When I first checked the “tax collector” message, I still had a sliver of hope.

However, the head that appeared beyond the swirling portal wasn’t Bihyung’s.

[Just how many times is this now? You don’t seriously want your company to go under, do you?]

A dokkaebi with soft downy fur like Bihyung’s. I’d seen this guy at the “Twelve Zodiac Ball.”

「Dokkaebi spirit energy.」

Yeonggi spun the head around and around in midair, giggling.

[Huh? Why aren’t you answering? Don’t tell me you’re planning not to pay again this time?]

Watching Yeonggi, I recalled the settings from the main story.

Collectors like this were usually jobs given to low-level dokkaebis or demoted dokkaebis.

Had eight years passed and he still hadn’t managed to get out of being a low-level dokkaebi?

Even his personality was clearly different from the “Yeonggi” I knew.

If the original Yeonggi had been the type that ‘doesn’t really catch what people are saying but works hard as a rookie,’ then the Yeonggi now looked like the kind of guy who met the wrong senior and ended up learning only the worst things.

[Not paying? Not paying? Not paying? Not paying? Not paying? You know what happens if you don’t pay, right?]

Yeonggi’s neck rotated around and around, and the atmosphere began to turn like a horror movie.

“Didn’t you say you’d wait a little longer!”

The one who said that was Namgung Myeong, who hurriedly opened the door and rushed in.

Namgung Myeong glanced between Gyeong Sein and me, standing awkwardly there, and Yeonggi, then hurriedly bowed his head and added,

“I, I’m sorry, Benefactor. It isn’t time for a tax notice yet, but I never expected a tax collector to show up so suddenly……”

Gyeong Sein let out a light sigh, stopped Namgung Myeong, and stepped forward.

“I’m sorry, but I still need time to prepare.”

[Feels like I heard that last time toooo―?]

“Just give me a little more time. Even if you pressure me like that, coins aren’t going to appear out of nowhere.”

Gyeong Sein’s voice as he answered was surprisingly calm. If it were the Gyeong Sein I remembered, it would’ve been normal for him to make a fuss, hide behind me, and say, “Reader, do something somehow.”

[Hmmm.]

Yeonggi’s neck, which had been rotating, stopped.

[What are you so confident about? Since when is not paying taxes something to brag about?]

“…….”

[The grace period up to now was already practically a special favor. Man, isn’t it weird. Why would the higher-ups take an interest in some tiny business like this? Anyway, that special treatment ends today. I can’t wait anymore.]

“Even if you say that, right now it’s difficult—”

[No. It’s not like you’re some other incarnation. If it’s you, there has to be some way to ‘pay,’ doesn’t there?]

Gyeong Sein’s complexion turned pale. Staring blankly into the air, he soon opened the mouth with a face like he’d resigned himself to something.

“Alright.”

[Hng. Good. Then shall we start the collection?]

I didn’t know what, exactly, Yeonggi meant by “collection,” but judging by Gyeong Sein’s reaction, it didn’t look like a good thing.

“Wait.”

The moment a bright light gathered on Yeonggi’s fingertip, I stepped forward as if shielding Gyeong Sein.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ll pay that tax instead.”

[Hmmm? And what’s this now?]

Suspicion rose on Yeonggi’s face as he looked me up and down with a delinquent stare.

[Since when were you there?]

He hadn’t recognized me?

That was strange.

A dokkaebi from the Administration Bureau couldn’t recognize me?

[You look like an incarnation I’ve never seen before, so don’t stick your nose into something that has nothing to do with you, and stay quiet. Unless you want to die.]

Not only that, he didn’t seem to remember me at all.

If anything, that was better.

“If it’s something I’m involved with?”

[What are you talking about?]

“It’s my company’s business. There’s no way it has nothing to do with me.”

At that, Yeonggi’s head whipped toward Gyeong Sein.

[Is this incarnation… a new employee?]

Right before Gyeong Sein could hurriedly shake the head, I cut in.

“I joined recently. So that means I also have the obligation to share the company’s debts.”

[No way…… There’s an incarnation who joins a company like this? You’re joking, right?]

“Dokkaebi Yeonggi. Is that what matters right now? You only need to take the tax and leave, don’t you?”

The moment I even said his name, Yeonggi’s expression changed again.

