#004

Isn’t it the mark of a gamer to obsess over a route that no one has ever cleared?

Why did I keep choosing to be miserable?

Because through trial and error, I discovered that misery was the only way to actually get some decent playtime.

[

Happiness:

Answer me.]

[

Happiness:

While refusing to become happy, why did you believe in me?]

‘If I just say it’s because it’s a game, the conversation will end right here.’

The AI in Conclude is developed to a certain extent; if you enter haphazard responses, you often end up paying the price.

For instance, if you simply order NPCs to take off their shoes when entering a room and give a vague reason like “shoes are dirty,” a few years later, you might suddenly find a law stating, [This sinner shall be sentenced to the punishment of a shoemaker who creates filthy footwear!]

The NPCs develop a strange logic: [The Apostle of God said shoes are dirty $rightarrow$ God finds shoes disgusting $rightarrow$ Those who make shoes that God loathes must also be loathed].

There is a high probability that the AI will properly perceive what I say to Happiness right now.

If I give no real reason and just say it’s a game, the dialogue will end.

‘But there’s so little information on what kind of Othergod Happiness actually is.’

In the game, communicating directly with an Othergod requires sacrificing an enormous amount of Faith.

And no one had ever progressed to that stage with Happiness.

‘Come to think of it, this is the first time anyone has ever communicated with Happiness, isn’t it?’

I felt this was an opportunity.

[

Happy Cult Evangelist:

I would like to ask you instead.]

[

Happy Cult Evangelist:

Why do you make people “happy,” Lord Happiness?]

Because I had always wondered what the hell this bastard’s goal was.

Specifically, I most wanted to know why they selectively spread the worst status ailment, “Ultimate Happy-Happy,” only to our most important Units.

When a perfectly fine Unit falls into the [Ultimate Happy-Happy] state, they become a complete idiot, as if they’ve lagged out.

Communication becomes impossible, and no Miracle can cure it.

Since the cause of the affliction is unknown, prevention is impossible.

This was the number one reason why clearing the game with Happiness was impossible.

How can you continue the game when your Units randomly turn into idiots?

There were various theories on why Happiness would commit such an act of scoring an own goal.

The [Trojan Horse] theory: Happiness is actually an artificial Othergod created by the Order Sect, and their true goal is to reduce the number of cultists.

The [Psychopath] theory: Happiness’s “Happy-Happy” only refers to their own Happinesss, and they simply enjoy watching others become idiots.

The [Communication Error] theory: Happiness had no intention of making contracts or spreading status ailments, but mortals forced a connection, leading to these results.

The [Mad Scientist] theory: They were experimenting to see when a Contractor would give up after making an absurd contract.

And the [False Hope] theory: The game company simply wanted to create an Othergod who was “impossible to clear and impossible to interpret.”

Because there was so little information, all sorts of wild theories emerged.

‘This answer will be the first time official lore is actually revealed.’

I placed my hand over the screenshot shortcut key.

I wondered which theory was correct.

[

Happiness:

I am the god who presides over Happinesss.]

[

Happiness:

The heart of one who feels Happinesss is like a prayer offered to me.]

[

Happiness:

However, from my perspective, both those who are happy and those who wish to be happy are such pitiful beings.]

[

Happiness:

You can never reach eternal Happinesss. No matter how hard you strive, you only touch an incomplete Happinesss for a moment before falling.]

[

Happiness:

Nevertheless, your efforts to become happy are truly lovely.]

[

Happiness:

Therefore, I lift up those who call to me, allowing them to enjoy complete Happinesss eternally, as far as my hand can reach.]

‘…That was actually a Blessing of goodwill?’

I was appalled.

I mean, there was a [Pure Goodwill More Terrifying Than Malice] theory, but still…

‘But how is that a Blessing?’

Actually, there were many speculations that [Ultimate Happy-Happy] might not be a status ailment. This was because Blessings that cure all status ailments causing “harm” to a Unit could not remove [Ultimate Happy-Happy].

However, there was a reason everyone was convinced it was a status ailment.

