The Silence After the Call
Visor had heard about the pandemonium at the convenience store.
A calm voice came through the phone he held out.
The woman who introduced herself as “Su Seonhwa”.
The president calling an ordinary employee.
[I’ve brought a bold friend like Jinho and the store manager has really done something.]
Thud.
Tension wrapped around my body.
Even the others couldn’t easily speak up.
That the words mixed with low laughter weren’t praise was something anyone except Maria would know.
[Even though you’re lacking, I’ll acknowledge that you’ve been thinking hard. However, I have one more thing I’d like to propose.]
“... What is it?”
Shivers ran through the voice coming out.
[Huhu... Full of caution. Oh, and I’ll play this on speaker.]
I pressed the button to switch to speaker. Now everyone here could hear the voice beyond the phone.
[I’ll only say this once because I hate repeating unnecessary stories.]
A moment of silence.
[The young lady over there.]
“...!”
The voice on the phone pointed at Maria.
My and Kim Gichan’s gazes turned toward her.
[I heard you mentioned an Outer God. Are you a member of the Illusion Cult?]
Maria’s face showed surprise at her cult name being mentioned.
“How do you know?!”
[Heh. People who know know, don’t they. But to bring the young lady in as a temporary employee, we’ll need preventive measures for that power of hers.]
The power used by Maria through prayer to an Outer God, which was the root cause of everything that had happened.
[It would be wonderful if you’d cooperate with a few tests.]
Su Seonhwa seemed to want to investigate that power.
“Cooperation?”
Maria tilted her head and asked back.
[Don’t be scared. It’s just a simple confirmation procedure.]
“... If something happens, I...”
[Hmm~ Isn’t it a different story from Jinho taking responsibility and us preventing accidents? It can’t be an equal transaction.]
I tried to gather my momentum again but it was all for naught. According to Su Seonhwa’s words, from the moment Maria started working at CS25, I had no choice but to bear responsibility for every action and result she caused. Therefore, this couldn’t even be called a penalty.
[Jinho? I like contracts without noise.]
Su Seonhwa’s voice echoed lazily.
[Maria Anquines agrees to cooperate with verification and testing regarding the Illusion Cult and Outer Gods.]
[This is the condition proposed by the management.]
“... Why such a complicated contract?”
I couldn’t read the intent.
Was it really just to research Maria? If that was the case, they could simply ask for cooperation in exchange for payment.
Was it because the side was worried about the overtime worker who was covering for me? If I heard a reason like that, I might have shouted that it was a reasonable thing to say.
There seemed to be another intention behind binding Maria.
[... Hehe.]
But all I could hear was Su Seonhwa’s lazy laugh as she pulled away from the receiver.
[I have great expectations for Jinho as well.]
Her focus suddenly shifted to me.
[So I hope you make a wise choice.]
And the call ended.
Without any additional explanation.
Really, it was arrogant.
“...”
Visor took the phone whose connection had been cut and the silence fell heavily.
What exactly did “without noise” mean?
I had been in the perfect position of the underdog from the beginning.
“... Jinho-ssi.”
Maria broke the silence.
“I’m fine!”
“Maria.”
Maria came closer and smiled.
“... What’s fine?”
She was someone I’d only met in the convenience store.
Not even a full day had passed.
How was I supposed to follow someone so blindly when I didn’t know what they were saying?
“Jinho-ssi. You gave me food here.”
Yet Maria spoke without a flicker in her eyes at my question.
“I agreed to take responsibility for me until the procedures were complete.”
And when I tried to let go because I was worried about you.
Maria’s two hands overlapped mine.
Her face lifted toward me was close.
“Jinho-ssi didn’t let go of my hand until the end.”
That...
Was simply because my heart was uneasy.
Thinking of my sister, I couldn’t just do something like that.
So I’ll follow whatever Jinho-ssi says.
Maria’s gaze reached me.
And a gentle voice continued.
“In the name of the Outer God. Whatever it is.”
Calm.
Compared to the day when she was running wild wanting to burst out and pouring prayers and blessings, Maria looked like an entirely different person.
Was this the existence Maria was in the cult?
Suddenly the words of the Demon King who had evaluated Maria came to mind.
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What kind of existence would Maria have been in her original dimension, the cult?
Life within a group that defined herself as a relic rather than a human.
Was the Demon King’s word “doll” an evaluation that pierced even Maria’s attitude?
“... Like that.”
I turned my head.
“There’s no need to be so blindly devoted.”
I didn’t like being a target of devotion for anyone.
