episode_0058

058 – Returning Home #2

Morose’s house was by the riverside, a little far from Elysium’s new city. There wasn’t even a convenience store nearby, so it was a desolate house.

“Morose nim! I am Director Markius of Safety Management! I already know everything about your illegal activities, so surrender willingly!”

“Hand over the visitor from the surface you hid…! Hiding illegal visitors is a terrible violation…!”

People gathered noisily in the yard, each clamoring. Melinoye nim gently set me down among them, then tidied her hair.

“Zagreus’s Safety Management Team seems determined to fight with the ‘Night Faction’. This will be an opportunity for you too, Joy. If you shake someone who has been an executive for a long time, something is bound to fall.”

Step, step.

I approached Markius. The fellow, who had a serious expression, saw me and stroked his rough chin.

“Joy, I knew you would come, but I didn’t know you would come so fast.”

I came riding the Goddess. It was faster than the ‘Ghost Carpet’. Of course, such trivial stories didn’t matter.

“Director Marki, what on earth is going on? To arrest Executive Morose?”

“It’s the result of long-term surveillance. Morose hid someone in his house who was smuggled in from the surface. An uninvited guest who entered the Soul Society without going through the Management Bureau or ‘Charon Transport’.”

This Soul Society was thorough with its gatekeeping for entering and leaving. But? That Morose is hiding someone with no entry record.

“In a situation where the Security Team and the Safety Management Team are flawlessly managing the entrances and exits, is such a thing possible?”

If someone can enter freely. It means exiting freely is also possible.

‘Should I also just secretly leave?’

Such a thought came to mind, but I soon shook my head. After all, it must be something like this.

“Is it a ‘Rift’?”

Shares of miracles that spread out when Primordial Chaos created the world. Those extremely few particles sometimes opened a passage towards the surface in this Soul Society. Like the entrance leading to Director Bones’s and the Chairman’s fishing spot. Perhaps the illegal intruder Morose hid was highly likely to have entered this Soul Society through such a ‘Rift’. If it’s that, then the eyes of the Entry and Exit Management Bureau, Security Team, and Safety Management Team could be avoided.

At my words, Markius patted my shoulder firmly.

“As expected, Joy. To reveal so much with just fragmented information. As you said, someone entered through a ‘Rift’. Originally, when such a person is found, a report should be made immediately, but…”

“Morose nim did not do so—. That’s what you mean, right?”

It was a clear illegal act. Why the executive did such a thing, I don’t know, but.

“Morose! Open the door! If you don’t, I’ll force my way in!”

Crack, crackle-.

At that time, Goddess Nemesis nim, one of the executives of the Safety Management Team, stretched her hand and neck muscles. Grip-. Melinoye nim pulled my collar.

“Joy, get behind me. Nemesis doesn’t know moderation in her actions, so if you get caught up unnecessarily, you might get seriously hurt.”

Vwooooooosh-.

A wave beginning to reside in Nemesis nim’s fist. As I thought it was intense energy, *Clack*-. The tightly closed house door opened.

“This is a house I built myself. Among the things I made with my own hands, this is quite to my liking, so it would be troublesome if it got damaged. I will surrender.”

He was a man in a pitch-black suit, wearing sunglasses, and with a skull on his head like a helmet. With violet glowing eyes, it was Executive Morose.

“Everyone, be alert.”

“Stay focused. You don’t know what might happen.”

As he appeared, the tension of the Safety Management Team occupying the yard was felt to surge. Although he stated he would surrender. If Executive Morose suddenly started a rampage, it was certain that this area would be blown away to the extent that the terrain would be unrecognizable.

However, Morose did not do so. He merely willingly put on the handcuffs extended by Nemesis, the Goddess of Vengeance.

“These are handcuffs made from the tendons of Typhon, the demon of destruction. Morose, even you can’t break these.”

“There’s nothing that cannot be broken. For all things, a day of destruction is set. The only difference is whether it has come or not.”

“Tsk, talking nonsense. So, where did you hide the stowaway? They’re in the house, right?”

“I will exercise my right to remain silent.”

“Of course you will. What are you all doing?! Quickly go into the house and search! Search! The one who finds the stowaway first, I’ll give them a special promotion by one rank!”

A special promotion by one rank? If I find it, it means I’ll skip over assistant manager and become a section chief.

“Joy, the opportunity you were aiming for has finally come. We can’t just stand by like this, so it would be good to look for something.”

Melinoye nim tapped my side lightly. It seemed she wanted me to look for the stowaway, giving me encouragement. I really felt no motivation. Seeing me like that, Morose nim shone violet glowing eyes from behind his sunglasses.

“Joy. For the time being, business trips to the surface seem difficult.”

Morose nim was thus dragged away by the Safety Management Team.

Roar-. Clatter-.

After that, the Safety Management Team staff searched Morose’s brick house everywhere thoroughly, but. The stowaway’s appearance did not seem to be found specifically.

“First, leaving only the security personnel, we will withdraw. The location of the stowaway must be found through interrogation.”

Markius clicked his tongue. Things didn’t go as he wished, so he must have been annoyed.

# # #

The house, from which the Safety Management Team receded like the tide, became shabby with various things broken, like a building just before demolition. Inside, footprints from shoe-clad feet stepping here and there were noisy, and if I imagined this was our house, my head already began to ache at the thought of cleaning it back to normal.

“Prince Zagreus seems to have made a stern decision.”

“Regarding illegal intruders, there’s no other way. Even because of the old prophecy, it will be even more so.”

“Prophecy?”

“All gods, at birth, become aware of their divine nature. They know what talents they possess and what kind of god they should become. I too, upon birth, was spontaneously a perfect ghost goddess.”

