The Grill-Wielding Saintess of the Dead

Chapter 79: Flowers Do Not Bloom in Paradise 1

I, as the saintess seated at your right hand between life and death, pray.

I pray in the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, starlight, and the maw of God.

I, as one who cannot be anything and has no qualifications, pray to you.

Please, hear my desperate prayer.

Even if only for a single moment, as brief as a drop of dew at dawn.

If my voice reaches you, even for just a single moment… Please, answer my prayer…

Let this leaf pancake taste delicious…

Sizzle.

Sizzle.

“…….”

Is this really okay?

Even if I’m young, even if I didn’t know this tree was the World Tree…

“Wow, this looks delicious!”

“……..”

Is it okay to fry and eat the World Tree’s leaves with this elf elder child?

“Hehe, ‘KawaiiHorned’ is dead. I got to eat with Shia first, hehe…”

“… Is, is that so?”

If it’s ‘KawaiiHorned,’ I know them very well… I’m not someone who reacts well, but they are a regular, one of the big donors who steadily supports my stream.

It seems that Olgania, who goes by the nickname ‘LeafFriedforSale,’ is also very close with that person.

I guess the members of the Dead Titty Squad have been communicating behind my back…

“Hauup, chew, chew… It’s delicious… This is the first time I’ve had something like this!”

Well… yeah… Even for an elf, it’s probably the first time eating the leaves of the World Tree…

The taste is surely good.

Earlier, I removed the wyvern egg yolk from the batter I dropped for Olgania’s sake.

Actually, that alone was enough to make good pancake batter.

Wyvern egg yolk is just my personal preference, after all.

Anyway, the batter I remade was fortunately a success, and now I was on my 30th World Tree leaf pancake.

‘But, what on earth is happening…?’

So, what exactly is the World Tree, which the elves worship?

Elves, one of the longest-lived races and among the earliest humans, are treated as a race that appeared in history even before humans.

And the World Tree is the Earth Mother who allows those elves to live on this land, receiving the blessings of spirits and nature. It’s the source of their life, the one they believe they will return to even when they turn to dust.

Thus, the World Tree is the elves’ god, their faith, and the embodiment of their belief and blessings.

Of course, every elf might have a different interpretation of the World Tree.

Desert elves see the World Tree as a close and friendly presence.

The shadow elves, settled in the Abyssal Lands, regard the World Tree as their mentor.

However, the elves in the world I once lived in prioritized the World Tree over their own lives.

Even if they were close friends or allies of an elf, the moment they made even the slightest scratch on the bark of the World Tree, they would be relentlessly pursued by the entire elven race.

Among humans, crimes like blasphemy, treason, rebellion, and murder are punished with extreme severity, but touching the World Tree recklessly would be regarded by elves as an even more heinous crime.

“…….”

Sizzle…

“Hehe… it’s delicious…”

And I… as one of the founding members of the Dead Titty Squad, who has watched my streams since the very beginning.

This girl, Olgania, is not only one of the elders leading the current elves.

She is also the true successor of the World Tree, the last child of the World Tree, whom all elves of this kingdom would give their lives to protect.

Her full name is Olgania Farseer.

This girl, who goes by the nickname ‘Olgania,’ is…

Sizzle, sizzle, chew…

She was chewing on the World Tree leaf pancake I made, her eyes twinkling with hunger as she gazed at the pancake with a lively expression.

… What is this?

What on earth is this?

I’ve never experienced anything like this before.

Eating fried World Tree leaves?

It wasn’t intentional, but still, it’s a first.

But to think I’d be eating these World Tree leaf pancakes with an elf elder?

What in the world…

“Hey, where did you learn to say that?”

“From the ‘JangheonGallery’!”

“…..”

…Oh God.

What on earth have you done to this innocent, young elf girl?

“I saw streamers grilling meat and other things while their viewers were chatting!”

These damned trolls and netrunners… Do you even realize what you’ve done!?

You’ve corrupted Olgania, the last child of the World Tree and the future leader of the elves!

Feel free to make this your life’s greatest achievement!

“That, well, it’s just a joke… but it’s not a good thing to say, so try to hold back a little…”

“Hehe, I’ll be careful. But I’m also part of the Dead Titty Squad, you know? I mean, getting to eat something with Shia in the moment is just so exciting.”

“… Is that so?”

Honestly, I never imagined that I’d be frying World Tree leaves, without knowing what kind of tree it was, led by the scent of malevolent energy.

When Olgania saw me cooking with the World Tree leaves and asked what I was doing, I nearly trembled on the spot—not as a joke.

I was well aware of how obsessive elves were about the World Tree.

Although I didn’t expect them to kill me, I thought they might throw me in jail or, at worst, I’d have to play hide and seek with a group of angry elves.

Thankfully, Olgania didn’t get angry but rather seemed eager to cook and eat the World Tree leaf pancakes with me.

“Chew, chew… This taste… This is how my mother’s food tasted…”

I’m so glad she likes it.

“But Olgania, it sounds strange, so use proper subjects in your sentences… It makes me feel like you’re practicing cannibalism.”

