Jiro Tanaka, 28, has a girlfriend.
His girlfriend is Suella Hendelberg.
Memoria Tris.
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time Employee)
Magic Aptitude: 9 (Quasi Demon Lord Class)
Position: Warrior
“Well now! The next match is not to be missed! Our commentator is the Dark Elf Keiri! You can watch, you can bet! Everyone, let’s enjoy!”
Amidst theCheers, with a familiar voice by my side, this one line best describes my current feelings.
Sleepy.
While not an all-nighter, if you repeat something close to it for days on end, people naturally become sleep-deprived.
In broad daylight, under the sun, I lean back on a pipe chair I prepared under a tent, the kind you see at White Day sports events.
This is the consequence of voluntarily taking on additional work on top of dungeon攻略 this past week.
Even a body strengthened by magic crests is finding it tough.
Since becoming a working adult, I’ve often heard the saying that physical condition management is one’s own responsibility.
The event has just begun and the main part is yet to come, but the opening ceremony is over and the event is proceeding smoothly. It has finally reached a lull, so please allow me to close my eyes for just a moment.
Beside me are members who, like me, are sitting in chairs and handling the operations.
Unfortunately, Suella, Memoria, and my familiar party members are not here, as they are participating in this event rather than managing it.
So, I’m alone on a lonely holiday work shift.
“Even with potions to wake myself up, the sleepiness just doesn’t go away.”
I rub my eyes a couple of times with my fingertips and open them slowly, my heavy eyelids catching sight of the scene before me.
Fans are watching the giant projection screen, holding cups of alcohol and snacks.
Around them, food stalls run by employees of various underground facilities are lined up.
From my distant vantage point under the “Operations” tent, it looks quite lively.
The Testers, who initially showed reservations, seem to be thoroughly enjoying themselves now.
“It seems to be going well.”
“Supervisor.”
As I gaze with satisfaction at the results of my own work, I sense the presence of Supervisor Evia, who appears behind me without a sound.
A younger me would have panicked, but I’m used to it now.
Without flustering at the appearance of Supervisor Evia, I stand up and face her.
“The feast you planned seems to be going smoothly.”
“That’s also thanks to the support from the instructors and you, Supervisor.”
“You put it all together. Be proud of that.”
“Yes.”
It all began about a month ago.
Amelia advised me to hold an event, so I pondered the content, put it into a project proposal, and first brought it to the laboratory.
This is what you call laying the groundwork.
When I, a Tester, went to the laboratory, I was met with suspicious glances, but as soon as they confirmed the contents of my proposal, their eyes changed.
From there, the discussion in the laboratory progressed rapidly, fueled by a touch of madness, and the improved proposal was completed.
“You’re devising something quite interesting. A feast that doubles as a test for monsters, using a part of the dungeon scheduled for renovation? And as a reward for the Testers who will liven it up, we’ll provide various weapons and armor supplied by the company. We, in turn, will obtain practical data on the prototype monsters.”
I remember taking that proposal to the Supervisor.
Following the Supervisor’s gaze, which was directed at the screen with admiration, I also turn my attention to the screen.
On the other side of the screen is the Coliseum.
Testers are fighting on a circular stone stage, similar to the one in Rome.
There are one-on-one battles, as well as one-against-multiple battles.
If they win, they receive points and higher rewards than usual.
However, their opponents are new species of monsters devised by the laboratory and monsters selected from the armies held by the instructors and generals.
They are not easily defeated.
One must fight each match carefully, sometimes acting boldly, or they will easily lose and get injured.
However, this is, after all, a feast.
To ensure no one spoils the mood, the medical system is fully prepared.
But it’s more popular than I expected.
In terms of content, it’s like a dragon-hunting game, which is probably why it’s easy for the Testers to get accustomed to it.
From our perspective, it’s a win-win-win: it serves as training for the Testers, they can enjoy it as an attraction, and it provides a break for the employees.
“You even dangle bait that further motivates them. You’ve thought of it well.”
“After all, this is a feast, and the main purpose is enjoyment.”
“Kuku, indeed.”
The prizes for the weapons are, of course, luxurious, but the rewards are not just that.
I figured that for Testers, who are from Earth, weapons alone wouldn’t be enough to get them excited.
