"Ordinary people would be corrupted just by contact, and it even hides itself from divination… what a pain to track down."
Nagi made a small complaint.
"Sefirot are that kind of thing."
Ren shook his head slightly. Sefirot were never something easy to find or control. Naturally, conventional means would not work against them.
"A Sefirot is essentially the key for Sequence 0 to transcend. That alone puts it above Sequence 0. Even Sequence 0 Beyonders have a hard time locating one, especially if it is deliberately hiding."
"But we can be about eighty percent sure now. The Knowledge Moor is deeply involved with the two technologies developed by Sindora Corporation."
"As for whether that ten-year-old had a Beyonder trait, or if someone hid it after their death, we just need to keep our eyes on Sindora."
"True."
Nagi nodded slightly, recalling what she had discovered yesterday about the corporation.
"Sindora has been desperately seeking investors. Their research into artificial intelligence and virtual reality has drained their liquid assets."
"From what I found out, they've shifted their focus to Japan. Especially toward the Shinomiya, Shijo, Suzuki, and Ooka families. It looks like they've already made contact."
Hearing that, Ren instinctively glanced at Sonoko.
"That did happen."
Sonoko remembered. Her older sister had told her about it.
"She explained it to me. I simply passed along Nagi's warning that AI and VR weren't technologies fit for this era and were highly unstable."
"My sister said she understood, and the next day she politely responded that our family still needed to consider the matter further."
From a business standpoint, Sonoko trusted Nagi's judgment.
Nagi had her own ideas about investments. She used her own allowance and funded her lifestyle from her own investment gains.
That kind of self-sufficiency made Sonoko believe that Nagi's perspective was sharp and worth trusting.
And now, after hearing what Ren said, Sonoko was sure that Nagi had been absolutely right.
Those technologies truly were not of this era. Worse, they came with hidden dangers.
"But I heard the Ooka family is very interested in Sindora's project."
The Ooka conglomerate was different from the Suzuki family, which only rose to prominence in the last three generations. Ooka's roots went deeper. However, because of that, most of their industries were traditional.
Real estate, construction, chemicals, cruise ships. All heavy industries.
"The Ooka group… these old families really are struggling to stay relevant."
Just hearing the name brought some memories back to Nagi. She understood why.
The recent economic crisis had hit heavy-asset sectors hard. Those old zaibatsu who had their wealth locked in heavy industries now found themselves needing to pivot.
Kaguya smiled. She too understood why the old conglomerates were looking for change.
"They don't really have a choice. The financial impact of the crisis was too big."
"The major zaibatsu had their money in real estate and heavy manufacturing. Normally, those are the safest and most stable sectors. But who would have thought the crisis would strike exactly where they felt the most secure?"
Kaguya let out a small laugh.
Behind her, Hayasaka leaned forward and quietly reminded her,
"Kaguya-sama, the Shinomiya family is also one of those traditional zaibatsu."
Kaguya's expression darkened instantly. Right. That was also something she needed to consider.
"Pfft, Kaguya, maybe you should watch what you say. You're from one of those old families too, and honestly, you're not exactly good with new tech either."
Nagi smirked.
Everyone knew that Kaguya was hopeless with modern technology. Smartphones, computers, anything remotely digital, she struggled with.
Seeing someone like her criticize the Ooka conglomerate for being outdated made Nagi genuinely want to laugh.
"Yeah, Kaguya doesn't really deal well with new things."
Chika nodded. She knew that Kaguya always had trouble adapting to fresh trends or technology.
"In that sense, Isumi is actually very similar to Kaguya."
Nagi smoothly shifted the focus to Isumi, who was quietly sipping her tea nearby.
"Phones are one thing. Skirts are another matter entirely."
Isumi glanced at the other girls in their usual JK uniforms, especially the short skirts that barely reached their thighs. Her face turned bright red. Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Skirts… are too revealing."
Everyone looked at Isumi in her traditional Japanese kimono. Just from appearance alone, the thick and layered outfit covered her entirely. Even doing regular movement wouldn't expose anything cute or eye-catching.
It wasn't that JK uniforms were too revealing. It was that Isumi's thinking was very conservative.
"Isumi comes from a family of traditional shrine maidens. That kind of modesty is natural."
Ren agreed. That reserved part of Isumi was also part of her charm.
"Ren-sama…"
Isumi was touched that Ren could understand her values.
"Eh? Ren, do you like Isumi?"
Nagi grinned with a mischievous look like she had just uncovered a secret.
Ren immediately sensed that this was going in a strange direction and decided to respond before it escalated.
"I actually like you too, Nagi."
"Whether in the story or in real life, you're a very cute girl."
The straightforwardness of that comment, almost like a confession, made Nagi freeze.
Her mischievous expression vanished, and her cheeks turned red.
(To be continued.)