The Grill-Wielding Saintess of the Dead

Chapter 133 Let’s Meet Consistently While We’re Alive – End of Volume 1

Although the Dark Witch Teresa had said she would return after just one day, fortunately, upon her return to the Imperial Palace, the scene she had feared was nowhere to be found.

From the shadows, Teresa’s eyes looked down at the Imperial Palace and could still see the Emperor shimmering in golden light, just as before.

Just yesterday, they had been trapped in a mire of despair, self-loathing, anger, and sadness, and Teresa had wondered if it was possible to recover.

But, of course, a hero was still a hero.

“Yes, that’s more like you.”

Watching Menelapie give orders with an imposing presence, Teresa smirked.

Light conversations fluttered about like a gentle breeze, and the palace scribes and executors busily moved to carry out the commands that emerged from the dialogue.

“A letter has arrived from the Kingdom of Meradia.”

“It must be the land division agreement for the border region from the other day. We’ll designate the area as a joint development zone, as planned by the kingdom.”

“Yes, I will relay that.”

“Your Majesty, we’ve received a report from the Rose Order regarding this year’s Thanksgiving festival schedule.”

“Let it be held once in the East and once in the West. Since the eastern region is suffering from a famine, adjustments will be necessary for the Thanksgiving festival. If needed, the festival in the East may be reduced or even canceled. The relief supplies distributed by the Imperial Palace should be sent under the Rose Order’s name. As Saintess Rosaria has been newly appointed as the Grand Saintess, this is a crucial time to garner public support for the Rose Order.”

“Understood, I will make it so.”

“Your Majesty, the next document.”

What the hell? You’re doing well, aren’t you?

If you were going to manage this well, why throw such a tantrum before?

Honestly, Menelapie could have taken care of it from the start without needing to be told.

Teresa would have done her job regardless.

Researching. Increasing the odds. Bringing about impossible phenomena.

In the end, Menelapie would have opened the door eventually, at the climax of the miracle that creates something from nothing, which no one else knows.

Still, it pissed her off a little.

Teresa clearly liked Shia, not Menelapie.

However, after 60 years of endless bickering, dislike, and affection, she couldn’t help but be bothered by the way Menelapie had completely lost her mind as if she were about to die any minute.

If she was going to regain her composure this easily, maybe it would’ve been better to leave her alone.

The disappearance of the world’s greatest and holiest Saintess of the Dead, who once saved the world, was no small matter. But the empire had not held a funeral.

No one uttered the fact that she had died, or that she had disappeared.

Even though the Saintess of the Dead was gone, the world Shia had saved continued to turn.

The living went on living, and everything in the world she saved carried on, sometimes even casting off their shackles, moving toward their own light.

Menelapie as the emperor, and Teresa as the witch…

Shia was not dead.

Both Menelapie and Teresa knew that.

Of course, there was no evidence.

Since Shia had fallen into the Abyss, neither her voice nor her figure had been seen.

No matter how many magical communication devices they used to reach her, Shia never responded.

The only thing that still retained its light was the crystal of divine power that Shia had given, still hanging around the necks of the two.

Yet, they believed.

No, they knew instinctively.

They had been the hero and the witch closest to Shia.

They had been with her the longest.

Even if they couldn’t see her, even if they could no longer hear her voice, even if they could no longer walk together in the garden where the Alraune flower bloomed, they remembered her empty place in the ice-capped mountains that didn’t melt even in summer.

Even though she wasn’t by their side, even though they couldn’t see her or touch her, even though they could no longer embrace and whisper into each other’s chests… they believed.

Both Menelapie and Teresa believed.

For the day when Shia would return.

To prepare the place for Shia, who had not died, they moved busily.

Having been shut away like a recluse in her room, Menelapie listened to Teresa’s words, brushed everything aside, and walked forward as an emperor.

She rebuilt the nation and made humanity great.

She stabilized conflicts and international relations, ruling everything as the most magnificent Hero-Emperor of the Human Empire, bringing peace.

At the Rose Order, Rosaria had taken up the mantle of Grand Saintess and soothed the people, overcoming drought.

The imperial family, ministers, and nobles loyally served the emperor, working for the nation’s prosperity.

As Shia had said, just as she had wished for a world where everyone could live happily and joyfully, they helped the poor rise and made the nation prosperous, with the emperor lacking for nothing.

The world we saved still exists like this.

The place where you can return is here.

Return anytime, everything will remain the same.

Afterward, Teresa continued her research on how to open the rift in dimensions, in exchange for receiving half of the necklace Shia had given to Menelapie.

The research yielded some results.

The rift was opened.

Though it lasted only a few seconds, they succeeded in opening a rift in the world.

