Chapter 18
In the darkness,
shadows gathered.
They were plotting something sinister.
A terrifying conspiracy was underway.
“The weapons we hid have been discovered.”
“Fatal mistake.”
“Krates, that fool. How dare he surrender.”
“We’ll need to postpone the operation. Everyone, stay low for now.”
“All for his sake…”
The suspicious shadows began to scatter.
No farewells. No glances.
Like they’d done this many times before.
That’s when someone asked:
“What about Section Chief Joy? Sooner or later, he’s going to get in our way.”
“How about we ambush him?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. That’s the man who took down Magnus with his bare hands.”
“I heard his house is filled with torture devices…”
“He’s a demon—a hungry ghost obsessed with blood and pain…”
Silence fell over the room.
No one had a plan.
Then, someone spoke:
“I propose we deploy… a Manager-level operative. Please grant authorization.”
“A M-Manager-level operative…!”
“Truly terrifying…”
The shadows trembled.
Then, unanimously, they raised their hands in agreement.
“It’s settled! Now let’s go eat!”
***
[Posted by: Chicoretta]
Title: Let’s Learn About Hell Mint Today
Unlike earth mint, hell mint grows better when you stomp on it!
Just imagine it’s your husband’s mistress and stomp away
Mint smells not only repel bugs, but make a delicious tea too!
—Photo of mint in bloom—
—Photo of lush mint leaves—
〈oo〉: Wow, that’s one tempting plant. Thanks again for the post, Chicoretta! By the way, when’s your review on Hell Cacti coming out?
〈Chicoretta〉: I’m working on it~ It’ll be up soon
Hell Mint.
What a deliciously tempting plant.
The only problem… was the size.
“You’d need at least a balcony to grow this properly.”
I glanced around.
The cramped view of my tiny dorm room came into focus.
Hell cacti were crammed into every corner.
There was barely any space left.
But was I complaining?
Not at all!
─Jyuing-.
─Jyuing, jyuing-.
They made weird sounds, sure.
But ever since I filled my home with these spiny little guys, not a single hell-roach had dared show up.
That alone made them worth it.
In fact, they were so good, I started recommending them.
Especially to Orpheus—
That guy who lived in a multi-family dump full of garbage tunnels.
But of course, he freaked out.
“Y-you want me to bring these torture devices into my home?! Section Chief Joy, you are truly a wicked man! Terrifying!”
“What part of this is a torture device? Look, it even has cute yellow flowers!”
What’s wrong with growing cacti, anyway?
You water them, they bloom.
Better than living with cockroaches the size of your hand.
Anyway, it was a rare day off.
I stretched lazily—
Then froze.
“JOOOOJI!!”
“…Wh…what the hell is that?!”
My heart nearly stopped.
A hell-roach had returned.
After all this time.
And this one was no joke.
It wore golden chitin like armor—so thick even cactus needles bounced off.
Its wings beat with the power of a miniature helicopter.
Its body… bigger than my face.
If the past roaches were entry-level employees… this one’s at least a Manager-level roach! And worst of all, it’s GOLD—the color I hate most!!
BZZZZZ!
Like a real chopper, it aimed straight for my face.
It must’ve been the honey candy I was holding.
Wasn’t even eating it by choice—just trying to finish leftover stock.
But of course this had to happen!
“JOOOOOJI!!”
My life flashed before my eyes.
They say people grow calm in the face of death—
Yup, that was me.
“Not so fast.”
WHAM!
A palm smacked the manager-roach out of midair.
Splat—skkkt…
It hit the wall. Twitched a few times.
Then collapsed, lifeless, onto the floor.
I survived!
I did…
But when I turned to face my savior—my unexpected guest—I couldn’t help but ask:
“Lady Melinoe… what are you doing in my house…?”
My stomach twisted.
The daughter of the CEO… standing in my room.
If anyone saw this, I’d be immortalized in office gossip forever.
But Melinoe remained elegant and unfazed.
She nonchalantly picked up the mutilated remains of the roach and said proudly:
“I’m the Vice President of Happy World.
I have access to every facility and structure here—including employees’ homes.
I don’t need a key.”
Swoosh—
She phased a hand through the wall, transparent like a ghost.
Fitting for the Goddess of Nightmares.
Apparently, she could pass through any wall she pleased.
Still, she’d shown up uninvited.
But instead of apologizing, she scolded me:
“Why are you still living in this place? I gave you a key, didn’t I?
The rebels are becoming active. You need to stay somewhere safer.”
“…Yes, about the rebels.”
That word brought back memories.
The whole incident with Krates.
The embezzlement. The land. The weapons.
I tried to take the fall and get myself fired for it—
But Krates confessed first.
And the field turned out to be filled with rebel weapons.
Rebel weapons.
To be honest…
I still find it hard to believe there even are rebels in Happy World.
What kind of people are they?
Anyway, that incident turned the whole company upside down.
