Thus Spake Kaiki Deishuu -貝木泥舟-, the con-man (fan translation)

From ”Koyomi Monogatari (暦物語)” by Nishio Ishin (2013, Kodansha-Box, Kodansha).

Thus Spake Kaiki Deishuu -貝木泥舟, the con-man

‘“Will o’ the wisp tales, bizarre stories, old wive’s tales. Such demagoguery goes rampant especially when your mind is confused. Confusion means you’ve lost your sense of security, your anchor. A period when there’s no dominant trend…..Araragi, tell me. What kind of dupe do you think a con-man goes after, with all his BS?”

“Wha, what are you…..I mean, I don’t want to think about such awful stuff.”

“Come on, be a good sport.”

“Hey, don’t demand these damn stuff! Well…..rich dudes, right? You hunt the affluent, don’t you?”

“That’s what a good person would think; but you know, satisfied men aren’t that susceptible to fraud. Material satisfaction gives you a peace of mind: you’re calm. So a con-man goes after dissatisfied guys, people who have difficulty making ends meet.”’

‘“Let me give you a piece of advice. If something inexplicable catches on-- suspect the age you’re in, the ground you set your feet on. Think that something ominous and dreadful is looming down the road. Whether that something was intentionally started or spontaneous, no matter. It means your times are engulfed by this vacuous darkness.” ‘

 ‘”I gave away a very, very important trade secret. You have to pay me extra, of course.”’