My new life in the guild "Epic Seeker" begins, and early the next morning.
Snow came to wake me up in person.
She looked at my siblings and I, who were sleeping in the same bed, and smiled. It was a curious smile, one that seemed dumbfounded, envious, and nostalgic. Looking back, this might be the first time I've ever seen her laugh.
Soon after that, Snow led me out of the room. Then, in the office that had been prepared for us, she carefully taught me the work of the guild from the very beginning.
It wasn't until after lunch that the guild's work began in earnest. About a dozen or so members gathered at the training grounds and went over the day's plans. At first, Palinclone had taken the lead, but it was soon decided that I would be the guild master and give instructions to all of the 'Epic Seekers'.
I tried to decline. However, Palinkron said, "It's easy if it's Kanami and Snow," and he quickly disappeared from the training grounds.
The two of us left, me and Snow, with the guild members looking at us, think.
We pick out the most efficient way to run the guild with the cards we have.
And the answer we come up with is--
◆◆◆◆◆
In front of me is a pile of documents.
In front of the pile of various reports and requests, I frantically run my quill over the pile.
I check the flow of the guild's supplies, improve the management of funds and understand the allocation of human resources. In order to do so, I sequentially complete the necessary paperwork.
And while doing the paperwork on the desk, on the other hand (...) I also direct the 'field'.
My foul dimensional magic makes me understand the situation on the ground while in my home base. The way of thinking optimized by having received a modern education allows me to make progress in organizing documents. And the smarts that have been strengthened to the highest level of humanity through the Level Up make it possible for them to work in parallel.
'...... Kanami. Teiri Party Instructions.
Next to me, Snow muttered quietly.
In contrast, I organize the information I picked up from the 《Dimension》.
I recognize the scene a few kilometers north-northeast of the main base - a certain fugitive criminal and the party of Tairi-san and the others chasing him in real time.
'Yeah, I can see it (・・・・),' ...... Ms. Teili proceeds to turn left at the next one and waits at the third bend. The other members can continue to follow the target. The target will jump into Teyri-san's place in twenty seconds ...... or even seventeen seconds. Tell them to intercept it with magic while being very careful. Probably a few seconds later, the others will arrive as well. So we'll pincer them.
......, tell them.
Snow speaks to the magic stone in his hand, talking in a dull voice.
It's exactly what I said before. Now she's communicating with Teri and the others a few kilometers away through the magic stone.
While listening to the communication, I continue to put away the documents without stopping.
At the same time, I use the Dimension to confirm whether or not Teili and the others have caught the robbers. The robber who was being chased was surprised by Teili-san who appeared in front of him, and he was caught between the members of the group as it was.
'How about ......?'
'Yes, as expected. The target was stranded by Teyri's magic, and the siege of the members completed the capture. The Teyri party's request is now over. That didn't take much longer than I thought it would.
...... That's right. You don't expect the robber to be dealing with someone who knows the whole town too.
Couldn't Palinkron do something similar?
'If you're referring to Palinkron's 'witchcraft,' you're wrong. That one has a lot of requirements. And it's not as accurate as Kanami. I can't do this.
That's right: ......
I heard that Palinclone is one of the continent's leading users of sensing magic, but it seems that my dimensional magic is still more accurate.
''To put it bluntly, this is crazy. The Palinclones wanted us to do this ......?
I guess so. He's been envisioning this combination of Snow's ability and mine for a long time. I'm glad it worked out. Now we can do something formally master-like.
''No, at this point, I'm many times more competent ...... than those masters out there. The quintessential master .......
'...... Snow, stop calling me Master. I don't know why (・・・・), but (・・・・・・・) I don't like being called by girls like you.
......, okay.
Seeing that I really didn't like it, Snow nodded honestly.
Basically, Snow is obedient.
You could say he's weak-willed.
''Oh, we found another robbery.''
I catch the crime happening at the edge of Dimension.
"...... Ugh. Again?
Call me when you get a chance to see Mr. Volsak and his friends. I'm scoring points.
...... a bit of a pain in the ass.
'No, no, no, no. ......! Even jobs, Snow. For the sake of the people who live in Lauravia, we have to catch the robbers.
...... hmmm. The sluggish ones are sluggish. That's the one that the guild didn't ask me to do.
Snow is obedient, but he's also extremely troublesome.
He doesn't like to be taken seriously, doesn't like to be tired, and will skip as much as he can if he can slack off.
Abnormally (・・・・・・).
'Snow just repeats what I'm saying, doesn't he?
I thought it would be a cushy job just to repeat ......, but it was more tedious than I expected.
