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Nanana’s Buried Treasure Volume 8 Chapter 1.1

Episode 15: Second Stage 5 –Juugo’s Struggle-

Detective Team (blue spade): Detective & Thief – 520 Coins

Sakura Team (yellow diamond): Yamato Nadeshiko & Military Uniform – 520 coins (Begging Time Used)

Lady’s Team (green club): Lady & Servant A & Servant B – 709 coins

Cat Ears Team (red heart): Cat Ears Mask & Cat Ears-chan – 292 coins

「I have a suggestion for you all.」

It is the 27th turn of the second stage of tonight’s <<game>> hosted by the leprechaun M , <<Sugoroku de Pon>>. Just before the dice were rolled, I suddenly spoke, which drew everyone’s attention.

I continued with a smile, 「Would you like to make a <<transaction>>?」

「A transaction?」, Tensai muttered frowning.

「The <<transaction>> I would like to propose to you all is to void all the deals currently circulating between teams.」

The reactions of the participants to my proposal were mixed. However, there was no immediate opposition. They seemed interested in what I was saying.

「Hmph, so you’re saying we should go back to scratch in our current situation?」

I nod at Tensai’s words.

「Those two… Servant B’s transformed Anego and M-chan from earlier. I want to reset the situation that was ruined by those two. In any case, if things stay as they are, the deal will get in the way and we won’t be able to have a genuine battle.

The only ones who could think of something like this were the members of the Young Lady Team. The alliance <<transaction>> that Nanana-chan (who had possessed Yun-chan aka M) made earlier was a countermeasure against Sansa-san. As long as this was happening, there was a possibility that it would cause problems in the match between the three teams.

Using this as pretext, they try to add to the conversation sneakily, 「And on top of that we should prohibit all <<transactions>> in the future.」

Amidst the murmur, he slides in this message nonchalantly.

「It’s already the final stretch of the game, there’s not even enough time to cooperate with each other. From now on, it should be purely a battle of skill on the Sugoroku board, right?」

Each team begins whispering about this proposal.

「We don’t mind.」

Yukihime-neesan from the Sakura team was the first to express her support. Neidhart D. Polnareff (pseudonym) was standing next to her with a big grin.

「Hmph, we have no problem with it either.」

Tensai, who had just finished discussing with Ikusaba, answered for the Great Detective Team and nodded.

These two teams showed an unexpected willingness to accept the proposal. This made me happy.

Now, how will the Cat Ear Team (or more importantly M) respond?

「I understand.」

Without appearing to have spoken to Nishi-san (who had been feeling a bit depressed for a while now), M readily agreed to this. Perhaps something had happened that distracted her… Or perhaps something like this was no hindrance to M‘s plans.

Well I’m grateful either way.

「OK, then let’s go ahead and make it a <<transaction>>.」

I got a document to document the <<transaction>> from Imawano-san (the banker) and immediately began filling it out.

<<Transaction Statement>>

Transaction Teams: Great Detective Team, Sakura Team, Young Lady Team, Cat Ears Team

Time of Transaction: 4:28:11 AM

Transaction Details: The previous <<transactions>> are abandoned. Any future <<transactions>> are prohibited.

Stamp: Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs.

Once all the teams had used their stamps, they immediately handed the document to Imawano-san. Imawano-san the banker checked the details, stamped ‘Transaction Accepted *5’ and completed the acceptance of the transaction.

When I saw that, I grinned on the inside. I succeeded in eliminating one source of my anxiety.

The most dangerous rule in this game of <<Sugoroku de Pon>> is the <<transaction>> rule. By using this rule, you can change or add more conditions at will. I realized that this was quite dangerous when I saw how Sansa-san was using it. Sansa-san’s behavior convinced me.

If anything I think M would use this to give herself a huge advantage. In any case, this now prevents M from doing anything that would break the current rules.

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

It was now the 29th turn, and the number of laps had reached 8. The number of squares on the Sugoroku board, which started with 40, had been reduced to 12. However, since Sansa Kurosu and Ryuugajou Nanana had disappeared, a <<forced acquisition game>> had yet to occur.

「Hmm, things have been pretty quiet lately… or so I’d like to say, but I guess this is how the game normally is played.」

After Nanana’s arrival, a <<forced acquisition game>> would be played every turn. This was because Nanana (aka M) would keep rolling the dice to get the same number as the dice rolled by Sansa. That was what was actually abnormal.

They are gone now and things are quiet… or perhaps it is just a calm before a storm.

Tensai was sitting in a chair at the team base, slurping down her coffee milk through a straw with her eyes fixed on the monitor.

Currently, representatives from each team have moved to the numbered rooms and were attempting their tasks.

Once the number of laps exceeded 7, the difficulty of the number challenges also increased, and accordingly the number of coins that could be earned suddenly jumped to about 50. Since this match is nearing the end, this could have been done to make the game more exciting like a TV show, but it could also have been done because the cat-eared team that M was on was in last place. However, as long as we don’t make a mistake during the number tasks the difference in coins between the teams will not change. In fact, the difference between them is about 50 coins because M from the cat-eared team made a mistake earlier.

Just like Juugo, Tensai is also concerned about M‘s actions. They are currently in last place, but it seems unlikely that they will end up like that. Just like in the first stage, M is sure to do something to change it now too.

For now, the only thing that seems to have been done by M to manipulate the rules is the inflation of the coins in the second stage, which was to make up for being outwitted by Ikusaba at the end of the first stage.

He wondered if the intervention of Ryuugajou Nanana was also part of the plan, but it was probably something that even M hadn’t expected. If Nanana was there to help her win the second stage, there’s no way she would have given coins to the other teams. In fact, Nanana had disappeared at the same time that Sansa Kurosu had.

In other words, the involvement of Sansa Kurosu and Ryuugajou Nanana was an irregular feature, not a scenario made by M. There is no way that was part of M‘s plans.

So, how will M act now? What will she do?

When you think about it that way, Juugo’s proposal was a pretty good strategy for dealing with M.

Tensai also saw how Sansa Kurosu used the <<transaction>> and was concerned about how it could manipulate even the most fundamental rules. The same was true with Ikusaba of her own team.

The proposal was made in the name of resetting and dissolving the alliance between the three teams that was left by Nanana.

I jumped on board right away.

「But surely there is more to it than that.」

The great detective then turned her attention to Juugo, who was currently having a conversation with Ageha Kachou at their team base.

「Let’s see what you can do, my arch rival.」

2

We now enter the 30th turn. With fewer squares remaining, the pace of the laps accelerates, and before you know it we are on the 9th lap and only the Hamasu squares were left.

「Are you both ready?」

「Of course.」

「Yeah, we’ll carry out Juugo’s plan without any problems.」

Lady Ageha and Tetsu-kun nodded when I asked.

Let’s go back a little in time. Right after Sansa-san left and Tetsu-kun returned, right before the 27th turn.

Having been given full authority by Lady Ageha, I immediately told the two of them my thoughts.

「There are just over ten dice tickets left. If we continue like this, the number of laps will reach 10 in just a few more turns. When that happens, with only four squares left on the board, it’s obvious that we’ll be seeing lots of <<forced acquisition games>>. With that being the case, the home stretch of <<sugoroku de pon>> will depend on how well we do in these <<forced acquisition games>>.」

Lady Ageha nodded saying, ‘That’s true.’

「But to be honest, I’m not sure how it’ll go. Unless it was Sansa-san or the extra tense M-san.」

It’s true that the strength of those two were a league above.

「But that doesn’t mean we can’t do anything.」

「What do you mean?」

「Let’s use our Nanana collection. Well, I mean let’s use it a lot.」

The two of them are stunned.