Chapter 65: Principle of Voluntariness

Seeing Nagi Sanzenin silent, Ren Amamiya did not speak either, but walked to the side.

"Nagi, this is something you need to consider yourself."

Maria did not urge her, but followed toward Ren Amamiya’s direction.

"Mr. Amamiya, could we talk?"

"Yes."

The two did not avoid Nagi Sanzenin and just stood to the side.

"Regarding Ms. Shijo, how much do you know?"

"Hmm... I don't know much."

Maria nodded slightly.

"I know that for the sake of her daughter, she made a wish at the Royal Court, borrowing the power of the Wang Zu."

"When she needed help, she called out the name of the person with whom she had the deepest bond; no matter the past or the future, he would be able to come to her side like a gale."

"She made this wish at the cost of everything she had left."

"However, Shijo Sanzenin was still a person favored by the gods."

"From what I know, only her body died, but her soul did not enter reincarnation."

"In my memory, she seems to have appeared in the future story of the Sanzenin family."

"Though in another form."

Listening to this fluent talk, Maria froze completely.

This did not sound like "not knowing much" at all.

Isn't this knowing a lot?

And the wish that Miss Shijo made for Nagi.

She gave everything she had left for Nagi’s sake.

That wish really did come at a considerable price.

However, what surprised her most was Miss Shijo’s current situation.

That person had clearly passed away a long time ago; she didn't expect her to still be able to appear in Nagi’s future story.

"Does that mean Miss Shijo hasn't truly died?"

"You could say that."

"This should stem from Shijo Sanzenin’s encounters."

Shijo Sanzenin was a very special person.

Her encounters were extraordinary; in a sense, her luck and her fate were strongly correlated.

All the good fortune she had in the past acted at this moment, which allowed her to be favored by fate.

It was just that after receiving the favor of fate, she was also kept by fate forever.

The fact that she still appeared in the later part of the story proves one point.

Shijo Sanzenin should not have completely died yet.

Or rather, Shijo Sanzenin’s soul still exists.

Because of the favor of fate.

"However, it should be impossible to meet Shijo Sanzenin again through ordinary means."

So that was it.

Maria had learned a little.

Miss Shijo perhaps really had not died in the true sense.

It was just that Miss Shijo’s body should be gone.

So the price required for Miss Shijo to return would likely not be small at all.

"Regarding that diary."

"Do you think there is a way to resist the temptation of the diary?"

"There is."

There were naturally ways to resist temptation, and Ren Amamiya was very clear on that.

"Give up unnecessary desires."

"Just accumulate the rewards given by the diary casually, from small to large."

"As long as you are not guided by the diary, you naturally won't be tempted."

This was indeed a very simple and clear method.

But the problem was, could Nagi accept it?

Maria felt a headache coming on.

Although the temptation of the diary could be resisted, Nagi could not resist it.

And just as Mr. Amamiya said.

Once one starts to know how to obtain things, the invisible temptation inherent in the diary will constantly attract people to move closer to Mr. Amamiya.

This is a fishing technique.

But this kind of fishing is indeed a voluntary choice.

People are only truly troublesome when they know they are being tempted but still voluntarily take the bait.

"Nagi should not be able to do it."

Maria sighed.

"Once Miss Shijo returns, Nagi probably won't want Miss Shijo to leave again."

"For this purpose, Nagi will still be tempted by the diary."

"Yes, I know."

Ren Amamiya also knew this.

"Therefore, for the holder, the diary is a case of 'the fish takes the bait voluntarily'."

"The reward is placed here, but if you want to get what you need, you will take the initiative to have your fate intertwined with mine."

"This is the price that needs to be paid for holding the diary."

"Additionally, this is also a rule I tested out myself."

"That reward from the diary is actually given based on one’s own situation."

"Strong desires will affect the direction of the rewards."

"As for how to get better rewards, that requires seeing more of my diary content."

"As for other rules, I haven't tested them out yet."

Maria nodded slightly.

This rule was actually quite important; the diary’s rewards were more inclined toward one’s own situation.

In other words, as long as one used the diary, one could get what Nagi hoped to get.

This point was likely also something Nagi would find hard to refuse.

"Then regarding the intertwining of fate..."

She was a bit shy to ask.

"...Nagi is only thirteen... isn't that kind of thing too early?"

"..."

Ren Amamiya looked at Maria in astonishment.

"Ms. Maria, the intertwining of fate I spoke of is not that kind of relationship."

"I mean that in the future, the fate of the Sanzenin family will have a forced connection with mine."

"The more the Sanzenin family comes into contact with me, the more the relationship between us will gradually deepen; perhaps at a certain time, this relationship will deepen even more."

"It does not mean that the Sanzenin family and I are destined to become that kind of situation."

"...Ah, is that so."

Maria’s face was a bit embarrassed.

To tell the truth, the content she had imagined just now was slightly beyond the age of eighteen.

Then Maria understood the situation Mr. Amamiya was talking about.

It was probably just the close relationship between her and Nagi.

"It’s just that it’s easy to become that kind of relationship."

"It’s not that it’s destined to become that kind of relationship."

Ren Amamiya nodded slightly.

"That is exactly how it is."

"Additionally, when I said fates are intertwined, there is another meaning."

"Relying on the diary holder, it is inevitable that they will also have a strong connection with me."

"So some of my affairs and decisions might affect the diary holder."

"This is also a preparation that needs to be made in advance."

Now Maria understood.

This meant they were a community of shared fate.

The moment one accepts this gift, as long as Nagi still has expectations for the diary, then in the future, she almost doesn't need to think about breaking away from Mr. Amamiya.

Actually, from this perspective, this could also be considered the same problem she had thought about before.

It was just that this diary gave an opportunity.

It emphasized voluntariness.

And now, once Nagi made a decision, if it really developed into the emotional aspect in the future, she couldn't ask for too much.

— Author's Notes —

PS: A bit late, my state was a bit poor today.

PS: I will try to have another update; I’ll adjust my writing time tomorrow, I can't take it anymore.