Chapitre 36: Chapter 36: No Loopholes to Exploit
After seeing off the guests, Kaguya and Hayasaka, Ren sat down and began his daily diary.
[Today was full of surprises. The diary holders I had been observing finally revealed themselves.]
[I originally thought they wouldn't take the same straightforward approach I did, but they used the most direct and revealing method possible.]
[Shinomiya Kaguya. Hayasaka Ai.]
[VIP students at Shuchiin Academy and part of the prestigious Shinomiya family.]
[I didn't expect them to expose themselves so soon.]
[But because they revealed themselves so early, I didn't take the initiative to reach out at school.]
[And yet, just as I arrived home, they came looking for me.]
[As I suspected, it was a test.]
[A test of me, and a test of the diary itself.]
[Not that I mind, it's actually good to test the diary's rules early on.]
[What caught my attention most, though, was that Shinomiya seems to have escaped her family's control.]
[During our conversation, I ruled out the possibility of her using force to gain her freedom from the Shinomiya family.]
[And then I got a surprising answer.]
[Sanzenin!]
[It turns out this isn't just a world where three stories overlap, there are far more narratives woven together here.]
[Sanzenin Nagi… Hearing this name reminded me of four familiar characters from the past.]
[Shana, Nagi, Louise, and Taiga.]
[They share the same traits: short stature, fiery temper, and, well, modest figures.]
[They're the quintessential "Kugimiya-type" characters. I didn't expect to encounter one so easily.]
[So, Sanzenin Nagi, I assume you're reading this diary too.]
Ren paused after writing this.
There's no limit to how much can be written in the daily diary, what matters is recording everything clearly.
But today's entry was a little different. At the bottom of the diary, black text appeared:
[Achievement Unlocked: Found the Diary]
[Congratulations! You've received a special reward: "Accumulation."]
[Accumulation: You can stockpile lottery draws. The more you save, the higher your chances of obtaining high-quality rewards.]
"A pretty useful feature," Ren remarked.
"If I want better rewards, I can save up draws, kind of like combining treasure chests to make higher-level ones."
He didn't dislike this new mechanic.
However, it wasn't particularly useful during the trial phase.
He decided to draw immediately.
From the moment he initiated the draw, a massive roulette wheel spun in his mind. The pointer gradually slowed, finally stopping.
[Lord of the Mysteries]
[Obtained Sequence 9 Potion: 'Apprentice.']
A bottle of potion appeared on the table, filled with a pinkish liquid.
"Another potion reward…"
He reached out and picked up the bottle, examining it closely.
Then, he pulled a 500-yen coin from his pocket.
"I shouldn't have any trouble drinking this Apprentice potion right now."
He flipped the coin. It spun in the air before landing back in his hand.
Heads.
"Looks like I'm good to go."
"It must be thanks to the effect of 'Wild Card.'"
After confirming it was safe, Ren uncorked the bottle, put it to his lips, and drank the potion.
The liquid was thick and had a disgusting texture. This one tasted even worse than the "Seer" potion he'd taken before.
"Ugh, drinking these potions is such a miserable experience. Can't they at least make them taste better?"
He grimaced at the lingering taste but knew his complaint was pointless.
The risks involved in consuming potions were far greater for most extraordinary individuals, especially for those without the "Wild Card" trait.
For someone without that safeguard, taking an "Apprentice" potion could lead to hearing the ominous whispers. That voice could shatter the mental stability of anyone already teetering on the edge while consuming potions.
Because of this, the Door Pathway was widely regarded as one of the most dangerous among the three paths tied to the Lord of Mysteries.
But for Ren, who possessed "Wild Card," none of those concerns applied.
In fact, the Door Pathway, Fool Pathway, and Error Path—all adjacent to each other—were key to becoming the "Lord of Mysteries."
Typically, an extraordinary individual would follow a single path to its end, only incorporating traits from adjacent paths after reaching the pinnacle.
