Elves... Sudden Eruption and Cold Sweats
Elves... It was such a sudden acceleration that I broke out in cold sweats for the first time in ages.
Next door, Elise was constantly erupting every day, but Luna was more like a volcano steadily building up magma...
'Phew... what a trial.'
Who could've guessed that the usually docile Luna would explode without any warning?
But what could I do? It was just that the ten years of pent-up pressure happened to burst today.
From my perspective, it felt like, "Why the sudden outburst?" But considering her circumstances, it was bound to happen eventually.
Sure, it was a misunderstanding, but if you look closely, I was just the final straw that broke her long-suppressed stress.
Honestly, it was impressive she'd held up under that mental strain for so long without showing it outwardly, even when it must've been tough.
If it were me, I probably would've cracked and lost the will to live.
In fact, on the way here, most of the other patients at the church site I'd seen were half-dead—not physically, but mentally.
Their eyes were lifeless, you know...
'I didn't look too closely, but some of them seemed in really bad physical shape too...'
Luna had burn scars, but she could still manage daily life.
But the few severe cases scattered around... some had missing limbs and such.
Scars you could hide were no big deal for living in the Shelter, but in bad cases, people had lost limbs and couldn't do anything on their own...
...Living like that must be pure hell for both the sufferer and their caregiver.
I'd seen similar situations back in the modern world, so I knew all too well.
Forcing someone to live in agony when they couldn't die, and the caregiver knowing their pain yet prolonging life anyway.
It's just torturing each other with no end in sight.
What's the point of prolonging life without any hope?
The Saint might actually be more cruel than she seems.
'...Gotta make those potions quick.'
That was probably the only salvation I could offer those suffering souls.
Today, soon as I got home, I'd head straight to Dennis.
He kept saying he'd give me the book, but how many days had I been putting it off...?
Screeech—
"Oppa, I'm ready now."
I'd been waiting at her door for her to get ready for going out and got lost in thought.
Oh, and about the confession? Here's how it went:
— So, you like me?
— ...Yes, I do.
— Then I—
— Wait, oppa. You don't know much about me yet, so take some time and think it over carefully... You get to choose, right?
Luna seemed to want me to seriously deliberate rather than confess on impulse, so it kinda fizzled out.
Maybe she was worried that if I decided emotionally, I might cool off later and we'd break up easily.
...She was already thinking about the pain of loss—it was kinda pitiful.
Yeah, if that's what she wants... It's not like it's urgent.
'Besides, she's got a point...'
I didn't know much about Luna. She probably didn't know much about me either.
So we ended up in that awkward spot—more than friends, less than lovers.
Once we made the potions and she was fully healed, maybe we could confirm our feelings on equal footing... Just wishful thinking, probably.
And so, as promised, we went to check out real estate.
On the way, we talked about each other, and here's what surprised me:
"Wait, Luna, you were a princess!?"
"Eh? Oh, no! Not a princess... My dad was just the tribe chief..."
"That's basically a princess!!!"
Luna waved her hands in panic, flustered.
And one more shocker:
"What...? You can use holy magic?"
She'd taken separate lessons until a few years ago because she wanted to become a nun.
...But I'd heard the flame monster's injury prevented her holy magic from working properly?
It's like a contamination state. Normally, she shouldn't be able to receive or use holy magic at all.
"To be precise... It activates, but the output's unstable, so it can't do proper healing. The nun said it's a miracle it manifests at all. Other patients can't even manifest it..."
Luna raised her hand, and golden light flickered. Like a bulb about to burn out, the dim glow wavered, faded, and repeated.
...Yeah, didn't look stable. But if the nun called it a miracle, maybe she had some special talent? No clue.
*
Anyway, we found the real estate office, and long story short, Luna handled everything.
Location, building defects, contract tricks, rent negotiation... all that and more.
She even advised on the budget. I didn't pull out all the cash, but I offered a decent amount, and she took it in stride, so I asked just in case.
"You're a Dimensional Transferee, right, oppa? You must have some way to make money... Lately, with ticket dungeons, some people just stay home and rake it in..."
Dimensional Transferees' combat power varied wildly, but some could hunt mid-upper layers comfortably from level 1. Those were folks already battle-hardened in their original worlds.
Or maybe she figured someone like the Transferee who died in the monster war but made bank with unique alchemy was using special abilities to earn.
That's why the Management Office slaps them with 5x taxes—they figure it's no big deal given the special powers.
If a Transferee can't hunt and has a useless ability, 5x tax makes it easy to boot them out, which benefits the office.