'Hey. Don't forget that I'm doing the paperwork that Snow should be doing right now: ......? I won't help you anymore, okay?
...... It's hard to be told that.
Just call me.
Citing the fact that he was taking some of Snow's work on his shoulders, Snow began to speak to the demon stone with resignation.
Volzak-san, who was walking around town, heard the contact and moved his mouth.
I strengthen the 《Dimension》 that I had deployed to 《Dimension Multiple Deployment (Multiple)》 only around Valzak-san, and I grasp the movement of his mouth and the vibration of his voice.
Apparently, he has the extra power to defeat the robber.
Looking at his status, he seems to be fine.
The robber's level is low and Volzak-san's HP is sufficient.
It shouldn't be a problem to have them confront him directly.
''Alright, you've taken care of it. All right, we're going to the marketplace at 67th and Lexington right now. I'll guide you through the neighborhood and give you detailed directions. The target is at level 5, no special precautions, so just make sure you catch him in the front.
...... tell.
Snow repeats my instructions.
After receiving instructions from the demon stone, Valzak-san runs his huge body and approaches his target. Once he gets close to a certain extent, all that's left is to give him detailed instructions to collide with the target.
He used 《Dimension》 to check the movements of the two of them and stuffed his moves in like moving chess pieces.
Soon after, the two clashed and the robber was captured.
The fight was instantaneous, as the difference in power was obvious.
Mr. Volzak took the captured robber to the store where the damage was done.
The shopkeeper is tearful and happy that the lost items have been returned to him. If it had stayed that way, there would have been considerable damage. I can see it in his expression. And I'm happy that we were able to prevent that from happening.
The only thing left to do is to take the robber to the state security office and that's it.
It only took a few minutes, but I was able to save one more citizen of Lauravian.
It's good to hear. The shopkeepers are happy too: ......
...... Yeah.
But he can't seem to share this sentiment with Snow.
She looks up at the sky outside the window with an unimportant expression on her face. When she doesn't have anything to do, she has a habit of basking in the sun like this.
'If you're not busy, I could use some help with the paperwork and stuff.
...... okay. I've already done enough of that to not be pissed off by Kanami.
Yeah, that's Snow's criteria.
I don't like to be like ...... Kanami and do the best I can to the best of my ability.
I've gotten a better grasp of Snow's personality over the course of today.
His stance is incompatible with mine as a guild master, but I can't help but understand that feeling. When I went to school in my former world, I took exactly the same stance as Snow.
The only reason I'm doing the best I can is because of the environment of the other world.
If it weren't for the harsh environment, there's a good chance I'd be doing the same thing as Snow.
I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make your life easier without the help of Snow. I'm a newcomer, and there's a chance that I might be mistaken about something.
...... It's Palinclone's fault for making such a personnel move. Let's just give up when the strangers are doing the paperwork.
'...... Right. It's all wrong when a first day rookie is looking over such an important document: .......
...... That's what I mean. Therefore, I'm not bad. I'm not bad, so I won't try any harder.
'Oh, yes ......'
I give up paying attention to Snow and silently face the papers.
In fact, Snow is the equivalent of dozens of people working just to contact the magic stone.
The colors outside the window are turning red and the sun is beginning to set.
The paperwork I started at noon is almost done.
The parties in the scattered guilds are also finishing up their respective requests.
It's a good first day for the guild master.
I regain my spirit and begin to break down the few remaining documents.
However, that's when I sense someone entering the Epic Seeker's headquarters with Dimension.
The true identity of the intruder was a girl with a sword at her waist.
The one who was running inside the building while gasping for breath was the girl swordsman Seri-chan, the first girl who fought in yesterday's round robin battle.
The party that Seri belonged to had finished their request in the distance of the town, so I expected her to come back later, but she seemed to be the only one who ran back ahead of me.
And with the momentum of the party, she is coming towards us.
It seems that she has something to do with me.
Hmm, Seri is on her way. Oh, I could use some company. I don't like that girl. ......
I spill my honest thoughts to Snow.
It brings back memories of running into Seri earlier today and getting into trouble.
'...... Seri?' ...... I'm not good at it either. But it's easier and more helpful when Kanami is there because I'm going that way.
Snow agrees with me, staring at the sky.
'I hear she used to look up to Snow,'
...... was targeted. That was incredibly tiring.
It's exhausting. Yes, that's all I have to say about that impression.
And the fact that the goal was changing from Snow to me was a source of depression.
I know I'm not a bad kid by any means, but I'm very tired of talking to him.
