“Thank you all so much for earlier! Thanks to you, we managed to avoid a real disaster!”
“I’d like to offer my thanks as well. Not only did you drive those guys off, but you even helped us clean up the mess they made of the village...”
“Don’t mention it! Helping people in trouble is just what a Hero does!”
Having driven off Blue Ever and finished tidying the village left in disarray by the commotion, Yugo and his group looked up at the sky as Elena and Horon expressed their gratitude.
It had been just past noon when they first arrived on the island under Elena’s guidance. The sky, which had been a brilliant blue then, was now painted in the orange hues of the sunset.
It was a shame to leave, but it was almost time to head back to the hotel.
Yugo and the others were about to say as much, but before they could, Elena clapped her hands together brightly.
“Oh, I know! Since you’re already here, why don’t you all stay over at my place tonight? Poruru thinks that’s a great idea too, right?”
“Kaaaniii!!”
“Wait, what?!”
Yugo’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden offer.
While he was thrilled by the invitation, he wondered if staying out overnight was even allowed during a school trip. When Yugo and the others turned to their companions to silently voice their doubts, Anhel let out a thoughtful hum.
“Technically, it’s possible if you apply in advance... but I can’t imagine them giving us the green light on such short notice.”
“She’s right,” Marcos added with a nod. “No matter how much Elena wants us to stay, we have the school’s regulations to consider...”
“Ehh?! Just once should be fine, right? There are so many fun things to do! Seeing what the monsters are like at night would be educational, too! Isn’t there some way to make it work?”
“Even if you ask that, rules are rules. It’s a shame, but we’ll just have to give up—”
It wasn’t that they didn't want to stay on the island, but as students, they were bound by the rules.
While soothing Elena, Marcos was about to tell her they would be heading back for the day, but Horon raised a hand to interject.
“Oh, don’t worry about that! I’ve already been in touch with your school!”
“Wait, what?! You did?!”
Yugo and the others couldn't hide their astonishment as Horon gave them a satisfied smile.
In contrast, Elena flashed a beaming grin and gave him a high-five.
“As expected of Horon! So, what did they say?”
“I told them I wanted the students to help guard the troublemakers we caught over here, and they said yes! Apparently, there were other kids already planning to stay on the island tonight, so they gave their permission pretty easily because of that!”
“A-Are you serious?!”
“Yep, yep! Dead serious! Oh, and I have a message from the teacher I spoke with. He said, ‘I trust you all, but for heaven’s sake, make sure you don’t get too carried away’... or something like that!”
Judging by the phrasing, the person who granted permission must have been Uno.
While feeling grateful for the flexibility of Professor Castle—who was strict but knew when to yield—Yugo turned to his companions.
“Well, if Professor Castle gave his blessing, then we have nothing to worry about! We’ll be in your care tonight... is that alright with everyone?”
“No objections here! Staying over is of-fi-cially decided!”
“It’s fine with us, too! Besides, opportunities to observe night monsters at such close range are rare. We should use this as a chance to study!”
“Yay! Then we’re all staying the night together!”
“Kani-kani~!!”
Elena and Poruru hopped up and down, jumping for joy.
As everyone smiled, glad they had decided to stay given how happy she was, Elena clapped her hands again.
“Then it’s settled! You’re all joining the Special Monster Observation Course tonight, right? It’s a lot of fun—some of the monsters will be sleeping, while others will be more active than they are during the day. You’ll get to see a completely different side of them!”
“Whoa... that’s amazing! To actually be able to see the monsters at night... it’s like a dream come true!”
“It’s exactly what I’d call a ‘Night of Safari’!”
“...I wonder why Yugo’s phrasing is bothering me so much?”
Fee’s eyes sparkled with excitement at the prospect of the night tour, while Yugo nodded deeply at his brother’s reaction, humming a mysterious tune to himself.
Setting the older brother aside, Melt and the others tilted their heads in confusion at his antics. Meanwhile, Ryuga spoke to Horon.
“You mentioned it earlier, but will the guard for those Blue Ever members be alright? If necessary, I wouldn't mind standing watch myself.”
“Oh, that’ll be fine! I only used that as an excuse for the teacher, but in reality, they’re being monitored inside a secure jail cell. Don’t worry about that—you students just focus on having a good time!”
“Exactly! We aren’t going to rely on you for absolutely everything! Besides, this night tour isn't just about observing monsters... it’s meant to be a test of courage, too!”