According to plan.
In a corner of a spacious and luxurious office, the room is dimly lit because the curtains are drawn to block the sunlight.
The figure of a human, seen through the PC screen, the only light source in the room, is surrounded.
It’s comical that the ones surrounding him are also humans.
Even the Demon Lord isn’t omnipotent.
Even Evia, known as “Senjin,” can only watch my plan unfold like this.
If there’s profit, we have justice. If there’s power, we uphold our ideals. That’s the Demon Lord’s Army. The pretty words of humans are worthless in this world.
With a grin, I lean back in the high-quality chair I acquired in this world.
Still, the technological capabilities of this world are not to be underestimated.
With this communication technology, I can freely command my army.
If that’s the case, we can overwhelm armies that are lagging behind in terms of technological advancement.
Even that man, who seems to have high capabilities for a human, is now in my hands, but from here on, it enters the realm of speculation.
“How will you deal with this?”
I rather like that realm.
Most of it is unknown territory. People fear the unforeseen future and move slowly.
They walk on tiptoe on a dark, unseeable path, carefully checking their footing. To me, it’s such a waste.
One could say that the outcome of a competition is decided entirely in the preceding stages.
But then, it’s no fun.
You don’t know which way it will turn.
A contest of the unknown against the unknown, isn’t that what’s enjoyable?
The screen displays several angles. Magic can do similar things, but this is clearer, and there’s no worry about my familiars being destroyed.
“Let’s see your skills! ♪”
I watch the images displayed from multiple angles with a slight sense of excitement.
The situation isn’t the worst, but it’s certainly bad. After all, my opponent is a manipulated colleague.
It’s not like I can just kill him without repercussions, nor can I render him permanently incapacitated.
But it’s not like I can’t win by fighting. The opponent’s abilities are far from perfect, and while it won’t be easy, I don’t think he’ll lose to him.
I can’t be entirely sure, though. You never know what will happen.
They’re glaring at each other now, but will the situation change soon?
“Yes, it’s starting to move.”
Naturally, the awakened ones seem to be a group.
Of course, I’m the one moving them.
Still, humans on this side are interesting.
A mere smile is enough to deceive them easily.
Is this what they call “easy to handle”?
They were easily brainwashed. They were thought of as allies because they were colleagues, but…
You’re still in the testing phase. As a member of the provisional Demon Lord’s Army, please accept this as a lesson and be manipulated.
“Well then, how will you react? Will you be confused as a human? Will you get angry at me, whom you can’t see?”
The first to be moved is a mage party who harbors resentment towards him, or rather, emotions born from jealousy directed at him.
They are the party with the worst performance and the least usability.
I wonder why they thought of forming a party like this?
Oh well.
It’s for his own good that I moved them. He’ll be a little confused, but he’ll surely try to subdue them.
“Eh?”
I think I just made a very foolish sound.
Even so, I am one of the members of the Demon Lord’s Army.
It’s not that I couldn’t see his actions.
This surprised voice was not due to not understanding, but due to the speed of his response.
The moment I started the magic incantation, he leaped towards the leading mage with a flying kick, making his body bend into a U-shape by driving his foot into his abdomen, and then I slammed him headfirst into the ground with his knee.
Well, he’s alive, but only just.
I give the members I’m controlling a certain degree of freedom to counter, but while I was stunned, three more were taken down.
Is that a move from a martial art called “professional wrestling” from Earth?
I think it’s called a German Suplex.
More importantly, I can’t hide my surprise at your ruthlessness.
Wouldn’t you normally be more confused, hesitate, and fight tentatively?
Like, “How could you do such a vile thing!?” or “This is too cruel!!”
Isn’t this a scene that calls for justice-filled emotions?
It’s certainly not a scene for calmly blowing cigarette smoke like you are.
Ah, he smiled.
It’s hard to tell who the villain is here. Your armor also perfectly matches our atmosphere.
This means I have to get serious too!! I’m getting excited!!
I unbutton my white shirt, take off my tie, and roll up my sleeves!!
Hmm, if I could fight directly, I could win in an instant, but it’s fun to impose restrictions like this!!
I freely manipulate the threads at my fingertips to move the puppets.
Yes, among these, his companion is the easiest to use.
He’s well-balanced and moves well.
The other humans are a bit difficult to move. Ah, a lariat just hit his neck.
It spins vertically so cleanly. In the meantime, I moved behind him. Oh, he’s dodging that too!!
Alright, the magic incantation is finished. Take this!! Huh!? He kicked it away? Well then, this time with an arrow!!
Oh!? That’s how they dodge in movies by arching their back, isn’t it!?
Ah!! He was crushed again.
In that case, go!! A three-stage magic attack!! Ah, he used Gee as a shield.
Well, he’ll be fine, though. His vitality is comparable to the Demon Lord’s. Now then, let’s deploy the girl party!!
With this, he probably won’t be able to attack easily. Ah, Gee was used as a weapon.
Yeah, even I think that’s a bit much?
