Hazure Skill “Kage Ga Usui” O Motsu Guild Shokuin Ga, Jitsuha Densetsu No Ansatsusha - Chapter 199

Chapter 199

Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama

◆Lyla◆

Lyla was once again home alone. Roland had received another one of his special jobs, and had, as usual, kept her in the dark about it.

Isn’t the guild using him a little too much, she thought.

「He can say no sometimes, can’t he?」

Grumbling to herself, the Demon King headed for the marketplace. While looking at the wide selection of fresh fruit, vegetables and meat, she noticed Milia walking in the direction of the guild.

The employee was barely able to keep her balance.

「Oi, Milia. You look much the worse for wear.」

「Ah… ah… Warawa-san…」

Turning around, she flashed her signature bright smile. Her glassy expression, however, let slip that she was barely able to manage a response.

「Going to work?」, asked Lyla. 「You should rest if you’re feeling unwell.」

「B-but Roland-san isn’t in today, and I can’t possibly abandon my duties.」

「Stuff like that happens, doesn’t it?」

Lyla made a decision on the spot.

「I’ll let Iris know」, she declared with the utmost confidence.「You can go home.」

「B-but…」

Lyla was unable to think of a reason why she would even consider going to work in this state.

「They can manage just fine without you. One missing person won’t cause the entire organisation to crumble!」

Her point was that there was nothing wrong with taking a break.

「Right… even without someone like me… the guild will still operate normally…」, replied Milia with a frown.

Worried about Milia’s wellbeing, Lyla saw her home before heading for the guild to inform Iris. When she got there, though, the front door was locked. It seemed like they had yet to open.

「Iris… is Iris not in?」

She knocked anyway, and the door opened just enough for a man to peek outside.

「We ain’t open yet, ma’am.」

Lyla vaguely remembered this person. He was Roland’s senpai. Mor… what was it again?

「Oh, it’s you, Morgan. I need to see Iris. I bring urgent news.」

「The name’s Morley. You got somethin’ fer the chief?」

With narrowed eyes, he opened the door a little bit more.

「Ah, you’re that red lady…」

「Red lady?」, echoed Lyla, confused.

Morley cleared his throat, straightened his hair and opened the door fully, flashing his million-dollar smile.

「I’ll escort you to the chief, red lady.」

「Fumu. I will follow.」

As she walked across the still-closed guild, she noticed that the desk-bound employees were still in the throes of preparation.

「Whaddya want with the chief?」

「Nothing much.」

「Where do ya stay?」

「Why do you need to know?」

「We could go toge –」

「No」, she said firmly, shutting Morley down before he was able to advance an inch.

They reached Iris’s office.

「Oh? Lyla-chan. What brings you here?」, asked Iris with a raised eyebrow as she came out.

「Thank you for showing me here, Morgan. You may go now.」

「Hey, I told ya, the name’s Morley! Eh, whatever. Yer dominant attitude… the thought of it makes me…」

What a louse of a man, thought Lyla, producing no response whatsoever. Iris, who knew of her relation to Roland, sighed.

「Are you ready to open, Morley?」

「Eh, I was gonna get ready, but this here red lady –」

「Enough excuses. Get to work.」

「Roger that…」

Sticking his chin upwards, Morley returned to the reception.

「So what’s up?」, asked Iris, now that they were alone.

「Milia is feeling under the weather, and won’t be in today.」

「Eh? Today of all days, when Roland isn’t around either!?」

The branch chief looked gloomy.

「Is it really bad? It’s just two people, right?」

「If only — a few other employees have called in sick as well.」

「Hmm. So you’re short-staffed?」

「Exactly. I can do the receptionist stuff when push comes to shove, but I have other duties to attend to as well. And, you know, Morley…」

Lyla finally saw the tight spot that Iris was in.

「Which means that you have to do the same amount of work with only half the people?」

「Yeah. Man, I’m dead…」, muttered Iris, looking at the ceiling. 「And here I was thinking I could leave on time for once.」

Lyla could see the fatigue in her eyes. Being a branch chief isn’t easy, she thought.

「Fret not, Iris! You can leave it to me!」

She nodded and thumped her chest.

「Eh?」

「I know more or less what Roland does — and I’ll prove it by being an employee for a day!」

「That honestly unsettles me more.」

In her spare time, she had assumed her feline form to observe Roland at work. From what she saw, being an employee wasn’t particularly difficult and required little expertise.

「Hmm…」

Steeling herself, the branch chief waved Lyla into her office.

「Can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs, I guess.」

The Demon King received an employee’s uniform.

「Wow, isn’t this…?」

She donned the uniform emotionally. Looking in the mirror, she noticed that her hair was stuck in her uniform and promptly pulled it out.

「You really wear that uniform with elegance, Lyla-chan…」

Lyla snorted with pride.

「There’s nothing that looks bad on me!」

Never one to hold back on self-praise, she was implying that if it looked bad, it was a problem with the apparel, and not herself.

「Let’s hurry」, said Iris. 「I’ll let everyone know of the recent developments, and you should introduce yourself.」

Halfway out the door, she turned around.

「Do you have more style than me? Perhaps it’s just my imagination…」

The charismatic Demon King had led her army into battle many times. She had been in a tight spot every now and then, and the new battlefield in which she now found herself was no different.

「Iris」, said Lyla. 「I hope you know that my presence will render even someone like Roland obsolete.」

「I really doubt that. Remember that Milia exists as well.」

Lyla chuckled, following Iris to the reception. She immediately drew curious gazes from three employees.

「Red lady!」

「It’s that pretty girl I see in the streets sometimes…」

「Trying on cosplay, ojou-chan? That looks great on you.」

Iris glanced at Lyla, who provided a brief self-introduction.

「I’m Lylael — you can call me Lyla. And I’m here to help you with today’s work.」

「In short」, continued Iris, 「who you see here is all we have today. It’s do or die.」

Everyone present looked especially gloomy.

「Argan-kun isn’t in? Shit…」

「That can’t be. Milia isn’t in either…」

Out of all the concerned employees, one man alone stood undaunted.

「Milia-chan, sick? Guess I’ll havta visit her later! After all, I gotta make sure my colleagues take care of themselves! I’ll tell her ta have a good rest — in my sexy, sexy voice — and she’ll fall head over heels for me!」

He cackled creepily.

Lyla had already figured that he wasn’t the best employee, but seeing this, she understood why Iris barely counted him as a helping hand.

「I’ll help at the counter as well」, said Iris. 「And teach Lyla-chan the ropes as necessary. The rest of you, do what you can.」

「Okay」, replied the employees in unison.

「Aye.」

Without including the outlier, the other employees readied themselves for the gruelling day ahead. Lyla nodded, brimming with confidence.

「Now that’s a battlefield. When the numbers aren’t in your favor, you can’t afford to relax.」

Grimacing, Iris declared that morning assembly was over.

A female employee opened the floodgates and allowed the adventurers to stream in, jumpstarting Lyla’s first, and only, day on the job.