I Want to Dream a Good Dream for a Long Time (2)

While Sia was browsing the Hunter Genre Gallery, trying to steady her dizzy mind, a small meeting was underway at the Hunter Association.

"So, you're saying there was absolutely no malfunction with the drone?"

"Yes, sir."

Minister Kim Si-hyun, who concurrently served as the President of the Hunter Association and the Director of the Returnee Management Bureau, nodded at Section Chief Choi Bo-mi's report.

From the moment the broadcast went live due to Sia's minor blunder, the Hunter Association had assigned personnel to monitor the returnee Lee Sia's stream in real-time.

For the Association, having the raw, unfiltered actions of a returnee whose danger level hadn't even been properly measured broadcast live on a platform like Switch was quite uncomfortable. However, the fact that they could closely monitor and gather information on Lee Sia in real-time was actually a welcome development.

After all, the Association's goal was to gather data on Lee Sia, not to read the chaotic and dizzying chat window.

"So, she didn't broadcast it live on purpose?"

"It seems she started the broadcast due to her unfamiliarity with operating the drone. Since it uses a hologram touch interface, if the touch sensitivity is set too high, even dust or wind can trigger it."

"Hmm, I see. Having returned after sixty-four years, it's only natural she'd be unfamiliar with modern technology."

"Even in our time, few people actually read the operation manuals even when they were provided, so it's quite understandable."

The AI drone camera loaned to Hunter Lee Sia by the Association featured state-of-the-art technology that hadn't even been released to the public yet.

It was packed with various features, and while they had provided it to the returnee Lee Sia for free under the guise of prototype testing, the Association's true motive was to evaluate her detailed capabilities as a hunter.

From the Hunter Association's perspective, they had already secured Yeon Seo's testimony that Sia was strong enough to fight her, but they couldn't accurately measure Sia's power and abilities based on words alone.

If they had it their way, they probably would have locked the returnee Lee Sia in a research facility like a test subject to run all kinds of tests and experiments.

However, messing with a returnee of her caliber could trigger a massive backlash, so they had to restrain themselves. In an era where voices advocating for the human rights of returnees were growing louder, they couldn't openly monitor her private life. Thus, they had to provide her with various hunter supports to gather detailed combat data and information.

They needed to gauge just how dangerous she was.

And they had to determine the severity of the 'mental issues' Section Chief Choi Bo-mi had mentioned.

They had to assess whether she would be an asset to the nation's interests or a threat that needed to be neutralized at all costs.

And thanks to the 'broadcast footage' of her clearing the Curtala Mountain Range, the Hunter Association was able to form a rough evaluation of Lee Sia.

"According to the analysts' evaluation... returnee Lee Sia's overall combat rank is definitely S-grade."

"S-grade... This is the first time a returnee has received an S-grade since returnee Yujin, isn't it?"

"Yes. We plan to conduct a detailed examination when returnee Lee Sia officially registers as a hunter, but her accidental broadcast was actually a stroke of luck for us."

"Despite killing a total of 132 wyverns in the Curtala Mountain Range, she showed no signs of exhaustion. Furthermore, she revived recently deceased wyverns only to kill them again about ten times. She isn't limited to healing one target at a time, either; it has been confirmed that she possesses a wide-range ability capable of healing the entire wyvern pack on the third peak of the Curtala Mountain Range."

"Additionally, the Behemoth-like tentacles growing from her lower back seem to possess strength and durability comparable to returnee Lee Sia herself."

"We plan to investigate her special abilities further during the upcoming second ethical evaluation, but it wouldn't be surprising if she has even more abilities at her disposal."

"Sigh, this is giving me a headache..."

Just as Section Chief Choi Bo-mi said, the Association was plagued with headaches because returnee Lee Sia's power was simply too immense.

"I believe it is safe to assign returnee Lee Sia an overall combat rank of S-grade."

"Her strength, reflexes, endurance, and physical durability are all S-grade. And holy power? I'm a bit lacking in knowledge in this area. Could you explain what holy power is?"

"Normally, other hunters or awakened individuals must use 'mana' to reinforce their bodies or cast special abilities. However, you can think of returnee Lee Sia as using a power that is a higher-tier compatibility of mana. If we compare detonating a bomb with the same amount of mana versus holy power, mana might blow up a single room, while holy power could level an entire building."

If Sia were A-grade or lower, they could simply keep her existence under wraps.

They could support her with a decent psychiatric hospital and drug therapy, just as they did with other returnees.

However, the deceased saintess Sia was far too strong.

One might wonder what the big deal was about a single person possessing great power, but in this day and age, an S-grade hunter was an asymmetric weapon. Each individual was essentially walking around with a nuclear launch button.

No, it was simpler to think of each S-grade hunter as an additional nuclear bomb in the nation's arsenal.

The biggest question, of course, was whether they could safely control that nuclear bomb.

