Chapter 1100: Side Story – How to Distinguish Between Different Races and Monsters (4)

The treatment to heal Min Hyunyoung’s body continued a little longer even after her shoulder.

Since her mother passed away and retired four years ago, it must have been a body she hadn’t had a chance to tend to even once.

According to Min Hyunyoung’s words, although she said she had minimized strenuous movements and used it sparingly, fatigue and injuries were bound to accumulate here and there on her body. Since we’d already started, I was the one who first suggested checking other parts too.

“You mentioned earlier that your legs were your mother’s, right?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

“I’ll take a look at those parts too. Please show me.”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to go that far.”

“I’m saying this because I think I’ll regret it later. I don’t know what you think of my philosophy, Min Hyunyoung-ssi, but I’m the type who can’t rest easy unless I help someone I can see.”

“…I’m not exactly human, though.”

“I think of you as human. And even if you don’t think you’re human, don’t you at least think of yourself as a person with sentience?”

“……”

Min Hyunyoung carefully lifted her skirt, showing the joint area, perhaps having no intention of refuting the statement that she was a person.

As she had said, the skin color continuing from her knee on her left calf was slightly different, matching her mother’s. It was a subtle difference, hard to notice unless you looked closely.

And separately from that, the stitch marks truly looked like those of a doll sewn together, more than enough to prove to anyone that Min Hyunyoung was a ‘rag doll’.

“Because of these marks, I always wore long pants when I was active. And even then, I couldn’t wear baggy pants.”

“I remember that too. Thanks to you, Min Hyunyoung-ssi, jeans fashion even became a trend among long-range hunters.”

“But I really didn’t want to wear them. Before the accident, I actually preferred skirts more, but now I can only wear them at home like this.”

Min Hyunyoung and I continued the treatment while making small talk to hide the awkwardness.

Having finished the treatment by infusing holy power into her left leg, where fatigue had accumulated to the point of feeling slightly loose, it was now time to treat her right leg.

“Uh, could you pull it up just a little more?”

“……”

-Sseurureuk.

“……?”

From beneath the lifted skirt, a pair of trunk underwear suddenly appeared.

As I was flustered, wondering what on earth was happening, Min Hyunyoung’s hasty excuse reached my ears.

“I, I couldn’t help it. All women’s underwear is too tight-fitting. When I wear tight clothes for a long time, the pressure makes it feel like the seams might split…”

“If that’s the reason, then I suppose it can’t be helped.”

“Yes….”

“……”

“……”

“…Uh, Min Hyunyoung-ssi.”

“…Yes?”

“The joint on your right leg seems to be underneath your underwear, so, I’m sorry, but could you please take it off?”

“Ah…”

Hearing my words, Min Hyunyoung let out a low gasp as if she understood what I meant.

In the awkward atmosphere, she asked softly in a shy voice.

“I’ll take it off, so could you close your eyes for just a moment? Even though I’m a woman, this part is a bit embarrassing…”

“…I understand.”

It’s embarrassing for anyone, male or female, to show their groin area to someone of the opposite sex, even for treatment.

Unlike a moment ago when I wanted to confirm if she was an undead monster, now that I had roughly figured out Min Hyunyoung’s situation, there was no need to insist on checking her private parts.

…Right, it’s just a healing act. A healing act to fix her body, which lacks the ability to self-repair.

-Sseurureuk.

“……”

-Seuk, seuuk.

“…I, It’s done now.”

“Yes.”

When I opened my eyes again, what came into view were Min Hyunyoung’s smooth legs.

Worried it might interfere with the treatment, she had taken off even her skirt and was carefully covering the area between her legs with just one hand.

Although I knew she had taken them off for the treatment, this situation itself somehow felt too erotic.

While trying hard to suppress my lower body’s slight hardening, I brought my hand to the inside of Min Hyunyoung’s right thigh.

“H-Heueuk…”

“……”

“Eueuk, heu, eueuk…”

…Even though I clearly knew these were groans uttered due to the pain felt as the holy power brushed against her body.

Min Hyunyoung, covering her private parts with just one hand and showing her lower body, was so erotic that even her groans felt somehow lewd.

After infusing holy power towards her upper thigh, the moment I habitually lifted her leg slightly and brought my hand to the back.

-Malkang.

“Hyat…!”

My hand, brought to the back of her thigh, touched Min Hyunyoung’s right buttock, and at the same time, she startled and leaned her body back.

Fortunately, she didn’t fall backward, supporting herself with both hands, but because of that, the space between Min Hyunyoung’s legs naturally….

“Hi, hiyak…!”

“……”

“…Did, Did you see?”

