Otherworld Company Chapter 99: Putting Out Fires Is Important!

Jiro Tanaka: 28 years old – Has Girlfriends

Girlfriend(s): Suela Handelberg & Memoria Tris

Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Regular Employee)

Magical Aptitude: Nine (Quasi Demon King Class)

The luxurious time of drinking sake between two beautiful women at the counter passes.

The conversation was not sexy at all, but it was fresh and interesting.

“The word “faith” is a rather difficult topic, but no… in this case, I am not against faith, but—What are the merits and demerits of believing?” (Jiro)

As the alcohol progressed and I began to feel somewhat uplifted, I mentioned a thought that occurred to me.

By nature, religion should not be mixed with merit or, selfishness.

For those who are involved in religion, a wish to win the lottery or to have an ideal lover is probably just a wish covered with greed.

Well, in a sense, beliefs such as praying for a good harvest or praying for rain are a form of asking the gods and Buddha to fulfill human desire…. but that would be an exception.

“Of course.” (Suela)

“…I wonder.” (Memoria)

I thought in the back of my mind that maybe I would be warned that such a thing was disrespectful. The girls didn’t seem to mind and slowly put down their cups and began to think about it.

“The one thing they have in common in terms of merit is probably the Divine Protection.” (Memoria)

Memoria, who spoke of the benefits first, points directly to her own skin.

“We vampires, like the vampires in Jiro’s world, are vulnerable to the sun, to the extent that it can interfere with our lives, but we can reduce our vulnerability by obtaining a Divine Protection.” (Memoria)

The skin that Memoria pointed to was so white that it was hard to believe that we had traveled together in Ithar, where the sun never sets.

It seems as if she could keep her skin this white even without a good application of modern sunscreen.

“The effect of the Divine Protection appears in various other forms, but basically it settles down to having one’s body protected by the blessing of the gods.” (Memoria)

“I see.” (Jiro)

For vampires, sunlight is certainly a disadvantage.

If it cancels or reduces it, it’s a pretty massive merit.

“The famous exception is, again, the Divine Protection of the Hero. They’ve enhanced their bodies by giving them their god’s strong power, greatly increasing their performance in both luck and magical aptitude. In reaction to that, they gain a constitution that gets into a lot of trouble because it incorporates a lot of their god’s wishes. So having high luck is not all merits.” (Suela)

Taking advantage of this conversation, Suela also talks about the merits of a Hero’s Divine Protection.

She talked about the (in)famous Hero’s Divine Protection, which makes sense considering that the heroes are given a mission by the gods and lead unconventional lives.

Suela, who tells this story, smiles and drinks sake while licking her lips.

“The disadvantage is that it takes more or less effort to continue the faith… You have to pray, give offerings, and fulfill a mission. Showing our faith can take many forms, but the stronger the Divine Protection, the higher quality of work needed.” (Memoria)

“The more powerful the Divine Protection, the more important the quality of the faith. There is no perfect method, so it is necessary to have knowledge. Lord Luine determines the quality of the Divine Protection through trials, you know?” (Suela)

“I see.” (Jiro)

Of course, there is no such thing as a free meal, something that you just get and then take for free.

To make a profit, you can only have it by delivering and/or selling products.

I remember the advantages and disadvantages while listening to the explanations of Suela and Memoria.

I must put aside whether I need it now or not, but I must summarize all the information that is too good to pass up.

“You must also make sure to follow the proper procedure when receiving or returning the Divine Protection, or else you’ll be in trouble. If the procedure is not followed properly, the nature of the Divine Protection will be reversed, and it will become a curse.” (Suela)

“A god’s curse isn’t a joke.” (Memoria)

In business, if you break a contract unilaterally, you will be the subject of a lawsuit.

At the same time, it is the same whether it is a mortal or a god, there is a need for arrangements in order to firmly convince the other party.

Suela’s words suggest that Divine Protections are useful to have, but it is necessary to keep in mind that they must be maintained.

There are plenty of stories in Earth’s mythology about heroes who are cursed and fall into despair.

I laugh at Suela’s story, but it is not a laughing matter even if it is someone else’s problem or if I am a party to it.

