Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 1 (section)

== 1.02 Nanana Part 2 ==
The first Mushitsuki that Nanana had met was an untalkative girl.

Nanana was still young. She had been called by her grandfather, her only remaining blood relative, to participate in a party full of wealthy people.

While walking around the unfamiliar town to do some sightseeing, she’d gotten lost. She ended up in a dirty back alley, feeling so scared she was about to burst into tears.

The girl she’d met in that alley was slightly older and couldn’t be called pretty even as a compliment.

That girl wordlessly took hold of Nanana’s arm.

On the way, when Nanana got hurt, she even carried her.

Pulling the confused Nanana’s hand, the girl led her out of the labyrinthian alley in no time.

Nanana had been astonished at the view of the town that suddenly appeared in front of her.

''It’s just like magic—

When she’d said that, the older girl also looked surprised.

''Thank you—

After Nanana had thanked her, the girl froze for some reason.

When Nanana had brought out some reward, the girl instantly rejected it with a “I don’t need it”. Although it was obvious from her rough clothes and sickly thin body that she needed the money, she denied it.

At that moment the girl seemed to be full of pride, much more than any other person Nanana had ever met. Even more than any politician that ruled the country or any mainstream celebrity.

She’d met this older girl again only after a year passed.

One day the girl had appeared in front of Nanana.

She was completely changed from when Nanana had first met her, transforming into someone strong and beautiful. After that, the girl appeared to meet Nanana from time to time, always wearing large headphones.

Nanana, having thought of the world as beautiful at that time, had called that headphone girl “the Kind Magician”.

She would give Nanana advice every time she appeared and saved her using a mysterious power.

Without seeking anything in return.

She simply looked after Nanana while wearing a kind smile.

“You’re asking what I’m listening to? In these headphones?”

Was it that much of an unexcepted question? Almost as if it this the first time in her life that anyone had asked about her, the headphones girl widened her almond eyes.

It happened when Nanana stopped the girl who’d always immediately leave for a little talk. Seeing off the bus she took to school, they walked next to one another to wait for another one.

“Well… I’m not sure how to answer.”

At the time they didn’t even know each other’s names. Because their mysterious relationship required none of that.

“After all, I just told them to choose the loudest ones for me. I don’t even know the song names.”

While scratching her head, the girl spoke incoherently. Seeing this girl who was taller and more mature than Nanana so troubled caused her to start laughing.

“Choose for you? Like—was it a friend that chose?”

She actually wanted to ask “A friend or like a lover?”, but the latter half wouldn’t come out of her mouth.

“No, just someone in the shop… an employee.”

Nanana didn’t think there was any difference, but the older girl had the habit to try and use difficult words in front of her. She probably hadn’t received any proper education, or perhaps she had a complex about that. Nanana didn’t mind that one bit.

“I see,” Nanana said and wore a carefree smile. She was glad that she was able to keep this girl, who cared about her like family, all to herself.

“Oh, but maybe you’ll understand by seeing this.”

Pulling out the player connected to the headphone, she showed it to Nanana. Receiving the stick-shaped device, Nanana looked at the song names displayed there. They were in English.

“’Prometheus’.”

“Promi…ti?”

“I believe that’s a god from Greek Mythology. A hero who was executed because he’d stolen fire from the gods and gave them to the humans who were afraid of the dark.”

“You’re so knowledgeable.”

Narrowing her eyes, the headphones girl took back the player. Perhaps liking the name of the song, she put the player inside her coat’s pocket carefully.

“He’s just like me. I don’t mind being executed for your sake.”

Kidou Tsukasa.

That was apparently the name of the Mushitsuki who always had headphones hanging from her neck. She possessed a mental control-type ability which was rare even among Mushitsuki, and was so strong that she’d been able to toy with the government agency called the SEPB.

All of this Nanana learned much, much later.

And, even while using the entire powers of the Akasegawa Foundation, she’d been unable to find anything more than that—

“...?”

Seeing Nanana widen her eyes in surprise, Tsukasa looked confused. She apparently hadn’t realized what she’d just said.

No, she probably did, but treated it as completely natural. She wouldn’t care if she was executed even for Nanana, who was a complete stranger for her. —And without getting anything in return.

“Miss Magician—”

''Why do you always help me?

She wanted to ask this, but closed her mouth. She wanted to ask it countless times in the past. But she never could. If she knew the reason for it, the magic would be lifted—at the time she believed so from the bottom of her heart.

