The Grill-Wielding Saintess of the Dead

Chapter 74 The World Tree Leaf Pancake 2

“I cannot recognize you as a Hero…”

At those words, Yujin chuckled softly for a moment and nodded.

The black liquid of the black coffee he had ordered tasted especially bitter today.

“Fine, let’s say that’s the case. But you’re not a Saintess from my world. You’re not even my Saintess. What right do you have to acknowledge me?”

“Do you think you’re human just because you biologically proved you’re a bipedal creature? Are you the type to believe that chickens are human too?”

Faced with Shia’s sharp criticism, Yujin had no choice but to agree.

That’s what being a Saintess was.

A being that saves humans regardless of the world.

A being that despises injustice and malice regardless of the world.

Yujin realized that what he had just said was quite disrespectful toward the Saintess.

Still, he had no intention of taking her words back.

After all, he and that Saintess of the Dead, Shia, were completely incompatible.

“Well, don’t worry. Just like you said, I can’t acknowledge you as a Saintess, and I don’t want to be involved with you as one either.”

“…So you’re the type who’s sensitive to lies. This is going to be troublesome.”

As his coffee ran out, Yujin leaned deeply into his chair, gazing at Shia.

Hid eyes seemed to ask, “Did I do something wrong? What’s so shameful about this?”

“Still, people live with lies on their lips. I don’t think it’s a problem to have a few secrets myself, don’t you?”

“What you’re doing isn’t hiding a secret; it’s a deliberate lie. If you think it’s okay to live with everything about you being a lie, from your appearance on down, it means you don’t intend to treat others as equals. Do you really think you can communicate with someone who has no intention of speaking as a person to another person?”

“You’re quite paranoid.”

“Isn’t it better than trying to rationalize your lies in front of me, a Saintess?”

Shia hated lies.

She tolerated some level of dishonesty, but Yujin had crossed the line of deceit to the point where Shia felt hostility and discomfort from their first meeting.

“Lying is the thought of pushing others and yourself away forever. Once someone lies to hide themselves, they’ll never stop doing it. Lies are addictive, after all.”

Shia smiled with her eyes as she spoke.

To anyone watching from the other side, like the part-timers at the coffee shop across the street, Shia and Yujin probably looked like they were having a friendly conversation.

“Let me be clear. There’s nothing at the end of a lie. Only you. Alone, forever, in eternity.”

At those words, Yujin’s face grew calm.

“I know that too.”

“No, you absolutely don’t understand what that means.”

Shia didn’t know what kind of life Yujin had lived.

What was a lie, and what was the truth?

All Shia knew about her came from Hunter Wiki, easily accessible with a quick internet search.

But Shia spoke with certainty.

As a Saintess, she understood all too well the type of person who would weave lies into every aspect of their life, to the point of deceiving even themselves.

“I said I know.”

“Do you have any idea what it means to cling to ‘nothing’ for eternity? You seem awfully confident.”

“Even if that’s the case, what does it have to do with you? We’re nothing to each other, aren’t we?”

“…Yes, we’re nothing to each other.”

Seeing Shia readily agree, Yujin furrowed his brow, as if he wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.

Haa, I had only intended to talk about work and end it there… but this rising hostility keeps derailing the conversation.

“Haa, the conversation’s gone off track. Anyway, the letter I gave you earlier is a request.”

“A request for what?”

“Originally, I was going to use it as a test to see if you were qualified to join the group of Returnees I lead.”

“Oh, really?”

“But seeing your current state, it seems like we’d need to be kidnapped by terrorists and forced to get along like hostages for that to even be possible.”

“Too bad for you. Even if my parents were killed, I’d bring them back to life and still go after the terrorists.”

At Shia’s chilling smile, Yujin glared at her, as if stunned.

“Before we get into the contents of the letter, Shia, were there elves in your ‘previous world’?”

Why is she suddenly bringing up elves?

Shia glanced at Yujin with a skewed gaze and stuffed a piece of strawberry cake into her mouth.

“Yeah, there were.”

“Then this will be quick. As of 2088, there are around 30,000 elves on Earth. That’s just the officially registered number with the association and government agencies. The rest don’t leave the dungeons, so their exact population is unclear…”

“Oh, right. Elves are also inhabitants of another world.”

It wasn’t only monsters that crossed into the human world with the Great Rift.

Some intelligent beings, like elves, dwarves, and beastmen, which should be considered human-like races, also crossed over. In the case of the elves, they were the first species to establish a kingdom-scale presence on Earth.

There had been instances where individuals or small tribes crossed over, but the elves were the first race to completely transfer a kingdom to Earth.

Of course, humans, with their various races and roots, had diverse lineages, and not all elves belonged to a kingdom.

Regardless, the Hunter Association generally attempted to cooperate with any intelligent being capable of communication.

Elves, for the most part, established their own kingdoms within so-called “settled dungeons” known as erosion dungeons, while also engaging in various exchanges and collaborations with human countries on Earth in this era.