Even if an Othergod’s Divine Power is plague or nightmares, they don’t use a “Blessing” to make someone sick or give them nightmares.

Blessings cost resources.

Why would anyone spend money to cause a loss?

Suppose there is someone who needs to raise as many maggots as possible.

Even if they don’t understand the thoughts, wishes, desires, or way of thinking of a maggot, they would know what is beneficial or harmful to them. All they need to do is count the maggots.

Even a drunkard who cannot live without alcohol wouldn’t give alcohol to a maggot. They would lose the alcohol and the maggots would die—a double loss.

But what if there was a drunkard who bought expensive high-end whiskey with a lot of money and then poured it over the maggots for them to eat?

What if they poured whiskey over the few remaining maggots even though it would lead to their total extinction?

Is there any answer other than “they are a crazy person who is simply incomprehensible”?

‘So I thought it was a False Hope route designed to make players feel that Othergods are incomprehensible beings.’

I thought that making the Contractor an uncontrollable idiot, having Units randomly catch the worst status ailment, and the fact that enemies aren’t affected—all of these were gimmicks implemented to create “unfairness” to frustrate the user.

But as it turns out, the reason they did such things at a loss was “because the maggots who never knew the taste of whiskey in their lives were too pitiful.”

Out of goodwill, because they truly cherished the maggots.

‘They were just a complete moron.’

Unable to believe it, I entered another question.

[

Happy Cult Evangelist:

Why do those who feel “Ultimate Happy-Happy” face death without eating, drinking, or sleeping?]

If they went through the trouble of spending resources to grant a Blessing, shouldn’t they make the recipient enjoy that Blessing for a long time?

If it were truly a Blessing, the mere existence of the blessed person on that land would increase Happiness’s influence.

I mean, if you want a maggot to experience being drunk, shouldn’t you at least give it the ability to digest alcohol?

[

Happiness:

Those who have received my Blessing are no longer tormented by hunger or thirst, so why would they eat or drink?]

[

Happiness:

Thanks to the Blessing, they have reached a true “Happy-Happy” where they are no longer plagued by those tedious, low-dimensional desires.]

[

Happiness:

Happinesss should not be hindered by something as trivial as the urge to survive.]

…….

I was speechless.

It sounds like Buddha, having realized that life is suffering, felt pity for those who hadn’t realized it yet and decided to change careers into a slayer (butcher) to end that suffering.

I mean, in a way, it is a very Othergod-like philosophy…

But if you’re going to call yourself a god, shouldn’t you at least turn all life into dust with a single snap of your fingers to end the pain?

Stabbing people one by one in a back alley just makes you a serial killer.

And why on earth do you only pick the hardest-working people on our side to kill?

[

Happy Cult Evangelist:

How about changing the criteria for granting the Blessing?]

[

Happy Cult Evangelist:

For example, only those who believe fervently in Lord Happiness can feel “Happy-Happy” before they die…]

At any rate, I now understood Happiness’s purpose and intention.

The method is bizarre, but if the driving principle is “goodwill” to save people…

‘I’ll go with the Maitreya faith meta.’

Apocalypticism is a doctrine that works incredibly well.

There’s a reason all real-world cults push the apocalypse.

While the “Rapture”—the idea that only believers will be saved—has a stronger effect, the “Maitreya faith,” where everyone attains enlightenment when the end comes, is also a decent choice.

When the “Final Day” arrives, the god will descend to this earth and everyone will become happy-happy.

Therefore, to make the “Final Day” come even one day sooner, believe in, serve, and proselytize Happiness.

‘If I spread the apocalypse and hold out until my influence is high enough, I’ll be able to grant the Blessing to everyone.’

If everyone falls into the [Ultimate Happy-Happy] state, humanity will go extinct without eating or drinking, just breathing, but in a way, wouldn’t that be a true “Happy Ending”?

However, Happiness rejected that simple method of clearing.

[

Happiness:

I do not demand a price for my Blessing.]

[

Happiness:

All who long for Happinesss are equally pitiful to me.]

