Entering a Company From Another World! – Chapter 373

How many times has it been now?

I suppressed a sigh, pressed my eyes, and took a deep breath, not wanting to avert my gaze from reality.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the PC screen and the report I had been looking at until just a moment ago.

The content could be described as a progress report.

However, it wasn’t a report on dungeon testing, but rather a report that added newly discovered information, recalling the numerous troubles that had recently occurred.

The disappearance of Toru Himusumi, a Dungeon Tester, and the serious injury of Midori Kawasaki, who had accompanied him.

The former is still missing, and there are no clues, making the theory of his death strong.

Regarding the latter, she regained consciousness and an interview was conducted, but no useful information was obtained beyond being attacked by a large wolf.

Furthermore, Lunaria, also known as the Tree King, reported that the attack on the Dark Elf village was not a natural phenomenon of magic beasts, but had a clear intent.

There’s no need to think about what that means.

This incident was orchestrated by someone.

The document marked “Confidential” in my hand contained information that would give a section chief-level person a headache, listed one after another. The atmosphere was not just cloudy, but felt like it was heading for a thunderstorm with rumbling thunder.

“You seem to be holding onto a lot.”

“Is this the weight of being a middle manager?”

I had been massaging my eyes to relieve the dejected feeling caused by the content of the follow-up report, hoping for even a small change of pace. But from an outsider’s perspective, I probably looked tired.

Coffee was quietly offered, and I accepted it while thanking Keiri-san, who had offered it.

“How are the testers doing?”

“In my section, it’s not too bad. The Second Division was a bit flustered at first, but it’s calmed down now that it’s been deemed an independent action by Toru and Midori. The problem is…”

“…the Third Division?”

A week had passed since Toru’s disappearance.

The company atmosphere during that time was, to put it mildly, far from good.

There were several reasons, but the main one was the unrest on the mainland of the Magician Continent, and the leadership was on edge due to political machinations.

It seems there are troublemakers everywhere, and while I was forced to work overtime day after day searching for them, I was silently embraced by Evia. It felt inappropriate, but I was also encouraged by the thought that I was relied upon and wished for solace, embracing her for about ten minutes and stroking her head.

It felt less like damage control and more like dealing with a problem, as they were desperately trying to uncover the unseen enemy. However, the opponent was apparently good at hiding, as they couldn’t even get a tail, and it was impressive to see their mounting frustration.

“That’s right. If it weren’t for work, I wouldn’t want to go near that place.”

The Third Division, where Toru and Midori belonged, was directly affected by this. Keiri, who had been observing the situation, shivered as if scared, shrugging her shoulders and acting theatrically.

“Was it that tense?”

“It was. We even received a direct warning from the Demon Lord, so I suppose it’s natural. Because of that, their attitude has become even more extreme, and the testers belonging to that division are pitiful. They might even quit.”

“Probably. I received a very enthusiastic ‘love call’ myself.”

For Jurgen, the Section Chief of the Third Division, it was likely an unfair blow. His subordinates, who didn’t listen to him, acted independently behind his back, grovelled to someone of higher status than himself, and caused problems under them.

I would have turned bright red at such an event, but Jurgen, to the contrary, became so enraged that his face turned red.

“Oh? What did they say?”

To Jurgen, humans were like slaves. He treated them as disposable items to be used as he pleased and replaced when broken. However, we, the Dungeon Testers, were from another world, and we were told by the highest authority that we couldn’t be treated that way, so he reluctantly tried to use us according to instructions, but his attitude remained that of a master.

“He said, ‘Hand over the inconvenient Midori, and in return, give me all of my party members.'”

If you listen, I’ll use you.
If you don’t, I won’t use you.
With such an attitude, it was natural that he couldn’t communicate with his subordinates. Until now, Toru had acted independently and achieved results, so there was no problem, but now that Toru was gone, the Third Division’s results plummeted.

As a result, this unfairness was now spilling over into the smoothly running First Division.

“What’s that?”

“Seriously, right?”

To reinforce his depleted combat power, Jurgen was forcing the issue. He asked for the testers, who were the second strongest after the Section Chief himself, and myself. It seemed the Second Division had also been approached, and their section chief apparently flew into a rage and refused.

“So, what did you reply?”

“Well, I gave a non-committal answer, of course.”

“Why the question mark? That’s suspicious.”

And so, I apologized to the testers belonging to the Third Division, but I had no obligation or reason to comply with such an unreasonable demand. I couldn’t lend them a hand. I didn’t voice the question of whether they had lost their understanding that the departments were divided for competition.

