Sir Mage, You Said We Would Only Hold Hands! Chapter 5 - Hang in There, Hold On!

 

While Liam was shaking off Chief Willem and looking for Birkin, she was actually back in the hall on the first floor of the Magic Tower.

 

“What on earth do you mean? I belong to the Item Development Division?”

 

“Aren’t you Miss Birkin Redfield?”

 

The woman at the desk spoke in a somewhat annoyed voice. It wasn’t that Birkin couldn’t understand that. But she just couldn’t stop asking questions.

 

“I was definitely assigned to the Service Division at headquarters…!”

 

“Should I repeat this? Birkin Redfield, member of the Item Development Division’s project team. I don’t know what else to read to you.”

 

The voice of the woman explaining was particularly sharp. Birkin also noticed this and stopped asking in anger.

 

Right, what fault does this woman have?

 

Birkin, who had been standing quietly in front of the desk thinking about God-knows-what, suddenly raised her head. She asked cautiously as she noticed the woman standing at the desk.

 

“Well, by any chance, my position is…”

 

“You’re now a trainee researcher.”

 

“…Yes?”

 

When she asked the question, the woman’s somewhat sunken gaze became sharp again. Birkin eventually could no longer stand there and trudged away from the desk.

 

She had nowhere to go. The Service Division isn’t part of her department, but if she blindly heads to the eighth floor, it seems like she will end up in the Item Development Division…

 

Birkin’s weak steps finally led to the garden within the tower. Although it was an artificial garden made of glass in the center of a huge hall, the view was quite nice. It was a place on which a lot of money and magic was spent.

 

Plop.

 

Birkin sat down on the brown wooden bench provided there. There were wrinkles in the gray pants she had painstakingly ironed for her first day at work, yet she didn’t care about them.

 

What should she do? Should she go back to headquarters and grab that Gendal bastard’s head?

 

Ah, that guy is bald.

 

It was a time when only useless thoughts were flowing through her head. Chief Gendal, Chief Gendal… As she muttered that name over and over again, Birkin looked down at her wrist.

 

She still had the watch they had given out at headquarters. It was useless except for communication within the Magic Tower, and a new watch was scheduled to be distributed as she moved to another branch, but Birkin, who knew the monetary value of the watch, couldn’t bear to throw it away and kept it with her.

 

Ah, the watch!

 

The watch not only worked inside the headquarters, but was also designed to be able to contact personnel within the headquarters even when working outside. Birkin quickly started manipulating her watch, blaming herself for not having thought of it earlier.

 

She changed the hour hand of the largest watch to 5, the minute hand to 58, and the second hand to 12. Soon, a bright blue light began to surround the clock.

 

Ding…

 

The familiar Magic Tower promotional music struck her ears. It wasn’t long before someone received the call.

 

— Miss Birkin? Why are you…

 

Chief Gendal received the call in a shaky voice. He seemed to be unusually surprised when Birkin, who had left for Deepdale, contacted him just a few days later. Birkin cleared her throat once and opened her mouth.

 

“Hello, Chief Gendal. This is Birkin Redfield.”

 

Although she was so nervous that her heart was pounding, I said hello like a vice with many years of experience. In this situation, it would be no good for her to suddenly get angry.

 

— Right. Miss Birkin. How are you doing at the Deepdale branch? I remember the date of appointment was around this time.

 

“Excuse me, Chief Gendal.”

 

— Yes. What’s the matter?

 

“I’m sorry, but when I arrived, I heard that I had been appointed as a trainee researcher for the Item Development Division’s project team. What on earth is this…?”

 

Chief Gendal had spoken clearly. He told her that she would go to the Deepdale branch and that in a few years she would roll over to deputy and that when she came back she would be able to rise higher than deputy at headquarters.

 

She just believed that and decided to head to the local area. Birkin chewed her lower lip.

 

— Ah, you mean that? haha. Actually, you know that too. Those in the Item Development Division have much higher salaries and better treatment than those in the Service Division. Since it has a good position, I asked you to be there.

 

“That! …What on earth are you talking about?”

