Here’s the translation:
New Chapter – We’re Jumping In!!
The right to challenge for the General’s position.
In a way, for anyone belonging to this Demon Lord’s Army, it’s a platinum ticket they’d covet more than anything.
It didn’t take long for the rumors to spread that I, a human, had obtained it.
“Well, I’m more than half done being human, though,” I muttered, nodding in realization at my non-human state. I walked through the company, overhearing whispers. Because my physical abilities were enhanced, unless the distance was great or a secure communication method like telepathic call was used, I could hear those hushed conversations even without paying attention.
The last time I participated in the Tournament, I was ridiculed for being reckless, but judging from what I’m hearing now, that assessment has completely reversed. They’re actually holding out hope, huh… Honestly, I expected more criticism. Let’s take the surprisingly good evaluation as a sign that I’ve integrated into this company.
“Still, it seems to have become quite the rumor…” I only told Suella and the others, so the leak must have come from them, but judging by how widely it’s spread, it’s definitely not them. It must have leaked from the instructor. Or rather, did the instructor leak it?
“There’s even a chance the President himself openly leaked it, which isn’t funny.”
Just walking down the hallway, I was drawing attention. *If it was going to be like this, maybe I shouldn’t have accepted this offer,* I thought, though it wasn’t my true feeling, and I proceeded with my usual commute.
“I heard. Jiro-. Or should I say, future General?”
“Keiri-san, could you tell me where you heard that?”
As soon as I stepped into the office, instead of the usual energetic greeting, I was met by Keiri-san, who had come to confirm the truth of the rumors. I gave a wry smile, and on my end, I tried to figure out the source of the rumor.
“I can only say everywhere. You can hear it anywhere in the company right now. Is it finally a master-disciple showdown?!’ or ‘First human General in the Demon Lord’s Army’s history!’ It’s gaining momentum to the point where headlines like that could be written.”
“It seems to be quite the stir, then.”
“Oh, you’re more composed than I expected.”
I crossed the office and reached my usual spot, the Section Chief’s desk, and while turning on my PC, I listened to Keiri-san. She seemed slightly displeased, finding me not worth teasing.
“Panicking won’t make the instructor any weaker.”
“That’s true. But be careful. Just like last time, there are quite a few people who don’t think kindly of your promotion.”
“I can’t help but feel like it’s a bit late for that now.”
It’s difficult to respond even if she seems displeased. At this point, there’s almost no meaning in rushing. All I can do is do what I can and face the challenge.
“Don’t you hate it?”
“I do. Who would willingly create more enemies for themselves?”
“In that case.”
I offered another wry smile to Keiri-san, who questioned my seemingly optimistic attitude.
“I can only say it’s a chance, and perhaps I can catch up to the back I’ve seen from afar.”
“…Haa, I want to scold my past self.”
As I honestly conveyed my feelings about facing the challenge, Keiri-san let out a big sigh and then smiled.
“What’s the meaning of that?”
“Me missing out on such a golden opportunity.”
“That’s regrettable. Perhaps I might have been more popular in the past.”
“You’re missing the qualifier ‘if Suella weren’t around,’ aren’t you?”
“In that case, it can’t be helped.”
While her smile might have contained a hint of a joke, I could also see her genuine support from the bottom of her heart. That’s precisely why I responded with a smile and a jest, to repay that trust.
“Yes, it can’t be helped. So, I’ll be counting on you with these documents too. Future General.”
“…Haa, understood.”
I had expected the work to pile up since I took paid leave, but the amount of work was more than I anticipated, and a sigh escaped my lips. I hadn’t expected the sheer volume to feel so heavy. I wanted to finish this by the morning and do some training for the upcoming days in the afternoon…
“Will I finish?”
“Senpai!! I heard something interesting from Amili-chan!!”
As soon as Keiri-san left, I waved enthusiastically and spotted Kaido approaching. After a moment’s thought.
“Senpai, are you taking the test to become a General again!?”
