The Grill-Wielding Saintess of the Dead

Chapter 81 Flowers Do Not Bloom in Paradise 3

The monster called Chaos Ant had slightly different appearances, but its nature was the same no matter which world you were in.

A swarm of mindless insects centered around a queen.

The violence of numbers was terrifying, but because of that, they were a simple type of monster.

As long as you could locate and eliminate the queen, they wouldn’t evolve into a major threat.

However, a Chaos Ant soldier had appeared within the Lotus Knights, who were guarding the Elven Great Forest.

This situation was clearly abnormal, both for Shia and the elves.

It wasn’t just a mere disguise.

According to the testimony of the elves belonging to the Lotus Knights, they said that the elf they saw for the first time—someone whose name they didn’t even know—had never felt out of place until now.

That meant, at the very least, that the enemy possessed a widespread perception-altering or mental manipulation ability, or perhaps even an enchanting ability, like pheromones. Even if they had an enchanting ability, in order to blend in and live among the elves, they must have intelligence and reason to understand and imitate their way of life.

As a result, the elves of the Great Forest were on high alert, and the Council of Elders immediately summoned Shia, who had first discovered the disguised Chaos Ant, along with Elanarre, the commander of the Lotus Knights.

Inside the large hollow of a giant tree, where a strict atmosphere of vigilance and tension reigned, elves dressed in luxurious clothes that clearly signified their high status were seated in elevated positions.

“Hmm, so you’re the guest whom Lady Olgania has invited?”

The first elf Shia encountered was an elderly one who appeared rather stern. Beside him, Olgania, who had made the world tree leaf pancakes with Shia the previous night, discreetly waved her hand toward Shia.

Shia smiled faintly in return, meeting Olgania’s eyes, then bowed slightly, placing one hand over her heart to greet the elves in their traditional manner.

Placing a hand over the heart while bowing was a gesture among the elves that meant, “I respect you.”

“Hello. My name is Saintess Shia.”

Of course, Shia wasn’t sure if the elves here followed the same customs as the ones from her world, but at least the atmosphere among the elders didn’t seem to be uncomfortable, suggesting that her first impression had been successful.

“Hmm, you’re a polite one for an outsider.”

“Your name seems to be from Northeast Asia, from Earth.”

“Is it Chinese or Korean?”

“I think I heard something about her being a Hunter.”

“She’s not staying here as a Hunter but as Saintess Shia. Although she’s an outsider, feel free to speak openly.”

“Hmm…”

Elven political systems varied, but if the Child of the World Tree was present, they were usually treated like an emperor or even a god, guiding and embracing the entire elven society.

The role of the elders was merely to support the Child of the World Tree. However, due to various circumstances, an oligarchy led by several elders was currently in place.

“Before we declare the opening, I will ask Commander Elanarre of the Lotus Knights a few questions.”

“Yes, Elder.”

“First, please give us a detailed account of the Lotus Knights’ activities since yesterday.”

“Understood. While the Lotus Knights were carrying out their usual duties, signs of a Chaos Ant infestation were detected…”

Elanarre, who was positioned to the left of Olgania, knelt on one knee as she reported.

The black-haired elf, presumably also an elder, listened attentively to Elanarre’s report and nodded her head.

“All the testimonies from the other elves and the timeline of Commander Elanarre’s whereabouts match. I confirm that there is no falsehood in Commander Elanarre’s testimony. All 62 members of the Lotus Knights are also cleared of suspicion.”

Upon the black-haired elf’s confirmation, Elanarre lowered her head and stepped back, relieved to have narrowly avoided being accused as a traitor who harbored the disguised Chaos Ant.

“According to Commander Elanarre’s testimony, at around 9 a.m. this morning, it was Saintess Shia who realized that one of the Lotus Knights was actually a Chaos Ant disguised as one of our kin. Is that true?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Then, how did you know the creature was disguised?”

At this question, Elanarre stiffened.

It wasn’t something she could easily explain to the elders.

Elanarre was fundamentally neutral regarding Shia. She naturally felt a certain hostility toward outsiders, as it was instinctive to protect her people.

Although she had been somewhat cold toward Shia, she was not the kind of person who would disregard the huge favor of identifying the disguised Chaos Ant.

“Well…”

As Elanarre hesitated, Shia stepped forward with her characteristic bright smile.

“When I smashed its head, an ant’s head came out.”

