Ch.10The Saint Who Gets a Job?

“Ah! Great Salboreas! I now send 32 souls to you!!!”

“How terrible….”

Cries of despair echoed throughout the village.

People dragged their collapsing bodies and shouted.

Help us.

Save me.

It didn’t matter who said what.

Those begging for help, those pleading for their lives—all melted into a gelatinous mass, merging into one.

Truly, it was a horrifying sight.

“It seems to be a contract with an evil god. Eila, do you understand the scope?”

“…The entire village is affected. My God, how could anyone do this…?”

“Then let’s handle this quickly. We need to save as many people as possible. Let’s go, everyone.”

We rushed into the village.

To save even one more person.

***

“A contract, you say.”

The air suddenly felt heavier.

Kang Seona swallowed dryly.

After a moment of confusion, she spoke casually as usual.

“Yes, an employment contract. Would you like to join our company?”

“…Oh, that kind of contract… I’m sorry.”

“Hm? Don’t worry about it.”

Eila felt embarrassed.

Of course, in this world, healthy contracts between companies and people were more common than pacts with evil gods or demons.

She shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions….

“So, what do you think?”

“…Shouldn’t I hear the terms before making a contract?”

“You’re thorough. Hmm… First, I can provide meals.”

“That sounds good.”

“Lodging too.”

“Really?”

“And of course, I’ll pay you.”

“That’s appealing.”

“So, will you do it?”

Eila fell into contemplation.

Money, which had been her biggest problem since falling into this world, plus food and a place to sleep.

It was sweet.

Too sweet.

Like the fragrance emitted by a carnivorous plant.

…Well, those plants were driven to extinction when an enraged Angelica screamed, “You fucking worthless weeds dare to mock me?! Burn them all!!!”

Anyway, the point was that overly sweet offers usually had a rotten underside.

Eila opened her mouth.

“…But why are you trying so hard to recruit someone you just met?”

It was a reasonable question.

Unless the woman before her, Kang Seona, was a philanthropist, Eila couldn’t understand why she would try to bring a complete stranger into her company.

To Eila’s question, Seona smiled and replied.

“Hmm, curious about that?”

“Yes.”

Seona tapped her temple with her finger.

“I can see the future.”

“…You can see the future?”

“Yes, though only fragments. Not full stories but more like still cuts of the future, but I can see it.”

Eila’s eyes widened.

Being able to see the future meant having a talent for prophecy.

Eila observed Seona, who was muttering something to herself.

She noticed her light green, sparkling eyes.

“And in that future, I saw you becoming an incredibly remarkable person. So I just knew! Ah, I need to bring this person in, and then together we’ll—”

“Ignore her. She says the same thing to every hunter who comes here.”

With a thud, something was placed in front of Eila.

It was a steaming cup of tea.

Turning her head, she saw the shaggy-banged man from earlier.

“Ah, thank you. Your name is…?”

“Lee Chanwoo. Please call me Chanwoo.”

“Thank you, Chanwoo.”

“You’re welcome.”

Leaving Seona to her passionate monologue, Eila sipped the tea Chanwoo had brewed.

“Oh my, this is delicious.”

Eila exclaimed in delight.

She didn’t know what kind of tea it was, but its bitter-sweet flavor perfectly matched her taste.

Chanwoo’s face turned red at Eila’s compliment.

“Th-thank you. It’s nothing special, but I’m glad you like it.”

“You should have more confidence. This is the most delicious tea I’ve had in the last three years.”

“Is that so?”

She wasn’t lying.

She hadn’t had tea in the last three years.

She never particularly liked tea, and plants suitable for brewing couldn’t survive in the barren lands where even weeds died.

Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

Eila took another sip of tea.

It was indeed delicious.

“By the way, are you also an employee of this Rainbow… company?”

“Yes, it’s just me, my younger sister, and the boss—three of us. Eila… ah, may I ask how old you are?”

“I’m 17.”

“Y-younger…?”

“Are you older than me, Chanwoo?”

“I’m… 18…”

“Really?”

Eila looked Chanwoo up and down.

“You don’t look it…”

That’s when it happened.

