Chapter 75: Break time

After hearing everything, I realized one thing.

In short, it means the Lion King died in a truly empty and miserable way.

His groin was pierced.

With one powerful blow.

It’s kind of pitiful.

It’s just a distant memory now, but isn’t that area a huge weakness for men?

It doesn’t matter now since he’s dead.

“In short, that Lion King died a meaningless death.”

“Well, it’s a bit sad how it ended.”

“I already took care of that guy, so it doesn’t matter. He’s probably a new creation made by the Demon King from their corpses.”

I don’t know the exact mechanism, but calling it a simple copy seems inadequate.

Given that I could attach the angel’s wings to it as they were, it’s probably close to the original body itself.

Maybe Behemoth won because we’ve been flaunting specs too.

If a character who supposedly fought the Demon King struggled with a mere Four Heavenly Kings, it would be frustrating for a power-driven narrative.

“Oh, really?”

“They might be a bit weaker than the original. They couldn’t counter the attacks properly, unlike before.”

Though, I did beat them before.

Even then, they weren’t such an idiot to not block a surprise attack.

Last time, they blocked one of my attacks before their limbs were shattered, but this time, they left their head completely exposed.

“Now that you mention it, they were slow to react to the initial attack. Their head ended up like a highway.”

“A highway?”

“Yeah, on their head.”

Battle mage traced a straight line across his head.

Ah, so he completely burned the middle of the mane.

That’s what he meant.

“Well then, shall we call it a day?”

“But what’s that?”

Battle mage’s finger pointed at something below me.

More precisely, at the woman I was dragging around, tied with a rope.

Not long ago, she was a fallen angel.

“She’s my slave.”

“And what about me?”

The elf began fuming.

Why is she getting jealous over something like this?

This is troublesome.

Being a popular protagonist is hard.

Well, can’t be helped.

Favorability is important.

“Uh, you’re also a slave. And she’s a slave too. You’re the first slave, she’s the second.”

“Oh, really?”

“You look happy?”

Is being a slave such a joyous thing?

“I’ve never thought of it as being happy!”

“Oh boy. Your wife should see this.”

I actually agreed a bit with what the little pixie said.

How would the wife react if she saw her husband taking pride in being the Saintess’ slave and competing with another slave?

If it were me, I would’ve signed the divorce papers immediately.

It seems like I shouldn’t mention this lightly.

“What are you saying, little girl who claims to be a women in that outfit?”

Whoa, the slave just hit the pixie with a sharp comeback?

“This is the traditional outfit of the pixies from my world!”

“Raincoat and boots?”

It does seem a bit strange.

Why would they need raincoats and boots?

“There’s a reason! In our modernized society, pixies adopted the raincoat as part of their traditional attire.”

“And that tight outfit underneath?”

“That’s part of the original outfit!”

So, it’s traditional pixie underwear underneath and the raincoat is something they adopted in modern civilization.

Makes sense.

Well, it’s plausible.

Pixie outfits always looked strange, so in reality, if pixies existed, their clothes would probably be even weirder.

“But doesn’t that mean elves inherently have a slave mentality?”

“Seems like it.”

“Well, you did pay off 2 billion, so it’s no wonder.”

“If it were me, I’d lick the Saintess’ toes for sure.”

Jeon Taeyeon stuck out her tongue.

Jeon Taeyeon, you pervert.

If you’re that eager, why not just offer your head already?

“Well, Taeyeon, why don’t you offer your head to me next time you show up in person?”

“Oh, that’s a bit… hehe.”

She says she likes me, but she seems oddly reluctant to offer her head.

Isn’t that too much?

Offering one’s head to someone you love should be a natural virtue for a woman.

“So, did you finish drawing the map?”

“Yeah. Now, I just need to register it into the mana stone and make a portal stone.”

As expected of the capable young girl.

If she had been in the party earlier, we would’ve been done long ago.

“Well, then let’s wrap it up here. I’ll head home with my slave.”

“Wait. But you should get permission from your wife first, right?”

The elf started texting immediately, as if not wanting to lose her slave position.

What’s the rush?

“What did she say?”

Time flies when you’re playing around in front of the mirror for 24 hours.

I was just about to need someone to help with the housework.

“Wait a minute. I got a text. Not from the wife, but did you guys get it too?”

“A text? From who?”

I checked my phone, and there was a message from the administration office.

[Hello, returnees. This is Choi Yu-sik, Director of the Management Bureau. There will be a regular briefing on social adaptation for returnees, so please attend. You can check the detailed date and time on the Management Bureau’s website.]

“Director of the Management Bureau, Choi Yu-sik? A briefing?”

“What is this?”

“Haven’t you heard anything from the Management Bureau?”

Battle mage looked at me pitifully.

Me?

Hear what?

“I don’t listen to those weaker than me.”

To begin with, I don’t recall them saying much anyway.

Isn’t this dereliction of duty?

Sending a message without even explaining?

“Oh, right. Anyway, it’s a regular briefing. Many returnees have lived in that other world for a long time, so the Management Bureau’s role is to help them adjust to society.”

“Oh~”

Not that it concerns me.

I’m already well-adjusted to this society.

Hunters are a savage lot, and there are low-intelligence villains everywhere—this is, quite literally, Hell Joseon.

Well, it would be fine if the villains were dumb, but the hunters aren’t any better, so that’s the real problem.

Battle mage pointed a finger at me.

“They’re talking about people like you.”

“What did I do?”

“I mean you. In a law-abiding country, you can’t just go around killing people so easily.”

