Chapter 83: An out-of-town posting, part 5
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Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama
◆Iris◆
「Hmm…」, Iris sighed as she sat alone in her office.
The sun was already far below the horizon, and it was about time to close. Ever since she had heard from the Guild Master, she had been in no mood to work.
『Five different branches have requested for Roland to be transferred over.』
While she had been surprised at first, she knew that those sharp-eared branch chiefs would no doubt have made a pass at him sooner or later. Even after working with him for so long, the full extent of his abilities was still unknown to her. All she knew was that he was one of a kind — he could not only perform any task at maximum efficiency, but also raise morale among his colleagues.
「He’s an assassin, after all…」
Although the Guild Master hadn’t spread the word otherwise, he had told her about Roland’s former life the moment he joined.
『If that’s the case, then I can’t and won’t say anything. It’s his choice』, she had replied in an unusually noble manner.
「I wish he would stay…」
As she looked down at her desk and sighed, Morley poked his head into the room.
「Chief –? We just closed. We need the closing ceremony.」
「Milia’s going to cry when she hears this.」
「Huh? Why?」
Shaking her head, Iris stood up. Allowing the employees to enter, she went through the things that had been done that day and highlighted what to take note of for the next day, bringing a peaceful day to a close. While everyone was getting ready to leave, she called out to Milia.
「Are you free tonight, Milia?」
「Oh, that’s rare to hear from you, Chief… but okay ♪」
She was probably expecting it to be a treat from Iris. Forcing a smile, Iris went back to her office to retrieve her bag, then went to meet Milia outside the back door.
「Where are we going today?」
「Let’s go for a drink.」
「Ooh, you’re in the zone today!」
The two ladies headed for a quiet restaurant, where their red wine was served in two delicately crafted glasses. Without stopping to appreciate it, however, Iris emptied her glass in one gulp.
「That’s a fine way of drinking you have there～」
「Haa…」
「We’re supposed to have fun while drinking, so please don’t sigh so loudly…」
「You’re right, but it’s not like I want to sigh so loudly either…」
「Oh, I see… did Roland-san reject you officially…?」
「He might as well have.」
「Wait, might as well…? I said that as a joke, but…」
The waiter came to refill Iris’s glass, which she immediately emptied again.
「Because he’s so capable… everyone… wants him. Even though it was I who interviewed him and employed him fair and square…」
As she sniffled, Milia shook her shoulder gently.
「What do you mean, Chief?」
「I need to let you know this first… in case it ever happens…」
「In case it… ever happens…?」, echoed Milia, clearing her throat.
「Roland might be transferred to another branch sooner or later.」
「Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?」
「They’re also offering him more than what we’re giving him now, so there’s a good chance he’ll take up the offer.」
「You can’t allow this to happen, Chief?」
「We can’t be selfish, Milia.」
「But it’s not like you want it to happen either…!」
「You’re right, I don’t, but… I also don’t think Roland should stay as an ordinary employee forever.」
「He’s getting promoted, huh?」
「If it happens, though, I’m sure Lyla-chan will be happy. She’s always so excitable.」
「She is indeed excitable…」
Iris signalled for the waiter to pour her another glass.
「Not this glass though, get me a stein.」
「Eh? A s-stein, ma’am?」
「Yes. Thank you.」
As she ate, her head began spinning from the alcohol and her words started to slur themselves.
「There will definitely be people who want to go with him」, she declared as she drank the wine as if it was water.
「…You can hold your alcohol well, can’t you, Chief?」
「Ehehe.」
From that time at Roland’s house, you couldn’t have known that she was in fact this good with alcohol.
「Roland will be back the day after tomorrow. He’s probably heard about this from the Master already.」
「Let’s get Warawa-san to casually hint for him to remain with us.」
「Your intentions are clear as day, Milia.」
「I don’t care. If being an adult means to hold back things that you want to say, then I’d rather be a little brat. Let’s go. To Roland-san’s place.」
「Hm, right now?」
「The early bird gets the worm.」
Under pressure from Milia, Iris agreed to go to Roland’s house together.
