Translated by X-tremeEdited by X-treme
“You’re really into it today, aren’t you?”
“Yes. I feel like I have to do my best!”
The boss praised me while I was cleaning, so I cheerfully replied. I had a hard time sleeping last night because I was thinking too much about this and that, but I was able to get enough sleep since I had to work in the evening.
I’ve been stuck in a lot of situations, so it was a nice change of pace to get some exercise at work. Besides, my conversation with him yesterday made me realize how fortunate I was to be in this environment. I felt grateful and worked hard.
“Utopia is getting regular cleaning. I’m thinking of doing this with Yama and Yoshio.”
“It’s Wednesday afternoon, isn’t it? I can’t do it that day because I have another job, so that would be great. Sorry, Yoshio-kun.”
Our redhead, Ms. Misaki, bows her head apologetically.
“No, I’m just happy to get more work.”
It’s a good thing for me. I want to know as much as I can about President Chosokabe.
“Yoshio seems to have a talent for corporate animalism…….”
Yamamoto-san looked at me with a look of disbelief.
“Unlike you, Yoshio is a serious man.”
Now I want to make as much money as I can and save up for the game. My village has plenty of room for me to accumulate points, but I’m also going to pay the bills for the God of Nature I’m going to team up with, so there’s never enough money.
I work to pay off other players’ in-game purchases…….When I think about it this way, he seems like a pretty bad guy. But he’s a player who’s also the God of Nature, and he was the kind of guy I couldn’t leave alone.
I could tell through my phone that he was shy and quiet, yet serious and kind. It’s easy to think that NEETs are the kind of people who tend to be rambunctious and unserious, but that’s not always the case.
He’s worried about the future, but he can’t find the courage to step out. I think that many people can get back on their feet if they just have a chance……like me. I’ll admit that I’m extra curious because I’m a senior NEET myself, but even without that, I’m definitely the type of person who gets protective of others.
Maybe it’s just……that I feel self-satisfied by finding someone who is in a weaker position than I am now and being nice to them. Even if there is a conspiracy that I am not aware of, my primary goal is the happiness of the villagers. I have no intention of changing my mind about that.
“It’s almost over, so don’t skimp on the finishing touches.”
“You’re not Yama-san, are you? Hey, Yoshio.”
“Right.”
“Yoshio, you’re getting better at this.”
Even though he was pretending to be angry, Mr. Yamamoto’s face was smiling. Just looking at his smile warmed my heart. He had been through a lot, but when I saw how he had recovered, I felt encouraged that I had made the right choice.
“I’m back.”
“Welcome home.”
When I opened the door leading to the living room, I found Sayuki in her chameleon-print pajamas watching TV with a cushion in her arms.
“Where’s Mom and Dad?”
“I think they’re in bed.”
It’s not even eleven yet.
“There’s your dinner.”
Without looking away from the TV, my sister pointed to an omelet wrapped in plastic wrap. The egg wrapping was torn in some places, but it looked delicious.
“I think I’ll take a bath first and then eat it.”
“I’ll heat it up for you.”
An ordinary conversation between a brother and sister. It’s a common sight now, but I’m glad. In the past, it was not uncommon for us to not speak to each other for a month or so.
When I got out of the bath, I found an omelet and ketchup on the table in the living room. When I removed the plastic wrap, steam floated gently in the air.
“Big brother, can I put ketchup on it for you?”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t afford to give you an allowance……”
When she was a little, my sister liked to draw words and pictures with ketchup on my omelet like this, and even though she did it on her own, somehow she thought she was doing me a favor and would demand something from me later.
“When was the last time you did that?”
My sister’s face was red from anger. She remembered something from the past.
“I love master then.”
“Ew, gross.”
It was a light joke, but she really wrote “gross”. As I was silently eating the ketchup letters stretched out, my sister was staring at me. This is a signal that she wants me to listen to her.
“Uh, how’s work been going since then? Are you still getting poached or something?”
“No, not anymore, but one of my seniors told me that people who moved to the other side are complaining that they want to come back here.”
“Didn’t he say they were getting pretty good deals?”
“I heard that, but when they started working there, they said the working environment was terrible and they regretted it.”
I think my sister’s ex-colleague might have been one of the distracted employees I witnessed during my cleaning.
“I guess there are some things you just don’t know until you’ve worked there. Uh, what kind of people are the employees who changed jobs?”
“Well, there are two of them, and one of them is a senior who always wears fashionable clothes, perfume and famous brand products.”
“Sayuki, you don’t like him.”
“How did you know?”
If you frown and talk about it in a disgusted way, everyone will understand.
“And then there is a father with a cute little daughter. He said he changed his job because he needed the money. When he quit, he apologized a lot to everyone. He was a good man who you could rely on. Oh, do you want to see a picture? Look, it’s a picture from the company trip.”
My sister took her phone and stuck the screen out at me. There were about thirty employees smiling against the backdrop of the white sandy beach and the clear blue ocean.
“It’s this guy and this guy. Well, they both seem to like playing games, and they were playing games on their phones during break time.”
“Oh, really?”
I pretend not to be that interested, but my eyes are staring at both of their faces. I’ll keep their features in mind. Maybe I’ll run into them while I’m cleaning that company……? Wait a minute. I’ve seen these people’s faces before.
I remembered the woman’s face right away. She was the one I had a meeting with in the conference room when the full-scale floor cleaning was decided. I remembered her well because she was dressed strangely and flamboyantly. But there was another man. I can almost……remember this man with the big smile on his face.
“I’m going to tell Seika-san.”
