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Nanana’s Buried Treasure Volume 10 Chapter 2.2

On the very first day, Sora-nee readily accepted Nanana’s status as an earthbound spirit.

「Sora-nee, prepare yourself. Here comes the punch.」

「Guh, Nanana’s deadly punch ripped my stomach open!」

Using Nanana’s earthbound spirit abilities, she played along like something out of a shonen fighting manga from the 80s.

Perhaps because Sora-neechan is by my side, I’m relieved to see that even the shy Ulysses-chan seems to be fitting in well. Before I knew it, it felt like she was one of the gang. Fitting in even better than me.

While everyone else was busy chatting away, as usual, I was silently studying alone when Sora-neechan quietly spoke to me.

「By the way, Juugo-kun. Did you know that Tensai-chan-sempai is a great detective?」

「Yeah, right. I’m sorry if you feel like you’ve made the greatest discovery of the century and are telling  me this, but I don’t think there’s a single person she’s introduced herself to that doesn’t know that fact, Sora-neechan.」

After all, she introduced herself to me without me even asking.

「Actually, could Tensai-chan-sempai be our enemy?」

「Yeah, right. Don’t tell her that, even if you are joking around.」

「It’s fine. I’m sure she knows our true identities are a secret.」

No, even if she winks at me like, ‘suuuuure I will’ she doesn’t get it. She’s known my true identity for a long time, and if I were to call her my enemy, she’d probably jump for joy…

「What are you two talking about?」

And then, the aforementioned Tensai turns her attention my way.

「No, it’s nothing, Tensai-chan-sempai. …Ah, D’arc-chan-sempai, I’ll help you clean up.」

And just as Sora-neechan has successfully escaped (or so she thought anyways), a grinning Tensai approaches.

「Your sister is quite amusing, isn’t she? Especially the fact that she thinks I don’t know anything about her.」

「I told you not to say things like that with that evil smile on your face. You’ve got a really mean personality for a great detective.」

「Hey, that’s a terrible accusation. I’m still acting like I don’t know.」

「Well, it’s worse to pretend you don’t know when you do… I mean, that’s not right. Sora-neechan’s compatibility with Tensai is so bad that she’ll be manipulated no matter what you do.」

「Haha, I know that, Juugo. I’ll admit that she has a mean look in your eyes, but if you’re going to deal with me, she needs to at least have a mean personality on par with yours Juugo.」

「Don’t make fun of her eyes. You’ll get bitten. Also, I might have said this before, but could you please stop acting like a boss at a company patting his subordinate on the shoulder? With that expression, it’s like saying, ‘I have high expectations of you, kid.’ It’s not like I have any intention to live up to those expectations.」

「Are you sure you should say that, Juugo? I have a special item.」

「A special item?」

The great detective leaned back and handed me her notebook. It had a page labeled ‘Duel ticket’ written on it.

「If I activate this, you must duel me no matter when.」

「What’s that? I’ve never seen that before.」

「What are you talking about? You wrote this!」

I narrowed my eyes at the panicked great detective.

「Did I write something like that?

「Of course you did! And it’s got your signature right here!」

Looking at the notebook she held out to me, I narrowed my eyes even more.

「Eh, but the name on the signature isn’t mine.」

I reach for the notebook, but my hand grabs nothing but air.

「Hmph, you say something like that. I can see right through your wicked lies, thinking you’ll tear up your ticket and destroy it.」

The great detective laughs smugly as she puts the notebook back in his pocket. It seems she’s seen through my act.

「This is why I say this great detective has such a rotten personality.」

「Actually, I think you’re pretty rotten for trying to tear up someone’s notebook so smoothly.」

「Now, what are you talking about?」

「Well, I suppose I should be honest and say that you should be careful about calculating your escape.」

「So you can read my thoughts, and even my actions, Great Detective?」

That means you knew what I was up to, and went along with my act. This great detective is seriously scary.

