Chapter 29 The Eighth Day of Working

When I saw the system again, I was in a very calm state of mind.

There was absolutely no sense of being ready to die for someone.

In fact, ever since my conversation with Teacher Gojo, I've felt like this for the past few days—it's like I've returned to normal.

The members of the Armed Detective Agency didn't notice anything unusual about me.

Miss Akiko paid extra attention to me, and in the end, she probably believed that my strange temporary condition was just because I hadn't rested well.

Only Mr. Ranpo.

I often don't understand Mr. Ranpo, which is pretty much the norm for me at the detective agency.

Sometimes I have a vague feeling that Mr. Ranpo actually knows something about me, but I can't say for sure what it is, or even why I have this feeling.

But Mr. Ranpo never said much to me, so I was a little unsure if I was overthinking things.

After the pseudonym was launched, the first place I visited was Yokohama Publishing.

Mr. Kobayashi is here, and so is Gide. Kitamura is not here, and Kawashima, another employee of the publishing house, is on duty today.

"Mimori, you're here." Kawashima greeted me after we met in the corridor.

"Yes," I said.

“You haven’t been on duty these past few days. Let me tell you, that new guy, Andrei Gide, is learning incredibly fast. I feel like he’s already ready to officially start working here.”

I was overjoyed: "Really? That's wonderful!"

I haven't told you guys yet.

I had a premonition from the moment André Gide appeared at the publishing house, and now that premonition is even stronger.

I had a premonition—

I, or rather, Mimori, am probably ready to retire (?).

Speaking of which, we have to mention the system.

In fact, I rarely go into detail about system-related matters unless I think it's necessary.

Because I always felt like I didn't really understand what kind of existence this was.

The system once told me, or rather, answered me.

At that time, I asked, where did all those strange vests, all belonging to working people, come from?

It says that all the identities given to me stem from the expectations and requests of others.

I:……

Is this why I've been working part-time all this time?!

Stop listening to the capitalists' requests!

Let's leave aside my past work and use my current work as an example.

I became an editor at the publishing house because Mr. Kobayashi wanted Yokohama Publishing House to hire an editor, and then the system assigned me to the position.

My role as the financial manager of Manhasset Security Company stemmed from Mr. Fitzgerald's ambition to develop Manhasset into the largest company in Yokohama, and that's how I came to be.

My alternate identities have no real form; strictly speaking, they don't even exist in this world.

The reason why so many people can accept them so casually and without finding it strange is simply because their virtual memories have been implanted into other people's minds, blurring their perception.

Whether it's Yokohama Publishing, Manhasset Security, or even Lupin Ginza Bar, none of the companies I've worked for have ever had, and will never have had, a record of my pseudonym in their employee data entry systems, because data cannot be obscured.

However, my salary was genuinely transferred to me through the system.

As the system says, aliases are born from expectations and requests.

Therefore, once this expectation and request are met or disappear, there is no need for the pseudonym to exist.

Just like when I was Alice's costume designer, the heiress of the Port Mafia.

The reason for the creation of the vest was that Alice wanted a pretty little dress... Although I don't know where the system got the confidence from in the first place that I could design it for her, after all, I studied sorcery, not design.

Once I've fulfilled her request—that is, designed enough little dresses to suit Alice's tastes—my mission is complete, and the disguise will naturally disappear.

Then it gets pushed up by the next one :)

As the saying goes, "Out with the old, in with the new."

This phrase might not be accurate to describe other things, but it's absolutely perfect for describing my online persona status.

My initial desire to become Mimori was merely Mr. Kobayashi's expectation.

The appearance of André Gide foreshadowed that I no longer needed to maintain this persona, which is why I told Kitamura that I had a successor.

Although he didn't understand what I meant.

"Is 'The Best of Couples' already the last chapter?" I flipped through the new manuscript that Oda Sakunosuke had uploaded again and was surprised to find a note at the end of the text that I had never seen before: "[The End]".

"Huh?" Kawashima curiously leaned over to take a look. "It really is, Mimori."

He patted my shoulder, as if encouraging me and admiring me at the same time: "You were in charge of 'Husband and Wife' from its serialization to its conclusion, right? How did it feel?"

"It's like watching your son grow up, isn't it?" I laughed. "A little gratified? A little happy? Maybe a little reluctant to let go? Anyway, it's magical."

Kawashima stroked his chin and thought for a moment, feeling a bit of empathy: "You really do feel that way. You should be glad that Oda Sakunosuke doesn't procrastinate. If you encountered those who are particularly good at procrastinating, the kind that make you feel like you're finally done."

