Bri?bery

Translator : Elizabeth

After examining the records of the Search Team Hunters who headed to Cheonan to contact Yukino, I went to find a Hunter named Lee Jung-woo, who had the most seniority among them.

According to the records, they were proceeding with the conversation smoothly there, but from the moment Yukino discovered Charles, she suddenly became aggressive, so while evacuating the subordinate Hunters, he couldn't dodge in time himself and got injured.

Although he wasn't hit directly by Yukino's arrow, he had many scrapes from fragments that flew as the arrow shattered the ground, and he also suffered light burns due to the flames created by the talismans.

When I went to visit him, I saw Lee Jung-woo with band-aids on his body, suffering from this and that injury, although not as much as me with an arrow lodged directly in my buttock or Charles who got swept up in the middle of the fight.

"You are Hunter Lee Jung-woo, right? I am Jung Hyun-soo from the Settlement Support Division."

"Ah, Section Chief Jung Hyun-soo. Huh? Are you allowed to move already? I heard the injury was significant..."

"Somehow the rumors seem a bit exaggerated, but it's not that severe of an injury. Just... Keu-heong!"

Approaching Lee Jung-woo, I jumped in surprise feeling a throbbing pain in my buttock for a moment.

"J-Just an arrow lodged in the buttock a bit."

"...... Isn't that bad? What if you get tetanus or something. I think you should rest..."

"No! I'm fine! And the reason I visited Hunter Lee Jung-woo is not to talk about my unimportant physical condition, but to check on Hunter Lee Jung-woo's well-being!"

"Me? As you can see, it's just light bruises and burns..."

I jumped exaggeratedly.

"These are not light bruises or burns! I know the transferee who attacked you that day well; the arrows are not ordinary arrows, and the fire created by talismans and sorcery is different from ordinary fire! If left alone, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it might seem healed on the outside, but it can be ruined from the inside!"

"Pardon? Doctors and nurses said there were no major problems..."

"Did talismans happen to appear in the air and formless things pour out like tentacles? Didn't you feel pain as if you were hit even though you weren't hit by arrows?"

At my words, Lee Jung-woo's eyes grew wide.

"Yes? No, how do you..."

"I know that person's combat style well. The tentacle-like things that poured out from those talismans are a collection of dead souls! That person is a Great Shrine Maiden of a shrine, so she has mastered exorcism arrows, spirit arts, and talisman arts, so you cannot judge only by what you see with your eyes.

If you touched even a little of the tentacles poured from those talismans, you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠made contact with the spirits of the dead, so even if it looks fine to the eyes or medical devices, the contact area has assimilated with the Underworld and is dying rapidly!"

Lee Jung-woo's complexion became pale rapidly.

It seems he did touch the spirits poured from those talismans, as he broke out in a cold sweat and trembled.

I know Yukino's combat style best in this world, and since what I just described must have been exactly the same as what Lee Jung-woo experienced.

When I, who hadn't even seen the fight, pinpointed the facts exactly as if I had been at the scene back then, Lee Jung-woo fell into a panic.

"And that flame! Was it by any chance a color mixed with blue and white?"

"Th-That's right!"

"Oh dear... This is even bigger trouble. That is the flame of the Underworld. That person is a shrine maiden who connects this world and the afterlife, so she handles the power of the afterlife very well, but if you touch the flame of the Underworld, your life force gets sucked into the Underworld gradually. Not only did you touch the spirits of the dead, but if you contacted the flame of the Underworld as well, that speed will increase further. You'll look fine only on the outside, but one day you won't be able to open your eyes forever."

"Is, is, is that really true?"

Of course, it's a lie.

Yukino is a shrine maiden who catches apparitions and yokai, not people.

It is true that Yukino knows how to handle spirit arts and has mastered various sorceries to draw power from the Underworld, but she absolutely, absolutely does not use that power toward people.

But is the truth important right now?

The important thing is making Lee Jung-woo and other Hunters believe it is true!

I comforted Lee Jung-woo, who was trembling in fear, and held his hand.

"Don't worry too much. Since that person was a very famous Great Shrine Maiden in the world she originally lived in, she also knows how to deal with such accidents. I guarantee that person did not attack with the intention of harming you. I will go and get medicine to eliminate these symptoms, so please wait a moment."

