episode_0070

070 – Father-like Figure # 1

“Sigh.”

Everyone has moments in life when all they can do is sigh deeply.

That was me today.

“Manager Joy, it’s a rare weekend, why are you sighing so much? It’s an outing to Elysium, so how about cheering up a bit more!”

Krauser patted my back as we walked through the sophisticated downtown.

Assistant Manager Narcissus, eating a hotdog he bought on the street, chimed in.

“Exactly! Is something not going well? Tell us what it is; we might be able to help. We’re soulmates, aren’t we! Right, Morose nim?”

“Mortals, do not forget that I am merely your overseer. I am only watching to ensure your group doesn’t cause trouble or get caught up in a difficult, destructive journey.”

Morose nim, speaking thus, was scooping and eating a pint of ice cream full of almonds with a spoon. The almonds in the ice cream were eaten by the dog-squirrel perched on his shoulder.

━Bon-bon…!

And not barking?

Anyway.

The reason I was sighing was because of a major incident that happened last Friday.

Melinoye nim’s bomb declaration.

It was about a ‘contractual relationship.’

“Suppose you successfully complete a task and receive a reward. What if that reward is excessively inflated and exaggerated compared to your ability or achievements?”

It was about the ‘completion of outsourced items from Daedalus,’ which the Chairman nim personally ordered me to do.

If I successfully finished this task, I would enter into a contractual relationship with Melinoye nim.

You ask why this happened?

I don’t know either.

Because Melinoye nim’s thoughts always seemed understandable yet unpredictable.

A relationship with a Goddess nim, of all things.

Is that even appropriate for someone like me?

Of course, it was a ‘contractual’ relationship.

But since the Chairman nim and the Princess nim suddenly left without explaining the contract, I felt like my blood was drying up day by day.

“A reward? That’s truly a luxurious worry you have there. As for this Krauser, I can’t even remember the last time I received a reward; it was always disciplinary action if anything.”

“Joy, did something happen again that’ll get you a reward? Wow, even to this Narcissus, you’re truly enviable.”

The bottom-tier mortal duo was of no help with this problem.

Then what about Executive Morose nim?

“I give my little dog-squirrel a reward if it follows commands well. Sit. Roll over. Wait. Solve Fermat’s Last Theorem, etc. And if it carries out the commands well, I give it a reward.”

Flash-.

A gently glowing purple eye-glow.

“But I don’t think I’ve given an excessive reward. A reward is ultimately given because one has performed well enough to deserve it. It is the giver, not the receiver, who determines the value.”

No.

I don’t think so.

A relationship with a goddess would be an undeserved reward, even if I had liberated and saved a country.

But?

Upon thinking about it quietly, there seemed to be no need to be too nervous.

This means there’s no need to count my chickens before they hatch.

‘Receiving the reward is only if I succeed in the task. It would be fine if I couldn’t complete this task within a week.’

The Chairman nim himself said.

Even Prince Zagreus couldn’t do anything about Daedalus’s task.

Could I, a mere insignificant mortal, accomplish a task that even a prince who has mastered kingship studies couldn’t?

‘Nope!’

I knew my own capabilities precisely.

Never being arrogant or overconfident.

That’s my strength.

‘Therefore, there was no need to particularly worry about this matter.’

It would be fine if I just stayed still and did nothing.

Then time would flow honestly.

Eventually, the task deadline would approach, and the bell of failure would ring.

‘But why does my heart keep stirring?’

It felt like I shouldn’t just stay still.

Perhaps because I had experienced countless times so far that life doesn’t always go my way, having gone through many things.

There was no guarantee that it wouldn’t be the same this time.

“I heard the Hell-style Sweet and Sour Pork here is incredibly delicious, and I’m really looking forward to it. Should I pour the sauce on it?”

“Krauser, what are you talking about? If you pour the sauce, it’ll get soggy! Morose nim! Give this fool a sharp word!”

