When people hear the word “management,” they tend to have either a positive or negative image of it.
Some see them as an annoying presence, leaving work on time while others are still working, while others respect them for taking responsibility and helping their subordinates when they fail. The impression changes depending on the people and environment around them.
Furthermore, the struggles that regular employees are unaware of can also create a perception that some people don’t know what they’re doing.
“Manager Tanaka, the report is ready. I just sent it to you via email.”
“Understood. I’ll check it.”
“Manager, I have a question regarding the conquest of the Undead King’s Dungeon the other day.”
“Ah, that part.”
“Manager Tanaka, the Shopping Street reported on this month’s consumable supplies.”
“Thank you. Please tell them I’ll contact them back after I’ve reviewed this.”
I’m now experiencing that firsthand.
The main job of management is, quite literally, managing subordinates.
That’s a simple way to put it, but the word “management” itself is tricky.
To be blunt, would it be better to say the scope is wide? If the style were “do as you please and just produce results, failures are the subordinates’ responsibility,” then there would be less hardship, but that doesn’t fly here.
Literally, you have to grasp what your subordinates are doing, what kind of results they’re achieving, and what outcomes have occurred.
However, micromanaging everything would lead to a loss of the subordinates’ autonomy, making the balance difficult to strike.
It’s often said that important people should just sit in their chairs.
Honestly, at first, I was nervous every time a report came in and relieved when I read the content and realized no one found out.
“Manager! May I have a moment?”
“Yes.”
And what you need to grasp isn’t just your subordinates, but also the operational status of the department accurately.
In a fantasy setting, it would be like managing a guild.
Preparing an environment where the Dungeon Tester employees can work smoothly is also part of the manager’s job.
I check the content of the report from the Third Division’s section chief, answer questions from the Sixth Division’s section chief, and consider how to handle the information from a Dark Elf, who is different from Keiri-san. To be honest, it’s just busy.
“Senpai! About today’s Dungeon Attack…”
“Yes, we’re going to the Dragon King’s as planned. Kaido, unfortunately, Kitamiya isn’t here today, so please inform Minami’s team and set up the attack schedule.”
“Understood!”
I may not be listening to multiple people simultaneously like Prince Shotoku, but a line frequently forms in front of my desk, like at a popular ramen shop.
It’s probably because the department has only recently become operational, and the newcomers have a lot of questions. Praying that things will eventually calm down, I ask Kaido to make preparations for the afternoon, and I diligently focus on the administrative work I need to finish in the morning.
Ah, to think that I can now do the high-speed processing I saw the employees do when I first joined the company; it makes me feel both happy and sad.
“Jiro-kun.”
“Keiri-san, that’s fine in private, but during work…”
“Sorry. I got carried away, didn’t I?”
As I’m taking care of various tasks like that, Keiri-san comes next.
Her short hair and vibrant smile.
She’s older than me, but I’m in a superior position.
Even though our positions have switched in just one year, she doesn’t seem particularly bothered and speaks to me with a slight hint of teasing, holding documents in one hand. She has a sense of responsibility, but her stance is that she’ll get promoted if she can, and if not, she won’t. I often have opportunities to talk with her. After all, she handles the administrative coordination for our department. It would be a problem if we didn’t talk.
“So? What is it? I’ve already reviewed the report from the Supervisor.”
While feeling a sense of incongruity calling Evia “Supervisor” during work, I bring up the topic of the report she handed to me the other day. It’s a report stating that the number of monsters on the continent is gradually increasing. It’s an unsettling report, but unfortunately, it’s about another world. It’s not something I can do anything about, so it’s only a matter of concern.
“This is something else. Here. The performance of other departments.”
“This… isn’t this sensitive information?”
However, it seems to be a different matter, and the document she casually hands me details how departments Two and Three are currently achieving their results. As I look back and forth between the shocking documents and Keiri-san, she grins with a smug look.
“Right? So please don’t show this to anyone else.”
“I understand.”
I don’t know how she managed it, but I suspect she has her own connections. I immediately look at the contents, and I can feel my eyes narrow.
“………This is.”
“Yes, Department Two took a bold step. What do you think of it as a department head?”
From the contents of the document, it’s clear that Department Two’s operational approach is very straightforward.
“They’re focusing solely on the Onio’s Dungeon, so that means…”
It has to be said that dedicating the entire department’s efforts is a bold move. Department Two’s performance initially involved various dungeons, but now they only go to Onio’s Dungeon. The reason for this is likely their judgment that Instructor Kio’s dungeon yields the best results. From an outsider’s perspective, this could be seen as a bold action or even a naive decision. While Keiri-san’s words seem to test me, I ponder for a moment.
“………Such a decision is possible, huh.”
If you were to ask me if I could allocate departmental resources to that extent, I would say no. If it succeeds, they can achieve results faster than anyone else, but if it fails, there’s no turning back. However, it appears to be successful for now. They seem to be achieving considerable results. The day when the deepest level of Onio’s Dungeon is updated might be near. Then, to check the status of Department Three, I turn the page.
“………”
I suspect I understand why Keiri-san showed me this document.
“What do you think?”
“………Ordinary, is all I can say.”
The content is quite unremarkable. Everything is evenly distributed. There are no standout achievements, nor is there any sign of slacking off. I’ve called it ordinary, but perhaps “steady” would be a better description.
“Honestly?”
“Creepy, I’d say.”
