1 1 I took on the dungeon tester.txt (1/2)

The morning is sure to come.

It ignores the human condition and makes its appearance shine to tell the beginning of the day.

Perhaps the moment a Japanese office worker realizes this is the moment he or she arrives at work and hangs up their time card.

It's the same for me.

The way their gloves are fitted, their claws are aligned, and their weapons are checked.

I wonder where our peaceful Japan has gone.

I'm aware that I'm dressed far from the way I normally dress.

Now, boys, it's time to get to work.

But that's my job.

It's my job.

Finally, you turn to your colleague who was doing the same check.

”I think each of you will know your quota for today. Don't skip work, don't cut corners, and don't get hurt, and that's the three points I want to emphasize.

The first vague Japanese smile that made me doubt my common sense disappears and is replaced by a powerful smile, like that of a businessman who answers me.

My job is to solve dungeons.

I'll do my best to clean out the dungeon today.

Create a dungeon that the brave can't conquer.

This is the story of a group of businessmen who stumbled upon a fantasy that emerged from the hidden world of everyday life.

Tanaka Jiro is 28 years old, single, has not had a girlfriend for 7 years, and is now a NEET!

Freedom!

I don't care if I disturb the neighbors. I'm sprawled out on my bed and I scream.

I've been working for a black company for six years, where working over 120 hours a month is normal, working on days off is normal, and the overtime pay is never full.

I've seen so many personnel changes that it would be a waste of time to count them.

I was covering my stress and frustration with a cigarette when my boss came into the smoking room and said to me, ”You're going to smoke a cigarette, aren't you?

”You have time for a cigarette?　If you're so bored, why don't you do more?　You should give them yesterday's report, right?

At that time, I had stayed at the office and stayed up all night to finish a job that was on deadline.

Normally I would have laughed and apologized and went back to work, but I couldn't help but glare at my boss.

Huh?　What's that look in your eyes, if you don't like it, stop it, there are plenty of replacements for you.

I learned then that the human heart can really kick in.

My boss must have thought I had gone out of the smoking room without saying a word and went back to work.

After listening to my boss take out a cigarette from his breast pocket, I went back to my desk via the office, and the first thing I did was to pack my personal belongings into a cardboard box.

Without touching any of the company's materials, I just stuffed my personal belongings randomly into the cardboard box and the job was done in ten minutes.

Chief, I'm quitting now.

I said that much and ignored all the voices that tried to stop me from leaving.

I stuff all my stuff in the car, including the contents of my locker, and turn the key in the ignition to go home.

Then a neet is born.

The first thing he does when he returns to his cheap apartment is light a cigarette.

”What am I going to do now?

I got mad and quit the company like a fly on the wall, but I don't regret it.

Rather, I want to pat myself on the back for a job well done, but despite being unemployed, my heart is strangely clear.

I turned my phone off.

I don't know if he's calling my cell phone from the office right now.

I don't care if people think I'm irresponsible.

Besides, I was sleeping or working on my days off and I have enough money saved up to not have to work for two or three months, but a year.

I'm not in a position to starve to death right away, so I'm just taking things easy.

We're going to have to work. I hate it.

I have some money saved up so there's no need to panic, but it's not like I can eat for the rest of my life.

Fortunately, I'm strong enough to think about working after a certain amount of time off.

Well, I don't have an ounce of energy to go back to that company.

Wow, looks like a mailbox disaster.

A quick look at the mailbox seen from the layout of the 1K room shows that it's so packed that I don't know how the mailman could have put it in there anymore.

I'm coming back to sleep. Or, as it should be, since I don't use this room except for coming home to change clothes, I felt like telling myself to at least clean up the mailbox.

You stand up, deliberately shouting, ”Doko-ho,” like an old man.

Ugh, it's stuck.

It's as solid as it looks. As if to prove it, when you pull the bundle of flyers, it only moves a little, but it won't come off any more.

d*mn, it can't be helped.

I crouched on the front porch, talking to myself, which had increased since I'd been living alone, and pulled out the flyer, dividing it into smaller pieces until it slipped out.

I ripped it up. ...... is a religious solicitation, if that's okay. So, this is a flyer from the local supermarket, ...... is three weeks old, hmm?　What the hell?

