First Team Dinner
After returning to the tower with Cynthia, I headed straight for the team leader's office. Even though it was the middle of the night, Gengor was still there, not having gone home yet.
"What is it?"
I reported everything that had happened in the erosion. From meeting the two Jin people to discovering Room 0, I laid it all out according to the five Ws and one H. Gengor's expression shifted constantly as he listened. Surprise, then shock, then excitement, then seriousness.
From the very first meeting, he'd told me to quit if I was going to, actively encouraging me to get out while I could. I'd thought he was just a strict middle-aged dwarf uncle with the presence of a veteran section chief who didn't care about his subordinates' feelings. But watching his face flip through expressions like a quick-change artist, I realized he was capable of making those faces too.
"What did you just say? You cleared the erosion?"
"Pardon? Well... Team Leader, it wasn't like I deliberately cleared it. The erosion just suddenly disappeared on its own..."
"Hah! Clearing an erosion that was deemed impossible to remove. How in the world... This is the most unbelievable story I've heard all year."
Gengor spoke with a serious face, as if he couldn't believe it.
"To think there was a Room 0. You realized the orb's light was the key to Room 0 and stimulated it? That's something ordinary deductive ability could never accomplish. Your intuition and insight are truly remarkable."
The way Gengor looked at me had changed. Just this morning, he'd seen me as nothing more than "a common rookie with resignation written all over his face," but now his gaze said he was looking at "a capable ace team member who gets the job done."
Being recognized by your superior is a good thing. Your relationship with your boss determines whether your work life becomes hell mode or hard mode. Being liked is better than being disliked from day one, but...
'I didn't clear it on purpose, though.'
Gengor was misunderstanding. He thought I'd used genius-level reasoning and insane senses to figure out how to enter Room 0.
'What? It was just dumb luck.'
My otaku instincts had kicked in, I'd fiddled with the orb, and I'd accidentally gotten in. It was like an open-world game addict poking around every corner of the map and luckily stumbling upon an easter egg. I hadn't had the slightest idea it would lead to a clear.
'I never even thought about clearing the erosion in the first place...'
But even if I mentioned that it hadn't been intentional, it seemed like it wouldn't reach Gengor's ears.
"That erosion was a place my team and I investigated years ago but ultimately couldn't find a way to remove. So we concluded no removal method existed and classified it as a managed erosion. Yet a fresh rookie on his first day managed to do it."
He couldn't hide his shock, yet he let out a chuckle as if even he found the situation absurd.
"Rookie. Impressive, truly impressive! You caused a major incident on your very first day at work. You're the first person to rack up such a significant achievement right after joining the team."
Gengor, who hadn't shown much interest in me all morning, nodded with satisfaction as if looking at a subordinate he approved of. He seemed genuinely pleased, probably because my contribution had boosted the team's performance. The best way to become a subordinate your boss likes is to be a capable team member. No boss dislikes an employee who works well—except when jealousy or different internal politics are involved.
'But is clearing just one lowest-grade erosion really that big of an achievement?'
"It's only an F-rank erosion. Does that even count as an achievement?"
"Of course. Clearing an erosion always counts as an achievement. Higher grades and higher-risk ones are recorded as greater accomplishments, but even the lowest grade counts as a meaningful achievement and factors into this year's performance evaluation. Especially if you clear a place like the Room of Infinite Regression that was deemed impossible, it becomes quite a significant accomplishment."
"I see."
So every grade counts as an achievement, huh.
'Wait. Then maybe...?'
As I nodded along, the image of jingling coins suddenly popped into my mind. But I had enough sense and tact not to ask my superior about it on my first day. It seemed Gengor had noticed the spinning coin images in my pupils, because he smirked and answered without being asked.
"Don't be surprised when you get your first paycheck. If you make a major contribution to a clear or clear something alone, you'll receive a performance bonus. It'll be deposited into your account next month."
A performance bonus!
I barely managed to suppress the corners of my mouth from twitching upward. Praise makes whales dance, achievements make department heads dance, and a first paycheck makes new employees dance. Of course, I hadn't received my salary yet, but the thought of getting a hefty bonus on top of it already had dopamine exploding like fireworks in my head.
Just thinking about what to spend my salary on was enough to make me giddy.
'I can do magic otaku stuff while earning a decent income.'
The perfect combination of work and hobby that so many people dream of!
I made up my mind. While staying at the tower, I'd plant my flag firmly in the Exploration Department, this dream workplace.
"Well, well. So you were the real deal, huh? The Tower Lord really picked up something extraordinary!"
"...It was just luck that things worked out. I'm grateful you're looking at it favorably."
"I take back what I said about quitting. From now on, even if you want to leave our team, you can't. Even if you submit a transfer request, I won't approve it. Heh heh heh."
It seemed like I'd properly made an impression on Gengor from day one (in a positive direction). He wouldn't actually work me like a performance machine, would he?
'Work is always welcome, but...'
As if he'd sensed my fate, thunder rumbled at that moment.
From my stomach.
Grroooowwwwl.
