Chapter 1 Maybe a Real Hero Is Someone Brave Enough to Include “Hero” in Their Work History.
On the northernmost cape of the continent, a ford appears for a few scant minutes each day, giving access to lands farther north.
Here lie sheer cliffs, marking the farthest corners of the world. Stairs built in days of yore stretch to the clouds above.
The stairs themselves are decorated with constellations and depictions of celestial bodies. What awaits at the summit?
Well, the Hero, Masato, was climbing them to find out.
“We’ve come pretty far, but still can’t see the top… Everyone doing all right?”
He glanced back and realized his party were lagging behind.
The Sage, Wise, and the Cleric, Medhi, both looked pretty tired.
“Gawd, Masato!” Wise complained. “Would it kill you to go a little slower?”
“The dungeon isn’t going anywhere,” Medhi chided him. “There’s no need to rush.”
“Yeah, I know, but… Look, I just wanna get there already! We haven’t done a real quest in ages! Like, a normal one with no rebellions or family problems involved. Aren’t you guys pumped?!”
“Sure, part of me feels that way…,” Medhi replied.
“And if that’s not enough, this leads to Heaven’s Ruins! C’mon, doesn’t that sound exciting?! Rahhhhhh! Heaven’s Ruins! I’m coming for you!”
“That’s just you,” said Wise.
“No, come on, you gotta be—”
“Masato,” Medhi interrupted, “that’s only you. Quit focusing on your own fun and look behind us.”
He did, and saw the Traveling Merchant, Porta, and Mamako, holding her hand.
Porta seemed to have plenty of energy left, but Mamako was looking worn out.
“This is what happens when you sacrifice sleep in order to fulfill your beloved son’s selfish little wishes,” said Wise.
“She had to make lunches, do the laundry, clean—even Mamako has her limits,” Medhi added. “No matter how self-indulgent her son’s requests are.”
“Gah…”
This hit too close to home.
But Masato only waffled for a second. Then he turned around and ran back down to Porta and Mamako.
“Oh, Masato! Why’d you run back down here?”
“It just kinda felt right. Mom, you okay?”
“Oh my! Are you worried about Mommy? How nice! You’re such a good boy!” Mamako was moved to blubbering tears.
“Spare me the waterworks. Here.” Masato turned his back to Mamako and knelt down.
“Oh my! What’s this?”
“You seem tired, so I’m gonna carry you. What else does it look like?”
“Ma-kun…!”
“Not that I have to or anythiiiiing!”
It started with rather large boobs laying themselves out there, one on each shoulder. Then Mamako’s arms took a firm grip on his back.
“I can’t believe you’re doing this for me, Ma-kun! I must be dreaming! Sniff!” More tears.
“Please, you don’t need to get worked up every time. This is totally normal! Okay, standing up now!”
“Go right ahead.”
Masato flexed his legs and got to his feet. It was easier than he’d expected.
Mom’s…awfully light.
Most of Mamako’s weight was in her boobs, but the total package was pretty light. Definitely not a challenge for him to carry piggyback.
“Thank you kindly, young Ma-kun.”
“What’s with the old lady voice?!”
“Hee-hee. Just joshing with you! But these old bones can rest now.”
“You’re way ahead of yourself. You’re in your prime!”
“And it’ll be gone before you know it.”
“You’re one gloomy grandma!”
He could see Mamako’s face out of the corner of his eye. “I bet you’ll look exactly the same no matter how old you get,” he said.
“I wouldn’t be so sure.” But it seemed terrifyingly probable.
Then she began rubbing his head. “You know, before we started this game, I never would have dreamed you would carry me like this one day.”
“Yeah…I wouldn’t have seen this happening, either.”
“We’ve traveled together, met so many other families, solved so many problems…”
“And in the process, we sorted out our own issues.”
Mother and child stared up at the path ahead together.
From the cliff face they could see sky, clouds, sea, and land—the world inside this game.
By their side, Porta was smiling happily. A few steps ahead, Wise and Medhi were nodding approvingly.
A world of adventure. Bonds between party members. Bonds between parent and child.
Masato had gained so much here.
The government had carried out an anonymous survey that he’d accidentally written his name on—which was but one cause.
But Mom also applied on her own.
A sudden wave of gratitude hit him, and he went to voice that thought—
—when a horrible screech shook the air. It sounded like the death throes of some wild beast.
“Oh, monsters incoming! Careful!” Porta’s eyes had swiftly located the source. She was pointing at the sky above the staircase.
A massive roc was diving right at them, its wingspan clearly over ten yards wide. Totally a boss-class foe.
Combat began; Porta quickly evacuated. Wise pulled out her magic tome, Medhi her staff, and all braced for impact.
Masato wasn’t about to be outdone. He was the Hero of the Heavens!
“Come at me, flying enemies! You’re all mine! …Mom!”