[

Happiness:

I shall grant my Blessing unconditionally to those who pray.]

I suddenly started getting angry.

‘This is why it’s impossible to clear no matter what!’

As I said before, Blessings cost resources.

They have no intention of gathering points to grow; they just want to spend them on Blessings as soon as they come in.

Conclude is a management strategy simulation.

You have to run a religion.

No matter how honest an organization is, it needs operating costs.

To grow the scale of the organization, you need capital.

If you hire employees to make money, and then repeatedly fire them by giving all the collected money as severance pay to any random employee, how is the company supposed to function?

[

Happy Cult Evangelist:

All of this is to make more people “happy-happy.”]

[

Happy Cult Evangelist:

You must increase your influence so that more people can become happy-happy.]

I passionately argued the reasons why conditions should be attached to the Blessing and why the apocalypse should be pushed.

Just as I was starting to think the AI found it too difficult to understand because there was no response for a while, Happiness’s answer appeared.

[

Happiness:

That cannot be.]

[

Happiness:

“Happinesss” that is not eternal is essentially a deception.]

[

Happiness:

People think Happinesss is the destination, but it is not.]

[

Happiness:

Humans cannot stop at Happinesss. Therefore, Happinesss is an illusion. It is merely a delusion that keeps living beings moving endlessly.]

[

Happiness:

I wish to save the pitiful ones from such illusions.]

[

Happiness:

Not by creating a new illusion to manipulate them.]

[

Happiness:

I understand your intent, but I shall not change.]

‘…This is a total dead end.’

I asked a few more times, but after seeing Happiness’s consistent answers, I reached a conclusion.

‘If I don’t tear down and rebuild this basic logic, clearing is forever impossible.’

If there is a destination, it is possible to take one step back to move two steps forward, or to go around an obstacle.

But if “not retreating” and “not changing direction” are the goals themselves, there is no way out the moment you hit an obstacle.

Happiness was the latter.

‘To think that spreading that status-ailment-like Blessing is the goal itself.’

The reason Happiness grants Blessings to people is that they reach out to them.

If someone reaches out, they take their hand.

That is the only goal and the only principle of action.

There is no way to persuade them to stop taking hands for a while.

Happiness does not desire faith as a price.

They do not desire the conquest of the Dark Realm.

They don’t even have a “goal” to save as many people as possible.

‘Rather, they consider delaying a Blessing that can be given right now for the sake of a goal to be a deception.’

So the conclusion is that this bastard Happiness sat down at the game board with absolutely no intention of clearing the game.

[

Happiness:

I understand your heart, which wishes to spread faith in me.]

[

Happiness:

Your goal was for everyone, without exception, to be happy-happy.]

…Why the hell is that not your goal?

If you’re the god of Happinesss, shouldn’t you have at least that much of a goal? Huh?

Not going for world conquest? Then why even make a contract?

[

Happiness:

But in the first place, the idea of becoming happy by achieving a goal is the greatest delusion and the source of suffering.]

[

Happiness:

True happy-happy is not conditional. It is not something obtained by achieving a purpose.]

[

Happiness:

My evangelist, you can become happy-happy without doing anything at all.]

[

Happiness:

If you truly believe in me, you should be the first to become happy-happy.]

If the Contractor becomes “happy-happy,” all control becomes impossible, and it ends in death.

In other words, dying the moment you turn on the game was the True Ending.

‘Then make that count as a Victory Ending!’

I felt a surge of indignation.

Does it make sense for one of the routes to have no Victory Ending at all?

While they went through the trouble of creating an achievement like [Victory with Happiness]?

And for other Othergods, they just reveal the lore without an update when adding new content?

“This is infuriating.”

Sure, it’s true that the route has no strategy. But do you think I’ll just say, “Ah, I see, I’ll give up on clearing”?

If there’s no way to break it, I’ll just have to make one.

[

Happy Cult Evangelist:

I refuse.]

[

Happy Cult Evangelist:

For starters, I never said I believed in Lord Happiness.]