“Really? Gulp… Shia! Give me another leaf from Mother!”

“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

“Hehehe, Mother tastes great. So chewy.”

Olgania wasn’t just giving me empty compliments.

She genuinely smiled, full of sincerity, savoring every bite.

As I closely observed, there was not a hint of falsehood in her expression.

This young elf elder was truly enjoying the World Tree leaf pancakes with me!

An elf!

An elder!

I distinctly remember Olgania having eaten with me earlier.

While it makes sense for me, as I’m always hungry due to my nature as a malevolent predator, Olgania surprisingly had quite the appetite for an elf.

And so, Olgania and I secretly grilled and ate World Tree leaves, avoiding the gazes of other elves for a while.

“Haa, I’m so full… Actually, I’ve never eaten Mother’s World Tree leaves before.”

“But, setting aside that you forgave me, why did you eat these World Tree leaves too? Aren’t you angry with me?”

“It was an accident, right? It’s not like the Saintess would intentionally eat the World Tree, knowing what it was.”

“Even if it was an accident… The elves I knew would have tried to kill anyone who so much as touched the World Tree bark.”

“Oh, how scary. Elves from your previous world were like that before you returned?”

“Yeah…”

As expected from a Dead Titty Squad member, Olgania seemed well aware that I was a Returnee.

“That being said, elves are vegans, but we still eat grains and other plants just fine, don’t we? It’s true that we revere Mother World Tree… but that’s no longer meaningful.”

“What do you mean by that?”

For an elf elder to say that the World Tree no longer has meaning…

At my question, Olgania sat with her legs together and tilted her head towards the stone plate.

“Hehe, it’s nothing. I just wanted to cook something with you, like we do on your stream. It was something I always wanted to try… Although I never imagined it would be World Tree leaf pancakes. Haha.”

“Is that really all?”

“…….”

It couldn’t be, of course.

The reason Olgania called me here wasn’t simply because she wanted to meet me as a fan, nor was it just to defeat some Chaos Ants.

However, it seemed Olgania wasn’t quite ready to open up yet.

Her restless fingers and hesitant expression told me that something was bothering her.

“I saw it on the way here. The elves of the Great Forest, who should be overflowing with vitality and spirit, were coughing like humans with colds.”

“… So, you noticed.”

With the blessings of the World Tree, elves are immune to all diseases.

Even with minimal sustenance, their life force and spiritual energy are naturally replenished.

The elves of the Great Forest possess invulnerable strength, more formidable than any fortified wall.

Even in the previous world, the Demon King’s army never dared invade elven territory.

Instead, they planned to first destroy the humans and then isolate the elves to gradually cause their downfall.

But what’s with these elves now?

Even among the elves I passed by, many were coughing and looking frail.

Though the elite troops of the Lotus Knights seemed unaffected, a gloomy atmosphere and signs of an impending plague lingered over the village.

“If there really is a serious plague, I can heal it. As you know, I’m a saintess. Though I’m undead, I’m still a saintess.”

“……”

“But the plague itself isn’t the problem here. It’s no big deal—I can heal it whenever. The real issue is that a plague is spreading in a land blessed by the World Tree in the first place.”

Surprisingly, the conclusion might be simple.

There shouldn’t be any plague in a land blessed by the World Tree.

But if a plague is spreading in such a land…

That means the World Tree’s blessing no longer exists here.

“Can you tell me honestly, Olgania?”

“Yes.”

“Does the World Tree still exist here?”

“……”

Before coming here, I had been told that these elves came to Earth because the World Tree had burned down in the previous world.

In order to forget the trauma of not being able to protect the World Tree in the past world and to escape the psychological shock, the elves settled and tried to adapt in this Great Forest.

At one time, they had even restricted human access to the forest and treated outsiders as potential threats.

However, after spending just a single day here, I began to doubt whether this land of the elves was truly as blessed as they claimed.

There was no doubt that the World Tree leaf I had eaten was unlike any ordinary leaf.

But… I wasn’t sure if I could still call this decayed, malevolent energy-radiating tree the World Tree.

“…..”

Olgania briefly gazed at the World Tree.

The World Tree undoubtedly stood before us.

It was a massive ancient tree, larger than any other.

It even radiated a divine aura, and each leaf seemed different from the ordinary, yet… disturbingly, I could sense a rotting malevolence from within.

The malevolent energy I felt was unmistakable, and by eating the World Tree leaves, I could feel that the malevolent energy had filled me.

“As the last child of the World Tree, I… was born a little different from other elves.”

Olgania gave a faint, sad smile.

“Other elves have parents. Although our culture is different, they form families and bear children just like humans. But I… am different.”

“So, the ‘Child of the World Tree’ wasn’t just a figurative expression.”

“Yes. I was the last incarnation born from the fruit of the World Tree in the previous world. Originally, I would have matured for at least a few hundred more years, inheriting the memories of the past and awakening in a fully grown state. I wasn’t supposed to wake up this early.”

Chewing on the World Tree leaf I handed her, Olgania continued.

