I Became the Narrow-Eyed Henchman of the Evil Boss

I slept like a log.

Instead of closing my eyes next to Carisia, I decided to sit in a chair and organize my thoughts.

Huff puff. The sound of her soft breathing was like a melodious white noise.

“Directors, huh.”

There wasn’t much reason to worry about their actions so far. The business of Cretone, which had made Hydra Corporation the target of our party, had already been handled.

But with an unheard-of department, the Divine Investigation Office, being created, and me as its sole member and director, I had to think differently.

‘How can I work less?’

Ideally, the directors would gather divine-related items using their organizations, and I would just compile and report them without stepping outside the office to steal my paycheck.

‘But the issue is whether I have the ability to investigate those items.’

The person most closely tied to the divine among the personnel Hydra could mobilize was probably Kaicle.

His experience researching Ascension through two of the Ten Towers would be incredibly useful. However, he was a key player in the upcoming Three Kingdoms play in Etna City and couldn’t be easily let loose.

Geryon was out for the same reason. Carisia?

If I asked the boss, “Could you go on a business trip for me?” I’d get a response like, “Hahaha, this guy’s lost his marbles.” I might as well run myself.

Just the two of us, with Carisia?

“I don’t think that’s a good idea…”

Going on a business trip with the boss. That’s bearable.

Going on a business trip alone with the boss. Awkward, but that’s how work is.

But the boss is the head honcho?

‘That’s a hard pass.’

I draw the line at Kaicle and Geryon, and now I’m doing the same with Carisia. Bertrand isn’t suited for such outside trips.

Arabella can’t recharge in rough terrain. She’s like a desktop that needs cooling systems, not a portable laptop.

So, in the end, all that’s left are some rather unreliable folks.

Drug addict Meconion or the mutation known as Talos, who’s seen as just another monster—both are not the kind of individuals I can recklessly show outside. That leaves three directors.

Divius, the illegal body modification expert, has a history of dodging the law and somehow made it to this area.

He often deals with ‘post-care’ for his ‘clients,’ so he’s got notable survival skills and information. For now, he’s on hold.

Hunter Neuro and beast tamer Dimedes might seem similar at first, but there’s a big difference between them.

Dimedes raises beasts by feeding them people. His specialty? Hunting humans. On the other hand, Neuro’s specialization lies in dealing with vermin, the typical ‘game’ you think of when you hear “hunting.”

He occasionally hunts humans with bounties, but most of his prey are beasts mutated by extra-dimensional magic. Most hunters in the hunting guild he represents in Etna City fit this description.

A man who commands beasts that hunt humans and a human that hunts beasts—these two are bound to be rivals.

Considering social aspects, Neuro seems the most fit for outside activities, but those who possess relics are mostly human. So, Dimedes is also a pretty attractive option.

‘For now, let’s get a lead from Meconion and think it over.’

Meconion had mentioned her trading partners referring to a lost divine one, which was definitely intriguing.

The problem was whether they were really the kind of people who carried on old teachings enough to possess relics, or just drug addicts borrowing the name of a god.

In the end, I’d have to jump in and check it out myself. If I ask the directors for cooperation and gain nothing, it’d just be a waste of time and resources.

Since today’s a holiday, Meconion should be in her lair.

I’ll have to go visit her and ask directly. Morning after the sun rises would be just the right time.

I have a sense of time, unlike Carisia.

Once I folded the crumpled paper neatly, there was nothing left to do. About three hours to dawn.

I guess I’ll kill time watching over Carisia.

*

Meconion was proud of her mist-filled lair.

With her half-spirited half-Alraune abilities, flowers bloomed out of season, and hybrid species that never appeared in nature were born.

Strange hybrid plants with poppy sap and coca leaves. It wasn’t just the narcotic contents of the plants, but rare herbs imbued with magic as well.

Carefully refined, the smoke wafted in vibrant colors, bestowing the inhabitants of the lair with lovely illusions.

A paradise infused with pleasure. Unlike any instant high from illusion magic or neurochemical drugs.

Yet, within her paradise, an unwelcome intruder had slipped in.

Ah, this smells nice!

“Care for a hit?”

A flower dangling from Meconion’s green hair withered away on its own. The petals crumbled as it rolled up, a perfect little joint.

A sweet yet dizzying fragrance lingered. This joint, made from flowers sprouted from Meconion’s own body, was among her top-tier products.

For a human lacking tolerance, the mere sniff could send them into unconscious ecstasy.

Orthes simply smiled gently and waved his hand.

