Entering a Company From Another World! – Chapter 41

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Jiro Tanaka, age 28, single.
Girlfriend: Suella Handelberg
Memoria Tris
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (full-time employee) + Recruiter
Magic Aptitude: 8 (General Class)
Position: Warrior

The room inside was a standard reception room, with a table belonging to Bastet and a sofa in front of it.

“Please wait a moment, I’ll read this right away. Have a seat on the sofa.”

Damn it, don’t stage something scene, you give me goosebumps with every little thing you do.
Following instructions, the three of us sit in a horizontal line. In case of trouble, I sit on one end to secure an escape route, placing Kitamiya in the middle and Minami on the opposite side. Minami, perhaps still in shock, seems to collapse onto the sofa rather than sit, but I figure she’ll recover soon enough.

“Hmm hmm, oh, so that’s how it is. I understand the situation.”
“What is it?”
“Impatient, aren’t you? If you’re not more patient, you won’t get the man you like.”
“…Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Kitamiya, you’re amazing for putting up with that. I clearly saw the veins in your forehead bulge, but you held back well. The way this person acts like an older sister while staging a scene is less irritating and more chilling. You endured it well, facing such a person.

“Kaila and the others will be here soon to hear. Well, I think it can be done.”
“Really!?”
“Yes. I’m an Incubus. Leave romantic problems to me!”

I want to yell “Lies!” but I’ll let it go for now. It seems our story can be heard. Frankly, since this matter is entirely personal, I was prepared to be dismissed with a single “Just endure it.” After all, to summarize what we’re arguing for: “We’ve broken up and it’s too painful to be together, so we can’t work. Therefore, please change departments.” Ah, I know I’m the one saying it, but if someone told me this, I’d call them an idiot and tell them to work seriously, ending the conversation on the spot. I’m helping with this because I know Kitamiya’s current situation and can understand her feelings to a certain extent, but from a working adult’s perspective, this isn’t something to complain about so loudly. This person, who is trying to address such a matter with all her might, might be a pervert in appearance but she’s someone who understands. A pervert, though.

“So? Specifically? Surely you’re not saying that if you tell them to acknowledge this because Kitamiya is suffering, it will all work out?”
“Well, if it ended there, my department wouldn’t be needed, would it?”

It’s important, so I’ll repeat it. Twice, no, this is the third time. I repeat the word “pervert” in my mind, and without showing it, nod as if agreeing. If it were that easy, this situation wouldn’t have arisen. Then, how will it be done? If you’re going this far, it’s a serious matter.

“Don’t worry, I’ll discuss it thoroughly with Kaila on the bed.”
“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”
“It’s a sword-catching technique!”

It wasn’t. I drew my sword with all my might, and though I instinctively swung the mop that was nearby, I don’t regret it. Frankly, I don’t quite understand what drove the supervisor to place this person in this position.

“Oh, you’re good. You made me break into a cold sweat.”
“I wish you had been cut down.”

Even now, I channel magic into the mop to increase its strength and continue to exert force while reinforcing my body. Incubi are apparently not very strong in combat. This oddball? Pervert? in front of me seems to be no exception. Those in positions of authority usually have above-average abilities, but this one is evenly matched with me.

“Be serious.”
“Jeez, it’s not a joke. Being impatient makes girls dislike you.”
“Unfortunately, I separate public and private life.”

Still, not being able to push her back is proof that she’s stronger than me.

“Being too serious is also a problem, you know?”

I feel like I just heard the sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath with the mop.

“I’ll be serious. Right now, Incubi are frail.”
“With those muscles, what are you talking about? More importantly—”
“Yes, about that method, improving work efficiency within the company is also my job. If we can clearly indicate areas of poor work efficiency, personnel changes can be made.”
“…In other words, you’re going to replace the reason for the personnel transfer request with another reason?”
“Yes. Kaila has a bit of pride, but if you’re reasonable, she’ll understand. Though she’ll resent you for it.”
“You ruined it with that last sentence.”

This pervert’s explanation is convincing. In reality, when working, pretense is important. For example, submitting a petition stating “to shorten work hours and increase efficiency” is more likely to be accepted than a plea of “I want to make my work easier.” This time, she’s saying that if it’s explained as having a fatal flaw in terms of work efficiency, rather than being due to a former boyfriend, it will be accepted. Fortunately, that idea is also something I had, and I incorporated it, though not fully, when revising Kitamiya’s petition.

“It’s fine. In the first place, you humans are scarier. You plot behind the scenes, smile and try to be friends, and then stab people in the back. It’s better to just say it from the start.”
“Is that so?”
“I think so?”
“Jeez! We don’t have time, so hurry up and proceed!”
“Oho, don’t rush, don’t rush. Just leave everything to me, and all problems will be solved.”

I wonder about that. She seems to be taking it seriously, but her condescending tone constantly interrupts the conversation, making me distrust her. What she’s saying is reasonable, and her logic is sound. But I feel something that prevents me from fully trusting her, making me unable to be completely serious either. This Incubus named Bastet is merely an observer; the real battle for us begins when the other party arrives.

