Chapter 119: Chaos

“Red Dragon? Isn’t that the top guild in England? I can’t believe you’re actually part of such a guild.”

“Is it that famous?”

“Red Dragon is the number one guild in England and is recognized worldwide.”

Even the returnees knew about it.

Why didn’t anyone tell me anything?

“How exactly did you end up joining such a guild?”

“The first place we landed was near a mountain called Baekdu.”

“Oh, really? But how did you end up in England and not Korea?”

Is Baekdu Mountain somehow connected to England?

That’s not right.

“We were searching for you and ended up fighting dragons from Baekdu. They were so frustrated after losing that they sent us straight to England.”

Is that even believable?

Did I just hear that right?

So, when they landed at Baekdu Mountain, the hero’s party, which normally doesn’t go around picking fights, met the dragons pretending to be the rulers of Baekdu Mountain, fought them, and won?

“Now that you mention it, I think I heard something about dragons appearing around Baekdu Mountain after the Great Cataclysm.”

“Hmm, explain it to me in more detail.”

Let’s hear what this hero’s party has to say.

“Well, here’s how it went.”

Their story was absurd, to say the least.

As soon as they arrived, they used magic to look for me but ended up wandering around the Gaema Plateau below Baekdu Mountain.

There, they encountered a black dragon and a blue dragon.

Of course, the high-level hero’s party easily took them down, and the embarrassed blue dragon instantly teleported the party to England.

How amazing.

If they had just headed south, they could have found information about me.

Fools.

Tsk, tsk.

“What? Why are you looking at us like that? Say something! Mmpph!”

In response to Erin’s complaint, I stuffed a mint chocolate pie into her mouth.

There’s something oddly amusing about stuffing mint chocolate pie into a girl’s mouth.

“Wow. To think you missed me when I was so close. Truly impressive.”

“At least if we had known where we were being sent…”

Maria narrowed her eyes at me with a look of frustration.

What are you going to do by looking at me like that?

I did everything I was supposed to.

“Ah, I never thought you’d follow me all the way here. Besides…”

“What?”

“We’ve always dismissed the Khitan people as balding. But Maria, I must say, you are truly incredible. How did you manage to cast magic that crosses worlds?”

Honestly, I have to give credit where it’s due.

I mean, she was always strong before, as I’ve mentioned many times.

I acknowledge the strength of this party.

But this time, it’s different.

She managed to perform magic that is almost as powerful as a god’s authority, moving between worlds.

How can I not appreciate that?

It wasn’t the hero or the elf who made the move, so it must have been Maria who discovered the magic to cross worlds, even if she did find traces left behind by the gods.

“Anyway, Red Dragon, huh? Our dear hero has become a pawn for Red Dragon.”

“Why are you acting like we’re traitors?”

“I’m just joking. But still. While your old comrade, the saintess, leads a guild of returnees in Korea, you join an English guild? Tsk, tsk.”

This hopeless hero’s party!

“Our saintess may look like a white person, but she’s got a strange aversion to England?”

“It’s not that, it’s just… something about it.”

They’re like a hero’s party that doesn’t want me, but can’t stand to see me with someone else.

That’s why I grew to dislike England.

If it had been a Japanese guild, I would’ve bad-mouthed Japan, and if it were Chinese, I’d have done the same for China.

Come to think of it, maybe England wasn’t so bad after all.

Watching Japan, the country now known as a bizarre competitor of the dream demons and a weird cultural icon, makes me feel sorry for them.

I can see why the hero might feel conflicted about joining a guild there.

“But what kind of place is Red Dragon, exactly?”

What kind of organization would go after the hero’s party?

“You’re criticizing it without even knowing? Red Dragon is one of the most powerful guilds in the world, with a lot of influence.”

“Ho-ho.”

Ttengchili pulled out a hologram tablet I had never seen before and showed it to me.

On the screen, there was a detailed explanation of Red Dragon.

It turns out that it was the first awakened guild to rise after the Great Cataclysm.

As the first guild to form, they had a head start over other guilds and became a global leader.

“They cooperate a lot with Korean and Japanese guilds, but unless you’re a top-ranked Korean hunter, everyone pretty much ends up being pulled into England’s orbit.”

“Those guys are awful. Do they think they’re still the British Empire?”

Probably not.

“They’re not that bad, though.”

“Still, they irritate me.”

“They helped us, though.”

“Didn’t they help Red Dragon first?”

“Well, yes, but…”

In the end, it was a mutual exchange.

No one should feel indebted.

So, is it okay for me to just ignore it?

“Well, we’re not official members yet.”

“What do you mean?”

“We don’t know when we’ll fully join, so we’re not official members. They’re just trying to bring us in, considering that Red Dragon is one of the most powerful factions in the world. We thought it might be helpful.”

Maria added to the explanation.

So they’re temporary members?

That seems to be the case from their reaction.

It looks like they’re still keeping in contact with the guild.

“Pfft, at this rate, you’d even join the Demon King’s army if it were helpful.”