I’d like to be able to say that I’m not a fan of the “heroes of the earth” who are cursed by the gods of the earth. As I think about it, I feel the warmth in my stomach as I take a quick sip of sake while thinking about it carefully.

“Come to think of it, does the contract with the spirit that Suela mentioned belong to a faith?” (Jiro)

“The contract with the spirits can be faith, use, equal, and various. The most important thing to remember is that you can make a contract with a spirit in a variety of ways, such as a source of faith, giving service, and becoming an equal partner. Basically, if they are the highest-ranked spirit, they are an object of faith, if they are a middle-rank spirit, they are an equal, and if they are a low-rank spirit or a fairy, they are a servant. They will take that role if you have a contract with them. Here you go, Jiro-san.” (Suela)

“Thank you…” (Jiro)

Sake is poured into my now empty sake cup, and this time, instead of downing it all at once, I savor it.

“From what I’ve heard, it doesn’t seem to be something that can be dealt with immediately.” (Jiro)

“Yes, it’s a common practice, and we’ve been doing it since we were children.” (Suela)

“However, if you are planning to conquer the dungeon in the future, it is necessary to have divine protections.” (Memoria)

“Probably.” (Jiro)

I’m fine now, but I don’t know about the future.

Perhaps there will be a limit to progressing with just my sword skill.

The day may come when the difference between my can and cannot is a hand called divine protection will determine victory or defeat.

As Suela says, it may not be something that can be learned overnight, but as Memoria says, there is a high possibility that it will become necessary in the future.

I have come to the conclusion that at the very least, I might not be able to choose not to do it.

“Suela, the Supervisor said something that bothered me.” (Jiro)

I tried to talk about it, but I suddenly felt something bad, so me, Suela, and Memoria took action to follow it.

Grabby the sake cups and oden bowl we stood up and left our seats.

Bam!

A second later, something flew through the door and slid across the counter table.

“””Ooh””” (Demons)

“Is it an argument?” (Jiro)

“Looks like it.” (Suela)

“They’re a nuisance.” (Memoria)

I calmly analyze what happened while covering the flying debris so that it doesn’t get into each of our cups and bowls.

I saw something beyond the broken door and instead of panicking, I plucked a piece of chikuwa from the bowl and popped it into my mouth.

Suela quietly drinks the sake she secured, and Memoria looks at the bustle outside and lets out a sigh.

The next thing she looks at is the identity of the thing that flew in.

The next thing we see is a man I recognize as a fellow tester.

The owner, who was also watching, raises his brow and then chants an incantation, and the man floats and is carried off the counter to lean against the wall.

He seems to clean the door of debris and dust in the process, and it looks like it will be difficult to eat at that table for a while.

The three people who had eaten before us, despite their intoxication, were able to avoid the situation and went outside the restaurant with the oden and sake in their hands.

We followed their lead and looked out through the broken door to see a fight between testers at the end.

Or should I say,

“Kaido? What is he doing?” (Jiro)

Not only did I recognize one of them, but it was Kaido.

He is standing there in a big fight against four testers.

The fact that he occasionally demonstrates his throwing technique suggests that it was Kaido who threw that tester into the store.

Around him, the male staff members of the facility were yelling and encouraging him.

The air is completely filled with drunken revelry, and Suela and Memoria’s moods are beginning to drop to the point where I can tell without even looking.

Fortunately, they don’t seem to be using weapons, but as a colleague, I can’t just leave it like this, even if it means dampening their moods.

“…I’m sorry, I’ll be off for a while.” (Jiro)

“Shall I go too?” (Suela)

“No, it’s not big enough for Suela to come out. I’ll be right back.” (Jiro)

I was a little grumpy because I was interrupted from my pleasant drinking and started to solve the cause of the problem as soon as possible.

By gently holding back Suela, who was planning to intervene from the standpoint of an employee, and interrupting the hustle and bustle, we would naturally be able to hear what each other was saying.

“Don’t evade, coward!!!” (Tester)

“You’re the coward! Why do I have to get punched in the face when you guys suddenly got involved!!” (Kaido)

“Shut up, you don’t know what we’ve been through!!!” (Tester)

All of them were red as if they were drunk, and they threw their fists and kicked while throwing insults.

