094 – The Marginalized #4
The craftsmen of the South Gate were picky as hell. They even turned down production orders from the executives.
"Ahem! If we're talking about me, I'm Mist Beast, the HellTuber with 3 million subscribers! If I promote you, even a dusty little shop like yours will be packed in no time!"
Pygmalion, renowned for his jewelry work and sculpting skills—and even more for his ironclad stubbornness—openly showed his displeasure at someone visiting his shop.
"Get out! Scram! We're not open for business!"
"Being this rude to a 3-million-subscriber HellTuber? Aren't you scared of my fans' comment-section terrorism? Let's see if you can say that next time I drop by!"
But Pygmalion couldn't care less about that. He was just desperately searching for the missing girl.
"Hey, buddy. You seen Helen?"
"I looked around for a few days too, but no luck."
The girl was deaf and mute, her condition touching everyone's heart. The South Gate craftsmen had raised her like their own daughter or granddaughter, doting on her endlessly. So when she vanished these past few days, everyone was worried sick.
"Du-da-ya!"
"Helen! It's you, Helen! Where've you been the last few days? We turned this whole South Gate upside down looking for you, and nothing! And what's with this cyclops?!"
"Woo-dda-ya."
"What? A job? You got a job?"
Pygmalion was overjoyed to see his foster daughter Helen, but her sign language shocked him even more. She'd gotten a job, and the cyclops beside her was her coworker.
"Helen got a job?"
"Phew, what a relief!"
"I'm tearing up here."
"I thought something bad had happened to you out there!"
"Ooh-wai!"
Helen, who couldn't speak or hear and struggled with everyday life, had landed a job. Pygmalion's joy at the reunion turned to sudden anxiety.
"...But Helen, you're not doing anything shady, right?"
Pygmalion asked clumsily in sign language. In this Soul Society, Helen's disabilities limited her options severely. He worried she might've gotten mixed up in something bad. But the burly figure beside her answered instead.
"We've been hired by the Pandora Market Development Division. Full four-insurance coverage, mandatory enrollment. We drew up a contract with no skimping on vacation days or allowances. Starting salary's around this much."
Flutter.
Pygmalion's eyes widened at the documents the cyclops Sai held out.
"Salary like this? You got a spot this good? Our Helen?"
The gathered craftsmen were just as stunned. That's when Helen signed again.
"Woo-da-ah."
Whoosh whoosh. Her gesturing hands waved emphatically. Pygmalion read the meaning and frowned.
"What? To breathe life into the market, we need to start taking orders again?"
Helen was his precious foster daughter, dearer than the apple of his eye. But craftsmen had their unbreakable principles.
"Helen, we have our rules and principles too. We have to finish the first-come orders first. No normal business until this commission's done."
Flutter.
Pygmalion unfolded a very old, tattered document.
"This is a commission I haven't shown anyone. But since you're Helen's coworker, I'll make an exception. Take a look."
It looked at least a decade old. At that moment, cyclops Sai's single eye keenly spotted something unusual about the document.
"Censored. Contract paperwork."
"Yeah. Can't tell what's written because of the censorship. But it's definitely a contract we received, and we have to handle it first before anything else. Real headache. Censorship, of all things."
"Censorship falls under the Moirae. With the Moirae kidnapped by the rebels, decoding these redacted docs is impossible. Tricky. Anything you remember from before the censorship?"
"Maybe it's my age, but my memory's fuzzy these days. Vaguely recall something about the 'Fantasy Nymph' and some kind of vessel."
Fantasy Nymph!
Sai thought of the nymph Makenoi. It clicked why Jo Iseo had hired him.
"The serpent's path is known to serpents. The nymph's path only to nymphs."
Helen and Sai went to find Makenoi. The nymph jolted awake from dozing at her desk.
"This Makenoi wasn't sleeping...!"
"Makenoi. Know anything about the Fantasy Nymph?"
"Woo-da-ya!"
"Fantasy Nymph...! This Makenoi's only heard rumors, never met one in person...! Right up there with Joynoi, the liberation nymph guarding domestic nymph farms—a total fantasy breed...!"
Soul Society had plenty of nymphs. Finding the Fantasy Nymph was an feat no hero or executive could pull off. But?
The nymph overseer executive "NEO – Melinoë" might know the truth.
"Let's go see Goddess Melinoë together...!"
"...Princess Melinoë?"
Cyclops Sai tensed up hard. Everyone knew how ruthless and icy Soul Society's princess Melinoë was.
She might just give these intruders a brutally cruel time. But they resolved to push on for Jo Iseo, who'd trusted them with the job.
# # #
They headed to headquarters.
"A cyclops?"
"Nymph too."
"What's that? Hell Puppy?"
The bizarre crew naturally drew stares from HQ staff. Helen shrank back, terrified by the attention.