I was amused by his expression and said repeatedly, "Yes, yes, yes."

As I said before, there's generally no need to worry about Oda Sakunosuke's articles; I quickly forwarded them to the proofreading department.

Thinking of André Gide, I quietly asked Kawashima, "Speaking of which, has Mr. Kobayashi said when Gide will be officially recognized as a member of the government?"

"I'm not sure, but it should be within the next day or two." He looked puzzled. "Mimori, are you really hoping he'll become a full-time employee soon?"

I think Kitamura definitely wouldn't have asked me that question; even if he noticed my attitude, he wouldn't have been curious.

However, Kawashima is more sensitive and has more ideas; he asks whatever comes to mind.

I explained, “Well, isn’t it because ‘Husband and Wife’ has just been completed? Gide said he really likes Oda Sakunosuke, so he’s kind of a fan of Oda Sakunosuke. He probably came to work here because of Oda Sakunosuke. So if Oda Sakunosuke continues to write, I don’t plan to shirk responsibility for the next book. I’ll just hand it over to Gide. You and Kitamura both think he’s trustworthy, so I think it’s fine too.”

This is the truth, the complete truth.

They just concealed something slightly.

Mimori was born from Mr. Kobayashi's expectations, and André Gide was Mr. Kobayashi's expectations.

There is not much need for them to coexist.

The moment André Gide officially became a member of the editorial department of Yokohama Publishing, I was not in the editorial department, nor in Yokohama Publishing, nor even living in this world as Mimori.

At that time, I was standing on the top floor of Manhasset Security Company—in Mr. Fitzgerald's office. The office had a huge floor-to-ceiling window, through which I could see the five iconic buildings of the Port Mafia a hundred meters away.

Mr. Fitzgerald was sitting upright in front of me, with a cup of coffee on the table in front of him, which Montgomery had brought in earlier, and I was reporting on my work to him.

However, I still learned the news in time that André Gide had officially become a member of the editorial department. The person who told me was none other than the system.

I clearly heard a sound with very obvious mechanical and electronic traces.

[Reporting to the host, ID 12, identity [Yokohama Publishing Editor], the alias is complete and can be removed. Would you like to remove it?]

The sudden intrusion of the message into my mind and the pop-up notification in front of my eyes made me pause involuntarily as I was speaking eloquently.

That interruption was so obvious, so abrupt, that Mr. Francis Fitzgerald, who had been listening attentively, looked up at me and asked, "What's wrong, sir?"

“No, it’s nothing.” I shook my head and casually raised my hand to shrink the prompt box. “I just misread it, Mr. Fitzgerald. I’m very sorry.”

Not long after leaving the office, I ran into Montgomery again. Because I was preoccupied with something, I only gave her a brief greeting.

Only after I returned to my own space did I begin to communicate with the system.

[Number 12, confirmed to be eliminated.]

[receive. ]

[Number 12, begin elimination...]

[Removing, please wait...]

The room's windows were closed, and the airflow was slow. It was very quiet all around, so quiet that I could hear the faint, rhythmic clicking of the system.

After a while, faint shouts could still be heard, unrelated to the system, coming from other parts of the building, and sounding like John's voice.

[Elimination complete.]

[The rewards in reserve number 12 have all been transferred to the host. Please verify.]

[Verification complete.]

[Searching for a new identity for you, please wait...]

I:……

Damn it, here we go again.

I unusually interrupted this process that had been repeated dozens of times: [System, Boss, can you give me some non-service industry aliases, the kind where I'm served by others?]

You can't expect me to be a tool forever, can you?

The system was silent for a few seconds, then said: [Okay.]

Huh?!

I was quite surprised that the system actually considered my thoughts.

[Filtering for eligible new identities for you, please wait...]

[Filtering successful. ID 16, Identity: [Currently a criminal incarcerated in the Special Abilities Department prison], please check.]

I:……

Good heavens, I've gone from a working-class person to a prisoner in an instant.

Instead of rising, it fell.

What was I expecting?

Seeing that I didn't respond, the system called out: [Host?]

I:……

I don't even want to check this: [Is this considered being waited on?]

System: [Logically, that's correct.]

[...]

You can try to understand the meaning behind this ellipsis.

I sighed: [Do I need to log in?]

[Not needed for now, host. The next person to log in is [Bartender at Lupin Ginza Bar].]

Tsk.

Osamu Dazai.