Kaido is concentrating on defending himself, and if there is an opening, he repeatedly throws and subdues the opponent.

The difference in status gives Kaido an advantage in a one-against-four brawl, but it is far from decisive.

If I continue to watch, the fight will eventually be settled.

However, it is obvious that things will heat up if I continue to overlook the situation.

Above all, if I leave something like this in a place where I can see, even if it’s in a place where I can’t see, some kind of penalties may fly my way for mismanagement.

“Haa, Kaido, what are you doing?” (Jiro)

In order to avoid this, I intervened and stopped the fist of the man who was about to punch Kaido.

“Senior!!” (Kaido)

“Yeah? What the hell are you doing?” (Jiro)

Kaido was surprised at my sudden entrance, and the man was surprised for a moment, but his gaze immediately turned stern.

“Isn’t this that coward’s favorite Lord Leader?” (Tester)

“Who’s the coward!?” (Kaido)

The man’s sarcastic words contained nothing but malice.

The other men also grinned as if to support them, and their fighting spirit was boiling over as if they had found their prey.

Kaido rebelled against their words, but he was already out of their sight.

Instinctively, it’s like finding a partner who can relieve stress.

“Ah, for the time being, you seem to know about me… So, is there a problem with our Kaido?” (Jiro)

For the time being, there is no need to suddenly act on emotions here.

I move in front of Kaido gently pushing him away, then I let go of the hand of the other tester and look him in the eye.

“You’re not sure what the problem is? Your very existence itself is full of problems.” (Tester)

“What?” (Jiro)

It is certain that he drank a considerable amount from the smell of alcohol reaching my nose and the redness of his face.

Now he’s just letting his emotions explode from drunkenness.

There is no point in arguing with these people.

If you try to argue with them, you will only get incoherent responses.

So, for now, let’s just listen and try to get as much information out of them as possible.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” (Jiro)

“Don’t play dumb with me! We all know! We know that you’re the only ones who get all kinds of favors from the top and make a lot of money!” (Tester)

The man, who was not pleased with my attitude, shouted at once and started to threaten me, grabbing me by the chest.

“I don’t know what you’re saying, and I have no idea.” (Jiro)

The only thing that comes to mind when he says “favor” is that dungeon tour where I risked my life.

It’s true that the other testers didn’t participate, and I was the only one who was extraordinarily strengthened in the job.

But this guy said I was making a lot of money.

Unfortunately, although that tour made me stronger, I didn’t make that much money considering I put my life on the line.

I got a pretty hefty hazard pay compared to the general public, but that was it.

The rest of my reward is the priceless enhanced status.

I don’t think it’s the favor he’s talking about.

“Senior-Senior, these guys think we cheated and have the company raise our status.” (Kaido)

“Huh?” (Jiro)

And my expectations were wrong.

I’m not sure if these guys think that if we had received some special treatment and by me having relations, making us become the strongest.

If so, I would have to say that they are thinking the most misguided thing.

I almost said that when I heard Kaido’s words, I thought that there was no way such a thing could happen.

“We’re working so hard to get into the dungeon, and you guys are just mocking us, and the Supervisor and other staff members are giving you all the credit. I’ve always been disgusted with you!” (Tester)

I was looking away toward Kaido, which may have agitated him even more, and he shook me as if pulling my chest, and the next moment, I felt pressure on my cheek.

“Haa, satisfied? If you’re satisfied, get the hell out of here.” (Jiro)

“Wha-wha-what?!” (Tester)

But a fist fired by an emotionally charged man doesn’t hurt or itch.

I glared at him with his fist on my cheek without wavering, and he took a step or two back.

The difference in our status is obvious, and if I make a move, I am sure to win.

But if I make a move, I am bound to get into trouble.

It’s not that I’m a pacifist, but… I feel like it’s best to just end it like this.

So… what should I do?

Jiro Tanaka: 28 years old – Has Girlfriends

Girlfriend(s): Suela Handelberg (Dark Elf) & Memoria Tris (Vampire)

Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Regular Employee)

Magical Aptitude: Nine (Quasi Demon King Class)

Job Title: Warrior

Note for the Day

I was in a good mood from my drink, so what should I do……?

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