However, just because the rift was open didn’t mean they could reach Shia.

How could they track Shia’s world among the countless worldlines approaching infinity, and how could they reach her world?

Just because the rift opened didn’t mean they could approach her.

That’s why Teresa continued to repeat her research over and over.

And Teresa resurrected Tia Lauria, the former captain of the 3rd division of the Imperial Knights, who had been consumed by Shia during her first hunger frenzy, making her one of her undead familiars.

Of course, she had obtained permission.

From Tia’s family, and from… Tia herself.

Thus, Teresa sent her familiar, the resurrected Skeleton Knight Tia, through the rift.

To prepare for unforeseen circumstances, Teresa gave her a massive amount of undead orbs she had gathered over the years, along with formidable power and vitality.

With such orbs and black mana, Tia would be able to survive even in a world full of monsters, all by herself.

Tia had undoubtedly been eaten by Shia.

However, not all of her body had been consumed.

To be precise, Shia did not simply devour the physical body; she consumed the malevolent energy harbored within the human soul.

Thus, as the one whose soul had been consumed by Shia, Tia had a faint connection to Shia, but her body had remained here, a unique case.

When Teresa tested whether Tia could deceive the dimensional scale, which measures infinite worldlines, by using the faint connection to Shia, linked through the remaining body and soul…

It succeeded.

But it wasn’t a complete success.

All connections between Tia and Teresa were severed. Teresa could no longer give commands or communicate with Tia in any way.

Even if Tia had fallen into Shia’s worldline, there was no certainty that she had landed safely.

Even if it was the same world, there was no guarantee she had entered the correct time when Shia existed.

If unlucky, Tia could have fallen a hundred years—or even a thousand years—before Shia even existed.

To raise the odds, no matter how thin, like grains of sand…

To turn the impossible into possible, to turn the unreal into reality…

To encroach upon the unknown with her knowledge, Teresa did not care if her body spewed blood from exhaustion and pain.

She could always change her body again.

Compared to the pain Shia must have gone through, this was nothing.

“This time, I’ll succeed… This time will be the last…”

The opportunity had come, and she wouldn’t miss it.

She would never miss it again.

She would definitely be with Shia.

Wait for me, Shia.

One day, the Emperor asked the witch.

I read the reports of the results you sent.

What must be sacrificed, and how long will it take?

And how far have you opened the path?

“What needs to be sacrificed cannot be specified.”

The dimensional scales are fickle, to say the least.

“How can I collect payment when I don’t even know what they want? Even if I offered what they wanted, I’m not sure it would be enough.”

It was created from nothing.

The gaps in the infinite worlds were darker than the Abyss, more unknown than Hell.

Perhaps because they had grown used to each other’s presence, Teresa didn’t even turn around as she flipped through books and offerings with her fingers, creating a new rift.

However, the briefly opened rift swallowed the offering Teresa had prepared but didn’t produce the corresponding result.

‘Is this all I can do with something Shia once touched…?’

The rift, forced open like the jaws of a monster, shredded everything that passed through it.

Another failure.

There were limits to using inanimate objects.

“If the door were opened… what could be used as payment to cross through?”

“Like I said earlier, I don’t know what these fickle bastards want. Even if I did, it wouldn’t be possible to collect it.”

“…How long will it take?”

Well…

I’d like to know that, too…

“How long, huh… If you and I are to reach Shia in her full state, in the correct timeline, the Shia we know…”

Teresa closed her eyes for a moment.

In her mind, all the knowledge, experiments, taboos, and magical processes she had accumulated flashed slowly, like a panoramic view.

After completing her calculations and returning to the glass-like reality, Teresa answered in a small but firm voice.

“At least 10 years. In some cases… 100 years or so.”

“…That’s too long.”

“I know.”

But Teresa, Menelapie, and Shia could all live eternally, as long as the conditions were met.

It was only a matter of time… Eventually… Eventually, if they waited, they could meet.

Of course, the fact that they couldn’t meet right away was maddening.

Teresa clearly felt that as well, but opening the dimensional rift was more difficult than any miracle.

No, even beyond whether it was possible or not, the task itself was absurd.

Only someone of Teresa’s caliber, the greatest Dark Witch in the world, could even attempt it.

“But this is the only way. I have to reduce, reduce, and reduce the chances of failure.”

“Is there really no faster way?”

“…No. Without a confirmed coordinate, I don’t know what would happen. In any case, right now, it’s impossible.”

After hearing Teresa’s firm answer, Menelapie hesitated for a moment before asking.

“…In that case.”

“In that case?”

“What would be the most effective thing to sacrifice?”

“……….I think I’ve already answered that question.”

Something connected to Shia.