[Hng. An incarnation like you knows me?]

“Yeah.”

[No, you don’t seem to know me. If you really knew me, there’s no way you’d come at me like that…….]

As if sensing things were going sideways, Namgung Myeong took a step toward me.

I raised a hand toward him to signal it was fine, then kept talking.

“It seems like you’re the one who doesn’t know much. Is this how the Administration Bureau teaches low-level dokkaebis to act these days?”

Yeonggi stared down at me with a stupid look, like he couldn’t understand what I’d said, then let out a hollow laugh as if it was ridiculous.

But it was ridiculous to me too.

[How dare an insect…….]

Just like some punk junior, he even brought out the nostalgic “insect” repertoire.

“So what. You want to pop my head?”

[You think I can’t?]

“Did you forget what scenario this is? Don’t tell me you still think this is a tutorial.”

A dim anger began to settle into Yeonggi’s eyes. Authority from the Administration Bureau was riding on those faintly glowing pupils.

[So confident. With no constellations watching, if you think killing one insect will cause some big problem—]

“Why do you think there aren’t any constellations watching?”

[What?]

The next moment, I released my Status. A thunderous roar erupted, and the entire estate shook hard.

Startled, Gyeong Sein turned to look at me, and Namgung Myeong’s face turned blue as he collapsed to the floor.

Of course, the most shocked was Dokkaebi Yeonggi.

[This… that’s impossible…….]

Trembling, Yeonggi asked me,

“A, are you perhaps a constellation?”

At times like this, the best thing is to smile silently like Kim Dokja.

[What is this? Why can’t I see any related information…… and even the modifier…… What are you, exactly?]

It was probably because of the [Fourth Wall] that he couldn’t view my information.

From Yeonggi’s perspective, it would be baffling. A mere incarnation had a constellation’s Status, and on top of that, he couldn’t even pull up a modifier.

I decided to help him a little.

“If you’re that curious, why don’t you open «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» your ‘Dokkaebi Bag’ or something.”

Yeonggi obediently did as I said.

And a moment later.

[H, how?]

The ‘Dokkaebi Bag’ has a system that assigns a ‘membership rank’ by referencing a constellation’s item purchase history.

And as far as I knew, the Dokkaebi Bag rank of my former sponsor constellation, the “Demon King of Salvation,” was…….

[Diamond rank……?]

Eyes wide, Yeonggi alternated between the screen in front of him and me, letting out a sound of horror.

Just as expected, it looked like the “Demon King of Salvation”’s “Dokkaebi Bag” rank had transferred to me.

I’m benefiting from having had a good sponsor even here.

[“Demon King of Salvation”? The owner of this modifier should’ve already been extinguished. Why do you have the right to use it…….]

“That’s not something you need to know. At this point, I think it’s more than proven that I have the ability to pay.”

Yeonggi let out a grunt like he didn’t want to admit it, then opened the mouth in a noticeably more polite tone.

[Are you truly going to pay the taxes in their place?]

“Yeah. How many coins is it?”

Fortunately, I had quite a lot of coins.

However, what came out of Yeonggi’s mouth was a little unexpected.

[100,000 D-coins.]

Namgung Myeong, who was beside us, shouted in protest.

“Wait! There’s no way it’s that much! I’m sure last time—!”

[It seems you’ve forgotten how much delinquency has accumulated. Interest is added to all delinquent taxes.]

“I know that, but…….”

[The Administration Bureau is not a poverty relief organization. And originally, you would have to pay 100,1235 D-coins, but since a Diamond member has generously offered to pay in your place, I’ve reduced the remainder for you.]

Yeonggi turned back to me and asked.

[Will you pay the delinquent taxes?]

“I don’t have D-coins. Can’t I just pay in coins?”

Yeonggi sneered.

[In this ‘scenario region,’ only ‘D-coins’ circulate.]

“Then I can exchange coins into D-coins. What’s the rate?”

At my words, Yeonggi’s eyes began to roll around. It was an expression that clearly said he had some scheme.

[If you insist, I’ll exchange them for you at 1 D-coin per 10,000 coins.]

1 D-coin per 10,000 coins.

Looks like this bastard learned nothing but how to pick a sucker somewhere.

“Did coin inflation hit? There’s no way the exchange rate is like that.”

