Chapter 33
There was one thing I regretted when I helped Orpheus recover his memories.
It was that my reckless plan to get myself fired could end up deeply hurting someone else.
If only I were the kind of person who could brush off other people’s pain for my own gain.
Unfortunately, I had a bad habit of being painfully self-aware.
In this world full of colorful characters—this so-called “Happy World”—I was just an ordinary person.
And that’s exactly why life had been so difficult.
Ordinary people feel guilty when they hurt others.
And when something good happens to someone else, they feel a quiet happiness in return.
So, naturally—
I felt a sense of obligation… even guilt, toward the woman who became a ghost trying to save me with her unstable body.
I was completely stunned when I learned her real name.
But thankfully, I had a chance—and a bit of luck on my side.
‘Good thing the second round was a race.’
Let’s use the winner’s prize to return the ghost woman back to normal.
If it’s the CEO (「CEO」), who owns over 90% of the shares, it might just be possible.
【You want me to exchange a prize I personally prepared?】
【You’re just a department head of a subsidiary, and yet you’ve lost all sense of fear.】
【Even if that tiny, round ghost gets you fired, you won’t back down from your request?】
RUMBLE—!
With a thunderous roar, fiery letters lit up in the sky.
I couldn’t stop smiling after reading them.
“I’m not afraid of being fired.”
Returning a ghost to her original form and getting fired at the same time?
Talk about killing two birds with one stone.
Maybe this is why people say it pays to do good.
“If you can give this ghost—Ms. Alcestis—time to live happily in ‘Happy World’ again… then I’ll gladly drink the cup that’s been handed to me.”
An unexpected reward.
A chance to be fired directly by the CEO (「CEO」)!
Mom, Professor Jeousu, just you wait!
I’m heading back to the surface!
I was brimming with anticipation—
But then, strange text began appearing in the sky.
【Honey, wait, the mic’s picking up everything.】
【Weren’t you going back to your parents’ house? Why are you still here—】
【CLANG! CRASH!】
【Bzzzt, krkkrrzzz—】
What the heck?
Is the signal messed up or something?
The commotion lasted for about thirty seconds before—
【Very well.】
【A champion this exceptional deserves a reward to match.】
【‘Happy World’ punishment enforcement and Manager Joy‘s request will be approved.】
【^^】
***
A sudden executive meeting convened in the VIP viewing area.
Zagreus, seated in the temporary chairman’s seat, flashed his glowing red eyes.
“The reward requested by Manager Joy has been approved by the CEO (「CEO」).
However, returning someone who’s become a ghost and lost their memories… that won’t be easy. We’ll need to gather more shares.”
At the prince’s words, the executives exchanged nervous glances.
Gathering shares wasn’t something done lightly.
Soon, one of the goddesses of vengeance—Alecto—slammed the table.
“Hah, what a hassle. Manager Joy, for a mere subsidiary department head, you sure are making things difficult for us executives.”
“Let’s just get him transferred to HQ and really put him through hell.”
“Megaera agrees!”
The goddesses of vengeance sneered wickedly.
They placed their palms toward the center of the round table.
“Our sisters’ combined shares: 4 percent.”
“Thanatos, President of ‘Happy World’—I hold around 60 percent.”
“Hypnos from Welfare Department—22 percent.”
Clack, clack, clack—
Their hands gathered one by one on the table.
The total? A staggering 120 percent in shares.
Even Charon, the head of “Charon Transport,” was impressed.
“This many shares gathered… the first time since the ‘Work Renewal’ act. It’s been a while.”
All eyes turned to the one goddess who had remained silent—
The most unusual being in all of Soul Society, the guardian of ghosts herself.
Her name: Melinoe.
“I am Melinoe, Vice President of ‘Happy World.’ With my 11 percent, we now have a total of 131 percent. I’ll proceed with this agenda item.”
A powerful force surged into Melinoe’s body.
The will of Soul Society itself.
A power strong enough to twist fate was now within her.
‘So this is the power of surpassing 100 percent ownership—’
Even if it was temporary,
Melinoe was awestruck by the sense of omnipotence.
At the same time, something about it felt oddly familiar.
‘Where have I felt this before…?’
Probably just another one of those déjà vus she often had.
What mattered now was resolving this incident.
“Alcestis, the ghost. I twist the fate that binds you and open a new path.”
Snap!
With a snap of her fingers, a violent shockwave swept across the entirety of “Happy World.”
But then—
─Huff, huff…?
Alcestis hadn’t fully returned to her original self.
She was still in her ghostly form.
Melinoe, the expert on ghosts, immediately grasped the situation.
“Looks like completely restoring a soul that’s become a ghost was… too much to ask. She’ll have to spend half of each day in her ghost form. Only the other half can be lived as her original self.”
“What the heck is that?! Can’t believe our little princess messed this up!”
“Bet it’s that nymph blood in her acting up again.”
“Megaera laughs!”
Heeheehee—
The goddesses burst out laughing.
“……”
Melinoe couldn’t even argue back. She just scowled.
Because… maybe they were right.
“That’s how it is. Twelve hours a day. That’s the best I could do. And this—this is an elixir made from the waters of Mnemosyne. It’ll bring back the memories she lost. Not something you can afford on a department head’s salary.”
Whooo, whooo…!
A wind blew across the open field.
Melinoe gently handed the round ghost over to Admetos,
And he held her as if he’d just been given the most precious doll in the world.
So soft, so round.
In her hand was a “Hell Clover”.
Without a word, the ghost offered it to Admetos, as if she’d been waiting to do so.
Whooo…!
Admetos couldn’t hold back his tears.
