The Grill-Wielding Saintess of the Dead – Chapter 171

Chapter 171: Don’t Mess with My Food 4

“Hehehe, I’m so full…”

“Did you enjoy it, unnie?”

“Yes, but I feel a bit guilty since I said I’d pay…”

“It’s fine. Anyway, unnie, aren’t you jobless for a while?”

“They say I’m jobless just because my drone camera broke…”

Since Lirisia didn’t have any money on her, Yeonhwa covered her meal expenses.

Originally, Shia had invited Yeonhwa and insisted on paying herself, but Yeonhwa was one of the few noble-borns from the Hunter era, esteemed globally.

The wealth of the Yeon family alone was enough to put them on top, and the rewards from the monsters she conquered as the youngest S-rank hunter could buy dozens of houses.

Hunters in this era of strong power could amass riches, as long as they had the skills for it.

To Yeonhwa, ordering about 150 servings of beef was no big deal.

In fact, Yeonhwa had calculated the exact cost of 152 servings of beef, 31 bowls of rice, and 11 bowls of cold noodles, but that detail wasn’t particularly important.

Still, Yeonhwa had gained quite a few rewards from this gathering.

She was glad to confirm that Shia hadn’t forgotten her after all this time, and unexpectedly, she had also formed a good relationship with Menelapie.

And she had confirmed that Lirisia now wished to live as a human, not as a witch. Since Shia wanted to give her a chance, Yeonhwa had also come to accept Lirisia.

Using her purification miracle, Shia removed the lingering smell of meat from everyone.

“I’ll just go and see Lirisia off for a moment!”

“Alright, unnie.”

“Take care.”

Shia then grabbed Lirisia’s hand and separated from Menelapie and Yeonhwa.

“Shall I come with you?”

“No need. You guys came out to have fun too, didn’t you?”

“Hmm, but since you said that, I kinda want to tag along now.”

“No matter how much I want to live as a human instead of a witch, I don’t think our relationship is friendly enough for that.”

“I’m serious.”

“…”

“Tell me the truth. How bad is the situation?”

The question carried multiple meanings.

Lirisia hesitated, then let out a sigh.

“Five hundred elves from the scouting party ate the entire meal that day.”

“…All of them?”

“Yes, whether it was some aphrodisiac or cognitive suppressant, I don’t know… All the elves except for a few under me ate the whole meal that day. And as for that otaku elf Brivie… her symptoms were particularly troublesome. I don’t know if it’s a specific incubation period, but other elves don’t seem as affected.”

“…If there’s an incubation period, this is more serious than I thought.”

“I’ll say this just in case, but don’t go and use Great Healing or anything. Don’t even complain.”

“Why? If they’re sick, I should go heal them right away! And why shouldn’t I complain? I can get the catering company’s number instantly, so why hold back…”

At Shia’s questioning, Lirisia chuckled.

“Are you clueless because you’re still young?”

“Hey, I’m 85 years old!”

“Yep, no matter how I look at it, you’re still a kid compared to me.”

“How old are you, then?”

“A lady’s age is a sensitive topic.”

“You were originally a guy!”

“The time I’ve lived in this body is far longer than the time I spent as a man, so shouldn’t I just be considered a woman now?”

Lirisia teased Shia lightly, then narrowed her pitch-black pupils with a serious expression.

“None of the elves, except me, noticed anything unusual about the cognitive suppression drug. Isn’t it strange that an elf, who’s naturally more sensitive than a human, didn’t feel any discomfort?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m saying that whatever drug was in the meat was specifically tailored to target elves.”

“Oh… is that so?”

“You know even less than me? This is a world where people breathe fire and fly. It’s not strange for someone to create a drug specifically designed to brainwash or subjugate a particular race or species. Like hypnosis—if the person who controls the drug snaps their fingers in front of the elves who consumed it, they’d enter a brainwashed state without even realizing it.”

“Oh…”

Could that be?

It seemed plausible.

As Shia pondered Lirisia’s words, she remembered how a stalker once tried to kidnap her with something called the “Flute of the Dead.”

