episode_0047

047 – Nymph Flu Coronoi! # 2

“Ha, to have to work even on the weekend.”

Director Alecto was miserable at the situation of having to go to work even on her day off.

The responsibility for not discerning Thanatos’s betrayal. The fierce assault by the Security Management Team. Due to various difficulties, the headquarters’ Audit Team was on the verge of falling apart.

At least, Assistant Manager Joy, a recent new employee, had achieved great success by finding ‘Kyne’, which helped put out the immediate crisis.

But it was still a problem. Because the performance of Audit Team 2 had been so brilliant recently.

‘At this rate, all authority will be handed over to Astaroth, the Team Leader of Team 2 who came from outside. Then our Audit Team 1, with its long and distinguished history, will be disbanded.’

The Audit Team’s authority was immense. That authority was also the core of maintaining the ‘Night Faction’.

However, if things continued like this, the faction itself might be dissolved by Prince Zagreus’s scheme.

“That Zagreus. We barely gathered our strength to put him on the successor’s seat. And now he’s trying to devour us too? He means to centralize all power to himself.”

Prince Zagreus was a deranged god whose actions were unpredictable. A fellow who proclaimed himself the god of “Happy World” couldn’t possibly be normal.

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

Alecto tapped the paper on her desk with an anxious heart. On that paper was written: “Confirmed transmission route of Nymph Flu Coronoi infections.”

This was a weapon to poke at Prince Zagreus’s painful weakness. The only important thing was when it would be revealed, and who would reveal it. Because whoever revealed it would bear the full resentment of the deranged prince. No one wanted to drink that cup, as they didn’t know what revenge he would exact. The same was true for Alecto, a fellow executive.

Alecto had previously engaged in a fierce battle with Prince Zagreus. So she knew very well how tricky it was to be targeted by him.

Just then.

Department Head Hector hurriedly entered Alecto’s office.

“An urgent report has come in from Ms. Arachne of Human Intelligence! It says that Assistant Manager Joy is currently meeting Prince Zagreus and discussing Coronoi!”

“Huh?”

Alecto was startled. To scratch the most itchy part at the most difficult timing. She got goosebumps to the point where her wing feathers stood on end.

“Joy, you, who are crazy about promotion, don’t you even have the fear of being marked by the real power of hell? How did a mere assistant manager pick up information about the Nymph Flu?”

Indeed, he was the man called the devil of Happy World. Alecto genuinely admired his aggressiveness, stopping at nothing for promotion. Because she knew why he was so obsessed with promotion and why he genuinely aimed for an executive position. It was because he liked Melinoye.

“I thought humans nowadays weren’t as good as before. I thought the era of myths and heroes had already ended. But it doesn’t seem to be entirely the case yet.”

There were still humans who challenged the impossible. Alecto didn’t dislike such humans.

“Director, then I will raid the Security Management Team’s office and abscond with all documents related to the Nymph Flu immediately. Audit Team 1, advance towards the Security Management Team’s office!”

# # #

Ultimately, the Nymph members of “E&S” could not be met. They were also infected with the prevalent Nymph Flu Coronoi and were refraining from meeting others. Their cold symptoms must be severe. I wondered if it could be transmitted to humans as well.

As I worried about that, Ms. Arachne made a fuss for a different reason.

“To pick a fight with Prince Zagreus! I knew Mr. Joy was fearless, but I didn’t know he was this much!”

I decided to investigate the Nymph Flu and ended up in conflict with Prince Zagreus. Honestly, I didn’t understand the causal relationship of why my investigation into the flu led to conflict with the Prince. But since they said so, I guess that’s how it is.

“You know Prince Zagreus ran away from home several times, right? He left this ‘Soul Society’ and went to the surface.”

Prince Zagreus had never officially run away from home. But seeing that even Ms. Arachne knew the fact, it seemed to be a story known by those who would know, just kept quiet. I don’t know why the runaway story is coming up now, but.

