The attack at the competition.
Several days have passed since then, and the commotion from the attack during the competition has died down.
Though, officially, there are remarks attached.
The attack triggered by Carter that day had a considerable impact on the organization known as the Demon Lord’s Army.
Moreover, the rebellion that erupted afterward undoubtedly had a significant influence on the current situation.
Not only the external situation but also the internal impact is undeniable.
Although affiliated with the frontier, he was once a member of the Demon Lord’s Army. Betrayal within the army breeds suspicion: “Is that person alright? Can we trust them?” Now, investigators are scrambling not only in various territories but also within the company.
Furthermore, if rumors are to be believed, the place outside the company, the Demon Lord’s Army’s headquarters, is in quite a frenzy preparing for war.
However, while the surroundings are busy,
“Thanks to that, we’re on indefinite standby.”
“But, time is, to be, effectively, used, right?”
“Indeed.”
We testers, being from another world and unconcerned with factional disputes, were bored.
Well, we did have investigations, but compared to others, they were quite light.
“Still, it feels a bit shameful, doesn’t it? That we’re just lounging around like this.”
“It can’t be helped, can it? We’re in a position where we can’t do anything right now.”
The Demon Lord’s Army had been preparing to attack, but instead, they were caught off guard and attacked.
The dungeon was meant to serve as a passage to attack Isal and as a base of operations during the assault. However, with the attack on their homeland, its performance cannot be utilized.
And dungeons require immense resources for both construction and maintenance.
Mobilizing an army naturally requires money, which means some expenses must be cut.
Only exceptionally wealthy nations could do everything simultaneously.
However, even such wealthy nations would face bankruptcy if they continued.
Therefore, as a temporary cost-saving measure, the dungeon, which also served as a defensive facility and a passage, is currently inactive and in a dormant state.
As a result, we testers have not been able to enter the dungeon or use the magic-consuming facilities.
Instead, we were sweating it out in a retro training room.
We’re trying to alleviate the stiffness in our bodies after recovering from injuries and further improve our abilities, and it’s surprisingly effective and enjoyable.
“By the way, did you hear, Kaido?”
“Hear, what, ‘ss?”
I was doing push-ups with weights attached to my ankles while I was in a handstand, and Kaido was doing abdominal crunches hanging from a bar with weights on his shoulders, and we were conversing.
“Another tester has quit.”
“That’s the fifth one, ‘ss. They’re dwindling, ‘ss.”
“At this rate, it’s likely most of the testers will quit.”
“Ugh, that means, our work, will increase, doesn’t it?”
“That’s right.”
According to our contracts with the company, we testers are not allowed to stand on the battlefield.
Or rather, it should be rephrased as we are not required to be involved in the act of war.
At the time of our initial contract, it was explicitly stated that we were hired solely as personnel to test dungeons, not as combatants.
Therefore, even though the entire Demon Lord’s Army is in a frenzy with talk of war, we are not obligated to participate unless we voluntarily choose to.
Furthermore, the Demon Lord’s Army is also prohibited from requesting our cooperation.
Thus, we testers can leisurely engage in strength training.
I myself considered participating, but Suella, Memoria, Himik, and even the supervisor stopped me.
With that much said, it’s difficult to insist on my own way.
If something happens, it’s different, but for now, I’ll quietly train my body.
However, we testers are not entirely unaffected; as can be inferred from my conversation with Kaido earlier, the impact is considerable.
“And you, are you okay? Not looking for a job?”
“It’s not, that we’ve, lost, yet, ‘ss.”
That’s the reason for the testers’ resignations.
Upon hearing about the war, most testers are in a panic.
For Japanese people, especially the younger generation, war is merely a word found in historical texts.
While they might hear stories from elderly individuals who experienced war or see old video footage, they are unlikely to feel its immediacy.
Therefore, even if they see news of conflict, they’ll likely just think it’s unfortunate.
But this time, it’s different.
The organization they belong to is directly involved in war.
This, in turn, can trigger a fear of eventually being caught up in the flames of war.
In fact, I have indirectly experienced a request for participation, which was stopped by the supervisor.
Similar stories are frequently heard from other employees, giving the testers a sense of reality to the prospect of participating in the war.
Even as part-timers, we are employed by the company.
Even if it’s just a desire that lending our strength would make the war easier, hearing that we might get involved, one by one, testers are quitting, as I’ve heard from personnel like Suella and Keiri-san, as well as people from the shopping street like Memoria.
The credibility of these rumors is high.
Indeed, for the past few days, perhaps due to being unable to work, I’ve barely seen any testers other than our party members.
Even though there are things that should be done, even if work cannot be done.
“That’s also, true.”
“It is, ‘ss.”
Silently continuing our strength training, one of the essential tasks for testers whose bodies are their capital, we sweat.
In the training room, where there are only me and Kaido, I’ve been training for over an hour without rest, trying to build up my body as much as possible. As a result, I’m gradually running out of things to do.
So, rumors become a good topic of conversation.
Even though we’ve entered into war, the current situation is a defensive battle against Carter’s army, led by angels, so the tide is not necessarily unfavorable.
Although we were delayed at the start, as long as we were careful about the movements of Carter, who is presumed to be the Hero, it was easy to handle.
