LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 277.1
Chapter 277.1. Capable Employee
It was a mild spring day. The snow had melted, signaling the end of winter, and the lush green of spring was taking over. Three months had passed since the Stampede defense battle in Hakata City.
Amatsugahara Corporation had entered a period of rapid growth. With the success in Hakata City, they opened Adventurer Guilds in cities across Japan, exporting skill crystals and crops, making substantial profits, and beginning to gain recognition as they progressed with dungeon explorations.
Well, it was still at the level of just starting to be recognized.
Amidst the changes in Japan, there was one man.
Takeda Katsuyori. Ah, yes, the warlord from the Warring States period—those who had heard his name would have answered that way before, but the people around Amatsugahara Corporation would likely give a different response.
Ah, that hardworking executive, they’d say.
At least, that’s how Katsuyori himself thought. He hoped that others would think the same, holding onto the faint hope that people would acknowledge him in that way.
Because he had so much work. Not only was there a lot, but recently, nothing seemed to be progressing. The paperwork piled up, and even though he had a computer set up, he realized that due to the possibility of power outages, he couldn’t store any important data on it, which meant he wasn’t using it very effectively.
It was somewhat better now, as he could use it for accounting forms and blueprints. In the past, there was a trend in the government and businesses to digitize everything, but Katsuyori sometimes wondered if those people had ever considered the possibility of power shortages.
Without power, a computer was just electronic waste. Moreover, it became a safe that could never be opened. Even if there was a password, it couldn’t run without power.
So, up until recently, Katsuyori buried himself in paper documents, working from morning to night.
He would arrive at 8 a.m., check his schedule, and have breakfast with a hot dog and café au lait he bought from the “Lucky Smile” restaurant, run by a cheerful redhead who had recently opened in the headquarters. The new restaurant was delicious and even offered takeout in the mornings, which was very convenient. A little later, his secretary would arrive, and they would exchange greetings before diving into work.
Katsuyori would check the sales and the flow of imports and exports. He made sure that supplies were reaching the various local cities, starting with Hakata, and that payments were being processed. There were often suspicious money flows, so he would instruct his subordinates to investigate.
That would take up the morning. When the CEO came in to help, things could get done relatively quickly, but usually, a few employees would resign or get their salaries reduced. In the worst cases, it could result in death.
By noon, there were often lunch meetings with other companies. These were always a hassle. Veteran business owners would try to take away his company’s interests. The easiest target was to get Katsuyori on their side, so sometimes these meetings would unexpectedly turn into matchmaking events.
Sometimes the CEO would go in his place, but in those cases, the CEO would make sure to take the other party’s interests for himself, leaving Katsuyori to clean up the mess afterward.
After lunch, about every three days, his father would come over with a USB drive, a bundle of documents, and some alcohol. These were the ledgers for the Adventurer Guild. Although the data was organized on the computer, the final confirmation was always done by the Guild Master—his father, Shingen.
If there were any oversights, his father, who trusted his abilities in the worst possible way, would ask Katsuyori to double-check everything. With the guild branches now opening in various cities, the confirmation work had become more difficult.
People still looked down on them as an upstart company from the abandoned town, and there was usually some sort of fraud involved, making the situation challenging. Especially when his father would complain while drinking, the stress would pile up quickly. Katsuyori wished his father would shift from being the boss of the abandoned town to an executive of a large corporation.
Sometimes, the CEO would help, but on those days, accidents seemed to happen more often. The CEO had joked about making “reducing accidents” the company slogan, but Katsuyori thought that would never happen.
After all, it was the people from the abandoned town who would end up dying in “accidents.” Katsuyori had no problem with that.
Once things calmed down, he would finalize decisions on crops, cores, and the sale quantities of various skill crystals and magical tools. These discussions were held with clients like Numata and Major Anayama, and they usually lasted until about 10 p.m. before he could finally head home.
He would often stop by “Lucky Smile” for a late meal, as it stayed open late. The place offered a wide variety of dishes, from rice porridge to steak, both luxurious and homestyle. It had become one of Katsuyori’s favorites.
He might even visit there every day. The redhead was full of energy, and watching her made him feel more energetic too. He had even seen Ohki-kun giving her a bouquet, so it seemed he had already fallen for her. A man with many interests, as always—Ohki-kun, especially.
After a bath and a brief relaxation, Katsuyori would prepare for bed, following his daily routine.
“No, you need to delegate more. Why do you check everything yourself? There must be capable people who can do the checks without any fraud.”
As the car shook, Katsuyori leaned back in a soft, sofa-like chair, talking about his work, and the man sitting across from him replied in a tone full of exasperation.
He was a man the CEO had recently recruited. He came from a special forces unit established under the UN. His muscular build and handsome face, resembling a Greek statue, made him stand out. His name was Ares. Supposedly named after the god of war. Katsuyori had chuckled when he introduced himself, wondering why he didn’t choose a more reasonable alias.
When asked if he was popular, Katsuyori hesitated, unsure, since his deep facial features were a bit unfamiliar to Japanese people.
“I think so too. But the most troublesome thing is a competent person who doesn’t engage in fraud.”