If the girls encountered major trouble they couldn't resolve, there was no need to worry too much. As the hands-off boss, Ethan, if not adept at other things, was very capable of resolving problems.
At that time, he, the big-shot behind the scenes, would go and reason with the opposing party. As for whether that 'reason' was delivered verbally or with a fist, that would depend on their attitude.
With S-rank power and a Sacred Gear in hand, backed by the future heads of the Gremory and Sitri families, Ethan could essentially walk sideways across the human world without fear.
On January 10th, Ethan spent the last day with the Takamine mother and daughters engaging in pleasure in bed. The start of the school term arrived unbidden.
The winter break for Ethan and the two sisters ended. Kasumi Takamine also had to return to her company for debriefing, after which the previously agreed-upon plan would commence.
While embracing Rias's snowy, round, long legs was a great experience, if possible, Ethan still hoped to become the strong leg that others relied on.
Therefore, not only power but also the development of his own influence was essential.
On the first day of the new term, after the opening ceremony, Ethan spent the morning intimately catching up with the Occult Research Club members whom he hadn't seen for days. In the afternoon, he went to the Student Council, nominally led by his other master, Sona Sitri, and spent the entire afternoon there.
Having not been close with the dear Vice President for a long time, Ethan, thick-skinned as he was, followed Tsubaki Shinra back to her apartment after school.
However, because Sona Sitri was next door, he failed to stay the night. After their dual cultivation session, the blushing Tsubaki Shinra chased him out.
As Sona Sitri came out to see him off, she glanced at the beautiful, short-haired, spectacle-wearing girl's unnaturally tightly clamped legs. Ethan felt the trip wasn't a total loss.
He had been with beautiful girls similar in style to Sona Sitri, but every time he saw the dear President, he felt a tickle in his heart.
This was likely because he had never managed to take advantage of her, an instance of the so-called "wild flower always smells sweeter than the domestic one."
"How utterly scummy, completely showcasing the baser instincts of men~"
Ethan touched his nose, shrugging as he self-mocked, then left Sona Sitri's high-class apartment in a cheerful mood.
The next day, just as Ethan arrived at school, before the first class was even over, he suddenly received a call from Kasumi Takamine.
"Little Ethan, I might be delayed for a few more days. The resignation process isn't going very smoothly."
Hearing Kasumi Takamine's somewhat weary voice, Ethan instinctively frowned. What kind of trouble could a resignation cause?
Unless the company wasn't legitimate, or...
A long-unfelt premonition surfaced in his heart. Unsurprisingly, this unexpected trouble was the Cuckold Template rearing its ugly head after being dormant for a while.
After briefly comforting Kasumi Takamine on the phone, Ethan immediately requested permission to leave from Rias and rushed over.
Kasumi Takamine's workplace wasn't in Kuoh Town but in the Meguro district, closer to central Tokyo.
To avoid causing a commotion, Ethan flew until he was close to the office building, then found a hidden spot to land and walked the rest of the way.
Though wearing his school uniform on a weekday in the business district drew some attention, it was less dramatic than descending from the sky.
Originally, Ethan planned to cast an illusion and boldly walk into Kasumi Takamine's company to assess the situation. But upon realizing this might be the Cuckold Template at work, he wouldn't rest easy without eliminating all threats.
Under the influence of the Cuckold Template, if the Blonde Guy saw him, he wouldn't remain hidden but would immediately jump out. For this reason, Ethan specifically used himself as bait.
Quietly casting a detection spell, and coupled with his Eye of Insight, Ethan quickly found Kasumi Takamine's location.
With his handsome, gentle smile, he easily passed the front desk lady's inquiries and took the elevator to Kasumi Takamine's office.
After working for over a decade, she had become a small-time manager with her own private office. Glancing at the surname on the door, Ethan knocked.
"Who is it?"
A mature, cool voice answered, completely lacking the seductive sweetness she had at home.
Ethan's eyebrow rose. He cleared his throat. "Sis' Kasumi, it's me."
"Little Ethan?!" Kasumi Takamine's voice suddenly heightened, and she opened the door in surprise. "What are you doing here? Weren't you just at school?"
Ethan chuckled, pulling her full, soft body into his arm, and they walked into the office together, shielding themselves from the curious gazes of the employees outside.
"Sis' Kasumi ran into trouble. Of course I had to come and help."
