Tanaka Jiro, twenty-eight years old, single, no girlfriend, occupation: Dungeon Tester (full-time employee)
Magic Aptitude 8 (General Class)
Officer of the Year: Warrior
It's been a month since I had my interview.
Finally, my rookie training is over.
Whew!
There was no training today because of Sunday, and I had to stay in my room and relax all day to rest my body.
So I've finished dinner and now it's time for dinner.
It's great to be alive!
That's my word from the bottom of my stomach, or rather from the bottom of my heart.
"I never thought beer could be this good!
Normally it was a bubbly instead of a bedtime drink, a bachelor's nonsense that was upgraded a bit in the wake of a pay rise, but it seems to be definitely better than the beer I used to drink, if not better than usual .
On Saturday, my body was screaming to finish up the last training session and I couldn't afford to sleep in and taste the beer.
However, it is a magic technique that you are able to taste the beer the next day after screaming all day long.
After all, a person should feel alive.
I can feel the cold beer pouring down my throat and down my stomach.
'It really is wonderful to be alive, isn't it?
I couldn't have had a beer this good otherwise.
This reminds me of the past.
Somehow I managed to wake up before dinner on the day of the joint drill and went to the store to eat dinner and drink the nightcap in my room.
Looking back on it, my choice was a stroke of luck.
The slippery hand easily lifted me up and took me to a corner of the cafeteria.
"Drink, drink, drink! It's on me today!
"Eat all you can, kaka kaka, food is on me.
And the culprits who took him away were the demon yakuza and the skull gentleman sitting across from him, namely Instructor Kio and Instructor Fusio.
I couldn't understand why they were in such a good mood, and the only thing I could do was to say "Itadakimasu" in front of them.
''It's the demon tribe's special brew! Yummy.
"What? This is my spirit wine. It is safe for people to drink.
I was drunk with various alcoholic beverages from the reception, and my body was also strengthened by the magic crests.
As expected, I was able to drink much better than before and stayed until the cafeteria closed.
I was also a bit tipsy, and I felt bad that I didn't think about the reason for the party, thinking that something really good must have happened with the smiling Instructor Kio and the satisfied Instructor Fusio's attitude.
But hey, who would have thought.
This could be the last supper.
The next day, after I moved on to afternoon job-specific training, right on schedule, without a hangover, I was greeted by
"Yesterday was fun.
"Kaka-kaka, that was really fun.
It was Instructor Kio at his redoubtable best and Instructor Fusio in his dark energy.
It wasn't my fault I took a quick turn.
Warding!
But you can't run away from the special battle. Because the story isn't going anywhere.
The moment you turn around, you feel a wall of magic against your forehead.
Then you turn around, using the chill you feel on your back to move your head like a well-oiled tin doll.
"?
I'd like to praise myself for not screaming.
The two instructors, 50 percent more radiant than before, were holding me fast.
"Well, Jiro...
Are you ready for this?
"And you're done. Soooo!
I don't know when they changed their name, but I don't have time to worry about that.
I thought there was time to spare, but there was no way I could say no to the two of them, as a Japanese, who couldn't say no to them.
I asked Suela for help, but I couldn't say no.
"Good luck with .......
Today, Suela, who embodies a smart woman in a tightly fitted suit, didn't even make eye contact with me.
''Alright, let's start the training.
I decided to give up, and as usual, I held my weapon in the center of the room.
"Ah.
Then I realized.
Come to think of it, I'd lost at the end of the joint training.
I shouldn't have said losing would be hell, but I shouldn't have given myself more training, more defeat, more passion.
A loss is a loss, even if you've fought longer than the others.
Was it possible that he was in a good mood yesterday because he was thinking about today's training, or was it their concern to at least have a good time before sending him off to hell (training)?
Then I'll say it.
I don't need that kind of attention, please.
One minute you're ready and then you're blown apart, one minute you're attacking and then you're blown apart, the next minute you're defending and then you're blown apart, and it's the same old scene.
The repeated slashes of the chambered blade (magic sword) and the magic of the toy wand (cursed wand) that obstructed me at every turn.
Thinking back, it was the first time Instructor Kio's chamberlain blade, which looked like a child's magic sword, was seen as a magic sword.
Thanks to Instructor Fusio's creepy laugh that sent a chill down my spine, I swore to myself that I wouldn't set foot in the toy section for a while.
The light-hearted electronic sounds contradicted each of the magic states, each of which seemed to be non-lethal, but when combined with the chamberlain blade, they seemed to be a dangerously marked item to be avoided.
