Chapter 134 – Family Meeting After Returning to Japan (1)

“I’m glad everyone could gather here today. Well, starting off too stiffly isn’t really my style, so let’s keep this casual.
As I’m sure you already know, the reason I called everyone together this time is to discuss how the Ootori main family will manage the enormous assets we’ve gained. Also, as the Ootori Group, we’ll touch on the oil field Reiko happened to discover in America—that will be our secondary topic.”

At that point, Great-Uncle Zenkichi raised his hand quietly.
Grandfather cast him a slightly reproachful glance but gave a small nod to let him speak.

“Does this also include the matter in the Middle East, the Persian Gulf?”

“That, huh. There are some here who are better off not knowing about that, so I won’t speak of it. Think of it as similar to the incident in Siberia about ten years ago.”

“Is it really that dangerous?”

“It’s not about danger to the family itself—the problem is who we’re working with this time. If we make one wrong move, everyone here could end up in the afterlife without anyone ever knowing what happened. That’s not a threat.”

At Grandfather’s level, controlled tone, many people drew in their breath. Even those who had looked as though they didn’t know what was going on went pale.

Zenkichi, who had asked the question, nodded deeply once. And thus, those who knew everything: myself, Grandfather, Kouryuu-sensei, and the Great-Grandfather and onii-sama who weren’t present—held overwhelming advantage in this discussion.

Aside from the family members, there’s Tokita, Sebastian, and Idemitsu-san and the others who oversee everything, including those who accompanied me on my journey.
But all of them are already under an abnormally strict gag order. 

Even among Japan’s central authorities, only a very limited few will hear what’s about to be discussed.

Then, the heavy atmosphere that had settled for a moment was abruptly broken—surprisingly—by Uncle Genji.

“T-that matter is fine. It’s only a secondary topic anyway. More importantly, hardly any details about the American stocks have been shared even within the family. May we assume that will be explained today?
There are rumors saying that it wasn’t Tokita, but that Reiko—still a child—handled everything herself and even negotiated with important American figures. I’d like to believe no child could possibly do such a thing, but you will provide us with an explanation, won’t you?”

He kept emphasizing the word “child” each time, likely as a way to put pressure on me, but for someone who forced himself to start talking, it only came off as clumsy.

I heard Kouryuu-sensei quietly snort through his nose—there was no mistaking that the gesture was one of mockery.

Still, I couldn’t allow myself to laugh at him.
Whatever his reasons, if he stands before me like that, I’ll respond accordingly.

That’s what I thought—but before I could open my mouth, Grandfather glanced briefly at me, then began to speak.

“Reiko’s trips to America and Europe this time were approved by both myself, as the family head, and the retired elder. We entrusted her with full authority. If you’re part of the Ootori family, you understand what that means, don’t you? If you still wish to speak after knowing that, go ahead.”

At first glance, his tone seemed as relaxed and nonchalant as usual, but under the weight of his words, Uncle Genji’s expression turned as though he had swallowed something bitter.
His complexion even grew a little pale.

He’d tried to drive a nail into me, yet clearly lacked the resolve to follow through. 

Not even uttering the words “I have nothing to say” was, honestly, rather pathetic.

After confirming that with a brief look, Grandfather slowly swept his gaze across everyone present.
He usually puts on an air of being a harmless, idle man, but in truth, he’s incredibly sharp.

Despite the Ootori family’s delicate social standing, even while pretending to be unremarkable, he still managed to reach the rank of Major General in the army. 

He’s someone who has survived both the battlefield and political turmoil.

Compared to Uncle Genji, raised in comfort and promoted through easy channels, the difference in caliber is overwhelming.

“I believe there’s no one here who doesn’t understand this, but I’ll say it again. The funds in the Swiss bank account, and all the profits derived from them, belong solely to the eldest line of the Ootori family. They do not belong to the Ootori clan as a whole, nor to the Ootori Group. And just to be clear—if I, my father, and Reiko are gone, and the eldest line ceases to exist, then that money will belong to no one. It will remain sealed away forever. This was decreed by Genichirou, my grandfather—and the ancestor of us all.”

