Reporting is an act that can be considered essential for a working adult.
As long as one belongs to an organization, responsibilities of varying degrees are assigned in the process.
In modern society, the value of information is sometimes considered more important than money.
It is a natural outcome that the process of reporting, which also includes informing others of results, is emphasized for its ability to share information.
So, have you ever thought this way?
You understand it’s necessary.
You understand it’s important.
But you might think, “I didn’t want to hear this.”
There is one common element when you harbor such thoughts.
It’s when you know that hearing this will lead to something bad or troublesome.
While I fully understand the importance of reporting, this is an emotion that arises when you hear something that makes it impossible to go back.
Of course, I know that as a member of an organization, one shouldn’t act on emotions, but deep down, you hide it, as is the nature of a corporate slave.
That’s what happened.
“Please, make that suit for us too!! Please!!”
“We beg you!!”
When I came to hear the reports from the newcomers this time, the conference room, our destination, was unusually noisy.
Since I didn’t sense any dangerous atmosphere, such as a frosty or menacing one, I casually entered with Amelia and the others, thinking it was a minor trouble. That was my mistake.
One person sat at the front, prostrating themselves as if begging for their life, and the four behind them followed suit, lining up perfectly. The scene made me wonder how things had escalated to this point.
And even more so when the person they were prostrating themselves to was Kaido.
“Look, I’ve told you multiple times that I didn’t make it myself, right? Besides, this is a special order, so it’s not something that can be easily made.”
“Please! Please! Bend that rule and, please, I implore you, please treat it favorably!!”
“We beg you!!”
Are you guys coordinating this? Their synchronized, theatrical actions, where they didn’t even raise their heads, let alone make eye contact, were so astounding I was almost impressed.
And I understood within a few seconds that this exchange had been repeated.
I had also roughly figured out the cause.
Glancing at Minami and Kitamiya, who were supposed to be with me, Minami was dozing with a yawn, as if she had lost all interest, while Kitamiya elbowed her in the side, causing her to writhe in pain.
“I don’t want to hear it, but I’ll ask anyway. What happened? No, why did it come to this?”
If you call it trouble, it’s trouble, but compared to our usual troubles, I think this is a relatively minor one.
However, I have a strong premonition that the reason doesn’t even matter, and honestly, I don’t want to hear it.
So, ideally, I would have liked to ignore it and finish the report first. But the gazes of the other testers, piercing me with “It’s your responsibility, do something about it,” prevented me from choosing that option.
So, bracing myself, I tried to at least grasp the situation by asking Kitamiya and the others who were with me.
“They were envious of Kaido-senpai’s suit and wanted to know where it’s sold or how to make it.”
I almost let out a sigh, but instead, I replied to Kitamiya’s slightly displeased tone. As expected, my usual bad feeling proved correct, and I almost sighed again.
“I figured it would be something like that. But why did you bring them here? They were supposed to be dismissed on-site, weren’t they?”
“I didn’t bring them. Even though I refused to teach them, they followed me to the conference room entrance. I thought they’d give up if they couldn’t get inside, so I didn’t let them in. But then someone here smiled and said it would be fine to listen to them, and this is the result.”
And I understood that Kitamiya was in a bad mood because of that “someone.”
“That someone” waved cheerfully towards Kitamiya, thinking they had done a good deed, but she clicked her tongue, something she rarely does, and averted her gaze, thinking they had caused her a lot of trouble.
“And this is the result… Is this what they mean by ‘a small act of kindness becoming a big burden’?”
“You should try being on the receiving end of that big burden.”
“I don’t think I’ll even get the chance to receive that burden…”
However, the moment I appeared, their smile turned sour, and they directed their sharp, intrusive thoughts towards me. Had I done something to earn such resentment?
“Kitamiya, did I do something to them?”
“…If Jiro-san has no familiarity with it, then I don’t know. I don’t think they were like this in the past.”
Is that emotion close to dislike?
No, it’s more like jealousy.
While our relationship isn’t beyond that of friends, it’s a feeling that seems to deny even that.
They had always had a desire to show off since we first met, but… was it this intense?
“I see. For now, I understand the situation. Minami.”
“Why, Gozaru? This is beyond my jurisdiction, Gozaru~”
I knew we didn’t get along well.
I also understood that it wouldn’t be resolved overnight.
So, I’ll set Hiyosumi aside for now.
Let’s tackle the easier problem first.
