Episode 9
#9
Thirty minutes later, the survivors guided to the tables by Isina wore bewildered expressions. It was an expression that seemed to ask, just what kind of place was this?
“So, if we just pay points, you’ll provide us with food, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. You can pay over there to Lady Eria. Just pay the points and order whatever food you’d like.”
“Um… what kind of food do you sell, by any chance?”
“Any kind of food is possible.”
“Huh? Anything?”
At Isina’s words, the survivors made dumbfounded expressions.
To be honest, they had thought these so-called points were completely useless.
They had heard from the constellations they contracted with that they would be useful later, but did that mean right now?
“Um… I heard it’s possible to shower here as well?”
Honestly, the survivors wanted to shower before eating.
The water had been cut off for several days, so it had been a long time since they could shower.
At one survivor’s words, Isina smiled calmly, pointed to the shower booths, and opened her mouth.
“You can use the shower booths over there. The left side is for men, the right side is for women. Since the food will take some time to prepare, you’re welcome to shower first.”
“Ah, yes. Then we’ll do that.”
At those words, all the survivors sitting at the tables headed for the shower booths.
Upon entering the shower booths concealed by partitions, they found shower booths installed that looked like telephone booths.
“Just like the constellations said, this place really is like a rest area.”
“It’s such a relief to finally wash up after so long.”
Everyone showed faint smiles and entered the installed shower booths.
Soon, flustered voices came from inside.
“Huh, what? Hot water is coming out?”
“Wow… just what kind of principle is this?”
Just being able to wash was a blessing, but for hot water to come out as well…
Only then did they relax and burst into smiles.
They enjoyed their showers as if being rewarded for all their hardships until now.
They realized that this rest area was truly, literally, a haven for those who had suffered and felled demonic beasts.
* * *
“Everyone! Please line up without pushing!”
“Those who wish to shower, please come this way! You can pay the robot right next to here! It’s 1,000 points!”
While Isina and Hayun were busy guiding people, I purchased additional tables and shower booths, then bought one high-grade protective barrier as well.
Because Alt, who was keeping watch over the demonic beasts nearby, would soon cease functioning, I couldn’t leave it guarding the perimeter forever.
Fortunately, the high-grade protective barrier was large enough to accommodate everyone gathered here. Roughly the size of a school playground?
However, if there was a problem.
‘They keep coming endlessly.’
I could accept everyone who had come for now, but the problem was that people kept coming after them. Just how were they getting here?
Even with skills, it should be difficult to wander around outside recklessly…
However, that question was quickly resolved.
“Hey, hey. Look over there, over there. That robot, isn’t that the one?”
“That’s right. The robot that swept away all the nearby monsters.”
I could tell from overhearing a conversation among some guests.
‘Ah… it seems thanks to Alt.’
Thinking about it, since Alt had been hunting day and night without rest, it was only natural that the demonic beasts near the cafe decreased and the area became safer.
Thanks to that, the people residing nearby had confirmed it was safe and were able to come outside.
In any case, it was undoubtedly a beneficial situation.
Since the shop was enjoying a booming business from its very first day.
After purchasing one more high-grade makeshift barrier, I gave Alt an order.
“Alt. Install this right next to the cafe.”
[Yes, understood.]
In the end, the situation developed to the point of opening a second restaurant branch in just a few hours.
For now, I left guiding the guests to Isina and decided to focus on the food.
It took some time, but when I purchased items earlier, I also bought additional Tias.
About four units?
With so many people gathered there, the lone Tia wouldn’t be able to handle it.
[Beep!]
[Boop!]
[Bee-boop!]
[Beek!]
The freshly manufactured Tias came to the control room and began saluting me.
I gave those Tias an order.
“You guys go straight to the restaurant. Noah will relay the orders received, so bring the prepared dishes starting from the first ones.”
[[[Beep!]]]
The Tias that heard my order immediately headed to the restaurant.
Of course, I couldn’t just sit still either, so I was helping move the food.