“What are always doing when you go away?”

She changed her question.

Tsukasa brought up her chin. As the girl stretched her back at the bus stop, her form looked so ephemeral it wouldn’t be strange for her to disappear among the crowd at any moment.

“Hmm… can’t really explain it well.”

Nanana said nothing. If the Magician didn’t want to speak about it, she would ask no further.

But Tsukasa looked down her open hands and started speaking while choosing her words.

“I guess you could say I’m investigating the flow of money. Since that large flow of cash ends up sweeping even those who don’t have much money and takes it away. I wish I could build a wall… an embankment to protect those weak people.”

“Like volunteer work… or some sort of support group?”

“Since it’s something I’m doing myself, I don’t really think so. I don’t have any allies, so it’s not a group. And there’s something else that bothers me lately as well.”

“Something else?”

“Our power… why does this magic-like power exist? What should I do with this power?”

Nanana widened her eyes.

“Are there other magicians like you?”

“Yes.”

Tsukasa said this calmly and smiled.

“Apparently, the first person who had this sort of power was called Alpha.”

Alpha.

Nanana tilted her head. —Without knowing just how important that term spoken by the Kind Magician was. At that time, that Mushitsuki girl had grasped an outrageous secret.

“While poking the cartel, other rumors came to my ears. Enclosure, Bubble and… Paradigm Shift, was it? I don’t know what these all mean, but they’re apparently also related to the power I have.”

“Enclosure, Bubble, Paradigm Shift… these are all economics jargon.”

“Are they? My power is suited for investigating, but it doesn’t help if I lack the knowledge. Things like that—I knew that it was best to leave them to other people.”

Smiling wryly, Tsukasa looked ahead.

“Right now I will do what needs to be done. The past should be left for smart people.”

Nanana looked down.

Although she wanted to help the Magician, she lacked power. Not only could she not use magic, but she also lacked brains.

“I’m jealous. I wish I could use magic too.”

“You don’t need it.”

“Huh?”

“I will be your power.”

As Nanana looked up at her, the Magician grinned.

“I don’t want anything in return from you—no compensation. Unlike this power.”

“Compensation…”

“You have thanked me. Even without this power, you’re enough of a good person… you can save people.”

Thank you—

She’d definitely said this.

After Tsukasa helped her when they’d first met, she had thanked her.

Nanana was confused.

Just for that single phrase?

Was Tsukasa saying that she wanted to help Nanana to that extent just in response to such a commonplace phrase of gratitude?

Whatever the circumstances might have been—it was just impossible.

Even with her dreamy ideals at the time Nanana thought it couldn’t be. There had to be another reason. She wouldn’t call Nanana a good person just for that.

“…”

Nanana wordlessly raised her right arm.

Kidou Tsukasa was smiling. Taking hold of Nanana’s shaking fingers, she firmly grabbed her hand back.

“If you’re ever in trouble, I want you to call me.”

''—I will help you.

The Kind Magician had said so.

“Of course.”

Waiting for the bus while holding hands with the older girl, Nanana wore a carefree smile.

That was her memory with Kidou Tsukasa, the Kind Magician.

The first Mushitsuki Nanana had met.

Even after this the Magician had appeared in front of Nanana, gave her advice, and left with a smile.

The Magician that always came to help Nanana.

She had betrayed Nanana—only once.

After the death of her single remaining blood relative, Nanana had been given a large fortune and the job of a chairman of a large organization. The world that seemed so bright and beautiful to her until then now became infested with demons that were drawn to money, the most sullied world of all.

Nanana, having become the loneliest in the world, had no one to count on.

If there was, it could only be one—

The headphones girl, who took care of Nanana the most.

She believed without any doubt that the Kind Magician would come and help her.

While feeling lonely and fearing the cowardly, prideful adults, Nanana kept waiting for the Magician.

Yet the Kind Magician never appeared.

Even though during the last time they’d met she’d promised her that she’d keep being in the same city.

She’d believed her.

''—If you’re ever in trouble, I want you to call me.

''—Of course.

The first and only betrayal of the Magician.

These frozen scars overwrote the warmth of holding hands that day.



“—Yahah.”

On top of the sofa in the cottage’s lobby, Nanana burst into laughter. Knowing that she had no one to bargain with, there no longer was any need for her business smile.

