Don't use Type-Moon references in Oregairu!

"Hehehe~~" The sound that only he could hear was rapidly fading away.

Ignoring the surprised and worried expressions on the two ladies' faces, Fujimaru Ritsuka vigorously rubbed her cheek, which bore a red handprint, making her look rather unsightly.

This is not the first time.

He had a similar experience before he set off for London.

Philosophical thoughts, which he didn't know when they came from, led him astray, causing him to slowly drift towards that wild and bestial era, filled with the idea of ​​the survival of the fittest.

He was not much different then from he is now—he denied the meaning of civilization, ignored the stability brought by the modern order, and exaggerated and distorted the so-called dark side.

If it weren't for Fujimaru Ritsuka's own [iron will] constantly at work, he would have long since fallen into that bottomless abyss.

These philosophical ideas, which he would normally scoff at, quietly grew in his mind, almost solidifying into a fixed form.

"Fujimaru...sir, are you alright?" Mrs. Yukinoshita asked cautiously.

Fujimaru Ritsuka looked over, and those bloodshot eyes made the two ladies gasp for breath, clutching their handbags tightly, ready to run out at any moment.

Their trembling appearance inexplicably reminded Fujimaru Ritsuka of a little rabbit timidly trying to ingratiate itself with a big bad wolf.

For some inexplicable reason, he actually thought: "Oh dear, these two ladies look delicious. Such beautiful figures, it would be a shame not to eat them." As one of the most powerful humans currently, possessing a high status in the extraordinary world, what's wrong with him eating a mother-daughter rice bowl? The law of the jungle is the way of nature; doing as one pleases is what makes one human...

His greedy gaze made both wives tremble slightly and even become breathless.

In his moment of losing control, Fujimaru Ritsuka slapped himself twice more, this time choosing his thigh.

Grinning and rubbing his thigh muscles, Fujimaru Ritsuka had used almost all his strength in those two blows; they could have cracked a marble table if they'd hit it. So, he refrained from slapping himself, using his remaining sanity to control himself and aim for the fleshier areas, otherwise he'd suffer a mild concussion.

Now, he had to smile wryly and comfort the two rabbits who felt trapped in the fangs of a big bad wolf and were trying to escape.

After the explanation, the ladies finally felt a little relieved. Yukinoshita Kiyokata hid her guard and spoke to Fujimaru Ritsuka with a frown: "So, you were entangled by something like a curse, and you felt that a lot of strange thoughts were added to you, which is why you lost control a little."

"Ah, that's right."

Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded in agreement.

Let's put aside the slightly awkward moment from earlier.

The wives were shrewd and experienced, having navigated the world for over thirty years. They were well aware of the thoughts of the men around them and had some understanding of Fujimaru Ritsuka. But actually, once they felt at ease, the wives were secretly pleased – they weren't so old that no one would want them after all.

Compared to the wives' somewhat whimsical thoughts, Fujimaru Ritsuka was quite certain that he was merely looking at the two beautiful women with a slight sense of admiration. There were no mother-daughter fantasies or any treacherous thoughts whatsoever! As a pure young man, he still possessed social morality and would never think of sleeping with every woman he saw...

After all, people should have self-awareness.

As an ox, don't challenge yourself to plow up how many fields you can ruin.

Even if we could somehow outlast each other, we still need to be mindful of the timing, right?

My beloved harem king, Shiro, and Shiro, both fell victim to the timing of their events.

Humans cannot, or at least should not.

Although social order and moral codes are annoying... Stop, stop!

This time, Fujimaru Ritsuka quickly brought her wildly unrestrained thoughts under control. The [Iron Will] gifted by the Earl finally took effect. Under one unconventional attack after another, Fujimaru Ritsuka swiftly mastered her polluting thoughts and erected an unbreakable defense for herself.

He pondered for a very short time, and neither Yukinoshita Kiyokata nor Sawamura Sayuri noticed the powerful mental storm that was raging in his mind.

Therefore, he looked up, and the conversation between the two sides continued.

At this moment, Fujimaru Ritsuka's expression turned serious: "My two esteemed ladies, I must share with you what I have just learned so that you can prepare yourselves in advance."

Sawamura Sayuri shifted awkwardly, sensing Fujimaru Ritsuka's deliberately distant form of address: "Fujimaru-kun, sir, please speak. It's truly astonishing that someone as strong as you could have such feelings."

“The strong? No, let’s put that aside for now.” Fujimaru Ritsuka rubbed her temples, pondering her fading memories, and said uncertainly, “In the situation just now, I was clearly very concerned about a few images. They were [survival of the fittest], [the inevitability of chaos], [the uselessness of modern morality and order], etc. I need to remind you that although I may be an isolated case now, it might be a large-scale meme infection event in the future.”

Xiaobaihe and Qingfang straightened their backs, feeling a chill run down their spines.

They naturally understood what that meant.

