Entering a Company From Another World! – Chapter 419

I’m sleepy.

Honestly, I’m sleepy.

It’s surprising how much this lack of sleep is affecting me, perhaps because I’ve been living a healthy life with sufficient sleep recently.

Not too long ago, I could boast that sleep was something to be cut, but my current body doesn’t adapt that way anymore.

While I’m happy to be healthy, feeling inconvenienced at times like this is, in a way, a luxurious problem to have.

Normally, I’d reinforce my body with mana and push through, but since I can’t do that, I have no choice but to awaken my mind with caffeine and somehow manage with sheer willpower and concentration.

Yeah, it’s all about the spirit.

I want to file a complaint with Mimamori-sama for doing this to me, but I’m seriously contemplating how to even complain to a god, and of course, nothing comes to mind. Feeling somewhat down, I head into today’s meeting.

“Therefore, from our perspective…”

“No, that’s not to say…”

Day in and day out, Evia’s tongue is quick, and Kase’s opposing mouth is equally agile.

Just when you think you’ve made progress, the search for a compromise begins on the next stage, such is the nature of national negotiations.

I’m getting used to the slow progress, so that’s fine, but I need to do something about this sleepiness.
Should I blame Mimamori-sama, the cause of my sleeplessness, or lament my own timid nature for being unable to sleep because of her cryptic words?

While weighing these trivial matters, I fight against this sleepiness.
My eyelids feel slightly heavy, my consciousness dull, and though caffeine and washing my face haven’t fully dispelled the sleepiness, I’m engaged in my work. Yet, not being able to concentrate fully, I find myself thinking of other things.

No, thinking about it normally, it’s impossible not to be bothered when a god tells me I’ll be in a situation where I achieve God Killer.
I considered consulting Evia about it several times, but I hesitated, wondering if I could even bring up something that happened in a dream for consultation.
As a result, I’ve been feeling strangely unsettled and clouded in my mind, watching the meeting before me.

While telling myself to concentrate, my attention isn’t fully engaged.

Even in my current state, I can tell that the atmosphere today is not good.
The Moon Fox I saw last night is also a bit too significant to ignore, a cause for concern.
The Japanese government side doesn’t seem to notice the atmosphere, but the Association side is acting a little strange.
They seem restless and are constantly scanning their surroundings.
Is there some kind of trouble?

What does it mean that Evia, who should be sensitive to such an atmosphere, isn’t saying anything? I find myself thinking unnecessary thoughts.
It’s unacceptable for me, as her bodyguard, to be so distracted, but I have a bad feeling about this.
Or is it? Is this a bad feeling? It feels slightly different, but I can’t be sure.

“…”

However, the fact remains that I have a feeling something is about to happen.
I endure my sleepiness, with the verbal sparring between Evia and Kase as BGM, and focus on guarding my surroundings, trying to anticipate what might occur.
Could it be that the anti-foreign faction within the Association is planning something? I consider the most likely scenario, but my reason immediately dismisses it.
Even if they were to cause trouble, I can’t see any benefit for the opposing forces from doing so.
Even if they were to plan an attack solely on us, it wouldn’t just be in front of the Japanese government, but also in the eyes of foreign diplomats.
It’s a reckless act, and if they were to do it, it would be a suicidal charge fueled by their pride.
Their motivation is nothing short of foolish, and from a third-party perspective, even a child could offer more sensible reasons.
Why bother seeking reasons from such a ridiculous group?
As an outsider, I’ll have to deal with it on the spot.
I glance around, but there’s no suspicious movement.
The Japanese government’s guards, unlike me, are diligently performing their duties.

“…!”

“…”

Kase’s voice suddenly resonates. I extend my senses thinly, trying to pick up as much environmental information as possible, disregarding the content.
I can hear Evia’s voice as well, but I don’t grasp the details, just focusing on the key points for necessary information.
Is this strange feeling coming from the American side? No, they’re carrying out their duties as well, so that’s unlikely.
In fact, they’re the first ones I’d exclude.
So, who is the main suspect?
The Association is the most suspicious, but if Kirie-san is hiding something, it’s definitely a scheme.
However, it’s absolutely imperative that physical, or more specifically, combat-like actions, are not realized in a manner akin to terrorism.
They should be aware of that line.
So, will this premonition end up being unfounded? If I were asked, I would definitely say no.
If it’s wrong, there’s no problem.
It will just be a case of worrying for nothing.
However, if something were to happen, being completely unprepared is out of the question.
That’s why I’m so alert and vigilant…

“?”

Then, I notice something.
And I instinctively felt that this was what Kirie-san and the Association were wary of.
It’s on the opposite side from me.
That is, the scenery in the direction of Kase and the government side.
The garden.
Of course, the government guards are also looking in that direction, but they don’t seem to have noticed.
Naturally.
It’s just a “wild fox.” It’s wrong to even be concerned about it.
When people are wary, it’s usually of something man-made.
They might recognize it, but it’s normal to think it just wandered in.
I too would have overlooked it if I hadn’t focused on one particular point.
That point is:
Why is it looking up at the sky with a displeased expression? For a wild fox, its expression and gestures are too human-like.
It repeatedly looks between us and the sky, and with an expression unlike a fox, it seems to be confirming, “Are you really going to do it?”
If there were such a fox, people like me, who are becoming immersed in fantasy, would find it strange.
However, the government personnel are still too lax in their understanding.
They are acting on the common sense that wild animals are manageable with a certain amount of knowledge, and their danger can be assessed, so they only perceive the fox’s movements as merely strange.
But, for us, the story is different.
The wild fox that walks with light steps seems to me like a suspicious intruder approaching.

