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Nanana’s Buried Treasure Volume 8 Chapter 3.2

Anyways, I quickly took out the tools and put them on.

M has been defeated, and the final stage was a trap filled <<ruin>> which is my specialty. I think it’s safe to say that I’m pretty close to winning.

Once I was ready I started down the stairs again. As I reached the bottom of the stairs, there was a hint of a trap in the room. I look around the room and a smile appears on my face.

「Piece of Cake.」

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Countless arrows attack Ageha Kachou, but they all stop in mid-air before they can reach her, as if they’ve pierced an invisible wall. The surrounding arrows that were stuck in Ageha’s Nanana collection <<humpty dumpty>> fall to the floor one by one. She picks one up and snorts at the sight of its sharp arrowhead.

「This is a bit of an extreme way to liven up the third stage.」

Tossing the arrow aside, Ageha heads down the corridor of the <<ruin>>.

「In the end, this is what happened.」

Ageha chose the silver egg, <<humpty dumpty>> from the Nanana collection to bring to this <<game>> because of its high defensive power. It was in case she had to fight the other participants, and especially in case she had to make her way through a <<ruin>> like this.

Just like Juugo, Ageha also suspected that a <<ruin>> would be involved in the <<game>> that had a Nanana collection as its prize. This was a natural feeling for a <<challenger>> who had been through numerous <<ruins>> and obtained several Nanana collections to this point.

The moment she left the corridor and stepped into the open space, a ‘click’ echoed around Ageha’s feet. Suddenly, several long needles pop out from the floor in the area where Ageha is. However, all of these dangers are repelled or stopped by an invisible wall.

「These are quick traps aren’t they?」

Crushing the silver egg in her hand, Ageha snorted at the needles that surrounded her, each one reaching as high as her back, and slipped through them.

「Hmph, that’s quite a feat.」

Hearing the voice, Ageha turned towards it and chuckled.

「Oh my, I was wondering who it was, and it’s a little mouse. You didn’t say a word to me during the second stage so I got lonely.」

「I didn’t really see any need to talk to you Ageha-ojousan.」

So says the disrespectful Detective Tensai  Ikkyuu, a former kohai at the First High School where Ageha attends.

「By the way… what are you doing little mouse?」

That former kohai is currently stuck between needles sticking out of the floor.

「Well, I found a floor switch that looked like a trap, so I threw a rock I found nearby to activate it. And now I’m just trying to slip through it.」

「And so as you are trying to squeeze through narrow gaps, you got stuck and are unable to move.」

「Hmph, as expected of Ageha-dono. Though not on the level of this great detective, your deductive skills are still quite impressive.」

「I’m actually quite impressed by your mental fortitude, being stuck sideways between the needles, kicking your legs, and still sporting that cynical smile.」

Ageha laughed at her and Tensai pursed her lips and made ‘muuuuuu’ noises.

「Shall I help you, little mouse?」

「….that would be appreciated.」

Ageha crushes the silver egg with her left hand. A protective wall appears around Tensai. It appears and cuts the needles that are pinning Tensai in place, then disappears immediately. Naturally, Tensai is freed from the needles and falls to the ground hitting her hip and letting out a ‘mugyuuuu’ sound.

「Thank you Ageha-dono. But next time, make sure you put a cushion down before helping someone like that.」

「Oh sorry, I didn’t think about that.」

As Ageha laughs mischievously, she notices something new as she sees Tensai approaching.

「You have changed quite a bit.」

「? Has I?」

「The old you would never have asked someone for help, and even if someone did help you, you would never have thanked them.」

「Is that so?」

「Well, little mouse herself may not have noticed. After all, little mouse used to be a person who was completely indifferent to others.」

She neither denies nor confirms this claim. She just mutters, 「That’s not true.」

「By the way, how’s that trespasser kid?」

The one that comes to Tensai’s mind is a dark-skinned man’s daughter.

「That good for nothing assistant must be snoozing at home right now.」

Looking at Tensai’s profile as she turns away, Ageha gives a wry smile and says, 「I see.」

「You should take good care of her. She’s the reason you changed.」

Tensai was at a loss for words for a moment. ‘Hmph」, she says as she turns away.