“I don’t think it’s necessary to borrow the strength of ‘lower beings’ like humans, so I will not provide any support from this end.”

Instead, I smiled and retorted with twice the words I had been told to my face.

Naturally, Jurgen wasn’t pleased with such a reply, but since he had said those words himself in the past, he couldn’t retort, and finally let out a shriek and left.

Keiri-san, who didn’t know about this exchange, knew that I hadn’t refused him politely. She left with a parting admonition, “Be moderate about it.”

“Honestly, what a troublesome situation.”

Frankly, I personally wished this problem hadn’t occurred at this timing. I glanced at the small calendar on the side of my desk. A red circle was drawn three weeks from now, with “Due Date” written below it in my handwriting.

“My first child is about to be born, and all this commotion.”

I tried my best to avoid causing trouble, but even if I didn’t, the people around me seemed to cause trouble as if they didn’t care.

“This company is truly busy.”

It felt like there wasn’t a single day without something happening. Everything they did was out of the ordinary. Moreover, we’re in a line of work that’s like a pipe dream. I chuckled self-deprecatingly, thinking that if I were bound by common sense, I wouldn’t be able to do this job, and I started working. Himik and Memoria are in charge, but if possible, I want to be present for the birth. If I’m going to complain, the work won’t get done. I’ll put aside my resentments towards Toru for now.

“Alright, then, it’s time to work.”

I’ll calm the ripples caused by this incident. I finished the familiar administrative tasks and skimmed through the reports that had come in. As Keiri mentioned, the impact of the new testers was not significant. Some of them felt detached, as if it were a fire on the other side of the river, and in any case, there are no newcomers who would act recklessly in our department, given the presence of two instructors who frequently knock them down a peg when they get too arrogant.

Thanks to that, their reports are all quite reasonable, and the goals of each team are clearly evident, making them quite enjoyable to read.

“Perhaps the newcomers are more reliable… Or perhaps the instructors’ training methods have become exquisitely skilled?”

Is it the influence of the person named Toru Himusumi, or the influence of the person named Midori Kawasaki? Or is it just like this, having had no connection with either of them? For the newcomers, it might just be a matter of “beware of fire.”

As I thought about this, the two instructors popped into my mind. Perhaps because of our connection, they take care of the newcomers whenever they have free time. Perhaps because of the precious sacrifices that were Midori and myself, their control over their strength is now exquisitely balanced to the point where no complaints can be made. For the newcomers who underwent that training, they looked upon us with awe, as if to say, “Did you endure that?” I wanted to say, “I’m sorry, it’s more than that.”

“It was fortunate that Kitamiya’s reaction was dry, as it seemed to have an impact, but there’s nothing that can be done about Nanase.”

And if the newcomers were fine, the person most closely related to him would be worried. But that was alright. When Kitamiya learned of Toru’s disappearance, he came to work the next day with a cheerful expression, or rather, without seeming concerned. However, he usually arrived with Amelia or arguing with Minami, but today was different. For the first time in who knows how long, he came to work with Nanase by his side. I could guess the reason for them coming together.

One might say that the person she should be crying to is someone else, but after seeing the Section Chief of that Third Division, it would be understandable to say that coming to me was the correct decision. As expected, Nanase sought all the information I knew about Toru’s safety. I had no intention of refusing, and though I promised to provide all the information I had and would receive, I wasn’t sure if I was able to give her the information she was looking for.

Currently, she is bravely running around supporting her juniors and trying to vindicate Toru’s name. It seems like she is desperately trying to avert her eyes from reality, but I decided to think of it as her wanting to distract herself for now.

“…”

As I worked while drinking coffee, my gaze happened to fall on the clock.

“Time, huh?”

On days when there are no dungeon tests, I mostly do backstage work, such as sitting in the office reading reports, scheduling for each team, or holding meetings with other departments.

“I’ll be away from my seat for a bit. If anything comes up, contact me telepathically.”

“Yes, yes, have a good trip.”

After telling Keiri-san where I was going, I stood up and walked at a leisurely pace, unlike my usual self. Or rather, I just wanted to walk slowly.

Goblin units checking equipment, Dark Elves chatting while holding documents, Harpies frantically searching for someone, a Lizardman in a white coat talking with colleagues, a demon wiping sweat while loosening his tie, perhaps having just returned from outside. The company, where humans are almost non-existent except for us Dungeon Testers, has become familiar to me lately.

It’s no longer particularly unusual, and I don’t feel intimidated. If anything, I now feel a sense of dissatisfaction with the outside world. It’s not that there’s nothing, but in terms of excitement, the constant non-daily life that doesn’t exist in reality stimulates me.