I dropped the ashes into the ashtray once, mindful of the amount of ashes in my cigarette, and looked at the strangely tempting flyer.

'Call for testers?　Um, what?

”Dungeon testers wanted!

Hundreds of people to be recruited!

breakdown

30 full-time employees

Seventy part-time workers

Age 16-35 years old

Dormitories!

Parking lot!

Martial arts experience preferred!

Salary, full-time employee, 300,000 per month plus risk allowance and commission

Twice a year

Part-time job: 3,000 yen per hour plus risk allowance + commission

Working hours Full-time employees 5 hours a day or more, two days off per week plus holidays

Part-time: At least three hours a day (must be able to work at least three days a week)

Job Description

We will let you test the effectiveness of the dungeon designed by the Demon King's Army against the brave men!

You have to challenge the dungeon, fight the monsters, search for the treasure and break through the hierarchy.

To prevent the risk of injury, you will need to prepare a consent form.

”Is this a stupid prank?

Exhale your cigarette smoke and stop reading.

The structure of the flyer is quite impressive.

You put a lot of care into the layout of the pictures and letters to make them eye-catching and the paper is not bad.

It is clearly a professional flyer.

But the content is lame. You pretend that the catch is obviously malicious.

It has your phone number and a map, not your address.

And that address is

It's the next town over.

You can drive, train, bus, or even walk if you try hard enough .

'It's an elaborate prank for fishing, isn't it?

I'm 90% sure it's a prank in my mind.

The pay is unbeatable and the holidays are quite tempting.

”No, no, no, no, I'm not going to sit here and listen to this bullshit.

Throwing flyers on the table and pushing them into the ashtray to extinguish the cigarettes.

”This is not the kind of company you want to work for.

I've never seen such a dubious job offer for a game tester.

Lying on the bed is the TV and a pile of games in front of it, and I played a fair amount of games when I was a student.

Because of my job, I have not played any games lately, but mainly RPGs, so I thought it would be interesting to see the contents of this flyer.

'Martial arts include kendo, right?

Another thing I saw was a worn-out kendo tool in the corner of the room.

It had been replaced every time my body size changed or simply broke down.

It was half a year ago when I was last busy with work, but I still continued to visit the nearby dojo.

Ninety percent of the time I've decided that it's just a prank, but the other ten percent of the time I've piqued my interest and offered terms and conditions that are suitable for me.

'Oh, I'm not busy anyway, so if it's a prank, it's a prank.

I find this excuse very hard to believe.

I'd like to work in such a place if there was one.

I've been harboring that desire.

What's with the cell phone and ......?

There are ten incoming calls, mostly from the company. I've received several calls from my senior chief, but I ignored them and typed in the number on the flyer and sent them out despite being troubled for a moment.

''Yes, this is the Demon King's Army Dungeon Tester, Suera.

'Well, um, I saw a flyer, are you still hiring?'

I thought it was just a prank, and I was expecting to hear an announcement that it wasn't being used, but the woman's response was much clearer than I had imagined, and I couldn't help but stammer.

Although she was definitely a foreigner from the name, I thought she was fluent in Japanese.

Thank you for contacting me. We are currently looking for both full-time and part-time positions.

I'm a full-time employee.

Wasn't the work ethic atrophied? However, he thought that he still had some time left, and decided that it was too much to ask for a part-time job at his age, so he chose a full-time job because of the salary and holidays.

”A full-time job, isn't it? I agree. Therefore, I would like to have an interview.

Well, I'm ready whenever you are.

”...... Okay. If so, may I have your name, age and phone number?　We'll give you the date by the end of the day.

Okay. Name.

From there, the conversation progressed very quickly.

I gave him my name, age, and cell phone number, and he briefly told me if I had martial arts experience and what I needed to do, and that was the end of the call.

”Your call was taken care of by Suela. I'll see you tomorrow.

Isn't this a prank?

The last words are said, and I can't help but spill them over as I look at my phone, which has stopped saying anything.

Or was it a flyer for the bad guys? I'm afraid.

Then maybe you shouldn't have given me your phone number, and just hang up on me.

It's better to do it quickly than sorry.

If the next caller looks dangerous, we'll go to the police.

Yes, I'll definitely do that, I thought to myself, but I looked at the flyer twice, restlessly and fretfully.