Of course, there was also the option of pursuing all three paths from the start, but that was almost guaranteed to end in disaster.
For most extraordinary individuals, taking potions from other sequences early on would almost certainly lead to a loss of control.
Ren however, could bypass those risks entirely, thanks to his "Wild Card" trait. He could freely tread multiple paths without consequence.
He glanced at the now-empty bottle in his hand and smiled.
"As expected, there aren't any exploitable loopholes."
"Meeting with Kaguya and forming our mutual-benefit arrangement… It seems the rewards reflect that."
Today's lottery results made everything clear.
The reward was on par with yesterday's, meaning the diary imposed certain restrictions.
"Mutual-benefit actions aren't so easily rewarded."
"It looks like the diary evaluates the impact I have on other holders before determining the reward quality."
"It's not as simple as finding loopholes in the rules."
"I wonder if Kaguya tried her luck with the lottery too."
Thinking this, Ren pulled out his phone.
[Amamiya Ren: How did it go?]
[Shinomiya Kaguya: …A bottle of strong liquor.]
[Amamiya Ren: Seems like exploiting loopholes won't work.]
[Amamiya Ren: Don't try to cheat the system again. The diary's rules are probably airtight.]
[Shinomiya Kaguya: What a pity.]
Kaguya put her phone down and eyed the bottle of liquor on her desk, sighing quietly.
"It seems the diary really doesn't leave any loopholes."
"If it's like this for me, it must be the same for Amamiya too."
"It's a shame, though. That draw was such a waste."
Still, Kaguya wasn't too disappointed.
This discovery was crucial, it proved the diary's rules were likely watertight.
With that knowledge, she resolved to save her lottery chances for later.
By accumulating them, she could aim for higher-quality rewards down the line.
The Ice-Ice Fruit ability she received as her initial reward was already exceptional.
Kaguya wasn't the type to let greed cloud her judgment.
Sometimes, it's best not to take unnecessary risks. Otherwise, you might lose even more.
***
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Chapitre 37: Chapter 37: Grandpa’s Curiosity
"Ugh…"
Nagi bit her lip tightly as she stared at the diary.
Short stature, fiery temper, and, well, her unimpressive figure—those words stung deeply.
Glancing down at her own body, which didn't even obscure the view of her toes, her anger only grew.
"There's still room for growth. Definitely. No question about it," she muttered to herself.
Unconsciously, she thought about her mother.
Her mother didn't seem to have any particular strengths, aside from her singing, her absurdly good luck, and her excellent figure.
Taking a deep breath, Nagi clung to the faint hope provided by her genes.
"Yes, there's no problem. The genes I got from my mom won't leave me stuck at this level."
It was a very blind kind of confidence.
So blind that Maria, who stood nearby, couldn't hold back a sigh.
"Not all genes are passed down perfectly," Maria pointed out calmly.
"Besides, Miss Yukariko gave up almost everything else in exchange for that 'perfect figure.'"
"Honestly, the nutrients in your body seem to have all gone to your brain. You've got an extraordinary mind, Nagi, but that means the rest of your body couldn't develop as much."
From a purely genetic standpoint, this was actually a reasonable theory.
The body allocates its resources selectively. If you gain something, you often lose something in return.
Miss Yukariko's luck and physique may have come at the expense of other attributes.
To Maria, this was simply an obvious case of equivalent exchange.
Once Nagi had calmed down a little, Maria walked over and stood by her side.
"Nagi, did you get your answer?"
"…Yeah, I got it," Nagi replied, closing the diary with a sour expression.
"As we suspected, the rules of the diary are airtight. There's no room to exploit any loopholes."
"I really thought I'd find a way around it. What a waste."
The test results were in, but they were nothing like what she'd hoped for. Instead of success, all she had was a headache.
"I didn't even participate in a draw, and all I got was a 'thank you for participating.'"