The easier problem, of course, is that group prostrating themselves.
Before this scene escalates further and becomes more troublesome, someone needs to put out the fire.
However, forcing them out would be easy, but there are “several” individuals who would likely chime in at every opportunity, so I need to choose my methods carefully.
Judging from the glances they keep casting my way, I can guess why they were allowed into this conference room.
“Tsk.”
I inwardly grumbled about the extra trouble caused.
Then, I decided to overturn the fundamental foundation of the problem.
And to do that, I need to borrow some hands.
Minami, who is adept at sensing the feelings and intentions of others, showed no inclination to get involved because she didn’t want to.
“Then, you handle it within your jurisdiction.”
“Mu? Does that mean by any means, Gozaru?”
“As long as we don’t attract the attention of the supervisor who’ll be coming later.”
“Ho, I see, I see. In that case, it’s fine, Gozaru.”
The reason she wasn’t motivated was that if she handled it poorly, any slight negative aspect would be used to feign justice, which is something she detests.
That is the very thing she dislikes the most, the most troublesome opponent for her to deal with through proper means.
So, if I say she can use underhanded tactics, albeit with restrictions, rather than proper methods, Minami’s motivation will be restored.
“?”
Amelia and Katsu, who couldn’t follow the conversation, looked at each other and exchanged glances, but apparently concluded it was better to stay quiet, nodded, and became silent.
“Kaido-senpai~ It’s almost time, Gozaru, so let’s wrap this up quickly~ Gozaru, our real business is about to begin, so~”
And as the two small figures decided to remain observers, Minami acted, albeit feigning lack of enthusiasm.
However, what she said was still a logical argument.
If you dismiss them as a nuisance, you give them a moral high ground.
If you concede, you also give them a moral high ground.
That’s why it had to be a logical argument.
She began to steer the flow of the situation from stagnation, appearing to criticize Kaido and stating a logical argument.
She proceeded calmly, leaving no room for others to intervene, and as if leaving them behind.
“I know that, but, wh-wh-what should I do?”
It was natural for Kaido to be bewildered at that point.
It had been a while since I had seen the flustered and panicky Kaido.
The goal of this prostrating group was Kaido’s transformable suit.
However, that transformable suit was a custom-made order solely for Kaido.
It might be considered favoritism to equip him that way, but Kaido had obtained that suit through his own efforts.
It’s not reasonable to demand that I make one for myself, having obtained it through his connections.
“It’s simple, Gozaru~ Could I have a word with those five people over there?”
So, Minami stepped in.
Casually, and with a relaxed demeanor, Minami turned from Kaido towards the five people and offered a languid, soft smile.
“Yes! What is it!”
People, with few exceptions,
Lower their guard when met with a smile.
Furthermore, if you criticize Kaido, they won’t necessarily see Minami as an ally, but they might lean towards the theory that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” providing some support.
“You want Kaido-senpai’s transformable suit, don’t you?”
Minami’s question, confirming their objective.
“Yes! We, no, *I* want that transformable suit!!”
Confirming the objective might lead to a faint hope.
“Is that so? Then, of course, you’ll pay for it, won’t you?”
However, life isn’t that sweet.
If you want something, you need to pay a commensurate price.
And this is a common story in RPGs.
Expensive equipment costs money.
“Huh?”
“What do you mean, ‘huh’? When you first asked where it was sold, it implies you intended to buy it, right? When you heard it wasn’t for sale, you asked us to make it. Therefore, I believe you understand that it must be made as a custom order.”
The true intention of this prostrating group was likely the belief that they could obtain the coveted transformable suit, but that doesn’t mean they would simply be given it.
I don’t know what Hiyosumi said to them, but such a rule doesn’t exist in our company.
Initial equipment is provided, but after that, you must prepare it yourself. That’s the remuneration for the exceptionally high material rewards provided by this company.
“Kaido-senpai.”
“Yes!”
“Tell them the development cost of that suit.”
“Um, it’s 36 million, for materials alone.”
“36 million?!”
The man who was prostrating himself at the front exclaimed in shock at the exorbitant price.
It’s natural to imagine that a transformable suit with various functions wouldn’t be cheap.
For it to be humanoid and possess that performance, it couldn’t possibly be cheap.
“And that’s just for the materials. If you include the technical costs and other miscellaneous expenses, how much would it be?”
“Um, since Amili-chan, Shiik-chan, and Miik-chan worked on it, I don’t know the exact amount, but Amili-chan alone should cost 10 million, so multiplied by three, that’s 66 million.”
