I had a lot of fun on the forum until midnight.
"I never thought I'd start three threads after that."
The thread I started, "How did the game start for everyone?" Had over a thousand posts and I couldn't write any more, so I started a new one, "How did the game begin?" It seems to have become a very popular thread on the forum.
"Isn't that how it all started? Well, yes, it is. Because the world over there is real, and all kinds of people live in it."
You can control it as a game, but that world is real. Each and every one of us is a human being with a will. It's no wonder that there are so many different ways to start. Although I was absorbed in the forum, I hadn't forgotten about the most important thing, the "Village of Destiny."
As a result of the discussion among the villagers, it seemed that they had decided to attack the base in three days. All the Dark Elves here, including Sudhir, participated. It seems that they are the most elite of those who survived in their village and can fight. From our side, we decided on five elves and five villagers, including Gams, Chem, Kang, Ran, and Murus. Oh, and the silver basilisk, Gochupicchu, will also accompany them.
Gochupicchu is more obedient than Destiny. I'm sure she'll be useful. As I thought this, I glanced at my golden lizard and saw that it was staring at me with half-lidded eyes. Ugh, did he just read my mind? I quickly turned away and looked at the village again.
A little while ago, I would have been worried about the defense of the village if I had to allocate this many men, but the remaining villagers and elves alone have more than enough strength to defend it. They've gotten really good.
I was worried about the position of Chem and the Bible when I chose the battle team. If I place the Bible in the village, I can activate the golem, so I can put all my strength into it. If they bring the Bible with them, I can help them with miracles during the battle. I had to decide whether to focus on offense or defense.
In the end, the villagers decided that Chem should join and take the Bible with them. The village had enough strength to defend itself. I thought it would be better that way, too. Now we have fences, watchtowers, and other defense equipment. In addition, after the Temptation of the Evil God, the monsters are quiet. As long as nothing serious happens, we should be fine.
"We're going to have a couple of strategy meetings to prepare for the next three days, and then we're going to go out. The schedule here is......the day after tomorrow I'll only be working in the morning. I'll be off three days later, right?"
I'll check the schedule. I had checked before the oracle, but if this was the wrong day, I would have to choose between having the oracle change the day of the attack or asking the president to give me the day off. I'd better get my work in order for the coming day. In preparation for tomorrow's work, I crawled under the covers and went to bed.
"I'm going to a meeting for a new job now, does anyone want to come with me?"
Two days later we finished our work in the morning as planned and were washing the cleaning tools under the blue sky when the president suddenly spoke up.
"No, I don't want to. I'm on a mission to play a stack of games when I get home."
"You're taking away my precious nap time before I have to pick up my child from daycare."
Mr. Yamamoto immediately refused, and Miss Cape deliberately made an act of breaking down in tears.
"Oh, you guys....Well, it wasn't part of the plan, so what can we do? How's Yoshio?"
I was too late to reply, so the conversation turned to me.
"Um, by the way, what's your new job like?"
"You know, I once went to clean a small building for an IT company. The president of the company was so satisfied with our work that he asked us to do regular cleaning for him."
"Is that company called Utopia?"
"Yeah, that's the one!"
The president clapped his hands and nodded loudly. That company is my sister's rival company, right? The company has been growing in power lately, and some people have said that their employees have been poached or something.
If I go to...clean up, I can learn a little bit about the inner workings of the company. It's a great way to get to the bottom of things.
"Uh, do you mind if I come with you?"
"Yeah, that'd be great. I'll just sit next to you and listen."
The president broke into a smile and slapped me on the shoulder.
"Thank you for your help."
I wanted to say, "Thank you for your help, too," but I kept quiet and put on a smile.
I'm in front of that company for the first time in a few days. This time, unlike last time, I intend to observe it carefully. The exterior of the building is stylish with glass walls. As far as I can see from the outside, the employees near the windows seem to be working diligently.
I ducked under the entrance door and went inside. The president was having a conversation with the receptionist, so I kept looking around. There were a few people with employee ID cards hanging around their necks coming and going, but there seemed to be no obligation to wear suits, and many of the employees were dressed quite roughly. It looks like a modern company. I don't have any experience working for a modern company, though.
The employees were walking fast, not paying attention to us in our cleaning clothes. None of them had a smile on their face, and all of them seemed to have a frown or a frightened look on their face rather than a serious...expression. Sometimes they would glance at the ceiling or wall, and when I looked in the same direction, I would see a surveillance camera.
I wondered if this company was constantly monitoring its employees. It's the opposite of the image I have from the open architecture and rough clothes. As I was looking around the company, I suddenly felt a glance from behind me. When I turned around, my eyes met for a moment with a person who seemed to be an employee in a suit looking at me, but he immediately disappeared from my sight. In this place, people in suits are more conspicuous.
"Wasn't that...?"
It was really only for a moment, so I'm not sure, but I recognized him. But I don't think it was the same person. In the first place, I only glanced at him.
"Yoshio, let's go to the president's office."
"Yes, sir."
I'm a little curious, but that's okay. Even if it was that person, we don't have a close relationship. The receptionist seemed to have finished the formalities, and I followed the president to the elevator to the fourth floor, the top floor. The wide corridor was covered with a luxurious-looking carpet. The design and the feel of the carpet on the soles of my shoes were enough to make me understand.
"If you spill soy sauce on this, it's going to be hard to get it off."
That's the president. He has an eye for the common man. The last time I cleaned, I didn't do it on this floor, but the entire fourth floor seems to be the president's office. At the end of the corridor, there is an unnecessarily large double swinging wooden door. The frame is gilded and the surface is carved with flowers and plants, making me wonder if he's some kind of aristocrat.
"I've cleaned a lot of places, but am I the only one who finds...a light pull?"
