kscans

Chapter 1 - Fired from the Company

"I’m quitting this damn company! I’m not going to be your yes-man anymore!"

How many times had I thought about saying those words?

It had been four years since I graduated from college. My direct supervisor hated me, so I was always saddled with impossible tasks, and when I couldn't complete them, he would yell at me. But with no real qualifications or exceptional skills, I had no choice but to grit my teeth and accept it.

Today, I headed to work thinking it would be another miserable day. I was greeting my colleagues on the way to my desk when he called out to me.

"Okita-kun, a moment."

Just as I was about to sit down, my supervisor called my name.

What is it now, so early in the morning? Another impossible demand?

"What is it?"

I forced the reluctance out of my expression and walked over to his desk. Sitting in his chair, he propped an elbow on his desk and looked up at me. His attitude was terrible, but he was always like this.

"Okita-kun, you don’t need to come in starting tomorrow."

"Pardon?"

I couldn't comprehend his words.

"You really are an idiot, aren't you. Fine, I'll say it plainly. You're fired. Fired. Goodbye."

Wh, what is this guy suddenly saying?!

"What do you mean? Did I do something?"

I was sure I hadn't made any major mistakes.

"No, the problem is that you haven't done anything. Our company can't afford to waste money on someone like you. So you're fired. Oh, but make it a voluntary resignation, okay?"

"B, but why?"

I have no intention of quitting. I think about quitting every day, but I have no real intention of doing it. I don't have that much in savings, and I don't know if I can even find another job.

"Well, it'll be a problem for me if it's not a voluntary resignation."

"It's a problem for me, too!"

"Okita-kun, consider this an act of kindness on my part. If you refuse, I'll have to transfer you to That Room."

That Room… The Restructuring Room… The senior employees who were assigned there didn't even last a month before they quit.

Should I endure it for a month while I look for another job? No, I've heard that place is actual hell. My mental state is already fragile enough. If I go there, I'll definitely break.

I don't have much saved up, but if I'm frugal, I have enough to survive for two months. It's better to quit before my mind gives out…

"...I understand."

I reluctantly agreed.

"Glad you understand. That's good."

What's so good about it, you moron!

"Thank you for everything. I'll be taking my leave now."

"Yes, that's for the best. Oh, and you won't be getting any paid leave."

I know. I've never been able to take a day of paid leave in my life.

I suppressed the urge to punch my supervisor, bowed my head, and returned to my desk to clean it out. And just like that, before it was even nine in the morning, I was heading home.

I returned to my cheap apartment in a daze, then popped the tab on a beer I bought at the convenience store on the way. I chugged it down in one go.

"Damn it! I really got fired! What am I supposed to do now!"

I should have just under 400,000 yen in savings. I'll have to survive on that while I look for my next job.

"Man, if I knew this would happen, I would have gotten some kind of certification."

The company I just left didn't require any special qualifications, so I have nothing besides my driver's license. But looking back now, I should have given up on that place sooner and gotten certified in something.

"Haaah… Well, it's too late to cry over spilled milk… What do I do now?"

I mumbled to myself with a sigh as I opened another beer.

"An unemployed man drinking beer in the morning. How amazing. Maybe I should go to the park."

I imagined myself drinking beer in the park and felt tears welling up in my eyes.

"Damn it! Today, I'm just gonna go for it! I'm gonna drink till I drop!"

I started drinking heavily from the morning on, cursing my former company and that ex-supervisor of mine.

◆◇◆

"...Hn?"

I opened my eyes and looked around, but it was pitch black and I couldn't see a thing.

"Oh… it's already night. Did I drink too much and pass out…?"

I got up, turned on the lights in my room, and closed the curtains. Then, I checked the time on my phone.

"Crap! It's one in the morning… I don't remember a thing."

I was shocked, but seeing the massive pile of empty cans on the floor, I could only think, well, that's what happens.

"Haaah… What am I doing…"

My mood darkened, so I decided to watch some TV and turned it on.

"A pachinko commercial…"

Watching the commercial, I thought that maybe becoming a pachinko pro wouldn't be so bad.

