I had intended to approach them normally, without any intimidating glare or displeased expression, as one might do during combat. Yet, from their perspective, perhaps it seemed like a dragon was approaching. One of the men surrounding Kaido noticed me, his expression contorted in fear. He bowed his head to Kaido and then quickly scattered like roaches.
Thinking about it, I remember feeling an incredible presence when I first met the instructors. Even though it was their normal demeanor, my safety instincts, not honed by peaceful Japanese society, had warned me that just standing there was dangerous. Was this feeling similar?
“What were those guys just now?”
Wondering how I had acquired such a presence, I approached Kaido with a nonchalant expression. However, I was aware that my relationships with testers, other than my party members, were not good. Lately, I felt I was increasingly seen not just with dislike, but with fear. Of course, when passing colleagues in the company or when greeting them, I’d encounter other Dungeon Testers. While they used to ignore me when I first joined, now they would return my greetings with averted eyes. I almost blurted out, “Am I some kind of hidden boss that shouldn’t be fought?” But the other party was already leaving too quickly for any such banter. Of course, familiar faces like Himusumi, my partner Nanase, and the leader of the female party, Kanzaki, responded normally. But the others, like just now, quickly took their leave.
“Ah, yeah, that’s right…”
When Kaido was surrounded by such people and being pressured, my curiosity got the better of me. What Kaido returned was an expression that seemed to say it was difficult to speak. These were words from people who were so openly avoiding me. It must be something difficult for him to tell me.
“If it’s difficult to say, you don’t have to. I just asked out of curiosity.”
“No, it’s not that I don’t want to say it.”
“Is that so?”
“Well, it’s not really the kind of thing you discuss in a place like this. How about we go for a drink first?”
“That’s true.”
Deciding it wasn’t the time or place for a standing conversation, we proceeded with our original plan to go for drinks.
“Ugh, it was so hot just the other day, but it’s chilly at night now.”
“Yeah, it’s not cold enough for my breath to turn white, but I can’t walk around in short sleeves anymore.”
The cool autumn night air enveloped us. The hot sun and warm, humid air had left unnoticed. Reflecting on such changes in season made me realize how much time I spent inside dungeons or underground facilities, making me less aware of the environment’s changes. Stepping out of the extraterritoriality of the company building through the automatic doors, I found myself in peaceful Japan, a world without magic. This world’s subtle lack of magic, coupled with the chill on my skin, signaled the arrival of autumn and the impending winter. Fortunately, both Kaido and I were wearing long sleeves, so we set off without concern, but we shared the sentiment of the cold. We walked along a path where people in long sleeves and jackets passed by. After all, there weren’t many izakayas within walking distance of the company. Even the ones that were there were small and didn’t meet our needs. So, naturally, our feet carried us towards the nearest station, often extending our journey a bit.
“You know, going drinking with you on a cold day like this reminds me of something.”
“Reminds you of what?”
“Remember that time at our previous company, before the year-end deadline, when we urgently cut short our work to go drinking? That story.”
“Ah, I remember. That was the time I desperately wanted to punch that section chief in the face for handing me more work when I was about to finish, wasn’t it?”
“That’s it, that’s it! But wow, you were thinking that?”
“Yeah, I’m surprised we didn’t end up in police trouble.”
It’s a bit late to say this now, but Kaido isn’t good at staying silent for more than five minutes. He can choose when to be quiet, but when there’s no need, he’ll bring up a topic like this. Without a subject and without my remembering the number of times I went drinking with Kaido, confirming the story brought up another nostalgic memory. During the busy year-end period at my previous company, where stress often reached its limit, a ridiculous demand came from a boss I disliked. My patience, long gone, had finally burst, and my last bastion of self-control had compromised by suggesting I defer the work to the next day for a change of pace. Even now, recalling the unreasonable demand from my boss back then, I could smile a little, having gained enough emotional distance to dismiss it as a humorous anecdote.
“You were really scary that time, senpai! Everyone around us was on edge, wondering if you’d snap. When you suddenly told us you wanted to go drinking, glaring intensely, everyone around us pitied me immensely.”
“Was I that bad?”
