Chapter 1074. Pastry Filled Adventure / Secret Technique Shrike!!!

「 In modern Japan, there are ‘committees’ within the parliament on various national issues. People who are elected to Parliament are appointed by the party to serve on such individual ‘committees’. People who get votes from agricultural organizations want to be on committees in the agricultural sector, and people who are interested in foreign affairs want to be on committees that decide how to interact with other countries, and each member of Congress may have his or her own preferences, but sometimes power relations within a political party can decide which committee to go to. Among the many committees, the most important one is the one called the Budget Committee, which decides how to spend the country’s money. There’s a lot of TV coverage, and there’s a lot of national attention. That’s why the members of the Budget Committee are ace members of each party 」

Margo-san continues her talk.

「 So you go on and on about how it has nothing to do with the state’s budget, and how it’s a congressional scandal. 」

Mariko speaks with a displeased face.

「 Well, yeah. But the other members of Congress who are on other committees will be more familiar with the various issues in that area. That’s what you call a tribal councilor. You become more and more knowledgeable about a particular field, and you become connected to the ministries and industry associations that are in charge of that field. But, it can’t be helped. When you’re a member of parliament, everyone has to be on a committee of some sort. If each member of Congress doesn’t put down roots in his or her area of expertise, they won’t be able to gain ground in Congress or in their own party 」

「 But I’ve heard that the tribal councilors are tied up with officials in their respective ministries and agencies and are at the mercy of the bureaucrats 」

Mariko said.

「 Hmm. Sure, there’s an opinion about that, but why shouldn’t politicians be associated with bureaucrats? 」

Margo-san asks Mariko.

「 That’s because the bureaucrats might take control of the take Japan to a strange direction 」

「 Strange direction? What direction? 」

「 I don’t know 」

Mariko mumbles.

「 If a state bureaucrat comes up with a good idea for the country, don’t you think that it’s part of their job to suggest it to the politicians? 」

Margo-san said with a smile.

「 After all, no matter how good of an idea it is, unless a Diet Member makes it a law with their authority, it will never come to reality. The bureaucrats are people who move the country but they have no right to decide 」

Politicians, not bureaucrats decide how the country moves.

「 That’s why state bureaucrats are supposed to do what the politicians in power at the time tell them to do. If the same government changes ministers at the top, the policies of the ministry changes. They have to be flexible and do the work for the country accordingly 」

Y-Yeah.

「 However, bureaucrats, have their opinions and ideas, and sometimes, they don’t agree with the administration at that time. In America, each administration replaces the entire state bureaucracy to prevent such discord, but that’s not the case in Japan. At best, we can only replace the top administrative undersecretaries of ministry officials with someone who agrees with the minister and that’s about it 」

They won’t be replaced until they get to the end of their organization’s bureaucracy.

Most of the bureaucrats are the same people who remained when they entered.

「 Well, even within the state bureaucracy, you’re in the same department all the time, and you change departments every few years so that there’s no weird collusion, but you’re still in the same building, and as you work for many years, you’re going to develop an area of expertise. 」

Margo-san said.

「 You’ll have more chances to make contact with politicians as well. Politicians have their own brains to suggest policy ideas, but it’s the state bureaucrats who do the actual work and know the numbers. They can’t help but rely on them. I mean, it’s only natural for them to know each other well since it’s from the bureaucrats that they get material on state management 」

The relationship between the politician and the bureaucrats.

「 When a bureaucrat rises to the rank of section chief, they begin to feel that they really running the country, and for some people, it may seem ridiculous to work for a politician. “Why are these guys managing the nation? They don’t even know anything. I’m better suited for this,” people with such thoughts quit bureaucracy and turn into politics. They have high academic achievements, and they’re ambitious people who want to make the country move and so they became bureaucrats, and that’s why they may think that it’s natural for them to become politicians. However, most of the former-bureaucrat turned politicians are a pain in the ass 」

「 Why? 」

Mariko asks.

