MCT 04

Chapter 4

I desperately regained my composure.

“W-Wait a minute! How can I be sure that that’s real? You could tell me you’ll give me 1 billion won and then not give it to me.”

They said this was a dimension different from the one I lived in. Yet you can give me currency from my original world?

And even if real money was suddenly created on the spot right here, what if it’s counterfeit?

The Demon King, who was silently watching me as I huffed with excitement, slowly flapped one wing. At that moment, a small white light formed at the tip of its wing.

The mass of light soon fluttered over like a living thing and landed at my feet. Then, as soon as it touched the ground, it began to shift its form.

“Gasp…!”

It was a stack of 50,000-won bills.

Just at a glance, it looked to be at least 20 million won.

“It is an advance payment.”

The Demon King said in a languid voice.

“Instead of bringing currency of that value from your dimension, I left behind another item of equal value in exchange. So you do not need to doubt it. Since it is real money.”

“A-An advance payment? Is this money really mine…?”

“That is correct.”

With trembling hands, I picked up the stack of bills and hugged it to my chest.

My mind turned dizzy at the heavy sensation transmitted fully into my hands.

Countless things that could be done with 20 million won flashed through my head, paralyzing my thoughts.

I barely managed to hold back almost blurting out that I would sign the contract immediately.

Now is not the time to be distracted by money!

“You said it’s currency brought from the dimension I lived in, but is it possible for me to return there?”

Even if I get a mountain of money, if I can’t go back to the place where I can actually spend it, it’s useless!

At my words, the Demon King let out a soft sigh.

“I cannot send you back right away. I consumed a vast amount of causality to bring you here. Furthermore—”

The Demon King pointed with the tip of its wing at the stack of bills held precious in my arms and spoke.

“In bringing that over, my power has been completely drained. Therefore, the present me cannot send you back to your original dimension.”

I froze solid right where I stood.

The Demon King being in a state where its power was completely drained was a situation I hadn’t even anticipated.

To think it used up almost all of its remaining power just because of this 20 million won?

An ominous feeling washes over me. An ominous feeling that I might not be able to return home right away.

“T-Then, by any chance, are other Demon Kings… able to do it? Sending me back to my original world….”

“You had better abandon the thought of leaving this place to get a job at another dungeon. No Demon King would employ someone without experience, and a human yourself will have no opportunity to audience with a Demon King directly. Humans to us are nothing more than livestock from which to extract fear.”

Brownie, who was floating beside us, also shrieked loud and clear.

“Absolutely not that! We can’t send you away!”

“Th-There’s no way. Such a thought, absolutely not! I didn’t think that in the slightest.”

Hurriedly shaking my head, my shoulders slouched down.

Then what am I supposed to do now? Do I have to live in this strange world forever like this?

Without ever being able to see my family or friends again.

Thinking that I might never be able to go back, leaving behind all the money I fiercely saved up, the time I lived through, and my memories, my eyes went dizzy.

Just then, the Demon King spoke slowly.

“In order for me to regain my power, I must extract fear from countless beings. Once my rank rises to around 11th place, I should be able to send you back to your original world.”

The moment I heard those words, hope flickered.

I can go back home!

If I make the Demon King before my eyes reach 11th place, I can return home! And with 10 billion won to boot!

…Come to think of it, it didn’t seem like such a terrible condition after all.

Either way, the only thing I can rely on right now is the owl Demon King before my eyes, right?

If it comes to this, it would be a bigger problem if the Demon King refused to hire me.

I don’t know how difficult it is to raise its rank, but since my return and 10 billion won are on the line, wouldn’t it be better to try my absolute hardest?

“I-I’ll give it a try!”

I clenched my fists tightly.

Even if I couldn’t pull it off myself, I felt that if I hired a competent new employee later and entrusted it to them, it would be fine.

The 10 billion won was a secondary goal; above all, returning home was the most important thing.

“Then the contract is settled.”

“Alright!”

The Demon King’s voice grew noticeably brighter. The fairy Brownie also cheered, flying around frantically in excitement.

My résumé materialized once again before my eyes.

