Whose youth romance story begins with a witch's trial?!

"When faced with the choice between two ventilation ducts, I got scared. I was afraid that my reckless, individualistic heroism would have serious consequences, leading to you all regretting it for the rest of your lives and eventually fighting and being wiped out for me, waaaaaahh ...

"You idiot rabbit's fantasies are getting more and more outlandish!"

I thought this guy had finally become a bit more normal lately, but then he came up with this nonsensical behavior again!

To regret it for the rest of one's life...

Nikaido Hiro secretly glanced at the others. Although everyone was initially stunned when they heard Chang Rong's words, after they came to their senses, they seemed to start thinking about what would happen if Chang Rong accidentally died suddenly.

I have to make sure this idiot rabbit doesn't actually have a seizure and die—

"Watson, I'm fine with it while it's hot!"

"Uh huh huh!?"

As expected of the club president, Tachibana Sherry, a simple sentence made Chang Rong determined that he must not die no matter what.

Volume 1: Chapter 112. Hehe, there's also the Emperor Chang's talent selection segment.

"Anyway, this outfit is a cold-weather suit that I got with the generous sponsorship of Ms. Kurobe Nanoha. Actually, it's not just the clothes; there's also a kerosene lamp, a flashlight, matches, and an emergency hatch... uh, no. Anyway, having this equipment will make exploring the underground freezer much easier."

Chang Rong patted his belly, showing off his newfound gear.

"Chang Rong, these things...?" Kurobe Nanoha, who rarely joined the group, tilted her head.

"I'll explain this later... Anyway, considering that the underground cryogenic storage is one of the few relatively sensitive restricted areas under the warden's control, we'll tentatively limit this exploration to three people."

Chang Rong made a gesture with the number three on his hand and said.

"Chang Rong-kun, why did you choose the number 3...?" Sakura Emma immediately raised her hand to ask.

"Hmm... because I've seen that the main characters in tomb raiding novels usually have this number of members."

"?"

Chang Rong's explanation, devoid of any substance, naturally drew questions from everyone.

"That's all for now! Aside from mine, there are two spots left—"

"What do you mean... does that mean you don't need me? I knew it, all that talk about needing my help was just a lie... Heh, someone like me... someone like me, as expected, was never expected or trusted by anyone from the very beginning..."

"—However, considering that we need Wisteria to provide the heat source, there is actually only one spot available!"

Chang Rong was only halfway through her sentence when she heard Arisa Fujito muttering under her mask and hood. Seeing that the child was visibly about to turn into a demon, Chang Rong had no choice but to quickly change her mind and pre-select another spot.

There's no way around it; Arisa Fujito is also a five-character genius, and a person obsessed with trust. If we don't bring the child along, things might really explode...

"Um... Xiao Rong, do you really have to come down with me? Considering your health, perhaps it would be better to have someone else go with you?"

Saeki Miria asked with some concern, her expression like that of a parent who doesn't want to see their child undertake a risky mission.

"Well, I'm definitely a veteran here! And most importantly, this exploration was initiated because I wanted to confirm something."

As Chang Rong spoke, he walked to the monitor in the reception room, striking a pose of 'veteran's arrival, looking down on everyone.

“Um, um… I, I have a very sensitive nose! And, and I’m good with both hands when using chopsticks!” Sakura Emma was the first to raise her hand and volunteer.

"Wow, Emma, ​​that's impressive, but it's not enough for her to join our Galactic Battleship!"

Chang Rong held up a finger and shook it from side to side, indicating that the little puppy still had a long way to go.

"Waaah... Is this not allowed? Chang Rong-jun, you really are a heartless man... You thought the sunroom was a happy little nest just for you and me, but then you dragged Leia-chan into it. I knew it, I knew it was just a game with you—"

"Waaaaah, I'll seriously consider it, okay?! I've given it serious thought!"

"Hmm? Leia? A little nest? A sunroom?"

Startled, Chang Rong quickly moved Sakura Emma's resume from the 'Not Accepted' pool to the 'Pending' pool. As for the other prospective witches, apart from Hasumi Rhea who was shyly fiddling with her bangs, the others were all curious about Sakura Emma's abrupt words.

—Sakura... Oh my god! That darn little rascal is really pushing his luck lately! I really need to teach you a lesson... I was looking for someone with skills as a priority, not someone who's a glutton!

If we actually put Sakura Emma into the team, we'd probably be 700 units short of supplies before we even set out.

“Hmm… I can sew clothes and do housework!” Tono Hannah also showed off her advantages.

“We’re not going to clean the underground freezer, Miss… and besides, there don’t seem to be any clothes that need mending in that kind of place.”

"Well, I can also... Oh, right, my magic can also make me levitate!" Tono Hannah quickly added.

"Hey! I've got it all figured out now. The killer in the elevator murder case is—Hannah!"

"You've already started framing me without even having a case yet, you stupid gorilla woman!!!"

"Hmph, true masters of deduction are able to see through the culprit before the crime even occurs!"

"Then why don't you go stop the criminal first, Desuwa!"

The blue-haired detective and the blonde heiress got into a fight.

"Haha... Uncle, I won't embarrass myself by showing off, right? After all, my magic is only limited to swapping bodies... By the way, I do have a lot of experience in helping people fall asleep peacefully!"

"No, no, the worst thing to do in a low-temperature environment is to fall asleep peacefully, right?!"

"Hmm...yes, that's true, Xiao Rong...hahaha..."

Chang Rong quickly complained, while Saeki Miria lowered her head and let out a helpless sigh, like a middle-aged person being laid off.

