I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 63 The Influence of the Times

"Too slow,"

At the entrance of Royal Sakura Girls' High School
After repeating her usual 'catchphrase', Akihi Sora glanced at Iai Nao.

"Why is this woman still here? Wasn't she supposed to be out for club activities?"

"Xiao Qiong".

Class representative Nao awkwardly pushed up her round-framed glasses and explained.

"Given this incident, the school has decided to suspend club activities."

In fact, not only Suimi High School, but also the 'Royal Sakura Girls' High School' in front of us is in complete chaos.

The normally elegant young ladies gathered in twos and threes, forming interest groups and using their connections to try to find traces of the extraordinary being!
Humanity will never lack a spirit of adventure, especially island nations that love to gamble on national fortunes. While supernatural beings are certainly terrifying, the benefits they can bring are equally astonishing: others may not know, but how could the young ladies of this school not be aware?

The transfer student, Eiryuu, is someone their parents all need to please!

The reason for this is that she possesses extraordinary power.
Compared to ordinary people whose worldviews were shattered and who were completely bewildered, the young ladies, as members of high society, had long been aware of the existence of the extraordinary.

Now that Rashomon has been destroyed and the true spirits of all ghosts have scattered, this is a golden opportunity!

As for how to win over and control the extraordinary being after finding them?
That's another question.

Besides, even if he couldn't handle it himself, selling this information to other conglomerates would be a great favor and a substantial return, wouldn't it?
In the foreseeable future, 'extraordinary detective' will be a new and booming profession!

That's it,"

She had introduced her family's school to her brother and the "bad woman."
Just as the three were about to leave, a girl with long, flowing hair walked over and waved to them.

"Xiao Qiong,"

The other person was wearing the school uniform of Huangying Girls' High School. She was tall and graceful, neither thin nor plump, with an innocent smile on her face.

She looked like a well-off young lady with a good amount of exercise, but the way she walked made Qiu Riyou raise an eyebrow slightly.

"Minister Hongo,"

Qiu Riqiong turned to look at the other person, her expressionless face relaxing.

"This is the head of our 'Network Department': Hina Hongo."

After speaking, Qiong raised her hand to introduce Akihi Yu and the other person.

"This is my older brother, Akihi Yuu."

"And my neighbor, Iai Nao."

In front of outsiders, Qiu Riqiong wouldn't call herself a 'bad woman' so casually.

The visitor politely bowed slightly to Akihisa and the other person.

"Hello, both of you,"

"I am the club president of Qiong. Nice to meet you."

"Please give me your guidance,"

Iai Nao bowed in return, while Akihi Yuu did the same.

"Hello."

Faced with the outstretched right hand of the autumn sun, the girl naturally extended her own right hand as well.

really,

With their hands clasped together, Qiu Riyou understood immediately: this was a master.

Don't get me wrong, the so-called 'experts' are just based on ordinary people: if we take Akihi Yu as the standard, then all humans are just giant ants!

The two hands touched and then separated. After noticing that the other person's muscle density was significantly different from that of an ordinary person, Akihi Yu also became curious.

The beautiful girl in front of me is actually a skilled fighter with real combat experience?
interesting,

"cough,"

After giving his brother, who was staring intently at his department head, a disapproving look, Akihisa stepped forward and stood between the two.

"Minister, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Here's the thing, my family just bought an old school. Want to go on an adventure together?"

A girl named "Hina Hongo" took out her phone. On the screen was an old school from the 70s: judging from the desolate atmosphere, it was indeed an abandoned school. As for the reason, it was due to the "low birth rate" leading to insufficient student enrollment, which caused many schools to eventually close down.

There is some truth to the old saying that "many children bring many blessings".

When conflicts arise with other families or neighboring villages, a few burly men step forward, their intimidating presence and fighting prowess evident.

In modern times, no matter how many children one has, they are nothing more than beasts of burden for large corporations. Even if ordinary people wanted to "rise up in rebellion," they would be nothing but trash in the face of modern weapons. Realizing this, the lower classes can only passively resist by "not having children."

This has led to the closure of many schools, and coupled with the population drain from big cities, some remote areas have even seen the emergence of deserted "ghost villages".

"Adventure?"

In response to Sora's question, Hongo Hime smiled and looked at Akihi Yu and Nao, the class president.