As I was making a bitter face at that, I heard the sound of stomping on the floor from outside the room - with the sound of a large door opening and closing, Seri entered the room.
I finish handing in the report that is my business. I wish she would leave now, but as a matter of course she doesn't leave the room. Then, after trying to find some kind of conversation starter, she happily talks to me.
'Oh no, thanks to the master, the request ended so fast! That's great, Kanami-san!
...... Nope. I'm just telling you what to do, and you're the ones doing the work. It's just that your deftness is what makes you so fast.
I admire that kind of humility, Kanami-san!
No, I'm not being modest or anything: ......
It's me, who arrived as the Guildmaster in a problematic way, even if it's just me.
She has no idea of the subtlety of not being able to imitate bragging about my achievements.
''Kanami-san doesn't wield power, and she doesn't act like she's great! Equal to all and kind to all! You are truly the best guild master ever!
'Well, it's only day one, ....... Do you want me to take a little more time to make a decision on those things ......?
'Yes, Kanami, you're right! I always get ahead of myself and make mistakes! As expected of Kanami-san. I can't believe you even understand me, who is only one of the guild members!
'Oh, yes. Yes. ......
I was pushed by Seri's momentum and could only nod my head.
When all I can do is give her a raw answer like that, she continues to talk to me without hesitation.
She starts by asking me about my work for the day, and then she asks a lot of questions about me.
She's got her own unique momentum, and I can't help but smile bitterly throughout.
''Tsutsumi, it's exhausting ......''
Halfway through, my true feelings suddenly spill out lightly.
'Are you tired, Kanami-san! Then let's rub your shoulders!
But it doesn't work at all for Seri.
'No, it's fine. You rest. And let's try to be quiet. ......
That's what I'm talking about, Kanami-san! Remember to work on your people at all times! That's so sweet! The Palinklons want us to work like carriage horses! It's the difference between heaven and earth!
'Oh, yes ......'
Don't answer any more questions.
Just say a short "yes".
That way, the damage will be minimal.
Thus, I continue to receive violence in the name of communication with Seri-chan while working on the documents in parallel.
Just as my stomach starts to ache, the Dimension catches the return of the members.
The sun has completely set and most of the members have returned.
Among them was Teyri-san, who was holding the report of the mission I had just completed in his hand.
I saw an opportunity and got up from my seat.
I see that Teri and her friends are back. I've got some things to tell you, I have to go.
'Oh, is it that time already? Then I'll go with you--
'Well, it looks like Snow has a few things left to do. If you don't mind, Seri, would you help Snow with that?
I was the one who tried to push Seri-chan against Snow, who was pretending to be working on the papers.
''--?
Snow's ears twitched and he looked at me with wide eyes.
'I understand! I'll do everything in my power to help you!
Seri was happy to oblige, but Snow seemed to be complaining.
'...... Wait, hey. Wait, Kanamii!
I think I hear something, but I just walk out of the room.
Even Snow sacrificed me and stayed in the safe zone the whole time. If I were to do the same thing, it wouldn't come to pass.
I check Snow, who is clinging to Seri-chan in the Dimension, and feel relieved - as it is, I expand my senses and look for Teili-san.
I find her talking to Palinkron at the doorway.
I head to the doorway as soon as possible. I don't want the two people in the room to change their minds and come over here.
I walk inside the Epic Seeker's headquarters and reach the point where I can hear Palinkron and Teri talking.
'--How's it going? Isn't Kanami an excellent master?
More than you do. It's more accurate information delivered at a frightening speed. There's a whole process of information gathering that's gone by the wayside. A request that was supposed to take seven days to complete was completed in a few hours. That's a foul play.
'Kanami and Snow are both such gems that if the guys back home know about them, they'll want them no matter what. It's a combination of those two. That's what they deserve.
Of course you are, ....... But they don't have a lot of experience. They don't have the contacts, they don't have the face recognition.
You can make up for it with your contacts and experience. Those two are straightforward. They'll listen to your elders. Don't worry about spreading your face. I've already got a lot of work to do.
'Awesome reminder: ....... You're serious about Kanami, Palinclone. I don't think I've ever seen you this desperate: ......
'Huh. If you look desperate, I'm not quite there yet. Look, I just want to be able to go home in peace, okay?
It's a bad habit.
Deploying "Dimension" makes you hell-eared, even though you don't want to be.
If there's a distance, it's impossible to do so without a Dimension Multiple Deployment (Multiple), but at this kind of distance, I'll pick up information out of habit.
