"Come on, in games, you find skill scrolls or learn spells from reading books, right?"
"Oh, sorry, I haven't played anything other than this game."
That was a terrible analogy.
How can I explain this?
Maybe I should just ask the old man dozing behind the counter.
"Hey, old man, can I ask you something?"
"Huh?"
The old man jolts awake, startled by my voice, his nose still crinkling with remnants of sleep.
"Uh, are you going to ring me up?"
"No, it's just that I don't have any money to buy anything. I just wanted to know more about this bookstore."
"Huh? You want to smell the old house's farts? That's quite the unique hobby, isn't it?"
"Ugh, who would want to smell something like that? Let's just skip to the bookstore description!"
"Ah, right, the bookstore. So the bookstore is…"
Just as he was about to explain, the old man slipped into a deep sleep.
"Why is he sleeping?!"
"Wow! This old dude is seriously something else. I respect that!"
"You're seriously taking a photo with your phone?"
"Wait, why do you even have a smartphone?"
"Huh? Oh, it has a paid feature, but it only costs 100 yen. It's an old-school model that still works, and apparently, you can make calls too!"
"Only 100 yen? That sounds tempting."
"Hey, Henry, you know the bookstore info is in the help options, right?"
"Really? Oh, you're right! So reading books lets you learn skills, huh?"
"Interesting. Maybe I should buy something too."
"Do you have any money? I'm broke."
"Wait, didn't you just get some? Even after splitting it, you could buy a couple of books. I'll treat you to one!"
"That feels a bit wrong… If I say I don't want anything, you'll probably get mad and insist I buy one, so I'll just pick something cheap…"
"Whoa, this one looks super ominous…"
"Huh? Oh, this one?"
"Is that really okay?"
"Huh? Wait, no..."
"Well, I guess I'll go with this then. Grandpa, the register... you're still lying down, huh? Guess I'll do it myself."
"So responsible!?"
"Alright, here's the receipt. By the way, this cash register is unlocked—aren't you worried, old man? I won't take anything from here; that would just be mean."
"Good for you, Grandpa. If the other two were with me, all that money would probably be gone by now."
"Anyway, it's time to head home."
"Yeah. So, what did you end up buying?"
As Yuki picked up a sinister-looking book, I glanced at the book he bought.
"Fashion tips for women. I usually don't get stuff like this, but since my avatar's female, I should know how to coordinate, right?"
But you're a guy! What's with wanting to look feminine? Are you thinking of cross-dressing in real life too?
"It's them!"
"Huh?"
As I was about to step out of the used bookstore, I instinctively pulled Yuki's hand.
"What!?"
Two figures were hiding in the shadows, watching the road.
Right there, Yoshi and Lark were chatting idly, looking bored.
The one pointing them out was a middle schooler who had been shaken down by them.
And with him were two men in blue hats and clothes, wielding nightsticks and handcuffs, with guns strapped to their waists. Yes, the police have arrived!
"Whoa!? Who are you guys!?"
"You're the ones who shook him down, right?"
"Wait, the police are coming!? You said it was just a money scheme!"
"Is this a trap by the game operators? Damn it!"
Yoshi tried to run, but was quickly tackled and restrained by an alert officer.
Seeing this, Lark raised both hands in surrender, looking troubled.
The officers seemed highly skilled.
'Oh, I could handle this...'
"Stop it. We don't need riot police or the military showing up."
"Let's just wait and see what happens."
"Wait, there was supposed to be another person..."
The middle schooler who had been mugged tilted his Small Head, then shrugged it off as if to say, "Whatever."
As a result, it seemed only the two of them would face the consequences.
"We'll split the amount you took between the two of you... and the money you've already spent will count as a debt."
"Huh!? Don't mess with me about debts!"
"Shut up, you delinquent. This time, I'll let it slide with a warning, but next time, you're going to juvenile court!"
"Seriously!? Is this going to give me a criminal record?"
The middle schooler had a smug grin, as if savoring their downfall.
For a while, the two officers lectured Yoshi and Lark, and satisfied, eventually walked away.
Then the middle schooler returned to the typical behavior of a regular NPC.
As long as he didn't try to mug anyone again, he would remain just another background character.
"Oh damn, I'm really down to my last Nash!"
"Oh dear, this is a bit rough. I feel like I've been tricked by the operators."
For now, the danger has passed. Let's go.
"Oh, okay."
What's up? Is your avatar's face a bit red?
"It's just your imagination. Come on, let's get going. By the way, how long are you going to keep holding my hand, you creep?"
"Huh? Oh man, I'm sorry!"
As I hurriedly released my grip, Yuki chuckled softly.
Ah, that was intentional, wasn't it?
Why is this guy, despite being male, teasing and tempting me like this?
"Hey there, criminal number one!"
Yuki and I stepped out of the used bookstore and approached our friends.
"Ah! You guys were hiding out at Anywhere?"
"I thought you were out of sight—did you know?"
"No way! I was hiding to see what you two were up to after I saw you getting caught up in something when I tried to leave the store."
"Ah, sorry about that. I just found this used bookstore and got a little carried away."