“I’m not picky about food.”

Before long, we arrived at the Chinese restaurant. It was a popular restaurant in the new city Elysium, maintaining a rating of 4.7.

However, my mind was so troubled that I couldn’t even tell where the food was going.

As the meal was nearing its end.

“I want to buy a car soon. I have so many worries. I’m looking into SUVs made at the Olympus Forge, but the price range is quite steep—.”

“Isn’t it too much to start with an Olympus car as your first? What the Cyclops brothers in the underworld make is reasonably priced and good. What kind of car do you drive, Morose nim?”

“I tend to use public transportation.”

Since it was a gathering of men, car talk naturally came up.

Suddenly, I felt like the god of opportunity had shown me his forelock.

“What about Daedalus? He’s a famous inventor. He even makes cars and home appliances here in the underworld, doesn’t he? I heard that the terminals employees use are also his work.”

It’s fine to find out what kind of man Daedalus is, isn’t it?

Because if you know your enemy and know yourself, you can even lose every battle.

“Daedalus, you mean? He is certainly a great man. I heard that he designed and built this new city of Elysium. Even this Krauser acknowledges his artistic inspiration.”

Elysium, the City of Gods.

To think that he designed these neon-lit streets with towering buildings, like Shanghai or New York.

He was indeed a competent man.

“That’s true, but as far as I know, he might not be doing so well these days? I found out during last year’s large-scale audit when the facilities team was investigated. That fellow, his recent performance isn’t good at all.”

My ears perked up at Assistant Manager Narcissus’s story.

Genius engineer Daedalus’s performance isn’t good?

“What’s the reason for his poor performance?”

“That is….”

Furtively—.

Assistant Manager Narcissus, looking to Morose nim for cues. He seemed to care if it was okay to casually spread someone else’s information in front of an executive.

However, Morose nim rather gave the explanation himself.

“Daedalus has been holed up in his workshop without any particular achievements since the 「Workplace Renovation」. That’s why he’s on my layoff list. He’s just draining his salary.”

Flash-.

Morose nim’s glowing eye-glow.

“Prince Zagreus himself tried to persuade him and boost his work morale, but failed. But Manager Joy. To think you would show interest in that man. Could it be—what you were talking about regarding the reward…?”

“Manager Joy, were you perhaps thinking of personally handling the Daedalus case to become a Deputy Manager? Indeed, the man known as the Devil of Happy World. Your thirst for achievements is truly something else.”

“Joy, you are truly something else!”

# # #

It was Monday.

I was able to be freed from various miscellaneous tasks.

It was because of Assistant Manager Narcissus’s fuss.

“Well, Manager Joy said he would investigate the Daedalus case himself! Actually, the facilities team’s performance had indeed been excessively inflated lately.”

“Hmph, he only cleaned up the abuses of the Women’s Association last week, and now he’s immediately going to tackle Director Daedalus? Joy, I am truly afraid of a man like you….”

Director Hector was trembling.

Soon, Alecto nim, who was tidying her wings in her office, put her leg up on the desk and shouted.

“If we can just manage to handle the Daedalus problem that even that arrogant prince couldn’t solve, our Audit Team 1 will greatly surpass Team 2. Good! Bring all the documents about Daedalus!”

Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-.

The documents piled up in front of me.

I, who had no intention of succeeding in the task, perfunctorily examined the documents.

Anyway, the documents were nothing more than blueprints and formulas for some unknown machinery, and they were incomprehensible to the eyes of an ordinary person like me.

As I was doing so, something caught my eye.

It was a drawing that looked like it was drawn with crayons in a sketchbook.

The sun and clouds were drawn, and the conspicuous traces of it being torn and messily taped together were prominent.

“What is this?”

“That’s something we brought when we audited the facilities team. It wasn’t a particularly important item, so I don’t know why it got mixed in with the documents. Give it to me! I’ll throw it away!”

My brow furrowed when I saw Director Hector taking the initiative.