If it wasn't for the knee-slapper (perk) while he was down and out, he would surely have fallen short .
Honestly, I can't help but feel that this is a company where you can experience the blackest details of a black company.
Still, they were taking it easy on me, or maybe they were just taking it easy on me, and I was still alive.
I think I saw a few times, but I was alive.
Even so, the fact that he didn't mysteriously die was the result of his daily training, or whether it was the fact that both instructors were amazing at exquisitely discerning the space between life and death, I couldn't even think about it .
'So tomorrow you start in the dungeon,'
Still, I survived, no matter what the consequences.
From now on, there were only two options: turn in my papers and apply for training again, or be forced to retrain for bad grades.
That's a relief, but it also makes me brace myself for a bad grade.
But for now, let's just relax.
then I'll officially become a member of the company and tackle the dungeon.
My brain has finally caught up with my training period and I've been pushed aside by the beer, but I'm still thinking about tomorrow.
The dungeon
It's something that would only appear in game terms or novels in this modern day Japan, but I've been dying for training to get in there for the past month, and it's deeply emotional to think that it actually exists and will be challenged tomorrow .
No, it's not that deep, it's more like a simple feeling of being a kid before a field trip.
In fact, I was so tired that I hid under the covers to go to sleep and couldn't fall asleep, so I'm having a nightcap like this.
You're so excited that you can't sleep, but you're happy that you still have a childish mind.
Not that I'm a brat, though.
I grabbed the beer cans I'd drunk and looked down at my body and saw that my body, which had been lazy for years, was toned like a lie .
The status of my body has risen incomparably since I was hired, and I can feel the results of that increase.
How long has it been since I've wanted to see the results of my efforts so soon?
Well, let's go to bed.
You can't stay up too late, you can't stay up too late, you can't sleep in tomorrow.
Save the fun in your heart for tomorrow, but for now, think about getting a good night's sleep.
Normally you would sit in the lecture room in your normal clothes, but today everyone is dressed in a suit and tie.
In contrast, on the stage are many unique people who seem to be in direct denial about the word unity.
Among them, of course, are Instructor Fusio and Instructor Kio.
I've never seen them before, but they're probably standing there, probably from other professions.
I can sense a similarity between them, or perhaps strength, between them.
If you are a child, you will definitely cry, and even an adult will smile and stare at you.
I've gotten used to it, so I bail out in silence without a care in the world.
Then I shift my gaze again to the other faces.
A well-built, upper-body nude man with scales like a reptile and a scar over one eye, a dark elf woman like Suela dressed in a kimono, and a small person with the hood of her robe deeply hiding her head? A brown-skinned, three-meter tall giant wearing a fur and metal helmet, and a compound-eyed woman with antennae sprouting from her head, whose mouth is hidden by a fan, are covered with a crustacean-like object in several places, but their human body is now exposed only by a fabric that could be considered as underwear.
Some men have been following you, but have you noticed?
He's smiling, and that gaze is the eyes of a perfect predator.
This was absolutely unguarded .
Everyone standing on the stage could instinctively see from the first impression that they were absolutely powerful .
How great was the existence of a brave man who could defeat these people?
The banners above the faces that look more creative than unique, the induction ceremony banners look very surreal.
"It's time. Are we all here?
And then, to top it all off, the devil in the suit, Superintendent Evier, with an expression on his face so cold that you want to call him a queen, takes the stage.
It's great that he doesn't get buried in the midst of these creative people, but makes his presence felt.
The air in the room was tightened by this appearance.
It is not so tightened up, but it is tightened up.
That physical oppression forced even the sleepy-eyed people to squeeze their expressions.
First of all, let me say thank you for the training. Of our fifty-eight recruits, only thirty-seven of you here have completed the training course.
Without a moment's greeting and without an opening statement, the initiation ceremony was over.
It wasn't so shocking to me, who had gone through the training course alone, but the people around me seemed to be different.
Some are shocked, some have a sense of accomplishment on their faces, and others are more relaxed.
"I've got something for you. Look on your tables, is there a box on each of your tables?
Following the words of the supervisor who calmly proceeded with the ceremony without regard to our feelings, I looked at the thing on the desk that had been bothering me for a while.
The black paper box, about ten centimeters in diameter, had been sitting there since before I took my seat.
It didn't lift up, let alone cut, so I touched it a few times at first and then left it alone, but I wondered what it was.
"Open it and let me see what's inside.
I don't know how to open it, but when I lifted it up anyway, it lifted up easily, and it seemed to be a covered box, and the bottom box slid down to expose the contents.
"A pendant?
