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Nanana’s Buried Treasure Volume 5 Chapter 6.3

「I’m sorry. 」

I sincerely apologized. I understood now that I shouldn’t have said that.

「Hmph, I just needed to know. 」

「I was surprised by your reaction. Even for Tensai there are people who are very important to you. 」

Tensai’s cheeks turn bright red as soon as I say that.

「D..don’t be silly! Who says he’s important to me?! 」

Hmmm that guy. So it’s him? I don’t know who the hell he thinks he is.

「? Hey, Juugo. Your face looks 3 times as threatening as it usually does. 」

「Don’t say such rude things!  I’m just annoyed! 」

「? Why are you suddenly annoyed? 」

「….huh? Why is it? 」

「Don’t ask me you idiot! 」

I tilted my head while I was thinking about it. Tensai ignored me and started walking.

「Hey, Tensai…」

「What are you doing Juugo? Let’s get the hell out of here and join up with Ibara and the others. 」

「Is it ok? 」

「Maybe it is, and maybe it isn’t. Your evil plan… or rather, our eveil plan isn’t complete yet. We must quickly figure out the password and get home. We only have a couple of hours left. 」

Looking at the clock tower in front of the station I can see it’s almost 10 o’clock at night.

「OK, let’s hurry. 」

We started running towards the place our sempai were waiting for us at.

2

「You guys are late! 」

When we got to the meeting place, Tsurezure-senapi and Ibara-senpai were waiting.

「What about President Yuiga? Do I even have to ask? 」

President Yuiga, who is currently in the hospital, probably can’t even move yet.

Tensai gives a report.

「It seems that D’ark has finished his work and is headed here on the tram, but it will take a bit longer. We should start without him. 」

「Does that mean the four of us are going to try to figure out the password? Then let’s get to work on the code on the Leprechaun’s homepage…」

「Then you’ve already solved it. 」 「Isshin-sama has already given me the answer. 」

Tensai and our sempai speak at the same time.

「Ummm. 」, Seeing me confused, Ibara-senpai gives me an surprised look.

「Why do you think Isshin-sama chose this place for us to gather? It’s because it’s near the place indicated in the code. 」

「Really? 」

「That’s right. According to Isshin-sama, it seems to be around the building over there. 」

「That’s kind of vague. I mean why is that the place where the code indicates? 」

「How should I know? 」

You don’t know? Why were you acting like a know-it-all then Ibara-senpai?

Tensai starts the explanation at this point.

「The code on the website reads, ‘Gather at the intersection of the lines that cut through the island in equal widths, and a new path will open up for you.’ The 《cutting line》 described here is the lines of latitude and longitude. 」

「That’s the lines you see on a world map that run vertically and horizontally right? 」

「That’s right. However, the scale of a world map is too large and a latitude line does not pass through Nanaejima. Most likely we would want to look at a map of a smaller scale. The map that is currently being used as the standard for the island is this one, which is updated regularly by the Nanaejima Board of Supervisors. 」

After saying this Tensai displayed a map on the screen of her cel phone. This map does indeed have lines of latitude and longitude drawn on it.

「But there are quite a few places on Nanaejima where these lines intersect, right? 」

「There are 58 locations within the borders of the island, and the location Ibara-dono mentioned earlier is one of them. 」

「I mean, how do you know that’s the right place? It could be anywhere. 」

「I’m not saying the place we are going is the only right place. I’m saying the place we’re going to is one of the right places. 」

「Ah, I see. So all the places are right. 」

「Organizer M gave the challenge to everyone on the island. But there was a short time limit. It’s reasonable then to assume that it is not one particular location, but all of them. 」

「Indeed. If the destination is on the opposite side of the island from where someone is, it would take the whole time to get there. With needing time to solve the code someone who happens to be in the wrong place may not make it. That wouldn’t be fair for them would it? I understand now. 」

「If you get it then, let’s go. 」

Spurred on by Tensai, we move under our target building. According to the map the lines intersect right above this building. In other words this must be the place.

「There is something over there. 」

Everyone looks where Ibara-senpai points to. It is a back alley between empty buildings I can see someone standing, but it’s too dark to see them clearly.

「What is that creature? 」

Tsurezure-senpai, who has good vision at night, said something strange. For now I carefully try to get closer. There was a mysterious creature that I could not quite make out.

It looks like a person, but it is definitely not a person. For example, it looks like a dark colored snowman, with strangely long and thin arms and legs. The round face has two small round eyes, but no nose or mouth. On its head is a slightly long and square hat, like a soldier’s hat, it has the number ‘38’ written on it.

It seemed to be holding something like a bundle of paper in his long slender hand.

I was keeping my distance from the mysterious creature that seemed to be charming but eerie. It seemed to have noticed us and turned towards us. It beckoned us to come in, wiggling its slender fingers in a gesture.

「H..hi there. 」

I timidly approached him and greeted him, but there was no reply. Well, he doesn’t seem to have a mouth. Instead he gave us one of the sheets of paper he was carrying. His round eyes seem to be saying, ‘Good Luck’.

For now Ibara-senpai said ‘thank you’ and took it. Everyone immediately looked at it. There were mysterious words on it.

「This is the starting point. One is 0.4 steps towards the longest tower. One is 0.78 steps toward the immovable star. When one and one overlap, the answer you seek will be found. 」

「It seems like a puzzle. 」

「Well, there are two clues and we’re supposed to find them. 」

「Apparently so. 」

Hearing a voice other than our own suddenly resounding, everyone raised their heads and turned in that direction.

Everyone was surprised.

「Why are you here Nishi-san? 」

The members of the 7th High School Student Council were here. And in the hand of Asumi Nishi, who was standing at the front of the group, was a piece of paper just like ours.

「It’s the same as you Yama-kun. We came here to get the password. 」

She has a smile on her face but I don’t trust it.

「But why this specific location? 」

The puzzle on the leprechaun’s website pointed to 58 locations, as explained earlier by Tensai. Nishi-san and the others were at the Tanabata Festival like I was. From that venue there must have been many places closer than here.

「We wanted to talk to you. Sorry, but we were forced to follow you Yama-kun and was able to get ahead of you. 」

I was being followed?! You’re kidding! There were no signs of them at all. I was so upset about my plan failing at the Tanabata Festival that I didn’t notice it? No, that doesn’t explain it. I should have been the only one who got off the tram there at the station where Tensai joined me.

If that’s the case then the only explanation I can think of is a Nanana collection being used.

「So, what’s the story? 」

Even with Ibara, a sempai, stepping forward and staring her down, Nishi-san was completely unmoved and held her smile.

「I’d like to hear your answer to the question from the other day. 」

That would be about participating in the group that Nishi-san and the 7th High School will establish.

「Last time you were telling me to ‘Take your time thinking it over’, but now you’re in such a hurry. 」

「I would have liked to have a bit more time. Now things have quickly changed. 」

「Was it the message from Organizer M」

Nishi-san nodded.

「We are determined to win the next 《Game》. For that reason, I want to increase the number of allies and get as many of them to participate as possible. 」

I see. In other words, Nishi-san and the others must be thinking about winning the <<game>> as a group. That is why she invited us, and now is asking for an answer.

「Let me ask you one thing. If you get <<Nanana’s Sword>> as the prize, it becomes property of the whole group, right? 」

「Yeah that’s right. 」

「Did you decide who specifically will be the winner? 」

The vice president was the one who answered this question.

「We intend to let Asumi win. And with that banner moment, we intend to declare the beginning of our group. 」

Certainly, owning a Nanana Collection that the leprechaun’s consider rare would attract even more attention among the challengers. That literally could be enough of an impact to serve as the banner for the group.