Chapter 87

On an upper floor of Daydream Inc.'s headquarters.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

I carefully knocked on the luxurious door with the back of my hand. It slid open automatically...

"You're here."

The director seated inside came into view. An executive of indeterminate age with blue-black hair.

Director Cheong Dallae.

"You haven't wasted time dragging this out, nor have you fallen for any schemes. Children who know how to make wise choices always live long lives."

What a terrifying way to give a compliment...

"You're too kind."

In any case, I had made my choice: to accept Director Cheong's offer to turn Team D into an Elite Team.

Naturally, I had my reasons, but I could revisit those later. Right now, I had to deal with the intimidating executive in front of me.

Director Cheong looked me over with satisfaction and smiled.

"Your unit will be reorganized in due course. I trust you'll wait without causing any unnecessary fuss."

"Yes. I'll work even harder to prove myself worthy of the promotion."

I shook Director Cheong's offered hand with the utmost courtesy.

And beside me...

"Naturally, you will too, Section Chief Lee Jaheon."

"Yes."

Team Leader Lizard had come with me.

... For the record, this was how Section Chief Lee Jaheon had reacted to my choice.

["I see."]

That was it.

'Should I... call this easy to deal with...?'

He had accepted it so quickly that it was hard to believe this was the same lizard who had advised me to refuse.

'Come on, you're in the same boat! You should at least hear me out...!'

So I had cornered my seemingly incurious team leader and explained the reasoning behind my decision, hearing "I see" and "Yes" about ten times along the way.

And I had also explained how I intended to minimize the "danger" Director Cheong posed.

"So, have you decided on your remaining teammate?"

As it happened, that very subject came up.

Since Team D currently had only two members on active duty, Director Cheong had offered to let me bring in whoever I wanted as our third.

"I've come up with an idea regarding that."

"What idea?"

As calmly as possible, I led with the conclusion.

"We make it possible for anyone to join us."

* * *

[Leave the third position in Elite Team D vacant]

I could suggest this because Team D's situation was closer to a new trial run than incorporation into the existing Elite Team structure.

The greatest advantage was this:

'It keeps Director Cheong from simply planting one of her own people.'

Hadn't she told me to bring in whoever I wanted?

If you could take that at face value, this wouldn't be a company.

'If she didn't like my pick, she'd have asked whether I had anyone else in mind.'

Then she would gradually steer the candidate pool toward the person she wanted.

'Once I've bowed my head and agreed to join her faction, she has nothing to lose.'

That was how she would install one of her own people, or at least win over the new arrival.

I thought that was where things would start becoming "dangerous," as Section Chief Lee Jaheon had warned.

'The person who goes everywhere with us can't be Director Cheong's lackey.'

It would be better to have someone different on each exploration.

And I could come up with a plausible justification for it, too.

'Since we're trying something new anyway, why not use Team D's vacancy for Elite Team internships?'

Something like that.

Naturally, Elite Team positions were limited, and few people were promoted from the regular teams.

So, unless they performed well from the outset and made the right connections, most employees with little seniority apparently just gave up and focused on getting the most out of the job for the least effort.

Management, however, seemed to resent that attitude as inefficient. They expected employees to take ownership and be more proactive about procuring raw materials.

You know, along the lines of, "They're so blinded by points that they have no loyalty to the company."

'Why the hell would anyone join this place in the first place if it weren't for the points?'

It was an utterly ridiculous expectation... but, well, seeing how this company operated, I thought my pitch might work.

["I've been considering whether this might give junior employees a new incentive to improve their performance, when the Field Exploration Team currently offers no motivation beyond Wish Coupons..."]

I put considerable effort into presenting Director Cheong with something along those lines.

Honestly, I wasn't sure employees would find it all that tempting.

At most, perhaps a few capable supervisors or deputies would get a taste of Elite Team work and reconsider their career plans.

But it sounded plausible, and it wouldn't be entirely ineffective, so that was fine.

'It should at least help set the tone.'

And at least with Director Cheong... it worked.

["Not bad."]

... Her reaction somehow felt like she was humoring me, which made me flinch inwardly, but what mattered was that she'd approved it.

Sure enough, rumors must have spread through the Field Exploration Team within days, because our intake's group chat became lively for the first time in a while.

[Does anyone know the details about the new Elite Team being formed? haha]

[I heard they're picking someone with one to three years of service. Is that true?]

[I heard something about Elite Team internships. I'm curious what everyone else has heard ^^]

[Elite Team benefits...]

The funny thing was... no one spoke to me anymore.

Even after word got out that I'd cleared another A-grade, no one posted a single congratulation or question.

'Am I... being ostracized?'

I'd taken some care with my answers to group-chat questions so people wouldn't think they could walk all over me. At some point, the questions themselves had disappeared.

'Come to think of it, I was the last one invited to the group chat in the first place.'

It left a slightly bitter taste...

[I heard the news! Congratulations, Soleum! You really made that method work!]

[Thank you, Youngeun.]

Still, I should be grateful I had a fellow recruit who kept sending me congratulations.

While I was at it, I repaid Go Youngeun for her help in the last ghost story.

'She's a decent person who tries to repay what she receives, so I'd better keep building that trust.'

I shared how I'd cleared it and offered her a portion of the "boss battle rewards" I'd received.

'I managed to clear it without dying thanks to her.'

... I meant the locations of the body's organs.

Thanks to Go Youngeun, I'd known which areas I had to protect to the very end to avoid instant death.

Of course, on reflection, it really had been insane enough to make me shake, so I briefly suppressed a shudder.

'Let's... be careful with temporary tattoos.'

