Right now.
Under the desk where I sit.
Something is there.
It calls me.
The employee from the ghost story resort, whom I summoned.
"Mr. Mascot?"
The contaminated Jang Heowoon.
My dead colleague, still unable to revive, calls out to me as part of the ghost story.
To me, who made him into a ghost story.
"Please instruct me on what I need to do. Thank you for calling me!"
A dizzying sensation.
I realize, in an unwelcome way, that I have once again felt the sensation of 'chills'...
Like a spinal reflex, I form words with smoke and send them under the desk.
>Question: Your current situation.
Please.
"I am dispatched and working as instructed by Mr. Mascot at the Yongcheon Fairy Bath special care zone of the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau, located in Gangwon Province. I am fulfilling any requests the 'agents' have, as long as they do not harm the resort's operations!"
Yongcheon Fairy Bath.
It is a well-known supernatural phenomenon registered in the wiki, used by the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau for contamination and body recovery.
'So, he went there after all.'
My confused brain settled as it met known information.
The voice from under the desk echoed.
"The agents had me look into the thirty-three pools that have gathered around the hot spring water, and check what reflection of myself appears on their surface."
But.
"They ask me if the reflection shows my 'Agent Hwagak' appearance from before I contracted with you, Mr. Mascot, but it has never happened. I kindly answer them every time!"
...
No.
No, I mean. It's only been half a year… there might not be any improvement.
But still, wouldn't something have changed a little?
Even a little?
'Right.'
I suddenly grasped a clue.
The title I used.
'He reacted to the name Jang Heowoon.'
Because I had met another 'Heowoon' right before, the strong impression remained, and I called him by his real name. However, I clearly contracted with Jang Heowoon under the codename 'Bison'.
But hearing himself called by his real name means he has recovered some of his identity as a human, doesn't it? It’s his own name…
[Oh dear… Mr. Roe Deer, aren’t subordinates inherently like that! Even if the master calls you with imprecise terms like 'Hey,' or 'You there,' you are obliged to respond and present yourself if it seems to refer to you.]
...
So.
Does that mean it only confirms his subordination to me more clearly…?
'Then, what about the Wish Ticket?'
Did he use the Wish Ticket… wait a moment.
>Question: Ms. Go Yeongeun's situation.
>(Including whether or not you’ve met her.)
"That is information I am not privy to. Shall I look into it separately if you require it?"
>Question: Whether the Wish Ticket was used.
"That is information I am not privy to. Shall I look into it separately if you require it?"
...
>Question: Your identity.
"I am an employee of the Flower Golden Resort, proudly hired by Mr. Mascot, and currently on dispatched duty, Bison!"
No.
Something is wrong.
Something is seriously wrong.
'What happened?'
If the Jang Heowoon I summoned now has not recovered at all… no, if Jang Heowoon had not experienced any anomalies and had merely been managed by the Disaster Management Bureau for half a year.
Just now.
Who was the person who introduced himself as 'Heowoon' to me, and who was that employee who recognized me?
And where is the Wish Ticket?
...
This won't do.
'I need to contact Go Yeongeun.'
As soon as possible.
But I don't even have a smartphone, and if it's someone with the intelligence and caution of Go Yeongeun, she would have changed her number long ago. How on earth should I contact her...
"Um, Mr. Mascot."
...!
"May I dare to ask a question?"
...
>Affirmative
>Ask comfortably.
"Thank you!"
In the voice that had been coming from under the desk, unnaturally cheerful and polite, there was somehow… a ripple.
"When… will my dispatched duty end?"
…!
"Am I being called to return to the resort with you, Mr. Mascot now?"
I can feel it.
Expectation.
A product of volition and desire.
Something unnecessary for a resort employee.
[Oh, I sense a faint individuality.]
That's right.
'Has something changed?'
Perhaps the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau's measures are effective.
To be more certain, I quickly presented my answer.
