The Grill-Wielding Saintess of the Dead

Chapter 22: Those Who Do Not Work, Shall Not Eat (1)

Choi Bomi, the Director of the Returnee Management Bureau, had a lot on her plate.

She was also responsible for the Ethics Committee concerning returnees, but as her rank rose, the task of directly dealing with them had long been passed to other inspectors and subordinates.

Returnee Isiah was the first returnee assigned to Director Choi Bomi after several years since her promotion to her current position.

At first, when she was suddenly tasked with overseeing a particular returnee, she felt curious, wondering, “Just how great must this returnee be?”

But then—what a surprise.

It turned out that this returnee had fought on equal footing with none other than Yeonseo, and on top of that, Yeonseo herself came forward, declaring that Isiah was under the protection of the Yeon family.

Although Choi Bomi didn’t receive a detailed report on the incident, it was only natural for her to take an interest in someone like Isiah.

Just based on the testimony of Yeonseo and her granddaughter alone, it was clear that Isiah wasn’t an ordinary returnee.

However, when Director Choi Bomi met Isiah in person to conduct an ethics evaluation, she felt an eerie sensation as if staring into an abyss.

At first, she thought it was because Isiah wasn’t human, as she had claimed to be a “Saintess of the Dead.”

Not human.

A dead being.

So, it was natural to feel an instinctual unease.

That’s what she thought.

In fact, she wasn’t even sure if what she was feeling was discomfort.

But the moment Choi Bomi’s ability, “Thought Harvester,” made contact with Isiah’s mind, she felt a chilling sensation.

Have you ever heard of an ant being crushed underfoot by an elephant that isn’t even aware of its presence?

For a moment, Director Choi Bomi felt like she was that ant.

A being that could bring about disaster just by moving, without any malice.

Of course, she didn’t think Isiah was an inherently malevolent entity that had to be destroyed for the sake of humanity.

On the contrary, Isiah was good.

Despite being a dead being, she was still a “saintess.”

She had lived for over 60 years, and it was assumed that even though she was a Saintess of the Dead, she had coexisted with humanity.

Considering that most returnees who had spent more than 30 years on the “other side” often had severe ethical issues, Isiah was an exceptionally rare and unusual case.

Moreover, based on the testimony and examination secured through “Thought Harvester,” it could be inferred that Isiah still longed for and maintained deep relationships with people from the “other world.”

“If she’s cared for properly, she could be quite exceptional.”

What concerned Director Choi Bomi the most was the mystery of Isiah’s true identity and her inner thoughts, which still remained unclear.

Her power was said to be comparable to Yeonseo, the strongest hunter among humans, but was her mind equally well-trained and seasoned?

What were her goals?

What were her desires?

What did she want to do now that she had returned?

Did she even have anything she wanted to do?

And did she have any traumas or Achilles’ heels that shouldn’t be touched? If so, what were they?

Seeing that Isiah’s location tracker hadn’t moved outside her house for a month, Choi Bomi’s mind was filled with various thoughts.

Perhaps the reason she had been assigned to exclusively monitor Isiah by higher-ups was to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.

“Hmm, I’ll contact her tomorrow for a second round of tests… And maybe even propose becoming a hunter.”

The association was already hinting at having her test some new equipment.

If the opportunity arose, it might not be a bad idea to have Isiah test it.

Whether or not Isiah would accept the offer to become a hunter remained uncertain, but if she did, it would be a great fortune for the country and its people.

The birth of a new hero on par with Yeonseo was no small matter.

If things went well, the government might even go all out, presenting Isiah as a hero and providing her with significant support. But ultimately, it all depended on Isiah’s preferences.

If she didn’t want to stand out in public or didn’t like receiving attention, things would get a bit more complicated.

Beep-beep-beep.

“Yes, this is Choi Bomi, Executive Director of the Returnee Management Bureau.”

[Director Choi, I’m sorry, but you need to come downstairs right away.]

“What’s going on?”

Director Choi raised an eyebrow at the voice of her subordinate, an ethics inspector, coming through her smartwatch.