No need to mention why I ran off, especially with the police or gangsters closing in.
*Well, in a way, you're not wrong, but don't lie too much, okay?*
Okay, I won't lie! I'm sincere with Hannah!
*R-really…?*
"Come on, guys…"
"I still have my share left. Going to use it to pay off some debt."
"Oh, really?"
"We're in this together, right? Come on, Yoshi too."
"Oh, uh, thanks. But seriously, your face is way too close."
Yuki flashed a sweet smile, making Yoshi blush and awkwardly look away.
A wicked woman, or maybe a man.
"Oh, my debts are wiped clean!"
"Mine too. I didn't expect there to be so much left."
Huh? How does that work? If they split the money from the three people they hustled, my share should still be there…
"Hmm? Isn't my share missing?"
"True, it looks like the amounts for me and Yoshi were deducted, but Yuki's still intact. I wonder why?"
Interesting. So, perhaps the amount acquired from a hustle isn't finalized until the police arrive. If you manage to escape before they show up, the money you made becomes yours.
"...Is that how it works?"
I voice my thoughts.
"I see. So that's why I and Yoshi, who got caught, lost a third of our total take as a fine. I did have a feeling my debts were just for the croquette."
"It's not just that; it's more like what we stole was taken back. Sigh. But hey, since Yuki got his full share, he's in the plus now. Still, paying off the debt and ending up with just a few cents left—how much did you really spend?"
"I only bought two books. Henry's books are surprisingly pricey."
"Um, sorry about that."
"Damn it, Henry really got the best deal, didn't he?"
"Seriously. He didn't even have to shake anyone down, but he ended up with the most money for shopping…"
I felt a chill run down my spine as I glared at the two of them. If Yuki hadn't been forcing a smile, I might have really thought they were about to target me.
"But you know, thanks to Henry, none of us ended up in a debt pit, right?"
"Huh?"
"The only reason I didn't get caught by the cops at the used bookstore was because I saw Henry going there first. If he hadn't, we might have all been caught and ended up in debt together."
"That's true, that could have happened."
"And yet, I'm the one stuck with the short end of the stick here."
"Well, if we break even, no problem there. But if we can't make any money from shaking people down, we should probably call it a night. I'm about to head out; what about you guys?"
"Yeah, I think I'll log out too."
"What about you, Henry?"
"Huh? Oh, I think I'm going to try the night school challenge."
"Wait, you're actually serious about that?!"
For a rare moment, all three of them spoke in perfect unison. In the end, Yuki logged out soon after.
Now alone, I headed to the night elementary school with Hannah. It was better to have Yuki with us for after-school activities, so I decided to skip the patrol this time.
This time, the school is haunted, and there's no teacher on patrol.
"By the way, what's the patrol teacher doing at this hour?"
"They're supposed to be in the staff room. I think that's the only place without any ghostly disturbances. It has a shower, a bath, a kitchen, and a proper bed, or so Tamamo said."
So it seems.
If we head to the staff room, we might run into the teacher, forcing us outside. I'd better avoid the staff room.
"Speaking of which, I haven't seen the Seven Wonders of the elementary school."
"You were looking for me, but you don't know about the other wonders?"
"I only saw you, Hannah."
I messed up. I wanted to encounter the Seven Wonders, but now it feels like a wasted opportunity. I wonder if the other wonders are lurking anywhere nearby... Hannah? Your face is really red.
"N-no, it's nothing! But Henry, if you don't know the Seven Wonders, let's start with Tiki. They're bound to show up somewhere in the halls."
She said they're a wandering type of ghost. According to Hannah, they run around near the bathrooms, laughing maniacally.
"Since we're here, why not ask? It'd be a shame to come all this way and not know anything!"
"Well, that's true, but after I log out, I'll look into it. For now, no boss battle today; just moving to the evening school should be sufficient. Besides, I think we'll be stuck as soon as we encounter Tiki."
"That might indeed be the case?"
I brought quite a bit of salt, but it looks like the battle will mostly rely on Hannah. My attacks wouldn't deal much damage anyway. The recommended level here is ten, and I'm still at two. That's just too weak.
As I step into the evening school, I notice a man with a barcode-patterned bald head standing in the entryway. He seems strangely transparent and keeps his head down, mumbling to himself without making a sound.
"A ghost, huh?"
"Could it be a teacher's spirit?"
The battle begins immediately.
"Will-o'-the-wisp!"
A blue flame emerges from Hannah's palm, forming into a sphere that flies toward the ghost. The spirit doesn't even attempt to dodge and takes the full hit. Oh, I leveled up! And it's two levels!
"The enemy's level was high, so that gave you a big boost. Look, an item dropped. Let's grab it."
"Is it really okay to get rewards so easily? So, money, experience points, and what's this?"
"Spirit shards. They restore a bit of spiritual energy when used. Not much, though. Honestly, it's better to turn them into spirit orbs through alchemy for greater efficiency."
I see; while they'll be useful later on, for now, they only serve to restore a tiny bit of spiritual energy.
"Hey, don't just stand there, let's move!"
"Yeah, you're right. Um, how about we head to the restroom where Hannah was?"