008 – The Old Man and the Field #1
This situation, where I'd secured Cronus's collaboration so effortlessly—it was something I simply couldn't accept. So, like a shameful confession bursting out from deep inside, I let it spill.
"Cronus, to be honest with you... on my way here, I haven't seen so much as a single evil spirit, let alone anything else in the fog."
"Is that so? Probably thanks to the grace you received from the goddess of nightmares and ghosts. Even in my old age, I can spot at a glance who’s been blessed by whom!"
Cronus was the Titan of time. He could grasp it without a single error. That finely tuned sense of his must have sharpened his discernment far beyond anyone else's.
"That's exactly why I'm even more impressed! Getting grace from the goddess of nightmares is several times more terrifying than navigating the abyss of evil spirits. To go that far with such a reckless challenge just to convince me?"
He had a point; I couldn't argue back. The CEO's daughter—the goddess of nightmares—was far scarier than any evil spirit security agents.
And that was the problem.
"These old ears of mine still work fine. I know full well how rigid that goddess of nightmares is. She must have given her eldest brother a real piece of her mind—tsk. That stiff eldest was the most unpalatable one to swallow anyway."
The old god grimaced. His words continued.
"Since you've earned grace from a goddess like that, you're clearly no ordinary employee. Could you be that hotshot standout employee, Jo Iseo? The mortal who made Sisyphus eat dirt."
"...Yeah, that's me, the Jo Iseo in question."
"I thought so. The rumors even reached my solitary cell. Sending someone like you as a negotiator means they respect my authority that much. That's more than enough as a bargaining chip."
"...Ugh."
Don't make me laugh. Who decided you'd been convinced all on your own? You're an apocalypse-grade prisoner. What am I supposed to do when the former ruler Cronus sits down at the table already persuaded?
'...If this keeps up, it'll turn into another success!'
This was a do-or-die crisis. I had to make a decision.
"...Cronus! Great ruler of the Golden Age! Don't you think someone like you could demand a bit more just compensation?"
"Compensation? I don't need any of that, young man. Do you know the name of the punishment laid upon me? It's time-killing. Boredom itself. All that's left for me is to kill infinite time."
I glanced around Cronus's solitary cell. There was nothing in it. Just pure white walls everywhere. The punishment for the god who once ruled the world was a big fat "T". For "Killing time."
"Sometimes I'd make these hourglasses to fend off the boredom, but that was about it! No one even visits during holidays! You're just giving an old man like me something to pass the time with!"
This wasn't working. This old god had clearly gone mad from boredom after being cooped up in this white room for so long. He'd probably agree to rolling boulders for life instead of Sisyphus right now. Rational thinking wasn't functioning.
But that very flaw could be my breakthrough.
"Cronus, are you really okay with this? A ruler who once looked down upon the world, bowing your head so easily to those who dethroned and imprisoned you."
"I'm fine with it, I said!"
"All we're asking from you is collaboration, not submission. But seeing you act so passively and weakly, I'm actually worried if you'll handle the work properly."
"What? Weak? How dare you say that to me! I am Cronus, king of the Titans!"
His voice boomed like thunder.
Cronus seemed genuinely pissed. No matter how much time in confinement had worn down his will, a former world ruler couldn't lack pride entirely. It was a relief that my cheap, clumsy provocation had hooked him while his reason was still off-kilter.
"I was going to let your courage—and the authority of the goddess who blessed you—slide, but if you're going to push it that far, I can't just let it go."
Jackpot! Things were getting tricky now!
As I inwardly cheered, Cronus pondered deeply.
"Hmm, uhmm, uhmm, uhhhmmm, uhhhhhmmmmm, uhhhhhmmmmmmmmm, uhhhhhmmmmm. What to do. Can't just let it slide. Uhhhmmmm...."
How long was this deliberation going to last? With nothing but time on his hands, the old man was taking forever. Guess I'd have to step in again.
"Cronus, how about this? We'll let you pick the site for your office. If it suits you, we collaborate."
"Oho? That's a good idea. Like I said, I trust my judgment. But are you sure? Finding a spot in this dreary underworld that suits me won't be easy."
Site selection? Piece of cake. I'd set him up with the crappiest dump, and he'd say, "You're insulting me! Collaboration canceled!"
And fortunately—or unfortunately for Happy World—most places here were dumps anyway. Gotta use that brain of mine.
After Employee Jo Iseo left, Cronus was alone in his cell again. The white room. How long had he endured this solitude?
So, chatting with someone was a rare treat.
"Those kids never even show their faces once in a lifetime. I know I did what I did, so it's inevitable... but they're still my children...."
The old god Cronus was growing ever more sentimental. He missed his kids, wanted to see his grandkids and granddaughters. Of course, no visitors had ever come for him.
In the midst of that, Jo Iseo's visit—braving fear to meet him—felt strange and wondrous.
"He seemed genuinely angry for my sake."
