The morning lecture in the classroom ended without any issues, and the one-hour lunch break passed in the blink of an eye.
How long has it been since I started feeling that lunch breaks are too short, but accepted it as inevitable?
“Kaidou, are you ready?”
“Yeah, I’m good to go, senpai!!”
Now, lunch break being an hour is so ingrained that I don’t even think about the duration of time.
Unlike my suit from the morning, Kaidou and I are now in our work clothes.
I’m wearing what looks like black and red warrior’s armor that stands out, while Kaidou is dressed like a soldier from a fantasy world, with a rank perhaps around battalion commander. We stand in this wide space.
This is the training room where we can experience the simulated dungeon we usually use.
Warm-up exercises are already complete, my body is adequately loosened, and there’s no problem with operating at full capacity.
I have an Ore Tree on my back, and Kaidou has a sword hanging from each of his hips.
Our equipment is perfect, and consumables like healing potions are also prepared.
This is what’s called battle ready stance.
What we’re about to do is a mock battle, a serious fight that will actually happen inside a dungeon, not just some game.
“Speaking of which, senpai, I haven’t heard who I’m fighting after this… It’s not going to be the instructors, is it?”
“What a coincidence, I haven’t heard either. So your anxiety can’t be dispelled. It’s possible it might be the instructors and Evia-san.”
“What? What kind of hell is that?”
To Kaidou, who was stunned as if today was his death anniversary, I let out a wry smile and conveyed to him what Evia-san had told me before we entered this space.
“It’s natural that anything can happen inside a dungeon. A dungeon tester is someone who can respond flexibly to whatever occurs. Complete this mock battle with that spirit. All Evia-san told me was this.”
“Ugh, does that mean we’ll be moderately disciplined as usual?”
“That’s right. All we can do is fight as usual without being unnecessarily nervous.”
“Us…”
What was conveyed was nothing new.
Information about the inside of a dungeon is basically never provided by the company.
Dungeon information is only disclosed occasionally, such as when monsters placed for the purpose of cashing out, who provide no combat strength, appear, or when there’s a possibility of harm from organizations other than the Demon Lord’s Army or the company.
So, we go there ourselves, experience the atmosphere of the place firsthand, and investigate on site.
Then, we clear the dungeon and repair it.
The further we proceed, the stronger the dungeon becomes.
It’s a profession that embodies such contradictions.
“Haa, senpai, how many do you think will remain?”
“I’d like to think half of them would remain.”
While I understand and accept that part, it’s probably not everyone’s sentiment.
In fact, among the first-term students, a considerable number quit because the reality didn’t match their expectations.
This line of business requires perseverance and effort.
Because someone like Kaidou, who has low magic aptitude, can be active like this, it’s a job that can be done with enough effort, but it’s difficult to reach a certain level.
The harshness stems from the extreme gap between reality and ideals.
It’s not a job for those who desire to be protagonists, or those who are dreamers and rely on their magic aptitude values without any effort.
In order not to waste effort on such individuals, this pre-briefing session is meant to filter out potential applicants.
Unlike the first-term students, we show them the job content and the reality beforehand.
Fantasy is by no means gentle.
You can’t always be active exactly as you idealize.
However, if you can overcome those hardships, glory awaits.
“Senpai, are you entering with desire?”
“I am.”
Despite everything, the job content is like a game, but it’s a profession that guarantees life in combat, something that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, I can say that for sure.
There is pain, there is fear.
It cannot be accomplished with half-baked resolve.
“But right now, we’re not thinking about the future of the newcomers, but about the job right in front of us. Get ready, Kaidou, here they come.”
“Us, it’s the start of work.”
Looking up, I see a spectator’s gallery with glass walls overlooking this space.
There, this year’s incoming newcomers are lined up in a row, watching us.
Just like with Katsu and Minami, their expressions are filled with anticipation, imagining what awaits them.
With their magic crest-enhanced eyes, I also caught sight of Kawasaki and Haruna. Haruna looked at me with concern, while Kawasaki seemed surprised that our eyes met.
I let out a wry smile at their contrasting movements and noticed the magic filling the facility, realizing that the mock battle was about to begin.
