Chapter 131 - A Job Review: Part One
The lingering heat of late summer made today an excellent day for new beginnings.
Inside the Headquarters, the air-conditioned magitech kept things comfortably cool, rendering the oppressive heat outside irrelevant. And even if we stepped out, our coats’ temperature regulation made it a non-issue. So in truth, the weather hardly affected us at all.
Still, it was on such a day that our long-awaited guest arrived.
We welcomed her at the Headquarters alongside Siegrune and Frederica.
After hearing her story, I formally conveyed our welcome.
"Looking forward to working with you, Margaret. We’re counting on you."
"Thank you so much. The pleasure is mine—I’ll do my best!"
Margaret, our soon-to-be public relations officer whose entry into the Kikyo Society had been on hold, had finally decided to join us. Strictly speaking, she was still an apprentice, but I had no doubts—she’d be just fine.
It had taken longer than expected, and I’d worried something was wrong, but apparently not. Good. That was a relief.
Turns out she’d been busy tidying up her personal affairs—something that ate up a fair amount of time.
Well, joining an underground organization wasn’t something to rush into. Better to be thorough.
Margaret wasn’t some outlaw, and she had plenty of connections in this city. Taking the time to tie up loose ends was admirable.
"Yukari-dono, since we’re here, why not let Margaret tour the Headquarters? We could introduce her to everyone’s work."
"Yes, please do. Aside from the Intelligence Division, she’s welcome to see anywhere."
"That sounds perfect. Margaret, do you have time today?"
"Of course. I came here ready to bury my bones starting today."
I wouldn’t have asked that much of her, but it was a good attitude.
Then let’s start with the Secretariat Unit. Everyone’s gathered there right now.
"I’ll introduce you around quickly. Don’t worry about memorizing names just yet—just get a feel for things. This is the Headquarters’ administrative office. Everyone working over there belongs to the Secretariat Unit. Frederica’s the top, and the one over there, looking like she’s about to murder someone with paperwork, is April, Frederica’s deputy."
The younger members glanced over and offered casual greetings. Margaret, ever the eager newcomer, returned them politely. We’d save individual introductions for another time.
The Secretariat Unit was structured with Frederica as Head of Operations, April as Deputy Head of Operations, and Sophie as Secretary-General.
With the number of young members steadily growing, we’d begun subdividing tasks to boost efficiency. It wasn’t rigidly siloed, but we encouraged specialization based on aptitude—something the unit’s leadership had handled well.
For example, those good with numbers focused on accounting, while others were assigned to personnel, procurement, general affairs, or external relations.
This naturally brought forward those with leadership potential, allowing them to grow into future core members.
If the Kikyo Society kept expanding, we might even add new departments—or perhaps split the organization entirely. Having capable people ready would be essential.
Besides, the Secretariat Unit was one of the busiest divisions in the Kikyo Society, second only to the Intelligence Unit.
We dumped every administrative task imaginable on them, and “paperwork” didn’t even begin to cover it.
Basic document creation, processing, and filing went without saying. But even within commercial paperwork alone, there were estimates, invoices, delivery notes, contracts—endless varieties and volumes. And it wasn’t just forms; there were letters to and from various parties too.
Then there was accounting—managing funds, ledgers, and records. That alone was grueling.
On top of that, negotiations, reception, and guest hospitality duties meant their work wasn’t limited to desks. It was packed with variety.
And to ensure they didn’t lose physical or combat ability, we made sure they kept up with training. No question—this was far from a simple office job.
Honestly, even saying it myself, the Secretariat Unit had it rough…
While silently commending their hard work, I moved on to the next introduction.
"Alright, next let’s head underground. The basement is the Training Grounds. Our members are practically always down there. Margaret, you’ll probably spend plenty of time here too."
"An underground training area? I can’t quite picture it…"
Gradena and Zenobia should be down there today. Others with free time had likely joined them. By now, warm-ups were probably over and the real training underway.
We exited the building briefly before descending below. Immediately, the sounds of intense combat reached us.
Down the stairs, the scene was the usual training spectacle—neither side holding back, clashing with full ferocity.
"UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!"
"YAAAAAAAH!"
Zenobia swung her massive sword with effortless grace. Gradena deflected it just as easily. Without pause, she counterattacked, reversing the momentum—only for Zenobia to block it just the same. Then the roles flipped again. Back and forth it went.
