Sir Mage, You Said We Would Only Hold Hands! Chapter 6 - Next, Next, Next

 

“Hello. I’m Vice Birkin Redfield, who has been assigned to Service Division Team 3 starting today.”

 

Birkin flexibly said a greeting that she may have said a few times only for today. She even had a capitalistic smile on her lips. Birkin’s dark, long red hair swayed covetously.

 

It was natural for her to give up her morning sleep and touch her hair in order to impress her teammates whom she would meet for the first time. Of course, she decided to go around with her hair tied up.

 

Birkin, with a face without makeup, smiled politely and tried not to be looked down on. a vice was suddenly assigned from headquarters. If she were a team member here, she would have hated it so much.

 

However, the reaction was unexpected.

 

“V-Vice?! Our Team 3, finally has a vice…!”

 

“Welcome! Birkin Redfield, you’re very welcome!”

 

A young woman and a young-looking man approached Birkin with a fuss and surrounded him. One of them suddenly grabbed Birkin’s hand.

 

“Nice to meet you! Please take care of me. My name is Docson Cooper! Please call me Docson!”

 

“I’m Sophia Violette! Feel free to call me that!”

 

It was the woman who held her hand. Birkin looked down at her hand, which was suddenly being held, and thought, “My hands have been strangely held often these days.”

 

Birkin gently took her hand back. Then, as burdened as a puppy, she spoke awkwardly to the teammates who were looking up at her.

 

“Yes, it’s nice to meet you too. By the way, where is the team deputy?”

 

“Deputy? We don’t have anything like that!”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

The man who introduced himself as Docson smiled brightly and answered.

 

“Team 3 is a newly established team, so we don’t have a separate deputy. We, except Herion right there, are also new to the company this year!”

 

Ah… newbie.

 

Birkin almost muttered with a rotten look on her face without realizing it, but she barely held it back.

 

Alright, this wasn’t too far from what she expected. Didn’t she know it herself? The number 3 in Team 3 represents the number of new members.

 

Still, she looked at the man called Herion, who wasn’t a newbie among them. When Birkin’s gaze fell on him, he bowed briefly and concisely.

 

“I’m Herion Rutt.”

 

“Nice to meet you, Sir Rutt. If you don’t mind, may I ask how many years are our differences?”

 

“…Six months.”

 

Ah… Six months.

 

Right, if you’ve been here for six months, you’re not a new employee. Birkin, who thought that she needed at least one year to be useful, decided to abandon her complacent thoughts about working at headquarters. This is Deepdale, which has a serious manpower shortage.

 

“Well, then how long has it been since Team 3 was established?”

 

“A week!”

 

“Me and Docson have been working for three months!”

 

Birkin was genuinely curious about how this team without shooter was doing. And she realized. She was the only shooter on a team that didn’t even have a shooter.

 

So, even though the division changed, there were no major problems. Birkin realized that Chief Ad, whom she had met in the morning, wasn’t joking.

 

“Yes, I stayed at the headquarters for eight years, but…”

 

“Eight years?! Gasp, that’s awesome! You’re a senior! I didn’t know because you look so young!”

 

“…This is my first time at the Deepdale branch, so I will approach it with the mindset of a newbie. If you don’t know anything, please ask. I will answer to the best of my knowledge.”

 

To the best of my knowledge, is it my standard to answer?

 

Birkin smiled kindly as she added inwardly.

 

Now that this had happened, there was only one thing she wanted. Being promoted to deputy.

 

Rather, the condition of being a newly established team might have been a blessing in disguise. Maybe she’ll be exposed to more opportunities. Birkin confirmed her position with her motivation rising for the first time in a long time.

 

“Is this my place?”

 

“No, Vice Redfield, this way!”

 

“…This must be the deputy’s place.”

 

“But there’s a vacancy on our team. Chief Ad also told me to guide them here when a new vice arrives.”

 

Birkin quietly looked down at the empty desk and stretched out her hand to sweep across it.

