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Nanana’s Buried Treasure Volume 10 Chapter 4.1

Episode 4: Easy Market Easy Money

1

Ishval Corunal… no, Haruto has arrived at the Happiness Dorm.

「How are you two my friends.」

「Welcome Onisama.」

「I mean, Ishu-onii, why are you talking like that?」

「Here, we are not known as Ishu-niisan, but Neidhart D. Polnareff and Iimasu.」

The location was Room 201 of the Happiness Dorm. In other words, it was the room next door to mine, belonging to Sora-neechan and Ulysses-chan. The room was the same size as my own. It seemed like they had a fair amount of furniture ready from the start, and for some reason there was a huge monitor and a strangely bulky computer sitting in the corner of the room.

「First of all, stop talking like that, Ishval. We’re the only ones here.」 (TN: Ishval usually talks in broken Japanese because he is a foreigner. As established he doesn’t have to though because he is fluent.)

「Yeah, you’re right」, says Ishval as he starts to speak normal Japanese.

Afterwards, we enjoyed a lively conversation while drinking iced tea made by Ulysses.

「How’s Nanaejima, you two?」

「It sounds like a really interesting place, doesn’t it, Ulysses?」

「I agree with Kunon.」

「Have you completed the transfer procedures?」

「Yes, I’m also preparing for the new semester. Everything’s going smoothly.」

Ulysses-chan really speaks fluent Japanese.

Then Ishval turns his attention to me and Sora-neechan.

「Juugo, Kunon. Sorry, but could you leave Ulysses and me alone for a moment?」

*******************************************

After seeing Juugo and Sora-neechan out the door, Ulysses asked her brother, 「So, what is it?」

「It’s about the future of the Korunald family.」

Ulysses’ expression darkened. After all, she had now abandoned the Korunald family to come here.

「Aren’t you worried about having abandoned your home?」

As if seeing right through her heart, her brother continued with a smile.

「It seems that the Phantom Thieves, thanks to Sougo’s arrangement, have received a new job request. The pay is more than enough. In other words, they’re safe for the time being.」

「Is it true, brother?!」

Ishval nods.

Seeing this, Ulysses breathes a sigh of relief and tears well up in the corners of her eyes.

「I have a message from our father. He says, ‘Don’t’ worry about us. Do as you please.’.」

「Do as you please?」

Ishval smiles gently at the confused Ulysses.

「While you’re here, decide for yourself what you want to do. After all, the island’s motto is ‘Everything is at your own risk.’.」

「At your own risk?」

「Think for yourself, and take responsibility for yourself. But that also means you have to decide for yourself what you enjoy and what makes you happy. I think that might be just right for you, when you’ve been working so hard for others. So while you’re here, try to think for yourself and act for your own happiness.」

That seems a bit difficult.

「Is there anything you’d like to do in the meantime? I’ll help you out, if you like.」

Ulysses shook her head at her brother’s offer.

「No, it’s okay, Onii-sama. It’s almost come true.」

「What has?」

「While I’m on the island, I plan to spend as much time as possible by Kunon’s side. I plan to travel together with Kunon and see the scenery she sees. I think that by doing so, I might be able to see a whole new world I’ve never seen before.」

Hearing his sister’s humble request, Ishval nodded.

「Do as you like.」

「Yes.」

「By the way, have you met Nanana Ryuugajou?」

Ishval points to the wall of Room 202 next door, and Ulysses nods, 「Yes.」

「What did you think?」

「She’s a very cheerful person. I sense the same vibe from her as Kunon.」

But then her expression quickly darkens.

「But when I think about how she’s impacted Father and our family… I’m not sure what I should do.」

「…..」

The Korunald family’s crisis stems from the great deeds performed by Ryuugajou Nanana roughly ten years ago.

「But I think I’ll put that aside for now. I’ll try to approach her as myself, as Ulysses Korunald.」

「I see. Speaking of which, what do you think of Juugo, who lives with Ryuugajou Nanana?」

Ulysses’s face immediately turns red.

「No, nothing in particular…」

「Well, as your brother, I have no intention of helping or getting in the way. But be careful, Juugo and I are evil and mean.」

「That’s not true. Juugo is a very kind gentleman.」

Ulysses spoke with a serious expression, and Ishbal shrugged his shoulders and said, ‘Well Well’.