“Oh my, I smell a handsome man.”
“They’re here.”

While Kitamiya is actively, or rather, completely ignoring appearances, deciding on the plan, Bastet suddenly makes a gesture as if sniffing the air. And from the words she utters, it seems the other party has arrived. Kaila Nostalfer, a Dragonkin woman, frowns slightly as she looks at the door, followed by Himusumi Toru, a man who looks anxious but still handsome. And Himusumi’s expression the moment he saw us was a sight to behold. Ah, the effort he put into desperately trying to compose his face was immense. Though he failed to compose it.

“We’ll finish this quickly. I don’t want to be here for even a second.”
“Oh, you’re bold. Have you forgotten I’m your superior?”
“Ack, why is this man promoted faster than me? Suella is also promoted unfairly.”

It’s probably because of that personality, I think as I glance sideways at her as she strides towards us. The way she gracefully sits on the opposite sofa is probably due to her good upbringing. There’s elegance in her movements. Himusumi, realizing immediately that Bastet is a dangerous presence to him, sits next to her while maintaining a distance.

“That’s probably why, isn’t it? Believe it or not, I work diligently and don’t look down on people.”
I want to tell her to mind her appearance a bit more, but this isn’t the place to interject. Nostalfer-san silently hands over the documents. Bastet receives them with a grumble. They both understand their respective roles and move without wasted motion. The pervert reads through the documents with speed that surpasses her previous pace.

“Now, I will facilitate this as the representative of the labor union. Is that understood?”
“Yes.”
“Please proceed.”
To ensure fairness, Bastet, after finishing the documents, moves the conversation forward. Kitamiya nods earnestly, while Nostalfer-san nods insolently.

“I’ve read both of your opinions. First, regarding Kaila’s opinion, there are three demands: One, the immediate return of Karen Kitamiya to our party; two, disciplinary action against Jiro Tanaka’s party for unauthorized actions with party members; and three, a request for the transfer of some members of the same party to eliminate work efficiency disparities caused by increased combat power.”
“Wh-What did you say!?”

Oh, I didn’t expect the attack to be directed at us too. And, nice one, Minami. She stopped Kitamiya from shouting by stepping on her foot. The fact that she still tried to act conveyed that to the other side.

“Of course. For several weeks, the work efficiency of the party I manage has significantly decreased since she left. This is equivalent to obstructing not only their work but also the company’s operations. And it was done without permission. If you had obtained permission, it would be one thing, but it was done without it. You are Tanaka Jiro, correct? Rules are meant to be followed, so isn’t punishment natural when you understand and break them? Furthermore, if combat power is concentrated in one place, there will be issues if something happens. Risks must be reduced.”

They made the first move. The claim is that we are obstructing work without permission, causing damage, and that the cause is my forced recruitment. In fact, at the time, although it was an emergency, I recruited Kitamiya as a temporary party member to supplement our firepower. Temporary is strictly temporary. It’s a system implemented to deal with situations where a party is disbanded or members are unable to work due to injury or illness. Similar wording is included in the company rules. I’ll put the first point aside for now; the second point shouldn’t be a problem.

“There are exceptions to the second point. If there’s a notification and an extension request from the person concerned, there’s no problem. That document was properly submitted to and accepted by the HR department.”
I’ve looked into that. It’s common sense as a working adult to investigate to prevent problems. Slacking on procedures that would put you at a disadvantage is nonsensical. Well, this kind of exchange is like throwing jabs in boxing to probe each other. Block where you need to block, and minimize damage. The problem lies with the first and third points. We intended the first point to be our main battlefield, but we were presented with a new battlefield, the third demand. The first battle can be left to Kitamiya and Minami, but I’ll have to step in for the third. They probably see the second point as expendable, anyway. My proper application is either something they investigated or anticipated, as there’s no reaction. They are sipping the tea Bastet elegantly poured. Now, this side is also becoming difficult to maneuver. They are also prioritizing appearances. They explain the risks of concentrating combat power and try to make us understand and accept their demands. Well, given that we are effectively trying to poach their combat power, or rather, are already doing so, it’s understandable that they would make such demands. I have no intention of accepting them. Furthermore, if we can reject the third demand, coupled with the second point, we can gain momentum and create a flow to have our demands accepted. Well, time to buckle down.

“Next, Kitamiya-chan’s request. This one is simple: detachment from Himusumi Toru’s party and transfer to Jiro Tanaka’s party.”
“This is unthinkable.”
“I wonder about that.”
“…Could you refrain from suddenly intervening when it concerns someone else?”

Wow, scary. Dragonkin are demi-humans of the dragon lineage. Their gaze is indeed remarkable. Well,

“Unfortunately, I just became one of them myself a moment ago. I was only planning to offer advice, but if it’s about my party members being poached, I will have a say.”
Compared to Instructor Kio or Instructor Fushio, I can still put on a brave face.

