Each Their Own Circumstances
The Saintess’s finger slowly traced down the Holy Knight’s abs.
It was a strangely sticky touch that contrasted sharply with her beautiful smile.
“Y-yes… I remember….”
The strongest knight of the Vatican, the legendary Holy Knight known for clearing Hell difficulty.
Yet in this very moment, that same knight looked utterly small and shrunken, as if the title of legend had never applied to her at all.
Twitch. Twitch. Twitch….
When the Saintess’s fingertips passed over her abs and began tickling around her navel, the Holy Knight lowered her gaze with a face flushed bright red.
“Oh my, why do you keep avoiding my eyes, my dear knight?”
The Saintess leaned in close to the Holy Knight’s ear and whispered in a low, sweet voice.
“You saw it too, didn’t you? The ranking board.”
“….”
“That unregistered Awakened. She cleared no less than Extreme difficulty.”
“Yes… I saw it. To be honest, I… I never even dreamed such a difficulty existed.”
The Holy Knight answered in a voice that sounded like it was crawling on the floor.
It was an unknown realm she had never witnessed, even when she herself had cleared Hell difficulty.
Extreme difficulty.
The appearance of a monster who had broken through it in a single run had thrown the entire Vatican into an uproar.
Of course… what mattered to the Saintess wasn’t the safety of humanity or the identity of the unregistered Awakened.
From the Saintess’s perspective, what truly mattered was spending time with her cute yet powerful childhood friend.
“What’s important right now… is the ‘promise’ you and I made long ago, isn’t it?”
The Saintess’s hand gently gripped the Holy Knight’s thigh.
“Hngh….”
A short moan escaped the Holy Knight’s lips.
Her face had turned so red it looked like it might burst at any moment.
“You remember, don’t you? You were the one who said it.”
“….”
“What was it again…? I can’t seem to recall~. Could you remind me?”
“If… if by any chance… someone other than me cleared Hell difficulty… I said I would grant the Saintess’s ‘wish’….”
“That’s right. That’s exactly what you said. Now I remember.”
The Saintess licked her lips as she continued to fondle the knight’s thigh.
“I-I didn’t withhold the strategy guide because I didn’t want to grant the Saintess’s ‘wish’….”
“Of course I know that. I know your personality very well. You didn’t post it because you were worried about people’s lives. Sometimes I even think you’d suit the title of Saintess far better than I do.”
The Saintess’s touch gradually grew more brazen.
“N-not now…. The Cardinal’s meeting is coming up soon….”
“I can just change the meeting time with my authority.”
“H-hngh….”
“Now that I think about it… it’s been quite a while since we spent some quality time alone together, hasn’t it? We used to be together all the time.”
“B-but… we really can’t…!”
“There’s no such thing as ‘can’t’.”
The Saintess swept up her own silver hair.
Swoosh.
When she tied her hair high with a ribbon, her dazzlingly white nape was revealed.
And at that moment—
Her silver hair instantly began to shimmer with a blinding golden hue.
The meaning was clear: she had begun using her holy power.
The Holy Knight’s eyes widened dramatically at the sight, and her body began to tremble like a leaf in the wind.
She knew all too well—bone-deep and in a very ‘intimate’ way—what that golden hair signified.
“What’s wrong, my dear knight? Is someone going to eat you?”
The Saintess smiled seductively and pressed her fingers firmly into the Holy Knight’s lower belly.
“You’re stronger than me, aren’t you? If you don’t like it, just push me away.”
“Ah… mmm….”
“I don’t want my favorite childhood friend to hate me. Just say the word and I’ll never do it again. I can swear on the honor of a Saintess.”
The Holy Knight, face burning crimson, couldn’t utter a single word.
Seeing her reaction, the Saintess licked her lips once more and whispered.
The Saintess laughed joyfully at the sight of the Holy Knight twitching helplessly, unable to speak.
“So… the person who cleared Extreme difficulty and appeared on the ranking board… is really Lady Yuhwa?”
So-i asked, swallowing dryly as if she still couldn’t believe it.
Yuhwa lounged comfortably on the sofa as she answered.
“Indeed. I just crawled out of that horrific place moments ago.”
Yuhwa’s gaze wasn’t on So-i, but rather on the bizarre little play unfolding in the corner of the living room.
“Then… how on earth did that person….”
So-i’s eyes followed Yuhwa’s gaze toward the same corner.
“Wow! Princess, do you want more tea? I brought you some delicious muddy water—I mean, black tea!”