 

It was a strange feeling. At the headquarters, she would be sitting in the same spot where Helene would be sitting right now. Even though she wasn’t officially declared a deputy, Birkin felt sad for some reason.

 

Feeling like she was going to cry if she looked at the desk any longer, Birkin turned around and looked at the young chicks who were still circling behind her.

 

“…Gasp.”

 

For some reason, there was a sound of intake of breath between the three. Birkin smiled and said, thinking it was because she had suddenly turned around. Her eyes were moist and sparkling.

 

“…Really, please take good care of me. You chick newbies. Although I’m lacking, I will do my best to lead you well.”

 

“M-M-Me too! Me too!”

 

“Yes, yes! Please take care of me too!”

 

Was it a mistake to feel that Docson and Sophia’s cheeks were turning red? Still, Birkin wasn’t in a bad mood, nodded, and took a seat.

 

The sentimental part ends here.

 

It was time to quickly settle down and get to work.

 

***

 

“Vice, I brought you the documents you mentioned!”

 

“Vice! Can we organize the indirect consultation customer list like this?!”

 

When a chick sitting diagonally to the left of Birkin chirped, the chick sitting next to her also raised her hand and chirped. In fact, Birkin had asked Docson and Sophia about an hour ago if they were siblings.

 

The two look very similar. A bright, high-pitched voice that goes well with the expression ‘chirp’, and… even the inability to work.

 

No, maybe not being able to work is Birkin’s subjective standard. Because they are new, only three months old.

 

“Sir Docson, I gave you these documents to sort out a little while ago. Instead of this, I’m telling you to bring the records from the second half of last year. And Miss Sophia? You probably learned how to organize a list during your internship, I can’t teach you this. “Please bring only the documents required for approval to me, because I’m not a homeroom teacher.”

 

“Yeees…”

 

“Yes….”

 

Yes, even that dejected appearance looks like it.

 

Birkin glanced at the dispirited chicks as she processed the documents that couldn’t go up to right away. Then she lowered her head to the documents again and spoke indifferently.

 

“Sir Docson, I gave you the documents I showed you to organize a little while ago, but it looks like you’ve already finished them. You seem to be quick with your hands?”

 

“…Yes! Well, since I was at the Academy, I really hated having homework, so I always did it first!”

 

“Sophia seems to be meticulous. You’re doing a good job.”

 

“R-Really?! I didn’t want the tickets to get dirty, so I did them one by one…!”

 

Yes, yes. Well done, everyone.

 

Birkin didn’t listen to any further responses from them and proceeded to work mechanically. When Sophia and Docson didn’t get a reply, their enthusiasm seemed to have ignited, so they kept their mouths shut and started looking for something to do.

 

They can’t do it. No one becomes good at something just because they can’t do it.

 

This was Birkin’s first thought when she was in a position to teach someone. Those who can’t do it anyway won’t get better if you criticize them for not being able to do it. In that case, it would have been better to at least raise enthusiasm by praising them.

 

There was silence in Team 3’s office for the first time in a long time. It’s because all four of them were busy taking care of the tasks given to them. Of course, the ‘quiet working atmosphere’ created by Birkin also played a role.

 

This is because If someone tries to make a meaningless chat instead of talking about work, she subtly gives a hint, asking, ‘Where is the break room? I think it would be better to work there.’ This is because he subtly gave me a hint. Sofia and Docson had no intention of resting their mouths unless she did something like this.

 

Still, if Birkin had been the only quiet person on this team, this atmosphere wouldn’t have been easy. On the basis of being able to create this atmosphere…

 

“…Ah, Sir Rutt.”

 

“Yes, I have compiled a list of general consultations you mentioned. Can I give it to you on parchment?”

 

“No, please send it by my watch, not on parchment. Doing it by hand is slow.”

 

“Yes, I understand.”

 

It’s all thanks to that guy.

 

From the beginning, she was told that he was a quiet person. He had navy blue hair, his hair was short and neat, and he was dressed neatly in a suit. His first impression was good.

 

Among all the peeps, he was the one who did his job the most quietly. Birkin expressed her infinite gratitude that there were such talented people in this team with no future.

