Adaptation 1

After the ethical evaluation—or whatever it was called—at the Returnee Management Bureau concluded, I headed to a meat restaurant near Hapjeong Station with Yeon Seo and Yeonhwa.

When I asked if there was even a place open at this hour, Yeonhwa said she had made a few calls to the owner, dropping the Yeon family name, and everything was sorted out in a flash.

My little Binggu... turned out to be a girl from a much wealthier family than I thought.

Sizzle, sizzle.

Breaking news! Is there really someone grilling and eating meat at eleven in the morning?!

Yes, that would be me, the deceased saintess Sia.

You might ask if I'm not full after eating an entire Black Minotaur.

Now, now, what are you talking about? Even if it was just a little, I didn't eat that Black Minotaur all by myself.

Yeonhwa definitely ate some too!

Well, yes... the portion I ate probably weighed hundreds of kilograms, while Yeonhwa's portion wouldn't even reach a single kilogram even if I was being generous. But regardless, I didn't eat it alone.

Sizzle, sizzle...

At first, I thought the very concept of a meat restaurant opening in the morning was nonsense.

But the moment I stepped inside, the dazzling interior confused my eyes as if a hallucination spell had been cast on me.

The decor alone made it clear this wasn't an ordinary restaurant, but what shocked me even more was the insane price of ten thousand won for a single bottle of cider.

Of course, a restaurant of this caliber might have its brand value, service charge, and other premium factors. But even if I had returned after sixty-four years since falling into another world in 2024, seeing a ten-thousand-won price tag on a cider made curses rise right up to my throat.

Why on earth do they run a business like this?

Could it be that economic inflation had skyrocketed during my absence, causing prices to soar and the value of money to drop?

Right, it's 2088, so every price tag I knew must have changed, right?

However, the various price tags I had seen on my way here weren't much different from what I remembered from 2024.

Just to be sure, I even asked Yeon Seo.

"Prices themselves haven't changed all that much since 2024," she had said.

I couldn't fathom how such a thing was possible.

According to Yeonhwa, humanity had come incredibly close to extinction during the Great Rift.

Even though things looked peaceful and developed now, it was a civilization that had barely survived the brink of ruin. Thus, in the year 2088, the price tags hadn't changed much from the time I disappeared.

What? Why?

I wasn't an economics major, and I hadn't done any brain work for decades, so I couldn't quite grasp it.

If it were Menelapie, she would have understood it instantly...

"Well, don't worry about the price and eat to your heart's content. This grandma feels both sorry and grateful to you, Sia, so I want you to eat until you're satisfied."

"Um... Grandmother, I eat quite a lot..."

"Do you think this grandma is joking? I sincerely want you to eat a lot. I don't care how much you eat, so go ahead and order..."

"I-In that case... let's start with... ten servings of chuck flap tail..."

"Oh, will that be enough?"

"..."

Well, who cares if a cider is ten thousand won?

It's not my money anyway, and she's buying...

"Excuse me, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠young man. Bring us twenty servings of chuck flap tail first. And bring whatever rice and drinks you think are good."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Since I didn't know what to order, Yeon Seo took the lead and ordered twenty servings from the server.

She had probably received a tip from Yeonhwa beforehand about my massive appetite.

"Haha, this grandma needs to eat too. I've been running around since dawn, and my stomach is growling."

"Ah, come to think of it, Grandmother... did you participate as a rescue hunter too?"

At Yeonhwa's question, Yeon Seo nodded.

"Indeed. Even though I'm retired... so many people still look for me. It makes me angry that I don't get enough time to see my granddaughter's face."

"...It's fine."

Just as a slightly awkward air settled between Yeon Seo and Yeonhwa, the server arrived with the meat at the perfect time.

"Guests, would you like me to grill the meat for you?"

"Yes, please. The young lady here and this grandma are both very hungry, so grill it as fast as you can."

"Understood."

With that, the server left only a small portion of meat on our table and began grilling the rest at another table.

I suppose the amount that can be grilled at once is limited, so if we eat fast, they have to grill it elsewhere to keep up.

"Hunters naturally eat a lot. Stamina from food is the most important thing."

"I agree, Grandmother."

"Haha... I'm fine. Maybe because of the Black Minotaur meat I ate with Sis earlier, I'm still full..."

"You could have gone home first without waiting for me..."

"No. Watching you eat is actually quite fascinating, so I end up staring. I keep wondering how all that meat fits into that small mouth of yours..."

"Hehe, I'm pretty good at eating. Sorry."

"Oh, what is there to be sorry about? Eating well is a wonderful thing."

I was impressed by the skilled, orderly service of the staff grilling the meat.

Even though we had rented out the entire restaurant for the day, they refilled our drinks without being asked the moment they ran low, and replaced the grill plate immediately if it showed the slightest sign of charring.

Even though it was early morning and they must have been exhausted, they didn't show it at all, serving us with bright, polite smiles whenever they approached.