The big audit? Brushed aside like it never happened.
Which meant…
I finally got a real day off.
I’d been thinking about switching jobs recently,
But honestly?
This break is sweet.
If only the Goddess of Nightmares hadn’t shown up…
My stomach was still in knots.
Good thing I skipped breakfast.
If I’d eaten… I definitely would’ve thrown up.
Soon, the goddess spoke.
“Alright, let’s get moving. Pack your things.”
“…Pack?”
“You’re moving. You can’t stay in a place with zero security when the rebels might be targeting you. If I were them, I’d start with high-performing employees.”
She was exaggerating a bit, wasn’t she?
Still… moving into a bigger place sounded tempting.
I’d been wanting to get more cacti anyway—and just today I saw something called “Hell Mint” on Hellmas Net.
That plant grows best with a sun porch.
“Does the new place have a balcony?”
“It’s spacious.”
“Lead the way, Lady Melinoe!”
“Pfft—what are you saying? We need to pack first.”
So, just like that, I started packing with the goddess.
Rustle, rustle.
Packing boxes on a clear day with a beautiful woman by your side…
It had a certain romantic charm.
“Rustle, rustle. Crinkle, rustle. It’s fine, ding ding ding ding ding~♪”
Was she seriously humming while packing?
Lady Melinoe… was actually enjoying herself.
Damn it. She’s kind of… cute. If only she weren’t the CEO’s daughter…
If she were just an ordinary girl, I’d be drowning in a pink haze of tension.
My heart was pounding regardless—
But instead of pink, it felt like pitch black.
Straight-up grotesque.
CLINK—!
“…Ahem. Even a perfect goddess can make mistakes. Sorry, Joy. That wasn’t a dish you were attached to, was it?”
“No, not at all.”
CLANK—!
“…And that one?”
“Also fine.”
CRASH—!
“Lady Melinoe, please. Let me handle the packing. Just… relax.”
Once everything was finally packed, I followed Lady Melinoe to the new place.
It was just outside Happy World’s city center—surprisingly cozy.
One bathroom, a living room connected to the kitchen, and two bedrooms.
One for a desk and wardrobe, the other for sleeping.
The balcony? Gloriously wide.
Plenty of room for cacti and hell mint.
Once I planted the hell mint, not even that Manager-level hell-roach from earlier would dare cross the threshold.
My own perfect fortress.
“You’re missing some essentials. Let’s hit a nearby store and pick things up. I also want to replace the dishes I broke.”
We headed to a big mart.
While we picked out bowls, cups, and toothbrushes, Lady Melinoe gave unsolicited but surprisingly detailed feedback.
“I like this pot. Big capacity.
And this dish—red is a strong color.
Oh, and get an extra toothbrush and mug.
Now that you’ve got more space, you might have overnight guests.”
Now’s my chance.
A perfect opportunity to tank my approval rating with her.
“In that case, I’ll just get the most expensive ones.”
I grabbed all the priciest stuff without hesitation.
But Lady Melinoe calmly pulled out a sleek black card and paid.
Probably a corporate executive card.
First time I’d ever seen one in real life.
Eventually, night fell.
I figured Lady Melinoe would be heading home by now.
But she showed no signs of leaving.
Is… is she staying for dinner?!
She casually plopped onto the sofa we just bought and turned on the TV.
“From the Abyss, With Love”
“Kidnapped by the Duke of the Underworld”
“My Boyfriend Is Actually a Prince of the Afterlife?”
“Isekai Cult Leader on the Run”
“Ugh. Romance dramas. All romance. Must be because of this whole ‘corporate morale renewal’ initiative. We used to have serious period dramas.”
Lady Melinoe didn’t look too pleased with the programming.
She sighed and switched the TV off.
“Why do people love romance so much? Joy, are you the same?”
“Eh… I’m pretty indifferent, honestly.”
“Hmm. Well, someone like me still needs to pay attention to employee relationships.
Speaking of which, Joy… what’s your type of woman?”
……!
That—
That was a killer question.
Literally a question that kills.
I felt it in my bones—
This was the deadliest type of interview question in all of Happy World.
If I played it right, maybe I could lower her favorability toward me.
Maybe finally escape her radar.
I glanced her up and down, carefully—resigned to the sin of blasphemy.
And answered seriously.
“I like girls who are outgoing, smile a lot, and are good at sports.
I prefer a healthy tan, blonde hair, and blue eyes if possible.”
Everything I said was basically the opposite of Lady Melinoe.
My legs were shaking.
Was I too subtle?
I nervously waited for her reaction.
“Sigh…”
Another sigh.
She shook her head and said:
“Joy, you really do like me, don’t you?”
“…What?”
“Those traits you listed? Come on, that’s obviously me.
You were practically confessing.
And here I was, trying to play dumb.”
…
Lady Melinoe…
Did you… even hear my answer…?
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