DISCLAIMER: The work translated here is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Should the work be licensed for English translation or upon request by the original copyright holders, please stop distribution of this document at once. Please send any and all comments to [email protected] Prologue Prologue By resorting to causing a fire at a stadium, Amagi Brilliant Park was saved from its imminent closure. The events that led up to this point had been rather (un)fortunate, though the park’s safety had yet to be guaranteed. And as he embarked on a brand new semester hof hig school, Kanie Seiya, the acting manager of Amagi Brilliant Park, began his arduous work of ironing out the problems neglected during his 2‐week stint. Some of the problems he faced included the enormous debt that resulted from the aggressive 30 yen campaign, the dip in number of guestse due to th increased ticket price and the cast members’ conceit after avoiding the threat of the park’s closure. Furthermore, though Seiya had bought more time for Amagi Brilliant Park; the fundamental problem remained unsolved. Amagi Brilliant Park was still the same old ‘pathetic theme park’, and they had until next March to attract another 600,000 visitors or they were doomed. Along with that, there was no way his stadium trick would work twice, meaning that he had no choice but to tackle this next obstacle with brute force. In short, despite the fact that it was only April, none of them could afford to slack off. 1 Prologue For now, the most pressing issue he faced as the acting manager was— 2 Ch1‐1 Chapter 1: We’re Lacking in Manpower! Part 1 “We’re lacking in manpower!” It was the first week of April, and Kanie Seiya raised his voice as he announced this in the meeting room. The people sitting behind the cheap tables that were placed around the room were important representatives that kept Amaburi afloat. One would imagine them to be wearing suits and formal attire, but that was not the case. In fact, a big proportion of the attendees were creatures with heads taking up a third of their height, taking up forms resembling rodents, horned dragons and all sorts of fanciful creatures. These were also the real cast members who came from a certain magical realm. All of them were returning Seiya’s comment with unpleasant expressions on their faces. “We’re lacking in manpower,” Seiya repeated. “To be honest, we’re lacking in many resources, but the manpower shortage is especially evident in all departments of the park, such as maintenance, F&B and even cleaning. We urgently need more staff!” Yet, in contrast with Seiya, who was tightly clenching his fists, the representatives in the room maintained an apathetic composure. 3 Ch1‐1 “Actually, we should have been hiring staff for quite a while now, but…” Sento Isuzu muttered. She was dressed in a red uniform. The royal guard of Maple Land had since been appointed as head of the secretariat. “But we’re not! Think of this, Sento. I’ve appointed you as the head of the secretariat, but just how many people are there in this secretariat? Let us hear it!” “One.” “There you have it, guys! Only one! Well…I guess there isn’t much use of a second secretary, but that’s beside the point. What’s important is that an increasing number of departments are becoming one‐man shows! Also, where’s our head of security? Ookuro!” “Ah yes, over here.” Ookuro from the security department raised his hand. He was not a resident of Maple Land, and neither were the other old security guards rotating night shifts with him. “What’s the strength of your department?” “We have four people, two of which are part‐timers." 4 Ch1‐1 That meant that only one person would be on duty in a three‐shift schedule. “This too! This is all the manpower we have to cover 500,000 square meters of land! Are you guys crazy? What would happen if some nutso carrying a knife jumped onstage? Do you think Ookuro would be able to manage that by himself!?" “Please leave that to me, Kanie‐kun. If worse comes to worst, I’ll do anything it takes to stop the attack, even if it means jumping in as a sacrifice." “Stop the attack, huh. Mind telling me, what would he do after that? Obviously, he’d move on to another target and you’d be too busy swimming in your own blood to stop it! Ridiculous!" “I agree." Scratching the back of his head and smiling (in frustration), Ookuro sat back on his seat. “Don’t worry about it, fumo. If it came to that, I’d kill him without hesitation," said Moffle, the cast leader of the park. The lead mascot was wearing a fancy hat and bowtie, and had a physique that resembled a wombat or a rodent of some sort. 5 Ch1‐1 “Then what would happen next? The next day’s newspapers would be inking ‘Amagi Brilliant Park’s Lead Mascot Kills Man on Impulse' in bold! How are we gonna attract any guests then?" “We’ll still attract some, fumo. I’ll become a hero, after all." “Your job is to please the guests, not murder them!" “Come to think of it, you’re right, fumo." Ignoring that rat who did not seem to understand his point, Seiya continued, “This isn’t just about security. We’re severely short on manpower in various departments. If we resort to borrowing help from cast members onstage, our service quality is sure to take a dip. We can’t let that happen." “In short, recruitment?" Isuzu asked. “Yes." “Even when our budget is essentially zilch?" “We’ll find a way around that. Hey, what’s up with that face? Don’t worry, I’ll think of something regarding our finances." 6 Ch1‐1 Truth be told, this was a measure that carried a lot of risk. Nonetheless, he had to put on façade of confidence. “So actually, I’ve already set up a recruitment drive. We’ve begun receiving applicants for various roles, and the interviews will take place starting next week. All members are to prepare themselves for this!" declared Seiya. “Can we recruit enough staff members with such short notice…?" Isuzu wondered. Her remark was not of sarcasm but of genuine concern. “I’m not sure myself. But we won’t know ‘till we try.” “I guess you’re right…" Right after, Tricen, the head of public relations, spoke. “Kanie‐san’s right. We might even score a talented individual among the prospective employees! Maybe…just maybe…even a cute babe…or a hot chick…or a pretty lady… This is just like a PC game! The male cast members will be delighted!" “Cut that crap and graduate from your gaming delusions. I feel offended as a Western‐style gamer," Seiya said with a frown. “My my, so you’re one of those people, I see. You know, the shy type who would waste their trip to Akiba with karaoke and shopping for electronics, but splurge on 18+ games on Amazon." 7 Ch1‐1 “I’m not exactly a big fan of ‘artificial people’…and hey, I’m a high schooler. I don’t play those things." “My apologies…but well, what I’m saying is that there might be people among the prospective employees who are gunning for your beautiful secretary’s position." “Don’t be stupid. Hey Sento, why don’t you say something to educate Tricen over here?" Responding to Tricen’s statement in disbelief, Seiya turned to Isuzu. She nodded at him, thought for a brief moment and replied, “You’re right. If they were more qualified than me, I’d gladly step down from my position as head of the secretariat." The room’s atmosphere became tense. Must you be so serious all the time? Seiya considered hurling that comment at her, but stopped and sighed. That’s just the way Isuzu was; unable to understand when people were joking. He decided not to jest and risk hurting her feelings. Seiya had heard Isuzu was a royal guard from Maple Land, the founder of Amaburi. He didn’t know much about the realm of magic, but apparently she was an elite amongst the guards. Then again, it became clear that even people like her had their shortcomings— “…Forget it, moving on…” 8 Ch1‐1 Amaburi had heaps of problems waiting to be addressed. Seiya began going through each and every one of them, knowing that they were equally important. Isuzu did not exhibit any strange behavior for the rest of the meeting. 9 Ch1‐2 Part 2 That night, after the meeting, Sento Isuzu had a peculiar dream. For some reason, she was together with Seiya working at the HR department, and the interviewees were all pretty ladies. The first one up was a relatively mature‐looking lady who had a very motherly appearance. She was taller than Isuzu and had a very well‐proportioned physique. (I’d like to work as your secretary.) The woman said this as she faced Seiya. (It may not look like it, but I am a certified grade 2 secretary. I’m sure I can be of use to you.) Hearing that, Seiya leaned back and grinned, seemingly impressed.