Hero, Quit ~ Next Workplace Is Demon Castle

Chapter 4

1-4 – Hero, Being Employed on a Trial Basis.

There is a system of probationary periods.

Originally devised by the merchants’ guild in the port town of Laverta, it is a system of temporary employment for one month to several months before a new employee is hired permanently.

The good thing about this is that it benefits both the employer and the employee.

The employer can see whether the person is a useful person or not. The employer can experience first-hand the atmosphere and aspects of the workplace and its culture that would otherwise be difficult to understand without actually working there.

In fact, there are so many things in the world that ‘you won’t know until you try’.

Just like in a fight, it is said that one real battle is better than a hundred classroom lessons, and the quickest way to get a feel for a person’s personality is to fight shoulder-to-shoulder with them.

A taster period to see if you are compatible with each other.

That is the trial period, the test of employment.

—-

[…… All right, then.]

With a long sigh, Demon General Steina opened her mouth.

She puts her index finger to her lips, ponders for a moment, and then continues reluctantly.

[O poor hero, betrayed by the humans despite having saved the world. Sad man who’s misjudged, whom you should serve and whom you should protect. I believe that your motives are true.]

[Thank you. Demon General Steina.]

I thanked her with all my heart.

Frankly, I was fed up with the selfishness of humans, and I was getting sick and tired of getting bug bites all over the place in the field.

On the other hand, if I joined the demon army, I would be able to secure a minimum amount of food, sleep under a roof, and not have to deal with the assassins who came to kill me day after day.

Instead of assassins, the survivors of the old Demon King’s Army who have a grudge against me might try to kill me, but, well, that’s when it happens. Let’s try to find a peaceful solution somehow.

As for the grudge, Steina was also concerned about the same thing and was persistent in reminding me.

[Don’t tell Lady Echidna for the time being. Use magic, grimoire, magic items, whatever you can, but make sure you hide your true identity. There are a few people left who have a grudge against you.]

[A little, eh?]

[…… a little bit.]

I thought that there must really only be a few left.

At any rate, the current demon army – mainly because of my rampage – is rattled. The personnel are toothless, down to the size of a rural border guard force, and it doesn’t function as an organization at all. I would say that increasing manpower is the top priority at the moment.

I should mention that I didn’t just beat the Demon King’s Army soldiers to death. The only time I used a wide-area annihilation spell such as the Crimson Comet, was when I was dealing with the Demon King and Four Heavenly Kings class.

At any rate, the opponent was the Echidna army, which advanced the invasion while refraining from unnecessary killing as much as possible. Slaughter leads to slaughter, and resentment leads to more resentment – if the Demon King’s Army was moving peacefully, we had no choice but to move peacefully too, that’s all.

They have tried various ways to avoid unnecessary disasters, such as using Temptation of Seduction to cause the internal collapse of the troops, or using the Curse of the Faint to hog-tie them and put them in jail when their physical condition deteriorated.

Even if you put in all that time and effort, there are still limits. Of course there are people who hold grudges against me.

Steina’s suggestion that I should hide my face when I work so that my true identity is not revealed was a very natural one.

Yes, work. Work!

Echidna and the Four Heavenly Kings will be doing the hiring interviews, and other work, so the Demon Army should not be messing with the human world for quite some time. There won’t be that much work for me to do.

I can eat, sleep, play, and laze around. The Demon Army is going to be an ideal workplace for me.

[Also, this is only a one-month trial! I’m going to need you to produce the results you deserve during this trial period!]

–correction.

It was supposed to be an ideal workplace. I can’t live a lazy life playing with stones, can I?

[You don’t think you could live idly for a while, do you? I hope you weren’t thinking of such nonsense.]

[What? No way! Outrageous!]

[…… huh?]

He waves his hands in denial.

With a deep sigh, Shutina takes on a tone that reminds me.

[It’s for your own good, too. If you can produce results during this trial period, we, the Four Heavenly Kings, will advise the Demon King to officially employ you.]

[I see. On the other hand, if I fail to deliver–?]

[I’m kicking you out.]

I was told flat out.

That’s right. There was no reason to employ a deadbeat in a place where finances were already tight. It was perfectly sensible logic.

[I know, I’ll do the work. I don’t want to be kicked out and go back to living on the field. …… First of all, it’s urgent that we rebuild the demon army. Right?]

[Yes. ‘More troops, repairing castles, procuring armour, cutting costs and improving benefits. It’s very hard to reorganise an army that’s been driven to the brink of irrelevance. Really.]

Well, I suppose you’re right. Because I’m the one who drove them to the point just before they couldn’t get up again. ……

Some have returned to the demon world to heal their injuries. Some are still in the hands of humans, and some have run away because they don’t want to fight. Whatever the reason, it is extremely difficult to bring those who have been left back into the army. Just as it is difficult to go from being penniless to being a millionaire, it would be even more difficult than a thorny path to form a large army again from near zero.

That’s why I wanted to ask Echidna.

[Why don’t you withdraw from the human world even though you’ve been driven to this point?]

[Is there any reason?]

And.

The most important reason I decided to join the Demon Army this time was honestly this – ‘I want to talk to Echidna’.

I didn’t have time to talk to Echidna during this interview, but I will have a chance when I’m hired. I would like to have a long talk with her.

[–Other things like maintenance of the magic furnace, training of recruits, …… Hey Leo, are you listening?]

[Oops. I hear you, I hear you.]

[It’s not just Steina! Me too, me too. I’m in trouble!]

Interrupt your pensive thoughts and return to reality. Shutina, who had been talking for some time now, spoke up. Lili, too, was thinking, jumping up from her chair like a spring-loaded doll and wagging her tail to show how hard her job was.