No matter how durable he is, using him by the leg to cast magic is a bit much, and using him as a shield?
The girl party has started firing magic on their own.
Well, it’s not a problem, but what will happen next?
I would decompose and absorb the magic, then get close and absorb the magic power from his body to finish it. But I wouldn’t hit a girl… Huh!?
The girl party was wiped out!?
You scoundrel!! Gee isn’t a weapon!! Being thrown from that height will kill him!! He’s not dead, though.
A strange liquid splattered, and the girls fainted from the smell!!
I’m going all out now!!
I’ll channel my magic to them for indirect body reinforcement!!
Ah, they’ve started body reinforcement too.
They formed a formation. Ah, they were crushed before they could form it.
If I had a few more subordinates, it might be a little better.
Even now, they’re barely holding on with just his companions, but that’s the only area they can cover.
Some were embedded in the wall and immobilized, others were choked and dropped, and some were slammed onto the ground with all their might.
He’s not using the weapons on his back, so he’s probably trying to hold back, but honestly, he’s not doing it.
It’s less like he can’t and more like he doesn’t want to.
Yeah, it’s no good.
It’s a checkmate. They’ll all be wiped out in a few minutes.
I intended to make it a close match by exploiting their initial confusion, but my foresight was a bit off.
Yes, yes, that’s why ambushes without rehearsal are so interesting.
The healer has been neutralized, the mages are all wiped out, and the two front-liners were subdued just a moment ago.
Their abilities are not the issue.
“Well, well, how about you elders? I think he’d be fine if we brought him in.”
I stop my finger movements to signal the end.
There are only a few moving threads left.
While I want to enjoy it a little longer, the end is the end, and I have to accept it.
If I cut the threads, there will be no evidence.
It will be known only to him and the old man on the screen who agreed to this conversation.
Leaving the one screen that was showing him, the other screens show the individuals who watched this play that could hardly be called a battle.
“I see, in terms of fighting, he seems usable.”
“However, isn’t it a bit dangerous for him to have too much combat ability?”
“Indeed. What if he were to rebel? It would be dangerous for us.”
“I don’t think that’s a concern?”
“Lord Soda, on what grounds do you say that?”
Relieved of the stress from the unfamiliar environment by this battle, I answer the old men’s questions with a smile, enveloped in a pleasant fatigue.
“There are several reasons, but broadly two. First, he has no incentive to attack us unless we invade this world. For us, this world is a death trap, but it’s not a land with benefits, so there’s no point in taking it. In this regard, our ideals and his align. In addition, he himself probably doesn’t have that much of a sense of justice. As you saw in the battle earlier, he has motives for action beyond vague concepts like justice. Second, regarding the danger to his own life, he should be fine as long as we don’t attack him. He seems to have a lover in the company and has built good relationships with the goblins. Among the other testers, he’s the human who has most readily come to our side.”
When I explain that we have no ill will, the old men furrow their brows, looking displeased, but they seem to understand, though not yet convinced.
I hate it. Will I become so stubborn in the future?
I need to be careful.
“The existence of a mercenary is the best way to explain his position. If you hire him with money and he abides by the contract, he won’t betray you. There’s also a possibility that he’ll go along with some unreasonable requests.”
When I first heard about his existence, I thought they were crazy? But if Evia, who is discerning, says she likes him, I think I can trust him to some extent.
Well, I wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t for the request from the Demon Lord, whom I’ve known for a long time.
Convincing these stubborn old men is an unpleasant task. Or rather, I enjoyed this one quite a bit?
It was about as enjoyable as framing a disliked teacher in my school days.
“What do you say? Why don’t you leave it to me for now? I won’t do anything bad.”
“If you say so, Lord, we’ll entrust it to you.”
“What do you mean, ‘entrust it to me’? You’re quick to change your tune the moment I say all responsibility is mine.”
As always.
I’ll contact the Ogre Tribe, show them how to deal with other species, have my subordinates gather information, and for this whole commotion, I’ll extort dinner from the Demon Lord tonight.
“Hey, you, you know that shop run by the succubus, right? Book it, VIP, of course. And charge it to the Demon Lord. Hmm? It’s fine, it’s fine. Want to come along?”
As if to end the conversation, I turn off the screen and watch the elders leave. I choose a way to heal the fatigue I feel more than the stress I just relieved.
My subordinate demon, Akuma-kun, is shaking his head vigorously, but unfortunately, you’re being forcibly taken along. It’s a subordinate’s job to listen to their boss’s complaints.
It’s alright, it’s alright. I’ll arrange for a cute girl who likes you.
My work for today is done.
I fulfilled my best friend’s request, so I’ll be leaving early today.
Oh, calling him might be interesting too.
Still, being the top is tough. I would absolutely never want to be in that position.
And he’s also having a hard time.
He showed his abilities, but, well.
Still, I just have to report it. Evia’s face will be worth seeing.
Ah, that was fun.
Another side END
What should I do?
It’s not just a habit anymore; I think I’m addicted to smoking at this pace.
