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Nanana’s Buried Treasure Volume 6 Chapter 4.7

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「Ugh, I’m tired. 」

Ikkyu Tensai muttered this while walking through the park and taking a seat on a nearby bench.

There was a clock right in front of her and when she looked up at it, it showed the time was 1:20.

「I wonder if they sell milk coffee somewhere」, she thinks to herself. She thinks about how the first stage will go.

First let’s look at the current situation. There were surprisingly few battles being played throughout the entire event so far. Most of the participants were standing around waiting for other participants passing by and haven’t even had a single battle.

It’ll probably be around the 30 minute mark that they start to worry thinking, ‘this could be bad.’ ‘Already half the stage’s time has passed and I still haven’t won a single game’, they say while getting impatient. ‘Maybe I should go and battle with another participant I saw’, they also think. But they aren’t sure. It’s because it’s obvious that the other participants have set a trap. They’ve also been trying to do that themselves, so it’s understandable. As a result they second guess themselves and end up confused.

After about 45 minutes they feel like they need to make a move. ‘At this point it doesn’t matter whether I have an advantage or disadvantage. It’s time to battle without worrying about it’, they think. But then they realize.

Considering the time it takes to find an opponent, the best you could do with the remaining time is to get one win. And if they won just once, they would only have 8 coins at most, instead of the 4 they had before. Since the first stage started with 5 coins, if you bet all five of them at once and win, you’d have achieved the clear condition with 10 coins. However when starting with 4 coins, it’s a different story. You must win at least twice in that case.

This is when the price of paying just one coin as an entrance fee becomes apparent.

In other words, this is M‘s true strategy.

M held the Guaranteed Victory Strategy seminar to reduce the number of participants who would advance to the second stage.

There were 31 participants in this year’s 《game》. The total number of coins available is 151. In other words, a maximum of 15 layers can advance to the second stage. That is something that anyone can understand without an explanation. The problem is that it doesn’t have to be 15, but only a maximum of 15. It’s true that there are 151 coins total, but will they be evenly distributed to exactly 15 people? That isn’t possible. In fact, M got 19 coins at the seminar and quickly qualified for the second stage. This means that only a maximum of 14 players could now advance to the second stage. There will probably be several participants who end up with more coins than needed when time runs out on the first stage. This will further reduce the number of participants who proceed to the second stage.

That is probably the reason why M announced an unnecessary handicap and set a participation fee, on grounds of disclosure of information in the name of strategy.

If there was no Guaranteed Victory Strategy course and the first stage had begun right away, there would naturally be those who would take advantage of the strategies mentions, and those who wouldn’t. This advantage would be based on knowledge, experience, imagination, and inspirations. There would be a gulf that arises between those who excel in these areas and those who don’t. As a result it would be those who excel who would survive. That is the essence of competition.

However, this case is a different story. Because the information that would give those who excel and advantage is distributed to everyone.

What is a winning strategy in this competitive game? It is the difference between what you know and what your opponent does not know. This is where the principle of advantage and disadvantage comes into play.

But if both parties knew it, then it doesn’t make sense.

Integration of information. What is created by distributing information that could be used to gain an advantage? It is a ‘manual man’ that simply follows the manual he is given.

Those are the participants that are scattered about right now.

They never change up this behavior because it’s what the manual says to do.

And because everyone has this manual and understands each other’s actions, no one is available to be fooled and so everyone is stuck.

The concept of a manual is already a trap. Following it is falling into M‘s trap.

They won’t realize it until it’s too late.

The problem then is those who understand it and are trying to overcome it.

You must collect 10 coins to advance to the second stage. And to get it we must deal with these ‘manual men’.

But it’s very annoying. They will only try to compete in battle areas where they can make full use of their Nanana collections.

「But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do. 」

Tensai has come up with 3 ways to overcome these situations.

The first strategy is to challenge participants who have become impatient with the passage of time, in a battle area with little advantage or disadvantage over each other. This allows them to compete on equal terms with the participants who then abandon their manuals.

「This seems like something Juugo would do. 」

The first strategy is a strong push using your own Nanana collection.

However the best condition to do this is that you have a strong Nanana collection. The difference in power must be so overwhelming that it can’t be overcome.

And one last thing.

Using your own wisdom, without the Nanana collection, to crush the ‘manual men’.

「Like me. 」

As of 1:20, Tensai has 9 coins.

At the beginning of the first stage, Tensai was challenged to a brain game and fell into a trap of a forced 4 coin bet. The odds were stacked against her, but she overturned them by using her observational skills and clever strategy. Although it took her some time, she achieved a stunning victory.

「Excuse me, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to have battle with you. 」

As Tensai was recalling this another participant approached her. After listening to his story, it turns out that just like the other participants she had been invited to a specific battle area.

「Hmph, fine. 」

She thought about refusing, but since it was a brain game, Tensai agreed.

The other person was overjoyed.

「Really?! Well then, let’s go. Oh, and you can bet any number of coins. 」

He had a friendly smile on his face, but I could easily imagine that there was already four coins placed on the betting table in the battle area we were about to go to.

The battle area was specified by the opponent, and their Nanana collection will give them an advantage in that battle area. What that item is, is also unknown.

To be frank, it’s an overwhelming disadvantage.

But that is precisely why Tensai is smiling.

「Hmph, this looks fun. 」

Solve all the mysteries under limiting conditions to defeat your opponent.

The great detective, Ikkyu Tensai, was enjoying this handicapped battle from the bottom of her heart.

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「Yeah so, I didn’t expect someone out there who would compete in a fair game」, said Masaaki Kishitani, a member of the 7th High School community while smiling at the other person.

「If you don’t mind, would you like to have a battle? 」

It was only a few minutes ago that Masaaki was approached.

Masaaki, who understood the idea of the first stage based on the information given to him from Misao and the others, thought that this man who had just approached him was also planning to pull him into a battle area where he would have the upper hand.

But the man continued.

「The choice of battle area is yours. The only condition is that you must bet all the coins you have. 」

「All of them? 」

「Ah, I’m not the kind of person to be negotiating and things like that with my opponents. I just want to get things done quickly. 」

「I agree with you about that. 」

Masaaki feels empathy for someone who has the same mindset as him and easily agrees to a battle. Taking advantage of the good intentions of his opponent, he chose a physical battle in which he could demonstrate his full strength. That is to say, a melee battle with punching.

《Physical Fitness / Battle Toads》

The winner is the one who knocks their opponent out or makes them say 「I lose! 」

Masaaki set all five coins in his possession on the betting table next to gorokuma, the referee. The other man then also placed five coins.

If he wins this, he’ll secure enough coins for one person to advance.

「Come to think of it, I didn’t get your name. 」

「Ah, I’m Ikusaba. Hiiyo Ikusaba that is. 」