When I returned from exploring the dungeon to save the world, I found out that my lover had been stolen, and I was blamed for the failed expedition. Enraged, I quit Japan's strongest party—only for them to self-destruct on their own. - Chapter 34
The world was in the middle of winter break!
And here I was, visiting KIJ, one of Japan’s largest corporations.
They specialize in developing, manufacturing, and distributing weapons, armor, and various items for dungeon explorers.
Despite Japan being one of the more reluctant D7 nations when it comes to dungeon exploration (at least from a government policy standpoint), the private sector was thriving.
Companies worked alongside explorers, researching, developing, and commercializing cutting-edge gear.
At the forefront of this movement was KIJ.
Dungeon-derived materials and items could fetch astronomical prices.
Buying raw materials, refining them, and selling the finished product could triple or quadruple the price.
That’s how KIJ skyrocketed to one of Japan’s top companies in such a short time.
(Source: Yumeno.)
…For the record, I had never heard of them before and got smacked for saying so. Let’s keep that a secret.
“Hello, I’m Koichi Okita. I’m here on request from your PR department, Mr. Hibino.”
I walked into the towering headquarters of KIJ and introduced myself at the reception desk.
Two receptionists greeted me warmly.
I don’t have much experience in corporate settings, so I made sure to keep things professional.
I mean, c’mon—I look pretty cool when I put in the effort, right?
Since this was a job, I was going to do it right.
“Welcome to KIJ, Mr. Okita. Mr. Hibino will be with you shortly. Please have a seat on that sofa while you wait.”
A textbook-perfect business smile.
As expected of a major corporation.
I had assumed a place like this—specializing in dungeon weapons and armor—would be a rugged blacksmith-style operation.
Instead, I found a sleek, modern office with marble floors and pristine white décor.
Honestly, if some muscle-bound old man in a suit of armor had been standing in the lobby, it would’ve looked way more out of place than me.
“Thank you.”
As I sat down, they immediately brought me tea—perfect timing.
I was so caught off guard I nearly forgot to thank them. Let’s keep that a secret too.
As I sipped my tea, the automatic doors at the far end of the lobby slid open, and a tall, slender man in a crisp suit walked toward me.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Okita. I’m Hibino from PR. Thank you for accepting our request today.”
Hibino greeted me politely, bowing slightly.
“The pleasure is mine. Thanks for the invitation.”
After exchanging greetings, I followed him into a conference room.
“Please, have a seat. Would you like something to drink? We have coffee, tea… or soda if you prefer.”
“I’ll take a Coke, please.”
Yeah.
Big fan of Coke.
Just putting that out there.
“Alright, let me explain today’s request in detail.”
I had already been briefed beforehand, but I let him go over it again.
Today’s agenda:
-
- Testing a new magic sword developed by KIJ.
-
- Sampling a new experimental recovery potion.
-
- Allowing them to examine my katana.
I was the only one here today.
Haruka and Yokota had other commitments.
Heh.
They left the entire stream to me?
Oh, the things I could do.
…Nah, I’d behave.
The magic sword test would take place in the Imperial Palace Dungeon nearby.
It had been a while since I last visited.
Back in my training days, I had frequented the upper floors, which were filled with Treant-type monsters.
The deeper floors had tougher plant monsters, as well as rock and metal-based enemies.
Perfect for testing a sword.
…Still, I always wondered how a dungeon that descended at a weirdly constant diagonal slope managed to fit within the Imperial Palace’s actual land area.
Anyway, not important.
After discussing the stream guidelines, we agreed that the entire process—from start to finish—would be streamed live.
So, the plan:
-
- Potion testing
-
- Sword analysis
-
- Dungeon field test
We weren’t really concerned about content flow or highlights.
We’d just go all in.
Hahahaha.
“Now, as I mentioned over the phone, KIJ faced a product quality issue six months ago. There may still be some criticism. I’d like to address that at the start of the stream.”
Yeah, I already knew about this.
KIJ had rapidly expanded by acquiring multiple companies over the past few years.
However, some management issues had arisen.
There had been incidents where weapons and armor had durability issues, and some items didn’t meet their advertised effects.
Hibino’s furrowed brows as he explained showed how seriously he took it.
I listened carefully, but…
Honestly?
It didn’t seem like that big of a deal to me.
That said, from a corporate perspective, failing to meet promised specs warranted an official apology.
Now, they were in damage control mode, trying to rebuild trust.
Part of that effort was bringing me in for this live demonstration.
Well, I’d make sure to handle it properly.
After all, even I understand the importance of trust.
“Alright, time to start the stream.”
“Welcome to the stream!
This is—
‘Haruka Love Channel!’”
[Live Stream Comments]
: ???
: EXCUSE ME??
: WHAT DID HE JUST SAY?
: ‘Haruka Love Channel’ LOL
: Bro, you did NOT just name the stream that.
: THE SIMP ENERGY IS OFF THE CHARTS
: Does Haruka know?!
: LMAOOOOOOOO
“What? Something wrong?”
: Bro, you can’t just drop that and act normal!!
: SHE’S NOT EVEN HERE LOL
: Is this a marriage proposal?!
: Haruka is gonna KILL you.
: DO IT AGAIN!
Hah.
I love this job.
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