Our company often experiences frequent events such as sudden incidents, training, and special training, but during actual work, it can be surprisingly peaceful.
Well, compared to modern Japan in general, the work content could be described as abnormal, but once you get used to it, it’s surprisingly peaceful… or so it should be.
We challenge dungeons, scrutinize them, and find areas for improvement.
What we do is not much different from inspecting a construction site.
The only difference is the addition of combat, which is a strange element; it’s not an excuse, but that’s probably what sets us apart.
The work of a Dungeon Tester mostly involves fighting and improving what we notice. Aside from that, there’s maintenance of equipment and replenishment of consumables, and that’s about it.
If there’s one thing that causes mental anguish, it’s that the stage where we can conquer it is not normal and is a problem. In a sense, there’s no end in sight to improving dungeons in their current state.
Including me, all the party members, including Kaido, still have room to grow.
When we know we can get stronger, there’s no way we can see the finish line.
Therefore, the day the dungeons are completed is still far off.
Fortunately or unfortunately, there is an end to the dungeon structure itself, but when I think about the instructor waiting at the very end.
“The road ahead is long.”
“? Did you say something, senpai?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
It’s a bit much to casually retract what I just thought, but those are words that should be said after conquering the dungeon.
Considering that, I have no choice but to think that the road ahead is still long.
With that in mind, I continue to type on my PC keyboard, summarizing the results of the dungeon tests and creating reports.
“Now, I’ve identified the problems, but the question is how to improve them.”
I’m also quite used to this task, and it goes smoothly.
I organize anything I found questionable, easy to overcome, or noteworthy in the dungeon in an easy-to-understand format.
Sometimes I even create diagrams, attached documents, and graphs.
This is to convey the information as clearly as possible to the other party.
Up to that point, it’s fine, but what always trips me up with the standardized report format is how to improve the problematic parts.
From the perspective of those conquering the dungeon, the problem points are the gaps.
It’s a matter of how much effort can be saved by exploiting those gaps.
It’s surprisingly taxing to point those out and then strengthen them.
It’s a battle of ideas, and it also requires logical thinking.
While a wild idea can sometimes be useful, if it’s too expensive, it’s pointless from a facility perspective.
Coming up with steady suggestions is good, but they are also easily countered.
This balancing act is surprisingly difficult.
Even dungeons don’t have unlimited budgets.
As artificial structures, they involve human hands, though I’m not sure how to put it – whomever’s hands touched them, there’s a cost involved.
It’s not enough to just list expensive solutions.
“What did we use last time? Do you remember, Min-chan?”
“It was an onslaught of instant-death traps, cursed version, gozaru. That dungeon had pure volume, so we thought about what would happen if we added a spice of status ailments, yo.”
If there are any parts that can be reused in that facility, we reuse them, reduce costs as much as possible, and present effective content.
That is our role as a third party, different from those who created the dungeon.
“Ah, that’s right. I was hit by that and couldn’t move for about three days, yo. It was seriously bad, not just spice… It’s a wonder I didn’t die.”
“The Twin Angels really worked hard. Fortunately, there were no gag curses like the one Min mentioned that makes you bald or similar ‘mentally taxing’ things.”
Today, I’m working on the report with Kaido and Min.
It’s normal for me and Kaido to work on documents together, but Min came today simply because she was free since there were no lectures.
“Seriously, yo. If I healed and my hair vanished from my head, I’d be devastated, yo.”
“From my perspective, a curse that constantly causes the pain of hitting your little toe on a dresser would have been interesting, gozaru.”
“What kind of pinpoint curse is that supposed to be?”
Min is the best in our party when it comes to thinking up these kinds of bothersome curses.
Her talent shines when it comes to dungeon improvement plans, so it can’t be dismissed.
Her ideas often focus on mentally burdening the opponent by hindering their actions and lowering their morale, rather than being fatal, preventing them from going all out or giving them an advantage by not allowing them to be in perfect condition.
Don’t mistake this for weakness.
When you actually experience it, it’s incredibly troublesome.
It makes fighting a complete hassle.
“From a combat perspective, I think it would be good to supplement what the Undead are lacking…”
“That’s where it gets difficult, yo. If you’re talking about weaknesses, it’s light-attribute attacks, but that’s a racial problem, you see. We can’t just place strong Undead and call it a day.”
