episode_0048

048 – Become the Point Man!

After an unusually eventful holiday,

I went to work with steps that wished for resignation.

The towering headquarters building.

Passing through the lobby where all the employees strutted with their own pride.

Before I knew it, I was in front of the office.

‘Wait, I have a bad feeling.’

When you’re in a professional environment, a ‘sense’ naturally develops.

I felt that if I opened this door, something ‘huge’ would happen.

So, as I was backing away—.

Someone suddenly grabbed me by the nape of my neck!

“Joy! What are you doing? Why aren’t you going inside!”

“Alecto nim!”

It was Director Alecto nim, the goddess of fury and revenge.

Just by Director nim lightly gripping my nape, my body was completely immobilized.

That was the problem.

“Alecto nim! I’m truly sorry, but I’m not feeling so well today, so I think it would be best if I just rested. Then, goodbye—.”

“Huh? What kind of unfunny joke is this? Managing one’s health is a basic for a professional. There’s no way you couldn’t do such a basic thing. Stop joking and let’s go inside!”

“Nghaa! My stomach hurts so much!”

I thrashed around desperately.

However, it was impossible for a frail mortal like me to escape the goddess’s grasp.

In the end, the office door burst open, and everyone inside shouted.

“Happy birthday, Assistant Manager Joy!”

“Assistant Manager Joy, congratulations!”

“Happy birthday!”

Pa-pa-bam—.

Loudly blaring trumpets and party poppers.

I had to continuously brush down the party popper debris that was all over my head with my palm.

“…Thank you.”

“This is your present! I asked Bones, and he said you like spiky things, like torture instruments? This is a ‘Styx Giant Amberjack Fish Bone’ that I painstakingly acquired.”

Section Chief Hector handed me a fish bone that sparkled like a diamond.

I don’t know what the ‘Styx Giant Amberjack Fish Bone’ is, but it looks exactly like a bone someone ate and left behind.

Is this a new kind of bullying? Considering Section Chief Hector’s serious personality, probably not.

Actually, the real problem isn’t that.

“I’m truly grateful, but my birthday isn’t today.”

My birthday is still a long way off, so what’s with the celebration?

As I looked around, my superior, Assistant Manager Narcissus, lightly tapped my shoulder with his fist.

“Well, that’s because today is the day you truly became a member of this audit team. It’s your birthday in the sense that you were reborn as an audit team employee.”

“Assistant Manager Joy is our hero!”

“Thanks to you, we were able to land a blow against those safety management guys!”

“I didn’t know you would attack them head-on about the Nymph Flu!”

A situation that was somehow familiar, yet completely unexpected.

Assistant Manager Narcissus, with his narrow eyes, added a remark.

“Taking advantage of you catching Prince Zagreus’s attention, we were able to search the safety management team. And we were able to obtain surprising documents as well. Look at what’s piled up over there.”

Cha-reureureu—.

The confiscated documents were piled up like a mountain.

A quick glance—.

When I casually skimmed through the documents, their contents were significant.

“There are a lot of ledgers with unclear usage or sources of funds.”

“To grasp that much just by briefly looking at it. As expected, you’re truly a junior recognized by this Narcissus. Since you’ve honed your skills under me, it’s natural that you’re excellent!”

I don’t think I particularly learned anything from Assistant Manager Narcissus.

What an extremely conceited person he is.

Well, that must be so.

Since the narcissism of self-love originated from that man.

At that moment, Director Alecto nim said, tidying her wing feathers.

“These are documents related to Prince Zagreus’s closest aide. They are accounting fraud documents.”

Accounting fraud, then—.

It means manipulating accounting ledgers falsely to make performance look good.

Prince Zagreus’s closest aide committed accounting fraud?

“No matter how much that Zagreus fellow tries, he won’t be able to cover up his closest aide’s corruption. If these documents are revealed, a huge scandal will probably break out. If that happens, a crack could appear in the solidified succession structure.”

The words about a crack appearing in the succession structure must mean that an opportunity will arise again for Melinoye nim.

What if Melinoye nim becomes the Chairman’s successor?

‘Then, what is the probability of me, who is receiving attention from Melinoye nim through various misunderstandings, escaping from this Soul Society….’

It would approach zero infinitely.

That was a nightmare.

What the Happy World.