If such events were to occur on a large scale, there is no doubt that existing social relationships would crumble. If someone truly loses control and there is no widespread and low-cost solution, then a dark forest-like chain of suspicion will be established.

Everyone fears that the humans around them have turned into savage beasts, even though this doesn't bring them any real benefit. Under the influence of such memes, they naturally don't care. People either walk in hiding or try to preemptively strike, like hunters groping their way forward in a dark forest, treating everyone as prey.

"...Hey, is there a way to solve this?"

That voice is kind of cute!

Slightly shaken, Fujimaru Ritsuka lowered her head, spread her hands to cover her forehead and shield her vision, pretending nothing had happened, and said, "I don't know, I've never thought about this before."

He heard the rustling sound of clothes, realizing that the two ladies were somewhat embarrassed and didn't know where to begin, so he quickly added, "But... we now have two great magicians in Chaldea, who are very famous in the supernatural world. There are probably only a handful of people whose magic skills are better than theirs. I'll ask them to think of a way later. At least we need to protect the personal safety and property of our Chaldea partners, right?"

huh~~~

The two ladies breathed a long, warm sigh.

Fujimaru Ritsuka sensed something was wrong; he even clearly felt his own alienation.

It's the feeling of suddenly realizing the preciousness or beauty of things that you never paid much attention to before.

It's like a baby never imagining that it will never be able to return to the soft and warm embrace of that place; a child doesn't understand what's fun about adults tearing off their clothes and wrestling; a young man playing games and cursing idiots doesn't understand the implication of a girl inviting him to a movie and a six-yuan spicy hot pot.

However... this feeling was indeed imposed upon me, and it was unbearable!

Fujimaru Ritsuka's face was grim, and he slightly covered his face with his hand so that the ladies wouldn't see his expression. Because the ferocity of his expression was no better than before.

Taking a few quick, discreet breaths, Fujimaru Ritsuka raised her head, intending to ease the atmosphere and start chatting with the ladies: "By the way, what did you mean by the 'strongman' you mentioned earlier?"

Sayuri Sawamura covered her face with her bat fan, a cheerful smile on her face: "Oh dear, this is some interesting news I heard recently while accompanying you to a diplomatic banquet, sir."

She chatted enthusiastically about the rumors she had heard at the banquet. From the beginning, it was said that the Chaldea organization cooperated with various official organizations to take down terrorists who intended to rebel; then, it was said that they, as the main force, completely overshadowed the contributions of others and nipped the cataclysm that the Black Dragon of Destruction was about to launch in the bud; finally, it was exaggerated to the point that they were all possessed by gods, just to bring about a messianic salvation and completely annihilate the evil god that had just been born into the world.

Of course, there are plenty of conspiracy theorists, most of whom start with, "[I've heard that Chaldea isn't exactly a good thing either. It's said that they're the ones who orchestrated this...]".

These rumors, a mix of truth and falsehood, have spread throughout the Tokyo metropolitan area and even show signs of spreading to Japan's other two major metropolitan areas.

Fujimaru Ritsuka was both amused and exasperated. While many of the positive stories strangely hit the truth, the conspiracy theories were really too much.

I, Fujimaru Ritsuka, am not some mastermind behind the disaster!

Sawamura Sayuri chuckled, fanning herself with her fan. Seeing his slightly troubled expression, she exchanged a knowing glance with Yukinoshita Kiyokata: "You're still too naive. After all, you lack experience and need to learn something."

Kiyokazu Yukinoshita spoke gently: "You're troubled by your own reputation, no, you're troubled by Chaldea's reputation, aren't you?"

Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded stiffly.

It's important to know that while there are very few supporters of conspiracy theories, they are particularly curious and even influence those who hold a positive attitude towards them—mainly through strange rumors such as having sex with eight women in a day, living in a life of debauchery, and inheriting the dual cultivation spiritual practice of Eastern Tantric Buddhism.

Therefore, it's true that humanity has remained the same from ancient times to the present; lewdness is always ingrained in our hearts. Don't be fooled by the vulgarity of these rumors; they spread incredibly fast! Some self-righteous people outwardly criticize them vehemently, but behind their backs, they're writing about Liu Bei drawing a secret book... a secret book?!

Fujimaru Ritsuka turned his head so forcefully that even Yukinoshita Kiyokata, who was watching from the side, was worried about whether there was something wrong with his neck.

But when Fujimaru Ritsuka looked over, Sawamura Sayuri was engrossed in studying the exquisite and intricate Baroque-style patterns on the coffee table, completely ignoring the fact that the coffee table was a new model from last year and that she had several of them at home.

Of all the martial arts skills, this one is shameless. I've learned my lesson.

Fujimaru Ritsuka, her face contorted in pain, turned back and looked at Yukinoshita across from her with a questioning gaze.

