I had become a fourth-year university student and was spending my days busy with job hunting.

Maybe it was because my university wasn’t particularly prestigious, but I just couldn’t secure a job offer.

That day as well, I stayed at the university until late at night, thinking over strategies for my job search.

Earlier, I had the chance to talk with an acquaintance from high school.

Apparently, he had gone to a top-ranked university and had received a job offer from a major publicly listed company through a professor’s recommendation.

I really should have studied harder back in high school.

But there was no point regretting the past now.

I had to find a way to survive this job hunt.

As I walked through the deserted university campus at night on my way home, something resembling a magic circle suddenly began glowing beneath my feet.

‘What’s happening?’

Before I even had time to think, I was enveloped by a blinding light so intense that I couldn’t keep my eyes open.

When I came to, I found myself standing in a pure white world.

“Welcome to the world of the gods, Mogami Natsuki.”

“Um… what exactly is going on? Have I died?”

“No. Someone in a world under my management has performed a summoning ritual.”

“It is customary for those summoned to another world to be granted a special profession, so I have brought you here to the world of the gods before sending you there.”

“Before that, is there any way for me to return to my original world?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“You have already been summoned, so you cannot return immediately.”

“However, if you restore peace to that world, I promise to send you back to your original world at the exact moment you left.”

“Even if you say ‘restore peace,’ I don’t think an ordinary university student like me can accomplish something that grand.”

“That is precisely why I will grant you a special profession.”

“You may become a Sword Saint with unrivaled swordsmanship, a Sage who wields the strongest magic, a Healer with miraculous restorative powers, or any other profession you desire.”

“In that case, I’d like to become a Negotiator with the greatest negotiating skills.”

“A Negotiator?”

“Instead of restoring peace through force, wouldn’t it be better to achieve it through negotiation?”

“That way, there won’t be any unnecessary bloodshed.”

“I see.”

“You make a valid point.”

“Very well.”

“You shall become a Negotiator.”

“I entrust my world to you.”

I was once again enveloped in light.

When I opened my eyes, I was lying on a floor made of stone.

It seemed I had been transported to the other world the god had mentioned.

As I got to my feet and looked around, I found myself inside a massive stone chamber with an exceptionally high ceiling.

The walls and ceiling were decorated with elaborate ornaments, giving the place the appearance of a grand ceremonial hall.

Around me stood about ten people wearing robes.

Behind them was something resembling a throne.

Seated upon it was a large, imposing man.

He was probably the king.

“The summoning has succeeded!”

“Well done.”

“Perform an appraisal immediately.”

“His profession appears to be Negotiator.”

“A Negotiator?”

“Can he use some kind of powerful offensive ability?”

“No.”

“His attack power is zero.”

“He specializes in negotiating with others.”

The king, who had looked overjoyed at the successful summoning, instantly wore a disappointed expression.

“A Negotiator…”

“We summoned someone to defeat the Demon Nation.”

“However, the divine oracle decreed that the summoned hero must join the subjugation party.”

The king grimaced as though he had bitten into something bitter.

“It can’t be helped.”

“Even if he is to join the subjugation party, we can’t send him as he is.”

“He will undergo two years of special training before setting out.”

The next two years became a living hell.

They started with building physical strength, then martial arts training, swordsmanship, and finally magic.

Because healing magic existed, we could train far beyond our physical limits.

You might wonder why such extreme training was necessary.

To return to my original world, it wasn’t enough to simply succeed in negotiations.

I first had to survive long enough to reach the negotiating table.

If I died before then, everything would be meaningless.

Enduring the training was my only option.

“Instructor Drake, thank you for these two years of training.”

“Natsuki, you endured well.”

Instructor Drake’s training had been incredibly harsh, but I endured it because I desperately wanted to return to my original world.

Even so, I wasn’t entirely sure why I wanted to go back so badly.

After all, returning simply meant going back to being a fourth-year university student struggling with job hunting.

It wasn’t as though I had a girlfriend waiting for me.

Still, when I thought that I might never be able to return, the person who unexpectedly came to mind was my childhood friend.

We had only been close through elementary school.

As we entered middle school and high school, we gradually drifted apart.

By university, we were attending completely different schools.

“The training is over.”

“But now the real challenge begins.”

“Yes, Instructor.”

“We have to head to the Demon Nation.”

After completing two years of training, I departed from the royal castle as a member of the subjugation party bound for the Demon Nation.

However, even while we were still traveling through the kingdom before entering demon territory, trouble constantly followed us.

There were people trying to curry favor with the subjugation party.

There were traps laid by opposing factions.

There were thieves attempting to steal the party’s equipment.

Every conceivable kind of problem arose.

The leader of the subjugation party was the crown prince, but he was completely incapable of dealing with any of it.

The other members had no intention of helping either.

In the end, I was forced to handle every single problem myself.

The martial arts, swordsmanship, and magic I had trained to use against demons felt more useful against enemies within the kingdom than against demons themselves.

Things didn’t get any easier after entering the Demon Nation.

The members of the subjugation party cared only about exterminating demons.

But I wanted to restore peace through negotiation somehow.

After repeatedly persuading my companions and negotiating with the demons over and over, we finally reached the capital of the Demon Nation.

From there, I spent a long time negotiating with the demon side.

Eventually, we succeeded in concluding a Mutual Non-Aggression Treaty.

With the signing of the Mutual Non-Aggression Treaty, the war between the kingdom and the Demon Nation finally came to an end.

Peace returned to both nations.

However, my reputation within the kingdom was extremely poor.

The kingdom had originally wanted to conquer the Demon Nation.

Instead, I had repeatedly pushed for negotiations and brought the conflict to an end through a treaty.

Since we hadn’t achieved an outright victory, the kingdom had been forced to accept several unfavorable terms during the negotiations.

As a result, many people within the kingdom resented me.

Even so, they had to present the outcome to the citizens as though it had been a glorious victory.

A victory parade was held.

A grand celebration followed.

I was formally invited as the guest of honor, but after being introduced at the beginning, I was no longer treated as one of the heroes responsible for the victory.

During the celebration, I stepped outside into the palace garden for a short walk.

There, on the grass, a small magic circle was glowing.

“Natsuki… are you leaving?”

When I turned around, Instructor Drake was standing there.

“Yes.”

“My mission has been completed.”

“If you asked the god, couldn’t you stay in this world?”

The god had indeed told me that I could choose to remain here instead of returning to my original world.

“Yes.”

“If I wished, I could spend the rest of my life here.”

“Then why go back?”

“You’re a member of the subjugation party.”

“You should be honored as a hero.”

There had been people who wanted to recognize me as a hero because I had been part of the subjugation party.

That would only have caused further conflict with those who already resented me.

“If I remain in this world, I may eventually become the seed of another disaster.”

“It took so much effort to restore peace.”

“If that peace were lost again because of me, then everything would have been meaningless.”

“I see.”

“Then I won’t try to stop you.”

“I truly believe that peace returned to this kingdom because of you, Natsuki.”

“Thank you.”

“Take care of yourself too, Instructor.”

As I stepped onto the magic circle, its light grew brighter.

It engulfed everything around me.

Then, both the light and I disappeared.

God’s Perspective

Mogami Natsuki, thanks to you, peace has returned to this world.

As your reward, I shall grant your wish.

This time, make sure you won’t be separated again.