As the banquet reached its peak, the atmosphere in the venue gradually calmed down as people ate and drank.
Conversations flowed, with everyone reporting on their recent lives and delving into personal matters. Despite the effects of the alcohol, the mood was pleasant.
Kaido and the others, perhaps due to the enhancements from their Magic Crests, were not completely drunk.
“It’s about time.”
“Kaido, Minami, could I have a moment of your time?”
“Huh? What is it, senpai?”
“Oh, my. Such a serious atmosphere.”
It wasn’t a raucous party, but after such a long time, there was so much to talk about that things had gotten quite lively.
Unfortunately, after I finished enjoying the time I’d managed to carve out by pushing my work forward, Keiri quietly pinched my cheek.
“Well, it’s partly to check on your recent situations, but this is the main topic.”
To avoid that, I placed my sake glass, the number of refills of which I’d lost count, on the table and beckoned Minami and Kaido over.
“The main topic… I have a premonition that this is going to be troublesome.”
“Then it’ll be alright. Kaido-senpai’s premonition success rate isn’t that high, gojaru.”
“That’s true.”
“That may be so for Min-chan, but Kitamiya-chan too!?”
My business was only with Kaido and Minami, but if there were things I didn’t want others to hear, I wouldn’t have called everyone else.
Thus, the rest of the group, judging it to be something they could hear, naturally turned their attention this way. Kitamiya, while also sipping from her glass, mumbled in agreement with Minami’s words.
Kaido lamented sadly at this confirmation, but that was also…
“Well, it’s fine then.”
Seeing their exchange, which could be taken as an invitation, Kaido and Minami…
“Why are you sitting in seiza?”
“No, if it’s an important talk, this is the proper posture, suppu.”
“That is so, gozaru.”
They said this with determined faces, creating a playful atmosphere.
They must think that since they’re enhanced by their Magic Crests, seiza is no problem.
“Well, if you’re going to do it, then see it through to the end, alright?”
However, the story I’m about to tell is quite long, you know.
Seiza is fine if you’re used to it and sit properly, but for an amateur, it can put quite a strain on your legs.
The two replied with smiles, of course. Perhaps it was recklessness fueled by alcohol.
“Alright then, to the main subject, do you two want to get promoted?”
From my perspective, I didn’t care about their posture as long as they listened.
“Promoted, you say?”
“Eeeh, I don’t want to, gozaru. I absolutely hate taking on responsibility, gozaru.”
That’s why I intended to tell Kaido and the others about handing over my position without them worrying, but as soon as they heard the word “promotion,” Minami rejected it with crossed arms.
“Besides, if I get promoted, I’ll be in the same position as those section chiefs and have to deal with all sorts of adjustments, won’t I? I don’t want to do anything so troublesome, gozaru.”
To be rejected by the main candidate, Minami.
In a way, that was within my expectations.
“And for the record, I never said I was appointing you section chiefs.”
However, her specific reason for refusal was strange.
“Of course, I know that, gozaru!! The leader’s recent busyness, their withdrawal from Tester activities, coupled with the recent unsettling rumors, has made it necessary to entrust the management of the Dungeon Test Department to someone else. But, with factional politics, I want to keep it within my own circle. That means either Kaido-senpai or I will be chosen. QED!!”
“I like your ability to grasp things quickly.”
Thanks to Minami’s quick thinking, I was able to skip most of the explanation.
“I’m happy you like me, gozaru, but I have Katsu, gozaru.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. Getting back to the point, my work is going to get even busier from now on, and frankly, I won’t have the time to manage that aspect.”
Minami had dominated the atmosphere, but I continued to speak in a relaxed tone despite the serious nature of the topic.
I cut off the part where she linked the word “like” to romantic feelings between sexes and tried to steer the conversation back.
“To be frank, if someone I’m not connected to becomes section chief, dealing with you lot will become extremely troublesome.”
“Is the factional strife really that bad?”
If the entire First Division was involved in this adjustment, they couldn’t remain uninvolved.
Kitamiya, sensing this, joined the conversation.
“To be even more frank, it’s worse than just ‘bad,’ I’d say. Just being a newcomer General has made us a target, but more than that, the enemy has started to get serious.”
“…”
I understood their gasp.
If I weren’t involved, I’d probably just frown and call it troublesome.
“It’s becoming precarious to even draw the line between who is an ally and who is an enemy.”
If the enemy were purely Isal, I could just be wary of their connections. But now, the enemy includes members of the Demon Lord’s Army.
“A wolf in sheep’s clothing” is what’s raising my vigilance.
“That’s why I want to entrust the First Division to someone I can trust and solidify our foundation.”
Even in this increasingly treacherous environment, I can trust the people here.
That’s why I want to ask them to take over.
“Why am I a candidate, gozaru? I understand Kaido-senpai, but I don’t understand myself, gozaru. If it’s about leadership, I think Kitamiya is more suited than I am, gozaru.”
She seemed to understand my situation.
If this continues, my own movements will become restricted.
I understood the need to become even slightly more agile, but Minami still conveyed her unwillingness.
If she’s this reluctant, perhaps it’s better to leave it to Kaido and involve Amili-san as a guardian.
I certainly don’t want to force her.
“Minami is confirmed to become a full-time employee, but Kitamiya still hasn’t given her reply about whether she’ll become a full-time employee. I can’t make an part-time employee a section chief, you know.”
“Karen, are you intending to decline such an excellent position?”