There was an octahedron crystal-like pendant that looked like a leather cord that could be hung around one's neck.
''It's a spirit spirit stone. You must take it with you when you enter the dungeon. Otherwise, you'll die.
The air froze.
Someone dropped an octahedral crystal-like pendant on the desk at the words and intimidation of the supervisor, who was feeling the pressure .
There are people who think they are strong beyond the training, so let me tell you. We won't make a sweet dungeon for you to conquer.
The lecture room, which was quiet from the beginning, now felt colder than the air-conditioned room.
"Of course, the risk of death is real. You've experienced this before. If someone thinks a battle with a demon won't kill you, it's not too late. You shouldn't go into dungeons.
You can't get good information if you're just going through the motions.
We, for our part, don't need information that won't kill us.
But it wasn't fear, it was more of a rebellious spirit.
If you want to express your feelings, great! It's like shouting, "I'm sorry!
I wondered what the deepest level was that we had worked so hard to reach.
That thought made me almost laugh a little.
But it wasn't the only thing I thought.
'You've got to be kidding me! I didn't hear you say you were going to die!
'Yes! I heard you're hurt, but I can't risk my life!
'Yes! You've got to be kidding me!
Some of them stand up and rant about their frustrations .
'Is that all you want to say ......? Then walk away, because there's no point in using something you're not happy with, and you have no use for it. Don't worry, I'll at least pay you for the training period.
And when the supervisor looked at them with a single glance, a magic circle appeared at their feet and then vanished in an instant.
I told you from the beginning that these testers are deadly. Anyone who doesn't understand that and thinks that's an exaggeration is just a fool. Once again, we don't want guys like that. Only those who are prepared to remain here will be allowed to remain. Of course, as we said at the beginning, and as we promised, we will give you our word for your lives to the best of our ability. But not absolutely. And answer that question. Stay or leave.
If you'd seen the exchange, you'd think some of them would have walked away.
''Hmm, three of them, let the results speak for themselves. You said you're going to die earlier, but with this Spirit Spirit Stone, the chances of your death are slim to none . This is just what it is.
The supervisor pulls out an item that looks just like the one we have.
This is not only proof that your training is complete, but also your lifeline to the dungeon. The dungeon is filled with a high concentration of magical energy. This stone absorbs that magic and combines it with your magic to create a record of that information. When you enter the dungeon, it automatically creates your first body inside the dungeon. A body made of magic and based on a soul. Even if you die in the dungeon, you will be instantly transported to the company's infirmary where the information will be used to regenerate your body back to its original state. Even if the heart or head is blown off, it is the body made of magic that will break, the aetheric body. I assure you that the body is, in fact, intact, which is good, because you can die in peace. Instead, it will hurt like death.
The supervisor smiles sadistically, as if to say that he's in full swing.
Seeing that, it's not so bad that you pull your chair back a little.
It's more of a survival instinct.
But your temporary body is finally becoming like a fantasy.
But it's not a panacea either. First of all it's only good inside the dungeon.
Outside the dungeon it's just an ornament.
Secondly, you'll find out that the cost of making one of these things is more than you can spend your life trying to pay, so lose it and your fate is sealed.
I can only say that the last one is a perfect threat, but I'll leave it there and there will be cost issues, so I don't blame you .
The point is, don't lose the company's equipment.
You'll be careful how you handle it.
"Third, this will eliminate the physical damage, but not the psychological ones. We'll take care of your trauma, but it's up to you to get better.
In addition, if you come out of the dungeon wounded, your injuries will be reflected in your flesh and blood.
Unless you want to writhe in pain, you're on your own.
Yes, loss of body parts will leave you with painful limb pain, but you won't be losing your body unless your soul is missing.
I've heard bad things, even if your body is made of magic, it still hurts. There's no guarantee you'll ever be able to try the dungeon again after you've died. That's the last thing you want to do is traumatize yourself.
Besides, if you leave untreated, your wounds will reflect on you in the flesh.
We work with fresh wounds all the time, so that's one thing we need to look out for.
Fortunately, the good news is that body loss doesn't occur unless there's a serious problem, but the supervisor had a strange way of saying it.
But the way the supervisor said it, it's as if there's a possibility of loss.
Finally, it's a rule of thumb. I was almost killed by a previous hero. That happens to me too.
You could easily be in my shoes, so brace yourselves and take on the dungeon.
You've missed the chance to ask, but this is something you'll have to look into on your own.
I don't want to be discontented without looking into it.
It's a bunch of caveats that keep me on my toes from beginning to end.
Well, now you know.
It was fully understandable, but thanks to that, yesterday's field trip mood completely died out .