“Have you heard? Munakata was kidnapped, they said! Yahaha, is he a kid? Was he offered candies by a stranger?”

Jumping to lean back on the sofa, she laughed at her subordinates. The secretary shrugged while holding her stuffed toy and Pochi grinned. Shachito was perhaps uninterested so he stared outside the window, waving amiably toward the Mushibane members outside.

“What’s so funny, you little…!”

The jacket woman bent forward displayed her anger.

As a result of the simple self-introduction, she came to know that this short-tempered woman was called Namie. She was relatively old, but wasn’t their leader.

“I-I don’t think it’s nice to laugh about people’s misfortune.”

With her ears reddening, the petite girl seated on the sofa puffed her cheeks. She was probably about as old as Nanana or slightly younger. Perhaps as a result of her baby face, her words and manner seemed childish.

At first Nanana had doubted her ears, but apparently it was true that this girl was the leader of Mushibane. Her name was Snow Fly. People around her called her Snow.

The headband boy near Snow was called Aijisupa. His sleepy-looking eyes silently observed how things went. He was probably the leader’s bodyguard.

There were two other Mushibane members inside the cottage. The one crossing her arms and sitting near the fireplace was the girl called Halensis, with characteristic Japanese glossy black hair. The fashionable girl sitting on the stairs at the back and fiddling with her cellphone was Lucifera. She’d been told that both were Mushibane executives.

Incidentally, the boy that Nanana had brought on the way here, Chouya Nihei, was outside the cottage. Apparently they would decide how to deal with him later.

“And you even mistakenly thought that I was the kidnapper… is this a joke?”

Being tired of laughing, Nanana turned back to the people of Mushibane.

“W-well… I’m sorry.”

Snow immediately shrunk and lowered her gaze. Namie stopped her.

“There is no need for you to apologize. They have unlawfully entered our property in the first place. Also, it is yet undecided that they are truly unrelated to Munakata.”

“So simple-minded. Jumping at conclusions. So stubborn.”

A voice echoed from the stairs. While playing with her cellphone, Lucifera mumbled in a bored voice.

“They wouldn’t have feigned ignorance if they really were related to this. Famous people like Akasegawa Nanana don’t have any reason to appear here directly. Normally one would kidnap Munakata-san and then ask for ransom money. If he’s really been kidnapped, that is.”

“You were the one who said he was kidnapped, Lucifera.”

“Will you please not stare at me like this, Halen-san? I just said that it was a bit too sudden for him to have simply run away. That meticulous man had plenty of work to be done, right? Apparently because of that, his real business was in upheaval. Because he does everything—whether his real job or supporting Mushibane—all by himself, we’ve instantly become dirt-poor. I wanna eat that special tart again.”

All Mushibane members in the cottage sank to silence.

Mushibane was an antigovernment group made by Mushitsuki—or more precisely a resistance organization created to oppose the SEPB. Their goal was to secure wild Mushitsuki before the SEPB captured or made them Fallen only on account of them being Mushitsuki.

Nanana heard that they had many members, including civilian collaborators. Even just guaranteeing the livelihoods of those who had no option but become runaways should take plenty of money.

Until now all financial support came from the bigwig businessman Munakata Kaiji. She wasn’t sure about his goals in doing this, but it probably wasn’t impossible given his assets.

However, Munakata had suddenly disappeared. There was no doubt that it was a matter of time before Mushibane was cornered.

“You seem to be at your wits’ end, ladies and gentlemen of Mushibane.”

Nanana coldly stared at all executives except one with a glare.

Only one person—the current leader, the girl known as Snow—hung her head.

“Akasegawa… umm… Nananana.”

“Ha. I will slap you, Leader. My name’s Nanana. Only three ‘na’.”

“I-I’m sorry. Akasegawa Nanana-san—do you know about us?”

“Yes. It might surprise you to hear I have some deep connection to Mushitsuki. —I’ve even met Mushibane’s previous leader.”

“Huh?”

Snow widened her eyes and her eyes sparkled with happiness. All other members also turned to look at Nanana.

“You’ve met Rina?”

“She was an intelligent woman.”

From some reason she heard the secretary mumble “of course” from behind.

Tachibana Rina was the founder and previous leader of Mushibane.

Because she was wise, Tachibana Rina had once done something Nanana couldn’t forgive her for—but that was in the past. If she was here, she’d start hitting her with a full smile, but had no intention to keep blaming her even after her death.

