Episode 43 — The Afterglow of Sloth and a Hint of Unrest.
The morning after I had (supposedly) wrapped up the Felsen reforms.
I was buried in the sofa, staring blankly at my phone screen.
(…Still hasn't kicked in yet. Well, that makes sense.)
The "L-Points" figure in the top-right corner of Lumina Shopping remained unchanged from yesterday.
After all that work, I figured I’d see a massive payout by now… but I guess it only counts once the city actually starts moving.
Points are likely a system tied to "results."
“Mrrp. (Pondering something weird again, I see.)”
“What? It’s fine. It’s a normal human emotion to want a reward after putting in effort.”
“Prrr. (Effort…? Since when?)”
“…Hey, that meow was definitely a mockery.”
Tama climbed onto my lap, her tail swaying back and forth like a heavy pendulum.
I put my phone down and looked up at the ceiling.
(…Still, I wonder how things will go from here.)
The city of Felsen is currently transitioning from the "build phase" to the "operational phase."
Water, sewage, roads, schools, taxes, ID management…
My crude sketches and ideas are rapidly becoming a reality at their hands.
(If everything goes smoothly, the city will run itself. I can just stay on the sofa and drink cola.)
That’s the ideal.
But—
(…Bugs are inevitable.)
Once a system starts moving, bugs always pop up somewhere.
The water might have "pressure bugs." The Magic Plates might turn into a "sync error festival."
There might even be "merchants who can't do math" breaking the tax system.
And I’d really hate it if we had a "zero student attendance" bug at the school.
In my experience, the most trouble happens the exact moment a system goes live.
(…Well, I’ll just operate on the premise that things *will* break.)
If a problem occurs, I’ll think about it then.
That’s how I’ve lived my life so far, and I don't plan on changing now.
(Though… I might as well prepare what I can while I have the time.)
I sat halfway up and grabbed my phone.
I opened Lumina Shopping and tapped the "Japanese Products" category.
(…There it is. A latest-model high-end PC.)
The price—
[1,380,000L]
(…Cheap.)
This is the kind of "dream build" I would never have bought back in Japan.
But things are different now.
In a market where otherworld items cost millions or tens of millions, this feels like an absolute bargain.
(I’m planning to buy the "Throne of Sloth" once the points come in… but setting up my workstation before that isn't a bad idea.)
“And… click.”
[Purchase Complete: High-End PC (Made in Japan)]
(Good. Now everything—from watching videos to managing Felsen’s issues—will be perfectly smooth.)
I gave a light stretch and sank back into the sofa.
(Once the city starts moving, the points will roll in. Then I can buy the Throne of Sloth. …Heh, I can’t wait.)
Taking a sip of cola, I closed my eyes.
(Alright… I’ll just slack off until Felsen is fully operational.)
“Tama, I’m tired. I’m going to sleep for the day.”
“Mrow. (You literally just did some online shopping.)”
Near the front door, I heard the faint sound of something being placed. The "usual delivery sound" of the lightning-fast Lumina Shopping.
(…Oh, it’s here. That was fast…)
My consciousness drifted into a soft haze.
In the distance, I could faintly hear the sounds of Felsen’s construction echoing.
The sound of timber being moved, the heavy footsteps of golems, the shouts of the craftsmen…
It was all evidence that the city was taking shape, piece by piece.
(…Whatever. I’ll set up the PC tomorrow… and the city… it’ll probably just run itself eventually…)
Wrapped in the aftertaste of cola and Tama’s warmth,
I quietly drifted off to sleep.
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