I Want to Dream a Good Dream for a Long Time (1)

A wyvern egg.

Ironically, the very first proper meal Sia had ever eaten in "that other world" was also a dish made from a wyvern egg.

During the first year after she became the deceased saintess and lived in isolation, avoiding all human contact, her diet consisted of nothing but unsalted, roughly grilled meat or wild mushrooms plucked at random from the forest. The next thing she had consumed was the "Colossus of Wrath, Atalid," but even then, she had been so crazed by the scent of blood amidst her agonizing hunger that she couldn't truly savor the taste.

It was only when she was guided to the imperial palace by Empress Menelapie Hailam that Sia finally found the peace of mind to enjoy a proper, well-prepared meal for the first time since arriving in that world.

Gulp, swallow.

"You certainly have a healthy appetite."

Sia ate in absolute silence. Only after she had cleared about twenty plates without pausing for a single breath did she finally sniffle and speak.

"*Sniff*, *hic*... *gulp*... It's so delicious..."

"I wondered how it would suit your palate. I did ask Sir Adelmerck, the imperial chef, to pay special attention to it..."

"It's delicious. It really, really is... *sob*..."

"There is plenty more, so please, eat slowly. You will give yourself indigestion."

It was a pathetic sight, but having tasted a proper meal for the first time in a year, Sia wept openly as she ate.

The dish Sia ate back then was not a simple soy-braised wyvern egg, but rather one lavishly decorated with spices so vibrant they looked like sprinkled gold dust. Yet, regardless of the taste, the sheer reality of eating real food after a year of starvation made her tears flow uncontrollably.

Watching her eat so heartily even while crying, Menelapie couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.

"Well, is your stomach finally starting to fill?"

"...*Sniff*, *hic*... *gulp*... It's sho good... Thank you sho much..."

"I rather preferred the way you spoke so boldly earlier while grabbing me by the collar. Just because I am the Empress, you do not need to force yourself to use formal speech or stand on ceremony."

"A-About that... I am truly sorry..."

Recalling how she had grabbed the Empress by the collar and glared as if she wanted to murder her the moment she woke up, Sia lowered her head in embarrassment.

Now that her torrential rage and sorrow had passed, she felt incredibly ashamed.

"Did I not tell you that your anger was entirely justified? The fault lies with our side."

"........."

"It seems you have eaten your fill for now, so listen while you continue to eat."

"Ye-es... *gulp*... *munch, munch*..."

"According to the prophecies, you... the deceased saintess, are not a being of this world. Is this true?"

".....Ye-es...? H-How did you know that..."

"Did I not just say it was written ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in the prophecies? I do not understand the mechanism behind it myself, but they have proven correct on quite a few matters. I merely asked to confirm."

Sia, who never expected such words to come from the Empress's mouth rather than her own, nodded automatically.

She had assumed no one would ever believe the absurd claim that she came from another world, so she had no intention of telling the Empress in the first place. She never imagined Menelapie would bring it up first.

Then again, she had heard there were imperial mages here.

If there were imperial mages, it meant magic truly existed. While Sia didn't know the exact limits of their magic, the fact that they had observed her existence since a year ago proved that their magic-related civilization was highly advanced.

There were monsters threatening humanity, and even the Colossus she had devoured.

In a world like this, a visitor from another dimension might not actually be that shocking of an occurrence.

"What kind of person were you?"

"....Compared to you, Your Majesty..."

"Did I not say you could speak comfortably? You are a being from another world, so you have no obligation to submit to the laws of this land."

"....."

"Haha, you are surprisingly stubborn in the strangest ways. Though I suppose that is how you managed to preserve your humanity even after a whole year. Very well, then I shall command you to speak casually."

"U-Uh, okay. I get it."

Having finally been coaxed into speaking casually, Sia looked at the Empress with a slightly tense expression.

The dining hall was empty.

Aside from a few servants carrying dishes, there was no one else. No one would be foolish enough to risk their life by gossiping about a conversation held here.

"Just like you said, Menelapie... I came from another world. This wasn't my original body, either. I was just... incredibly ordinary..."

"Tell me more. I wish to hear the details."

"I'll tell you what I can remember..."

And so, Sia spoke about her past self from the other world.

She revealed that she had originally been a man, and that she had lived in a world where technology and science flourished instead of magic.

She explained how, after a bizarre and sudden accident, she had opened her eyes to find herself transformed into the deceased saintess...

Even though it must have sounded like utter nonsense to an Empress, Menelapie never dismissed a single word. She listened intently, nodding along the entire time.

"And, well... compared to you, I'm just a nobody who never accomplished anything..."

The moment Sia had first laid eyes on Empress Menelapie, she felt as if she were looking at a living incarnation of gold.

Brilliant golden hair and a powerful, commanding physique.

Though the young Empress appeared to be around her own age, her golden eyes burned with an undeniable, fierce charisma.

From their very first meeting, Sia knew Menelapie hadn't ascended to the throne by mere ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠chance.

Unlike herself, a deceased saintess...

