Hidden Management Department garrison, fourth-floor server room.
"Kato-san, please place your hand on the screen in front of you."
Hearing this, Megumi Kato glanced at the electronic screen placed on the cylindrical platform before her, then looked at Yukino Yukinoshita, seated opposite her in front of a computer, wearing red-framed glasses that gave her a literary beauty.
When she had first entered this room, there had been no computer or cylinder in front of her.
But after numerous blue lights illuminated the ceiling above, these objects had suddenly appeared.
The abruptness of the change left Megumi Kato in such shock that she hardly dared to make a sound.
"Kato-san, please place your hand on the screen quickly," Yukino Yukinoshita urged again.
Hearing this, Megumi Kato studied Yukino for a few more seconds, carefully considered the request, and finally placed her hand on the screen.
The next instant, the black electronic screen lit up, displaying the words: [Fingerprint registration successful].
Simultaneously, the cylinder split open slightly at the centre, and a small silver metal box about 5cm in diameter slowly rose from within.
At this point, Yukino Yukinoshita calmly instructed:
"Pluck a strand of your hair—make sure it has the follicle—for DNA verification."
Megumi Kato's expression twisted slightly at these words, but she obediently plucked a hair with its follicle and, frowning, placed it into the silver metal box.
Upon receiving the hair, the metal box trembled faintly as it descended, and the opened cylinder returned to its original position.
Before long, the restored electronic screen displayed another notification:
[Genetic registration successful].
[.....Permission granted.]
[Special equipment room access unlocked. Basic training room access unlocked. Residential area permissions unlocked....]
After a series of unlocks, the screen finally displayed one last line:
[Welcome aboard, D-rank access holder Megumi Kato.]
"This..."
Megumi Kato stared at the messages, her heart unsettled as she hesitantly asked Yukino Yukinoshita:
"This... is the club I joined really a school club?"
Yukino Yukinoshita looked up from her computer, adjusted her glasses, and asked:
"For now, you can consider it as such."
"Please don't use such vague phrasing," Megumi Kato murmured softly.
Meanwhile, Yukino Yukinoshita reached towards the nearby cabinet, aligning the ring on her right middle finger with the groove at the cabinet's upper right corner.
A pale blue flame ignited on the ring.
With a click, the cabinet opened, revealing stacks of small silver metal boxes inside.
Megumi Kato's eyes widened as she watched the blue flames rise from Yukino's hand and saw her retrieve the metal boxes, seemingly frozen in shock.
Yukino then opened one of the boxes and placed it on the table near Megumi.
"This is your ring login credential. Remember not to remove it in future. The garrison's security gates and many facilities require this to operate."
Megumi lowered her head, gazing at the black ring set with an unknown transparent gem inside the silver box, then looked up at the identical ring with a sapphire on Yukino's hand, falling into deep thought.
"Ask whatever you want to know," Yukino said while finishing some paperwork on her computer.
After a moment's silence, Megumi spoke in her gentle voice:
"Why... me?"
Yukino glanced up at Megumi, noting her calm yet puzzled expression, then paused before replying:
"You mean why Director Luo Shu chose you?"
Megumi nodded hesitantly and added:
"I'm just an ordinary student at best, someone easily overlooked by teachers and classmates. Beyond that, there's nothing special about me."
"Someone as common as me... why would Senior Luo Shu select me?"
What Megumi really wanted to say was that she felt 'targeted' by Luo Shu, but she thought that sounded inappropriate, so she adjusted her wording.
Hearing this, Yukino smiled faintly:
"So you've stopped insisting this is a school club's activity room?"
Megumi responded with an awkward, sheepish smile.
After witnessing hypnosis, flames emerging from fingers, and various completely abnormal technological devices, only a fool would still believe this was a school club.
Her repeated emphasis on it being a school club was more of a reminder – a hint that she was still their fellow student and they shouldn't do anything reckless.
Seeing Megumi's apologetic yet complicated smile, Yukino shook her head:
"Due to confidentiality principles, I can't give detailed explanations until you sign the contract."
"Let me put it this way."
"Consider that the Director believes you possess special talent. That leaving you unattended might attract unacceptable dangers, hence his decision to recruit you."
"Special talent?" Megumi was stunned.
Did she have any special abilities? Surely not?
Her grades were average, her family neither rich nor noble, her looks quite ordinary – after all, no one had ever confessed to her.
Really... was there anything special about her?
"To put it simply, you could consider yourself the female lead. That's how Senior Kasumigaoka puts it, and of course, the director has tacitly approved this description on several occasions."
Yukino Yukinoshita said this before looking at Megumi Kato with slight puzzlement:
"Kato-san, you seem to lack confidence in yourself?"
"Ah, well, that's true."
Megumi Kato unconsciously twirled her hair around her finger before murmuring:
"I've always been rather easy to overlook. It wouldn't be wrong to say I'm inconspicuous, would it?"
"...I understand."
Yukinoshita seemed to realise something upon hearing this. Luo Shu had previously explained some aspects of Megumi's situation to her through the Divine Pantheon's internal communication system, so many things now fell into place.
Because she's easily overlooked, she considers herself too inconspicuous, leading to a lack of confidence?
'This girl... might actually crave recognition quite badly.'
Having reached this conclusion, Yukino Yukinoshita promptly said:
"Due to the Director's arrangements, you'll be working alongside me on documentation tasks for the foreseeable future."
As she spoke, Yukinoshita stood up and extended her hand towards Megumi:
"So, I look forward to working with you, Megumi."
Hearing this, Megumi blinked in surprise, but quickly seemed to realise it would be rude to remain stunned. She hurriedly reached out and shook Yukinoshita's hand:
"Um, I look forward to working with you, too, Senior!"
After shaking hands and releasing her grip, Yukinoshita continued:
"Now then, while there's still time, we'll need to visit the Research Department. I'll brief you about our department during the walk. We'll aim to complete your onboarding procedures by tomorrow."
"Oh, regarding current D-Class Personnel benefits - your salary will be 500,000 yen monthly. There's a salary review every two years with a minimum 30% increase, full medical coverage, plus housing and meal allowances. Once the second-floor canteen is operational, you can choose between the meal allowance or dining there directly."
"As you're still a student, your working hours can be arranged after school and during weekends."
"You can review other benefits in the documents at the second-floor office area later. Any questions?"
"N-no, none at all."
Megumi Kato responded dazedly, her head spinning.
Right now, she only had one thought in her mind.
Even if she graduated high school or got into a prestigious university, could she ever land such favourable working conditions?
So... this really wasn't a scam, was it?