Our company has various facilities, as the testers who joined know.
I’ve had the experience of exploring some of those facilities with Kaido and Minami.
However, the areas that testers are allowed to enter alone are immeasurably vast.
Minami, relying on her experience in dungeons, has even created in-house maps for street food and amusement facilities.
These regularly updated maps are utilized not only by testers but also by employees like Suella and Keiri-san, and even by otherworlders such as Memoria.
Recently, I heard she’s started working on a budget-friendly map at Katsu’s request.
Our company, with its abundance of such facilities.
The first facility you wouldn’t see in Modern Japan is the Dungeon.
This is the core facility of our company, and we joined to complete it.
If you were to ask what comes to mind next, it would probably be the shopping street located underground.
While many stores are quiet, it’s likely the only place in the world where you can find the essential tools for our fantasy-like work, such as weapons, armor, and consumables for testers.
Furthermore, the dining area in the shopping street caters to various needs with its otherworldy alcohol and cuisine, as well as Modern Japanese dishes prepared by otherworldy chefs.
Deeper inside, there are facilities that can be called a man’s paradise, and to avoid leaning too heavily towards male preferences, there are also beauty facilities for women, as I recall from the initial documents distributed.
It’s no exaggeration to say that when it comes to entertainment, there’s nothing missing here.
There are also various other facilities.
Leisure facilities that make you wonder if they’re considered employee benefits.
A water leisure and tourism facility with an artificial coastline reminiscent of a tropical paradise.
A tranquil resting facility nestled in the mountains, perhaps inspired by a Japanese hot spring inn.
According to the documents, there are still many more.
Naturally, food and equipment purchases aren’t free, but the use of the facilities themselves is.
The company has gone to such lengths to provide these comprehensive facilities with the intention of having us tackle dungeons in perfect mental, physical, and technical condition.
These facilities, made possible by fully utilizing the otherdimensional space of the dungeon, can be considered a bold feat.
Now, having introduced various facilities so far, if I were to mention the ones we use most frequently, it wouldn’t be the shopping street, but the training room.
Entering dungeons requires various forms of training.
Swordsmanship, magic, teamwork, and stamina training.
The dungeons prepared by the Demon Lord’s Army are not so lenient that you can conquer them just by preparing equipment.
If you don’t prepare thoroughly, you won’t be able to do anything.
Therefore, our party, including myself, utilizes this facility more than the dungeon or the shopping street.
There are countless things we can do, such as mock battles, practicing techniques, and understanding the capabilities of newly purchased consumables.
As Dungeon Testers, there’s no option but to use training facilities that cater to various needs in a spacious environment.
However, it seems to be just our party, as other testers only perceive this place as a large exercise ground.
So, for now, we haven’t had any clashes with other testers at the training facility.
But enough about them.
While we frequent the training room, there’s a facility we hardly use.
To be clear, this isn’t about me, a man, not going to a nail salon, or female testers not going to shops exclusive to men.
This is strictly about the training facilities.
Due to its unique nature, this facility requires permission to use, and there are also limitations on its usage time.
The “Space-Time Dimensional Special Training Room.”
It’s long, so it’s often referred to by abbreviations like the “Jigen Room.”
What can be done in this facility is quite simple.
Time within the facility can be extended manifold compared to outside.
It’s a facility where you can increase your perceived time, making it possible for one hour outside to pass as a full day inside, a somewhat familiar concept.
This facility, boasting exceptional performance thanks to its abundant use of magical technology, is indeed a facility specialized for getting stronger, provided you can disregard the shortening of your lifespan if you are human, and the massive amount of magic power consumed when using it.
After all, you can increase your time.
Even including rest time, you can engage in prolonged training.
And the drawbacks are well within the company’s ability to handle.
Regarding lifespan, long-lived species like Dark Elves and Demons, who don’t care about lifespan, have no concerns.
For Undead, who don’t have the concept of lifespan at all, it’s no exaggeration to say there are no drawbacks.
Furthermore, this aging effect also becomes irrelevant for testers once they become magic bodies.