Humans learn and realize their own aptitudes through blood, sweat, and effort. But gods didn’t need to. Because they are perfect beings from the beginning.

“But Zagreus couldn’t do that. He himself didn’t know what kind of god he was or what he was suited for. So, he began a long, long wandering.”

I now understand why Prince Zagreus ran away from home. He wanted to find his own identity.

“He eventually, through business innovation, ascended to the god of ‘Happy World’. By gathering countless shares of miracles, forcefully twisting causality, he essentially created his position. Business innovation is like that.”

Prince Zagreus had himself gained the title he would wear. His persistence, I must say, was amazing.

“The problem was the prophecy of the Moirai that came simultaneously with ‘Business Innovation’. They advised us, who tried to escape from the fate they wove, that an uninvited guest would come from the surface.”

“An uninvited guest?”

“What that means. What that person will do, we don’t know either. But uninvited guests are bound to cause trouble—.”

Point-. Melinoye nim extending one finger.

“—In other words, Prince Zagreus’s forcibly implemented ‘Business Innovation’ left an unknown threat to our Soul Society. That’s why illegal entrants are very strictly managed.”

“If it’s strict management, for example, what happens?”

“Illegal immigrants, upon discovery, are immediately killed. They are made residents of this Soul Society, not uninvited guests but official visitors. That’s the policy.”

Killed immediately upon discovery. My nape felt chilly. So, as I unnecessarily touched my neck, Melinoye nim chuckled *Mhuhuhu*-.

“Of course, Joy, this story is unrelated to you, who joined through formal procedures. However, the illegal intruder Morose hid is not like that, so immediate killing upon discovery is the principle.”

Feeling it was a bit harsh. On the other hand, I also wondered if it was a natural thing.

Slowly-. At that moment, Melinoye nim opened her slender eyes.

“But then. That ruthless Morose would hide an illegal intruder. Was he trying to incite unrest in the Soul Society? Was he in league with rebels trying to collapse the system of business innovation?”

That reason, I don’t know either. Honestly, I don’t even want to know. It’s clearly a serious story, isn’t it? What’s important is that if he, as he is, gets locked in the executives’ punishment room, my business trip to the surface would also be over. But even so, I didn’t have any clever ideas either. In the huge power struggle of the executives, what could a small ant like me do? I can only crawl slowly on the floor.

So, I inadvertently looked at the floor. A strange haze was felt in that place full of footprints. Noticing my gaze, Melinoye nim subtly raised the corners of her lips.

“…This is ‘Night Sorcery’. The basic principle of Night Sorcery is to hinder perception with the magic of darkness and night. You can see it as something like a camouflage net.”

Perception hindrance. It feels familiar.

“Quite powerful sorcery is inscribed. Joy, for you to see through this, you have quite keen eyes. So, what did he hide under this sorcery?”

*Sizzle*-. But when Melinoye nim extended her hand into the haze, sparks occurred. Clicking her tongue, Melinoye nim.

“Morose’s share is 14 percent. A while ago, due to the successful implementation of the Nymph Allocation System, I gained a 4 percent share, making my total 15 percent. My share of miracles is stronger. If it’s me, I can break this sorcery.”

Melinoye nim’s face and body shone white like a ghost. *Crackle, crackle-crackle*-. Electricity flew in all directions, and. The remaining Safety Management Team’s security personnel were greatly flustered.

“Wh-what’s happening?!”

“The Soul Society is being destroyed!”

“Run!”

*Crackle-!* Finally, with a loud noise, something *clanged* and broke. Thus, the haze lifted and a handle was revealed.

“A handle. Probably where Morose hid the uninvited guest.”

Just now, having performed a great feat, Melinoye nim, without much sign of fatigue, reached for the handle. And pulling it open, a tiny creature was curled up on the living room floor. Its size was about the size of my palm. This thing, the uninvited guest? I inadvertently reached out my hand. Then, a boldly striped squirrel puffed up its fur.

━*Grrrr…!*

The fur of the creature I touched was extremely soft, and. The warmth was pleasant. *Thump-thump*, seeing its heart beating wildly, it’s alive. Like me. Not a dead person, but a real living creature.

In other words. The identity of the uninvited guest Executive Morose had illegally hidden was this squirrel. Melinoye nim was extremely pleased.

“Joy, your promotion to section chief is confirmed. Then hand it over here. At least I will let it go without pain. Then that creature will become an official resident in this Soul Society and live forever, won’t it?”

Melinoye nim seemed to intend to kill the squirrel. Because that was the principle.

At that moment, an idea sparkled in my mind. A guaranteed 100 percent termination and disciplinary action defeat event came to mind.

“Melinoye nim, wait a moment. Must this creature be killed right now?”

“Are you thinking of asking me to pretend not to see? But I am a goddess who does not turn a blind eye to injustice. If you’re going to ask me, there must be value in it.”

“Of course there is! I cannot tell you the detailed strategy yet, but if this matter goes well, certainly a great benefit will arise for Melinoye nim too. Please, by my loyalty, trust me!”

“Hmm.”

Seeming lost in thought, Melinoye nim. She nodded her head as if having made a decision.

“Joy, you have never caused me to suffer a loss. I’ll trust it will be the same this time. However, I too, just passively receiving, would be a shameful thing as a goddess. If this matter is resolved well, I…”

…I? What words was she trying to say? As I became unnecessarily nervous, Melinoye nim added words.

“No, sometimes hiding something is more enjoyable than revealing it. If this matter ends successfully, you can expect great things.”

Therefore, this matter absolutely had to fail!