Modern Villainess – Volume 1 Chapter 3 Part 10

Translator: Flowingcloud    Editor: Arocks141

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Ojou-sama’s Daily Life Part 10

 

If you are reading from a pirate or aggregator site, please read from the translator’s site: yado-inn (dot) com I have to put the link like this or else the bots will remove it, sorry 🙁

The Izumikawa family, which has produced members of the National Diet in the Kanto region, has been influential bigshots in the ruling party for generations, especially his father, Diet member Izumikawa Tatsunosuke, was a bigwig who was the Minister of Finance. He was also a participant in the party and greeted me.

He is a member of the ruling party’s Minister of Finance committee, which is facing heavy criticism by the Ministry of Finance for their handling of non-performing loans, but he himself is evaluated favorably for not breaking away from the Japanese-style convoy system by consolidating the Minister of Finance. ¹

In reality, though, it was just a matter of forcing risky banks—or rather, my bank—onto business conglomerates.

Well, I won’t find any faults.

Because of his achievements, he is rumored to be in the race for the next prime minister and is becoming the eye of the storm within his faction. ²

“Since we’re at it, would you like some juice?”

“Sounds good. I’ll treat you. It’s only 120 yen after all.”

“Oh? 120 yen is a lot of money for an elementary school student. You can buy 12 chocolates for 10 yen at a candy store.” ³

“Eh?”

In addition, if the chocolate was five yen apiece, the amount would be doubled to 24 pieces.

There certainly was an era where a child’s arithmetic was used to buy sufficient sweets at a candy store with the 100 yen given to them.

Nowadays, though, the candy store itself is an endangered species.

“Well then, Keikain-san, what would you like?”

“Grape juice!”

“I’ll have the usual.”

Yujiro-kun told his butler, and the butler came back with grape juice and milk tea from the vending machine.

Then, he unscrewed the cap and toasted with me.

There is something special about the sweetness of juice after an exam.

Yujiro-kun seemed to agree.

“I’ve been curious about this ‘vending machine’. One of my friends recently bought a drink from one and he’s been bragging about it. I tried a lot of different kinds and this drink suited my tastes the most. After an exam, maybe because I used my brain too much, but don’t you crave for something sweet?”

“I know what you mean… hm? Is that friend perhaps crazy about cola?”

“Oh, so you do know Eiichi-kun.”

“I don’t just know him, I’m the one that introduced cola to him♪”

Two elementary school students put their randoseru on a bench near the vending machine and chatted while drinking juice.

It was not strange.

Only if you couldn’t see that the place is the venue for a qualification exam, with men and women in suits constantly coming and going, and two butlers following those elementary school students.

“So, Keikain-san, what did you plan on getting?”

The conversation turns to a topic that seems to be a qualification exam, and I mention what I expected to get.

I’ll say it again, we were elementary school students.

“Bookkeeping Level 3, Secretarial Level 3, and English Proficiency Level 3. Also, maybe PC Office User Specialist and get my Hazardous Materials Class B4.”

“Hazardous Materials Class B-4?” ⁴

Officially, it’s Hazardous Materials Engineer Class B-4.

The Fire Services Act defines substances with a high risk of fire as “Hazardous Material”. ⁵

It’s a qualification to handle gasoline, light oil, kerosene, etc.

There’s a demand for it at gas stations and the like, and although it’s a scantron-type exam, it’s quite difficult to pass.

“I don’t have any qualifications to take it. You don’t have to take the exam, by the way. The local fire department holds training sessions, so it’s useful to take them.

“Huh. Well, maybe I’ll take it too.”

“What about you?”

“Bookkeeping Level 3, Secretarial Level 3, English Proficiency Level 3, and PC Office User Specialist. I’m also thinking of becoming a registered real estate agent.”

“Real estate agent!? Aren’t minors not allowed to take it?”

Real Estate Notary. ⁶

At this time, this qualification was called Real Estate Transaction Agent.

It’s a qualification related to land transactions, and as there is a lot of demand for it, including from real estate agents, it is a difficult qualification to obtain.

“You can become one. You can take the exam. I’m the youngest out of the four siblings, and my father is a Diet member, so I have to be involved in the law. Being a real estate agent is just a starting point. If I get it, I’ll take the course again when I become an adult. Of course, I’m also going to take the administrative scrivener exam.”

“Then, are you going to become a certified tax accountant or judicial scrivener, and eventually a lawyer?”

I asked as I watched the butler throwing away the empty juice cans into the can recycling bin, and Yujiro looked at the ceiling and blurted out with an unchildlike smile.

“That’s the best I can do, but I’ll probably get dragged into an election. Whether you’re a prefectural or city councilor, if you have a relative as a member of the National Diet, the legs and loins of the election will be different. That’s the hard part of being a hereditary Diet member.”

“Oh? If you put it like that, it’s even harder to be part of the nobility. It’s twice as hard for me since my family also has a business conglomerate that’s currently under fire.

“We both can’t have it our way, can’t we?”

“Truly.”

I’ve said this again and again, but both of us have just become elementary school students.

Furthermore, we both passed our qualification exams and have been holding study sessions at the elementary school library from time to time, but before I knew it, I was dumbfounded that Eiichi-kun started coming as well.

Then, seeing the two of us talk about our qualifications, Eiichi-kun wanted some too and nabbed a few qualifications at a dreadfully high speed. ⁷

That’s why cheat ikemens are…

If you are reading from a pirate or aggregator site, please read from the translator’s site: yado-inn (dot) com I have to put the link like this or else the bots will remove it, sorry 🙁

1. Cloud: This “convoy” system has been mentioned several times already. I’ll leave a link to WSJ (that you kind of have to pay to read) that explains it relatively well. https://on.wsj.com/3uwyaOt
2. Cloud: Japanese Politics Lessons!:
   Japanese politics is really weird! One aspect of it is that one party basically controls the government. No, it is not like the CCP, but the Liberal Democratic Party has basically been in power since its foundation in 1955. Thus, oftentimes, it’s a struggle within the party rather than a struggle between multiple parties.
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Democratic_Party_(Japan)
3. Slothmaster (Arocks): For those who’re interested: Yes, we’re talking about Dagashiyas.
4. Cloud: Fun licenses: https://www.shoubo-shiken.or.jp/english/activities.html
5. Cloud: https://www.global-regulation.com/law/japan/277205/fire-service-act.html
6. Cloud: https://www.realestate-tokyo.com/news/real-estate-notary-in-japan/
7. Slavemaster (Arocks): Huh… No, I’m not upset at elementary school kids having more qualifications than me! What? Tears? No, I’m just… I’m just sweating from my eyes, that’s all!