episode_0033

There was something I regretted when I restored Orpheus’s memories.

It was that by carrying out an unreasonable strategy to get myself fired, someone else could be deeply hurt.

I wished I were someone who could easily overlook the wounds others received for my own benefit.

Unfortunately, I was quite good at self-objectification.

In this “Happy World” filled with various types of people, I am an extremely ordinary person.

That’s why I’m struggling.

An ordinary person’s conscience pricks them if they hurt others.

And if something good happens to them, I also tend to feel subtly happy.

Therefore—

It was natural that I felt a sense of duty and debt towards the woman who became a ghost while saving me with her unstable body.

I was greatly flustered when I learned her real name.

Fortunately, I had an opportunity and luck was on my side.

‘I’m saved because the second match is a race.’

Let’s restore the woman who became a ghost to her original state as the winning prize.

It might be possible if it’s the “CEO” who holds over 90 percent of the shares.

【You want something else instead of the prize I personally prepared?】

【A mere subsidiary section chief has lost their fear.】

【Even if you get fired because of that small, round ghost, you won’t back down from your assertion?】

RUMBLE—!

Burning letters appeared in the air with a thunderous noise.

A smile didn’t leave the corners of my mouth as I read it.

“I am not afraid of being fired.”

Restoring the woman who became a ghost and getting fired at the same time?

How many birds can I kill with one stone?

This must be why people should live by performing good deeds.

“If you can restore the time for this ghost—Alcestis ssi—to live happily in ‘Happy World’, I will gladly drink the cup given to me.”

An unexpected gain.

A chance to be fired directly by the “CEO”!

Mom, Professor Jusu, both of you just wait!

I’m going up to the surface!

As I was raising my expectations like that.

For some reason, strange letters appeared in the air.

【Honey, wait, I told you the sound is all going in.】

【Furthermore, you clearly said you were going back to your parents’ home, so why are you still here—】

【Clatter, bang, CRASH—】

【Static, crrrackle—】

What is it, what’s happening?

Did a communication error occur?

Was it when about 30 seconds of chaotic time had passed like that?

【Alright.】

【For an unprecedentedly great winner, there should be a befitting reward.】

【Happy World’s Punishment Enforcement accepts Section Chief Joy’s request.】

【*^^*】

# # #

An emergency executive meeting was hastily held in the special viewing box.

Zagreus, the man sitting in the temporary chairman’s seat, his red eyes gleamed.

“The CEO has approved the reward Section Chief Joy requested. However, it’s not easy to restore a being who has forgotten their memories and become a ghost. I think we need to gather shares.”

At the prince’s words, all the executives exchanged glances.

Gathering shares wasn’t an ordinary matter.

Soon, Alecto, one of the goddesses of vengeance, pounded the table with a bang.

“Haa, what a bother. Section Chief Joy. A mere subsidiary section chief, yet he’s troubling us executives this much.”

“Let’s quickly transfer him to the main office and torment him; only then will I feel relieved.”

“Megaira agrees!”

They were the sinisterly smiling goddesses of vengeance.

They now gathered their palms towards the center of the round table.

“Our sisters hold 4 percent of the shares.”

“Thanatos, the president of ‘Happy World’, I hold about 60 percent of the shares.”

“Hypnos of the Welfare Department, 22 percent.”

Stack, stack, stack—

The executives’ palms gathered neatly on the round table.

The shares gathered by the executives totaled 120 percent.

At that sight, Charon, the general manager of “Charon Transport”, was impressed.

“This much. Share gathering. It’s been a long time. Since the implementation of ‘Business Renovation’.”

The executives’ eyes now turned towards the goddess who had been silent.

The goddess with the most unusual constitution, even in this Soul Society.

Her name, the guardian of ghosts, is Melinoye.

“I am Melinoye, the Vice President of ‘Happy World’. Adding my 11 percent of shares, with a total of 131 percent of shares, I will execute this agenda.”

A powerful force was felt seeping into Melinoye’s body.

The restraining force residing in this “Soul Society”.

A power that could certainly change fate and more resided in Melinoye’s body.

‘This is the power of one who exceeded 100 percent shares—’

Although it was temporary.

Melinoye was greatly impressed by the intense feeling of omnipotence.

At the same time, she felt a strangely familiar sensation.

‘This feeling, from somewhere….’

It must be a kind of déjà vu she always felt.

What’s important now is handling the problem.

“Ghost Alcestis. I twist the fate bestowed upon you and weave a new path.”

SNAP—!

As she snapped her fingers, a powerful shock swept across all of “Happy World”.

But there was a problem.

—Hoo, hoo…?

Alcestis had still not returned to her original state from her ghost form.

Melinoye, the ghost expert, accurately grasped the situation.

“Was it indeed impossible to completely restore a soul that had become a ghost? She has to spend half of the day in this ghost form. And only for the other half can she return to her original state.”

“What is that! Our Princess is quite sloppy at handling things.”

“Isn’t it because she has nymph blood mixed in, after all?”

“Megaira laughs!”

Cackle, cackle, cackle—

The laughing goddesses.

“…….”

Melinoye could not refute their laughter and only frowned.

Because it might have been as they said.

“That’s how it is. 12 hours a day. That’s the best. And this is an elixir made from the river of Mnemosyne. If she drinks this, her lost memories will resurface. It’s nowhere near affordable with a section chief’s salary, though.”

—Hoo-hoo…!

A windy field.

Melinoye held out the round ghost to Admetus.

Admetus embraced the ghost like someone who received a precious doll as a gift.

It was round and fluffy.

A “Hell Clover” was held in its hand.

The ghost, as if it had been waiting, held it out to Admetus.

—Hoo…!

Admetus, who received it, could not hold back his tears.