“Got it! Time for my attack! Hyah!”
“No, I meant if you could just get off my back—!”
But before he could finish, Mamako sprang into action.
She swung Terra di Madre, the Holy Sword of the Earth—and tons of rock spikes shot out the cliff face, skewering the entire bird. The massive boss crumbled, turning into a pile of gems.
The party defeated the boss that was guarding the entrance to Heaven’s Ruins!
“Hee-hee-hee! Ma-kun, Mommy did it!”
“Y-yeah, just like always… This never changes…”
Masato and Mamako were now a happy family. Masato had matured immensely. He no longer threw a fit about these little things. He took them in stride. Not at all frustrated.
But his gratitude from earlier? He left that unsaid.
The party resumed their climb.
They were now high enough to touch the clouds, but still the stairs went on.
Wise and Medhi had been tired to begin with. Porta had been enjoying the climb, but even she was starting to look worn out. The whole vibe was getting increasingly sluggish.
But up ahead…
“Mom, what do you think we’ll find in Heaven’s Ruins? I can’t wait!”
“Mommy is having so much fun watching you have fun! Hee-hee!”
“With a name like Heaven’s Ruins, this place has gotta be made for me! I know it!”
“True! You’re the Hero chosen by the Heavens, Ma-kun! Hee-hee.”
“That I am! I’m the Hero of the Heavens! Legends say these ruins have something that’ll make the Hero of the Heavens cry with joy… Isn’t that exciting?!”
“I’m sure you’ll be ever so delighted. I can’t wait to see that! Hee-hee.”
Masato still had Mamako on his back, and they were chugging along, chattering away. He thought he heard two dramatic sighs from pretty far behind him, but he chalked it up to his imagination and paid it no mind.
He kept the pace up until they broke through the clouds.
And before them stood a large stone door, emblazoned with a sun and a moon—rather like Firmamento, the Holy Sword of the Heavens.
“Wow! There’s gotta be something here! …Mom!”
“You’re right!”
Masato had been less after her agreement than nudging her to get down off his back, but she didn’t move from her perch. He decided that wasn’t a big deal, and kept carrying her up to the door.
It was firmly closed.
“How do we open it? …Oh, right! The request said something.”
He pulled out the request papers and read them over.
This was an investigation quest, and the notes explained how to get to their destination—and a requirement. To clear the dungeon, the party must have at least one Hero.
Just to be sure, he passed Mamako the paper and had her check it over. “That’s what it says?” “That’s what it says.” The only requirement was a Hero’s presence.
“We’ve met the conditions…so do I have to prove I’m a Hero or something?”
Worth a shot.
Firmamento served as proof that Masato was Hero of the Heavens, so he drew the blade and held it aloft.
And then he addressed the door. “My name is Masato. As you can see, I’m the Hero chosen by the Heavens.”
“He’s the Hero, and I’m the Hero’s Mommy. Isn’t my son the greatest? Hee-hee-hee.”
“Mom, best if you stay out of this one. This is important. Once again… Heaven’s Ruins! Heed my call, and open the way!”
And the stone door…
Did absolutely nothing.
“H-huh. That’s weird…I thought for sure that would do it.”
Maybe it would open at the Hero’s touch.
He touched it. Didn’t work.
Maybe you had to touch the Holy Sword to the door.
He did just that. Didn’t work.
He tried knocking. Didn’t work. Tried brute force. To no avail. Tried pulling really hard. No good. Even yelled, “Open sesame!” Stayed closed.
He tried begging with tears in his eyes. “Please, door, open!”
It remained unmoved.
“Wh-whyyyyyyyy?! I’m the Hero of the Heaveeeeeens! That’s my whole thiiiing!”
“Ma-kun, don’t worry. Just settle down. Even if you’re not the Hero of the Heavens, Mommy’s still proud of you.”
“You’re making it wooooooorse!”
“Geez, Masato. You’re so loud. What are you screeching about now?”
The girls had finally caught up.
Masato no longer had the capacity for explaining things. Mamako had to do it for him. She handed Wise the quest papers.
The three girls all put their heads together and pored over them.
“Normal quest stuff. Not one of Shiraaase’s traps.”
“We wanted to do a normal quest for once, so we specifically picked this one out at the Catharn Adventurers Guild as we normally do. There shouldn’t be anything strange about it…”
“Oh! Wait!” Porta’s sharp eyes spotted something at the bottom of the page.
There was a warning handwritten in tiny letters in the very narrow margin:
Quest not always available. For details, speak to the mysterious nun at the nearest guild.
There you had it.
“Hmmm,” Wise mused. “The penmanship’s kinda familiar…”
“Porta, can you appraise this note and see who wrote it?” Medhi asked.
“Yes… That’s Ms. Shiraaase’s handwriting…”
Sobbing, Masato slapped the ground—earning himself some looks of genuine pity.