“Thank you. Chew, chew… But in the previous world, humans, whom the elves trusted, set fire to the World Tree. My mother, or perhaps my older sister—the previous child of the World Tree—disappeared. In that state, we elves ended up here on Earth, refugees of a lost dimension, with no proper land to call our own.”

“I see.”

“Naturally, the shock of losing Mother World Tree left us all broken. Some elves attempted suicide out of despair. The entire race fell into deep sorrow, and the trauma engraved itself into our souls.”

And Olgania looked up at the World Tree.

“That’s how this fake World Tree was created.”

There was no reverence or respect in her gaze towards the World Tree, as one would expect from an elf.

“Needing something to rely on, the elves forcefully grew an underdeveloped seed to plant it in this Great Forest. Up to that point, it was understandable. Humans also recreate things they want to rely on, don’t they?”

“So, are you satisfied with the current situation?”

“Whether I’m satisfied or not doesn’t matter.”

Though Olgania is the true child of the World Tree, she now has to serve this fake.

She has to revere this enormous tree, infested with malevolence, as their sacred tree and their mother.

How could she not feel conflicted about that?

Moreover, from Olgania’s words, it seemed that the ‘Child of the World Tree’ was the elves’ king—no, practically a god. But now, Olgania was merely an ‘elder.’

And not even a respected one—treated more like a child who couldn’t make decisions alone.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been summoned as a guest, but as a designated hunter with multiple privileges.

In truth, Olgania had been effectively ‘demoted’ when this fake World Tree took root.

“But we… the elves who lost Mother need a mother, even if it’s a fake. I can’t become their mother.”

“Why not?”

“Because they’re already serving the fake. Even though it’s fake, at least this tree soothes their hearts. Of course, we’re not fools. We’ve noticed that an unknown plague is spreading among the elves. We’ve also sensed that the once-radiant World Tree now reeks of decay.”

“So, the other elves believe the Chaos Ants are responsible?”

“Yes. Whether they’re ignoring it or trying to hide it, the Elder Council and the elves have pointed to the Chaos Ants, which are eating away at the World Tree from within, as the cause.”

If the Chaos Ants were truly the cause, that would actually make things easier.

We could simply wipe them out.

Even with the Chaos Ants’ massive numbers, the elves’ strength would likely be more than enough to defeat them.

After all, each elf had the combat power of a C to B-rank hunter.

“We’ve already been betrayed by humans and lost our mother. Even though we know that the humans of Earth are different from those of the previous world… we still can’t trust them, so we were trying to resolve it internally.”

“But you went out of your way to single-handedly use your seal to summon an S-rank hunter… specifically, to call me?”

“… That’s right. You can get angry. Now’s definitely the right time to be angry.”

“If you want to see me angry, you’d have to snatch the meat I’ve been grilling right in front of me.”

“……”

At my not-so-joking joke, Olgania couldn’t help but let the corners of her mouth lift into a smile.

Olgania liked Shia because of this.

Even when the army of Chaos Ants grew larger on the other side of the Great Forest, even as more elves in the village began coughing, even as the rotten stench emanating from the fake World Tree grew stronger, there was nothing Olgania could do.

Since the elves began serving the fake World Tree, Olgania, who had once been akin to a deity, had been demoted to a mere elder.

All she could do was hole up indoors and pass the time by indulging in Earth’s culture.

And so, she had come across Shia by chance for the first time.

“At first, I thought you were just a strange woman. Later, I realized you were stronger than I imagined. Watching your streams, whether they were trivial or daily, I found them entertaining. I even thought you were a true saintess.”

Approaching as if confessing, Olgania looked at Shia with teary eyes.

“Shia… I don’t need you as a streamer. I don’t need you as an S-rank hunter. What I need, what I want, is you as a saintess.”

For the elves, traumatized by the loss of the World Tree, how could they possibly be told to destroy even this fake?

Olgania couldn’t do it.

She didn’t know what she wanted or what the solution was, but… Maybe Shia, the Saintess of the Dead, could do something?

“It’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

Shia smiled confidently as she stroked Olgania’s head.

A saintess exists for the sake of hope.

Fulfilling the wishes of my beloved Dead Titty Squad is no big deal.

○○○○○

A flower blooms.

The bloomed flower disappears.

The petals rot and decay.

It laughs.

Someone laughs.

Someone is laughing.

Why are they laughing?

Are they mocking?

They delight in sorrow.

They sneer at pain.

The rotting decay is rampant.

Everyone is happy.

Instead of spirits, the disgusting insects.

Instead of the wind, the vengeful grudge.

Instead of fragrance, the stench of my mother.

Another petal falls.

My petal.

Where are you going?

Ah, ah.

How sad.

What can I do in this sadness?

What should I do with these tears?

Even the tears are devoured.

The sorrow is chewed up, cursed, and cursed again.

I resent, and I resent once more.

Don’t go.

Don’t leave me alone.

Don’t mock me, though I am wretched.

Ah, if someone exists,

If someone hears my prayer… please, I beg you.

Kill me… please, kill me…

Please, kill me…