Gate: Thus the Sorcerous Kingdom Fought There

CHAPTER 11: Just Relax! I'll take care of everything!

Because the bills had not been paid, the cell phone line had been cut.

So was the gas.

Phone calls kept coming in, demanding payment of the water bill. Things were getting worse.

Pension and health insurance payments? Yep, they were due.

However, without the computer everything would be over, so the power bill had to be paid, along with the Internet fiber charges. In exchange, there was no money to buy food.

Cereal and soya bean milk from the 99 yen store cost 208 yen for 2 meals (1 meal = 104 yen).

After that, the 99 yen store again once more yielded a bounty of vegetables and rice. This was dinner, which cost 208 yen.

Thank you, 99 yen store, our Japan is such a prosperous country.

Since yesterday, all three meals had been cereal and soya milk, a diet without any variation. However, this meant that the day's meals would only cost 312 yen, so no matter what, this discomfort had to be endured.

"I need to hang on until the winter doujin markets. Hang in there!" murmured the thin looking young woman.

The pen moved over the tablet. Ten more pages and it would be complete.

But more money would be needed to hold on until X-day. Debts had to be paid, bills had to be cleared, and the new year had to be celebrated. A warm meal would be nice.

"Although I can't do anything but endure this, for now, this'll kill me if this goes on. I only see cornflakes in my dreams now. 100 yen today is more useful than 10000 yen tomorrow. Why did I only realize this truth now~" murmured the brunette desperately.

The empty fridge had been unplugged for fear of running up the electricity bill further. All lights except the bare minimum had been switched off. Heating? What was that, could you eat it? Thicker clothes would have to do, coupled with the warmth from the computer's fan.

The LCD display of the computer's monitor was the only source of light in the house.

"Can someone lend me money~" She'd sent out the email, but all her friends from doujin circles were hardly better off than her. Everyone was rushing like mad to get their work done before the printer's deadline, and they were racking their brains on how to get money. As a result, all the replies she had received were cold rejections.

Her relationship with her parents was in a shambles, so turning to them for money was not an option. If this kept up, would she need to dumpster dive or sell her body?

As she thought about that, she looked at the reflection of herself in the window glass.

Her skin was rough and uncared for, while her hair was unkempt and dirty. Her glasses were as dirty as a milk bottle bottom, and she had panda eyes. Lit by the monitor, she looked like a walking corpse against the background of the dark room. Nobody would be interested in paying for her skinny limbs, her stringy muscles, and her flabby belly, even if she wanted to sell herself.

As she thought that, she sighed deeply.

"What kind of men would want to pay money to embrace a 29-year-old hag like this~."

An email from a friend appeared on her PC.

"Didn't you divorce Youji? That was you being stupid. However, bad things might have been, at least you would have been guaranteed clothes, food and a place to stay."

"Ah, it doesn't matter if I realize it now, I was just stupid back then. Argh, I fail as a human being~" she yelled out loud out of her frustration as she started to brush her uncared brown hair angrily.