"Since you two are so close to Qiong, you must be 'insiders' too, right?"

".Yes,"

Nodding slightly, Qiong wanted to deny being intimate with the 'bad woman,' but she also understood that now was not the time to dwell on it.

"Well, I'm sure you've all seen the previous live streams."

"As high school students in this new era, we should also actively participate in the extraordinary events that are about to happen."

With a cute fist pump and a "good luck" gesture, Hina Hongo extended another invitation to the three of them:
"Want to go on an adventure together?"

"Just treat it as an outdoor club activity~~"

I see,

This young lady, through her family's influence, took over an abandoned school and prepared to open it: to see if she could bump into the hundred demons flying out of Rashomon. It has to be said that these island nation elites are really efficient.

but--

"is this okay?"

Autumn Day Yu took over the topic,
"This belongs to my classmate's family, right? We..."

If three outsiders accidentally benefit from this, wouldn't they turn on each other on the spot?

"Will not,"

The smiling girl waved her hand.

"It's a bit of a boast to say that I'm very pampered at home: my parents, my brother, and everyone listen to me."

"Besides, it's just a visit: if it's really that easy to encounter extraordinary beings, then this country will become quite interesting and chaotic in the future."

Hearing his club's 'minister' say that, Akihi Sora was caught in a dilemma.

This minister has a great personality, strong initiative, and top grades; she's extremely popular among girls, the kind of person who's irresistibly charming. Even Akihi Sora has a good relationship with her. —In fact, given Akihi Sora's habit of spending all her time online, she has very few people she can truly call friends.

"elder brother."

"I'll listen to you." After saying that, Akihi Yu turned to look apologetically at Nao, the class president.

"Nao, look."

"It's okay, I'm not in a hurry to go home."

Iai Nao replied that her parents always spoke to her in a sarcastic and hostile manner, as if they were mortal enemies, so it was better to go back later.

"Then it's a happy decision, everyone, let's go!"

Full of energy, Hina Hongo made a peace sign. A long, black, bulletproof Bentley quietly drove up beside them. The driver, dressed in a suit and with bullet marks on his cheek, opened the car door for everyone and stood respectfully to the side.

"Alright,"

Qiu Riyou touched her chin.

Let's just treat it as a pre-dinner pastime; there's still plenty of time.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Chiyoda,
Nagata Town, the official residence of the Prime Minister.

Just as Qiu Riyou and the others decided to go on a 'pleasant' adventure, the conference room here was filled with gloom and despair.

This is the heart of the island nation. Since the Taisho era, countless conspiracies, schemes, and government decrees have originated from here, affecting the fate of everyone in the island nation.

On both sides of the oval table sat high-ranking officials of the island nation, including all the cabinet ministers. The Metropolitan Police Department and Self-Defense Force personnel further crowded the table, and everyone wore a somber expression.

Even so, basic etiquette still had to be observed. After a group of officials greeted each other, the finance minister was the first to stand up, looking heartbroken.

"This extraordinary incident has caused enormous property damage and loss of life in Tokyo!"

"More than 370 houses were damaged, and a large number of transportation facilities and electrical systems were damaged. More than 400 civilians and police officers were injured or killed, while the number of Self-Defense Force casualties was less than 50. The direct economic losses and subsequent compensation amounted to more than 300 billion yen."

This was the result of the Metropolitan Police Department's tireless efforts in evacuation; as for the American embassy on the other side:

The casualties were not high, but the impact was extremely negative!
The beacon of a world superpower had its embassy reduced to ruins, and the perpetrators escaped. With other embassies around the world watching, it's no surprise that fireworks from all over the world will sell out tonight.

"The subsequent blow to financial investment in Tokyo, and the contraction of the local market."

The finance minister looked bitter. In the current environment, the aftermath of war is far more terrifying than the direct destruction caused by war!
Large amounts of capital have flowed out of the country, factories have relocated, not to mention the service industry, such as tourism.

The extraordinary battle that took place in Shibuya Ward resulted in direct losses of over 300 billion yen, but the subsequent economic turmoil could cause trillions of yen to vanish into thin air, leading to national instability and a crisis of trust in the government. Once political enemies seize the opportunity, a storm of calls for resignation will follow!

