Classroom of the Elite, A Hypocritical Gray Life

"No need to explain, we all understand."

It's as if you know me so well.

"But speaking of finding a shady spot... aren't we going down yet?" Okabe asked, "It's really hot on the deck."

"We have to wait in line; it's still Class A's turn right now. Just bear with it for a bit, it'll be our turn soon." Ichinose reminded him from the side, "It's a good chance to wait for everyone."

"We actually have to wait in line? In that case, were you also thinking of getting off the ship early? As I thought, it was just an excuse. I never imagined there would come a day when you'd lie, too."

"Wipe that smirk off your face. Besides, the announcement was only made after I came out. Did you expect me to go all the way back to the room just to find you guys?"

"No need to explain, no need to explain." Even though I had finished my explanation, Okabe looked like he hadn't heard a word, his eyes fixed firmly on the stairs leading off the ship.

"What are they doing over there? It's just a guesthouse, there's no need for such large-scale inspections."

"That's why it's possible it isn't just a guesthouse."

Just then, Kanzaki and the others finished packing their luggage and walked out of the cabin.

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting, Kanzaki? Isn't the next week starting from today supposed to be the guesthouse segment? If I remember correctly, right, Shiratori?"

"That is what they said..."

"Is there a problem, Kanzaki?" Seeing the strange look on Kanzaki's face, Ichinose couldn't help but ask.

"It's strange, isn't it? If it really is just a guesthouse, doesn't it seem suspicious that they won't let us bring personal items? Aside from a change of clothes, we aren't even allowed to bring books. So, what are we supposed to do?"

"Enjoy the company of the sea, of course."

"Even so, you'd get bored of that eventually. What would you do then?"

"...Now that you mention it, even our mobile phones were confiscated. They weren't even this strict during the final exams."

"That's why I said it isn't just a guesthouse, at least that much is certain."

"Could there be some kind of special exam..."

"Shut up, Shiratori. I won't let your jinxing ruin my wonderful vacation."

"Even so, we still have to face reality."

"Waaah, I'm not listening! I'm not listening! Blah, blah, blah."

"You guy--!"

"Everyone, don't worry too much. This is just speculation; looking at it from another angle, it might be some other kind of activity. Besides, even if it is an exam, I believe we will get through it safely."

"Class President Ichinose--"

Just as Ichinose was comforting the panicked group, the girls also boarded the deck.

By now, everyone in Class B was accounted for.

We organized our formation slightly; Ichinose was in charge of the girls, while Shibata took charge of the boys, with Kanzaki acting as an assistant.

After that, we followed closely behind Class A and received permission to disembark.

This process took even longer than I had imagined.

Just as Okabe said, there was a large-scale inspection when disembarking. The last time I saw a setup like this was during the entrance ceremony. Teachers stood on both sides of the corridor, checking students' luggage to ensure we weren't carrying anything unnecessary.

Only after my entire body had been searched was I allowed to disembark and move about.

It was precisely because I had sensed this that I had taken precautionary measures in advance.

It's quite interesting, actually. After getting off the ship, I noticed a helicopter parked at the stern. As for why it's interesting, it's because it wasn't a model or a replica.

A Ka-32 helicopter.

The Ka-32 is a twin-engine utility helicopter based on the Ka-27, specifically designed for firefighting. It is equipped with two TB3-117BMA turboshaft engines and has strong wind resistance, capable of withstanding maximum wind speeds of up to 20 knots (10 m/s). The aircraft is also equipped with GPS and life-saving equipment, and can be used for forest aerial firefighting, urban firefighting, search and rescue, complex high-rise building installation, and maritime operations.

Simply put, this is a rescue helicopter.

Excess personal items might pollute the sea, and mobile phones might get wet and damaged at the beach, but this helicopter cannot be explained by conventional reasoning.

I don't think we would face life-threatening situations requiring rescue under a reasonable arrangement. As middle school students, we have our own judgment, unless--

There is no reasonable arrangement pre-determined by the school here.

As it turns out, what we are about to face is the freedom unique to hell.