“Well, yes. And speaking of which, I have a small favor to ask of you, Kaido, since you happened to come by?”
“Huh? What is it?”
I figured I might as well reduce some of the work. I tapped the pile of documents awaiting my approval.
“I’m a bit swamped with work, so could you get permission for the use of the Dimension Room?”
“Sure, but what do you need it for?”
If the Dimension Room is to be used, it’s for training. Kaido, understanding this, likely asked about the Dimension Room’s settings to match the purpose.
“Nothing much, just some practice for a bit of a free-for-all battle.”
As I explained, Kaido’s complexion grew paler.
“Seriously!?”
“Seriously, seriously, extremely seriously.”
Kaido’s eyes conveyed his disbelief, and I couldn’t help but offer a wry smile, admitting it was understandable. Given the contents, it wouldn’t be strange for him to doubt my sanity.
“I suspect I’ll need to do at least this much.”
“…O-okay. What time should I have it ready?”
“Right after lunch break ends. And set it to five hours a day at triple speed for thirty minutes.”
“Ten days straight!? At this setting, that’s enough to kill you!?”
On top of that, Kaido protested with a near scream about the extended duration, but it was something I had to do regardless.
“Honestly, considering the instructor, it might not even be enough.”
“…Y-yes, that’s true.”
The opponent is the instructor. To win, I can’t afford to neglect my efforts, but simply accumulating effort won’t guarantee victory. If I don’t push myself to my limits, a swift defeat awaits.
“So, I’m sorry to trouble you, but please do this favor. I’ll definitely participate properly during the Dungeon Test.”
“Y-yes.”
While I was contemplating what to do, Kaido, who was deep in thought at that moment, did not notice me.
***
Another Side
Kaido Tadashi was currently experiencing a profound sense of crisis. If you were to ask him what it was about, it was about Jiro Tanaka, his senpai.
Rather than a rumor, it was more like a normal work notification. During dinner, he heard from his cohabiting partner, Kiō Amili, that Jiro was going to take the test to become a General. Kaido, who had planned to playfully tease him the next day about how tough things were, had his easygoing thought completely denied.
In his hands was the application form for the use of the Dimension Room. If he submitted this, Jiro could begin his training. This document was originally supposed to be submitted to the General Affairs Department, but it remained in Kaido’s possession. And…
“Senpai is insane.”
“No, isn’t it always the case that the Leader is insane? Is it just me who feels that way?”
“Rest assured. You’re not the only one who thinks so.”
“I think so too.”
“Hmm, I can’t deny that.”
The contents of the application form were being shown to his Party Members. In the center of the table in the Party Room, the application form was placed.
“What is this, gozaru? It’s like a death wish, the homicidal intent is too high. The gravity environment is five times, unaffected by summoned monsters. The oxygen concentration is also halved.”
“The types of monsters are also terrifying. They’re all basically high-ranking species. Only the strongest individuals that can be prepared in the Dimension Room. There are Dragon Species that can fight head-on, Orc Species that overwhelm with numbers, and quite a few specializing in assassination.”
“There are also those who specialize in poison and status abnormalities.”
“That’s true, but the most problematic thing is this. Ten days without a break, and only Jiro-san is recognized as an enemy.”
“…”
Jiro was about to plunge himself into an environment where everything – numbers, quality, time, and surroundings – was an enemy. Kaido heard that the intended content was training simulating a battle royale. However, this was by no means a battle royale, but a battle of one against many. In the midst of slowly depleting stamina, the opponents would be able to face him with full stamina and spirit. The only salvation was that the map was made as vast as possible and equipped with various environments, allowing for concealment. If only the enemies fought each other, he might get some break time, but as Amelia said, in this setting, all monsters recognized only Jiro as their enemy and attacked him, with no inter-monster engagement.
“…Is the Leader truly going to challenge this?”
“Yes.”
“Perhaps my eyes are tired. I thought it said five days for the usage period.”
“It’s correct. By the way, there are also applications for next week and the week after.”
