If you ask me if marriage hunting parties are my main job right now, the answer is no. They are prominent, but they are just a sub-job.
My main job is the operation of the dungeon I manage.
“Please reconfirm the materials here and place an order. Also, please contact the potion technician and, if possible, the medicinal herb farmer as well.”
As the day of the dungeon activation approaches, work piles up, leaving little time for rest. I haven’t had the luxury of enjoying a peaceful coffee break recently.
Even now, I’m grasping the current situation with documents in one hand while giving instructions to my subordinates, and checking emails and documents with the other. If I don’t multitask, the work won’t progress at all.
“Human King-sama, please approve this document.”
“Understood.”
“Human King-sama, a request for an appointment from a Western noble.”
“Adjust the schedule and meet if possible. If not, postpone it to a later date.”
Work constantly surrounds me. It’s not that I dislike it; it’s rewarding, and because I’m physically enhanced, fatigue isn’t an issue. I just proceed with processing documents while being careful not to become a workaholic.
“Jiro-kun, please approve these documents as well.”
“Understood. Wow, the expenses are quite high.”
“What can I do? The number of applicants for the marriage hunting parties keeps increasing, and it’s not just selection; there are costs for photoshoots, outfits, and profile creation. Money is never enough.”
At that moment, my brow furrowed as I looked through the documents that were presented with a familiar ease. A string of numbers. Despite being just that, they possessed an astonishing power that sent a jolt of pain through my brain. The budget, yes, the budget. The budget I manage is steadily dwindling. While my income still exceeds my expenses, I have a vague anxiety that expenses might surpass income if this pace continues.
Keiri-san, who states it’s a necessary expense without any trace of shame, doesn’t show any of the loneliness I felt at that time. A flicker of unease, a vague premonition. Neither has any basis. However, it’s not good to just leave it as it is… a vague intuition. Sensing this, I meticulously examined the documents.
“Yes, this is fine.”
With no apparent problems, I stamped the approval.
“Thank you. This other job should also be nearing completion. As expected from the Machine King’s direct dark organization, your information manipulation is incredibly fast. I’ve seen many of our subordinates chasing after confirmation tasks all over the place.”
“From our side, it’s a great help that the selection process has been simplified.”
“Indeed.”
Keiri-san, who has returned to her daily routine without showing any of it. As if to emphasize that feeling anxiety and worrying in the first place is wrong, Keiri-san seems to be saying that there’s nothing to it. This casual interaction, this everyday conversation. Nothing unusual, just business as usual.
“Are the contracts ready?”
“We’re working on a draft and coordinating. Well, unless I make a major blunder, this deal should come together.”
“Be careful. There are plenty of people who would welcome such a blunder.”
“I’ll be careful on my way home at night.”
“Good.”
Small talk while reviewing documents. In a way, this has become commonplace recently. Laughter follows a wry smile, and comfort comes after hardship.
“Haa, honestly, why does work always feel like it has no end in sight?”
“It’s not that it has no end; it’s just that one job keeps coming after another.”
“Doesn’t that mean the same thing?”
My days are spent working, with an optimistic thought that perhaps things will get a little easier once I activate the dungeon.
“Don’t you have any words of concern for your busy subordinates~?”
“Alright. I understand. Let’s arrange a drinking session soon.”
“Yay! It pays to speak up. Let’s invite Mura-kun from Muil-san’s place for a welcome party too.”
“Ah, it might be better to do that after Nord-kun’s training is finished.”
While we’re talking, I don’t stop working, and Keiri-san also casually sorts the approved documents and those to be sent to other departments. Somehow, we’ve reached a point where we can have these kinds of exchanges with unspoken understanding.
“Is Nord-kun alright? Even for us long-lived beings, being confined in a hyper-dimensional space for training is enough to drive one mad.”
Currently, our faction is gradually expanding its forces. Nord-kun, who is receiving special treatment among them, isn’t envied at all. Keiri-san, not bothering to hide her displeasure, shakes the documents in her hand, saying she would absolutely refuse such a thing.
“According to Valse-san, the correction is proceeding smoothly. From his subjective experience of time, about 120,002 hours have passed.”
“A nightmare.”
“I agree. And in a way, it’s also a talent for Nord-kun to require so much time for correction.”
“A High-ranking Spirit, and one specialized in education at that? It takes that much time?”
Hearing the progress report, Keiri-san’s expression contorts further, and she exhales a sigh as if exasperated. I can only manage a wry smile and pray that he becomes a useful force soon.
Well, I really should get back to work seriously, or I’ll end up returning home only to see the sleeping faces of the children again.
“I’m sorry to interrupt your magic infusion, but if you put that much power into it, you’ll break the PC.”
“Whoops.”
Just as I’m reminded that I got a little too enthusiastic and return to normal operations…
“So, it ends up being this time again.”
The physical problem of the sheer volume of work remains unsolved, and since my company is also my home, the concept of “last train home” doesn’t apply. Fortunately, the work was brought to a reasonable halt at a time considerably earlier than the last train.