“If it’s one suit per person, that’s 330 million for the five of you. My, it seems to be a more expensive product than I thought, that suit.”
It’s truly as Minami says.
Rather than the technology of this world, it’s a craft. Skills honed by one’s own hand become unique, irreplaceable abilities.
Among them, the technology of the Machine King, who is said to have no equal in creating golems, is incorporated without reservation.
In fact, some might say that amount is quite reasonable.
Not me, though.
All the materials were prepared in the dungeon, and the technical costs were covered by goodwill, so it ended up being practically zero yen. However, I was drenched in cold sweat later when I heard how expensive the equipment would have been if I had relied on others.
“So, can you afford that amount? If you can, I will put in a good word for you.”
“…”
The decision was made.
Without any external intervention, calmly and steadily.
Of course, they couldn’t just say “give it to me for free” for something that expensive, nor could they say they would buy it.
The man, shoulders slumped, left the conference room with the other members.
“Hey.”
“What?”
“Was it necessary to say that much?”
As Kaido, who let out a sigh of relief, and Minami, who waved them goodbye, watched them leave, Kitamiya asked me in a low voice.
The “necessary to say that much” likely refers to the price of Kaido’s equipment.
The price of equipment is, in a way, confidential information for a party.
It becomes a factor in inferring the party’s financial situation and the skill level required for that equipment, though not entirely.
Other testers would surely covet such information.
That’s probably why she harbored doubts about me, who so readily gave Minami permission to disclose the information.
“It was necessary.”
And while I regret the outcome of having to use that card, I have no regrets.
“I suspect Hiyosumi’s aim was to manipulate information using those newcomers.”
“Information manipulation?”
“Yes. If, for example, time had passed and we had been forcibly ejected to hold this meeting, they would have intervened, claiming the moral high ground.”
It’s significant that their plans were thwarted with just one disclosure of information.
The core players were Hiyosumi, and possibly the members of Golden Hill in cooperation.
Kanzaki and the others from step beat were likely neutral, leaning towards Hiyosumi; they wouldn’t act together but wouldn’t interfere either.
If Hiyosumi made a move, the other testers would have begun heckling and attempting to dominate the atmosphere of the room.
“In that case, the information they would demand from us wouldn’t be limited to just the price of Kaido’s suit.”
The reason Hiyosumi invited those newcomers, even though they had time, is unknown.
However, I can infer the general reasons.
First, Hiyosumi and his group desired the support of the newcomers.
Second, the perceived special connections of our party.
Third, the decline in our party’s reputation.
“That’s probably about right. The scary thing about democracy is that the opinion of the majority is considered the correct one. Then, what can counter it is something that can be called common sense. Surely, they can’t demand something worth hundreds of millions to be given to newcomers unconditionally.”
I cast a sidelong glance towards Hiyosumi, as if to prove my words weren’t mistaken. He was there, with an unsmiling gaze, while he reprimanded the displeased members of Golden Hill.
“So that’s what it is. That’s why you had Minami act.”
Kitamiya, following my gaze, nodded in understanding and then calmly shifted her gaze away, as if not wanting to be noticed.
“She’s sharp when it comes to these kinds of emotional movements. She doesn’t like dealing with troublesome situations, but if you tell her she can use a few cards, she’ll manage to put out the fire with the minimum necessary. Compared to the plan of that descendant of a hero we dealt with before, it was sloppy. Just as I expected, we got through it with the minimum necessary cards.”
When I explained the situation to Kitamiya, she nodded in understanding.
However, even though I called it sloppy, it’s clear that if it had happened to us, it would have been troublesome again.
Foiling their plans here is likely to have had a significant impact.
“Though, the cards we played weren’t exactly small either.”
The net closing in on us, which they made to look like it was carelessly constructed.
Their true intentions, their purpose, are becoming as unclear as if veiled in mist.
What lies beyond Kawasaki’s gaze?
All I know is.
Those newcomers will need aftercare.
Today’s Word:
“To lose and gain” is easy to say.
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*The first volume of the novel is published by Hayakawa Bunko JA.
It was released on October 18, 2018.
The e-book version was released on October 31 of the same year.
Volume two was released on December 19.
Volume three was released on February 20, 2019.
The content includes revisions and additions to the material posted on “Shosetsuka ni Narou,” along with an unpublished interlude.
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