“The cost limits on each floor are painful, gozaru. If you implement countermeasures, it just adds to the cost. I wish they would increase the cost limit, but if they could, they probably would be doing it already, gozaru.”
“Fast, cheap, and strong—the trifecta is a problem for any company.”
Even for Min, ideas don’t always flow endlessly.
Ideas have a framework, and they must fit within that framework.
What companies desire is generally the same.
Something that can be produced quickly, at a low cost, and with high specifications.
They are constantly pursuing such ideals.
In the past, it may have been impossible, but now breakthroughs in technology, supported by hard work, have made it possible.
“Maybe we should incorporate exploding zombies? They certainly have numbers, and they could, you know, latch on and explode.”
“Instead of making them all that, how about mixing them in? It depends on cost-effectiveness. Also, maybe we could increase the areas with no oxygen. Undead don’t need to breathe, and in a vacuum, sound is less likely to travel, making surprise attacks easier.”
“Wouldn’t that tip them off that there’s a trap there?”
“If we place it in a location where they can’t proceed without passing through, that should work, right? But, would that be enough?”
“Just the lack of oxygen would normally be the end, but recently, it’s scary that I’ve started to think that even I could handle that much, not just the leader.”
This is how we discuss, examine feasibility, and complete the report.
How can we make it more troublesome? How can we make it more ferocious?
And then, we challenge these ferocious dungeons.
“It feels like we’ve exhausted all the horror movie tropes.”
“We’ve used movie tropes from both Japanese and Western films, which is why our room’s shelves are lined with horror movies.”
“I never thought I’d see the day I’d buy a bunch of horror movies as necessary expenses and submit a receipt, gozaru.”
However, the reality is that the convenient skill of magic makes it difficult to come up with truly effective measures.
Furthermore, we’re dealing with people who might defeat the Demon Lord.
Ordinary ideas won’t even slow them down.
We can never have enough reference material.
While thinking about such things, some time passes.
After struggling, I finally finish the report. It’s past 3 PM, and my coffee has gone cold, so I make a fresh cup of instant coffee.
“Phew, we finally finished, yo. Lately, the standards they’re asking for seem to be getting higher, yo.”
“The initial required standards were already high. After all, we’re trying to create something that even a hero, who holds the fate of the world, can’t conquer. It can’t be helped.”
“From my perspective, I’m worried about the innocent second-year students who will be joining soon. They’ll be entering dungeons that we’re implementing countermeasures for. I’m scared they might actually be beaten back one by one.”
“That’s our job, to make sure that happens. All we can do is tell them not to fear failure. Amili-san’s dungeon has changed a lot compared to last year. If I had faced it last year, I might have given up.”
“That doesn’t sound reassuring, yo. But Amili-chan was quite pleased. It seems efficiency has improved in many ways.”
With the work finally done, I have some free time, but not enough to go into a dungeon.
As I’m thinking about what to do, I see an email notification on my PC screen, which I’d left open.
“An email at this timing, who is it from… Evia-san?”
The fact that the sender is Evia-san makes me think it’s urgent work, so I check it while holding my coffee.
As if hearing my words, Kaido and Min, unlike before, quietly look at me.
“Did something happen, yo?”
“With the leader’s usual pattern, it’s always trouble, gozaru. Is this one too?”
“It’s possible, yo. In my previous company, trouble always came at the most unexpected moments, yo. Things that had nothing to do with us.”
“That’s a complete case of being caught in the crossfire, isn’t it, gozaru?”
“Exactly, yo. So, is this time some sort of terrorist crackdown?”
“We wouldn’t be called for something like that, gozaru. It’s probably something like hunting a dragon that’s targeting some princess.”
“You guys, if you want to keep things secret, talk a little quieter. Besides, aren’t both of you part of the Demon Lord’s Army? Why do I have to deal with my own people?”
And it seems they’ve decided that any email from Evia-san equals trouble, but unfortunately, that’s not the case this time.
“It’s a request to test the equipment for the newcomers. They want a report summarizing the initial equipment provided.”
“Oh, regular work, yo. It’s only natural since we’re the only humans here, yo.”
“Indeed, gozaru. I thought we’d be dealing with some kind of ferocious criminal again.”
