Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin - Volume 1 - Chapter 5.4

「The length of the passcode is……six digits huh」

    President Yuiga entered a random set of numbers and pressed the confirm button. However, the red lamp blinked, and the door did not open.

    It seemed that this was our first challenge.

「The hint is……oh yeah, there is no hint」

    I could not recall any sort of six-digit number.

「The hint should be in this building」

    President Yuiga said so.

「Really? 」

「Yep, that is the characteristic of a ((Ruin)). The hint or answer in order to move on is either in the room or in the surroundings. That being said, there are exceptions」

「Is this not an exception? 」

    Tensai asked. President Yuiga nodded and said, 「Most probably」

    Subsequently we five started searching around the floor, but it was the weekend and the floor was owned by companies. All of the doors were closed and there were only empty corridors. In the end, we could not find any sort of clue and met back at the door. We silently pondered.

    It was president Yuiga who had the eureka moment which changed the situation.

「Yū, you have the pamphlet for this place right? 」

Freestar
「Yes. Erm……here it is」

    Ms. Ibara took out a pamphlet from her shoulder bag. It was a rectangular paper folded in three. It was a pamphlet that had been given out freely and placed all over the place. It described this high-rise building, and had a map for the shopping mall. It also had the store names in the shopping area.

    President Yuiga opened this, and we all looked into it for no reason.

「I see, this is the 10,000th building that Koma Mutsumi had designed, huh」

    That paragraph caught my eye, and I was amazed. I was simply astounded at how many buildings Koma Mutsumi had designed.

「……Maybe」

    President Yuiga murmured and reached out his hand towards the touch panel.

『6＊1011』

    The door opened with a click.

「What, why! 」

    All of us were surprised at how easily president Yuiga solved the passcode.

「The number that signifies the 『Mutsu』in Koma Mutsumi’s name is 『Six [1. TL Note: “Mutsu” in the name Koma Mutsumi in kanji is 陸, which also reads as Riku. This resembles the word, Roku, which in Japanese means six.]』. On top of that, her birthday is indicated by the numbers, 『1011』. The symbol between these two numbers is 『＊』. That is why the number is 『6＊1011』」

「But that being said……」

「Nanana really cares about her friends, so perhaps she would make the passcode in this building special for Koma Mutsumi signify her」

    Well, I could somewhat understand, but……

「It is as if you are saying that Nanana Ryūgajō in room 202 had made everything here」

    Tensai said. President Yuiga replied.

「『The identity of the ((Leprechaun)) who continue making the ((Ruins)) is Nanana Ryūgajō, who had become an earthbound spirit 10 years ago, and cannot come out of room 202』. That is one of the theories the Adventure Club came up with. Through our investigation though we know it is sadly not correct」

「Mr. Yuiga, does that mean that Nanana Ryūgajō and the Leprechaun are completely different figures? 」

「According to the past investigations of the Adventure Club, yes. However, there is no doubt that Nanana knows where the ((Ruins)) that had been made after she died are. Does she know every single ((Ruin)), or just a few? Is that because she had already decided where the ((Ruins)) would be built, or does she obtain the information about the ((Ruins)) in some sort of way? We do not know at all」

「I see」

「However, there is no doubt that the Leprechauns who make the ((Ruins)) strongly respect the wish of Nanana」

    If that is the case, I could understand how president Yuiga could come up with the answer to the passcode.

「((Leprechauns)), huh」

「Nanana, the owner of the ((Nanana Collection)), and the ((Leprechaun)) who supposedly make the ((Ruins)) where the ((Nanana Collection)) is hidden in. I was indeed curious what kind of the relationship did these two have」

「I really want to meet them and see what kind of people they are. Don’t you Jūgo?」

    Tensai smiled fearlessly. I honestly agreed with her opinion.

「Nevertheless, first things first. We must clear the ((Ruins)) first」

    It was finally time for the real stuff.

「Now then. This is a suggestion as the president, but I would like to go in with only a select few members」

「A select few? 」

「Since we do not know what is beyond these doors. We should not go as a bunch」

    Everyone nodded at president Yuiga’s opinion.

「The members would be the three people: Yama, Tensai, and I」

「Alright? 」. Both Tensai and I nodded at his words.

「Yū, please stay with D’arc here as a backup, just in case」

Freestar
「Alright」D’arc and Ms. Ibara nodded.

    The selection of the members was completed. The time finally came.

「Finally time to risk our lives to hunt of the treasure, huh……oh yeah, Tensai」

「What? 」

「Is it within the job scope of a famous detective to hunt for treasures? 」

    I said so sarcastically. Tensai laughed.

「It is my secondary job that I also involved obtaining actual merit」

    It had been a long time since I could not understand what she was saying. Most probably, there was a meaning behind her words, but I did not intend to listen to her detailed explanation in order to comprehend this. Thus, I wryly smiled and said, 「Sure」

「Is it alright? It seems that you might have to risk your life」

    I at least tried to worry her.

「Ah, no problem. I would solve this without any issue, so I would not lose my life」

    Her line was quite crazy. She fearlessly smiled.

「As you say. We are going to clear this, so there is no point worrying about risking our lives, huh」

    I smirked.

「Now then, let’s go」

    President Yuiga tapped our shoulders while smiling. It seems that Tensai’s words had worked.

    Then, we three stepped into the ((Ruins)) in the most modern high-rise building.

Section 4

    When we entered the room, as usual, the door locked behind us.

「We cannot escape anymore」

    Then, I looked forward.

    It was a rectangular room that was covered with transparent glass. Squarish glass tiles made up the floor and the ceiling.

    There was a proper amount of space even though we could not see it from the elevator.

    I wonder how it worked. I looked beyond the glass. I could see the motionless elevator there.

    Even though I was quite perplexed at how it worked, now I looked at the floor.

    Since it was made with glass, I could see through the floor. However, I could not properly see what was beyond the void.

「Where does this lead to? 」

「Undoubtedly, it leads to first floor」

    President Yuiga said so. If I looked closely, I could see a small light very far through the transparent floor. Most probably it is the light from the shopping area.

「No, most likely it leads underground」

    Tensai muttered.

「Why would you think so? 」

「Underground is more suited for getting rid of dead bodies. If a dead body just fell to an area that is currently being used, it would become quite a huge issue. That is why in order to leave no evidence, it is logical for this void to lead underground. No one would notice a dead body underground. That means that if you fall from this place, you would literally go to hell」

    Thanks to the famous detective’s answer, death seemed much closer.

    I looked at the room’s structure once again.

Freestar
    From first glance, the squarish glass panels were one metre each side. The floor was made by one, two……20 pieces of glass panels in length, and……10 pieces in width.

    There were two panels that were not made of glass in this room. It was the one panel that we were currently on at the entrance of the room, and a tile at the opposite end, where there was a treasure chest.

    Yep that is right, there was a treasure chest. It was exactly the same as the chest we found in the school’s secret room.

「Now then, what are you guys going to do? There is a treasure chest in front of us. However, from what I see, there definitely is a trick to this. Are you going to risk your life and seek the treasure? Or are you guys going to just run away? 」

    Tensai said. President Yuiga and I laughed.

「What a joke. I cannot go back at this point」

「Same. Besides, we do not know how to go back」

「You are right」, Tensai laughed.

    We finally began the attempt to solve this riddle.

「My first thought is that the mechanism that is that the floor would collapse」

    The two nodded at my theory.

「I shall go first」

    President Yuiga said so first.

「In order to move around, we should prepare to save you in case the floor collapses」

    I agreed with Tensai. I moved to a position where I could immediately reach my hand out to president Yuiga if something happens.