Admetus, who had never cried even when facing death to prove his manliness, but.

He didn’t even know why he was crying.

Soon Section Chief Joy said.

“Admetus ssi, Alcestis ssi says she’s sorry. Admetus ssi dislikes small and cute things, and she says she’s sorry for becoming such a small and cute ghost.”

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

At that moment, Alcestis, who had been in ghost form, returned to human form.

She hugged Admetus and shed a few tears.

“I’m sorry, Admetus. For becoming like this….”

In Admetus’s opinion, there was nothing for Alcestis to be sorry about.

Rather, it was Admetus who should apologize.

“…I’ve been lying to you for a long time. Actually, I also like trivial things like flowers and wild grass. I also like small and cute things. I lied to appear manly.”

Admetus liked Alcestis, who would live half the day in the form of a small and cute ghost.

It was because he actually liked cute and adorable things.

But even if he didn’t like adorable and cute things.

And even if Alcestis had changed into a fierce and terrifying form.

The two would still have loved each other.

To them, outward appearance didn’t really matter.

The two men and women who had been embracing for a while like that.

They soon remembered the connection that had brought about the current situation.

“Melinoye nim, thank you very much for using your power for my wife. And Section Chief Joy, I didn’t know you would do this much for me. I only saw you as a rival, but you….”

What if he had won?

By preparing the river water of Mnemosyne that restores memories, he could have restored his wife’s memories.

But in the time called eternity, her memories would diminish again, and she would eventually become a ghost.

However, Joy directly pleaded with the “CEO” and tried to find a way to solve her becoming a ghost itself.

Even Admetus, who had plunged into all sorts of reckless ventures to prove his manliness, thought it was an extremely bold method.

His will to see his intentions through was profound, even if he got fired because of it.

“How on earth should I repay such a huge debt….”

“Admetus ssi, I heard from your wife that you like ‘Hell Clovers’. If you have any collected, could you give them to me? That would be enough.”

Admetus was surprised.

“Hell Clover”, that’s all it takes?

“Joy, a person as bold and generous as you would become an assistant manager. On the other hand, I… still have a long way to go. The reason I failed the section chief exam until now was simply because I was lacking.”

It was Admetus’s complete defeat.

In any event, no matter what method he used to challenge.

Admetus did not feel confident that he could defeat Assistant Manager Joy (provisional).

# # #

The couple, Admetus and Alcestis, disappeared towards the distant sunset.

Looking at their forms growing smaller like dots, Princess Melinoye said.

“It’s truly amazing to like someone. I think Admetus would have truly loved Alcestis, even if she became a ghost.”

“Is that so?”

It really seems like that, doesn’t it?

I really envy their relationship.

If such a pair had to separate for their whole lives because of me, I would really have been tormented by guilt every night and had nightmares.

Of course, my reality of becoming an assistant manager because of that was a nightmare itself.

However—

Some nightmares can be beautiful.

“…What if.”

Whoosh—

Melinoye nim’s black hair, belonging to the Goddess of Nightmares, fluttered in the wind that began to blow.

As I thought it was very beautiful, the Goddess nim quietly said.

“…What if. Joy, if I, whom you so passionately follow and love, were not a perfect goddess? If I also had a secret I wanted to hide from others….”

Melinoye nim’s wavering gaze.

Soon, Melinoye nim burst into a small laugh.

“Of course, it’s a joke. There’s no way I, a perfect goddess, would have a secret or a weakness. I’m tired because I used more power than usual today. Joy, I’ll go back first.”

“Melinoye nim, thank you very much for today.”

Bow—

I bowed my head.

If Melinoye nim hadn’t been here, I wouldn’t have been able to compose myself and manage today.

Of course, Melinoye nim coolly waved her hand.

“No need for thanks. Joy, you should focus on preparing for your future assistant manager duties. From the assistant manager level, the main office pays attention, so you need to be careful. And also—”

And also?

“Well then, my curfew time is up, so I’ll be going now!”

Rush—

Melinoye nim quickly disappeared as if fleeing somewhere.

This was the first time I heard that Melinoye nim had a curfew.

As she is the formidable “CEO”‘s precious jewel, it wasn’t strange for her to have such a thing.

So I also walked alone towards that distant sunset.

‘Damn, it’s a bit lonely.’

Is it right for the winner of the assistant manager exam to be the saddest and loneliest?

Admetus ssi failed his promotion exam, and his wife is pretty and cute, I’m really envious.

“…Did I really become an assistant manager in the end?”

How did my life end up like this?

“Mmm-hmm, I declare that Section Chief Joy went through a lot today…!”

SUD. DEN. LY.

A nymph appeared from the street corner.

An uncanny timing in many ways.

“Melinoi?”

Normally, I would have been flustered.

No, even now I was flustered, but somehow, I was glad.

Heavens, that the day would come when I, a nymph hater, would think a nymph was welcome.

“Melinoi ssi, you also went through a lot today.”

Swipe—

I raised my hand and placed it on Melinoi’s head.

And recalling memories of being often petted by someone, I petted her vigorously.

Thereupon, Melinoi trembled and seemed to like it very much.

“I declare that this Melinoi loves being praised and petted very much…! I declare that you should pet me more vigorously…! I declare that praise increases Melinoi’s work efficiency and promotes her to ‘CEO’…!”

She’s a strange nymph, after all.

So, it was when I unconsciously burst into a stifled laugh.

Melinoi made a bombshell announcement.

“Then Section Chief Joy will soon have an interview with the ‘CEO’, so I declare it would be good to prepare well…! For your information, I, Melinoi, have no relation to the ‘CEO’, so I declare I can’t give any help…!”

If it’s an interview… Oh, that!

Of the number 1 betting rank…!?

Suddenly, I felt a desperate feeling.

What the Happy World!