「 First, they see themselves as politicians who know about bureaucracy and the setting, and so they downplay ordinary politicians, especially two generations Diet members. “Those guys don’t know anything.” While at it, they also look down on the current bureaucrats. The thought goes “Why are they bowing their heads to these dumb politicians? They have no courage, nor talent to rise as a politician” They overestimate themselves, thinking that they’re the only ones who can move the country for the national interest because they’re the only ones with experience in bureaucracy as a politician 」

「 That’s the worst 」

「 Yeah, that’s a pain to deal with 」

Rie and Eri muttered.

「 I mean, you shouldn’t trust politicians who speak only about the national interests and protecting it. After all, every policy that politicians make should have the goal of making the country better. In the past, the politicians who led Japan to war believed that they were doing what was necessary for Japan’s national interest, right? No politician is going to go out of their way to promote something that they know will ‘make the country worse’. After all, the foundation of the politician is Japan itself. There aren’t many people who believe that no matter how bad things get in Japan, they’re going to stay rich and happy 」

「 But they exist 」

「 Like, Mother spends millions every month for herself 」

The twins said. Margo-san;

「 Those people are filled with malice that they can’t join the politics. Those people are helplessly stupid but in a sense, they’re thinking that they want to make Japan better. That’s why it’s so sinful. Anyway, I don’t think there’s not a single person who is a politician with only real bad intentions, but there are only a few. In fact, everyone becomes a politician because they believe from the bottom of their hearts that Japan will be better off if they do what they think. If they want just money and power, then they should choose something else. In times like this where inspection is strict, it’s hard to become a politician just to fill your pocket 」

Yeah.

「 In other words, while all politicians have their own opinions on what is in the national interest, the politician who announces in public that he or she is the only one who will ‘protect the national interest’ has no interest in listening to the opinions of others. They look down on people who disagree with their opinion. They don’t think it makes sense to consider another perspective from a different perspective than their own. They don’t get into arguments because they think that they’re the only right ones and every other opinion is foolish. It’s meaningless to laying the groundwork and finding a common ground with people like those and so the steamroller voting in the Diet has increased each year 」

Margo-san said.

「 Back to the bureaucrats, they think that their ideas won’t become real unless they begin to appeal to the politicians. I’ll say it again, the politicians also think of making the country a better place. They won’t be purposely decaying Japan. Only in the manga, you can find people who do such traitorous acts. Even the bureaucrats want to move Japan forward, they have parents, spouse, and children 」

They all think of making the country better.

Although, their opinions on their plans disagree.

「 And so, the bureaucrats reach out to the politicians. They make contact with the politician they see as “this man will become big soon,” and try to teach their ideas to them. It’s not just with the ruling party. There could be a regime change, and it’s also possible that there will be protests against the current administration, and so they secretly make contact with the opposition party. The bureaucrats moving behind the scenes is considered a problem 」

「 Why? 」

I asked.

「 Don’t bureaucrats want to make the country better? 」

「 But in the system, the ‘state bureaucrats’ are the hands and feet, not the ‘brains’ that determine the direction of the country. It should be the elected representatives of the people who control the running of the state, the legislators, and I guess a lot of people can’t accept that the bureaucrats seem to be in control of the politicians 」

Margo-san said.

「 Besides, this is obvious but politicians and bureaucrats often make mistakes 」

Mistakes?

「 After the war, Japan’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry’s view was that ‘Japan should not develop its auto industry.’ 」

「 Why? 」

「 But, aren’t there a lot of car industries in Japan? 」

The twins asked. Margo-san;

「 But, that’s how the bureaucrats think at that time. They say that Japan should only import parts and assemble them locally. They call it to knock out production. In fact, there was a time when they built a Renault car like that and used it in the country 」

Margo-san said.