Since Noah would handle the ordering and teleportation of the food anyway.
I was only human, so I couldn’t memorize each and every order from that many people.
As expected of an artificial intelligence, Noah remembered the ordered food and the person who ordered it without a single mistake, sending it directly to their table.
But that wasn’t all.
“You don’t see anyone contracted with an Evil God, right?”
[No, I do not see any yet.]
Within its detection range, Noah was omniscient.
It was checking each person’s face and status window even as it took their orders. Thanks to that, I could easily determine whether there was anyone contracted with an Evil God.
I smirked and asked Noah.
“Noah, how many points have we gathered so far?”
I asked Noah with a slightly expectant expression.
With so many people gathered there, quite a lot of points must have been gathered, right?
[1,534,250 points have been gathered.]
“Really?”
For a moment, I repeated the points with a blank face.
1.5 million….
It hadn’t even been an hour since the shop opened, yet I had already achieved the target amount.
A number I had thought was distant had been gathered in just a few hours.
On top of that.
‘They keep coming endlessly…?’
Guests were still continuously arriving.
This meant that 1.5 million points wasn’t the end.
* * *
Time passed, and around 6 p.m.
Just when the guests finally stopped coming and I thought things might ease up a little, the incident I had been worried about occurred.
“What? Points! What? You earn them by killing monsters outside? Are you telling me to go die right now or what!”
“Well, that’s…”
“No, young lady, why are you so inflexible? Would it hurt to help each other out in these difficult times? And as you can see, we’re empty-handed. How do you expect us to beat those monsters with these bodies? Please, let’s help each other survive in times like this.”
A middle-aged man and woman who arrived late, along with numerous others, had flocked together and confronted Isina. Well, I had expected something like this to happen.
Since so many people had gathered and given the times, there were bound to be people who would argue like that.
[The Constellation ‘Pure Spirit of Fire’ asks who summoned those humans.]
[The Constellation ‘Ruler of the Solitary Tower’ clicks its tongue, calling them fools.]
“Wh-what is this? A constellation?”
“What is this?”
However, from their reactions, I could tell they hadn’t been brought here by the constellations.
If so, did they see people gathering from somewhere nearby where they lived and follow them out?
Seeing the gathered people eating, they must have thought some kind of disaster relief had arrived.
I could understand their feelings, but there was no reason to go out of my way to accommodate them.
I had no intention of volunteering, much less becoming a savior.
If they were thinking of eating for free, I had no choice but to kick them out.
Looking at them, they didn’t even look like they had starved for a few days.
I tried to order Eria to expel them.
It was then.
Isina’s expression hardened coldly.
‘Ah, she must be angry….’
I knew that expression.
It was an expression she only made when she was angry.
Though she appeared timid on the outside, she rarely got angry and made that expression when dealing with unreasonable people.
Isina opened her mouth with a coldly hardened expression.
“First, please calm down.”
“No, calm down or not, we have to survive too, don’t we? Huh? But what, we have to catch monsters to earn points to eat? What kind of nonsense is that!”
At the woman’s words, Isina’s face hardened as she continued speaking.
“I know it’s a difficult time. I understand as well. But this place was not opened for disaster relief. If you have no intention of paying points, please leave.”
“No, you’re telling us to go back out onto those dangerous streets?”
“As I just said, this place was not opened for disaster relief. It is a shop opened by Sir to help those who have worked hard to defeat monsters.”
I felt a slight pang of conscience at Isina’s words.
Since I hadn’t opened it with such intentions in mind.
“The people currently eating are those who risked their lives to gather points. And they are receiving their reward here right now.”
Well, anyway, as Isina said, the survivors must have been more than satisfied.
The quality of the meal was one thing, but they had received compensation by paying points that were currently useless. Until the Sacred Fire War began, they probably wouldn’t know the value of points.
Of course, the constellations might have stopped them since they knew, but perhaps because I hadn’t taken that many points, they didn’t say much to their contractors.
