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Nanana’s Buried Treasure Volume 9 Chapter 3.8

Upon hearing Tensai’s words, Shiki, who was tilting her beer can, stopped for a moment.

「You know quite a lot.」

「I’ve done quite a bit of research.」

Shiki, who had been staring at her, eventually gave a wry smile.

「Well, I don’t really care who instigated it. As long as we know that Tensai-chan is a great detective, lives in room 203, and is a friend of Nanana. Is that how you found Nanana?」

「Before that, let me confirm one thing. According to my research, Shiki-dono became the owner of this Happiness Dorm by buying it after Nanana-dono died.」

「That’s right. It was about six months after Nanana died.」

「Why did you buy it?」

「There was talk of demolishing this place. I used to live here too, and I didn’t want Nanana’s room to disappear.」

「I see. And then Shiki-dono, who became the owner of Happiness Dorm, found Nanana-dono.」

「Shiki nodded.」

「It was coincidental that I found Nanana, who had become a ghost. I’d been checking on Room 202 every few days.」

「Why?

When asked, Shiki tilts her can of beer and gives another bitter smile.

「If you are asking why… I guess it’s because I still have attachments to those I lost. I couldn’t accept that Nanana had died.」

「Is that so?」

「Well, thanks to that, I was able to find Nanana.」

「What state was Nanana in?」

「She was asleep, as if she had fainted. I immediately picked her up and was surprised, because she was so cold. Then I just thought, oh, she’s a ghost or something.」

「Were you scared?」

「Actually, I was happy. Because I had been so desperate to see Nanana again, no matter what form she took. So I was so happy that the real Nanana was there that I cried. Even if she was a ghost.」

「May I ask about the will?」

「That’s fine, but it seems like you’ve already heard the story from someone else, right?」, Shiki asks with a meaningful smile.

Tensai nods frankly, 「Yeah, I guess so.」

「But I wanted to hear it from you, Shiki, who heard it directly from Nanana.」

「Hmm, I don’t think it will change anything. Anyway. Nanana’s will, although to be precise it was a message from Nanana after she became an earthbound spirit. All Nanana said at the time was, ‘From now on, <<ruins>> will be appearing all over the island, so please don’t interfere with it’, and ‘I would like only students to attempt them’.」

「Is that all?」

「Yeah, that’s about it.」

「What did you think when you heard that?」

「I didn’t understand it all, but I felt like I  might have understood what it was.」

Tensai had a hunch about why Shiki felt that way. It was probably what Saito had said about Nanana before she died.

「And then Shiki-dono conveyed that will to the other GREAT7?」

「Yeah.」

「So what happened?」

「You want me to tell you?」

「What I know is that a rule was established in accordance with Nanana-dono’s will that forbids GREAT7 from directly interfering with the Nanana collection. And another rule was also established that forbids any future contact or investigation into Nanana Ryuugajou.」

「You know a lot about it. I mean, it’s something that only we know about, but… That being said, What do you want to know about it?」

「I understand the first rule, but I just can’t understand the second rule. I was wondering why such an arrangement was made.」

「Honestly, I don’t understand why it ended up like this. Nanana, who was supposed to be dead, has returned to life, even if she’s just a ghost. So why doesn’t anyone try to hang out with Nanana? They could visit and chat right? But no one comes to see Nanana.」

Shiki looks down and laughs sadly, 「Just kidding.」

「I know the reason, too. At the time, Ikkaku had been away for a year and had just returned, and it was a crucial time when they had just begun their counterattack against Alpamesto, so they didn’t have time for her. But even so, he should still have wanted to visit Nanana.」

「It is Ikkaku-san after all. What was the reason?」

Shiki just smiled vaguely.

「He’s the most earnest and honest of us, so he caused everyone trouble for a year, and still couldn’t find the culprit who killed Nanana. Then he put an end to what happened with Nanana and made the counterattack. It was right after that that Nanana showed up again…. That’s why Ikkaku doesn’t visit Nanana. It’s not for Nanana’s sake, it’s for the sake of the other GREAT7 who are still alive, I’m sure. Everyone knows that, so no one else comes to see Nanana. It’s precisely because Ikkaku is putting up with it that everyone else is putting up with it. That’s just how it is.」

「…..」

「After all, Nanana is already dead.」

Tensai couldn’t quite understand what feelings or thoughts Shiki was expressing in those words.

