Chapter 3: The Return of the Saintess (3)

This body may be mine now, but since I once had a man’s body, I only consider it half mine.

The rest, I think of as a body borrowed indefinitely from the goddess.

And yet, they accuse me of having “princess syndrome”?

I tilted my head slightly and smiled.

“With looks like this, wouldn’t it be fine if I did have princess syndrome?”

The hunters’ faces flushed red for a moment before they shook their heads.

“Anyway, don’t try anything funny! And don’t even think about passing through the checkpoint!”

What kind of monster would take those words seriously?

Are they really that crazy?

But I was essentially reborn in that other world and have now returned to Earth.

With no foundation here, I can’t afford to ignore what they said.

Hmm?

Wait, then what’s the situation right now?

So, this ‘great flood’ must be something like a monster wave in the hero’s world, right?

In other words, those dozen hunters will face that monster wave and fight.

They’ll end up bleeding and possibly dying, won’t they?

In short, I get to watch an epic, blood-filled battle unfold right in front of me?

“Oh, so I just get to watch you all fight and die?”

“You’ve got such a sharp tongue!”

Isn’t that exactly what I meant?

What’s the problem?

“Leaving a woman as clearly virtuous as me out here, isn’t that more heartless? Frankly, I think you look more like a monster than I do.”

Who’s more evil here—me, a beautiful woman, or this bald guy?

It’s an obvious story when you think about it.

“What? I shaved my head on purpose!”

“And why should I care? In my religion, being bald is considered a sin.”

Honestly, the audacity.

What part of me looks like a monster?

If anyone looks like one, it’s that bald guy.

Isn’t that obvious?

“Just stay put!”

“Sure thing.”

Let’s see how things turn out, baldy.

I’ll curse you so that no hair ever grows on that head again.

With no other choice, I sat down on a chair near the checkpoint.

I’m supposed to stay put and watch them fight, right?

Screeech!

Strange cries echoed, followed by the sound of flesh being pierced.

“Fight back! Hold the line!”

The hunters are struggling to fend off the black wave of monsters, but they seem well-trained, holding their positions at the checkpoint.

They haven’t asked for help, so I’ll just keep watching for now.

At that moment, something caught my eye.

“Oh, a mirror.”

A full-body mirror at the checkpoint.

My ideal type stared back at me with adorable eyes from the reflection.

“Oh wow, I really am beautiful.”

This nun outfit with the side slits—it’s a killer look.

My figure is already great, and just a glance reveals a teasing glimpse of skin.

It’s perfect. This outfit’s a knockout.

I bet any monster who saw me in this would lose its head and fall ten times harder than usual.

After checking myself out from different angles, I thought….

“Wow, this body really is something else.”

“Maybe I should make some money and buy myself some new clothes.”

Would this turn into a game where I dress myself up?

That sounds crazy.

But honestly, what else is there for me to do with this body if not that?

Is that whole streaming thing still a trend?

I vaguely remember from my time in Korea that just before I crossed over to the hero’s world, there were a lot of women doing livestreams.

Like, they’d turn on the camera, show their faces, and only cover the essential parts of their bodies while dancing.

Viewers would throw money at them like crazy.

It was hilarious how these jobless guys would lavish money on those streamers.

If I did that with this body, I’d probably be a hit, right?

Of course, I’m not actually planning to do it.

Aaaaaaargh!

“Uuurgh!”

Wow, they sound like pigs getting slaughtered over there.

If they’d just asked for help, maybe I would’ve pitched in.

I mean, I’d charge a hefty fee, of course.

But I’m just listening to them scream while I watch the show.

“Hey, we’re out here dying, and what are you doing?”

A woman drenched in blood came over to complain.

“Didn’t you tell me to stay here?”

“Are you kidding me? Don’t you get the gravity of the situation?”

Gravity of the situation?

How is their impending doom my problem?

They’re just doing their own thing.

They didn’t even ask me for help in the first place.

“Get a grip. If that’s how you feel, why didn’t you just let me inside the checkpoint? You people left me out here. What do you expect from me? Should I just fake some pity for you?”

Unbelievable.

First, they treated me like a monster, and now they’re pulling this nonsense?

“Look, if you’re human, you should—”

“This is ridiculous! First, you accuse me of being a monster, and now you’re taking out your frustration on me because you’re getting beaten up. Do you even have wrinkles in your brain? Oh, wait—you must not, which is why you’re picking a fight. I bet you’re going to stay single for life, aren’t you?”

Glasses, tied-up hair, flat chest, bad attitude—she’s definitely never going to get a boyfriend.

“What did you say?”

“Look, what does it matter to you if I’m just sitting here, looking at myself, or doing whatever I want?”

“We’re desperate! Even grabbing at straws here. You need to help!”

“Oh, so now you need my help? Weren’t you the ones who treated me like a monster earlier?”

You’re really shameless.

“You made it through that, so you must be pretty skilled, right? Calling you a monster was just a formality. If you don’t want to die, you should help us.”

What nonsense.