The people around you are also wearing the same expression of anxiety.
The supervisor didn't seem to be bothered by this atmosphere.
Can I challenge the dungeon with this kind of mood? I think it would be better to boldly challenge the dungeon after getting beaten up by the instructors once.
What should I do?
Hmm, since it's the beginning of the year, can't she make it a little more upbeat?
'No, I don't think it's a mistake in the sense of being strict in terms of atmosphere, and that was the information I needed.
It's mainly about keeping our lives safe.
Is that so? Just being too strict won't make the lower ones follow the higher ones, and a balance is important in society.
Well, sure.
Who am I talking to during the ceremony?
Since my seat is at the end of the line and there is no one on either side of me, there will be no one to talk to, with the sad reality that there will be no one to talk to.
Therefore, there should have been no one next to me.
Hey!
Who?
It's the Demon King!
Before I knew it, a fresh and handsome man who claimed to be the Demon King was sitting next to me .
''......''
'Hahahahaha, can you believe it? It's more like a stern image, one that exudes the weight of successive wars, a kind of dignity that oozes out of you. A demon king is.
The self-proclaimed demon king, who understood exactly what my silence meant, put his hand to his chin and started to worry about it .
I think it's okay for me to put out my hand because it's too tight, but Evvia is. It's not a good idea to do this, but it's the best way to do it.
That type of person wouldn't allow a supervisor to be called out unless he or she was very close to them.
Or someone in a fairly senior position or something .
Then the self-proclaimed part of the Demon King would be gone, and the person next to him would really be the Demon King, right?
So with my troubled mind at his side, the presumptive demon king walked casually as if he had something to do on the stage.
The other coworkers who are concentrating in front of him didn't notice him as he walked.
The only ones who have noticed were the instructors on the platform.
As if by design, they kneeled down and welcomed the self-proclaimed, or rather, demon king, who had climbed onto the stage.
Sure, the appearance itself may be subdued.
But the scenery itself was a solid display of dignity.
He knelt down, showing that he was more of a king than any of them, despite the fact that every one of them had the qualities of a king.
'Hey! Gentlemen! I am the Demon King! Or to put it more simply, I am your employer! The president!
My colleagues, including me, are unable to react to this imposing declaration as if it were natural.
I wondered if the equation "demon king" = "president" would work, but I didn't know how to react to the way he appeared, which would have completely skipped the process of making arrangements.
Should I follow my instructors, get out of my chair and kneel?
Yes, keep your posture. You're my men, but you're not my vassals. Courtesy is necessary, but not respect!
They show their charisma as if they think they can predict everything, and they show their greatness.
First of all, thank you for the training! Plus, did you get a whip from me? Oh, I don't need to tell you, but I'm sure from the look on your faces that you took it seriously.
I won't just give you back the way you are, if you gave me a whip, now I'll give you candy.
He's an actor.
He drew his gaze from the procurator to the demon king himself.
"As of today, we're going to open up the facilities that have been unusable. Details are already being distributed to the rooms. Look forward to it. And of course, as an employee, you'll get a discount.
The demon king is in control now.
Every word of his voice is powerful.
And I don't think it's a bad idea.
And there will be a special prize for those who perform well. Let's also rank the results clearly and post them weekly for everyone to see! As a result of that, after six months, I'll prepare whatever I can prepare in the name of my Demon King for the top three people! If I want your money, I'll give it to you! You want power, I'll give it to you! If I want your position, I'll get it for you! Let's give you what you want!
If a normal person said it, they would definitely suspect it was a fraud or a lie or something, but the Demon King's words on the stage did not lie.
If he says he's going to prepare, he'll prepare.
And the air that had been cool just now was instantly on fire.
Is this what the glare is all about, being really good at stimulating human greed.
This simply struck me as amazing.
You're surrounded by an all-consuming heat, but on the other hand, I've been watching the scene with cold eyes.
My twenties are almost over and I've entered the climax of my thirties.
You are happy to hear that the reward will be increased, but it is not that exciting.
''So much for stopping you guys in your tracks with a long story! I'm opening up the dungeon now! Each of you must use your own judgment!
This concludes the induction ceremony!
Even so, the feeling of deviation does exist.
Aware of the slightly faster heartbeat, at the supervisor's words, the demon king stepped off the stage, followed by his instructors.
It might have been my imagination, but for a moment I felt my eyes met with the demon king.
But I decided to think it was just my imagination.
''But still, Demon Lord? Could it be that the instructors are in a pretty great position to be following the
I should have asked him about his job title when he introduced himself, and I was thinking about things that have nothing to do with the future.
