episode_0009

009 – The Old Man and the Field #2

“Dear, you’re coming home early today, right?”

“Uh, uh, probably….”

To his wife Kshali’s question, Krates vaguely answered.

Since his departure time from work had been inconsistent these past few days, he couldn’t be sure what today would be like either.

“I’m in charge of an important project right now, so I can’t help it. Once this work is finished, it will be properly reflected in my performance review, and I can expect a transfer to the main office. Then you’ll hear yourself called ‘madam’ again.”

Krates was a prince when he was alive. Although he was the prince of a small, weak nation, royalty was still royalty, and his wife Kshali, as the prince’s wife, lived receiving extremely precious treatment. Even though she now lives as an ordinary housewife.

But in this Soul Society, the main office is truly a divine workplace. For a mortal soul to work there was an even greater honor than acting like a king in life. Therefore, if Krates became an employee of the main office, his wife Kshali would also be able to live as a noble and elegant madam, just like when she was a queen.

“If I become an employee at the main office, my salary will increase, so we’ll be able to move into a newly built apartment in Elysium. You said you wanted to live in an apartment, didn’t you?”

Instead of answering, his wife Kshali adjusted the knot of Krates’s tie around his neck and gently brushed his shoulder.

Thus, Krates went to work.

The young boy Platan looked at the entrance where Krates had disappeared and quietly asked.

“Mom, it’s my birthday today, do you think Dad will buy me a present? I want a Nymph-tendo Switch 2. Even though I told Dad many times, he doesn’t seem to remember.” “Dad’s busy with work these days. Instead, for our prince, I’ll make a crown from the flowers Mom planted. Look at this─.”

Krates heard his wife and son’s conversation from the doorway.

His son’s birthday. When was the last time he celebrated it? In this Underworld where time was unclear, celebrating birthdays was extremely rare, but in the past few days, with the introduction of the concept of time to the Underworld, various cultures had reappeared.

Time. And Kronos, the Titan of Time.

‘A super large project: collaboration with Kronos.’

Krates, Assistant Manager of Punishment Enforcement Team 1, tightly clenched his fist. Vowing that this time, he would seize the forefront of opportunity.

‘Joy, your winning streak ends today.’

Joy wasted nearly half a month’s time claiming he would create an office site in a landfill. On the other hand, Krates had already found the best site in 「Happy World」.

‘If Joy fails to lead the collaboration with Kronos, I’ll splendidly make up for it.’

Before he knew it, Kronos had arrived in the downtown area of 「Happy World」.

Krates announced that he would be in charge of guiding Kronos. To show Kronos the best lands he had selected before arriving at Joy’s terrible site, the first place they arrived at was a hot spring.

“Kronos nim, our 「Happy World」 is famous for having many hot springs that are good for the body. Even executives from the main office often come to enjoy relaxation.” “Hmph.”

Kronos snorted. Does that mean he doesn’t like it? Then what about the second place?

“This is the Golden Temple. I heard that your era, Kronos nim, was called the Golden Age. If we collaborate, I wonder if it would be good to place the office here.” “Tsk, tsk.”

Kronos clicked his tongue again. Does that mean he doesn’t like this place either?

Now, all that remained was his secret third location. That was the central downtown area of Happy World, where hot springs and the Golden Temple were together.

However, this time too, Kronos was disgusted.

“Ugh. What kind of place is this?”

Why? Krates found it strange that Kronos did not like the locations he had painstakingly considered.

However, on the other hand, he also had this thought.

‘Kronos, you truly have great discernment. Since your standards are so particular, it’s clear you’ll be furious when he sees the wasteland Joy chose. Then Joy will get fired.’

Thus, they arrived at Joy’s wasteland.

Kronos shed streams of tears.

“This is it. The very place I was looking for. A vast, desolate, and barren land!”

Everyone was dumbfounded at the sight of the King of the Titans starting to shed tears as if truly moved.

In Krates’s case, he couldn’t understand it at all and was almost driven mad.

