CH 1404.

We walk side by side o the road in front of the ground, which is now completely dark.

Megu, Nagisa, Mao-chan, Luna, and Kurose Anju.

「 Yoshida-kun, Yoshida-kun, Yoshida-kun! 」

Mao-chan’s sticking to me as usual.

On the other hand, Kurose Anju’s walking behind us just like before.

「 Why are you walking so far behind? 」

I asked.

「 Err, uhm, that’s because… I-I’ve never walked alone with a man before so I feel somewhat embarrassed…I’m sorry 」

Oh, so that’s the reason

「 Also, I’m sorry for losing my composure earlier! 」

Kurose Anju apologizes for mentioning the “Kuromori name” in front of Captain Takeshiba and the track and field members.

「 Careful. There’s no helping it today, but, thank God Luna is here 」

Luna has her Miko power and can gloss it off.

「 I mean, why are you here at this time, Luna? 」

Luna should’ve been in the mansion with Agnes and the girls.

The half-blonde beauty, Agnes, would stand out too much if she comes to our school, so she’s staying at home today.

Agnes loves Luna, who’s the same age as her, so if only Luna comes with me, she’d say that she wants to come too.

「 It’s okay, Nii-san. Agnes-chan’s quite obedient in that regard 」

Luna replied.

「 Agnes-chan is working hard handling our guests right now. You know, Marika-oneesama’s friends 」

Oh, Minaho-neesan did go back to the mansion with Erica, Marika, and Marika’s classmate, Matsumoto Maki-san, and her sister, Miki-san.

「 Marika-oneesama, who’s docile, brought a girl she want to bring to our family. Agnes-chan is interested in her, and Ruriko-oneesama’s showing them our hospitality 」

Agnes is happy to add another to the family.

「 That’s not all. Nii-san, Agnes-chan wants a girl in school to join our family, right? 」

Luna said.

Luna and Koyomi-chan go to the same school with Agnes as attendants.

「 Oh, I heard about it. If I recall, it was Kerama Leona, right? 」

If I recall, she’s a young lady of a brewing manufacturer.

I’ll just ask Shou-neechan about her details.

The students of the school for the young ladies are either daughters of nobility, or daughters from families that Jii-chan and Kaan-san accepts.

You can’t make a move on her that easy.

「 Right, Nagisa, do you know about Kerama brewing? 」

Nagisa used to be the top prostitute at the Black Forest brothel, and even after retiring and running a flower shop, she’s got connections with the people from the political and business world.

「 Yes, I do. I’d say that their sales are in the top fourth or fifth in Japan as a brewery. They started with only sake, but nowadays, they’re making western drinks as well 」

「 I see. I don’t know much about alcohol 」

I’m still in high school.

I don’t like to get drunk either.

If it dulls your judgment and actions, then it can result in immediate death in our world.

「 If it’s Japanese wines, then “Sode no Shirayuki” is a famous one 」

Kurose Anju said.

「 Oh, I heard that name before on commercials. 」

Yeah, it’s famous for its commercial song.

「 But, I don’t see the Kerama brewery in commercials 」

I said.

「 No, their company symbol appears at the end of the commercials 」

Kurose Anju replies with pride.

「 I see. I didn’t notice 」

「 I don’t think they appeal their company name since the name of their drinks are directly branded 」

Nagisa tells me.

「 We’re in the era of holding companies but Kerama brewery isn’t mentioned, but you probably heard of “Zeus Beer,” a subsidiary that produces a variety of alcoholic beverages, right? 」

「 Oh, I know about that one 」

I replied.

「 Historically, Zeus Beer, is older. If I recall, Kerama brewery acquired them about 50 years ago 」

So Zeus Beer, the subsidiary is much more known.

「 Also, do you know about Tucker Kraken bottlers? 」

Nagisa smiles and asks me.

「 Yeah. I know that one too. It’s an American company that makes all kinds of beverages, right? 」

Like, sodas and juices.

Many Tucker Kraken drinks are also in Japan’s convenience stores and vending machines.

「 Yes, their main office is in America, but Kerama brewery brought them about ten years ago, so they’re now a part of them. They also own several Japanese and foreign food companies, and a chain of family restaurants and Izakayas. The name Kerama brewery doesn’t show up that much, but they’re a company with a lot of businesses 」

I see.

「 I wonder if the girl from the Kerama house can get along with Agnes? 」

I’m worried.

「 Hmm, it’s a little complicated 」

Nagisa replied to me with a complex face.

「 Alcoholic beverage companies are unique. There are a lot of factions going on in the business world. Especially with beer. 」

Factions

Beer?

