Chapter 41
Executive Apate pointed straight at my coworker Marquius.
He was claiming—boldly—that Marquius was a mole for the rebel faction Tartarus.
“Marquius?!”
“Marqui… part of the rebels?!”
The office erupted in murmurs.
Manager Bones stepped up, clearly in disbelief.
“Sir, with all due respect—what makes you believe Marquius is a traitor? I hope you have good reason to accuse one of my subordinates.”
Apate nodded smugly.
“Glad you asked. Marquius, back when you were alive, weren’t you infamous as a bandit? Didn’t you betray your own crew—murdering them all—and then attempt to kill the leader who took you in, only to die in the process?!”
…Wait, what?
I just thought he looked like a bandit.
He was a real one?! A full-blown, ten-plus-count psychopathic murderer?
“That’s terrifying…”
“Well, I did think his face was too scary to be normal.”
“Yeah, definitely the mole.”
“Guess facial profiling really is a science.”
The office murmurs thickened.
Apate smirked, snapping his fingers like he’d cornered his prey.
“Betrayal is more addictive than opium, after all. Tell me, Marquius—doesn’t it make sense? That a backstabber like you would try to betray your coworkers here in Happy World too?”
Marquius, usually loud and opinionated, fell completely silent.
…Which was very unlike him.
Could he actually be a rebel?
Honestly, his face was super sketchy.
But then I saw my chance.
“Wait a minute! Marquius is not a rebel. I’ll vouch for him myself. And if it turns out he was a mole, I’ll take full responsibility!”
The smart move?
Back someone who looks guilty as sin, just to make myself look noble.
If the ship’s sinking, go down with it—dramatically.
“Joy’s right! There’s a chance Marquius isn’t the mole. Honestly, it could be me, Krauser!”
Good ol’ Krauser chimed in again.
He probably didn’t even know what he was saying.
The important part was:
Apate took the bait.
He clapped slowly, eyes glowing a smug orange.
“Joy , when you say you’ll vouch for someone, that means you’re willing to sacrifice everything for them. Are you prepared to lose your job for Marquius?”
“Absolutely!”
I didn’t hesitate.
The whole office rippled like a wave.
Hedone, my chick-like junior, was already crying.
“Oh, Joy! You’re such a wonderful leader! You treat us like family!”
…That idiot.
There’s no one less selfless than me.
But somehow, her idiocy was contagious.
“Joy Cha-Jaaang!”
“If you’re going down, we’re going with you!”
“Yeah! If Joy gets fired, I quit too!”
Why were they all pledging to quit now?!
Did they eat something off at all those fancy dinners?
Apate, seeing this, didn’t look moved—he looked furious.
“I can’t believe there are this many idiots willing to bear someone else’s punishment. Fine.
Arrest them all! You’re going to jail with Marquius until he confesses!”
***
There were a lot of prisons in Happy World.
Despite the bright and cheery name, it was actually a place designed for punishment and torture.
Our whole Punishment Enforcement Department got shoved into one of the massive jails—originally built to contain titans.
It should’ve been depressing.
But it was… honestly kind of funny.
What were we even doing right now?
Was this a dream?
As I chuckled to myself, Manager Bones shuddered beside me.
“You’re laughing at a time like this?! Joy, you must have a plan! Do you really believe Marquius is innocent?”
…Innocent?
Nah. I didn’t believe that for a second.
Marquius looked like a villain and probably was one.
Even if he wasn’t part of the rebels, he definitely had a record.
The audit team, scary as tigers, was going to dig through every inch of his life.
Even his convenience store receipts weren’t safe.
They’d find something to punish.
And I’d co-signed his innocence with 60x leverage.
Perfect plan.
So perfect that even Apate, the literal god of deception, hadn’t seen through it.
This was my ultimate win.
I could barely keep from laughing.
That’s when Marquius sighed.
“Joy… and everyone else. I’m sorry you’re all here because of me.”
“No, Marquius, it’s okay,” I said quickly.
“Joy, why are you suddenly so formal?”
…Why? Because you’re a murderer, Marquius.
If I act too familiar, who knows—maybe you’ll stab me next.
I started mentally reviewing every dumb thing I’d ever said to him.
Then Bones turned to him and asked gently:
“We all have a past here in the Punishment Division. But yours seems especially dark, Marquius. Care to share your story?”
Marquius looked away.
There must’ve been a lot he didn’t want to say.
“If it’s hard to talk about, that’s okay,” I said.
“Nothing you say can change our situation now.”
“And don’t worry, everyone—I’ll take full responsibility.”
Getting fired was enough.
No need to drag everyone else down with me.
Marquius smiled.
“Joy… I really admire you. Okay, I’ll tell you everything.”
He began reminiscing.
And based on all the strange stuff I’d experienced lately, I knew this was going to be bad.