The party used transport magic to warp back to the nearest town.
Masato was in full-on rampage mode, and no one was even trying to stop him. He charged right through the doors of the guild…!
And found a mysterious nun calmly enjoying hot beverages in the dining area. Shiraaase gave him a wave that screamed “yoo-hoo.”
“Shiraaase! What is your damn problem?!”
“Whatever do you mean?”
“Drop the act! This crap! Right here!” He slammed the quest papers down before her placid face!
“Ah yes, a quest,” she said, unmoved.
“It sure is! But that ain’t the problem—the problem is what you wrote here! We got to Heaven’s Ruins and the door wouldn’t open! Even though I, the Hero, was in the party!”
“And when we checked the quest papers over…”
“There was a note clearly in your handwriting.”
“I’d know your writing anywhere!”
“So we thought we’d come pick your brain, Ms. Shiraaase! If you’ve got any infooormation, Ma-kun would really like to hear it.”
“Aha. That would explain it.” Shiraaase nodded, as if she’d just now connected the dots.
And then she leaned way back in her chair, peering down her nose at them.
“Taking your frustrations out on me is entirely inappropriate. I deserve nothing less than your gratitude! This quest is completely, thoroughly legitimate! I have not tampered with the contents at all! I merely added a supplemental note out of the goodness of my heart!”
“Er…d-did you, now?” Masato asked.
“Indeed I did. Certainly, only Masato can accept this quest, and I was hoping that allowing you to make that futile climb would buy me time to make preparations on my end…”
“Sorry, did you say something?”
“Never mind. I said nothing about my hidden desires manifesting themselves in the form of very small writing. Long story short, this is a real quest, and I have hidden no traps within. That much is true.”
“Okaaay…then I’ll believe that part.” Masato was still very suspicious about the rest.
Shiraaase shot him the most beautiful smile she had ever displayed. “Then let me infooorm you what a little bird told me.”
“Tch, don’t think an ultra-rare smile will get you off the hook! I refuse to give in—!”
“Why would the path not open despite the Hero’s presence? I know the answer.”
“Okay, I give. I do want to know that. Lay it on us.”
“The reason is simple. Masato, open your stat menu.”
“My stat menu?”
Masato flicked a finger in the air in front of him, pulling up the holographic menu.
The screen showed his HP, MP, STR, DEF, equipment—all information and statistics about his character.
But his job name was missing.
“The heck? Is this a bug?”
“To be blunt, yes. Thanks to your help, the game is currently in the final stages of beta testing, headed for the official release. We’re currently undergoing a full-scale system check. Many game features are being reviewed and rebooted. But this has caused a few side effects—”
“So basically Masato—and only Masato—had his job reset? That’s rich! Snort. Sucks to suck!”
“No, the same issue affects everyone in this world.”
“What?” Wise’s grin faded as she opened her own menu. “Oh crap, it’s true!” She, too, had no job.
Porta and Medhi followed suit, looking flustered.
“Eep! I’m unemployed!”
“I know it’s just a game job, but this is quite unpleasant…”
“It is merely a display issue, and the skills and equipment limitations the jobs provide remain functional. Don’t take it too hard,” said Shiraaase. “Mamako, how does yours look?”
“Let’s see…”
Mamako opened her menu. Where it once had said “Normal Hero’s Mother,” it now read:
Ma-kun’s Mommy
That was new.
Even Shiraaase winced a bit. “I heard the lead griping that something was preventing them from reinstituting all the jobs, but…it appears this is the cause. Mamako set a new job all on her own.”
“Mom, why? How is that even possible? Fess up!”
“Mommy didn’t do a thing! But Mommy is Ma-kun’s mommy, so nothing here seems wrong to me!” She smiled blissfully.
“Not an answer.”
“No matter the time or the place, even if it is merely a field on her menu, Mamako’s role remains unwavering,” Shiraaase explained. “That is her power as a mother: the power to make the impossible possible. No different from what came before.”
“Yeah, it’s just Mamako being Mamako.”
“She’s a stable presence.”
“Yes! That describes Mama perfectly!”
Everyone gathered around Mamako, smiling. A happy ending! “No, seriously, this isn’t funny,” Masato interjected, but…she was his mother, and he couldn’t stop himself from smiling. They lived happily ever after.
Then Shiraaase clapped her hands, forcing the attention back on her. “Now that you’re aware of the problem, I can infooorm you of the solution. As the admins are unable to apply an easy fix, I’m afraid you’ll all be required to manually reregister.”
“And how do we do that?” Masato asked.
“You will have to participate in the job fair being held in the Catharn capital convention center.”
“The what?” said Wise. “You mean, we’ve gotta go job hunting?”