Ethan held the beautiful widow in her OL attire, kissing her fiercely a few times before explaining his intention.
He sat down in the office chair and placed Kasumi Takamine on his lap, holding her intimately like that.
This was the first time Kasumi Takamine had experienced such intimate closeness with a man in public, and in her own office, no less.
She shyly pushed at Ethan's chest. "Little Ethan... don't be like this. What if someone comes in and sees?"
"So what if they see? Sis' Kasumi is single. What's wrong with dating?" Ethan said with an air of nonchalance.
Kasumi Takamine saw she couldn't change Ethan's mind and let him have his way.
She figured that if someone saw them, they would, at most, think she was robbing the cradle. Since she didn't plan to stay at this place anyway, the damage to her reputation was acceptable.
After a moment of playful intimacy, Ethan asked about the situation. Kasumi Takamine didn't hide anything, pouring out all her troubles.
In short, she faced two problems with her resignation.
One was her superior's refusal to let her go, resorting to all sorts of coercion and enticements. If Kasumi Takamine insisted on leaving a month later, her last month would likely be unpleasant.
The second was the company President. Indeed, there was no such thing as a free lunch. The President, who had been so kind to Kasumi Takamine before, was also harboring the thought of "I shall raise my friend's wife."
However, over the past decade, Kasumi Takamine had never given him an opportunity, and he was busy himself, so he had been slowly making plans.
But now, seeing Kasumi Takamine attempt to resign, he finally couldn't hold back and launched a direct assault on the beautiful widow.
"That President of yours..." Ethan frowned and asked, "Does he have blonde hair?"
Kasumi Takamine gave him a strange look. "No, but his son dyed his hair blonde a while ago."
His son? The original protagonist? Blonde hair?
Ethan was momentarily confused. He filed the question away, asking about the other person.
"Was the person who sent you on that half-year business trip the same one who is now refusing your resignation?"
"Yes, that old man has a terrible reputation, constantly harassing female employees. Because of the President, he didn't harass me, though."
Kasumi Takamine nodded. "He probably sent me on that long trip because I stopped him from making a move on a new employee, so he held a grudge."
Both suspects were strong contenders...
Ethan rubbed his chin, unable to figure out which one was the Blonde Guy this time.
Indeed, this kind of deduction is not for me. In the end, I'll have to rely on simple, brutal bait-and-switch tactics.
As for solving Kasumi Takamine's problems, they would naturally vanish once the Blonde Guy was dealt with.
If not for the concern that the Blonde Guy might target the women around him again, Ethan could easily resolve Kasumi Takamine's resignation with a few mind-altering spells.
To ordinary people, Ethan's current power was akin to a god—an insurmountable existence.
Ethan whispered into Kasumi Takamine's ear, explaining his plan. "Sis' Kasumi, next we'll do this... and then that..."
Kasumi Takamine grew more and more confused as she listened. The plan seemed to have little to do with her smooth resignation and more about public displays of affection.
She was right. Ethan's so-called plan was to flaunt their affection in front of the Blonde Guy and wait for him to step up.
Given that this might be a high-level Blonde Guy with a brain, besides the PDA, Ethan also planned to use his Instant Illusion ability to disguise himself, adopting a classic trope of a weak, submissive cuckold victim.
It's a pity I don't know where those old black-rimmed glasses went, or it would be even more perfect.
Once Ethan finished adjusting his physique and practicing an innocent expression and demeanor in the mirror, the two left the office and began executing the plan.
Although Kasumi Takamine didn't know how Ethan achieved his transformation, seeing her frail-looking, handsome adopted son made her highly motivated and she played her role with great enthusiasm.
It wasn't entirely acting. Given their relationship, holding hands, hugging, and kissing were things they had done countless times.
It was just that now they were intentionally doing these things in front of others, and they had switched roles.
Ethan played the passive, shy younger man, while Kasumi Takamine played the aggressively initiating older woman.
Kasumi Takamine led Ethan around the company, performing affectionate gestures, and intentionally kissing in concealed but populated areas. Soon, the related gossip began to fly.
As for when it would reach the Blonde Guy's ears, Ethan figured it wouldn't take long.
Meanwhile, at Ethan's request, Kasumi Takamine immediately chose to walk out.
She didn't care about her final month's salary or the company's recommendation letter. After all, she would never be interviewing at another company again.