Otherworld Company Chapter 1.4: I took on the Job of Dungeon Tester

Overwhelmed by the natural atmosphere of the dungeon, which was definitely not a movie set, I couldn’t contain my excitement as I peeked through the other doors.

Sometimes it was a forest, sometimes it was made entirely of bricks, sometimes it was a scene straight out of a horror movie, and sometimes it was a canyon on a mountain cliff.

“There is a total of seven dungeons.” (Suela)

“Yeah, I think the future of the movie industry would be safe if these were movie sets.” (Jiro)

As with any dungeon, everything is overwhelming.

“I’m honored to hear that. Let’s continue to the dormitories.” (Suela)

“Okay.” (Jiro)

Suela smiles and leads me, who is still very excited.

I’m not sure if it’s her business smile, but I’m not about to fall in love with her, so I suppress my heart and follow her.

“The dormitory is for staff only. Full-time and part-time employees alike can use the dormitory. But as a rule, no one other than those involved can enter. Even if you try to bring them in, they will be blocked by the wards.” (Suela)

It’s the kind of security system that would make a security company on Earth want to cry in envy if they heard about it.

“The rooms are either private rooms or rooms for two people that can be shared. The cost of a private room is more expensive. Fees are deducted from your basic salary, and the same goes for utilities such as electricity, gas, and water.” (Suela)

We went through the automatic door, which was not only warded but also secured by modern technology, and I was shown the private room and double room on the first floor.

The floor plan is 1LDK for a private room, with a toilet and a bathroom, and of course, the two are separate.

The double room is 2LDK, and the facilities are similar.

“There is a bed, refrigerator, TV, and washing machine in the room. You’ll also be provided with a mobile phone for your communication needs.” (Suela)

“What about the Internet?” (Jiro)

“You will be monitored to prevent information leaks, but basically you will be able to use the Internet, but please keep in mind that if you leak any information, you will be dealt with accordingly.” (Suela)

“S-specifically?” (Jiro)

“Dismissal, of course, but also manipulation of your memory of anything related to the company, and a cover story to make everything look like fakes in order to deal with the leaks.” (Suela)

“Quite thorough.” (Jiro)

“That’s is a death sentence for us.” (Suela)

“Eh?” (Jiro)

“We Dark Elves are one of the few demons that look like humans. We will not die. But even so, this world without magic is very suffocating. It’s not a problem inside the company, but when we go outside, we always feel slight dizziness like symptoms of anemia.” (Suela)

Suela says that some of them may fall and have their lives endangered.

“In such a world, we cannot make the countries of this world know of our existence.” (Suela)

The Demon King’s army can only move at the base, and the other side can conquer and annihilate them.

And they are in the birthplace of the heroes. If any of the people who entered the company is from a hostile organization and had the aptitude of a hero, would Suela, who is weak, be safe?

“Why then are you doing this?” (Jiro)

I wondered why I would do this while risking myself.

“Please just believe that we, the Demon King Army, are serious.” (Jiro)

She has been serious until now, but now her expression looks even more serious.

“I know I might sound like I’m stating it. However, we’ve researched this world too. This world, especially Japan, is peaceful. People in the past and now are free from conflict. In addition, for people like you, our struggle is irrelevant like insects outside of the mosquito nets.” (Suela)

I could feel my excitement waning.

I was embarrassed at myself for being so excited earlier.

This is a job, and she’s not recruiting me for fun.

“But let me just say this. The people of Ithat are forcibly involving you, but we are in a position to ask you in good faith. We cannot allow the information to be leaked because of our position, but we respect Mr. Jiro’s choice. Please don’t forget that.” (Suela)

It was true that there were many things I found frightening, such as memory manipulation and dungeon attacks, but I didn’t feel like I was being deceived at the moment.

Maybe I’m just oblivious, but is it naive to think that I can trust her with this at the very least.

“We went off-topic. Let me show you the other facilities.” (Suela)

With that in mind, I follow her.

She then showed me the store, where I could order almost anything, the company cafeteria, which boasted the same number of items as a family restaurant with an employee discount, and

“Where are your weapons permit?” (Jiro)

“This is an area outside your jurisdiction.” (Suela)

Fantasy armor and swords.

They are lined up on the shelves.

For me, who has only touched bamboo swords and wooden swords, a real weapon was scary and overwhelming.

“All of the equipment here is for beginners, such as iron weapons and leather armor, but there are also magical swords.” (Suela)

“Hey, don’t you have a gun?” (Jiro)

“Mr. Jiro, in our world, and by extension the dungeons under the influence of the Demon King, a gun is just a peashooter. Goblins aside, it would be better if you could make beyond bruises.” (Suela)

I’m not sure if it’s my imagination or not, but I feel like I’ve been implicitly told not to overestimate modern technology.

I was longing for a magic gun, but Suela says it’s faster to move using magic and attack with swords.

“Initial equipment will be provided at the time of training. ut that’s just the minimum equipment. After that, you can either buy equipment from the stores we have set up, or you can get materials and have them made by our in-house giants. Of course, both of these options come with an employee discount.” (Suela)

“Giants?” (Jiro)

“Think of them as a dwarven dark elf. They are a race with a large body but very dexterous and good at blacksmithing. They are outstanding but very bloodthirsty, so be careful.” (Suela)

I wondered if it would cost money and if I could buy otherworldly equipment with Japanese yen.

When I returned to the meeting room, I was briefed on the salary, holidays, and the rules and regulations, which were nothing serious.

The rules I have to abide by are that I have to conquer dungeons, submit weekly mid-term reports, and monthly end-of-month reports, and I’m not allowed to disclose any information outside the company.

And the Demon king’s Army will not force us to participate in wars in other worlds. The medical benefits will not be cut off.