“Speaking of which, something like this happened before, didn’t it? Last time, only Minami-chan and Katsu-kun were the audience.”
“That’s right. Back then, I was fighting while supporting the newcomer Kaidou. Now he’s become a fine fighting force.”
“I never thought I’d become a physical force. Back then, I was just desperately trying to keep up with senpai.”
Slowly, I reached for the Ore Tree, and Kaidou drew the swords from both his hips.
“I used to get excited just holding a sword, you’ve really become something.”
“Senpai, you’ve become more inhuman than before.”
“I’m aware of it. Don’t worry, you’ll come to this side eventually.”
“Ugh, looking at senpai, I feel like that might happen, so I can’t deny it.”
And then, as if we had planned it, we slowly began to walk.
Without being bewildered by the gradually changing scenery as we talked.
The hard floor turned into a wasteland, and the feel of sand transmitted to the soles of our feet.
Dust swirled on our faces, and the scenery resembling the American wilderness was formed by magic.
“There are quite a few obstacles.”
“That’s right, it looks like we can escape if necessary, but…”
“It depends on the opponent.”
Are the familiars flying around here and there to broadcast our battle live, or are they the eyes of our future opponents?
I don’t worry about accidentally shooting them down.
There wouldn’t be time for that anyway.
“Still, this company is truly merciless. Sometimes I think the word ‘hold back’ isn’t in their dictionary.”
“Ugh, what is that number? I don’t even want to count them. Uh, the first thing I see is an army of Orc elites.”
As we walked and surveyed our surroundings, an army of Orcs clad in uniform armor appeared before us.
Yes, an army.
Not just one or two individuals, but easily over a hundred at a glance.
The army, flying the banner of the Demon Lord’s Army, marched in orderly formation with a vanguard, right flank, and left flank. They stopped advancing at a certain distance.
Their movement was seamless, clearly conveying to us that their command system was functioning.
“Also, look, Kaidou. Over there are Dragon Riders on Wyverns in the sky. Just this alone tells us this is from Kio-kyōkan’s or the Dragon King’s dungeon.”
“That would be fine, but in the back, that’s definitely a Golem, right? And a pretty big one. Amili-chan is going too hard.”
From the sky behind the army, twelve Wyverns flew. They circled in the air, positioning themselves where they could attack us at any moment.
And where Kaidou pointed, there was a colossal body that could be mistaken for a giant robot.
There were five of them.
These giants, which could be called siege weapons, made the seriousness of this mock battle evident.
Currently, we can identify Kio-kyōkan, the Oni King, the Dragon King, and Amili-san, the Machine King.
Monsters are appearing from the dungeons of these three individuals.
The number and quality are vastly different from last year.
“Haa, I suspected it, but there are gifts from other generals too. The left flank isn’t Orcs, it’s Giants.”
“Then the right flank must be, ugh, an undead army. That means it’s from Fushio-kyōkan’s side, right?”
Shifting my gaze from the front to the sides, on the right is an army of one-eyed giants clad in armor, and on the left is an army of undead riding bone horses and clad in armor.
“If this continues, the rear guard will be from the Tree King’s side, perhaps for healing?”
“This is definitely not the kind of force meant for us two to handle, how many people are there!?”
It far exceeded our imagination by tenfold.
It’s a mixed force selected from the existing generals’ powers.
“I’m curious about who is commanding them, but I can only say one thing.”
“What is it, senpai?”
“If we don’t fight with the intention of dying, it will be over in an instant.”
“Us.”
What is the military strength difference?
Whether we can win against this is… Based on numbers alone, it gives a strong impression, but the quality of individuals isn’t that concerning.
However, they are literally an army.
There’s a definite possibility they’ll coordinate and trample us.
The Orc army began stamping their feet.
Then, a horn blared, echoing across the battlefield.
That was the signal for the commencement of war.
“Hah! Let’s go, Kaidou!!”
“You look like you’re having fun, senpai!!”
With a grin, I decided to enjoy this moment.
Swinging the Ore Tree to the side, I charged towards the charging Orcs, dragging Kaidou with me.
***
That scene, did everyone here think it was a movie or something?