As for the large amount of magic power, while not infinite, it’s a facility within a dungeon, which is a treasure trove of magic power.
Replenishing what’s consumed is as easy as breakfast.
Now, beyond its main feature of time manipulation, what else can be done in the Jigen Room?
Naturally, such a question arises.
Of course, it’s not a boring result of simply having a space where time manipulation is possible.
Inside the facility, you can experience various battles by applying the power of dungeons.
You can select fields like plateaus, wastelands, deserts, swamps, mountains, snow plains, icebergs, and volcanoes, as well as manipulate weather from clear skies to blizzards, control temperature, and even adjust humidity.
And most importantly, as the name suggests, it’s a training room, so you can summon any monster that exists within dungeons.
It can handle not only battles against humans but also battles against monsters.
Now, having spoken this much, I’ll change the topic to take a breather.
In the Demon Lord’s Army, there are the Seven Generals who manage the dungeons – though now there are only six, as one is missing – who are executives of the Demon Lord’s Army.
These individuals are naturally positioned at the top within the Demon Lord’s Army.
And the supervisor, who is the Demon Lord’s secretary and manages the Dungeon Testers, is also a high-ranking official within the Demon Lord’s Army.
Is it possible for such individuals, who are constantly in demand, to spare time for one party for an extended period, let alone three people simultaneously? The question is whether it’s possible.
The answer is a resounding NO, no matter how you look at it, the only answer you’ll get is NO.
It’s safe to say it’s impossible, both schedule-wise and due to business demands.
Simply put, there isn’t enough “time.”
Ah, time.
Now, with this much information, most people should be able to guess.
An environment where you can fully utilize a space that can extend one hour to one day, and two instructors and one supervisor with no time to spare, can meet the conditions.
And what would that lead to?
“Hahaha! It’s been a while since I’ve had so much free time.”
“Kakakaka, indeed. We are naturally very busy. It’s not bad to unwind like this once in a while.”
“You two, it’s fine to have fun, but don’t go overboard with the restraints.”
“Oh, there’s an Oni, gozaru.”
“And demons, too, sussu.”
“…I see a Shinigami too, ne.”
“Kaka, look, you’re slacking off.”
From the company’s perspective, it’s an ideal educational system; from the recipients’ perspective, it’s a hellish educational training.
It’s not like we’ve done nothing to prepare for such training.
Upon receiving the notification, we prepared, and even the part-time members, who are not regular employees, made time to prepare for this training.
We didn’t expect to be completely ready just from that, but we believed we could overcome it with moderate difficulty in this training.
“…My foresight was too optimistic.”
“You have the luxury of talking! Next!”
We thought that would be the case.
However, as expected, when those three gathered, our bad premonitions became reality, and as anticipated, it wasn’t just ordinary training.
“…”
“Hmph, you were only spirited at the beginning.”
Several hours into the training, the result of our exhausted, littered bodies was evident.
We were brought to a Jigen Room with special settings.
A space with integrated accommodation and training facilities.
And what were we doing?
“Open the next document. The racial composition of the Demon Lord’s Army is—”
You might have misunderstood from our previous conversation, but we weren’t engaged in combat training; it was classroom learning.
We had assumed that when it came to training for executives, the first thing we would do is improve our combat capabilities.
That’s why we’ve been challenging dungeons and training our minds and bodies.
Based on past experience, our job is to test dungeons and create documents for improvement.
Therefore, the formula for finding improvement methods was equal to combat.
We concluded that upon becoming executives, combat ability would naturally be required.
That’s why we’ve challenged dungeons, honed our Magic Crests, and raised our stats until today.
We arrived at the training day thinking that would be enough.
But now, calmly reflecting, we realize that our judgment was a conclusion clouded by preconceived notions.
Logically, those in positions of authority shouldn’t just be brute-force thinkers.
You can’t rise to the top without using your brain.
Upon being brought to the Jigen Room, the first thing we did was a test.
We, who were equipped, all had question marks floating above our heads, thinking, ‘Huh?’