“Ten days x five days x three weeks, five months worth? You’re lying, right?”
“I wish it were a lie. By the way, I only had three application forms on hand, but Senpai said he’d replenish them later.”
“This is crazy.”
“Completely.”
The party members found it strange that their Party Leader would even consider challenging such an environment, but Jiro was, strangely enough, sane and claimed he would. The party members could no longer worry if he would be alright.
“So, I’d like to consult with everyone.”
“Well, although I pride myself on being efficient, gozaru, I do think this is a bit excessive.”
“So, what’s the plan to stop Jiro-san?”
Kaido, with a serious expression, proposed a consultation. Minami and Kitamiya thought he had brought this document to stop Jiro’s recklessness. However.
“That’s not it.”
He shook his head. Maintaining his serious demeanor, not a shred of his usual playful attitude was visible. Instead, he produced a blank Dimension Room application form.
“I got this from General Affairs.”
Not one or two, but a bundle.
“I thought about it. Lately, the gap between Senpai and me has been widening. Senpai tells me not to worry about it and to get stronger at my own pace, but isn’t that just being complacent?”
This was an expression of Kaido’s resolve.
“Senpai is trying to stand next to the instructor, so what am I doing, still leisurely chasing after him? Isn’t it time for that to end?”
Clenching his fists, Kaido asked Minami and the others if it was okay to continue like this.
“I see, I see. So, Kaido-san, you’ve come to invite us to a training segment, the kind common in stories of friendship, effort, and victory, haven’t you?”
“We’re not full-time employees like you, Kaido-san.”
“That’s right.”
“Hmm, mine is a little different though.”
Despite their words seeming unenthusiastic about Kaido’s resolve, Minami and the others, one by one, reached for the application forms.
“Well, I don’t like being left behind.”
“Fufufufufu, I shall prove with my theories that the difference in Magic Aptitude is not the decisive factor in combat power, gozaru.”
“I don’t want to stay like this either.”
“It’s no fun doing it alone, but it’s fun doing it with everyone!”
“Thank you, everyone. I really appreciate it.”
They agreed with Kaido’s idea.
“If we’re going to do it, we’ll do it thoroughly, gozaru.”
“Well, if we’re going to do it, we might as well try to surprise Jiro-san… Maybe we should even invite people from the department?”
“It might indeed be better if there were more people.”
“Good! Everyone getting stronger will further surprise Jiro!”
Once they started moving, Moonlit Perch moved quickly. Minami’s arm, enhanced by magic, swiftly filled out the details on the paper.
“For now, I’ll write out plans for individual and party use for when we have free time, gozaru.”
“You, do you remember all the facility details?”
“Fufufufufu, as a gamer, remembering where and what can be done is common sense, gozaru. By the way, I’ve memorized not only the Party Members’ stats but also the stats of the department personnel who can view them.”
Kitamiya’s eyes widened in surprise at how accurate and detailed the contents were. Katsu wasn’t particularly surprised, thinking it was possible. Amelia, however, was honestly excited, exclaiming, “Amazing, amazing.” And Kaido?
“There he is, the abnormal one.”
“How rude, don’t lump me in with bug-prone characters like the Leader, gozaru.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
Minami, who had the highest adaptability in their party, let out an exclamation of admiration mixed with a jest. Then, as if to object, she scribbled a certain set of numbers on the back of the application form.
“…”
Jiro Tanaka
Magic Aptitude 10 (Demon Lord Class)
Job: Warrior
Stats
Strength: 289039
Durability: 485697
Agility: 336542
Stamina: 602578
Dexterity: 350008
Knowledge: 12547
Intuition: 556874
Luck: 2
Magic Power: 299987
Status
Dragon Humanoid Transformation
“Except for my luck, gozaru, my stats are less than a tenth of these stats.”
Minami stated that this was what was considered abnormal.
“That’s precisely why it’s so worth surpassing!!”
Fueled by this, Kaido and the others were also inspired.
Today’s Word: Once you decide what to do, the necessary actions also become clear.
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