The voice belonged to the employee who had been monitoring Isiah’s location data just a moment ago.

[Well, the returnee Isiah has arrived.]

“What, now? All of a sudden?”

Why had Isiah shown up here all of a sudden?

“No, but why did returnee Isiah suddenly come to the Bureau? And what’s the point of the location tracker? You should have informed me if she was coming!”

[Well, earlier, her location tracker had stopped near Dangsan Station for quite a while… And since it was around lunchtime, I stepped out briefly to grab a bite. But during that short time, Isiah’s location signal went dark. Just now, her signal was picked up again, right in front of the Bureau.]

“…”

The location tracker wasn’t foolproof.

If someone entered a signal-dead zone like underground, or got into a high-end vehicle with signal-blocking technology, the tracker’s signal could be lost.

Ugh, this is a headache.

It was almost quitting time…

[Also… Yeonseo and Yeonhwa have come with her. They’re asking to see a superior right away…]

“I’ll be right down.”

Well, if they arrived in one of the Yeon family’s luxury cars, the signal might’ve been lost… Ugh.

Oh god, gross.

For a moment, Director Choi Bomi felt like the coffee she had earlier was about to come back up.

However, as a seasoned ethics inspector, she quickly plastered a professional smile on her face and rushed downstairs.

It took one minute.

In that one minute, Director Choi Bomi stopped all her preparations for leaving work, put on a career woman’s smile, and headed to the first-floor waiting room, where Isiah was.

“Hello, returnee Isiah! Lady Yeonseo, it’s an honor to meet you. And congratulations, Yeonhwa, on receiving your hunter title.”

“Hehe, yes. Ah, you’re Director Choi, right? Director Lee often speaks highly of you.”

“Thank you. I still have many shortcomings, but I think Deputy Director Lee has been too kind in his words. And I’m sorry. Normally, I would invite you to my office for coffee…”

“Don’t worry about that, no need to be so formal. Now, Isiah, go ahead and tell her.”

“Go ahead, unnie.”

“…”

Seeing Yeonseo and Yeonhwa urging Isiah to speak, Director Choi Bomi raised a mental question mark.

What was this?

Why had those two come with returnee Isiah?

Even though Isiah was said to be under the protection of the Yeon family, after almost a month with no contact, Director Choi couldn’t think of a plausible reason for their sudden visit.

“Uh, um…”

“Yes! Please, go ahead!”

“…Money.”

“Pardon? Money?”

Isiah, looking hesitant, spoke to Director Choi Bomi.

No, it wasn’t just hesitation—it was more like she was practically whispering.

Despite being an undead and the Saintess of the Dead, Isiah’s face seemed to flush red with embarrassment for some reason.

It seemed even she felt ashamed.

“I, uh… I spent all the support funds.”

“Sorry?”

At those words, Director Choi Bomi’s face showed an expression of “Did I just hear that right?”

“Well, we provided accommodations for you, didn’t we? The returnee shelter should have furniture and electronics. One hundred million won is no small amount—it’s quite a large sum. Ah! Perhaps you don’t know how to use the electronic currency stored in the smartwatch? If so, we can provide a manual…”

“I used it all up… And I know how to use electronic currency.”

“……”

“Really, I spent the whole 100 million.”

A hundred million.

That was by no means a small amount of money.

On average, even the most extravagant returnees could comfortably live without working for at least three months with that kind of money.

And just in case they needed more, additional support funds were available after the first month, subject to approval and review.

But today was exactly one month since returnee Isiah had returned to modern times.

“Excuse me, if you don’t mind me asking… What did you spend it on?”

“Pfft!”

“…Hehe.”

“Mm…”

At Director Choi Bomi’s words, Yeonseo and Yeonhwa stifled their laughter, covering their faces.

As for Isiah, her shoulders noticeably flinched.

Isiah, seemingly wanting to hide her face, began fiddling with her snow-white hair, as if trying to shield herself.

“…Food.”

“Sorry, what?”

