Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work

[Oh, it seems that’s the case, doesn’t it?]

This can’t be.

[And once the final announcement is made, everyone will know the truth. I’m talking about your soon-to-begin event, the Flower Golden Resort Illumination.]

…The mascot ceremony.

The mascot ceremony is a ritual that officially announces which mascot owns the Flower Golden Resort and has it recognized by the guests.

If it’s carried out successfully, that fame can be used as a stepping stone to expand to yet another facility.

The ceremony is about establishing one’s identity as a mascot.

So, the moment the ceremony is completed successfully…

—I’ll be officially recognized as a complete mascot.

All traces of my former self will be colored over, and there won’t even be a remnant of self left to separate from the mascot…

‘That can’t happen.’

[Hm. I agree. What a boring fate it would be to spend the rest of your days in such a musty old resort!]

[Mr. Roe Deer, you have an obligation to keep experiencing and showing entertaining things. It’s something you personally promised your friend…]

F r i e n d

[That’s right. I am your friend. The very reason you came here!]

The kind voice continued to guide me.

[You wish to leave this place, don’t you, Mr. Roe Deer?]

That’s right.

[Then you’d best keep listening to my advice. Just take the receiver with you, Friend. Now, quickly unplug it and bring it along. Good…]

With trembling forepaws, I unplugged the receiver and picked it up.

The voice still came from the receiver, even after it was unplugged.

[Good… Very good!]

[Now, let me give you my final piece of advice… Don’t be surprised. It’s a magical solution that can get you out of this predicament! And that is…]

The voice drops to a whisper.

[Switch your place as mascot with one of the employees.]

……!

[There’s no need to make a brand-new mascot! Just have him imitate you.]

[If you make him perform the ceremony in your place, he’ll be mistaken for you. After all, if everyone thinks so, that’s what becomes reality. Oh, this will be so much fun!]

[Someone might feel sorry for that fate… but you can just pick one of those who exist only for your sake!]

[The two employees who swore to serve you forever until the contract ends, who have nowhere else to return.]

Bison.

Ladybug.

Those brought back from the dead.

[That’s right. The chosen one will faithfully carry on your mascot duties… well, until he’s eaten alive by the red mascot, anyway.]

[Choose one of the two and make him perform the mascot ceremony in your place, Mr. Roe Deer!]

……

[Very simple, isn’t it? If I dare guess, this is as good as already decided…]

The voice rises in excitement.

[The one your heart is pointing to, if you were to say the name…?]

……

[Mr. Roe Deer?]

N o n e

[Hm?]

I raised my trembling body and grabbed the facilities room door.

The time left until closing… 45 minutes.

C e r e m o n y

I ’ l l

D o i t

[…Oh. Don’t tell me you’re saying you’ll spend the rest of your days in this dusty old theme park, Friend? You, who have turned down a far more wonderful and suitable job for your talents, much less this one…]

N o

[Then do you have another alternative? How surprising! It must be quite a remarkable idea if you’re rejecting advice from this Braun here!]

I walked out of the facility office with a sense of resolve.

And I declared into the receiver.

My plan.

R e s o r t

B l o w I t U p

[……?!]

For a moment, there was silence on the other end, as if startled.

Of course, the legendary Host was quick to recover and speak smoothly.

[Good heavens. Mr. Roe Deer, destroying this resort doesn’t mean you’ll be freed from your mascot duties! In fact, you’ll only have to deal with tremendous expenses.]

[Where on earth did you get that reckless and useless idea?]

I t ’ s W o r t h w h i l e

Meanwhile.

I had finished my conversation with the blue mascot by using my original body, which was standing by the blue zone gate.

I t ’ l l B e F u n

F r i e n d

[…Oh, good heavens.]

Alright.

I took a deep breath.

…Let’s do this.

At the same time—

Flower Golden Resort, Evening Garden.

‘T-They’re still here…!’

The Magic Bunnies continued to stare.

The cute rabbit mascot, without the slightest movement, was watching the Flower Golden Resort’s garden and the employees within.

“……”

Dozens of mascot suits stared at me in silence.

It was a bizarre and unnerving experience.

All the more so if you had seen those mascot suits tearing out human entrails and laughing just a few dozen minutes earlier.

A few of the employees were breaking out in cold sweat. Though, this wasn’t just because of those unnerving stares.

“W-Why isn’t he coming??”

The yellow mascot still isn’t here!

Because they had all received a direct order from the mascot to ‘look after the guests’, they couldn’t leave their posts.

But the employer who had dragged a Magic Bunny mascot into the resort was still nowhere to be seen.

Ten minutes, twenty minutes passed, each one feeling like an hour…

“Don’t you know how much time is left now?”

“Forty minutes.”

“……”

“There are forty minutes left until closing.”

Yes……

The Disaster Management Bureau agent hesitated, hiding behind the team leader to avoid the Daydream Inc. employee in the lizard mask.

The team leader stifled a sigh.

‘…Should I be preparing, just in case?’

She gripped the Four-Tiger sword^[1] in her inner pocket.

And it wasn’t just her getting ready for a fight.

Some of the Daydream Inc. employees seemed to be limbering up.

Lizard. Dolphin.

‘…Looks like some pretty tough ones.’

Elite team, maybe.

She was eyeing them sharply, checking if their masks bore the gold emblem. But at that moment—

The one in the dolphin mask clapped his hands and waved.

“He’s here!”

“…!”

It was true.

There, the yellow mascot suit was waddling with all its might, running toward the resort.

The mascot with glass golden flowers adorning his horns.

At that moment, chills ran down the team leader’s back.

‘…He’s gotten stronger?’

He felt somehow like a far greater presence.

It was as if his power could be felt directly on her skin…

But his outward appearance hadn’t changed.

‘What is it?’

Did he devour something on the way?

But regardless of her suspicions, the yellow mascot’s gentle manner as he checked on each of the staff one by one was not reassuring.

It was almost like he was checking on his employees, making sure everyone was safe before calling all the other mascots together.

N o w

S t a r t

The team leader raised her hand.

“Wait.”

“…!!”

“T-Team leader!”

“You said after the event, when the amusement park closes, that thing comes, right? Do you have any countermeasures?”

The yellow mascot turned to the team leader and held out his hand.

I t ’ s O k a y

And pointed.

Y o u A l l

O v e r T h e r e

“…?!”

And so, with thirty minutes left until closing.

The long-delayed, extravagant illumination event began.

Note/s:

^[1] Four-Tiger Sword (사인검) : a wall-hanging sword that was produced by the royal family from the early Joseon period (during the reign of King Taejo), and was crafted throughout the Joseon Dynasty for use both in the royal court and among the common people. It is a sword imbued with the energy of pure yang, said to cut down evil spirits and ward off calamities.

It is not a weapon intended for real combat, but rather a ritual tool, with the name Sain-geom (四寅劍) or Sain-chamsa-geom (Four-Tiger Evil-Slaying Sword, 四寅斬邪劍) engraved on its blade or handle.

It’s called the ‘Four Tiger Sword’ because it is made during the Tiger year, Tiger month, Tiger day, and Tiger hour.

Read more about it over here: namu.wiki/w/사인검 ↩

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