Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Is This My First Time Seeing a Saintess Who's Good at Magic?
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Early 2019.
Earth and humanity were struck by a sudden cataclysm.
Gates and dungeons appeared out of nowhere across the world.
Monsters of every shape and size poured out from them.
Creatures that rendered firearms useless began to massacre countless people.
At the same time, a small fraction of humanity began to awaken.
It was the dawn of the Great Hunter Era.
Time passed, and spring 2024 arrived.
In Seoul, the Hunter Management Bureau had been established to oversee the hunters.
Late at night, in one of the building's rooms, two people were having a conversation.
"You came from another world?"
"...Yes."
The plain-looking man with heavy dark circles under his eyes asked the question, and the woman across from him answered quietly.
She wore a black nun's habit with a veil covering her face.
If not for her clear, pure voice, it would have been hard to even tell her gender.
"If it's true, you're the second returner recorded worldwide."
"..."
"Uh, this conversation's kinda stifling. Mind taking off the veil first?"
The woman, who had been staring at the desk, looked up at the weary man's words.
Never take off the veil outside.
Don't casually mingle or talk with others.
Words the Hero and his party members had always emphasized.
But they were gone now. This was Earth.
"You're right. My apologies."
The woman slowly removed her veil.
A stunningly beautiful face emerged from beneath it.
Pure white hair cascaded down to her waist.
Flawless white skin and delicate features.
Bright yellow irises peeking from beneath lazily half-closed eyelids.
The man's eyes widened at the exotic beauty's appearance.
"Ahem! Sihyun-ssi? The missing persons record lists you as male."
"...It just kinda happened."
"For now, the family member we contacted is on her way. Mind chatting with me until then?"
"Sure."
The staff member nodded lightly at Sihyun's response and continued.
"As I mentioned, you're Korea's first returner. There are no established laws yet."
"Then my status...?"
"If your sister agrees when she arrives, we can restore your identity."
"If I can't prove it, I'll be an illegal resident."
"Exactly."
The man, who had been closely observing Sihyun's reactions, let out a sigh of relief.
She was quiet, but polite and sensible enough.
"Don't worry too much. We can sort out your identity within the Bureau's discretion."
"Okay."
"So, would you mind sharing your story? We need the information."
Sihyun nodded and delivered a concise summary of the essentials.
She'd thought she died in the cataclysm, but woke up in her current body.
To return to Earth, she'd helped the Hero's party defeat the Demon King.
Once the short tale ended, the man gave a wry smile.
"Haha, sounds like a fantasy story! Kinda like Earth's current state."
"That bad?"
"No Demon King or anything, but the gates have changed things a lot from five years ago. Total chaos."
The man unwittingly let out a complaint.
That was when it happened.
The consultation room door flew open roughly as a young woman burst inside.
"Oppa—!"
The three exchanged baffled glances.
Soon, after hearing the man's explanation, the woman covered her mouth and stared at Sihyun.
Her eyes went wide as she took a seat.
To confirm if it was true.
I looked at my sister, who was approaching with a worried expression while I took off my shoes.
My only family, now a full-fledged adult after five years.
Thankfully, the Bureau had accepted that she was family.
We agreed to handle the detailed consultation later.
It was too late at night.
So we took a taxi to her place.
"You've changed a lot, huh?"
"Yeah..."
"Thanks for believing me."
I gently stroked my sister's head.
The little sister who'd once been so tiny had shot up, while I'd gotten smaller.
Now she was taller than me.
I had to look up just a little.
"Managed to get a place in Seoul? We used to live out in the sticks."
"Jia unnie helped!"
"Jia? My college friend?"
"Yep!"
Siyun clapped enthusiastically as she answered.
"Unnie awakened and became a hunter! She heard about you and helped out."
"...Do hunters make that good money?"
"Depends on the rank? Unnie's A-Rank!"
Siyun added excitedly.
S-Ranks were treated like heroes.
Then A through E, six ranks total.
My old college almost-girlfriend had become a big deal.
"Gotta thank her properly later."
"I'll send her a KakaoTalk right now. She'll love it!"
KakaoTalk.
A word I hadn't heard in ages.
It really hit me that I'd returned to the modern world, not some fantasy realm with different customs.
"Sit on the sofa! Let's order chicken."
"Oh, chicken! Sounds good."
I leaned back comfortably on the sofa and watched my sister fiddle with her smartphone.
With our parents gone when we were young, she'd been left all alone after I vanished.
I was so grateful she'd grown up healthy and full of life.
"Gonna crash here for a bit. That okay?"
"Uh... We'll make it work somehow?"
"Or..."
"No, it's fine! I'm an adult now! I can support one oppa no problem."
"..."
Considering our age gap, she must've just hit adulthood.
I had no idea how much Jia had helped, but...
To me, it looked like Siyun was putting on a brave front.
I'd come back to Earth for my sister, but I had no intention of being a burden.
I needed to figure out how to make money ASAP.
"By the way, do people in your world all wear stuff like that? Looks so stuffy."
"Ah, this..."
I looked down at my outfit.
A custom-made nun's habit designed to conceal my figure.
The Hero's handiwork, born of his obsession.
He hadn't wanted other men seeing me.
"The Hero was a bit of a stalker type."
"Ew, the Hero? Total red flag."
"Heh, it wasn't like that at first. Got worse over time."
My sister's vivid reaction drew a smile from me before I knew it.
"You said you helped take down the Demon King with him? Priest, judging by the outfit?"
"..."
Ah, hadn't mentioned this part.
But it was kinda embarrassing to say.
I glanced cautiously at my sister.
Her eyes sparkled with interest; it was clearly a juicy topic.
