Haa, Haa… Haa… Nooo… Huh, Huhuh…
Tears streamed down my face as I sobbed uncontrollably.
Even knowing it was a dream, it felt too real.
Even when I reached out, my hero, like mist, slipped away and remained out of my grasp in the end.
[Don’t worry.]
You always said that.
To just believe in you.
You said things would go well if we were together.
[Do you have your luggage?]
I always believed those words.
[We are together.]
However, faith doesn’t always yield rewards in reality.
In the end, we parted ways. And we could never meet again.
I thought it would be like that.
No matter how much I missed you, no matter how much I longed for your face…
Now even your face, that brilliant light that shimmered on my cheeks, is slowly fading away.
[Don’t go…]
So please… don’t leave me.
I thought I would be okay.
I thought it would be fine if you left.
I thought I could live without you.
[Don’t… go…]
But it wasn’t.
Even if I thought I was okay, it wasn’t.
Even if I stuffed myself with delicious food, I ended up thinking of you.
Would you have liked this?
Teresa would probably be bringing beer from somewhere and drinking it nonstop.
All together.
The three of us would always meet… until we died.
That would have happened.
Continuously…
[Don’t go… Ah… Ahhh…]
But why, when I opened my eyes again, were you not there?
You always said you would be with me.
Why did I end up with nothing but hunger and emptiness?
I didn’t wish for anything grand, I didn’t want much…
Oh gods, oh starlight.
All I wanted was to be able to be with the one I love.
So why’d you take it from me?
I didn’t wish for much.
I killed the Demon King.
I brought peace as you desired.
I saved people.
I lived as a Seongnyeo.
Even now, I want to live as a Seongnyeo.
So why this?
Why do you take everything from me…?
“Ah………..!”
Haa, Haa, Haa…
In that moment when everything disappeared, I opened my eyes.
I woke up from the nightmare where everything vanished, but seeing the empty bed in reality made it feel like the content of the dream had become real.
“Is this a dream…”
What a crappy dream.
What a scary dream.
A nightmare.
The thought that those good memories vanished like they were nothing made my eyes get hot without realizing it.
Let’s stop crying.
I cried the whole time in the dream, it wouldn’t look good to do it again.
“There’s no one here…”
Even after waking, the thought that crossed my mind in the empty situation was that the current situation was indeed an awful dream.
It wasn’t just the recent nightmare.
Even the moment when I met Menelapie, the one I wanted to see the most, felt like a dream.
Chiiiyk!
I stumbled into the kitchen like a habit.
Sizzle, sizzle.
[Kiiiii… Strength, strong…]
“Hehe, it’s light. Kiddo, looks like I’ve gotta eat more?”
Chiiiyk…
Sizzle, sizzle.
“Ah……..”
As I was about to grab some water from the fridge out of habit, what I saw was Menelapie cooking something in a massive wok with one hand.
But that wasn’t all.
With the other hand, she held and played with Yane’s bottom securely.
[Sinna!]
…Looks fun.
Yet, the reality that I was seeing right now felt much more surreal than any scene in a dream or fantasy.
“Oh my, you can’t touch it yet. We’ll eat together when Shia wakes up.”
[Kiiiii…]
Chiiiyk…
No, seeing her skillfully handling a wok brought a slight cognitive dissonance.
My Menelapie, whom I had envisioned in dreams…
She was in my house, in my kitchen, cooking something delicious with one hand in a frying pan.
This isn’t a dream; it’s not.
The reunion wasn’t an empty fantasy or hallucination.
Right, it’s not a dream.
Everything is real.
Reuniting…
We met.
Everything was real.
The anxiety and fear that had consumed me turned into relief and joy.
“It’s okay. Everything will be okay…”
Those were the words my mother used to say whenever I found myself struggling in childhood, not knowing what to do.
Back in my breezy puberty phase, I used to think those words were irresponsible and would argue against them, viewing them as empty promises.
However, it seemed that after hearing those words, everything eventually turned out alright.
