The front lines.
It could be said to be the most honorable workplace for a Dungeon Tester. After all, they were conquering the deepest floors of dungeons. The results alone would earn them respect not only from colleagues but even from within the Demon Lord’s Army, serving as a form of status. The recognition that the most glorious moment for a marathon runner is at the front applies to testers as well. The term “top record” is something everyone longs for and aims for. Currently, “Moonlit Perch,” our party, holds the record for all six active dungeons. However, continuously running the front lines of all dungeons is no easy feat. Day and night, we’re constantly moving around, racking our brains to conquer them. I believe these records are the fruits of our efforts.
“We’re almost at the exit.”
“Yeessss!”
You might think that getting used to hardship doesn’t sound very good, but what if I rephrased it as “we don’t mind the hardship”? Making the sounds of our equipment clanking against each other, we emerged from the current dungeon, once again updating our record. With our duties divided and some dungeons no longer under our charge, it’s inevitable that someone will eventually surpass our records for those conquered dungeons. However, we’ve always conquered them with the intention of making it hard for anyone to break our records. And today, as we diligently carry out our duties, we don’t feel any sense of hardship.
“Honestly, once we go through this door, it really feels like we’re back home.”
Though we might complain about being tired. Even with our stats increased and stamina greatly improved, battles consume more stamina than imagined. Kitamiya, stretching her shoulders, expresses her fatigue, and I nod in agreement, feeling equally tired.
“That’s true. It’s probably because we can finally feel we’re in a safe zone, but maybe the scenery changing so drastically also plays a part.”
When I point out that psychological fatigue might also be a factor, Kaido chimes in with something that just popped into his head.
“Maybe it’s the homing instinct?”
Everyone understood the unspoken thought behind his words: “That’s definitely not it,” and realized he had just blurted out the first thing that came to his mind.
“Is that what ‘homing instinct’ really is?”
“It’s an unconscious act of instinctively trying to return to one’s home, you see. It’s a different matter from the sense of relief the leader is talking about.”
Katsu, looking uncertain if his understanding was incorrect, asks for clarification, and Minami, puffing out her chest, proudly explains, “It’s trivia time!”
“Oh! Min-chan, you know so much!”
“In her case, it’s probably game knowledge, though.”
“If it’s not wrong, then there’s no problem!”
Amelia is impressed by this, but Kitamiya, guessing the source of Minami’s knowledge, offers a weary smile of disbelief, not refuting her. Following our conquest of the Dragon King’s Dungeon last week, our withdrawal after conquering one of the giant king’s forts resulted in only minor damage. We sustained no injuries, and the use of consumables was minimal. As we returned to the company through the gates, we all put away our weapons with a sigh of relief, our expressions relaxing as the tension dissipated. The deeper we go, the more intense the battles become, and the more challenging the dungeons get as our work progresses. Honestly, we can’t let our guard down. Therefore, even if we appear relaxed inside the dungeons, everyone’s inner feelings are constantly in a battle-ready stance.
“Ah! Everyone, look! The rankings have changed!”
Once released from that state of tension, our moods become significantly lighter. Although there’s still equipment maintenance and report writing to deal with, it’s less stressful compared to combat. We can crack jokes and elaborate on them. While we were enjoying this brief respite, Amelia suddenly noticed something and pointed. Hearing “rankings,” I had a good idea of what she was referring to.
“Oh! The rankings for the Lunaria’s Dungeon have changed.”
“Haaah, it’s Himusumi’s group, huh.”
On the electronic display board posted in the plaza in front of the dungeon entrance, there were rankings indicating how much each tester group had conquered. What was once a formality has been revitalized by the arrival of newcomers.
“Uwaaah, they’re almost going to surpass us.”
The ranking table, which displays not only the overall evaluation but also the performance for each dungeon, has become more explicit. In the case of the Lunaria’s Dungeon, where the change occurred, all of us looked as Amelia pointed. “Step beat,” the female tester team led by Kanzaki, was originally in second place, but “Wings,” led by Himusumi, had now taken second place. Himusumi’s team, like us in “Moonlit Perch,” were all-rounders who challenged all dungeons, but due to their smaller party size and a gap in their strength, they had been in third place or lower in several dungeons. However, their overall rankings have been improving lately.
“We haven’t really tackled the Lunaria’s Dungeon much, have we?”
“Hmm, at this rate, they might actually surpass us, huh?”
As Katsu pointed out, the place where the rankings swapped was the part of our conquest scope that we’d touched the least. Since we don’t plan to focus on it in the future either, there’s a substantial possibility of it being updated again soon. In our line of work, a single dominant force isn’t necessarily an ideal environment. If we consider any potential future threats, having abundant forces wouldn’t hurt. Personally, I don’t feel particularly good about being surpassed, but I can accept it as an unfortunate reality.
“I’ll just have to rely on our newcomers to do their best.”
So, I’ll limit myself to cheering them on, hoping that at least our own side will put up a good fight.
“Yeah, it’s not good if we’re the only ones doing everything.”
Wishing for the day when Benny and Kato, who have been conquering the Lunaria’s Dungeon, catch up to Himusumi’s squad, we leave the plaza.
“Are we done for today?”
“Yeah. The reports can wait until tomorrow, but is there something you need?”
Returning to our newly renovated Party Room, Kitamiya, now in her casual clothes, asks about our plans for the rest of the day. Most of us, except for Kaido, are essentially part-timers. So, unlike us regular employees, they have a relatively high degree of freedom.
“I have dinner plans with my college friends tonight, so I need to hurry and get ready.”
“Heh? Karen-chan, is it a mixer?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s just with my female friends. If I knew men were going to be there, I would have refused.”
