Chapter 42
The morning after the shocking betrayal of CEO Thanatos The office was more chaotic than ever. “Well then, everyone, it’s time to say goodby
The morning after the shocking betrayal of CEO Thanatos
The office was more chaotic than ever.
“Well then, everyone, it’s time to say goodbye. Thank you for everything.”
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH—
Marquius waved energetically to everyone.
Hard to believe the guy who showed up every day with corny jokes…
was actually a department head from HQ.
Honestly, I thought I’d gotten used to Happy World by now.
But the surprises kept coming, and at this point, I was worried for my heart’s health.
This place wasn’t something you adapted to.
It was something you escaped from.
“Hey, Joy.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Just call me Marquius. We’re friends now, right?”
FWIP.
He handed me a business card.
【Safety Management】
【Department Head – Marquius】
“Come find me at HQ sometime. Our Safety Management Team has strict access, but if I, Marquius, vouch for you—it might just work.”
Go work under Prince Zagreus?
In a place like that, I’d be trapped in the underworld forever.
Terrifying thought.
“Well then, let’s meet again somewhere, someday!”
And just like that, the terrifying-faced Marquius packed his bags and left the office.
“Marquius… a department head from HQ? Still doesn’t feel real.”
“Sounds like a lie.”
“Deputy Manager Joy must’ve known from the beginning, huh? That’s why he treated him so well.”
“Man’s built different.”
CLAP CLAP—
Manager Bones applauded with his skeletal hands.
“Alright, everyone! Back to work! Happy World doesn’t rest for anything!
Hedone, I want the new inmate catalog on my desk before lunch!”
Back to normal... supposedly.
But obviously, that wasn’t going to happen.
“So what now? Who’s running Happy World?”
“The CEO seat’s empty, right?”
“Maybe Melinoe will take over? Or maybe HQ sends someone else?”
Whispers buzzed around the office.
I was just as curious about what was coming.
Then Manager Bones walked over and tapped my shoulder.
“Deputy Manager Joy, let’s step out for a smoke break.”
Smoke?
I didn’t even smoke.
But I didn’t say no—
any excuse to slack off during work hours was fine by me.
Outside.
“Things are serious right now. HQ and the affiliates… they’re bleeding.
People are being fired in droves. It’s a storm out there.”
A storm?
I hadn’t noticed.
My surroundings were suspiciously peaceful.
“Why’s the storm dodging me? Come on, give me at least a light drizzle.”
“Then again… maybe this storm will actually be a tailwind for you.
You probably already know—you’re on HQ’s radar. Especially the Safety Management Team.”
Bones puffed on his cigarette, somehow, despite not having lungs.
“Safety Management reports directly to Prince Zagreus.
If you get in there, your career’s on the fast track. A straight shot to success.”
A fast track?
No thanks.
That sounds like a nightmare.
“Sir, I love this department. I love Happy World and the Punishment Enforcement Team.
If I ever have to leave… I’d rather resign!”
“…Joy… your loyalty and love for your comrades… it brings a tear to this skull.
But this team isn’t big enough for you. A turbulent era is coming—you need to swim in deeper waters.”
NO.
Don’t send me to HQ.
Especially not to Safety Management.
Why?
Because Marquius is there.
And for some reason, he thinks very highly of me.
If I go there, he’ll keep inventing bizarre reasons to give me credit.
Instead of getting fired, I might just… keep getting promoted.
Just thinking about it sends chills down my spine.
RUSTLE—
Manager Bones pulled a paper out from between his ribs.
“HQ’s already sent an official letter. A direct recommendation—straight from the CEO.
I haven’t told anyone yet… but your transfer’s already in motion.”
From the CEO himself?
Even Bones, with all his tricks and undead swindling, couldn’t ignore that.
“It’s true.”
WHOOSH—
Princess Melinoe passed through the wall like a ghost.
Seriously, she’s going to shave ten years off my life doing that.
She gracefully placed her fingers on her forehead.
“Joy, you’re coming to HQ with me.”
“Wait, you’re going too?”
“Of course. Thanatos’s betrayal was unprecedented.
To restore order, new leadership will be assigned to Happy World.
All of them—Proto-Genoi level.”
Proto-Genoi.
The original generation of primordial beings.
Entities so ancient, even Zeus wouldn’t dare cross them.
Even the night goddess Nyx belonged to that class.
“They’ll stabilize things quickly.
But you, Joy… you’ll have a rough time.
HQ is full of people who don’t like you.”
Getting hated by terrifying bosses?
Kinda discouraging…
Wait—no. Actually, that sounds perfect.
If everyone’s eager to get rid of me, I might finally get fired!
“Especially the ‘Night Faction’—they’re gunning for you.
After Apate’s downfall and Thanatos’s betrayal, their influence plummeted.”
So the internal audit team’s going to be extra motivated to take me down?
Perfect.
I’ve decided.
“Manager Bones, could you… write me a letter of recommendation?
If I have to go to HQ, I’d at least like to choose my own battlefield.”
“A recommendation? Sure.