We had assumed that with Instructor Kio and the others present, we would immediately begin combat training.
“Don’t think that those who are about to become executives only possess combat abilities. Being proficient in both civil and military arts is what allows one to stand at the top of the Demon Lord’s Army while being well-rounded.”
As if to dispel our doubts, the supervisor clearly stated this.
No, perhaps it’s our fault for assuming so based on preconceptions, and now that I think about it, it’s also true, but we’re not entirely blameless for not being told the details until right before the training began.
I never thought the schedule would be handed out like this.
We, who were expecting to fight immediately, were quite taken aback.
And so began the training, which lasted one day in real-time and about a month inside the Jigen Room, with a single test.
To us, it felt like a gentle start.
Only at first, however.
“You’ve all shown a remarkable bias.”
Based on the results of that test, we were divided into three groups.
“Kakaka, let’s start with the basics.”
“Ugh, I don’t know about this, gozaru. Things other than dungeon-related work.”
“Yeah, it’s been a while since I took a test, but I couldn’t manage.”
“I’m good at moving my body, but studying… well?”
First, the failing group.
Minami, whose interests outside of dungeons held her back; Kaido, who was there just as expected and it was understandable; and Amelia, who, despite having gained the knowledge of a sage, failed.
These three received instruction from Instructor Fushio, starting from the basics.
“Alright, you’re one-on-one with me.”
“Please treat me favorably.”
Next, unexpectedly, for the class taught by Instructor Kio, who is also proficient in academics, is Katsu, who scored average.
Excuse me, but while I understand Instructor Fushio and Supervisor Evia, I can’t imagine Instructor Kio teaching academics.
This class, having a foundation, will receive slightly more detailed training.
And then.
“Just two? Well, you’ve both come this far as expected.”
“I-Is it alright, Jiro-san?”
“They’ll guarantee my life, won’t they?”
Thinking inwardly, “Only my life,” I sent encouragement with my gaze to Kitamiya, who ended up in this combination as expected.
With prior knowledge of the Demon Lord’s Army obtained with Suella’s help, and Kitamiya, who achieved a high score through her inherent diligence.
And the two of us will be handled by the supervisor. The content will be more advanced compared to the other two groups.
A classroom lecture divided into three classes: Instructor Fushio, Instructor Kio, and the supervisor.
Although we approached the lectures with a bad feeling, it was as expected.
“You all have the basics down. Then, you just need organizational management knowledge, attitude, and practical experience. We also need to teach you etiquette and how to interact with nobles, but don’t worry. Your bodies are enhanced by Magic Crests.”
As expected, our hell began here.
This is what it means to have your brain explode, the process of cramming knowledge and making it your own.
“If you don’t have enough time, a little Spartan training shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Kaka, I need to get started a little early.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll teach you thoroughly.”
Short-term training.
This training, which should originally provide a foundation for nurturing personnel who will be active in various positions in the future, is intended to be.
The training these individuals are aiming for is quite literally.
It’s probably training to make us into personnel who can be utilized as high-ranking individuals within the Demon Lord’s Army in a short period.
“…”
They will spare no effort for that.
Three beings smiling suspiciously, their eyes shining suspiciously.
I believe this was the first time I broke out in a cold sweat not from a physical battle.
Although I simply say “Please treat it favorably” with my mouth, it’s clear that what’s about to happen requires a different kind of resolve than a physical fight.
And.
“Ah, the latter half of the schedule also includes combat training. Of course, we’ll help you develop your strengths, but we’ll also address your weaknesses here.”
The classroom learning was merely the beginning.
The real main event was still to come, a fact that conveyed the harshness of this training to us.
Today’s word:
Preconceived notions are scary.
That’s all for today.
Thank you for pointing out any typos and for your feedback.
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*The first volume of the book has been decided to be published by Hayakawa Bunko JA.
It was released on October 18, 2018.
The e-book version was also 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 addition of unpublished interlude chapters.
Please consider purchasing the new releases as well!
Also, a comic adaptation has been decided for Kodansha’s “Young Magazine The Third.”
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