Chapter 86: The Council of Joy
📜 Act I: A Serious Summons
Ne Job was reviewing scrolls when a parchment arrived, stamped with a solemn seal shaped like a frown.
Twinkle buzzed uneasily.
Ao Bing leaned over. "That's from the Council of Severity."
Taiyi Zhenren frowned. "They only convene when something is deemed… too lighthearted."
Ne Job unrolled the parchment.
> Notice from the Council of Severity:
> Interns are summoned to defend the concept of joy.
> Theme: "Is laughter frivolous or divine?"
> Judges: The Stern Scrolls.
Ne Job whispered, "We're defending joy itself."
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🧠Act II: The Council Convenes
The Grand Hall was filled with solemn figures.
The Stern Scrolls hovered, silent and unamused.
Lord Xian presided. "Interns, joy has been questioned. Some argue it distracts from duty. Others claim it is sacred. You must defend it."
Ao Bing grinned. "Easy. Joy is thunderfruit fireworks!"
Taiyi Zhenren adjusted his monocle. "Joy is clarity in regulation."
Ne Job stood quietly. "Joy is kindness made audible."
Twinkle hummed softly.
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🎠Act III: The Debate of Joy
The Council posed challenges.
- "Does joy weaken discipline?"
- "Does laughter trivialize miracles?"
- "Is delight a distraction from duty?"
Ao Bing argued joy strengthens resilience.
Taiyi Zhenren argued joy clarifies focus.
Ne Job told a story.
He spoke of Miracle #170-J: The Hidden Laughter (Chapter 84).
He described how it revealed humor tailored to each reader.
He explained that joy was not frivolous — it was reflection.
The Stern Scrolls pulsed faintly.
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🧵 Act IV: The Trial of Silence
The Council demanded proof.
They silenced the hall.
No laughter. No smiles. No hums.
The air grew heavy.
Interns wilted.
Scrolls dimmed.
Twinkle's light flickered.
Ne Job whispered, "This is what the Bureau becomes without joy."
He unrolled Miracle #170-J.
It giggled.
The hall softened.
The Stern Scrolls pulsed.
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🌈 Act V: The Verdict
The Council conferred.
One wrote: "Ao Bing: Bold. Chaotic."
Another: "Taiyi Zhenren: Precise. Thoughtful."
The third floated to Ne Job and wrote:
> "You showed that joy is not distraction. It is devotion. Approved."
Lord Xian nodded. "Intern Ne Job, you have defended joy as divine."
Ao Bing tossed confetti. Taiyi Zhenren footnoted the applause. Twinkle hummed in triumph.
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📜 Epilogue: A New Registry Entry
The next morning, a new entry appeared in the Miracle Registry:
> Miracle #171-J: The Council of Joy
> Status: Conceptual, reflective, sacred.
> Effect: Reminds the Bureau that joy is devotion, not distraction.
Ne Job added a note:
> "Some miracles don't calm storms or heal wounds. They remind us to laugh — and live."
Twinkle hummed.
And somewhere in the Bureau, a scroll giggled softly — not to distract, but to remind.