“She had no selfishness and never compromised. —She was that much of a beautiful person.”

She had a fastidious soul, the complete opposite of Nanana. Because of that she possessed an addictive charisma and corrupted those drawn to her. Nanana couldn’t do that.

“…My name is Anmoto Shiika.”

Thinking of something, Snow introduced herself again. Had she so easily forgiven her just because they had common acquaintances?

“Did you have some business with Munakata-san?”

Nanana saw a strange sight.

With Shiika’s simple words—just her uttering this calm question—the members of Mushibane who argued with each other became calm again. All their sights focused on Nanana.

She didn’t look reliable in the least, but her comrades all trusted in her. Nanana was completely fooled by the girl’s appearance, but she did have something that allowed her to inherit Tachibana Rina.

But she wasn’t going to lose to her in enchanting people.

Nanana wore her business smile again.

“Yes, I have invited him to rendezvous many times but I was ignored… although I know how rude it is, I came directly to meet him.”

“R-run the vow? What kind of vow?”

“Yahaha, you’re so funny. Rendezvous means a meeting. I’m really going to smack you.”

Nanana glared at the girl who said such stupid things with a straight face while still grinning. Shiika blushed and muttered a “S-sorry…” with a barely audible voice.

No matter how much of an idiot she was, she was the leader of the other party. Otherwise, she would have really started bullying her.

“Since Mushibane is not unrelated to all of this, I will reveal it to you as well.”

Prefacing with this, Nanana said.

“Akasegawa Group is here to forge a certain kind of contract with Mushitsuki like you.”

“A contract, you say?”

“Yes. I am aware that Mushitsuki’s powers comes in many forms. Building on that, I believe that you can support many different kinds of work.”

Shiika looked confused. She apparently couldn’t understand the meaning of Nanana’s words.

“You’re too roundabout. Too patronizing. In short...”

The girl called Lucifera interjected from her place back at the stairs.

“You’re trying to buy Mushitsuki with money, right?”

“Well, that is pretty much it.”

Nanana nodded with a smile.

As expected, Namie burst with “What…!” and her expression changed. Halensis in front of the fireplace scowled as well. “Buying us all with money?” she asked.

“Is it really so unexpected? Hadn’t Munakata-san used Mushitsuki for business as well?”

Nanana touched her cheek with her index finger, tilting her head.

“Since you’ll be working as Mushitsuki, you will need to act discreetly… but there are plenty of customers who require the use of supernatural abilities. Think about me us introducing Mushitsuki to those customers and dispatching the proper manpower. All you Mushibane would need to do is supply the requested Mushitsuki.”

Mushibane had many members. They shouldn’t have a shortage of needed abilities.

“Of course, we will also do our utmost to protect you against the SEPB. You will also gain employee benefits. You will be paid more the more dangerous it is, and in the worst case, we will also prepare reparations for the case when the merchandise is destroyed.”

A business utilizing Mushitsuki.

That was the new kind of business Nanana had thought up.

Even now Mushitsuki kept on multiplying. That truth was indisputable, and it would be unavoidable in the future as well. They could no longer hide them.

The existence of Mushitsuki was becoming normal in this country.

That was why, for this upcoming future—the victors would be those who secured the most merchandise. When Mushitsuki became exposed to the world at large, people who desire their supernatural abilities would also gain an explosive increase.

Future transactions were a basic part of commerce.

Akasegawa Group would monopolize the Mushitsuki that would be in demand in the near future.

Business of the new age would give birth to extraordinary profits. No matter the culture, those who secured as many real estate and energy sources as possible built the era. Mushibane with its vast resources was like an oil field or a gold mine.

Moreover, by being the first to secure Mushitsuki like that she could hold back those who’d become her rivals later. She would use the strength of numbers to crush her business rivals.

“All you executives would do the same work. You will secure as much merchandise as possible before the SEPB. From time to time, we will come and choose among them. —Oh, and obviously we don’t intend to ask you executives to—”

“Shut up.”

Spitting this, Namie rose up. The alert Pochi came to stand in front of Nanana.

“Merchandise? What do you think Mushitsuki are?”

“I had no intention to call you that. I have excluded your executives—”

“That doesn’t matter. We don’t feel the slightest like going along with your idea.”

Halensis also revealed her hostility as she glared at Nanana. Lucifera was quietly fiddling with her cellphone and Aijisupa was glancing away as if this had nothing to do with him.