Now that her overall rank was established as S-grade, Sia would eventually be exposed to the media and the public, whether she liked it or not. Foreign governments were particularly sensitive to the existence of S-grade hunters.

With the dawn of the hunter era, the quality and quantity of hunters directly equated to national power, exerting a massive influence on international relations.

The reason South Korea, with its small territory, had actually entered its golden age after the Great Rift was because of the existence of Yeon Seo, the first and strongest hunter of humanity, and their successful cultivation of subsequent generations of hunters.

Conversely, China had been on a steady decline since the Great Rift.

The Chinese 'Saintess' incident, which was even recorded in textbooks, was still enough to make people laugh in disbelief.

"For the record, if Lady Yeon Seo finds out we are holding this meeting, she will march right in here immediately."

"Investigating personal information without the consent of the individual is one thing, but the Human Rights Association will also make a fuss..."

"Those bastards at the Returnee Coalition Council or whatever will also throw a fit, claiming they've caught us red-handed. In the first place, Lady Yeon Seo warned us not to do anything foolish regarding returnee Lee Sia..."

"But we haven't crossed the line of doing anything 'foolish' yet, have we?"

"True. Though how Lady Yeon Seo will interpret it is a different story."

But the biggest problem still remained.

"The public's reaction is the issue."

"Indeed..."

"Sigh, it would have been so much easier if she had just returned as a human."

"Things don't always go the way we want them to, so there's nothing we can do."

A returnee with power rivaling Yeon Seo, the living legend and humanity's strongest hunter, has arrived.

If people only heard the first half, they would cheer.

But how would they react if they found out that this returnee suffered from a disease-like hunger called 'Evil Nature Predator' and belonged to a race called 'deceased saintess' rather than being human?

What if she also suffered from unconfirmed mental exhaustion?

Naturally, people would be afraid.

In extreme cases, some might even protest, demanding her banishment.

While some accepted returnees, not all returnees were good people, and there were even returnee groups that committed acts of terror to reclaim their rights.

"Of course, it's not like we don't have returnees of other races..."

There were half-elves and returnees with animalistic traits. There were even returnees who crossed over with entirely different entities.

But they were all integrated under the single term of 'humanoid races.'

Even if their races differed, they were living beings who were not hostile to humanity, and ultimately, they could be classified as sub-species of humans.

However, returnee Lee Sia was fundamentally not human, representing a unique case of a deceased saintess.

Even if she looked like a human with excessively pale skin, she was fundamentally undead.

She was hostile ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to the living, and she had even admitted to suffering from 'hunger' herself.

How the public would accept a deceased returnee was an unknown variable even for the Hunter Association.

While Sia's accidental live broadcast made it easier for the Association to monitor her, the future policy regarding her would be decided based on how the public accepted her.

"But what about the Skeleton Knight? Isn't he also undead?"

"His situation is actually better than returnee Lee Sia's. That returnee was completely sane in terms of mental history, and he didn't possess a unique trait like 'Evil Nature Predator' like Lee Sia does."

"That's correct, Minister Kim. As Section Chief Choi said, that returnee looked completely different from a human, which actually made it easier for people to accept him. Rather than falling into the uncanny valley by looking similar to a human, he had an entirely non-human form. Furthermore, it was during the Second Great Rift, so the situation was completely different from now."

The Skeleton Knight was a returnee who had come back during the Second Great Rift fifteen years ago.

To resolve the massive chaos of the Great Rift, they needed all the help they could get. In fact, the Skeleton Knight returnee was able to build a positive public image by helping countless people during the Second Great Rift, allowing him to quickly integrate into society.

Now, fifteen years later, he was considered a local specialty of Ansan, taking photos with citizens and participating in large-scale events alongside the Mayor of Ansan.

But now?

The situation was completely different.

It was difficult for the Hunter Association to predict what would happen if the fact that returnee Lee Sia was a deceased saintess became public knowledge.

"As we saw with the Skeleton Knight, people might surprisingly accept it as no big deal."

"Or they might not."

At the end of the day, the Association's goal was simple.

Is returnee Lee Sia a threat to this country?

Even if the Association wasn't entirely clean, their fundamental purpose of existence was the national interest of South Korea and the safety of its citizens.

"But wait, did you say the Skeleton Knight easily blended into our society because he had a good image?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"However, that was because he actively rescued people in danger during the Second Great Rift, which naturally built a good image. The government didn't even need to package him. In this day and age, if the government actively promotes or packages a hunter, it will only generate backlash."

"A thought just occurred to me... Isn't the biggest issue with returnee Lee Sia ultimately how the public accepts her? And she... is she a she?"

"He was male before the Great Rift, but at this point, she has been recognized as female."

"Ah, I see. In any case, isn't the problem how people will accept a non-human like a deceased saintess, and the fact that we don't have many means to control returnee ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Lee Sia?"