Kiyokata Yukinoshita waved the wide sleeves of her kimono, tidied her slightly disheveled hair behind her ear, and said calmly, "A fierce reputation... how could that be a bad thing in Japan? Chaldea's ruthlessness is like the mask of the Prince of Lanling, majestic and fierce, which is why those petty people have to recognize the truth and bow down in worship."

You're overthinking it, ladies! The real power lies with those who have real strength; everything else is just hype!

Fujimaru Ritsuka screamed inwardly—he wanted to find a few specially selected individuals to be punished severely, so as to make an example of them.

But it doesn't matter. So what if the reputation is so treacherous? There will always be some who are too arrogant to believe it and insist on trying, hoping to overthrow their superiors with a risky mentality, gambling with everything they have, almost like gambling with the fate of the nation back then. Unfortunately, all they do is give me money.

After Fujimaru Ritsuka finished thinking about it with a smug look, she didn't criticize the two ladies too much, but she still had to seriously instruct them: "Next time there are matters involving Chaldea, you must consult with me before making any decisions. Otherwise, it's a small matter if you damage my reputation, but it's a big deal if you offend these disgruntled colleagues who are on the right path."

Kiyokazu Yukinoshita nodded in satisfaction, exchanged a knowing smile with Sayuri, and considerately interpreted the second half of the sentence in reverse.

This is just like everyone else... If you really take those high-minded ideals seriously, then it's a bad thing. It shows that people are too honest; they should just find a job in a research institute, do academic work, and be bookworms.

Therefore, after Fujimaru Ritsuka's reminder, they understood the meaning—to subtly incite some potentially wicked organizations to provoke them, so that Fujimaru Ritsuka could demonstrate her benevolence and justice, and promote love and peace. "Understood, we'll figure out a way to do it."

Having largely finished discussing the important matters, the remaining trivialities could be easily delegated to subordinates. Fully enjoying the conveniences of Japan, a capitalist country still largely steeped in semi-feudal remnants, the three capitalists chatted and laughed as they made their way to Lisa Lisa's workshop.

Now, it's time to talk about some tense and exciting arms deals.

If what Fujimaru Ritsuka said is true, then in the future, perhaps tools and medicines that protect the mind and promote mental clarity in advance will be more important than modern bulletproof vests.

A vague idea flashed through the minds of the ladies; they seemed to vaguely see a path to wealth.

What if it could be mass-produced?!

They stopped in their tracks and asked in unison, "Mr. Fujimaru! I wonder how many items or potions that can protect against that kind of memetic infection the Chaldea Magic Workshop can produce? Is there any possibility of large-scale mass production?"

Fujimaru Ritsuka paused for a moment, then understood what they meant, and her eyes gradually lit up.

"Let's go! Let's speed things up. If we can't produce in large quantities, we need to get them to find a way to make more in advance."

They quickened their pace and stopped in front of the magic workshop. It was a detached house on the side of the mansion, specially arranged for the two magicians to conduct their magic research undisturbed.

To many laymen, a magic workshop would be filled with explosions of varying sizes, occasional screams, and sounds of joy, pain, or indignation. But here, it's as quiet as a library.

Sawamura Sayuri assumed they were already resting inside, and impulsively reached out to ring the doorbell.

Almost simultaneously, Fujimaru Ritsuka grabbed her wrist, stopping her from doing so.

"The Magic Workshop... is not so easy to break into, especially when they might be conducting experiments."

Sawamura Sayuri then realized what she was doing—while sponsoring Chaldea wouldn't drastically reduce their family's financial situation, it would put them in a slightly tighter budget. Therefore, if she could find a way to make money in the future, Sawamura Sayuri couldn't just sit idly by.

Even while standing at the door with Sayuri Sawamura on her back, Ritsuka Fujimaru could sense Mrs. Sawamura's anxiety behind her—"Madam, you've obviously been infected too. I hope you're alright, and that you can still be saved."

Fujimaru Ritsuka decisively used the agreed-upon method to notify the people inside.

Small experiment.jpg

152. My dear wife, offer it up!

"...Let me see if this tool is useful. Hmm, is the power set to 1% yet, Beimu?"

"Adjusted. Continue observing with the Mirror of Eros. Good! There's a change."

Sayuri Sawamura lay sprawled on the large operating table, her face contorted with a look of utter dismay. She was bound tightly with ribbons embroidered with incantations. Above her was a mirror, but instead of reflecting Mrs. Sawamura's face, which belied her age, it displayed constantly shifting, multicolored patterns.

Although Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mrs. Yukinoshita didn't understand what the color changes in the mirror meant, they could see something particularly unique: a red net covering all the mixed color blocks.

With a clang, Lisa and Beki regretfully placed a prop on the iron plate, wrote down the information, and then rallied their spirits to look for other suitable items.

Fujimaru Ritsuka and Yukinoshita Kiyokata watched with sympathy as Sawamura Sayuri performed this impromptu [surgery].

After several frantic attempts to contact the magicians inside, who were engrossed in their research, they came out with complaining expressions, looking irritated.