Entering a Company From Another World! – Chapter 106

Jiro Tanaka, 28, has a girlfriend.

His girlfriend is Suella Hendelberg.

Memoria Tris.

Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time Employee).
Magic Aptitude: 9 (Quasi Demon Lord Class).
Position: Warrior.

“So? First, I’ll listen to your excuses.”

“Jiro-san, you’re scary.”

“Huh?”

I believe that reprimanding someone outright is not the proper way to handle things.
If there are circumstances, I listen to them before offering advice.
How they choose to act on that advice, or whether they choose to act on it at all, is up to them; that’s my method.
Unjustified scolding only saps the other person’s motivation.
This is a judgment based on experience: such actions reduce work efficiency and increase my workload.
Well, I hope you can overlook me using a ‘stern instructor’s smile’ to intimidate.

“Uhm…”

I take out a cigarette and assume a listening posture.
I’d like to sit down somewhere comfortable and take a break, but unfortunately, Minami and Kitamiya, who can erect barriers, are not here.
Therefore, I need to be vigilant, so we’ll have to stand and chat.
Amelia, avoiding eye contact like a elementary school student caught hiding something, hesitates on whether to speak or not.

“Jiro-san, are you angry?”

“I’m asking you for the information needed to determine whether I should be angry, aren’t I?”

I sigh when my question is met with another question, but I’m not so short-tempered as to be easily upset by something like that.
Right now, I have no intention of getting angry unless something truly significant happens.
Even if I say I won’t get angry, most people don’t believe me, which is why I end up speaking like this.

“…Well, you see. I haven’t been in the party for very long, have I?”

“You could say that.”

Amelia has been working part-time at this company for a little over a month. Compared to the other members, her experience is overwhelmingly less.
Therefore, based on her skills and body movements, I assigned her the role of scout, focusing on information gathering with minimal direct combat.

“Just like with dancing, you need a lot of practice to get better, and I don’t have many friends here, so I have a lot of free time… ah.”

“Yes, yes, I understand. So that’s what it is.”

Without letting Amelia finish, I place my hand on her head as if to pat it.
Scouting is a crucial position for gathering information in dungeons.
However, our party has Minami’s exploration magic.
There were few situations where Amelia’s ears would be absolutely essential.
Furthermore, I didn’t have her engage in direct combat.
In a way, it was my mistake.
There are quite a few people who are bothered by not being needed.
Amelia was that type of person.
That’s why she was trying to brave the dungeon alone like this.

“Amelia, didn’t I tell you something?”

“Umm, what was it, Jiro-san? Also, what’s with this hand?”

“Hmm? This is me preparing to slowly apply more force. Now, when I was instructing you, didn’t I say this? ‘Don’t go in alone until your training is complete.'”

“Oh!? Owie, owie, owie!?”

Amelia’s skill is already higher than mine was when I joined the company.
Her high magic aptitude of 8, coupled with her talent for flexible absorption, allowed her to train while tackling dungeons.
However, her experience as a combatant is limited.
Perhaps that’s why I’ve been a bit overprotective.
Reflecting on my judgment errors, which I consider failures, I increase my grip strength, inflicting precise pain.

“I told you to ask someone if you wanted to enter a dungeon, but was I mistaken?”

However, that’s a separate matter.
While I need to reflect on this failure, I also need to properly guide a junior who didn’t follow instructions.

“No! I heard you!!”

“Then, abide by it. I’m not saying this to bully you.”

“Ugh, that hurt… But everyone was off today.”

“Don’t hold back. Unless you have a really important reason, I’ll go with you if you ask. It’s more problematic to receive reports of you developing trauma after being beaten up in a dungeon. Be careful next time.”

“Okay.”

“Then the lecture is over.”

This should be sufficient for a first lecture.
If it were the second time, I’d have to do something more memorable, but there’s no need to go all out from the start.
As I quickly remove my hand, Amelia rubs her aching head. While she has an American-like cheerful side, she also exhibits a Japanese tendency to be reserved.
Today, that reserved side just manifested poorly.

“Hmm, causing damage to Amī without leaving lasting repercussions. A masterful attack.”

“Ugh, why is only my body taking damage?”

“I’m just a soul living here as a guest. I don’t have control over your body, so I don’t feel pain. It’s my privilege to sleep in spaces without mana.”