「Hey, Tensai, what do you think of Ikkaku?」

「…I don’t know, I’ve never met the leader of this island, so I don’t know…」

「He’s your father, after all. You look like him. Of course I’d notice.」

「But it wasn’t mentioned in the documents I submitted to you as my landlady, Shiki-dono.」

「Are you aware that the intelligence agencies of this country know more than the president?」

「I see, so you investigated as an honorary advisor of the Security Services?」

「Well, I needed to check to see if Tensai-chan was capable of paying her rent.」

「I don’t think it’s right to abuse your authority to investigate that minor of a thing.」

「Didn’t he tell you why I’m an honorary advisor?」

Without any signs of remorse she answers with, ‘no?’, when prompted to answer Shiki’s question.

Tensai thought for a while and muttered to herself, 「I just don’t get it.」

「Really? What do you usually talk about?」

「I’ve never really had a proper conversation with Ikkaku.」

「Oh, I see.」

「Just to be clear, this is all confidential. I don’t’ want people to spread rumors.」

「Of course I won’t. I don’t like to interfere in such matters.」

「That’s helpful.」

「Well I’ve gotten off topic a bit, but I guess that’s all I have to say? Is there anything else?」

After thinking for a moment, Tensai asks, 「Is there anyone who benefits from Nanana’s death?」

「I don’t think so. At least I can say I’ve only ever seen people who were saddened by Nanana’s death.」

That was a bit of an unexpected answer. While the other GREAT7 all mentioned Alpamesto’s name, Shiki was the only one who didn’t say that. Shiki’s words were a clear indication that everyone was equally saddened by Nanana’s death.

「Who do you think the culprit is?」

After a puzzled look, Shiki bursts out laughing.

「What? Are you going around asking such a straight forward question?」

「You are the first person I asked this too.」

「Why are you asking only me that question?」

「Because I thought you were the closest to Nanana-dono.」

「What do you mean?」

「I man what I said. The other GREAT7 members keep their distance from Nanana-dono, but You are the only one who is close to Nanana-dono, who is now a ghost. That’s why I thought that you might have some feelings as to who the culprit might be.」

「I see.」

「so?」

「Yeah…」

After thinking for a while, Shiki replied with a wry smile.

「Sorry, I don’t know.」

「I see. I’ll tell you what, landlady. I might come back to ask you again, so please tell me then.」

「Next time, bring D’ark-chan too. I want to play lots of pranks on him.」

「I’ll come alone next time too.」

「Too bad. See you then.」

「Are you going out to eat?」

「Hmm, not today. I’m not really in the mood.」

「I see.」

Tensai stood up and headed for the entrance.

「Oh, Tensai-chan.」

「What…」

Tensai turned around and gasped. Shiki’s face was right in front of her. In a split second, Shiki closed the distance and gently traced Tensai’s neck with her index finger. Then she smiled.

「Do your best to find the culprit.」

「I’ll do my best to live up to your expectations」, she replied while her heart beat like a drum.

As she was leaving, Tensai asked her something that had been bothering her.

「Shiki-dono, who was the one who was most saddened by Nanana’s death?」

After thinking for a while, Shiki muttered to herself.

「It would have to be Ikkaku, I guess.」

The name that Nanana’s best friend, who has remained by her side since her death and become an earthbound spirit, mentioned was not her own, but another person’s.

7

After finishing his conversation with Shiki, Tensai leaves Happiness dorm.

She then arrives at a luxurious mansion in the center of Nanaejima. The Ikkaku residence.

The reason she came here on such short notice was, of course, to talk to Shunjuu Ikkaku…

「Mmmm.」

The guard lets her through and she arrives in front of the mansion, but Tensai’s feet don’t move forward after that.

She’s going to go and talk to Shunjuu Ikkaku now.