“But that’s only the general story.”

“Did some rich, fat man want to get his hands on a beautiful elf slave or something?”

“You’re not wrong.”

Just as Yujin said, in some countries, other intelligent races, including elves, were treated not as humans but as monsters and secretly enslaved.

Of course, if they were caught, it wouldn’t just be overlooked, but the key point was that the elves’ position on Earth was far from stable.

Elves were, fundamentally, a species from another dimension.

Even if they could communicate and were physically beautiful, at their core, they were more like residents clinging to a visitor’s permit, granted by human nations on Earth.

And, occasionally, elves who became ‘illegal immigrants’ were, unfortunately, captured by unscrupulous humans and subjected to “incidents” that happened “from time to time.”

“But that’s strange… The elves I know lived for thousands of years and were far stronger than most Hunters. Are Earth’s elves really in such a weak position?”

Of course, the elves on Earth might not be the same as the elves Shia knew.

Even with the chaotic information from the Returnees’ various worlds, details hadn’t been fully compiled yet, and the elves’ world likely had even more layers of complexity.

“An elf requested a direct commission from an S-rank Hunter in South Korea.”

A direct S-rank commission?

They must’ve spent a lot of money.

“Then you go.”

“I can’t.”

“Why? Are you doing a dungeon broadcast or something? Guess you didn’t earn that popular star title for nothing. You’re really committed to your broadcast schedule.”

Both Shia and Yujin were Hunter streamers, so they had some knowledge of each other’s schedules.

While Shia was still a rising star as a Hunter streamer, Yujin had been broadcasting for over several decades as an S-rank Hunter.

Unless there was something special going on, Yujin streamed every day except for weekends, a fact known to anyone with even a passing interest in TV or Hunters.

Of course, Yujin wasn’t refusing the elf’s request simply because of a broadcast, but Shia deliberately twisted her words to provoke him.

“S-rank Hunters can’t move easily.”

“Excuses?”

“Excuse or not, it’s the truth. An S-rank Hunter is considered a national asymmetrical strategic weapon just by existing. South Korea, in particular, has a high concentration of S-rank Hunters for its population density, so it attracts quite a bit of attention from other countries.”

“So?”

“The elves who commissioned this request are from a country established in a foreign dungeon, not our own. Even if an S-rank Hunter were to travel casually, they’d be followed by countless eyes. What country would be happy to see a fully armed S-rank Hunter set foot on their soil, even for a commission?”

Wow…

It’s a total mess.

Honestly, it made sense that such trivial political issues would arise over the presence of an S-rank Hunter.

Imagine if an S-rank Hunter from a foreign country visited a Southeast Asian vacation country that didn’t have any S-rank Hunters of its own.

Even if the visit was purely for leisure, that vacation country would be in a state of constant anxiety.

What if the Hunter suddenly decided to go rogue, destroy cities, and harm people?

If the country complained that the Hunter was causing havoc, the reply could be something like, “Oh, it’s a personal matter, it has nothing to do with national policy,” and so on, leaving plenty of room for excuses.

If an S-rank Hunter were ordered by their government to secretly carry out a terrorist attack in another country, there would be no stopping them.

An S-rank Hunter could easily mow through regular armies and weapons, and they were considered capable of surviving even a direct nuclear strike. People even believed that an S-rank Hunter could overthrow a country single-handedly.

A living, breathing strategic weapon might be a kind and benevolent person, but at times, humans could be the cruelest to their fellow humans.

Would the Hunter Association or any international organization with a fancy name be able to impose sanctions on such a Hunter?

Simple sanctions or fines for an S-rank Hunter were essentially meaningless.

S-rank Hunters had more money than they knew what to do with, and they could easily ignore most administrative orders.

Of course, no S-rank Hunter would blatantly wreak havoc.

But the only force that could regulate an S-rank Hunter was another S-rank Hunter, which explained why countries were so vigilant about the mere existence of S-rank Hunters.

“If there had been a few months of advance preparation for consultations between countries or at least a reservation made in advance, there wouldn’t have been an issue. But the elves’ request this time is quite urgent and sudden.”

“They requested it because it’s urgent.”

“Anyway, given that they made a direct commission to an S-rank Hunter, it’s likely to be an extremely difficult task. And since sending an S-rank Hunter abroad without prior agreement isn’t feasible, it’s hard to find a suitable candidate. It seems the association is struggling with that decision. Lady Yeonseo has officially retired, so she’s out of the equation. And they can’t just send another S-rank Hunter either.”

“So, you’re saying it has to be me?”

“Exactly.”

“That’s ridiculous. So you’re subcontracting this request to me, huh? What if I refuse?”

“The association will probably gather a few A-rank or B-rank Hunters and send them. But considering that the proud elves made an urgent request directly to an S-rank Hunter, it’s hard to believe it’s something A-rank Hunters can handle.”

Can’t send an S-rank.

The Hunters below them risk their lives.

Reject the commission, and who knows how many elves might die in the emergency.