Another side
Your Majesty?
Evvia, I hope you're not too upset with me.
Then let me at least make the necessary arrangements.
So I can't talk to him.
The place is not a modern room like a lecture hall, but a medieval-style throne room, where the supervisors and instructors, or rather the head of the guard and the general, line up in a row looking up at the master of the throne.
"Kaka, you're still a skeleton, demon king, how was that?
'Hmmm, I thought at first I'd have more to look forward to, but that was nice.
Oh, how rare it is to hear a dry landlord praise you.
''Yeah, I thought it would be a bad crop this time against my magic aptitude, but I see, that's what you call a bargain . You're not buried in the crowd with your discerning eyes. That thing knows people. No, I've seen people drink themselves to death. So the line is drawn. Do I like it? People who seem to be able to draw a tight line like that and cut off at their own discretion, if I had to say so, I guess the trouble is that they are active as individuals, but not as a herd.
It's been a long time since I've seen anything good, and I smile as I poke my elbow into the throne .
. pleasure .
The demon king is having a lot of fun.
you have some really weird ideas. Isn't this just a moonstone?
The woman of the fan, Mushi-Oh, and the wolverine glanced at it as if to pour water on it, and wobblingly took out the pendant from the earlier one.
Their eyes narrow and their mouths are smiling, but it's more accurate to say that they are laughing at you.
"The devil don't lie, do he? It's definitely a spirit spirit stone. The abilities I've described definitely exist, just not all of them, though .
That's really nasty.
The head of the Kingsguard, Evvia also sneered with the same face as the wolverine.
It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on a new one. Is it as expected of a demon to do this in just one word?
"Giant King, you're not a nice guy. The healing won't be free either. Their magic will recover if left unchecked. I only collect their magic for the money they waste and throw away.
"Kaka-kaka, that's how we'll keep our armaments flowing, you've really thought this through.
Hmm.
Don't you like it, Warlock?
No, you don't have to worry about them, they're not your people.
This is the extent of the devil king and his generals' schemes and tricks, and the story goes on and on.
Hm, is there a problem then? So, Amiri, I believe your dungeon is not yet complete, how have you been since then?
The confirmation of Evvia's plan was over, then the dungeons that they, the testers, would dive into were still not complete.
No, this is our plan to find out the problems. No dungeons were ever completed, but there was one dungeon that was particularly slow in progress.
The one the demon king looked at from his throne and even called out to was a being completely covered in robes.
The being revealed itself when the demon king spoke to it.
It removed its hood and revealed its face.
The face belonged to a girl not much older than she was, but there was something like mechanical circuitry running all over her face, and it would be more accurate to describe it as expressionless or more inorganic.
However, this combined with her long gray hair, which was shining slightly, gave her a doll-like beauty.
''Report, the dungeon is about 60% complete, the troops have been deployed at a rate of forty-five percent, and the conclusion is that the shallow part of the dungeon has been created, so we believe that the current situation is sufficient to intercept the testers.
The recognition of the testers of the position called "general" can be seen when he uses the word "intercept" instead of "test".
And the voice of the person who uttered it also sounds inorganic, although it should be a human voice.
"Keke keke, your daughter is very confident.
As if replying to that, a somewhat light voice sends praise .
''Yes, I'm not going to doubt Amiri's report, either. You don't make unsubstantiated reports. If Amiri says it's not a problem, then it must be a problem. If anything, Dragon King, you worry me more, right?
No, sir, not at all. No matter how much I like to play around, I would never make a dungeon that could be breached by those wormy bastards.
''Your family is quite good at what they do, but they keep getting into trouble for their playfulness. I'm concerned. Plus, it's bad enough that you're getting even with the results, so you can't really blame them. Would you be willing to spare me the trouble?
Keke Keke, let's do some good.
It's a good thing that you're able to have a good time with them.
Just like that, the atmosphere changes.
Now, my beloved subjects. Listen carefully, my dear vassals. It's no exaggeration to say that our dreams hang in the balance. All hands, work to the best of your ability.
「「「「「「「 "All is as He wills" 」」」」」」」
Satisfied with the generals' answers, the demon king looked up at the violet moon reflected in the skylight visible from his throne and realized that it was finally beginning.
The dungeon now begins to move.
Another side END
Tanaka Jiro, twenty-eight years old, single, no girlfriend, occupation: Dungeon Tester (full-time employee)
Magic Aptitude 8 (General Class)
Officer of the Year: Warrior
Word of the Day.
I didn't think there was a president with such a strong presence in real life.