“…I’m sorry.”

I had looked quite openly, to the point where I couldn’t even hide my gaze inadvertently. Lying here would only feel like deception, so it was better to just confess honestly.

The image of two small, soft-looking clefts and a clean groin area, where pubic hair seemed to have never grown, remained strongly in my mind.

“…It, It’s a misunderstanding.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I, I used to have a little. But after shaving it once because it was bothersome, it hasn’t grown back…”

“…Yes, I understand.”

…Actually, it seemed like there weren’t even traces of shaving, but saying ‘let’s look again’ felt like calling her a liar, so I couldn’t.

In the first place, I was doing this to heal her body as a ‘rag doll’, so I just focused on that act again and kept infusing holy power.

“Euk, heu…”

Min Hyunyoung’s right leg was recovering once again along with her groans. Although it accompanied pain, was it perhaps fortunate for her that it recovered with holy power?

It was a blessing in terms of having a body that doesn’t age, but a curse in terms of having a body that doesn’t heal.

Her body, joined and connected, was merely alive; if there was no one to take care of it, it would wear away and break down as time passed.

Even if we couldn’t recruit Min Hyunyoung as a hunter, I wanted to take her into our guild if possible.

Just living a lonely life left alone without any connection to anyone would surely be a future her deceased mother(s) wouldn’t want.

“Min Hyunyoung-ssi.”

“…Yes.”

“Although Min Hyunyoung-ssi has a body like this, I have no intention of discriminating against you compared to others. Even if you are a being existing between human and undead, the fact that you performed outstandingly as an S-class hunter during your active days does not change.”

“…Is, Is that so?”

“If you were to work as a hunter in our guild, I will take responsibility for healing any physical injuries sustained during activities. Furthermore, no matter what happens, I will also guarantee the privacy of your personal living space so that this secret you hold, Min Hyunyoung-ssi, does not leak elsewhere.”

“……”

“Of course, even if you refuse, I will absolutely keep Min Hyunyoung-ssi’s secret strictly confidential. Still, if possible, I hope you will consider the offer I made earlier once again, Min Hyunyoung-ssi.”

At my words, Min Hyunyoung made a slightly troubled expression and cautiously avoided my gaze.

It didn’t take long to guess that a refusal would come from her mouth.

“Actually, the reason I quit being a hunter isn’t just that I can’t heal my body when injured, but more significantly, I’ve become unable to use my awakening ability itself.”

“…Huh?”

“Since my remaining mother passed away, my awakening ability has completely melted away and disappeared, as if it never existed from the start. I can no longer pierce targets even when shooting bullets at monsters, along with my energy. Its power is just not different from a regular bullet.”

“……”

“It seems I’m not treated as a ‘woman’ in this world. It’s probably the same principle as how ‘different species’ can handle awakening abilities, but ‘monsters’ cannot.”

“In the first place, who would think of me as a ‘woman’ seeing this grotesque body? I’d be lucky if they don’t just think of me as a monster.”

“…That’s not true.”

“Still, my remaining mother must have thought of me as a ‘woman’ until the very end, even knowing my appearance like this, which is why my awakening ability remained. But now that my healer mother has also passed away, there’s no one left to believe I’m a woman.”

“Living while cherishing this body that can only wear down more and more as time passes is the only way of life left for me. I truly appreciate the offer you mentioned, but I am now in a body that cannot continue hunter life.”

A second life created by my mother, who could use holy power.

Hunter activities supported with faith until the end, and the fact that I became unable to use my awakening ability anymore because she passed away.

Her mother’s faith, which always believed she was human despite knowing Min Hyunyoung’s true nature, made Min Hyunyoung exist as a human, which is why she could act as a hunter until now.

Now that her mother has passed away, it must be because Min Hyunyoung herself does not believe she is human that her awakening ability has also disappeared.

In this world, the only people who knew Min Hyunyoung’s true identity would have been her and the person who was her mother, just two people.

…Now, I am included in that too.

‘…Wait a minute.’

Although she is a created human, the hypothesis that her awakening ability remained even until recently because Min Hyunyoung’s mother believed her as a human.

If the current me truly believes Min Hyunyoung as ‘human’ according to that hypothesis, what would happen to her?

“Min Hyunyoung-ssi.”

“…Yes.”

“By any chance, is there a training ground or shooting range nearby?”

“…There is, but why is that?”

“There’s something I want to check. Since I healed Min Hyunyoung-ssi’s body, could you accompany me for just a moment?”

…At least, I don’t think the her in front of me right now is a monster.

If simply truly believing she’s a woman determines whether the awakening ability exists or not, perhaps it would have returned a little bit.