Sorry I’m late (sweat).
I’m posting, albeit late.
Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, has a girlfriend.
Girlfriend: Suella Henderberg
Memoria Tris
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time employee)
Magic Aptitude: 8 (General Class)
Position: Warrior
“Good morning!”
“Yeah, good morning.”
“Senpai, you’re early.”
“Well, the supervisor told me directly to submit a report. She said to rest after the work is done…”
“Ugh, the supervisor is tough too.”
The morning after I safely returned to Japan, the first thing I did was not to indulge in sleep or have a peaceful time with Suella, but to face my PC and create a report.
This business trip was like a nightmare, the complete opposite of what I imagined before leaving, so I wanted to forget about it as soon as possible, but it seems that won’t be the case.
It’s the sad reality of a salaryman that you have to report the content afterward.
Having been ordered to finish the report before I forget, my corporate slave mentality makes my body naturally turn towards the PC.
As a result, I was acting as a model corporate warrior, working even after returning home.
…Though it did put Suella in a bad mood.
You can imagine that her resigned expression, as she forced a bitter smile, pierced my heart like a sharp knife.
While typing the report, Supervisor Evia, who had ordered me to write it, seemed to be genuinely enjoying watching how I would try to appease her.
Discouraged by the supervisor’s mischief, I desperately racked my brain with my tired body and promised Suella, who was sulking, that I would finish my work by the next day.
Furthermore, I managed to improve her mood by dedicating the accumulated days off during the business trip to dates.
As a ripple effect, I ended up having dates with Memoria too, but I decided to consider it an opportunity to show my prowess as a man who is publicly two-timing.
At this very moment, I might have been most grateful for the power of the magic crest.
Because, in order to keep my word, I could wake up early and run my fingers over the keyboard of the PC, which I haven’t touched in a while, in the Party Room.
I realized how wonderful it is to have a body that can recover its energy just by sleeping for one night, like I could in my early twenties.
By the way, while I’m exchanging morning greetings with Kaido normally like this, I’ve already informed the Party Members, including him, that I returned yesterday.
Their reactions at the time were as expected for each of them. I’ll just say they were relieved I was back.
“Welcome back, what about souvenirs?”
“Hmph!”
“Ugyaaaa!?”
I’m not wrong for unleashing a full-powered Sobat on Kaido and Minami, who were casually asking for souvenirs without a care in the world.
I responded kindly to Katsu and Kitamiya, who told me “Welcome back.”
“Nnn~?”
“What, Kaido?”
“Well, I didn’t ask for the details yesterday, did I?”
“You mean Isal?”
“That’s right.”
For me, who is used to writing dozens, if not hundreds, of reports, creating it itself is not particularly difficult.
The outer framework is already complete.
What takes time is the process of scrutinizing it from here and refining it into a presentable product.
I managed a bitter smile at Kaido, who tried to peek in at this stage.
“Unfortunately, there wasn’t much that you would enjoy. I didn’t have many opportunities to experience things that felt like fantasy.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, if I had to pick one, it would be the red coffee.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s a drink I had at what seemed like a cafe over there. It wasn’t black like this one.”
Recalling it, it was a strange drink, so I pulled the cup of instant coffee on the table towards me.
As I took a sip, a cheap, familiar taste spread in my mouth.
Since today is a weekday, I can’t drink the coffee Katsu made, but I’m used to this one, so I have no complaints.
Coffee really should be black.
“Wasn’t that there!? You know, like, beast ears?”
“You have those within the company.”
“Elves and stuff!”
“Suella is one, isn’t she? Although she has ‘Dark’ in her name.”
“And magic!!”
“You can use it too, right?”
“Is that so!?”
As if unaware of my feelings, he wants souvenir stories, but I don’t have much to tell.
When you think about it calmly, fantasy has become quite common.
Regarding the fantasy brothels Kaido might mention, well, they exist in the underground mall if you go there.
Thinking back, maybe there wasn’t anything particularly unusual in that world.
Perhaps this company intentionally prepared facilities that would bring you closer to such an environment.
The dungeon itself, which is the purpose of this company, could be considered a staple of fantasy.
When you’re in such an environment, the souvenir stories Kaido talks about don’t really get exciting.
“What did you go there for, Senpai?”
“Work. Though it deviated quite a bit.”
What is this guy saying to me as I compile the content of that work into a report?
Kaido looks at me with a gaze that says “disappointing.”
I ignore that gaze and continue writing the report.
“…I hope nothing happens to the students.”
“The medical staff of this company are taking care of them, right? It’ll be fine.”
After a few seconds of silence, Kaido sat beside me and mumbled.
