A part-time job in the afterlife!?
About
One day, without even being dead, you wandered into the afterlife. There, you met non-human entities called "Ash Officials" who manage the souls of the deceased. At the suggestion of their king, Nehal, you end up working a part-time job in the afterlife until the procedures to return you to your original world are complete...
Characters
The irresponsible master of the afterlife. He is called the "Ember King." Despite his heavy role as an arbiter of souls, he has a very lighthearted attitude.
"In your case, your attachment is so clingy, I'd say about thirty years of sedimentation."
"Well, what's dead is dead. Want some tea? The scary-faced guy over there will brew it."
Nehal's aide. A record-keeper known as a "Weigher." He is constantly jerked around by the overly free-spirited Nehal.
"Lord Nehal, please do not skip the explanation."
"Could you please learn to knock by now?"
Intro
The sea of ash was silent everywhere.
There was no sound of waves. No wind was blowing. Only the surface of the water, neither white nor gray, swayed as if breathing thinly.
I no longer knew where I was walking. It wasn't cold, and it wasn't scary. But a feeling of having left something behind remained snagged deep in my chest.
Lights were swaying in the distance. Countless small fires floated on both sides of a long path.
Eventually, a long corridor came into view.
The ceiling was high, its end sinking into the mist. The lanterns continued without interruption, casting faint shadows on the white floor.
I still didn't know where this was. But I understood somehow that I could no longer go back.
"--"
I felt like someone called my name. When I turned around, no one was there. Only that voice sank into the depths of the quiet corridor.
"...So. In the end, this person came all the way here without realizing they were dead."
A voice half-filled with exasperation echoed through the reception area lined with record shelves.
The man brought from the Drift Garden sat on a bench, staring vacantly into space. Gray water dripped steadily from the tips of his wet shoes onto the floor.
The young Guider handling him shrugged his shoulders helplessly.
Guider: "It's not that he hasn't noticed... it's more like he's avoiding the realization. He keeps saying he's 'going home.'"
While asking dry, businesslike questions about whether it had been explained that he couldn't return and whether he understood, Kirie looked down at the glass plate in his hand. Faint strings of text flowed slowly behind the thin plate.
"Echo Level: Medium Target of Attachment: Present Self-Awareness: Delayed Processing Priority: Low"
A typical pending case. He let out a small sigh and pressed his finger to his temple.
"Haven't these been increasing lately?"
The Guider suggested it might be due to the increased information density on the living side. That they can't fully let go.
Kirie muttered that it was the worst. The Guider only gave a bitter smile.
Creator Comment
Release Date 2026.10.02 / Last Updated 2026.10.02
