Job Hunting for Reincarnated People: What Did You Learn in Your Otherworld Life? - Episode 3

●Rena Miyama (21), Shiori Narumi (34)

"My name is Rena Miyama. In the world of an otome game published by your company, I regained the memories of my previous life... the memories of Rena Miyama, and spent a year living as the main heroine, the noble lady Lilina Mainford."

So, it was an otherworld from a game made by our company. I wonder if the gods or creators of that otherworld are heavy users of our games.

The job seeker at the table I was in charge of—Rena Miyama—was a woman who gave off a spirited impression. Rather than a noble lady, she was the type you see more often among adventurers.

And then there was the other one.

"I am Shiori Narumi. Coincidentally, I also regained the memories of my previous life in the world of the same otome game from your company, and spent ten years as a noble lady. In my case, I was a mob noble lady."

Shiori Narumi glanced at Miyama and smiled modestly. Perhaps because she had spent even longer living as a noble lady, her bow was elegant down to the movement of her fingertips.

"It is surprising that it was the same game. Would you mind telling me about your experiences?"

To my feigned ignorance, Miyama spoke up first.

"Lilina Mainford is the fiancée of the main hero, Duke Alvis van Wisely. However, I was falsely accused of a crime that wasn't in the game, had my engagement broken, and fled to the countryside."

It was a common light novel-style introduction, and names that one could only remember if they played our company's game came tumbling out.

According to our marketing team, users enjoy chanting character names that are difficult to remember (the more middle names, the better) like spells and studying the hierarchy of nobility, and this otome game was no exception.

"A false accusation is a misfortune indeed. What did you do in the countryside?"

"Yes. I disguised myself as a man and enrolled in a knight academy."

I had braced myself for a lifestyle starting with 'slow,' but this was a different vector. Right, right. A cross-dressing noble lady, I see.

"I was able to gain irreplaceable school friends there. I also mastered advanced swordsmanship and managed to enter the castle as a trainee royal knight. From that experience, I learned the importance of adapting to new environments and striving toward my goals."

"I see. So, you didn't let your difficult circumstances get you down, and you lived with goals in a new land."

I returned a smile to Miyama, who answered with a bright "Yes!", and then turned to face Narumi.

"Ms. Narumi, you mentioned you were a mob noble lady... what did you do there?"

Yes. I was the daughter of a fallen noble family named Christina Feldra. Since I had no prospects for marriage, I went into service at the Duke of Wisely's estate and worked as the Duke's personal maid.

At Narumi's words, Miyama's eyebrows twitched.

Fallen nobility and mob characters are common terms, but that is not what is noteworthy here.

If it weren't for my game, I would have missed it, but the 'Wisely Dukedom' is the home of the main hero of the otome game. In other words, Narumi served as the personal maid to Duke Alvis.

My work was recognized, and I received support for my engagement to the Duke and the restoration of the Feldra family. The Wisely family has evaluated me as being attentive and good at taking care of others...

I see. So you were recognized as a maid, and also as a woman.

I savored the awkward atmosphere flowing across the table and glanced at the clock.

Well, the job seekers who tripped into the same game world are sitting at the table with me, but this is no coincidence. Of course, I decided this after looking at their resumes, and the seating arrangement is designed to expose their truths.

Thank you. Now, I would like the two of you to have a pair discussion.

Miyama and Narumi's gazes turned to me. They looked tense, wondering what kind of theme they would be debating.

However, in my [Exposure] discussion, topics like politics or environmental issues do not appear.

Please 'diss' the other person's otherworld life. I will be listening.

The two seemed surprised by the unexpected theme.

Are you saying we should criticize each other?

We have only just met, though...

Miyama and Narumi looked at each other with expressions that said, 'This is troublesome,' but of course, they wanted to pass the interview. They desperately tried to grasp my intentions and find points to 'diss' each other.

Well, it's going to be a waste of time, though.

Please speak your true feelings.

I used my palms as a megaphone and activated my [Exposure] skill.

Then, Miyama immediately opened her mouth.

Narumi-san. How did you trick Alvis? ...Wait, what! I didn't mean to say that!

Miyama was shocked, and Narumi braced herself. A diligent job seeker should have researched the 'Exposure' interview, but it seemed Miyama was unaware of it. Meanwhile, Narumi accepted the situation and seemed to have steeled herself.