“No thanks. I’m sorry to disturb your holiday, but I’m here for work.”

“Right… You were that kind of human.”

A drowsy reply. Meconion reviewed the information she obtained from Arabella.

‘Looks sly and flexible but is basically a fanatic worshipping Carisia… right.’

Having seen plenty of moths burning their lives away, Meconion knew that sometimes, human faith can become more dangerous than pleasure.

The joint made of her flowers, Alraunephin, was bait thrown to gauge him.

Three types of humans typically resist Alraunephin.

One, the hopeless addict whose pleasure threshold has already exceeded the limits of stimulation.

Or, a powerful mage whose self-control over their body surpasses the allure of flowers.

Lastly, those for whom pleasure holds little value due to deep obsession.

In simpler terms, individuals with one part of their sanity shattered.

Orthes was definitely not the first type. He might be a powerful mage, but then there should have been signs like purging the toxins through breathing or using cleansing magic.

The faint smile that hadn’t wavered once since he entered hinted at the third possibility.

There’s no way to shake that type of devotion towards Carisia.

Would he rather target Carisia? While it’s questionable whether he could seduce her, the chances of getting his throat sliced by Orthes on the way were extremely high.

‘Really. I’m glad I didn’t fight.’

There were plenty of addicts utilizing Meconion’s lair. Many would gamble their lives just to get a taste of the Alraunephin she offers.

However, when Orthes and Carisia were flipping Etna City upside down, she preferred to lay low and wait for the storm to pass rather than face them.

She got lucky. Those from Cretone’s organization and Dimedes’ beasts, who charged in before her, had their hands full.

Most importantly, looking at how Lernian Tower went down, facing those two was the worst idea ever.

“I don’t want to continue disturbing your holiday either. Could you provide any information about the followers of the old gods?”

“I’ve already been prepared since I heard about it in yesterday’s meeting. Here you go.”

Meconion breathed a secret sigh of relief. She was worried since she had heard from Arabella that the way she deals with people was similar to the boss’s.

She never thought someone would barge in on their holiday and demand information. Should she consider it merciful to have given him a night’s grace?

“Oh. I thought it would take at least a couple of hours. You’re quick!”

The way Orthes praised her with a clueless expression rubbed her the wrong way.

‘No way. Is this just praise for being quick with information?’

Typically, transactions of this kind treat client confidentiality as sacred. So Orthes’s approach of ‘hand over the info willingly’ since the meeting was pretty much threatening.

‘Was that a loyalty test? To see whether he’d push back or comply…!’

That compliment was more about choosing to remain loyal to Hydra Corporation than preserving trust with clients.

Feeling a sense of life-threatening urgency, she pretended to be calm and waved her hand lazily.

It was a rather rude gesture towards the organization’s second-in-command.

However, Orthes simply bowed his head and quietly departed.

Indeed, as long as he handled work promptly, he would think little of anything beyond Carisia.
As he withdrew from her intended rudeness, Meconion sipped chilled water and exhaled her tension.

“Phew. That boss is certifiably insane…”

Meconion tossed more herbs into the incense burner.

It was a brief encounter, but the tension was palpable. To regain her peace of mind, she’d need to be immersed in the scent for a few hours.

*

“…So, is that the reason you left your room on a holiday?”

This was the first thing I heard as I returned home, awestruck by Meconion’s swift handling of tasks.

It was Carisia’s voice, still inside my room.

“You said the boss should also rest under the Mage King’s will, did you not? Meanwhile, you—”

Carisia, what is it this time? There was a piercing gaze, tinged with resentment.

“I’m preparing for the work starting the day after tomorrow. A minimum verification is necessary before instructing the directors on tasks.”

Sighing lightly, Carisia leaned close to me.

“I think it’s you who should hear the message of ‘take a break.’”

I shrugged. She certainly knows who I can’t rest because of.

As I scanned the information on the USB, Carisia slid a chair back and settled in behind me.

“So, do you really think they are followers of the gods?”

“Looks like it. Seems related to Bacchus, smoking up and ripping people apart.”

Bacchus. The god of pleasure, revelry, and wine. Those suspected followers were a traveling theatre troupe that regularly visited Etna City.

And they weren’t your average circus performers. They specialized in illegal electronic drug shows and bizarre, violent performances like android disassembly.

“We’ll have to check whether they’re real priests or just jokers messing around with old mythology directly.”

The gap between their visits to Etna City was about two months. Coincidentally, the next visit was scheduled for…

Next week.

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