“Fear not. The procedure is simple. You need merely to find the window for your occupation and put in an application. However, by way of apology, we are offering a one-time-only chance to change your game job, so the representatives will be making pitches as well.”
“Then that makes it sound safe enough,” said Medhi.
“What a relief!” Porta agreed.
“Glad to hear it. Just…one thing to be wary of.”
“Oh? What’s that?” Mamako asked.
Shiraaase summoned that top-notch smile again. Masato was instantly concerned. No, not concerned—terrified.
As everyone held their collective breath, Shiraaase’s smile took on a diabolical edge.
“Each job can only be held by a limited number of people. If you don’t register quickly, others might snatch your occupations from you! On your marks—go!”
“Arghh, Shiraaase! We’ll get you for this later!”
The party turned and raced out of the guild.
A quick transport spell, and they were outside the capital.
They would have loved nothing more than to make a beeline for the convention center, but…
“Yikes, what’s all this?!”
The crowds were insane.
Adventurers, villagers, city folk. The streets packed with people, papers in hand. There was no way through.
“I get the adventurers, but…all the ordinary NPCs, too?”
“Ms. Shiraaase did say this bug affects everyone…,” Medhi pointed out. “If the system also treats ‘villager’ as a job, then they might need to reregister as well.”
“So everyone in the entire world is here? Yeah, no wonder the place is packed,” said Wise.
“Oh! I recognize some of them!” Porta was pointing at a group of villagers—including one old man leaning on a staff.
“My, if it isn’t the Maman Village elder! Hello there!”
“Hrm? …Ah, Mamako! And the children. It’s simply been ages!”
“Even village elders have to reregister?”
“Indeed we do. But in my case…”
With an embarrassed smile, he held up his paperwork. It had a résumé—and an application for a transfer.
And in the field for his new job title, it said: Mayor.
“I heard the tales of your exploits and decided there was more that I could do! Even at my age, one should not lose ambition! Oh, listen to me, making speeches already.”
“That’s perfectly all right. And a lovely goal it is.”
“When you say that, Mamako, I think I might just make this job change work. But don’t let me keep you! …Hey, everyone! Mamako’s party, coming through!”
And at the Maman Village elder’s call…
The villagers nearby began calling out to those ahead of them, and the crowd parted to let them pass.
“We heard you’d yet to reregister from… Er, what was her name…? The admin dressed as a nun. Go on, no time to waste!”
“Such a help. Thank you, elder. Ma-kun, let’s go!”
“Yeah, move out!”
Bobbing their heads in gratitude to the helpful villagers, the party surged ahead. Masato was at the lead—and Wise quietly grabbed the spot next to him.
“I was thinking—if Shiraaase’s meddling in anything, it’s probably this.”
“Yeah. Seems like the sort of thing she’d do.”
They glanced up at the sky, as if her smirking face were staring back at them from above. ““Gone, but not forgotten.”” Rest in peace, Shiraaase. (They’re joking.)
It didn’t take long before they hit another crowd.
The road was completely blocked, but just up ahead—they spotted a man in professorial robes, a good three heads taller than everyone else.
“That’s…Mr. Burly! It’s been ages!” Medhi called out.
The big man turned around and gave them all a broad grin. Their former teacher, in the flesh. “Oh, Cleric Medhi! Fancy meeting you here! Hero Masato, Sage Wise, Traveling Merchant Porta, and Mamako! Glad to see you all doing well.”
“I learned so much in your class. Are you here to reregister, Mr. Burly? Or are you changing jobs?”
“Bwa-ha-ha! I’m a teacher for life; that’s the only way for me! My beloved pupils and I just need to keep soldiering on! …Come, students. Group activity time! Remember what we practiced? Put it in action!”
At his order, the uniformed students formed two rows, one boys, one girls—all with their back to the party. When Mr. Burly blew his whistle, they stepped neatly to either side, opening a path.
Then they all turned around, smiling warmly.
With real faces—no longer ASCII art.
“W-wow…they finally finished your students!”
“That they did! They all have individuality now! I’ve long wanted to show them off to you, Cleric Medhi, and at last that moment has arrived! I’m so glad Ms. Shiraaase got in touch. Go on, no time like the present.”
“Certainly. Thank you very much. Masato, this way.”
“Yep.”
They moved on, basking in the smiles of their former classmates. “Yo! How’s it been?” “Remember me?” “Of course you do!” “S-sure…” Literally no clue who was who but best to smile and move on.
Medhi was walking next to Masato, her smile rather strained. “I suppose I’ll have to thank Ms. Shiraaase for this later.”
“I guess…”
They glanced up at the sky, as if her smug face were staring back at them. ““Gone, but not forgotten.”” Joking, of course. She’s probably not dead.
It wasn’t much farther before they saw the convention center up ahead. The grounds outside were packed, but once again they spied familiar faces.
