[A gray-white planet floated at a node in the trade network, aligned with countless similar planets to weave a vast stellar web across the sky.]
[The bottom of the spindle-shaped pod responsible for hyperlane transmission cracked open a thin seam, instantly bursting forth a beam of cold light. That light was composed of innumerable data streams, which in an instant fractured into billions of branching paths of thought.]
["If you possess ambition rivaling that of a genius and understand how to create value from innovation, then you should join the Technical Development Department! Progress hand in hand with the Intelligentsia Guild!"]
["If wealth and status mean nothing to you, and you choose to dedicate yourself to the Amber Lord's cause, then the Construction Logistics Department belongs to the most devoted believers!"]
[On a planet ravaged and full of scars, the surface was dotted with honeycomb-like mining pits. Countless figures in spacesuits moved among them, standing before towering construction structures as they watched a distant transport vessel swallowing and disgorging new stone materials.]
[At the end of the horizon, at the far edge of the cosmos, countless starships advanced toward that vague yet colossal figure.]
["This is the starting point and endpoint of all the Corporation's endeavors. The stone materials you personally gather will become the foundation walls of the subspatial barrier."]
——
Zenless Zone Zero.
"Eh? I love both of these departments so much! It feels like I'd get to meet so many cute kids! I wanna go! I wanna go!"
Inside Belobog Heavy Industries, Grace's eyes sparkled brightly. She wished she could charge through the light screen and throw herself into the Interastral Peace Corporation's embrace the very next second. Although she had no interest in Preservation or anything like that, she was extremely enthusiastic about researching those hardworking construction kids!
"Uh… Grace, calm down a little."
Ben was at a complete loss for words. Every time she encountered new machinery, Grace turned into an entirely different level of fanatic. "There's still a whole light screen separating us from them. Even if you're interested, we'd have to wait until the Corporation's Market Development Department discovers us."
"By the way… isn't the Construction Logistics Department basically a logistics support division? Does an Aeon really need logistics for building walls?" Koleda asked in confusion. "In the long ages before the Corporation was even founded, the Preservation Aeon was already constantly building walls, right?"
Anton jumped down excitedly from the steel frame: "Whether it's needed or not, it's awesome! The stone materials you gather with your own hands ultimately become the wall protecting the entire galaxy—there's a feeling like you're personally safeguarding all living beings! That's what a real man is all about!"
——
["Or perhaps… you possess qualities beyond the ordinary, with courage as unyielding as bedrock in the face of danger."]
["The Strategic Investment Department regards talent as the most precious investment. It asks no questions about origin or background—eccentric geniuses and extraordinary figures are personally selected by Diamond himself."]
["Atop the stone table, decisions are made on where rivers of money will pour down like rain."]
[Countless human silhouettes transformed into gemstones rising into the sky, falling into the hands of a dark figure. He carefully appraised and toyed with each piece of raw ore, pocketing those that shone the brightest.]
[And among them, the most brilliant diamond burst forth with the most dazzling light upon collision.]
["As for the Talent Motivation Department, it is undoubtedly the most radiant empowerment hub in the entire galaxy."]
["First-class employees require first-class benefits. The Talent Motivation Department was established precisely for this purpose. Your work will be like the initial spark that ignites the enthusiasm of all of Pier Point!"]
[Supporting interstellar remote work, paying attention to employees' "faith" health, paid pet-petting diversity, regularly organizing cross-star travel… Countless benefits combined to form the Interastral Peace Corporation's employee security package.]
["And for those experienced veterans who still harbor old dreams, the Corporation's business cycles endlessly, like the tides rising and falling along the coast."]
["The veteran manager of the Traditional Projects Department waits quietly at the field meeting, gathering what the tide leaves behind when it recedes."]
[An elderly man appeared on the screen, placing carefully chosen partners into a paper boat—like an ark amid the sea tide, quietly awaiting the right moment.]
["Join us, and climb upward! You will shape the fates of countless worlds, turning galactic history into footnotes written for you. The Amber Lord's great hammer has already fallen—no one can remain uninvolved."]
["Now, raw ore brimming with limitless potential—we are waiting for you."]
——
KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!
"This is just perfect! So when is the Market Development Department finally going to develop this world?! High salary, explosive benefits, and you even get to travel to other planets on business trips by spaceship! This is literally a stage tailor-made for me!"
Kazuma swung both fists excitedly, letting out wild "oh oh oh" monkey-like howls.
Megumin grabbed him by the back of his collar, trying to drag this embarrassing guy off to the side and scold him harshly: "Calm down! Even a treant could trick you—going to a place like that would definitely leave you tricked until you don't even have your underwear left!"
"Wait! Weren't you guys the ones tricked by the treant first?!" Kazuma irritably swatted Megumin's hand away. "It's an interstellar corporation! Do they really need to trick me? Besides, I'm an elite who crossed over from modern Japan—my business sense is way stronger than yours!"
"Oh? Are you talking about the 'modern elite' who got so scared by a tractor that his heart stopped, wet and soiled himself, passed out, and died pathetically?" Aqua flashed a wicked, malicious grin.
"Shut up—I don't wanna hear it, I don't wanna hear it! You don't have to keep bringing that up over and over, do you?! Besides, the Corporation is a legitimate company. Once I make my fortune there, you'll all shut up."
"Legitimate company?" Aqua let out a "keke" giggle, lightly covering her mouth. "Listen up, Kazuma. I'm a goddess—I can see through every scam! A company like that will definitely hide traps in the contract. The moment you sign, they'll toss you out into outer space to mine for the rest of your life with no way back!"
"How do you know that?"
Aqua proudly put her hands on her hips: "Because Heaven has similar contracts too! They specially trick reincarnators into signing indentured servitude agreements, promising 'meals and lodging provided, easy work,' and then send them all off to grind slimes that never end!"
"Plus, Kazuma, think about it—could you really stand sitting in an office writing reports every day instead of slacking off, scamming people, and harassing female coworkers?"
"In other words, if you couldn't slack off and goof around at the company every day, what would even be the point of the job? With beautiful girls like us adventuring alongside you, aren't you satisfied?"
After listening, Kazuma pondered for a moment and nodded: "If you scratch out the second half of that sentence… yeah, it actually makes a bit of sense."
With that, Kazuma walked off looking somewhat dejected.
Only after watching Kazuma's back disappear from the Adventurer's Guild did Aqua finally let out a long sigh of relief.
"I finally managed to calm that guy down… If he really had no intention of defeating the Demon King, when would I ever get back to Heaven? As expected from Qingque—her theory really works."