“For a mere maid, you’ve brewed quite a decent cup of black tea. How admirable. As a reward, I shall allow you to touch my tail.”
“Waaah! A tail! It’s a tail!”
A nine-year-old child and Yujin—who looked like a high schooler—were playing house.
So-a had a towel draped over her head, pretending to be a maid, while Yujin, wrapped in a blanket like a royal mantle, was perfectly embodying the role of an arrogant princess.
So-i wiped away cold sweat as she explained the situation.
“So… right after the Extreme clear notification popped up on the ranking board and the whole world flipped out, there was a sudden flash of light in the house and that person appeared.”
“Oh…”
“I was frozen in shock, but So-a… So-a said she felt a pleasant energy similar to Lady Yuhwa’s coming from her and approached first.”
“I see… Well, she is my kin, so that makes sense.”
But did that thing really share her personality? With her, the great dragon?
There was no way she, the magnificent dragon, would enjoy such cringeworthy roleplay!
So-i still seemed unable to accept the scene before her eyes as reality and stared blankly.
“Lady Yuhwa… what’s going to happen to us now?”
“What do you mean, what’s going to happen? You simply continue living as my loyal servants.”
When Yuhwa answered indifferently, So-i snapped back to her senses and shook her head vigorously.
“N-no! That’s not what I meant… The situation outside is no joke right now!”
So-i turned on the smartphone on the table and held it out to Yuhwa.
The screen was flooded with breaking news alerts and real-time community reactions pouring in like mad.
[Breaking] Who Is “Life Ruined”?
[Exclusive] Tower Floor 1 Extreme Difficulty Conqueror “Life Ruined”—Does She Surpass the Vatican’s Holy Knight?
[Shock] Unregistered Awakened Becomes First to Clear Legendary ‘Extreme’ Difficulty! Global Hunter Alliance Calls Emergency Meeting!
“Right now, the entire world is going crazy trying to find you, Lady Yuhwa! Not only did you clear Hell difficulty, but you’re also monopolizing all information about Extreme difficulty.”
So-i’s mouth felt dry as she continued.
“America, China, Russia… every superpower will offer you astronomical sums of money and power to recruit you. And if you refuse… there’s no telling what they might do.”
An unknown Awakened who had shattered the limits of the Tower.
To a nation, the idea of someone with such power existing beyond their control would be a nightmare….
They would clearly use every means possible to put a leash on her.
More precisely, they would try to put a leash on her in the form of a “deal.”
“In times like these, I suppose I should show my strength first, shouldn’t I?”
“Pardon?”
“I mean, it would be best to simply demonstrate my power from the very beginning.”
And then.
Yujin, who had been giggling and playing princess on the floor with So-a, suddenly stood up and approached.
Yujin gracefully lifted the hem of her skirt and gave a refined bow.
“Master, this capable and beautiful kin shall take care of the troublesome task of displaying your greatness.”
“Very well. I leave it to you.”
Yuhwa gave a light wave of approval.
“Princess… where are you going…?”
As Yujin turned to leave, So-a—who still had the towel on her head—grabbed the hem of her skirt with a disappointed look.
Yujin crouched down, gently stroked So-a’s head, and spoke affectionately.
“Our Master over there will take over the princess role now, so don’t be too sad. Even though she looks cold on the outside, she absolutely adores this kind of thing, you know?”
How ridiculous… there was no way she enjoyed something like that!
There was no chance that she, the great dragon, would enjoy playing princess with a little kid!
Well… if the child begged her, she might play along just to indulge her.
“Then I shall be on my way.”
“Keep it moderate. Moderate.”
“Understood.”
Yujin opened the veranda window and leaped toward the night sky.
So-a approached hesitantly.
“Um… sis.”
“Yes. I shall play with you.”
“This time… can I be the princess…?”
“What are you saying? Obviously I am the princess. You shall serve me.”
Yuhwa could feel So-i staring at her with a dumbfounded look.
It was a little embarrassing, but… in moments like these, one must act with confidence.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Is it not natural for the great dragon that I am to take the role of princess?”
“It’s… nothing.”
“Do you wish to touch my tail as well?”
“Uh… no?”
“Hmph…”
So-i met Yuhwa’s eyes for a moment before quickly lowering her head.
“Please let me touch it!”
“Permission granted.”
“Thank you!!!”
About an hour later.
Yujin walked through the front entrance of the Hunter Association.
When asked, “What brings you here?” she replied, “I’ve come to inform everyone of my Master’s greatness.”