"Don't laugh if I tell you...?"
"Huh? Promise!"
"I was a..."
"Huh? A?"
It was hard to get the words out.
But in the end, I squeezed my eyes shut and blurted it.
"Saintess."
"...Pfft."
"Hey, no laughing!"
"No way! A guy turns into a saintess? How am I not supposed to?!"
...Yeah, no calling myself that anywhere else.
I got where she was coming from, honestly.
But it wasn't like I'd chosen it.
I'd opened my eyes in the body of a lone mage girl who'd died.
A holy stigmata appeared on the back of my hand amid a burst of light, and I was dragged straight to the church.
After that, forced training till I bled and sweated, then recruited into the Hero's party.
"Still, seeing my cute little sister's smile after so long feels great."
"Ugh, so embarrassing! Hero party full of beauties or what?"
"Everyone but the Hero was a girl, but..."
Memories I didn't want to revisit.
Maybe spill to my sister and gossip a bit?
"The Hero was obsessively fixated on me, and the girls head-over-heels for him were jealous of me. Total mess."
"Whoa..."
Put simply, I was on the receiving end of a one-sided catfight.
"They'd go along with the Hero's creepy behavior and ostracize me among themselves. If not for the Demon King, I'd have bolted ages ago."
"What even was that Hero party! You really went through it, oppa."
Siyun empathized like it was her own ordeal.
Empathy from someone else.
It'd been so long.
"Oops, got sidetracked from the clothes! I'll lend you some—wanna change?"
"...Sure, if it's okay."
"We're both girls now! Honestly, that outfit of yours is suffocating me just looking at it."
"Heh, thanks then."
Siyun sprang up at my answer and headed to the closet in the corner of the living room.
She rummaged through, chatting at me.
"Guess I should call you unnie now, not oppa?"
"...That's a bit much."
"Huh? Awkward even after five years?"
"Never had occasion to call anyone that, or be called it. Too busy with the war."
"S-sorry! Still, unnie it is!"
So predictable.
Well, adapting to a new life—I could live with the honorific.
Lost in thought for a moment, and suddenly Siyun was holding out clothes.
I changed in the next room and came back.
Luckily loose-fitting stuff; lengths were a tad off, but wearable.
"By the way, unnie. What's with the chest?"
"...?"
"Making innocent people jealous. Why so huge?!"
"Ahem..."
It's not like I asked for this body.
Nothing to say.
"Wow, look at that hair texture. My studious oppa came back a total beauty."
"..."
"Skin's perfect too. So jealous..."
Siyun's sudden critique session kicked off.
Situation too awkward; my face heated up.
"Ahaha! You're cute when embarrassed!"
"Hey..."
"Feels like I gained a little sister instead of being the unnie?"
"..."
No good.
Time to change the subject.
"No more Hero obsessed with my hair, so maybe cut it? Got scissors?"
"No way!"
Fierce reaction.
Caught off guard.
"...Why?"
"Such a waste! Just trim it at a salon."
"Too much hassle..."
"Tsk."
"Ah, fine. Lend a headband then?"
"In that drawer over there!"
Wow.
My little sister sure grew up.
Her glaring stare made my heart skip.
Scarier than the griffon's sharp gaze back in that world.
"Huh?"
I opened the drawer she pointed to and immediately spotted something eye-catching.
Modern women's underwear.
Fancy design, unlike the otherworld's glorified chest wraps.
Suddenly felt my sister was a full adult woman.
Not on purpose, but I'd seen her undies—her little brother's no more.
Carefully grabbed just the headband and shut the drawer.
Glanced back warily, met a sly gaze.
"Unnie."
"...Yeah?"
"You saw, right?"
"...Yeah."
"Then I can see too?"
"Eh?"
How'd the logic jump there?
I instinctively stepped back.
"We're both girls now anyway? I'm curious what otherworld undies look like."
"Nothing special."
"You saw mine though? Unfair."
"..."
No way she planned this from the start...?
Gave her a suspicious look, but ignored.
Brief standoff, and I surrendered.
...Per her logic, not showing a guy anyway.
If it were a guy, the Hero's glare would've flashed, and I'd have kicked first.
Hesitated, then lifted my shirt.
"See? Nothing much."
"What is this... Way too nothing! We're shopping tomorrow, no excuses."
"Okay?"
"This is worse!"
Her intensity made me nod meekly.
Girl power was no joke.
That was when it happened.
- Ding-dong!
"Chicken's here. Be right back!"
"Okay."
I sat on the sofa, staring blankly as Siyun headed to the front door.
She opened it.
Her beaming smile froze.
A tall blond man forced his way inside.
Siyun got shoved against the wall.
"Finally opened up."
"...Could you please leave?"
"Don't be like that. Date me, and your life's set."
"I really hate the idea."
...I rose from the sofa.
No way that was the delivery guy.
"I'm a C-Rank hunter, y'know. Make good money."
"Not interested."
"Hah. ...Huh?"
As I approached, he finally noticed and turned.
Mouth agape, eyes roving up and down.
"Whoa! What's this? She's gorgeous."
"Hey! Hands off my unnie!"
Ignoring my sister, the man stood and looked down at me.
I watched for a beat, then spoke.
"Boyfriend?"
"Haha! Nah..."
"Bullshit! Stalker creep!"
The moment I heard my sister's shout...
I made my call.
No Hero party here to hassle me.
No Church, no royalty, no Demon King.
Nothing holding me back.
"Gaaah—!"
My kick shattered his shinbone with a crack, and the man crumpled.
Now I loomed over him.
"Stalker, huh?"
Daring to go after my precious little sister?
You've got guts.
Time for repentance.