Chapter 25

After talking for a bit more, it was time to sleep. Angen and Memorus chose separate rooms, taking the floors below. Elerina used one of the bedrooms on the building’s second floor. Before sleeping, we decided to take a breather first. I sat on the floor, my back on the wall, Elerina sitting on my right.

“I thought they would sleep together,” I joked. It’s a trope in anime where people who absolutely despise each other would end up together.

“Really? I thought they were just adventuring parties.”

“In my world, you learn to notice such subtleties.”

To be fair, that’s information from anime, and in the real world, there’s no invisible force that forces them to keep running into each other. People who hated each other would eventually just part ways.

“Your world has some interesting customs…”

“I guess.”

We both chuckled. It’s unfortunate that she couldn’t read, but I could still show her some manga. She didn’t have to understand the language, as she could still see the pictures. I got up and choose one from my bookshelf. This one is a romance slice-of-life series. Elerina flipped through the pages, the wrong way at first. Manga was read from right to left, the opposite way of the normal way, and also the opposite of how Elerina usually read.

“You read this first, then this, then this.” I pointed out the panels for her.

“Ah, I see… no wonder the series of pictures made no sense. I mean, how did he get harmed, then the explosion healed him?”

… Explosion?

I double checked the title to make sure I gave her the right series.

“... Why… is the world they’re in different? They can travel between worlds?”

Ah, I remember. This one did have some scenes taken place in games.

“These words… What are they?”

“Levels and stats.”

“Levels…? Stats? What are those? Are they part of that world’s magic system?”

“You can say it that way.”

We sat side-by-side. I answer any questions Elerina might have. Despite not being able to read, she could follow the story no problem.

“So that’s how they meet for the first time?”

“Yes. Normally, people with such differences like them don’t interact.”

The story itself is about a boy and girl that met in a game and started grinding together. The boy is a loner with not many friends, while the girl is the typical popular girl. While not an uncommon trope, it told the story in a way I enjoyed.

“This reminds me of my own mother’s stories, regarding my father.” Elerina looked up at the sky. “I think she used to describe my father as a worrywart. If she’s not there, he would break apart.”

There was a tinge of sadness to her voice.

“But…” she seemed reluctant.

“It’s alright if you don’t want to tell it.” Based on her tone, significant things happened in her past. I didn’t want to force her to open those wounds. “But if you want to talk about it, I’m here.” I held her hand.

“... My mother used to describe my father as a kind person deep inside, but… I remember him as anything but kind. He disappeared one day and never returned. He left me alone, against my townsfolk.”

She took a deep breath. “As someone without magic abilities, I’m seen as a curse by the rest of the town. I wouldn’t be able to buy bread, people would look at me as an eyesore.”

She hugged her knees. “I couldn’t stand living in that town, so I decided to escape… I didn’t know where to go, but I just know I need to go… That day, I parted ways with my mother, promising that I’ll return one day… When I did, she’s no longer alive. She stayed behind to protect the rest of the town when the monsters attacked.”

“... I’m sorry.”

“Thanks.” Elerina flashed me a slight grin, tears in her eyes. “I… I thought I moved on… Guess it’s tougher than I thought.”

I took a tissue and wiped her tears, then hugged her tightly. “I’ll be here for you.”

“Thank you.”

She continued looking up. I couldn’t see the sights she saw, but I assume there’s a hole up there in the ceiling. Maybe she’s looking at the stars.

“... Sometimes I wonder if I really want things to go back to how they’re used to.”

“You mean before the war?”

Elerina nodded. “S-Rank adventurers’ services are expensive, and without the war, there’s not a lot of work for us. We’ll be doing quests with the other adventurers.”

“That reminds me, actually. What are your plans when you come here?”

Elerina’s goal was to cross over to my world. There were a couple of concerns, like hiding her elven ears for example. Due to how different her world is from mine, it wouldn’t be easy for her to find a job… although she could become a fitness coach, maybe? She did force me to exercise everyday.

Does she even need the money? She still had some of those golden cups. Considering just how expensive one cup is, she might have enough to support her for the rest of her life.

Elerina looked to the side and checked her bag. “I’ll sell this, probably. I still have… ten? Eleven? Wait, is this a separate piece or is it a part of that one…?”

Assuming each would sell for five hundred million… yeah, she’ll have enough. She could probably just invest the extra and she’ll be set.

“You can study investing, that way you can make money without working.”

“What’s investing?”

“It’s like you give a sword merchant money to buy swords, then you ask for twenty percent of the profits everytime they sell a sword.”

It’s a terrible example, I know, but it’s easy to understand.

“Why would they do that?”

“Because they can make more money by selling more swords?”

“Oh, you lent the money?”

“In a way, yeah.”

“Isn’t that risky, though? What if this merchant couldn’t sell any swords?”

“Unfortunately, that’s part of the risk. You’ll need to study each merchant individually and see if they’re capable of making money in the past.”

“Ah, I see…”

I continued explaining what I knew to Elerina. I only have limited knowledge of the subject, so I explained while looking things up online.

“Passive income sounds wonderful!” she said excitedly at the end. “I want to try it.”

“Although… Well, you’ll need a huge investment to make a lot of money… but I guess that wouldn’t be an issue for you.”

Elerina chuckled. “Yeah, Mom said that they were gifts from my father, but who cares, right?”

I could feel some reluctance in her tone. No matter its history, those things are stuff she had history with.

“... Elerina.”

“Yes?”

“... Ellen.”

“I told you to not call me that.” She winced. I let out a tiny chuckle.

“Just kidding. Anyway… I want to know more about you.”

We traded words often. We talked about our worlds, our cultures, even our cuisine, but I never heard her tell me about her past. Her family, the village she was born in, and her life as a child. To be fair, I hadn’t told her about mine, either, but I’m open for trading stories of the past.

“... Why… do you want to know?”

“I think I can understand you more as a person if I knew.”

Elerina averted her eyes and let out a soft sigh.

“You don’t have to, if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s alright. I couldn’t keep hiding this.” She turned her eyes toward mine. Despite the darkness of her world, she was bright in mine, thanks to the apartment’s light affecting her image. But, for a fraction of a moment, I saw her in her world. The light of the stars and moon going through the hole on top of her, shining directly on her. The beauty of the scene made me let out a gasp.

“Hmm?” Elerina tilted her head.

“You look… beautiful.”

“Where did this come from?”

“Ah, no…”

That image… how did it… how did I see it? It was only for a split second. Long enough for me to notice the beauty of it, but not enough for me to study the picture. That brief sight was nothing like the camera input of the action camera. It was as if I was transported directly into her world.

“About my past, huh…” Elerina tapped her chin. “To tell you the truth…” She paused for a moment, then gazed back into my eyes. “I don’t really remember it.”