“No, we know where to draw the line.”

“Alright then, as the owner of the Hero Party, I’ll have a word with Red Dragon.”

I’ll call them later and say something.

After all, thanks to this whole Red Dragon thing, there wasn’t any fighting between the Hero Party and the returnees.

Isn’t that a good thing?

“Since when were you the boss—”

Erin started to object, but I shoved a mint chocolate pie into her mouth.

“Who do you think has been taking care of our troublemaker Hero and his two harem members? I’m practically your mother.”

More than a mother, actually.

I’ve practically fed and supported them. Isn’t it impressive that I’ve managed to keep us afloat on such a tight budget?

“A mother wouldn’t turn her kids into criminals.”

“Let’s overlook the minor details. Anyway, everyone, good work today.”

We even defeated the Demon King, after all.

“By the way, isn’t there supposed to be some sort of item or reward for defeating the Demon King?”

“None at all.”

There’s nothing.

The only thing in front of me is a strange black orb.

What is this weird thing, goddess?

—That’s the Demon King’s soul. It’s a remnant of his spirit that hasn’t dissipated.

Would you like to eat it?

It looks nutritious.

Go ahead and treat yourself!

Alright, a first-class holy angel should enjoy a good meal once in a while.

The Demon King was once a god, right?

So this remnant must be quite the delicacy.

Curiosity piqued, I picked it up.

—No, wait! Eating that might give you a stomach ache…

“Nom nom?”

I placed the orb on the scales and absorbed it completely.

It’s always best to eat without overthinking!

—Aaaah! What kind of crazy person just eats something like that on impulse?!

“Oh, oh, oh! I feel stronger already.”

Dark energy spreads visibly from my body, and I can feel this surge of power!

It’s like my inner edgy teenager is awakening.

Hmm, maybe this was a mistake.

Is this dangerous?

I ate it on impulse, but now even the goddess doesn’t seem to be doing too well.

Dark energy is swirling around me like a storm.

It seems the Hero and the returnees have noticed something strange.

“Hey, Saintess, what did you just do?”

“That was a piece of the Demon King’s soul, so I ate it as a tribute to the goddess.”

To boost her health, you know.

“For something like that, you seem… different.”

“Fufufu. Do I?”

There’s no obvious change in my appearance, just the dark aura emanating from me.

Am I going to turn into some edgy, rebellious angel?

Will I go from being a saintess who smashes skulls to a Demon King who smashes skulls?

That… might actually be cool.

Honestly, do I even need to remain a saintess at this point?

Sure, I’m still technically a saintess since I serve the goddess, but is there really a reason to cling to that title?

I feel like messing around a little.

I twisted the dark, sinister energy that once belonged to the Demon King and opened my mouth with a smirk.

“Saintess, you… you’re emitting this evil energy like crazy!”

“Kehehe. Yes. After swallowing the Demon King’s soul, I can feel this uncontrollable desire swelling within me.”

“Saintess, no! Get a hold of yourself!”

The Hero rushed to stop me.

I was just joking, but maybe I can take advantage of this moment and achieve something I’ve been wanting.

That’s right.

Now’s the time to realize my ambitions.

“Fufufu. With this power, I could even conquer the world!”

“So what? Conquering the world is pretty standard for you.”

“There was someone like her in our world, too.”

The reaction from the returnee party is pretty lukewarm, huh?

I guess they’ve been through so much that they’re taking my words in stride.

“It’s just the usual weirdness from the Saintess.”

Well, if that’s how they’re going to react, I’ll say this….

“From now on, all meals will include mint chocolate sauce!”

Suddenly, the returnees blocked my path in unison.

Why?

Why is world conquest okay, but mint chocolate sauce isn’t?

“We feel like we have to stop you from taking over the world now.”

“I was just joking, you know. I just ate it. See, even our goddess is happy and not saying anything.”

—Wow, thanks to our devout believer, I’ve become quite something.

Have you ascended to godhood?

—Yep! I’ve become a demon god now.

“Oh, our goddess has become a demon god. Well, it’s not really our concern, is it?”

I mean, her becoming a demon god doesn’t really affect us, right?

Or does it?

But something seems off with the Hero Party.

“A demon god? Wait a minute. That cultish goddess became a demon god?!”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t that dangerous? The Demon God was the position the Demon King once sought after, wasn’t it?”

Our elf slave seemed shocked.

But aside from the Hero Party, this is an awkward situation for the elf slave.

In the past, people might have argued over the Demon God, but now that our goddess has become one…

You were once a priestess of the Elves, but now you’re a priestess of the Kanora Demon God Church, aren’t you?

“Aaagh! No way!”

“Eh, you became a dark elf the moment you transformed. At this point, you just need to rationalize it for yourself.”

If the water’s already spilled, and ignorance is a sin, then it’s easier to believe this was the path you chose.

Everyone does that.

If there’s no way back, just rationalize and convince yourself you’re not that bad.

Just like Lee Si-yeon, who once betrayed me.