「 They thought that it should just be Toyota and Nissan left in the automobile industry. So all the small car companies that were formed after the war were either absorbed by the big two or forced by the government to go out of business. In fact, several companies have been absorbed. So, Honda proved that it is a company that can aggressively export and earn foreign currency to get rid of MITI’s demands. Honda started out with motorcycles, but the Japanese government didn’t believe that Japanese heavy industry products could be sold overseas until they started selling to the West. Before the war, Japan’s exports were all light industrial goods like the spinning industry, and Japan was dependent on imports for heavy industrial machinery. Of course, they made machines domestically, but they never imagined that they would be able to export them overseas, especially to Europe and the United States, the home of the auto industry 」

「 Well of course! Everyone knew that America was the home of motorization and that there were a lot of big, American cars on the road from the movies. It would have been a dream come true for people in those days to be able to export cars to the U.S., an automobile powerhouse after Japan had lost the war in terms of both technology and production capacity 」

Nei says while looking at her laptop.

「 It often happens where the vision of the bureaucrats for the state is different from the reality. So the government and bureaucrats, especially among Japanese companies that are strong exporters, do nothing but drag their feet. They take pride in the fact that they sold our products abroad on their own, without any help from the government. They say politicians and bureaucrats are useless 」

Margo-san said.

「 My father don’t trust politicians and bureaucrats either 」

Mariko, the young lady of Torii electronics has said.

「 Yes, most of the politicians and bureaucrats in our place are failures. That’s obvious. Japan’s current prosperity is largely due to the efforts of the private sector, not to politicians and bureaucrats. That’s the truth. However… 」

Margo-san looked at Mariko.

「 Your father doesn’t ignore the politicians and bureaucrats either, doesn’t he? He’s a man of business after all 」

「 That’s true, the politicians make all sorts of appeals through the business world 」

「 Yes. They can’t be ignored. But still, it’s the politicians and bureaucrats that move this country. No matter how hard the private sector work out, they cannot change the country. Like in foreign country negotiations, defense, police, infrastructure improvement, and others. Some politicians are foolish enough to say that everything should be outsourced to the private sector, but the private sector has to be sure to make a profit and the loss of other services can bankrupt a company. The idea that ‘private sector wisdom’ is the right thing to do in any field, and that ‘bureaucrats are just a bunch of fools protecting their vested interests’ is wrong. Because in the case of the private sector, all the successes stand out, but the companies that fail go bankrupt and aren’t anything left, and in the case of government work, all the failures are highlighted. I mean, they take it for granted that they succeed as planned 」

「 That’s why, when successful private sector executives enter politics with the idea of using the wisdom of the private sector to improve politics, they usually fail spectacularly. Because it’s all different from a corporation, in terms of size, purpose, and methods. In business, if you see the project as a failure, then you can cut it down right away, but in the world of politics, most of it is impossible to take down. The difference between business, and clients, against the nation and citizens is huge. If you don’t know that, then becoming a politician is truly terrifying 」

Nei said.

「 Oh right, there was that school principal in our place coming from the private sector to the public appeal… 」

「 Eri-chan, don’t go further than that 」

The twins smiled wryly.

「 I don’t think that Japan’s bureaucracy system is better but we can’t do anything but use it. We haven’t created a newer social system than democracy yet 」

Margo-san said.

「 Therefore, the case this time is a heavy one. A portion of the bureaucracy thinks that they should have the Miko power 」

The bureaucrats from the National Police Agency, Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications are acting recklessly.

「 As a matter of fact, it’s a plan for a coup. The person wasn’t thinking that way, however. They simply thought that the “special power” isn’t in the hands of the government, that it’s a problem to let Kouzuki house monopolize it, and so they want to shelter Tsukiko-san under the country’s power. However, the fact that they acted by themselves and didn’t consult with the minister shows doubtful behavior. If they use the Miko power, they will be able to take control of the prime minister 」

That’s correct.

「 I mean, they sure are idiots. They thought that they could outsmart the police and Kouzuki SS, threaten Yo-chan, and take Yomi-chan away like that 」

Nei said.