"No, me neither."
There was no point in the two of us standing together in front of the door, so the president pressed the camera-equipped door phone on the side.
"I'm from the cleaning company."
"Come on in."
When I heard the reply, the double doors opened inward. It seems that the doors open automatically, but this is a useless feature, isn't it? The entirety of the president's office was revealed....I gasped at the sight of so much. In the front is a large desk and the president, next to him is a beautiful woman in a suit who looks like a secretary. Behind him is a glass wall.
"Welcome. Please make yourself at home."
The president over there – it was Mr. Chosokabe, right? I looked him up on the Internet, but the impact of his name was so great that I could remember it at once. It's the same name as a famous warlord. I only know his history from...warring states simulations and the Musou series, but I believe he was famous for his three arrows. The beautiful secretary urged me and the president to sit down on the leather sofa.
"Should I have changed my clothes?"
The president's murmur synchronized with my inner thoughts. I feel out of place in my work clothes on this expensive looking sofa. I wondered if it would be better to sit in the middle of the sofa without attaching my waist so as not to get dirty. Wow, it's so soft and fluffy.
A cup of highly fragrant tea was placed in front of me. The tea leaves and the cup are probably high quality. Even though I'm just sitting there, my hips are starting to get itchy. A pipe chair and a plastic bottle of tea are just right for me.
"I would like to thank you for taking the time to clean up last time. When my workplace is clean, it gives me more motivation. I really appreciate your help, Mr. President and Mr. Yoshio."
President Chosokabe sits on the sofa in front of me across the glass desk. He is wearing a suit of a different color and design than before, and no tie. I wonder how much that suit costs. I have a feeling he'd be happy to tell me if I asked him, but I'll keep my mouth shut...Huh? I've just had a strange feeling of discomfort. What's that? It's like...something's bugging me.
I was looking around the president's office because I had nothing better to do. There was a bookshelf against the wall with several thick books in it. There's also a bunch of files. When I made eye contact with the beautiful secretary, she gave me a gentle smile and bowed, so I bowed too. My impressions of the president's office are...big, beautiful, and the view is amazing. It's the kind of room I imagined as a child, the ideal president's office, and he actually built it!
"Nice view, isn't it, Yoshio? I'm particular about the view."
"It's wonderful."
It was at this moment that I realized what the strange feeling was. Why does this boss...know my name? When I entered this company, I filled in my name at the reception desk. It's possible that he just checked it. The only thing I wrote down was my last name.
So, did the president tell them the full names of the employees to be screened beforehand? That's the only thing I can think of, but I'm not convinced. Even if that's the case, I don't understand why he bothered to call me by my name instead of my last name. Maybe it's just a foreign-flavored flirtation.
After hearing about my sister and Seika, I can't help but look at President Chosokabe with a cynical eye. Everything seems suspicious to me. The smile on his face was calm without a smile behind his eyes, and his polite tone was somehow condescending. It's as if he's looking down on our president. I'm sure it's just my imagination, but once I got that impression, that's all I could see.
"...so can you do regular cleaning?"
"Yes, I'd be happy to do that."
Apparently, we got a full-fledged regular cleaning job for the hallways and bathrooms once a week. The details of the contract were to be worked out with an employee in another department, and we left the president's office. The door to what looked like a conference room was open, I looked in and saw the female employee in charge, so I bailed and walked up to her.
Our president was talking to her, but she looked tired. But more than that, the bright red lipstick, heavy makeup, and the color of the suit that is not easy on the eyes stand out. A red suit and a thin gold shirt with a large opening at the chest, which would never be allowed in a normal company, she had amazing taste. She also smelled of perfume, so I didn't want to get too close to her.
The last time I cleaned up was on a holiday, so I only saw one employee, but today was a weekday, so I passed many employees. Most of them looked tired, somewhat uncomfortable, and frightened. On the surface, it's a white company, but in reality, is it not? Oh, if I still had the Bible at hand, I could afford to peek into the president's office and bug him. Now that the Bible is back in the world, though, I can't do it even if I wanted to. I don't regret returning it to the other side. Maybe just a little bit.
"Excuse me; I have to take a call."
The employee in charge left her seat in the middle of the business meeting and walked towards the restroom. I'd better go to the bathroom too. I had a sudden urge to urinate, probably because of the tea I had just had, so I told the president and headed for the restroom.
"Oh, shit. Two of them are dead. If we don't build up our forces for that day, who knows what they'll say."
When I finished using the restroom and was about to leave, I heard a female voice from outside. It sounded like the voice of the employee I was having a meeting with earlier, so I hid by the wall and listened carefully.
"I got here from the same...and if I go against...I want to quit gold...but I can't..."
It's only a whisper and it's across the wall, so it sounds choppy, but isn't he saying something disturbing? From there, I heard footsteps that fell silent and walked away, so I peeked down the hallway and saw his back walking away with his phone in his hand. There was no mistaking that fancy outfit.
"He's the employee I saw when I cleaned here the first time. He wasn't on the phone, but he seemed to be looking at his phone and mumbling to himself."
I have a tendency to talk to myself, so I can't say anything about others, but something about him seems suspicious. If I had to guess, I'd say he was slacking off a bit and playing a game, but for some reason, I'm curious.
"...No way. That's not going to happen, is it?"
When it comes to smartphone games, I can't help but think of "Village of Destiny" and the incident with Mr. Yamamoto. It reminds me of the events of the New Year's holiday. I think I heard someone who seemed to be an employee mutter something similar before.
"No, no, no, that's not possible."
It seems like a blatant flag, but that's too good to be true. Maybe it's a game that's popular in this company. To distract myself a bit, I took out my phone and started up "Village of Destiny" and stared at the villagers.