"Kanna, how did it feel?"
After logging out of the game, Sato tried asking Kanna about her experience.
"The cake was really tasty!"
Kanna looked at him with a blank, adorable expression. The blue-eyed young dragon's eyes were filled with satisfaction.
Ah… who asked about the taste of the cake?
Sato broke out in a cold sweat.
But since Kanna was satisfied with the food, the game was probably acceptable to her as well.
He glanced at the time and saw that it was already past ten, so he reminded her, "It's getting late. Kanna, go take a bath and get ready for bed."
"Mm!"
Kanna nodded and went to the bathroom.
…
At his desk, Sato picked up Zaimokuza Yoshiteru's manuscript and began reading.
As the founder of "Gensokyo," Sato had naturally reviewed a large number of manuscripts. He had seen works of all kinds, both good and bad.
Because he had seen so much, he had always believed his tolerance for bad writing was quite high.
But…
After reading a dozen pages, Sato rubbed his temples, looking troubled.
"Looks like I may have overestimated myself."
Zaimokuza Yoshiteru's self-indulgence had clearly reached an unprecedented level. Even after more than ten pages, all he saw was the protagonist's one-man monologue.
It was like a madman performing a solo act, filled with chuunibyou lines, or what readers would call nonsense.
After thinking for a moment, Sato's eyes flickered slightly as he turned on his computer.
Entering the Gensokyo website, he searched for the name Zaimokuza Yoshiteru.
No results appeared, but there was an author named Ashikaga Yoshiteru.
Ashikaga Yoshiteru was originally the name of a shogun from the Muromachi era.
Sato narrowed his eyes, clicked into the author's page, found his work, and skimmed through it.
"So it really is him…"
He could not help but smile as he looked at the screen.
Anyone who dreamed of becoming a light novel author, but lacked the confidence to submit directly to a publishing house, would often choose to try writing on Gensokyo.
Here, many authors had their confidence shattered, while others regained it. Encouragement and insults both existed in equal measure.
It was under these conditions that one mature light novel author after another emerged and stepped into the industry.
No matter how they developed afterward, they had all achieved notable success in some way.
The comment section, as expected, was a disaster.
"Hahaha! So this is what light novels are like? I suddenly feel like I can do it too."
"It's obvious the author's wish fulfillment has reached a shocking level."
"I'm really curious what kind of idiot could write something like this."
"Damn it! We have no grudge against each other, so why are you hurting my eyes?!"
There were only around a hundred comments, and nearly all of them were insults and ridicule.
Sato looked at the comments with some amazement.
Even on the site, it was rare to see a comment section filled entirely with mockery.
"Even so, it didn't break that guy. In that sense, his mental resilience is pretty strong. He might actually have potential…"
An ordinary person would have shut themselves off after receiving this kind of criticism. For example, Hikigaya had basically become a shut-in. Who knew how many blows he had suffered…
But Zaimokuza Yoshiteru was not without his strengths. For example, his self-indulgence.
Self-indulgence was a double-edged sword. Being able to immerse oneself meant that he was putting genuine emotion into his writing. If an author could not even immerse themselves, they would never produce anything good.
"Strong resilience, and the ability to put emotion into writing. If he can find the right direction, maybe Zaimokuza Yoshiteru could become a passionate light novel author."
Sato thought thoughtfully.
Compared to achieving success himself and gaining a sense of accomplishment, this kind of nurturing approach also seemed quite interesting.
After thinking for a moment, he grabbed a sheet of paper and began writing.
Kasumigaoka Utaha, Gokou Ruri, Kusanagi Ryouki… adding Zaimokuza Yoshiteru did not seem impossible.
"Ding-dong!"
Just as Sato was writing rapidly, the doorbell suddenly rang.
He frowned and glanced toward the door, confusion filling his expression.
At this hour, who could it be?
Sato stood up and walked to the entrance, peering through the peephole.
Soon, a look of surprise appeared on his face.
Click.
"Hello."
Outside the door, Takanashi Toka gave a slight bow. Her crimson eyes calmly looked at him.
"Hello."
Sato quickly returned the greeting, though he still looked puzzled.
It was already so late. Why would Takanashi Toka suddenly come to see him?
Could it be related to Takanashi Rikka? But nothing unusual had happened recently.
"May I ask what this is about?"
Sato asked curiously.
Standing outside, Takanashi Toka carried a cool, composed aura, somewhat similar to Yukinoshita Yukino.
Although both she and Takanashi Rikka were naturally expressionless, compared to Rikka's somewhat absent-minded blankness, Toka's was more of a cold, mature elegance.
No, that was not quite right.
For someone like her, "expressionless" fit better. The term "deadpan" did not quite match a refined older sister type.
"Can I come in to talk?"
Hm?
"Of course."
After a brief moment of confusion, Sato gestured for her to enter.
Although he had no idea what Takanashi Toka wanted, basic hospitality still had to be observed, even if it was already late.
The two sat down in the living room. Takanashi Toka glanced at Sato and, without any unnecessary preamble, stated her purpose directly.
"I want you to help take care of Rikka."
"Huh?"