「That means you’re not seeing the truth. A girl in love is blind.」

Then Ishbal says, 「Juugo is the kind of man who can do some crazy things when the time comes.」

********************************************************

「Is that enough, Ish-niisan?」

「Sora-nee, sorry, Kunon. Please cool off inside.」

Sora-nee, slightly sweating after being thrown out in the heat, tumbled into Room 201.

As he saw her off, Ishbal muttered to himself, 「Kunon’s sweat smells nice.」

「The smell of someone else’s sister is enough to turn you on? Are you a pervert?」

Juugo, who was with Sora-nee, punched him in the shoulder.

「Are you done talking?」

「Yeah, I guess.」

Ishbal and Juugo then leaned shoulder to shoulder against the fence in front of the entrance.

「By the way, has there been any progress on that robbery incident?」

「Not at all.」

Ishbal briefly explains the events that followed the incident, the meeting of the challengers held while Juugo was away, and the community’s subsequent response.

「I thought there might be a repeat offense after that, but that hasn’t happened. That said, I can’t say for sure that we’re safe now. As a result of the meeting, we weren’t able to find any allies, and the community is helpless. Honestly, we’re at a dead end.」

「I see.」

「Thank you. What is this?」

「What do you mean?」

「Whenever I contact Yukihime, she just keeps saying she’s busy.」

「Isn’t it normal for you to be ignored?」

「But I’m saying it’s strange because I got a rejection message. It’s like she’s telling me she’s ignoring me and doesn’t want me to probe her in any weird ways anymore.」

「Have you been doing stalker-like things like that up until now?」

「No way, there’s no way I would do something like that.」

「But she thinks you might.」

「That seems to be the case.」

「Do you have any idea why?」

「…Come to think of it, I was investigating various things when I was at your parents’ house.」

「Oh, right before the wedding. That must be the reason.」

「Well well. Even if it was to protect the family, it’s still a terrible misunderstanding from the woman I love.」

As Ishbal held his head in his hands, Juugo laughed maliciously and said, 「Serves you right.」

「Well, as for this matter… I guess. I’ll contact you within three days, so please put me in touch with Nishi-san or Taisei.」

「Asumi and the others?」

「If everything goes well, I’ll have to speak to the Seventh High School Community next.」

「I don’t know what they’re doing, but it’s probably around the time of the fireworks festival. Okay, I’ll keep that in mind.」

「Fireworks festival?」

「Didn’t you know? Apparently it’s a regular event on Nanaejima. Right before the end of summer vacation, the students return to the island from their homes, right? That’s why Nanaejima’s summer festival is traditionally held in the last week of August.」

「I see. In that case, we’ll try to get everything finished before then.」

As Juugo straightened his back, Ishbal asked him.

「What evil deed are you planning this time?」

「No no, it’s something very good for everyone.」

After parting ways with Juugo, Haruto leaves the Happiness dorm alone. He then thinks about the inhuman presence that haunts the place. Nanana Ryuugajou.

Haruto himself had spoken with Nanana when she possessed Organizer M during the second stage of the <<game>>. She certainly didn’t seem like a bad person. However, as the next head of the Korunald family, Nanana Ryuugajou must remain a hated figure. When Juugo asked him if he wanted to meet her, he politely declined.

Hating a woman goes against Ishbal’s morals. Even if she’s a hated figure, or even though she’s not a person.

「But still, this is Juugo’s dorm.」

He stops and looks up at the building he’d been standing in. He has a sister he loves, a pretty European girl he thinks of as a sister, and a man who he can call his best friend. But perhaps it was because of the earthbound spirit that lurked there? Ishbal couldn’t help but get an eerie feeling about this place.

2

Just as Ishbal had said before leaving, fireworks posters were up all over town. With fireworks and windmill stalls, it seemed like the final summer spectacle for Nanaejima.

Meanwhile, I arrived at the coffee shop where we were supposed to meet. Yukihime was already sitting at our usual four-person table.

「Showing up ten minutes early is quite admirable, young man.」

「So, Yukihime, what time did you get here?」

Laughing, I sat down next to her, not in front of her, and she looked displeased.