「 Furthermore, they hired such low-ranked agents 」

Margo-san said. I realized.

「 Maybe, someone in the government used us to lure out those bureaucrats in opposition? 」

Leaking the existence of the Miko power, purposely sending out low-level agents…

Using us to take out such problematic bureaucrats…

If that’s the case…

「 Kou-sama, please hold your anger 」

Tsukiko said…

「 We know about it 」

Huh?

「 That’s why Tsukiko-chan, Yomi-chan, Luna-chan, and Koyomi-chan hasn’t been speaking since earlier 」

Nei said.

Right…

These girls can read the minds of people, so…

They perhaps already know Kudou-papa’s plan from the beginning.

That’s why Yomi already read that there’s something about to happen when Kudou-papa got in the car.

「 Yomi’s been quiet the whole day 」

Yomi who’s usually loud…

She’s quiet today…

And, when Yomi returned. She conveyed her memories to Tsukiko and the girls.

Luna and Koyomi-chan know that something’s happening.

「 But, are you sure about this? Aren’t they using Yomi? 」

I said.

「 No, we’re just being tested. If I used my powers further than self-defense, then the people who set the plan for today would mark me as a dangerous existence 」

Yomi replies.

「 That includes the Kouzuki house. It’s a test whether they could let them take care of the shrine maidens 」

Margo-san said.

「 By whom? 」

I asked.

「 It’s just my guess but it’s likely to be the big names in the ruling party 」

「 Yeah. I think the bureaucrats who went ‘out of control’ this time had traces of contact with opposition politicians, and they were going to crush them while they were at it. 」

Nei said.

「 Look, this is the latest news 」

Nei leads aloud her screen.

「 The chairman of the opposition party in the Diet, Ooshi Mizu has died in an accident. As the car was driving along the riverbed, a golf ball suddenly flew in and broke the car’s windshield, causing the driver to mishandle the car and fall off the road, killing everyone inside the car. The passengers were the chairman himself, the driver, and bureaucrats from the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications 」

They died?

「 There were people who were doing a golf training illegally in the riverbank, then, the hit golf ball accidentally made contact with the car of the Diet member, and so the police is looking for the people who knocked the ball 」

A golf practice on the riverbank? Even though it’s already dark?

「 The bureaucrats who acted recklessly and the Diet member in the opposition party that’s linked to them died suddenly. Someone in the National Police Agency would doubt about the accidental death and so they will be dealt with using a different method 」

Margo-san said.

One is already arrested under suspicions of abuse of authority.

「 And there’s another one 」

Kudou-papa and his group…

「 As expected, they were faster than expected 」

Kudou-papa said that he’s going to settle the problem before 12, and yet…

It’s still at 9 o’clock and it’s already moving.

「 Why are you so calm…people died you know 」

Mariko said.

「 Not died, they were murdered 」

「 So, what about it? 」

Rie speaks…

「 I-I mean 」

「 If they don’t die, they will just bring trouble to us, right? 」

「 That’s right. Mariko-neesan, you’re not a child. It’s a little troublesome if you don’t think of things a bit harder 」

「 Tsukiko-neesan, Yomi-neesan, Luna-chan, and Koyomi-chan, don’t mind all these 」

「 It’s not like it happened to them because of Onee-san. They’re just paying for their mistakes 」

「 Besides, it’s not us who did the kill. It’s an adult circumstance outside of our family 」

「 You can’t feel down from it 」

I see.

They called the twins here because;

They’re the girls with the nerves of steel among our family.

These girls watched their own parents go to their deaths with composure.

「 We’re just brushing off the sparks 」

Margo-san said.

「 And who knows when that spark will fly again. This time, the big-shots in the ruling party tolerate our existence. However, that doesn’t mean that it will stay like that. Politicians change over generations, and political power might change again. Even with the bureaucrats, people who feel disgusted with our existence showed up, and even if they tolerate us now, as soon as they raise their standing, they might come and crush Kuromori house 」

「 What I’m most worried about, although I shouldn’t say it when Kouzuki Ojii-chan dies… 」

Nei said.