As time passed, I found ways to make things okay, or the things that weren’t okay eventually became okay naturally at some point.
I realized those words weren’t made with a plan in mind.
“Even if there are no plans for the future, even if there’s no way, I will always comfort you whenever possible.”
The meaning behind those words only struck me after I became the Mangja Seongnyeo.
I had conveyed that same message I received from my mother to Menelapie. And today, we have come to meet again.
See? In the end, everything turned out alright.
Even when I couldn’t reach out, back then, now… if I just stretch my hand… I can touch.
She’s right in front of me.
So close.
“Hweeeng!”
“Hmm? Ah, Shia has woken up….”
It seemed realizing that the unsettling dream was just a dream made me yearn to touch Menelapie, who was real. I tried pulling her into a hug, and sensing my presence, Menelapie turned to face me still wearing her apron.
And then…
Boing!
“Gahh!”
“Eh…”
[Kieeet… Shit!]
As both Menelapie and I turned around simultaneously, our chests collided strongly, sending us bouncing away from each other.
Both of us were about 180 cm tall, and obviously had similar breast sizes larger than our heads and were positioned almost identically.
Even Yane, who had been sitting on Menelapie’s arm, completely unprepared for the collision of our chests, was sent flying next to the refrigerator by the impact.
Luckily, Menelapie had the reflexes to catch the wok that nearly tipped over due to the collision, but I was still dazed and got sent flying toward the kitchen entrance.
With three people bouncing off in different directions, there was a moment of silence in the kitchen.
“…………..”
“………..Huh, cough…”
[………Shit!]
Shit, I know it’s embarrassing…
What the hell is this…
To provide some trivial TMI, Menelapie and I were both the Mangja Seongnyeo and the strongest hero of humanity from the previous world.
Undeniably our physical strength couldn’t be compared with ordinary humans, and every part of our bodies, including our hair, had incredible strength and resilience.
It’s no joke; even a sword made of decent steel wouldn’t damage Menelapie’s head.
So if we were to put this into modern Earth terms… Mmm, steel chest, or perhaps bulletproof chest?
Anyway, when two incredibly durable objects collide, friction naturally occurs based on the amount of impact, causing them to bounce off.
The embarrassing situation that just transpired in the kitchen happened for that reason.
…Even besides that, the fact that Menelapie and I have… um… chests that are so large they can’t just hug directly is also an issue.
“Hiiing…”
“Phew, phew… Puhuhuh…”
Hey, don’t laugh… I almost burst out laughing myself.
“Puh, puhuht!”
“Phew…! Just a moment, Shia. It’ll be ready soon.”
Okay, for now… while cooking, it’s dangerous to mess with people, so let’s just wait calmly.
In the meantime, sensing the situation calming down, Yane seemed to want to crawl back into Menelapie’s arms again.
“Oh, are you trying to touch the Emperor whom I can’t even hold?”
[Kieee…. Shit… Joo-in bastard…]
When I gently picked Yane up by the nape and set her on the table, she seemed a little disappointed, perhaps feeling some affection for Menelapie.
Come to think of it, I haven’t seen my mom.
“Where’s Mom?”
[……..Huh, Hae…]
“The Association?”
[Yes, yes.]
Thanks to my mom’s effort to take care of Yane like a granddaughter and even teach her letters, Yane’s language skills were gradually improving.
Well, she already had the intelligence to understand speech, but for some reason struggled to speak like a human due to the structure of her vocal cords and articulation.
“Come to think of it, there has been a lot going on with the Association, hasn’t there…”
Not just a lot; it was overwhelming.
Including seeking explanations, interviews, and I was informed that there were heaps of reports to deliver to the Hunter Association and Returnee Management Bureau, but due to Yeonhwa’s consideration, I could rest at home for a while.
My mom probably went to represent me at the Association since she said I had worked hard.
Even if she actually went, she likely wouldn’t have much to do. Yeonhwa and Yeonju, the administrator of the Yeon Family, would handle most preliminary hearings.