Adventurers in intimidating gear—with their mothers. All working to ensure people could move in and out. Only mildly scary.
“Hey, Porta, lemme put you on my shoulders. See if you can tell who that guy in the middle is.”
“Okay! Hngg…that mohawk definitely belongs to…Pocchi!”
“Figured. Should we skip to the end?”
“Sure!”
Masato and Porta glanced up at the sky. Shiraaase looked caught off guard and slightly frazzled. “Gone…” “But not forgotten!” Probably not dead. Odds were against it. Still…
Like Porta’s Appraise said, the mohawk in the crowd belonged to the roustabout Pocchi. He was here with his mom. All the roustabouts and roustabouts’ moms were members of Mom’s Guild.
Pocchi caught sight of the party and waved. “You’re finally here! Quit dillydallying! Book it! Loads of people’ve already registered!”
“There’s so much we need to catch up on, but this is hardly the time. Go on in! …Ah, but if you just have one minute, Mamako?”
“Oh, I’m sure we can spare that much…”
Pocchi’s mom and Mamako made eye contact. The roustabouts’ moms soon gathered round.
If they started chatting here, they’d be talking until the sun went down.
“Wise! Medhi! Grab one arm each! Emergency!”
“Roger!”
“Come, Mamako. Time to go.”
“Oh my!”
The girls dragged her off into the grounds beyond. Whew.
Careful not to drop Porta, Masato hurried after them—or started to, but he drew up short.
He had to ask.
“…Pocchi, you were trying to become a childcare worker, right?”
“Eh? Yeah, but I ain’t changing jobs. I mean business! You gotta achieve your dreams on your own.”
“I can see that…”
“Least, that’s how I do it. Not worth the time you spent askin’! Get in there, bozo!”
“Sure! Bye.”
This time Masato dashed off—his lips pursed tight, not saying a word. Porta leaned over his head, looking puzzled.
“Masato, is something on your mind?”
“Yeah, but it’s not…like, a huge deal. Just…about jobs and stuff. Sooner or later, I’m gonna… Nah, never mind.”
“Hm…?”
In front of them lay the chaos of the job fair. Game jobs. Nothing more.
Except…
Jobs, huh…?
For just a moment, a fuzzy notion of his future danced across his mind.
But it was too out of focus to make out.
Masato and Porta finally made it inside the convention hall. There was quite a crowd inside, but they could at least keep things moving.
“Oh, there’s Mama!”
“Hey, Mom! Wait up!”
“Oh, Ma-kun, Porta. Over here!”
Mamako was waving at them by the side of the door.
Just her.
“Where’s Wise and Medhi?” Masato asked her.
“They’re off reregistering. It’d be such a shame if they didn’t make it in time, after all. There’s so many people here, we might never find each other again, so we promised to meet up at the Mom Shop later. Does that sound good?”
“Very.” Masato set Porta down and looked around.
It was definitely a job fair. The whole convention center was partitioned off in rows of booths.
Each booth had a sign with a job name over it, and rows of applicants forming in front. Reregistering or transferring were both completed the moment the paperwork was handed in. The lines were moving steadily.
“Sure are a lot of jobs out there…like, too many. Some of these aren’t even jobs.”
It wasn’t just adventuring jobs (like warrior or mage) or even villager or city folk. They even had booths for elves, beastkin, angels, and devils. Everything you could think of. A glance out the window showed a booth for giants outside.
Porta spotted some familiar mothers in line at the fantasy race booths. “Oh, the mothers from the World Matriarchal Arts Tournament are here!”
“The bug affected the other server, too? …And all because of my mom?”
“We’ll have to say hello later. But first…”
“Yeah, gotta reregister ourselves.”
“Right! I’ll be back soon!” Porta bowed and turned to run off.
“Oh, wait, Porta. Before you go, can I grab a resurrection item?”
“Sure! No problem. But who’s it for?”
“The gone-but-not-forgotten lady.” Masato was looking at the center of the hall, where a huge sign said HERO.
Despite the crowds, no one was going near it—but there was a single coffin.
He gave Porta a quick boost so she could see. “Go get her, Masato!” “On it.” He took the revival jewel from her, and she ran off toward the Traveling Merchant booth.
Now then.
“I’m heading over. Mom?”
“I’m coming with you! Mommy’s already registered.”
“You’re just sticking with ‘Ma-kun’s Mommy,’ then? Fine, have it your way. We’re off.”
“Let’s go!”
Masato and Mamako headed for the Hero booth. His priority was clear—he had to take care of that coffin.
When he used the revival item, the coffin vanished…and the mysterious nun—who it turned out really had been dead after all—was back on her feet.
“Well, well. Masato, Mamako—short time no see.”
“Barely minutes. Why are you here?”