"Maybe those new hires Jo Iseo brought on?"
"Ah, the market's new employees? But... hiring a Hell Puppy?"
"Jo Iseo went nuts after his demotion...?"
In the murmuring crowd, unflappable cyclops Sai made for the "NEO" office. But loud voices echoed from the entrance.
"What? Selling 'Nymph Hand-Washing Water'? Suggesting such an absurd product to me? You must crave a brutally cruel time. Ghost Pistol!"
Fwoosh fwoosh!
Pew!
The ghost bullet nailed the intruder, blasting him far outside the office.
"Gwaaack!"
"Again."
"That's what happens when you approach the princess carelessly."
Melinoë was HQ's terror symbol, inheriting her fearsome CEO father's temperament.
Suddenly, Sai wondered if he even deserved to face such a being. To executives, he was a bug they could squash with a finger.
"Gasp!"
Step!
Terrified Helen stepped forward. She had the courage to take one more step when everyone else froze.
"Who're you?"
The beautiful goddess narrowed her slender eyes from her desk. Helen waved frantically in sign language.
"Hee hee hee."
"Helen, is it? But I don't recall any appointment with a Helen today. Don't barge in and waste my precious time."
Flicker.
Her red eyes glowed like oil-soaked kindling. Then nymph Makenoi piped up.
"I'm Makenoi...! I have business with Melinoë, nymph overseer...! Wanna ask about the 'Fantasy Nymph'...! Nymph helping nymph...!"
"Same nymph? You think I'm a nymph like you?"
Crumple.
Melinoë's glare sharpened viciously.
"Eek! N-not the same nymph, but similar nymph...!"
Even Makenoi hiccuped in fear.
"Everyone out."
Guess that's how it goes. Sai felt deep regret. Makenoi too.
"Such a good chance to repay Joynoi for supporting domestic nymph farms...!"
As the group turned to leave, Melinoë called them back.
"Wait. Jo Iseo?"
"Yes...! We're Jo Iseo's development division employees...!"
"What? Why didn't you say so sooner?"
Kyang kyang...!
The docile Hell Puppy suddenly wagged its tail furiously and barked. It trotted to Goddess Melinoë and licked her palm wildly.
"This Hell Puppy dares lick me like honey candy? And it's Jo Iseo's employee too?"
The goddess frowned. Sai panicked, thinking the beast was ruining their Jo Iseo-named opening. Makenoi clutched the Hell Puppy's scruff, sniffling.
"Don't punish our puppy...! This Makenoi apologizes instead...! And this puppy's our colleague, hired by Jo Iseo...!"
"Jo Iseo's employees. Hell Puppy. Makes sense. Jo Iseo knew Hell Puppy's my favorite animal. Haven't seen one lately—habitat must've changed."
Pet pet pet pet pet pet pet.
Melinoë reached out and stroked the golden-furred puppy vigorously. Watching, Sai's mind cleared with realization.
'Jo Iseo! You even predicted we'd come to Goddess Melinoë? That's why this setup! What a meticulous guy!'
# # #
Slacking off isn't always bliss. Sometimes, doing nothing lets sudden anxiety stroke your heart with icy fingers.
'Heard the new hires talking about the South Gate. No way those stubborn craftsmen are unexpectedly killing it there, right?'
I knew how finicky craftsmen could be from Manager Daedalus and his son Icarus. Hard to imagine my oddball new hires swaying them... but what if?
'Best to check in person.'
I quit slacking and headed to the South Gate. But instead of a deserted market with craftsmen on strike, smoke billowed from every chimney.
Clang clang.
Hammers rang out, and folks poured molten iron everywhere. Onlookers stopped and shouted.
"Pygmalion and the craftsmen are working!"
"Jackpot! Quick, tell the news!"
Why now, after years of striking? It hit me like lightning from a clear sky, so I dashed into the workshop and urgently asked the craftsmen.
"What the—? What's going on? Weren't these projects stalled for years?"
"What stops must move again! Outta the way! Gotta immortalize the 'Fantasy Nymph' in bronze statues and sculptures! Backlog's a mountain—gotta hustle!"
What? Fantasy Nymph? As I reeled in confusion,
"Jo Iseo, you've stirred up something fun."
"Gah! Lady Melinoë!"
Whoosh.
Melinoë appeared ghost-like behind me, and I leaped like a cat spotting a cucumber. She wore a golden-furred scarf—wait, it was the Hell Puppy.
Kyang kyang...!
"Lady Melinoë, that thing..."
"Oh, this? Your gift for me. Hell Puppies are cool in summer, warm in winter—perfect scarves. So fluffy and cute."
What the hell? What is this?
"The Fantasy Nymph thing? Consider it payback for the Hell Puppy gift. Modeling for art's no big deal—I've done it plenty."
"...Modeling?"
What in the world happened?!