And Shia, the Saintess of the Dead, wasn’t even an S-rank Hunter.

She hadn’t received an official rank yet and was still a provisional Hunter.

Though Shia practically had strength on par with or exceeding S-rank, that was only within South Korea.

Other countries wouldn’t care much about letting in a person with a provisional Hunter license.

In conclusion, Shia was the most optimal candidate.

Shia looked at Yujin as if in disbelief.

“You knew I wouldn’t be able to refuse this request when you brought it to me, didn’t you?”

“Don’t you hate lies? Then, yes, you’re right. If what I saw during the ethics audit was true about you, I figured you’d take this request no matter how you felt.”

Shia liked people.

She was the Saintess of the Dead who wanted to remain human.

No matter how much malevolence and hunger she endured, she didn’t abandon her humanity.

If someone far away was dying and she didn’t know about it, she could do nothing.

But if someone directly came to her in distress, asking for help, extending a hand of salvation was in Shia’s nature as the Saintess of the Dead.

If she didn’t go, and someone died? If the elves’ entire nation was driven to ruin?

If she refused the request, what kind of ripple effect might that cause?

Once those thoughts started, the word “refusal” had never existed in Shia’s mind from the moment she first heard about the request.

During the ethics audit, hadn’t Shia said that the reason she wanted to become an S-rank Hunter was ultimately to prove her humanity?

No matter how much she disliked Yujin, Shia had no intention of turning down someone who directly asked her for help.

“The details will be in the letter the elves sent.”

“One more thing.”

“What?”

“No matter how I think about it, I don’t understand why you’re giving this request to me.”

“……”

Yujin hesitated for a moment.

“Shia, I looked into you.”

“There’s not much to find.”

“You first returned about four months ago, correct?”

“That’s right.”

“I think you’re related to the Demon King’s Fragment somehow.”

“What?”

“Good things don’t happen for no reason. Every event has a cause. The Demon King’s Fragment appeared on Earth. And you were the one who brought it.”

“………..”

“It could be a coincidence. Maybe the Fragment flowed into this world when you returned. Of course, it might have nothing to do with you, but still… wouldn’t it be natural to assume that the Demon King from your world followed you when you returned?”

At those words, Shia smiled brightly.

“Aha, so basically, you’re telling me to prove my innocence regarding the humanity I mentioned during the ethics audit, right?”

“In summary, yes.”

“Hehehe…”

Thud!

“…How quick-tempered.”

“Shut up.”

In that instant, Shia’s murderous intent poured toward Yujin.

Shia’s intent was her holy power, and that holy power became invisible pressure and physical force, pressing down on Yujin.

The chair Yujin sat in began to creak under the strain.

Still, Yujin wasn’t an S-rank Hunter for nothing.

Aside from her slightly trembling hand, she looked unaffected.

“This is the first time in my life I’ve been accused of being a Demon King’s minion.”

“It’s a reasonable suspicion. Didn’t you say so yourself? That you’re a Saintess of the Dead, a vague, borderline existence who constantly has to prove her humanity.”

“Since you’ve already decided on the conclusion, I don’t see how proving my innocence even matters.”

“It’s simple. If you’re as strong as an S-rank Hunter, then this elf commission won’t be that difficult. And it’ll dispel my suspicions as well. Who knows? Maybe the reason the elves are in trouble is because of the Demon King’s Fragment. If that’s the case, it’d be perfectly reasonable for the Saintess of the Dead to get involved herself.”

At the obvious provocation, Shia sighed.

“Fine, whatever.”

With that, Shia withdrew her killing intent and smiled brightly as usual.

[Miracle – Purification]

“!?”

In the next moment, Yujin’s face split open.

This wasn’t a metaphor.

Yujin, who had a tall, handsome face in his late twenties, suddenly had his face torn apart as if it were paper, revealing something inside.

Although what lay within wasn’t fully exposed, Shia saw that the person beneath had black hair and deep red eyes.

And… she was quite small.

Not Shia’s type.

“……..!!!”

“Pfft.”

But in less than a second, Yujin had returned to her handsome male appearance.

“Is it a mask or some sort of skin suit? Or maybe a transformation? No, perhaps an illusion?”

“…………..Get lost.”

“Sure, sure. I’ll get going. You don’t have anything else to say, right?”

“…….Leave. Now.”

Judging by the murderous aura spilling from Yujin’s wide-open eyes, if Shia kept provoking her, a real fight would break out.

‘It’s definitely a man’s voice, but it’s surprisingly catty.’

Chuckling, Shia tucked the elf’s letter that she had received from Yujin into her chest.

“I’ll need to eat a lot.”

“……….”

“You’re really small, huh?”

“You little…”

Without waiting for a reply, Shia stood up.

She didn’t pay for the strawberry cake, but… that “woman” called Yujin would probably handle the bill.

○○○○

“Elves are traditional vegans!”

“…Goddamn it.”

A few days later, Shia came to hate the elves of this world from the very first meeting.