episode_0052

052 – Cactus Fruit and Two Tickets # 3

There was one ticket to the surface.

And it was immediately in Deputy Narcissus’s hand.

“There’s no time to hesitate!”

Before the winner was completely decided.

I thought I needed to employ a tactic.

This was no time to hold back!

“Hey! You! How dare you come here!”

“These nasty Audit Team fellows!”

Clang, bang, crash—!

The place I found after pushing through the people who blocked me.

As I opened the door marked “Safety Management” and entered, instantly, the gazes and piercing eyes of many people focused on me.

I was almost intimidated, overwhelmed by the atmosphere.

But according to my past experiences, in some situations, it was better not to be intimidated and to act assertively.

The reasons my attempts to reach the surface had failed.

Perhaps it was because I had been too cautious.

“I am Deputy Joy from Audit Team 1. Please let me meet the person in charge here! Peranoi! Department Head Markius! Zagreus-nim! Are you here?!”

As I was causing such a noisy disturbance, fierce-looking security guards, resembling Spartan soldiers, tried to drag me out—.

“Stop! How dare someone call this Peranoi’s name so carelessly? When you call Zagreus-nim’s name, you must always attach ‘nim,’ and you must call this Peranoi ‘ssi’…!”

Stomp, stomp—.

A nymph appeared, who I thought would be about half my size.

Soon, people everywhere bowed their heads.

“To think Peranoi-ssi would personally step forward.”

“It’s truly unfortunate for Deputy Joy.”

“Don’t cause a commotion, and follow this Peranoi into the office…!”

I followed Peranoi into her private office.

It was extremely spacious and grand.

Even a small fountain was installed, and the sight of honey flowing from it was truly luscious.

“So, what is the reason you sought out this Peranoi…?”

“Peranoi-ssi, let’s make a deal. I heard that because our team dug into the nymph flu and ruined the charity event, the Safety Management team is having quite a bit of trouble.”

“Oh, ho, you propose a deal even though you know we are having trouble…? Before that, this Peranoi must correct one thing! It’s not nymph flu, Coronoia is the correct term!”

“Coronoia?”

“The term ‘nymph flu’ can incite hatred towards the race known as nymphs…! From now on, you must use the official term ‘Coronoia’…!”

What was the point of that?

Anyway, the important thing was that this Peranoi was an incredibly influential figure in the Safety Management team.

That was probably natural, considering she was Prince Zagreus’s secretary.

“Your team demanded the demotion of one of our team members just to save face, didn’t you?”

“Mwahaha, that’s right! That was this Peranoi’s idea! I have no intention of backing down, so I demand you leave! Otherwise, it’s war!”

“No, I didn’t come to ask you to back down. I just thought the way you handled it was too amateurish.”

“What the Nymph…! Did you just say that this Peranoi’s work handling is sweet and soft like honey candy…? This is the first time I’ve received such insulting treatment! My fist is howling!”

Peranoi, clenching her round fists like cotton candy, trembled.

If I were hit by that fist, which had matched Melinoi on equal terms, my body would surely be flattened.

Because I had to avoid such a thing, I hastily added.

“One person isn’t enough. If it were me, I would have demanded at least two. Please issue one more ticket to the surface.”

Wow, it was my idea, but it was truly brilliant.

By demanding one more ticket, I would completely change the rules of the game, which had previously involved fighting over just one ticket.

However.

At my words, the peculiar nymph Peranoi frowned.

“What on earth is your true intention…? You demand something that would be disadvantageous to yourselves; you’ve taken this Peranoi far too lightly…! Something disgusting and suspicious is afoot…!”

This was also the reaction I had expected.

Of course, they would find it suspicious.

That’s why I had prepared a plausible excuse.

“I am proposing a temporary truce. In a situation where the rebel bastards are secretly active, if the Audit Team and Safety Management Team, the two pillars of the headquarters, fight, it will only lead to meaningless waste.”

Would the Safety Management team’s tarnished reputation be restored with merely the sacrifice of one Audit Team member?

No, it would take at least two people for their grudges to be somewhat appeased.

“Also, I won’t ask empty-handed. Next time the Audit Team conducts a secret internal investigation, I will contact the Safety Management team first, so that there’s less chance of finding any fault.”

It would undoubtedly be a good proposal for the Safety Management team.

Soon, the peculiar nymph Peranoi’s fists slowly loosened.

# # #

Pink-haired nymph Echo.

She had many worries these days.

So she couldn’t concentrate on her work at all and made frequent mistakes.

Clatter—!

When Echo broke the bowl containing spicy rice cakes—.

Bones, the owner of the Happy Snack Bar, couldn’t contain his anger.

“Echo! How many bowls have you broken already today? You’re completely set on ruining my business! Disobedient nymphs like you deserve a good smack!”

A bony fist was raised high.

It was when Echo tightly closed her eyes, thinking it would hit her.

Someone suddenly grabbed the bony owner Bones’s wrist.

“Oh, don’t hit the nymphs.”

“You? You clown bastard who orders one serving of fish cakes and gets soup refills more than 10 times every day! You get hit instead! You get hit instead!”

Whack—!

Bones’s fist struck Krauser’s head.

“Gah!”

Krauser, who instantly saw stars bloom before his eyes.

Echo extended a hand towards him as he slumped to the floor.

“…Ugh, I’m fine. More importantly, Miss, you seem to have many worries these past few days. I’m incredibly good at discerning nymphs’ worries, you see. What’s going on?”

“……”

Echo didn’t speak.

However, she shed profuse tears, and seeing that sight, Krauser nodded his head.

“It must be because of love and separation. What other reason could there be if grown-up nymphs like you show tears? It can’t be helped. This Krauser will help.”