“…What did you say?”

“What!?”

“What is she saying right now…?”

The sudden interruption from Shia caused the atmosphere among the elders to harden.

“Wait a moment, Saintess Shia. You smashed its head? Are you saying you attacked one of our kin without any solid evidence?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Huh!”

“You did that without any evidence?!”

“You there, outsider! Do you realize you’re in the land of the elves…!”

“But if I hadn’t done it, that Chaos Ant would still be deceiving both you and Mother World Tree, wouldn’t it? Unless, of course, the elves wanted to coexist with the Chaos Ant?”

“…….”

In truth, Shia wasn’t without evidence.

There was the scent of malevolence, the presence of malicious energy.

But there was no need to explain this to the elves, who were not particularly fond of her.

Revealing that she was a Malignant Predatory Existence could lead to misunderstandings, or even having herself labeled as a monster.

It was better to keep such things hidden.

Finally, one of the elders, an old elf with a white beard and hair sitting at the highest seat, spoke.

“Let us ask the outsider what she wants. I’ve heard that there is something you wish for?”

“Ah, yes. I want to conduct an Inquisition. I hope the elders will cooperate.”

“…What?”

“An Inquisition?”

At those words, the expressions of all the elves hardened.

An Inquisition.

It was a highly formal, legally enforced process where the inquisitor could even use torture on the accused, inflicting both mental and physical pain to extract confessions.

“Are you in your right mind?”

“How dare you suggest such a thing here…!”

“Quiet down, everyone. We must hear her out fully first.”

At Elder Gallard’s command, the furious voices of the other elders quieted.

“Very well, continue speaking.”

“Thank you. When I say ‘Inquisition,’ it’s different from the kind of torturous circus you may imagine, where people are robbed of their property under the guise of judgment. My goal is simply to expose lies and find the impurities deceiving the elves.”

“Didn’t you just say ‘Inquisition’?”

“I’m merely seeking to distinguish those with ill intentions from the average elf. Nothing more, and no elf will be subjected to torture. I only ask that all the elves be gathered in one place.”

The Council of Elders began murmuring amongst themselves at Shia’s words.

In her previous world, Shia’s title hadn’t been just “Saintess of the Dead.”

She had also served as an inquisitor in the Imperial Correctional Facility, notorious for its brutal reputation.

Though Shia’s usual philosophy was to offer forgiveness and mercy, she could become as cruel and ruthless as needed when the situation called for it.

After a while, Elder Gallard spoke again, addressing Shia.

“I have some questions for you. I expect honest answers with no lies.”

“Even though I may not look it, I’m still a saintess. I don’t tell lies.”

Shia responded with a relaxed smile.

“Um… elders, I can vouch for Shia’s abilities. She really is a saintess…”

“Lady Olgania.”

The white-haired elder interrupted Olgania, smiling kindly.

“I trust your words, but she remains an outsider. I understand that you believe in her, but thorough verification is necessary, especially in these times.”

“That’s… Yes, you are right, Elder Gallard…”

“Lady Olgania, I only wish to protect our people and you. If I have offended you, I apologize.”

“…No, I understand, Elder Gallard. I was being careless.”

With Olgania’s objections dismissed, Elder Gallard rose from his seat and approached Shia.

“Let me ask you a few things. First, is your name truly Shia?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have any proof that you are a saintess?”

“Hmm, well, how about a healing miracle?”

“Elves blessed by Mother World Tree can easily perform healing within the Great Forest. Lady Olgania will also be able to do it one day.”

While Shia’s healing miracles were rare and precious abilities, they weren’t seen as particularly extraordinary among elves.

Moreover, even if Shia had proof from her world, it wouldn’t carry much weight here.

“And according to Lady Olgania, you are an S-rank Hunter from Korea.”

“To be precise, I possess abilities comparable to an S-rank Hunter. Since I’ve only recently returned from my previous world, my rank hasn’t been officially determined yet.”

“So, you have no credentials to prove your abilities to us, no particular ties with our people, and not even a Hunter’s license? Apart from being Lady Olgania’s guest, what reason do we have to support this so-called Inquisition?”

Gallard looked at her as if incredulous.

“Well, if you don’t trust me, there’s really nothing you can rely on.”

“As you must realize, you are an outsider with no credibility here. The only reason you’re not being expelled is because you are Lady Olgania’s guest.”

