The Grill-Wielding Saintess of the Dead

Chapter 17 – Returnee Report 2

A returnee, unlike immigrants or missing persons, who disappeared due to the Great Rift and returned, was special just by their existence.

Some returned with great power and became hunters.

Others brought new technologies, science, or magical engineering, benefiting society.

Some easily adapted back to life in Korea with their strength and experience, thriving without difficulty, while others struggled to adjust to life here.

The timing of the disappearance and return of returnees varied, as did their circumstances.

Some returned after decades, making it impossible to reconnect with their families, and in rare cases, some even forgot the Korean language entirely.

In fact, the proportion of returnees who successfully found their families and returned home was less than ten percent.

For every powerful returnee, there were also those without any ability at all.

Around 30 percent of returnees, especially those deeply influenced by the culture and mindset of another world, found it challenging to adjust to the hunter-dominated society of Korea.

The most horrific cases were those who suffered from severe mental illness or psychological contamination.

If a returnee suffering from mental contamination had no power, it wasn’t a huge problem.

With the right counselor and medication, they could eventually recover.

However, a powerful returnee suffering from trauma or PTSD posed a significant challenge for the government.

There were numerous cases of returnees who couldn’t adapt and eventually took their own lives.

Some even turned into criminals or terrorists, claiming that the world they lived in only solved problems through violence and blood.

There were also returnees who contaminated the minds of ordinary people, creating cult-like organizations and eventually being arrested by hunters.

Thus, after the 1st Great Rift, as the country entered a phase of relative stability, returnees within the ‘normal range’ and politicians teamed up to establish the Returnee Management Bureau.

[Returnee Management Bureau]

The Bureau was a government department attached to the Hunter Association, responsible for the discovery of returnees, identity verification, language support, and helping them reunite with their families, among other comprehensive services.

Not only the Bureau but also senior returnees who contributed to society continued to support newer returnees struggling to adapt, through donations and other forms of aid.

Anyway, the Bureau’s main purpose was ultimately the management of returnees.

Its minimum role was to ensure that they didn’t commit suicide, fall into despair, or lose hope, providing supervision and support.

Every returnee had to go through the Bureau to verify their identity and search for their families.

And so, Shia, a returnee and the Saintess of the Dead, came to report to the Returnee Management Bureau, led by Yeonseo.

However, reporting as a returnee wasn’t as simple as going to the local office and saying, “I’ve just moved here.”

In addition to verifying family relations and identity, a counselor specializing in mental abilities had to conduct a psychological assessment of the returnee.

The returnee could only be officially processed after a comprehensive evaluation was completed.

Shia was waiting alone in a room that felt quiet and dark, like an interrogation room.

“Alright, hello, Shia! Have you been waiting long?”

After a relatively short wait, a woman with a bright, cheerful aura, like a flower blooming on her face, appeared.

She seemed strict, like an office lady, but Shia could feel the bright and positive energy characteristic of a counselor.

“Sorry for being late. The returnee paperwork is never just a couple of pages. Ah! I’m Director Choi Bomi from the Returnee Management Bureau.”

“Hello. Ah… sorry, I mean, hello.”

“It’s alright. The fact that you can greet me is a good sign today! You can call me Director Choi or whatever makes you comfortable, Shia.”

“…Just out of curiosity, have there been returnees who couldn’t even greet you?”

Director Choi smiled and pulled out a stack of documents.

“Well, yes. If they can’t even greet us, that’s fortunate. But with mentally unstable returnees, we have to brace ourselves from the start, thinking, ‘Oh, today’s going to be tough.’”

“You must have a hard job.”

“Wow, you can not only greet people but are also kind and considerate of others.”

“…?”

Isn’t that basic human decency?

Shia tilted her head at Director Choi’s comment, which sounded like she was dealing with a kindergartner.

“Ah, haha… Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not teasing you, Shia.”

Director Choi, looking genuinely happy, fed a few documents into the shredder.

“For some, it’s a basic thing. But for many returnees, it’s not. Some come in waving a sword, shouting, ‘Release me immediately! My country is calling!’ and even injure counselors. Some refuse to answer any questions, seeing us as devils or enemies. A while ago, a mentally contaminated returnee caused a terror attack in China.”

“…Oh, I see.”

“Fufu, just the fact that you accepted my greeting and showed concern means you’ve already passed more than ten mental health checks.”

“Is that a good thing? Or is it good?”