Unlike her own corpse-pale skin, Menelapie was the very definition of vibrant, dynamic life.

Ever since arriving in this world, Sia had cowered in the forest like a pathetic loser for a year, terrified of everything. In contrast, the Empress seemed to shine with a brilliant, enviable light.

"A nobody compared to me, you say..."

"Y-Yeah... I'm... well, to use a term from my world, I'm a total loser... Even though I have this power, I don't even know what to do with it... I'm just timid and weak..."

"That cannot be true. You endured a hunger and starvation so agonizing it could drive anyone mad. Even though you had countless opportunities to descend to the nearest village and slaughter humans to feed, you chose the path of preserving your humanity. How could someone like that be weak?"

"But still..."

"Trust my judgment. An Empress must possess a keen eye for people, and you have thoroughly captured my interest. So do not worry."

The stunningly beautiful Empress rested her chin on her hand and spoke softly.

"There is no such thing as a useless person."

"......"

"Every human is precious to someone, and everyone possesses their own worth. A piece of jade buried in the mud may look filthy, but with just a little polishing, it will shine as beautifully as a pearl. Tell me, do young, helpless infants possess no value? They cannot do anything on their own, and if left alone for just a few days, they will surely die. Would you call those babies worthless, insignificant beings?"

"T-That's not what I meant. Children need to be looked after..."

"Do you truly believe adults do not require looking after? Very few adults can accomplish anything entirely on their own. Even I would find ruling nearly impossible without my eight imperial scribes. And had it not been for the previous Hero who taught me swordsmanship, I would have lost my life in the Great War against the Demon Realm ten years ago. Even now, if I do not have my attendants beside me when I sleep, I suffer from terrible insomnia. And if I manage to fall asleep only to have a nightmare, my condition is ruined for the entire day."

Hearing that the seemingly perfect Empress suffered from nightmares gave Sia a bit of a culture shock.

She had only known Menelapie for a very short time.

But judging by the aura and charisma she exuded, she seemed like the flawless, ideal ruler. Yet, she couldn't even fall asleep without someone by her side...

"I, too, am a human riddled with flaws. It is simply that I have things I can do, and from those actions, a different kind of value is born. And the same applies to you."

"......"

"Everyone has weaknesses and flaws. However, it is only natural that there are strengths that exist to balance them."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Oh no.

She felt like she was going to cry again.

"It is precisely because humans have flaws that they strive to overcome them. Even if individual humans can be foolish beyond belief, their grand struggles deserve nothing but praise. Do you know the greatest reason why I have taken such a liking to you? Is it because you are beautiful? I, too, am beautiful. Is it your strength as the deceased saintess? While that is appealing, it is not a level of might that cannot be replaced."

"T-Then why..."

"I have taken a liking to the humanity that resides within you. Ah, that makes me sound somewhat like a pansexual. Haha, do not misunderstand."

Menelapie gave a warm, gentle smile and shrugged her shoulders.

"You could have surrendered to your hunger at any moment to make things easier for yourself. Yet, recognizing that it would be a monstrous act, you struggled tirelessly for a year to overcome your own curse. I saw your agony, and I saw your efforts. That journey deserves absolute praise, and I gladly offer my affection alongside that praise."

Sia, who had spent the past year unable to complain to anyone, not knowing how to handle her hunger, and simply enduring it all in isolation, felt as if the Empress's words were piercing straight through her heart.

"It may sound a bit strange, but I truly like you. For some reason, it feels as though I have reunited with an old, dear friend I have known for a lifetime."

".....Th-Thank you..."

"Haha, that is all I ask. Well... I may have taken the long way around to say it, but what I wanted to tell you is that you should hold yourself in higher regard."

"But I'm just an outsider. I was just lucky... no, unlucky enough to accidentally become the deceased saintess."

"I, too, was lucky enough to become Empress, and lucky enough to survive death. Luck, in the end, is merely a part of your destiny and a testament to your capability."

Looking at the smiling Menelapie, Sia felt her face grow hot.

She was a deceased saintess whose heart didn't even beat, yet her face was burning.

Was there a fire nearby or something...?

"Hehe, I think I am beginning to understand what kind of person you are."

Perhaps because she had dreamed a good dream, waking up felt exceptionally easy.

It was a bit funny that eating soy-braised wyvern eggs had triggered a dream like that...

But still, it felt wonderful to see a face she had missed for so long.

"Wow, I actually woke up early for once..."

Even though it was just a memory inside a dream, all of Menelapie's words felt like advice meant for her current self as well.

It was a good day.

She had dreamed of the distant past.

She had seen Menelapie.

...She wanted to see her just one more time.

She thought about lying back down to see if she could fall asleep and dream of Menelapie or Theresa again, but since she was already wide awake, she couldn't drift off no matter how much she closed her eyes.

"..Guess I should get up."

The body of the deceased had some strange physiological functions.

While she produced virtually no bodily waste, the fact that she could still shed tears and salivate proved that her body wasn't entirely dead.

When it came to food and digestion, her Evil Nature Predator trait allowed her to completely digest absolutely anything.

