After Teresa’s returnee report was finished, the three of them headed down to Busan in the self-driving vehicle that Yeonhwa had lent them.
Shia’s House is in Seoul, but right now Shia was staying at a hotel in Busan provided by the Association to participate in the Hunter Train that would be held soon.
They could go down on the day the Hunter Train launched, but since they were being treated to a free hotel with meal expenses included, Shia had no reason to refuse.
And on the rooftop of the Returnee Management Bureau, the false hero Yujin was watching as Shia, Teresa, and Menelapie left the Bureau building.
“……”
Watching Shia, Teresa, and Menelapie leave, Yujin jumped off the building. Even though it was a quite tall building, no sound was heard from Yujin as they fell.
[Soul Transfer – Mental Parasite Release]
And as Yujin hid in the darkness of the alley, they snapped their fingers, and a bright red, worm-like thing appeared out of thin air, then seeped into Yujin’s palm.
Memories flowed in through the worm.
The conversation between Yeonhwa and Teresa.
The whole story of how Teresa came to Earth.
And Teresa’s secret.
Even some of Teresa’s memories that Yeonhwa had seen.
Yeonhwa’s feelings towards Teresa.
Whether what Yeonhwa felt towards Teresa was truth or falsehood.
Through the worm, Yujin learned everything that Teresa had shown Yeonhwa.
The worm-like thing was a mental parasite.
It was a parasite that could only be created by Yujin’s ability to materialize falsehoods, and it allowed Yujin to secretly embed itself into the target’s mind to monitor and access their memories as they wished.
Naturally, with a grand name like “mental parasite,” it could also be used for brainwashing or contaminating the target’s mind if desired.
Of course, Yujin was aware that secretly embedding a mental parasite without the person’s consent was an unscrupulous act.
“If those guys found out, they would definitely go crazy…”
No, it wasn’t just about Shia getting mad. Since they didn’t receive Yeonhwa’s consent, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Yeon Family strongly criticized them.
“Ugh, should I apologize later… No, anyway they wouldn’t know…. ”
From Yujin’s perspective, it was an unavoidable situation.
In a way, Yujin might be repaying Shia’s kindness with malice.
Actually, this was something that would be very unpleasant for Shia, but Yujin could do whatever it took to ensure that Earth did not fall into the Demon King’s grasp. Yujin needed to be certain that Teresa was a safe person.
“If she hadn’t made a fake Demon King, I wouldn’t have to go this far…”
From Teresa’s standpoint, she created a fake Demon King and a false Demon King’s Castle to effectively draw Shia’s attention. However, the fact that she had drawn not just Shia’s but also Yujin’s was a problem.
Yujin had lost countless friends to the Demon King and remembered not being able to protect the world.
Even though Yujin had matured a bit now, the memories of the Demon King still left an indelible scar—an insurmountable mountain to overcome.
Yujin was still willing to take extreme actions to kill the Demon King if needed.
In reality, Yujin and her organization had been tracking fragments of the Demon King that appeared all over Earth for a long time, assassinating those who seemed to be hosts of those fragments.
Although Yujin spoke as if nothing had been achieved regarding Shia, she maintained a ruthless policy of killing to eliminate the fragments of the Demon King.
However, in the case of Cheondanaa and the San Guild, their immense power and backing from the Chinese government made it risky to touch them. Still, in other countries, the locations and hosts of the Demon King fragments were continuously monitored, and elimination was carried out if necessary.
And even now, near the Returnee Management Bureau where Teresa had reported, Yujin’s concealed organizational members, who were returnees, were keeping a watchful eye on the situation.
And this hideous-looking mental parasite created by Yujin acted as a kind of insurance.
Yujin trusted Isia, who had helped her and Olga greatly, but not Teresa.
From Yujin’s perspective, Teresa was a stranger and a black witch proficient in all kinds of taboos and magic—someone who could fabricate a fake Demon King and a fake Demon King’s castle.
If it was not Teresa who had come to Earth, but the Demon King disguised in Teresa’s form, Yujin might need to prepare for the destruction of Earth.
On the surface, Teresa looked like a delicate girl, but inside, an abyss of darkness stirred. It was no wonder Yujin had serious concerns.
At that moment, a voice came from Yujin’s smartwatch.
[Yujin, how are things going?]