Come to think of it, the only thing I'd eaten today was the rations Cynthia had given me. I hadn't eaten anything since, and I was starving.
Gengor smirked as if he'd expected this and got up from his chair.
"That's enough for today. Write up a report on the remaining details and submit it tomorrow."
"Yes, sir."
"Follow me."
He walked past me out of the office and shouted to the team members.
"Alright, everyone pay attention. The rookie did good work today, so let's lift our spirits and welcome him at the same time. We're going out for drinks!"
* * *
"Cheers!"
Three glasses filled with beer clinked together, sending white foam spilling over. Why three?
"Juno, you're a minor, so drink juice."
Because my glass had orange juice in it. Not beer.
So the glasses that had just clinked on the table were three beers and one orange juice.
"Why? Don't like orange juice? Should I get you a different flavor?"
When I just stared at the juice without drinking it, Cynthia, sitting beside me, asked kindly. I appreciated that she'd thought to ask, but...
'Orange juice isn't the problem!'
Whether it was orange or grape, what I wanted to drink right now wasn't juice—it was beer. Look at that beer foam. Overflowing and spilling down the sides. If I could just bite into that white foam and savor it, then gulp down the cold beer as it went down my throat... Ahh!
'I want it I want it I want it it looks so good so good beer beer dammit beer.'
I was going crazy. In my previous life, my greatest pleasure had been sitting in front of the TV with freshly delivered hot chicken and a can of beer from the convenience store. There was no TV here, but chicken and beer was right in front of me. Happiness was staring me in the face, so why couldn't I have it? Why was I the only one who couldn't drink? Just me.
"I-It's fine."
This is beer. Beer. Beer...
Brainwashing myself, I drank the orange juice. After giving myself the suggestion, it almost tasted a little like beer.
'It's orange. Way too orange.'
You can't fool your eyes and tongue, even if you can fool your brain.
I stared longingly at the beer glass of the man sitting across from me, like someone pining for a lost love. He had bronzed skin, long red hair tied back, and was covered in necklaces, bracelets, and rings. A member of Exploration Team 3. Zakan.
I found myself dazedly watching Zakan down his beer in one go. I'd never envied someone I'd just met today this much. I'd only been looking for some vicarious satisfaction, but instead of satisfaction, all I got was drool pooling in my mouth.
I'd felt this way before. Right after falling into this world, when I'd lived as a beggar and watched passersby eating delicious food from beside the store, sucking on my fingers. I never thought I'd feel that same sadness again.
After downing his beer in one refreshing gulp, Zakan ordered another. When the server placed the new glass on the table and my gaze refused to leave it, Zakan asked from across the table.
"What? You want some?"
Of course I wanted some. Why wouldn't I? In truth, my inner self was much older than either of my seniors. But I couldn't exactly start declaring myself a reincarnator and claim I was an adult just like them.
"Kid. If you want it, just say so. You're at that age where curiosity is running high."
Zakan pushed the new beer glass toward me.
"Just a taste. One sip, that's it."
"Thank y—"
Just as I reached for the glass as if possessed, it suddenly disappeared. Cynthia had snatched it from beside me.
"Zakan, are you crazy? The rookie's still a kid. What are you doing giving alcohol to a child?"
"It's just one sip, what's the big deal? It's not poison. You think a kid's gonna die from tasting it?"
"So anything that's not poison is fine to drink?"
"Yeah. Why not?"
"Then go eat dirt and chew rocks and drink poop. Why aren't you having any, dear junior Zakan?"
"There it is with the junior crap again. Hey, chain-smoker. Our assignment dates are only one day apart. Our experience levels are basically the same. Don't you think it's petty to argue about seniority?"
"Even one day means senior is senior and junior is junior."
"Bullshit."
There they go again, fighting. Thanks to Cynthia's thoughtful protection, I was forcibly banned from beer and decided to give up. Using their argument as background music, I quietly tore into the fried chicken dish that looked like fried chicken legs.
Chicken and orange juice. The chicken-and-juice combo instead of chicken-and-beer was surprisingly...
'Not bad.'
While I silently munched on a chicken leg, Gengor, unable to watch the seniors' fight any longer, stepped in.
"That's enough, that's enough!"
At Gengor's loud voice, the bickering pair shut their mouths and went quiet. Even a dwarf smaller than a child was still the team leader.
"You lot fight every time your eyes meet. Stop bickering and eat your chicken legs. It'll taste bad if it gets cold."
Gengor shook his head wearily. He looked like a tired father worn out from his kids constantly fighting.
"Ahem."
"Hmm."
Remembering this was a welcome dinner for the rookie, Cynthia and Zakan picked up their forks again to eat. Their hands reached for the chicken legs, then stopped abruptly.
"Team Leader, there are no legs left."
We'd ordered two chickens. But both were now just sitting there as empty carcasses. As if on cue, all three pairs of eyes naturally turned to the pile of bones on my plate. Then their gazes shifted back and forth between the bones and my face.
"......"
My mouth, shiny with grease, was puffed up like it was about to burst. I gently set down the deboned chicken leg and blinked.
Huh. When did I finish all of it?