One Step Faster, Every Step Faster

On the luxury cruise ship owned by the Sakayanagi family, not a single student from Class C went to the deck; instead, they were all gathered in several rooms assembling drones.

"How is the signal here?"

"Not great. It's intermittent."

These were the drones I had previously transferred funds to Ryuen to prepare. They would play a significant role in the Uninhabited Island Exam, provided they could actually get a signal once we landed.

"I don't think there will be any issues. The island we're heading to will definitely have signal base stations; otherwise, the school couldn't bear the responsibility if something happened to the students."

If I remembered correctly, that island did indeed have base stations, along with quite a few man-made facilities we could utilize.

"Hm? The signal strength is improving? Are we getting close to the island for this exam?"

Seeing the signal bars on the app increasing, I told those around me to go to the deck and take a look.

"Attention all students, if you have a moment, please gather on the deck. We are about to see the island, and I trust you will soon witness a very meaningful sight."

Just as I was waiting for someone to return with news, the ship's broadcast made an announcement.

"Just take one drone to the deck. Ryuen, you can go find Katsuragi now."

I had Manabe take a drone and head out of the room with the main force of Class C, making our way to the deck.

A one-week Uninhabited Island Exam, plus a few days of the VIP test—in the end, there would be less than four days of vacation left, right?

The longer the vacation, the more exhausting it feels; that saying really is true.

Accompanied by the cheers of the students on deck, the silhouette of the island appeared on the horizon.

Manabe also followed my instructions to go to the stern and launch the drone, while Ryuen was currently cornering Katsuragi to discuss selling points.

The cruise ship bypassed the pier and began circling the island. At this distance, the drone could capture the entire island in great detail.

A small island of a mere 0.5 square kilometers is equivalent to 1,200 basketball courts, roughly the size of the urban area of the smallest county in our country.

With a maximum elevation of 230 meters—ignoring altitude—there were 159 students expected to land. On average, each person wouldn't even get 8 basketball courts of space. If everyone stood apart, no secrets could be hidden within one's field of vision.

It's just a pity that Classes A, B, and D all chose conservative tactics, and Class C withdrew too quickly after selling points. This effectively meant each class was only operating within a few basketball courts of space, wasting this island that was neither too big nor too small.

"Good news, there really is a base station. I see the 'tower'."

I pointed my finger at the common auxiliary building for ground signal stations. The beach near there would be our Class C campsite for the first day.

"This island really doesn't look like a place for a vacation at all."

Hiyori leaned against me, looking listless. She wasn't happy that the vacation she had finally earned was about to be replaced by a special exam.

"I don't even believe I can last the full seven days on the island, so we can still spend a few more days of vacation on the cruise ship."

I'll leave the task of lasting the full seven days to Ryuen and the others; with my weak arms and legs, I'll just do my best.

"Then it's a deal."

I reached out my hand to Hiyori. She didn't shake it, but instead pulled my hand toward her, taking advantage of the momentum to hug me as I slightly lost my balance.

"All students will soon be landing on the isolated island owned by this school. Please change into your sportswear within thirty minutes, and after confirming that your bags and luggage are placed in a safe location, bring your mobile phones and gather on the deck. Please store all other personal items in your rooms. Since you can still go to the restroom for now, please take care of your personal physiological needs."

Right in the middle of this ambiguous atmosphere, the broadcast sounded again.

"Let's go back and change first. I have a feeling that a gaze has been fixed on me ever since I got on this cruise ship."

I looked up at the surveillance camera on the deck. A strange feeling of being watched had lingered in my heart ever since I boarded, making me very uncomfortable.

"I can probably guess what kind of gaze it is."

Hiyori also followed my line of sight toward the camera.

Thirty minutes later, the students, now changed into sportswear, lined up in four formations on the deck. The ship had finished circling and returned to the pier to dock.

"Now, please disembark in order of class ranking, starting with Class A. Furthermore, I emphasize again: mobile phones are prohibited on the island. Please hand your phones over to your respective homeroom teachers before disembarking."

I covered my ears, wanting to be spared from this torture.

The teacher holding the megaphone seemed to be doing it on purpose, circling our four formations while loudly repeating those words.

The price of covering my ears with my hands was that I couldn't shade my eyes, leaving me exposed to the summer sun—this could also be considered a form of torture.

"Everyone come over and line up, it's time for roll call!"

After disembarking, Homeroom Teacher Sakagami stood in the shade and called our names.

As expected of Sakagami; he easily accomplished what Hoshinomiya and Mashima could not.

This was one of the few things he could do for us after learning of our plan, at least allowing us to conserve some energy.

Being able to have roll call in the shade was far better than the students of Class A and Class B, who were currently all standing out in the sun on the beach.

"Next, please raise your hand when I call your name."

Sakagami wasn't wearing sportswear, but something more akin to tactical gear. It seems he had already prepared to take the first step in rescue operations.

After all of Class D had disembarked, the Class A homeroom teacher, English teacher Mashima, stood on a white podium that had just been set up on the beach, using a megaphone to begin explaining things to the four classes of the first year.

"First of all, I am very happy that everyone was able to arrive here safely today. Unfortunately, although it is only one student, someone is absent from this operation due to illness. This is a regrettable matter."

During the brief pause Mashima took, school staff members dressed in work uniforms had already begun setting up tents not far from the pier, appearing to be establishing a temporary communication hub.

"Now then—we shall begin this year's second special exam."

Following Mashima's announcement, the students on the beach erupted into a frenzy.

Students from the three classes that had not made prior preparations were caught completely off guard, and even some students within Class C let out exclamations of surprise, though their hearts weren't really in it.

This off-campus activity, disguised as a vacation trip but actually a special exam, was indeed a high-stakes test for the students of the other classes, but for the vast majority of those in Class C, it was nothing more than a vacation.