I had the sudden feeling that I should stop him.
But Marquius just kept talking, as cheerful as ever.
“Back when I was a kid, the whole country was overrun with bandits. It was a time when even smiling felt like a luxury.”
He fell into memory.
And I braced myself for the inevitable tragedy.
A vengeful spirit!
Marquius wasn’t just some grumpy old bandit.
He was a terrifying revenant of revenge!
“That’s it?”
But Manager Bones looked bored. He even squinted as if the story had been underwhelming.
Even Hedone—who faints at the drop of a hat—was yawning.
“That was… pretty tame.”
“Not enough drama.”
Huh? What were they talking about?
Then it clicked.
We work in the Punishment Enforcement Department —a team that punishes the worst criminals and demonic spirits.
Compared to that, a personal revenge story? Kinda... mild.
“Still,” said Marquius, “It wasn’t easy to tell. Betrayal is betrayal. And yeah, I look scary. People always assumed the worst of me. But Joy … you didn’t, not even once, from the first moment we met.”
FWIP.
He stood up, glancing around at all of us.
“I’ve never been trusted by so many people. I wanted to keep hiding it longer… but I can’t let my comrades suffer in a Titan-class prison just for my secret.”
CLANG. CLANG.
He walked up to the iron bars and tapped them with his hand.
“I confess.”
…Wait, what?
You mean he actually was a mole from the rebel faction Tartarus!?
Chills ran down my spine.
“I’m Marquius, Head of the Headquarters Safety Management Team. I infiltrated the Punishment Department on direct orders from Prince Zagreus of the CSO. I’ve been working undercover here since my ‘rehiring.’”
…What?
Head of HQ?
My brain short-circuited.
What the heck was this loudmouth bandit even saying anymore?
One thing was clear—things had gone way off-script.
“I came here to catch a major backer of the rebel group Tartarus. We’ve already gathered enough evidence. But—”
He looked down at all of us, huddled on the cold floor.
Even with his frightening pale eyes, there was warmth in them.
“Somewhere along the way, I started liking this little playhouse. I got attached. Forgot I was supposed to leave. So, in the end, I caused you all trouble.”
He placed a heavy hand on my shoulder.
“Especially you, Joy. I know you figured me out but still kept my secret. I can’t thank you enough. I really respect you.”
“…What the hell do you think I figured out?”
“No need to pretend now. You believed in my innocence so strongly—there’s no way you’d do that unless you knew the truth.”
That’s when Executive Apate burst into the cell block in a panic.
“You’re telling me you were Prince Zagreus’s right hand all along?! That you’ve been embedded here for years?! And the evidence—then who was the real mole—!?”
“Executive Apate, the term ‘mole’ doesn’t begin to describe this. If this leaks, it’ll be the biggest scandal since ‘Operational Renewal.’ Wouldn’t you agree—”
Marquius slowly turned toward the entrance of the cell.
There stood the CEO of Happy World, his glowing blue eyes piercing through the shadows.
“—CEO Thanatos… or should I say, Legion Commander Thanatos of Tartarus?”
GASP.
The air crackled with tension.
Marquius continued.
“You had the power to cover up Krates’s corruption. You had the authority to enter supply vaults with no documentation and smuggle out weapons. The circumstantial evidence—all of it—points to your betrayal.”
Thanatos’s deathly blue eyes flared ominously.
“I thought I had more time to stay hidden… but Joy’s competence made that impossible. So, Joy , would you like to come with me? Consider this a recruitment offer.”
I—what!?
I didn’t even do anything!!
I was so stunned I nearly cried.
Apate wasn’t having it.
“Protect Deputy Manager Joy! We can’t afford to let Tartarus steal away someone that talented! Guard him even if it means your second death!”
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH—
Suddenly, a cold mist swept through the prison.
Out stepped the ghost goddess herself—Melinoe.
“Thanatos, surrender quietly. Even you can’t take on two executives at once. One false move, and you’ll spend the night in abso. lute. Agony.”
The executive standoff turned deadly.
Employees were fainting from sheer pressure.
\
“T-they’re too intense…!”
“I can’t… breathe!”
The air was crackling.
Then, Thanatos spoke. His voice was heavy. Final.
“What happens when a strawberry runs away?”
…What?
What the hell was he talking about?
“Strawberry jam.”
POOF!
In a puff of mist, Thanatos vanished.
That night, every Soul Society evening paper ran the same story:
SHOCKING! Happy World CEO’s Scandalous Betrayal!
Prince Zagreus’s Right Hand Uncovers Rebel Conspiracy from Within!
M: “Thanks to Joy for keeping my identity secret—made the investigation a success.”
Executive Apate—Dismissed!
Thanatos’s Treason Likely to Shake All Nyx-Faction Executives!
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