Chapter 49 [Freedom]

When an individual possesses extreme freedom, their actions are completely unpredictable. This means that what is desired becomes action, and what is thought becomes the result. In a society composed of free individuals, a society where behavior is completely unpredictable, it is bound to collapse.

Just as Romain Rolland said in his Life Maxims—absolute freedom for an individual is madness, and absolute freedom for a nation is chaos.

Precisely because of this, there is no absolute freedom for society or the individual.

What remains is what we call a loophole.

1

The inspection of personal belongings took a significant amount of time, but students from all classes still managed to leave the cruise ship before noon. After disembarking, all students were immediately required to disperse by class, maintaining a block-like formation overall. Such orders implied that the upcoming projects would be team-based, followed by a speech to the entire block.

By now, we had already discovered enough suspicious points. The cautious behavior of the teachers reflected the fact that what lay ahead was not as simple as we had imagined.

And beside me, Okabe was still praying to the sea.

"I hope the teachers only give a few brief speeches, and then grant us the freedom to do as we please."

"Okabe, wake up. This weather is hardly suitable for daydreaming."

"Don't bother me. I'm praying, nya~"

"Is that some kind of popular verbal tic?"

"No, I just heard that doing this increases the success rate of prayers."

"..."

"Alright, everyone, quiet down."

"We will now begin roll call for Class B. When your name is called, you may answer however you like, but you must make a sound."

Once we were ready, Teacher Hoshinomiya hurried over to us with her attendance book and began verifying the class's attendance.

Unlike usual, Teacher Hoshinomiya was not wearing her sexy teacher's uniform or her domestic-looking loungewear, but the same tracksuit as us. The atmosphere on-site felt less like a holiday celebration and more like military training, albeit lacking a sense of urgent pressure.

"As expected, things aren't that simple."

After finishing the roll call, Teacher Hoshinomiya didn't dismiss us or offer any reminders; instead, she ordered us to stand still while she reported the class's status to the school authorities.

After the status of each class was tallied, a tall teacher walked to the white podium prepared in advance.

It was Teacher Mashima, who usually taught English to Class A. As for why I knew him, it was because he was the strictest among all the teachers in charge of the first-year students. His reputation was a mix of good and bad.

"First of all, I am glad that everyone arrived here safely today. However, on the other hand, although it is only one student, it is very regrettable that someone is unable to participate due to illness."

Regrettable, or perhaps fortunate. If not for those unnecessary requirements, I would also want to stay on the cruise ship just like that student.

However, that possibility had been reduced to zero the moment I boarded the cruise ship and stepped into the open-air theater.

Staff members in work uniforms were busy setting up a 'base' on the beach. Inside the tents, there were numerous instruments, and I was surprised by how well-equipped they were at just a glance. Satellite positioning, heart rate monitoring, body temperature measurement...

This couldn't help but remind me of the 'Forest Battle Royale' I had seen in a comic book not long ago.

Although it was interesting, it was still too difficult for humans to pull off in reality at this stage.

After mourning the student who withdrew for a moment in my heart, a cold, harsh voice reached our ears.

"Now then—we are about to begin this year's first special exam."

"Ahhh, it really is like this, my summer vacation—!"

After Teacher Mashima's words spread, not just my class, but the entire student body became restless in an instant.

Since it was the first, that meant there would be another one later.

"The exam period starts now and will end at noon on August 7th. You will spend the next week living a communal life on this uninhabited island. That is the content of the exam."

"In other words, survival on an uninhabited island?"

Faced with Kanzaki's confusion, Okabe chose not to remain silent and instead spoke directly to Teacher Mashima to ask his question.

"Excuse me, are we expected to live on this island for a week?"

"Yes. You are not allowed to board the ship during the exam without a valid reason. As for life on this island, from sleeping arrangements to preparing food, you must figure everything out yourselves. At the start, the school will provide each class with two tents, two flashlights, and one box of matches. Furthermore, there is no limit on sunscreen. As for toothbrushes, one will be distributed to each of you. As a special exception, we allow female students unlimited use of sanitary products. Please submit your requests to your respective homeroom teachers. That is all."