"To put it simply, yes."

While there were dangerous individuals even in peaceful times, it would ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠be difficult to achieve the same level of public acceptance as during the Great Rift.

"To summarize the problems our returnee Lee Sia is currently facing... She has an unidentifiable mental vulnerability, yet she possesses disaster-level strength comparable to Lady Yeon Seo. Despite being a returnee, she refuses to affiliate with the state, her behavioral principles are difficult to deduce, and we don't know what she wants. Simply put, isn't she like a nuclear bomb we don't know how to manage?"

"Yes. Although the ethical evaluation confirmed that returnee Lee Sia possesses human morality, to be honest, we don't know when that might collapse."

"According to Section Chief Choi, she might not collapse at all."

The Minister looked at Sia's broadcast playing on the screen as he spoke.

Watching her laugh like a child while stealing wyvern eggs, she looked completely innocent, yet she harbored a nuclear bomb within her. What an irony.

"So, while managing returnee Lee Sia's mental state, we must loosen our surveillance as much as possible to eliminate the risk of her naturalizing in another country due to hurt feelings. And since Lady Yeon Seo warned us, we must not cross the line."

"......That's right."

Wait, now that I look at it, isn't this absolute hell mode?

Section Chief Choi Bo-mi, Vice Minister Lee, and Minister Kim.

And the employees of the Hunter Association's Management Department attending the meeting all felt a splitting headache coming on.

We can't do this.

We can't do that.

But we can't just leave her alone, either.

"Excuse me..."

Just then, an attendee sitting at the very end of the table raised their hand.

"M-May I express an opinion, if you don't mind?"

"Of course."

Even if it came from a low-ranking employee, they would welcome any opinion that could help resolve this situation.

"Well...... This might sound strange, but what if we have returnee Lee Sia do a hunter broadcast officially authorized by the Association?"

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

A sudden silence fell over the meeting room.

What kind of crazy talk is that?

Did I hear that right?

Section Chief Choi Bo-mi furrowed her brow as if her head hurt, and Vice Minister Lee bowed his head to the Minister.

"I apologize, Minister Kim..."

"No, let's hear the reason why you said that first."

Tell us the reason.

I'll listen.

But if it's nonsense, you're dead.

At the Minister's words, which carried multiple underlying meanings, the employee swallowed hard and spoke.

"Y-You all know that hunter streamers are the trend these days."

"Yes, the government actually encourages hunters of A-grade and above to broadcast. They say it helps form a friendly image and public opinion among citizens. And it actually does."

"Exactly! W-Well, we haven't asked returnee Lee Sia for her opinion yet, but... if we assume she officially receives ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a hunter license from the Association and does a broadcast certified by the Association, a significant portion of the problems you mentioned earlier will be resolved."

".......Hmm."

At the Minister's thoughtful hum, Vice Minister Lee bowed his head again.

"I apologize. I will personally discipline that fellow..."

"No, Vice Minister Lee. Think about it. Although it sounds absurd, doesn't it actually make sense?"

"Pardon?"

"It satisfies the surveillance aspect as well. If it's a broadcast certified by the Hunter Association, wouldn't it help people accept returnee Lee Sia as a safe returnee who isn't a threat to humanity?"

Let's think about it.

If returnee Lee Sia does a hunter broadcast.

The Hunter Association wouldn't need to use private surveillance or shady methods to monitor her legally.

Because she would be broadcasting.

Because archives would be left behind.

Because records and videos would remain on Switch.

Whether they liked it or not, the Hunter Association needed continuous monitoring and data updates on returnee Lee Sia.

And in the very unlikely event... if returnee Lee Sia found satisfaction in broadcasting, it would also help treat her mental exhaustion.

Even if Sia was undead, if she was doing a broadcast certified by the Hunter Association... people who were initially reluctant because she was undead might think, 'Oh? She's certified by the Association? I guess she's just a unique returnee?' and accept her.

"And didn't you say returnee Lee Sia has a unique diet? That she needs to consume evil nature or something?"

"Yes, it seems she can mostly obtain it from monsters. That seems to be the reason why she made braised wyvern eggs in the Curtala Mountain Range this time."

"Then, if we allow returnee Lee Sia to consume all byproducts within dungeons as long as she reports it... wouldn't that actually be great? Don't you think returnee Lee Sia would also consider it positively?"

"Uh..."

What's this? Why does it sound like a good idea?

"Section Chief Choi, when is returnee Lee Sia's next ethical evaluation?"

"The schedule hasn't been set yet."

"Bring it forward as much as possible, and since I'll approve all this hunter broadcasting stuff, propose it to returnee Lee Sia. If it works out well, isn't that a win-win?"

"Yes, understood."

At that moment, Sia was browsing the Hunter Genre Gallery, reading through all the popular posts related to her.

Needless to say, she was dumbfounded at first.