“Of course, it’s good! It means we can skip a lot of annoying questions since both of us are proven to be mentally sound! Also, feel free to speak informally if that’s more comfortable for you. You seem older than me.”

“Alright.”

With that, Director Choi handed Shia several documents.

“You can speak Korean, so I assume you can still write it? Or how about English or Japanese? Some returnees forget Korean entirely and can only speak Japanese.”

“I’m fine. I remember.”

“You can write it too, right? Just fill out the form as best you can.”

Shia slowly read the contents of the document.

It was a simple form asking for personal details like her resident registration number, name, and address.

Of course, there wasn’t much she could remember.

○○○○

“So, this is the person who saved Yeonhwa?”

“Hmm, yes.”

Director Lee handed a cup of mixed coffee to Yeonseo, staring at Shia through the hologram.

Director Lee and Yeonseo were in a room across from the counseling office where Shia was.

Shia couldn’t see them, but they could see everything: her actions, expressions, and voice.

There had been concerns about human rights violations, but the consensus was that strict management of returnees was necessary.

They needed to check for signs of mental contamination.

Whether the returnee showed disregard for human life, treating it as insignificant.

Or whether they were just a normal, safe person.

Every time a returnee came through, the Bureau had to remain vigilant.

The idea of a powerful returnee, at an S-rank hunter level, suddenly going mad and committing mass murder or terrorism was terrifying.

Thankfully, most returnees were properly cared for by the Bureau and managed to lead independent lives, but there were occasional cases of returnee criminals.

Because of this, it became standard procedure for the Bureau to thoroughly assess the mental state of returnees.

“Saving Yeonhwa is one thing, but capturing the Black Minotaur without much effort is quite impressive.”

“For your information, I fought her too.”

“…You, Yeonseo?! Wh-what happened?!”

“What do you think happened?”

Director Lee scanned Yeonseo up and down.

Her clothes were a bit torn, but she seemed uninjured.

He glanced at the returnee, Shia, in the counseling room, but neither she nor Yeonseo appeared to be hurt.

“H-ha, of course, you must’ve won…”

“Well, it wasn’t exactly a matter of winning. It was just a brief episode caused by this old lady’s senility.”

“Thank goodness.”

“Is that so?”

Yeonseo shrugged, sipping her coffee, and looked at Shia through the hologram.

A woman with a calm, gentle smile on her face.

That girl would likely complete the returnee report without any issues.

After all, wasn’t she the one who saved her granddaughter?

If something went wrong with Shia’s returnee process, Yeonseo was ready to lend her a hand to repay the debt.

“Excuse me, Yeonseo…? What do you mean by ‘is that so’? Did something happen?”

“No, it’s nothing. I just got curious about what would’ve happened if we fought until one of us dropped.”

“…Please don’t say such scary things. Returnees are citizens of this country too, and you’re a living legend.”

“Just joking.”

Hearing that, Director Lee’s mind began to race.

Every time a returnee arrived, his nerves tightened, and the stress made him feel like he was losing hair.

But as someone in charge of assessing whether a returnee posed a threat to society, Director Lee had to make an immediate judgment.

In that regard, Yeonseo’s comment wasn’t a good sign for the Bureau.

At the very least, this returnee was powerful enough to stand up to Yeonseo, which meant she was at least as strong as an S-rank hunter.

‘Even though Yeonseo said it was a brief episode, the fact remains that this returnee had a short fight with her. Yeonseo is the strongest among the world’s S-ranks, and the fact that she managed to face Yeonseo means she has at least S-rank abilities…’

Please, let her be a decent person.

Director Lee didn’t believe in God, but he silently prayed that this returnee, Shia, was as gentle and kind as she appeared.

***

“Let’s see, your name is… ‘Isiah’. Do you remember the Chinese characters for it?”

“No, is it a problem if I don’t?”

“If you don’t remember, we can check your old resident registration details, so it’s fine. Hmm, you were listed as missing on December 5, 2024, after the 1st Great Rift. You were 21 at the time, and now it’s 2088… Oh my! You’re much older than I thought!”

Sixty-four years had passed, so Shia was now 85 years old on her official record.

“Sorry. Even though I looked like this, I held a high position in that world, so I rarely used formal speech.”

“Wow! Were you a king?”

“Not a king. More like the emperor’s right hand.”

“Oh my, my! Was the emperor handsome?”

“She was an empress.”

“A beauty then?”

“Yeah, very much.”