It was true that I had seen my sister through Maria, but it was uncomfortable to be on the receiving end of blind admiration.
Perhaps it was because of Maria’s personality that I didn’t identify with her like my sister.
“Employee Yu Jinho.”
Visor spoke, apparently judging that our conversation had ended.
“Select.”
The last time I saw Maria, she looked without a trace of fear.
Like the expression of someone who didn’t know what there was to be afraid of.
That wasn’t the face of someone who knew and still wasn’t afraid.
It was rather the expression of someone who didn’t even know what kind of trouble they might face.
“... I’ll accept the conditions.”
“I will summarize the contents of the contract according to the employee’s consent.”
A blue-ink fountain pen came out of Visor’s suit pocket.
From the end of the document folder, he pulled out two contract papers.
He handed one to me and began filling in the contents of his own contract paper with the fountain pen.
Squish.
As the pen moved, the content was written on my contract paper exactly as if synchronized.
“Subject: Maria Anquines is registered as a temporary employee of the CS25 Sanctum City branch from today onward.”
With Visor’s explanation, detailed clauses appeared densely.
“The work period is designated until the complete repayment of 1.536 million Luos based on hourly wages, and the subject must cooperate with the management’s ‘Dimensional Intervention Special Case’ investigation for some of the non-work hours.”
The clause using Maria’s Outer God’s power as a research subject.
I had carefully checked just in case there was a fatal clause, but there were no notable dangerous elements... at least on the surface.
“Furthermore, during the period that Maria Anquines works, responsibility for all actions and results caused by the subject belongs to... Employee Yu Jinho.”
I swallowed dryly.
The final signature line was carved after all clauses were completed.
Su Seonhwa’s name had already been stamped.
After I signed and Maria signed as well, the signature glowed green.
“... This is...”
It was the same sparkle as when I signed the contract with the store manager.
With this fountain pen, the contract was established that way?
“... Do I keep this contract?”
“Yes.”
Visor said while closing the folder.
“According to this contract, the management will bear half the loss caused by Maria Anquines.”
“... Understood.”
“We will provide further guidance on the research cooperation procedures.”
The contract was over.
I felt as if all energy had drained out of me.
“... Originally, I had planned to handle Yu Jinho’s matters related to the Backroom together.”
As Visor spoke, he raised his left hand and checked his wristwatch.
“It’s quitting time.”
When I turned my head to check the time, the clock pointed exactly at 6 PM.
“Since this matter does not possess the urgency or severity of overtime, I will revisit tomorrow.”
Visor, after finishing his words, did not leave through the window right in front of him but instead circled the store and opened the convenience store door to exit.
I thought to myself that this kind of personality suited a store supervisor.
“... Ah.”
With the tension released, I sat down on the floor.
“Is it over...”
I felt like I had done something that didn’t suit the occasion.
“Jinho-ssi! Are you okay?”
“Yeah, well...”
Kim Gichan supported me, who was pulled up by Maria’s hand.
“Results are results, hard work, little brother.”
Kim Gichan’s expression looked somewhat troubled.
I thought that for Kim Gichan, acting on impulse because he couldn’t abandon Maria might be difficult to accept.
“... I won’t let it affect you, hyung— Aaaah! Why are you hitting me!”
Even if I was excluded, was there a way to involve the company and not take damage? It’s one boat~
I glared at Kim Gichan while rubbing his back.
“But little brother. What exactly are you that the president is doing a 1:1 deal?”
“I don’t know, it’s the first time I’ve seen it.”
“The president must have liked Jinho-ssi’s heart, right?! Jinho-ssi is amazing after all!”
“Hey. You’re like a ghost that revives tension.”
Maria, who was spraying vitality again after the incident, felt strangely to me.
“By the way, when do we clean up?”
“Ah.”
At Kim Gichan’s question, I looked back.
The state of the store that was still not swept by a single grain.
Since we left it as is until Visor came, it was time to clean up now.
But...
“Won’t tomorrow be fine?”
“Um... It doesn’t sound like a reasonable thing to say.”
“Damn...”
“Then I’ll collect the trash with prayer...! Can we collect it, Jinho-ssi!”
Great action and great endurance for it, don’t do it.
“U...! Yes!”
Watching Maria, who was loosening her clasped hands in prayer position while fidgeting, I naturally began to pray to some high being in the sky.
“Oh, whatever it is, Outer God or God...”
Give me control over this runaway lamb...
“Jinho-ssi...! Close your eyes and pray! Hallelujah!”
To my eyes, it seems like your blood pressure is rising, young lady.
... Damn, it’s over.