>Answer: Negative.
"..."
The sound from under the desk stopped.
I continued writing.
>Condition for return: The ability to request one's personal desires, unrelated to work, from the Mascot.
"But, I have no personal desires. My joy is already fulfilled, and the things I wanted before becoming an employee are meaningless now!"
Huu.
>Find something.
"Mr. Mascot…?"
I considered whether to let Jang Heowoon hold the bell I was holding, but soon realized it was pointless.
Agent Haegeum had taken over Jang Heowoon's custody in the first place. If that had worked, she would have given it to him long ago.
'More importantly...'
If I drag this out any longer, the agents might track me or take emergency action.
'If there's improvement, he should continue to receive it without delay from that side.'
I decided to send Jang Heowoon back immediately.
And to make his sudden absence seem natural, I informed him that I would explain it as a 'Dispatched Employee Satisfaction Survey' that Mascot had called him for.
"Yes. Thank you, Mr. Mascot!"
And it was just before I finished the call and sent him away.
"Um, will you call me again?"
...
>Affirmative.
"Thank you, Mr. Mascot!"
The bright voice answered.
And the dead person from under the desk disappeared.
:恩主:
In the smoke, the red inventory tattoo beneath my left arm guard flashed golden for a moment...
As if the 'Caretaker,' who is currently working as the manager at the resort, had confirmed my instructions.
'Phew.'
[Friend, you've learned how to handle subordinates. Congratulations. It would have been nice to enjoy some fine champagne!]
I couldn't bring myself to say thank you...
I waited, curled up in the transport cage, until the sensation of 'chills' that had dully returned subsided.
And I asked.
'In the end, the person who visited the annex earlier… wasn't Bison, was it?'
Because the Jang Heowoon who contracted with me remained the same.
[That is correct, Mr. Roe Deer.]
...
[However, all utterances have intent. What intent that person had in approaching you, Friend, even this host cannot tell...]
Right.
Then, since it's come to this...
'I need to start by finding out basic information about that employee.'
[Oh? Are you perhaps going to use that vulgar researcher? Mr. Roe Deer, I recall you were reluctant to mention the matter directly to him!]
That's right. It might unnecessarily provoke him.
So...
'I'll make him bring it up himself.'
That day, after work, during the remaining break time.
"My, my. Did you enjoy your shift, Mr. Employee?"
I calmly looked at Kwak Jekang, who had arrived.
"...Hmm. Mr. Employee?"
And as the other party began to rack his brain trying to figure out what this was about, I displayed the letters.
>Confession Permitted.
"…Confession? Haha, I am indeed a person with many things to confess, but well since it’s you, Mr.Employee..."
>Subject: Today's visitors to the annex.
...
"Ah. Hahaha..."
Kwak Jekang gathered his file.
"You mean the new employee, Jang Heowoon, right?"
I did not react.
"Just a moment. I did not send him. No… I'm telling the truth! I cannot lie to you, Mr. Employee. And I couldn't stop him from going himself..."
I remained still, as if I were listening to his excuses.
As if I suspected him of trying to extract special data by provoking me.
Until the fear imprinted on him when he felt his life threatened during my escape, bloomed behind his neck.
After all.
'There's no way you wouldn't know.'
Even if you didn't call him directly, you would have cheered and paid attention.
You must have watched him on CCTV, observed the conversation, and recorded it.
So.
>Prove it.
"…In what way?"
>Submission:
>130666's work log for today.
"...Haha, yes."
Kwak Jekang, his hands trembling slightly from excitement or fear, handed me the file he was holding.
I took the file with my black-gloved hand.
And I flipped through my profile, usage instructions, and observation records… to find today's entry.
The records of visitors I interacted with.
Scrolling down to the time I interacted with the new employee who introduced himself as 'Heowoon'...
2:12 AM
Interlocutor: Employee Kim Heowoon
'...!!'
Kim… Heowoon?
