Chapter 200: Employee for a day, part 2
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Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama
「Welcome to the guild! What can I do for you today?」
「Hello, I’d like a quest like this –」
Lyla watched the employees attend to adventurer after adventurer, a process she was familiar with. Not knowing this, of course, Iris decided to provide a demonstration and told her to watch from behind.
「Over here, please!」, said the branch chief, catching an adventurer’s attention.
「Is Milia-san in today…?」
「I’m afraid she isn’t.」
Shrugging, the adventurer cast a glance at Lyla and presented his license. After a quick look at it, Iris found a suitable quest from a stack of quest slips and laid it on the counter. She proceeded to explain the details.
Indeed, thought Lyla. I know this procedure inside out.
「This counter’s open too」, she declared. 「Anyone need anything?」
None of the adventurers commented on her haughty tone.
「Never seen you before, lassie. You new here?」, asked a middle-aged adventurer as he handed her his license.
「New? I’m the Demon King.」
「Hahaha, I like that attitude.」
「What do you want? Speak.」
「How ‘bout a round of drinks once the day is over?」
「No. Next –」
「Oi, hold up. I still need a quest here.」
「Goodness. You could have said that at the start.」
The antithesis of Milia, a polite city girl, the Demon-King-turned-employee had a unique beauty and elegance. While the former reminded one of a dandelion growing by the roadside, the latter had the allure of an expensive rose. Milia’s personality made her popular with all, but Lyla had a different charm about her altogether.
「Don’t get angry at me, now… heheh.」
Despite having been chided, the adventurer was far from angry. Lyla leafed through her stack of quest slips in search of one that met his needs. Most of the people present had their eyes trained on her — the adventurers, marvelling at an unfamiliar beauty; the employees, worried that she would slip up.
「Here, how’s this? It’s a quest from me, so I don’t want to hear a no from you.」
The quest rank matched the adventurer’s rank. He readily accepted it with a nod.
「Aye. I’ll take it.」
「Good answer. Do your best, and I look forward to your return.」
Putting on her best smile, she saw him off.
「It’s a new type of employee…!」, exclaimed the various people that were watching her.
Now that she knew Lyla was competent, Iris had cheered up.
「Well done, Lyla-chan!」
「Was there ever any doubt?」
「It’s nice to have someone who knows what she’s doing.」
Having her regular duties to attend to, Iris gave Lyla another word of encouragement and returned to her office.
「Next! Anyone?」
The moment she spoke, multiple adventurers, mostly male, quickly formed a line in front of her.
「Hm? So many of you want to speak to me? Men… I guess it can’t be helped.」
She beamed on purpose, and the men were unable to resist the urge to smile. After all, she was the Demon King — she knew how to make these insignificant adventurers infatuated with her without any effort at all.
As she served the long line of clients, she decided to provide some advice.
「That monster is venomous. Take special caution, will you?」
She noticed one that looked extremely uncertain.
「If I say you can do it, then you can and you will. You don’t need to have confidence in yourself — just in what I say.」
One adventurer confessed on the spot…
「I like you!」
「I don’t. Next!」
…and was almost rejected just as quickly.
As they had only half of the usual manpower, every employee had several times their normal workload. Even with Lyla handling most of the male adventurers, the rest were still barely able to stop for breath.
That being said, one employee in particular seemed very free.
Morley, the employee in question, attracted the occasional glance from his colleagues, which was usually accompanied by a deep sigh. Knowing that this wasn’t normal, Lyla grilled him in between serving clients.
「So, what are you doing?」
「Me? Verification. They gimme their stuffs, I make sure they’re legit.」
「And how busy are you with that?」
「They’re comin’, and I’m waitin’.」
「It seems like you can’t even assign quests — something a new employee like me learnt simply by observation.」
「No?」
「Then do it. You’re not helping at all. In fact, you’re making life more difficult for all of us.」
Lyla had spoken up when nobody else wished to. For that reason, two employees that were listening with one ear looked at her and Morley.
「I do verification today. Ya know how important that is? Only I can do it.」
「I know, but you should do the other stuff while you’re waiting.」
Morley tutted.
「Low-life」, muttered Lyla with a shake of her head. 「Resorting to pouting and tutting when you’re out of rebuttals. I could tell from the start — it’s painfully obvious from how everyone avoids you. Do you enjoy being treated like an outcast? Does that make you feel good?」
「Yer just a helping hand fer today, and yer gonna act like yer a big deal?」
「I don’t have to act like one. I am a big deal. That’s a given.」
That caused everyone’s, including Morley’s, jaws to drop.
「Is she from headquarters…?」
「Huh. I see her outside sometimes… was she planted here to watch us?」
His colleagues’ discussion fell on deaf ears, and Morley began shaking his leg in exasperation.
「I’m doin’ what I’m meant ta do, so pipe down and go back ta work, rookie!」
「Look at you, unable to dispute what a rookie’s saying. Because the rookie’s right. Aren’t you worse than a rookie, then?」
The errant employee gnashed his teeth.
「It must feel terrible」, continued Lyla. 「Imagine hearing something like this from a rookie.」
「…Nah.」
「If you feel no remorse, then feel free to continue as you are. Enjoy wasting the rest of your day doing no work and receiving no gratitude.」
Morley’s shoulders drooped. His habitual leg-shaking had stopped.
「…」
「Admit that you’ve lost, and I will let up. Follow your colleagues’ examples, and they too will follow yours.」
He started bawling.
「That’s how an organisation operates. You look like you have something to say.」
His shoulders shook, and he sniffled.
「I feel it… I feel the remorse…」
Lyla thumped his shoulder to console him.
「Special circumstances like these are a great way to get Iris to see you in a new light.」
「Right-o!」
Wiping his tears on his sleeves, Morley got up and plopped himself down on the seat next to Lyla’s.
「We’re all in this together, Morgan.」
「The name’s Morley!」
With a quiet chuckle, he called an adventurer over and started the usual procedure.
Lyla took a seat and got back to work.
「Twenty-five.」
The Demon King glared at Morley with her arms folded. She had made him kneel on the ground in front of her.
「Do you know what that number is, Morgan?」, she continued.
「Eh. Look, I’m Morley, ‘kay?」
「Twenty-five. Twenty-five times you messed up, after which I had to cover for you!」
「It’s not that bad, is it…?」
Though she knew that Morley had tried his best, Lyla was still unable to resist clenching her fist.
「What an attitude!」
Her magicka leaked out in the form of a strong gale, swirling around her and lifting her crimson hair.
「Calm down, Lylael-chan…」
「Y-Yeah, please. It’s not good to fight. Not good…」
The two employees might as well have been talking to a brick wall.
「Know your place! Idiot! Good-for-nothing!」
「I-I…」
「Do you know how busy I was thanks to you? Useless sandbag!」
Her voice echoed across the now-closed guild. She now knew that the real killer was maintaining working relationships in the office, and not the work that came her way. Without waiting for closing assembly, she left home in a huff.
Never again, she thought to herself. No matter what.
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