 

Haa…

 

Birkin pulled his mouth away from the watch for a moment and sighed deeply so as not to be heard. Chief Gendal’s immaturity was felt up to this point.

 

— I had a friend in Deepdale and I asked him to take care of my dear junior. Then he said there was a good spot. It’s definitely a good opportunity for you too.

 

Yes, I guess so. What if I were a magic engineer. Birkin attended the Magic Academy, but she had never taken an in-depth magic engineering class. When she was in first grade, all she took was ‘Magic Mathematics III’, which she took as a common subject.

 

And when she was in the second year and had to choose between the ‘Magic Department’ and the ‘Magic Engineering Department’, she chose the ‘Magic Department’ without hesitation. She thought she could do magic with just a little effort (of course, it wasn’t easy), but in magic engineering, she threw up even though she only learned math.

 

Yet he’s telling her to join the Item Development Division?

 

Although she tried to imagine her future there, there was still no answer. Obviously, she won’t be of any help, so she will be ignored by her team members, and if she can’t endure it, she will leave the company in vain.

 

“…Chief Gendal.”

 

— Hm? You haven’t hung up yet?

 

“I’m sorry, but I think the position is too much for me. I was proud of the work I was doing as a member of the Service Division. If possible.”

 

— Are you saying you don’t like my consideration?

 

Chief Gendal’s voice sounded uncomfortable. Birkin could tell that he wasn’t at ease just by hearing her voice. With her many years of social life, her highly developed sense of social life has sent her signals.

 

However, if she remained quiet because he showed signs of being uncomfortable, she would end up in the Item Development Division. Birkin said in her most pitiful voice.

 

“Yes, I really appreciate the Chief’s consideration…”

 

— Alright. I will contact my friend to reorder it.

 

Beep—beep.

 

Did he hang up?

 

This bald bastard?

 

Birkin quietly rolled her head. How on earth did this happen?

 

The most important hint was that Chief Gendal cut her off and said what he had to say. This meant only one thing.

 

Chief Gendal was upset.

 

Birkin jumped up and ran towards the desk again.

 

It was a short distance, but because she was wearing shoes, her stamina was doubled. Birkin, who was leaning on the desk, asked the female staff member with anxious and anxious eyes.

 

“Excuse me, please check regarding ‘Birkin Redfield’ again.”

 

“Pardon? You saw that just a moment ago… Uh, there’s a new announcement.”

 

The sound of her gulping shook loudly.

 

“Birkin Redfield… Service Division Team 3.”

 

“Team 3?”

 

It used to be announced that the division of business units into teams had no significance, but that was all bullshit.

 

Birkin, who had moved from Team 6 to Team 1 in three years at the headquarters, knew this fact better than anyone else. The numbers in front of the word ‘team’ indicate the number of new members on the team. In other words, there was one new member in Team 1 and three new members in Team 3.

 

Yes, to put it more simply, the bigger the number, the more idiots there are who can’t do their jobs properly.

 

Still, it was okay up to this point. She’s an outsider who has just been assigned to Deepdale, and if she works a little, she will be able to join team 1. If only she could use her abilities properly.

 

…By the way, what about the position?

 

“Um, my position…”

 

“Ah, Miss Birkin Redfield? Yes, I see… you’re a vice?”

 

Bastard.

 

Bald bastard!

 

Birkin’s eyes closed tightly.

 

[Of course, you will be at the deputy level there, and staying for just three years will be a good opportunity for you..]

 

Of course, deputy ‘level’? She was stupid for believing that. She couldn’t believe a word that came out of that old, gloomy, bald man’s mouth.

 

Birkin gritted her teeth, feeling angry for the first time in a long time.

 

People don’t only cry when they’re sad. Even if her anger boils over to the end, tears still fall. Feeling the corners of her eyes getting wet, Birkin had to chew the inside of her mouth to keep them from dripping.

 

“Excuse me… are you okay?”

 

“Yes, thank you for your concern.”

 

Birkin, who answered in a casual tone in contrast to her reddened eyes, bowed her head once and left.

