[Freedom] / The Rules Feel Familiar Because of a Fantasy Without Rules

"We don't need an explanation. We all understand."

You say that like you know me so well.

"Speaking of finding somewhere shady... aren't we getting off yet?" Okabe asked. "It's so hot on the deck."

"We have to wait in line. Class A is still up, so we'll have to be patient a little longer. It'll be our turn soon," Ichinose reminded us. "Let's wait for everyone, too."

"So we have to line up... If that's the case, were you planning to get off early, too? So it really was an excuse. I never thought the day would come when you'd lie."

"Stop smirking. Besides, I only found out when they made the announcement as I was leaving. Did you expect me to go back to my room to find you?"

"No need to explain. No need to explain." Although I'd already finished explaining, Okabe acted as if he hadn't heard a word. His eyes were fixed on the stairs leading off the ship.

"What's going on over there? It's just a lodge. Surely they don't need to inspect us on this scale."

"So maybe it isn't just a lodge."

Just then, Kanzaki and the others finished gathering their luggage and came out of the cabin.

"What are you talking about, Kanzaki? Starting today, we're spending the next week at a lodge, aren't we? I remember that correctly, don't I, Shiratori?"

"That's what they said..."

"Is something wrong, Kanzaki?" Seeing the odd expression on his face, Ichinose couldn't help asking.

"Isn't it strange? If we really are staying at a lodge, doesn't it seem suspicious that we aren't allowed to bring our personal belongings? Aside from a change of clothes, we can't even bring books. So what are we supposed to do?"

"Obviously, enjoy the ocean."

"Even if you do, you'll get bored eventually. What will you do then?"

"...Now that you mention it, they even confiscated our phones. They've never been this strict, not even during final exams."

"That's why I said it's more than just a lodge. At least, that's how it looks to me."

"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."

"Ugh, I'm not listening! I'm not listening! The turtle's chanting sutras."

"You little—!"

"Everyone, don't worry too much. It's just a guess. Maybe if we look at it another way, it's some kind of activity. Besides, even if it is an exam, I'm sure we'll get through it safely."

"Class Representative Ichinose—"

While Ichinose comforted the anxious students, the girls came up onto the deck as well.

At this point, everyone from Class B had arrived.

We quickly got ourselves organized. Ichinose took charge of the girls, while Shibata was responsible for the boys, with Kanzaki assisting him.

After that, we followed Class A and were given permission to disembark.

The whole process took longer than I'd expected.

Just as Okabe had said, there was a large-scale inspection as we got off the ship. The last time I'd seen this kind of setup was when we first enrolled. Teachers lined both sides of the corridor, checking our luggage to make sure we weren't bringing anything extra.

Only after they'd searched my entire body was I allowed to get off the ship.

That was precisely why I'd taken precautions in advance.

Interestingly, after disembarking, I noticed a helicopter parked at the stern. What made it interesting was that it wasn't a model or a fake.

A Ka-32 helicopter.

The Ka-32 was a twin-engine utility helicopter developed for firefighting, based on the Ka-27. It was equipped with two TV3-117VMA turboshaft engines and had strong wind resistance, able to withstand winds of up to 20 knots (10 meters per second). It also carried GPS navigation and rescue equipment, and could be used for aerial forest firefighting, urban firefighting, search and rescue, installing equipment on complex high-rise buildings, and offshore operations.

Simply put, it was a rescue helicopter.

Extra personal belongings could potentially pollute the sea, and phones could get soaked and damaged at the beach, but there was no ordinary explanation for this helicopter.

I didn't think we'd face any life-threatening situation requiring rescue under reasonable arrangements. As junior high school students, we had some common sense. Unless—

There were no reasonable arrangements made by the school in the first place.

As it turned out, what awaited us was the kind of freedom found only in hell.

Chapter 49: [Freedom]

When people have complete freedom, their actions become entirely unpredictable. This means that whatever they think and desire becomes action, and whatever they imagine and contemplate becomes reality. A society made up of free people, where no one's behavior can be predicted, is bound to collapse.

As Romain Rolland wrote in Life Maxims: "The absolute freedom of an individual is madness; the absolute freedom of a nation is chaos."

For that very reason, neither society nor individuals could have absolute freedom.

What remained was called a loophole.

1

The inspection of our personal belongings took a great deal of time, but students from every class still left the cruise ship before noon. As soon as we disembarked, all students were ordered to split up by class and remain in their designated sections. That kind of order meant that team activities would follow, along with speeches for each section as a whole.

By now, we'd found more than enough suspicious details. The teachers' cautious behavior was another sign that what lay ahead wouldn't be as simple as we'd imagined.

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

"I hope the teachers only give a few short speeches, then let us go do whatever we want."

"Wake up, Okabe. This weather is no good for daydreaming."

"Leave me alone. Prayyy~"

"Is that a trendy new way to end a sentence?"

"No. I just heard it increases the chance your prayers will come true."

"..."

"All right, everyone, quiet down."

"We're going to take attendance for Class B. When I call your name, answer however you like, but make sure you make some noise."

Once we were ready, Teacher Hoshinomiya hurried over with the attendance sheet and began checking that everyone in the class was present.

Unlike usual, Teacher Hoshinomiya wasn't wearing her sexy teacher's uniform or her homely clothes. She was dressed in a tracksuit, just like us. The atmosphere felt less like a vacation and more like military training, though it lacked that sense of pressure and urgency.

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

After taking attendance, Teacher Hoshinomiya didn't tell us to disperse or give us any instructions. Instead, she ordered us to stand properly while she reported the class's status to the school.