For Shia, as the Saintess of the Dead, her body was resistant to all debuffs, curses, and poisons, so she had been unaffected. However, upon inspection, the Flute of the Dead was genuinely capable of fully controlling undead beings or creatures classified as “dead.” Currently, Yane would occasionally take out the flute and blow on it when she was bored.

In terms of rarity alone, it was at least an A+-rank item.

If Skeleton Knight Tia Lauria had been exposed to that flute, she might have ended up completely subjugated. So, it wasn’t strange to think there might be a drug targeting only elves.

In any case, the world was filled with bizarre and mysterious gear and items in this Hunter era.

It wouldn’t be surprising if there were hidden items or drugs circulating through shadowy channels unknown to the general public.

“The nature of the drug… though I joked about it being an aphrodisiac, it’s likely something meant to lay the groundwork for brainwashing or hypnosis under certain conditions. If a hypnotist or brainwasher met the right conditions with the elves, they’d be controlled without any awareness of the manipulation… well, it could be something else, but.”

“Then what do you think was the purpose of putting such a drug in the elves’ food?”

“The first thing that comes to mind is that some perverted person at the supplier realized the food was going to elves. They probably wanted to turn the elves into obedient meat dolls or arouse them. For their own personal desires, their own preferences.”

“Ugh, gross.”

Shia frowned in disbelief.

“Well, I get it. Elves are really pretty, after all. Honestly, even I was kinda tempted to…”

“Did you go through with it!?”

Has this depraved witch of the Dark Star finally lost it!?

“I thought about it for a few seconds after we first met, but after hearing that otaku elf’s insane ramblings all day, I couldn’t tell if she was an elf or some zombie pretending to be an elf.”

In any case, elves as a race were stunningly beautiful, like Shia and Menelapie, not just a few but almost the entire race.

It would naturally be enough to stir a primal desire in humans.

“But I’d honestly prefer if it were some lone madman. Then I could just deal with him alone.”

“The problem is, if it’s not just one or two people. If it’s multiple organizations or groups… worse, if it’s connected to the Hunter Association or the government, that’d be a huge problem. It’d mean some organization wanted to control elves like puppets or keep them under their thumb.”

While Shia might not have an official role, the government and the Hunter Association had entrusted her with the elves’ safety.

Though she wasn’t an S-rank hunter, she had successfully fulfilled the forest’s request, conquered the mutated raid dungeon, and was well-known for conquering the large erosion dungeon in Mapo District, earning her a trustworthy reputation in society as a powerful Returnee.

The idea that someone tampered with the food meant for the elves in her charge couldn’t just be a coincidence.

“Wow, so you’re not completely empty-headed, huh?”

“Hey! I was the Saintess of the Rose Order!”

“I don’t know what that obscure order is, but impressive. And this is the result of being a saintess?”

Seeing Lirisia treating her like a child, Shia puffed out her cheeks.

“Anyway, I’ll handle this, so stay out of it.”

“But there might be elves who are sick; maybe I could go and use Great Healing secretly…”

“Once again, I’m telling you, do nothing.”

Shia’s face fell at Lirisia’s firm tone.

“You’re too famous, and you attract a lot of attention. Plus, it’s not like they’re deathly ill. Their lives aren’t in danger.”

“But I heard that elf, Brivie, said her sensitivity multiplied by three thousand?”

“That’s just her. Most of the others either show mild symptoms or nothing at all, so there’s no immediate danger.”

“So, what will you do?”

“If the elves formally complain about the food or if there’s any indication of movement, they’ll immediately cut off any traceable connection. They’ll probably claim it was a mistake by a supplier employee or an isolated incident.”

If they cut off the trail, it would be challenging to find the mastermind behind this scheme.

While it could very well be a deranged individual’s personal deviation, putting unknown drugs in all that food without any elves noticing was no small feat.

There had to be involvement from a crime syndicate, an organization, or perhaps some government agency with ulterior motives.

“Then are you going to charge in?”

“Why bother? They’ll probably come to us soon.”

Of course, even those bold enough to pull something like this wouldn’t be foolish.