[A large-scale Erosion Dungeon covering the Mapo District, is this a precursor to the Great Rift?]
[Unprecedented erosion scale]
[Disaster occurred in uneaten areas…]
[Hunter Association, no estimate for death toll yet…]
[Most civilians confirmed to be safely rescued, the Hunter Association is expected to make an official announcement this afternoon…]
[Seoul conveys regrets, who will take responsibility?]
[Upcoming mayoral election, how will this incident affect approval ratings?]
[S-grade Hunters Yeonhwa and Returnee Isia succeeded in eliminating the dungeon. Who are they?]
As soon as I opened my smart watch, I glanced through various articles including an avalanche of tabloids.
It was a sudden incident, but the Erosion Dungeon eventually was completely conquered.
Filled with average A-grade dopplegangers, and even an erosion rate that broke the world record at 148 percent, this unprecedented dungeon which even opened a portal to a parallel world, was cleared entirely with no civilian casualties, thanks to me, Yeonhwa, and Menelapie’s efforts.
As the dungeon was cleared, it completely vanished with the rift, and we successfully eliminated the pieces of the Demon King, the boss of the Erosion Dungeon, leading to its total destruction and returning the area to its original reality.
Of course, there weren’t no casualties at all.
Some trainee personnel dispatched by the Association sustained injuries while defending against the dopplegangers, and although there were no civilian deaths, some bodies of public hunters sent by the Seoul Mayor were confirmed.
If they had just died recently and their bodies were intact, I could’ve done something, but life isn’t something you can easily revive.
Not to mention, the souls of human lives are even harder to handle.
Anyway, this is Seoul, the city with the highest population in Korea, and the bustling Mapo District, which is swamped with people, being entirely consumed by a dungeon is no small matter, which is why the news portals are in such an uproar.
Chiiiyk!
Bubble, bubble.
“Shia, how many eggs should I use?”
“……..”
Hehe… Menelapie is wearing an apron.
So pretty…
Whether dressed like an emperor or wrapped in a cloak, she was beautiful, but dressed in modern earth clothes makes her even prettier…
Hehe, if she were in a naked apron, that would really be much more… well…..
“Shia?”
“Ah, ah! Sorry!!!”
“Now now, even if my glory dazzles your eyes with its beauty, you shouldn’t lose sight of it so early. We have plenty of days ahead of us, you know?”
Menelapie was joking, but it wasn’t a joke in my case.
“Anyway, how many eggs?”
“Um, let’s just do it as usual.”
“Hoho, as usual… Okay, I’ll whip up about ten scrambled eggs.”
“Sounds good! Oh, but… where did you learn that word?”
In the previous world, there was a similar dish, but it wasn’t called scrambled eggs.
“Oh, this illusion magic tool has proven quite useful.”
Menelapie said this while showing off her smart watch.
“No, rather than an illusion magic tool… it’s more like a magical book. There’s a lot of fun knowledge and history recorded.”
I was curious how Menelapie managed that term; had she already mastered the smart watch and the techniques of the internet?
Wait a second… if she mastered the smart watch, could she have come across the terrible places like the genre hunter galleries…?
This world’s genre hunter gallery is a major site with millions of users, making it quite accessible.
It shouldn’t be the case, but I felt a slight fear of what would happen if Menelapie ever fell into their grasp.
But it wasn’t only the smart watch that Menelapie handled skillfully.
From her perspective, she was effortlessly churning out a whirl of modern cooking utensils used only in Earth, like a giant electric oven, various seasoning tools, and massive woks, like a real chef.
“I hope these tools suit your taste.”
“………..”
Even if everything else was fine, why was she already handling the cooking tools and ingredients from this world more skillfully than I, who originally came from Earth…?
If someone saw her, they would inevitably conclude Menelapie was originally from this world and I was the one who returned without knowing the world’s ways.
“That’s not strange…”
Menelapie was the smartest of all the people I knew, a brilliant empress who could lead humanity on the brink of destruction.