Above all, Kitamiya is a university student. She’s still young and probably wants to have fun.
“So, are there any single girls among your college friends, Kitamiya?”
“Kaido, if Amili-san finds out, she might turn one of your arms into machinery.”
“There aren’t any! Kitamiya-chan is beautiful!”
“Kaido-san, are you challenging me to a fight?”
As Kaido playfully joins in, I mutter to him, and he skillfully changes his tune, resorting to flattery, but talk about boyfriends and girlfriends is, in a way, a forbidden topic for Kitamiya. Considering Katsu, who is younger, might be hesitant to approach her, this topic is off-limits. Faced with Kitamiya forming ice arrows in mid-air with a smile, Kaido repeatedly insists it’s a joke.
“Don’t wreck the room.”
While thinking that this is just the usual banter, I give him a warning.
“I’m heading home today too!”
Then, with sharp, crisp movements as if making a rattling sound, Minami, who had completed her preparations to leave, also announced her departure.
“That’s unusual. You usually stay a bit longer.”
As I take a break after work, holding an unlit cigarette in my mouth, I shake it and open my eyes in surprise at the unexpected sight. Shiretoko Min is a woman who doesn’t waste her movements unless there’s a purpose. During battles, when tension is high, her movements are agile, but when it comes to going home, her speed significantly drops. Lazily and leisurely – that’s her usual style of action. But look at her now. She changed quickly, gathered her belongings, and is all set to leave. She’s even giving a peace sign, waiting for permission.
“Fufufufu! Today is the long-awaited release day for a brand new game! I’m pulling an all-nighter today!”
“I’ll be accompanying her.”
Katsu, who appeared shortly after in his casual clothes, indicates he’ll be joining Min, stating he’ll accompany her.
“I see.”
Her swift actions have a reason. Understanding that this is typical of Min, and seeing as there’s no urgent work today, I give them permission to leave.
“Don’t overdo it.”
“That’s something you should say about the quality of this game. If it’s a divine work, my day will be forty-eight hours long.”
“To prevent that from happening, Katsu, please suppress her if necessary.”
“Understood.”
Even though our bodies are enhanced by magic crests, once we’re outside the company, our specs drop to that of a well-trained woman. While an all-nighter might be possible, I hope it doesn’t interfere with her work, and I focus on my remaining tasks.
“Amelia, what about you? Are you going to work on your report, or are you heading home?”
“Ah! I’m going home today too! Mommy said she’s getting off early today, so she wants to go out for dinner somewhere.”
“I see. Have fun!”
“Yes!”
When I asked Amelia what she was up to, it seemed she was going out to eat with her mother today. Thinking that sounds nice, I watched her head off to change.
“Hey, Kitamiya, you’re not running late, are you?”
“Ah! Oh no. In that case, Jiro-san, I’ll be going now. Excuse me!”
“Yeah, have fun.”
When I called out to Kitamiya, who was casting ice magic with exquisite control, she seemed to realize she was running late after looking at her phone and hurried out.
“So, how are you holding up?”
“Ah, I’m… alright. If I hadn’t been training, I would have been in trouble.”
She’s not injured to the point of being tattered, nor are her clothes damaged. That’s understandable. After all, Kitamiya vaporized the ice shards she shot before they could hit anything, turning them into magical energy. With minimal magical power operation, the impact was negligible. Although there were many, hitting anything with them was less effective than a pigeon’s pea shooter. Kaido, chuckling, seemed to understand this, and most of his fatigue came from exaggerated dodging movements.
“I see. So, what are you going to do? I’m going to tidy up some paperwork before heading home, but you don’t have anything left, do you?”
“No, but… is it okay for me to go home? You know, Min-chan and the others are fine, but I’m a regular employee.”
“It’s better not to work overtime. Go home when you can.”
Although there’s still a little time left until closing, our company barely adheres to fixed hours. You can challenge dungeons at your leisure and return at your convenience. As long as you complete the required work hours, you have considerable freedom. If there’s work left, I’ll tell you to do it, but if there isn’t, it’s not a problem to leave before your superior. At least not in our department. While it might take some courage to leave before your boss, Kaido thought for a moment and then…
“Roger that. In that case, Senpai, I’ll be heading out first.”
“Alright, see you tomorrow.”
I watched Kaido, who quickly prepared to leave now that he had permission, and remained alone to focus on my work. Checking the reports submitted by each team. Creating dungeon conquest schedules. Discussing future status improvement training and techniques such as magic acquisition. The more I do, the more work piles up. It’s true that if I don’t set some kind of goal, it will never end. I glance at the clock; it’s a little past closing time. It’s a good stopping point, so I stand up to leave.
“Oof, I worked hard today.”
The days are getting longer, and even looking out the window, it’s not yet evening. As I look down at the Tokyo scenery outside the window, I quickly tidy up. As I turn away from the window, I fail to notice a single shooting star disappearing beyond the mountains, despite how bright it is.
“Ah, Jiro-kun, you’re leaving too?”
“Yes, it’s a good stopping point.”
I leave the office with Keiri-san, who was the last one remaining among the administrative staff, and as I confirm we are alone, I quietly turn off the lights. In the midst of this normalized routine, we don’t realize what’s happening beneath our feet, and we believe without question that tomorrow will come.
Today’s Word:
There is no such thing as an unchanging daily life. Today and tomorrow are sure to be different.
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*The first volume of this novel has been 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. 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 original WN posting, with the addition of unpublished inter-chapters. Please also check out the new volumes!
A comic adaptation is currently being serialized in Kodansha’s “Young Magazine The Third.” We hope you enjoy that as well.
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