That Time I Got Reincarnated as an Underground Labyrinth Manager

Eisen froze for a moment.

As an old man, he'd never been interested in immortality.

But...

He looked at Stark.

All he really wanted was for Stark to be safe.

If he could live just a little longer, maybe he could see his apprentice get married, start a family, and grow into his own life.

That would be enough happiness for him.

"But, Chishiya-san, how do you plan to do that?"

Eisen finally voiced the question on everyone's mind.

Stark and Fern were also watching Chishiya with curiosity.

Chishiya spread his hands. "It's very simple. You just need to become a demon under my lineage."

"?" Eisen's face stiffened.

"???" Stark stopped cutting his meat.

"???" Fern looked up, shocked.

Only Aqua and Frieren continued eating, completely unfazed.

"..."

Eisen turned to Frieren.

She was still calmly eating her meal, showing no reaction at all.

Why was Frieren so chill about this?

A demon under the lineage? Was it just his imagination, or did that sound exactly like something a literal devil would say?

Chishiya gave a helpless shrug.

"Come on, you all look like you've never left your world before..."

"Mr. Eisen, don't panic. 'Demon' is just a term. It refers to beings with large amounts of mana."

"As long as you have enough magic power, your lifespan becomes virtually infinite. This is just the easiest and most efficient way."

"I see…"

Eisen nodded thoughtfully.

"I thought it meant becoming a servant of the Demon Lord."

Maybe he'd been overthinking it.

After all, like Chishiya had said, this wasn't the only world out there.

They couldn't judge others using the standards of their own worldview.

Chishiya: "..."

"Well... I mean, if you put it that way... you're not wrong."

"Since technically, I am a Demon Lord in some ways."

Clink.

The fork Eisen had just picked up slipped from his hand and landed back on the table.

In truth, even Chishiya wasn't exactly sure what he was anymore.

He was a reincarnator. He didn't belong to any one world.

A human? Definitely not.

His body had long since evolved into something conceptual—he could exist as both a physical and spiritual entity.

He was bound to the magic of the Labyrinth.

The stronger the Labyrinth became, the stronger he became.

And the more "obsessed" adventurers became with the Labyrinth, the more energy it fed back into the system.

In a sense, their obsession was his fuel.

It was, functionally, the same as how gods drew strength from belief.

So... was he technically a god now?

If Rimuru was the Demon of the Labyrinth, then Chishiya was probably the god who managed it.

"Ahem."

Chishiya cleared his throat and put on his usual calm expression.

"No need to overthink it, Mr. Eisen. Demon Lord is just a title. I'm not evil, if that's what you're worried about."

...Though even if he were, they wouldn't be able to beat him.

He dropped the thought and continued.

"Unlike your world, the monsters in our company don't spend their time picking fights."

"Everyone has their own responsibilities. They don't have time to go around killing people."

"Fern and Stark can confirm this."

The two nodded.

Indeed, the monsters in Chishiya's company were totally different from the ones in their own world.

They could talk. They could reason. They weren't wild beasts disguised in human form.

They didn't see humans as food either. In fact, their diets were almost identical to humans'.

It was more accurate to describe them as sub-human races.

They had a mutually beneficial relationship.

At that moment, Frieren looked up and spoke.

"Eisen, you can trust him. At the very least, I trust Chishiya."

Eisen froze.

Wait, what?

Was this really Frieren talking?

She was the one who had slain the most demons when they traveled together.

He looked at Chishiya, stunned.

What kind of charisma did this man have, that even someone as cold as Frieren would vouch for him?

Chishiya gave a faint smile.

"So, Mr. Eisen, are you willing to make a deal with me?"

"Join our company. I'll extend your lifespan and offer excellent benefits."

"But you'll need to work for me."

Eisen looked at Stark.

After a long pause, he nodded.

"I accept. It's not like I've got anything better to do with these old bones."

"Why not stick around and spend more time with my apprentice?"

You'll have plenty to do once you're in the company…

Chishiya smiled and pulled a pre-prepared contract from his coat, along with a pen.

"Then Mr. Eisen, welcome to the Underground Labyrinth Enterprise."

"As the CEO, I officially welcome you aboard."

---

In Heaven

Himmel and Heiter were both watching the projection.

Even Eisen had joined Chishiya's team?

Who was this young man?

He kept talking about companies, employees, and contracts in ways neither of them could fully understand.

Too bad they were dead now.

If they were still alive, the two of them probably would've tried to chat Chishiya's ear off.

"Looks like we've missed a lot of interesting stuff since we died," Himmel said with a beard stroke and a sigh.

Heiter chuckled.

"It's better to plant immortal seeds than sit around stewing in regret."

"Time moves on. More new things will come. We probably won't get to see much of them anymore."

"Goddess, if I may ask... who is this young man?"

They turned to the young goddess next to them.

She shook her head.

She had never seen Chishiya before either.

Could he be the rumored reincarnator who handled Aqua-senpai's reincarnation work in the past?

Just as they were all lost in thought—

Chishiya's voice rang from the screen.

"Next up, let's handle Himmel and Heiter's reincarnation."

Himmel, Heiter: "?"

Huh?

Did they hear that right?

Were they about to get involved in something?

Eisen looked shocked. "Chishiya-san, you can even do that?"

Chishiya shook his head and pointed at Aqua.

"At a time like this, we'll need our company's Chief High Priest."

"The Goddess of Water, Aqua, takes the stage!"

His tone was ceremonious, giving Aqua all the spotlight.

Aqua instantly fell for it.

Of course! She was a goddess!

And yet, people were always doubting her.

Only Chishiya treated her with the respect she deserved. That alone was reason enough to stick around.

Besides, working at Chishiya's company was the dream.

Way more relaxing than Heaven.

She didn't have to do much. There was food, drinks, and games. The occasional resurrection was all that was required.

Meanwhile, in Heaven, she'd be stuck managing endless reincarnations. A total hassle.

This was way better.

"Hehe~"

Aqua wiped her mouth and confidently declared,

"Easy stuff, Chishiya-san. Reincarnation is a pain since I need proper bodies..."

"But if it's just reuniting them with their souls, that's child's play."

Aqua was always easy to work with—as long as you gave her enough face.

Chishiya smiled. "Then I'll leave it to you."

He was already looking forward to the result.

Recruiting Eisen had unlocked the Labyrinth's special room: [Gravity Training Room].

Now he was curious.

What rewards would Himmel and Heiter bring?

(To be continued.)