Weapons, weapons, weapons, weapons.
A mountain of weapons as far as the eye could see, and on a strangely incongruous long table compared to the piles, there were documents with checklists.
“Hands, are you really going to check all of this?”
“There’s no other way, you’re the only capable front-liner for Dungeon Tester, aren’t you? You’re from a different country than Japan, right? We’ve made all sorts of things to accommodate that. Of course, we want to test them.”
“So that’s why there are so many…”
I realized that the task Evia-san had entrusted to me was far more troublesome than I had imagined, given the amount of arms and armor loaded onto the transport casters.
Hands, the shopkeeper I was acquainted with, was smiling and saying there was still more, but all I could manage was a wry smile. They say you can only laugh when things are tough, but this was a bit too much to laugh about.
“I’ve never used a three-section staff before.”
“Ah, just get a general sense of it. Just attack and check its condition, that’s all I need.”
“If that’s the case, then…”
I thought it was nunchaku when I picked it up, but it was split into three parts, so it was a three-section staff. Looking at the weapon hanging loosely, I had no idea how to use it, so I tried swinging it around like in a kung fu movie, but I knew it wasn’t for me. There were also Jamadhar, iron fans, chakrams, shotels, and war hammers. The weapons with weird shapes that made me want to complain, asking who would ever use them, were scattered here and there.
“Hey, a chainsaw isn’t a weapon!”
“? I heard that in this world, some people fight wielding those.”
“Only a few. And those are the less realistic ones. Wouldn’t you find it unsettling if someone were conquering a dungeon with a weapon like that?”
“Wouldn’t that be interesting? Besides, do you think the weapons we make can’t withstand battle?”
“That’s not what I’m saying! Isn’t it dangerous? Like, the sharpness.”
“You bet! I’ll shave through the scales of a lower-class dragon!”
“At that point, it’s not for beginners, is it? Giant-made stuff is really something.” Of the weapons, I was curious about the chainsaw. When I picked it up, I found it didn’t run on gasoline like the ones on Earth, but by flowing magic power into magic stones. When I tried channeling my magic power into it, the blade on the chain spun with a smooth motion that made me think it might be even better than the ones back home. When I swung it, I begrudgingly found it easier to use than the three-section staff I had just tried. It had excellent balance and was designed with the user in mind.
“By the way, how much is it?”
“One hundred and twenty thousand for just one.”
“Rejected, you idiot!”
“What did you call me! This is the cheapest among the prototypes! And we made it because it’s a famous weapon in your world!”
“It’s too expensive, you moron! And you definitely got that from movies or something!”
“No, from the internet.”
“From where on the internet?”
My relationship with this shopkeeper has become quite long, yet he still seems to have no concept of restraint whatsoever. Among the checklist items, there were some that were rejected based on price. My future feels uncertain.
“So? How should I test it? Is just swinging it around enough?”
“Yeah, we’ve made targets to match the monsters on each floor of all the dungeons that are the hardest and most durable. So, test it with those.”
“I’m glad it’s surprisingly sensible. I honestly thought you’d just have me fight some random monster.”
“If we did that, we’d never have enough time.”
“No doubt.”
Putting aside the content of the weapons, I was glad that the method was sensible. But, while the weapons were fine, how were the armors supposed to be tested?
“Speaking of which, how do you test the armor?”
“Huh? You just put it on and take hits, obviously.”
“No way!”
“Just kidding! We don’t really do that. Well, you can try them on to check for ease of movement!”
I inwardly grumbled that their jokes sometimes didn’t sound like jokes, but I couldn’t afford to just chat. I called out to Hands to begin, and started my warm-up exercises to loosen my body before picking up a weapon. Honestly, with my current strength, I could cut through most things if a weapon was designed for cutting. Especially if the monster’s strength was only at the level of those appearing near the entrance of the dungeon. That’s why…
“Hmm, is this about right?”
“No, no, the hardness of that target is about the same as an Iron Golem.”