“Back then, before the work reform, it was a massive illegality for someone from Soul Society to go to the surface without the CEO’s permission, you know? Of course, security was even stricter than now!”

They said Prince Zagreus broke through the guards blocking his way, went to the surface, and returned. This was a major emergency in the Underworld, which valued security. They said Prince Zagreus was subjected to severe disciplinary action.

“From what I heard, they dismembered his limbs and head and imprisoned him separately. That punishment was possible because executives don’t die.”

And on the day the severe disciplinary punishment ended, Prince Zagreus escaped to the surface again.

“In the process of stopping him, executives like Director Alecto were mobilized in full force, and even the terrifying ‘CEO’ came out with a weapon, they said. They fought as if to kill each other…”

They said Prince Zagreus grabbed the Chairman’s collar or something. Was she talking about that runaway incident? Should I say his personality was really bold, or reckless and cruel? Whatever it was, he was certainly a god that no one could control. And if I were targeted by such a god, my social life would also become difficult.

So it might even be good.

But as I listened to the story, a question arose.

“Why did Prince Zagreus try so hard to go to the surface?”

Was there a similar reason to mine? Of course, I don’t have the courage to escape, even while resolving to be killed by executives.

“…Well? I don’t know that far either. The important thing isn’t why the man went out, but what he brought back from the outside world.”

They said Prince Zagreus, after several runaways, brought many things back from the outside world to this Underworld. The ‘Work Reform’, applied to this Underworld after studying surface business systems, was one of them.

“Nymph Flu Coronoi could also be a disease Prince Zagreus brought in when he arbitrarily went to the surface and returned. So, if we conduct an epidemiological investigation of that…”

“I’ll appear to be attacking Prince Zagreus. Because Prince Zagreus, the Chief Security Officer, essentially caused a crisis in this world by his own actions.”

I finally clearly understood why investigating the Nymph Flu led to conflict with Prince Zagreus. What was also surprising was Ms. Arachne’s resourcefulness.

“You cleverly know all those things.”

“If you want to work in the entertainment industry, various stories are bound to be heard. You always have to keep your senses sharply honed to survive. My senses are especially excellent!”

Is it the sensitive spider sense of spiders?

Soon, Ms. Arachne spoke to me in a subtle voice.

“So, would you like to make a deal with me? If I tell you various stories, Assistant Manager Joy can also tell me various news from headquarters. If you’re in the Audit Team, a lot of information comes in and you’d need it, right?”

Is she suggesting a Human Intelligence contract? It can be seen as recruiting an informant.

“By the way, I’m already acting as an informant for many employees. Originally, I don’t do this for just anyone. But since Assistant Manager Joy seems promising, I’m making a special offer, you know?”

Promising future. That’s the word I want to distance myself from the most.

But? A Human Intelligence contract with Ms. Arachne was also good news for me. Sensitive information. If one frequently comes into contact with it, the possibility of getting caught up in dangerous things and the possibility of being fired also increase.

*Clasp*.

I clasped Ms. Arachne’s hand.

“What the heck, let’s do it.”

“You made a good decision. And welcome, to my Arachne’s ‘Spiderweb Network’!”

“’Spiderweb Network’?”

“…The name is temporary, so it can be changed anytime.”

I see. Then, shall I try it right away?

“Then, Ms. Arachne. Is there any information with enormous risk? Information that entails bearing risk just by knowing it?”

“Indeed, your ambition is great. High risk, high return! That’s a saying I truly like. Just in time, I do have such prey in my spiderweb. I heard there’s a huge party planned soon?”

A huge party. Is that all the information?

I left the entertainment agency like that. What I gained was that a confrontation arose with Prince Zagreus. And that I acquired a resourceful informant, that much?

After my informant contact Markius went to headquarters, I needed a well-connected busybody in many ways. Ms. Arachne would surely be able to fill that void perfectly.

‘Ms. Arachne is pretty and capable, I wonder why she isn’t married.’