Foreigners who believed in the seemingly unbelievable stories and came to this island nation from abroad exclaimed in amazement, excitement, and disbelief at the scene before them.
Similarly, Japanese people who came believing in the seemingly unbelievable stories also blinked repeatedly and stared at the unreal scene before them.
When the two men who were initially standing there walked towards the grotesque army while chatting, I thought it was foolhardy, but as the battle began and one man blew away the vanguard of the army with a single swing, I realized my perception was mistaken.
“Yes, the one fighting now is Tanaka Jiro-san, currently the top dungeon tester. As you can see from the monitors and the scene visible through the windows, he operates as a frontliner amongst the dungeon testers.”
Ignoring the dark elf woman’s commentary, I couldn’t take my eyes off the scene before me.
With one swing, Orcs were blown away. With two swings, a one-eyed giant was cleaved. With three swings, a flying dragon was shot down.
Overwhelming.
No other word could describe it.
“Supporting him is Kaidou Tadashi-san, who belongs to the same party. While his magic aptitude isn’t particularly high, as you can see, he has grown into a very capable magic swordsman.”
Although he is often overshadowed by the overwhelming spectacle, everyone else also recognized that the other man was by no means weak.
He wields swords in both hands, slices through opponents with fluid movements, and fires magic at distant enemies, fighting at his own pace throughout.
Furthermore, his support is exquisite.
He protects Jiro’s back, maintains his position so as not to be caught off guard, and constantly delivers maximum attacks to the opponent.
Thanks to this, despite being only two people, they are holding their own against an army of nearly a thousand.
“To add one point of clarification, the army from our company they are currently fighting is by no means weak. For a newcomer, even one of them would make escape impossible if they were in that situation. You can think of them as beings that are feared as disasters depending on the time and place.”
Some newcomers seemed to think the enemies were weak, but that thought was quickly dispelled, and it became clear that this scene was indeed abnormal.
It’s easy to say it’s impossible when looking at the scene.
However, reality is right before our eyes.
And their actions of confronting it were, they thought in their hearts, truly heroic.
“Eh, ah, wait, no way!? Suella, you didn’t tell me that! You can shoot one down by yourself!? Everyone! Close your eyes!!”
Suddenly, the dark elf woman yelled in a panic into the excited space.
There was no one present who could react instantly to her words.
Her scream echoed, and just as the dark elf woman instinctively protected the glass with magic, the area beyond the window was engulfed in a flash of light.
What on earth happened?
Even though the glass was protected, what did the newcomers blinded by the flash think had happened?
Shaking my head, I waited for my vision to recover, and when I looked at the monitor to confirm the situation, I saw the scene.
“Ah, yes, everyone, with this, we will conclude the mock battle… Suella, I’ll explain it to you later.”
The wasteland was gouged out, the army that should have been there moments ago had vanished, and instead, the two stood in the transformed wasteland, looking like they were high-fiving.
Seeing that, I understood that the battle was over.
The dark elf woman was muttering something, but none of the newcomers noticed due to the sheer spectacle.
“After this, there will be a practical career explanation involving them, so please proceed to the next location.”
Then, as if nothing had happened, the dark elf woman, whose name tag read Keiri, began to guide the newcomers.
In their departure, no one was able to follow suit due to the overwhelming impact of the previous scene.
As they moved, everyone present, including the newcomers, thought: What on earth did they do…? Along with a slight fear mixed with excitement.
***
This scene, did everyone here think it was a movie or something?
Foreigners who believed in the seemingly unbelievable stories and came to this island nation from abroad exclaimed in amazement, excitement, and disbelief at the scene before them.
Similarly, Japanese people who came believing in the seemingly unbelievable stories also blinked repeatedly and stared at the unreal scene before them.
When the two men who were initially standing there walked towards the grotesque army while chatting, I thought it was foolhardy, but as the battle began and one man blew away the vanguard of the army with a single swing, I realized my perception was mistaken.
“Yes, the one fighting now is Tanaka Jiro-san, currently the top dungeon tester. As you can see from the monitors and the scene visible through the windows, he operates as a frontliner amongst the dungeon testers.”
Ignoring the dark elf woman’s commentary, I couldn’t take my eyes off the scene before me.