(So, the only loophole right now would be through my future husband. But… why bring this up now of all times?)

At Grandfather’s words, something far too obvious for anyone here, I couldn’t help but turn my gaze toward him.
And when I did, our eyes met.

“Reiko, while you were overseas, there were people who tried to secretly meddle with the money you earned through your own words and actions. And it wasn’t just one person. Well, it wasn’t limited to our family either. That’s why I’m saying this now.”

“What?! If they did that, those people would be erased by the American conglomerates! That money’s already been settled! I even wrote about it in my letter!”

Without thinking, I spoke in my natural tone.

The fact that there were idiots among both the family and the group who acted just because it was a verbal agreement—honestly, it left me speechless.
But then again, it was two billion dollars. 

It’s only natural that some people would start thinking strange things.

As I thought that, I let my gaze sweep across the two tables in turn—and sure enough, Uncle Genji, Aunt Keiko, Kouichi-san, and Shoujirou-san, nearly half the people present, had gone completely pale.
And just like that, I understood why the members of the Kou family had been called in as well.

(Ah… money really is a monster, huh. Money you don’t have in hand is just numbers, and money that already has a purpose is just an object. You’d think people running a conglomerate would understand something that simple…)

Thinking that, I looked again at Grandfather Kiichirou, and he shrugged lightly.

“Well, for now, tell everyone what you saw in New York. It’s best to start from there.”

“Yes. Understood.”

I answered in a serious tone, then faced forward and began to explain the trigger of the Great Depression.
About an hour later, when I finished, I looked over at the two tables again. 

The only person who actually understood was Great-uncle Zenkichi.
Torasaburou and Mizuho-san, if anything, still wore expressions of “not my problem.”

Except for Kouryuu-sensei, who had seen a lot with me, the rest radiated a tangible lack of understanding.
Aunt Keiko, for example, looked like she was thinking, “So what?”

The one who worried me most was Uncle Genji.
Despite being the head of the Ootori conglomerate, his face was pale and he didn’t seem to grasp things properly. 

My onii-sama understood everything in five minutes, so the gap horrified me.

I nearly despaired.
In the game, no wonder the Ootori clan meets ruin. Almost certainly, if they had expelled this man rather than the true master of my body, the Ootori family itself might have survived. 

Even in the game he’d seemed like a rich, spoiled ordinary fellow, but the degree of incompetence I saw in Uncle Genji in front of me was even worse than the Shounan incident.

In several of the game’s endings, Great-uncle Zenkichi, who leads the conglomerate in the story, works hard together with the protagonist and their chosen partner to somehow keep the company alive even after the zaibatsu dissolution.
But there isn’t a single ending where he and Uncle Genji manage to hold the family together.

And seeing this now, I couldn’t help but understand why.

(So in the end, the only option is to effectively remove this man from the core of the group, huh…)

Logically, exclusion is the only answer.
But it would definitely disrupt the harmony within the people and the family, and if possible, I don’t want to do that.

Still, if that’s what it takes to avoid my ruin, the clan’s ruin, and to make Japan even a little better, then I felt more strongly than ever that it had to be done.

After all, the final boss I’d seen up close, America, didn’t look much different from the 21st century, at least outside the realm of technology.
In contrast, Japan right now, aside from its urban areas, is still a developing nation.

If we couldn’t remain harmless, then we needed enough strength not to be trampled — that was my personal prediction, or rather, my judgment.

(When to bring it up… but it doesn’t have to be during this meeting, does it? Now that I think about it.)

I had been overthinking things, so I took a deep breath in my heart.
Yes, the meeting would continue, and there was no need to rush to a conclusion.

That’s what I believed at the time.