「 Japanese companies go with beer for their first toast, see? Give everyone beer first. It’s hard to find one who can’t get sake or wine 」

Nagisa said.

「 So, major sake brewers in Japan are tied to specific group companies. To put it bluntly, the rules in Japanese business is that you’re only allowed to drink the product of your company’s fellow brewers 」

Huh?

「 Well, in simple terms, if there’s a brewer in this group company, let’s say “Misawa Beer,” in the Misawa Sangyo Group… 」

Oh right, you’d want your company to drink the alcohol from the same corporate group as yours, It’s like drinking alcohol with your friends.

「 But, it’s not just the patterns that are visible to others 」

Nagisa said.

「 For example, if the company’s main bank is the same, or the top management of the company is related to each other, or the companies have a long-standing relationship, it’s difficult to understand from the outside, but there’s an unspoken rule from within each company group that their company only drinks beer made from this company 」

W-What the hell.

「 Of course. Not all companies are like that. But, bigger companies mostly follow that rule for some reason or another 」

Nagisa smiled wryly.

「 Oh, I see. IN short, when they have a party or something similar at the company, for example, flower viewing with the company, then you’re only allowed to prepare beer from the fellow companies. I see 」

I can imagine that.

I bet the seniors strictly warn the new hires not to buy the wrong alcohol.

Woah, that’s a lot of trouble.

You may think you’re being considerate so you bought various kinds of beer from different manufacturers, but once you bring it to them, they get pissed off.

「 It’s not on that level 」

Nagisa giggled.

「 Even if it’s their private time, or when they’re having drinks at a regular restaurant, they will not order anything but the beer for their company 」

Huh, that far?

「 They make sure to specify the company beer by name. What if the wrong beer is served, they’ll get wrong for getting their order wrong 」

「 No, but, don’t normal bars and the likes have a variety of beers? 」

I don’t know much about bars, but…

「 So, those people often make check when they go to bars to see if they have their company beer 」

「 Huh, seriously? 」

I don’t get it.

「 Haven’t you seen them? When walking by a bar in town, you see a sign of *** Beer or a poster of a celebrity in a bikini holding the beer on hand with a smile 」

Nagisa said.

Oh, now that she mentions that.

「 You can’t go wrong if you went inside that kind of bar 」

I-I see.

「 I’m talking about regular employees, but not the big guys. In some expensive restaurants in Ginza, the hostess checks in advance which company the customer works for, and so even if the customer doesn’t say anything, they always serve the company beer 」

That means that they can drink the beer that they should be drinking even without the need to tell them.

「 In high-class restaurants or hotel parties, the only beer they’ll serve is what’s designated to that company. If they make a mistake and serve different alcohol, then that’s big trouble for them. It won’t end with just the person in charge sending a written apology 」

Is it that important for some big companies to drink alcohol from specific brewers?

「 Huh, Nagisa? Could it be… 」

I noticed.

「 Isn’t that obvious? 」

Agnes is attending the school for the young ladies as a relative of the Kouzuki house.

Jii-chan went out of his way to the parent-teacher conference during the entrance exam.

Misuzu and Ruriko went out of their way to greet the students in Agnes’ school.

I mean, she goes to school in a car owned by Kouzuki house.

Meaning, the students in that school see Agnes as a relative of the Kouzuki house.

「 Kouzuki group, also has their specific alcohol, right? 」

I asked Nagisa.

「 Yes, in Kouzuki group parties, the alcohol they bring out is Seiran Beer 」

「 What about the Kaan group? 」

「 Kaan-san goes with Benten Beer 」

That means they don’t drink the Zeus beer of Kerama brewery.

「 That’s why it’s complicated. Neither Kouzuki-sama nor Kaan-sama has any connection with the Kerama brewery at all 」

If that’s the case.

「 Then, it would be hard for Agnes, who’s a relative of the Kouzuki house, to get along with the daughter of the Kerama house? 」

「 I don’t think it’s impossible for children, but the people around them wouldn’t like it 」

Nagisa replied frankly.

「 They all know that the Kouzuki group doesn’t drink alcohol from the Kerama brewery 」

From the perspective of Kerama brewery, there’s no advantage in getting involved with the Kouzuki house because they don’t sell alcohol.

On the other hand, those who are in the corporate group who are on good terms would suspect that they’re trying to get close to the Kouzuki group.

And on the other hand, the people at Seiran beer, the one Kouzuki group uses regularly, won’t like it if Agnes makes contact with the young lady of the Kerama brewery.

「 Yes, the young lady of the Seiran brewing is also attending our school. 」

Luna replied to my thoughts.

「 She’s in her fifth grade however 」

It’s hard to move when daughters from both brewing companies are in school.

