“The Shadow Ring. Very useful.”
“You should keep it safe. It’s a gift from the Demon Lord, after all.”
“Ah, of course. But the effect is quite helpful as well, so it’s appreciated.”
“Even so, you know… I think it’s better for you to stay hidden at the back so that the effect doesn’t have to be activated.”
What Rigma said makes sense.
Even though my stats have increased, I’m still weak.
It’s probably best for me to avoid stepping forward in battles.
Still, there are times when I need to be on the front lines, and there’s always the possibility of an enemy ambush.
That’s why this ring is also helpful as insurance for such situations.
“It’s better not to rely too much on vanishing to protect yourself.”
“Exactly. Let Ripianem handle the fighting. If you take her job, she might cry.”
“No, it’s not like that. It’s not like Fiona-sama…”
“Well, I’m not sure about that, old man.”
Well, that’s nothing new.
Even that demon kind can be reliable when it matters. In fact, they might be more effective when they’re lazy and unmotivated most of the time.
That aside, let’s talk about the potential of this ring.
“This ring… I’m glad I found out it has uses other than hiding from enemies.”
“Oh… I see what you mean.”
As expected, Rigma quickly caught on.
So, let’s have an employee interview now.
Tokito and Serika
Magical Power: 12
Strength: 10
Skill: 27
Toughness: 9
Agility: 28
Tokito entered the room nervously.
Well, I can understand that. After something like that happens, it’s natural to feel uneasy about being called in again.
She saw Molly being burned right in front of her, after all.
“Uh, um… Rey-san, I thought there wouldn’t be any result like being burned to death today, so I was relieved…”
“Yes, you passed. Though, I already knew that.”
“Eh… I’m sorry. As a former human, it’s difficult for me to understand the way demons think… I’d appreciate it if you could explain.”
Well, I was once human too, and we’re from the same hometown… but I guess that doesn’t matter now.
Anyway, the surprise evaluation is over. Honestly, I didn’t need to do it for these two, but I thought I’d do it anyway.
“I was checking if you were working seriously. Well, I already knew from Pilkaya’s report, but I thought I’d ask you directly.”
“I-I see… So, what do you want to talk about?”
“Are there any complaints or requests? Anything at all.”
“N-no, nothing at all! The number of people has increased, so the workload has decreased, and I’m alive, so there’s no problem!”
The minimum standard is really low, but I guess it’s because she’s scared of the demons.
“Is there anything else? Like wanting permission to go out during your break, or wanting some kind of luxury items?”
“U-um… Is that okay?”
“Yeah, Tokito seems like he won’t betray us for now.”
If I can’t be seen, that’s suspicious, but for now, I think he’ll work as the shopkeeper for a while.
To prevent him from betraying us, I’ll need to make sure his basic needs and some extra accommodations are taken care of.
“Do you think it’s okay to allow going out?”
“Pilkaya will work hard for it.”
“Ah… I see.”
Tokito seemed to understand and quickly switched his mindset, thinking about various things.
He’s actually pretty mentally strong, the way he can change his mindset so quickly.
“I want to invite Eriko and go out!”
“Then, let Pilkaya know in advance. If necessary, I’ll leave the shop with Dartle.”
I swear I heard someone muttering, “Uncle, you’re not supposed to be listening!” for some reason.
Well, it’s too late to stop now. Tokito seems happy, and it’s too cruel to say no at this point.
“Alright, if something comes up in the future, just let someone know, and I’ll consider it.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
When I urged her to leave, she bowed deeply and left.
I could see a bit of the “corporate slave” spirit in her, but it’s probably our fault, so I’ll try to make sure she has a comfortable life.
Okui Eriko
Magical Power: 18
Strength: 25
Skill: 26
Toughness: 15
Agility: 27
Eriko entered the room with slightly more formal manners than Tokito.
Her gaze was directed at me. So that means…
“Okui, you passed.”
“W-what do you mean?”
“I’m just checking if you’re working seriously, and I’m also listening to complaints and requests from the employees. Do you have anything?”
“…Can I say anything?”
That means there’s something, right?
We don’t want anyone holding things in and causing harm like Molly did.
…But in her case, she was already planning to betray us from the start, so it wouldn’t be fair to compare.
“You can say anything. Whether it’s complaints about me or Fiona-sama, or if Pilkaya is annoying… there won’t be any punishment for whatever you say.”
“N-no… it’s nothing like that… well, it might be. I’m sorry.”
She initially denied it, but then corrected herself.
I see. I guess we’re not exactly pleasant figures for our employees.
Well, that’s to be expected. We captured them and are forcing them to work, so it’s natural for them to have complaints.
