inevitable." His tone brooked no argument, and he added sternly, "And watch your words. You never know who might be eavesdropping. As the leader, I have a duty to supervise. Don't make any mistakes."

"...S-sorry." Tozuka Yahiko seemed cowed by Katsuragi's severity, but after a pause, he couldn't help asking curiously, "But, if I may ask, what do you mean by having an idea before landing...?"

Katsuragi explained, "Before the ship docked at the pier, it deliberately took a detour, circling the island's perimeter. That was likely the school's way of giving a hint. From the deck, you could clearly see the paths carved through the forest. The rest is just taking the shortest route from the landing pier to those paths."

"Enough chit-chat. We need to go, Yahiko."

With that, Katsuragi led Tozuka Yahiko away decisively, tucking the Leader Keycard back into his pocket.

Only after the footsteps of the two Class A students had completely faded did Sakura Airi, still hiding, let out a long sigh and relax her body. She whispered, "Phew... that scared me... Good thing we weren't found... That card Katsuragi-kun had was the Leader Keycard, right? So he's Class A's leader! We need to report this to everyone quickly."

Just then, a calm voice came from above them, completely without warning:

"Not necessarily!"

"Eek—!" Sakura Airi flinched at the sudden voice, her whole body jerking like a startled rabbit. She stumbled back two steps, both hands clamped tightly over her mouth, her large eyes wide with fright, her heart pounding. Trembling, she looked up, her face a mask of panic.

There, on a thick branch of the tree they were hiding under, stood Shimiya Kuki, gazing down at them. His expression was indifferent, his eyes carrying a hint of scrutiny. He had clearly been there for a while, yet he was as silent as the leaves, unnoticed by anyone.

Even Ayanokoji Kiyotaka seemed not to have detected the person in the tree beforehand, but his expression remained as calm as still water. Only his pupils contracted almost imperceptibly before returning to their usual blankness.

Shimiya Kuki leaped lightly from the tree, landing before them with almost no sound. He first cast a faint, probing glance at Ayanokoji, then turned to Sakura Airi, who was still shaken, pale-faced, and at a loss. In a flat tone, he added:

"Sorry for startling you. Are you two here for reconnaissance too?"

Ayanokoji nodded expressionlessly, replying in a steady voice, "Yeah, observing the area and, if possible, looking for supplies. Since Class D wants to retain as many points as possible, we have to conserve." His tone was as devoid of inflection as ever, but his gaze remained calmly fixed on Shimiya.

After hearing Ayanokoji's explanation, Shimiya gave a Slight Nod, then turned his gaze toward the cave the Class A members had just exited. "Since we've met, let's go confirm the stronghold's situation." His suggestion sounded natural enough—if confirmed, it would narrow down Class A's leader to two candidates.

Ayanokoji's expression didn't change. He simply nodded faintly. "Yeah." His response was brief and crisp, with no extra emotion.

So, with Shimiya Kuki in the lead, followed by Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and a slightly calmer Sakura Airi, the three entered the cave together. Inside, it was more spacious and dry than expected. At the far end, the silver-gray stronghold equipment stood quietly, its screen glowing green, displaying a clear countdown for [Class A Exclusive Use Time].

"This stronghold has been activated," Sakura murmured.

"So Katsuragi-kun really is Class A's leader, right? That means we can get the reward for guessing the leader." She spoke with a hint of anticipation, since 50 Class Points were already half of Class D's current assets.

"No," Shimiya interrupted coolly, his sharp eyes sweeping over the stronghold equipment. "Don't be fooled by appearances. Seeing," he paused, his tone still flat, "isn't necessarily believing."

Beside him, Ayanokoji also nodded.