It had certainly worked, but it was anything but ordinary...

[Ah... Um. All right. I'll gratefully accept.]

Go Youngeun seemed a little conflicted, but she accepted. I met her outside the company housing and handed over several protective-charm marbles.

And during our conversation, the rumors about a "new Elite Team" came up...

"Um, Youngeun, have you considered aiming for an Elite Team...?"

"No. I'm really fine, thank you."

"..."

You can take a breath before answering, Youngeun...

Somehow, she seemed to have already developed a very strong suspicion that I would be involved.

'I'd actually considered her as a candidate... Was it a good thing I didn't push for her?'

In any case, this was the best answer I could come up with for the situation...

Though, of course, not everyone agreed.

* * *

"I never imagined you'd really join an Elite Team..."

"..."

"Why did you make such a dangerous choice?"

His voice was filled with concern.

Seated at my desk in the Team D office, I pressed a hand to my forehead.

"... Director Ho."

"Yes?"

"If I've done anything rude, I sincerely apologize."

Why on earth are you here?

Why are you sitting so casually in the Team D office—which we'll be vacating soon—as though you're a fellow recruit from next door dropping by for a visit?!

"What? You've never been rude to me, Soleum... I think you could stand to have a little more confidence in yourself."

"..."

He really was something else...

Looking slightly disappointed, Director Ho acted like a colleague whose invitation to a meal had been turned down.

That was even scarier.

'I thought he'd either screw me over or ignore me.'

Why was he still the same?

To be honest, Director Ho's offer really had been more extraordinary and come with greater authority, so he had every reason to hold a grudge over my refusal.

'Anyone sensible would have picked his offer.'

Naturally, I'd been leaning more toward it myself.

Until I asked this question.

["Director, if you don't mind my asking, which iteration of the project is this?"]

["Iteration? Oh, are you asking how many times we've done it?"]

["Yes, that's right."]

["In that case, it doesn't really have a number. This is a new undertaking."]

["... I see. Thank you."]

I made up my mind that instant.

'Cut my losses.'

A project at a ghost-story company?

Nine times out of ten, that meant an unknown, high-grade ghost story.

'At least A-grade. Guaranteed.'

At that level, it was no longer merely a matter of a ghost story's grade being proportional to its danger.

The subject matter became horrors rooted in hopelessness, things no individual could possibly handle, predict, or prepare for.

A higher order of terror was coming, beyond things like death or disappearance...

And he'd even offered Wish Coupons as a reward, enough to drive any employee wild?

'Sounds like... S-grade, doesn't it?'

This looked an awful lot like the highest grade this company used for field exploration.

And it was their first attempt, with no advance information?

'That's suicide.'

No matter how good the terms were, the premise itself was flawed.

It might have been different if I were guaranteed the team manager position... No, honestly, even that would only sound impressive.

'As if the dream team handpicked by a director would listen to someone who hasn't even been here a year.'

Besides, with a director involved, the team manager would be nothing more than a middle manager. All I could picture was suffering through it and either barely surviving alone or dying.

'... I don't want that.'

I'd already collected nearly a third of the points I needed. I didn't think I had to take that kind of risk for a Wish Coupon.

... Besides, there was something else I'd considered in choosing to stay with Team D.

'This way, if Supervisor Park Minseong or Deputy Eun Haje returns, they should be able to rejoin Team D naturally...'

... It would be far easier to fill a position that had been left open for flexible use all along.

So... several considerations had gone into my choice.

But I couldn't tell him all of that, so I simply said this.

"I thought this option would benefit more people, so I felt I had to choose it. I'm sorry."

"..."

For a moment, Director Ho's affable expression seemed to waver.

And then, a voice.

"Good people are so hard to understand..."

"..."

Wait, just now...!

TAP.

"Well, if you do change your mind, please feel free to contact me, Soleum."

The voice was gone.

Director Ho gave me another little bow as though nothing had happened, then left the office with a smile.

"..."

That moment just now had seemed rather ominous...

"Mr. Roe Deer, that fellow carries the scent of pestilence."

Pestilence?

"I recommend taking precautions against infection when inviting him into a studio or private space!"

"..."

'An infectious disease...?'

I spent a moment speculating about Director Ho's identity, but ultimately just shrugged.

'First things first. First things first.'

For now, I needed to regroup and think about what we would need before becoming an Elite Team...

"Soleum."

Aaaagh!

"T-Team Leader."

The lizard, who had entered through the door moments after Director Ho left, abruptly held out a document.

"Director Cheong asked me to pass this along, saying, 'Why don't you take a look?'"

"Yes. Understood..."

'Please give me some warning...'

Inwardly calming my pounding heart, I took the document and read the title on the first page.

Qterw-C-1603

Unregistered Exploration Testimony #21

Security Clearance Verified [C]

... Huh?

"Am I... really allowed to read this?"

"Yes."

Hmm.

Apparently, this was an exploration report from before formal registration, requiring C-grade security clearance to view. Director Cheong seemed to have made a special exception for me...

'That's even scarier!'

But saying I wouldn't read it was even more intimidating. So, after a deep breath, I finally took the document and read it.

What kind of exploration record could it possibly be...?

...

Huh?

Confirmed an advertising flyer announcing a new product release within Qterw-C-1603.

Product Name: Good Child Chocolate Bar (Cinnamon Churro Flavor)

Features: Packaging depicts a caricature of a child's face, wearing a suit and a mask with a pair of branch-shaped antlers.

※The character on the packaging is reminiscent of the attire issued to our field exploration employees.

Please identify employees with similarly shaped masks.

"..."

Wait a minute.