At most, I had taken about 1,500 points per person.
Isina continued speaking calmly and deliberately in a composed tone.
“This is a shop opened by Sir. There is no reason for us to take responsibility for your basic rights or human rights. If you continue behaving this way, we will ban you from entering the shop.”
At those words, the people flinched, their bodies trembling.
Those who saw Isina’s expression felt her resolve that she would not compromise in the slightest.
In the end, it was the group of people who raised the white flag.
At Isina’s firm words, they hung their heads and returned to their original places.
Isina spoke to those people.
“And the shop’s business hours are over for today. Please return home and visit again next time.”
“Huh?”
“But the monsters outside-.”
“At least the way back will be safe. Didn’t you come here without much harm on the way? It’s all thanks to Sir cleaning up the monsters.”
As she said, the way back would be somewhat safe.
They looked like people who had lived in apartments near the cafe, and Alt had almost completely cleared out the demonic beasts near the cafe anyway.
In any case, to help Isina a little, I gave an order to Eria.
Soon, Eria, who had been standing nearby, approached the group of survivors.
Eria exuded an intimidating momentum simply by approaching, so in the end, the remaining survivors had no choice but to walk out of the barrier on their own two feet.
After the situation was sorted out like that.
“Ha….”
Isina let out a sigh.
Her bitter expression held many thoughts.
She probably knew that she wasn’t so different from them.
She had been luckily chosen to help with the shop’s work, but the fact that she hadn’t felled any demonic beasts was not so different from them.
If this shop had been opened by her instead of me, she would have surely helped them. I spoke to Isina.
[■■■ says you have worked hard.]
[■■■ says you must never compromise with people like that.]
[■■■ says if you give in to their demands, they will demand endlessly.]
At my words, Isina slowly nodded.
She probably spoke so firmly because she already knew that.
There were many people who would demand endlessly if you gave in to them during times like this.
This place had to remain a shop, not a disaster relief center.
I opened my mouth toward Isina.
[■■■ says to use the banishment function if you feel it isn’t working.]
“Ah, that.”
At those words, Isina smiled awkwardly and scratched her cheek.
Indeed, given Isina’s personality, she didn’t seem like the type to banish people resolutely.
In any case, it seemed the situation was resolved.
I told Isina and Hayun to gather in the cafe.
I opened my mouth to them.
[■■■ says it is wages.]
“Huh?”
“Wages?”
Ding-.
[The target before you has requested a point transaction.]
[Will you accept? (YES/NO)]
“Uh… yes.”
“Yes!”
Isina and Hayun accepted the trade, and soon points entered their possession.
[The transaction is complete.]
[300,000 points have been traded.]
[300,000 points have been traded.]
Soon, their eyes widened at the incoming points.
Of course, they were surprised, but it wasn’t a joyful reaction.
They still didn’t know the value of points.
I spoke to them.
[■■■ says to hold onto them.]
[■■■ says they will be of great help later.]
“Ah, thank you, Sir.”
“Thank you!”
The two bowed their heads deeply and expressed their gratitude.
At that sight, I let out a chuckle and this time gave them a real reward.
Swoosh-.
A brilliant white light descended upon the tables inside the cafe, and a sumptuous feast was teleported in.
Starting with somewhat expensive, high-priced dishes, various foods were teleported onto the cafe’s tables.
At that sight, the two’s eyes began to shine.
This was probably what they had wanted.
“Wow!”
“Sir! Thank you so much!”
They smiled brightly and finally began to rejoice.
Well, the ones who had worked the hardest today were these two.
I had only sat still giving orders once the shop stabilized, but they had gone through all sorts of hardships guiding people.
Now then, while they were eating.
[3,173,200 points have been gathered.]
3,173,200 points….
It was truly a staggering figure.
I hadn’t expected to earn points amounting to twice the target amount.
I ended the detection function and rose from my seat.
There was no need to hesitate.
It was time to strengthen my stats.