The Optimized Saint

The Optimized Saint. As the scattered clusters of light swept over my body once more, I could feel something had changed. Lick. "Huh?" Lick lick. Baek Seol had clambered up onto my shoulder and was licking my cheek. "That tickles, Baek Seol."

Baek Seol kept licking my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠cheek before switching to sniffing me instead. "What's wrong with our little fluffball?" "Yeah!" White hair fluttered in the wind. Even when I tugged at it, it was definitely my own hair. My appearance had changed. "Is this really me?" "Eung!" So that's why she'd suddenly started licking and sniffing me—she was checking if it was really me.

Overall, a lot had changed, but aside from a faint sense of misalignment, it didn't feel all that different. "Why does my appearance...?" When I met Yoo Bit-na's eyes while she was still clinging to me, she trailed off and ducked her head. "I don't tell cute kids anything." "····Hey, keep your promise." "Promise? Sure, I'll keep it." "Hngh! H-Hand····." "You have to keep yours too, Boradori." I gave Boradori's chest a squeeze and felt my focus sharpen.

As I maintained my concentration, the faintly misaligned soul clicked back into place, syncing perfectly with my original body. Crack! Ding! When I poured power into it, a dazzling cluster of light gathered and coalesced. It looked just like a flower bud. "Bloom, flower." 〈True Word: White Flower Mantra〉

White petals brimming with light began to scatter across the once-dark night sky. It was a dreamy scene, as if the clusters of light were dancing wildly. "The white flowers ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bloom in profusion." 〈True Word: White Flower Splendor〉

A sudden gust of wind sent the petals scattering. "Like a rushing stream, they gather in the gloom, and as they scatter, they burn away impurity as kindling." 〈True Word: White Flower Blaze〉

The petals, carried away by the wind, seeped into those tainted by demonic energy, and bright white flowers ignited upon them.

Ding!

"Ah, ah──♬" 《The celestial paradise bird Garuda, who loves music, plays its instrument in time with the white path's song.》《The medicine god Gandharva, protector of music and children, hums along to the white path's song.》《The great serpent Mahoraga, lover of song, sways its tail in time with the white path's song.》

The small flames suddenly began to spread like mad. White flames bloomed across the ground while white petals danced through the sky. If this wasn't a spectacle, nothing was. The dark night sky yielded to the fortress of white flowers. "So sacred and fragrant·····."

Yoo Bit-na, still nestled in my arms, murmured a brief impression while staring blankly at the sky. "Hngh! H-Hey, how long are you going to keep groping me!" When I squeezed Yoo Bit-na's chest, her dazed expression shattered instantly. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠"I need sacred energy to cast the magic. Thanks to Boradori, it worked perfectly." "This isn't sacred, it's vulgar···· Hic!?"

Turns out Boradori's nipples are a weak point. Meanwhile, the bodies of those who had collapsed were being engulfed by the white flowers, burning ceaselessly. "See that black energy? That's the demonic qi those demon race bastards use." "Hngh····. I was hoping it wasn't true, but real demons····" "Ask Sang-hun about the rest. I already explained everything to him." "Hoo. Fine, so···· hands off."

Crackle. Crackle. The white flowers spat sparks with a pleasant sound. —Chik, chik. "Whew—time to revive these bastards like a dog." "····And this is supposed to be a saint. Our country's screwed. Hngh!"

***

"This is your office? Nice place." "It's not really an office····. Just a room where I do paperwork." "Same difference."

They say you can tell someone's personality from their room. True to Yoo Bit-na's character, it was neat and tidy. "Haa." Yoo Bit-na let out a sigh and slumped into her chair, body going limp. "Thanks. Because of you, we were able to save everyone." "I did get paid for it, you know." "P-Paid····. Right."

Yoo Bit-na suddenly clutched her collar. Thud. "Hik!" I had only taken one step closer, yet she flinched like she'd seen a ghost. "What." "H-Huh? No, why are you···· coming closer?" "I can't even get close?" "T-That's not what I meant." The closer I approached, the more violently Yoo Bit-na's pupils trembled. "Huh? Why? Why?" She glanced around the empty office for no reason. "You said you'd do anything." "Hik!"