Whether it’s an object, a trace… or a living being.

Resurrecting Tia as a Skeleton Knight and sending her through the rift had been to prove that hypothesis.

And even now, Teresa was experimenting with everything that had touched and been connected to Shia.

For now, it was inanimate objects and items, but… someday… she was even considering using living beings.

“Yes, I see…”

As if time, which had been frozen, suddenly started to flow again, Menelapie’s breathing changed, and her eyes, which had been as hardened as the frozen ground of the ice-capped mountains, began to show signs of life, like the spring breeze.

Satisfied with the answer, Menelapie turned around.

“I understand. Thank you, Teresa.”

“…Yes.”

After that, Menelapie didn’t send letters to Teresa for a while.

Without the daily letters that had once urged for updates, Teresa could focus solely on her research.

Though she had a slight unease, wondering if that woman was up to something strange, the empire was still functioning excellently under the Emperor’s rule.

Well, there shouldn’t be any issues…

And so, some time passed.

Half a year had passed since Shia had fallen into the Abyss.

The world that Shia had protected was peaceful as ever.

And Teresa returned to the palace after a long time.

“Hey!”

Bang!

What the hell, where is she?

Teresa opened the palace gates, where the plane tree once stood, but there was no one there.

Everything was… too clean, overly so.

What is this?

If it were the usual Menelapie, she would’ve sensed Teresa’s presence and come to show her face, whether she liked it or not.

‘Could she have locked herself in again like a recluse…?’

No, that’s impossible.

As much as she disliked Menelapie, she still trusted her.

She couldn’t imagine the Hero-Emperor, Menelapie, losing her mind and shutting herself away again.

“Lady Teresa Katrin.”

At the voice calling her, Teresa quickly turned her head.

She had seen her several times before when given the chance—Rosaria, the girl who had taken over as Shia’s successor and been appointed Grand Saintess of the Rose Order.

“The orphaned kid grew up, huh.”

“You remember.”

“Where’s your emperor? I came all this way, and once again, she’s—”

“The Emperor is no longer here.”

“Oh, really? Is she on an inspection or something? Damn it, I came all the way here, and this woman—”

“She’s no longer here.”

“…”

No longer here.

At those words, Teresa’s face slowly turned to look at Rosaria.

In an instant, the dark mana of the witch, held within Teresa’s purple eyes, spread like a heartbeat across the surroundings.

“What do you mean?”

“…Yesterday, Emperor Menelapie Hailam left the throne at midnight, marking the end of her reign.”

“Explain in detail.”

The saintess of the Rose Order cannot speak lies.

So Teresa knew that this absurd nonsense spilling before her was, in fact, the truth.

“Her Majesty…”

●●●●●

Hmm, so this is what Shia liked.

Granola meat soup and Alraune pistils… Alright, I’ve got enough in reserve.

Though I’m not well-versed in magic, the backpack made by the sorcerers of the Magic Palace is quite useful.

“…”

Hmm, I prepared all this, but… she’s late, surprisingly.

Boom!!!

Ah, she’s here.

Speak of the devil, and she appears.

“You crazy bitch, what the hell are you doing!!!”

Teresa, who had landed in front of Menelapie like a meteor, glared at her with blazing eyes.

Black mana, as dark as shadows, swirled and surged as if it might erupt like a volcano at any moment, but Teresa hadn’t come here to fight.

No, damn it.

But if she pulls any crap, I’ll fight and stop her.

“I’m glad you’ve come to send me off one last time. I’m in a good mood.”

“Shut the hell up!!!”

Teresa stormed toward Menelapie, clenching her teeth as if she might tear her apart any second.

“Are you completely out of your mind! You left the imperial governance to Rosaria and the Eleven Noble Houses, preemptively blocked any potential coups, trained Execution Knights, and allied with other nations? Fine, all that’s great! I wouldn’t have stopped you if you were tired of being emperor and wanted a break! But what the hell is this supposed to be?”

“What does it look like?”

“It looks like you’re trying to kill yourself, you crazy bitch!”

At those words, Menelapie gave a faint smile.

“You, who lack the courage to plunge in yourself and instead sell off memories and connections as a medium, wouldn’t understand me.”

“Courage? You’ve completely lost it, haven’t you!? That place! The Abyss is an infinite pit! There’s no guarantee of survival in those countless worldlines! You’ll just die! It’s assisted suicide, you fool!”

“Die?”

But Menelapie looked at Teresa with a face full of confidence.

“You speak foolishly.”

There was no hint of jest or recklessness in her firmly shut lips.

Rather, Menelapie, full of resolve, appeared more certain and confident than ever before.