Actually, it was closer to conversion than digestion.

Everything she chewed and swallowed was converted into either holy power or the energy required to move her physical body.

Thanks to that, she had never needed to use the bathroom for anything other than washing herself, which was a massive advantage.

She had lived in this body for over sixty years, yet it remained an absolute mystery.

Although she didn't sweat or produce waste, she used the purification miracle to shake off any dust she might have gathered while sleeping.

Instantly, her body became as clean as if she had just stepped out of the shower.

If Menelapie had been here, she would have undoubtedly scolded her, saying, "Hey! Stop being lazy and go wash yourself properly!" before pushing her into the bath. Unfortunately, there was no one here to do that now...

"..Let's just take a real shower anyway."

It wasn't because Menelapie had appeared in her dream. She just felt like washing up.

Whoosh...

Still, feeling the warm water pour over her felt wonderful.

She had assumed that becoming an undead meant she wouldn't be able to feel heat or cold, but aside from her pain threshold being incredibly high, her senses were actually surprisingly sharp.

Her sense of smell was much more acute, and her hearing had been significantly enhanced as well.

After finishing her shower, she stepped out of the bathroom and noticed a round sphere sitting on the table.

"Ah, right..."

The hunter support AI drone camera.

The Association had told her to bring it back immediately after completing the mission.

Yesterday, she had been so blissfully happy about successfully eating the soy-braised wyvern eggs that she completely forgot about it.

Maybe she should take a stroll over to the Hunter Association, like an elderly person taking a morning walk around the neighborhood.

The Hunter Association and the Returnee Management Bureau were in the same building anyway.

However, she suddenly felt incredibly lazy.

"...Hmm, it's supposed to have a ton of features. Can't I just send the footage directly to the Hunter Association?"

She was terrible with technology, but surely a feature like that existed.

She had forgotten about it because she was too busy gathering wyvern eggs and beating the beasts into submission in the Curtala Mountain Range, but that drone camera had managed to keep up with her perfectly even when she was running at full speed without paying it any mind.

With that kind of technology, there was no way it didn't have a transmission or email function.

The real question was whether she could figure out how to use it, even if the feature existed.

Beep, beep.

"...Yeonhwa?"

Just as she was tying up her dried hair, her smartwatch rang loudly.

"Hey, Binggu. Did you enjoy the wyvern eggs?"

[I'm not Binggu...! *Sigh*, you're up early today?]

"I had a good dream, so I woke up right away. What's up?"

[Uh, Unni, just in case... do you know what Hunter Streams are?]

"Hunter Streams? Why bring that up all of a sudden?"

Of course she knew.

After returning to Earth, Hunter Streams were the primary culprit behind how she wasted most of her time at the shelter.

She had spent the entire month searching for various hunter broadcasts and had even donated a few times. While she wasn't an absolute expert, she could confidently say she knew a decent amount about them.

When she was bored, she even browsed a community called the Genre Hunter Gallery to look for interesting posts.

"I know about them. Ah! Come to think of it, I met a hunter named Cheon A-young in the Curtala Mountain Range, and she said she was a hunter streamer. Since we met, I was thinking of checking out her channel. Who knows, maybe I'll show up on her broadcast?"

[.....So you really didn't know.]

"Know what?"

Hearing Yeonhwa speak as if she were holding back laughter, Sia finished tying her hair and pulled on a pair of sweatpant booty shorts.

They felt a bit tight, but they were comfortable. Modern technology really was amazing.

[Unni, do you know the Genre Hunter Gallery?]

"Yeah, I know it's an internet community where toxic trolls gather to talk about anything and everything related to hunters."

[Could you take a look at the link I just sent you?]

"A link?"

[Please.... don't be too shocked, Unni. You're not in a rush, so take your time and look through the other posts too.]

As Yeonhwa sent the message, an internet window popped up on the smartwatch's hologram.

Since Yeonhwa would never terrorize her with disgusting images, Sia clicked the link without suspicion.

And there, she saw...

There was a high-quality GIF of her using her tentacles to steal a wyvern egg.

She was even bursting into a bright, innocent laugh like a little child.

...Why was she on there?

Uh... that was definitely her in the Curtala Mountain Range yesterday. Did someone film her secretly?

What was this? What on earth was going on???

A million thoughts rushed through her head.

What in the world had happened?

Why was her GIF spreading everywhere like she was some kind of popular hunter streamer?

Normally, she visited the Genre Hunter Gallery multiple times ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a day. But yesterday, she had been too busy making soy-braised wyvern eggs, and immediately after returning from Gyeryong to Seoul, she had given Yeonhwa an egg and gone straight home, leaving her no time to check the forums.

What on earth happened in just one day...?!

With a sinking feeling, she looked at the other popular posts in the gallery, and they were even worse.

Wait, what was this green dinosaur or frog thing?!

Why did they photoshopped her onto that hideous thing?!

"Ah, seriously, I'm getting a headache..."

She couldn't remember the last time she had felt a headache since becoming undead.