Perfect in not only her intelligence but also her physical being… a true genius who stood atop in the previous world.
She excelled at everything and could rapidly learn even unknown things in a short period, so it was no wonder cooking or mastering the smart watch wouldn’t be a challenge.
“Now, how does it taste?”
The first dish Menelapie placed on the table was canned ham cut into suitable sizes, grilled with onions, ginger, and garlic, a relatively simple dish.
Yet even that simple canned ham, perhaps due to Menelapie’s touch, appeared exceptionally appetizing; the fluffy golden egg yolk resembling an omelet coated the ham beautifully.
The next dish was the palace-style soup that Menelapie often made for me in the previous world.
A rich soup made by carefully melting butter and flour to create a roux and then adding bay leaves, cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, and finely chopped salted pork to simmer, which was so delightful to dip with bread that I used to constantly pester Menelapie for it.
Strangely, even soup made by other palace chefs didn’t taste as good as Menelapie’s.
And the crowning glory? Kimchi fried rice.
Not just any kimchi fried rice.
Menelapie, while dazzlingly swinging the giant wok, had researched [How to Make Kimchi Fried Rice] via the smart watch and faithfully crafted it, especially for my taste.
She made it to treat me.
Pouring cooking oil first, she added scallions and kimchi and thoroughly stir-fried, followed by adding soy sauce and brown sugar before folding in finely ground red chili powder.
After mixing the stir-fried kimchi with rice, she tossed corn and canned tuna, resulting in a superb fried rice all by itself.
Once the spread of dishes was arranged, it was simple, but it turned out to be a table worthy of an emperor, without Menelapie’s intervention, leaving nothing to be desired.
“Wow… It looks delicious…!*
….Where did she learn to speak like that?
Did she learn it from the Unicorn?
With Yane all excited, Menelapie gave a slight smile before finally loosening her apron and sitting facing me.
“I hope you like it.”
Don’t worry, Menelapie.
Your cooking has always been delicious.
I mean, even if it weren’t, at this moment, as long as you made it, I’d gladly devour…
“Shia, ah~ say ‘ah’.”
“……..Uh, suddenly…?”
Menelapie said this as she took a big spoonful and presented it to me.
“You often asked for it before, what’s sudden about it?”
“……..”
Umm… had we often done such things?
Oh right, Theresa had told us not to do it saying it was cringe, so we probably hadn’t done it as often as I thought…
“Now, hurry! My delicate arm will fall off!”
…That arm can break a mountain with one swing, so how can it be delicate…
Of course, I wasn’t foolish enough to say that and spoil the mood, so I smiled and took the spoon offered by Menelapie.
“Hurp!”
Nomm, nomm, nomm…
Delicious.
Truly delicious.
So delicious.
This is cooking.
This is food.
This is… sex? (?)
The dishes I made, claiming I’d hunt monsters and create something tasty, felt insignificant compared to what Menelapie made.
“It’s delicious! So delicious!”
“Hehe, yes, yes.”
[Well, I shall eat… Kieeek!]
As I swallowed the first bite, Yane seemed to notice me and started eating too.
When Yane realized my reaction was genuine, she put her first spoonful in her mouth and widened her eyes in surprise.
[It’s good…!]*
“Hehe, is that so? Seeing this girl say that means your skills haven’t rusted.”
Wait, she often claims things are delicious, right…?
Even considering that, though, Menelapie’s cooking skills were undeniably outstanding.
To remind you, she’s the empress who governs a vast empire
And the hero who defeated the Demon King alongside me; why does she know how to cook…?
Well, it’s probably because of me.
Because I liked delicious food so much that she eventually one day asked to learn cooking from the palace chefs.
Since after defeating the Demon King, we had plenty of time, and Menelapie was fundamentally the most talented human in history, as a hero, learning to cook would be practically nothing for her.
Before long, even chefs who had battled through countless competitions couldn’t catch up to Menelapie’s cooking skills, and when that happened, she took over, cooking and serving every meal for me unless unavoidable circumstances arose.