In the empire, it was natural for the emperor to have countless servants serving with absolute loyalty and devotion. But this was South Korea, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wasn't it?

Yet, the level of service here was almost comparable to the imperial palace...

"Haha, it's all the power of money."

"...*Gulp*, Grandmother... indeed, *gulp*. I am... *gulp*..."

"Eat slowly, or you'll get indigestion. My, look at her eat. I wish our Yeonhwa ate as much as you do..."

"...What? You want me to eat thirty servings of chuck flap tail by myself?"

I felt that Yeon Seo and Yeonhwa truly lived up to the reputation that the Yeon family never forgets a debt of gratitude.

After consuming thirty servings of chuck flap tail, ten servings of tenderloin, ten bowls of rice, and four bowls of cold noodles, I finally leaned back in my chair, looking satisfied.

"...Ah, I ate too quickly... I think I ate less than usual."

"...?"

This is eating less?

Yeonhwa's eyes shook as she stared at me.

One had to remember that I had hunted and eaten a whole 'Black Minotaur' weighing hundreds of kilograms at dawn, and then came to this high-end restaurant for a second round.

Yeonhwa, who had only eaten about a kilogram of the Black Minotaur meat, had only managed a couple of pieces here just to taste it. She had absolutely no room left. Did this deceased saintess have a black hole in her stomach?

Unlike the bewildered Yeonhwa, Yeon Seo wore a proud, warm smile.

"Fufu, you eat so well. Ah, come to think of it, Sia."

"Yes?"

"Didn't you say you were twenty-one back in 2024?"

"Y-Yes, that's right."

"Then you've returned to the modern world after sixty-four years. And how many years did you spend in the other world?"

"It should be about the same. They said the flow of time in that world and this one was identical. So wouldn't it be sixty-four years there too?"

"Ho... Then that makes you eighty-five years old now, Sia?"

"Mathematically, I suppose so...?"

At that, a mischievous smile spread across Yeon Seo's face.

"Call me Sis."

"Pardon?"

"I said, call me Sis."

What on earth was she talking about?

Yeonhwa stared at her grandmother, who was suddenly talking nonsense.

"This grandma... no, this big sister is eighty-six years old."

"Uh..."

"And you are eighty-five. At this rate, we're practically friends, aren't we?"

".....Is that so?"

"No, what do you mean 'is that so'?!"

"Sis."

"...!!"

At my call, a satisfied smile bloomed on Yeon Seo's face.

How long had it been since she was called by such a youthful title!

No matter how young she looked, everyone knew Yeon Seo was an eighty-six-year-old living legend.

Back in the day, when her face wasn't as widely known, men would sometimes try to pick her up when she went out to entertainment districts. But once she was treated as a living legend, that thrill vanished entirely.

"Ah, yes, this is it..."

"Sigh, Grandmother, you're acting your age..."

"Acting my age? How can you be jealous of this grandma making a friend, Yeonhwa?"

"Then does Binggu have to call me... Grandma Sia?"

"No..."

Since my hair was white, being called grandma wouldn't... be too strange. But Yeonhwa's expression stiffened, clearly disliking the idea.

"Um, Grandmother..."

"What is it?"

"Grandmother, your mind is definitely eighty-six years old. But the Bureau's ethical evaluation said Sia's mental age is twenty-one...!"

"...What?"

"Oh, really?"

At those words, Yeonhwa pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket.

It was clearly written there.

"..."

Seeing the document stamped with Section Chief Lee's seal, Yeon Seo's gaze turned toward me.

Her look was as pitiful as a betrayed heroine in a drama.

".........."

"Sia. You can just call her Grandmother like I do."

"Sure, why not."

".........How could this be."

I'm eighty-six no matter how much I take care of my appearance and try to look young... so how are you still twenty-one? How?

"Grandmother, thanks for buying the meat."

"....Sure....."

For some reason, Yeon Seo felt completely drained of energy.

"Then, are you fine with skipping the combat capability check for returnee Lee Sia?"

"We already have Lady Yeon Seo's statement. Just the fact that she could hold her own in a fight against her makes her at least a top-tier A-grade hunter. And since she said they exchanged blows... it's safe to consider returnee Lee Sia an S-grade. Besides, won't you be handling the details during the second ethical evaluation anyway?"

"That's true. The first evaluation is just to check 'is this person sane?' after all."

Looking at the information brought by Choi Bo-mi, the Chief Evaluator of the psychological department, Section Chief Lee felt a headache coming on.

Exchanging blows with Yeon Seo?

Yeon Seo might play around with silly jokes when she was relaxed, but she was not the type to lie.

"Returnees at the level of an S-grade hunter are rare enough, but if she can hold her own against Lady Yeon Seo... we might have to consider registering her as an official hunter with the Association."

"Uh... I wouldn't recommend that. In fact, as a returnee ethical counselor, I oppose it."

"Your reason?"

"Take a look at this first. I'll clean it up before submitting the official report, but this is what I gathered from today's evaluation."