「 Oh. So that’s why Shou-neechan’s late to report 」

Shou-neechan’s trying to find a way to deal with it.

Especially, trying to get the Kouzuki and Kerama house together in politics and business level behind the scenes.

「 Yeah, I get the situation now. Let’s continue observing for now

I sighed.

I want it to go smoothly for Agnes, but…

「 Let’s leave it for now, going back on topic, why is Luna here? 」

I asked again.

「 Well, that’s because Tsukiko-oneesama had to return to the mansion first 」

Luna replied.

Oh, Tsukiko took Igarashi Izumi back to the mansion, right.

Kinosh*ta-san drives the car.

「 We need at least one shrine maiden in the mansion as it is now 」

Yeah, the thirteen girls from Southeast Asia are now much more stable, but…

Who knows what will happen, it’s better to have a shrine maiden who can keep their minds in check.

「 Then, Nagisa-oneesama arrived from work together with Tsukiko-oneesama. And she brought me to Nii-san’s school to take out the seeds of the problem 」

Seeds?

「 Nii-san, back then, you introduced Mana-oneesan as your little sister to the students in this school, right? 」

Huh?

Now that you mention that.

I remember it now.

「 I need to find someone with those memories and replace it with me as Nii-san’s little sister, instead of Mana-oneesan 」

Oh, I see.

Mana did grow taller she’s become surprisingly beautiful.

And, she’s helping out in our bakery as of now.

Her appearance has changed, but…

Some may look at Mana now and suspect her as the little sister I introduced to them before.

「 You can’t replace that memory unless you have Miko power, but you only need the minimum when touching people’s minds like that. That’s why I’m the one who came in as a replacement. 」

Luna’s got the same height as Mana half a year ago.

I mean, Tsukiko’s already an adult, and Koyomi-chan’s too young.

And Yomi’s got her huge tits, so she’s too different from Mana before.

「 That’s the pretext 」

Huh, Luna?

「 To be honest, hardly anyone remembers the one Nii-san introduced as his little sister 」

Luna said.

「 They won’t notice that the Mana-oneesan today is the girl from before 」

Then why?

「 But, Mana-oneesan fears it 」

Oh, I see.

Mana fears that she’ll be discovered as Shirasaka Maika.

「 Right. We know that Mana-chan’s changed a lot in the past six months, but… 」

Nagisa said.

「 But Mana herself isn’t aware that she’s changed so much. She doesn’t look at herself in the mirror 」

Mana’s scared. All the time.

「 Tsukiko-oneesama read through Mana-oneesama’s thoughts and she’s worried about her 」

Luna will rewrite the memories of the people who met Mana.

It’s all to give peace to Mana.

「 I see. I guess I’m liable for that. I’m the one who asked Mana to help out in the bakery without thinking 」

Mana doesn’t go outside the bakery, so she hasn’t met any of the students who met her past self 」

「 It’s okay to be considerate from now on. We’ll also back you up 」

Nagisa said.

「 Mana must have it hard too 」

Then.

Megu who had been quiet until now, speaks up.

「 Uhm, Nagisa-oneesan 」

She’s not as energetic.

「 What’s wrong, Megumi-chan 」

Nagisa looks at Megu with her usual smile.

「 Is it okay for me to dance with Yoshi-kun at the party? 」

Oh, I knew it.

Megu’s got this bad habit of asking “Is it okay for me to…”

「 I think it’s good. Dancing at the closing party isn’t something you experience that many times

Nagisa said.

「 But, I feel like it’s always just me, I’m the only one who gets to experience it with Yoshi-kun, and I feel sorry about it 」

Megu looks down.

「 Yoshi-kun’s been working with Katsuko-oneesan and Ai-chan the whole day, I didn’t even help out, and on the second half of the day, I had to go back to the track and field club 」

This isn’t a good pattern.

「 Kana-oneesan’s also a student here, I think she wants to dance with Yoshi-kun too. Besides, Edie and Nei-oneesan 」

「 You’re worrying too much 」

Nagisa said.

「 No, after hearing about Mana just now, I realized that I’m the only one among the students in the school festival who got to enjoy the school festival with Yoshi-kun, and I feel sorry for the other girls 」

Megu’s eyes are tearing up.

「 Thinking about Misuzu-san and Ruriko-san who weren’t allowed to come here, I… 」

「 I told you, you’re overthinking it 」

Nagisa pokes Megu’s forehead with her finger.

「 Why did you think I came here? 」

Speaking of which, it’s the end of the school festival, and yet.

Why did Nagisa come here?

「 I’m also coming here to dance with him 」

Eh?

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh?!!!

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