However, I need to explain the selection criteria properly.
“My parents are being difficult right now. I’m trying to persuade them. I want to become a full-time employee quickly too!”
Kitamiya also had the potential to become a section chief, but the MAO Corporation’s advance into the world had cast a negative influence.
In fact, she’s apparently being told to quit the company immediately and is in the midst of a quarrel.
I can understand both Kitamiya’s feelings and her parents’ feelings.
The work at this company is inherently quite dangerous.
It’s physically, mentally, and painfully demanding.
And what we do is nothing short of violence.
I can understand the feelings of Kitamiya’s parents, who loathe it and want her to distance herself from it.
But on the other hand, I can also understand Kitamiya’s feelings, having found a sense of purpose and a place where she belongs by making friends here.
Personally, I lean towards Kitamiya’s perspective.
And upon hearing “parents,” Minami’s face contorts visibly.
Given her upbringing, this reaction is understandable.
Kaido’s parents were understanding, so there were no particular issues.
Amelia’s mother already works for the company, so she says nothing about Amelia’s job now.
Katsu’s parents are not interested in Katsu; unless I contact them, there’s no response from their end.
Minami has had a bad relationship with her parents since childhood, and she herself claims she doesn’t want any part of them.
Amidst such circumstances, Kitamiya has a normal relationship with her parents and respects them.
Therefore, she can’t simply dismiss them, yet she can’t back down either.
This relationship has become troublesome.
If she forcefully pursues her own convenience, the relationship between parent and child will break down.
Kitamiya fears that.
“For that reason, if I were to recommend Kitamiya for the section chief position, I would be worsening the parent-child relationship with my own hands. I really can’t do that. Katsu and Amelia are simply too young.”
“If you say so, then there’s nothing to be done, gozaru.”
With those factors involved, the recommendation for section chief this time fell through.
Minami reluctantly accepted the situation, but…
“Then it has to be Kaido-senpai, doesn’t it? There’s no need to hesitate, gozaru.”
“I wish it were that simple…”
“Minami-chan, I’m not strong enough, suppu.”
Even so, she insisted she couldn’t do it and tried to shift the target to Kaido.
However, Kaido gently deflected her gaze away from himself.
“This company is meritocratic, suppu. My status is still growing, suppu, but compared to everyone else, my growth is quite slow, suppu. I haven’t given up yet, but even so, in this turbulent situation, can I really say I have the ability to become management? I know myself that I can’t.”
Kaido understands his own capabilities.
He doesn’t say he’s weak.
In fact, Kaido’s strength is already at the mid-tier or higher within the Demon Lord’s Army.
With the skillful use of his specialized weaponry, he can contend with the higher ranks.
However, he cannot compete with the strength of the very top tier.
Kaido’s strength is limited.
And it hasn’t yet overcome the decisive difference in talent known as magic compatibility.
Time, there isn’t enough time.
“What? Are you trying to get serious? You just don’t want to be the person in charge, just like me, don’t you?”
“Ah, you saw through me, suppu?”
While he said it jokingly, his previous words were also genuine.
Kaido, who had been making a serious face while sitting in seiza, playfully admitted he was found out. However, if asked, Kaido would probably become a section chief.
But, as Keiri and I assessed, Kaido’s strength hasn’t reached that level yet.
He lacks the power to maintain that position.
“Please don’t subtly shift the responsibility onto me, gozaru.”
“Ehh, but Minami-chan is definitely more suited for it.”
“I absolutely don’t want to do administrative work, gozaru. I saw the leader’s work when it was their main job, and I was convinced then that it was impossible for me, gozaru.”
If I had another year, I would have recommended Kaido for section chief without hesitation.
I could even train him with Valse-san’s help, but that would likely instill some peculiar habits.
“Even so, you’re more suited than I am, suppu.”
“No, no, Kaido-senpai joined the company before I did, gozaru.”
Becoming a section chief would mean a pay raise, but they are already earning quite a good amount even now, so it’s not that attractive to either of them.
Rather, they seem to perceive the risk of being involved in the power struggle as a significant disadvantage.
I understand their feelings and can empathize.
If I heard that story myself, I might also decline.
“Is that so? Do you dislike it that much?”
“I dislike it.” (Both responded)
Honestly, I had anticipated this possibility.
Kaido and Minami are not particularly attached to power or status.
Their mindset is to earn enough within the scope they enjoy.
They have a sense of responsibility, but the scope of what they are willing to bear is narrow.
In that sense, Kitamiya and Katsu have personalities better suited for leadership.
“Then, I understand. Forcing it would lead to no good results.”
Explaining the situation and coercing them into management out of sympathy would yield nothing positive. This seems like the point to withdraw.
“We’re the ones who shouldn’t be asked in the first place. Me, gozaru? I was a shut-in half my life, gozaru.”
“If you’re going to say that, I was a former delinquent corporate slave, suppu.”
Still, their self-evaluation is quite low.
“Don’t be silly. I brought this to you because I trust you. Don’t put yourselves down so much.”
Well then, since I’ve been refused, I’ll have to think of another approach.
Today’s word:
Reading the flow of the conversation makes things proceed more smoothly.
Thank you for your continued feedback and for pointing out any typos.
If you find this interesting, please leave a review, rating, bookmark, etc.
I am currently serializing another work:
Pandora Pandemic Panic. The Pandora’s Box has been reopened, but we’re fighting back with various activities in our secret base!!
Please check that out as well!!
