Nymph Flu Coronoi! #2
“Ha, having to come in on the weekend too.”
Executive Director Alecto was dying inside at the thought of working through the holiday.
The responsibility for failing to detect Thanatos's betrayal. The brutal assault on the safety management team. With all these crises piling up, the headquarters audit team was on the verge of being torn apart.
At least the new hire, Deputy Jo Iseo, had pulled off a major feat by tracking down Quinē, which had doused the most urgent fires. But it was still a problem.
Audit Team 2's recent achievements were just too dazzling.
If things keep going like this, all authority will end up in the hands of Astalrote, that outsider leading Team 2. Then our storied Audit Team 1, with its deep history and traditions, will be disbanded.
The audit team's authority was immense. It was the key to maintaining the Night Faction.
But if they stayed passive, Prince Zagreus's schemes might dismantle the faction entirely.
“That bastard Zagreus. We went to all the trouble of pooling our power to put him in line for succession, and now he's turning on us? Trying to hoard all the power for himself.”
Prince Zagreus was a mad god who could bolt anywhere. No one expected sanity from a guy calling himself a god of Happy World.
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
Alecto drummed her fingers anxiously on the desk. The paper there read “Confirmed Transmission Routes for Nymph Flu Coronoi Infected.”
This was a weapon that struck at Prince Zagreus's sore spot. The only questions were when to deploy it and who.
The one who dropped it would bear the full brunt of the mad prince's wrath. No one knew what revenge he might unleash, so nobody wanted to touch that poison chalice.
Alecto, an executive who'd once clashed in bloody battle with Prince Zagreus, felt the same. She knew better than most how tricky it was to be in his crosshairs.
That's when Manager Hector burst into Alecto's office.
“Urgent report from HUMINT Arachne! Apparently, Deputy Jo Iseo is meeting Prince Zagreus right now and discussing Coronoi!”
“Ha?”
Alecto jumped in shock. At the most awkward timing, someone had scratched the itchiest spot. Goosebumps prickled her feathers.
“Jo Iseo, don't you even fear getting on the bad side of the underworld's real power broker? Where'd a mere deputy even hear about nymph flu intel?”
The man once called Happy World's devil truly lived up to it. Alecto was genuinely impressed by his reckless drive for promotion, sparing no means.
She knew why he was so obsessed with climbing the ranks and gunning for an executive seat. It was all because he liked Melinoë.
“I thought modern humans weren't what they used to be. That the age of myths and heroes was over. But apparently not.”
Humans still challenged the impossible. Alecto didn't hate that.
“Director, then we'll raid the safety management team now and snatch every scrap of nymph flu data. Audit Team 1, advance on the safety office!”
# # #
In the end, I couldn't meet the nymph members of E&S. They were all laid up with the trending nymph flu Coronoi and avoiding contact with outsiders. Their cold symptoms must be pretty bad.
I wondered if it could spread to humans too. But Arachne was freaking out for a different reason.
“Picking a fight with Prince Zagreus! I knew you were fearless, Jo Iseo, but I didn't think it was this bad!”
I'd decided to dig into the nymph flu, putting me at odds with Prince Zagreus.
Honestly, I couldn't see the causal link between investigating the flu and clashing with the prince. But if they said so, whatever.
“You know how Prince Zagreus ran away from home multiple times? Slipped out of Soul Society to the surface.”
Prince Zagreus had never officially run away. But if even Arachne knew, it must be an open secret among those in the know.
I had no idea why she was bringing up runaways now.
“Back then, during the business renewal, leaving Soul Society for the surface without CEO approval was a massive violation. Security was way tighter than now!”
Prince Zagreus had bulldozed through the guards to escape to the surface and return. In the security-obsessed underworld, it was a huge incident.
He'd been severely punished for it.
“Word is, they dismantled his limbs and head, locking them up separately. Possible only because executives don't die from that.”
And on the day that punishment ended, Prince Zagreus escaped to the surface again.
“To stop him, executives like Lady Alecto mobilized en masse, and even the terrifying CEO grabbed a weapon. They fought like they wanted to kill each other...”
Stories of him grabbing Hades Chairman by the collar. Was this about that runaway episode?
His personality was bold, reckless, brutal—pick one. Either way, he was a god beyond anyone's control.
Getting on such a god's bad side would make my career hell.
Which sounded perfect.
But listening sparked a question.
“Why was Prince Zagreus so desperate to get to the surface?”
Same reason as me? Though I lacked the guts to flee while prepared to be murdered by executives.
“...Who knows? I don't. The point isn't why he left, but what he brought back from the outside world.”
