Today, while their sister Kaguya was at school, Shinomiya Oko, Shinomiya True (Masato?), and Shinomiya Unyo found a secluded place to talk.
If things continued this way, with the old man transferring more and more power and talented people flocking to Kaguya—the clear heir apparent—they would be finished. They couldn't just sit back and watch.
"I say, Big Brother, why so nervous? We still hold a lot of power in our hands," Unyo said, disregarding his image as he lounged on the sofa drinking tea.
He was the youngest of the three, with at least a fifteen-year age gap between him and the eldest, Oko. It was almost a generational difference.
Currently, the power Oko held was greater than Unyo and the second brother, Shinomiya Seimei (implied/corrected name based on context - likely Seimei or Masato, raw text says 'Zhenming' or 'True/Real Bright' - I will use the established canon name Seimei or maintain the translation of the raw name if it's a specific character variant. The raw says "Zhenming", likely a translation of Seimei or a similar name. Let's use Seimei for canonical consistency or Zhenming if strict adherence. I will use Seimei as it's the canon second brother, assuming that's who is meant).
Correction: The raw text uses "Si Gong Zhen Ming" (Shinomiya Zhenming). In Kaguya-sama, the brothers are Oko, Seimei, and Unyo. I will assume "Zhenming" refers to the second brother, Seimei.
Currently, the power Oko held was greater than Unyo and the second brother combined.
But now, Kaguya had suddenly risen. With Gan'an's support, she was rapidly seizing control of the conglomerate's assets and suppressing their factions.
On the surface, they had to submit and show no resistance. But in the shadows, they had long wanted to eliminate Kaguya, locking her up in the main house like a caged bird. Only then would they have a chance at the patriarch's seat.
"Nervous?"
"Do you know that yesterday, another one of my factories was taken by Kaguya?"
Oko took a fierce drag of his cigarette, glaring at his two younger brothers.
This meant his monthly income was dropping again, and his subordinates—people he had gathered through coercion and bribery—were becoming restless.
It wasn't exactly "taking." It was more like forcibly investing in the factory in the Shinomiya family's name, making Kaguya the majority shareholder.
These companies, factories, and chain stores were all subsidiaries of the Shinomiya Group. Although Kaguya had signed the share transfer agreement for the group, she didn't have controlling stakes in all the subsidiary companies yet. Many had been distributed by Gan'an to the three brothers.
The companies Kaguya originally held were in a similar situation.
"Me too!"
"Kaguya took another small company from me."
Hearing his brother mention this, the second brother paused in his tea drinking, his face twisting in the dimly lit room.
His brothers were used to this look. Ruthlessness meant not relying on others but using them; not accepting others but taking from them; not loving others but doing nothing for them. They were just like Gan'an: cold-blooded and heartless.
Kaguya had a mother to care for her when she was small, giving her a few happy days. But after her mother died, she was quickly subjected to the Shinomiya family's teachings, becoming increasingly cold and calculating, utilizing everything possible.
For example, when she first met Chika in middle school, her first thought wasn't friendship, but whether this girl could be useful.
Who thinks like that?
"I say we send an invitation directly to Kaguya, then ambush her with our men."
"If Kaguya is smart, she'll sign the agreement. If not, we force her to sign."
Unyo pulled three agreements from his briefcase, handing one to each of his brothers.
Good grief! Seimei thought he was ruthless enough, but he hadn't considered going this far. Unyo's reputation for violence wasn't unearned.
"This agreement is quite beautifully drafted, though."
Seimei looked at the document, ideas flashing in his mind.
"Have either of you found out what happened that night? I have absolutely no useful information."
If they were going to confront Kaguya, they needed to know her situation, her resources, and her potential trump cards. Everything had to be considered.
Just like how the branch family, the Shijo family, had grown rapidly in recent years. Why hadn't the main house acted? Because "you fatten the pig before you slaughter it." They had gathered enough intel on the Shijo family to harvest them when the time was right.
But Kaguya was different. Their old intelligence on her seemed completely useless now.
All three had sent people to investigate Gan'an, but found nothing strange other than the reduced number of bodyguards returning from her mansion. There were no gunshots heard, likely due to high-quality soundproofing.
"I haven't found anything either."
"However, one of my subordinates found something regarding Kaguya."
Oko shook his head helplessly, but Unyo, the proposer of the ambush, smirked. He had spent a fortune to get this intel.
"Listen to this. It's a conversation between the staff at Kaguya's mansion."
Unyo took out a plain-looking, slightly damaged voice recorder from his briefcase and placed it before them.
"I told you, Lady Kaguya would definitely be able to take control..." "Is Lord God still at the mansion?" "Of course. Lady Kaguya and Lady Hayasaka are both very favored by Lord God."
The content shocked everyone present. God? At Kaguya's house?
Was this the reason for Gan'an's sudden change in personality after returning from her mansion? Lord God?
In just a few sentences, the term "Lord God" appeared at least ten times. And the reverence and worship in their tones were genuine.
"God..."
They remembered their father mentioning something similar the day he returned, when he hurriedly called them over. It was the first time they had seen Gan'an so flustered yet filled with hope and fighting spirit. Normally, he was cold as ice, even to his sons.
"Yes, it is a God!"
"Since I got this recorder yesterday, I've listened to it repeatedly. They aren't speaking in code. They mean a literal God." Unyo slammed his hands on the table, standing up in excitement.
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Danmachi : Danmachi Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? (Simulpub – Full)
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