episode_0106

The cafeteria was crowded. The capacity of the restaurant was small compared to the staff at the management office, so it was natural for it to be crowded if the timing was not good.

But this time was different from usual. It wasn’t that the line was long, but that there were people gathered in a corner of the restaurant, and it was crowded with people.

“What’s going on, everyone? This is a dining space. If you are finished eating, please leave quickly as it will be a nuisance to other employees.”

No matter how remote the place is, if there are a lot of people gathered there, it will be inconvenient to come and go. I quickly dispersed the crowd and found out why they had gathered.

“Director and Ker..?”

The director and Ker are standing in a corner of the restaurant, raising their hands as if they are punishing each other.

Around their necks were pieces of paper with writing on them.

– I’m a jerk who destroyed Ker’s car while playing with him.

– I am a bad dog who destroyed a car because I was so excited while playing.

“…What situation is this?”

“Mariella. Please save me. I have no feeling in my arm.”

“Peep… . I’m not a dog… . It’s a wolf… .”

Since there is only one person in this bureau who can punish you like this, I called her name.

“Tanya. What is the situation?”

Tanya, a small woman who had been hidden by the crowd, appeared.

She was crossing her arms and crumpling her face, as if she was trying to drown out the anger that had built up to the top of her head.

Tanya is the head of the Department of Finance in charge of budget management for the Bureau, and can be seen as the very pillar that has supported the Bureau until now.

From the past, the bureau’s most chronic problem was money.

Now that the budget has increased and the system has been stabilized, there is no danger unless a major accident occurs.

In the past, when things were not stable, accidents occurred every day, and there were only a few places for money to come in, such as facility repair costs, medical expenses for employees, and industrial accident compensation, but there were holes everywhere.

Worse still, the insurance company unilaterally canceled the contract, even paying a large amount of compensation.

In such a confusing situation, the director brought Tanya in from somewhere. She solved most of the bureau’s money problems, as if untangling a tangled thread.

Of course, the process could not be considered completely clean.

Since she couldn’t handle the bureau’s deficit through legal and common sense methods, she did things so crazy that even the director was speechless.

In the process, she was given various nicknames, including ‘the monster born of capitalism’ and ‘the devil of money,’ but no one within the bureau could stop Tanya.

“Phew… . This idiot and mean dog destroyed the car.”

“Ah, so the paper with that content… . Do you know how that happened?”

“He wanted to find out whether Ker was faster than a car. I also play along with it.”

“…Yes?”

“Mari Aren’t you dumbfounded too? Honestly, I still can’t believe it.”

Tanya let out a laugh as if she had no idea even thinking about it again.

“Hey, Tanya. The words are a little different? I’m sure the fastest car in the bureau can’t beat Kerr’s speed.

“Shut up! Phew… . I try to save as much money as possible on things that Zeke says are necessary. But I can never tolerate unnecessary waste.”

“It’s not a useless waste–”

“It’s not a waste? okay! You wanted to know how fast Ker is, right? Then, you can ask the research department to measure the car speed and the car speed separately and compare them!”

“But if you measure it that way, Ker cannot show his sincerity–”

“You sound sincere! You destroyed that expensive car for that reason? There must have been another way! You can think of it! Please tell me whether you are a fool or a genius!”

If things continued like this, it seemed like Tanya was going to fall down holding her back, so I got between them.

“Tanya, calm down.”

“Hu… . Okay, calm down. I need to calm down. Even if the car’s price is similar to Marie’s 10 years’ salary! always! I! Calm! I have to! I will!”

“Uh… 10 years?”

As I am a deputy director in name and name, my salary is quite high within the bureau.

Of course, we don’t do it specifically for money, but most of us reinvest in the management bureau or make donations in our own way.

But 10 years?

Then at least billions of units… .

The director also asked with wide eyes, as if he was surprised by Tanya’s remarks.

“Was it that expensive?”

“Ahhhh! You asked me to buy it for you!! They say they need the fastest car in the world!! They say you have to use it during operations!!”

“Oh, that’s right.”

“Oh, that’s right? right!? Did you just forget that you left it in the garage!? What you said about using it during the operation was a lie!?”

“Ah, that’s… . I did write it… .”

“Lie! I checked all the departure records! I just test drove it a few times and left it alone after that!!”

The director seemed to have given up on making excuses, closed his mouth and lowered his head.

But Tanya’s nagging did not end.