[In principle, exchange within this scenario region is not possible. This is only being offered because you are a Diamond member…….]

Even if coins were rotting away, there was no way I’d exchange at that kind of rate.

[Will you exchange?]

“Do you think I will?”

[Then the tax payment in their place will be null and void…….]

Yeonggi, running his mouth with a brazen face like he could already see the outcome.

I grinned.

Yeah, so you’re going to come at me like that.

“I’ll pay in their place. Before that, there’s something I want to ask.”

[Hm? Go ahead.]

“By what authority are you carrying out this ‘collection work’?”

Yeonggi tilted his head like he didn’t understand my words, then asked back.

[What do you mean? I’m a dokkaebi assigned to the collection mission, so naturally I have collection authority, don’t I?]

“That’s for other companies. From what I can tell, it doesn’t look like the higher-ups issued a collection order on this company in particular.”

He definitely said it with his own mouth.

That the higher-ups were giving Gyeong Sein’s company a ‘grace period close to a special favor.’

Which meant someone in the Administration Bureau was ‘watching this company’s back’ so taxes could be deferred.

[That’s…….]

“Originally you were a guy who couldn’t even properly guide scenarios, so I don’t know where you learned nothing but bad things and started pulling this kind of crap, but…….”

Yeonggi had the face of someone who’d been hit right on the mark. Watching him, I felt like I could guess who the “dokkaebi watching this company’s back” was.

“What you’re doing here—does Bihyung know?”

At Bihyung’s name, Yeonggi’s complexion turned blue in an instant. I didn’t miss the opening and kept going.

“So Bihyung doesn’t know, then?”

After hesitating for a moment, Yeonggi answered with a faint sigh.

[I don’t know how you know him, but even if you tell Bihyung, I can’t give up on this collection.]

It was a harsher response than I expected.

Had he been taking orders from some other higher-level dokkaebi besides Bihyung?

I thought for a moment, then said,

“Then give us a little more time.”

[How much…….]

“One week.”

[One week is too long.]

“In exchange, I’ll keep it a secret from Bihyung.”

[…….]

“I don’t know why the Administration Bureau needs something like D-coins, but I can pay the taxes in their place. I’m just asking you to give me a little time.”

After thinking for a bit, Yeonggi answered.

[Understood. Since you seem to have a connection with Bihyung as well, I will accept your proposal. However, if you still can’t pay in their place after one week, then at that time, I will forcibly carry out ‘collection’ on the company’s executive.]

Yeonggi shot Gyeong Sein a savage look, then turned back to me and said,

[I don’t know why an existence like you is here, but I hope you have the protection of the story.]

With those words, Yeonggi vanished beyond the swirling portal.

Namgung Myeong was looking at me with a somewhat admiring face, and Gyeong Sein was looking down at my toes with a complicated expression.

“Inho… you didn’t have to go that far.”

“I did it because I wanted to.”

Gyeong Sein’s eyes were red around the edges.

“Inho…… why?”

“Why? Because we’re companions.”

“W, why now…….”

As he said that, Gyeong Sein’s breathing began to tremble.

“Why, why are you making me…… start hoping again, now……”

Murmuring the trailing words quietly, Gyeong Sein began to stagger.

“Sein?”

I hurriedly caught Gyeong Sein as he fell forward. His whole body was hot, like he was on fire.

“Inho… you can’t get tangled up in this scenario.”

“Wait. Sein. Your incarnation body—”

The moment my hand touched him, I realized. To the point I couldn’t understand how he’d even been talking normally with a body like this, Gyeong Sein’s condition was severe.

“If that happens, then Inho too…….”

With those words as the last, Gyeong Sein lost consciousness.

I checked Gyeong Sein’s pulse and examined the state of the tale.

Gyeong Sein’s tale was deeply damaged.

No, it wasn’t just ‘damage.’

It was like…….

「A wound as if someone tore away a part of the soul.」

After laying Gyeong Sein down neatly, I quietly took her hand.

Just by holding her hand, I could tell what kind of years she’d endured up to now. I felt like what I had to do here was becoming clearer, little by little.

Looking down at the sleeping Gyeong Sein, I slowly opened my mouth.

“Namgung Myeong. How do you get something called D-coins?”