There Is No World For ■■

***Half a day after the Saintess left his recovery room, Yeomyeong received a summons from the mercenary group. Reflecting on the last battle while lying in bed, he saw a message on his phone, which made him frown immediately.Could it be that the Saintess really…? With a mix of worry and doubt, he got up from bed, changed into regular clothes from the hospital gown, and left the recovery room.“Oh, Newcomer. You look better than I expected.”A familiar face was waiting for him in the hospital corridor, just outside the recovery room.Tian Lin, the team leader of Team 3. The thick bandages wrapped around his face and arms, proved that he had somehow managed to survive the last battle.“Anyone would think that I was the one who was hospitalized.”Tian Lin guffawed. Just as he said, at first glance, he looked more like a patient than Yeomyeong. Hearing that, Yeomyeong forced a smile.“Senior, what brings you here?”“I’m here to pick you up obviously. The rest of the team members are waiting downstairs.”“…You came to pick me up? Is something wrong?”When Yeomyeong asked him that, Tian Lin subtly gestured behind him with his chin.Beyond the bustling corridor of nurses, mercenaries could be seen glaring at him and Tian Lin.“Let’s go down for now. And just in case, don’t make eye contact with those guys.”In spite of his words, Tian Lin laughed exaggeratedly and placed a hand on Yeomyeong's shoulder.Yeomyeong played along with his act, walking lightly as if they were having a pleasant conversation.Why are they watching me all of a sudden?As he heightened his senses on his way out of the hospital, he realized that more than a few people were keeping an eye on him— ten of them at the very least.Even after they left the hospital, the surveillance didn’t lessen. In fact, reporters and merchants were openly staring at Yeomyeong.“…What on earth is going on?”“Should I call it the tragedy of a famous person or the inevitable fate of someone who stumbled upon a treasure?”As Tian Lin tried to inform him subtly, mercenaries surrounded Yeomyeong and Tian Lin at the hospital entrance.Fortunately, they were all familiar faces—the mercenaries from Team 3 of the Sonjuk Mercenary Group.On realizing that, Tian Lin wiped his forehead in relief.“The problem is the dragon you fought last time. To be precise, I’m talking about the rib bone it left behind.”On their way back to the base camp with the rest of the mercenary team, Tian Lin gave him a brief explanation about the situation.It all started with the dragon rib that Yeomyeong had managed to cut off.When the military first discovered the rib bone on the battlefield, they immediately claimed ownership, seeing it as an unexpected stroke of luck.The reporters had the Saintess occupied, and Yeomyeong was unconscious at the time. Fortunately, upon seeing them move the rib bones, Kim Mansoo, who had followed the military, protested immediately.He said, the ones who fought the dragon were Yeomyeong and the Saintess; what qualifications does the military have?—which was a reasonable and valid claim.According to the standard practices of the mercenary industry, the remains of monsters and hunted prey solely belonged to the mercenaries.Normally, the military would have backed down, but the problem was that dragon bones were exceedingly valuable items.Hence, the military audaciously demanded half of the rib bones. They made excuses, blabbering about urgent requisitions, but their true intentions were obvious.

Money.

After dragons were designated as an endangered species, parts of their bodies would always fetch astronomical prices.It was said that one claw was enough to buy a house in New York, and ten scales could change one’s place of residence, so what more was there to say?Furthermore, the rib bones obtained this time were even more special. Unlike items acquired through illegal poaching, this was obtained legally.Dragon's bones that could be traded legally, and not through illegal black market dealings. It was an item anyone would covet.Of course, the military's insistence didn't last long because the Saintess intervened as soon as she was freed from the reporters.And she even actively used her political position to pressure the military.Yelling that the ones who fought the dragon were herself and Yeomyeong, she then threatened that anyone else claiming rights to the bones would incur the wrath of billions of believers from Earth and beyond the Dimensional Portals.Once the discussion reached that point, the military had no choice but to back down. And although they followed up with some dirty retaliation, the rib bones were secured—“…Wait, what do you mean by dirty retaliation?”As Yeomyeong interrupted while listening to the explanation, Tian Lin shrugged.“The military informed the entire Manchuria base that half of the dragon's rib bones belongs to you. Those scoundrels with zero business ethics—if they can’t have it, they’ll speak ill of it.”“So, all those hanging around are us …”“Those bastards are just trying to probe how to deal with you and the rib. Some might be looking to scout you, while others might try to threaten you. Well, judging by the situation, it seems like the latter is the majority.”“…”“Hehe, can you believe all this happened while you were in the recovery room? Even I, who witnessed it with my own eyes, still find it hard to believe.”As Tian Lin laughed hollowly, they arrived in front of the base camp.Once they reached there, the number of gazes he felt on his back had significantly decreased.Although a few stares were still directed at him, no one dared to approach him.And all he had to do was open the door and enter… but Tian Lin didn’t grab the doorknob. Instead, he spoke with a serious expression.“Newcomer, the camp is currently hosting the Captain and some investors.”“The Captain?”Kwon Mongjoo, the leader of the Sonjuk Mercenary Group. Yeomyeong had heard the name before, if only in passing.“He’s quite a significant figure in the mercenary industry. He started from the bottom and worked his way to the top... in short, he is a tenacious person.”“…Is that so?”Why was he suddenly briefing him about the Captain? Yeomyeong tilted his head in confusion.Tian Lin seemed to be pondering over something. He fell silent for a moment, making the atmosphere tense.A short silence lasted for longer than expected, and just as Yeomyeong’s eyebrows were about to twitch from the discomfort, Tian Lin quietly whispered in Yeomyeong's ear.“Be it the Captain or the investors, you should refuse any demand for a share of the rib bones right away.”“…Senior?”“If they push you to hand it over, just say that you’ll withdraw from the group.”“…”“Don’t get me wrong, Newcomer. You’ve risked your life for me and the team, so I’m just giving you appropriate advice. You don’t need to associate with idiots who prioritize money over loyalty. That’s all there is to it.”Only then did Yeomyeong understand why Tian Lin said something like that.The Captain and the investors waiting inside the base camp were probably eyeing the dragon rib as well.…This is really becoming a hassle.The Saintess' request, the dragon's rib, and the original goal of needing to increase his fame.As Yeomyeong's worries deepened, Tian Lin opened the door to the base camp with a firm expression.

