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Chapter 74 – Visitor from New York

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Robert Smith.”

The visitor made an exaggerated gesture as he bowed.

In the reception room of the Ootori main estate, I was facing Mr. Smith—who had just introduced himself—along with my grandfather, Kiichirou, and my great-grandfather who has retired, Souichirou.
Tokita was also present in the room, but as a butler, so he simply stood behind us in silence. 

My maid Shizu and Haga, who usually attends to my great-grandfather, were not there.

More importantly, Great-Uncle Zenkichi, the head of the Ootori Group, had not been invited.

This clearly showed what level of discussion this was going to be.

Smith didn’t give us a business card, but according to him, he was a representative—an agent and negotiator—sent by “the Morgan firm.”

And notably, when requesting the meeting, he had specified not only my great-grandfather but also me by name.
At the very least, that meant he had heard the rumors about the “Ootori Priestess.” 

In other words, he wasn’t here to speak with the Ootori zaibatsu or the Ootori Group, but with the Ootori family itself.

Well, considering the subject of the meeting, their choice of attendees was understandable.

“Once again, I’m Ootori Kiichirou, head of the Ootori family,”

My grandfather spoke normally in English.
Naturally, Mr. Smith also spoke in English, and so the meeting proceeded in English.

Neither Tokita—who has traveled to America many times—nor Great-Grandfather had any trouble with English. 

And judging by Mr. Smith’s attitude, it was safe to say he assumed I could speak English as well.

(Just how much have they investigated Ootori? …Well, I’ll just have to keep quiet for now.)

Aside from the initial greetings, I kept to the role of observer for a while.

Eventually, the usual pleasantries and small talk came to an end.
Japanese people tend to value that kind of exchange, but I hadn’t heard that Americans placed much importance on it. 

Which meant Mr. Smith was likely of British descent, or his ancestors had immigrated from Britain.

Or perhaps he had thoroughly researched Japan and was simply adjusting his manner accordingly.

Still, Mr. Smith claimed to be a representative of the Morgan firm.

Morgan… America’s financial boss character had just appeared out of nowhere.
You could practically call him one of the final bosses.

A king of finance. 

On the eve of the Great Depression, Morgan stood as one of the top three American conglomerates alongside Rockefeller and Mellon.
A zaibatsu among zaibatsu, capable of being praised or compared in countless ways.

Whether Mr. Smith was a mere messenger to Ootori, a vanguard, or an envoy of goodwill—that would soon become clear in the conversation to follow.

Still, the impression I had of Mr. Smith was, even to myself, a little ridiculous.

(Ah, I see. This guy looks like that Smith from that anime. He’s well-built, has broad shoulders, that weird slicked-back brunette hair, and he’s wearing a black suit. If he put on some thin sunglasses, it’d be perfect. But… was there even a character like that in the game?)

I couldn’t help but have a nerdy reaction.
It was a lighthearted thought born from the comfort of simply observing for now, but still, I had to admit it was hopeless of me.

That said, for a while I could afford to have such carefree impressions. 

The only ones actually talking were Mr. Smith and either Great-Grandfather or my grandfather who also acts as my father.

The content of the conversation mostly consisted of relaying various “trial balloons” floating around different parts of America:

“What is Phoenix really planning?”

“Are they going to dump a huge amount all at once?”

“Aren’t they just stirring up the market?”

“Which stock will they buy next?”

“Is the rumor true that they’re going to sell and convert everything to dollars?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to keep borrowing against the unrealized gains in the stocks as they’ve done before?”

“They say it’s all prep for a massive shopping spree—can that be true?”

And so on—rumors, speculations, and wishful thinking, all swirling together.

Since their counterpart is a person of color from a “small” zaibatsu in the minor nation of Japan, there’s a certain irritation and a sense of arrogance—how dare they—but in the end, dollars are dollars.
And what’s more, the origin of those dollars was said to be a bank located in the heart of Switzerland, with even a wild rumor that it came from the Romanov treasure. 

While that part might be nonsense, the story had spread to the point that the core collateral was said to be a massive amount of gold.

Mostly rumors, of course—but some of them were deliberately spread by the Ootori family, so there’s at least a shred of truth behind them.
Mixing a bit of truth into a lie makes it feel more believable, and people are more likely to accept something if there’s some reality behind it. 

Plus, it forces others to figure out what’s true and what’s not, which in turn can confuse them.

On the flip side, it can also lead to conversations with those who manage to sniff out the truth.