'Makes sense they'd earn a ton without raising eyebrows.'
Plus, most Transferees hide their real abilities from the office, so blending in while making money wasn't rare.
'Yeah, being a Transferee is kinda OP.'
And taxes were more like monthly rent—pay up within half a year, done.
With open ticket dungeons and now inner cores, the jackpots explained the cash without suspicion.
— How do you have so much money staying home!!
— Took down ten variant slimes in a ticket dungeon!!
Or
— Sold something from my Transferee ability at the market (tickets excluded)!
Something like that.
One thing to watch: I was handing all my tickets to Elise right now.
Luckily, the Shelter vibe was that Transferees could earn from their rooms, so excuses were easy.
Consistency mattered, though... Best to stick with "selling special Transferee stuff at the market" to avoid plot holes.
This world wasn't hot on fund tracking like modern Earth anyway. No idea if they even had agencies for that.
With nations collapsed and everyone hiding from monsters in Shelters, why track money?
Plus, community market trades—how would they trace that?
They probably didn't care. Taxes were just an excuse to cull the population by sending out the unable.
For them, it was pay or not—end of story.
'Means I just gotta watch Kkomangi's poop.'
Kkomangi's training was perfect. Never pooped outside, only in my room. Not even with others around.
"But oppa, if we open the shop, we might need to hire a server for the dining area."
I could guess why. Her scars. She probably thought handling service herself would tank sales.
Street vending didn't sell well, so she had to discount big...
"Got someone in mind?"
"Thinking of asking Aunt Rana."
Rana... The chatty street vendor lady from when I found Luna's place.
"Sounds good. Contract's done—handle the rest and just keep an eye on it."
Restaurant opening was sneakily exciting.
'Cause... the Salt Field was about to crank soon!
Granite Fist said it was nearly done. They were test-running it now.
'Folks need some joy in life to keep going.'
A culinary revolution was coming to the Shelter.
*
After wrapping up restaurant stuff, I walked Luna back to the church.
"See you tomorrow!"
"Yeah, tomorrow."
'Phew... long day.'
But more work ahead.
Back home, I knocked on Room 101.
Should be home by now...
"Soo-chan? What're you doing at my door? Waiting for me?"
The voice came not from the door, but the building entrance.
Dennis, fresh off work, walked in—with Aisha behind him.
"Oh? Hi."
"Ah, Soo-chan? Hello. Dennis, I'll head up first then."
Aisha vanished up the stairs, and I cautiously asked Dennis,
"...Bro's got skills."
"...Little bro, Aisha Professor's just my boss... We live close, so we came together."
"Kidding, bro. Can I get that potion materials book you mentioned?"
"Oh yeah, forgot back then. Hold on."
Dennis ducked inside and came out with a thick book.
"Marked all the potion materials for ya. But gathering 'em'll be tough... You must have a plan."
"Thanks a ton, bro."
"Uh... And just some advice... Better not hit on Aisha Professor if you can help it..."
Dennis glanced up the stairs and whispered.
"...No plans there, but why?"
"She doesn't show it, but Aisha Professor's over 450 years old..."
"...Old, sure, but so what? As a Transferee, not sure I get it..."
We'd somehow shifted to huddled whispering like someone might overhear.
"Human 10 years old is about 120 for elves... So Professor's like turning 40 in human years..."
Twitch—
Dennis glanced upstairs like he felt a chill. I looked too—nothing.
"...But she's gorgeous, doesn't age, super smart, killer figure—unpopular at work?"
"Sigh... In our world, there are tons of ghost stories about spinster elves. Over 400 and unmarried? Total red flag."
"...TBH, 'spinster elf' just sounds hot as hell..."
"...Middle-aged spinster elf turns you on? Bro, you okay? Nope, gotta fix that mindset right now—Gasp!"
"Wha—? What's up?"
Dennis suddenly sweated buckets, face pale as a ghost, frozen. Nothing where he stared.
'What the hell? Something there?'
"Bro, you're scaring me..."
"N-No, little bro... I just said something dumb. Have a good night!!"
Bam—
Dennis fled inside like chased by something.
"What was that...? Kinda creepy now..."
*
"...Professor? What're you doing by the stairs?"
Elise heard footsteps in the hall, thought it was Soo-chan, and opened her door.
Instead, Aisha was crouched by the stairs, peeking down like...
Twitch—
"Oh, nothing! Good night, Elise."
Aisha startled, gave a quick greeting, and hurried up to the third floor.
"...What's her deal?"