To prepare for any unforeseen events, Yujin’s organizational members, including Tia, were on alert and ready for battle at any time.
“As of now, everyone is released from alert status. You may all return.”
[Yes.]
[Okay!]
[Understood.]
Yujin’s signal made those hiding in various places and on alert let out a sigh of relief.
Some lowered their weapons, some ceased monitoring Teresa and Shia with long-range magical scopes, and some sat down and relaxed.
[See? I told you it wasn’t me.]
“…I’ll apologize later, Tia.”
[The apology seems more appropriate for the Seongnyeo or Yeonhwa, doesn’t it?]
“Ah, that’s true…”
If Isia or Menelapie had discovered it during the process, the situation would not have just been brushed aside.
No matter how much it was for the safety of this world, Yujin’s actions could have appeared as an unpleasant overstep from Isia’s perspective.
Shia, Teresa, and Menelapie were ties from their past lives, connections they had barely managed to reunite with. If someone tried to interrupt those bonds, they would obviously want to eliminate them without question.
Yujin understood the feelings of Menelapie, Shia, and Teresa since she was finally able to reunite with Olga after a long time.
However, despite that, Yujin committed this act because she needed to be sure that Teresa was not the Demon King and was safe.
“It seems the warrior from Isia is already catching on…”
[You mean the warrior… Ah, you’re referring to Her Majesty Menelapie, right? That person is very perceptive and intelligent, so she must understand our concerns.]
“It would be good if that’s the case, but if she crosses the line, she might crush me without hesitation.”
In reality, Yujin knew that Menelapie had been with Shia and had seen her Golden Eye flash several times.
Yujin had no idea about the true identity of the [Golden Eye] that Menelapie possessed, but every time their eyes met through the eyes of the mental parasite, Yujin felt her heart race as if it might burst.
“Most likely Her Majesty noticed me. Maybe what she overlooked was… Well, it might be considered a mitigating circumstance. Anyway, Tia, how much meat would satisfy Isia?”
[From last broadcast, she alone ate more than a hundred servings of beef. If you want to apologize properly, why not go into a dungeon and catch some dragon meat?]
“Ah, dragon meat…”
Looks like I have to get moving for the first time in a while.
Sitting in the alley, Yujin sighed while imagining Shia, Teresa, and Menelapie walking together.
‘They looked so happy.’
Yujin originally had many connections from the past world.
Not just Olga, but also knights, saints, wizards, and archers.
However, as the world they lived in fell to the Demon King, their names and faces faded from memory as if cast in dark paint.
Yet, the fact that Yujin once had many companions by her side remained unchanged.
Thus, Yujin felt envious of Isia.
She knew how joyful it was to reunite with those who had been lost.
[But Yujin has Olga, doesn’t she?]
“Yeah, I do.”
Though it’s a bit scary.
“Anyway, Tia, weren’t you created by Teresa Kaitlyn as her servant? ”
The deceased Tia was resurrected as a Skeleton Knight by Teresa.
However, Teresa didn’t seem to show any intention of retrieving Tia, and Tia also did not seem inclined to return to Teresa.
Originally, undead or servants would instinctively try to return to their master once they reunited.
[A servant… it’s a bit of a complicated relationship now.]
“Complicated relationship?”
[Teresa gave me the orb to act independently. At the same time, she acknowledged that I, though different from my past self, possess both rationality and intellect. Of course, it’s quite a convoluted and messy story, but Teresa sent me to Earth for experimental research on dimensions in her search for the Saintess.]
“….So you were like a test subject from Teresa’s perspective.”
[I don’t harbor any resentment or such. Rather, I see it as a new life and opportunity since I died and came back to life. The orb Teresa gave me is a rare one-of-a-kind gift after all.]
If Teresa wanted to, she could annihilate Tia’s reasoning again, turning her back into a mere puppet, but despite the ominous title and fierce atmosphere of the black witch, Teresa had quite a tender heart.
To put it simply, Tia was now in a state where she had recognized autonomy and independence from Teresa.
“So does that mean we can keep working together?”
[Essentially, I have a very ambiguous memory of Shia and Menelapie. Moreover, while I did serve Her Majesty during her lifetime as an emperor and lord, I now barely remember my former self. It would feel strange to suddenly be back by their side.]
“That’s a relief. To be honest, I was very uneasy about your master showing up again.”
[Oh? If someone heard that, it might sound like a confession?]