“Kronos nim, if I may be so bold, please enlighten this lacking mortal. Why on earth do you like this useless land?”

It was a somewhat rude and disrespectful remark.

But Kronos, truly moved by Joy’s site selection, was full of generosity to easily explain the reason so that everyone could understand.

“I was called the Titan of Time by everyone. However, in truth, I was called the Titan of Agriculture for a longer period. Touching the soil and planting vegetables was my task and identity.”

Kronos knelt down and touched the soil of the landfill. He marveled at the crumbly soil scattering between his fingers.

“The Underworld is full of mineral veins and jewels, so any land you look at has a lot of heavy metals. There are also many hot springs unsuitable for farming. But this place is different. There’s only land and soil.”

Ah-! Only then did Krates realize why Kronos disliked the site he had selected.

Land. Kronos simply needed land.

“I have ears too. Assistant Manager Joy, I also heard the story that you roamed everywhere in Happy World for half a month, working hard to find a suitable land for me. Truly satisfying.”

Kronos was also the Titan of Time. The devotion and sincere time Assistant Manager Joy had spent sweating sincerely and shoveling for him deeply permeated the old giant god’s true nature.

‘I had never received such devotion even from my own children whom I had birthed….’

Meeting someone who devoted himself so much for him, who was not needed by anyone and only pointed at as a terrifying prisoner, Kronos couldn’t hold back his tears.

Even though he was old and sick-. It seemed to say that he was still worthy of respect.

“Bring the contract. As long as Assistant Manager Joy stays in this Soul Society, I, Kronos, will gladly cooperate. From now on, time will flow uniformly.”

“So that’s what it was! That’s what it was! Assistant Manager Joy, you have far surpassed me, who had been a department head in Happy World for 300 years!”

“To persuade Kronos. It’s an unprecedented event that didn’t even exist in the Age of Gods! Wow, Joy! This Markius knew you could do it! Come on! Everyone, pay me! I won the bet!”

Wah-wah-wah-wah─! A situation where shouts erupted everywhere.

Krates felt indignant and, at the same time, an insurmountable ‘wall’ as he looked at today’s protagonist.

Assistant Manager Joy. He just smiled.

# # #

Clang! Clang! Clang!

An old man, twice as big as others, plowed the field. Very diligently. Sweating profusely.

The residents of Happy World whispered as they watched him.

“To make that hideous Titan do such heavy labor. What’s that employee’s name?” “Joy. He’s the man who made Sisyphus cry his eyes out.” “He’s truly terrifying. Definitely a devil.”

Did Kronos, plowing the field, look like a prisoner undergoing punishment? It seemed many people misunderstood that I, Joy, made him do it.

By this point, I didn’t even have the energy to explain. I don’t think they’d believe me anyway if I did.

Why did things turn out this way? I just wanted to get fired for being bad at my job. Was failing at an assigned task this difficult?

‘How on earth can I mess things up?’

I feel like I’ve forgotten how to fail. I might be overthinking it, but it feels like right now, even if I just trip over a stone, a gold vein would be discovered from it.

Thump, thump, thump-. Just in case, I dug up the nearby ground with the tip of my shoe, and I was startled when it really looked like a golden sparkling pebble appeared, so I quickly covered the soil.

Because I really don’t want to encounter any more gold veins.

“Here, these are cabbages and radishes I grew myself, so take them! Thanks to Sisyphus’s hard work, and maybe because the Underworld’s fake sun did its job properly, the crop yield is truly amazing!”

Before I knew it, Kronos, who had finished harvesting, held out vegetables to me.

Seeing that, the residents of Happy World whispered even more.

“Is he extorting Kronos right now?” “Joy, he’s truly a terrifying man…. It was true that he made Kronos cry his eyes out!”

This is maddening. Why does my notoriety keep rising?

“Kronos nim, is the work manageable?”

I asked, slightly sarcastically. Because that old man didn’t act according to my intentions, my situation only became more difficult. My workload has increased so much recently that even my mealtime has decreased.

