SCIAW: Chapter 532/533

Chapter 532: You Didn’t Say!

Ren was speechless for a moment at their ideas.

"Your ideas are quite impressive."

"Each of you is even thinking of building a city."

One truly couldn't underestimate the imagination of some wealthy heirs and the children of officials. At least now, Ren understood what that phrase meant.

Sometimes, these people's sudden inspirations were truly terrifying.

Still, it was interesting.

Ren's lips curved slightly.

"I have to say, your proposal is indeed quite interesting."

"Since you've all decided this, then if there's anything you need help with, I can assist."

He had never thought about building a city before, but it was indeed an intriguing idea.

Especially what Kaguya had said about building a city that belongs to them.

That had piqued his interest.

Since everyone had this idea, he might as well take part in it too.

"Eh? Really?"

Chika's eyes instantly lit up as she floated toward Ren, her movements almost ethereal.

"Then, Ren, can you also make my mother a believer?"

"...Huh?"

Ren looked at her in surprise. He really couldn't understand why she would make such a strange request.

"If you want to bring your mom in, just say so. I lowered the influence of the Boon System precisely for believers. Didn't I say that?"

Chika's face brightened at first, but as he continued, her expression puffed up in protest.

"You didn't say that! You didn't say that at all!"

Ren belatedly realized he really hadn't said that. He had only mentioned that the Boon System's influence was reduced.

"Cough, my mistake, my mistake. I thought you would understand when I said I reduced the Boon System's influence. I didn't explicitly state it."

He coughed to hide his embarrassment, then continued formally.

"Regarding the Boon System, based on my modifications, the influence caused by blessings has been reduced to a point where it's almost negligible."

"Although this method greatly weakens the power of the blessings, there's no need to worry about those blessed being influenced by me as they grow."

"The only limitation is that the number of blessed individuals can't be too many, since managing them all would be troublesome."

Ren wasn't sure how many blessed individuals a proper Sefirot could create.

However, for him, there was no strict limit.

It was just that managing too many would become quite troublesome.

He wanted to develop believers, but that didn't mean he wanted them to grow without control. Before solving the issue of management, he didn't plan to increase the number of his followers significantly.

At least not the kind that granted power.

"Then I want to speak for my older sister and younger sister. Oh, and my mother too."

After hearing this condition, Chika immediately and boldly took the opportunity to secure blessings for her family.

Ren nodded slightly, then turned to the others.

Sakuya was the first to speak up.

"Ah, my family can be excluded for now."

"My family is full of troublesome people. My younger brother is annoying, and my illegitimate older brother is... well, abnormal."

"If they get involved, I'm afraid things might spiral out of control."

"Let's wait before discussing that."

Considering her own unreliable family, Sakuya made a decisive choice.

If you didn't give them anything, there was no problem. But once you did, things would definitely become troublesome.

"Ren, please reserve a spot for my mother."

Hayasaka, who had been quietly listening, spoke up.

"Recently, my mother has started taking on more work for the Shinomiya family. I hope she can also gain a power."

Ren nodded. That was a reasonable request.

"Ren, I'd like to ask for a spot for my mom too."

Ran thought for a moment before deciding to ask as well.

"Your father?"

Ren immediately thought of Mouri Kogoro.

Ran's face showed a hint of distress.

"Dad and I live together now. I'm worried that if he gets involved, he might notice something strange."

"And with his carefree and sometimes crude personality, I'd rather not let him know too much for now."

If possible, she would've wanted her father to be blessed too.

But considering his unreliable nature, she didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble for Ren. Her mother, on the other hand, was much more dependable.

Sonoko, who understood Ran's feelings well, gently patted her shoulder.

"Indeed, that uncle really isn't reliable, especially with that shrunken detective nearby. It's better not to involve him."

Then she turned to Ren.

"So, I'll try to secure one for my dad and mom too."

Ren nodded slightly, glancing at the others to confirm their requests. Then he spoke.

"In that case, we can meet separately later, and they can choose their powers themselves."

"The specific time can be arranged after you've spoken with your families."

Everyone agreed.

Choosing different powers naturally required the individuals themselves to decide, and they also needed to discuss it with their families.

Once the serious matters were settled, the atmosphere in the club relaxed again.

Sonoko glanced at the TV screen, where a game was playing, and suddenly remembered something.

"Speaking of which, Nagi, do you know about 'Cocoon,' that thing that's been really popular overseas lately?"

Nagi, who was playing, paused for a moment.

"Ah, you mean that powerful AI and virtual reality technology."

Since it was game-related, Nagi knew about it, though she wasn't particularly interested.

"A powerful AI is something that shouldn't exist in this era, and the virtual reality technology that came with it isn't a product of this time either."

"By definition, the difference between a powerful AI and an ordinary one lies in self-awareness. Current technology clearly isn't advanced enough to control such things. Once a self-aware AI appears, it'll definitely cause serious problems."

Nagi was almost certain that the company controlling that AI was headed for trouble.

Once humans created an AI capable of moving freely through the network and possessing self-awareness, it would mean that AI could control everything connected to the internet within human society.