As for Shiika, she was perhaps still unable to understand the conversation. She stared up vacantly at their arguments.

“If I cannot make this contract with Mushibane—I will next go to the SEPB.”

“…!”

“I have come to speak with you first because I believe your prices would be lower. But I am sure that the SEPB would be able to look at this business opportunity realistically and bargain with me. And if I end up creating a contract with the SEPB—”

Nanana spun her stick, narrowing one eye. She’d never seen her own face like that, but smiling while narrowing one eye probably revealed her true personality.

“Since you will become my greatest business rivals, I will be ruthless, you know?”

“How dare you…!”

“No matter where you hide, I will actively search for you just like I did to find this place, and I will destroy you. Even if I can’t see you, there are people wherever money flows to. You can tell anything from this flow of money, both in the past—and in the future as well. Even without the ability to sense Mushitsuki, no one can escape from me.”

The lobby engulfed in silence was permeated by Nanana’s cold voice.

“There’s nothing that I—Akasegawa Nanana—am unable to buy.”

To be honest, she wanted to bargain with their patron, Munakata Kaiji, before directly speaking with them. Of course, if the negotiations failed, she would have warned them.

Yet Munakata was said to be missing.

Nanana wasn’t an idiot who would miss this opportunity. Now that their money had been cut off at the source and they became weaklings, there was no need to advance any amiable talks.

She could attack quickly while Munakata was gone.

Once they were contracted to her, they belonged to her. Even if Munakata returned later, she wouldn’t let this man, who didn’t even arrive at the bargaining table, voice any complaints—

“Umm…”

A clear voice echoed in the lobby controlled by this explosive atmosphere.

It was Shiika.

Exchanging glances with the girl that listened quietly to the conversation, Nanana raised her eyebrows.

She had no doubts that this girl was too stupid to have followed the conversation, but she was apparently thinking of a different thing entirely.

“Nanana-san—do you hate Mushitsuki?”

This sudden question made everyone furrow their eyebrows. Even the until now apathetic Aijisupa looked at Shiika at Shiika. Not only that, but even Shachito turned around and for a change looked at her with a serious face.

Having everyone’s gazes focus on her made Shiika gasp. She blushed and cast her gaze.

“I-I’m sorry. I just got somewhat curious while listening to you…”

“Yes, I loathe them.”

Nanana smiled. A carefree grin. She wore a first-rate smile.

“But they’ll make money.”

The lobby sank into silence.

“I… see.”

Shiika didn’t look angry nor sad. She simply absently nodded.

''What a strange woman—

Nanana mentally clicked her tongue. She thought that girl was childishly simple, and couldn’t go with the flow. She was apparently not calm enough.

But she noticed that everyone was listening to Shiika’s words. Like a pure snowfield that soaked up all sounds, it broke down all noise, sucking in even violent feelings and making them nothing.

“U-umm… it was too complicated so I couldn’t understand it.”

Wondering what she’d say next, Shiika easily raised the white flag.

“What do you think, Lucy-san?”

Turning to the stairs, she called toward the girl engrossed with her cellphone. —As could be deduced from her actions and words until now, Lucifera seemed to be the smartest one among the executives. Perhaps she served as counsellor.

“Is it fine for you to ask for my opinion? I don’t want to do much other than issuing battle orders.”

“I-I see…”

“There’s no need to give up. She’s actually weak against pressure. She puts on air and says ‘oh well, no choice’ after making sure she’s actually needed.”

“S-shut up!”

Lucifera’s ears reddened. “I’m already used to dealing with warped brats,” asserted Namie. Nanana thought that this woman was just short-tempered, but apparently she could take care of people, being older.

“This is something that you can understand by just thinking a little.”

Lucifera puckered her lips, making a gesture of cutting her own throat horizontally.

“Red signal. Eliminate all danger. Kill ‘em. Is what I think.”

“Kill ‘em…?”

“This person is someone dangerous. Since she went to the trouble of appearing to us, we should kill her right here and now. Moreover, if we miss this great chance, we’re sure to regret it.”

The lobby was momentarily filled with tension.

“She is the enemy.”

Being glared by Lucifera, Nanana grinned.

“I am actually offering you a helping hand, though? If you don’t contract with me, you will be unable to get any money and starve to death, you know?”

“We have plenty of other options to raise money!”

“Yahah, you liar. How much money do you think is needed to support this many people? Even if all members of Mushibane became burglars it wouldn’t be enough.”