Once the classes had all been counted, a tall teacher walked up to the white podium that had been set up in advance.

It was Teacher Mashima, who usually taught English to Class A. I knew him because he was the strictest among the teachers responsible for the first-year students. His reputation was mixed.

"First, I'm glad that all of you arrived safely today. On the other hand, it's unfortunate that one student was unable to attend due to illness."

Unfortunate—or maybe lucky. If not for all those unnecessary requirements, I would've wanted to stay on the cruise ship like that student.

But from the moment I boarded the ship and stepped into the open-air theater, that possibility had dropped to zero.

Workers in uniforms were busily setting up a "base" on the beach. The tents were filled with all kinds of equipment, and I was surprised by how extensive it was at a glance. Satellite positioning, heart-rate monitoring, body-temperature measurement...

It reminded me of a "forest survival game" I'd seen in a manga not long ago.

It sounded interesting, but actually making something like that happen in the real world was still too difficult for humanity.

After silently mourning the student who'd withdrawn for a moment, we heard an extremely cold announcement.

"Now, then—we'll begin this year's first Special Exam."

"Ugh, so it really is happening! My summer vacation—!"

When Teacher Mashima's words spread, not only our class but all the students grew restless at once.

If this was the first exam, there would be another one later.

"The exam will last one week, starting now and ending at noon on August 7. You will spend the next week living together in a group on this Uninhabited Island. That is the content of the exam."

"So it's survival on an uninhabited island?"

Rather than keeping quiet in the face of Kanzaki's confusion, Okabe spoke up and asked Teacher Mashima directly.

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

"Yes. During the exam, you may not return to the ship without a valid reason. You'll have to figure everything out yourselves, from where to sleep to how to prepare food. At the start, the school will give each class two tents, two flashlights, and a box of matches. Sunscreen is unlimited. Each of you will also be given a toothbrush. As an exception, the girls may use as many feminine hygiene products as they need. Please make your requests to your homeroom teacher. That is all."

There wasn't enough equipment. Even large tents could only fit half the class, and we'd have to account for the fact that boys and girls couldn't stay together. If that was all the gear we'd get, then this exam would be a genuine test of a team's ability to survive in the wilderness.

And without adequate expertise or mental preparation, most of us would probably break down by the third day.

Faced with such a severe test, someone from Class D argued with the teachers, but they seemed to have already prepared their answers for Class D's "attack."

After that brief interruption, we had no choice but to accept the challenge.

"So much for the lodge. Turns out we're expected to fight for ourselves. A whole week... Is this really something we can endure?"

"Your prayers really didn't help at all."

"That's because you kept interrupting me! If I'd been able to give it my all, I could've done more than pray. I could've summoned a god."

"Sure you could."

Okabe and Takashima were still bickering when Teacher Mashima's cold words drew our attention again and made many of the students' eyes widen.

"As students, it's only natural that you might criticize this harsh exam or find it difficult to accept. However, you can rest assured that our rules are quite lenient. The only standard is that you survive on this Uninhabited Island for a week. During that time, we won't impose any specific objectives on you, apart from roll call."

"In other words, setting aside the rules we've agreed upon, you're allowed to do whatever you want during this week, such as lighting fires, swimming, and having barbecues. That is the theme of this Special Exam. It is called—[Freedom]."

Chapter 50: The Familiarity of Rules Lies in the Fantasy of Having None

People were not born equal.

Whether you believed it or not, that was simply the truth. If all people were born equal, there would be no need for laws to define everyone's rights and obligations, nor would there be a need to promote equality everywhere.

The dark law of the jungle, where the strong preyed on the weak, had remained unchanged since the moment life came into being. Human civilization could only try to minimize the harm it caused to society's relationships.

Comparing myself with other people might make a decent example.

I don't want to say too much about my own existence. As for why I brought this up, I only wanted you to understand this:

Although people were born unequal, everything had rules. Yet humanity continued to progress and think. In other words, at least you could feel that the rules were fair.

Appearances were the "truth."

1

"[Freedom]."

After Teacher Mashima added that this was the theme of the exam, everyone at the venue fell into shock. There was no discussion, only the chirping of insects in the sweltering heat. But after a moment's thought, questions about survival supplies erupted from the crowd. That immediately led to concerns about each class's abilities and knowledge.

"Hey, do you think we might end up going a whole week without taking a bath?"

"Are you an idiot? The ocean's right there. There's no way that'll happen."

"But that'd be really inconvenient."

"It's the only option, though... The boys might be able to handle it, but the girls definitely won't."

"Of course, we've also taken the students' abilities into account when it comes to supplies, so the school has prepared some corresponding support."

As he spoke, Teacher Mashima took a handbook from a staff member.

"This is the Uninhabited Island Survival Guidebook. Each class will receive one copy to share. It contains things you might need during the seven days."

"But you won't be able to get those items for free. You'll have to spend points to buy them."

"Excuse me, will we be using Private Points to buy them?"

A student from one of the classes suddenly asked. Teacher Mashima stopped speaking and calmly stared toward the voice. Even that action felt especially imposing coming from a teacher.

"I don't want anyone interrupting me again. I'll explain everything that needs to be made clear, and you can speak when I allow questions. Understood?"

"..."

After dealing with the interruption, Teacher Mashima continued explaining the exam rules.

"The points you spend will not be Private Points. They'll be points specifically for the exam."

"Before the exam begins, the school will give each class 300 exam points. There are no restrictions on how you use these points. Whether you spend them all is up to you. Also, I can say with complete certainty that if you make good use of them, you can get through this week quite comfortably. That's how this exam is designed."