“I could just throw Min into the Dragon King’s dungeon alone.”
“Checking the weapons is also part of a tester’s job, isn’t it, gozaru? I’m excited!”
The email from Evia-san is about checking the equipment for the newcomers.
Giving them weapons that are too strong is a problem, but not giving them the minimum necessary isn’t an option, as we, the first-year students, learned.
It seems they’ve decided to give them equipment that will be effective up to a certain point.
I agree with that in principle, but…
“I’m very glad Min is enthusiastic. In that case, I’ll have her and Kaido handle the magic-related items.”
“Bring it on, gozaru!”
“Wait, Min-chan. When senpai says something like that, there’s definitely something going on, yo.”
“Kaido understands things well.”
The fact that Evia-san is the one making the request means it won’t be straightforward. I point behind me with a smile to teach the eagerly accepting Min, whom I hired.
The printer, which can print wirelessly, is prominently displayed where I point.
That printer has been printing non-stop since a moment ago, showing no signs of stopping.
“Roughly three hundred magic-user weapons and armor combined. Please research how far each of those items can handle on each floor.”
“Are you kidding me, gozaru!?”
“Unfortunately, I’m still human.”
“I don’t think that’s the problem, yo.”
“By the way, the number of items for front-liners to check is about five hundred. Want to do it together?”
“I’ll do it, Kaido-senpai! If we drag Kitamiya along, we can probably manage it!!”
“That’s right!! If we call Katsu-kun too, we’ll definitely finish it!!”
“How insincere. Hmm?”
It’s certainly not an amount that can be handled by one person, even with the help of a Giant.
I think we’ll need to involve other parties as well, and while I’m contemplating the schedule, putting aside Kaido and Min, who are trying to escape reality, I notice another file.
The subject is, “Second-year student data.”
Perhaps, I think, and open it. It’s a list of the confirmed second-year testers.
It includes names, birthdates, photos, and countries of origin. It’s a simple resume.
I had heard they would be recruiting from overseas, but I didn’t expect them to actually come.
Although it doesn’t list magic aptitude, it’s sufficient as documentation.
As I scroll through, looking at who’s there.
“Hmm?”
My gaze stops at one resume.
I wish it were a rare person or a celebrity.
“…Seriously?”
I wish it were a case of mistaken identity with the same name and surname, but unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be the case.
Kawasaki Midori.
When I saw this name, I thought it couldn’t be, but seeing the photo, there was no mistake.
It’s her, whom I know.
If only I had wondered what made her decide to change jobs, or what made her want to join this company.
But even better would have been…
“Of all the timings… why now.”
What terrible timing.
Min and Kitamiya are attacking Katsu, and at that precise moment, Katsu’s first love joins the company.
I bury my head in my hands, wondering if this is some sort of romantic comedy drama.
“Oh, the leader suddenly clutched his head. Was it some kind of trouble after all, gozaru?”
“It seems so, yo. Well, it feels a bit late for that, yo.”
Though I feel like it’s more their trouble than mine, I sense a headache coming on. I think I’ll show it to Min later, and as I continue to look at the remaining documents.
As I sip my coffee for a change of pace.
“Gulp!?”
“The leader just spat it out, gozaru!?”
“What’s going on, yo!?”
I had seen something impossible and coffee went down my windpipe, making me choke.
I don’t want to accept reality, but I have to face it.
With that in mind, I can’t pay attention to what Kaido and Min are saying and quietly look at the reality.
“It’s not a dream, is it?”
“Tanaka Haruna.”
That’s the name of the Oni girl that my mother was supposed to have taken in.
Today’s word: Even if you don’t want to admit it, reality doesn’t change.
That’s all for today.
Thank you for pointing out any typos and for your comments every time.
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*The first volume of the book is published by Hayakawa Bunko JA.
It was released on October 18, 2018.
The e-book version was also released on October 31 of the same year.
Volume 2 was released on December 19.
The third volume was released on February 20, 2019.
The content has been revised and expanded from the original work posted on Shosetsuka ni Naro, with the addition of an unreleased interlude.
Please do check out the new releases!
The manga adaptation in Kodansha’s “Young Magazine The Third” was featured in issue 9.
I hope you enjoy that as well.
Thank you for your continued support of this work.