When I leaned in close, she backed away until she was practically flattened against the wall. "Hey, Boradori." "····Yeah." "Get up. There's only one chair. Is this how you treat guests?" "Th-There's the sofa····." Ignoring the finger she pointed, I kept staring until she finally stood up. "Aigo, so comfortable." Leaning back in the chair, a wave of drowsiness washed over me. I'd overdone it with a power I'd never used before.

Tap tap. I patted my thigh while looking at Yoo Bit-na, who was standing there rolling her eyes. She gave me a questioning look. "Sit." "I'm fine standing." "Sit before I take you." "Hik!" Yoo Bit-na, startled, quickly plopped her butt down on my thigh. Having used too much energy at once, my body felt chilly, and the warm body heat was soothing. I slipped my hand under Yoo Bit-na's clothes, and she flinched.

"W-Wait!" "What." "N-No, why so naturally····!" Tap. "Hwaak!" When I wiggled my fingers, the bra hook came undone. "You said you'd do anything. So Boradori was the type to break promises?" "Hngh! Seriously, if this is our country's saint, the nation's doomed." Soft skin met my palm. As I kneaded Yoo Bit-na's chest, which filled both hands, a moan-laced complaint reached my ears. "Our country? Are there saints in other countries too?" "Th-There are···· so please, hands off!"

Even as she said that, she seemed half-resigned and docile. "Gather all the other countries' saints and line them up. I'll whip them into shape." "That's not what saints are for!" "Shut it. In front of the great Korean Optimized Saint, know your place." "What kind of old geezer is our country's saint. We're screwed."

The small beans beneath my palm rolled this way and that. "Hngh!" "Ah, right. I picked up some orc corpses from the dungeon. Can you sell them for me?" "O-Of course!" "Cute." Smack. "Hwaak! I-I have a request." "Again? What is it?" "Hoo····. Sell the demon race corpses for me." "How much?"

After a moment of thought, Yoo Bit-na nodded slightly, as if she'd decided on a price. I gave a light pinch in response, and she jerked. "O-Ohiit!" "Piggy?" "No!! Five hundred million!!" "I thought you were into that kind of thing. But why so expensive?" "Ugh····. It's the first time this monster has appeared in our country, so there's no sample. That's why it's pricey." Her nape was bright red. She really had zero immunity to this sort of thing.

"The ones I took down earlier probably weren't true demons but demonkin." "Demonkin?" "They make some weird drug and turn humans into demonkin, apparently." "I didn't know about the drug, but I had a rough idea that humans were changing." The last demonkin I'd taken down seemed to have been acquainted with Yoo Bit-na. "I have the real demon corpse. Do you need that too?" "Really?" "Of course. If my cute little thing asks, I'll give it." "Hngh. Your personality seems different." "Does it? Anyway, ask the rest from Sang-hun. I already told those lumps everything. I saved them before they got turned into paste by the demons, you know?" "Thanks. If it weren't for you, the guild would've collapsed····."

Knock knock. "Bit-na, vice-guild leader." The moment Sang-hun's story ended, a voice came from outside. That guy probably wasn't the type to be polite. "Uh, uh·····. What?" "Are you busy? Can I come in?" "You never knock and just barge in normally. I'm busy, so come later!" "····Huh?" When I lifted her top slightly and stroked her stomach, Yoo Bit-na flinched and shook her head frantically. "Hik!" She seemed to already know what came next. "N-No." Yoo Bit-na grabbed my arm and shook her head like crazy. "Vice-guild leader?" Ding!

"Hgyaaat♡" "Vice-guild leader!? I'm coming in!" "N-No!! Don't come in!" ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Smack. "Hngh!" "V-Vice-guild leader?" Creak. "Heuu····." She's a very wet friend. "Don't····come in." "Ah, got it····. You seem really busy. I'll come back later." "Hngh! Busy!" After a moment of hesitation, the footsteps faded away. "By the way, do you have a two-horned demon's horn and lizardman scales?" "Haa····. Haa····." Creak. "Hwaak! I have them! I do!" "Really? I should've asked earlier."

***