Then you reach for a cigarette.

Just as you're about to take a drag to calm yourself down, your phone rings.

”What, is it company? This number.

The cigarette in his mouth fell out.

Ha-ha-ha, too soon.

The number on the phone wasn't a company number, but a number on a flyer.

”Wow, this is huge.

I ironed my suit and got a new shirt.

The building that welcomed me after I shaved my beard and wore the suit well and looked presentable was a huge 20-story building.

And it wasn't a tenant on each floor like a conglomerate, but the whole building was the building of the company I was applying for.

I've never heard of a Mao Corporation.

With a company this big, you should have heard of it, but I've never heard of it even though I live nearby.

”What's Mao and the Demon King?　That's not even a pun.

I parked my car in the parking lot and looked up for a while, but I couldn't just stay like this.

I moved toward the entrance with a brown envelope containing my resume and other necessary documents in hand.

And if you pass through the automatic door...

Hmm?　What hit you?

You stop at the feeling of something soft, yes, like going under a curtain, but of course the only thing there is is an automatic door for a doorway.

There's no such thing as a curtain, of course.

”Is it my imagination or is it ......?

There's no point in sitting here, I see a counter that looks like a receptionist, so I try to head there, but I have to stop again .

'Cosplay?'

Or, more accurately, it's a special Hollywood make-up job or something.

I'm standing in an entrance hall with a clean white and gray color scheme.

Behind the gray glossy stone counter, there are two receptionist-like women, but neither of them is an ordinary woman.

”Was there ever a foreigner with long ears?

A race that looked like something out of an anime or video game, or to be more precise, an elf, or more specifically a dark elf with brown skin and silver hair and blue eyes, was sitting at the reception desk wearing a woman's suit.

Although there was a difference in hair length, with short hair on the left and long hair on the right, their faces and appearances were as neat and tidy as those of gravure idols, let alone capable of carrying the company's face, the receptionist.

But they should only exist in such a racial game .

I was worried that my fatigue was causing me to hallucinate, so I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to look again, but the result was the same.

'It's not like I'm tired, is it?'

The reality is still the same, it's Saturday, three days after that phone call, and as expected, I'm relieved of the fatigue I've accumulated in the black company. Shouldn't be.

I was wondering if I should go home, but I dismissed the fact that this might be a company with such a policy.

Um, excuse me, I'm here for an interview for a tester.

Rechecking the location of his cell phone, the man has the nerve and encourages himself to go to the counter fearfully and call out to the receptionist with long hair.

'Yes, may I have your name and the name of the person in charge, please?

I stand tall, thinking about how beautiful she is, even her voice is beautiful, and I can't understand it.

This is Jiro Tanaka. The person in charge is Suela, our tester recruiter.

Yes, Mr. Tanaka, right? I've heard a lot about you. I'll get Suella in to see you in charge. Please take a seat over there and wait.

Wouldn't it be a once-in-a-lifetime experience to have a dark elf smile at you and make your face hot?

Even if it was some kind of special make-up, that's certainly not the kind of experience you get.

I nodded as I remembered the last time my face was hotter than the sun, and sat down at the table I was supposed to be meeting.

I don't have anything on hand, but I don't feel like playing with my phone.

Then you check your documents to see if you've forgotten anything.

”Okay, I haven't forgotten anything.

However, it takes only a minute to check a document.

It only takes me a minute to review five or so documents, considering my previous work.

It's been a long time since I've spent five minutes to read something.

Now I'm back to the point where I don't have anything to do: ......

Hmm?

You hear your heels tapping the floor, and you can't help but look in your direction.

And I know.

There's something wrong with this company, mainly in a fantastical way.

”Here you go. Tanaka, may I speak with Jiro?

'Yes, sir!　My name is Jiro Tanaka.

I'm Suela. This is Suela.

The woman who bailed lightly was a dark elf, unlike the receptionist .

And although I couldn't make out any of the details because of the distance between me and the receptionist earlier, the woman in front of me seemed to be the real thing.

In fact, if the make-up was so special that it seemed real, I wouldn't be surprised if this was a movie studio or something.

An intelligent dark elf with long silver hair tied up and silver-framed glasses, that's my first impression of the woman who called herself Suela.

'Well, over here, please.