 

“…Um, Vice. I’m sorry, but an error keeps popping up while connecting the watch.”

 

“Error? …Ah, right. I haven’t received my watch supply yet. I’ve only been working for one day.”

 

“That’s right! I thought Vice had been here for three years because you were so familiar with the job?!”

 

Chick 1 doesn’t miss the opportunity to speak. Then, without missing the opportunity, Chick 2 also joins in.

 

“Whoaa, I’m getting goosebumps right now. Vice, you’re so amazing!”

 

“…No, this is all I can do.”

 

Birkin responded flexibly and tried to focus on work again. What stopped her was the chicks’ chirping sound. 

 

“But, isn’t it lunch time now…?”

 

“Gasp! For some reason, I was hungry! This is the first time I’ve forgotten my lunch break and worked!”

 

Only then did Birkin check the clock hanging on the wall. 12:01. Just one minute had passed since lunchtime. Birkin waved her hand without taking her eyes off the document.

 

“Alright, everyone, have a delicious meal.”

 

“What about Vice?”

 

“I have to finish what I’m doing before eating. I tend to get stressed if I let go in the middle.”

 

The chicks hesitated, keeping an eye on Birkin, as if they felt bad about going first with such a boss.

 

It was then. Someone pushed the chair and stood up suddenly with a screeching sound.

 

“I’ll see you after lunch.”

 

After concisely speaking, Herion left the office first. Birkin glanced at Herion, but then she focused on his papers again.

 

When Herion left first, the chicks barely said in a low voice, ‘Vice, make sure you eat too…’ and left.

 

It was about ten minutes later. Birkin barely finished her work and shook her head. She leaned against the back of the chair. The unique engraved pattern of the Magic Tower carved on the ceiling caught her eye.

 

“…It’s hard.”

 

Are deputies really like this?

 

Oh, I’m not a deputy.

 

Birkin, who was naturally the head of the team and momentarily thought she was a deputy, let out a short sigh. She became aware of the bitter reality that the amount of work increased yet the salary didn’t.

 

…What should she tell her mother, she wondered. She said she would send her more pocket money starting this month.

 

Birkin stood up with her head throbbing. She took her time getting work done and there was only about 30 minutes left for lunch.

 

In the end, she decided to grab a quick meal at the tower cafeteria, which was probably quiet.

 

However, as soon as she went out into the hallway, Birkin heard a strange story.

 

“Really, what?”

 

“I’m not sure… I heard he’s looking for someone?”

 

“Who, who?”

 

Although Birkin heard the three top members of the other team talking, she pretended not to hear them and passed by. Because at work, the smartest thing to do is to pretend that you’re deaf.

 

Even while taking the stairs to get to the cafeteria in the basement, she could still hear the strange story.

 

“It’s my first time seeing him at the tower cafeteria.”

 

“You too? Me too. Who is he looking for?”

 

Well, are you looking for someone?

 

Birkin ignored it this time and quickly went down the stairs. She had to finish her meal before lunch time ended.

 

The Deepdale branch was smaller than the headquarters, but since it was a magic tower, the scale itself wasn’t small. The facilities were also in good condition, that’s why some local people dreamed of joining this branch.

 

The most famous benefit of the Deepdale branch was the cafeteria in the tower. Birkin, who had grown tired of the Imperial cuisine served at the headquarters, was invigorated by the thought of trying the port city’s unique diet.

 

Is she going to have a menu made from Kraken?

 

With that in mind, she entered the cafeteria.

 

But soon she had no choice but to stop right in front of the door.

 

“S-Service Division? It’s not me…”

 

“Soap? I-I’m not sure….”

 

Among the people standing in line to receive their meals, someone was checking on them one by one.

 

A thin but menacing physique, attractive gray hair that isn’t shaggy, and a face…

 

“…Crazy terrible guy?”

 

— Wise Magic Tower Life TIP! —

The most famous dish at the Deepdale branch is ‘Kraken’s Sucker’! However, this is a special dish that only comes out when the Kraken appears in the sea.