“Don’t say dangerous things. If Olga hears this, I’m in big trouble.”
From Yujin’s perspective, there was no one as valuable as Tia, so she sighed in relief.
Skeleton Knights who wanted to save people weren’t common.
[Anyway, the alert status has been lifted, so I’ll be heading inside, Yujin.]
“Yeah, good job. I’ve already deposited today’s wages into your account. Check it later.”
[Yes, understood. By the way, what will Yujin do now?]
“Ugh, I’m exhausted死. I’m going home to down some beer.”
“Hm, what kind of beer?”
“Draft beer sounds good. I’m a bit tired…”
Suddenly, Yujin felt a presence that had seamlessly joined the conversation with Tia.
“Is that so?”
Actually, she had anticipated it.
She knew who would come.
The identity of that voice was someone Yujin could not possibly forget.
Yet, despite that, Yujin stood frozen, as if denying reality.
Who is it?
Who is it?
Who is it?
No, don’t say it.
I know who it is.
But I don’t want to say it.
Yujin felt like her brain, responsible for thinking, had completely stalled.
“Yujin.”
“Ah………………..”
A gentle breeze and a spring wind adorned with a tender voice.
Yujin recognized the owner of that voice all too well.
No, not just recognizing; it was someone with whom she shared the deepest bond currently.
Olgania Eiraberd…
“gulp…”
They say that when a person is too startled or feels extreme fear, they can’t even scream.
Yujin had generally not believed that.
She had rarely felt fear.
Not even when facing the Demon King in a life-and-death battle.
But, but………..
Now Yujin was feeling fear.
The chilling kind that was brutally sharper than any before.
Unrelated to Yujin’s fear, the cause of her horror was slowly tightening its grip around her.
Snake-like fingers softly wrapped around Yujin’s neck and waist. The voice, filled with soft spring breeze, whispered in Yujin’s ear with a hint of malice or perhaps anger.
“I’m so happy, Yujin.”
“………………..”
“Today, you wanted to play differently, didn’t you? Hence, you wanted to go to Yujin’s home? Yujin’s home would be nice, right?”
“…Th-that…. gulp.”
The fear felt after a long time skyrocketed to a level Yujin could hardly bear.
Though it wasn’t winter, her hands and feet trembled.
No, Yujin would probably not have trembled this much even if she fell naked in Antarctica.
“By the way, what’s beer, Yujin? Is it for me? You want to drink it with me? You’re thinking of drinking beer with me at your house, aren’t you?”
“…..O-Olga….”
“Yujin, just in case I ask… Oh, you wouldn’t dare forget me completely and plan to drink beer alone at home, would you? Right?”
“…………..”
“You better answer well, Yujin.”
[Hello, Yujin? Is something wrong? Y… ]
Woodudududuk!
As another woman’s voice chirped from Yujin’s smartwatch, Olga ruthlessly crushed the smartwatch to pieces.
Yujin strongly felt that she might end up like that torn smartwatch if she wasn’t careful, and she inhaled sharply.
“Isn’t it? Yujin~? You wanted to play with me. To rest with me. That was the plan, right? You haven’t forgotten me?”
Yujin couldn’t dare look back.
She felt that reflected in her back would be terror tenfold.
“Yeah, of course… I was planning on drinking… with Olga….”
“Fufu, I see. I see.”
Then Yujin felt a very warm and cozy presence behind her.
Olga’s hand slowly embraced Yujin.
Yujin felt like she had become a doll… no, a worm sucked into an antlion’s trap.
Although Olga’s touch was gentle and soft, it felt like goosebumps arose wherever the fingers met her skin.
Then, Olga’s arms, which embraced Yujin from behind, began pressing against Yujin’s lower abdomen.
Like fingers delicately massaging the area where the womb is located.
“Ah…………”
That was a signal.
Olga’s signal.
The signal just for the two of them.
And Yujin had no right to refuse it even 1 gram.
“Yujin. I… am really happy.”
“…gulp.”
“I thought you had completely forgotten about me. I’m truly truly truly relieved that you didn’t~.”
“Th-there’s no way…”
Despite the fear, Yujin wouldn’t ever forget Olga.
Today had been exhausting with various events, but…
“Fufu, I’m happy. Happy. Yujin. I’m really happy…..”
“…………..”
“So, Yujin. Now we……….”
—END—
