Chapter 32: Profiteering Aegis

To say that it was "dead" was quite an exaggeration. In fact, even when it was considered "dead," a Supernatural Space was still supernatural.

For A.E.G.I.S., however, there was a certain standard for what constituted a "dead" Supernatural Space.

Basically, it referred to a space that could no longer produce or sustain the paranormal energy required to maintain its existence or continue its original functions.

Of course, this did not necessarily mean that the space had become completely harmless...

Even if a Supernatural Space could no longer function the way it was originally intended to, there could still be remnants of its former abilities, along with various dangers that had yet to be fully understood.

And the Sunny Days Toy Shop was a perfect example of that.

As a Research and Containment company, A.E.G.I.S. was naturally an organization that paid close attention to benefits and profit.

Although their slogan was "Protect humanity from what humanity cannot understand," it was basically the same facade that many modern-day companies had.

They presented themselves as an organization dedicated to protecting humanity, offering a noble slogan that made people feel safe and reassured.

But behind that seemingly admirable image was a company that still had to consider its own interests, financial stability, and continued growth.

After all, researching the supernatural was not exactly cheap at all.

Containing dangerous entities, maintaining facilities, and employing personnel capable of dealing with anomalous phenomena all required considerable resources.

And since A.E.G.I.S. was one of the few organizations capable of providing such services on a large scale, it had plenty of opportunities to turn its expertise into a profitable business.

Of course, I wasn’t saying that A.E.G.I.S. didn’t protect humanity... It most certainly did.

It was just that protecting humanity and making a profit weren’t mutually exclusive.

As long as the organization could provide a service that other people desperately needed, it could maintain its noble public image while earning money from those who required its assistance.

And considering how dangerous the supernatural was, there were plenty of people willing to pay for that kind of protection.

A lot of cities and countries sought A.E.G.I.S. for help with supernatural incidents, whether it involved containing dangerous entities, investigating anomalous phenomena, or dealing with Supernatural Spaces that threatened public safety.

After all, not every country had the resources, knowledge, or personnel required to handle such things on its own.

As for the possibility of new organizations rising up to do the same thing as A.E.G.I.S... well, there were probably private organizations that operated on a smaller scale.

However, when it came to public organizations attempting to imitate A.E.G.I.S.’s business model, things weren’t quite so simple.

After all, A.E.G.I.S. had already established itself as one of the leading organizations in the field. It possessed the necessary resources, research facilities, personnel, and accumulated knowledge to maintain its position.

Any organization attempting to compete with it would have to overcome those advantages while also dealing with the dangers of the supernatural itself.

And if a new organization somehow managed to become a genuine threat to A.E.G.I.S.’s position...

Well, let’s just say that it probably wouldn’t be allowed to grow for very long.

’They would probably end up getting eliminated or swallowed by A.E.G.I.S....’

Whether through business pressure, the acquisition of its resources, or more direct methods of eliminating the competition, A.E.G.I.S. had plenty of ways to protect its own interests.

Of course, that was just my understanding of the organization. I was not exactly in a position to know every detail of its internal operations...

Putting those complicated thoughts aside, I continued walking inside the [Sunny Days Toy Shop].

It seemed that the Neverending Staircase had brought me out through what appeared to be a bathroom door.

Unfortunately, the moment I stepped inside, I was greeted by the sheer amount of dust that had accumulated throughout the place.

I quickly covered my nose with my hand, doing my best to prevent myself from sneezing.

’Ugh... just how long has this place been abandoned for again?’

Ah, right.

The reason A.E.G.I.S. considered the Sunny Days Toy Shop "dead" was because it could no longer produce the products they wanted it to provide.

Originally, this Supernatural Space was a toy shop that sold dolls and toys designed to help children sleep better by making them dream of the sun.

Anyone who purchased a toy from the Sunny Days Toy Shop would experience unusually peaceful sleep, accompanied by dreams of the sun.

For children who struggled with nightmares or had difficulty sleeping, these toys were practically miraculous.

Of course, there was a catch.

Anyone who used these toys too frequently would gradually have their soul exchanged with that of the toy.

The process was not immediate either. It happened slowly, with the victim becoming increasingly trapped within the toy’s body until the exchange was finally complete.

By the time they realized what was happening, it was often already too late.

The toy would then take over the victim’s body, allowing it to live as though it were an ordinary human being.

Meanwhile, the victim would be left trapped inside the toy, forced to endure the burning heat of the sun.

It was basically a form of torture...

Imagine being trapped inside a small doll, unable to move freely or escape, while being subjected to the unbearable heat of the sun for an indefinite period of time.

And the worst part was that you wouldn’t even be able to die to escape it.

...Yeah, it was horrifying.

However, A.E.G.I.S. had found a way to make use of this particular property.

Rather than simply destroying the toys or allowing the Supernatural Space to remain unused, the organization turned them into a form of supernatural imprisonment.

The arrangement itself was relatively simple.

Countries or authorized institutions that required a means of containing certain prisoners could enter into agreements with A.E.G.I.S. to obtain these anomalous toys.

Depending on the laws and policies of the country involved, their use could be restricted to particularly dangerous offenders, such as individuals sentenced to life imprisonment or those whose crimes were considered especially severe.

Of course, this would not mean that A.E.G.I.S. could simply hand these toys to any country and allow them to use them however they wanted...

There would still have to be agreements concerning their handling, security, and authorized use, especially considering the nature of the punishment involved.

However, in places where such a practice was permitted, the toys could serve as an alternative form of supernatural containment.

After all, keeping a dangerous prisoner locked up in an ordinary facility could require considerable resources, not to mention the possibility of them escaping or harming the personnel responsible for guarding them.

But if the prisoner could be contained inside one of these toys, the situation would become much easier to manage.

At least, from the perspective of those paying for the service.

Of course, the morality of such an arrangement was an entirely different matter.

Being trapped inside a toy and forced to endure the burning heat of the sun was hardly a humane punishment, especially when there was no guarantee that the victim would ever be released.

Depending on the circumstances, it could amount to indefinite torture rather than imprisonment.

But then again, this was the world of the morbid and horrifying universe known as [Arcana].

The supernatural had already made a mess of what people considered normal, and A.E.G.I.S. wasn’t exactly an organization that could afford to ignore every useful anomaly simply because its properties were horrifying.

Naturally, the organization wasn’t the only one interested in these toys.

There were also twisted individuals who were hell-bent on revenge...

People who had lost their loved ones, suffered at the hands of criminals, or simply wanted to inflict suffering upon someone they hated could become interested in purchasing such things.

For them, these toys weren’t merely a means of imprisonment.

They were a way to make someone suffer.

And considering how cruel people could be even without supernatural abilities, it wasn’t particularly surprising that there were those willing to seek out something like this.

Ah right, according to the wikis, the reason such a famous Supernatural Space had eventually become "dead" was due to the intervention of a [Major Arcana]...

As for what a [Major Arcana] was...

Well, they were—

MagnificentBeingsOfGreatDestructionGreatLordsOfTheTortuousUniverseGrantMeMercyByGrantingMeDeath—

I immediately forced myself to stop thinking.

I froze on my feet as I held my breathe in fear.

Right.

I forgot I was in [Arcana] now...

So even thinking too much about those great beings could very well get me killed.

’Sigh. I can’t even let my guard down for a second... even my own thoughts can kill me.’