So, here’s where we dangle the bait.
“But I never thought you’d actually be able to gather all of them.”
“Compared to magic swords and divine elixirs, they are cheap.”
Next to the “Operations” tent, a stage with a red carpet has been set up.
Among the prizes displayed on it are luxury cars at the high end, and brand-name bags at the lower end. I surveyed the Testers to find out what they currently wanted and submitted it.
For the Testers, these might be more appealing than magic swords or other weapons.
After all, the company distributed survey forms with no monetary limit, asking them to write down what they wanted.
At the time, the Testers were half-skeptical, but the look on their faces when they saw the piles of actual items was priceless.
But I wonder where this company’s funding comes from. Just thinking about the cost of these prizes makes me feel poor.
From the perspective of someone who knows the actual prices, it’s hard not to think that this is a bit too extravagant.
They are all items that are too expensive to just hand out readily.
“And not all of these will go into their hands.”
“Indeed.”
There’s always a catch.
Listening to the Supervisor’s words and observing her attitude, I inwardly agreed.
The Supervisor, stroking the hood of a luxury car as if it already belonged to her, rather than just looking at it with desire, made me realize that some of these prizes would not reach the Testers’ hands.
For the fantasy employees of this company, anything from Earth is an unknown commodity.
Even a single cake can bring immense joy; people rarely hesitate to buy one.
“It’s quite an entertainment. We are also enjoying ourselves.”
“That’s good to hear.”
In addition, the company’s official gambling is also part of this event.
Employees who are not fighting, holding tablets in their hands, are betting on whether the Testers or the monsters will win.
There are also bets on how long it will take to defeat them.
“It would be helpful if things proceeded according to my plan.”
“Hmph, worrying about wimpy individuals?”
“Don’t say that, Supervisor. They haven’t reached the point where we’d abandon them.”
While the Testers and employees are enjoying themselves, my objectives are also being met.
My objective for this event is to improve the Testers’ abilities, but that’s not all.
This event is primarily intended to foster interaction among Testers.
It’s a “battlenication” rather than a “nomikai” (drinking party).
It’s about the sense of camaraderie forged through battle.
There are several rules set for this arena, one of which prohibits fixed parties.
This is intended to disrupt betting predictions and to encourage interaction.
“It was a gamble whether it would work, but it seems to be functioning well.”
“It appears so.”
My expectations are being exceeded in a positive way.
On the screen, men from Kaito’s party are desperately fleeing from a giant bull.
There are four people in total: besides Kitamiya and Minami, there are two other women, both Mages.
“If I recall correctly, those two…”
“Are my party members.”
“?”
“Ah, it’s you.”
As I try to match faces and names, searching my memory, I’m spoken to and turn around to see a woman holding a paper cup.
She is, if I remember correctly…
“Was it Kanzaki? What’s her first name?”
“Megumi Kanzaki. Megumi, written as ‘kei’.”
She was the leader of the only all-female party among the Testers.
She herself was a Mage, but I recall hearing that she recently switched to an archer.
What could that leader want from me?
“So, what is it you want to ask me, Kanzaki-san? If it’s about the match schedule, you should ask the reception, not me.”
Frankly, I’ve had almost no interaction with Kanzaki.
Given that I’m already suspected of two-timing, I should be the type of man she’d want to avoid.
I feel embarrassed when it comes to loving women, but I have no shame. If she were to tell me to break up with them, it would be troublesome.
So, my tone becoming business-like is unavoidable.
“I just have something I want to ask, you don’t need to be so wary.”
“Something you want to ask?”
She has a strong personality, doesn’t she? Her almond-shaped eyes and short hair, combined with her tall stature, must have made her popular with other women.
What could she want to ask me?
“…How can we become as close as your party?”
“Huh?”
After a moment of thought, the words that came out were not life advice, but work consultation.
“Our party is about to break up right now.”
And with the additional words, I thought I had been presented with an unexpected hassle.
Jiro Tanaka, 28, has a girlfriend.
His girlfriend is Suella Hendelberg.
Memoria Tris.
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time Employee)
Magic Aptitude: 9 (Quasi Demon Lord Class)
Position: Warrior
Today’s word: It’s good to take inspiration from others, but it’s surprisingly difficult to correct oneself.