“So!!!”

With a bang, Seona slammed her hand on the table and stood up shouting.

“Our meeting was destined by God! Now, hurry up and sign the contract–!!”

Between Seona’s hand and the table was a piece of paper that had appeared from nowhere.

Judging by the context, it was probably an employment contract.

Eila thought, startled.

“Boss, you’re scaring Eila. Take it easy.”

“Huh? When did you get here? Did you finish the dishes?”

“I finished a while ago and just brought you some tea.”

“Where’s mine?”

“What?”

“Where’s my tea, you little shit?”

With a slap, Seona’s palm struck Chanwoo’s back.

“Ow! That hurts! You never drink it anyway!”

“Who decides whether I drink it or not, me or you? Trying to act like you’re the boss.”

“Ow! Fine! I’ll brew some! Happy now?!”

“Three minutes.”

“Tea isn’t instant ramen…”

“Want another hit?”

“I’ll go brew it.”

After receiving a few more slaps from Seona, Chanwoo disappeared somewhere again.

Was that the kitchen?

Eila turned her attention back to Seona.

“So, will you join our company?”

“…How much does this company pay?”

“It’s decent–“

“This place is a terrible employer! They take all the money we earn and don’t pay us! Run away while you can!”

A voice shouted from the kitchen.

It was Chanwoo.

Hearing his voice, Seona’s smile instantly soured.

“That bastard keeps trying to ruin everything!!”

Seona rushed into the kitchen.

After the sound of slapping echoed dozens of times, Seona returned to Eila with a smile.

“Now, where were we?”

“…We were at the part where this company doesn’t pay money.”

“……”

Seona’s expression crumpled.

“…Actually, is money really that important?”

“Pardon?”

“Aren’t there many things more important than money in this world? Like comrades, friendship, effort, things like that.”

It was strange hearing this from someone who had been extolling the virtues of money just moments ago.

“Money corrupts relationships between people. In that sense, relationships tied by money might not be proper relationships at all. A family-like relationship bound by affection rather than money, a family-like company—that’s our company’s motto—”

“Not a family-like company but a fucking terrible company… Here’s your tea, OW! Why are you hitting me again?! I brought it!!!”

“You, always, have, to, have, the, last, word.”

“Ow! Owww!”

The sound of slapping echoed again.

Through this series of events, Eila learned about the kind of person Kang Seona was.

Every word from her mouth was sophistry.

She’d seen many people like this before.

Heretics inciting people in the town square.

It felt similar.

*Slurp*

Eila drank her tea.

It was delicious.

***

“Ahem! Sorry you had to see that.”

“It’s fine. Shall we continue our conversation?”

“Great, you seem reasonable. I really would like you to join our company…”

Seona looked around, then clapped her hands.

“How about this?”

“What?”

“You said you were looking for someone, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll help you find that person, free of charge.”

Eila’s expression changed.

This too was a sweet offer.

Which meant there was a catch.

“But.”

Seona continued.

“There’s a condition.”

“What is it?”

“Join our company.”

“……”

“The term is until we find the person you mentioned. We’ll provide food, and you can sleep here. You don’t seem to have anywhere to go anyway. How about it? Good deal, right?”

“…Let me think about it for a moment.”

It was an offer Eila had no reason to refuse.

Honestly, if food and a place to sleep and bathe were taken care of, she didn’t particularly need money.

So even if she was just asked to work in exchange for meals and lodging, she would have agreed, but they were also offering to help find the Hero?

There was no reason to refuse.

“Alright. I’ll join your company under those conditions.”

“Really?! Thank you!”

“But please keep your promise.”

“Don’t worry! I might lie, but I keep my promises! Now, first sign here, and provide your resident registration number and something to verify your identity—”

“What’s a resident registration number?”

Seona’s body froze.

A creaking sound was heard.

It was the sound of Seona’s neck turning.

“…Shit, we have to start from there?”

A strong girl ignorant of the ways of the world.

Strange, she thought this would be a sweet deal.

Had she stepped on a landmine?

For a brief moment, darkness flashed before Seona’s eyes.