***CLANG!

The Saintess kicked a stray can on the street.With a kick filled with annoyance, the can flew through the air and hit the head of a mercenary who was smoking a cigarette.“What the fuck! Who the hell did that!”Struck on the back of the head unexpectedly, the mercenary glared angrily and cursed.Oops, the Saintess quickly hid behind a corner.Only after reaching the narrow space between the hard concrete walls did she remember that she was still wearing the Invisibility Cloak.Looks like I got scared for no reason.It was understandable because this was the first time she had worn the Invisibility Cloak for this long.Having worn something, which was usually only used for discreet outings, for an entire week…What a mess. Seriously.The Saintess sighed and plopped down onto the alley floor.Perhaps because her tension had finally eased, the fatigue she had been holding back came crashing in all at once and weighed down her neck.She buried her head between her knees and cast a healing spell on herself.The physical exhaustion disappeared quickly. However, the emotional burden still weighed heavily on her chest.If only I hadn’t seen that prophecy a week ago…Amidst her gloomy fatigue, the Saintess thought about the ‘what ifs.’If only she hadn’t seen the prophecy, she might have participated in the long-awaited entrance ceremony and recited the pledge as a representative of the new students.She could have met up with her 'only friend' after a long time, vented her feelings, and enjoyed the simple conversations girls her age typically had, savoring her youth.She could have joined a shooting club and showed off the shooting skills she had been secretly honing.And maybe, just maybe, she could have also had the opportunity to experience romance, like in TV shows or novels…The Saintess let out a bitter laugh at the thought.Like hell, that would happen.She slapped her cheeks with both hands.Everything was of her own volition—Whether not going to the entrance ceremony or rolling around in Manchuria to the point of nearly dying.She had already sacrificed a page of her youth to come to Manchuria.And that choice was the right one. Regardless of how nice enjoying her youth might feel, could it be more valuable than the lives she saved in Manchuria?Thanks to her choice to head to Manchuria, Wollard survived, many Manchuria inhabitants managed to escape disaster, and they were able to stop the dragon’s rampage …As she was thinking about this, a particular face naturally popped in her mind.…The guy with a personality disorder who only has a pretty face.Cheon Yeomyeong, that madman who tried to snap Wollard’s neck all of a sudden.Just thinking about that person made her frown automatically. It was all because the face she had seen earlier at the hospital came to mind.The guy immediately refused her offer to hire him as her bodyguard, and his expression turned serious the moment she threatened to use money to persuade him.At the time, she had dismissed it as a joke, but now, it felt somewhat unjust.How dare a mere mercenary refuse my offer.From the moment they fought against the dragon to matter regarding the rib, did that guy not realize how much she had helped him?Of course, he had helped her as well, but… what mattered was that he had refused her.Just you wait. I’ll make you an offer you cannot refuse.She pulled out her smartphone and opened the list of mercenary requests she had checked in the recovery room.Let’s see, what will you do if I really hire you?In the end, mercenaries were people who lived and died by money.Regardless of how great a mercenary he was, she had enough money to crush his so-called pride in an instant.But buying someone I dislike with money and doing whatever I want with them...If she did something like that, wouldn’t her reputation as a Saintess plummet?Just as she was feeling an inexplicable sense of moral corruption, she heard a familiar voice call out to her from the other end of the alley.“Saintess.”The voice was so smooth, that it seemed devoid of any inflection. The Saintess turned her head to look at its owner.Stepping into the alley was a middle-aged woman wearing a blue rat mask that covered half her face.She was dressed in a blue coat that concealed her curvaceous figure and her high heels made no sound as she walked on the concrete.“...Mother.”“I told you not to call me ‘Mother’ when we’re outside. Please refer to me as the president of Blue Rat Company.”The woman, whom the Saintess mother 'Mother,' looked directly at the Saintess’ location as if she could see her through the Invisibility Cloak.“It feels so cringe to call you that… Anyway, how did you find me? Did Uncle Wollard snitch?”“Wollard just did his job.”What a snitch; I shouldn’t have saved his life. The Saintess sighed deeply and looked up at the mask.“You’re here to catch me, right? I’m sorry, but I can’t go back yet.”“...If you came to stop the disaster in Manchuria, then that job is already done. You’re not needed for the cleanup. You should go to the academy, Saintess.”“That was just a side issue. The real goal is… you know, right? I can’t tell you; it’s a prophecy.”The Saintess dusted off her bottom as she stood up. As she glanced down at her smartphone, she suddenly realized something.If he dislikes me, I can just use someone else’s name to pretend to be the client, can’t I?It took only a moment for her to arrive at this conclusion, and she swiftly took action. The Saintess looked directly at the blue rat mask and said:“Mom, can you help me?”“...Help? Did you just ask for help, Saintess?”Was it really that surprising for her to suddenly ask for help? Her mother responded urgently.“Of course. Saintess, I can help with whatever you need.”Her tone was filled with anticipation. However, the next words from the Saintess shattered that anticipation.“I want to buy a man with money... Could you buy him for me instead, Mom?”