The students who returned here are undergoing health checkups in the name of treatment.
While there’s concern about endemic diseases and infectious diseases in Isal, the biggest bottleneck is the skills and magic crests—which are similar to magic crests—that were forcibly granted.
They are examining how much they have affected the body and whether it’s okay to return to everyday life.
“Suella said that whether it’s a magic crest or a holy emblem, if there’s no magic power, it’s just an invisible tattoo. They’re overreacting, but this is just a precaution.”
The fact that a student close to him was abducted must have made Kaido think about things considerably.
He asked a question with unusual seriousness.
I’ve only heard from Suella that there are no problems.
So I can only answer that, but it’s better to provide some reassurance than to say I don’t know.
“That’s right! Oh well, I was wondering how I’d get closer to the high school students, but I can’t if I’m tired!”
“Just to be clear, don’t get involved with minors.”
“I know! It’s a joke! A J-O-K-E.”
“I wonder about that.”
Fortunately, Kaido shed his serious expression as if it were out of character and quickly reverted to his usual playful self.
It wouldn’t be good to dampen his mood.
Another story Suella told me was about the spies brought back from Isal.
The existence of spies itself is not known to the testers.
I myself am involved and, as the only one with a position, I’ve only heard the outline.
Their fate was not a bright path, as expected.
Fresh information seems to be valuable even to the Demon Lord’s Army, so the spies, whose faces had been peeled off by a spell, are probably being interrogated for information right now.
I didn’t want to know any more details, and Suella herself didn’t tell me.
“Senpai? Where are you going?”
“I’m out of cigarettes. I’ll buy some at the shop.”
“Have a good trip~”
“Aren’t you going into the dungeon today?”
“Hehehe, I’ve finished this week’s quota! So today is my day off!”
“Is that so? That’s good to know. If you’re free, perhaps you can help me with my work—”
“Ah, I just remembered I have something to do, so I’ll be excusing myself!!”
“…You’re transparent.”
I felt my mood darken, and I thought I’d smoke a cigarette to clear my head, but I remembered I had my last one this morning. It seemed like a good point to stop, so I stood up to buy some, and on impulse, I thought I’d ask him to help with my work if he had free time, but it seems I missed my chance.
I watched Kaido run off in a fluster.
I smiled bitterly, realizing I had lost labor due to his swift retreat using the power of his magic crest, and decided to go buy my cigarettes as originally intended.
“Before that, would you like to talk with me?”
“Did anyone say something?”
“My president?”
But that wasn’t to be.
My vision shifted in an instant, and where I was just in the Party Room, I was now in a luxurious room.
Judging by the scenery outside the window and the figure of the president seated at the table in the center of the room, I concluded that this was the president’s office.
The fact that Supervisor Evia, who was making a gesture like she was holding back a headache, was next to me was also a reason.
I quickly corrected my posture and assumed a salute.
“Ah, it was me who summoned you. You can relax. I’ll send you back to where you were after asking a couple of questions.”
I wish I could relax like that.
As I managed to ease the tension in my shoulders slightly, the president began to speak with a charming smile that suited his golden hair.
“First, let me say thank you for your hard work on this business trip. Your calm actions despite falling into unforeseen circumstances were also extremely commendable.”
“I am humbled.”
Being praised by the head of the organization, in any form, is not a bad thing.
Though he is an inscrutable being, I will accept it honestly.
“Now, I would love to talk with you until sunset, but unfortunately, time is short. Let’s get to the main point.”
I thought to myself, ‘Here it comes.’
It’s almost certain that being praised by the top exec won’t be the end of it.
Now, what will I be asked about?
“Rest assured, I didn’t summon you to interrogate or reprimand you. Besides, you are not yet in a position where I would personally issue a ruling.”
Perhaps my tension was palpable. He continued his words to reassure me.
That didn’t remove my tension, but it did give me some leeway.
He also implicitly told me that he doesn’t have time to deal with underlings, but that’s irrelevant for now.
“You know the unspoken rule that the Demon Lord’s Army generally overlooks any action if results are achieved. And you did achieve results. When you said you wanted to act independently, I thought it was quite an interesting idea, and my intuition was not mistaken when I overruled objections and gave permission. However, it wasn’t entirely without problems.”
“Problems,” I thought, and cold sweat broke out.
“First, your achievements. You managed to snatch away a threat from the enemy’s forces, the hero, with the minimal necessary talent and time. This is worthy of praise. This will be properly evaluated. Furthermore, you captured a spy, which was probably a bonus for you, and that is also significant. Even if they are gathering information, it is not easy to infiltrate from within.”