Practice like it’s real. Real like it’s practice. That was the spirit behind this training.
We watched in tense silence, the younger members frozen, Margaret utterly speechless.
Their combat strength, enhanced solely by Physical Enhancement Magic, was remarkably well-matched. This kind of rivalry made training productive. And judging by their expressions, both were clearly enjoying it.
The fight intensified, shifting toward aggressive offense, with both prioritizing attack over defense. Minor hits were shrugged off, relying on their coats’ durability. It was a reckless style, but you had to train it—otherwise, you couldn’t pull it off in real combat. Good. Exactly the point.
"Come on, come on, COME ON! HA—GOT YOU!"
"Tch—NOT YET!"
Gradena’s sudden kick opened an opening. A horizontal slash caught Zenobia in the torso.
But Zenobia, reacting a split second late, landed a powerful counterblow to Gradena’s side.
Almost a draw.
Even their coats couldn’t fully absorb the force of such powerful strikes. Both spat blood.
"Guh… hah… damn, Zenobia, you’ve gotten good. Upgraded your skills again?"
"Says you—GWAH! Hah… hah… let’s… call it here for today."
The two, clearly battered, collapsed onto the ground. Junior members rushed over with recovery potions and towels.
Once they’d recovered, the younger members, inspired by the intensity, immediately threw themselves into their own training.
Clashing blades, battle cries, screams. Blood sprayed everywhere. Limbs broke, crushed, some even partially severed.
Yet those injured downed recovery potions instantly, shrugged it off, and resumed training without pause.
This wasn’t training. It was madness. Absolute, terrifying seriousness. But that was precisely why we were strong.
I’d expected the scene to be overwhelming, but Margaret watched with intense focus.
I couldn’t read her thoughts, but she didn’t seem put off. If anything, her expression was thoughtful.
As we observed, Gradena and Zenobia approached us.
"This is Margaret, joining us today. Gradena, Zenobia—be good to her."
"Oho! So this is her! Former journalist, former adventurer, right? Tonight, you’re telling me all about it!"
Even after such a brutal session, Gradena was already full of energy.
"Ahh, the one you mentioned. Welcome, Margaret. I only joined recently myself, so let’s do our best together."
"Yes, Zenobia-san. And Gradena-san, please take care of me!"
Everyone smiled warmly. We didn’t have many stiff or difficult people here. In that sense, we were easy to get along with.
"Gradena’s our Acting Vice-Commander—a real big sister type. You can rely on her. Zenobia, as she just said, is still fairly new herself. Get along well, won’t you?"
We chatted a bit more, watched the juniors train a little longer, then headed back outside.
Perhaps it was the oppressive atmosphere of the underground, but the outside air felt strangely refreshing. Time for a short break.
"Let’s go up to the rooftop. Our rooftop’s a garden—quite the sight to see."
"Oh, that sounds lovely."
Our aerial garden was one of our proudest features. I had to show it off. And at this hour, Lily would likely be there—perfect.
"Oh my~? Who might this be~?"
The moment we stepped onto the roof, Lily spotted us and called out. After a quick introduction, we settled down for tea.
"So this fluffy one is Orchid Lily. Everyone just calls her Lily. She designed this garden, and practically single-handedly built the Elegance Balloon’s garden too. She also runs her own private research facility."
"You built the Elegance Balloon’s garden all by yourself!? That’s incredible! And this rooftop too!"
That place was a tourist attraction now—of course she’d know. Still, even with her background, Margaret probably hadn’t expected Lily to play such a pivotal role.
"Hehe~ it wasn’t that much~"
Lily was clearly delighted, basking in Margaret’s praise.
As we chatted pleasantly, I noticed Margaret’s gaze drift toward something that had clearly caught her attention. Well, it was only natural. Anyone would wonder…
"Um… that sculpture… is it possibly… Yukari-san?"
Ah. That. The one always sitting there. The life-sized statue of me, a gift from the McDallian Family. I’d grown so used to it, I barely noticed anymore. But now that someone pointed it out, it felt… awkward.
"...Yeah. It’s a gift. We just… didn’t know where else to put it. Anyway, let’s move on."
Too much trouble to explain. I brushed it off. Plenty more to show.