Even though he’d never once cried before—not even when his life was on the line, all for the sake of proving his manhood.
And yet now… he didn’t even know why he was crying.
That’s when Manager Joy spoke.
“Mr. Admetos, Ms. Alcestis says she’s sorry. She knows you don’t like small, cute things, and she’s sorry for becoming such a small, adorable ghost.”
Shuuuuuuush—!
In that moment, the ghostly Alcestis turned back into a human.
Tears welled up as she hugged Admetos tightly.
“I’m sorry, Admetos… for becoming like this…”
But Admetos… didn’t think she had anything to apologize for.
If anything, he should be the one apologizing.
“…I’ve lied to you for a long time. The truth is—I actually like flowers and wild grass… and cute, tiny things too. I lied because I wanted to seem more masculine.”
He loved Alcestis—
Even if she spent half her day as a small, cute ghost.
Because, in truth, he liked adorable things.
But even if he hadn’t…
Even if she’d transformed into something monstrous and terrifying—
He still would’ve loved her all the same.
Looks never really mattered to them anyway.
The two stood there, locked in an embrace.
Eventually, their thoughts turned to the people who made this moment possible.
“Lady Melinoe, thank you… truly, for helping my wife.
And Manager Joy—I never imagined you’d go this far for me.
I only ever saw you as a rival, but you…”
What if he had been the winner instead?
Sure, he could have gotten his hands on the Mnemosyne waters and restored her memories.
But even so—
Her memories would’ve slowly faded again across eternity, until she turned into a ghost once more.
Meanwhile, Joy had gone directly to the CEO (「CEO」),
And found a way to undo the ghost transformation entirely.
Even Admetos—who had once thrown himself into reckless challenges just to prove his masculinity—
Was left in awe at Joy’s boldness.
Even if it meant getting fired, Joy was willing to see it through to the end.
“How do I ever repay such a huge debt…?”
“Mr. Admetos, I heard your wife really likes Hell Clovers. If you’ve been collecting them… could you give them to me? That would be more than enough.”
Admetos was stunned.
Just that?
“Joy… maybe someone as bold and warm-hearted as you is meant to be a deputy manager.
Me? I’ve still got a long way to go.
I failed the promotion exams because I simply wasn’t good enough.”
It was his total defeat.
No matter the challenge, no matter the method—
He didn’t believe he could ever surpass Deputy Manager Joy.
***
Admetos and Alcestis walked off into the sunset together,
Growing smaller and smaller until they were only dots on the horizon.
Watching them, Princess Melinoe murmured to herself:
“Loving someone… really is an incredible thing.
Even if Alcestis had remained a ghost forever… I think Admetos still would’ve truly loved her.”
“…You think so?”
Yeah… it really seemed that way.
Their relationship made me jealous, honestly.
If they’d been separated forever because of me,
I probably would’ve had nightmares every night, crushed by guilt.
Though, to be fair, becoming a deputy manager was already kind of a nightmare.
But sometimes—
Some nightmares can be… beautiful.
“…If I may ask.”
Swaa—
Melinoe’s jet-black hair fluttered in the breeze.
It was beautiful. And when I thought so, she spoke softly.
“…What if… just what if… the me you admire and love so much wasn’t the perfect goddess you think I am? What if I had secrets—things I didn’t want others to know?”
Her glowing eyes shimmered.
And then—pfft!—Melinoe burst out laughing.
“Just kidding. Obviously someone as perfect as me has no secrets or weaknesses.
I’m just tired from all the effort today. Joy, I’ll be heading back now.”
“Thank you, Lady Melinoe, truly.”
Bow—
I bowed my head.
If she hadn’t been there, I probably would’ve lost my mind today.
Naturally, she waved it off coolly.
“No need to thank me.
Just get ready for your new role as deputy manager.
Once you hit that level, even HQ starts paying attention, so be careful. Also—”
Also?
“Curfew’s almost up! I’m off!”
Zip—!
She vanished in a flash.
…Wait, curfew?
First time I’d heard Melinoe had a curfew.
But then again, she was the precious daughter of that terrifying CEO (「CEO」)… so it made sense.
So I too… walked off toward the fading sunset.
“Damn. Why does this feel so lonely?”
Who knew the winner of the deputy manager exam would end up feeling the saddest?
Admetos lost the exam, but he’s got a sweet, beautiful wife. Lucky guy.
“…So I really did become deputy manager, huh.”
How… did my life end up like this?
“Mhmmmh! Manager Joy! You worked so hard today, nyat!”
Out of nowhere.
A nymph appeared from around the corner.
What timing.
“Melinoi?”
Usually I’d be flustered.
And yeah, I still was… but for some reason, I was also kind of glad.
Can’t believe I, a self-proclaimed nymph-hater, was actually happy to see one.
“Melinoi, you did a great job today too.”
Pat—
I raised my hand and gently placed it on her head.
And then, recalling how someone once used to pat my head like this,
I gave her a good head rub.
Melinoi trembled—then practically melted in delight.
“This Melinoi loves praise and pats so very much, nyat! Stronger pats, more praise! That’s the key to boosting Melinoi’s productivity and her chances of getting promoted all the way to CEO (「CEO」), nyat!”
…Still a weird nymph.
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Then, Melinoi dropped a bombshell.
“Also! Manager Joy, you’ve got an interview with the CEO coming up soon, nyat! Better start preparing!
And for the record, this humble Melinoi has no connection to the CEO, so don’t expect any help from me, nyat!”
Interview with the CEO… oh no—
The one ranked #1 on the betting boards?!
Suddenly, despair hit me like a truck.
What the Happy World?!
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