“Probably. You were giving off such a dangerous vibe that even people who usually avoid trouble would have been scared. And the fact that that… barcode head didn’t notice is beyond oblivious.”
I don’t know why Kaido chose this particular story, but old tales easily create common ground. Thus, the conversation flowed easily. Starting with a standard phrase like “Speaking of which,” things naturally led to other events. We continued talking about how we could have handled things better back then. Although it started with a somber topic, the conversation gradually veered off in different directions. We laughed about a colleague’s affair being exposed and the time someone actually put wringing-wet-mop water into the section chief’s tea. Stories that I wouldn’t have had the capacity to listen to back when my life revolved around work, work, and more work, began to unfold. Before we knew it, Kaido and I were laughing.
“Did that really happen?”
“It did!”
A silly conversation between two men. I hadn’t wanted to dwell on my past company, but it turned out to be a prejudice. By talking about it, I was able to brush it off surprisingly easily, even to my own surprise. I have gained some leeway. I have gained the ability to look outward. I believe that’s why I can have this kind of conversation. If it were the me from my previous company, I would have wanted to go straight home instead of wasting time on idle chatter. And even on the way home, while bathing, and before sleeping, I would have been thinking about the next day’s work.
“Then, the administrative assistant, Kuwada-chan…”
“She delivered a full-power yakuza kick to the sales guy, right? I’ve heard that one.”
“Yeah, yeah! I heard her complaining to everyone that she had to cancel a date with her boyfriend because of work. That story was definitely out of line. She deserved to be kicked.”
And now, I have time to have conversations like this. I’ve learned to separate work and personal life. Thanks to that, I can now pay attention to things outside of work. During a conversation with Kaido, I glimpsed a man in a suit walking briskly past, talking on his phone. From the snippet of conversation I caught as he passed, I guessed he was likely some company salesman. For a fleeting moment, looking at his expression as he entered my field of vision, I thought he was like my past self. Although we didn’t make eye contact, I instinctively wanted to turn and look back, stopping in my tracks for a moment.
“What’s wrong, senpai?”
“No, nothing.”
But I stopped myself. What would be the point of turning around? I let out a wry smile at my own intention to ask if he was alright, told Kaido it was nothing, and started walking again. I changed at a turning point in my life. And that’s okay, I think. Continuing our old stories, we rode the train for a few stops and arrived at a slightly larger town. We entered a chain izakaya.
“Ah! The alcohol from the underground facility is good, but this one is also hard to resist!”
“The ingredients for the food and drinks at that facility are mostly from another world, so it’s not strange that there’s a difference compared to our world’s food.”
“Each has its own merits!”
“I feel like we’re just peculiar for being able to enjoy both.”
We started with beer and clinked glasses, quickly downing the first round. Our livers, trained by the instructors, seemed to demand more without hesitation. We ordered the next drink without missing a beat.
“Well, even the meat alone is quite different. Here, beef, pork, and chicken are common, but over there, they regularly serve things like wyverns and bears. Once, I was served meat I couldn’t identify at a restaurant.”
“And the vegetables are often unidentifiable too. They’re not bad, and usually tasty, but sometimes the unfamiliarity leaves me feeling a bit off.”
“I know, right? It looks like it’ll be spicy, but it turns out to be salty.”
Familiar izakaya menus like potato fries and fried chicken feel nostalgic now that we’ve grown accustomed to the food available within the company. Despite having eaten them often, for some reason, they feel fresh.
“Katsu-kun also cooks for us, but even if the dishes look normal, the ingredients aren’t, you know?”
“Yeah, it was normal fried rice in appearance, but when all the ingredients were from another world, I was genuinely surprised.”
“It was delicious, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, it was delicious.”
“But the meat, eggs, and rice were all from another world, weren’t they?”
“I didn’t get a stomachache, but I had no idea what kind of meat or eggs they were.”
“We’ve become accustomed to eating them without any issue.”
“Yeah, the meat the instructor made us eat before was also delicious.”
“What kind of meat was it?”
“It was from a creature called a Ga Crius, a reptile-like being with three heads.”