“I just had to see if you were enjoying my little scheme. The moment I saw you off, I used admin protocols to warp myself to the employee entrance. And the crowds were so suffocating, I accidentally died, successfully achieving my quota.”
“You never miss a beat, Ms. Shiraaase. Hee-hee.”
“You have a quota for showing up dead? What use is that?”
“It is the Shiraaase special. Now then…” She took a quick glance around, thinking.
“What’s wrong?”
“I was looking for someone. I imagined he would be here soon… Oh, there he is.”
Masato turned to look and saw someone walking toward them.
A huge sword on his back. Quite handsome. He was pushing through the crowds, apologizing to anyone he bumped into on the way.
Masato knew that face—they’d met during the Catharn garbage disaster.
“Hawk! How you been?”
“Hey, Masato. We meet again.”
Hawk had finally reached the Hero booth. He and Masato bumped fists.
Then…
“Oh, lovely! You’re back again, dear.”
Mamako sounded a bit too friendly, and Hawk hastily backed off.
“H-hello, Mamako! Long time no see. I am an adventurer named Hawk! Once again, I am here as part of my professional duties.”
“Oh my, that’s right. You’re Hawk again today. Hee-hee-hee.”
She seemed weirdly delighted, and Hawk was clearly sweating it, but they wound up grinning at each other.
This was clearly suspicious.
“Goodness, your scarf is out of place! Let me fix that for you, dear.”
“Oh, is it? Thank you. Please do. And call me Hawk.”
Mamako was now fussing over him as if she’d done it many times before.
As if she was fixing her husband’s tie.
Masato had seen her do this at home many times, and the resemblance was striking.
“Okay, I gotta ask…do you two know each other?”
“N-no? I first met Mamako during the uproar the other day—”
“We’ve known each other since before you were born, Ma-kun. Back when Mommy was in junior college! We met in a seminar there.”
“Don’t…!”
“Oh, really? That long, huh? And gosh, that sure sounds like the story of how you got married.” Masato glared at Hawk.
Hawk failed to meet his eye.
“…Hawk.”
“Y-yes, Masato?”
“I can think of only one person my mom calls ‘dear.’”
“R-really? That’s, uh… Ha-ha. Ha.”
Hawk’s eyes were darting all over the place. He was floundering. One more push would finish him off. Masato readied the fatal blow…!
But before he could slam it home, someone held out a piece of paper in front of him. His job application.
“Sorry to interrupt,” said Shiraaase, “but you should handle your reregistration first.”
“Y-yes, Masato! Do as Shiraaase says. That’s what’s important here!”
“Tch. I knew you two were in cahoots.”
“I have no idea what you mean. I’ll get Hawk registered, so you two fill out everything on this form. Starting with your name.”
“Yeah, yeah, I can read. Geez.” Masato had plenty more to gripe about, but first things first.
He slammed the application down on the table and got to filling it out. Hawk gingerly took up the space next to him.
Masato began by scribbling his name at the top…
“Incidentally, I can infooorm you the top of the application is for administrative use. Your name goes in the field below. Not your real name, but the name you use in-game. Don’t get it wrong.”
““Huh?””
Too late. Masato had already written Masato Oosuki at the very top.
Hawk had also let out a yelp.
Hayato Oosuki
His real name…was in the wrong field, too.
“…Aha!” Masato said, spotting Hawk’s application. Frowning, he fixed the boy with his best glare.
“Same mistake, huh? I guess blood is thicker than water. Ha-ha-ha,” said Hawk, his smile so bright it took the wind out of Masato’s sails.
And in the job field…Hawk had written Demon Lord.
What the heck? It took Masato a moment to process…
Then Hawk took the sword off his back and slammed the tip into the ground. A whirlwind sprang up around it.
“Yo! What are you doing? Argh!”
“Oh my! We don’t want you flying away, Ma-kun. Let Mommy hold on to you.”
“Definitely helps!”
Mamako had a grip on his clothes, and that was all that was keeping him in place.
The hall was instantly plunged into chaos. The partitions dividing the booths as well as the people waiting in line were all blown away. A certain someone was back in her coffin.
Three figures forced their way through the gales: Porta in the lead, with Wise and Medhi right behind.
“Masato! Mama! Are you okay?”
“Yeah, we’re fine!”
“And so are you girls! Thank goodness.”
“Yep. So what the heck’s going on here?”
“What caused this sudden tornado?”
“Ask him,” Masato said, rather annoyed. “His real name’s Hayato Oosuki. Forty-two years old. Said this was for work, so he disguised himself as an adventurer our age and called himself Hawk—but he’s actually my dad.”
As if he’d been waiting for these words, the winds died down—and the man at the eye of the hurricane appeared.
He wore a jacket like Masato’s gear—but clearly of higher quality.
And his blade was twice the size of Firmamento. A cursed greatsword as black as outer space—Universo.
