Chapter 1

Several decades have passed since the appearance of labyrinths in the world, and the profession of adventurers has become commonplace.

 

And so, these adventurers began to share their battle experiences within the labyrinths through videos and livestreams on the internet.

 

This is the story of MeiQuber, the immensely popular profession today.

 

MeiQuber quickly rose to the top of the rankings for professions children aspire to be in the future, and now it’s a frequent topic on television. Many individuals who made their debut on the internet have also transitioned to television.

 

I, too, once admired MeiQuber when I was young.

 

However, I lacked the ability to battle against monsters.

 

Thus, I reluctantly gave up on becoming an adventurer and ended up working as a manager at an agency that supports MeiQuber.

 

But…

 

“You there! Useless Kayano!”

 

As soon as the door to the conference room opened, the president shouted insults along with my last name.

 

At first, I used to be nervous, but now I’ve become accustomed to this president’s harassment. Perhaps it’s thanks to him that I’ve developed a resilience that doesn’t falter in any situation.

 

Although it’s not exactly delightful.

 

To find out the reason for the president’s outburst, I glanced at the room I was called into, and there were three familiar women inside.

 

These women are the trio of MeiQuber known as “Riders,” whom I’m responsible for.

 

Before I could even process their presence, the president lunged toward me.

 

Our president is a former adventurer.

 

His physique is sturdy, and his grip on my collar tightens like a vice.

 

“You! You supposedly turned down the offer for the ‘Riders’ to appear on TV, didn’t you? They contacted us, you know?”

 

“That’s… “

 

It’s true that I turned down the offer.

 

The ‘Riders’ were garnering attention steadily, and if they appeared on TV now, it could significantly boost their popularity. Truthfully, I wanted to accept.

 

But their proposal was simply absurd.

 

“Oh really? Got something to say?”

 

“Because they demanded favors from us!”

 

…I don’t particularly like this president, but I’ll respond politely as a professional. If it were permitted, I might have argued back aggressively, but I’d likely get physically beaten up by his former adventurer’s strength.

 

“That’s irrelevant! Once you’re in this industry, you have to be prepared for things like that! You can’t climb up without doing those kinds of things!”

 

“Some people with power can rise without doing anything, you know.”

 

“These girls are doing it because they’re not like you! You probably wasted their chances, huh? How many times do you think they were approached with such offers? You turned them all down…! Do you even have the intention of letting your clients shine?”

 

“That’s why! I’m saying we can’t do such things…!”

 

As he continued with his ludicrous statements, I tried to correct him in a hurry.

 

…I hope I haven’t given myself away.

 

The president glares at me with an icy gaze. …This is bad. I might end up swimming in Tokyo Bay…

 

Just as I thought that, in the next moment…

 

“Alright, I understand. In that case, you can quit your job as a manager.”

 

Huh?

 

With a smug smile, the president said that, and another man entered the conference room.

 

It was Kayano. He’s a colleague of mine, and the groups he’s responsible for are already famous enough to appear on television.

 

…In Kayano’s case, his parents are in the entertainment industry, so he has connections here. Plus, Kayano is skilled at handling women.

 

Our agency has many female members, and Kayano is extremely popular. To be honest, I have zero advantages compared to him.

 

As Kayano entered the room and looked at me, he gave a condescending smile.

 

“Mr. Kayano, it’s been a while. I’ve been busy lately, so I haven’t been around the office much. You seem to always be here.”

 

He’s still as snide as ever.

 

“…Yes, well. And?”

 

“Kayano will be taking over the ‘Riders’ from now on. You’re fired.”

 

“That’s right.”

 

Kayano and the president had a smug smile on their faces.

 

…Fired.

 

I didn’t feel particularly negative about it.

 

…Honestly, I’ve thought many times about quitting this job because it’s so suffocatingly stressful. But despite that, I’ve persevered because of the responsibility I feel for ‘Riders,’ the group I formed when I was twenty years old. This would all be taken away from me now.

 

But if these girls are willing to continue their activities as MeiQuber with that much resolve, then perhaps my perspective doesn’t align with theirs.

 

…I clench my lips and let out a sigh.

 

This isn’t the time to throw a tantrum. I need to come to terms with it.

 

“Good luck. You might even appear on TV, Hana and Mami… So, try to be more punctual.”

 

Mina is doing fine as she is… but these two, Hana and Mami, tend to be quite lax with their time.

 

They often fail to show up at the agreed-upon time, so I just wanted to make sure to tell them that. But it seems my words didn’t reach them.

 

“Yeah, yeah. You’re annoying, so stop acting like our manager already.”

 

“Yeah, yeah. You’re not our manager anymore, after all.”

 

They wave their hands dismissively, but I’ve said what I needed to say.

 

When I glance at Kayano and the others, they look at me with a triumphant expression.

 

“All right, so I’ll be taking over from now on. Kayano-san, please pack your things and leave the company.”

 

“You’re quitting voluntarily, by the way. Don’t make a fuss like a crying puppy.”

 

He laughs out loud, and at that moment…

 

“Oh, I’m quitting too.”

 

The real leader of ‘Riders,’ who had remained silent until now, mutters.