When I was a kid, my dream was to be a firefighter.
The reason was simple: I saw a documentary on TV about firefighters. I thought it was cool to rescue people from buildings that were on fire.
However, that was just the admiration of a child who was ignorant of reality.
As we grow up, we learn about the other aspects of these heroic jobs, and after considering our own aptitude, it is not unusual for us to stray from our dreams. In fact, that's probably normal.
I… Kou Kousaka, was one of those ordinary people.
Now, at the age of twenty-nine, I have become a common salaryman.
I've been working for an IT company, and there have been a lot of flare-ups. For example, the design of a system was delayed, the person in charge of the project disappeared, or there was a problem with the person in charge of the customer side.
A firefighting unit existed within the company as well, which specialized in putting out "fires", and I was a member of it.
It was the so-called "fire extinguisher."
I felt a great sense of accomplishment when I somehow managed to solve a problem, and it was not a bad feeling to be thanked and praised by the people around me.
But at the same time, I felt frustrated at the fact that we were always on the back foot when it came to problems.
The rescue team would be sent in only after the project had gone up in flames, but the damage would be much less if we could make a preemptive move at the early stages of the problem.
However, the world does not work that way. While you're trying to kill one fire, another one pops up. As a result, we are always on the back foot.
Doesn't our company have too many flaming projects? It's going to explode and blow up the whole company.
"Wouldn't it be better if we really blew up…?"
Oops. I accidentally said it out loud.
I was on the last train of the day after a late night at work, and I hurriedly looked around, but there was no one else in the same train compartment.
Thank goodness. I didn't want anyone to think I was crazy if they accidentally heard me.
"I guess I'm tired."
Ever since I started working, I've been spending my days going back and forth between home and work. It would be better if the salary were higher, but unfortunately, it was a black company.
I'm just being used up at a very low salary.
My hobby was gaming, but I was so busy that I couldn't even play app games on my smartphone these days.
In the meantime, I was being left behind by the latest trends, and checking out the new releases had become a chore.
"It was a long time ago…"
I used to go around app stores and news sites looking for interesting games, but now I don't have the energy to do so.
I guess it's because of my busy work schedule and… my age?
I'll be thirty next year, and I've become an old man.
I missed my school days when I used to stay up all night playing games. If I could go back to those days, I would love to.
──While I was thinking about this, I was falling into a deep sleep on the last train.
* * *
"…Where am I?"
The next thing I knew, I was floating in darkness.
I had been on a train a while ago, but what the hell happened?
As I tilted my head, a semi-transparent screen suddenly appeared in front of me. It looked like a message window from a video game, and there was a text on it.
You will now be summoned to another world. Please choose your desired job from the following options.
It's a strange question, I thought, as I considered each option.
A hero? I don't feel like I can fulfill my great destiny. No thanks to such a nuisance.
Demon king? Being a king sounds like a pain in the ass, and I'll probably just be defeated by a hero. It's a death flag, no matter how you look at it.
A sage? No, I'm not smart enough. If I were smart, I wouldn't have gotten a job at a black company.
In conclusion, I don't think I want to be any of the choices.
"Is it possible to choose none of them?"
As I muttered this, the message window disappeared… and a new window appeared.
The hidden option "4. Choose none of them" has been selected.
Congratulations! You've found the hidden choice, and you'll be given a non-standard ability!
…Huh?
Hidden choice? Non-standard ability?
As I was puzzled by the unexpected turn of events, the next message appeared.
You will now be transferred to a different world. May the blessings of the gods and spirits be upon you.
At the same time, there was a big change in the scenery around me.
The darkness suddenly cleared up, and I saw that I was in a forest.