CH 185.2

Translator: “Hakou”                             Editor: “Weasalopes”

「All right, I’ll give you some advice then」

The Director leans forward and puts her hand under her chin. She looked back and forth from the top of her head to her feet several times.

Then she nodded as if she understood something and opened her mouth with a piercing look in her eyes.

「You are the opposite of what I used to be in the past. You do everything at a high standard and have no flaws」

“However”, she continued.

「You don’t have that one big move that could decide the match in a single blow. Am I wrong?」

Light cruiser-sensei reacted with a jolt. It’s something she has always thought about.

Seeing this, the Director smirks.

「It seems I’ve hit a bullseye. All right, I’ll show you my old tricks」

The muscular old woman stands up from her chair. The power of her presence is something that would make even Light cruiser-sensei swallow her breath.

「You’ve got good basics, so I think it won’t take long. Follow me」

She then made her way to an old, king-sized bed in the corner of the room.

With a determined look on her face, Light cruiser-sensei followed behind her.

***

A few days later, Light cruiser-sensei managed to master one of the techniques.

「Hmmm, I guess that’s it. For the other one, you’ll have to learn it in a real battle」

The Director decided as such and dismissed the training.

It was unfortunate, but she has no choice but to do so because Light cruiser-sensei has her own schedule to keep.

「This technique cannot be used against women. How unfortunate turn of fate」

The name of this technique is “Guillotine”.

The director said with a pitying tone. However, Light cruiser-sensei just tilted her head inwardly.

「Well, good luck with it」

「I’m truly thankful for your guidance」

Light cruiser-sensei bowed deeply.

The director adds, “I’m not sure what to say.

The Director squinted her eyes at the sight, as she added a few words.

「What are you going to do after this? Are you going back to the royal capital?」

「No, I’m thinking of making a stop at one more place on the west」

“West, huh?” said the Director with a strange look on her face. She couldn’t think of anyone who was well known there.

She shook her head as she said “Oh well”.

「When you get back to the Kingdom, tell that old goblin that he should come visit me once in a while and keep me company」

「Yes, I will」

With a smile like a flower, she nodded.

In this way, the curtain of Light cruiser-sensei’s training in the Eastern country came to a close.

***

The stage of story moves far to the west, in the mountains in the north of the Eastern country.

「Listen well!」

In the Imperial Blacksmith Guild, located near the royal palace in the imperial capital.

Everyone was gathered in the Knight’s hangar when a middle-aged woman with a square jaw gives such orders

「I will give appropriate rewards to those who showed results. And in contrast, I will show no mercy to those who fail to do so. You’d better be prepared」

No one doubts those words.

The guild master and the vice-guild master have already been removed from their positions for neglecting their duties.

No replacements have been put in their place. From that day on, the square jawed middle-aged woman, known as His Excellency began to take direct command.

「You have done well. You, on the other hand, not so much, I see」

Then one day, after several days have passed.

She smiled at one of the two people she had called into her office, while she looked at the other angrily.

Her Excellency continues to give them strict numerical targets and keep demanding results.

It was just as she said, she raised those who produced results to the top and lowered those who did not.

「See? They can do it if they try after all. I knew it, the problem was how they run this organization」

「It is as you say, ma’am」

A middle-aged woman with a square jaw nodded in satisfaction while holding a report in her hand. Her aides are surrounding her.

There had been no progress in the technology related to the Ghost Knight, that is until now. This is because they have begun to produce visible results.

「They should have been like this from the beginning」

With a scornful look on her face, she thought of the guild master and the vice-guild master. She can’t believe how much time she has wasted because of those incompetent guys.

「With this, I can show some good reports for His Majesty in the next round table meeting」

She relaxed her expression after a long time when she saw the aides agreed with her in unison.

***

And here is the Knight’s Hangar of the Imperial Blacksmith Guild.

There was an air of resignation, rather than dissatisfaction, that blew among the technicians there.

「You know, the only ones they praised are nothing but liars」

This is the opinion that is expressed every time they gather in the corner of the office. They sit on top of the “sheltered girl” lying on the floor and rants to each other as usual.

They were given tasks that seem impossible to achieve one after another.

『I’m sorry, ma’am. We were unable to produce desired results』

Those who answered honestly were demoted or had their pay cut drastically.

The only ones who would get promoted were those who had faked or fudged the results of their research.

It all started with a small thing.

「It is supposed to go like this according to the theory, but why are the test results different?」

Even just before the deadline, there were no visible results.

The disheartened technician closed his eyes to what he had done.

「It should have definitely gone like this anyway, so let’s just tweak the numbers a bit」

If this had been the only assignment given, the cheating might have ended just at this moment.

But the target quota was growing rapidly, and it kept adding up until they felt crushed.

Unable to raise the white flag, the technician rewrote the results again, this time more boldly.

「Why don’t we just do the same」

Although the data obtained from the experiment is strictly controlled by the individual, the specialists work in the same office. It is easy to notice that something is wrong.

『If he’s doing it, then I should just do the same』

The fact that they were not the only ones in the situation made them feel less guilty. It didn’t take long for their senses to go numb.

But not all of them did so.

「We did not get any clear evidence, but it is possible that the results have been tampered with. Please conduct an investigation!」

Some of them complained about the cheatings to the higher-ups.

However, they were all unsuccessful. In fact, the accusers have been forced to quit their jobs.

One of them remembered this and shook his head from side to side while leaning on the head of the『Sheltered girl』.

「And why the hell would she ask about it to those who cheat themselves? Is she stupid?」

Upon receiving the accusations, Her Excellency’s aides summoned the accused and questioned him directly.

「There’s such a report going around but… is that true?」

The ones who say, “That is true”, are the ones who have never been involved in fraud.

『Those people who can’t get results are just jealous and trying to defame me』

With random documents in hand, he made a speech about his research enthusiastically.

Lacking the ability to discern technical authenticity, she ended up taking it in at face value.

「You will be punished based on the principle that good work will be rewarded and bad work is punished」

They created an unnecessary uproar without any concrete evidence. They were accused of such, and those who complained about the injustice were sentenced to more than what they deserve.

This kind of incident was repeated many times, resulting in people losing their jobs.

Now, things have already calmed down.

「Well, it doesn’t matter anymore」

The technicians nodded to each other with resignation.

In this workplace, the honest ones left and only the ones who can lie well rise to the top.

The only ones left at the end of the line are those who have some kind of circumstances.

「Even if I quit here, I don’t think I’ll be able to get a better job than I have now」

「Tell me about it. The pay’s good, here」

He smiled helplessly as he smoked a cigarette in the corner of the room.

The people in the outside world view those working in the Imperial black smith guild as the chosen ones. However, not all of them have acquired the skills and knowledge to compete in the outside world.

In a sense, they were the most elite of the elite the moment they were hired.

「Yeah, exactly」

「Haa… what a pain」

Some slightly arched their backs, others stretched out and yawned. They walked lazily to their assigned places.