I was met with a complaint for cutting it, but from my perspective, it was cut, so it was cut. However, unlike the Ore Tree, as expected for weapons prepared for beginners, the sharpness was mediocre. It was difficult to cut.
“Shouldn’t this Shamshir be distributed to beginners? It’s too high-quality if it’s any more than this.”
“Do you think so?”
It’s a curved sword with no scratches, so to speak. A single-edged sword that can be swung with one hand. The feel of swinging it was light and the sharpness was decent. It wasn’t uncomfortable to use. I tested weapons primarily in the sword and blade categories, including ones I was familiar with like longswords, thrusting weapons like estocs, and short swords. Since it was just cutting, each task was short, but I had to repeat them, so it took longer than expected. I started at 8 AM, but it’s already almost noon. In another twenty to thirty minutes, it’ll be lunchtime. Despite that, while the checklist is progressing, it hasn’t even reached half full. As I was reaching for a bottled drink on the long table to rehydrate, thinking it was taking longer than expected…
“Bravo!! Wonderful! Is that the ‘Iron Cutting’ technique of the Japanese samurai!!”
An unknown voice echoed in the space where only authorized personnel should have been. Wondering what was going on, I looked towards the source of the voice and saw a group of people at the entrance of the training facility. And they weren’t from the diverse races within the Demon Lord’s Army, but humans. One of them was clapping and exclaiming with joy. From a distance, they looked Italian? I could see other white people, black people, and yellow-skinned people like us Japanese. There were about twenty of them, with an equal gender ratio. Their physiques were different from Japanese people, fitting for foreigners. Seeing as they were guided by three male demons, a vampire, and a female giant…
“Is that the second batch?”
I had heard that the company induction ceremony was still some time away, but had they arrived early? I thought to myself that there was no need to get involved. I simply gave a light nod and returned to testing the weapons. They were here, so they had permission to observe, and if the company had no issues with it, it wasn’t my concern. As I continued testing various weapons from the pile…
“Hey Hands, they’re still here. Is something wrong?” More than ten minutes should be enough for just observing. Yet, the second batch members still hadn’t left.
“Well, it seems the Testers are making a fuss about something.”
“Trouble?”
“No, if the guides aren’t saying anything, I think it’s fine.” As Hands said, several of the Testers seemed to be saying something to the guides. Some of them were even doing shadow boxing. It looked like they were calmly trying to admonish them. Unlike Japanese people, foreigners are quite proactive, I thought, and I tried to resume testing by calling out to Hands, but…
“Jirou, I’m sorry to interrupt your test, but could you help out our Testers?” I was called over by a demon guide. He was a demon from Human Resources, like Suella, and I had met him a few times. We weren’t strangers.
“Was there some kind of problem?”
“Ah, we finished engraving their Magic Crests this morning, but they seem to have excess power and are restless. They want to see how far their power can go by witnessing your abilities.”
“Sensei, I think if you brought this up with Lord Oni King, he’d gladly handle it.” It seems some individuals have become a bit unruly after their power increased with the Magic Crests. To put it in Demon Lord’s Army terms, it’s probably the feeling of being brimming with power, like ‘I won’t lose to anyone with this!’ I’m impressed they’re setting themselves up for defeat, and the demon man also gave a wry smile when I mentioned the name of someone who wouldn’t let such a situation go unaddressed.
“I don’t think they’d be safe if I left them to him. You, on the other hand, will probably go easy on them, right?” This demon’s features looked European. Perhaps that’s why he was chosen as a guide for them, but these kinds of jokes also seem characteristic of them. I mean, he wouldn’t go as far as the instructors, who could cripple someone with a single blow. But still…
“You want me to fight them all?”
“No, we were planning to select about three people.”
“As you know, I’m busy, right?”
“We’re counting on you.”
“…Alright.” “Thank you.” I don’t have time to fight them all. So, I made sure to specify that. The demon man seemed to understand, and with my reluctant agreement, he happily returned to the second batch.
