A lifetime of comfort was a standard that applied to the countryside, not to Tokyo. It was not that Kamo Clan could not afford more, but rather a subtle restraint and warning. It was a way of saying they should stay in the countryside and grow old there.
For the sake of living, working was unavoidable.
“Ali, don’t worry about me. I have a Kyoto University diploma, so finding a job won’t be hard,” Akemi Aki said.
“Mom, weren’t you a graduate of Jujutsu technical college? When did you go to Kyoto University?” Akira asked in surprise.
Kyoto University was one of the top institutions in Japan, on par with Tokyo University and famous even worldwide. He had never heard his mother mention such an impressive past.
“That was a byproduct of graduating from the Jujutsu technical college,” Akemi Aki explained. “To make public activities easier and to provide security after retirement due to injury or other reasons, graduates are assigned academic credentials. Kyoto technical college defaults to Kyoto University, and Tokyo technical college defaults to Tokyo University. You can also request other diplomas, and it’s usually not a problem.”
Hearing this, Akira’s hand shook slightly as he picked up food, and a piece of tempura slipped off. Fortunately, Gardevoir reacted instantly, catching it with Psychic Power and placing it neatly into his bowl. Akira then picked up a piece for her as well and sighed. “That kind of support really isn’t bad. Looks like the higher-ups aren’t all useless.”
Giving out top-level diplomas sounded exaggerated at first, but thinking about it carefully, it made sense. Jujutsu practitioners were always in short supply, and it was a dangerous profession with frequent injuries and deaths. Without attractive pay and benefits, no one would be willing to do it.
Although Akemi Aki looked gentle and calm, who knew how wild she might have been when she was younger. It was said that Jujutsu practitioners were all a bit unhinged, and that was not just talk. Akira was curious what his Yamato Nadeshiko-style mother would be like when she went all out, but as a son, he hoped he would never find out.
“With a Kyoto University diploma, finding a job is easy. But Mom, you don’t need to push yourself so hard. You can keep growing flowers, practicing calligraphy, and drinking tea. I’ll handle making money. That’s what a man should do, and I promised to support you for life,” Akira said.
As he said this, he was somewhat glad they were in Japan, where the atmosphere around housewives was strong. Saying that men should work and women should handle the home sounded natural here, especially since they came from one of the Three Great Clans. In other places, the reaction would have been very different.
His sincerity moved Akemi Aki, but she still shook her head. “I understand how you feel, but you’re only sixteen. You can support me after you become an adult.”
“It’s not too late, but since I have the ability, sooner is better,” Akira replied. “I’ve already arranged how to make money. Little Sha, help me bring the laptop.”
“Sha~”
With a flick of her finger, the laptop floated into the air. Akira skillfully opened the browser, switched to the MF web novel site, and clicked on the highly ranked Infinite Stratos.
“This is a light novel I wrote. Based on its popularity, a print release won’t be a problem. I’ve already finished drafts for the first ten volumes, enough to last until I’m an adult and still have extra.”
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Akemi Aki stopped eating and stared at the screen. After confirming the site, the Author account, and the work itself, she was certain it really was written by her own son.
“When did you do all this?” she asked.
“Back in Shikoku. I had nothing but time.”
True endurance was not about forcing yourself to suffer pointlessly. It was about keeping your tools hidden and waiting for the right moment. During those eight years in the countryside, and even earlier when he was still Noritsuna Kamo, Akira had been planning quietly, with a complete plan already in place. The light novel was only a small part of it.
What is the most valuable asset of a transmigrator?
There are many answers: System, Cheat Ability, External Boost, and the advantage of knowing the future. These things are indeed useful and precious, but in Akira’s view, the most valuable one was something many people ignored: “Optimization Method”.
How a person observes the world and handles problems is the real measure of maturity. As long as one’s “Optimization Method” is correct, no matter which world they are in or how bad the starting point is, they will not end up doing too poorly.
The so-called System, External Boost, and Cheat Ability only speed up the process, while the foundation never changes. Of course, having the right thinking still requires matching execution, otherwise knowing that sleeping early is healthy does not mean you can actually do it.
Being able to drink a glass of milk before bed, do twenty minutes of stretching, and never carry fatigue into the next workday is genuinely impressive. Akira could not reach that level of discipline, but when it came to major decisions about the future, he never acted carelessly.
He had three principles he would not compromise on. First, never act on impulse. Second, never put all eggs in one basket. Third, plan thoroughly, and think about failure before success.
Asking to be expelled from the family and becoming a Plagiarist Author who wrote a Light Novel to earn his first pot of gold were things Akemi Aki already knew. What she did not know was the long list of other money-making plans, including the “sauce-aroma full-position tech plan,” Cryptocurrency Speculation Plan, China Real Estate Investment Plan, and many more.
It should not be forgotten that Akira awakened Cheat Ability only after leaving home. Before that, his mind was filled with thoughts of emigrating and making money.
Jujutsu Sorcerer might be the mainstream of Jujutsu Kaisen, but it was not the mainstream of the world. In reality, only in Japan were Cursed Spirit and Jujutsu Sorcerer especially active. In most other places, both were extremely rare, and many people would never encounter them in a lifetime, which was where the importance of money truly showed.
Even after awakening Cheat Ability and having an adorable Ralts, a cute Kirlia, and a beautiful Gardevoir, Akira did not relax. The reason was simple: he had too much free time.
Hunting Cursed Spirit to level up could only be done at intervals. If he did nothing with the rest of the time, was he supposed to sleep all day?
The success of Akira’s Infinite Stratos was not because his memory was amazing or his talent overwhelming. It was the result of long-term polishing, reading many Light Novel, choosing themes carefully, and combining familiar formulas before producing a finished work.
Even then, it benefited from gimmicks like Mecha Warfare, Mecha Girl, and “the only boy in an all-girls school.” Many things looked easy from the outside, but only when doing them personally did one understand how hard they were.
Because of this, Akira added a fourth rule to his life creed: endure loneliness and resist temptation. Awakening System, hatching Ralts, and being able to kill Cursed Spirit made up a fifth.
Only by preparing in this way could he be ready when circumstances changed. Now that the timing had arrived, the blade Akira had sharpened for over ten years was finally ready to be tested.
Seeing the confidence in her child’s eyes and his spirited expression, Akemi Aki felt a bit deflated. “I suddenly feel like I’m useless.”
Knowing that her child was extraordinary was one thing, but being surpassed in a shared field was another. Her own idleness was real, as most of what she did was simply to pass time and ease loneliness.
Akira’s idleness was fake. He had been working hard in secret the entire time, all for a better future.
“No, no, isn’t there a saying like this?” Akira said with a smile. “Behind every successful man is a woman who supports him silently. Without Mom’s support, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