I try to choose my words carefully and give a non-committal answer, but it seems she can see right through me. When she asks as if to confirm, I give my honest impression. If Himusumi and Kawasaki were faced with this situation, and I had to choose the textbook action, I would definitely say no.
“Well, I understand what you’re saying as the department head. It’s inevitable that if the head of an organization is like that, this is the result.”
“He was a demon who looked down on his subordinates quite a bit, wasn’t he?”
I don’t want to say that the skills to control those two and achieve this result are amazing. I’ve met the heads of Departments Two and Three as fellow department heads. The head of Department Two is, in a sense, a rationalist who uses whatever he can. I thought he’d be more brutish because of his tiger-like face, but he’s surprisingly the thinking type. On the other hand, the head of Department Three is, well, you could describe him as an old-fashioned noble. Though he never said it, he was full of pride, seeming to consider everyone else beneath him. In fact, he was unhappy that I became a department head and complained. If the head of Department Two thinks about how to use people, the head of Department Three operates with a “I will use you” black-style approach. Himusumi and the others are to be pitied, but on top of that, the question arises whether they will remain quiescent. Two individuals who could destabilize even a dysfunctional company. Those who try to suppress them, and those who try to destroy them. What was the management thinking when they put those two together?
“What do you think, Keiri-san?”
“Who knows? But I doubt things will end quietly.”
“Right?”
I agree with her response as she shrugs her shoulders in exasperation. I don’t harbor any faint hopes of things being peaceful. That’s because my intuition tells me this is the calm before the storm.
“Suella is also about to give birth soon, so I wish this wouldn’t get hectic.”
And, for the sake of the child that will soon be born, I wish for peace, despite my instincts.
“Unlikely, isn’t it? After all, this is the Demon Lord’s Army. They see us as a den of ruffians with no peace.”
“Well, I suppose so.”
The nature of the work is fundamentally rough. It’s more of a contradiction that I’m here dealing with paperwork and management strategies. This is what it means to be unacquainted with peace. I can only agree with Keiri-san’s words as she laughs. Two suspicious matters. I can’t help but consider even those as part of everyday life. I earnestly wish that at least my child won’t be harmed. To think that the people Keiri-san is referring to are a group calling themselves “champions of justice” is almost laughable.
“What should I do with this document?”
“Oh? You’re already done?”
“I’ve memorized everything in it. Could you dispose of it?”
“Certainly.”
And it’s almost time to return to normal operations. A Dungeon Attack is scheduled for the afternoon. I still have several tasks to complete this morning. If I want to leave on time, I need to get back to work. I return the documents I received to Keiri-san and resume checking the submitted reports.
“Good luck, Manager.”
“If you say so, can I assign you a bit more work?”
“Ah, I just remembered I had an urgent task!”
It’s no use if she playfully teases me and then quickly leaves. I put my hand on my neck, lightly stretch it, and then turn back to the computer screen. While operating the mouse with precise clicks, I flip through documents with my free hand. My eyes scan the documents from top to bottom, correcting any typos. It’s work I’m familiar with from my previous company. On the side, I review materials. It’s a task I can handle through multitasking, but if my past self saw me processing it at more than three times the speed of an ordinary person, I’m sure I would be astonished.
“Excuse me, Manager, may I have a moment?”
The newcomers, who are not used to such scenes, seem different, and one of them hesitantly calls out to me.
“Ah, sorry. Is it okay if I work with my hands moving?”
As an application of touch typing, my left hand never leaves the keyboard, but I’m typing documents, and there are no typos. I know what I’m typing and how.
“So, what is it? Was there a problem?”
“Yes, it’s about our party’s equipment. I wanted to consult with you about the budget.”
He glances at my hands occasionally. Was he the section chief of Section Five? Even as I receive the handed-over document with my right hand and carefully read it to grasp the contents, my left hand is constantly working on the documents.
“The cost of the one-handed sword and shield here can be reduced a bit. It’s understandable that the weapons for magic users are expensive, but higher doesn’t always mean better performance. If you consider usability, it should fit within the budget.”
“Y-yes!”
“As for the armor, it would be better to change it to something of slightly higher quality than this. You’re focusing too much on offense; your survivability is precarious.”
“Specifically?”
“For the front-line armor, it would be better to increase the metal ratio a bit. Also, if possible, consider the equipment for the support roles.”
I make quick observations and decide that’s about it. When I hand the document back, he’s still looking at my left hand.
“Is it unusual?”
“Oh, uh, yes.”
“In our company, this is normal. It’s understandable at first, but losing focus is unacceptable. When you talk to someone, concentrate on them.”
“Sorry!”
“Be careful next time, and get used to it.”
Watching him bow his head and leave, I glance at my left hand. It’s typing at high speed, leaving afterimages.
“Well, it’s understandable for a newcomer. I was like that too.”
Thinking that I was like that last year, I pick up the settlement stamp with my right hand and press it firmly onto the document.
Today’s Quote:
Information is gold.
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*The first volume of the book has been published by Hayakawa Bunko JA.
It was released on October 18, 2018.
An e-book version was also released on October 31 of the same year.
Volume two was released on December 19.
The third volume was released on February 20, 2019.
The content has been revised and expanded from the version posted on Shosetsuka ni Narou, with the addition of unpublished intermissions.
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The manga adaptation is being serialized in Kodansha’s “Young Magazine The Third.”
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