Judging that there was nothing more needed to be said to Amelia, I ended the lecture abruptly.
Amelia casually complains to her housemate.
Now that the lecture is over, it’s time for me to reflect.
This time, she became anxious about not being a valuable asset, so she trained in a place away from us.
As a leader, I cannot let such a situation continue.

“That’s unfair.”

“It’s not unfair. More importantly, Amī, I recommend you look at him?”

“Jiro-san? Oh, oh.”

Mike must have noticed my gaze sharpen.
And at the same time, just as I started to smile broadly, Amelia looked up.
From Amelia’s perspective, my face must have looked like that of a man plotting something wicked.
Amelia broke into a cold sweat as if from a manga, her usual sunflower-like smile contorting.

“Now then, Amelia.”

“W-What is it, Jiro-san?”

“Well, I am reflecting on how I made you feel uneasy. Ah, I still believe my decision at the time was correct in not letting you fight directly, as I was a bit overprotective. However, looking only at the result, one could say my judgment was mistaken.”

“N-No, that’s not true? I did it on my own.”

She intuitively realized that this would be bad if I continued talking. Amelia tried to interrupt me.
But it was too late.

“Therefore, let’s have some practical training, shall we, Amelia? Don’t worry. It seems the teaching material has arrived on its own.”

“Eh?”

Thump, thump, thump, thump. The clear sound of approaching footsteps announced its arrival.
And smoke rising from the hilltop…

“Oh, a dungeon fort making full use of the natural stronghold. The defensive equipment is quite sufficient.”

“W-What shall we do, Jiro-san? There are so many of them, it’s dangerous!”

“If you stumble at something like this, you won’t get any further.”

A Cyclops unit with support-oriented ballistae positioned on the cliff.
Not one or two, but at least ten.
A generous spread for two testers.

“Unfortunately, Amelia, it seems there is no retreat. Look behind you.”

“Huh? Whaaaaaat!?”

As if checking for an escape route, enemies are also pouring in from the descent route.
And what’s more, there are many with greatshields.
They are fully intent on stalling us.
At this rate, the area below the cliff might not be safe either.

“Indeed, enemies that move in an organized manner are troublesome.”

“That’s not something to say while smiling, Jiro-san!! Wh-What shall we do!!”

“What, it’s simple.”

Seeing Amelia flustered, I am reminded of my past self and feel a sense of nostalgia. I smile gently at Amelia.

“Just defeat them all.”

“…What?”

Ah, I realize how much I’ve been influenced by my instructor, and I intentionally ignore Amelia’s expression, which clearly conveys that she doesn’t understand what I’m saying.
I extinguish the cigarette and, as a matter of etiquette, place it in my portable ashtray.
Then, I place my hand on the hilt of the Ore Tree plunged into the ground.

“Be quick and precise with your preparations. We’ll attack before they’re ready.”

“No, no, no, no!! Let’s run away!”

“Amelia.”

“Yes?”

“Make up your mind.”

“No!?”

“Don’t stray from me!”

“Stop! Stop!! Jiro-san!!”

And so, I charge at the enemy force with all my might, cleaving the leading group in a single stroke.
While making the Cyclops in the air my stage, I turn my face back.

“Shall we put on a show?”

“Ugh, I understand!!”

I forcibly make Amelia resolve herself.

***

Then, time flows, and it’s dinnertime.

“I can’t believe it!”

“Sorry.”

As a result, I treated Amelia, who was in a terrible mood, to dinner at the underground facility’s dining area to lift her spirits.
I sip my post-dinner coffee, while Amelia, saying it’s good for replenishing her tired body with sugar, is on her third slice of cake.

“Even if it’s you, Jiro-san, there are things you should and shouldn’t do!!”

“Either eat or complain. Choose one.”

“…”

“She’s eating, Amī.”

The battle inside the dungeon, where I unceremoniously threw her into the thick of the enemy, concluded without incident.
It wasn’t a battle where Amelia was in a scout or support role; it was an Amelia-centric battle with me as the support. Though clumsy, she showed her talent.

“Sheesh, Mike, what do you think of Amelia’s fighting style?”

“There’s still room for improvement, but it’s passing, I’d say?”

“Being able to leap around like that is sufficient. In terms of speed, she even surpasses Kaido.”