"Hmph—mere blizzards and freezing temperatures? These things can be easily defeated by my passionate performance!" Ryota Hasumi struck her signature pose with one hand on her chest and the other outstretched, and said enthusiastically to Jungyo with a kirakiradokidoki expression.

"This, uh... um..."

Chang Rong now feels a little awkward whenever she sees Renmi Ryoya, because she can't help but think of Ryoya's abrupt and inappropriate kiss in the sunroom.

How did my good brother end up like this, going from one thing to another, and eventually becoming "Hey bro, you smell so good"...?

Perhaps considering Hasumi Ryoga's true feelings for him, he shouldn't treat her the way he used to...

"Oh, right! I suddenly remembered, I can also use my sword to create a cool life-size ice sculpture of Leia-sama! I guarantee Chang Rong, you'll fall in love with it at first sight—"

"NEXT"

"Why, why!? My skills are so superb, and my secret weapon can bring you a whole new surprise, Chang Rong, why—!"

...As expected, it's really impossible to treat a good brother as a bed partner. And for the sake of the greater good, Rhea-sama, you should continue to prank the bench.

"Noah can—"

"This time won't work, Noah. The underground freezer is very cold, and we haven't figured out its mechanisms yet, so exploring it is actually dangerous. This time, okay?"

Before Noah could even perform his talent, Chang Rong had already passed him over. Chang Rong walked up to Noah and earnestly explained his reasons.

"Yes, Noah understands... Alright then."

It's rare to see Chang Rong so serious, it seems he really feels he's not suited for this kind of occasion.

"However... Rongrong must be careful, especially, she can't let those weirdos do weird things to her, like staring at her—"

"Ugh...!?"

Arisa Wisteria felt her hair stand on end from the intense gaze of Balloon Teacher, as if she were about to be pierced through the makeshift fence at any moment.

Ever since I ruined Balloon-sensei's little trick at the infirmary, it seems like I've been marked by her... No, but this somewhat dangerous feeling of dislike... isn't so bad after all...

"Hehehe, Noah's staring expression is super cute too~?"

—Where's the cuteness in you, you spoiled, idiotic parent? One day, the teacher will trick you into going to a brothel and you won't even be able to cry properly!

Arisa felt that Chang Rong's mindless and doting behavior was beyond saving.

“I’m very confident in my drilling skills. If I can’t open the main door, I should be able to easily drill through the ventilation ducts there.”

"Kurobe Nanoka said thoughtfully."

"Hmm... Considering Nanoha Kaori's physical attributes, this is indeed a significant advantage."

Chang Rong nodded. In fact, according to Coco-chan's video, it was Kurobe Nanoha who was the first to enter the underground freezer through the ventilation duct during the 'first playthrough', and obtained the two important pieces of information there: '[Witch Slayer Potion]' and 'Ice Balala is the mastermind]'.

The only cost was losing a gun at the door, opening the safe to inspect the goods, and being shot in the back by a thief—a truly bizarre situation…

Putting aside the events of the first timeline, the biggest problem for Kurobe Nanoha Kaori right now is that... in most situations during this 'timeline,' she's been somewhat lacking in performance... and she also frequently displays a soft, naive, and somewhat eccentric personality.

Is Kurobe Nanoha Kaori's weakening due to Tokiyuki?

"Hmph, I can do all of the above, and I'm confident I can do them even better."

Nikaido Hiro spread his hands, striking a pose that was both domineering and nonchalant, and uttered a statement no less powerful than "Everyone here is trash."

"This kind of action clearly follows the barrel effect. The team's lower limit is affected by the individual's lower limit. However, I don't have a so-called lower limit. Therefore, from the perspective of finding partners, any creature with rational thinking and logical ability will make the optimal choice, which is me."

Nikaido Hiro snorted coldly, and what he said was actually not wrong in a certain sense.

She could easily sense whether Chang Rong's bedroom had been invaded by some strange fellow, and she could also knead the white-haired boy's side with her left hand and skillfully stroke his chin with her right hand while teaching in the library.

She can skillfully lift Chang Rong high to make him 'float,' and can also give Chang Rong a very peaceful and rapid sleep. She can also use her superb acting skills to pretend to be a private tutor to justify her harassment of Xing. Finally, she can easily slip through the idiot rabbit's hole.

Hiro Nikaido, the perfect woman!

Just as Nikaido Hiro crossed his arms and sneered, feeling victory was assured, Tachibana Sherry's signature carefree voice rang out from the side.

"Hey hey! So now it's my turn to wrap things up, right? As the president of the 'Monster Detective Club,' although I'm frail, petite, and delicate, not good at sports, and emotionally sensitive... I'm also very logical, cheerful, and have excellent interpersonal skills! And I just happen to have a little bit of extra strength, hehe~!"

"Leaving aside how many false testimonies you've mixed into your statement... I've participated in wilderness camping before and have extensive relevant experience." Nikaido Hiro rubbed his eyebrows, preparing to kick this uncooperative challenger aside.

"I'm strong!"

"I have strong resource management skills. In extreme environments, the way and dosage of any resource can lead to drastically different results, and I can calculate the best solution."

"I'm strong!"

"I have experience crossing the Aotai Line alone during holidays, so I am more skilled than anyone else at dealing with hypothermia."

"I'm strong!"

"...Don't you have any other advantages to boast about?!"

"My right fist is also very strong~"

"..."

A textbook example of a fool defeating a master.

—Never mind, I've already meticulously displayed all my advantages. As long as that idiot rabbit isn't an idiot, he'll definitely choose…

"So the final personnel configuration is: me, Arisa Fujito, Sherry Tachibana—that's it."