Ruggedly handsome features, gazing down at Masato like a father would.
Demon Lord Hayato.
“Now I can finally speak as myself—as your Demon Lord Dad.”
“As my what? You are way too old to be a Demon Lord. Why are you even here? I thought the whole reason you aren’t living with us is because your current job posting is so important!”
“This is for that same job. I said I was here in a professional capacity! I agreed to become the Demon Lord as a parent—as a father—and because the job must be done.”
“Suuuure… And what kinda job is that? Why are you here?”
Hayato might be his dad, but he was calling himself a Demon Lord, and that blade’s aura was gnarly. Masato was on edge, his hand on the hilt of his holy sword.
And the Demon Lord’s job…
“First, I must apologize.”
“Huh?”
Hayato swung around and bowed his head low to the trembling crowd.
“Good citizens, I apologize for inciting panic!”
A genuine, heartfelt apology.
“Uh, wait…Dad?”
“When your actions inconvenience others, you apologize. Perfectly normal! I would be ashamed to do anything else with my son watching. Next…”
The Demon Lord moved to the nearest partitions and began setting them back in place. Clearly planning to put the whole venue back the way it was.
Masato stood there blinking until Mamako slapped him on the back.
“Come, Ma-kun. We can’t let the Demon Lord do all the work!”
“We can’t?”
The girls each slapped his back, too.
“You’re the Hero, and we’re the Hero’s party. We gotta help, too!”
“When you think about it, this is a boss battle. We must emerge victorious.”
“Masato! Let’s help!”
“I…guess?”
“Ah-ha! Banding together with your friends to defeat me? Very well. No decent Demon Lord would back down now!”
“Then it’s a battle! Woo!”
“W-woo?”
Demon Lord Hayato vs the Hero’s Party—FIGHT!
Mamako and Porta boldly assembled partitions.
Wise and Medhi used their polished skills to put the long tables back in place.
“Keep it up, everyone! Just keep knocking them out!”
“““Yeah!”””
This was working. Slow and steady. The hall was starting to look like its old self—their approach was effective.
But they couldn’t get comfortable. An attack was inbound!
“You’re the ones responsible for this?! Do you have any idea how busy we are?!”
“How dare you! We’re in a hurry!”
Complaints from the registration staff, and glares from the job fair attendees, rained down upon them.
These attacks could not be evaded—they could only be parried with sincerity.
Demon Lord Hayato and Hero Masato stood side-by-side, backs straight, waists bent, heads bowed!
“I cannot apologize enough! You too, son!”
“I’m deeply sorry… Wait, I didn’t do anything wrong! What’s even going on here?!”
But protesting the injustice did not get him anywhere. There was no mercy in war.
Who would be the first to grow weary, and take a knee? The Demon Lord, or the Hero?
The battle raged on!
The sun had set—it was now night.
The job fair meant every inn in town was packed, and it took quite a trek before the party found a place to stay. The baffling battle had worn them all out, and they all dragged their feet on the way to the dining hall.
Tonight’s dinner was hamburger steaks accompanied by a nutritious soup and salad.
“All the cleanup’s done, and everyone’s registered! Isn’t that nice? Put your hands together! What do we say before a meal?”
““““““Thanks for the food!””””””
They were seated at a round table, their faces stuffed with a mother’s good cooking, all their fatigue having vanished.
“I made a lot, so feel free to ask for seconds!”
Their appetites brought Mamako no end of pleasure.
“I definitely need more than usual today!” chirped Porta.
“You can’t end a day without a Mamako meal,” said Wise. “Sooo good!”
“Oh dear. I can’t stop myself from eating more…,” said Medhi.
Porta was next to Mamako, Wise next to Porta, and Medhi next to Wise—all of them smiling, too.
Next to Medhi was Shiraaase—who was keeping her expression serene, but smiling on the inside.
And next to her…
“On my previous visit, time was short and I missed out on joining you for dinner. Getting to eat Mamako’s cooking again is all the joy a man could wish for. I’m so happy, I could cry.”
…the Demon Lord Hayato was also smiling.
The whole table was all smiles!
Except for Masato, who was seated on the other side of the Demon Lord. He was looking kinda sullen.
“Why are the Hero and Demon Lord sharing a meal? Does nobody see a problem here?”
“Masato, can I ask something?”
“Go ahead, Wise.”
“What the heck’s a Demon Lord anyway?”
“That’s what I wanna know! Ask him! Actually, no, I’ll do it.” Masato let out a long, exasperated sigh, then turned toward Hayato. “Dad, what are you even doing?”
“Sharing dinner with you. What else?”
“But that’s weird! You’re the Demon Lord, right? So why are you here eating with the rest of us? …I mean, I hate to suggest it, but shouldn’t you be out doing evil stuff? Like terrorizing the world or something…?”
