Chapter 2: The Return of the Saintess (2)
by fnovelpia
I’d love to curse them out with informal language, but the polite speech passive that’s been ingrained in me for the past 15 years still lingers.
Not that I can’t curse if I want to.
“Do I look like a humanoid monster to you? Are your eyes just for decoration? If so, why don’t you pluck them out and replace them with goblin eyes?”
I lashed out as if I were a mage at a party pouring out magic bullets.
They seem to understand the situation somewhat, as they bow their heads and look at me cautiously.
“Uh, no, that’s not it.”
Yeah, yeah.
That’s all that matters.
If this face is considered a humanoid monster, then you guys aren’t even on the level of goblins.
I’m a saintess, and you’re nothing more than bottom-tier grunts.
“I’m a saintess, you know.”
“A saintess?”
“Yes, in the world I came from, I was a saintess.”
The men blinked, clearly confused.
It’s hard to comprehend, right?
Even if they talk about returnees, how many returnees like me could there be?
“Oh… I see. That makes sense.”
“Thank you.”
Saying it makes sense with a face that clearly doesn’t get it at all makes me want to punch him.
“Regardless of your circumstances, it’s going to be difficult to reach Seoul right now. You should stay here for a while—”
“Is it because of all the monsters?”
It does feel like more low-level mobs have been gathering for a while now.
From all directions, no less.
And these guys are just holding a barricade in the middle of the street?
Are they serious?
These idiots are worse than that crazy hero from the other world who insisted on coexistence with demons.
Do they have oatmeal for brains?
“Yes.”
“Oh, here they come again. Saintess, it’d be better if you fell back.”
Are these people stupid?
Did they not just see me take down that ogre-like thing?
Honestly, someone needs to point out their idiocy.
“Logically speaking, if you put a barricade in the middle of the road, of course it’s going to be harder to hold them off.”
It seems like these guys are hunters, or whatever the equivalent of adventurers is in this world.
But despite having a more advanced civilization, why are their brains so empty?
I mean, judging by their faces, these two are just ‘bystander #1’ level characters, so maybe I can’t assume everyone’s this dumb.
But still, if you’re fighting, shouldn’t you at least have a basic idea of your position, even if you plan to retreat?
Are they brain-deficient?
“We didn’t have time to think about that while fighting.”
Judging by the way they avoid my gaze, I must be right.
They’re just plain stupid.
“Alright, fine. So, we just have to take care of these things, right?”
The monsters gathering from all directions look a lot like the creatures I’ve seen before.
Some have slight differences in color or appearance, but they’re mostly the same.
“Yes, but…”
What’s the problem?
“Didn’t you see me take down that big monster just now?”
“Usually, skills like that can’t be used multiple times—”
Why are you making that call?
It’s not like you know—
“Holy Crash!”
Boom!
All I had to do was swing at the ground, and instantly, holy energy spread out from us, wiping out the monsters.
The two morons stood there, speechless, like deer in headlights.
I told you.
There’s nothing I can’t do.
“Is that good enough for you?”
“Wh-who exactly are you?”
How many times do I have to explain myself before they get it?
This is starting to piss me off.
Bang!
I slammed my mace into the ground.
As the earth shook once more, the so-called hunters bowed their heads deeply.
Finally, they seem to understand their place.
“I said I’m a saintess. Do you have the memory span of a goldfish? Do I need to bash your heads in for you to get it?”
I need to figure out what’s going on with this world right now.
If Earth’s turned into a mess like the other world, this is going to be a nightmare.
After defeating the Demon King, I should be able to take it easy for once, right?
“We’re sorry.”
“So, are we heading to Seoul now?”
“Uh, well…”
Now what’s the problem?
Why the hesitant faces?
“What’s the issue this time, goldfish?”
“G-goldfish, you say…”
They looked offended at the word ‘goldfish.’
“Well, uh, we need to rebuild the barricade and station more hunters, so it’ll take some time.”
“Is that so?”
It seemed like they were planning to call someone over using a communication device earlier.
“Would you like to head to the checkpoint on your own, or wait and go with us?”
“I’ll go alone.”
At my firm response, the goldfish faces drooped in disappointment.
There’s no reason for me to wait around for them.
If these two are dumb enough to think they can defend a central intersection with just the two of them, they’re more of a hindrance than a help.
Even that hero didn’t make mistakes like this.
That guy had a brain, but he was overly compassionate, which was his downfall.
He’s different from me, who would’ve just smashed some heads.
“Understood. Well then, here’s my business card. I’ll make sure to contact you, but please carry this with you as well.”
It wasn’t the goldfish named Park Yoon-il who handed me the card, but another one.
His name was Seo Dae-sik.
Dae-sik?
Dae-sik-i?
It feels like a familiar name.
For a goldfish, at least he has a decent human-sounding name.
“Anyway, take care. I’ve taken care of all the monsters nearby, so you goldfish should be able to build the barricade without worry. Even goldfish should be able to handle that much, right?”
Leaving the dumbfounded goldfish behind, I headed toward Seoul.