Yes!

And maybe it's just a matter of taste, but she's more beautiful than the receptionists.

She's about 20 years old, but she doesn't look any younger than me because of her dignity that makes me think she can do her job.

I've decided to resign myself to the fact that this is the kind of company I'd like to work for, because it's so unrealistic, or rather, it's a mixture of reality and fantasy, with dark elves and suits.

It's a wonder I don't have feelings of failure or regret in mind.

If you follow Suera's lead, you will be shown to a small conference room on the first floor.

Have a seat. Is coffee okay?

Yes, I'm fine.

I feel like all I've said is yes, but I guess that's how it goes for interviews.

You have to appeal when you need to appeal, but otherwise it's important to have a minimalist answer.

You sit down and straighten your posture, remembering the tips for the interview.

”What?

But I had to make a fool of myself in front of the woman who was going to interview me.

”So you can see.

'What?　That's great, is that a magic trick?

Don't nod your head in agreement with my response, and give me time to calm down, if possible, as I'm about to overheat.

I'm sure everyone would have the same reaction if a tray of coffee flew by.

'It's magic,'

Suera answered in a matter-of-fact manner that was even more confusing to me, as she accepted a tray floating in the air and took a seat across from me with a cup in front of her, so that she was facing me.

”Magic, huh?

I wonder what expression I have on my face right now as I'm answering like a parrot, I'm thinking, but at least I don't have an interview-worthy expression on my face.

When I say magic, the word magic comes to mind.

But what does it have to do with the company interview?

Do I have to be able to use magic as a condition of entry?

Please don't, I don't have the guts to declare great magic as a specialty like in some videos, and I don't have any skills. You might be able to do some banquet trickery with practice, but...

So we'll start the interview.

This is not the time to think about that.

If you don't answer the question properly, you'll have to straighten your back and straighten your posture.

Jiro Tanaka, what did I and the girls at the reception desk look like to you?

......

I'm going to have to answer some questions.

You ask that question, and all I can do is keep my mouth shut. And you have to keep your face on the wall.

”Uh,

Assuming some banter, honestly, what is your motivation for applying? I can't decide whether to answer honestly or not, because I was imagining an orthodox question like ”What's your question?

But she doesn't mind that I'm troubled, and she's watching me intently in front of her, waiting for me to answer, as if urging me to go on.

Do I have to answer this?　Yeah, I know, it's a job interview, and if I don't answer, people will think I have a communication problem.

Okay, we'll have to try to cover it up somehow.

Are you a dark elf?

I couldn't.

And it's over.

Losing my gaze, I answered honestly, but all I could think about was that I had done it.

Honestly, I was hoping that the Surprise Success sign would not appear, but it never did.

If I were an interviewer at a company, there's no way they would hire someone who looks at me and says he's a dark elf.

I'd like to escape from reality, but I can't do that.

Am I so tired that I can't tell the difference between the game and reality?

I think it's a good idea to get a full workup, whether it's a psychiatrist, an ophthalmologist, or a neurosurgeon. Now, why don't you just let me know when the interview's over?

I'm in a full-blown sweat, maintaining an affectionate smile as I await the verdict.

'You've passed.'

Huh?

”Huh?

I'm tempted to tell you to stop giving me that stupid look, but there's no way I'm going to mend my face after so many years of betraying my expectations.

What did you just say?

I said it's passed.

Apparently, it's not as if she heard ”please go home” wrong.

While I was listening back, Suera was reading the paperwork calmly.

”Huh?　But what about the interview?

I've never heard of an interview being decided by a single question.

And it's a question like, ”How do you see me?” and ”Do you think I'm a working man?

I used magic to read your memory. You're superficial, but you're not a man of character, and you have no history of misconduct. I have a martial arts background.

Best of all, she repositioned her glasses with her index finger and repeated the words.

”I have magical aptitude.

Oh, if it's magic, I don't blame you, wow, they read your head, that would make sense, wouldn't it?　Okay, and I have magic powers too... yikes, I'm getting confused with a lot of things... ......

Magic?

Yes, magic.

The words ”I'm not a virgin” came to my mind on the spur of the moment, but I shook my head and kicked him out.

I didn't realize that this interview was one where great magic had to be a speciality!

Do they use that kind of magic?