Chapter 8

Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, single, no girlfriend, occupation: Dungeon Tester (full-time employee)

Magic aptitude: 8 (General Class)

Position: Warrior

It has been about a week since I first entered the dungeon. Since then, I have avoided that square and have been steadily working on improving my status by spreading out maps. I have updated my status many times since then, and it feels good to see tangible results from my efforts. I can't really tell if the amount of improvement is large or small because I have no one to compare it with, but I am satisfied with my current status. Thanks to a week of hard work, my status has improved, and I am starting to feel more at ease when facing Wood Kids, small puppets, Wood Puppets, and Mannequins. The more at ease I feel, the more I can control my expenses, and the more efficient I become, which increases my profits. It's a pleasant situation, but not everything is going well. The crucial issue of finding companions or party members has not been resolved. The problem I felt acutely when facing the Wood Golem and the Wood Puppet Blood has not been solved at all. It seems that all the members of other groups have already been fixed, and it's difficult to ask them to include me in their group. The generation gap due to age differences might be more serious than I thought.

However, I can't help but feel that even a beautiful woman's sigh is graceful. I approach Suela, who looks worried, to greet her.

"Good morning, Suela-san."

"Good morning, Jiro-san."

Since I have the report in my hand, my purpose is immediately understood, and she takes the documents and quickly reviews them on the spot.

"There are no problems. Thank you for your hard work. Please continue to do your best."

Normally, I could leave after submitting the report, but I can't help but be concerned about her earlier demeanor.

"Did you work yesterday too?"

Perhaps that's why I stay and try to start a conversation.

"Yes, well, something like that."

"Working on weekends must be tough."

Her response is rather hesitant. Is there something she finds particularly difficult to talk about, or did the instructors overwork her? However, I don't sense the same sense of urgency as before.

"From experience, working too much can lead to burnout, so please don't overdo it."

"Thank you for your concern. I'll be fine. I'll leave early today."

She smiles. I can't see what's behind the smile, but as long as she can still smile, it's probably okay. When people are pushed to their limits, they can't even smile. There's a possibility that it's a forced smile, so I decide to probe a bit more.

"Is there anything I can help with?"

"That would be a great help. I'll ask you for something next time."

Her words are a mix of social niceties and a desire to improve her relationship with me, but I feel a bit uneasy about whether I'm overstepping. Nevertheless, I greet Suela and leave the office.

"So, do you have any idea what's going on?"

"Can't you see?"

I'm here to talk about Suela's lack of energy and her weekend work, so I visit the tool shop to sell my loot from the past week. I ask the vampire clerk, Memoria, who I've become somewhat acquainted with through casual conversations over the past week, but her response is rather cold. This store, which I visit almost every time before entering the dungeon, is usually quiet, and it seems to be the same today. Memoria, who is carefully appraising bead-sized gems and magic stones behind the counter, doesn't even look up from her loupe as she answers.

"I don't understand, that's why I'm asking."

"Considering the current state of the store, the answer should be obvious."

"What do you mean? The store is empty, and there are no customers. What am I supposed to infer?"

"Exactly, that's the answer."

She finishes her appraisal and comes over with an estimate in hand, written with a fountain pen.

"Is 5,040 yen okay?"

"That's less than 900 yen per hour... So, what do you mean by the answer being that there are no customers and the store is empty?"

Apparently, this amount is considered good, but 60% of it will be spent on consumables, so it doesn't feel like I'm earning much.

"Both."

"Both... I don't get it, it just makes things more confusing."

I take the money and start putting items in my shopping basket. Memoria follows, organizing the shelves behind me. Now that I think about it, her outfit of a black work apron, white shirt, and slacks is quite orthodox for a vampire clerk, but that's not important right now.

"It's simple. The store is empty, there are no customers. In other words, there are fewer testers."

"...Are the testers decreasing?"

"That's right."

This store is primarily used by testers. I'm the only customer, and even considering the time of day, I've only encountered a few other testers in this store. I haven't seen any at all on weekends.

"It seems to be a more difficult job than people expected, and many are quitting. They find it less interesting than they thought."

The pieces finally fall into place. My bad feeling was right. Memoria confirms my suspicions. The main reason is that the job is harder than expected, and many testers have quit. This company is special. Because it deals with things that can't be publicly disclosed, information management is strict. Even when leaving the company, employees can't leak any information. Suela's department must have been dealing with these measures, leading to weekend work.

"Even in a fantasy world, the same things happen."

"In your world, it would be like abandoning your life, but here it's not considered that way."

People quit their jobs for selfish reasons, and the burden mostly falls on those who remain. Whether the reasons are acceptable or not greatly affects the mental fatigue of those who have to deal with it. Hence, the frustration and complaints.

"If you're going to complain, it's better to say it clearly."

"That's not the way to complain. At least do it where no one can see."

"Because I'm a vampire."

"That has nothing to do with it."

She stirs me up instead of scolding me, and her excuse is a racial trait, which makes me laugh. The boiling anger cools a bit. The anger is still there, but it's not as intense.

"Also, some of the testers who quit have been absent without leave and have gone missing. As a result, the emergency response team has been mobilized, and the HR department has been working overtime."

However, the vampire clerk next to me adds more fuel to the fire.