“Please entrust the handling of this matter to me!”

I must cover up this corruption from being revealed!

Even if it means misusing and abusing the audit team’s authority!

# # #

Lunchtime.

After finishing my meal, as I was sitting in my office chair, someone tapped my shoulder.

It was Assistant Manager Narcissus.

“Shall we talk for a moment?”

We headed to the terrace on the rooftop.

A sparsely populated place.

Assistant Manager Narcissus spoke first.

“I usually don’t really praise others much, but Assistant Manager Joy, I truly acknowledge you. It’s almost like seeing myself when I first started working at headquarters.”

“I didn’t do anything particularly praiseworthy.”

“You said you’d dig into the matter concerning Prince Zagreus’s closest aide. You’ve taken on the role of the point man. But you know the point man is the easiest to break, don’t you?”

In other words, it seemed like advice that if you take the lead, you’re likely to face harsh consequences.

“The handling of this matter was originally intended for an employee who would be used and discarded. The person who steps forward will become a sacrificial lamb, bearing the full resentment of Prince Zagreus’s faction. So, give up.”

Hwareuk—.

Assistant Manager Narcissus lit a cigarette.

Since his words ended there, we returned to the office.

Soon, the female employees made puzzled expressions towards Assistant Manager Narcissus.

“Assistant Manager Na, did you smoke?”

“What’s going on? He’s someone who makes a huge fuss, terribly loving his own body.”

Soon, Section Chief Hector approached.

He decisively placed a bundle of documents into Assistant Manager Narcissus’s hand.

“I’ve thought about it. Assistant Manager Narcissus. Indeed, it would be best if you handled the Prince Zagreus matter. It will be a good experience for you too. It’s also an opportunity to clear your disgrace.”

“…….”

Assistant Manager Narcissus was silent.

Instead, the murmuring sounds around him grew louder.

“Director Apate was dismissed, so that faction is also being purged.”

“Because Assistant Manager Na was Director Apate’s closest aide.”

“It seemed ominous from the moment his position was moved to a vulnerable spot.”

“As expected, the people associated with that position are getting removed first.”

Assistant Manager Narcissus had narrow eyes, so reading his expression was not easy.

But what was important was that I must not lose the point man role.

“Section Chief Hector! Didn’t I say I would take on that role!”

“…Assistant Manager Joy!”

“Joy!?”

Section Chief Hector and Assistant Manager Narcissus were surprised.

Assistant Manager Narcissus, especially, even grabbed my shoulder and shook me.

“Assistant Manager Joy, I told you this isn’t your role. It’s the last role I can play, having caused trouble for the team. If I finish this task well, I’ll probably go to an affiliate company.”

Section Chief Bones, who was originally part of the headquarters and became an employee of the affiliate company Happy World, came to mind.

That man too must have taken on the responsibility in this way.

‘I want to do that too!’

Send me out of headquarters.

This is no place for a person to live.

The risks of the given tasks are high, but proportionally, the returns are too explosive, and that’s the problem.

“Is there a way?”

Director Alecto nim, who was sitting astride the desk tidying her wing feathers, asked me.

What I’ve felt lately is this.

Most of Director nim’s daily routine was entirely tidying her wings.

Of course, that’s not what’s important now.

“I have a way, and I’m confident.”

Actually, I have no way, and no confidence.

I was currently telling a lie to a terrifying executive.

Such audacious disrespect, unimaginable just a few months ago.

Perhaps as I unintentionally kept getting promoted, my mindset also gradually became more challenging and proactive.

“Good! If you’re an audit team employee, you should have such fierce ambition. I’ll entrust this ‘accounting fraud’ matter exclusively to Assistant Manager Joy. But Prince Zagreus’s closest aide will certainly be formidable.”

Formidable, you say?

On the contrary, that’s good.

Thus, I was able to take on a high-risk role.

I will definitely fail.

As I was hardening my desperate resolve and about to leave work, Assistant Manager Na approached me and handed me something.

“Joy, I’ve never seen such a reckless person like you. Why do you want to walk into a pit of fire on your own accord? Come to think of it, from the very beginning of coming to this audit team, not safety management, it wasn’t normal.”

“What is this?”

“It’s my photo book. By the way, I don’t just give this to anyone, you know?”

The photos of the man, barely dressed, were unsightly.