“By the way, it’s interesting that Korean and the language from the other world are mutually understandable.”
Having lived in that world for so long, I’d almost forgotten what Korean was.
I hardly have any memories left of my time in Korea anyway.
I’ve forgotten so much that it’s astonishing.
I barely remember anything about my family.
-You are a saintess! Saintess Karina! Forget everything about your past!
The goddess who sent me to that world had left me abandoned for a while, and during that time, I was tortured in a church to become a saintess.
Later, when the goddess finally regained her strength, she claimed this wasn’t what she wanted and gave me special privileges.
But to avoid more beatings, I had to forget all my memories of Earth.
If I didn’t forget, I was beaten and subjected to mental torture until I did.
Just thinking about it is horrifying.
It wasn’t until I subdued the entire church with my own power that I finally gained my freedom as a saintess.
Those were the worst memories of my life.
After walking for a while, I arrived at a checkpoint next to a large wall.
A few people in black uniforms approached me.
“Who goes there?”
“What, do you have slime in your eyes? I’m human.”
Can’t they tell I’m human just by looking?
They must have bird brains.
“A normal person? We don’t allow women like you through without permission. Besides, this gate is managed by the Association.”
So, this is a restricted area?
Well, that makes sense.
New Seoul is where people live, and this area looks like an apocalypse.
“Hmm. So, I woke up outside in the middle of a pile of ruins.”
“Are you a returnee, then? Or just an alien from another world?”
“Well, the hunters I met earlier seemed to call me a returnee.”
When I pointed back toward the distance, the hunters glanced at me suspiciously before drawing their weapons.
“She might be a humanoid monster. Keep your distance and raise your hands.”
This kind of protocol is something I dealt with frequently in the other world, especially when they mistook me for a succubus.
Being a saintess was seen as a symbol of corruption or something.
People treated me like a succubus based on some nonsense they’d heard.
“I’ve even got a business card. They said they’d call ahead. Here, it’s from Seo Dae-sik, I think.”
I handed the business card to the bald hunter.
“Dae-sik, huh? I haven’t heard from him.”
Of course.
Judging by how they handled the defense at that intersection, I shouldn’t be surprised if they forgot to call.
“Looks like that goldfish forgot. Can you check it for me?”
“Sure. Hey, check it out.”
The bald guy ordered his subordinate to confirm it and then came closer to me.
“Hmm. Miss, what’s with that mace? Do you actually fight monsters with it?”
The bald guy laughed as he pointed at the mace in my hand.
“Yes.”
“With that frail body of yours?”
“A body blessed by the goddess doesn’t need muscles.”
This body isn’t just pretty.
I may look fragile, but things would be different in a fight.
Even if this bald guy hit me, I probably wouldn’t feel much pain.
Not that I’d let him hit me.
“Oh, the goddess’s blessing, huh? What kind of cult is this?”
A cult?
No matter how much the goddess sucks, there are things you just don’t say.
That other world had plenty of devout believers, after all.
And even though it’s awkward to say, I’m still technically a saintess.
Even if the goddess is actually some shady deity, I can’t help but feel offended.
“Calling it a cult… She may be crappy, but she’s the one who gave me power.”
“Wait, did you just call her crappy? How about I teach you a thing or two?”
The bald guy started creeping toward me.
“No thanks.”
What’s with him trying to hit on me?
“You’re quite firm, aren’t you? Hey, have you checked yet?”
The bald guy called out to his subordinate again, this time with an irritated look.
“Uh, we haven’t been able to reach anyone.”
“Then…”
The hunters at the checkpoint adjusted their weapons—swords, guns, spears.
I hadn’t seen guns in a long time, but I guess hunters here use them too.
But they can’t get in contact with those goldfish?
“What’s with those guys? I cleared all the monsters for them. Could something have happened?”
I’m sure I took care of them all.
“Goldfish, huh? What did you do to those two?”
The bald guy’s tone suddenly shifted to that of a thug.
Why’s he blaming me?
“What do you mean? They were just in trouble, so I helped them by taking care of the monsters.”
“By ‘taking care,’ you mean you killed people, right?”
What does he think I am?
“No, like I said, I’m a returnee.”
“It’s hard to believe. You don’t seem like a returnee.”
“Why not?”
He suddenly stopped talking and stared behind me, so I turned around.
A massive black wave was surging toward us.
Upon closer inspection, it was all monsters.
“Wait, what? Why’s there suddenly a surge? Damn it! This is why you can’t trust the radar made by the Korean Hunter Development Department!”
Corruption is rampant in systems like that.
In the hero’s kingdom, corruption made it hard to support the hero too.
But what’s this surge about?
“What’s a surge?”
“Are you even human?”
Is the word ‘surge’ something every human should know?
“No.”
“I knew it!”
I let it slide with the goldfish earlier, but…
Me, human?
How do I look like a human?
Actually, that was a slip of the tongue.
With a sly smile, I carefully corrected him.
“A woman as pretty as me should be called a goddess, don’t you think?”
“Are you crazy? Do you have princess syndrome?”
Princess syndrome, huh? That’s a pretty harsh thing to say.
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