“I spent it on food.”

“…You spent a hundred million won on food?”

For a while, Director Choi Bomi couldn’t say anything.

“…So, I need to work.”

“Ah, I see…”

○○○○○

Those who do not work, shall not eat.

Since the dawn of human civilization, labor has been considered more sacred and transformative than even religion.

Labor began with cultivating fields and tending livestock, maintaining households, and through labor, individuals could contribute to society.

Through labor, food, clothing, and shelter were created, and surplus wealth followed.

And with surplus wealth, the division of classes among humanity began.

From labor, human history has been filled with envy, conflict, struggle, war, greed, ambition, kings, dictators, and revolutions.

Even in today’s Hunter Era, labor still symbolizes human existence itself.

In other words, labor is humanity’s history, and it’s one of the main factors that have differentiated humans from beasts for tens of thousands of years.

What does this mean?

Those who do not work are not human.

Those who do not work, are you a beast?

Those who do not work, shall not eat.

“Puhahahahaha!!!”

As Yeonseo finished her long speech, she burst into hearty laughter while Director Choi Bomi was out of the room.

For the record, Yeonseo had arrived right after Yeonhwa had paid for Isiah’s gukbap (Korean rice soup).

“No, gukbap… Pfft! Hahaha! Oh, is this meant to kill this old lady with laughter? Kheup… Ahaha!!”

“……”

“How on earth… Pfft! How could you blow a hundred million on food in just one month? Ahaha!”

Running a business.

Intentionally buying expensive, luxury goods.

Or perhaps taking a luxurious overseas trip, staying at a five-star hotel with full service, hiring a guide to live like royalty.

At the very least, buying a high-priced electric vehicle, expensive edible monster meat, or dining daily at five-star hotel buffets would be understandable.

“Shia, dear. Even though you’re undead, I thought of you as such a noble saintess. But… Pfft…!”

But how could you waste all your support funds on just delivery food like chicken?

“Shia, you must have the highest Engel coefficient since the dawn of the Hunter era.”

“…What’s the Engel coefficient?”

“The percentage of income spent on food. In terms of ratio, your current income is zero, and your food expense is one hundred million. Wow, how would we even calculate this? You’ve probably punched through negative numbers and are heading straight for the earth’s mantle.”

“I didn’t spend all of it on food. Ah, well… Is it really that bad?”

“…?”

Though I offered a feeble protest, feeling a bit wronged, I couldn’t handle the icy stare coming from Yeonhwa, who sat beside me exuding cold air.

“Do you think it’s a good thing?”

“No, it’s not, but… I guess I was wrong.”

Apparently, because of me, Yeonhwa had left early from her ceremony for receiving her hunter name, and Yeonseo had pushed back her upcoming schedule out of concern for me.

Honestly, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel sorry.

Sigh… No matter how much I’d relaxed after returning to this world… This isn’t exactly behavior befitting a saintess.

Even though I’m the Saintess of the Dead, I’d lived as a saintess for a long time in the “other world.”

I healed the sick, restored the lives of the wounded in war, but here… I’m just an unemployed saintess.

“Haha, I do understand, though. Sometimes returnees cope with their emptiness or depression in such ways.”

“Really…?”

“It’s actually not uncommon for returnees to overspend. Even though they have no income, they become fixated on buying things with the support funds from the management bureau—whether it’s toys, books, figurines, or furniture. According to the ethics inspectors, this overspending tendency helps fill the void and loneliness that returnees feel. After all, they’ve left all their connections in the other world. They have no friends or family to comfort them here. When you think about it that way, it’s somewhat understandable.”

As Yeonseo said, returnees were people who had lived in another world and then returned to modern times, but despite being called “returnees,” they had actually adapted to the laws of the “other side.” Upon returning, they had to completely reevaluate all their common sense and thoughts.

Naturally, in that process, returnees often felt extreme confusion, leading to accumulated stress or depression, and to relieve that stress, they wanted to immerse themselves in something.

Most became hunters and entered dungeons, or if not that, started stable businesses or took up jobs.