The rest of the company was not much different from the one I was working for.

I wondered where the company trip was going to be, but I refrained from mentioning it.

The salary for a full-time employee is 300,000 basic salary + hazard pay + commission.

The base salary goes without saying, the hazard pay is 20% of the monthly salary, but what of the commission system,

“The materials from the defeated demons will be purchased, except for materials used as weapons and armor and materials that can’t be stored.” (Suela)

“What did you say?” (Jiro)

“The more demons you defeat, the more valuable parts you sell here the more cash you earn.” (Suela)

It seems that you can get something like a receipt for each purchase.

But that’s…

“Won’t the Demon King’s army resent us?” (Jiro)

“The entire army has been notified, and we are the Demon King’s army, the weak are eaten by the strong, so the weak are eliminated.” (Suela)

I don’t have to worry about resentment, but I can’t say that my salary is related to the detriment of the military of the Demon King.

It is true that if I work hard, I am promised a very high salary.

“As for vacations, we have two days off per week, but to be precise, it’s eight days per month plus holidays. Each tester has to make a schedule according to his or her own physical condition.” (Suela)

In the worst-case scenario, it’s possible to take eight days off and then work the rest of the time.

“We will also provide paid leave for 20 days. We also offer various types of insurance according to your physical condition.” (Suela)

And finally, Suela takes out another document in addition to the contract.

“It’s a consent form. This job is very dangerous. We’ll do our best to guarantee your life, but please don’t expect too much. If you are dying or in a state where you are clearly unable to fight, there is a possibility that the Demon king’s Army will help you, but please think of us as your basic enemy. We also consider you enemies and will attack you.” (Suela)

This is probably the end of the explanation.

Suela asks if I have any questions.

“What if I decline this job?” (Jiro)

“There will be no manipulation of your memory, but in order to prevent information leaks, you will be required to keep your mouth shut and your actions monitored. If you don’t want to do that, we can change your memory of today to something else.” (Suela)

“Oh yeah.” (Jiro)

I leaned back in my chair, tired of trying to keep up appearances.

“Can I take a smoke break?” (Jiro)

I said that I need time to think.

“Here you go.” (Suela)

I never thought that an ashtray would be offered in front of me.

“Normally, I would have asked you to leave when you lost your composure, but…” (Suela  )

Now that I’ve come this far, I can’t help it, even if this story disappears.

I didn’t hesitate and lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply.

“Compared to the people of Ithar, you guys are polite and charming.” (Jiro)

Is that so.

I answered lightly, but my mind was jumbled with so many factors that I couldn’t decide whether to accept or not.

“Suela.” (Jiro)

“Yes.” (Suela)

“Why is the Demon King’s army at war?” (Jiro)

“We want to go home.” (Suela)

“I want to go home?” (Jiro)

I asked this question in order to have something to base my decision on, but I was expecting to hear about some kind of interest or something like that, but once again my expectations were overturned.

“It’s been 5,000 years ago. Now that the name Demon King Army is firmly established, we Demon King Army was originally from Ithar, you know?” (Suela)

Suela told me a fairy tale that everyone in the Demon King’s army knows.

The God who controls the sun and the god who controls the moon are brothers, and neither are good or bad, and both govern similar races.

However, it is said that disaster suddenly came.

A seed called Conflict spreads from sparks here and there. Eventually, it bloomed into war.

“Our god, Lord Luine, has separated and concealed the continent from the other world instead of our ancestors’ death.” (Suela)

That is the origin of the Demon King’s army.

“At first, it seems that we sought peace through dialogue, but as time went on, Lord Luine became known as an evil god, and we went from the races of the night to the races of darkness.” (Jiro)

Lord Luine, the god of the moon, gave our continent a way to connect to Ithar, and the ancestors of Suela tried to find a way back.

That is the beginning of the dungeons.

“But we’ve been moving through a swamp.” (Jiro)

They say that it was two thousand years ago when they fought, and fought, and fought, and just fought, and the settlement between the Demon King and the heroes began to be the closing bells of the war.

“What happened so long ago may not matter to us. For me, that moonlit continent is where I was born and where I belong. But I still feel it.” (Suela)

They have a home.

“We want it. We want to return to our old home, live there, feel its wind, its smell, its warmth, and to die there. There is no race in the Demon king’s Army that does not feel this.” (Suela)

It seems that the chief of the race with the strongest feeling will become the Demon King.

“Somehow, it has become quite the big deal.” (Jiro)

Most of my cigarette has turned to ashes, without even touching my lips.

I was submerged in Suela’s story.

Pressing the cigarette against the ashtray to extinguish the fire.

“To be honest, I can’t understand your feeling and I can’t judge if it’s true.” (Jiro)

But the balance was tipped.

“In the first place, there is a part of me doubting that this company itself is a ridiculous dream.” (Jiro)

If I think about it, I used to find it troublesome to think this far. But as I got older, I began to reason and calculate the risks every time.

“It will be thirty in two years, it will not be impossible anymore, and if I exceed thirty, it will affect my chances of employment. I have to immediately refuse such a dangerous job. I’m scared to that extent.” (Jiro)

It’s not like my body can do anything reckless in the first place. If I die, it’s like sweeping off my future.

“But I’m still from the Kendo club. I still have the guts.” (Jiro)

Moreover, I thought it was interesting.

“I am this is the kind of person.” (Jiro)

I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to just go for it and not think too deeply about it, with the “I can do it” spirit I’d developed at the black company.

“Will you hire me?” (Jiro)

“Mr. Jiro Tanaka, we, the Demon King Army welcome you.” (Suela)

Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, single, seven years without a girlfriend

Has become a dungeon tester.