With one swing, Orcs were blown away. With two swings, a one-eyed giant was cleaved. With three swings, a flying dragon was shot down.
Overwhelming.
No other word could describe it.
“Supporting him is Kaidou Tadashi-san, who belongs to the same party. While his magic aptitude isn’t particularly high, as you can see, he has grown into a very capable magic swordsman.”
Although he is often overshadowed by the overwhelming spectacle, everyone else also recognized that the other man was by no means weak.
He wields swords in both both his hips, slices through opponents with fluid movements, and fires magic at distant enemies, fighting at his own pace throughout.
Furthermore, his support is exquisite.
He protects Jiro’s back, maintains his position so as not to be caught off guard, and constantly delivers maximum attacks to the opponent.
Thanks to this, despite being only two people, they are holding their own against an army of nearly a thousand.
“To add one point of clarification, the army from our company they are currently fighting is by no means weak. For a newcomer, even one of them would make escape impossible if they were in that situation. You can think of them as beings that are feared as disasters depending on the time and place.”
Some newcomers seemed to think the enemies were weak, but that thought was quickly dispelled, and it became clear that this scene was indeed abnormal.
It’s easy to say it’s impossible when looking at the scene.
However, reality is right before our eyes.
And their actions of confronting it were, they thought in their hearts, truly heroic.
“Eh, ah, wait, no way!? Suella, you didn’t tell me that! You can shoot one down by yourself!? Everyone! Close your eyes!!”
Suddenly, the dark elf woman yelled in a panic into the excited space.
There was no one present who could react instantly to her words.
Her scream echoed, and just as the dark elf woman instinctively protected the glass with magic, the area beyond the window was engulfed in a flash of light.
What on earth happened?
Even though the glass was protected, what did the newcomers blinded by the flash think had happened?
Shaking my head, I waited for my vision to recover, and when I looked at the monitor to confirm the situation, I saw the scene.
“Ah, yes, everyone, with this, we will conclude the mock battle… Suella, I’ll explain it to you later.”
The wasteland was gouged out, the army that should have been there moments ago had vanished, and instead, the two stood in the transformed wasteland, looking like they were high-fiving.
Seeing that, I understood that the battle was over.
The dark elf woman was muttering something, but none of the newcomers noticed due to the sheer spectacle.
“After this, there will be a practical career explanation involving them, so please proceed to the next location.”
Then, as if nothing had happened, the dark elf woman, whose name tag read Keiri, began to guide the newcomers.
In their departure, no one was able to follow suit due to the overwhelming impact of the previous scene.
As they moved, everyone present, including the newcomers, thought: What on earth did they do…? Along with a slight fear mixed with excitement.
***
“Ah, I’m tired. Using my own magic with Take Mik is exhausting.”
“No, you said you’d finish it quickly, but I really didn’t expect you to actually finish it. Look, senpai. Even those Golems were blown away!?”
“It can’t be helped. If we left them like that, it would have been bad. A huge cannon came out of its stomach, and I’m sure a great magic came from there.”
While inwardly chuckling, thinking that the day had finally come to annihilate the force that could be called excessive for just two dungeon testers, I took out a post-work cigarette and lit it.
Offering one to Kaidou, he accepted and lit it as well.
The gouged-out wasteland.
We scattered the great army with a powerful technique that was heading straight for environmental destruction.
I was told to fight with all my might, but was this the right way? I slowly inhaled the smoke, not even thinking about how the newcomers were looking at me.
“Ah, I feel refreshed.”
Today’s word:
If you don’t slack off, you will become better than you were in the past.
That’s all for this time.
Thank you for pointing out any typos and for your comments.
If you find it interesting, please leave comments, ratings, bookmarks, etc.
*The first volume of the book has been 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.
Additionally, the second volume was released on December 19.
The third volume was released on February 20, 2019.
The content has been revised and expanded from the content posted on “Shosetsuka ni Narou,” and includes unpublished interlude chapters.
Please be sure to check out the new releases as well!!
The comic adaptation in Kodansha’s “Young Magazine The Third” was published in issue 9.
We hope you enjoy that as well.
We appreciate your continued support of this work.
