Around the time Shurein and the others were having their discussion.
Kousuke, who had been checking on the state of the tower, was finally visiting the Obaba in the Succubus village.
This time, he wasn’t there to get a reading done, but to ask about fortune tellers.
“What seems to be the matter, Lord Kousuke? I believe the results of your fortune-telling will remain unchanged?”
“No, no. I’m not here for that today, I came to ask about fortune tellers.”
“Oh? Fortune tellers, you say?”
Perhaps she was surprised by what he said, Obaba’s expression turned to one of surprise.
“Yes, about fortune tellers, or rather, the tools that fortune tellers use.”
“Ho ho. So that’s it.”
Obaba, finally sensing what Kousuke wanted to say, nodded with a small laugh.
Even as a fortune teller, the people who perform fortune-telling are humans, so their personalities vary greatly.
There’s no way to generalize about them.
That’s why Obaba was confused at first, but when it came to the tools that fortune tellers use, it was a different story.
Cards are a representative example, but there are various tools used for fortune-telling.
However, the commonality among them is, of course, that they are used “for fortune-telling.”
Obaba was confident that she could speak about many of them, even if not all of them.
Facing such Obaba, Kousuke brought up the question that had been bothering him while he was making the tools.
“In the first place, what are fortune-telling tools for a fortune teller?”
Hearing Kousuke’s words, Obaba’s eyes widened.
She hadn’t expected to hear such words from Kousuke, who wasn’t even a fortune teller.
However, as someone who had many disciples, Obaba had been asked such questions countless times.
It was just that the other party was an Avatar, known for making tools.
Thinking that she couldn’t give a poor answer, Obaba pondered for a moment, tilting her head, and then replied,
“Hmm. That’s quite a difficult question. My personal opinion is acceptable, isn’t it?”
“Of course.”
“For a fortune teller, fortune-telling tools are merely things to assist in fortune-telling.”
To Obaba’s very obvious answer, Kousuke’s expression became thoughtful.
“Assist…”
“Ho ho, you don’t need to think of it so difficultly. Gods might be able to see through everything with their own power. However, humans cannot, so they borrow the help of tools.”
Obaba continued her explanation towards Kousuke, saying that.
The essence of fortune-telling is solely conducted using the power that the fortune teller possesses.
Fortune-telling tools merely represent that outwardly.
That’s why the tools used by fortune tellers vary greatly in form.
This is because the way each fortune teller manifests their power differs.
Obaba explained that for fortune tellers, tools are for externalizing their own power and, at the same time, for making it easily understandable to the customer.
Hearing these things from Obaba’s mouth, Kousuke nodded profoundly.
“I see.”
“If a fortune teller simply gives an answer by facing the customer, the customer won’t be convinced. Therefore, they use tools to convince the customer.”
As Obaba said this, Kousuke imagined a fortune teller delivering the content of a reading with words alone, without using anything.
“…Certainly, the persuasiveness is different, isn’t it?”
“Isn’t it?”
To Kousuke’s words, Obaba replied and continued with a laugh.
“Well, in any case, there are probably no fortune tellers who can meet a customer’s request without tools. More than that, if they did, they wouldn’t be called fortune tellers anymore, but prophets, or even gods, wouldn’t they?”
“Well, that’s true.”
Indeed, if they could do such a thing, it wouldn’t be strange to be called a god.
Rather, it would be stranger if they weren’t called a god.
Having gotten this far, Kousuke realized he was deviating from what he wanted to ask and corrected his course.
“Then, for a fortune teller, what is the one and only tool?”
“In the true sense of the word, there shouldn’t be any. However, as I just said, ‘fortune tellers’ need tools. In that case, it’s only natural that they might have a tool that is like their own flesh and blood, isn’t it?”
“Is that so?”
Obaba’s words seem contradictory at first glance, but considering the role of a fortune teller, it’s a natural answer.
“That’s how it is. Besides, what you want to ask isn’t that, is it?”
“Well, I suppose so.”
“I’ll answer because I already know, but it’s bad for a fortune teller to mistake the power of a divine tool for their own power. Of course, there’s also the compatibility with the tool, so I can’t say for sure.”
Saying that, Obaba’s face seemed to recall something.
Of course, she was thinking about the fortune teller who was currently the subject of discussion.
Obaba had already heard that the fortune teller had lost her divine tools.
With that in mind, Kousuke nodded.
“Then, now might be just the right timing.”
“Hmm…”
Hearing Kousuke’s words, Obaba put her hand on her chin and pondered.
Obaba had heard about what Kousuke had been making in the management layer from Peach.
Peach hadn’t just blabbed it out; Kousuke had approached her to consult about it.
After thinking for a moment, Obaba shook her head left and right.
“No, it would be better not to do that.”
To her denial, Kousuke blinked.
“Why is that?”
“If you give them the tools you made now, it might become an escape into relying on the tools. If you become completely dependent on the tools, that’s the end of it.”
Obaba’s words carried the weight of someone who had nurtured many disciples over the years.
Hearing that, Kousuke bowed his head to Obaba.
“I was too short-sighted. I apologize.”
“Kafka. There’s no need to apologize. As an Avatar, being too humble is also a problem, Lord Kousuke.”
Kousuke could only offer a bitter smile to Obaba, who said that and laughed.
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The discussion to convince Kousuke was held with Peach and Mia also present.
Shurein went to call Peach, as it was decided she should be included, and while she was gone, Mia forcefully joined in, finding it interesting.
There was a consensus that they would act in Kousuke’s stead since he couldn’t move, but when it came to the justification for convincing Kousuke, various opinions were voiced.
As the discussion was lively, Mia’s one remark became the deciding factor.
“For what reason have Mother and the others decided to act?”
At Mia’s words, everyone gathered there instantly fell silent.
In the process of giving various opinions, they had forgotten the original objective.
After that, opinions were seriously (or not?) expressed, and the final plan was decided.
“…And that’s the plan that was decided?”
“Well, that’s about right.”
Upon returning to the management layer, Kousuke, who was told about it by all the gathered women, tilted his head and asked, to which Shurein nodded with satisfaction.
The other women also had satisfied expressions.
Confirming that, Kousuke could only offer a bitter smile.
He hadn’t been aware that his position as an Avatar was preventing him from acting, but now that he thought about it, it wasn’t like he had no realization.
If that were the case, he thought it wouldn’t be bad to go along with the plan that everyone had come up with.
Besides, what he had been thinking was denied by Obaba.
He had some resistance to not acting himself and leaving it to the women, but seeing their motivated faces, it would be disrespectful to do so.
Thinking about such things, Kousuke finally gave the women the green light.
I’m, I’m so sorry.
I couldn’t fit it into today’s update.
The conversation with Obaba unexpectedly dragged on, which was a miscalculation > < Next time, for sure!
