Noni told Lumi everything that had happened inside the Hollow, including exactly how Cael had helped her.
Lumi was stunned.
Someone with absolutely no combat ability had willingly risked his own life to save another person?
He’d thrown a brick at a Tyrfing and somehow made it out alive?
She could hardly imagine doing something like that herself.
Even as a Public Security officer, if she encountered a Tyrfing without a weapon, her only option would be to run.
“I didn’t expect you to be such a kind and courageous person, Mr.
Veyne!”
“Ahem…
I just got lucky.
I didn’t really think about it at the time.
I just acted.
If I hadn’t run into Hoshimi Miyabi afterward, the Tyrfing probably would’ve killed me.”
Cael looked a little embarrassed.
“Cael, thank you for saving my daughter and me.
I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”
That sounded awfully familiar.
Was the next line supposed to be, “Then I’ll just have to marry you”?
Cael couldn’t help thinking it, but fortunately, Noni said nothing of the sort.
As she thanked him, Noni pulled more than a dozen bills from her pocket.
“I’m very sorry.
Because of the Hollow incident, this is all the cash I have on me.
Please accept it.”
Cael looked them over.
There were 100-Denny bills, 1,000-Denny bills, and several worth 10,000 each.
Altogether, Noni was giving him a little over 70,000 Dennies.
Judging by New Eridu’s purchasing power, 70,000 Dennies was roughly equivalent to seven hundred in the currency Cael was used to.
With that in mind, he accepted the money without feeling too guilty.
Seventy thousand Dennies wasn’t an enormous sum, and refusing it might only make Noni feel uncomfortable.
More importantly, he’d just arrived in this world without a single coin to his name.
He genuinely needed money for food and a place to stay.
Collect scrap and dig through garbage?
Forget it.
In a place like this, there probably wouldn’t even be anything left for him to pick up.
“Ahem.”
Lumi cleared her throat softly.
“You can continue this conversation later.
Mr.
Veyne, I’ve finished registering your information.
In a little while, you can take one of the police vehicles back to the station and apply for your New Eridu citizen ID.”
“All right.”
Cael nodded.
After Lumi finished recording his information, more people were brought out of the Hollow by the rescue teams, and the petite officer quickly became busy again.
The police vehicles wouldn’t be leaving for a while, so Cael naturally spent the waiting time talking with Noni.
From her, he learned that they were currently near Fifty-Sixth Street in the Janus Quarter.
“Mr.
Veyne, I happened to overhear your conversation with Officer Lumi earlier.
You said you came from the Outer Ring because you wanted to find work in the city?”
Noni seemed to be considering something as she asked.
“…More or less.”
Cael answered.
Some of what he’d said earlier had been fabricated, but now that his first crisis in this world had been resolved, he really did need to think about practical matters.
Before he could properly understand how this world differed from the game, he still needed food and somewhere to sleep.
As an ordinary person, finding a job was unavoidable.
Rely on Miyabi to support him?
He’d like to.
But reality didn’t work that way.
At the end of the day, they’d only met by chance.
They barely knew each other.
He couldn’t treat what he knew from a game as though it defined their relationship in reality.
Right now, Miyabi was an Executive Officer of the municipal government.
In terms of status, she was far beyond his reach.
In terms of strength, he might as well have been some random guy off the street.
Simply getting to witness Miyabi fight in person was already something countless people could only dream of.
As for anything beyond that…
Cael knew his limits.
Noni remained silent for several seconds before speaking again.
“I have a friend who works for a small company in the city.
According to him, if you want to work in the urban districts, you’ll need somewhere stable to live first.
“But housing in the city is expensive.
Even the cheapest rentals start at around 500,000 Dennies a month, and that might only get you a room a few square meters in size.
If you want somewhere reasonably comfortable, you’re probably looking at a million Dennies a month or more…”
“A million Dennies?!”
The number startled Cael.
He quickly collected himself and asked, “Do you have any recommendations, Miss Noni?”
Noni thought for a moment.
“You’ve only just arrived from the Outer Ring, so you don’t know the city very well yet.
I’d recommend starting with part-time work.
“When I passed through Sixth Street before, I think I saw a video store hiring employees.
They provide accommodation but not meals, and the monthly salary is 150,000 Dennies.
Maybe you could go take a look?”
Sixth Street?
A video store?
Wait.
Wasn’t that where the Proxy siblings lived?
That was actually perfect.
Sixth Street was convenient for pretty much everything—food, clothing, housing, transportation—and plenty of Agents came through the area regularly.
And later on, there would even be that trio at 404 working as underground idols.
The thought that he might get to see Agents from the game with his own eyes filled Cael with hope for his future life.
It would’ve been even better if this world didn’t have Ethereals with Aberration Traits…
Cael thanked Noni, and the two continued chatting casually for a while.
By the afternoon, Public Security had nearly finished investigating and registering everyone affected by the Hollow incident.
Noni and Noa had already left about two hours earlier.
“Mr.
Veyne, come with me.
I’ll take you back to the Public Security station in the city so you can get your citizen ID.”
Lumi approached Cael as she spoke.
He was standing there looking toward the distant Hollow and only came back to his senses when he heard her voice.
A trace of disappointment flickered through his eyes.
Too bad.
He hadn’t gotten to see Miyabi again.
She really must be busy.
Cael sat in the front passenger seat of a police car.
Lumi might have looked small and delicate, but her driving skills were excellent.
The scenery on both sides of the road rapidly swept past them.
Along the way, Cael spotted an enormous Hollow to the northwest.
It towered into the clouds, its peak completely out of sight.
Its massive form blotted out the sky like a black sun.
Even from such a great distance, the oppressive presence it gave off was almost terrifying.
Seeing it in reality was far more overwhelming than anything the game had ever conveyed.
“Is that…
Hollow Zero?”
Lumi glanced toward it briefly before returning her attention to the road.
“Yes.
That’s Hollow Zero.
You probably couldn’t see it from the Outer Ring.
“Seven years ago, Hollow Zero erupted and expanded rapidly, causing the fall of the Old Capital.
Later, fourteen Shiyu Pillars had to be detonated just to barely stop the Hollow from expanding any farther…
“I was only nine at the time.
I fled with my mom and dad.
We were lucky enough to survive in the end, but my father…”
Lumi’s hands tightened slightly around the steering wheel.
There was no need for her to finish the sentence.
“Sorry.
I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories.”
“It’s fine.”
“Come to think of it, you’re only sixteen this year?
And you’re already capable of working independently as a Public Security officer?
That’s impressive.”
The tips of Lumi’s ears turned slightly red.
“Sixteen is already an adult.
And I’ve been working at Public Security for two years…
I just only became a full officer recently…”
“Wow, that’s even more impressive!”
Cael didn’t hold back his praise.
Compliments were free, after all.
Maybe he could even earn a few points with the little mouse Thiren.
If he ever ran into trouble later, having Officer Lumi willing to cut him some slack certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Lumi’s ears turned even redder.
The car made its way safely to Lumina Square.
Lumi smoothly pulled into the Public Security parking lot, then got out with Cael and led him inside.
Cael had to admit he was a little nervous.
Across two lives, this was his first time ever walking into a police station.
Getting his citizen ID was much faster than he’d expected.
They took an ID photo, had him fill out some forms, and entered his information into the system.
He’d expected the documents to take two or three days.
Instead, everything was finished in half an hour.
He couldn’t complain about their efficiency.
It really helps the fic grow!