"P-Please, I beg you! I don't want to die for such an absurd reason! If I die, how sad would my mother be..."

"Don't worry, Mr. Lee Jung-woo. Such a thing will absolutely not happen. That person is a really excellent shrine maiden, so if I just get the ingredients, she will make the medicine in no time. I will visit you again within today, so please wait with peace of mind."

I added a very slight exaggeration in that way and induced the people attacked by Yukino to be scared.

And after receiving the treatment I was originally supposed to receive for a few hours, I went to find Lee Jung-woo first with the pill I had prepared.

"Mr. Lee Jung-woo, I returned."

"S-Section Chief Jung Hyun-soo! How was it? Did she say she can make medicine? I can get better, right?!"

"Yes, that person also didn't intend this situation, so she was really surprised and made the medicine immediately. As a bonus, she put her spiritual power to the fullest to make your bodies stronger as a gesture of apology. Please eat this. It tastes a bit bad."

When I handed him one pill, Lee Jung-woo received it eagerly as if he didn't care about taste or whatever and chewed it.

Since it really tasted bad, he frowned severely, but swallowed the pill by chewing it forcefully with the sole desire to live, and a moment later, examined his body with a surprised expression.

"...? N-No, suddenly strength in my body..."

"The Great Shrine Maiden put her spiritual power into that pill with all her might to not only help recover the body but also draw out the latent power you possess. As a gesture of apology for what she did. Do you feel some change?"

Lee Jung-woo made an expression as if he could fly, then opened the hospital room window and deployed his ability.

When he reached out his hand to the trees and lawn on the outdoor first floor quite far away, the trees swayed heavily and the lawn fluctuated roughly as if an invisible qigong wave had flown.

Lee Jung-woo shouted with a big smile.

"Un, unbelievable... My power... Power is overflowing! It feels like the level of my ability has jumped a stage higher than before!"

"That's a relief. Since you took the medicine, now you don't have to worry about assimilating into the Underworld and having your life force stolen. One pill is enough to heal."

"That... Is there any way I can receive just one more pill..."

"Ah, that won't do. Instead of one pill being sufficient for the effect, if you get greedy, it will adversely harm your body. She earnestly requested that if you eat two or more of this, you will definitely die, so it is absolutely forbidden."

"Is, is that so...?"

Lee Jung-woo swallowed his regret but rejoiced with an expression saying even this much is great, examining his hands.

I floated the main topic to him slyly.

"Mr. Lee Jung-woo, there is one thing I would like to ask of you..."

"Yes? A favor?"

"That shrine maiden... I heard that Kamishiro Yukino will soon be referred to the disciplinary committee and sent to the Special Management Bureau. Yukino attacked you, but she really didn't intend to, and she is a kind-hearted person enough to make medicine immediately while being horrified as soon as she heard about your condition.

Since she is a person I met when I was interdimensionally transported before, it is really hard to accept that she is being sent to the Special Management Bureau. Shamelessly, could you please write a petition just once for Yukino... and Lily, who fought tangled there?"

Then Lee Jung-woo grabbed my hand abruptly and nodded.

"Of course! Of course I can! You did this much for me, how could I not grant one request from Section Chief Jung Hyun-soo! Now that I see ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it, it seems that Shrine Maiden-nim also made a mistake because she was flustered by the sudden transfer situation; sending her to the Special Management Bureau for such a mistake makes no sense! I'll write one for you right away!"

Lee Jung-woo forgot the fact (not true) that he almost died having his life force sucked into the Underworld, and impressed by the fact that Yukino made medicine to help his recovery (not true) and even put spiritual power as a gesture of apology (not true) to make his power incredibly strong, he wrote a petition immediately.

Starting with Lee Jung-woo's petition, I went around finding Search Team Hunters and received petitions one by one.

Although it was said to be quite a precious medicine even in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, since it's useless for the current me to eat, I should use it where I can.

Yukino accepted the detention without complaint after checking Jung Hyun-soo's condition and stayed quietly confined in a small room.

Until now, when she was angry enough to be unbearable, she had shot arrows at him many times, but she mostly shot at places like buttocks or thighs where there would be no problem even if hit, and actually, since he had strong spiritual power, he recovered right on the spot.