The rest of the Headquarters could wait for another day.
We stepped outside, pointed out that Lightning Street in front was our territory, then moved on to Sixth Avenue.
Margaret had lived in Exembra longer than I had—no need to give her a city tour. She’d been here many times before. Our destination now: our Branch.
I half-expected to run into the Combat Unit on patrol, but we arrived without incident.
"This is the Kikyo Society’s Branch. As you can see, the first floor runs a restaurant. The upper floors have offices and living quarters, same as the Headquarters. The basement’s a casino. Have you been?"
"Once, on assignment. I remember being struck by how clean and comfortable it was—completely different from other places."
Mhm. Our staff were all top-notch. Ever since opening, business and reputation had been excellent.
We stepped inside briefly, introduced Margaret to the Combat Unit members on standby in the security room, then headed upstairs to greet others waiting there.
After a quick rundown of other casinos and upcoming construction sites, we moved on to lunch.
Our destination: the familiar Princess’s Shelter Inn.
Sophie hadn’t been around during the day lately, but the shop’s popularity remained unchanged—thanks, no doubt, to the loyal staff who looked up to her.
"This is one of our shops too. Have you been?"
"I’d meant to stop by a few times, but it was always full. Never managed to get in."
I see. It looked packed today too, but as someone wearing the Kikyo Society coat, I had privileges. I could sit at the bodyguard’s reserved seat, and no one in the know would complain.
We entered the elegant shop, its white walls entwined with red roses, and were immediately guided to the bodyguard’s table.
"Yo, Yukari. Out on patrol?"
"Just showing the new recruit around, Paula. This is Margaret—the one I told you about. She’s with us now."
"Ah, so this is her! I’m Paula. Squad leader of the Fifth Combat Unit, though you don’t need to stand on ceremony. Me and the squad’ll take good care of you!"
A tough face, but kind to allies. Like Bonnie, like Gradena—there were quite a few strong, intimidating women in our ranks, juniors included. To our enemies, they were terrifying.
"Is Charlotte still buried in research today?"
"She’s out collecting protection fees with the newbies. Even Charlotte needs a break from research and training once in a while."
The Combat Unit had grown, and moving as one large group was inefficient. Now, even those stationed on Sixth Avenue divided responsibilities—patrols, bodyguard duties, protection collections, and more.
As we ate, listening to Paula and her squad explain their daily duties, it seemed a bodyguard situation had arisen.
"You bastard! You’re the one who bumped into me!"
"You’re the one making a fuss over nothing!"
A fight between customers. No sign of it calming down—just escalating insults. They weren’t targeting the shop or staff, but it was still a nuisance.
"Fights in our shop? Rare these days. Tourists, maybe?"
"Senior Paula, we’ll handle it!"
"Go ahead. They’re too loud—shut ‘em up first."
Fights happened everywhere. Nothing special. But in a shop directly run by the Kikyo Society? Lately, that was unusual.
Margaret watched with keen interest, curious how we’d respond.
The junior members dispatched by Paula surrounded the brawling customers. The already irate men, now feeling provoked, shouted louder.
"What the hell! You mocking us!?"
"Hey! Fighting in the shop’s not cool, guys!"
Other customers looked annoyed, but their eyes flickered with recognition at the sight of our members. They were expecting something. Hoping, even.
"Shut up! Get lost, bitch!"
"Mind your own damn business! Who do you think you are!?"
Enraged, the men turned their aggression toward our juniors, grabbing one.
The sudden movement knocked over a table—plates shattered. Already a nuisance, now with property damage too.
The junior members, who’d initially tried to handle it peacefully, knew exactly what to do.
The moment hands were laid on them and property was damaged, they transformed—like demons.
The grabbed arm was wrenched free. Then a hand clamped around the offender’s throat, lifting him off the ground.
Both troublemakers were silenced and dragged out, forcibly. They’d soon learn the cost of their actions—compensation, damages, and a little extra punishment.
Truthfully, incidents like this were convenient. They reminded people of the Kikyo Society’s power.
For residents, peace was ideal. But deterrence was hard to feel unless proven. Sometimes, a public display of strength was necessary.
Letting people appreciate what we provided? That was in our best interest.
Of course, we’d never go so far as to stage it ourselves.