“Ha-ha-ha, I wouldn’t do that. True, I’m a Demon Lord, but only in a very specific way. My role is in opposition to the Hero—you, my son. I came to this world to exert my paternal influence upon you.”
“Uh, I’m not following.”
“Hm, how do I put this, then…? For certain reasons, I can’t explain all the details to you right off the bat, but…well, let’s put it like this: I’m here to test you. Kind of like an exam proctor.”
“So just…call yourself that, then?”
“Fair, but this is no ordinary test… To complete my mission, I’ll need to be a bit ruthless. I must be ready to wield powers against those who matter to me most. I might even be called upon to earn Mamako’s wrath.”
“Her wrath? …You think Mom would ever get seriously mad at you?”
Masato gave his mother a searching look, but she was just blinking at them. He wasn’t sure if she was shaken or simply not following the conversation.
Hayato saw this and mustered a half smile.
“Consider this Demon Lord title my way of shouldering a burden. Still, it’s high time I took my leave of you. There is much I must take care of back in the real world before the day is out. I’ll see you all again tomorrow morning.”
“Oh my! You’re that busy? When will you be back? Should I have breakfast ready?”
“I would love nothing more…but I’m afraid I can’t promise I’d make it here in time.”
“Hee-hee. You and Ma-kun are both such sleepyheads, after all!”
“My alarm clock always wakes me up to the sound of my beloved wife’s voice. It’s so comforting that I end up drifting right back to sleep—an unfortunate side effect. Good-bye, everyone.”
With that very “married couple” interaction complete, the Demon Lord left the dining hall.
And thus…
Masato found everyone looking at him.
“…Wh-what?”
“Nothing!” Wise retorted. “Just…like father, like son.”
“I feel like I should object to that comment on principle… And why is it none of you seem surprised that Hawk was really my dad?”
“I sort of had a feeling the whole time!” said Porta.
“You did?!”
“Same here. Just, like…a hunch. Plus he was trying real hard to hide it.”
“And that was a dead giveaway. He’s exactly who I would expect your father to be… Giggle…”
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean, Medhi? Are you calling us idiots?”
“You really do take after him, especially when you’re hiding something. The way you two make excuses—it’s exactly the same. I always know right away. Hee-hee-hee.”
“Mom! You’re supposed to have our backs!”
Masato was alone in the world. How sad.
But then…
“Tsk, tsk. Demon Lord Hayato left without infooorming you of the most important thing! Like he was leaving that task to me—as my name is Shiraaase, and Shiraaase means ‘infooorm.’”
There was steak sauce all over the mysterious nun’s lips, but she wiped it away and leaned forward. “Now, everyone—there is something else you should know about the test Masato must undergo.”
“What? Is this a big thing? That requires mad exposition? Wait, the admins are involved?”
“A big, resounding ‘Yes!’ to all those questions.”
“She didn’t even try denying it,” said Wise.
Shiraaase had thrown out a thumbs-up so hard, it glittered. Moving right along:
“Let me make it official: The Demon Lord quest, administered by Demon Lord Hayato, has now begun. This quest is specifically for you, Masato.”
“Oh, fantastic. Can’t wait to hear it.”
“I love the enthusiasm. In a sense, this quest is purely a private matter for the Oosuki family…but like it or not, Mamako and the rest of your party will inevitably get dragged into your mess.”
“Your phrasing leaves much to be desired,” said Medhi, “but I’d be happy to help.”
“Same here! Masato helped with my mommy, so I want to help him!”
“Sniff, what a sweet child!” said Wise. “So, Shiraaase. What’s the deal with this Demon Lord quest?”
“You’ll find out once it begins! Heh. Heh. Heh.”
“Yep, saw that coming,” said Masato.
Shiraaase’s smirk was super sus. Everyone knew that meant bad news.
But this quest was personally tailored for Masato. How could he refuse? He’d overcome countless trials, resolved many family problems. He was the heroic son—this was his duty.
And he knew full well he hadn’t done any of that on his own.
“Just like always, we’ll figure it out together. As a party…”
“And as mother and son. Right, Ma-kun?”
“Exactly.”
He held out a hand, and Mamako put hers on it—and the girls’ hands on top of that.
“We started with Wise, then Medhi, then Porta—and finally, it’s my turn. We’ll clear this Daddy Demon Lord quest, and solve our party’s parent dilemma once and for all. Ready? Then let’s—”
“Let’s all do our best! Woo!”
“““Woo!”””
“Mom, can you please just once… Oh, never mind.”
This was how it always went. Just as he was getting fired up, she jumped in. And that meant they’d pull it off again. He was confident—and his party looked just as sure of themselves.
Shiraaase watched them all, smiling warmly. “The bonds of the strongest parent and child… Let’s hope that strength does not prove your undoing.”
No one present heard that ominous whisper.
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