Before long, the bottom of the paper burned away, and something like a bright red stamp was generated.

It was a script that didn’t look like Korean at all, but strangely enough, I could read the characters.

The phrase written on the stamp was [Hiring Complete].

And just like that, I successfully switched jobs to a new company—no, a dungeon.

And then.

“Demon King…?”

When all the processes were finished, the Demon King flopped straight onto the floor.

And without even a few seconds passing, it fell fast asleep, snoring loudly.

I just joined the company, and the CEO went straight to dreamland.

The absurdity was short-lived. Naturally ignoring the Demon King, the dirt doll fluttered over to me.

“Hello? Let me greet you again. I am Brownie, the land-bound fairy who will help you run this dungeon.”

“Hello……”

Brownie looked to be in a extremely good mood.

Its thin mouth, which looked like it had been carved into the clay with a craft knife, was curved like a half-moon.

Brownie flew around me at waist height, chattering away in a very high and slightly prickly voice. It seemed to have a quite cheerful and bright personality.

“I have huge expectations for you! As you revive the dungeon, my power will grow stronger too! My dream is to become a top-tier fairy. Please turn this place into an insanely notorious dungeon.”

“I-I’ll try my best. Although I really don’t know much……”

To get back home, I have to do my best for now.

Thinking of it as a dungeon makes it feel difficult, but shouldn’t it be fine if I just work as if I’ve entered a company with no established system?

After all, I’m a talent who endured four years at a notorious black company while receiving a pittance, aren’t I?

“Anyway, it’s a relief. The Demon King went bankrupt from buying this dungeon, so I was super worried we wouldn’t be able to hire even a single employee.”

Just as I was comforting myself like that, another piece of news reached my ears that made me clutch the back of my neck.

“Wait! Wait a minute! What do you mean bankrupt?”

“Ah, the Demon King didn’t tell you. The truth is, he spent all his wealth to purchase this massive dungeon. He said that for a Demon King, a small dungeon wouldn’t look stylish. He probably took on some debt too.”

I hurriedly looked around the empty, void-like space where I was standing.

So you went bankrupt buying the company building?

Suddenly, I felt that for that fat owl Demon King, that was actually very plausible.

I thought it was merely unmotivated and lazy, but it seems it lacks any financial sense and is incompetent on top of that.

No wonder… it’s in dead last place.

All of a sudden, the CEO of my previous company came to mind. Since that person was incompetence personified as well, a surge of immense anxiety suddenly rushed over me.

Why am I so devoid of luck when it comes to employers? Physiognomist-nim, you said I had great luck with people!

“Then we have no money at all, so how do we run the company… I mean, the dungeon?”

“Fortunately, I have the base capital. It’s the money I’ve saved my whole life. I hid it secretly from the Demon King, so this is a secret between just the two of us, okay?”

The fairy opened its mouth wide above my hand and poured out a flurry of dirt-covered, rusted coins.

The weight of the coins felt on my palm made my mind go completely blank.

“I worked hard to pick up the coins people dropped. I saved them up while holding back my desire to eat candy, so please use them frugally. This is my investment in the dungeon! Because I can only grow if the dungeon grows!”

“How much is all this……”

Naturally, it looked a bit different from the money used in my world.

The coins were large enough to be just shy of half a palm, and were quite thin.

“It’s about 100,000 eon. With this much, we should be able to hire one or two field workers among the ones who are quite a bit lacking.”

“The unit is won?”

I was startled by the familiar unit.

“No, eon. The currency used in the Eonice Empire, eon.”

“Ah… eon.”

An absurd thought passed through my mind: ‘At least it’ll be easy to adapt.’

“Can we really hire employees with just this much…?”

Because I didn’t properly know the value of the currency yet, I was dazed.

“There’s a severe job shortage these days. Monsters who ask for work as long as you pay them are everywhere. Of course, since the salary is small, only mediocre guys will gather, though.”

Saying so, Brownie subtly pointed at the monster’s business card I was holding.

To think that horrifying green monster I met was considered a ‘mediocre guy’ by the fairy’s standards.

“So monsters… are going through a job shortage too.”