"Then there's Shinomiya…"
With a sigh, Nagi picked up her phone and made a call.
"My result? Just a 'thank you for participating.'"
"Same here," Kaguya replied on the other end of the line. "All I got was a bottle of strong liquor."
"Seriously? Not even offline arrangements are allowed? These diary rules are way too strict."
"Seems like we'll have to stick to playing along with it normally," Kaguya said, her tone resigned.
To properly interact with the diary, it was clear that direct involvement was necessary.
But that meant attending school.
And Nagi, to put it bluntly, wasn't exactly a fan of physical activity.
Although she was considered a genius and could easily transfer to a regular high school, her stamina and energy levels left much to be desired.
When she thought about having to go to school regularly in the future, her entire face twisted in resistance.
After hanging up the call, Nagi flopped onto her bed like a deflated balloon, resembling a lazy slug.
"Maria, what am I supposed to do? Does this mean I actually have to go to school?"
"And how is that a bad thing?" Maria said with a wide smile.
"Nagi, didn't you tell your grandfather that there was something you wanted to do?"
"So, what's your goal now? Do you have the motivation to work toward it?"
"I…"
"Nagi, think carefully about what you want."
Maria didn't push her too hard. Instead, she guided her gently, allowing her to reach her own conclusions.
Deep down, Nagi already knew the answer.
Maria's so-called "guidance" was more about helping her clarify her own goals.
If she was only driven by short-lived enthusiasm, then nothing would change.
But if she truly wanted to achieve something, she would push herself to make it happen.
"…"
Nagi remained silent for a while before reluctantly pulling out her phone.
Her face was filled with hesitation, but she finally dialed the number.
"Grandpa."
"Well, well! My adorable little granddaughter! What brings you to call your grandpa so late tonight?"
"…Grandpa, I want to transfer to Teitan High School."
"What???"
Nagi could hear the shock in the old man's voice loud and clear.
To be fair, even she was surprised that she'd made this decision.
"Why would you leave Hakuo Academy to go to Teitan, a poor man's high school?"
"Besides, you don't even attend Hakuo regularly, you spend all your time at home. What's brought on this sudden change?"
Mikado, her grandfather, wasn't entirely clueless.
Even without Maria's input, he could tell something was different about his granddaughter.
After all, the stubborn girl he knew wouldn't just call him "grandpa" so easily.
Still, hearing her address him like that did warm his heart.
But her decision to transfer schools was baffling. Why leave Hakuou, one of the top schools, for some random public high school?
Mikado had to wonder if this was part of some elaborate plan. Was she trying to reform her bad habits?
"And transferring to a regular high school…"
"If you stay at Hakuo, at least I can keep an eye on you. But if you go to a school like Teitan, especially in such a high-crime area, there are safety concerns to consider…"
"It seems I'll need to make a few adjustments to my plans."
If she stayed at Hakuo, he wouldn't need to worry so much about her safety. The environment there made it hard for her to encounter any serious trouble.
But if she transferred to Teitan, a school in such a dangerous area, he'd need to take extra precautions.
"Nagi, even if you transfer, are you actually going to attend classes?"
"I will."
That was… unexpectedly firm.
Mikado was taken aback.
Could this actually be a good thing?
Perhaps it was worth a shot. The cost of letting her try wasn't particularly high.
At the very least, he could observe her and see if she was serious or just playing some new game.
"Alright, if you've made up your mind, Grandpa will help arrange it."
For now, he'd adjust his plans and watch carefully to see what Nagi was up to.
"I must admit, I'm curious."
"Well, next week, then."
"Next week? Not now?"
"I… I just need a little time to mentally prepare myself."
…Yep, that sounded much more like the Nagi he knew.
It felt strange a moment ago, but this procrastination suited her usual character.
Still, even though she needed mental preparation, she was actually planning to attend school?
What exactly was driving his granddaughter to take this step?
Mikado's curiosity about her motives was growing stronger by the minute.
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