The day after Alina finished her hellish weekend work.
Time was a cruel thing. No matter if she worked from sunup to sundown when the office was closed, no matter if she cried and threw a tantrum, as if to say, No, no, I haven’t rested today, don’t end, weekend, the weekdays would always cruelly arrive. Wondering how the world could be so outrageous, Alina glared at her pocket watch.
The second needle moved along with a tick, tick. The offices of Iffole Counter were enveloped in an odd silence.
Opening hours were just about to end, and there were no customers in the building. But the senior receptionists who were always holed up in the office, working on their individual tasks or getting ready to go, were all standing at their posts at their counters, holding their breath as they watched Alina.
Because today was the final day for applications for the fighting tournament.
The deadline for applications was when business hours ended at Iffole Counter. Alina had anticipated that some fool would rush in at the last minute to apply and was waiting expectantly.
Just fifteen seconds until business hours were over.
After checking, Alina looked up from her pocket watch. She let out a slow breath and then focused all her nerves on the open front entrance.
The street outside was a jumble of townspeople starting to head home and adventurers who were just heading off to dungeons. But she couldn’t sense anyone about to rush into Iffole Counter. Indeed, these past few days, hardly anyone had come to apply. Unusually, it was fair to say that most people seeking to participate had finished applying.
And then, the moment the second hand reached the peak of the clock—
The town bell rang out with a low bong at five in the evening. Business hours were over.
Instantly, Alina’s eyes flashed, and like a commander directing battle, she pointed to the front entrance of Iffole Counter.
“The time has come! Go, Laila!”
“Right!”
Laila, who had been lying in wait, instantly leaped out from her own counter, staying low as she rushed over to the door as quick as she could. With a gachak gachak gachak! She locked the double locks in a practiced motion, turning around lightly like she was dancing to announce with a broad smile, “Business hours are over!”
Alina tossed away the pocket watch she’d been holding and threw both hands into the air as she cried to the heavens, “Tournament applications are oveeeeeeeer!!!”
As she howled in victory, unstinting applause flew at her from all around.
“Congratulations, Alina!”
“You worked so hard!”
“Thanks for all your work, Alina. Want a snack?”
“Great work, Alina.”
Even the counter chief came out from his office and thanked her.
“Thank you very much, everyone, Counter Chief…!” Accepting their thanks, Alina quietly wiped away a tear. “All that’s left is to foist—rather, submit all the application documents to the guild headquarters, along with the tally results, tomorrow, and then my work on tournament duty will be just about done…!”
She would have some light reception work left for the day of the tournament, but it was insignificant compared to the exhausting task of gathering the applications. It was an easy job. That was to say, her work at the special window for the fighting tournament, aka window of death, was just about done…!
I…I managed to finish this job alive…
So filled with emotion that she was getting choked up, Alina resolved that she would definitely leave on time that day, indulge in cake to her heart’s content as a reward, and get lots of sleep.