[Lately, Hey … Hey Tan? I’ve been given the job, but it’s hard work! There’s so much work to do!]

[Are you joking?]

The real story came out of his mouth. This stupid girl is in charge of logistics?

I question the sanity of my boss – Echidna. Has she finally lost her mind from stress? I’m worried. Really worried.

When I look towards the other four Heavenly Kings, Shutina and Edward turn their faces away awkwardly. Melnes is peeling apples in a basket on the tabletop, seemingly unconcerned.

It’s no wonder. …… The main role of Edward’s old man is to train physical soldiers such as Kobolds and Orcs to become full-fledged warriors, because he is a martial man.

A small number of those interviewed for employment were also mixed in with the dragon tribe of dragons. They have pride as high as their fighting ability, and Edward should be the only one from the dragon tribe who can hold them back.

It is quite a lot of work to train low-skilled soldiers, so there should be little room to take care of logistics on top of that.

Shutina is the opposite. Not only does she unite the demon tribe, but also the fairy tribe faeries, fantasy species and other subhumans and monsters with high magic powers, and organize the magic corps – she also does most of the other jobs that require a brain, such as human resources and accounting. She’s a valuable intellectual.

If you look closely, you can see dark circles under her eyes and she is pale. Perhaps she is on the verge of death from exhaustion. Poor thing.

Melnes – as can be seen, she has communication problems, so she appears fundamentally unsuited to a job that requires detailed arrangements and negotiations, such as logistics.

Mostly, she should be leading reconnaissance, scouting and craft units under the leadership of the ghost ghost tribe, who are skilled at blocking out signs, or the beastmen, who are as dexterous as goblins.

–and.

Aside from that, they need to secure food and other things to support their livelihoods. The most important thing in an army is logistics.

[So, Lili. So you got the white feather. ……] ( TL: I don’t understand the deep meaning here..{???????????????????} If you can understand, leave comments.)

[It’s me!]

Without understanding the meaning of my mutterings, Lili nodded broadly.

As we have seen, apart from the demon king Echidna, who has no idea what she is doing, she is the only top-level executive with an available hand.

So we have no choice but to entrust the logistics department to this …… No-nonsense girl who is happily wagging her tail.

The lifeline of the army.

To say it’s terrible is an understatement.

The demon king’s army seemed to be suffering from a serious manpower shortage.

[It’s tough.]

[Ah! Nah! Ta! The! It’s my fault!]

[—- !!!!]

The “Fireball Fireball” sent by Shutina in a chantless form is caught by the “Abyssal Black Mist Voidsmist”, which is also chantless, and is carefully wrapped up and extinguished without leaving any traces.

I should be praised for not choosing the easy-to-activate «Wind Shield». Should I have casually used the «Wind Shield» the Fireball would have hit a wall or the ceiling and caused a huge explosion, and this guest room would have been destroyed for a while – or, if things went badly, permanently. – would have been unusable.

Do you see what I mean? I, the Hero Leo DeMonhart, am a genius who can take care of things like that in an instant. Since such a super talented person is going to join the demon king’s army, Shutina should show a little more respect.

And even if you think so, please learn from my modesty in not saying it out loud.

Fortunately, it never turned into a full-blown fight.

Edward and Lili, who couldn’t bear to look on, interceded.

[Well, calm down, demon general. If the Hero – Mister Leo – will join us, there is nothing more reassuring than this.]

[Ugh…… I know, it is, but ……]

Lili protests by making a batten with both hands at Shutina, who tries to talk back. But she still looked like she wanted to say something.

……gu, nuh.”

Grudgingly falls silent. She did not seem to intend to rehash it any further.

As soon as Shutina was quiet, Edward’s arm, thick as a log, was placed on my shoulder.

Good. I was a little worried, but apparently, I’ve won his trust.

[Let’s forget about the old grudge. I look forward to working with you, Mister Leo!]

[Yes, Nice to meet you!]

While patting Lili’s head, which clings to my waist, I glance at the corner of the table.

Demon General Shutina, who is openly emotional, for better or worse.

The friendly Dragon General Edward and Beast General Lili.

Among them, there is only one who does not join this circle and has decided to remain silent since a while ago.

[……]

That was the shadowless General Melnes. After I had finished telling her, Why I wanted to be a part of the project. She just looked at me silently, taking a bite of the apple, and I couldn’t tell whether I was welcomed or not.

Don’t tell me she’s speechless with pity for the severity of my situation, or ……? It can’t be. Shakes head, erases ridiculous thoughts.

She is the topmost member of the Assassin Guild. A purple hood, passed down from generation to generation only to the Guild Master. The face under it is completely expressionless and does not seem to have any particular feelings about my former enemy joining the guild.

[Hello, Melnes. How are you?]

[……]

[It looks like you’re fine. From now.]

[……]

It was a spectacular stunt.

…… No, strictly speaking, it’s not a deerstalker. She seems to have decided to keep quiet, but only the eyes are looking firmly in my direction.

Well, ‘Leo, nice to meet you! Let’s work together!” If she said something like that, that would be weird, and in that sense I don’t mind if she is silent.

I don’t mind, but.

I was honestly hoping that she would at least say something, since we are going to be colleagues from now on.

—-

-A few hours after being slapped with a rejection by the demon king Echidna.

Thus, the second round of interviews was over and former Hero Leo Demonheart is now provisionally employed by the Demon King’s Army.

[Wind ……]

In a corner of the Demon Lord’s castle, he takes a break in the private room he has been allocated.

Lying on the rickety bed, I close my eyes and think about the work I’m going to do tomorrow.

The manpower shortage is too severe.

Lack of organizational operational know-how.

Training of subordinates.

Communication with the four main groups of co-workers.