“You’ve got it tough too.” “Well, it’s fine. I’ll just play along appropriately.” “Don’t get careless and lose.” “Do you think I would? If I lose, the instructors will grill me.” Thanks to that, the weapon testing had to be put on hold for now. It seems there was some kind of commotion, but three people were selected and walked towards me. One was the Italian-looking man who had just cheered. The second was a black man who was clearly muscular. Probably American. The third was a woman with yellow skin, like myself. I assume she’s from Asia, but I don’t know which country.
“Hey! Samurai guy! I’m looking forward to it!”
“Hmph! This guy is the strongest Tester? Don’t make me laugh.”
“I agree.” My first impression, aside from the Italian one, was bad. It wasn’t an atmosphere where I could smile and say, “Your Japanese is very good.”
“Welcome to MAOcorporation. I am Jiro Tanaka. I am, in a way, your senpai.” Even so, as a working adult, I managed to force a business smile. When I offered my right hand for a handshake, the Italian man returned it readily, but the other two, one smirked, and the other just stared coldly.
“I’m Benito, Benito Carini. Benny is fine. Wow, I never expected to meet the Japanese samurai I’ve heard so much about. I really want us to be friends! Ah, if you’re older, please excuse me.” Perhaps because of their reactions, Benny, the man in front of me, seemed particularly nice. He was smiling so broadly, which suited his well-groomed beard.
“Nice to meet you, Benny, and you two as well. And I apologize, but I’m currently at work, so I can’t entertain you for long. I’m sorry, but could you please quickly choose a weapon from that pile? If you don’t need one, that’s fine too.” While chatting with him might be pleasant, unfortunately, I’m on duty now, and this conversation is a distraction. I’m sorry, Benny, but we need to get this done quickly. The three of them reacted differently to my words. Benny looked delighted, the black man snorted and glared. And as for the remaining woman…
“I don’t need a weapon. In my case, I was even an assistant master at a Tai Chi dojo.” I thought her statement, filled with a strong spirit like Kitamiya, was notable. As the woman who boasted she was first approached me, I said, “Is that so? Then I will also fight with my bare hands.” I couldn’t use a weapon, so I walked towards her empty-handed. Perhaps she felt I was underestimating her, because her eyebrows furrowed and she glared at me. She gently handed her bag to a nearby Giant and took a stance, which was quite impressive. If she were an ordinary person, her gaze would have been so sharp that they would have been intimidated.
“What’s wrong? Take a stance!” Her voice was clear and powerful. “My stance is natural. You can start anytime.” However, that’s relative to ordinary people. To me, who is accustomed to such pressure, it felt like a gentle breeze.
“Don’t underestimate me!” Then, perhaps feeling her pride as a martial artist wounded by my attitude, she unforgivably lunged forward and punched me directly in the solar plexus with her fist. Her movement was indeed smooth and fast. She was skillfully utilizing her body, enhanced by the Magic Crest. But…
“!? ” “Yes, with this, I win.” She’s still within the realm of common sense. To me, who exists outside of it, even if she acts first, I can fully observe her movements and counter them in the same way. I completely copied her lunge and punch motion, but instead of her solar plexus, I changed the target to her face and stopped just short of impact. However, I added a gust of wind with a stronger charge and fist pressure than hers.
“Now then, who’s next?” I continued, looking for my next opponent, unconcerned about the fact that her hair was now disheveled, and her former confidence vanished as she broke out in a cold sweat.
Today’s word: The difference in experience is certainly there. This concludes today’s update. Thank you for your continuous feedback and corrections of typos. If you found this interesting, please leave comments, ratings, and bookmarks.
*The first volume of this novel has been published by Hayakawa Bunko JA. It was released on October 18, 2018. An e-book version was also released on October 31 of the same year. Volume two was released on December 19. The third volume was released on February 20, 2019. The content includes corrections and additions from the version posted on Shōsetsuka ni Narō, along with unpublished interchapters. Please consider purchasing the new volumes!
The comic adaptation is being serialized in Kodansha’s “Young Magazine The Third,” and the first part was featured in issue 9. We hope you enjoy that as well. Please continue to support this work.