I’ve stopped the Demon Lord’s waves by myself multiple times.

And this is nothing?

It seems more like they’re just overreacting.

“Me? Helping with those things? You’ve got to be joking. Well, if that’s what you want, I’ll help. But on one condition.”

“You’re making conditions while people are dying?”

Of course I am.

I lived in that other world for 15 years.

I was pushed around enough over there, so I’m not about to let that happen here.

I practically did volunteer work because of that annoying Saintess title.

So I should get something in return now, don’t you think?

“Why should I save ungrateful people for free? Give me a house and other things too.”

From what I saw earlier, it seems like returnees aren’t all that rare.

Judging by their reaction, there’s no particular discrimination against returnees, either.

They probably have some welfare system for returnees.

But that’s beside the point.

These guys are on the frontlines, defending Seoul.

So they must have some money.

“Just help us first! We’ll talk about the rest later!”

“Ugh, fine. I’ll let it slide this time.”

Hmm, should I do them a favor here?

If I don’t stop this, things will get annoying later on.

Who knows what they’ll try to do to me after all this is over.

Playing the angel card might not be a bad idea.

“Where’s that angel ring?”

I pulled out a small angel ring from my robe.

It was a drop from killing a fallen angel back in the other world.

When I put it on my head, I naturally look like an angel.

No wings, but whatever.

Doesn’t this gorgeous body suit the look perfectly?

The angelic saintess descends to save these pitiful fools from the forces of evil.

“What are you doing? What’s that?”

“Are your eyes just for decoration? It’s an angel ring, obviously.”

Why am I even talking to this old maid?

“Angel ring?”

“I’m an angel, you see.”

As I placed it on my head, the ring of light floated above me.

The old maid kept muttering something, but I had no reason to listen to her.

I just need to sweep away these monsters.

“Damn it! We’re getting pushed back again. When are the reinforcements coming?”

“Are we seriously going to lose ground like this?”

Heroes always show up at the last minute, don’t they?

In a flash, I flew into the black wave of monsters.

“Screeeech!”

“Raaagh!”

There are so many of them.

Their cries are disgusting.

I swung my mace with all my strength.

“Holy Crash!”

Boom!

The ground was wiped clean once again.

The monsters were obliterated by the holy power of the saintess.

“What… what just happened?”

The hunters were all looking at me, bewildered.

“Cap… Captain, look over there!”

“Isn’t that the princess-syndrome nun from before?”

Why do they keep calling it princess syndrome?

With looks like mine, even calling me a goddess wouldn’t do me justice.

“Who’s got princess syndrome? I’d say I’m better than a bald guy, wouldn’t you?”

“It’s shaved on purpose!”

Am I supposed to believe that?

Fine, let’s say it was on purpose.

“Whether it’s on purpose or not, you’re still bald, aren’t you?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”

Personally, I don’t like bald people.

The higher-ups in the church who tortured me were all bald.

Well, there was one decent person, the guild master who used Solar Fist.

“Now, about that promise.”

“What promise?”

“You said you’d give me a spacious, prime location house in central Seoul.”

“When did I say that?”

“Are you a goldfish? Or is it because you’re a spinster that the wrinkles in your brain are smoothing out by the second? Is someone smoothing them out in real-time?”

This woman is hopeless.

No wonder this country is in such a state, with someone like her as a hunter.

Tsk tsk.

Bald and a goldfish.

Actually, maybe they’re all goldfish.

“I never said anything about a place in central Seoul!”

“Saving someone’s life should at least warrant that much, don’t you think? What, did you think I’d ask for a place in the slums?”

This woman is hilarious.

Should we settle this?

One swing of my mace, and I could send this useless spinster, who’s nothing but a waste of oxygen, flying.

“You’re seriously crossing the line, aren’t you?”

“What’s that, old lady?”

“What did you just call me?”
Oh, looks like she’s mad.

“Typical old ladies. Call them an old lady, and they fly into a rage. Haha! Listen, old lady, if you don’t want to embarrass yourself even more, you should stay quiet. You’re making yourself look worse.”

The old maid couldn’t say anything.

She’s probably fuming, wanting to take a swing at me.

But what can she do?

That’s beyond her abilities.

These hunters aren’t stupid.

They know the difference in power, and they’ve realized they can’t just mess with me now.

Look at her shaking in anger.

“Hmm. If you’re a returnee, it’s not entirely impossible.”

The bald guy chimed in.

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, there’s a returnee system in place.”

“A returnee system, huh? Interesting.”

So I’ll get returnee benefits on top of whatever the hunters owe me.

I’m curious now.

I wonder what other returnees are around.

This place still feels strange to me, but since I lived here once, it piques my curiosity.

“There are plenty of returnees besides you.”

“Alright then. Lead the way.”

Hurry up and guide me, you idiots.

Oh, and of course.

“Just so you know, I’ll be getting separate compensation besides the returnee benefits. Try to cheat me, and I’ll bash your heads in.”

“……”

Were they really thinking of stiffing me after I helped them?

They wouldn’t dare, would they?