“If it was broken during an operation, I would at least understand! Because it was used for its intended purpose! But you kept it in the garage the whole time and now you’ve thrown it all out there!? And that’s just playing around!? Do you know how I felt when I bought that car!? Visit the best car company in the empire! Made to order yourself! They looked at every single thing carefully! To increase the success rate of the operation by even 1%! I’m afraid I’ll fail because of that 1%! I’m afraid Zeke might go wrong because of that! Argh! Give me back my heart! Give me back my efforts!”

Tanya, who had let out all the anger she had accumulated, was panting.

“That… . I’m sorry.”

“If you’re sorry, raise your hand straight up! Don’t smoke! Just be thankful that you see this!”

The director cleverly raised his bent hand.

Then he sent a rescue request to me with his eyes.

“…It’s no use looking at it that way. This is the director’s fault.”

For the management bureau employees, the director’s judgment is always number one.

Even if the decision is an act that borders on eccentricity beyond understanding, once the director has made the decision, we must follow it.

This is not simply because he is the highest commanding authority of the Bureau.

In a management bureau where even a single mistake could result in death, the reason no one has been able to die so far was all thanks to the director’s judgment.

Employees learned from experience that his judgment was the correct answer.

But that doesn’t mean the director is perfect.

In fact, not only the ‘fastest car in the world’ that is currently in question, but also ‘model house’, ‘supernova’, and ‘last resort’.

There is quite a bit of ‘malicious inventory’ that has not been used even though dozens or even hundreds or even hundreds of billions of dollars have been invested.

Naturally, it is Tanya who suffers from such ‘malicious stock’.

The simple purchase or production costs alone are enough to make her spine feel dizzy, but with management costs regularly incurred, it is literally like a cancer to her.

So her anger was justified.

They said it would be needed for the operation, so they somehow managed to prepare it, but they didn’t actually use it for the operation and it was ruined due to some strange eccentricity.

Of course, the director probably didn’t do that without thinking.

However, since only the superficial reasons are always explained and the real reasons hidden behind them are hidden, Tanya has no way of knowing.

Besides, Tanya lives under constant stress, so she needs to release the anger she’s built up like this.

The director also just silently(?) accepts it.

“Phew… .”

Tanya sighed.

As if trying to get rid of the heat built up inside the body.

Afterwards, he spoke to me in a depressed voice.

“I’m sorry, Marie. I made you worry. Haven’t you eaten yet? It looks like they’re waiting behind you, but let’s eat first. Because I’m going to charge you until the restaurant closes.”

As she said, the three people from the human resources department were standing behind me and waiting for me.

Erica was smiling as if it was fun to see the director punish her, Kaira was smiling as if it was cute, and Sophie… . It was Sophie.

“Then please excuse me. Director, please don’t cheat.”

“If I keep doing this, I’ll die.”

“People don’t die that easily.”

I was about to go to get my food, feeling strangely savory as I felt like I was getting revenge for being cheated on during lunch time.

Why~!

As the cafeteria seemed to be about to leave, a huge alarm began to sound.

I know it well, but what I actually hear is an unfamiliar alarm.

It was a level 5 alarm that only sounded when a high-risk pixie escaped.

“Director!”

In a completely unexpected emergency situation, I urgently called the director.

He had already stood up, and his usual dull eyes disappeared and he began to respond with a serious expression.

“Kaira, evacuate immediately with all staff other than emergency responders. When you arrive at the shelter, check to see if any staff are missing.”

“Yes. Okay.”

Kyra, Erica, and Sophie immediately began guiding employees inside the restaurant to shelter.

“Tanya, you too follow Kaira to the shelter.”

“Ah, yes. That arm… .”

“It’s okay. Because I smoke it, it doesn’t hurt.”

“…Ha. okay. The punishment is not over yet, so come back unharmed.”

“Speaking of course.”

Tanya looked at the director with worried eyes and joined the evacuating crowd.

“Ker stays with me and subdues any employee who attacks, and deals with anything other than an employee.”

“Hot! I mean, protect Zeke! Okay!”

Ker pricked up his ears and began to be wary of his surroundings.

“Bir, go and understand the situation first. Ariel may have escaped, so don’t get close to her.”

“Yes. I’ll be back, master.”

Bir disappeared from the spot in the blink of an eye.

“Mariella.”

“Yes, Director.”

I am the last one left.

“I’m going to take command at the scene. Are you going together?”

When the director asked me if I would go with him to a dangerous site where my life could be lost if I make a mistake, I answered without any hesitation.

“I’ll go.”

Because I know that as long as the director is here, I will never die.

Even if I die, I can accept it if I die next to the director.

Even though strange red swirls were rising into the sky, I wasn’t afraid at all.