Knowing that the elves had Yeonhwa’s protection, they wouldn’t use any obvious drugs.

In reality, aside from Brivie, most of the elves were continuing their terraforming work in the desert without showing any notable symptoms.

While they might feel a strange warmth in

 their bodies compared to usual, the desert heat would mask that discomfort, making it easier to overlook.

And just in case Yeonseo might intervene, everything unfolded precisely while she was out on an external schedule.

The ones behind this prank clearly had access to Yeonseo’s schedule.

They targeted an elf with a brainwashing-like potion that’s not so easily obtainable, secretly lacing all the food ingredients.

However, the one thing these perpetrators failed to account for was the presence of Lirisia.

For the Witch of the Dark Star, the potion had no effect, and she easily detected the presence of the foreign substance.

“As long as nothing happens right now, they’ll try to proceed with follow-up actions. We can catch them then.”

“I see… But then, why are you out here?”

Come to think of it, coming out here to chow down on meat had nothing to do with any of this, did it?

“I told you earlier, didn’t I? I was out for fresh air and saw you guys, so I came to score some free meat.”

“No, I thought maybe you were gearing up to take on some grand criminal organization or something. So, you’re just here because?”

“Try working 12 hours a day in the desert for three weeks without a break. You’d want to get out of there too.”

“That does sound tough.”

“Anyway, it’s not like you have anything to do here. I’ll handle this, so why don’t you go off on a date or something?”

Both Menelapie and Shia had taken a break from handling various reviews and documents related to the elves every single day over the past week.

The large-scale migration of elves hadn’t even started yet, but the task was far bigger and more critical than expected.

Despite having Yeonseo and Menelapie manage most of the work on Shia’s behalf, she hardly had any time to do her broadcasts.

Even if Menelapie could answer on her behalf, Shia still had to make at least a nominal appearance at various parliamentary meetings and hearings.

After finishing her steak, Shia was planning to catch the latest hit movie of 2088 with Menelapie and Yeonhwa.

For the record, Shia wasn’t particularly fond of squealing like a little girl while picking out clothes or going shopping.

In her previous world, she had worn whatever Menelapie or Teresa told her to, and even now, she was wearing casual clothes Yoon-jung had bought for her.

And, as Menelapie suggested, her habit of not wearing underwear had carried over to this world, though it hadn’t posed any real issues.

Or maybe, as Lirisia Alphenheim from a parallel world also went braless and pantyless, it was simply Shia’s fate, regardless of the world.

“Still…”

“Anyway, I don’t need your help. And do you have any idea how many people stopped me on my way here just because you’re oddly famous?”

“Huh? I’m famous…? Oh.”

Only then did Shia remember that she was the owner of the world’s largest online community, the Hunter Gallery.

What began as her simple desire to eat without feeling lonely had gradually led to regular meals with her viewers, and before she knew it, she’d been bestowed with the bizarre title of “gallery owner.”

Shia herself didn’t fully feel the weight of this fame, but her popularity had already surpassed that of any Hunter who had ever made waves on the gallery.

It seemed that the successful resolution of the Elves’ Great Forest and the large-scale dungeon erosion in Mapo had contributed significantly to her reputation.

Unfortunately, her drone camera had broken, and with recent elf-related tasks keeping her busy, she hadn’t been able to broadcast much.

‘Come to think of it, Director Choi Bomi had texted me saying the new drone would arrive at my house sometime today or tomorrow…’

She figured she’d unbox the drone when she got home and finally get back to her broadcasts.

She’d posted a short update on her Switch channel saying her broadcasts were paused because the drone had broken, but there was no way the fans would patiently wait.

Once she returned, she’d probably need to give a quick update in a V-log-style broadcast to calm things down.

“People I’d never met suddenly came up to me as fans, saying things like, ‘Why aren’t you streaming?!’ or ‘Downfall!’ and spouting nonsense. I don’t know how many times I just waved them off. If I were the Witch of the Dark Star, I’d have eaten over a hundred of them by now.”

“Well, it’s a good thing you didn’t.”

