Whether You Call Me a Guardian Dragon or Not, I’m Going to Sleep

Chapter 55: North Pole (1)

Thanatos, having received a new name, headed towards the entrance of the afterlife located at the northern end, along with numerous dark spirits.

Since it was still under construction, the place was empty except for Talos, who was digging the ground. Sending them there was meant to familiarize them with their future workplace, and it was a bonus to have them dispose of the rocks broken by Talos into the sea.

Let's see. The work of neutralizing the morale emanating from the dragon's tomb was progressing well, and there were so many assigned to the task that a significant number were idle, to the point of complaints.

I had even chased out the dragons lounging around in the newly built temple to take a look around the world!

Of course, I left those who needed to neutralize the morale from the dragon's tomb. I rotated the personnel for the morale neutralization work periodically, and sent the rest to explore various parts of the world.

Naturally, hiding the fact that they were dragons! Just casually exploring the world! And to practice handling life force, I also had them heal injured people.

Kind of like wandering doctors?

In this era, where the concept of medical care wasn't well established, minor wounds often led to death.

I sent them out with the intention of helping such people a bit…. The dragons quite liked my orders.

Well, it's not for me to worry about.

So, gathering the dark spirits, directing the work of neutralizing morale, and sending the dragons cooped up in corners on world travels are all done….

Un. It's time to prepare teaching materials for the work of transporting souls, the future task of the dark spirits.

Then, I should gather souls…. Shall I go east this time?

I've often looked around the west, north, and sometimes south, but I should visit the east as well.

Come to think of it, the humans in the east…. are becoming similar to the East Asians, Asians from another world, but why such a change?

Is it the environment acting on humans? Is it because they live in the east that they resemble East Asians? What's that about? I don't understand.

If someone manipulated things to make it so, I'd like to see their face. Why would they do such incomprehensible things?

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The humans in the east lived in large numbers.

In the largest city, someone using the king's name had already established and was ruling a country, making it difficult to compare its scale with other places.

Simply put, the population was enormous. It was two to three times that of other places.

Why are so many born? How can so many people live?

Hmm…. They grow rice in the east, could that be the reason?

What was it? Carrying capacity? Even if you farm the same area, rice can feed more people than wheat?

I seem to have heard something like that…. Maybe that's the reason.

And so many people living means.

"Aaaah!"

"When will you come back?"

That there are also many who die.

The dead person's body is placed in a wooden coffin…. a bier, and then carried somewhere by a few young people.

Following the bier, several people were walking, wailing.

Hmm. Is funeral culture quite developed here? Well, it means that many people died.

I quietly followed the bier.

The bier, decorated with various trees and flowers, headed towards a mountain north of the city.

Not very tall, but a mountain with splendid terrain. However, that mountain was filled with numerous graves.

People called that Mangsan Mountain.

Mangsan. Mangsan…. Hmm. Because the people living here resemble East Asians, is the name also styled in an Eastern way? After hearing Western-style names all the time, Eastern-style names feel very unfamiliar.

I'd really like to see the face of the person who created such names!

Regardless of whether I was lost in such trivial thoughts, the bier continued on its way up the mountain path.

It seemed that this Mangsan was a communal cemetery for those who died in that city.

After continuing on a somewhat rugged mountain path, the bier was carefully lowered at a spot where the ground had been dug out to the size of the coffin, as if it had been prepared in advance.

Then, they separated the coffin from the bier, placed it into the hole, and began to bury it by sprinkling soil over it.

Hmm… A proper funeral. I hadn't seen a funeral of this extent in other places… It was a formal funeral event, complete with a proper burial mound.

After burying the coffin, the humans carried the empty bier down the mountain.

The fact that the wailing did not stop even on the way back suggests that the person buried in this grave must have been quite a good person.

Now, to collect the soul….

[Has another person been buried today?]

Hmm? The ground next to the newly buried grave rose, forming the shape of a person.

