Pulling my hood lower, I felt a cold sweat running down my back.

It seemed I got awful RNG... well, this wasn't a game, but my luck was indeed bad. In this capital that spanned over hundreds of kilometers... she just had to be near this area.

Fortunately, she looked a bit stunned.

Taking advantage of this moment, I snatched the white bracelet hanging from the gang leader's neck and quickly walked past the woman. The whole time, her fierce—almost glowing orange eyes followed me intently; her overwhelming majesty threatened to force me to the ground.

It was quite eerie.

If the gang leader had obediently worn this on his wrist rather than stuffing it between his shirts, I wouldn't have encountered her. But then again, this item wasn't exactly meant for constant usage.

Either way, my steps quickened.

I could hear her shouting something behind me, but I kept on walking. I was considering using Lucy to escape since I feared she would chase me, yet I didn't sense her behind me. I supposed she needed to prioritize the gang first.

''Whew...''

That was exhausting. My frail legs weren't meant for this, really. As I leaned on a nearby building to catch my breath, I remembered the bracelet in my hand and put it on my wrist. The thing promptly tightened a bit to fit, emitting a faint trace of mana.

It had a simple plastic-like design with a milky white color, which surprisingly suited me.

[Hey, you're hurt.]

''Hm?''

Oh, there was indeed a scratch on my shoulder underneath the clothes. I must have bumped into a sharp edge on the way here. As Lucy healed me, a thought occurred in my mind.

This ominous-looking sheep was actually a good one, no?

[Don't you need to hurry? There isn't much time.]

Lucy's reminder pulled me out of my daydream. The sun had indeed traveled a long way in the sky, and I didn't have time to waste. So, I began to move.

To survive in this world, there was something I needed the most—money.

Without money, I would not be able to obtain most of the OP items available, and without them, Lyra's strength would be insufficient to prevent the calamity.

Fortunately, it was now before the prologue.

This meant that I could invest in things that would inevitably blow up later... and get a ton of cash. Hopefully.

Look, I wasn't a financial or investment expert. I didn't study economics in college, so I didn't know if it would work like I wanted it to. I wish I had the internet here so I could at least get the basics down, but it couldn't be helped.

Still, I thought I could do something meaningful. There was, after all, a really easy target for me.

The setting of the original game was a mismatched mess, to say the least. The Libre Empire deeply resembled pre-modern Europe with some casual magic here and there, yet, for some reason, the writer thought it was a good idea to introduce modern cars and other electronics as well. Some of them did have magic integrated, but fundamentally, they were electronics.

And to top that, smartphones—or something similar to them—existed. Not now, but a bit later into the game. Because some parts of the plot required phones to be popular, they would be a sure hit in the game, as well as in this reality—was what I believed.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

I was going to take advantage of this.

Now, these devices were developed by a penniless, introverted, and shady-looking genius living somewhere in the capital. Of course, I knew where she lived.

Investing in this person was a widely known strategy to make easy money in the game. If not, one of the love interests, who was a successful businesswoman, would seize the whole thing, which wasn't the end of the world if the player chose her route.

While rambling in my head like that, it seemed I had arrived at my destination.

In front of me stood a rundown workshop, recognizable by its cracked windows, chipped door, and missing patches of cement.

''...''

[Are you sure this is the right place?]

''Don't doubt. Trust.''

Compared to the clean and proper buildings surrounding this one, it was laughable.

When I pushed the door, it creaked open with a screeching sound signature of horror movies, revealing a... mountain? Of trash.

Oh, excuse me, uber trash.

At least they weren't the kind that would stink. 'Scraps' was what they were called. Broken stationary phones, broken cameras, broken printers—were they all broken?

Beyond the piles of stuff, a head popped up.

''W-Welcome to my shop...''

The woman ruffled her dirty pink hair, making it messier than it already had been, then slightly hid behind the scraps as if scared.

Her name was Quasar. I'm not kidding. Quasar. Her parents were really ambitious, it seemed.

In any case, her demeanor reminded me of a rat—a cute one. I would love her as a character if not for the fact that she was the type who would shine brighter than a quasar once she had her makeup done properly. Even without makeup, her freckles already paired exceptionally well with her droopy blue eyes... and her face was pretty.

She was the enemy of every woman, basically.

''What do you even sell here?''

Out of spite, my question sounded a bit aggressive. However, Quasar didn't seem displeased.

''I-I can offer usable electronic... a-appliances at a cheap price.'' She explained, her attitude earnest. ''Could you tell me w-what you are looking for...?''

By the time I had walked up to her, she had shrunk so much that anyone would think I was threatening her.

Ignoring that, I casually picked up a detached screen sitting on the table.

''Ah, that...!''

''What were you working on?''

Quasar failed to answer my question immediately, yet after mere moments, she suddenly fired up.

''R-Recently, magical televisions have been popular among the w-wealthy people, so I thought, why not combine... that and other features like phoning and taking pictures into a single device...?''

''A device this small?''

''Y-Yes! I know it's possible!''

''Hm.''

''Ah... I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to ramble...''

''It's fine. Do you want help?''

''Huh? What do you m-mean?''

Making sure she could see my smile, I raised my index finger.

''I am an investor. I was searching for an interesting project from which I could potentially profit. And, well? Yours seems to be the one I was looking for.''

The moment I put the stack of money onto the table, Quasar's eyes shook. Her blue eyes, as clear as the ocean, darted between me and the cash.

''D-Do we have a contract...?''

''Sure. We can make one.''

Still, Quasar wasn't naive. She still approached the deal cautiously, but after I wrote down the contract and had her read through it, she almost immediately agreed right away.

The amount of money she would get was not small.

Here, a thousand Lib, the empire's currency, would be enough to cover an average family's monthly costs. I was giving her fifty thousand upfront and five thousand each month for promotional and equipment costs.

In exchange, I would get forty percent of her income when she eventually made it a business. It was a magical contract, which meant neither side could cheat, and it was an exclusive one as well.

Now, did this contract make sense? I had absolutely zero idea.

Fortunately, Quasar also had no idea... I think. Either way, it was like two idiots pretending to do business, but as long as the phones were out and money came to me, it was all good.

I wanted more than forty percent, but I thought without the other love interest's financial backing and vast connections, it would take more for Quasar to set up her business properly.

I was glad that the game glossed over the investing portion, but now, I was starting to regret it.

Either way, after Quasar signed the contract, a wave of mana enveloped us, and I could feel something latching onto my heart. Receiving the thick stack of money, Quasar burst into tears.

''T-Thank you! With this, I could finally complete my dream...!''

''No problem. Good luck with your work, Miss.''

''A-Ah, my name is Quasar! May I know yours...?''

''Hm... call me Rael.''

''Understood, Miss Rael!''

After talking a bit more, I exited the store.

Looking back through the cracked window, I could faintly see the silhouette of a pink-haired woman dancing wildly. If only she could be that active normally.

Either way, with this... I hoped she could shine above the stars.

Because she deserved it.