In order to avoid further eavesdropping, I approach the two of them at a fast pace and talk to Palinclone.
''Palinclone, I'm almost done with the paperwork,''
...... Whoa, Kanami. So how far did you end up?
How much? Um, almost all of them, but ......
Except for the few things I left for Snow, all of the documents I was given are done.
But when Palinclone hears this, he looks as if he's heard something incredible.
'Ze, all ......? You mean that pile of papers?
Yeah, that's right. I told you it was the Guildmaster's job to do that. So I got it all done.
"Wait. ...... Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, that's not right. It's not going to end that easily! I mean, there were some documents just to check, but some of them were some amazingly cumbersome income and expense statements and stuff!
Sure, there was some of that stuff.
The logistics of the guild, its expenses, everyone's labor costs, its income and expenses - it was a variety of number movements that a newcomer shouldn't be looking at, but I got all of that sorted out in one day today.
'Maybe it's because of the different arithmetic we're using ...... itself? I was good at bookkeeping and math. ......
"Ma, are you serious?
Also, with Dimension Multiple, you can do the rough work of looking at multiple documents at once. Plus, I feel like I'm at a higher level and I can think of more than one thing at a time. ......
Lately, I've begun to feel that my level of thinking is clearly higher than when I was in the original world. Not only the speed of thought, but above all the form of thought itself has been transformed. It's part of that transformation that thoughts have been divided up and parallel work is now possible.
Did Snow really help you with this ......?
No, Snow, well, he wasn't much help: ......
Rather, I did Snow's share.
Snow had taught me a lot of serious things in the morning, but it was all to push me.
Since noon, he's been slacking off.
'No, it's weird that Snow is helping me, this early ....... It shouldn't be that way because of the level you're at ....... No, but depending on Kanami's magical nature, isn't that possible? Or is it the characteristics of dimensional magic, or is it the 'cost'--
Palinclone listens to me and thinks about it awfully seriously.
I don't interfere with such considerations. Not only is Palinclone familiar with the culture of this world, he is also an expert in special magical techniques. It's best to leave the analysis to him.
'Anyway, it's done. Is that the end of your work for the day?
'Oh. ...... But I guess that's the end of today's work, or rather the end of seven days' worth of work.
What, is that all you got for seven days?
I'm surprised.
Admittedly, I was baffled at first by the amount of material I had to work with.
But I figured it was a day's worth of material for running an organization, so it was only natural that I'd be able to work on it. It was a bit of a letdown to be told that it was seven days' worth of material.
Seeing me, Teri next to me interrupted me.
'Palinclone ....... It's not magic or anything, but Kanami-kun himself, isn't there something wrong with you?
'Don't tell me ....... I'm surprised too .......
Then they look at me with eyes that are unearthly.
''Well, let's see, ...... then, we can just focus on assisting the members?''
No, it looks like the seven days' work is almost done. With this report from Teri, everyone's mission is complete. Thanks to Kanami's help.
Apparently, all the missions I completed today in parallel work were for seven days.
'Um, ......, not less ......?'
'I'm sure Kanami had to sweeten it up a bit less, being a first time guildmaster: ....... Still, it's not a small amount by any means. It was an average guild workload: ......
Yeah, yeah, .......
It's time for me to start realizing the gravity of the situation.
The height of my abilities.
And the height of my commanding ability when Snow's auxiliary magic is present.
It seems that this was an extraordinary situation that could make the guild management seven times faster.
Palinclone made a difficult face and continued his story.
''I'll call the country and ask them to turn in more work next week ....... In the meantime, you can continue to work on the labyrinth. That will be a guild contribution too, in a manner of speaking.
Roger that. ......
I nodded honestly.
With that, Teyri voices a question.
'Palinkron, what about us?'
As always, you are free to spend your extra time as you see fit. You can get a random quest at a public institution, or you can take your party wherever you want.
Okay.
Apparently, I thought it was my first day and I was overstretched.
It's not a bad thing, but the entire guild "Epic Seeker" has lost its work.
Thus, the policy for the future is decided, and the three of us are dismissed.
After that, it was a bit of a chore to go back to my room, so I made my way to the training grounds.
The members were hanging out there, with nothing to do.
The first thing I did was to apologize to them for overdoing it, but they said it wasn't necessary.
Most people seemed to think it was best to finish early, and rather than blaming me, many of them praised my precision in conducting the piece.
I continued to get to know the members better.
I felt that we had grown closer as we took revenge for the round robin game and taught each other about magic.
While we were holding such exchange events, the sun was setting.
I'm not going to be the only one who has been in a position to do that.