Chapter 32

Tototo began wiping the headstone of the grave with a cloth. I wondered if that was the same one she used to clean the dragon skeleton, but then again, if the person in the grave used to ride those things, perhaps that’s exactly what they would have wanted.

“Where I grew up was the sticks among sticks. There were hardly any types of jobs, and it was the kind of place where it was considered normal for both men and women to be married by the time they were forty.”

I thought forty sounded quite old, but in Elf terms, that’s probably younger than I am.

“Both my parents were stubborn, and I was constantly rebelling. In those days, everything looked like an enemy to me. At that time, the only ally I had…”

“Was this girl,” Senior Tototo said, smiling faintly as she gazed at the grave.

“As a fellow Dark Elf, I suppose she understood your suffering, Senior.”

The girl standing next to Senior in the drawing looked exactly like her—two peas in a pod.

“No, this girl was a normal Elf. Apparently, she just tanned her skin dark.”

Wait, you can achieve that look just with a tan…?

“In those days, we felt invincible against everything. We didn’t really know what the future held, but the present moment was fun. However, an accident happened while our team was running through this area.”

According to Senior Tototo’s story, her friend’s dragon skeleton hit a rock and flipped over. Her friend never came home.

“The only ones who grieved were the team members. Country Elves are incredibly insular; even that girl’s relatives were calling her the ‘shame of the family’ at the funeral. Speedsters are a bunch of no-goods, but I thought we were better than people who dismiss a death as a mere embarrassment.”

Everyone has a history. The atmosphere wasn’t right for comments, so Cerulia and I just listened in silence.

“After that, it became hard to stay in my hometown, so I came to the Royal Capital. I left the Tensho-go behind because I didn’t need it in the city. At first, I intended to get a proper job, but I wasn’t hired anywhere…”

That’s how it goes. If you aren’t a new graduate, things suddenly get difficult… even though it was hard for me even as a new graduate.

“I made a living pouring drinks at a cheap tavern, but it was never a good life. There were several times I thought about just dying.”

The “cheap tavern” Senior mentioned was likely the kind of place where young girls serve alcohol and listen to customers talk. It involves listening to patrons across a counter; nothing particularly shady. Still, living without dreams or hope is a heavy burden.

In fact, at the magic school a few years ago, a student committed suicide after failing repeatedly in their job hunt. Being unable to find a job doesn’t actually mean your life is over, but it’s a fact that for students, the meaning of the job hunt is gargantuan. I felt like my entire existence was being rejected when I couldn’t get an offer.

“In times like that, you lose track of what to do. You become lethargic, and you lose the mental energy to even enjoy your hobbies.”

“Ah, right. You were in a bit of a bind too, weren’t you?”

“I definitely wasn’t on the elite track… I thought I’d just end up at some boring company, doing boring work for the rest of my life. I was truly saved when the President picked me up.”

“Then we’re the same.”

I started at Senior’s words. Once again, President Kelkel was the key figure!

“That dog-eared President happened to come to the tavern by chance. And she said to me right away: ‘You look less like someone who should be listening to other people’s problems and more like someone who wants someone to listen to yours.’”

President Kelkel’s shadow really does appear wherever there are people in genuine trouble.

“At first, I thought it wasn’t right to just drone on about my misfortunes. But when you’re with that President, you find yourself talking before you know it. About being a Speedster, and how I quit after the friend who invited me died.”

At the time, Senior Tototo probably only felt that she’d vented her frustrations and felt a bit better. But I was starting to understand. The President never stops at just “sympathy.”

“Then, the President said: ‘Why don’t you come work for us? If you were moving a dragon skeleton, you must be able to use a bit of Dark Magic.’”

“That sounds exactly like something the President would say.”

I could see the scene vividly in my mind.

“I told her that honestly, the only thing I could do was drive. She just said we should think of a job that uses driving then. Talk about doing things in the wrong order.”

“Everything about her is just so… President…”

Knowing her, she probably hires the person first and then thinks about what they can do. I suspect that the reason there are so many different types of work at the company now is that she tailored the jobs to the people. You’d wonder if a business could succeed like that, but somehow, it is…

“And so, the Dragon Skeleton Transport Department was born at Necrogrant Dark Magic Co. I don’t want to cause trouble for the President, so I don’t drive recklessly like I did in my Speedster days.”

I realized Cerulia was crying.

“That’s such a beautiful story… I’m getting choked up…”

“I didn’t really mean for it to be a tearjerker…” Senior said, looking a bit perplexed.

“Senior, I’ve officially fallen in love with this company.”

“You don’t have to love the company—I think that’s what the President would say.”

Senior Tototo said it with absolute certainty. I had to agree.

“She’d say, ‘Use this company to become happy; it’s meaningless for the company to be happy if the employees aren’t.’ She’d definitely say that.”

“Exactly. That’s the one.”

We started walking back toward the Tensho-go.

“Senior, you always stop to visit this grave when you pass this way for work, don’t you?”

“I do, but… how did you know?”

“You knew exactly where the spring was. You couldn’t identify a spot in such a monotonous landscape so easily unless you were looking for it consciously.”

“You’re right. Even now, I find it hard to believe an accident happened on such an ordinary road. It was all because of excessive speed.”

Compared to when we entered the forest, Senior’s face looked much more refreshed.

“I don’t know where that girl is now, but I like to think she became a spirit and is watching over this road.”

I wanted to end on such a nice note and continue our business trip, but it wasn’t meant to be. Senior’s eyes suddenly grew sharp.

“Something is coming. I feel an aura different from an ordinary person!”