“Don’t talk nonsense! Where’s the guarantee that you’ll arrive safely in Shia’s world? Even if there’s the slightest chance of failure, it’s too dangerous! And even if you fall into Shia’s world, there’s no guarantee that the Shia we know will be there…!”

“You may think I’m acting recklessly. I understand. You are a Dark Witch who dedicates herself to knowledge, research, and magic to minimize failure. But for Menelapie, a world without Saintess Shia… is the same as being dead. Why would I worry about becoming a mere lost soul in another dimension?”

“Yes, I know. I can’t do it alone…!”

“Is that so?”

“If I bet my life, or your life, and fail, there’s no going back… Witches are beings who move with probabilities and certainty. I can find a way, but before that, I need to eliminate all threats and variables! In the past, I would have sacrificed everything, including you, just to reach Shia! But now, you’re part of everything Shia built!”

At that, Menelapie looked at Teresa, surprised.

She had thought Teresa hated her, but it seemed that wasn’t entirely true.

Menelapie unknowingly raised the corner of her lips and placed a hand on Teresa’s cheek.

Not a doll’s body. This time, it’s her real self. She must have been in a hurry.

“Teresa, walk your own path.”

“…!”

“I will walk mine. The person Shia knew—Menelapie—hasn’t broken her promise. I am not committing suicide, nor am I foolishly gambling my life on a reckless possibility. I’m just fulfilling the promise to follow soon, with the certainty that I will keep that promise.”

Then Menelapie broke the necklace she had been wearing around her neck and handed it to Teresa.

It was the half-necklace Shia had given her.

A necklace containing Shia’s divine power crystal.

The very necklace Teresa had once demanded from Menelapie to track Shia’s world.

“……”

“Take it. It’s something I no longer need. I give it to you out of friendship.”

“Friendship, my ass…”

Teresa realized.

A difference in methods.

A difference in perspectives.

And their choices would never converge.

Menelapie couldn’t wait any longer.

She planned to meet Shia by becoming a medium herself.

Yes, using herself… As Menelapie, who had the deepest bond with Shia, she intended to place herself and Teresa on the scales of dimension, hoping to meet Shia with high probability.

But Teresa couldn’t allow it.

Small variables, slight mistakes.

The arrogance of thinking it would be fine.

All these were unacceptable elements for Teresa.

However, Menelapie had decided to go.

“Thank you. If it hadn’t been for your rebuke that day, I would have spent my entire life here, kneeling and drowning in memories.”

“…….”

“Find your own path. I will walk mine.”

“……..”

Teresa clutched the necklace tightly but couldn’t say a word.

It was strange they had stayed together all these years with paths that diverged so starkly.

But she accepted it.

Yes, walk your path.

I don’t think this reckless hero will die somewhere in vain, after all.

“Let’s meet again soon, Teresa.”

“…….You damn bitch.”

“Heh, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

●●●●●●

The abyss swallowed me.

The darkness watched over me.

I wandered through dimensions.

I wandered through the Abyss.

I continued onward like that.

At times, regret whispered in the endless darkness, and fear gnawed at me, but thoughts of Shia made things somewhat bearable.

No, Shia was already the only one illuminating my path.

So I kept walking.

Through the darkness, and through more darkness.

Then I began to hear familiar sounds.

Even though I was tired and worn out,

The moment I would see you again was near.

I crossed worlds. I crossed dimensions.

In some of the darkness, you didn’t exist.

In other darkness, Shia, you had become something like a Demon King.

In another world, there was a version of you who lived an ordinary life, not knowing us at all.

I crossed through so many dimensions and worlds to find you.

Yes, I’ve already told that story, so I won’t repeat it.

The reckless hero’s journey seems to have ended quite successfully.

Shia, you probably don’t know.

How much I’ve waited for this moment.

Don’t worry—Teresa will be here soon.

If she follows the path I’ve walked, that child will be able to follow the rifts and traces I’ve left behind.

Just as I missed you, she misses you dearly as well.

But it’s alright.

You have more days ahead filled with joy and happiness than this heavy story.

So…

So, I’ll do better.

I’ll take better care of you than I’ve ever done before.

This might be the only time I get to selfishly monopolize you before Teresa arrives, right?

No, not “I”…

Now, I am no longer… the emperor who ruled the empire, nor the hero of all…

“Menelapie! I brought coffee!”

Now, I am just Shia’s…

“Hehe, I already drank about 20 cups before I came, but I brought you some too.”

“I’ve been waiting for you, Shia.”

“Did something good happen? Did the ethics audit go well?”

“Heh heh heh… Yes, let’s just say it did.”

I’m just your hero now.

So, Shia.

Let’s keep meeting consistently while we’re still alive.