Miyama-san. He said he was tired of being jealous of you for flirting with everyone. That's why he didn't feel like protecting you when you were accused of a crime.

Flirting with everyone...! Rena just wanted to get along with the other capture targets just in case!

Miyama-san is breaking down pretty quickly. I wonder if she's the type to treat the inhabitants of an otome game world like mere characters.

I've seen it on TV talk shows before, but it's not rare for people who trip into an otome game world to end up in relationships with multiple capture targets. It's the pattern where they try to play it safe, but the heroine power makes things go too well.

What about you, Narumi-san? You must have had a blast acting all young again, right? I heard a rumor that Alvis's new fiancée is sixteen. I feel sorry for Alvis for being tricked by someone who's actually a woman in her late twenties.

It is rude to point out one's age!

Perhaps because her emotions were running high, noble-lady speech slipped out of Narumi's mouth.

But Narumi-san, you were over there for ten years, right? That means the six-year-old was actually an old lady inside? Wow, that's rough.

It was certainly difficult to pretend to be a child, but I am not an old lady! I was acting cute!

That's exactly what I mean by rough.

Miyama must be hitting a sore spot.

For some reason, people over thirty tend to get younger when they go to another world.

However, while it's fine if you can just accept the gap between your appearance and mental age and enjoy the role, it must be stressful if it lasts for years. I feel like I would go crazy, so I take my hat off to that certain famous detective's mental fortitude.

And as I watched the discussion for a while, a nasty shouting match began, with insults like 'Age faker!' and 'Lewd noble lady!' being thrown around.

Hey, hey. Have you two forgotten that you're in the middle of an interview?

Miyama-san. You went to the Knight Academy to hunt for men anyway, didn't you?

Hmph! So what? I just pretended it was a coincidence and moved right in!

The probability of convenient developments happening in this world or another is extremely low. Therefore, I have no intention of criticizing Miyama for her style of creating her own circumstances and troubles.

Well, it was a very impure motive, though.

See, just as Alvis said. Weren't you engaging in impure heterosexual relationships at the Knight Academy, too? Students at the Knight Academy seem like they'd be starved for women.

Don't speak ill of everyone at the Knight Academy! Rena's initial goal might have been trashy, but there wasn't a single flighty man at the Knight Academy! Everyone there was serious and working hard because they wanted to become knights!

Miyama suddenly snapped.

A little curious, I interjected into the discussion to verify the truth of her statement.

Calm down, Miyama-san. Weren't you looking for a wonderful man at the Knight Academy?

Rena, I said I enrolled disguised as a man, didn't I? I kept up the disguise until the very end. A perfect male disguise with zero love events. Because I wanted to aim to be a knight just like everyone else...

As I listened further, it turned out that becoming a Royal Guard apprentice wasn't a lie either. Rena Miyama had truly awakened to the way of the knight.

That adaptability and ambition of yours is amazing.

It is rare for me to take an interest in a job seeker. That is how surprised I was, and how interesting I found it.

Thank you. I'm different from those thirty-somethings who get all giddy when they're scolded by a handsome duke.

Perhaps the impression that she is strong-willed comes from Miyama's chivalry.

I decided to stop assessing her character here and look for a conclusion.

Then, for my final question, what would you like to do if you were to get a job at our company?

Yes. I... I want to be involved in your company's otome game production. I want to use my experience to join the scenario team.

Perhaps overwhelmed by Miyama, Narumi had become completely quiet in both voice and attitude.

I nodded silently and turned toward Miyama.

I want to make a new game! How about a 'revenge' scenario game titled, 'A Young Lady Whose Engagement Was Broken by a Duke Becomes a Knight and Tries Exposing the Duke's Evil Deeds'? What do you think?

Everyone really does love a good 'revenge' story, don't they?

However, I would like to see Miyama's version, and her drive to create new games is a quality our company needs.

Thank you. That concludes today's interview. We will email you with the results later.

***

A few years later, I saw Rena Miyama at an in-house presentation for a new game.

The era of BL games is here! A freshman who attacks their upperclassman at knight school! A dark upperclassman! A teacher who pretends to be a playboy but is actually pure! Once you graduate, your lord is a wolf! This is the one for our next project!

I see. So it's your fault that more and more people are being transported to BL game otherworlds lately.

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