"Pachinko, huh… Never played it."

I don't gamble. The most I've ever done is play mahjong for small stakes with friends in college.

"But a job where I don't have to worry about relationships might be nice…"

It's not that I have social anxiety, but I'm not exactly a smooth talker. Rather than work with a jerk like my old boss, maybe I should choose a job with no human interaction.

I continued to stare blankly at the TV, thinking about the job hunt that would start tomorrow.

"Why don't you become an Adventurer, too? Being an Adventurer is a job full of dreams! The Frontier is waiting for you!"

"An Adventurer, huh…"

I muttered to myself as I watched the tacky commercial.

I've heard this world changed drastically thirty years ago. It was before I was born, a moment when the world's common sense was supposedly turned upside down.

Apparently, portals called Gates appeared all over the world, and passing through them led to another planet. That world was governed by unknown powers, which brought joy to many people.

Magic, skills, resources and creatures never seen before… and people.

Yes, there were people in that mysterious world. That fact was discovered soon after the Gates appeared.

Because they were the ones who made contact first.

The people from the other world sent envoys to every country. Their demands were as follows.

• They were the ones who created the Gates and connected the worlds.
• They were suffering from a food shortage and wanted food aid.
• In exchange, they would cede territory.
• However, trespassing outside the designated territories was forbidden.
• Any country that refused or broke the treaty would have its Gate closed immediately.

Of course, no country refused this demand. Every nation was short on resources. However, several countries did break the treaty and had their Gates closed. But Japan had not broken the treaty.

That's why this country has a Gate. What's more, Japan provided a great deal of aid, not just food. That paid off, and now this country has multiple Gates and has been given land in various places. Though, to be precise, I think they said we're just borrowing the land or something, but I've forgotten the details.

Japan wasn't the only one. Many countries adopted this strategy. The nations of the world called that other planet the Frontier and began to develop it. At the same time, they permitted civilians to gather materials.

Those who obtained that permission are commonly called Adventurers.

Incidentally, we learned all of this in school.

"If I become an Adventurer, I might not have to work with anyone I don't like."

Adventurers sometimes form parties, but if you don't get along, you can just dissolve the party or leave.

"Not a bad idea."

I'm twenty six, so I think I'm still just barely young enough. I don't think it's too late. To be honest, I'm sick of office work. In that case, aiming to strike it rich as an Adventurer is a viable option.

Being an Adventurer comes with risks, but it's profitable. In fact, many people have made fortunes, and there are even star Adventurers who are regulars on TV and in magazines.

I picked up a katana that was lying in the corner of my room and unsheathed it.

This sword is a treasure my father gave me. Of course, the blade is dulled.

"I know my way around a sword… though it's been eight years."

My eccentric father taught me swordsmanship until I was eighteen. In college, I discovered other hobbies and stopped practicing, but I'd been swinging a sword every day since I could remember.

"I don't know how strong the monsters in the Frontier are, but even high school students are becoming Adventurers. There's no way I can't do it."

The reason I'm trying to sound so cool is because I'm drunk. I'm aware of that.

"Let's do it…"

I wanted to live a normal life. Work hard at a company, get married, and play with my kids on the weekends.

That kind of life, the one people call normal.

But in reality, I've been fired from my job, and not only do I not have a wife or kids, I don't even have a girlfriend.

"What's the meaning of a life spent drinking out of despair and shedding tears? I say… there is none!"

I sheathed the sword, stood up, and closed my eyes.

"I am Okita Hajime! Bearer of the same name as two members of the Shinsengumi!"

With those words, I drew my sword in an iai slash.

However, I was apparently quite drunk. The sword slipped from my hand as I swung, flying through the air and embedding itself in my dresser.

"Ahhh!! My sword and my dresser!!"

"Hey! Keep it down next door!! What time do you think it is?!"

A yell came from my neighbor. My neighbor is a nice person who gives me leftovers and stuff, but he's not exactly an ordinary citizen.

"S-Sorry!!"

I should just go to sleep today… I've had too much to drink.