 

The woman standing at the desk muttered to herself as she looked at Birkin’s back.

 

“…I feel strange because I feel like I made a beautiful woman cry.”

 

***

 

If she had known this would happen, she would have endured Helene’s abuse of power.

 

It was the headquarters at which she had been struggling to survive. It was a place where she survived by eating in the bathroom after her senior told me to endure it even if it was just a momentary courage (of course, the senior had already left a long time ago).

 

How could she, who survived a place like that, not be able to withstand Helen’s abuse of power? Birkin knew herself well. It’s tough. Although she said it was difficult, she was confident that she could persevere once she closed her eyes.

 

That’s why she endured being treated like a lowly commoner at the Magic Academy dominated by nobles, and that’s why she gritted her teeth and endured even under a boss who put his hands on his buttocks.

 

It was nothing when she thought of her mother and younger brother who worked alone even though it was hard enough to die.

 

Birkin regretted her foolish choices again and again. But now there was no turning back. Birkin took a deep breath and knocked twice on the door in front of him.

 

“Come on in.”

 

A woman’s voice was heard from inside. Is the chief here a woman? She was, after all, a friend of Chief Gendal. Birkin abandoned her expectations and went inside with an orderly posture.

 

“Hello, nice to meet you. I’m Birkin Redfield, assigned from headquarters.”

 

“Ah, nice to meet you. Are you Miss Birkin Redfield, who was originally assigned to the Item Development Division but has now been reassigned to us?”

 

“…Yes, that’s right. You must have been surprised by the sudden change of division, it’s shameful.”

 

Birkin responded awkwardly, feeling dazed.

 

Isn’t boss just another name for someone who doesn’t respect others? Birkin’s cognitive dissonance began to set in when the chief, who had neatly slicked-back gray hair, used an honorific to address her, who was only a vice.

 

Is she really friends with… Gendal bastard who uses infomal tone when talking to those younger than him?

 

“No, not at all. Our Deepdale branch is sorely lacking in manpower… Above all, how could they not like the idea of a talented person like Miss Birkin coming? Oh, Miss Birkin, I heard you are from Turf Moore Academy?”

 

“Yes? Yes…”

 

“Hmm, that’s really rare. Someone who graduated from Turf Moor Academy would come to the Deepdale branch? In such a remote corner of the country. Well, I’m welcome.”

 

The chief, who had been sitting until then, pushed the chair back and stood up. She walked towards Birkin with long strides. The suit had long legs and a narrow waist and was a very good fit. The steps were refreshing too.

 

Chief walked up to Birkin and held out her hand.

 

“Nice to meet you, I’m Adret Venus. Call me Chief Ad.”

 

“Ah… Yes, nice to meet you. I’m Birkin Redfield. Please feel free to call me that.”

 

Birkin clasped her hands together politely. Chief Ad smiled, folded her wrinkled eyes, and gently removed one of Birkin’s hands.

 

In the end, when she ended up holding only one hand, the Chief Ad waved her hand up and down lightly.

 

“You don’t shake hands with both hands. If I had wanted to be greeted with respect by Miss Birkin, I wouldn’t have held out my hand.”

 

Birkin looked blankly at Chief Ad. Chief Ad returned to his original position and raised a cup of tea with a graceful gesture. As with her dignity, her little finger extended gracefully and held the teacup.

 

“Hmm? Miss Birkin, you can go out. Team 3 is the third door on the way out.”

 

Are they really friends? Birkin still couldn’t get out of this thought.

 

Birkin was angry that the Gendal bastard, no, Chief, had such an unreasonable level of benevolence. Really, she was so cool that she wanted her to be my role model, except that she was Chief Gendal’s friend.

 

“Ah, and.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I’m from Turf Moore Academy too. Haha, it’s nice to meet a junior. Please take care of me.”

 

As soon as she heard her say that, Birkin decided. Chief Gendal, he’s probably the only blemish on Chief Ad’s life.

 

— Wise Magic Tower Life TIP! —

Chiefs are usually in their late 50s, and Chief Ad is a young chief at 53 years old.