Since a superior is so diligent and sincere, their subordinates also get promoted and succeed, don’t they?

Therefore, Director Hector is my enemy!

“Haha! To think someone of your rank, Director, couldn’t notice such a great piece of evidence right before your eyes. This must not be thrown away. Rather, this drawing is an item important enough to surpass all other documents. Please shred all other documents! I only need this one drawing.”

“Huh?”

Alecto nim raised one eyebrow.

“It’s a drawing I think I could draw better with my feet. Why is that the most important item? And you’re telling me to shred the rest of the documents?”

She probably didn’t understand what I said.

That was normal.

Because I had just spouted whatever came to mind.

“I will prove it from now on. Now, I will leave work.”

“Wow, Joy. Saying you’ll leave work freely at 2 PM. This Narcissus is truly envious of your nerve and performance that allow you to be so bold! So envious!”

Grrrrrrrrrr-.

Hearing the sound of the shredder diligently shredding documents, I started my quick journey home from work.

“Oh! Manager Joy nim!”

But didn’t I see yellow hair on the way?

So I was too late to quickly hide myself.

“To meet in a place like this, what a total coincidence! No, perhaps fate?”

A bull wearing chick skin charged at me and loudly patted my shoulder, and the impact was enough to make all the bones in my body tremble.

“Manager Joy nim, I heard a while ago! That you completely disciplined the Women’s Association! You made such a great achievement, that’s why you’re leaving work at this time, right! Totally cool! I want to leave work at 2 PM too!”

“Hedone, what are you doing in front of the main office at this hour?”

“Hehehe, Manager Joy nim, pervert! That’s a woman’s secret!”

“Actually, I wasn’t curious.”

“It’s nothing else, but—.”

“I said I wasn’t curious.”

“I came to meet some people from the facilities team! You know the fake sun of Happy World? It’s broken and flickering! It shone incredibly brightly recently, though. Thanks to Manager Joy nim, who reformed Sisyphus!”

Ugh. That Hedone, to say something that would make others heartbroken if they heard it.

That one soon spun around me and saw the paper in my hand.

“That! That’s an 「RUS」 drawing, isn’t it? I have some merchandise too!”

Hedone took out a hand mirror from her bag, decorated with a very poorly drawn sun.

It was an item with a similar style of drawing to the crayon drawing in my hand.

“Manager nim, that’s a super hot item these days! Wow, is this genuine? Seriously, even your ability to read trends is perfect! So cool! So cool that I’m losing my breath, *cough*, *gasp*!”

Thud-.

Hedone collapsed.

# # #

A dusty room, with piles of dust on lumps of iron.

A man seemed to be applying a metal ruler to various parts of the desk, then became irritable.

“This isn’t it!”

The man suddenly stood up.

With gaunt, hollowed cheeks, a haphazardly grown beard, and sunken eyes.

He looked like a beggar, and one leg was blurry like a ghost.

His name was Daedalus.

The underworld’s greatest inventor and facilities team director.

He forcefully crumpled the scattered blueprints on the desk and threw them into the trash can.

And then he collapsed onto the floor and muttered.

“Inspiration won’t come to mind.”

For the past few years.

He couldn’t make progress in his work, like a person who had lost their light.

Although everyone experiences slumps.

This slump was a bit long.

Daedalus lifted his head and examined the empty picture frame.

As something that was in there disappeared, did his light also disappear with it?

The problem was that there was no way to know where the picture that had been in that frame had disappeared to.

He picked up his terminal device.

To find the picture.

Then, he found a post written on SNS.

「Manager Joy nim and #RUS drawing #sunrise #Hedone#」

“This is my picture frame’s…?!”

Daedalus.

He dragged his limping leg and left the workshop.

Then the employees were surprised.

“Director nim!”

“The Director nim came out after two years!”

Amidst everyone’s attention.

The reclusive genius asked.

“Who exactly is Manager Joy?”