「By the way, Juugo, I’ve been wondering for a while now, why are you doing your summer homework?」

「I’ve already said, it’s because I slacked off during the first half summer vacation!」

「I didn’t hear you say that before.」

「…that’s right, it was Sora-nee who asked earlier.」

「I really can’t imagine anyone doing their summer homework seriously like this.」

「What? You’re talking like you’re not going to do it yourself.」

「That’s right. I’m not going to do it.」

「…You’ll get expelled.」

「I won’t get expelled. All I need is a completed workbook by the last day of summer vacation.」

「What do you mean by that?」

「D’arc will do it all for me.」

「That’s completely unfair! You can’t do that!」

At that moment, Sore-nee returns from the kitchen clapping her hands.

「I see, that’s a good idea.」

「Hey, Sora-nee! Don’t clap your hands like you’ve made the discovery of the century! And you’re not listening to me. This great detective is not educationally sound!」

「That’s rude. I just don’t see the point in wasting my time like that.」

「What do you mean wasting your time like that?」

「What’s the point in bothering to solve a problem that have already been solved? It would be much more meaningful as a human being to spend time uncovering the truth behind things you don’t currently understand.」

「Yeah, yeah. Your ideas are so outlandish, I can’t keep up. Why don’t you just try this one?」

It’s a long English question. Tensai stared at it for about 10 seconds, then immediately began writing smoothly, filling in all the answer boxes without stopping.

「I’m done.」

「Wow, you really do understand.」

I felt sad for myself, struggling with an English-Japanese dictionary at hand. But I realized something.

「Hey, Tensai-chan. Why is the answer to this question, ‘What is Kate hiding from John?’, ‘Kate is a murderer, and she’s hiding it from her husband, John.’?」

「Because that’s what it says.」

「That’s not what it says! …probably.」

「I could tell even though it wasn’t written.」

「Don’t make assumptions about characters’ backgrounds based on the question! If it’s not written there, it can’t be the answer! Besides, who would ask a question like that in English class?」

「That’s why school classes are so boring.」

「Wow, what a novel interpretation! I’m so moved that I’m crying.」

D’arc chuckled at the exchange between us.

「These things pile up and end up requiring resubmissions, or we end up getting yelled at by the teacher and end up in fights, so I’m doing Tensai’s share too.」

「But don’t be so lenient with her, D’arc. This little detective will just get more cocky.」

「Who’s little?」

Seeing Tensai’s indignation, Sora-nee clenched her fist as if she’d made up her mind about something.

「Okay, I’ll somehow do the same thing as Tensai-sempai.」

「That’s the problem, you shouldn’t try to be her. She’s a bad example!」

「Who’s setting a bad example?」

「But I think what Tensai-chan is saying is right.」

「That’s what happens when people like that make things worse!」

「Hey, Juugo. Aren’t you being rude?」

At that moment, Ulysses-chan stepped forward. She began chanting a spell… No, it wasn’t really a magic incantation, I mean. She started speaking something that sounded like English. I think she was probably trying to chastise Tensai. But instead Tensai responds with her own spell.

By the way, I have no idea what they are saying.

After a few exchanges of spell, something suddenly changed in Ulysses-chan’s words. Tensai then changed her spells to match.

「Whats’ going on?」

「Maybe it went from English to French?」

「Do you understand, Nanana-chan?」

「Look, even though I’m like this now, I’ve traveled all over the world.」

Indeed, this earthbound spirit had traveled all over the world during her lifetime and uncovered every ancient ruin that could be found everywhere.

「So you’re fluent in English?」

「No, I’m not. I can just get a sense of a few languages.」

「So how did you communicate with all the people you met around the world?」

「Well, I had interpreters and other handy items.」

I see, so you had a Nanana collection.

「Well, you know, I’m Japanese so I’m going to speak Japanese.」

Somehow, when this earthbound spirit says it, it sounds so natural.

In the midst of this exchange, the two of them continue their spell (probably French now) duel.

「By the way, what have those two been talking about?」

「It sounds like they’re asking each other questions for study.」

「Do you understand them, D’arc?」

「Yeah, I’m good at languages.」

He’s surprisingly competent. He’s a cross-dresser (pervert), but perhaps he should be called the detective’s assistant.

「But listening to what those two are saying, it’s like their from another world, Juugo-kun.」

「Don’t say such sad things, Sora-neechan.」

「So, Juugo-kun, do you understand?」