「I’ll think about it.」

「You do that」, Kachou Ageha gives a positive suggestion while smiling at her reluctant former kohai.

「Would you like to make a deal, little mouse? If you become my servant, I will take you to the deepest part of this <<ruin>>, the Ultimate thrown, unharmed.」

「What if I say no?」

「I’m going to take the key fragment from you and leave it here.」

「Do you think I’ll give it to you so easily?」

「I heard from Servant A… I mean Juugo. Your Nanana collection is just an amulet with no special power right?」

「Stop telling people unnecessary things, Juugo.」

「By the way, thanks to Yama’s advice, I currently have four Nanana collections.」

「There’s no way I will win.」

「Of course. Now that you understand, I’ll be off.」

Ageha walks away without waiting for Tensai’s reply, because there is no need to think about what Tensai might do.

「She sees into a person’s characteristics and places them in an environment where they can thrive. That’s Ageha-dono’s specialty.」

「I’ve been saying this for a while now. I’m good at using people.」

Then Ageha throws the cloth bag containing the key fragments she was carrying at Tensai, who was reluctantly following behind her. She makes a declaration to Tensai, who managed to catch it.

「Don’t worry little mouse, I’ll take you to a place where you can thrive.」

Seeing Ageha with that beautiful smile on her face, Tensai smiles and says, 「Oh well.」

「Just as expected from the former Student Council President of the First High School.」

Naturally, Tensai obediently followed Ageha’s orders and asks her something that suddenly occurs to her.

「By the way, how long have you known about the Nanana collection, Ageha-dono?」

When they attended the same high school, Tensai didn’t know about them, and she didn’t remember Ageha acting as if she knew either.

Ageha answered the question smoothly without even turning around.

「I’ve known at least since before you met that assistant, little mouse.」

3

Just as I thought I had slipped through the trap and emerged into an open space, I noticed someone there already. I was wary, worried that it might be Ikusaba-san, but I was relieved when I found out it was Tetsu-kun.

「Yo, Tetsu-kun.」

I smiled and waved, thinking I got lucky, but Tetsu-kun just stared at me in silence.

「Let’s go together to the room between the doors for now. I think we can probably negotiate with Ageha-ojousama. Let’s open the door together and then decide what to do…」

I approached Tetsu-kun with this suggestion, but stopped mid-way. This was because Tetsu-kun had his hand on the sheath of his sword and lowered his hips into a fighting stance.

「W.. what’s wrong, Tetsu-kun?」

「Yama, leave your key fragment and turn back.」

「…ummm, why?」

「Don’t ask why.」

「No no, we should still cooperate. We’ve already formed an alliance…」

「Don’t make me repeat myself.」

At this point, my smile faded away as Tetsu-kun’s expression was now serious.

「What happened?」

「Stop asking questions.」

「Is it Yun-chan? Is something wrong?」

「Stop asking me questions.」

Just from that, I somehow understood everything.

「What are you going to do?」

「Win this and get the <<Sword of Nanana>>. That’s it.」

I see, that’s what this is about.

「So this is the end of our alliance?」

「Sorry.」

「So instead of apologizing, is there nothing else I can do?」

「….no.」

Seeing Tetsu-kun’s expression and hearing his strained voice, I understand.

「Understood.」

And so, this marked the end of the alliance between Juugo Yama and Tetsunoshin Tsujimi. Well then, I know what to do.

「Actually, Tetsu-kun, I don’t like this situation.」

「? What do you mean?」

「Well, I mean, there’s no way I’d purposely just barge in on them waiting in the middle of the room like that.」

So I went around Tetsu-kun and sprinted to the next passageway.

「H…hey, Juugo.」

「Adios, my friend.」

With a dandy smile and a beautiful voice, I said goodbye to Tetsu-kun and entered the passage ahead.

「H..hey, wait!」

Of course, Tetsu-kun will chase after me. He abandoned his fighting stance and let go of his sheath.

So the moment he approached the passageway, I quickly turned back and jumped out. I was able to get into Tetsu-kun’s range in one move.