Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, has a girlfriend.
His girlfriend: Suella Hendelberg.
Memoria Tris.
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time employee).
Magic Aptitude: 9 (Quasi Demon Lord Class).
Position: Warrior.
Tsk, you’re backing down with just a gaze like this.
I jumped in, but now that I think about it, I don’t know what to do with someone who won’t listen. The only method I know is to let them ignore me and leave on their own.
I just got hit, so I glared back, but they easily backed away, which was disappointing. I emit twice the mental pressure and physical weight that the instructors do.
“Haa.”
“What the hell!! What are you!!”
Feeling bothered, a sigh reflexively escaped me. To an outsider, it might have looked like I’d come out on my own accord and then gotten arbitrarily disappointed. That’s bad for someone who isn’t calm.
“Stop that.”
As someone was about to cast magic, I stepped in front of them and flicked their forehead. A sound, not usually produced by a flick, emanated as I bounced my finger off their forehead.
“Aga!?”
“This isn’t a dungeon, you know. Using magic is forbidden.”
“No, you expect me to be able to hear after getting flicked with a spinning flick like that, Senpai?”
“Huh?”
I thought I’d gone easy on them, but it seems I misjudged the strength. If it were me, I’d respond with something like, “Are you trying to kill me!?” while getting up…
“Well, I guess that’s one problem solved. Let’s keep drinking.”
“No, no, no, no.”
It was settled with a single flick of my finger. Perhaps realizing how dangerous my attack was, the men scattered like spiders and fled, dragging their companion with them. Their spirit of not abandoning their friend is commendable. The onlookers also looked a bit unsatisfied, thinking it was already over, and then dispersed. Remaining were Kaido, the other involved party, and…
“Are you alright, Jiro-san?”
“You didn’t need to get hit, did you?”
Suella, who was cooling the spot Jiro was hit with a wet towel, and Memoria, who was checking his body for other injuries.
“Sorry to have worried you.”
“Honestly.”
“You don’t seem injured, but if anything comes up, don’t hesitate to go to the infirmary.”
“Alright.”
After letting them attend to me while being subjected to Kaido’s envious gaze, and once the two were satisfied that there were no injuries and had moved a little distant.
“Shall we head back to the bar?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s do that.”
“Huh? Isn’t there anything else? Like confirming the details, or why you were bothered?”
“?? Why would there be? (Would there be?)”
I suggested we continue drinking and head back to the bar, but Kaido stopped us, saying it was too abrupt to end things there.
“With the situation just now, you should be able to guess the reason.”
“But isn’t that a bit too cold-hearted!! Your friend got caught up in a quarrel!!”
“Sorry, Kaido. It’s outside of work hours right now.”
“Damn!! I hate that I have to accept those words!!”
However, it was meaningless against the unspoken agreement between myself and Kaido, who, based on past experience, never brings trouble into his private life.
“Don’t worry, I’ll hear you out when it’s work-related.”
“You definitely will!! You have to listen!! It’s not a joke!!”
“Alright, alright.”
Adding that I would listen later, the matter was concluded. Kaido, emphasizing his point, then disappeared into the facilities beyond.
“Well, sorry about that. For getting caught up in some mess that started because of us.”
“No, from what I heard, I’m not entirely uninvolved.”
“Quarrels like this are probably everyday occurrences for Giants. It’s a waste for you two to worry about it.”
“Really? Then I’m glad I wasn’t born a Giant.”
“Yes, because even a quarrel of that magnitude would seem like child’s play.”
“Wow, scary.”
Playing along with Memoria’s joke, we re-entered the bar. The man who had been thrown was apparently no longer there, nor were the other three customers. The clean, quiet bar welcomed us. I reordered drinks and Oden from the shopkeeper, who quietly asked what we wanted, and then sat back down at our original seats.
“Lately, there are a lot of people complaining that the disparity among Testers is too large.”
The conversation naturally turned to the recent incident. Suella seemed slightly drunk and probably had things she wanted to get off her chest, so I took a sip of the sake that had been served and prompted her to speak.
“The price of weapons is too high, the enemies are too strong, and our stats aren’t increasing. Those sorts of content have been written in reports for a while.”
“My shop also has customers asking if we can buy things for more. And some are asking for discounts on Potions too.”
These are the kinds of complaints I often hear at the Company. In my previous company, I constantly heard things like the boss is annoying, that colleague can’t do anything, and people from sales don’t consider our circumstances. Suella and Memoria are probably working hard in this unfamiliar world and have been bottling things up. From what I hear, the employees in this company are generally quite friendly towards humans. Yet, even they accumulate stress like this. So, all I can do is…
“Ah, you’ve been working hard.”
I’ll pat their heads, hoping to ease their troubles that I’m unaware of, even just a little.
