Entering a Company From Another World! – Chapter 282

MAOcorporation has various facilities.
The main facility is the Dungeon.
There are dormitories for Dungeon Testers to live in.
There’s an underground facility with shops that sell weapons, armor, food, daily necessities, and even offer adult services.
There are training rooms where the use of weapons and magic is permitted.
Of course, there are offices for conducting the company’s public business and offices for carrying out its true objectives.
There are also warehouses that seem to directly challenge violations of gun control laws.
The building, with its remarkably spacious interior that belies its exterior, is equipped with a diverse range of facilities.
And among them, there are, naturally, facilities that general staff and Dungeon Testers cannot enter.
One such example is the research building.
Here, monsters, traps, and equipment deployed within dungeons are researched day and night, awaiting the day they can be put into actual combat.
The elite staff, comprised of various species, calculate the feasibility of the reports submitted by Dungeon Testers and, if possible, the budget required for their implementation.
Information about the existence of this place is a top secret within the company, and no one without specific authorization is permitted to enter.

“I had heard about it in the reports, but it seems the progress is still not favorable.”
“Yes, sir. As there are many aspects we are still exploring, we are in the trial-and-error stage. We would appreciate a little more time to achieve results.”
“I understand. It is an artifact from a lineage of gods different from our own. It will require considerable time. Also, while not without limit, significant funding will be allocated. I will report to the Demon Lord myself on your behalf. We are expecting results from this investment.”
“Yes, please treat it favorably.”

In the research building, in a room that could be considered the innermost sanctum, are over a dozen researchers, and in the center of them sits a single cylinder.
The beings here are elites selected from the Demon Lord’s Army, a group further chosen from among the exceptionally capable.
This is a group worthy of the highest praise in terms of motivation, knowledge, and loyalty.
Standing before the cylinder is an aged Dark Elf in a white coat, the leader of this elite group.
There are few individuals to whom a person of such caliber, possessing top-class experience and abilities, would bow.
This individual, one of those few, bows his head and converses with Evia, who stands beside him, about the reason for her presence.
Meanwhile, Evia, though listening to the report, does not avert her gaze from the front.
The cylinder before her is enormous.
It can easily hold more than ten people, let alone one.
Stretching from floor to ceiling, its sheer size is captivating.
Beyond the surrounding equipment, it is evident how much investment has gone into this cylinder, underscoring its importance.
If what is contained within were merely valuable, such extensive facilities would not be prepared.
It is here for various reasons, some of which are problematic.

“It still doesn’t move, does it?”
While the equipment might appear excessive to an amateur, those who prepared it deem it insufficient.
What is this existence surrounded by such grand preparations?
At first glance, it might be described as a large key. The dulled, golden object that resembles a key floats in a jade-colored liquid, merely drifting.
Its appearance could be generously described as an antique, or less charitably, as mere junk.
However, given its presence here, it is certainly not junk.
Evia, understanding what it is, sighs regretfully and turns away.
This area, even within Evia’s Dungeon, is equipped with measures to prevent teleportation.
As its owner, she could deactivate them, but due to the secrecy of this location, she does not.
Therefore, she departs on foot.

“I resent my own suspicious nature, unable to readily accept this stroke of luck that has come my way.”
Evia offers a wry smile at her own distrustful personality, unable to truly rejoice in acquiring what appears to be a key.
She understands that this key-like object might determine the future course of the Demon Lord’s Army, but whether it will turn out for good or ill is uncertain.
Glancing back briefly to take in the room containing the cylinder, she walks towards the area where teleportation is possible, without waiting for the door to close.
Her destination is not the Human Resources department where she usually works, nor the President’s office, but an area with security comparable to that of the research building.

“Report the situation.”
Upon entering, she confirms the current situation with a waiting demon at the entrance.
“Yes. Currently, the alliance of the Eclair Kingdom and the Theocratic Nation Tris is engaged in combat with the Hanzibal Empire. After a large-scale battle, a temporary lull has been established.”
“What about the golems prepared by the Empire?”
“They were deployed once and destroyed a fortress of the Kingdom. The army present there was annihilated. I have heard that their capabilities are considerable. I will bring you the report on that matter as well.”
“Understood.”
This is the intelligence division of the Demon Lord’s Army.
It is the department to which spies and secret agents belong.
Operating both domestically and in otherworlds, it is arguably the busiest department in the Demon Lord’s Army at present.
Domestically, they are dealing with rebellions, extinguishing fires, and identifying unruly elements.
In Japan, they are investigating and making contact with Japanese political entities and secretive organizations operating behind the scenes.
In Isal, the alliance of the Kingdom and the Theocratic Nation is fighting against the Empire.
Their activities span from north to south, going far beyond mere movement.
As they handle sensitive information, the department can only be staffed by trustworthy individuals, making personnel replenishment difficult.
As a result, this department is experiencing a death march.

“What about the south? I doubt those merchants will remain silent.”
While they are always gathering information on enemy countries, the winds are currently in the Demon Lord’s Army’s favor.
If they continue to be weakened and eventually find themselves at a disadvantage, it would be beneficial for the Demon Lord’s Army.
One of the crucial elements in this situation is the multi-species allied nation, Harmel.
It is a composite nation of merchants and demi-humans.
It is inhabited by demi-humans such as beastkin, elves, and dwarves, and is characterized by a high volume of merchant traffic due to its trade in rare weapons, armor, medicines, and materials from magic beasts.
Its military strength is comparable to that of three other countries.
It operates under a parliamentary system, with representatives from various species steering the nation’s course.
Its sole drawback is that, being a coalition, its forces are numerous but not as cohesive as those of other nations, making coordinated action difficult.

