"Mom, why does that person have a tail?"
"Don't be silly, sweetie. People can't grow tails."
"But I definitely saw you grow a tail one day, and it was just like Dad's..."
As soon as the child said that, the pedestrians around them fell silent. They all stared at the little one, who had spoken without a filter, with strange looks—not because they meant anything by it, but because they hoped the child would have a normal childhood.
Meanwhile, the Emperor, at the center of the conversation, slipped away as quickly as he could while no one was looking. Unfortunately, he was simply too eye-catching. Wherever he went, he became the center of attention.
From the billboards scattered around, the Emperor learned what year it was in this city: 2024, a year that felt ancient even in his own memories.
This was the Emperor's third day in Hogg's Consciousness Space. Though he couldn't use psychic powers, his exceptional charm had helped him earn his first bit of startup money.
At the same time, the Emperor had discovered that something was wrong with the city. Each day was a new loop. Its inhabitants had minds of their own, but they weren't really alive. Time in the city was frozen on April 1.
"April Fools' Day? That certainly suits your way of thinking."
Using the old internet, the Emperor easily tracked down Hogg. But to his surprise, Hogg wasn't rebelling as the Emperor had imagined. Instead, he was busy working like a corporate drone to make ends meet, living in an old apartment complex near the outskirts of town.
Maolin Mansion was a somewhat rundown apartment complex. Aside from having all the basic facilities, its only advantage over the newer complexes nearby was its low rent. That was where Hogg lived in