Nagi glanced at the notebook in her hand and immediately understood.
"I see, so it's that classic trope."
Because she wasn't the owner of the notebook, she couldn't see its contents.
"Well~ Maria isn't one of the chosen ones. It's perfectly normal that she can't see it."
"Is this child really starting again?"
Hearing Nagi's words, Maria instinctively felt like her young mistress was having another episode.
Based on how severe the situation seemed, Maria could already estimate how much work it would cause her in the end.
Maria prayed silently, hoping that this time Nagi's "illness" wouldn't be too troublesome.
As for resisting or trying to talk her out of it, Maria had long given up.
After all, Nagi's attention span was short. Once her interest waned, she'd undoubtedly return to her usual state. On that point, Maria was quite certain.
"Okay, so what's caught your attention this time?"
"Someone I find really interesting."
Nagi didn't bother correcting Maria's skeptical tone. Right now, all she needed was for Maria to investigate that person.
Since Maria wasn't able to see the diary, explaining things to her would be pointless.
"Somewhere between 15 and 17, I think."
"Where do they live?"
"I don't know the exact address, but it's in Beika Town."
Maria immediately felt something was off.
She had the name, the approximate age, and even the city—Beika Town, a place infamous for its high crime rate.
While many cities in the country had a high rate of criminal cases, Beika Town was among the worst. The fact that Nagi specifically mentioned it wasn't random; it had to mean something.
But Maria was also certain that Nagi hadn't left the villa recently, nor had she met anyone named Amamiya Ren.
"Is she playing some new game again?"
Despite her doubts, Maria decided to look into it.
The Sanzenin family's intelligence network was robust, with channels spanning the globe. They had the financial resources to maintain such a system, and soon enough, Maria had a file on "Amamiya Ren," who matched the clues Nagi had given.
"It's a very straightforward life story," Maria muttered as she read the file.
The report was detailed and to the point:
[Introverted, reserved, poor social skills, and no strong interpersonal connections.]
[Relationships with classmates are average, with no close friends.]
[No bad habits, no traceable online presence.]
[Orphaned and raised in an institution, with no records of his parents.]
[Works part-time on weekends to make ends meet, living in poverty.]
"No bad habits, no online activity, poor social skills, no parents, living in poverty... He's practically a blank slate."
Maria then glanced at the attached photo.
"Messy hair, glasses covering half his face, and unkempt. He doesn't seem to take care of his appearance very well."
"This must be why he struggles socially."
The boy in the photo didn't look unattractive, but his lack of grooming made him appear ordinary.
From Maria's perspective, though, his features were decent, he could even be considered handsome with a little effort.
But another question lingered in her mind.
"Why is Nagi so interested in this boy?"
Maria found it puzzling. For Nagi to know his name, age, and general location, they must have some sort of connection. But this boy didn't seem like someone Nagi would associate with.
It wasn't just about his background or status, there was simply no overlap between their worlds.
Nagi often interacted online, but this boy left no traces there.
So how had Nagi come to know him?
Maria couldn't make sense of it.
Meanwhile, in a modest apartment in Beika Town that was cheap due to a previous incident, Ren was taking a bath.
After finishing, he sat down with his diary, treating it with a sense of reverence.
Suddenly, more text appeared on the page in dark ink.
[First diary entry completed.]
[Achievement unlocked: First Time.]
[Roulette prize pool unlocked.]
A shadowy image of a massive roulette wheel materialized before him.
The wheel had a pointer, and its surface was divided into numerous segments, each labeled with a name:
[Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, Katekyo Hitman Reborn, Negima! Magister Negi Magi, A Certain Magical Index, Persona, Demon Slayer, Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple, Marvel, Genshin Impact, Fate, High School DxD, Grave Robbers Chronicles, Lord of Mysteries...]
The list was extensive, and many of the options were familiar and exciting to Ren. However, there was one he couldn't accept.
"Please, anything but Grave Robbers Chronicles!"
Ren clasped his hands together and prayed fervently.
He had heard of Grave Robbers Chronicles before his reincarnation but had never read it himself.
Its reputation preceded it, known for its intense and chaotic plotlines.
While he hadn't read the series, he knew enough to be wary of its madness. It was said to be even more unsettling than Lord of Mysteries.
"I don't want to lose my mind because of a random spin," he muttered. "I'm just an ordinary guy, I can't handle something like that."
After finishing his prayer, Ren lightly tapped the roulette wheel. It began spinning rapidly, its speed almost dizzying.
Gradually, it slowed down and came to a stop.
The pointer landed on "Persona."
[Acquired characteristic: Wild Card.]
"Wild Card? Is that the trait that lets the protagonist of Persona use multiple Persona masks?"
Ren understood the reference but couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed.
"So praying doesn't improve my luck after all."
He carefully examined the description of "Wild Card."
[Wild Card: The ability to accommodate multiple distinct personalities while maintaining the integrity of one's own unique personality.]
"Well, it does match the protagonist's ability in Persona."
"Personas are fragments of one's personality, representing different emotions and consciousness. Normally, someone can only awaken a single Persona. But the protagonist, with the 'Wild Card' trait, can wield multiple Personas."
He mulled over its implications. "In this world, it might just mean I won't develop mental illnesses?"
If it preserved the integrity of his personality, it could prevent conditions like schizophrenia.
But in a normal world, unless someone was under extreme pressure, most people wouldn't develop severe mental disorders.
"It's useful, I guess, but not by much," he concluded.