“The prevailing sentiment from the field is one of observation. While there are requests for support and proposals for alliances from the representatives of various countries, they seem reluctant to be drawn into war, and the response from the leadership has been unenthusiastic. It seems the Alliance and the Empire, preferring not to continue fighting and exhausting themselves and allowing only Harmel to profit, have exercised restraint in the war. However, there are reports suggesting signs of participation from some quarters.”
“I see. The key will be how much the hot-headed beastkin can be restrained… Understood. Continue your close surveillance and investigation. Also, notify the supply department to ensure a steady flow of supplies to the front lines.”
“Yes, sir!”
In the other world, the situation changes from one moment to the next.
Evia issues instructions to keep pace with these developments and then returns to her seat in this department.
In a sense, this is also an area under her jurisdiction.
Of course, there is a person in charge of this department, but that individual is not present, having been dispatched with instructions earlier.
However, this does not mean Evia is deferential.
She boldly takes her seat and peruses the information that has been brought up from below.
It is her duty to meticulously examine this information with her own eyes and report it to the Demon Lord.

“We must also consider our response to Japan.”
This information includes intelligence on Japan.
She is, of course, aware that there is a Japanese “oni” among the new Dungeon Testers.
Moreover, it was Evia herself who permitted her to join the company.
She assumes that from Japan’s perspective, this is their way of sending someone to gauge their reactions, so she has assigned surveillance while allowing her freedom otherwise.
Using her subordinates, she clandestinly approaches underworld organizations within Japan for information exchange and the transfer of goods.
Currently, they are limiting their interactions to connections between organizations, exercising extreme caution regarding contact with the government.
Considering the possibility of making contact with organizations outside of Japan in the future, their actions here must be prudent.
When recruiting overseas Dungeon Testers, she enlisted the help of Shinto-based organizations in Japan to ensure their actions went unnoticed by the government.
In return, they provided supplies as financial support, but this relationship cannot remain static indefinitely.
The key she had just inspected was also an item acquired from Japan.
Evia understands that their relationship is gradually deepening, but dealing with a country with different cultural norms is proving to be quite challenging, and her subordinates’ reports frequently indicate a lack of progress or difficulties in negotiations.
While Evia is aware of her subordinates’ abilities and does not scold them, she finds their lack of progress frustrating yet unavoidable.

“This is a report from the new hires, is it?”
It may seem odd to have new employee reports in the intelligence division, but the recent significant damage caused by the misuse of Dungeon Testers is still fresh in her memory.
Consequently, their handling of Dungeon Testers has become much more cautious compared to last year.
For this reason, their conduct is also being investigated.
This includes their daily demeanor, speech and behavior, and work attitude.
While the process is simplified, it is conducted with the aim of identifying problematic individuals.

“There are a few individuals who warrant attention, I see.”
From the reports, she can see that there are indeed several individuals who require attention, not only for their conduct but also for issues related to their financial sense or ideology.
She lets out a sigh, realizing that because the individuals they are dealing with possess the potential to become heroes, they are likely strong-willed.
Using magic to levitate documents and employing thought-enhancement and vision-enhancement, she processes mountains of paperwork in an instant.

“After this…”
Evia, having moved between the Human Resources department in the morning, the research building at noon, and the intelligence division, recalls her next appointment and prepares to move. However, her smartphone rings.
It vibrates twice.
The setting indicates an incoming call from her private address.
Given the opportune timing, she decides to take a short break, abandoning her intention to stand up and instead ordering coffee.

“… Hmph, that guy…”
Deciding to handle her emails as well, she opens her personal computer and, in the process, opens her personal email folder. The sender is a man who has risen to the ranks of a potential fiancé. The content is quite ordinary, the kind that might be dismissed as trivial among the information she usually handles.

“Good work. I managed to obtain the wine you mentioned wanting the other day, so would you perhaps join me for dinner tonight? I understand you are busy with work, so please contact me when you have some free time. Jiro Tanaka.”
Compared to Jiro, who has flexibility in his schedule as a Dungeon Tester, her own schedule is planned down to the minute.
She tries to recall if anyone has ever sent her such an email, remembering the various titles she has been given, such as “Coldhearted Ice Queen.” No one has ever approached her in this manner.
Perhaps that is why.
Despite needing to attend to other tasks, she finds herself moving one of her busy hands to send a reply to this email.

“If it’s just the two of us, I’ll consider it. Evia.”
She immediately replied with a mere eighteen characters.
It is an action unthinkable for her past self.
Those around her have no idea she is doing this.
Though aware of her own actions, she feels a sense of clarity, as if the lingering unease from earlier has dissipated. With a slight smile curving her lips, no longer a wry smile, she reworks the schedule in her mind, deciding to finish her work a little earlier today and begins to move.

Today’s Word:
Secretly, without being noticed.

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*The first volume of the novel has been published by Hayakawa Bunko JA.
It was released on October 18, 2018.
The e-book version was released on October 31 of the same year.
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 original serialization on Shousetsuka ni Narou, with the addition of unpublished interlude chapters.
Please do consider purchasing the new volumes!

A comic adaptation is being serialized in Kodansha’s “Young Magazine The Third.”
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