During those times, Teresa would sneak in, and it was always fun seeing them hiss at each other.
“Whenever you eat food from me, you feel very happy, perhaps this is the feeling of a mother bird feeding her chicks.”
At first, I genuinely felt like a baby when Menelapie fed me, as if I were saying, ‘Waaa, feed me, please.’
When Teresa saw that scene, she was astounded and that’s when I realized how bizarre the imagery was, so I restrained myself, but regardless, the number of times she cooked for me was too many to count back in the previous world.
Yet, while enjoying this delightful meal, I had to unravel the knot that had settled in my heart.
Menelapie knew me as the Mangja Seongnyeo Isia, but in truth, I also held the soul of an ordinary human who once lived in this Earth.
And this was something I had to say one day….
“Hey, Menelapie…”
“What is it? Speak.”
“………”
“Just by looking at your expression, I can already tell. Don’t worry. I’m ready to listen to whatever you have to say.”
Honestly, it’s heavy.
After over sixty years meeting again.
And now, at the long-awaited moment where we reconnect after believing we could never see each other, it felt uneasy to mention something I hadn’t spoken about in so long.
“Menelapie, it’s sudden but, this Earth… this world is the world I originally lived in. I didn’t accidentally fall into the Bottomless Pit and stumble in; this is my original world where I grew up and was born, and I am not the Mangja Seongnyeo but an ordinary human from this world…”
“I know.”
“U, uh…?”
Casually placing down the chopsticks elegantly, Menelapie raised the corners of her mouth slightly.
Yane, feeling the air shift between Menelapie and me, stopped eating too and started glancing back and forth.
“Don’t make that foolish expression. Do you think it was the first time I met the Seongnyeo?”
What? She knew…?
“Do you know? To be honest, before becoming the Mangja, the living Seongnyeo was already acquainted with me.”
“Uh, uh…”
Furthermore, she had met the Seongnyeo of this body while she was alive?
Did she say anything like that?
No, actually, Menelapie hadn’t mentioned it.
“You didn’t ask. No, isn’t it better this way? Rather than having a kind and gentle person like yourself suffer over the fact that you snatched the body of someone who was close to me, it’s better to let it go. Besides, at that time, we were in war with the Demon King. It eventually became unimportant.”
“But when you first saw me, you treated me as if we were meeting for the first time…”
“Isn’t that correct?”
“I don’t understand… Menelapie…”
“Hehe, it’s simple. I looked at you, not the Mangja Seongnyeo. I held your hand.”
Upon hearing those words from Menelapie, I felt a strange warmth within the depths of my heart.
Menelapie didn’t see the Seongnyeo.
But me, she saw me.
“The living Seongnyeo, the living Seongnyeo… and you, you are you.”
Menelapie had intertwined her fingers and rested her chin on it while gazing at me.
“When you first reached my world and it had been a year since we met again, I felt that on the day I had to add Mangja before Seongnyeo’s name.”
I remember.
From the very first meeting, how I grabbed Menelapie’s collar and yelled… that moment remained vivid in my mind.
“The Seongnyeo who returned was not the one I remembered from the beginning.”
“So… you accepted me knowing that? The living body of the Seongnyeo… or rather, perhaps I took over the body of the Seongnyeo…?”
“Aren’t we comrades who shared joys and sorrows?”*
Her radiant blonde hair seemed to shine even brighter today.
“What I remember of you was you as the Mangja Seongnyeo. The you I sought was the you standing right in front of me.”
“Aah, I feel like crying.”
A Seongnyeo shouldn’t be so emotional…
“Don’t think you took over her body. She left a long time ago. What you have taken is but the shadow the light left behind.”
However.
“That shadow created light once more, and within it resides you. You are the one who saved countless lives with that body. You’re the one who aided the hero and defeated the Demon King.”
Those achievements.
That sacrifice.
“What does it mean if not that the one within is the true Seongnyeo?”
Isn’t it true?
