Chapter 22 : Location (1) Part-1

Soon, the opportunity to test the equipment would come.

However, that statement came much sooner than I expected.

The Galactic Federation had never initiated a preemptive attack before.

Even if you maintain a good image in everyday life, a single mistake can completely shatter the image you’ve built up.

Once an image is destroyed, it never returns.

Even if it’s rebuilt, there will always be a label attached that says, “It happened before.”

On the other hand, those who usually have a bad image can actually gain a lot from doing something good once.

Of course, they’ll still be criticized no matter how much time passes, and that one good deed might even be downplayed, but in a situation where there’s nothing to lose, it doesn’t really matter.

The Galactic Federation isn’t perfect or spotless, and the Noir Corporation isn’t seen as purely evil either, but if you’re comparing the two, that’s how it seems.

Therefore, ideally, the Galactic Federation would avoid attacking the Noir Corporation, which is legally operating in South Korea.

At least, that’s what I thought.

“But it seems they’re planning to attack after all,”

James told me.

“To me?”

“Look here.”

James manipulated the tablet PC he was holding.

At the same time, various marks appeared on the screen of the tablet PC I was holding.

A satellite image of a building in a certain area.

And photos of people walking around the area.

The building didn’t seem to be in the city center.

The surrounding area was barren.

The people in the photos all wore the same uniform, so they seemed like company workers.

Their uniforms were different from the combat gear I wore.

“It’s a research complex. It’s quite famous in the area because many local people are employed there.”

I didn’t know.

Honestly, I hadn’t really cared to know.

I didn’t have much loyalty to this company.

At first, I just thought I needed funds for the orphanage, and since someone offered to scout me, I agreed.

Now, though, I was entangled in various ways, and it was too late to back out.

What good would it do to lament it now?

I stared blankly at the screen, and James shrugged.

“This time, you’ll need to protect this area.”

“Isn’t this in Seoul?”

“Of course not. It’s in Gyeonggi Province.”

“Wouldn’t it take quite a while to go back and forth?”

If I had to go there because that was where my job was, I’d go, but I was still in school.

And the orphanage was where I lived.

I didn’t plan on quitting either of those places yet.

I certainly didn’t want to be kicked out.

“Time won’t be an issue. The magical girls are high school students, after all. If it’s the Galactic Federation, they probably won’t attack during school hours. They’ll probably aim for the weekend.”

Well, that’s true, but…

It’s even mentioned in webtoons.

High school students need to focus on their studies, especially in Korea where the college entrance exam is so important, so they only do things that won’t interfere with studying.

Like the question, “What if a monster appears during a listening test, how would a magical girl handle it?”

It’s a realistic answer, I suppose.

For reference, Noir Corporation knows this and sometimes intentionally causes incidents during that time.

Usually, though, they fail because they drag things out too long, and the incident overlaps with the time when the magical girls are heading home from school.

“So… you mean I should go there and stay over the weekend?”

“Yes.”

“What about the orphanage?”

“That won’t be a problem. We’re making arrangements.”

When I shot him a sharp look, James shrugged again.

“Rather than saying we called you, we’ll just say you were chosen for a job experience program. We’ve already discussed it with your school.”

“…”

“So you don’t need to worry.”

It felt a little suspicious, but I decided to let it slide for now.

“Is that all you wanted to talk about?”

“Yes. As far as the work is concerned.”

James readily admitted.

“It sounds like you have something else to say.”

“Yes.”

James again readily admitted.

Maybe that’s the real reason I was called here.

Combat personnel don’t get to hear the full details of operations.

They only hear a simplified version of the plan right before they’re deployed.

If the mission is just about making a mess, that’s it.

After that, if they get hurt or arrested, it’s no longer the company’s problem.

They’re on their own to get home.

Yet, combat personnel keep working, so I guess the pay must be good.

It’s the same for squad leaders.

They’re just slightly better fighters, but they don’t seem to think they’re in a particularly important position.

But here I am, sitting down and listening to this.

And not just some simple briefing, but a private session with the senior staff, complete with satellite images.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Do you remember when you first started working at this company?”

“…Yes, I remember.”

I don’t know how the scout chooses candidates, but I caught their eye.

I had known for a long time that I had crossed over to this world, but I had no specific goals.

After all, what would I aim for?

I just happened to become a magical girl’s childhood friend, but I wasn’t a magical girl myself.

I just lived day by day, trying to scrape by.

Was my goal of getting a job right after graduation too insignificant, given that I had entered this world through a webtoon?

That’s what I thought was the reason I was thrown into this world.

“You’re nothing special.”

The writer of the webcomic must have wanted to emphasize this fact, even though I already knew it from the other world.

That’s how I had thought all along.

Maybe that’s why I jumped at the opportunity.

I thought that if I started working somewhere quickly, I might be able to climb to a better position later.

After all, Noir Corporation is a large corporation.

“What did the scout look like?”

“How would I remember that?”

I just received the contact details, called them, and went to the interview. That was it.

“I see.”

“Is that important?”

“It is. There’s a huge difference between being selected directly by this company and coming from another source. At least you’re not a spy sent by someone else, right?”

“…”

“The fact that you have good relationships with your peers at school is also lucky for us.”

James said this in a very pleasant voice, but I narrowed my eyes at him.

“So, I’d like to make you a proposal.”

“A proposal?”

“Yes.”

James admitted it once more, without hesitation.

“After you graduate, would you consider working as a full-time employee here? I will continue donating to society. And, separate from that, we’ll make sure your salary is on par with other employees at your level.”

I had been scouted by Noir Corporation twice.

“I’ll think about it.”

I just said that for now.

I didn’t know how I would get out of this.

If I quit after graduation, I might be forced to reveal my true identity to Hayoon.

But if I kept doing this, I would eventually be found out.

There’s no such thing as an eternal secret, unless the secret is something big enough to be manageable on its own.

“I hope you’ll think about it positively.”

James smiled and replied.

*

“Job experience?”

Ji-hye made a disgusted face at my words.

“Isn’t that just going to some faraway place on the weekend and doing nothing but studying? Why did you apply for that?”

“I didn’t apply because I wanted to. I just got selected randomly because no one else was available.”

I sighed deeply.

That’s basically what happened.

Only a very few students applied directly, and the rest were selected randomly by the homeroom teachers.

I thought it was unbelievable, but the parents actually seemed to like it when they found out.

There was even some talk about getting recognition from Noir Corporation.

“Well, I’ll be nice and comfortable here while you’re gone. Have fun~”

Without even getting up, Ji-hye waved her hand lazily, so I poked her side with my toe.

“Ugh!?”

She made a funny sound.

When I tried to poke her again, Ji-hye covered her side with her hand.

“What are you doing?!”

“You’ve gained weight.”

“What!?”

“It’s winter, so you’re just lying around inside and gaining weight.”

I said that, then immediately turned and bolted toward the door.

I couldn’t avoid the pillow that came flying at me.

*

After a two-hour ride in the company’s tour bus, we arrived at a place with a surprisingly large building.

From the satellite photos, I couldn’t tell it was this big, but through the car window, it certainly looked like a “complex.”

The building itself was just one, but it was so large that it could house several factories inside.

I probably didn’t feel the scale because the photos on the tablet had enlarged the people in them.

There were a lot of people I didn’t know around me.

Some of them were classmates, but we were on awkward terms.

Those who came here with the intention of getting a job right after graduation were not from wealthy families.

They were students who were already worried about their careers while in high school.

The bus stopped, and the front door opened.