“Ohhh… I’d love to see her sometime.”

Director Choi, who was reviewing the documents, paused at one part.

“Uh, and… male…?”

“Yeah, before this body, I was a man.”

“Oh, so now…?”

“As you can see. Whether I’m still human is another matter, but I’m female now.”

As Shia shrugged, Director Choi’s eyes were drawn to the large divine power pouch on her chest.

Even though she was confident that she wasn’t small, this returnee’s size was… not only large but also remarkably well-shaped, making it even more noticeable.

“Hrmm, this is a first for me.”

“Gender changes are rare?”

“Yes! Most returnees tend to fall into other worlds in their original bodies. While they gain various powers for different reasons, they generally retain their gender and physical form. Except for special cases like Skeleton Knights, of course.”

Shia recalled memories from long ago.

She was born male and lived as a man for 21 years, but now it felt more accurate to be called ‘Saintess of the Dead, Isiah.’

She had lived far longer as the Saintess of the Dead than as the male Isiah.

Besides, Shia no longer remembered the faces of the parents who had given birth to her, and the life she had lived as a man felt more alien to her.

‘Menelapie teaching me how to move gracefully, saying a lady living in the Imperial Palace must have refined manners, was fun… Teresa always scolding me beside her… But when it came down to it, Teresa was the best at it. She was born to be a noblewoman…’

Those were good times… and happy ones too…

“Oh my, did a pleasant memory come to mind?”

“…Oh, did I smile?”

“You were smiling very brightly.”

Shia touched her face, wondering if she had smiled without realizing it.

Her lips seemed to have lifted involuntarily as the faces she longed to see came to mind.

“Well, things like your resident registration number, gender, and date of birth can all be found in the missing person’s registry or government database. But what’s important is what comes next.”

“What’s important?”

“Yes, I’m sorry to say this, but I need to ask for your consent for something.”

As she said that, Shia sensed a faint mana rising from Director Choi’s body.

It was clearly not for an attack.

“Were you a hunter?”

“No. I didn’t become a hunter, but I awakened a special ability that I use for good here and there. Just because someone awakens doesn’t mean they have to become a hunter. My ability isn’t suitable for hunter work anyway.”

“I see.”

Hearing the mention of special abilities reminded Shia of the female hunter who had recognized her as undead in the waiting room earlier.

There was also Yeonseo, who could tear through space and teleport with impressive abilities. It seemed that the range of special abilities was quite broad.

“Before we continue the counseling session, could you give me your consent, Shia?”

“Consent for what?”

“My ability is called Thought Gatherer.”

“That’s a unique name.”

“It’s perfect for counseling. As the name suggests, it reads thoughts, but it’s not like the mind-reading you see in movies where I can freely read everything. It analyzes the unconscious, latent memories, and what comes to mind, without any falsehoods.”

With that, Director Choi handed Shia a document.

On it was written, “Do you consent to the use of Thought Gatherer?”

“I’m not strong enough to use this ability on just anyone. Everyone has a mental barrier, and I would need to break through that to use Thought Gatherer. Hunters, in particular, have much stronger mental barriers than regular people. The higher their rank and strength, the stronger their mental barriers. I even struggle to break through a regular person’s barrier.”

“Ah, so that’s why you need this consent form?”

“Yes! If you don’t agree, I won’t use it. It’s not compulsory.”

“It’s fine.”

“Wow! Thank you so much! It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a cooperative returnee. Please sign here!”

By signing the form, Shia was likely lowering her mental barrier, allowing Director Choi access, or more accurately, granting her permission to enter through a small opening.

Actually, Shia preferred it this way.

Before coming here, Yeonseo had advised her to be honest, and she thought it might be interesting as well.

After Shia signed the consent form without much thought, she felt something thin like a thread connect her to Director Choi’s mana.

Immediately after, Director Choi, who had been chatting away brightly, fell silent.

Connected to Shia’s mind, Director Choi suddenly felt her vision go dark.

No, was this darkness?

Where am I?

What is this?

Is this even a person’s mind…?

“…………..”

“Are you okay?”

“Ah, ah…! I-I’m fine. I must be tired…?”

“You should be careful.”

Director Choi blinked a few times, as if trying to regain her composure, and pulled out a picture from her documents.

The picture she showed was of a goblin with green skin, small stature, a torn-looking mouth, and long ears, commonly found in low-level dungeons.