130666 inquired if the employee was familiar with him.
Presumed to be a question stemming from contact during the new employee orientation experiment.
The employee answered affirmatively, and subsequently, 130666 issued the annex access pass to the other party without any further significant reaction.
…Up to this point, it was a well-refined and plausible narrative that would not arouse suspicion from Director Cheong.
However, the next part.
Special Note: The employee used the name 'Jang Heowoon' instead of his real name during the orientation experiment.
...
In the interview conducted after the experiment, he stated the reason for this behavior as 'to gain courage.'
He repeatedly claimed to be a long-time acquaintance of Supervisor Jang Heowoon (currently working at a branch office) and that he knew he was working at this company.
"Ah, you read that?"
The researcher's voice, suppressed by fear, suddenly regained a spark of interest.
"It's a rather clumsy excuse, but… at least that's what he said in the interview."
He then glanced at me and added.
"Haha, at the time, I was curious how that name would strike you, Mr. Employee. They look a bit alike too."
Wait a minute.
So, was it just a case of a different surname with the same name?
And he's an acquaintance of Mr. Jang Heowoon?
Is that all?
'…No.'
It was strange.
I clearly remember. Jang Heowoon, who had died, became a resort employee after being contaminated, and told me about his past as if it were nothing.
- “I was an orphan and grew up in an institution. Three years ago, a large fire broke out, and my family members who lived with me all died in it. I was the only one who somehow survived.”
And now there’s supposed to be another person who is close enough to know that he’d joined this company?
The fact that he appeared claiming that itself was unnatural and suspicious.
Moreover, that person recognized me.
I can be sure of that...
...
Is that really it?
What if he was just showing kindness to the friendly monster he met on the 13th floor? What if I misread the context? What if my muddled brain isn't functioning properly? That…
Jingle.
Phew.
'…Let's not get too carried away.'
I secretly shook the bell once more within the smoke and organized my thoughts.
First, at least during the two times we met, that person did not exhibit any impulsive behavior.
And since he is working as part of the Field Exploration Team, the Dream Essence collector is classifying him as human.
I should remember only these two things for sure.
[Doubt is a companion to wisdom. However, if it is too sharp, it can cause harm. Oh, your attitude of trying to handle it slowly and politely, Mr. Roe Deer, is excellent.]
Yes, thank you.
"…Ah, does that person concern you a lot?"
Damn it.
"Then, shall I… perhaps designate a special management personnel, just in case..."
>Disallowed.
"Ah… yes."
Don't cross the line.
>Prohibited items:
>Personal requisition of the individual in question.
>Assignment to tasks related to 130666.
>All other troublesome additional actions.
I continued to impose comprehensive restrictions on Kwak Jekang thereafter, holding back a sigh.
'…Surely, that new employee said he would visit again.'
If so, let's just keep the access open for me to continue working at the annex front desk.
I have a feeling that if I carelessly pry from Kwak Jekang's side, I'll hit a wrong spot.
'And… I'm not planning to get information only from there.'
The whereabouts of the Wish Ticket.
…No matter how I think about it, talking to Ms. Go Yeongeun is the right thing to do.
…I need to think of a way to contact her.
"Hmm. Understood."
Kwak Jekang seemed to wipe away cold sweat but soon recovered.
When I returned the file, he even seemed a little disappointed that no further special situations had arisen.
"It was a rather interesting conversation…"
However, surprisingly, he did not seem to have any great interest or ulterior motives beyond a slight disappointment.
I understood why by looking at his expression.
Because he had other, more important matters.
"May I now return to the purpose of my visit today?"
...
>Affirmative.
"…! Excellent!"
Excitement flickered again on that smiling face.
"My, my, Director Cheong's orders have finally come out!"
…!
"Mr. Employee, now… prepare yourself to go excavate the Darkness in the Cheerful Research Institute in the Main Building basement. Haha!"
TL Notes: -
Discussion