“Fufu.”
“……”
Being able to feel their weight on me is probably a blessing. It means they rely on me that much. That’s the true desire of a man.
“If all the Testers were like you, Jiro-san.”
“That would be nice. In that case, you could have helped out more at the shop.”
“Spare me, or else I don’t know if I would have been able to get together with you.”
We exchanged jokes as the relaxed time passed.
“That’s true. If so, then I can think of this hardship as a trial to meet you, and it wouldn’t be so bad.”
“……Yes. It’s just like Suella says.”
“Ah, please think of it that way.”
I have to do something. If this continues, the gap between the Testers and the Company will widen. That would also affect our work. The problem to solve is the dissatisfaction on the Testers’ side… but to solve all of it. I want to alleviate their hardships, even a little, but even as someone in the Chief position, the things I can do are far fewer than those I can’t. Is there anything more I can do besides just being there for them?
“Jiro-san, your hands have stopped.”
“Mine too.”
“Sorry, sorry.”
It seems my hands, which had stopped on their heads as they pondered something, had stopped moving.
“What were you thinking about?”
“Oh, nothing.”
“That’s a lie. Jiro-san, your lies are easy to see through.”
“……It’s nothing. I was just thinking about what I could do for both of you, and realized there wasn’t much I could do.”
I wondered if I was that transparent, but then again, they’re both older than me. Perhaps they saw through me due to their experience. Suella and Memoria subtly increased the weight they leaned on me, as if to show me how much they rely on me.
“You’re trying hard enough. It’s more than sufficient for us.”
“That’s right. I even get some of your blood sometimes, you know.”
“You do that too?”
“It’s a vampire’s privilege.”
As we chatted while occasionally sipping our drinks, the clock hands ticked by, hour after hour.
“Then, next time, I’ll introduce you to my parents!”
“What’s this?”
But, the atmosphere suddenly froze. Memoria, whose drunkenness had instantly vanished upon hearing this, looked at Suella’s proud smile, then up at me.
“Is that true?”
“Ah, ah. The next time we have a Spirit Contract, okay?”
Come to think of it, I hadn’t told Memoria yet. Caught off guard that it was revealed in such a way, I tensed up, wondering what she would say next. When Memoria tightly hugged my arm, I broke out in a cold sweat for a moment.
“That’s unfair. If so, please meet my parents too after that.”
“Ah, ah. Understood.”
The typhoon passed by more easily than I had expected. I have two of the most tense moments of my life lined up, but for now, the only problem is my resolve. I guess I have no choice.
“Shall I call them over here then?”
“I’ll go properly, so please spare me.”
“Yes, I’ll be waiting.”
Satisfied, Memoria then nuzzled against my arm like a cat. Having had drinks together a few times, I know this is a sign that Memoria is reaching her limit. Although she’s a vampire, she doesn’t have a high alcohol tolerance. Usually cool-headed, once she drinks past a certain point, she becomes more touchy and bold. And then there’s Suella…
“Don’t pout.”
“I’m not pouting.”
As her alcohol intake increases, her mental age slightly regresses. Having one of my arms occupied by Memoria, she’s a bit displeased.
“In that case…”
“Ah.”
I returned my right hand, which had been petting Memoria, to Suella on my left and petted her head again. She, too, was no longer the competent businesswoman she usually is. She gave me a girlish smile. Well, at this point, I can’t possibly recommend any more alcohol to them. While I feel a slight thirst, possibly from drinking competitively with the instructors earlier, I can’t let them drink any more. I signaled the shopkeeper with my eyes for the bill, and a slip of paper magically arrived. The price was surprisingly low, considering how much we ate and drank, making me want to come back again. I took out two “Yukichi” bills from my wallet, received one “Higuchi” and two “Noguchi” bills back, patted them on their shoulders, and stood up.
“Thanks for the meal.”
“Thank you for visiting.”
Escorted by the shopkeeper, we left the bar. Not being exposed to the December winter’s cold is a benefit of the underground facility. I began walking with the two of them amidst the din of employees coming to drink after work. Our destination is Memoria’s shop. It doubles as living quarters, which is convenient. Considering we also need to pick up equipment, it’s even more convenient.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m alright.”
“Yes.”
I walked slowly, concerned about the two of them, whose steps were steady. Troubles will have to be postponed until tomorrow; for now, let’s surrender ourselves to this moment.
Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, has a girlfriend.
His girlfriend: Suella Hendelberg.
Memoria Tris.
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time employee).
Magic Aptitude: 9 (Quasi Demon Lord Class).
Position: Warrior.
Word of the day:
It might be better to think about things a bit more simply.
This concludes this installment.
Don’t you suddenly crave Oden from a convenience store?
This story was written while experiencing that impulse.
Please continue to enjoy this work.