“That’s not the point. I don’t know what this broadcasting thing is, but it’s already this much trouble for me on my own. I can’t even imagine how much worse it would be if we walked around together.”

Without another word, Lirisia turned and walked away without even a goodbye.

“Don’t lose what you have and end up a fool like me. Make the most of it while it lasts.”

“I will. Definitely.”

“Talk is cheap.”

For some reason, as she walked away, Lirisia’s back seemed a bit lonely.

“Lirisia!”

“What now?”

“I trust you!”

“………”

Though Lirisia continued walking in silence, Shia knew that was her own way of expressing approval.

Despite her talk of age, Shia thought that perhaps Lirisia was even more bashful than she’d been in her teenage years.

“So, Menelapie, Yeonhwa, what should we watch? Oh! The movie ‘Sector 17’ was just released; should we see that one?”

○○○○

In the early hours of the following day,

several trucks and hovercraft appeared in the desert dungeon, as usual, to deliver food supplies for the elves’ advance team.

The elves routinely received and inspected the supplies and exchanged inventory and paperwork with the humans.

“Yes, the payment has been processed.”

“For the grant and supplies, please use them all before the deadline.”

“Thank you. May the Great Forest’s blessings be with you.”

Everything proceeded without a hitch.

The elves in charge of the supplies received the goods as usual, and the contracting company on site also showed no signs of anything amiss.

But a few humans exchanged subtle glances before finally approaching one of the elves.

“Excuse me?”

“Is there something… ah…”

One of the humans extended his wrist, projecting a complex symbol as a hologram on his smartwatch.

The elf, seeing the rotating hologram, immediately dropped the supplies he was holding and stared blankly with vacant eyes.

“Sister Ilorae? What’s wrong… ah…?”

“Hey! We’re still missing some supplies; what’s going on… ah…”

And as each elf let out a faint cry, those who saw the symbol stood motionless with expressionless faces.

The humans nodded at one another.

“The operation was a success.”

“Good. Looks like it worked.”

“Excellent. So, should we… indulge?”

“Don’t be an idiot. If any of the other elves catch us, we’re screwed. Today’s just a test to see if the potion took effect. We can enjoy it later.”

“Ah, damn. What a shame…”

“Hold back. If they wake up, it’ll be a disaster. Each of them is said to be at least A-rank, so we can’t afford to mess this up.”

“True enough…”

With that, the humans quickly organized the supplies to avoid arousing suspicion.

Then they began testing simple commands on the brainwashed elves.

The tests themselves were basic.

Commands like “Don’t move,” “Walk forward,” “Stop,” and “Turn around.”

The three hypnotized elves in the supply team blankly followed these commands.

“Looks like the tests were successful, so can we have a little fun with them now?”

“No.”

“Ugh, but damn, she’s really hot.”

One of the men looked the elf up and down with a licking glance.

Even after seeing her again, her body was unreal.

Despite the harsh desert sun, her skin was as white as alabaster, her chest full, her waist slim, and her hips wide.

And with how little fabric her clothes consisted of, her very presence seemed crafted to incite male desire.

“If it were up to me, I’d go for it right now.”

“Right?”

“Obviously. I mean, how could you resist a body like this right in front of you?”

“Yeah, I know. Let’s just enjoy… Hey, who are y—?”

The man turned his head towards a voice whispering by his ear.

“Hello?”

“Uh…”

Eyes like a beast’s golden gaze.

Yet her sclera were pitch-black, even darker than her jet-black hair.

And behind her, his comrades, whom he had been conversing with just moments ago, were unconscious and wrapped in grotesque, unidentified tentacles.

When did this happen?

He hadn’t heard a sound; how did she manage to do this in an instant…?

“W-What the…”

Thud!

Before he could finish his sentence, a heavy impact struck him, and his consciousness faded.

Dragging the three men outside the dungeon, Lirisia ran a hand through her hair.

“Wow, I’ve really mellowed out.”

In the past, she would have simply started with their heads without even a greeting.

“Heh…”

But it was time, finally, to be the Witch again.

There was no need for Shia to worry.

Only for a brief moment.

Just a moment as the Witch.