Don't just submit blindly—claim what's rightfully yours. Not the kind of advice you'd expect from a Tartarus warden. It was surprising.
"Deputy Jo, that ambition of yours is impressive. You don't want a deal sealed by the goddess's aid—you want to win my cooperation with your own insight and strength?"
The reason Deputy Jo proposed site selection as a condition for collaboration: to reject a success aided by the goddess of nightmares and prove his own capabilities.
And that was spot on.
"If you'd been content with a deal backed by divine authority, I'd have given you a proper scolding someday. I don't like Happy World or its employees anyway. But...."
But Jo had tried to prove his competence beyond the gods' shadow. Even Cronus, inwardly dissatisfied with Happy World and its staff, couldn't begrudge that masculine drive.
'That said, young man, sorry, but I won't judge lightly.'
He'd be as picky as possible. To see if Deputy Jo was truly worthy of collaborating with.
Now, Cronus's thoughts shifted from Employee Jo to the goddess of nightmares who had blessed him. It was a habit born of killing time, one thought leading to another.
'Melinoë, the goddess of nightmares—never met her, but she's my granddaughter. The grace she gave Deputy Jo was high-grade. Must've cost her a ton of divine power.'
To Cronus's senses, the goddess of nightmares was still an incomplete, immature god. Unaware of her full divine identity. And such beings always ran into trouble if they overused their powers.
'Not my business, though.'
As Cronus wrapped up his thoughts and crossed his legs, chaos was unfolding at the executive meeting in the deep, sweltering edge of headquarters—once called Pluto's Palace.
"Melinoë, Vice President Melinoë of Happy World—is she not attending?"
An executive meeting. The great and glorious duty—and the CEO's daughter, Melinoë, wasn't there. She'd never missed one before.
Picking the worst site turned out harder than expected. Even barren, useless-looking land—dig one big scoop, and...
Sparkle, sparkle.
A gold vein.
"Tch!"
I hurriedly covered it back up before anyone saw. Gold veins were the worst!
"Jo, I told you to use the catalog I recommended. I get that you see me as a rival, but this isn't the time for that."
Crates, Team 1's ace, sidled up and poked my side. He looked utterly baffled.
"Seriously, who in their right mind kicks away a done deal? Collaborating with Cronus isn't just about your performance review—it's for all of Happy World."
He flipped open the catalog with a rustle. It listed Happy World's priciest prime real estate at outrageous prices. Exactly the spots I wanted to avoid if I was hoping for failure.
"That's why you're wrong, Crates. Sharpen your eye. Don't rely on numbers and stats."
"What? Ha, fine, do whatever. I try to give advice, and this is the thanks I get."
Land with no hot springs or oil when dug. No gold or gem veins, period. I scoured Happy World for such crap plots.
Half a day later, a man in nothing but square panties called out to me.
"Hey, you. What's with wandering around Happy World all suspicious-like?"
Me, suspicious? A guy parading in just underwear was way sketchier. Probably a prisoner under punishment. Unfamiliar face, so from another team.
I was about to brush him off when—
"You seen a nymph around here? Small and plump little thing. Comes up to my waist, black hair, super weird-looking."
What? A nymph? In Happy World? Oh, right—Melinoë. But she's no mere nymph; she's a goddess. And not exactly "plump"—more tall and slender like me.
I shook my head, and Panties Guy added,
"Haven't seen her? Weird. Felt like she was nearby."
He walked off normally—but crazy fast. What a weirdo.
Days of hunting abandoned land led me to a trash dump. Barren, filthy, no oil or gold or gems buried. Perfect useless dirt.
'Worth the effort.'
Imagine setting the former ruler Cronus's office here. "My office in a landfill? You calling me trash? Collaboration's off!"
'Might even get punished for insulting a god. Whatever—let's clean up the garbage first.'
Clearing the trash took days. Crates didn't hide his sneer.
"Jo, you must be totally insane."
"Overworked his brain into mush."
"Poor guy...."
Other employees gossiped too. Manager Bones even drummed on his bare skull.
"Deputy Jo! I don't get what you're thinking, but putting Cronus's office in this wasteland? It's absurd! This won't do! I'll take responsibility for you!"
"Manager, cut the pointless meddling. No one needs to shoulder my burden. I've got this."
And so, the day Cronus inspected the site arrived. Dragged by skeleton security agents to the old dump, his wrinkled, picky face flushed with colors.
"Th-this...."
This trash heap of a plot!—that's what he wanted to say, right? My plan had finally worked.
I was smug about it when—
"...This is it. Exactly the place I've been searching for! Vast, barren, harsh land! Perfect for my office—couldn't be better! Deputy Jo, you've made this old man shed tears...."
The Titan king started weeping, genuinely moved. Everyone was stunned. Me included—what the hell?
Crates, eyes bloodshot, asked, "Cronus, if I may be so bold, teach this worthless mortal. Why does this useless land appeal to you?"