# # #

“Ginger, you say? I don’t have any of those I’m cultivating.”

I sought out Elder Kronos. I was trying to find ginger, which is good for colds. When my mother caught a cold before, she drank boiled ginger, and it was quite effective. But unfortunately, there was no ginger in this Underworld.

“Instead, there might be something similar to living ginger. That would be dead ginger. It’s a plant brought from the Eastern Underworld. It’s probably in the thorn bush far away, but…”

Elder Kronos frowned. Without me even having to ask why, he kindly added an explanation.

“It won’t be easy to find. As you, being from Happy World, would know better, the thorn bush is a place designed for punishment, so it’s prickly and painful, isn’t it?”

I went to the thorn bush. To find the dead ginger, which is said to be good for colds. But the thorn bush was spiky with trees, grass, and even rocks, making walking difficult. It was prickly in many ways, even for me, who usually lived close to cacti.

“Found it!”

By the time I found the heap of dead ginger, the sun was slowly setting.

“I wasted the entire weekend.”

It seems I struggled for almost half a day. My clothes and palms were tattered.

I took the dead ginger and sought out Lady Melinoye’s temple again.

Knock, knock, knock.

When I knocked on the door, Lady Melinoye subtly stuck her head out through the crack of the open door.

“This is dead ginger. If you boil or simmer it and drink it, it will be good for your cold.”

“Cough, it seems like a difficult-to-obtain plant. Thanks to my mother, I have some knowledge about plants, you see. Joy, it seems you suffered for me. Your loyalty will be remembered forever… Cough…”

“Please rest.”

Before I knew it, it was dark night. Ultimately, I only suffered all day today because of the Nymph Flu. My suffering like this wasn’t because I was loyal to Lady Melinoye. I simply had a personal interest in something called the Nymph Flu. It seemed I unintentionally gained points with Lady Melinoye, but.

“Shall I give the remaining ones to the ‘E&S’ members?”

Late hour. I sought out the entertainment agency office again. And I was able to meet Bassist Rilke, whose condition had slightly improved.

But Ms. Rilke was greatly surprised when she saw my dead ginger.

“That’s dead ginger, isn’t it? It has no taste and no effect whatsoever. That’s why it wasn’t cultivated by anyone and was left abandoned in the thorn bush. It has no efficacy for colds… Cough… It doesn’t.”

“It doesn’t?”

“It doesn’t.”

Really? Then what was all my suffering today for?

‘How foolish. What am I doing here?’ Happy World. Soul Society. I really want to get out of here and go to the surface.

As I returned home and was about to fall asleep, someone knocked on my house window. I raised my body and went out to the living room, and Lady Melinoye was outside the window.

“Joy, it seems the dead ginger you gave me had an effect. Of course, as a perfect goddess, I’ve never caught a cold from the beginning!”

Lady Melinoye smiled, revealing her white teeth. Apparently, she didn’t know that dead ginger was a useless plant. To end up gaining points with a useless plant. The situation is truly foolish.

“As a goddess, it would be right to bestow an appropriate reward upon you who came all the way to my temple and showed utmost sincerity. However, I am not in a position to give special treatment to anyone. So this is just me talking to myself.”

Whoosh~! It was just then that a timely wind blew, rustling Lady Melinoye’s hair.

“Soon, Prince Zagreus will invite executive-level senior executives and department head-level middle management to hold a fundraising event. If you want to know Prince Zagreus’s weakness, it would be good to participate there.”

A party teeming with executives and headquarters’ department heads? Moreover, hosted by Prince Zagreus? Could this be what Ms. Arachne meant by the big event? I absolutely shouldn’t go.

“Executives sometimes bring escorts. I’m also going to be busy with work then, so I’d like a trustworthy person to accompany me, you see. That’s just what I’m saying.”

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Lady Melinoye flew away like dandelion seeds scattering in the wind. I was truly envious of her floating around like a ghost.