“Don’t even joke about it. Hmm, I remember seeing these two guys with new jobs somewhere, but I can’t remember because their smiles got in the way.”
“There’s also the one with the serious face, okay?”
My sister took control of her phone and showed me another picture. This time it was a group photo of the company, and the man from earlier had a crisp expression on his face…….Oh, yeah, right! I remember now!
That’s the guy I ran into the first time I went to clean up Utopia offices! I didn’t notice it at the time because he was so exhausted and his cheeks were so thin, but I’m pretty sure it was him. I told my sister that it was just my imagination, and then we continued chatting and I was able to extract some stories about the two people who were pulled out.
My sister went back to her room after getting sleepy, and I went back to my room after cleaning up the dishes. While checking on the village, I ruminated on the conversation I had with my sister earlier.
“The two men who were pulled out had one thing in common: they were……broke and they like games.”
One of the seniors was a rough spender, always spilling the beans that he had no money. Rumor had it that he had gone into debt buying all kinds of brand-name goods. My sister heard him complain that he was saving money because his wife wanted to send their daughter to a private school. And I’ve already encountered them both in Utopia’s offices.
“This is not a coincidence, this is certain.”
I want to hold my head in my hands because it is too much of a done deal. What do I associate with people who are in need of money? Players on the side of the Evil God. Yamamoto-san, the strange band member, and the guys in the car chase in Hokkaido were all in need of money.
“What if I assume that all of my recent problems are connected?”
……Wait. It’s not that the supernatural power of the God of Fate caused this to happen, but that it was inevitable. Isn’t it possible that there was some kind of intention that led to this result?
What if it’s not just a coincidence that everything is connected, but what if it was meant to be? For what purpose?
Assuming that the player on the evil side is the president, is there a need to set up such a big deal in order to destroy my village?
In the first place, what would happen if a man with money, status and fulfillment did this to me, a former NEET…….Isn’t President Chosokabe motive thin?
Hmm, hmm. I can speculate and guess all I want, but there is not enough information, I need more vital data.
“Whoa. What?”
As I was thinking about it, the ringing sounded unexpectedly and I almost jumped out of my skin. The person on the other end of the line was labeled……God of Nature.
“Oh, you promised to call me today!”
I had so much to think about that I forgot all about it. I’m sorry about that.
“Hello, is it the God of Fate?”
I almost laugh a little when people call me by that name. It’s not often that someone has the experience of being called God by another person. We could say each other’s names, but we didn’t know them because we don’t want to step into the real world too much.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I should have called you.”
“No, no, I hope I didn’t bother you.”
“Not at all. Let’s continue the conversation from yesterday. What should I do about the oracle?”
I have some plans, but I can’t reveal the details because they are not finalized yet. But I’m sure he’s hoping to reassure the villagers as soon as possible.
“I want you to tell the Dark Elf villagers something like, we’re in full-fledged cooperation with the God of Fate. For the next few days, we will concentrate on getting rid of the monsters that are roaming around away from the enemy’s base. We’ll just try to reduce their strength as much as possible. How about that?”
“It’s a good idea.”
“The players on the evil side have to pay to call in the monsters. I think even the most seemingly menial tasks can be painful for them.”
“Oh, I see.”
It’s nice to talk to someone who agrees with you so easily, but it’s okay to be a little skeptical and speak your mind.
“Also, if your village is short on food, we can help you out. Thankfully, we have plenty of food.”
“Thank you so much for your help!”
He replied loudly, he seemed sincerely happy to hear that.
“You’re welcome. So I’m thinking of defending, not fighting back in earnest. They say it’s easier to defend than to attack.”
In this game, we only need to endure “The Temptation of the Evil God” for one day. I don’t think I could defend myself against a siege for a month or two, but in this game, I only need to endure one day of “Temptation of the Evil God.”
Rather than attacking a stronghold with no chance of winning, defending has a better chance of winning.
“Yes, that’s true. But then my village would be…….”
His voice almost faded again. I am well aware that with the state of his village, it is unlikely to withstand another attack.
“So, I’d like to propose that you move to my village. I’m prepared and have the resources to accommodate all the villagers.”
I’ve been thinking about it. There is a better chance of survival if we live and defend together in my village than if we continue to defend that dying village. Rather, I think the only options are to die with the village or abandon it.
“That’s a very nice suggestion……but I’m not sure if the villagers will accept it.”
“You’ll have to do your best to convince them. But I’m sure they know that’s the only way they can keep their friends alive.”
“That’s right……”
He understands, but he is not convinced. If I was asked to abandon the village that I had been protecting for so long, even if it was only for two months, I would be hesitant. The elves also have strong feelings for their village. Although they don’t say it out loud, I’m sure they want to restore their village one day.
“Why don’t you think about it this way? It’s not possible now, but someday, when the threat of the enemy is gone from the Forbidden Forest, you can return to the village. Until then, we’ll just live together temporarily.”
“You’re right. I understand. I’ll try to persuade them like that.”
“Can you do that for me? It doesn’t have to be right away. I’d appreciate it if you could make a decision by the day before the “Temptation of the Evil God”. Well, I have to persuade the…..elves too.”
“Ah, they don’t get along well, do they?”
“It’s not easy for both of us.”
“Hmm, yes.”
I heard a chuckle through my phone. I guess I’m a little less nervous now.
“So that’s it. Oh, and I’ll try to contact you at least once a day by phone or SNS. The address is—“
Now I can easily get in touch with him. Well, I still have a lot of work to do, but I’m going to……sleep. I’m going to work again tomorrow.
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