Of course, some got lost in games, comics, or movies, but that was still one of the better outcomes.

Some returnees fell into overspending or impulsive purchasing, and there were even reports of returnees getting involved in drugs or gambling.

And Isiah, the Saintess of the Dead, had blown through nearly 90% of her one hundred million won support fund purely on food.

She had now left a new mark in the list of peculiar cases among returnees.

“Haa, I know it’s not normal to spend a hundred million on food… But somehow, the hunger I wanted to satisfy never went away…”

“Hunger? After eating that much?”

“That’s why I brought her here. Unnie says it’s not just regular food that’s important, but that she needs to eat malevolent energy.”

“Malevolent energy? What are you talking about?”

Yeonseo tilted her head in confusion.

Come to think of it, I had only mentioned that I was a devourer of malevolent energy to Yeonhwa.

“I’m not sure either, but apparently, unnie can sense things like malice and hatred in monsters or demons that appear in dungeons. She needs to consume that to really satisfy her hunger.”

“Really? Does that include, like, killing intent or something?”

“I’m not entirely sure how it works, but yeah, it seems close enough.”

“Then wouldn’t it have been best for her to become a hunter from the start? Why did she stay holed up at home all this time?”

“Well… I didn’t know how to get there…”

“What?”

“I didn’t know where the dungeons or monsters were. I don’t even know my way outside the house, so what could I do? And nobody asked if I wanted to become a hunter. Plus, it’s illegal for civilians to enter dungeons, right?”

“Ah, well, true… Nobody would’ve asked you, I guess.”

When Yeonhwa had first seen Shia fiercely defeat the Black Minotaur in the dungeon, she had been in awe of her.

For a brief moment, she even thought that maybe her lost sister had sent an angel to protect her.

But now, what was this? A timid, awkward figure?

“Unnie, from now on, if you need help, even with something small, please contact me. Even if you’re short on money for food, I can help.”

“…Can I really?”

“Of course. You saved my life, after all. First, if you don’t mind, let’s start by registering you as a hunter. After that, we can go to a dungeon together.”

“…..”

“And once you become a hunter, as long as you file the proper reports, all the byproducts from the dungeons will belong to you, unnie.”

Mine?

At those words, I started thinking.

If I became a hunter, I’d naturally get access to information about where dungeons were and what was inside them.

And if I cleared the dungeon and hunted, I could… eat everything there.

Drip, drip, drip…

Without realizing it, I wiped the drool from my mouth.

This was bad.

Just imagining the grilled flank steak of a Black Minotaur was making me salivate.

“And if a new dungeon appears, given your strength, you should have no trouble handling it. You could even claim it first and… you know, eat whatever you want.”

“Yeonhwa, I think I’ve wanted to become a hunter ever since I arrived here.”

“Oh, really? Yes…”

Watching this scene, Yeonseo smirked.

‘Thank goodness. There are some returnees who, out of disgust for fighting and war, completely refuse to become hunters…’

In fact, Yeonseo had wanted to propose that Shia become a hunter from the moment they first met.

She had fought on equal terms with Yeonseo, the strongest S-rank, and might even possess abilities surpassing her.

Letting such a precious talent waste away in a returnee shelter would be a huge loss for humanity.

‘Well, despite her strength, she does seem a bit clumsy…’

Yeonseo had deliberately refrained from directly proposing the hunter idea to Isiah.

If Isiah wanted it or needed money, she’d eventually register with the Hunter Association at her own pace and take on missions step by step.
However, thanks to Isiah’s clumsiness, things seemed to be progressing more smoothly than expected.

“Returnee Isiah?”

“Ah, yes. And you are?”

Just then, Director Choi Bomi entered the waiting room with several people dressed in black suits.

“These people are from the Hunter Association, working in connection with the management bureau.”

“Nice to meet you, returnee Isiah.”

“This is a bit rushed, but thanks to Lady Yeonseo’s recommendation, we’ll get straight to the point.”

With that, Director Choi Bomi floated a round sphere into the air.