“Thank you.”
He paused here and smiled at me. My heart pounded even faster.
If possible, I wish he would finish the conversation quickly.
“Don’t be so tense. The problems are similar to achievements on our end. Amelia Miyagawa. It’s about her.”
“Amelia?”
“To be precise, it’s about the being within her.”
“…The soul of the first Demon Lord?”
“Yes, that’s right. Thank you for bringing back our progenitor. I am grateful as the Demon Lord.”
“You have accomplished quite a feat. From me as well, my heartfelt gratitude.”
“You can expect a bonus, you know. As the Demon Lord, I promise a suitable reward.”
Even with just the word “gratitude,” a sense of accomplishment bloomed within me.
I’ve had many experiences where after working hard, it was just “good work, next,” and I wondered what my efforts were for. How long has it been since I was directly praised like this?
I felt a fleeting sense of fulfillment, thinking this must be what it means to be rewarded.
With the expectation of a bonus, my previously gloomy mood turned bright.
“Well, I can’t just praise you all the time, so let’s move on. You’ve done a wonderful job, but frankly, we’re having trouble handling her.”
“Huh?”
My bright mood was quickly overshadowed.
When I heard these words, the first thing that came to mind was being told “You figure it out,” and being made to investigate from scratch without a plan.
…It seems better for my mental health to forget unpleasant things from the past quickly.
More importantly, I need to focus on the president’s words right now.
If he’s telling me this, it means it concerns me to some extent.
“I am also the Demon Lord. I immediately realized that the soul of one of the past Demon Lords was inside her. Now, the problem becomes how to handle her. Upon examination, she has completely integrated with her body, making it impossible to remove her. Furthermore, her physical body is beginning to be affected.”
“!? Is she alright!”
“There’s no need to panic. She is, after all, a hero candidate. It’s not a case of death or lasting aftereffects. It’s the opposite. She is beginning to be enhanced beyond human limits. If she were to return home as she is, she would be able to use magic even in our world, which has no magic power.”
“That’s…”
“Yes, it’s quite problematic. The majority of our executives are proposing the forced separation of her soul from her body.”
The fact that she can use magic in Japan, where there is no magic essence, the source of magic, speaks volumes about the inherent danger of a Demon Lord’s soul having such an effect.
If, by any chance, there’s even a non-zero possibility of magic going out of control in everyday space and causing damage, the company cannot afford to ignore it.
Even if Amelia’s personality is good, it’s meaningless if she commits a crime out of impulse.
Being able to use magic in everyday life is that dangerous.
Furthermore, this company strictly adheres to the secrecy of magic from the outside world.
It’s understandable that the company would judge it better to have one person go missing than to risk information leaks.
However…
“You look like you don’t agree.”
“…Yes, I cannot consent to that choice.”
It’s not wise to defy him.
But I also understood that for Amelia’s sake, I couldn’t deny it here.
Even if it meant negating the sense of accomplishment I felt moments ago, my body stiffened before the overwhelming presence, but I spoke honestly.
“Well then, shall I leave her in your care?”
The president made his decision casually, as if he didn’t care about my resolve.
“You look like you don’t understand.”
“I would too, if I were in his position.”
“I suppose so, Evia. To explain, it’s not wise to make a decision on your own that completely ignores the opinions of someone who has achieved so much, considering future implications. However, we cannot simply leave her as is. Therefore, as a compromise, I will order you, not as the Demon Lord, but as the President.”
The fact that the conversation proceeded so smoothly made me suspect that it might have already been decided, regardless of my will. The matter was steered in a direction that I could understand.
“Jiro Tanaka, would you be willing to scout the hero as a Dungeon Tester?”
Although his tone is that of a request, he said “order” just moments ago.
“You can scout other heroes too, if you like? Hahaha! It’s good to have excellent subordinates!!”
They say there’s always a catch to good offers, but isn’t this essentially saying “Work for us, and we’ll pay you more!!”
Watching Evia, who gave me a wry smile, and the president, who burst into laughter, I put on a poker face and inwardly screamed that I had been tasked with damage control.
I’ll definitely take paid leave after this is over!!
Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, has a girlfriend.
Girlfriend: Suella Henderberg
Memoria Tris
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time employee)
Magic Aptitude: 8 (General Class)
Position: Warrior
Today’s Sayings:
The only things worth saving up are savings and knowledge.
Work should never be saved up!!
That’s all for this installment. This chapter will conclude in the next update.
Although there were few opportunities to delve into dungeons in this chapter, we will be diving into dungeons again from the next chapter.
We appreciate your continued support of this work.