“Jiro.”

Evia stopped my movement, cutting off her conversation with Kase because I got ready to move.
There’s no need to ask why.
Because I moved, the government guards also all reached for their weapons simultaneously.
However, the Association side didn’t move.
Instead, they sighed in that way behind the government guards and looked at the fox, which made a sighing gesture, with faces of surprise.
And then, it happened.
Simultaneously, I heard a loud popping sound, and smoke filled the air before me.
My body quickly channeled magic within me, strengthening myself, and I stood in front of Evia.
I saw clearly what happened during that movement.
In a world moving in slow motion, two guards are trying to respond to the explosion behind them, and three guards are trying to protect their protectee.
While I admired their well-trained movements, my admiration was extinguished by the being that emerged from the smoke.

“…Huh?”

It was the large fox with silvery-white fur that I saw in the night sky last night.
A red line runs under its eyes, and its sharp fangs, visible from its mouth, are so sharp that one could easily chew through a human.
However, despite the appearance of such a beast, I couldn’t help but let out a foolish sound.
It was evident that the guards and the government personnel were also doing the same.

“Welcome, fluffy! Free hugs!!”

Attached to its neck was a handmade wooden board, with strangely elegant calligraphy. The first thought that came to my mind was:

“No, you can’t hug a fox.”

It was common knowledge that touching a fox was dangerous, a hazy recollection in my mind.
I felt sorry for the Moon Fox, enduring the awkward silence of a joke that fell completely flat in a serious situation, rather than the unfolding of events.
After all, this action was probably not its own, but done by someone’s instruction.
The Moon Fox is, in a way, a victim.
We, who were on guard, were the fools.

“Eh! Why not?! It’s fluffy! I brush it every day, so its fur is the softest! It smells like sunshine!”

And from behind that large shadow, a girl popped out, objecting. It was Mimamori-sama.
Regarding her statement, I mentally thought that the smell was actually from dead mites, but I didn’t say it aloud.
Also, I wondered how a Moon Fox could smell like sunshine, and I looked to Evia for direction on how to proceed.
She was desperately trying to hold back her laughter, so it seemed it would take some time for her to give me instructions.
The government side, who didn’t know about Mimamori-sama’s presence, seemed to be in the same predicament. They instinctively drew out black L-shaped objects from their waistbands, but were surprised by the girl’s sudden appearance and were at a loss about how to respond.
What I clearly wanted to say at that moment was that one should know the time, place, and situation, applying the common sense of humans.

“Hehehe, is it a problem to apply our common sense to a god?”

“Is that the problem? What are we going to do? The atmosphere is completely ruined.”

However, as Evia says, that common sense is merely a rule that humans have arbitrarily set.
The fact that we are sitting here face-to-face, negotiating and setting rules is also something we have decided on our own.
For a god, these rules hold no meaning.

“Hmm! You guys are so slow, so I brought the solution myself!! I think it’s wrong to laugh at me!!”

We were competing on the board of this negotiation, but this is an attack from off the board.
Is it divine for her to consider this good? Her insistence that it’s goodwill even makes the corner of my mouth twitch.

“Y-you! It’s dangerous to be near such a large beast, child! Come over here!”

And there are adults who, even with ignorance, try to act in good faith based on adult common sense.
Perhaps it’s because she works at the Ministry of Defense, or perhaps it’s her innate disposition.
Seeing the sight of a child playing with a large beast, Akebono shouts with quick judgment, but I thought it was meaningless.

“Ah, do you say that? This child doesn’t attack people indiscriminately! Don’t compare her to some vengeful god!!”

Gods cannot be bound by humans.
While a god may listen to the words of humans younger than them, or change their actions, they will almost never obey human words.
Thinking this, I somehow felt detached, realizing “So this is what that strange feeling was about,” and subtly changed my position to try and have Evia evacuate.

“Evia, take three steps back.”

“?”

Sudden events like this.
A difficult situation to deal with.
However, within this, there is one predictable element.
As if to answer Evia’s puzzled expression, I subtly directed my gaze in a certain direction.

“Oh?”

“Before you get caught up in it, right?”

“Ah, that would be better.”

After grinning, finding something interesting, she takes three steps back as I instructed.
Though, three steps or so can’t achieve much, it’s just about the right distance to keep.
Because a certain person approaches Mimamori-sama with a relaxed gait, yet without a hint of presence, and despite being smiling, emanates anger, presenting a contradictory figure.
Standing behind the god who is lecturing an adult.

“What are you doing? Mimamori-sama?”

With a sound like a “zwash,” a magnificent grab, or should I say, an iron claw?

“Ah, Kirie. This is, well…”

And from that action, it’s clear that the act of completely ruining this negotiation was solely the god’s decision.
The stress she was exuding, evident in the sound she was making, which no ordinary woman’s grip could produce, suggests her level of anger.
Watching with bated breath to see what the god would say to her, Mimamori-sama, taking a deep breath, opened her mouth.

“It’s, like, a divine revelation? Kind of.”

The moment I heard that, I felt like I heard something snap.

“If that’s the case, do it properly!!”

And, needless to say, lightning struck.

Today’s word: Lack of sleep is the enemy of work.

Thank you for your continued feedback and for pointing out any typos.
If you find this interesting, please leave your feedback, ratings, bookmarks, etc.

*The first volume of this 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 version posted on Shousetsuka ni Narou, with the inclusion of unpublished interlude chapters.
Please also consider purchasing the new releases!

We appreciate your continued support of this work.