“……!”

Echo was greatly surprised.

To think there was someone who said they would help her.

Soon, Echo conveyed that her favorite friend would be leaving for a long journey—.

—and wrote the story that she didn’t know when they would meet again.

And also that she couldn’t do anything for such a friend.

Krauser’s expression, as he listened to the story, became quite serious.

Because it felt as if it wasn’t just someone else’s problem.

“When is your friend leaving?”

To Krauser’s question, Echo replied in sign language.

Tomorrow morning. Four hours later.

Of course, Krauser couldn’t understand sign language.

But sometimes, things like language were irrelevant.

“If you can’t stop the parting, wouldn’t it be good to at least create a pleasant final memory? What did your friend like?”

Echo recalled what Narcissus liked.

He liked himself.

And if there was anything else he uniquely liked besides that….

Cactus fruit.

Echo expressed the round fruit in sign language.

Krauser understood what she meant.

“If it’s cactus fruit, isn’t it expensive and rare, making it hard to obtain? I even heard that Deputy Joy couldn’t easily get it.”

Droop—.

Echo drooped, losing her motivation.

However, Krauser’s words weren’t finished.

“But I know a way to get it. I recently discovered a field where cactuses are grown abundantly, bearing many flowers and fruits. It’s a place guarded by a terrifying fierce dog.”

Krauser’s plan was this:

It was to steal the cactus fruit.

“I will try to deal with the fierce dog guard. This Krauser was once a man who dominated the era with his songs. Making a dog docile with a song is easy.”

Of course, Echo was reluctant.

Because stealing was wrong.

However, Krauser was insistent.

“Miss, if you can’t meet again in the future, you might regret it for your entire life! I’ll lead the way, so follow me! If it were Deputy Joy, the man who cherishes me the most, he would surely have done so!”

Deputy Joy.

Suddenly, Echo recalled her friend Narcissus talking about Deputy Joy.

He had called him an annoying fellow.

However, he had also said he was a highly capable and ambitious man.

Would that man really have done that?

“Just trust this Krauser! I am Deputy Joy’s best friend! If it were him, he would surely have done anything for his friend, even if it meant stealing!”

Finally, convinced by Krauser, who claimed to be Joy’s best friend, Echo made up her mind.

So she went to the field prepared near the thorn-tree forest of “Happy World.”

It was an ominous place, with cactuses growing thorns everywhere.

—Growl—.

—Snarl—.

—Woof, woof…!

A fierce three-headed dog was guarding the entrance.

Echo was frightened, but Krauser was confident.

“It’s Cerberus. It’s fine. I already have experience making that fellow docile with my songs. Even if it looks that fierce, it will turn into a gentle lamb if it hears my song. Hmm hmm, ah—.”

Krauser cleared his throat.

At that moment, Cerberus suddenly sprang.

And then it charged at Krauser.

“Wait! Stop for a moment! Shouldn’t you give me time to sing?! Aaaah!”

—Woof, woof…!

Krauser was miserably bitten and torn by the three-headed dog.

As Echo stretched out a hand to help Krauser, the clown shouted.

“Aaaah! It’s better this way! I expected this too! While I’m dealing with this dog, Miss, quickly pick the fruit! Quickly! Deputy Joy would have said that!”

Echo hesitated.

Then, her friend’s face came to mind.

Narcissus, who would receive many fruits from her before boarding the boat heading to the surface.

—“It’s the fruit I like, isn’t it? Echo, thank you.”

He would surely be happy.

She couldn’t follow Narcissus, but.

At least the fruit’s sweetness would accompany him for a few days.

So Echo entered the cactus field and stretched out her hand.

She picked a lot of fruit.

However, the cactus field was too prickly, which was a problem.

“……”

Echo, whose arms and legs were profusely pricked by thorns.

When she came to her senses, the sun was already shining far in the distance.

Morning.

It was time for her friend to leave for the surface.

Echo held the cactus fruit in her arms and ran with all her might.

“Haa…! Haa…!”

Her breath was ragged, and her head was spinning so much she felt dizzy, but.

Fearing she might not see his final appearance, she ran like hell.

At the end of such effort, the surface-bound pier began to appear in the distance.

However, Echo, pricked by thorns everywhere, finally lost her strength and fell over.

“…Ah…!”

Thud—!

Scatter—.

The fruits spilled in all directions.

“…Oh no….”

Tears welled up in Echo’s eyes.

She diligently tried to pick up the fruits with her palms, scraped from being pricked by thorns and falling, but they were all crushed and broken, so only one remained intact.

Boooooooo—.

Soon, the surface-bound boat blew its horn, announcing its departure.

The boat slowly departed from the pier.

“…Ah….”

Echo ultimately couldn’t give the fruit to her friend, nor could she see him off.

It would have been better if she could have at least shouted a loud goodbye.

She was mute, unable to even shout because of a curse.

“Echo!”

From the boat, Narcissus watched Echo coming towards him and falling.

He watched her even picking up the fruits.

He wanted to grab her hand and help her up, but.

He couldn’t, as he might miss the boat if he did.

The two of them couldn’t reach each other, and simply bid farewell with tears.

It was right then.

“Stop the boat! I am Deputy Joy of Audit Team 1!”

From far away, a man waved his hand.

“There’s a man who illegally boarded the boat heading to the surface! The boat must be stopped immediately!”

“If it’s illegal boarding… surely you don’t mean a terrorist boarded the boat?”

“Stop the boat!”

“Stop! A terrorist has boarded the boat!”

Instantly, great chaos broke out.

Many people also jumped from the boat into the river.

Eventually, the boat stopped.