The supplies were insufficient. Even large tents could only accommodate half a class, not to mention the need to consider gender segregation. If this was all the equipment we had, then this was truly a team survival exam.

Moreover, without sufficient professional knowledge and psychological fortitude, most of us would likely face a breakdown by the third day.

Faced with such a severe assessment, someone from Class D argued with the teachers, but they seemed to have prepared responses to deal with Class D's 'attacks' long ago.

After the minor episode, we had no choice but to accept the challenge.

"So much for a homestay; in the end, it's a battle for ourselves. One week... is this really a test we can endure?"

"Your prayers really are completely useless."

"It's because you guys were distracting me too much. If I were at full power, let alone praying, I could even summon a god."

"Keep dreaming."

Okabe and Takashima were still bickering when Teacher Mashima's cold voice caught our attention again, causing the pupils of many students to dilate.

"It is only natural that as students, you might criticize this cruel exam or find it hard to accept. However, you can rest assured that our rules are quite relaxed. The criteria for the exam is simply for you to survive on the uninhabited island for one week. During this week, we will not set any specific targets for you, with the exception of roll call."

"In other words, setting aside our agreement, whatever you choose to do during this week is permitted, such as making fires, swimming, barbecuing, and so on. This is the theme of this special exam, and it is called—[Freedom]."

Chapter 50: The Déjà Vu of Rules Lies in the Fantasy of Having No Rules

People are not born equal.

Whether you believe it or not, that is the fact. If humans were born equal, then laws would not need to define everyone's rights and obligations, nor would there be a need to constantly promote the idea that everyone is equal.

The law of the dark jungle, where the strong prey on the weak, has remained unchanged since the moment life was conceived, and human civilization can only try to minimize the harm it causes to social relationships.

Comparing myself to others might be a good example.

I don't want to elaborate too much on my own existence, and as for why I mentioned this, I just want you to understand.

Although people are not born equal, everything has rules. However, progressive humans are always thinking, which means, at the very least, you will feel equal before the rules.

The surface is the 'truth'.

"Freedom."

After Mashima delivered the theme for this time, everyone in the venue fell into shock. There was no sound of discussion, only the chirping of insects under the sweltering heat. However, after a moment of contemplation, the crowd erupted with questions regarding survival supplies. This line of questioning directly triggered concerns about the classes' capabilities and knowledge.

"Hey, are you saying we might end up not bathing for a whole week?"

"Are you an idiot? The ocean is right there, so that's never going to happen."

"But that would be really inconvenient, wouldn't it?"

"But that's the only way... The guys might be able to handle it, but the girls definitely won't be able to stand it."

"Regarding the aspect of supplies, naturally, we have also taken the students' capabilities into account, so the school has made corresponding compensations."

As he spoke, Mashima took a manual from a staff member.

"What I have in my hand is the Uninhabited Island Survival Guidebook. Each class will be distributed one copy later for collective use. It contains the items you might need during these seven days."

"However, the items listed are not things you can obtain for free; they must be purchased using points."

"May I ask if we are to use private points for the purchases?"

A student from an unknown class suddenly asked, causing Mashima to stop his explanation and stare calmly at the source of the voice; such behavior from a teacher felt exceptionally oppressive.

"I do not wish for anyone to interrupt my speech from here on out. I will explain everything that needs to be clarified, and you may only speak when I permit questions. Do you understand?"

"..."

After Mashima dealt with the interruption, he continued to explain the rules of this exam.

"The points to be spent are not private points, but exam-specific points."

"Before the exam begins, the school will provide each class with three hundred exam-specific points. There are no restrictions on the use of these three hundred points; whether you use them all up depends entirely on your choices. Furthermore, I can state very clearly that as long as you make good use of them, you will be able to spend this week very comfortably. That is the design of this exam."

If it were only this, then this assessment would have no difficulty at all. As long as they pooled their wisdom, even the worst group could easily complete this test.