A Transmigrator's Most Valuable Asset

What was a transmigrator's most valuable asset?

There were many answers: a system, a golden finger, a plug-in, the advantage of foresight...

Those were indeed useful and valuable, but in Akesato's view, the most valuable thing was not any of them. It was the "methodology" that many people overlooked.

In other words, the way one observed things and handled problems was also the fundamental criterion for judging whether a person was "mature."

As long as one's methodology was correct, no matter what world one was in or what kind of start one had, one would not fare too badly.

So-called systems, plug-ins, and golden fingers merely accelerated the process. The root remained unchanged.

Of course, methodology also needed matching execution. Otherwise, everyone knew that sleeping early and rising early was good for the body, but when it came time to do it, wasn't it always, "I seek immortality; happiness reaches the heavens"? As for certain private handiwork, that went without saying.

So office workers who could drink a glass of milk before bed, do twenty minutes of stretching, and never carry their fatigue over to the next day were seriously badass.

Akesato could not meet such standards either, but when it came to major matters concerning his future, he never took them lightly.

First, never act on impulse.

Second, never put all his eggs in one basket.

Third, consider everything. To plan for victory, first plan for defeat.

Akemi knew about things like him requesting to be cast out of the family and becoming a copycat author to write Light Novels for his first pot of gold.

What Akemi did not know was the long list of secret money-making plans, such as the Sauce-Aroma Technology Full Warehouse Plan, the Virtual Currency Speculation Plan, the China Real Estate Investment Plan, and so on.

Do not forget that Akesato awakened his golden finger only after leaving home. Before that, his mind had been filled with emigrating and making money.

Jujutsu Sorcerers were the mainstream of Jujutsu Kaisen, not the mainstream of the world.

In fact, only Japan had particularly active Cursed Spirits and Jujutsu Sorcerers. Elsewhere, both were exceedingly rare. Unless one had extraordinarily bad luck, one might never encounter them in a lifetime. That was when the importance of money became clear.

Even after awakening his golden finger and obtaining the adorable Ralts, the cute Kirlia, and the beautiful Gardevoir, Akesato had not let up, because he truly had too much free time.

He could only fight Cursed Spirits to level up once every so often. If he did not find something else to do with the remaining time, was he supposed to sleep every day?

Akesato's "Infinite Stratos" achieved results not because his memory was so good or his skill so high, but because he had spent a long time polishing it. During that period, he read all kinds of Light Novels and, starting with the premise, combined various formulas before producing the final work.

Even then, it had benefited from gimmicks like "Mecha Battle," "Mecha Girl," and "The Only Male in a Girls' School." Many things looked easy, but only when one truly did them did one understand the difficulties involved.

Thus, Akesato added another item to his life creed—fourth, endure solitude and resist temptation.

After awakening the system and hatching Ralts, there was also a fifth: be able to kill Cursed Spirits.

Only by concealing one's talents like this did one qualify to transform into a dragon when the winds and clouds shifted.

Now that the time had come, Akesato's sharp sword, honed for more than a decade, naturally had to leave its sheath and test its edge.

Seeing the confidence in her child's eyes and his high-spirited bearing, Akemi felt somewhat dispirited. "I suddenly feel so useless."

Knowing that her child was extraordinary was one thing. Being surpassed by him in a shared field was another.

Her own "idleness" was real. Most of what she did was merely to pass the time and ease her loneliness.

Akesato's "idleness" was fake. Behind the scenes, he had always been quietly working hard for a better future.

"No, no, isn't there a saying? Behind every successful man is a woman silently supporting him. Without Mom's support, I would not be where I am today."

That might have been somewhat exaggerated, but Akesato had taken a risk by choosing to leave with Akemi.

Strictly speaking, Akesato was the child of Akemi's "enemy." It would have been understandable if she had hated him by association and taken out some resentment on him.

Although Akesato had prepared himself for that possibility, if he had lived in a terrible family, his condition definitely would not have been as good as it was now, nor would honing his sword and biding his time have gone so smoothly.

This was the greatest fortune of his second life, equal to awakening his golden finger and hatching Ralts.

"So, Mom, you do not need to feel burdened. I'll support you."

Those words were indeed rather chauvinistic, but he had to admit that saying them felt seriously good.

"That's exactly the problem. I'm supposed to be the mom." Her son was too outstanding and too worry-free, making her seem incompetent instead.

"There's actually something I need to ask Mom." Akesato opened a Map of Tokyo as he spoke. "Mom, do you know which places in Tokyo are more likely to have curses appear?"

"I know a few. Are you going to exorcise Cursed Spirits?" Akemi's eyes narrowed slightly.

"That's the plan. Gardevoir's growth needs Cursed Spirits as nourishment. I also want to see whether I can find Gardevoir a few companions."

"Is having Little Sa not enough?"

"Sa..." Gardevoir's little mouth drooped as she looked at Akesato pitifully.

The sight made him both amused and heartsick. He comforted her while explaining, "Of course Little Sa is the most important. In my heart, Little Sa is one of a kind. Besides, not all of Little Sa's companions will look like Little Sa. Actually, ones as human-like and cute as Little Sa are few and far between."

As far as he remembered, only Diancie, Meloetta, and Primarina barely counted as half, while Latias was the other half.

Compared to Pokémon's enormous numbers, that was practically negligible.

Akesato did not think his luck was good enough to keep hitting jackpots one after another.

Impossible. No way.

If he were really that lucky, then Akesato would have to worry about whether he would run into a speeding truck the next time he went outside.

"If something with a rather strange appearance shows up then, Mom, do not dislike it."

"Do not underestimate your mom. Your mom has fought Cursed Spirits too."

Akemi felt that she had to do something to reclaim her authority as a mother.

"You're the mom. You call the shots."

Akesato humored her aloud, but inwardly, he thought—

The lower limit for Pokémon was something like Grimer or Muk, which were roughly average-looking by Cursed Spirit standards. Akesato did not think he would be that unlucky.

Thinking about it, Akesato became somewhat impatient to obtain his Second Pokémon.

"Is there a suitable place nearby? I'll go try my luck tonight."

"Yes, Yoshiwara Shrine. I'll take you there after dinner."

"Uh, no, Mom, you're going too?"

"Can't I, a Jujutsu Sorcerer, go exorcise Cursed Spirits?" Akemi sat upright, her expression solemn, feeling that she looked every bit as imposing as she ought to.

"You can. Of course you can."

Akesato decisively shook his head. Although he did not know why Mom was so fired up, it did not matter. In Tokyo in 2017, as long as they did not provoke two people, there was no danger to speak of. He would treat it as an after-dinner walk.

"Little Sa, protect Mom well."

"Sa." Gardevoir hurriedly nodded.

"Protect yourself first. No matter what, Mom is a Grade 3 Jujutsu Sorcerer, while you do not even have Jujutsu." Akemi knew she should not be so childish, but her son had dealt her too many blows. She could only regain some ground this way.

"Okay, okay."

Akesato saw through her by then and smiled as he accepted Mom's protection, but the meaningful look he gave Gardevoir did not change.

Akesato truly did not possess Jujutsu, never had, but that did not mean his physical body lacked combat power.

Could a Trainer capable of taming Pokémon with supernatural powers possibly be weak?