"Furthermore, the plan to increase the workforce due to the decrease in personnel has been accelerated, so the HR department will be working overtime for a while."

"Hey."

"Yes?"

"Why does a clerk know so much about the behind-the-scenes issues?"

"A dark elf from HR, who was drunk, mistook our store for a bar and complained."

"Fantasy... really."

Let me say it again, just to be clear.

"Fantasy, do your job properly."

The anger from before is gone, and I can't help but imagine Suela complaining about her boss or work at a bar. A completely drunk salaryman, with a medium-sized glass in hand, slumped over the counter. I can understand the feeling, but don't get the store wrong. With a shopping basket in hand, I try to hide my headache and confirm the strange things I'm saying with Memoria.

"Sorry, my reality is just a bit off. So, that dark elf..."

"Ah, that's tough. The dark elf was male, so it's not who you're thinking of."

It seems my worries were unfounded. I definitely want to avoid that kind of image.

"Good, then."

However, her job is still difficult.

"Should I bring some snacks?"

"Please settle the bill first."

I understand. So, don't look at me and don't hold out your hand. I know the price, so I'll give you 4,000 yen honestly!

The next day

I got up early and put on casual clothes, not my suit or equipment. I've been keeping this outfit in the closet, but I definitely don't want to wear the cosplay-like clothes outside the company. I submitted an outing form to the dark elf dorm mother, handed over the key to my room, and left the company for the first time in a while.

"Hey, my body feels unusually heavy."

I immediately felt something was off. There's no sense of discomfort or fatigue, but the feeling of movement is dull. Maybe I'm still tired from entering the dungeon yesterday.

"I was planning to go back in the afternoon, but maybe I should take a break today?"

I might be more tired than I think. I move my dull but otherwise fine body to the car, start the engine, and head to my destination. The engine started smoothly after a month of neglect, and I'm grateful for it. I might use it more often from now on.

"Right, where's the destination?"

I look up the destination on my smartphone and set it as the navigation. As I drive out of the parking lot, I see high school students in uniforms heading to school. It's still early, but the sight of them reminds me of something.

"Would someone like them be summoned?"

If I were in my old life, I would have laughed at such a story and focused on finishing my work. But now, I know the truth behind one of the kidnappings. While waiting at a red light, I wonder if these students, who seem so carefree, could be suddenly transported to another world. The world is stranger than fiction, and I get honked at from behind.

"Oops, it's green."

I realize the signal has changed and start driving again. After a short while, I reach my destination.

"Seriously?"

There are already people lined up in front of the store. This is the result of searching for recommended cake shops in the city. I park in a nearby parking lot and walk over. It's before 8:00 AM on a weekday, yet there are so many people in line. This gives an idea of how popular the shop is.

"I underestimated it."

A pun about cake? I sigh at my own naivety. Even in another world, I thought women would like sweets, so I searched for a good shop and assumed it would be fine on a weekday if I left early.

"Well, I guess I'll have to wait in line."

I mentally adjust my plans and join the queue. Conclusion: I won't be going to the dungeon for a while.

"Three hours of waiting, is this normal?"

I don't know about other shops, but at least this is as long as waiting in line at a food area in an amusement park. The wait until opening is an hour, and then another two hours. Even though I've been exercising recently, my body feels the strain. I return to the company before noon, and the fruit-filled roll cake seems like a good time to deliver it. Wearing casual clothes in the office feels a bit off, but I have my employee ID and wallet, so it should be fine. I bought five, so I have two boxes, which is a lot for cake. I walk from the parking lot to the office, take the elevator, and press the button for the floor where my department is located. When I step out of the elevator, I see

"A battlefield?"

Dark elves and devils are shouting, goblins are running around with stacks of documents, and a vampire is sifting through documents while working on a computer. In the center, Supervisor Evia is giving orders telepathically and verbally. The scene resembles a deadline rush. Everyone is busy, and I feel out of place with a cake in hand and in casual clothes.

"Contact the response team!"

"We're already doing it! Have the routes for out-of-state been predicted yet?"

"Harahetta Gob"

"Moymikanani Motabenai Gob"

"Give A team a 30-minute break, and have B team take over. Call the lich for memory processing. The location is the third processing room. The dungeon there is probably empty, so just drag someone in!"

"Get this document over there, prepare that document, and get the approval stamp."

"One, two, three, four, five... one is missing?"

The goblin's area seems the most peaceful, but I hesitate to stop one running around. I look at Suela, who is on the phone.

"Yes, thank you."

The timing is good, and she finishes her call.

"You look busy."

"Jiro-san, what's wrong? If it's a report, there's no problem, but... Could it be!?"

If I had to describe it with a sound effect, it would be "Washi!!" Her calm expression changes, and she grabs my upper arm with a determined look.

"J-Jiro-san, are you thinking of quitting!?"

Suela's voice makes the entire office fall silent.

"Huh? No—"

"What's the problem!? Is it the benefits? The salary? The work environment? Ah!! Is it the interpersonal relationships!?"

The sharp gaze of various fantasy races feels like needles. They seem to be trying to persuade me, but from Suela's perspective, it looks like she's clinging to me.

"Such, the only achievement..."

The gaze feels like a bed of needles, and I don't know what to say