The man before us, the negotiator-like Mr. Smith had presumably sorted fact from fiction before stepping into this room.
Representing Morgan & Co., he’d have to—anything less, and it would be a problem for us.

After all, the rumor that Phoenix’s true identity is the Ootori clan has already been spreading beneath the surface.
With so much stock involved, we’re swarmed by hyenas and fools drawn in by the scent of wealth.

And now, the slightly sharper, more keen-eared ones—those who caught wind of Phoenix’s rumored retirement from the market—are lying in wait for the Ootori family to release its shares.

(There’s no way Morgan & Co. would go so far as to send someone all the way to Japan just to tell us not to sell our stock or that they want to buy it, right?)

Thinking that, I glanced at Mr. Smith—and just then, he suddenly looked my way, and our eyes met.

Then, he flashed a strong, sharp smile.

Looks like we’re finally getting to the main point.

“Well then, after all that discussion, would you mind if we moved on to the main subject?”

At those words, the two Ootori elders—my great-grandfather and my grandfather—reacted: the older one let out a small sigh, while the younger gave a wry smile.

“Long conversations tire an old man. By all means, go ahead.”

“I don’t know much about money. If the topic changes, let me know.”

My grandfather said that as he picked up his now-cold tea.

Perhaps out of courtesy or simply following suit, Mr. Smith took a small sip from his own teacup, then spread his hands slightly in a “now let’s begin” gesture.

This fondness for gestures was probably just the American in him.

“My apologies. I’d heard that with both Japanese and Britons, small talk before serious negotiations is essential, and I may have gotten a little carried away. Now then, let me get straight to the point, as a descendant of pioneers. The Phoenix family—are they acting under this young lady’s direction? Is that correct?”

(Ohhh, straight to the point. I almost want to praise him for that.)

Still, I felt nothing beyond a simple “Well, of course he’d say that,” so it didn’t even surprise me.

I’d already been thoroughly surprised when Morgan & Co. had named me specifically.
Great-grandfather gave a wry smile, and my grandfather just raised an eyebrow.

“That’s an absurd notion. We allowed our great-granddaughter to sit in because you requested her, but if this is the sort of nonsense you’ve come to spout, then I must ask what your intentions are.”

When Great-grandfather replied, Mr. Smith reacted with exaggerated flair.

(He’s probably pretending to be a movie actor. Or at least, deliberately trying to look like one. I wonder how much of a sly fox—or raccoon—he really is.)

“If only that were the case. To be frank, we greatly underestimated the Ootori family at first. But we could no longer ignore you. When we looked deeper, we found things that didn’t add up.”

“Oh? And what didn’t add up?”

As if waiting for that exact question, his eyes widened sharply.
I could almost feel the urge radiating off him, like he was about to jab his finger forward with theatrical intensity.

“Your moves have been far too precise. The Ootori family had already been remarkable in the half-century since this country was founded—but ever since the earthquake struck this capital, your actions have been so precise they’re frightening. You caused a government to fall just to swallow up one conglomerate. And then there’s your massive success on the American stock market.”

“It was just a coincidence. We were lucky, that’s all.”.

Great-grandfather tried to dodge the question with vague words, but Mr. Smith’s flood of speech didn’t stop.
Nor did his exaggerated gestures.

“Most people would think so. We did too. We laughed off the idea of a miko—a priestess—as nonsense. Unrealistic superstition, we thought. But then, what is this success? According to our projections, if you sell your stocks next year as planned, you’ll walk away with two billion dollars in cash. The money is within the United States, so there’s no way to stop it. And that sum… is enough to overturn several nations. Even we can’t ignore that. No—in fact, it may be time to call you the King of Investment.”

And in the end, results are everything. 

Race? 

Nation? 

Those things can be tossed into the gutter.
Success alone is justice. 

You, the Phoenix group, are one of the kings. That is why we at Morgan wish to forge a friendship with you. That is our intention.”

He finished his declaration and gave a respectful bow.

At that moment, Great-grandfather turned his gaze toward me as he bowed.
Grandfather watched in silence as our eyes met.

He was telling me to speak. 

That’s how I chose to interpret it.

From here on, it’s my turn.

That Smith from the anime

The surname “Smith” was chosen from the start because it’s a common name, but everything beyond that was decided later.
Inspired by “The Big O”—the negotiator of Paradigm City. A visitor from New York, so it’s a nod to that.

I could’ve gone with “Roger Smith,” but there are so many actors and characters with that name in various works, so I decided to avoid it.