Chapter 29: Recruiting Party for First Wave Returnees to Conquer the Tower of Destruction (2)

“You have no right to say that. I get hot easily, to begin with. I need to wear this much. The world I used to live in and this world are so different. After the Great Cataclysm, temperatures dropped here. And I’m human.”

The flirtatious Battlemage was busy protesting to me.

Ah, come to think of it, she’s human too.

Next up was the elf.

The elf suddenly stood up.

She was a silver-haired elf, prettier than Erin.

But she looked quite different from the image I’d seen on the forum.

“My forum nickname is ‘Innocent Elf,’ and my elf name is Elena. I can use abilities related to spirits, and I used to serve as a priestess by the World Tree before returning to Korea.”

Didn’t Erin’s Great Forest also have a World Tree?

Are World Trees just common?

Do they exist wherever elves are?

But looking closely…

“Your outfit is still pretty elf-like, though?”

It looks like she’s wearing a massive plant turned into elf-exclusive clothing.

A mother of a child, yet wearing such revealing clothes with an open chest and bare skin!

And there’s even a side slit.

What on earth is her wife thinking?

Even if her husband came back as an elf overnight, this is a bit much, isn’t it?

“My wife tears apart any clothes I buy… and tells me that only weeds like this suit someone like me.”

The elf wept sorrowfully.

Yeah, that’s understandable.

I get it, really.

It’s not my problem, so I can empathize with her words.

I don’t plan to get married, but imagine your spouse coming back from another world, gender-swapped, with a child?

That’s horrifying.

“Ah.”

“Thinking about how I disappeared for decades to have children in another world… She wants to kick me out, but leaving home isn’t really an option, so… sniff.”

Oh, that’s really pitiful.

The elf was sobbing bitterly.

“That’s just life, isn’t it? But having a place to return to is something, right? An elf I know was falsely accused of drug farming, got expelled from their tribe, and probably became a Dark Elf by now.”

“Is there really such an elf?”

Yes, there is.

Not from your world, but such elves definitely exist.

For example, like the one from the Hero’s Party.

“Yes. I’m not entirely sure, but they’ve likely ended up that way by now. Unfortunately. At least having somewhere to return to is a blessing, don’t you think?”

“I should stay strong, then.”

Thank you, Erin.

As always, you’ve lifted the spirits of a despondent soul, just like a member of the Hero’s Party should.

If you ever come to this world, I’ll gift you a cream bun that costs 3,500 won now, thanks to inflation.

“My forum nickname is ‘Overweight Orc.’ My orc name is Puldori, and my Korean name is Kim Geunsik. In the other world, I was the heir to the orc chieftain.”

“How does an orc get a name like Puldori?”

And on top of that, a human name like Kim Geunsik?

Wow.

“I don’t have fond memories of the name, so let’s move on.”

Yeah, I don’t mock people for their names.

But hold on…

You were the heir, right?

“You were the heir? So, you’re not anymore?”

“Yeah, that’s right. I lost in a succession battle against my younger brother.”

“Oh, I see.”

That sucks.

Getting backstabbed by your own sibling is the worst.

“Unlike me, who was more moderate about humans, my brother was part of a hardline faction. He gained the orcs’ support and became chieftain, leading them into battle against humans.”

I don’t really understand, but it sounds like his world was full of that kind of fantasy drama too.

There seem to be a lot of people here from fantasy worlds.

“And you?”

“Fueled by anger, I defected to the human side with a few close followers, becoming a traitor.”

“Wow.”

That’s the way to do it.

Meet betrayal with betrayal.

You have to strike back hard against a brother who took your place.

“You became an orc, but didn’t lose your human heart, huh?”

The Neko Cheonma spoke sympathetically.

No, that’s not why.

It’s clearly revenge.

“Well, when I look back, it was out of a sense of betrayal—like, ‘How dare you!’—so I defected to the humans in a fit of rage.”

“Oh, I get that. When your younger sibling comes at you, it’s infuriating.”

Yeah, I totally get it.

Even though it’s a minor example, Si-woo always tried to take care of his younger sibling, only to be cursed behind his back.

“But with your green skin, I can see why people would get confused.”

“At least I have tattoos. On my chest and arms.”

The orc loosened his upper clothes a bit to reveal the tattoos.

They were symbols in some unknown script.

“But you’re covering them with clothes?”

“Yeah, that’s the problem. Plus, I’m pretty dark-skinned.”

“Still, you just look like an elite boss-level orc to me.”

There was a similar orc in the Demon King’s army.

One with a different skin color and tattoos.

He was an elite officer in the Demon King’s army too.

“An elite boss-level orc…”

He’s feeling a bit down.

Anyway, putting the orc aside for now, it’s time to tackle the tower.

Luckily, the team isn’t full of useless members like succubi or mermaids, but rather strong combatants like the Neko Cheonma and the Battlemage, so it shouldn’t be too hard.

“By the way, even though I recruited you all, why did you gather?”

“Well, I was just bored.”

“Oh, same here.”

Right.

These two are unemployed, so they joined out of boredom.

Then, what about the elf?

“I need to make money. I want to buy a Nintendo. Also, my wife said if I don’t bring home money, she won’t let me off.”

Where did all that pension money go?

Even I have more than enough money right now.

Although, there might be some issues if I try to live off it for life.