“In the first place, including Himusumi here, other party leaders have relinquished their recruitment authority. Then, when personnel are needed, they request personnel from those who have the authority and can provide support. That itself is not wrong. But, it’s not reasonable. Don’t you agree? By the way, did you communicate this to the supervisor?”
“I filed a request, but it was rejected. They said that the selection process for the second batch of trainees had already begun and recruitment authority would not be granted. They also said your authority would expire soon. However, it all started with you poaching her, didn’t it? It’s causing problems with his party’s operations. Therefore, don’t you have an obligation to compensate for that delay, as you are the cause? Let us hear your excuses regarding that.”

In conversations like these, the only way is to minimize your own damage while questioning the other party’s flaws and crushing their will. It’s truly a battle of words. If you hold back, you’ll lose. The other party is in a superior position, but I can’t back down here. Formally, I use polite language, but otherwise, I will fight aggressively.

“It was an emergency situation at the time. Furthermore, it was a situation where having more combat power was beneficial, and that’s when I encountered Himusumi’s party, which was on the verge of splitting up. If I may say so, from my position as a third party, Himusumi’s party at the time was completely dysfunctional. It was difficult to even act together. Therefore, I requested Kitamiya’s assistance to break the deadlock. I could not make the decision to do nothing in an emergency situation for the company at that time.”
“However, shouldn’t Toru have acted together as well? Wasn’t there any need for him to take such a careless action as to specifically poach her and disrupt the situation?”
“Unfortunately, he and I probably couldn’t have formed a united front. He himself probably wouldn’t have decided to act with me. So, I approached her, who seemed capable of acting together at that moment.”

Frankly, if Kitamiya had refused at that time, I wouldn’t have added her to our party. And if asked if I would have added Himusumi, I would definitely answer NO, then and now. Therefore, I reply that Nostalfer-san’s opinion is unreasonable. In the first place. It’s rare for someone to accept an offer of cooperation from an opponent they’ve looked down on repeatedly, or vice versa. You’ve dug your own grave. While your expression hasn’t changed, the look in your eyes has. You chose the wrong approach. If you wanted to poach party members from us, you should have done so based on regulations, not on past events.

“In fact, I have never directly asked him to provide personnel or scout personnel for me. Yet, at this critical juncture, asking me to transfer personnel who are being cultivated and are becoming effective, while ignoring my own work efficiency, is unreasonable. It’s the same regarding Kitamiya. Initially, she was a temporary party member, and once she left Himusumi’s party, there should have been some word from Himusumi to me. Yes, specifically about work, Himusumi himself should have said something to me, but he said nothing.”
“I sent a notice, didn’t I?”
“That was regarding Kitamiya’s transfer, wasn’t it? It doesn’t connect to a transfer from my party. What I’m pointing out as a problem is that the issue of combat power was raised too late. At that time, he said there were no problems with the current combat power and relinquished his recruitment rights. He said three members were fine. So why didn’t he act when the number of members decreased?”
“Th-That’s…”
“I wasn’t told anything, given no instructions, and saw no signs. In fact, we’ve been looked down upon by other parties. Yet, I’m not so foolish as to blindly agree when I’m conveniently asked to provide personnel.”
“…”

Yes, I won. I pushed and pushed with sheer force, but in the end, the atmosphere feels like a victory.

“He’s right. Regarding Kaila’s second and third demands, the company cannot accept them based on their performance.”
Seeing that she had fallen silent, Bastet intervened. Then, she spread out the documents on the table in front of her.

“This is their performance record. Of course, before Kitamiya joined. The ranking system implemented by the Demon Lord has become defunct due to many people quitting, but the data still exists. And your party’s performance, look here. It has sharply declined after a certain period.”
The line graph shows the work performance of Jiro and Himusumi, the floors conquered, the number of monsters defeated, and the loot and reports, which are comprehensively judged numerical values. While Jiro’s party shows a gentle upward trend, Himusumi’s party, which was once superior to theirs, declined significantly at a certain point, the moment they challenged the dungeon we produced, and began to fall from there.

“It’s not just that. Compared to other parties, they have achieved results. I cannot approve a request to dismantle such a party with the superiors.”
For now, the preliminary battle has been decided. After glaring at us with obvious disdain, perhaps realizing it was just a preliminary match, she pushed back a strand of hair behind her ear and said, “Very well,” without changing her demeanor, conceding. Well, my shoulders are stiff, but the stage is set. Your turn next.

Jiro Tanaka, age 28, single.
Girlfriend: Suella Handelberg
Memoria Tris
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (full-time employee) + Recruiter (expiring soon)
Magic Aptitude: 8 (General Class)
Position: Warrior

Quote of the day: To express an opinion, performance is necessary. When anyone realizes their actions are a detriment, there’s nothing they can do but remain silent!!

The preliminary round has ended. I was thinking of causing a bit more commotion to bring Kitamiya in, but it turned out like this. Now, the key is to extinguish the sparks and bring about peace. Please continue to support “Corporate Expansion into Another World!? A Rise to Power Record After a Job Change!”