“You don’t understand, do you? The one in danger right now is you, Akasegawa Nanana-san.”

Nanana and Lucifera locked gazes. Unlike her stupid appearance, the girl called Lucifera appeared to have understood Nanana better than anyone else there. When she said she’d do something, she’d actually do it.

Meanwhile, Nanana kept her composure.

She had trained Pochi and the other Mushitsuki as her guardians. They’d be able to easily handle all these amateurs. After suitably hurting them and running away, she’d go and talk with the SEPB.

“Excuse me, Lucy-san.”

Again, the one to have so easily cut this thread of tension was Shiika.

“P-please try another method.”

“Haa. I knew you were gonna say that.”

Lucifera raised her head. Namie and Pochi, both ready for battle, and Aijisupa about to rise, all returned to simple glaring.

“There is no other way. As long as we don’t know where Munakata-san is, the fact we are poor will not change. The more time passes, we will give Akasegawa more openings. Having said that, if we took on this contract with Akasegawa or whatever, we will clearly create an irreversible situation. If so, it would be much better to nip at least one danger in the bud right here and now.”

“But that is the wrong thing to do.”

Shiika said.

“We’ve decided we’ll not make any more enemies…”

All of Mushibane went silent. Lucifera clicked her tongue in annoyance.

“You really do not understand just how hard this is… a hundred times more difficult than just killing our enemies.”

Shiika hung her head. But perhaps thinking of something, she raised it with a smile.

“R-right. I have an idea.”

All people there looked at the baby-faced girl.

“How about we get Nanana to help us look for Munakata-san?”

“…Hah?”

Nanana raised this weird sound before anyone else.

“You came here to speak with him in the first place, after all. And we are in a lot of trouble since he isn’t here. Bringing him back would benefit both of us.”

Shiika explained as she looked down while happily entwining her fingers.

As Shiika seemed to be saying please praise me with her actions, it was actually awkward to say anything at all.

“Looks like you know Munakata-san well, Nanana-san. And just now you said that there’s nothing you can’t find. Then surely that also means—”

In the space where no one could speak, Shiika nodded again and again and looked satisfied.

While listening to Lucifera’s exaggerated sigh, Nanana stifled her laughter and spoke.

“Did you even listen to me? Munakata not being here is beneficial for me, you know? Unlike the nearly starving Mushibane, if I can’t make a deal with you, I’ll simply take the talk to SEPB.”

“But the SEPB would never go along with you, right?”

“…!”

This single sentence spoke by the puzzled Shiika made Nanana gasp. —She actually gasped.

Seeing her response, Lucifera’s eyes changed. Yet Nanana pretended not to notice and calmly burst in laughter.

“They will. There are no people that can’t be bought with money.”

“Really? I know several such people. —The person in HQ called Miguruma is also like that.”

When Shiika spoke softly, Nanana erased her smile.

''—I don’t need it.

The woman who had once rejected her offer of a reward rose to mind. Thus spoke the Mushitsuki girl after her first meeting with Nanana, not intending to receive anything from her.

Nanana silently clicked her tongue.

She recalled a bad memory. She felt herself growing angrier.

“Even if the higher-ups wouldn’t agree, giving money to their subordinates would be enough. Buying government officials is my specialty. There’s no way I couldn’t illegally buy some members.”

“…”

“But that would still have a low chance of success.”

After Shiika sank into silence, Lucifera took over.

“You’re thinking about monopolizing Mushitsuki, right? Then leaving yourself the opportunity to still bargain with Mushibane should be much better from a business standpoint.”

The fact of being shaken to the core by someone unthinkable—Shiika, who looked like a simple idiot—brought her the greatest defeat of her life. Lucifera had seen through her split-second agitation.

The possibility of her dealing with the SEPB was actually a bluff.

She knew well that organization was not straightforward. Although she intended on truly bargaining with them if push came to shove, it was nothing when compared to the gains she could get with Mushibane. Just like her secretary told her, it was doubtful whether the profit would be worth the risk.

To think that this idiot would see through her bluff—

No, she doubted Shiika actually saw through her.

Everyone in the lobby was deceived by Nanana’s confident acting. Only Shiika had not been led astray and thus could easily see the hidden truth.

“We will sell the right to bargain with us, with Mushibane.”

Lucifera asserted.