When Jii-chan dies…

If the head of the Kouzuki house, the family keeping us safe, dies…

Then we will lose the power relationship surrounding us.

「 Kouzuki Ojii-chan knows that best, and so that’s why he’s trying to deepen our relationships with the nobility. If that happens, the whole nobility of Japan will be protecting the Kuromori house 」

That’s the reason for the party last week, and today’s match with Edie against Yamada Umeko-san.

It’s to gather the young ladies of nobility.

「 I understand, then if that’s the case. Kaan and Kanou house will be the priority 」

Mariko said.

「 Kouzuki, Kaan, and Kanou house are the center of the nobility 」

Mariko is Kaan Momoko-neechan’s protegee.

And is Kanou Sakurako-san’s cousin.

「 Yeah. We’re relying on you, Mariko-chan 」

Nei laughed.

「 We will be taking care of the things behind the scenes but we have to rely on Mariko-chan on that side 」

「 That’s true. Misuzu-sama or Ruriko-sama can’t do it either 」

「 It helps that we reached conclusion quickly 」

Margo-san said

Yeah, Mariko came over here to strengthen her resolve.

But…

「 Mariko 」

I embraced Mariko.

「 I’m sorry to ask but I’m relying on you 」

「 It’s okay, I understand 」

Then, I gave Tsukiko and the girls a hug too.

「 I’m okay. Kou-sama, as long as you do this 」

「 Sensei’s heart that never lies is with us and so I feel reassured all day 」

「 Nii-san, Luna’s going to do her best too 」

As for Koyomi-chan, I shook her hands.

「 Soon enough I’ll be able to have sex 」

「 You don’t have to hurry. Try to enjoy the moment, and once you’ve grown and that’s when we can do it 」

「 Yes 」

Then, Eri and Rie too.

「 W-What? Onii-san? 」

「 If you want to have sex then we can do that later 」

「 Don’t mind me, I’m just hugging 」

I also embraced Nei from behind as she looks at the laptop.

「 Geez, Yo-chan’s so spoiled 」

「 Sorry 」

「 No, I don’t mind, keep coming at me 」

Then, I held Margo-san’s hands.

「 I’m sorry to take your time when you’re busy with your trip going to America 」

「 Can’t help it. If it’s for the family, I’m Margo Highway Stakrweather Kuromori after all. I’m tied to the Kuromori house for the rest of my life, just like Yoshinobu-kun 」

I’m Kuroori Yoshinobu.

In my two family registers, I’m both adopted in the Kuromori family, just like Margo-san.

Then.

「 Huh? Kudou-san sent over a mail 」

Nei looked at the laptop and shouted.

「 What is it? It seems that he sent over a video 」

Mariko, the twins, and I went to Nei’s back and looked at the screen.

「 Let’s view it! 」

Nei opens the video.

Hmm?

『 Hello! Hello! Hello! Mic Check Testing! White Rock, reply! 』

It seems to be a parking area on a highway at night.

Kudou-papa’s facing the camera while talking.

『 For now, that’s one of the first operation done. We’re moving over for our second operation 』

Then, two men show up behind Kudou-papa.

One of them is a tall Caucasian man wearing a white shirt.

The other one is wearing horizontal stripes long sleeves and some long rod carried on his back.

『 Let me introduce you, these two will be doing the second operation 』

Why are you introducing them to us?

『 First, this big guy is the man who devised the first operation. Salvatore Palladizo. His alias is programmer monkey 』

『 Hello, good evening. I’m a monke 』

Programming monkey.

『 This small guy is the professional golfer 』

『 Hey, I’m a professional golfer monkey 』

Another monkey.

「 Oh, so that’s his methods 」

Nei speaks with a fed-up tone.

『 By the way, we’re going to our second operation. Checkmate King Two. Over!!! 』