“It seems such days have become my everyday life.”

Before I knew it, my slow steps had stopped, and I placed one hand on the railing, burning the scene below into my memory.

The bustling noise.

When did I start to find that sound pleasant? When I was at my previous company, I even found the background noise annoying during short naps.

A single flyer changed my life.

“You never know what might happen in life.”

A smile touched the corners of my mouth with a reminiscent laugh, and I was glad I had been honest with my heart at that time. If asked whether I was satisfied with my current situation, I would say I am not yet satisfied. I found it nostalgic that I thought I was looking forward to the future, something I hadn’t felt since my student days.

“I thought I was indifferent to ambition for promotion.”

I, who used to lament that I didn’t want to bear any responsibility, am now a section chief in charge of subordinates. I can only assume that the reason I am able to navigate this role, having never held a middle management position before, is due to the excellence of my subordinates.

“Even so, I feel a sense of accomplishment.”

I don’t complain to anyone. There’s no doubt that my current environment is fulfilling. Although I find it difficult and troublesome at times, I’ve never wanted to quit, and I’m so greedy that I’m not satisfied with the results I’ve achieved so far. I’m struggling to climb as high as I can. I wish that the recent incident would not escalate any further, and I resume walking. My leather shoes hit the ground, echoing down the hallway. I exchanged brief greetings with employees I passed and had short chats with acquaintances.

“Was I early?”

Arriving at my destination, I noticed that there were only a few people there and realized I had come too early. However, the piercing gazes were still the same as ever. After all, it is unprecedented for a human to enter this place. There are still those who show aversion to a human entering, even at the lowest seat. Currently, I feel half of that aversion, and the rest is a gaze mixed with curiosity and a bit of sympathy.

It’s no use worrying about it, so I sat in the designated seat and waited for time to come.

“…”

In the meantime, I looked through the materials prepared at my seat, but they were no different from the content announced in advance, and there was nothing new. Gradually, people gathered in the room, and the noise grew louder. However, the commotion quieted down when Evia appeared in the seat of honor. Her appearance meant…

“Yes, yes, I apologize for making you wait.”

Following her appeared the Demon Lord, the President. He entered with a smile and a wave, but nobody paid attention, and they quickly stood up and bowed their heads. Like a prearranged signal, I followed suit and bowed.

“Everyone, please be seated!”

As Evia called out, everyone took their seats. What was about to begin was, in company terms, like a management meeting. It was a forum where department heads would report and indicate future guidelines, with Evia presiding. The President would merely observe without interfering. Despite this, everyone present in this tense atmosphere held positions of responsibility. I thought, “Have we come this far in just a year?”

I listened to reports from various departments, took notes at times, and grasped the recent situation of other departments.

“Next, the report from the Tester Division, starting with the First Division.”

After a break, time passed, and it was finally my turn. I replied with a brisk and cheerful voice, feeling the gazes that had been focused elsewhere now concentrated on me. In the past, I would have had a stomach ache from nervousness, but when did that start to fade? I spoke without a hint of tension, relaying the prepared content, and answered the malicious questions. While asserting my presence, I also conveyed my requests. Standing here, I felt not only like a field operative but also a sense of responsibility. While thinking that my position had become quite extraordinary, it still felt like someone else’s because the sense of being an ordinary salaryman lingered.

“As for our achievements, we have achieved satisfactory results in the current operational dungeon攻略.”

I explained without hesitation in an environment populated solely by non-humans. What would my past self think if she saw me? What would she look like if I told her I had a child with a woman from another world? If I could show her, I’d want to. To show her that her future wasn’t dark, but rather an exciting one. That’s why.

“Regarding that matter, please refer to the attached document.”

I can stand here with my head held high now. Although it is a line of work with an uncertain future, I have no anxiety standing in this place. My family, whom I must protect, will soon grow. I have also gained subordinates and colleagues who trust me. I have no time to be discouraged by trivial matters. If I had time, it would be more constructive to consider how to silence some of the superiors who seem to want to complain. Because.

“That concludes the report from the First Division.”

I still have many things I want to do, so I can’t afford to stand still here.

Today’s Word:
You must advance when you have the chance to.

Thank you for your continued feedback and for pointing out any typos.
This chapter concludes the current arc.
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*The first volume of the book is 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.
Volume 2 was released on December 19.
Volume 3 was released on February 20, 2019.
The content has been revised and expanded from the version posted on “Shosetsuka ni Naro” and includes an unpublished interlude.
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A manga adaptation is being serialized in Kodansha’s “Young Magazine The Third.”
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