“Thought Gatherer doesn’t let me see everything. I show you a picture, and you say the words or sentences that come to mind. My ability just helps you answer more smoothly, bringing unconscious thoughts to the surface.”

“It’s not like you’re probing into my thoughts or digging up my past?”

“No, that’s impossible. All I do is gather thoughts from your subconscious or unconscious mind and slowly draw them up.”

With that explanation, Director Choi held up the goblin picture for Shia.

“Now, what comes to mind when you see this?”

“Goblin, demon lord’s army, grunt, regret.”

“Only those four?”

“Ah… one more.”

After a brief pause, Shia licked her lips.

“Tasty…”

“…Pardon?”

What did I just hear?

Did Thought Gatherer malfunction?

No, this shouldn’t have malfunctioned…

Director Choi, caught off guard by the unexpected response, began to write down Shia’s words in confusion.

“Ahem, let’s move on to the next picture. Please say what comes to mind again.”

The next picture Director Choi pulled out was of a castle, crudely drawn like something from a fairy tale.

“Palace, warm dinner, laughter, meeting, pigs, gold, money, maids, attendants, parade, guards, and chefs… The royal chefs were amazing. Absolutely delicious.”

“Oh, I see…”

The next picture was of a bird.

“Plucking feathers, greasy, tasty, could’ve been bigger…”

“Uh, this is actually a pterosaur…?”

“Yeah, I’ve seen them often. Ate them a lot. You throw a rock infused with holy power, crush their head at full speed, and then eat what falls in front of you. The royal chefs handled the preparation well.”

“………”

Director Choi pinched her thigh to maintain composure.

Whether Shia was joking or serious, Thought Gatherer made it clear to her that everything was true.

“Er, the next picture is of an egg.”

“Dragon egg soy sauce stew… absolutely delicious.”

“…Aha, haha… anything else that comes to mind? Like birth, blessings, something symbolic? Maybe a profound quote like ‘To hatch, a bird must break its own world’…?”

“Hmm, oh, I do have something.”

Director Choi eagerly picked up her pen, anticipating Shia’s response.

“That one… half-boiled is best.”

“…….”

“Or, you can roast a dragon egg whole over an open flame, just before it hatches… absolutely amazing.”

“…….Ah, yes.”

“To really explain the taste, you’d have to try it yourself. Are there dragons here?”

“…Yes, there are. Haha…”

Letting out an empty laugh, Director Choi quickly moved on to the next picture.

As soon as Shia saw the picture, her expression hardened.

There wasn’t much to it.

A cliff.

Just a barren cliff.

“………”

“Shia?”

“If you don’t mind… could you tell me what comes to mind when you see this?”

“……”

Sensing something unusual in Shia’s reaction, Director Choi gripped her pen tightly.

She had a feeling there would be a lot to write down.

“………Love.”

“Excuse me?”

“Love, separation, sacrifice, parting, blessing, waiting, anticipation, and… home.”

“…..”

The unexpected words caused Director Choi to falter.

But Shia’s response didn’t stop there.

“Love, parting, love, parting, family, it’s okay. Comfort. It’s all going to be okay. Love. Parting. Again, love. Waiting, loneliness. Parting. Parting. Sadness, tears, a bit salty, more tears, love. Parting, eternity, people I’ll never see again. Menelapie, Menelapie, Teresa, Menelapie, Teresa, Menelapie, Teresa…”

“…Goodness.”

One side effect of Thought Gatherer was that words from the subject’s unconscious mind would spill out without a filter.

‘Quite a serious… trauma, perhaps?’

Deciding that continuing was dangerous, Director Choi forcefully disconnected the Thought Gatherer.

“Love, Menelapie, Teresa, parting, family… Ah, did I go too far? Sorry.”

“No, it was fine! I got everything I needed.”

“Really?”

With that, Director Choi stood up from her seat.

“Well, that concludes the counseling session! You did a great job, Shia. You can head to the next room where Yeonseo is waiting. I’ll send the results later today.”

“So, the returnee report is done?”

“Yes! Your official registration will be completed soon, and we’ll have the returnee shelter ready for you by the end of the day.”

Director Choi quickly gathered her things and left in a hurry.

Watching her retreating figure, Shia tilted her head.

“…Hmm, I must’ve made a mistake.”

Well, what’s done is done.

Besides, she didn’t even know what mistake she might have made, so worrying about it seemed pointless.

“…….Ah, I really want some half-boiled dragon egg soy sauce stew now.”