Even the powerful and wealthy have enemies.

Those are other powerful figures who want to rise to power!

"And America, demanding compensation from us—"

As the statistics were reported one by one, the ministers and high-ranking officials present grew increasingly somber. It was clear that this expense would be borne by tens of millions of people in Tokyo.

This is all 'their' money!
"It's not all bad,"

The Chief Cabinet Secretary spoke, breaking the heavy atmosphere.

"Although Shibuya Ward suffered some losses, we also gained a lot."

As he spoke, the Chief Cabinet Secretary turned to look at the Chairman of the National Public Security Commission.

"Collect as many scattered fragments of Rashomon as possible, and prohibit their sale, especially their resale abroad!"

"If discovered, it will be treated as treason!"

"Hi,"

The Chairman of the National Public Security Commission nodded emphatically, then abruptly changed the subject:
"But America has already deployed troops to 'assist' in sealing off the site, and their experts are also there."

The Chief Cabinet Secretary's face darkened, looking as if he had eaten excrement.

"This matter will be handled by the Foreign Minister."

Foreign Minister: ?
"I try my best"

Since ancient times, it has been said that "weak countries have no diplomacy." Faced with the "superior country" America, what can it do besides protest?
"I have some thoughts on financial issues."

The Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization speaks out.
The so-called "Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization" is responsible for duties including public health, medical insurance, medical service provision, pharmaceuticals and food safety, social insurance and social security, labor and employment, and social assistance for vulnerable groups.

Simply put, it's a combination of the Ministry of Health, the State Drug Administration, the National Development and Reform Commission, and similar departments.

"This extraordinary event is both a crisis and an opportunity."

"If we can seize this opportunity, we might just see the economy reach new heights."

The moment this person opened their mouth, the atmosphere completely changed, almost like turning a funeral into a celebration, which drew the attention of everyone else.

"The information I received from Inari God revealed that the supernatural world overlaps with the human world, and is centered on our island nation, Tokyo."

This is why Tokyo is so prone to disasters; at first glance, it seems unlucky, but:
"Conversely, currently only we have 'extraordinary' abilities here!"

As the saying goes, "a rare commodity is worth hoarding." Since only Tokyo has the "goods," how can he live up to his title of "Minister for Economic Revitalization" if he doesn't raise prices on the spot?

"Other countries want any intelligence about the supernatural? Fine, they'll have to offer real money!"

"For example, the remains of Rashomon cost $100,000."

Then, the minister added:
One gram!

???

Why don't you just rob someone? No, robbing someone doesn't bring in money as quickly as this.
The 'lunar rocks' collected by the Apollo moon landings once sold for $442,500 per gram at auction; however, they are essentially just 'ordinary' lunar rocks, and apart from their rarity, they are of little use.

Moreover, as lunar landing technology becomes more advanced, its price will undoubtedly continue to decline in a visible manner.

And the fragments of 'Rashomon' are indeed related to the supernatural! Not to mention foreign countries, even the island nation's own major conglomerates are willing to pay to take them back for research.

Who knows, maybe one day we'll attract some extraordinary talent to invest?

"This is just the beginning,"

The Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization continued to speak eloquently.

“We can leverage the name of ‘Extraordinary’ to attract massive investment again.”

Exceptional research,

It can cure all diseases and grant immortality!
Regardless of whether such a slogan is realistic or not, just by proposing it, countless wealthy people from all over the world flock to it, waving their checks and asking to join: it's like the end of the world is coming, and the island nation holds Noah's Ark, so it would be a disservice to their status not to sell tickets.

"Even the tourism industry can reach new heights."

It is believed that soon, a large number of foreigners with a reckless 'adventure' spirit will come to the island nation in an attempt to contact the extraordinary.

These 'middle class' are also good targets for exploitation. If they don't take the opportunity to make a fortune, the Minister of Economic Revitalization will slap himself twice when he wakes up at night.

Wonderful!

After he said that, everyone's expressions turned to joy.

That's right. If you have extraordinary resources at your fingertips and still can't soar to great heights, wouldn't that be a waste of an opportunity?
"The arrival of an extraordinary being is a wonderful thing!"

As for the ordinary people and police officers who died as a result...
They must be very happy to contribute to the rise of island nations.

(End of this chapter)