Perhaps not noticing my sarcastic intention, the old man smiled, showing his teeth.

“Oh! Just call me grandpa. No need to be formal between us. And the work is very enjoyable. The labor of sweating and gaining its produce. This is life. A proper life is like this.” “I suppose so!” “Assistant Manager Joy, I owe you a truly great debt. Although all I can give you are radishes and cabbage. Actually, I still have a vestige of my divine power. How about receiving my 《Grace》?”

At the word 《Grace》, my forehead felt hot. I remembered the time I had previously received grace from Princess of Hell Melinoye. Though the trace is gone now.

“Surely to receive that 《Grace》, I don’t have to get a kiss from you, grandpa, do I?” “No, that’s something only young and immature gods do. Or, do you want to kiss this old man? I don’t mind, though.”

Ugh, I’d rather not. So when I shook my head, the old giant of agriculture raised both hands high and said.

“Kronos, Castrator of the Heavens, who touches the soil, bestows his 《Grace》 upon Joy, an employee of Happy World. Young man, you are fortunate. Not just anyone can receive my 《Grace》. Hohoho-!”

Indeed, a god’s blessing would be like that. If you consider mythology, a hero; if you consider Happy World, one must be at least a department head to receive blessings from gods.

“So, what exact ability does Kronos nim’s 《Grace》 have?”

“You’ll know exactly when to water and fertilize plants. Hohohoho-!”

I thought he might give me the power to stop time. Quite subtle.

Clang! Clang! The old god started digging up stones from the field again. Even while sweating strenuously, his expression was exceptionally bright.

“Grandpa, I’ll eat the radishes and cabbage well. And I’ll come to see once a week whether you’re doing well or not, so live diligently.” “This old man doesn’t mind if the young man comes every day, you know?” “That would be difficult for me.”

*Chuckle*. I lightly let out a natural chuckle and walked towards the office building.

The office of 「Happy World」.

As I entered, Department Head Bones sounded a fanfare.

“Manager Joy! I have one piece of good news and one piece of happy news, which would you like to hear first!” “The good news, please.” “Manager Joy, for successfully completing this Kronos collaboration project, you have become a manager! This is the first time since our founding! The first! From now on, you’ll be able to do more work!”

*Sigh*. I’m already dying from the amount of work, and now I’m told to do more. That’s truly bad news.

“Then what’s the bad news?” “Oh, it’s not bad news, but ‘happy news.’ After the work innovation, one must always be careful about using negative words!” “So, what’s that ha-ppy news?” “Perhaps thinking your promotion was too fast, the main office’s 「Inspection Department」 has started watching us. You’d better be careful. The main office’s Inspection Department is terrifying. Especially the new recruit….”

*Shivering*. It was Department Head Bones, trembling with a body that was only bones.

However, to me, this happy news sounded like truly happy news. From now on, employees from the Inspection Department will keep a close eye on me? Even better!

“Now, go that way, Manager Joy. Since you’ve become a manager, you should use a private office. For your information, the newly assigned tasks have been organized into document files and placed before you.”

*Pile*. In the private office, separated by a window and glass panel, document files piled up to the ceiling stung my eyes dizzily.

This is truly hopeless.

Still, a private office was good. Any office worker who has worked in a cramped work environment would undoubtedly know the dream of a private space.

Anyway, I became a manager.

Manager. A feeling of being midway between field work and management. From now on, not only my practical ability in the field, but also my capacity as a manager leading a team will be evaluated.

This situation where I’ve become a manager and am also being watched by the inspection team. How should I use this situation to change jobs?

*Flash*! A good idea suddenly came to mind.

So I quickly wrote words on a wide sheet of paper and plastered it onto the office bulletin board.

「Happy World Punishment Enforcement Department New Employee Recruitment Notice!」

「Actively prefer applicants with no experience and disqualifying reasons!」

「Nymphs Greatly Welcome!」