Then.

After a brief pause, Elder Gallard narrowed his eyes at Shia.

“However, since you arrived, the Chaos Ants, without any prior signs, have suddenly started using strange abilities like disguising themselves. Is this just a coincidence?”

“Elder Gallard!”

Olgania suddenly stood up, visibly angry at Gallard’s insinuation.

“Elder Gallard! That was incredibly rude! Are you accusing Shia, who found the Chaos Ant, of causing this situation?!”

“Yes, Lady Olgania.”

Gallard shamelessly affirmed his position.

“From the moment this outsider arrived, things began to go wrong. A Chaos Ant was found hiding among us, something we had no prior warning about. Doesn’t that imply that this woman, Shia, might be the one sowing discord among us?”

It wasn’t an entirely baseless claim.

News that a disguised Chaos Ant had been discovered among the Lotus Knights had spread like wildfire among the elves of the Great Forest.

Because of that, the emergency meeting was being held now to calm the rising chaos.

It wasn’t yet a full-blown crisis, but the fear that one’s family, neighbors, friends, or mentors might secretly be a Chaos Ant was starting to spread.

“And it just so happens that Lady Olgania was the one who invited this outsider.”

“…!”

“While it’s commendable that this Shia discovered the disguised ant… who’s to say it wasn’t planned? Maybe she’s trying to win our favor or create divisions among us.”

Olgania’s face quickly hardened.

“That… makes sense.”

Even some of the other elders began to agree with Gallard.

“It’s absurd for an outsider to be allowed into the Great Forest in the first place.”

“Elders! What are you saying? This is nonsense!”

“Lady Olgania, you’re still too young. How could you invite an outsider when you can’t even properly discern the situation?”

“What…?”

Olgania tried to protest angrily, but the murmurs of the elders quickly drowned out her voice.

“Commander Elanarre also testified, didn’t she? If these wretched insects are intelligent and cunning enough to disguise themselves, wouldn’t it make sense for there to be more than just one in the Lotus Knights?”

“That’s a fair point.”

“Perhaps there’s only one, a mutant or a rare individual.”

“Exactly. There’s no need to create unnecessary fear or escalate the situation.”

It was clear that many of the elders were already in agreement with Gallard, as their words aligned seamlessly.

Shia sighed quietly as she watched the scene unfold.

Sigh… I really didn’t want to use this method…

“How about we all calm down a bit?”

Just as Shia was about to secretly clench her fist, the black-haired female elf spoke up.

It was the elder who had interrogated Elanarre earlier.

“Though Lady Olgania may be young, she is still the last child of the World Tree, just like you. Isn’t it too rude to speak to her in this manner?”

“…Hmm.”

“Hmph.”

At last, the chattering voices of the elders quieted down, and the black-haired elf bowed slightly toward Olgania.

“My apologies, Lady Olgania. I apologize on behalf of the other elders.”

“…Thank you, Elder Entamia.”

Once the tense atmosphere had subsided, the black-haired elf, Entamia, continued speaking.

“I understand the concerns of the elders. Spreading unnecessary fear is one thing, and the mere fact that an outsider is staying in the forest is another. I also agree with the opinion that it’s more likely there’s only one disguised Chaos Ant, not several.”

With her gentle smile, a few of the other elders began nodding their heads in agreement.

“Wouldn’t it be better to prepare for any unforeseen situations? As the elders mentioned, this is a sensitive time. The Lotus Knights are enough to deal with the Chaos Ant threat, but wouldn’t it be beneficial to prevent internal issues without unnecessary damage?”

“Hmm, I agree with that.”

“Do you have any alternatives, Elder Entamia?”

“Well… we can discuss that in due time.”

After that, the meeting ended without any real progress.

The only conclusion they reached was that there was likely just one Chaos Ant disguised within the Lotus Knights.

After the council meeting ended, Shia and Olgania wandered through the forest to shake off their gloomy feelings.

“……..”

“…….”

Naturally, Olgania’s expression was not pleasant.

But the current state of the Great Forest was that the elves had lost their Mother World Tree in the previous world, and in the process, the former Child of the World Tree had gone missing.

Though Olgania, the successor and current Child of the World Tree, remained, due to her lack of proper succession procedures, both her appearance and mental state were very young.

As a result, the elves were governed by an oligarchy of elders rather than by Olgania.