But when he was hit by an arrow in the buttock like usual and fainted while bleeding there, Yukino fell into a state of panic and froze on the spot.

Why suddenly...?

Of course, she couldn't forgive that man who disappeared on that night after holding a wedding and consummating with her.

But that didn't mean she intended to hurt him that badly...

After confirming that at least it wasn't a fatal injury and his condition wasn't too bad, she didn't show it, but breathed a sigh of relief inwardly and stayed quietly detained.

If she decided to escape, she could escape with her eyes closed, but she was just blankly inside the detention room as if her soul had left.

And as days passed, the day approached when the place called Interdimensional Transfer Countermeasures Headquarters would hold a disciplinary committee to decide the disposition for her.

Not only herself, but the golden-haired woman who fought with her that day was also together.

"Interdimensional transferee, according to the report, you are known by the name Kamishiro Yukino, is that correct?"

"... Correct."

"Immediately after interdimensional transfer, Kamishiro Yukino attacked and injured multiple Search Team Hunters including Settlement Support Division employee Charles, and even shot an arrow to attack Settlement Support Division Section Chief Jung Hyun-soo. This is an attack with clear murderous intent—"

"It's not! It's true I shot because I was angry, but I did not harbor murderous intent!"

"You aimed an arrow directly at a person and it wasn't an attack with murderous intent?"

"......"

The fact that she shot arrows at Jung Hyun-soo was possible because Jung Hyun-soo had strong spiritual power, but since she also knew how it would look to others' eyes when that was absent, Yukino couldn't retort anymore.

The disciplinary committee recited Yukino's charges and then recited the charges for Lily as well.

"Interdimensional transferee Lily Amarua exposed continuous violence during the settlement support process, and in addition to unauthorized departure from the education site, habitually engaged in armed conflict with another interdimensional transferee and physical attacks against Settlement Support Division Section Chief Jung Hyun-soo. Is there anything different from the truth in this?"

"No! Considering what that bastard did, this is getting off lightly! O-Of course, I didn't mean to do anything seriously, but..."

"Then putting aside Section Chief Jung Hyun-soo, why did you attack another interdimensional transferee?"

"That is..."

Lily also lost her words and became mute.

She couldn't bear to say with her own mouth, 'I went crazy at the fact that that person had another wife so my body moved on its own. I fought because I hated seeing that bitch.'

"Like this, Lily Amarua and Kamishiro Yukino caused severe violence and indiscriminate damage to the surroundings not long after coming via interdimensional transfer. Accordingly, the committee declares with the unanimous opinion of the majority to transfer the two to the Special Management Bureau and monitor them for 24 hours from now on—"

"Objection!!!"

Just then, the conference room door burst open and Jung Hyun-soo entered.

Seeing his face, both Lily and Yukino stood up from their seats simultaneously and called Jung Hyun-soo.

"Hey, you...!"

"You...!"

Jung Hyun-soo winked slightly at the two and held out a thick bundle of documents.

"I understand that this discipline is happening because an unspecified number of people including myself were swept up in the battle! However! Here, the victims swept up in this incident, including myself and all the Search Team Hunters, wrote petitions saying we do not want the two to be disciplined! I ask the committee to look at this and reconsider the punishment for the two!"

At the words that everyone who suffered injuries big and small swept up in the battle wrote petitions saying they didn't want the two punished, the committee opened their eyes wide and received the documents.

Examining the list carefully, the committee noticed one thing and opened their mouths.

"One person is missing. There is no petition from Charles, the Settlement Support Division employee."

"It is certainly a factor to consider, but unless it's everyone's unanimity, if even one person wants punishment, transfer to the Special Management Bureau cannot be avoided—"

"Objection!!!"

Just then, another voice was heard from the back, and a woman with pink hair and cat ears came holding a piece of paper.

Lily and Yukino's gazes headed toward the woman in the back simultaneously this time.

'Rude...!'

'Yokai...!'

Submitting the petition to the committee, Charles said.

"Here is my petition. If I'm added, it's unanimous, right? With this, you can grant ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Senior's request, right?"

Saying that, Charles winked toward Jung Hyun-soo and wound her tail slightly around his arm.

"As expected, it won't do without me, right, Senior♥?"