“Amī has excellent hearing. Once she grasps the opponent’s position through sound, her other senses support her, and she rarely misses an attack. I believe continuing to develop her current strengths is the best approach.”

Amidst the chaotic melee, Amelia, while I stood firm and cut down the swarming enemies in a single stroke, leaped around, using even the enemies as stepping stones.
One might describe her as an assassin who strikes from the front with surprise attacks.
If you try to attack head-on, she’ll feint, guide your sight, and before you know it, you’re being cut down.
Despite the cacophony of sounds in the chaotic battle, she accurately assesses her surroundings.

“Speaking of which, you’re the one who taught Amelia how to use those artillery attacks, aren’t you?”

“Well, if you say I taught her, then I suppose I did. Amī is a quick learner, so I got carried away.”

Furthermore, despite her armament, a knife, which might typically lead to insufficient attack power, she compensates for this by possessing “magic cannons” as a means of attack.
According to this Demon Lord’s soul, her reason for challenging the dungeon was to control these magic cannons.
I never thought a magic laser would shoot out just by holding up her hand.
Fortunately, it’s a welcome miscalculation that we now have a reliable mobile combatant in our party.

“I wish you had at least informed me about that.”

“I wanted to surprise you a little.”

“Surprises have no place in work. Give me back my effort.”

“I can’t, since I don’t have a body. I’d ask Amī, but she’s currently engrossed in cake.”

“…It seems so.”

However, considering the effort I had to expend during combat to understand that unexpected development, I have a few complaints for this Demon Lord.
When you’re fighting, it’s surprisingly tiring to divide your attention not just to yourself but also to your companions.
I recall the surprise I felt when I saw Amelia, who had taken a position where she could assist at any moment and was preparing to block long-range attacks, unleash a magic cannon after gathering mana.

“Haa.”

However, it feels off when my own work is going well, but the work of those around me is not.
The sigh that escapes after taking a sip of coffee is a sign of my worries.
The problem that popped up has been resolved, and my thoughts have become clearer thanks to the outburst, but the initial problem still remains unresolved.

“What should I do, I wonder?”

“Are you worrying about something?”

I had left Amelia’s mood to recover naturally, but she must have recovered faster than I expected. She interjected into the conversation, picking up on a word I let slip.

“No.”

I intended to tell her it was nothing, but seeing Amelia looking at me intently, I recalled today’s reflections.
Faced with the fact that I had made her feel uneasy by being too unreliable, I made an excuse to myself that there was no point in worrying alone.

“I’m just troubled by a matter concerning testers.”

“Haidō-san and the others?”

“No, with other parties. Generally, we don’t interact with other parties, right? Well, it’s become a bit of a problem lately. It’s not urgent, but it’s not something we can leave unattended either.”

With a “nothing to lose” attitude, I explained the recent quarrel a bit vaguely. Amelia pondered for a moment, then…

“Then, let’s have a barbecue! If we gather all the testers, it’ll surely be fun!”

She enthusiastically suggested. That thought process is very American.
The idea of gathering, having fun, and enjoying ourselves isn’t bad.
However, the current relationship between the testers is far from good.

“It’s not a bad idea. I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Yes! We definitely have to do it!!”

I couldn’t brusquely dismiss her innocent suggestion, so I responded vaguely. In fact, Amelia’s idea wasn’t bad.
Using it as a foundation might lead to a good plan.

“Um, though, just a barbecue might not be enough. What if we did some kind of event?”

“Event?”

“Yes!! I’m sure a barbecue will be even more exciting if we do an event together!”

An event, an event.
As I repeated it in my mind a few times, a thought suddenly came to me.
I might have come up with something.

“I see, an event. It might be good to try that.”

“Right!”

It’s a change of mindset.
Up until now, I’ve been thinking of things within the framework of my job.
If I step outside that frame, surprisingly good ideas emerge.
For now, I’ll put the idea I’ve come up with aside.

“Amelia.”

“Yes?”

“Want some cake?”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Yes!! Waiter!!”

For now, I’ll offer a reward to the comrade who helped me solve my work problem.

Jiro Tanaka, 28, has a girlfriend.
His girlfriend is Suella Hendelberg.
Memoria Tris.
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time Employee).
Magic Aptitude: 9 (Quasi Demon Lord Class).
Position: Warrior.

Today’s Word:
While it may be difficult to consult others, it’s better not to hold back.

This concludes this installment.
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