Although several towns were lost due to swift actions, I hear that the key points were successfully defended.
So, for the time being, a stalemate continues.
It’s only a matter of time before we switch to offense to conquer the dungeon.
“Haa, but it’s surprisingly difficult to just wait around leisurely.”
“You’re right, ‘ss. I never thought doing nothing would be this tough.”
I hear that the instructors have also been dispatched to the front lines.
After a while, skirmishes will begin, and then full-scale battles will commence.
For the Demon Lord’s Army, this is just the beginning.
However, it’s not without reason that I pray for our work as testers to resume while training our bodies.
There isn’t a day that goes by without me wondering if there’s something I can do, or if this choice was the right one.
Moreover,
“We have, our own, problems, over here, too.”
“Ah, those are, more of a problem, for us, aren’t they? Was it alright, though? Saying something so one-sidedly?”
Over here, too, problems are surfacing.
The reality of war has, in a sense, presented our party with a crossroads.
Until now, it was sufficient to conquer the dungeon, and we could continue with a positive, game-like mindset. But this time, there’s a possibility that the organization known as the Demon Lord’s Army could be defeated and cease to exist.
Even if the possibility is low, it exists.
“There are times when it’s better to be direct with difficult matters, rather than glossing over them.”
“That’s just like you, Senpai.”
Wiping the sweat from my brow with a towel, I recall the time after the competition, when the company-wide notification of the start of the war was distributed.
I presented the party members with a choice.
“Quit or continue. Think about it once and give me your answer.”
From this point on, it’s no laughing matter.
If nothing happens, that’s fine, but if something does, simply being affiliated with this company could lead to serious trouble.
War is like that.
In my case, with Suella, Memoria, and Himik present, I have no intention of choosing to quit.
However, the others are different.
They are, after all, part-timers.
They are not hired as full-time employees, nor have they resolved to spend their lives in this profession.
Their reason for becoming testers was likely curiosity, a desire for the unknown, or a craving for excitement.
I am the same.
And it’s up to them to change that reason.
I met Suella here, and we had a child.
That change altered the reason I joined this company and made me resolute to stay in this place.
But that’s just in my case.
They have their own lives, and they can choose options other than this job.
Continuing a dangerous job requires a reason.
To continue, one needs a reason to support one’s own heart.
We have now passed the stage where we could continue based on mere vague feelings.
And this choice isn’t just for this moment.
If we continue, something like what happened this time might happen again.
This is a topic that may continue to arise in the future.
Therefore.
“Make a choice that you won’t regret for yourself. All I can say is that I will respect your choice. I won’t tell you to quit or stay.”
I explained the current situation and deliberately presented them with a branching path.
I told them they didn’t have to come to the company until they found their answers, so they could reconsider.
Vaguely, I had always thought that an opportunity like this would come someday, ever since I heard they were making dungeons for the purpose of war.
“…If things had gone as planned, you shouldn’t have been here either.”
“Heh heh, does that mean I’ve been swayed too? Now I find this place comfortable, ‘ss.”
It was a good opportunity, though a bad event, but the timing wasn’t bad.
I explained the reasons, and it concerned the company’s survival, posing a risk to our safety.
I unilaterally declared such a situation and pressed them for a choice. How must I have appeared to them?
Minami, who is usually so noisy, was silent that time, listening to my words, but her expression indicated she was trying to decide something.
Kitamiya, who is considerate of others despite his bluntness, said it was understandable given his own life and this job, and requested a leave of absence to think.
Katsu, who is usually reliable, was uncharacteristically hesitant for his age, looking at Minami’s expression and wondering how to choose. So I harshly told him to choose for himself, not to follow others.
Despite such circumstances, this junior offered a smile like his usual mischievous self, and after a moment’s hesitation, said he would stay.
His words were a relief to me.
After all, partings are sad.
“The problem is Amelia though…”
“Ah, she said she was feeling unwell, ‘ss.”
Among those gathered, only Amelia was absent.
She had been feeling unwell since the day after the competition.
She didn’t come to work, and when I tried to contact her, her mother replied that she was sick. I asked her to contact me once she recovered, but I haven’t heard from her yet.
“…I hope it’s just a cold, but I have a bad feeling about this.”
“Please don’t say that. Your intuition lately, ‘ss, since joining this company, has been unnervingly accurate. Seriously, something’s going to happen, ‘ss?”
I wonder if the holy sword’s light during the competition had some effect on Amelia? But it’s also possible it’s just a cold, so I hope it’s just my imagination. However, my intuition, which has been strangely sharp lately, is telling me otherwise.
“Well, I guess it’ll be as it will be… There’s not much we can do, but we should do what we can.”
“Yes, ‘ss.”
What we can do now is train our bodies or compile reports on dungeons based on our past experiences.
We should at least do what we can.
Today’s Word:
I can’t predict what will happen next, but I suppose I should do something.
This concludes this installment.
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*The first volume has been decided to be published by Hayakawa Bunko JA.*
*It was released on October 18, 2018.*
*An e-book version is also scheduled for publication on October 31 of the same year.*
*The content consists of revised and expanded versions of the material posted on “Shousetsuka ni Narou,” with the addition of unreleased interlude chapters.*