It feels like looking at Instagram, where someone is showing off their body profile.

“It means this Narcissus acknowledges you that much.”

“I don’t need it.”

“What? To refuse my photo book. Your patience and self-control are truly amazing. In that case, how about this?”

Cheok—.

Narcissus handed over a piece of paper with his half-naked photo on it.

Just as I thought his taste was truly bad, he added a remark.

“This is a piece of paper with the investigated personal details of Prince Zagreus’s closest aide, the fellow called his right-hand man. Of course, since not much is known about him, there isn’t much special content, but it’s better than nothing, right?”

On the back of the photo, this was written.

“Nymph.”

No way, is that all? Just these two characters?

Wondering if there was more, I moved the paper around, but it really was just those two characters.

“There’s really not much to it.”

“He’s a guy with that many secrets. He’s also the first spreader of the Nymph Flu prevalent in this ‘Soul Society’. Other than that, nothing is known. We’re only just starting to get a lead on him.”

A Nymph, you say.

That’s troublesome.

‘Melinoi,’ and also the members of ‘E&S’…

Ever since I got entangled with nymphs, nothing good has happened.

Did I say I’d take on this role for nothing?

# # #

Today, a large charity event was held in this ‘Soul Society’.

The host was none other than Prince Zagreus, who is considered the most powerful figure.

Various executives and headquarters section chief-level employees gathered from all over, and the event venue on the headquarters rooftop was already bustling.

Melinoye nim poked my side with her finger.

“It would be best not to carelessly make eye contact with people. There will be a lot of people who aren’t favorable to you.”

Conversely, there would also be executives favorable to me.

For me, on the contrary, those people were more dangerous.

Because it’s unpredictable for what reason they might promote me.

I must definitely avoid them.

“Joy, you just need to stay behind me. And as for me, I’ll just show my face at these events that are nothing but pretense and bluff, and then quickly return, so you don’t need to worry.”

Melinoye nim seemed not to like this charity event.

She clicked her tongue, and soon Alecto nim, wearing a low-cut black dress, approached.

I don’t know where to look.

“I didn’t know our princess would come to a charity event? You were disgusted at the thought of being Prince Zagreus’s attendant, weren’t you? There’s no way you wouldn’t know this event is for Prince Zagreus’s faction to show off their connections.”

The purpose of this event was to display the might of Prince Zagreus’s faction.

To firmly solidify the successor position?

That must be the meaning.

If you think that way, this place must indeed be uncomfortable for Melinoye nim.

However, Melinoye nim leisurely let out a ‘hmm’ and snorted.

“Alecto, because you’re only tidying your wings all day long, you can’t think beyond that, can you? Even mortal Joy perfectly knows the real reason I’m attending this event, you know.”

What is the real reason?

Actually, I don’t know at all.

I merely attended the party as Melinoye nim’s attendant.

Of course, the real reason I attended the party was to make contact with Prince Zagreus’s faction.

Because I intended to discuss the ‘accounting fraud’ matter.

I’ll often cause trouble.

At that moment, Alecto nim frowned.

“Huh? Who says I only tidy my wings all day long? I only tidy my wings all week long, you know? How difficult is it to keep feathers fluffy!”

That’s a truth I didn’t particularly want to know, is it?

A department where an executive who only tidies feathers all week long reigns at the top, really.

‘Audit Team 1, is it really okay?’

It seems like it will sink on its own even if I don’t particularly try.

Of course, I shouldn’t let my guard down.

If I let my guard down even a little, I might see news in tomorrow’s newspaper like, ‘Assistant Manager Joy did something amazing again!’

A pattern I had already experienced several times.

At this point, it might even be a predetermined sequence of events.

Even knowing, I can’t let it happen.

In a situation where tension was raised to the maximum.

Someone ran to me and linked arms with me.

“Senior nim! Nice to see you! I didn’t expect to meet you in a place like this!”

Who is it?

Who linked arms with me?

If I get caught up in a sex scandal, I’d immediately transform into the ‘Hell Wheel Masked Rider’.

So, when I looked, startled, Hedone’s eyes were sparkling brightly.

“Hedone? Why are you here!”

Hwareuk—!

At that moment, a burning gaze.

When I turned my head, Melinoye nim’s eye-gleam blazed up like a goddess’s thermal power plant.