"So the conclusion is that despite having power comparable to an S-grade, her mind is highly unstable. She looked fine on the surface, but is she suffering from PTSD?"

"From what I gathered, she's already past that phase."

"Past it?"

Section Chief Lee tilted his head, prompting her to explain further.

"Yes. She is fine for now. Returnee Lee Sia has already experienced war, or conflicts of that scale, in the other world. The PTSD from that war seems to have been healed long ago. Only faint traces remain now."

"She was in another world for sixty-four years... she must have gone through a lot. But Chief Evaluator Choi, why did you categorize her affiliation as completely impossible rather than just under consideration? We rarely see that."

"We do, on rare occasions."

Choi Bo-mi had noticed that returnee Lee Sia's mind had been deeply shaken the moment she saw the drawing of the cliff earlier.

"I don't know if it's due to loss or pain, but returnee Lee Sia will definitely refuse to be bound to any nation. She isn't the type to be swayed by offers of money or other rewards either. She has no goals, and therefore no sense of purpose. Since she has no clear weaknesses at the moment, there is nothing we can use to force her."

Having power but no purpose... among the many returnees they had managed, those with power usually had strong desires, whether for good or bad. Be it personal honor, money, or material wealth.

"And returnee Lee Sia's memory isn't one hundred percent intact right now."

"Her memory? Did someone tamper with her brain using magic?"

"The brain isn't that simple. You can't just delete specific information like a computer. Since she calls herself a deceased saintess, it's likely a personal issue. I haven't figured it all out yet. It could be short-term amnesia, or she might be subconsciously refusing to remember... We've only finished the first evaluation, so nothing is definitive. Pushing her too hard and crossing the line would only cause trouble."

"True. We've had quite a few hysterical, crazy bastards among the returnees..."

About thirty years ago, a returnee had lost their temper and gone on a rampage due to an overly intrusive evaluation. Since then, the ethical evaluation for returnees had been split into three stages.

The first evaluation was a basic test of ethics and sanity to ensure the person wouldn't randomly murder someone on the street. The second and third stages focused on assessing their overall abilities, identifying any mental illnesses, and finding ways to manage and support them.

If additional tests were needed, they would be scheduled, but most cases were resolved by the third stage. Since this systematic process was established, instances of returnees suffering mental breakdowns had dropped significantly, and many were successfully adapting to modern society with the help of the Bureau and senior returnees.

"Hmm, the problem is that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Lee Sia's estimated power is on par with Lady Yeon Seo."

"Did you report this to the higher-ups?"

"A returnee with Lady Yeon Seo's level of power? The information went straight to the VIPs."

A presence on par with Yeon Seo was not just rare; from a national standpoint, it was an opportunity that could usher in a new golden age. Yeon Seo was the first S-grade awakened, the one who established the image of hunters protecting humanity and hunting monsters. Even now, the hunter systems, management protocols, and awakening controls she created were used worldwide.

Because of Yeon Seo, South Korea held ownership and rights over several S-grade dungeons, allowing this small country to rise to the ranks of the world's leading powers. All of that was made possible by a single person: Yeon Seo.

So it was only natural that the higher-ups were making a fuss over the appearance of someone comparable to her.

"Sigh, what a headache. The higher-ups will definitely want to register Lee Sia as a hunter and put her to work."

"I'll say it again: as a counselor, I oppose it. We need to observe and monitor her for a while. Unless she wants it herself, I strongly advise against forcing anything on her. Didn't I mention she used to be someone of high status? She might be very familiar with how these things work."

"An empire... what was she, a prime minister or something? Or maybe being a saintess itself was a high-ranking position."

"Usually, when we do career counseling or support self-reliance for powerful returnees, we recommend becoming a hunter. If we approach her with the right proposals and suggestions, she might accept. After all, returnee Lee Sia is fundamentally a good person."

"Ha, well, that's a relief. If you had called her 'evil,' my heart would have stopped. I already spent the whole morning getting kicked in the shins and scolded by Lady Yeon Seo..."

Section Chief Lee adjusted his glasses and slid Lee Sia's file into a drawer.

"Let's just observe for now. I'll approve the housing shelter and support funds, so I'll leave that to you, Chief Evaluator Choi. Let me know if anything unusual comes up."

"Understood."

"...Ah, and one more thing. Lady Yeon Seo had a message for you."

"For me?"

"She said, 'That child is under the protection of the Yeon family.'"

".......Basically ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠telling us not to try anything funny."

Even though Yeon Seo had retired, the Hunter Association and the Returnee Management Bureau were still deeply connected to her. While she was portrayed as a symbol of absolute good who had protected humanity since the Great Rift, where there is bright light, there is also a dark shadow. Yeon Seo knew exactly how deep and dark that shadow could be.

"Well, you aren't the type to try anything funny anyway, Chief Evaluator Choi. That's why I called you in early this morning to assign you to this returnee."

"Sigh... next time, please call me in the afternoon. Do you know how hard it is to force myself to be energetic in the morning?"

"I'll try."