After a negotiation that could hardly be called complicated, the representatives of the three races reached a conclusion regarding the start time of the game, it would begin at dawn two days later.
During this time, Nangou Haruya planned to discuss the winning strategy with Plum thoroughly.
Having the ability to Save and Load Checkpoints was indeed a significant advantage, but this advantage had to be built upon a flawless plan... otherwise, it would just be a waste of time.
However, as always, reality often clashed with Haruya's expectations...
"The weather is nice today, darling. Could you pass me the meat over there? I want to practice grilling!"
"Even if you practice grilling, once we return to Océando, we won't be able to recreate this situation, right?" Haruya pointed out.
"No, no..." Plum immediately corrected Haruya.
Speaking to the Siren Queen Laila in the pool, he said in a proud tone, "If we use the spells provided by our Dhampir race, we can recreate everything from the land, provided we have enough energy. With the combination of illusion and recreation spells, you can even experience the feeling of falling from the sky and crashing to the ground."
"No one would want to experience crashing to the ground though..." said Haruya.
"That's not entirely true. The important part is experiencing the thrill of falling before turning into mush. In a world where no one can harm each other, this is a rare experience..." Plum explained.
In other words, it's like a high-altitude jump without any safety measures. And, of course, the result would be death.
The world bound by the Ten Covenants had somehow become twisted in unexpected ways...
Haruya adjusted the angle of his straw hat and glanced up at the blinding sunlight. The weather was indeed nice today.
The plan he had wanted to discuss with Plum was interrupted by the Siren mother and daughter...
In short, his wife and daughter had demanded that he take them out for a barbecue today, or they would jump out of the pool.
Under this strange threat, Haruya borrowed the necessary grilling tools from Izuna and the others and headed to the small forest behind the embassy.
It was a clearing surrounded by green vegetation and a small stream that babbled softly.
"Darling! Do you have any sunscreen?"
"Sunscreen? Do you mean pearl powder?"
"No, no! I mean your saliva, darling!"
"Go die."
"Ahhh!!! Scold me more!"
Laila, who was in the pool with Mihama, said this, then calmly taught Mihama how to use the grilling tools.
Plum, as usual, stayed inside his box and conversed with Haruya and the others.
At the moment, Plum was extending a gloved hand from the box, using tongs to arrange the meat on the grill.
Sighing, Haruya let happiness slip away and began to focus on the task at hand.
It seemed like the entire day would be wasted on these meaningless activities.
"Papa! The sky!"
"What is it?"
Looking up, Haruya saw strange creatures flying across the sky, including a massive dragon.
"Papa, the dragon's head is so big! Long and thick!"
"Don't use the words you learned in games here..."
"Priestess of the Moon!!!"
"That's not how you use 'Priestess of the Moon' either..."
Mihama, who couldn't hear what Haruya was saying, didn't even know what she was saying. In any case, she had learned a lot about games.
"Ahhh, darling, the meat is going to burn!"
"I'm coming! No, don't splash water on it with your tail!"
After stopping Laila from drenching the meat with water, Haruya finally began grilling properly.
He flipped the meat, sprinkled spices on it, and added a special chili sauce.
The chili sauce was provided by Ino, who said it was made by his wife. Who knows which wife he meant...
Just as the meat was done, a voice called out from above.
"Haruya! Can I join too? Desu..."
"Of course."
"What about me?! I'm a bit hungry."
"Old man Ino, you're just here to spy on us, aren't you?"
Ino didn't respond, only retorted sarcastically, "It's foolish to be so relaxed before the game starts."
"I may be an idiot, but don't insult my husband, you hairy dog! You're covered in fur everywhere, aren't you?!" Laila rebuked.
"..."
Ino was momentarily at a loss for words.
Though Laila had just admitted she was an idiot.
Ino and Izuna sat down on the prepared chairs, and Haruya brought out a few more plates.
Just as he was about to serve the meat, the space in front of him suddenly warped.
*Boom!*
A sound effect seemed to play as four people appeared out of thin air.
The siblings Sora and Shiro, along with Steph and Jibril, who handled the teleportation.
"Haruya, we're here to mooch some food."
"Sora! I've cooked for you too!" Steph pouted, clearly dissatisfied.
"...So that's what actual cooking looks like... Nii."
"Shiro, you shouldn't say that out loud."
"Hey!!!" Clearly, Steph wasn't very skilled at cooking.
Faced with the sudden arrival of guests, Haruya signaled Plum to fetch more utensils.
"What a hassle." Then Plum, still inside his box, moved around with the box, which looked rather comical.
Once Sora and Shiro arrived, they began teasing Izuna, Laila, and Mihama, showing great interest in the Kemonomimi and mermaids.
Sighing again, Haruya gave up on his earlier plans.
No matter what happened, he would just have to wing it when the time came, right?
After grilling the meat, Haruya divided it into portions and let everyone serve themselves.
Although there were vegetables, everyone present seemed more interested in the meat.
Enjoying his portion in the shade, Sora suddenly appeared beside him.
"Hey, what do you think about this game?"
"What do I think? Well..."
"Come on, you know what I mean. We won't oppose whoever hosts this game, but we do have our doubts. It's definitely advantageous for Izuna and the others, even if the winners will be us."
"That's quite a confident statement."
"And you, Haruya? You don't want to lose, right?"
"Of course not. I'm a man who can foresee the future after all."
"Oh?" Sora crouched down, "By foreseeing the future, what kind of future do you mean? Let me guess, predicting a changeable future, an unchangeable future, or perhaps a parallel future?"
"I haven't thought about that yet."
"Then you should start thinking about it." Sora smiled, "Regardless, Shiro and I will never lose."
"Plum and I won't either... probably."
Rather than focusing on who would win the game, Haruya wanted to achieve his goals through various means as a 'Non-Gamer Gaming Genius'...