The person, wearing a strange hat with a broad rectangular board attached to the top, and long cloth hanging in front and behind, completely covering the face, wore several layers of old-fashioned clothing.

No, not a person. Though dressed like a human and wearing a strange hat… it was a spirit, not a human.

Judging by the energy it held, it was a spirit of the earth. And it must be the spirit of this mountain.

[Let's see. The third with the surname Jang. Jang Sam. Died of old age without any particular illness, so it was a peaceful death.]

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The mountain spirit inserted its hand into the newly buried grave, then pulled something out.

What was held in its hand was the soul of the deceased.

[Let's have a thorough talk until you disappear. Until there's no regret left in your life.]

[Ah… Mountain God…]

[Yes. I am the mountain god of Mangsan, as you call it. Say everything you want, everything you couldn't say. Make sure nothing remains in your heart. So that not a single bit of regret is left.]

Thus, the mountain spirit began to converse with the soul it had extracted all day long.

About the entirety of a person's life. Until the soul that had ended its life had no more hesitations.

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[Has it disappeared…?]

“Hmm.. Fascinating.”

[?!]

To think that, even before I created the afterlife… there was someone dealing with dead souls.

Moreover, to converse with them until no regrets remained, making all the regrets harbored by the soul disappear.

This… I cannot overlook!

[Are you… the Creator Dragon God?]

“It seems you also remember about me.”

[Of course. It's been a while... because I was a dragon.]

Judging by it being an earth spirit, it must be one of Sagarmatha's children.

“Most of the spirits I've seen couldn't properly maintain their previous selves. But you seem different.”

[I was confident in my solidity.]

“Sagarmatha's children did tend to be like that, but I didn't know it also meant mental solidity.”

[Only a few of us could do it. But what brings you here all of a sudden?]

I said, looking at the mountain spirit in its strange attire.

“Let's see. What is your name?”

[I have forgotten my name when I was a dragon. Now, I am called by this mountain's name, Mang.]

“Then I'll call you Mang. Do you fully understand what you just did?”

Mang nodded slightly, and the cloth hanging from the hat fluttered.

[I understand. I made the soul of the deceased disappear.]

“Why did you do such a thing?”

Mang seemed to organize its thoughts for a moment, then slowly said.

[To ensure that the deceased's regrets do not remain.]

“Regrets?”

[Yes. The souls of the deceased, if they have lingering attachments, do not disappear, and over time, they often transform into grotesque shapes.]

Un. You seem to know quite accurately. It seems you didn't do such a thing without knowing anything.

[There have been a few incidents where such beings attacked the living. However, if we sufficiently converse with them so that no regrets of the deceased remain, they do not transform in such a way.]

“So that's why you had those conversations?”

[Yes. I could have eliminated it with power, but then the soul would only be pitied. I just wanted to solve it through conversation if possible. If not done this way... Burning the dead body can produce a similar effect, but I do not wish to do that.]

Un. Good. Quite a desirable talent. The fact that you try to solve things calmly through conversation rather than force adds even more points! Nice! I like it!

I looked at Mang and smiled.

"Mang. Would you like to work with me on something?"

[Me? Work?]

"The work you're doing, but on a larger scale, preparing to manage the souls of the dead for the entire world."

Mang did not say anything for a moment.

[Is that, possible?]

"It won't be easy. But I'm preparing for it right now. It will take some more time, but it's gradually coming together."

Talos is continuously digging the place, and the dark spirits to transport the souls are ready.

Now, if we prepare the role of the afterlife's manager, the process of handling the souls, and the rebirth of the processed souls... Is that the end of the afterlife?

Ah, I should also prepare something like heaven.

Indeed, creating something completely new is not easy.

[May I take some time to think and decide?]

"Of course! Take your time. A talent like you is always welcome!"

Plus, you have experience! Experience! Experience in handling souls and resolving their resentments!

Can't resist an experienced employee! Ah!

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T/N: Let's have a moment of silence for our employee candidate.