Ugh, how noisy.

Isn’t it fine as long as they don’t die?

“As long as they survive, it’s all good.”

“Honestly, how many have you buried? Outside of dungeons, I mean.”

“I wouldn’t do that in the city. I’ve only killed someone dozens of times.”

And then buried them, of course.

Battle mage sighed and shook her head.

Meanwhile, Succubus also sighed in the same way.

“This is really annoying.”

“Have you been there, Succubus?”

If even Succubus finds it annoying, then it’s probably not worth attending.

“Yeah, you sit there for four hours. Some old giant dude said it’s like listening to civil defense training.”

“So it’s repetitive, huh?”

“The one thing I know for sure is, there’s no point in going. And you have to attend it every month.”

Four hours a month?

That’s way too much of a hassle.

It sounds like a drag.

“This time might be a little different. I’ve heard some things—they’re causing a fuss about how taxes are being wasted on returnees.”

I clicked my tongue at Battle mage’s words.

“If they’re jealous, they should just become returnees themselves. What’s there to complain about?”

I mean, it’s not like there’s anything wrong with collecting some taxes.

Looking at how this world works, hunters probably pay the highest tax rates.

Does it even make a difference?

“Considering the number of returnees, a lot of money’s been going around. If you add up the money per head and various compensations based on different pre-Cataclysm statuses and systems…”

“Yeah, with all the embezzling from the top, compensation for the people, and restoring cities after the Cataclysm…”

They must have spent a fortune.

“Yeah, they’ve spent a ridiculous amount. Just compare the pre-Cataclysm and post-Cataclysm national budgets—there’s your answer.”

“Isn’t that because the hunters got involved, and inflation skyrocketed?”

Hunters make money, the government collects higher taxes for restoration efforts, and with the hunter society settling in, there are surely those siphoning off money behind the scenes.

Naturally, the budget would level out.

Wow, it’s such a pointless mess.

“Sure, it’s centered around hunters. But this time, there’s definitely going to be a different explanation. I’ve got a friend on the inside who mentioned it.”

I probably have a few friends there too.

“So, basically, it’s better to attend?”

“Yeah, pretty much. It sounds like they’re also evaluating returnees’ attitudes.”

So the briefing is more about assessing the state of returnees and deciding whether or not to take away their benefits.

That’s not a bad deal, then.

Anyway, they’re not going to take all the benefits.

The most problematic issue—money—will probably be cut.

The really strong ones would have already joined the hunters.

Doesn’t affect me much, honestly.

“Honestly, aren’t the people here strong enough not to care about the returnee system?”

Everyone’s pretty powerful, right?

Young girl is so capable I felt like I was showing off in front of a slug.

Depending on how she uses her tricks, she could be the strongest in the world.

“Well, I’m resourceful anyway, and I’ve got some stuff stashed away from my wife. There are plenty of ways to make money.”

Wow, that pixie sure is capable.

I stuffed a mint candy into her mouth as a reward for doing well.

“If push comes to shove, I could do hunter work or just sell off what I’ve got.”

Battle mage’s fine too.

“I’m a saint’s slave, anyway.”

The elf’s slave mindset is a bit concerning.

“I’m a guild master.”

Wait, Heavenly King Guild’s Jeon Taeyeon isn’t even a returnee.

“You’re not included. And elf, even as a slave, you’re strong enough to make money. Succubus, what about you?”

“Me? If I lose this, I’m screwed.”

What’s with this guy?

“Can’t you just seduce them? Isn’t it something that can be solved by using your body, like a typical succubus?”

“Hah! Hey, that’s harsh! Just because you’re pretty, you think you can mock me? I’m not a prostitute, you know?”

Wait, isn’t that what succubi usually do?

“…Isn’t that the case?”

“Aren’t succubi supposed to do that?”

At least the succubi I know are.

They’re beings that seduce men, doing whatever it takes to lure them for their own benefit.

That’s why she ran away from the Lion King earlier, wasn’t it?

“Don’t lie. The moment you run out of money, you’ll be spreading your legs. You’d just seduce some humans with your charm and take their money, wouldn’t you?”

The mint-scented pixie brutally pointed out the truth.

Our succubus might feel hurt by that.

But surprisingly, the succubus just smiled confidently.

“Who do you take me for?! Oh, you’re lucky, aren’t you? You don’t have anything down there, so you don’t have to worry about being charmed by me.”

At that moment, a strange tension filled the air.

Battle mage, I, and everyone else distanced ourselves from the pixie.

Whoa.

That crossed the line.

Making that comment to a pixie who had her wife stolen by a horse is basically a death sentence.

“You’re dead.”

“Huh? Kyaaaaah!”

As the pixie pointed, the succubus’s chest caved in.

No, to be precise, her chest fell off.

“Did her chest fall?”

The pixie went under the startled succubus and picked up the fallen chest.

No, wait.

What she picked up was a melon.

Was this another one of her pranks, swapping things around?

The more I see, the more impressive it is.

If this pixie had a more mature personality, wouldn’t world domination be within her reach?

—Well, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. This pixie definitely has limits. There’s something ingrained in her DNA, so to speak.

“So you just swapped it, right? Now, say that again. What was it?”

“I… I will never bow to a pixie!”

“Are you sure? If I eat this, your chest won’t come back.”

“I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

In the end, the succubus gave in.

Only after she begged did the melon return to being her chest.

Looking at her now, it’s funny how serious she was when dealing with the pixie.

“Ugh, so childish.”

I could only laugh at the scene from a distance.