“Where did all the pension money go? Did it really all get taken?”

“Yeah.”

Oh, that sounds serious.

“Isn’t it a bit much for a grown adult to be so obsessed with a game console?”

“I didn’t get to do anything fun in that other world. Sniff.”

So, you’ve really been longing to play a Nintendo, huh?

Well, there’s no helping it.

“How about spending some quality time with your family?”

“What quality time? My high school kids look at me weirdly because I’m an elf now. You don’t know what it’s like to be stared at like a fantasy creature by your own children. I even talk strangely now because my past and present selves are all jumbled together.”

Hmm, if I were in their shoes, I’d be fascinated by a dad who suddenly turned into a female elf too.

At that point, wouldn’t it be better to just leave home?

I don’t have any attachment to my past life either.

Once you’ve grown up enough and you’re having your pension taken and working as well, it’s probably better to just leave.

Didn’t he say he had kids in that other world too?

“So, what about your children from the other world? Don’t you miss them?”

The flirtatious Battlemage, Cain, asked.

“They can handle themselves. They’re old enough. It’s not something to worry about.”

“But still, isn’t there the bond between parent and child?”

Didn’t he say those kids were also his biological children?

“Of course, there is. But there’s no way to go back. Honestly, I was living happily in this world too, so… yeah, I’ve made peace with it.”

Let’s not judge from a third-party perspective.

If someone chooses to live getting bossed around by their wife, it’s their choice.

But suddenly, a curious thought crossed my mind.

Erin also lied about her age, didn’t she?

“No matter what, she even takes your secret stash, right?”

“Yeah, she took 50,000 won. Can’t even buy snacks.”

“Isn’t that a bit much? How much is your pension anyway?”

It’s more than enough to live off without working.

“She spends a lot on tuition, and we have some debt. She gambled a bit to save money. I have to endure it.”

Wait, isn’t that her fault?

Speaking of which, I’m curious about something.

“Ah, elves are known to be a long-living race, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then how old are you, Elf?”

She looks around my age, but she could easily be over 100 years old.

She must be quite old.

It’s a bit odd that she’s into things like Nintendo.

“You shouldn’t ask a woman her age.”

“Definitely a woman through and through.”

The orc made a sly remark.

Hmm, I agree, she seems just like a regular woman.

She must have lived here longer than us.

“So, you’re planning to conquer the 4th floor, right? How are you going to do that?” “Let me be upfront. During the conquest of this tower, I’ll be taking all the holy relics.”

A bold declaration.

Even the neko-cheonma raised an eyebrow at that.

“Wow, you’re blunt. Is it okay for a saintess to act like that?”

Kain asked with an incredulous expression.

But there’s a reason for it.

“There’s a reason. Everything about the architecture of this tower, the rubble on the 1st and 2nd floors, the black soil, it all resembles things from my world.”

“Things from other worlds sometimes overlap, indeed.”

Seems like this isn’t all that unusual here.

This increases the likelihood that the final boss could be the Demon King from my world.

“If it was just that, I wouldn’t care. But that black soil is from the Demon King’s territory, and the architecture looks like his castle.”

If it wasn’t a world I used to live in, I wouldn’t care.

But now that I’m living here, I can’t ignore even the slightest possibility of the Demon King’s presence.

“Come to think of it, the place where I fought the Demon King looked like that, too.”

“The Demon King could be the boss of this tower, based on what Karina is saying.”

As expected of the cheonma, sharp and perceptive. I like that.

“Yes, exactly.”

“If that’s true, then it means this tower could be a threat to the world.”

“Yes.”

“You said you already defeated the Demon King, right?”

Yes, we did defeat him.

But the problem is, things are still unclear.

According to records, the Demon King can only be killed by a holy sword.

This was the first time a saintess defeated one.

Maybe that’s why the Demon King’s remnants ended up on Earth.

-Could it be karmic retribution? Should’ve let the hero finish the job.

It hurts to hear that as a believer, but… I can’t help it.

The hero kept trying to talk the Demon King down even while fighting him.

Sure, that’s admirable, like a hero from a comic book.

But how long would that peace last?

The best solution was to strike him down while we had the chance.

Anyway, that’s why I’m keeping the possibility open.

“We can’t be sure, but the Demon King could be the final boss of this tower.”

“That makes sense. I’d rather deal with it before it becomes a disaster. If it is a Demon King.”

“From what I’ve seen, Korean hunters are pretty savage. They act like they’re a chosen elite, full of greed. They’re bound to cause trouble someday. It’s better to end this tower before that happens.”

Both Battle Mage and Cheonma agreed with me.

As expected, returnees understand how broken hunters’ personalities are.

From our perspective, hunters are just immature kids.

“The Demon King, huh…”

“What? Are you siding with the Demon King, old man?”

Come to think of it, this guy is an orc, isn’t he?

“How could you say that? In my world, there was no Demon King. I was on the humans’ side.”

“Well, we need to settle this amongst ourselves then.”

“By the way, what about my share of the loot?”

Elf Elena seemed anxious.

Did she think I wouldn’t share anything with her?

She’s a key member for clearing the 4th floor, so of course, I plan to give her a fair share.

“You don’t have to worry about getting relics. You’ve heard how the guy who followed me became rich, right? Even selling off the materials will make a nice profit.”