What’s that?

Come to think of it, wasn’t there something like that floating around when I first met Yeonseo and Yeonhwa in the dungeon?

“It’s a support AI drone for hunters. And by the way, this is a new model. As of this moment, returnee Isiah… no, Hunter Shia, this is now your property.”

“Really…?”

“It’s equipped with a camera and can broadcast in real-time. It has various functions. However, since this drone is a test model not yet available on the market, you’ll need to film footage with this drone camera during your dungeon expeditions for next-generation education and research.”

“Film?”

“Yes. When you enter a dungeon, there’s a button on the back of the drone that lets you start recording. The manual is included, so please read it when you have time. The Hunter Association said they could only provide the drone for free if you accept this condition.”

“Shia, if it’s too much trouble, I can buy you one instead.”

“It’s okay, Lady Yeonseo. Filming a video shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Then, starting now, we’ll issue Hunter Shia a temporary hunter’s license from the Hunter Association. Normally, there would be a minimum one-week review period, including an assessment of personal abilities and other evaluations…”

“Why bother with all that? This old lady will vouch for her, so let’s skip it.”

“Yes, understood. If Lady Yeonseo is vouching, the association will accept it.”

Saying that, Director Choi Bomi received a document from one of the Hunter Association inspectors standing beside her.

“This is just a simplified version, but as of now, Shia, you are officially part of the Hunter Association, with a temporary hunter’s license. Although it’s a temporary license, it’s B-rank. Complete a few simple tasks, and we’ll issue you a formal hunter’s license.”

“And she’s only B-rank, even with my guarantee?”

“I’m sorry, Lady Yeonseo. But even with your endorsement, Shia is still new to the association. If we suddenly gave her an A-rank or S-rank license, it would cause all sorts of complications. In fact, issuing a B-rank license right away may still spark complaints among other hunters.”

“Sigh, troublesome… If anyone has complaints, let them say it to my face.”

But there was no helping it.

Lady Yeonseo, an S-rank hunter, and her granddaughter Yeonhwa were of high ranks.

As of 2088, there were only ten S-rank hunters in South Korea, around two thousand A-rank hunters, and fewer than ten thousand B-rank hunters nationwide.

Even with these numbers, South Korea was considered one of the world’s leading hunter nations.

A D-rank hunter was enough to make a comfortable living, so for Isiah to receive a B-rank license right away was a remarkable feat.

“And now that you’ve received your hunter’s license, Hunter Shia, you must complete a specific mission once a month to maintain your temporary license.”

“Mission?”

“Yes. When I got my license, I completed several missions. My first one was a goblin tribe raid, I think?”

“By the way, it’s recommended that beginner hunters form a party of at least four members, but… I don’t think that’ll be necessary for Hunter Shia.”

“So, what kind of missions do I have?”

At those words, the Hunter Association inspector handed Isiah a piece of paper.

“You have one month to complete one of these missions. Normally, these missions are reserved for A-rank hunters, but as a special case, we’ve requested that these missions also be available to you, Hunter Shia.”

-B-rank, Atlas Desert Conquest

-A-rank, Red Orc Marauder Raid

-C-rank, Rafflesia Farm Destruction

-B-rank, Dark Mountain Range Conquest

Isiah’s eyes gleamed when she read the last entry on the list.

-A-rank, Wyvern Nest Destruction

“…Wyvern… Nest…?”

Wyverns, a type of dragon known for their poisonous tails or fangs, are usually considered a lower species of dragons.

If the wyverns on that list are the ones I know of, and if it’s a nest—a breeding ground…?

Yeah, even dungeons don’t stay stagnant.

Each dungeon probably has its own ecosystem, and there are even dungeons with their own civilizations.

In that case… A breeding ground… Wyverns are breeding.

Laying eggs…

And then, Isiah remembered the “Dragon Egg Jangjorim” (Korean braised eggs) that came up during her consultation with Director Choi Bomi a month ago.

Slurp…

‘Wyvern Egg Jangjorim… totally doable…’