“It’s fine. You can say whatever you want. I may not be able to fulfill all your requests, but I’d like to hear them.”
“Yes… Well, sometimes Ripianem-sama comes to help, but… well…”
“Tell her not to interfere.”
“N-no… Yes… I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s my fault.”
Pilkaya, please stop.
Ripianem is still not ready for a job like this.
“That’s all.”
“That’s all?”
When I saw her face become oddly refreshed, as if a burden had been lifted, I couldn’t say anything more.
Is Ripianem, the well-meaning monster, destroying things somewhere today too?
◇
Kazama Takemi
Magic Power: 25
Strength: 30
Skill: 24
Toughness: 38
Agility: 36
Seri Arata
Magic Power: 39
Strength: 5
Skill: 29
Toughness: 20
Agility: 18
Hara Tomoka
Magic Power: 30
Strength: 7
Skill: 37
Toughness: 19
Agility: 21
“Hello, it’s been a while.”
“Hello~”
“Good work.”
Why are the three of them here at the same time…?
Well, whatever. At least I know they all recognize me.
It wasn’t that they were trying to match the others’ moods, and there’s no hostility from them either.
“Kazama. Did your way of speaking change?”
“Ugh… I apologize for that.”
“Takemi started paying attention to his attitude after working under Karl-san.”
Seri explained, and I see… these three used to manage a shop before, under the dwarf who now processes magic stones for Fiona-sama.
“He’s a skilled one, that dwarf.”
“That’s right!”
Kazama seems really into it.
Wait a second. Karl has now dedicated himself to processing stones.
These three should be running the store in his place, but the way Kazama phrased that makes me suspicious.
“My master is a wonderful stone craftsman! I’ve also recently been learning stone processing from him!”
So, that’s what’s been happening.
Pilkaya hadn’t mentioned this part. As long as there’s no harm to the dungeon or Fiona-sama, he likely let them do as they please.
But Kazama’s excitement is pretty intense. Does he really enjoy stone crafting that much?
“I see… well, if you can do something like Karl, then that helps us too.”
“As expected of the Demon King’s right-hand! You properly recognize my master’s work!”
“We don’t care about race as long as someone is skilled. Having you three in the shop is a big help.”
“!!… What an eye-opener. I was still trapped by my old beliefs. Human kings never evaluated us, but the demons have correctly acknowledged our worth.”
Well, he’s pretty moved, but I can’t really comment since I don’t know what they were up to when they were with the humans.
“Good job, Takemi! The right-hand sees it, after all!”
Oh, here they go again, getting into their own world.
“But don’t cause trouble for Karl-san, okay? And since the right-hand has recognized you, you should do your best with the store too.”
“Of course! But we’re almost there.”
“Almost what…?”
“The rings we’re going to give to Shin and Tomoka.”
Ah, that’s why he’s been training under Karl in stone processing.
But I really don’t want to hear any more about their romance here.
“If you have any requests or suggestions, let Pilkaya or know.”
“Yes!”
Their responses are always so enthusiastic…
Well, at least they’re no longer ignoring me like before, even if they get lost in their own world.
◇
“Good work~. It’s tough, huh? Doing interviews with everyone.”
“I’m a bit of a coward. If there’s a traitor in the ranks, I’d be scared.”
“But it looks like there were no problems in the results. From now on, we’ll know when we bring someone in, and I’ll deal with them as soon as I find out.”
Molly seems to really be holding a grudge against her.
Well, for now, it looks like neither reincarnators nor locals have any hostility. The locals seem to have either given up or are resigned, while the reincarnators appear to be adapting well.
When it comes to securing employees in the future, it might be better to lean toward reincarnators…
No, wait, Molly was also a reincarnator, so that thought is a bit hasty.
For now, I can judge based on the stats’ names, but it would be scary if someone like Molly managed to sneak in.
I’ll keep doing surprise tests for hostility from now on.
“…”
“By the way, what are you doing, Fiona-sama?”
“Shh… I’m hiding from the enemy.”
“You’re not hidden. I’m not the enemy, and besides, the Shadow Ring doesn’t work on me, as I am one of the Four Kings.”
“Pr-Primilla … it’s not like that.”
“It’s not different. You can’t hide from me with the Shadow Ring, and even if the Demon King eats all the magic fruit from my field, I’m still not an enemy of the Demon King.”
“You’re lecturing me, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am.”
…What are these demons doing?
Fiona-sama, who was hiding behind me, was dragged away by the small Primilla with one hand. It looks like she’s in for a long lecture.
“When I watch the Demon King, it seems like Rey uses the Shadow Ring’s effect much better than you.”
“Well, it’s better than running away from lectures…”