“If you offer us a bit of assistance and help us in the search for Munakata-san, once he returns you will also be at the negotiation table. This was your plan in the first place, right? If you think about it as being just a little late than expected, it’s super cheap.”

“And what if I tell you that if you don’t negotiate with me right here and now I’ll go snitch on this place to the SEPB? And I’ll keep harassing you after that as well.”

“That would be a problem. But we will not negotiate with you ever again. We can just search for a different patron. It turns out we can make money.”

“And if Munakata is already dead?”

“Then let us say there will be no negotiations. Because we’ll not allow you to secretly kill Munakata-san after finding him.”

“…”

“Rather than both of us losing, let us choose the option that can lead both of us to profit.”

“—Understood.”

She hit her stick against the floor. Nanana stood upright.

“Let us finish this right here. This is definitely not something I must agree to. I decided to try thinking of another business.”

The scent of money vanished completely from this place. Since Munakata was gone, she tried angering them purposely to push through with that momentum. However, since she’d bought their animosity, if Munakata ever returned to the negotiation table there would be no advantages for Nanana.

“I will add a condition.”

As Nanana tried exiting the cottage, Shiika’s voice came from behind.

“If Munakata-san has passed away… I will contract with you, Nanana-san.”

The various members of Mushibane were obviously shocked. Nanana turned back.

“I have no need for you. Doesn’t look like I can use you for much.”

“But I can’t guarantee you the other Mushibane members…”

“I’ll contract as well.”

Aijisupa opened his mouth for the first time. He spoke as if it was completely natural.

“Me too.”

Namie also joined.

Nanana looked at Lucifera and Halensis. The cellphone girl shrugged with a dumbfounded look.

“Do not be too greedy. After all, you’re getting, according to the SEPB classification, two people of Rank 3—as well as the disaster incarnate, Secret Class Rank 1 Fuyuhotaru as collateral, you know?”

“Secret Class Rank 1—what?”

Nanana widened her eyes.

She obviously knew about how fearsome Rank 1 was. She had once seen with her very eyes just how their fighting strength was far removed from common sense. Thinking about it, she’d also heard about the remaining Rank 1, Fuyuhotaru.

The scent of money returned. And it was even stronger than before.

Just like she’d said before, searching for Munakata would be simple for her.

If Munakata was dead she’d be lucky. Nanana would be able to gain a Rank 1 Mushitsuki. And if he was alive, she’d be able to negotiate with Mushibane. Even if negotiations failed, she could just get much money from Munakata who she’d saved.

“Do you have any clues as to Munakata’s whereabouts?”

While inwardly chuckling, Nanana didn’t let it show on her face.

“Well… to be honest…”

Slightly hesitant, Shiika opened her mouth.

“Apparently Munakata was investigating something before his disappearance. He told me a little about it.”

“Investigating something?”

“I didn’t really understand it… Enclo? Bubble…? And then Paradise or something like that—”

“What—did you just say?”

This time Nanana really was speechless.

Seeing Nanana’s abnormal behavior, not only Mushibane but even the secretary and Pochi became suspicious.

“Enclosure—Bubble—Paradigm Shift.”

“T-that’s right! That’s definitely what he said. I don’t understand what it means, though…”

After a while, Nanana finally spoke again.

''—Enclosure, Bubble and… Paradigm Shift, was it?

A memory from the past resurfaced.

The Mushitsuki who took care of Nanana more than anyone else and had betrayed her at the very end.

The Kind Magician had definitely spoken those words.

''—I don’t know what these all mean, but they’re apparently also related to the power I have.

She remembered the conversation she’d had with Kidou Tsukasa word for word. She would have never misheard her.

Her pulse was quickening. Her heart was pounding to an annoying degree.

Was Munakata also attempting to grasp what she’d tried to?

No, perhaps—

“Understood. I will try to find Munakata-shi.”

Asserting this cleanly, everyone gazed at Nanana in surprise.

Perhaps—she’d be able to gain clues regarding the movements of the Magician.

She’d believed in her.

She had lost her one and only blood relative and was lonely.

Even so that woman betrayed her and never came to her again.

But perhaps she’d be able to find out where she was.

“The situation has changed. If Munakata isn’t alive I’d be in trouble.”

She needed to hear about it directly from Munakata Kaiji.

Nanana spoke briefly and turned on her heels. Her subordinates hurried after her.

Heading after the vestiges of the Kind Magician—

Nana vigorously opened the cottage’s door.