“Isn’t that a dragon?”
“Apparently, it’s not classified as a dragon. It’s said that each of its mouths can spew a different kind of breath.”
“Huh, really? Is that kind of lizard tasty? I’d like to try it sometime.”
“If you ask, they might even hunt one for you.”
“Procuring it locally?”
“They say fresh meat is tastier.”
“Don’t they age it or anything?”
“I don’t know. All I can say is that it was normally delicious.”
“Isn’t it true that in that world, the stronger the creature, the tastier it is?”
“Who knows?”
“Can’t deny it.”
“True.”
As we drank and ate, the conversation naturally settled on local topics. This was an izakaya, and who knew who might be listening, but it was so noisy that no one would have had the leisure to pay attention to two men’s chatter. Besides, if they did listen, they’d probably think it was idle talk or some kind of story. At worst, they’d think we were two crazy guys. As we conversed, the drinks continued to flow.
“Speaking of which, I forgot to ask, what did those guys who were there before you left the company want with you?”
“Ah, right, I forgot to tell you.”
As a pleasant buzz of alcohol settled in, Kaido, with a flushed face, began to recall and explain.
“How should I put it… I think they said a lot of things, but to summarize, they wanted to know why our party is so strong.”
“Our party’s strength?”
“Yes. Apparently, their party is all mages, so they’re having trouble clearing the dungeon and keep challenging the same floor. Someone from HR apparently told them that.”
“Ah, so they were pressured about their work.”
“Exactly. So, in their haste, they came to me, who was doing well, for advice.”
“Haa, and what did you tell them?”
“There wasn’t much time before you arrived, senpai, so I just told them something simple. Like adding a frontliner, or changing jobs… and that we were trained by fighting the instructors and getting thoroughly beaten at first.”
“And then?”
“They said they didn’t have anyone to fill the frontliner role. As for changing jobs, they weren’t keen on it. Regarding the training, at first they looked disbelieving. But as I slowly recounted my experiences, they started discussing amongst themselves, saying things like ‘No way, seriously?’ and then they said it would be more useful to hear from you, senpai. But then, when they reacted negatively, saying ‘Asking senpai might be a bit much…'”
“I arrived.”
“Yes.”
People rushing for advice due to work stagnation. That in itself isn’t strange, but organizational complexity often makes such things difficult. This situation likely involved the very people who had previously belittled me coming to me for advice, swallowing their pride. Showing vulnerability to someone they had previously mocked must have been emotionally difficult for them. To mask the slight return of sobriety, I feigned disinterest and took a sip of my drink, nodding along.
“Well, I have nothing to say about that.”
“Senpai.”
It might be a somewhat cold response, but it’s a natural one. I’m not the type to help someone who hasn’t asked for it. As for what I can do…
“Still, if they ask, I suppose I could give them some advice.”
“Are you a tsundere?”
“Idiot. I’m just trying to keep personal feelings out of work as much as possible.”
“Your ‘as much as possible’ range is quite inconsistent, senpai.”
“You, on the other hand, let your personal feelings get in the way too much. I’m better than that.”
It’s just a change of heart, a willingness to lend a hand if asked, without dwelling on the past.
“That’s great! Long live personal feelings!”
“I’m telling you to have boundaries! Otherwise, you won’t get any girls. Not even that succubus girl you’re eyeing in the underground facility.”
“Whoa! Senpai, how do you know that!?”
“The grapevine in the shopping district is scary, you know.”
“Are you talking about Memoria?! Of course, you are!?”
“Who knows? Maybe it was the owner of the weapon shop, or perhaps a clerk at the armor shop. But at least, the succubus girl’s feelings towards you were quite interesting to hear about.”
“Ugh!? Knowing that, there’s no telling where that information came from! And as for the last part, do I want to hear it or not?! Or is this a good opportunity to find out? But it takes courage to just ask directly… is her affection positive or negative!?”
“What do you think?”
“Another teasing act!?”
As if to mask his own feelings, Kaido changed the subject, and with a grinning response to his grin, we continued drinking until the last train.
Today’s Word:
Emotions fade and can be suppressed to a certain extent.
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