After joining this company, I was ostracized. To resolve that, I tried to make friends, but I received complaints. When I tried to carry out my duties, I was sent to another department. The president warned me that my life was in danger. I heard from a shady G that someone was plotting a battle to the death among the testers. Now what…
“I have the right to be pissed off, don’t I?”
This is an outrageous obstruction of business.
Ah, I’m irritated.
Smoking doesn’t even calm me down.
I need to calm my head, but…
“Give, give!! Senpai!! Am I being calm?! Am I sane!?”
“Huh? I can’t hear you.”
From quelling the situation, I’ve shifted to stress relief, and I’m arching my back.
“So? You have no memory, do you?”
“That’s right!! I was in the P room just a moment ago!!”
“Damn it, no leads, huh?”
The current situation is like a festival after a massacre.
Although they aren’t impaled into the ground, the fallen bodies of men who were victims of full-power wrestling moves like German Suplexes and Powerbombs.
The group who became victims of various special moves from sentai shows.
The women, Kitamiya and Minami, weren’t hit, but they experienced a full-force free fall, or rather, a full-force drop after being held by the arms. And Gee, who was laughing so happily there, was caught and thrown.
I feel a bit refreshed, but also a little vague. But since the irritation is gone, I’ll call it good.
Wadō? He used it as a shield in the melee, and ended up critically hitting a vital spot on a man, who is now writhing around.
Right now, I’m strangling the last target, Kaido, with an arched back.
Huh? Tap? I can’t hear you.
“Damn it, I can’t do any more work today, can I?”
“Senpai, are you saying that? Ouch, my back.”
“I was just acting in self-defense.”
“It was excessive self-defense.”
“Idiot, you were armed, I was unarmed. It’s self-defense.”
I broke a few bones, but they should be fine.
Alright, enough with the escapism.
“Haa, I have to make this call, don’t I?”
“Yeah. We can’t explain this.”
“How am I supposed to explain this to Suella?”
When I was rampaging earlier, I was acting on impulse, thinking “to hell with it,” but now that I’ve calmed down after raging, a reality that makes me want to run away unfolds before me.
I shouldn’t have acted so haphazardly just because I’ve been stressed by work disruptions lately.
That “I have the right to be pissed off” remark was half an excuse, half escapism.
It’s all the fault of whoever disrupted my work!!
“That’s what I want to say, but I can’t help it. I have to deal with what I’ve done honestly. I’ll probably have to write a written apology.”
“Don’t worry, Senpai.”
“If you’re going to console me, say something a bit better.”
With a sigh, I pick up the internal line for the training facility.
First, I’ll contact the infirmary, then Suella.
“Yes, Tester Department, Suella speaking.”
“Ah, Suella, sorry to bother you during work.”
“Jiro-san? What’s wrong?”
“Well, I’ve gotten into a bit of a, no, a quite serious trouble. I got into a brawl with other testers and had to subdue them.”
“Are you injured!?”
“I only have minor scratches. But some of the other testers, I couldn’t hold back. I’ve already contacted the infirmary.”
Relieved a little by Suella’s concern for me first, I explain the situation to her, including the vague details of how it all happened.
Honestly, I don’t think I can resolve this by myself after what happened.
“I see. So they weren’t themselves.”
“Yeah. Kaido’s last memory is talking with Katsu and the others in the room. His memory seems to cut off after that.”
“…”
“Suella? Do you have any idea what might have happened?”
“Yes, I have a few ideas.”
She pauses for a moment, and when I call out to her, worried, she replies with a heavy voice, as if enduring a headache.
“I see. Is there anything I can do?”
“It seems I’ll have to submit a report soon, but other than that, I don’t think so.”
“Is that okay?”
I can’t hide my surprise at the statement that there will be no consequences.
If I summarize what Gee said, this was a minor scuffle between colleagues.
The result of an extreme game of musical chairs, the resulting carnage, and the fact that there are effectively no repercussions is unsettling.
“Yes, it seems to be related to our circumstances as well. But please submit the report in detail and as soon as possible.”
“Understood. Sorry to have troubled you.”
“You always try to do everything by yourself, Jiro-san. You can rely on me more, you know?”
“It’s a man’s pride. I want to look cooler in front of you.”
“You already look cool enough.”
“Ambition is an essential element for a working adult.”
“That’s true.”
Hearing Suella’s chuckling voice, I feel a little relieved.
“Suella, are you free tonight? If you’d like, how about we go see that movie you said you wanted to watch?”
“At Jiro-san’s room?”
“Ah.”
“I’d love to!”
It’s not just for her sake, but after everything that’s happened, I’m exhausted. Thinking of being healed by Suella, I watch the testers being carried away on stretchers by the goblins.
Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, single
Girlfriend: Suella Hendelberg
Memoria Tris
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time Employee)
Magic Aptitude: 8 (General Class)
Position: Warrior
Quote of the day:
I reflect, but I don’t regret!!
This concludes this chapter.
I plan to end this arc in one or two more installments.
Thank you for your continued readership.