◆Roland◆
「You’re probably wondering how this happened.」
「I am.」
I had intended to discuss the matter of being transferred with Lyla straight away, but came home to find Iris and Milia collapsed on the sofa, drunk as fishes. Their panties and navels were clearly visible, and I had to avert my eyes.
Covering Milia’s white panties with an overcoat, I was about to do the same for Iris when I realised that her buttocks were essentially completely exposed underneath her translucent panties.
「Iris was wearing such a thing… isn’t this more ass than panties…!? Can you even call this a pair of panties…!?」, exclaimed Lyla in shock.
「Take your hand off her skirt.」
I covered her with a cloth and sat on the edge of the sofa.
「I think these two had a favour to ask of me, but… they became like this after I opened a bottle of wine for them. I didn’t really understand what they were trying to say, and all they did was empty that bottle.」
Chuckling, Lyla sat herself on my lap, positioning herself so that I could carry her like a princess while sitting down.
「But I guess I did hear the news from these two drunkards. What’s your plan?」
「What do you think?」
「Hm? Me? I’m happy for you. It means that your ability as an employee, rather than an assassin, has finally been recognised. It also means that I wasn’t wrong in choosing you.」
「Is that so?」
Her straightforward reply had given me more to think about.
「I asked the branch chief over there what the ‘Normal’ thing to do is, but he told me that I’ll have to decide for myself.」
「Fumu. He’s not wrong. You know, you might be asking others to define what’s ‘Normal’ for you a little too much.」
「There’s no intrinsic definition of the word inside my head.」
「Whatever your opinion is, that’s ‘Normal’, isn’t it?」
How deep. This was a tough nut to crack.
Reaching under the overcoat, Lyla lifted Milia’s skirt.
「Milia’s is an unremarkable pair of panties.」
「Quit looking at the panties of the people you admire.」
「W-What do you think, then? Be honest.」
At that moment, Iris woke up. Her eyes were glassy and her face was still flushed.
「D-Don’t do it, Roland. You’re m-my, shubordinate, so… s-shtop. D-Don’t go…」, she slurred before slipping back into unconsciousness.
「Man, I feel terrible… my head hurts…」, groaned Milia as she woke up too.
「Do you need the washroom?」
「Eh… Rolan-shan? Rolan-shan’s… here…」
She burst out laughing, then suddenly turned serious, as if she had noticed something.
「Without Rolan-shan, I’m going to cry… waaaahhhh…」, she wailed as tears streamed down her face.
「Look, everyone loves you, Rolan-shan.」
「She’s just drunk and inarticulate.」
Sitting beside the sobbing Milia, Lyla gave me a kiss.
「I haven’t had the chance to welcome you home with a kiss.」
「You want to do it now?」
「Look, I’ll say it now… I won’t complain if you plant your seed elsewhere, but that doesn’t mean I’m not jealous, okay…」, she said, blushing as she ruffled my hair. 「What do you think…?」
I had only been gone for a few days, but Lyla clearly didn’t want to let me go.
When morning came, I returned to the Western branch to clock in for the day, leaving my two guests to nurse their hangovers with Lyla.
After my one-week business trip ended, I had rested for two days. At long last, I was back at the Lahati branch.
「Things became much better thanks to you, didn’t they?」, asked Iris as I walked into her office to give her the details.
「In Chief Stan’s words, 『I hadn’t been using my employees or their time wisely, but thanks to Argan-kun, things started running more smoothly and everyone’s happier at work.』」
「I see. That’s the most important thing, then.」
Our meeting was a little awkward, probably because of the thorny topic of my transfer.
「About the matter of my transfer, Chief… I believe you are already aware of it.」
Iris jumped.
「Eh? Ah, yes…」, she said after preparing for the worst.
「I declined all their offers, and will continue giving this branch my all.」
「Huh? Are you sure…?」
「Yes.」
Instead of going by what’s ‘Normal’, I had made this decision by myself.
「T-Thank goodness… I have to let Milia know about this –」
She burst out of her office, running like a teenage girl.
With a better salary, I could lead a more affluent lifestyle. But it would be a life in which Milia, Iris, or any of my colleagues had no place. I have never yearned for much, and this time was no different — the money on the table had failed to draw me in even a little.
「I must have somehow grown attached to these people」, I said to myself, forcing a smile for no one to see.
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