“Ugh, at this hour, only pubs are probably open. Haa, I don’t have any ingredients at home either.”
Unfortunately, by the time we finished our work, it was late enough to say we missed dinner. There were other subordinates, but this was work that only I and Keiri-san could handle, so we sent them home, leaving just the two of us here.
“You’re not in the mood for a drink?”
“If I didn’t have work tomorrow, I would be. But I have an early start tomorrow too. Haa, I can’t be bothered to cook at this hour either. I’m tired of convenience store meals.”
If I go home, Himik will have dinner ready for me, so it’s not a problem, but for Keiri-san, who lives alone, there’s no dinner waiting for her when she gets home.
“If you’d like, would you like to come over for dinner?”
Perhaps that’s why I naturally extended the invitation. She helps me out regularly, and I have no hesitation in helping someone in need.
“Eh, really? You mean it?”
“Yes.”
“You’re a lifesaver! I really should have a capable boss!!”
“Are you complimenting me?”
“Yes, yes! Let’s go! My dinner awaits!!”
“What a pragmatic person. Wait a moment, I need to contact them first.”
She’s dependable, yet there’s a part of her that makes me feel like she can’t be left alone. I take out my smartphone and call home. Himik answers, so I ask her to prepare an extra serving.
“Keiri-san, are there any foods you can’t eat?”
“I’m not good with insects, for example.”
“No, that kind of thing wouldn’t normally be on the table.”
“It seems dragonkin eat quite a lot. Some beastkin species also enjoy them.”
“Are there? Well, if it’s regular food, it seems there’s no problem.”
Since she doesn’t seem to have any allergies, we arranged for the preparation and headed home. It’s just that we have to travel to the teleportation circle, so the commute is the same five-minute walk. We walk home slowly in our suits. I’m actually in a high position within the organization, I think, as I walk down the darkened office corridor.
“Suella really caught a good man. He’s a top performer, has achieved status, is favored by the president, and gets dinner ready when he gets home.”
“The last part seems a bit off.”
“Don’t you understand the hardship of living alone?”
“No, I lived alone too, so I know the hassle of cooking and laundry…”
And then, Keiri-san suddenly starts talking to me. However, this is how Keiri-san is when she’s switched off from work mode. If I had to describe it, I’d say she’s free-spirited. She doesn’t speak ill of others, but she often openly vocalizes her feelings of envy.
“Then you’d understand the gratitude of coming home to a warm meal after a tiring day at work.”
“I understand, but that’s not a merit of marrying me, is it? I’m not the one cooking, after all.”
As we walk home, enjoying the comfortable banter, she exclaims, “You don’t get it. The merit is in creating an environment where someone waits for you with a smile, without complaints or grumbles. Honestly, I never would have predicted you’d be such a catch among the testers. What on earth made you become so capable?”
I’ve never had many female friends, but I wonder if this is what it’s like. Keiri-san smiles mischievously in front of me, and I can only shrug, as if to say, “I don’t know what to do with you saying that.”
“Well, I admit it’s a fortunate situation.”
“Of course, of course. You should realize how fortunate your circumstances are.”
I wonder why she’s talking about it so proudly. “Haa, I want to build a family like Suella’s soon too. When that time comes, you’d better honestly approve my resignation for marriage.”
“Do you have plans?”
“No.”
Frankly, at the moment, I’d prefer her to remain single for a while. Therefore, considering my future work, I can’t help but feel that I don’t want her to find a good match at the marriage hunting parties. However, deep down, I wish for her happiness, as she desires to be happy.
“No, but I’ll find someone eventually.”
“At that time, please don’t suddenly abandon your work.”
“I would never do that.”
I don’t interfere with her romantic life, but I’m not uninterested.
“I trust you on that, but as your superior, of course.”
“Yes, yes, I’ll make sure to hand over my work properly before I leave.”
“Please do.”
Perhaps that’s why, in a moment of impulse.
“By the way, Keiri-san, what kind of man do you like?”
“What? Are you trying to hit on me?”
“I already have four wives, so I’m fine.”
“Then you don’t need to ask, do you?”
“Well, as someone who hears you complain frequently about there being no good men, I think I have the right to ask.”
Fueled by the post-work relaxation, I ended up asking.
“Ugh, I can’t refuse when you put it that way.”
“I’m not forcing you, but if you tell me, I might be able to introduce someone suitable if I find one.”
“…I guess I have no choice.”
“No, how desperate are you?”
I thought she would refuse, but after a moment’s thought, Keiri-san reluctantly began to speak. I would later regret that I was discussing her ideal type of partner with a clear head at this moment.
Today’s Word:
No matter how much time you have to spare, time is finite.
Thank you for your usual feedback and for pointing out any typos. If you found this interesting, please leave a review, rating, or bookmark.
This week also marks the 20,000 bookmark commemoration, so the next main story update will be on Sunday. Please look forward to it.
I am also serializing another work: Pandora Pandemic Panic. The Pandora’s Box has been reopened, but we are fighting back with various activities in our secret base! Please check that out as well!