After several runaways, Prince Zagreus had imported tons from the surface to the underworld.
The Business Renewal, studying surface corporate systems and applying them here, was one example.
“Nymph flu Coronoi might be a disease he smuggled back from one of his unauthorized surface trips. So investigating the epidemiology...”
“...makes it look like I'm attacking Prince Zagreus. As CSO and head of security, his actions brought crisis to this world.”
Now I got why probing the flu put me at odds with him.
And Arachne's resourcefulness was impressive.
“How do you know all this?”
“In entertainment, rumors fly. You gotta keep your senses sharp to survive. Mine are especially keen!”
Spider-sense from her spider kin, huh.
Soon, Arachne leaned in with a sly tone.
“So, wanna make a deal? I share these tidbits, and you feed me headquarters gossip in return. Audit team means prime intel access, right?”
A HUMINT contract. Securing an informant.
“FYI, I'm already informant for tons of employees. I don't usually offer to just anyone. But you seem promising, so special invitation?”
Promising future. Words I wanted to avoid most.
But a deal with Arachne was a win for me.
Sensitive info exposure meant higher risks—and higher firing odds.
Clap.
I grabbed her hand.
“Screw it, let's do it.”
“Smart choice. Welcome to my Spiderweb Network!”
“Spiderweb Network?”
“...Temporary name. Totally changeable.”
Got it. Time to test it.
“So, Arachne. Any massive-risk intel? Stuff so dangerous just knowing it endangers you.”
“Ambitious! High risk, high return—my favorite. And yeah, one's tangled in my web. A huge party coming up soon?”
Huge party. That's the intel?
I left the entertainment agency. Gains: odds with Zagreus, skilled informant acquired.
Since my old source Marquius left for HQ, I needed a well-connected gossip. Arachne fit perfectly.
Arachne's pretty and capable—why's she single?
# # #
“Ginger? Don't have any I'm growing.”
I sought out old man Cronus for cold-relief ginger. Mom swore by ginger tea when she caught colds.
But sadly, no ginger here.
“Something similar, though. Dead Ginger. Imported from an eastern underworld. Probably in that thorny thicket way over there...”
Cronus grimaced. He explained without my asking.
“Won't be easy to find. You Happy World folks know best, but the thicket was designed for punishment—stings like hell.”
I headed to the thorny thicket for the cold-curing dead ginger.
Even for me, used to cacti, walking was prickly torture—sharp trees, grass, rocks everywhere.
“Found it!”
By the time I spotted the dead ginger clump, the sun was setting.
“Wasted the whole weekend.”
Nearly half a day of agony. Clothes shredded, palms raw.
I returned to Melinoë's shrine with the dead ginger.
Knock knock knock.
She peeked through the door crack.
“Dead ginger. Boil or steam it—good for colds.”
“Cough. Rare plant. Thanks to Mom, I know my botany. You went through hell for me, Jo Iseo. Your loyalty will be remembered forever... cough...”
“Rest.”
Night had fallen. A full day wasted on nymph flu.
Not out of loyalty to Melinoë. Just personal curiosity about the flu.
Scored unintended points, though.
“Next, E&S members?”
Late hour. Back to the entertainment office. Met bassist Rilke, somewhat recovered.
She gawked at my dead ginger.
“That's dead ginger? Tasteless, useless. That's why no one grows it—dumped in the thicket. No cold relief... cough... whatsoever.”
“Whatsoever?”
“Nope.”
For real? Then what was today's ordeal for?
Idiot. What am I even doing here?
Happy World. Soul Society. I just wanna get out and back to the surface.
Heading home to crash, someone knocked on the window. Tap tap.
I got up, went to the living room. Melinoë floated outside.
“Jo Iseo, your dead ginger worked wonders. Of course, a perfect goddess like me was never sick to begin with!”
She grinned, flashing white teeth. No clue it was useless.
Scored points with trash plant. What a farce.
“For your devotion visiting my shrine, a goddess must reward you fittingly. But I can't play favorites. So this is just to myself.”
Whoosh.
Wind rustled her hair perfectly timed.
“Soon, Prince Zagreus will host a fundraiser inviting executives and HQ managers. Wanna know his weaknesses? Go there.”
Party crawling with executives and managers? Hosted by Zagreus? Arachne's big event?
Hard pass.
“Executives bring aides sometimes. I'll be swamped then—wish I had someone reliable. Just saying.”
Shhh!
Melinoë floated away like dandelion seeds on the breeze. Ghostly flight looked so envy-worthy.