Comprehensive Hero Dispatch Services, Inc ~Life of Peerless Adventures in Another World with a Beautiful Lady~ - Chapter 10: The Pillar of My Family

Episode 10: The Pillar of My Family

“I’m home! Phew, I’m tired.”

I traveled from Tokyo, transferring trains, and then I took a thirty-minute bike ride from the station to my parents’ house in Saitama. Unusually I saw everyone was gathered at home.

“Welcome back! How was work?”

Today, my sister Rena, who usually spends her time idly at the dining table when there’s no practice, asked about my job.

She’s just one year younger than me, but her athleticism is off the charts. Since middle school, she’s been excelling as a scholarship student in track and field, already receiving offers from several corporate teams even though she’s only a third-year university student. With her exceptional looks, she’s graced the cover of specialized magazines as an idol athlete.

While I was struggling on the job hunt battlefield, my sister, who was living the dream, practically had offers lined up left and right.

This real-life cheat of a sister caused me no end of grief with Mom’s constant nagging…

“Oh, it was great! The company seems to really like me.”

“Wow, that’s great! Looks like you can avoid being a job-hunting recluse, huh? Mom, Shoma seems like he’s going to get a job! Dad, Shoma might become a working adult soon!”

“I was really worried he’d end up a NEET. I thought he was taking it easy, so I let him be, but I didn’t expect it to come down to the wire like this.”

“Your mom’s right. He really struggled with his job search. We should celebrate today. Shoma, how about a beer?”

While my family seemed ecstatic, I was relieved to finally report that I could enter the workforce after worrying about not having a single job offer until the last minute.

“Mom, Dad, sorry for worrying you, but I’m officially going to be a working adult starting April.”

Afterwards, we had dinner as a family of four, but when I started talking about my company’s business and the exams I took today, the atmosphere at the table grew uneasy.

“Um, Shoma… Is your head okay? I don’t get stuff about heroes, elves, and all that. Did you go nuts from job hunting for so long?”

“Yeah, I’ve never heard of such a company, either… Shoma, do you need to go to the hospital? Maybe I nagged you too much about job hunting…”

My sister and Mom looked at me with puzzled expressions. On the other hand, Dad, though surprised, seemed to know something and avoided eye contact as if he had an inkling about something.

“Well, it’s fine. There are all kinds of companies out there. Shoma is becoming a company employee, so he needs to get serious.”

“Dad! We can’t let Shoma work for such a weird company!”

“Come on, Mom. Let’s calm down. We can’t force Shoma to quit the company he’s chosen based on just our opinions. A parent must celebrate and send him off on his journey.”

Unusually, Dad, who usually just agrees with Mom about everything, calmly reasoned with her.

Strange… He usually just nods along with Mom… Does Dad know about the company? Well, he does work for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, even though he’s a non-career employee…

“Dad… Shoma, quit immediately if it’s a strange company. I’ll ask a relative who owns a machinery equipment company to introduce you to something better.”

“That sounds better. Shoma’s company feels suspicious.”

Although my sister usually doesn’t care about what I do, this time, she seemed oddly concerned about me. Well, it’s probably just for the time being.

“Okay, okay. I’ll keep your advice in mind. But there are good people there, so it’ll be fine. Oh, and starting tomorrow, I’ll be moving into the company dorm.”

“What!?”

Mom and Rena were shocked by my sudden announcement.

Is it that surprising? Commuting three hours to work every day is tough. Plus, I hate crowded trains. And there’s no way I can refuse Mr. Claude, the company president if he asks me for anything.

“Sorry, but the commute is too far, and Mr. Claude arranged it for me. He said there’s a furnished studio apartment in Tokyo. I’ll just pack some clothes for now and come back for the rest on the weekend.”

“Why are you deciding this so suddenly? You still have your graduation ceremony, right!?”

“Oh, that’s taken care of.”

Mom brought up the graduation ceremony, but the company dorm is much closer to my university. Besides, she’s always telling me to leave home and live independently once I start working…

After Mom and Rena tried to dissuade me from moving into the dorm, Dad, who usually remains silent, gave his approval. And as I was leaving, I successfully got Dad’s name on the guardian section of the dorm application form, which I received from Ms. Escaia.

After dinner, as I was packing my suitcase and preparing to leave, Dad came into my room. He usually was home late, but today, he was home before me.

“Shoma, can I talk to you for a moment?”

“Yeah, sure. What’s up, Dad?”

Dad closed the door and sat on the bed.

“I never expected you to join ‘Integrated Hero Dispatch Service Co., Ltd.’… As we talked earlier, you went to Elcrust, right?”

Dad, whose hair had recently turned gray, sighed wearily.

Dad seemed to know about the company, but…

“Yeah, as I said earlier. I’ll be working as an employee dispatching heroes.”

“I see… I never thought my son would become a ‘hero’…”

“Did you know about the company, Dad?”

I asked a direct question as I was curious. Suddenly, Dad’s eyes became sharper than I’d ever seen them.

“I do. Twenty years ago, I was part of the team that negotiated the Japan-Elcrust Friendship Treaty and the Extermination of Hostile Beasts Agreement. Although I never went there, Mr. Claude, the president of your company, is related to my workplace. The company is operated jointly by Japan and Elcrust’s Beast Extermination Organization. Well, this is confidential information, so I’m only telling you this as an employee. I’ll take care of your mom and sister, so focus on your work. There’s nothing more beneficial than that job. As a father, I couldn’t be happier.”

Surprisingly, Dad, who works for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is acquainted with the president and seems to know about the other world.

I had no idea Dad had any connection to another world…

“Is any information about the company’s business supposed to be confidential?”

“Yeah, that includes information about Elcrust. When you join that company, information will be sent to public security. Be careful with your words. On the surface, it’s just a regular Japanese company, so be discreet about work-related matters. With my authority, I can cover up some things, but I can’t protect you from anything serious. Keep that in mind.”

I involuntarily swallowed at Dad’s serious expression.

“I suppose Mr. Claude recommended the company dorm considering these factors. They have constant surveillance by public security to protect against foreign espionage, so it’s safer than being home.”

The conversation seemed to be escalating very quickly, but it seemed that Japan kept its relations with Elcrust confidential. Indeed, if they were to announce that they had connected with another world, the Prime Minister would probably be seen as someone crazy, and curious people would flock in droves.

“Why is Japan keeping quiet about that continent though?”

“Shoma… In that continent, there are rare metals, undiscovered microorganisms, and other resources directly beneficial to Japan. It wouldn’t be wise to reveal that to other countries. It’s been a matter of succession between Prime Ministers, Vice Ministers of Foreign Affairs, and Directors of Public Security for twenty years.”

Indeed, the technology on the company ID card and various other things seemed amazing… I might have unwittingly gotten involved in Japan’s biggest confidential matter.

“I understand… I’ll keep the job details a secret from Mom and my friends. Thanks for the advice, Dad.”

“Good. Take care of yourself. Make sure to visit your mom and sister on your days off.”

“Yeah, I will.”

Dad, who had a stern expression, suddenly relaxed.

–

Authors Note:

As of now, there are “no countries other than Japan that know about the Elcrust world,” but there might be leaks in the future. For now, “there’s no infiltration by foreign powers.”