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Nanana’s Buried Treasure Volume 10 Chapter 4.7

I made a note of President Yuiga’s <<imitation glasses>> and Tensai’s <<fragment of the holy spear>>.

「By the way, Young Master. What exactly were you talking about with Ikusaba just now?」

When asked that, I recalled our earlier conversation. The conversation we had in the hallway in front of the lecture hall.

「Nothing, it wasn’t related to this matter, just small talk. I was just listening to Ikusaba talk about the ending he envisions.」

「The ending?」

「I’ll tell you about it when the time is right. More importantly, we should get going.」

Saying that, I looked outside. Parked there was a bright red convertible. Sitting in the passenger seat was the one-eyed villainess.

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「Well then, I’ll leave the rest to you Yikihime-neesan.」

「Understood.」

Juugo left the coffee shop and Yukihime behind. He had an appointment to attend to now.

Yukihime, left alone, looked at the results before her and was genuinely impressed. She couldn’t help but be impressed by the results Juugo produced. The way he handled things after the company presentation, bringing up the topics to Ikusaba before anyone could fully grasp the situation… that too was a great decision.

He looked around at the challengers gathered in the lecture hall and made an instantaneous judgement, identifying those among them who had grasped the essence of the free market system at that moment. And among them, the one Juugo chose to ask the first question was Hiiyo Ikusaba. He figured out that having Ikusaba ask the question would be the most effective way to explain things to the other challengers who didn’t understand, ensuring a smooth explanation.

Incidentally, from Yukihime’s perspective, there were several others who understood the situation just as well as Ikusaba at that point. Tensai Ikkyuu and Ageha Kachou. Asumi Nishi would also be included as she had been given an explanation beforehand. However, with Tensai Ikkyuu, the information wouldn’t have been well understood by the other people. Ageha lacks the necessary public recognition as a challenger. Asumi Nishi is someone from the side that called for the meeting, so there’s a possibility that her Q&A session might be suspected of being scripted.

Therefore, taking those possibilities into consideration, the person Juugo chose was Hiiyo Ikusaba. He is someone who is well-known among the challengers and possesses the kind of reputation that makes everyone listen to him. And during the Q&A session, she systematically explained the company’s explanation and intentions, clearly explaining the advantages of the Rakuichi Rakuza system to everyone there.

Yukihime looked at the reservation list on the table again. The results were easy to see right there. Over 90% of the challengers who were there applied to register for the Rakuichi Rakusa registration. That is why Yukihime thinks that when it comes to negotiations and dealings, Juugo shows extraordinary talent. He truly shines not in one-on-one negotiations, but rather in situations involving many people, in the midst of a chaotic, large-scale flow of events.

The recent transaction with Sansa Kurosu and Ruri Kannagi, and this presentation are prime examples. He seeks the benefit of everyone involved and neatly brings the discussion to a conclusion. Within the overall flow of events, he accurately identifies and connects the key points for each individual.  As a result, in this larger context of Nanaejima, even Sansa Kurosu went along with Juugo’s proposal.

As Yukihime analyzes Juugo, she recalls their reunion on this island. She also remembers their arguments, the Tanabata festival, the <<game>>, and the commotion surrounding the marriage at his family home. And now even the current situation.

Recalling these events one by one, Yukihime perceives the changes in Juugo and comes to understand them.

「The Young master has truly learned to see people for who they are.」

When Juugo reunited with her on this island, he said that helping people was a foolish thing to do and cursed the existence of <<Matsuri>>. He rejected that premise, and that also meant that Juugo hadn’t been trying to understand other people.

However, after coming to this island, Juugo’s way of thinking gradually began to change. …No, that’s not quite right. It wasn’t a change, but a recovery. He recovered something he had processed from the beginning. The feeling, the sentiment, that he had as a child, when he was always looking out for the people around him, wanting to do whatever he could from them.

The reason Yukihime can analyze Juugo so accurately is because there’s someone near her who possesses the same kind of talent as Juugo. That person is Sougo Yama, the leader of <<Matsuri>>.

Sougo is also skilled at involving and leading the people around him. No, at Sougo’s level, it might be more accurate to say he’s skilled at manipulating them. And this time, Juugo created a major chain of events that allowed Yukihime to assess him this way.

This was all for the sake of one earthbound spirit girl. For the sake of Nanana Ryuugajou.

There is no hint of doubt in Juugo. Juugo has completely awakened.

It was precisely because Yukihime recognized Juugo in this way that she thought, 「Jeez, boys grow up so fast.」

She smiled gently as she said this quietly to herself.

However it was too early to feel relieved. This wasn’t over yet. Juugo’s plan was only beginning.

Whether Juugo will be able to accomplish this plan or not… That will be decided in a few days. That’s why Yukihime is silently sending her encouragement.

「Good luck, Young Master.」

She wished well to this irreplaceable and precious person in her life.

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「Even so, I never imagined that Yama-kohai would do something like that.」

「For sure.」

The location is the bar that Isshin and the others have been using recently as their base.」

After the presentation ended and they left the lecture hall, Isshin and the others parted ways with Tensai and her group and returned to this place. Isshin and the others praised Juugo’s actions. With that single action, he dispelled the stagnation that had settled in the hearts of all the challengers.

A loud noise echoes and Isshin’s 2 companions look surprised. It was the sound of him slamming his fist on the table, a gesture born of the same intense emotion. He was surprised at how emotional he had become, yet he trembled because of the anger the welled up uncontrollably from the depth of his heart. The actions that Juugo pulled off this time far exceeded the limits of Isshin’s imagination.