Why am I even here?

GIFs of her chest bouncing as if she were on display were plastered everywhere.

However, as she read through the popular posts, she realized it wasn't just her chest that was the focus. These malicious bastards had started praising her in a bizarre and grotesque way after seeing her make braised wyvern eggs.

Amidst all that, the high quality of the GIFs and photos was strangely amusing.

"....."

Sia, who had been flustered at first, gradually calmed down.

Come to think of it, she hadn't committed any sins or wrongs.

Although she had taught the wyverns the fear of death to subjugate them, since when did monsters have human rights?

Besides, if those wyverns overpopulated and came out of the gate, they were harmful beasts that would cause massive damage to humans.

Instead, people were praising Sia.

A flashy battle that looked like it was slathered in computer graphics.

The anticipation of a new S-grade hunter.

Of course, there were many comments and posts that crossed the line, but there were also many viewers who praised her for having a large, beautiful chest and a pretty face.

".......Hehe.."

Sia felt strangely good.

Even when she saw comments that crossed the line or excessive sexual harassment, Sia was fine.

Although she wasn't a saintess of a traditional fantasy world, Sia was a deceased saintess.

Having lived as a saintess for over sixty years and experienced countless things, this level of light(?) sexual harassment didn't even register as an insult to her.

She could tolerate almost anything.

After all, she didn't even feel angry.

"..Am I pretty? Yes, I am... Menelapie said I was pretty, and Theresa said I was pretty too."

Her mind, which had originally belonged to a man, had long since melted away as Sia smiled, looking at her image captured in the Hunter Genre Gallery.

"Am I.......cut out to be a streamer?"

"Are you okay, Sis?"

"Ah! Sorry, Binggu. I was on the phone with you."

"It's okay. I was on the phone with you while making braised wyvern eggs myself."

"Oh.... That sounds delicious..."

"Didn't you eat it yesterday, Sis?"

"But it was really delicious... I bet the braised wyvern eggs you made are delicious too, Binggu..."

"Should I bring you some?"

"Really?! A-Ah, no.... It was a gift from me, so you should eat it all..."

"Sis, one of these eggs is enough for thirty servings. I can't eat it all by myself."

"W-Well, then I won't refuse."

As they conversed, Yeonhwa hesitated for a moment.

"Um, Sis..."

"Yeah?"

"You must have been really upset, right?"

"Upset? Why? I'm fine."

"You're fine?"

Yeonhwa asked in a puzzled voice.

It was only natural. The Hunter Genre Gallery was the largest community site in the country, frequented by countless people, and it was filled with unimaginably toxic trolls.

GIFs and photos of returnee Lee Sia were being shared everywhere regardless of her intentions, so it was only natural for a normal person to feel upset.

"I'm really fine. In fact, I feel a bit good."

"You feel good...?"

"People are happy because of me."

"...Pardon?"

She's not upset just because of that?

"Before I came here, I was Menelapie's... no, the Emperor's right hand. Although we defeated the Demon King together, I'm not very smart, so I didn't know how to do politics. As a saintess and the Emperor's right hand, what do you think I did in the Empire?"

"What did you do?"

"I comforted the people. I healed the wounded, lifted the burdens of the sick, and listened to the words of the poor, the needy, and the ill."

However, healing the sick and turning the hearts of the wounded public sometimes brought unintended consequences.

People who were scarred by the war against the demons would sometimes vent their anger at Sia, who was essentially a punching bag, or treat her as an emotional garbage can.

There were times when her benevolent grace was met with terrible retaliation, and Sia's memory was filled with a mountain of other unreasonable experiences and cases.

Yet Sia embraced them all, and as a result, she received the support and cheers of the Empire's citizens alongside the Emperor.

Compared to that, what was this?

The Hunter Genre Gallery? Trolls? Viewers?

It was cute and didn't even tickle.

"Although I really like meat... and although I'm undead... I'm still a saintess. Being teased by people in any form is something to be happy about."

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

No voice came from the smartwatch.

Yeonhwa was probably in awe.

She had thought Sia was just a slightly peculiar older sister, but Sia possessed a tolerance and benevolence far beyond what Yeonhwa had imagined.

If only she had shown that level of benevolence to the wyverns...

Well, wyverns didn't have human rights.

Yeonhwa separately saved the IP addresses and screenshot archives of those who 'crossed the line' in the Hunter Genre Gallery, which she had gathered through the Yeon family's lawyers.

If Sia had been hurt or angered by the posts and comments that crossed the line, Yeonhwa would have headed straight to court with the Yeon family's lawyers without hesitation.

She had intended to show those keyboard warriors how harsh reality could be...

But contrary to Yeonhwa's expectations, seeing the deceased saintess genuinely happy made her think she should hold back for now.

"Hey, Sis."

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to try broadcasting?"

"...Eh?"