"It's like the question of whether God can create a stone that even He can't lift. If He can't lift it, then it's not something no one can lift. But if He can't lift it, how could He have created it in the first place?"

"With powerful AI being uncontrollable, its emergence will only bring chaos."

"So, don't mess with that kind of thing lightly. It's easy to get burned."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 533: A Bold Yet Feasible Idea

After school, Sonoko returned home.

"Dad, Mom, I'm home!"

As soon as she entered the house, Sonoko handed her schoolbag to the maid, shouting as she walked toward her parents' study.

When she pushed open the study door, she saw her father, mother, and older sister all sitting inside. Their gazes turned toward her as she entered.

Sonoko was already used to such a scene.

Closing the door behind her, she looked at her sister with a serious expression.

"Sis, why did you and Chikako hide from me the plan to build the first Tingen City for the story?"

A trace of resentment flashed across her face. They were sisters, after all.

Suzuki Shiro and Suzuki Tomoko exchanged surprised glances.

They hadn't expected Ayako to have such a plan.

Ayako, on the other hand, hadn't expected Chikako to reveal it so casually.

But after thinking about Ren, she realized that as a believer, she shouldn't lie to a god.

Ayako sighed and admitted it.

"I didn't say anything because it was just an idea and a plan. Building a city isn't an easy thing. Even the land issue alone is not simple."

The land issue was a government matter. Even for a large conglomerate like the Suzuki Zaibatsu, obtaining approval for a large enough area to build a city wasn't easy.

Especially when the purpose of the land was to build a city.

Once such intentions became known, it would cause a lot of complications. Ayako was already planning how to minimize the potential impact.

Hearing her sister's words, Sonoko smiled brightly.

"That's why Chika took action."

At the same time, in the Fujiwara residence, Chika was telling the same story.

"Eh? You even got a chance for Mom?"

Fujiwara Maho hadn't expected her daughter to secure an opportunity for her to become an extraordinary being.

"That's right."

With her hands on her hips, Chika looked proud of herself. This was an opportunity she had earned for her mother.

"Ren said he could help us if we needed it, so I asked him to get an opportunity for Mom, Toyomi, and Moeha."

"Although it's also a power of blessing, Ren said he has reduced the Boon System's influence to the minimum. As long as one grows through their own actions, they can gradually master it."

Fujiwara Maho listened carefully, quickly forming a plan in her mind.

This was indeed an excellent opportunity.

As a diplomat, she was skilled in social interaction, but if she had the abilities of a Spectator to assist in social dealings, it would make her even more formidable.

Being able to directly understand the other party's thoughts without probing would be a tremendous advantage in her work.

Not only that, if she could refine and expand such power, she could increase her influence even further.

The political environment she had gradually compromised with over the years could also see a major improvement.

Maho subconsciously turned her gaze toward her father and father-in-law.

Both elderly men looked equally astonished, clearly having thought of the same thing she did.

After a brief silence, Maho nodded slightly.

"This is indeed a good thing."

In addition to herself, Toyomi and Moeha also received an opportunity, which would expand the Fujiwara family's sphere of influence.

Her eyes then rested on her second daughter.

The key to Fujiwara's next rise lay with her.

"Getting land in a remote area might not be too difficult."

"If we choose an area under the guise of a film city, as long as it's not a government-sensitive location, there shouldn't be much of a problem."

Her daughters' idea of building a city was bold. Even she had been startled at first by their imagination.

But if it was to build a city of their own, then this plan was indeed feasible.

It was a great opportunity for the Fujiwara family.

Maho thought about it seriously. The family could move on this matter quickly, especially since the Suzuki Zaibatsu planned to build a film city.

A film city was different from an ordinary one.

The city they would build wouldn't be under government control, but under the leadership of internal faith and extraordinary individuals. Such an act was essentially establishing a hidden, autonomous domain within Japan.

But was that a problem?

Fujiwara Maho didn't think so.

"This matter can be kept under control."

"If the future city is mainly led by extraordinary individuals, then its situation will not be under the nation's control. That's not a bad thing."

"However, if it's just the Suzuki Zaibatsu, the pressure might be too much."

"Ah, that's fine."

Hearing her mother's words, Chika immediately perked up.

"Not only is Sonoko's family preparing to move, but Shinomiya, Sanzenin, Aizawa, and Kaguya are all ready too."

"You kids really are bold thinkers, full of courage, and your execution power is beyond imagination."

Fujiwara Maho couldn't help but sigh at her daughter's words.

But behind her complaint, she felt more confident about the plan.

Aside from their political families, the other participants were all top-tier conglomerate heirs. With such capital pouring into a single city, its vitality would quickly flourish.

Moreover, it wasn't them who would truly drive the city's growth, but that god.

True believers worshiping their god within a city of faith—if such a thing became known, believers everywhere would go mad with devotion.

"So, Mom, do you have time to meet Ren later? We also need to confirm the type of blessing power."

"Of course, I have time."

Fujiwara Maho completely disregarded her original schedule. Clearly, this matter had become the Fujiwara family's top priority.

(To be continued.)