Before the summer break, during the <<game>>, the moment the adults intervened, Isshin gave up on his previous method of obtaining the Nanana collection. What Isshin planned and carried out after that (during summer vacation) was, simply put, to secretly buy up Nanana collections before regulations became stricter. This was based on the assumption that the adults, including the general council, would intervene. They would be no match for the general council. The assumption was common sense, that if they resisted couldn’t possibly resist the decisions of the adults of this island.

Therefore, the method and ideas that Juugo came up with were simply inconceivable to him. The fundamental premise was completely unthinkable.

Juugo, who was operating with a different set of assumptions, overturned all existing conventions. He introduced new rules into this game of searching for the Nanana collection. A registration database. That’s what Juugo created.

In other words, Juugo had sat down at the same table as the adults, on equal footing with them. Now, Juugo stands in a position looking down on the table where Isshin and the other challengers are at. He’s looking down on them along with the other adults, as if looking at pieces on a game board. He stands in a realm that Isshin couldn’t even imagine.

The more Isshin thought about it, the more his body trembled with anger.

The same applies to the meeting we just had. He even considered trying to disrupt the meeting and cause chaos, just like he did to Asumi Nishi at the previous one. Isshin did not though. He couldn’t. He simply didn’t know how to respond. That was a completely unexpected event that suddenly unfolded right before his eyes. He was unprepared to confront Juugo, who had announced it all without any prior hints.

When Juugo announced the registration database, he seemed to Isshin like an impenetrable fortress, and he was afraid to confront him. He couldn’t say anything because a dumb question would only backfire.

Remembering that feeling, his clenched fists trembled, his nails digging into the skin of his palms.

Until this meeting he had been in a very good mood. That’s because he felt that he had a significant advantage over everyone else in the game of searching for Nanana collection, having obtained the strategy guide.

But now that feeling is completely gone. Or rather, he couldn’t help but feel utterly insignificant for being so pleased with himself over something like that. He couldn’t help but feel miserable for simply being a puppet in this game of searching for the Nanana collection.

That’s precisely why he felt it so strongly again. The sight of Juugo’s back. The back of his kohai, younger than him, walking ahead of him.  A back that even made the thought of never being able to surpass him cross his mind.

「Damn it!」

The person he wanted to overtake was far ahead of him now, and the scenery he longed to see wasn’t even in sight. In fact the desire, even the possibility, had completely disappeared from his mind in that moment.

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A bright red convertible carrying Juugo and Sansa sped along the sparsely trafficked roads of Nanaejima.

「It seems like everything went well.」

「Yes, thanks to you.」

Juugo smiled cheerfully.

「That’s good. With this, we can expect a considerable return.」

The bright red convertible carrying Futaba and Juugo stopped in front of a building surrounded by high walls in the suburbs. It was the Futaba Research Institute.

「I’ve already made the arrangements. Hurry up and finish your business. After all, we’re going to Koma’s place next. Finish it immediately, this is an order.」

Seeing Sansa giving him a rather serious glare, Juugo quickly replied, ‘Okay, understood’, and got out of the care, hurrying away.

After watching him leave, Sansa looked through the documents in her hand. It is a document related to the registration database. (Rakuichi Rakuza) Among all of that, what I like most about Sansa is the name.

How will he react when he sees this? It’s a shame that I won’t be able to witness the moment when the most irritating person on this island right now to Sansa, will have his mask of composure crumble.

In any case, with this move by Juugo, the power balance on Nanaejima will undoubtedly shift significantly. Whether for better or worse, change is inevitable. For Sansa, who is trying to take over this island, it is a perfect opportunity. That’s why she is laughing.

「Go ahead and stir things up as much as you like, Juugo.」

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Let’s rewind the clock a little.

「It’s been a while, Asumi-dono.」

After Juugo’s presentation ended and the challengers were leaving, Tensai Ikkyu approached Asumi.

Asumi, who was with the other members of the community, smiled at Tensai.

「Hey, Tensai-kun. Are you perhaps planning to join our community?」

「As I said before, I’m not interested in the Nanana collection.」

Asumi’s shoulders slumped at Tensai’s reply.

「That’s a shame. So, what do you want then?」

「There are two requirements. The first is that I’ve come to repay the debt from the <<game>> before summer vacation.」

「A debt?」

「Because you let me win in the second stage.」

Tensai glanced sideways at Haruto and smirked defiantly. Meanwhile, Hruto, who had made a fatal mistake at that time, simply snorted in displeasure.

「You don’t have to worry about that…」

However, Asumi’s expression clearly changed at the name that Tensai uttered.

「I don’t know how you plan to challenge him to a fight, but I’d like to give you some advice.」

And after listening to what Tensai said, Asumi nodded with a serious expression.

「Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind. So, what’s the other requirement?」

「That concerns not Asumi-dono, but that man over there.」

「Me?」

Taisei, pointed at by Tensai, looked bewildered.

「Taisei Amagi. I’d like to ask you a few questions about the past.」

「What do you mean by ‘the past’?」

「Probably sometime between one and three years ago. It’s about the circumstances of those who are challenging themselves to find the Nanana collection.」

6

Several days have passed since the presentation at the Seventh high School. Summer vacation is almost over. Tonight there will be a fireworks display that will mark the end of summer vacation on Nanaejima. But before that, there’s something I need to take care of.

Ding Dong

And so, the person who rang the doorbell was from apartment 203. Next door. And the one who answered was the very detective I needed to see.

「What’s wrong, Juugo? Why are you dressed up?」

He was wearing a brand new suit and a neatly tied necktie, what you would commonly call the formal attire of a salaryman. Wearing this outfit in the middle of summer is quite hot When heading to the battlefield though, the right attire is crucial.

「Tensai. I’m going out now, so come with me for a bit.」

「Going out where?」

I smirked at Tensai’s question.

「The Seven Buildings, the headquarters of the Nanaejima General Council.」