Do you have a department in mind? If it’s Safety Management, you’d better ask Marquius himself.”
Someone once asked,
“Where do you want to go?”
Most people say:
A neutral zone.
But me?
I want the war zone.
***
Packing was endless.
Gifts from when I got promoted to Section Chief.
Gifts from when I got promoted to Deputy Manager.
Each one had to be boxed up carefully.
“Deputy Manager, please don’t forget about us once you’re gone…”
Waaahh—
Hedone was already crying.
And soon, everyone around the office started sniffling too.
Were they really that sad to see me go?
“You idiots. Why are you crying?
You should be happy I’m going to HQ.
Honestly, I’ve been nothing but a burden to all of you—
and probably always will be.”
—Joy!
—Jooooy!
I looked around the office filled with hell wheels and suspicious ghosts.
About two years had passed here.
I thought I’d feel refreshed when I finally left this place.
But now that it’s actually happening…
Why does it feel a little sad?
“Now that Marquius is gone… and you’re leaving too, Deputy Manager Joy…
The Punishment Enforcement Department will feel a bit emptier.
Of course, we’ll have new recruits and new sprouts growing…”
CLAP.
Manager Bones placed a hand on my back.
“Deputy Manager Joy. Your heroic tales will become legend and myth around here—
passed down from one recruit to another.
It was truly… an honor to work with you.”
“Deputy Manager!”
“Don’t go, Deputy Manager Joy!”
WHUMP—
Everyone rushed me at once.
I was suffocating, surrounded by all these people.
Fools.
Do you know how much I tried to get fired just for your sakes?
Of course, none of my plans ever actually worked out.
So much had happened…
“These past two years... I’ll never forget them.
Manager Bones, Hedone, Makari, Tartane…
Even Marquius and Crates who aren’t here, or prisoners like Sisyphus and old man Kronos—”
How could I forget?
Even if I died, became a skeleton, and turned into a memoryless ghost—
I’d still remember it all.
Honestly, I felt cheated.
How did a completely normal human like me end up suffering this much with all of them?
Maybe that’s why—
from somewhere deep inside, a tear started to form.
In the end…
I never did get fired.
And now, I was being sent to HQ.
Seeing my tears, the whole office burst into sobs.
“Deputy Manager Joy, why don’t you ever mention my name?
We’re neighbors! We’ll probably see each other all the time anyway!”
“Goodbye, Punishment Enforcement Department!”
“Come visit often!”
“Take care!”
And just like that, I left the office.
As much as I complained about this cursed place called Happy World—
Now that I was leaving… I felt a little nostalgic.
“Ack!”
Nope, never mind.
Nostalgia my foot.
Actually, heading to HQ might be a great idea.
“They say some places have bad energy, right?”
Happy World was totally one of them.
It had such bad feng shui that I kept accidentally getting promoted!
Maybe HQ will be different.
You can’t ignore the power of geomancy, after all.
And so… I arrived at HQ.
When I swung open the office door where I’d be working—
Dozens of chilling, glowing gazes locked onto me.
“You’ve got guts, walking so boldly into enemy territory.”
FWOOSH—
A pair of black crow wings unfurled.
Alecto leaned in so close, I could feel her breath.
“Just for not running away, I’ll give you a gold star.”
I took a big step back and gave a deep bow.
“It’s an honor to be here.
I’m Joy, transferred from Happy World’s Punishment Enforcement Department to HQ’s Audit Team.
I look forward to working with you.”
The Audit Team.
Infamous even within HQ for its ancient prestige and toxic pride.
A nest of the Night Faction—and now ground zero after Thanatos’s betrayal.
This was my chosen battlefield.
And that’s exactly why I liked it.
Someone like me would be swept up in this bloodstorm and—finally—get fired.
“Keh keh keh, Joy.
You’ve got ties to Melinoe, and now to me.
So I’ll be extra kind to you.”
Alecto—goddess of rage and vengeance.
One of the feared Erinyes.
She said she’d be nice to me?
That could only mean one thing:
I’d been marked… in the worst possible way.
Total sarcasm.
“Yikes. The rookie just got marked by Alecto.”
“Ugh, here we go again.”
“I didn’t like him at first either, but now I almost feel bad…”
Feel bad for me?
Even better.
Alecto’s Thoughts
The goddess of wrath and vengeance, Alecto, didn’t understand why the mortal that Princess Melinoe favored had ended up in the Audit Team instead of Safety Management.
Wasn’t Prince Zagreus personally looking to recruit him?
But honestly, that didn’t matter.
If Joy was nearby—
it meant she’d get to see all the different sides of that icy, regal princess.
And Alecto loved watching Melinoe’s cold facade crack in unexpected ways.
Besides, she recently discovered Joy had a hand in producing her favorite idol group, E&S, which made him even more amusing.
“Keh keh keh, Joy.
You’ve got ties to Melinoe.
And now ties to me.
So I’ll treat you… very specially.”
It was sincere.
Joy was a fun little toy.
A spicy, scandalous potato that had walked right into her lap.
There was no way she was letting him go.
“I’ll make sure he never transfers out of my department!”
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