And Olgania’s position was, to be honest, not high.

Her current status was similar to that of a princess who was respected as the last Child of the World Tree but was not recognized or held in high regard within elven society.

In such a situation, Olgania had no choice but to quietly observe the situation.

No, she probably couldn’t do anything even if she had wanted to.

“It’s okay.”

“Eek!?”

Suddenly, Olgania was lifted into Shia’s arms, startled to find herself being held without realizing it.

“You called me here, didn’t you? That’s enough.”

“But…”

I couldn’t do anything.

I wasn’t able to help at all.

Those words almost escaped her lips, but Olgania swallowed them back down.

She felt that if she showed any more weakness in front of Shia, her heart might break.

“It’s really okay. I don’t lie, do I, Olgania?”

“…But, the Inquisition that Shia wanted was rejected.”

“The word ‘Inquisition’ sounds pretty scary, doesn’t it?”

Shia shrugged and patted Olgania on the head.

“And Shia, you can see through lies, can’t you? Why didn’t you mention that?”

“Even if the elders believed I could detect lies, if I had said in front of them that I could identify the Chaos Ants without any evidence, it would’ve caused a huge uproar.”

“An uproar?”

“For all we know, there could be a disguised Chaos Ant among the elders themselves. It wouldn’t be wise to reveal all my cards.”

“Oh…”

“Well, I already have a pretty good idea of who it is.”

“What!? Really!?”

“It’s just a hunch for now. I’ll let you know once I’m sure.”

Shia smiled lightly as she carried Olgania somewhere.

“Where are we going?”

“To that black-haired elder who helped you earlier.”

“Oh, you mean Elder Entamia? Did she invite you?”

“Yep, her. She’s pretty, isn’t she?”

Before long, they arrived at a house built high up in a chestnut tree, and with Olgania still in her arms, Shia nimbly hopped up the branches like an elf and knocked on the door.

As if expecting their visit, Entamia opened the door without hesitation.

“Welcome. Good evening, Lady Olgania.”

Entamia greeted Olgania first, bowing courteously. Olgania hesitated slightly before returning the greeting.

“Yes, good evening to you too, Elder Entamia.”

“Hello. Excuse me for the intrusion, Elder Entamia.”

Inside, a tea set made from leaves, still steaming, awaited them.

“I’m sorry about earlier.”

“About what?”

“I had to side with Lady Olgania earlier, so I couldn’t openly support you, Shia.”

“Oh, that? It’s fine. I’m an outsider after all.”

“Thank you for understanding. Would you like some tea?”

Entamia’s offer was accompanied by the sweet aroma of honeyed citrus, lifting Shia’s mood.

“Ah, it smells wonderful. What kind of tea is this?”

“It’s citron tea, grown on the southern hill.”

“Wow, citron tea cultivated by elves…”

“I would’ve prepared something better, but I didn’t have much time to prepare for this sudden visit. I apologize.”

Entamia bowed her head sincerely. As Shia took a sip of the sweet tea, her face immediately lit up.

“Please, Lady Olgania, have some too.”

“Ah… Yes…”

Hesitating slightly, Olgania took a sip of the sweet tea at Entamia’s invitation.

Watching them, Entamia sat down with a serious smile.

“Listen as you drink. I believe there is already a problem within the elven society.”

“What?”

“I think some of the elders are vaguely aware of it too.”

Gulp.

“Then why did the other elders dismiss Shia’s opinion…?”

“They don’t want to stir up trouble.”

“Trouble?”

Entamia shrugged, as if regretful.

“The current elven society is very stable from the elders’ perspective. Lady Olgania’s growth is still far off, and for those in power, this situation is just an annoying issue. If it becomes widely known that there are disguised Chaos Ants among us, it will inevitably cause unrest, and as the people begin to lose faith in the elders, their influence will naturally diminish.”

“…So, they’re willing to leave a hidden bomb among their own people just to avoid that?”

“Lady Olgania, most of the elders won’t care if a few subordinates die to the disguised ants, as long as it doesn’t threaten their power or lives. In fact, there have been several instances of unexplained deaths among our people, which were conveniently dismissed as accidents. I’ve suspected for a while now that there’s something wrong within our society.”

If what Entamia was saying was true, the situation was far more serious than it appeared.

“However, we couldn’t carry out the Inquisition as Shia requested. It’s not easy to gather all the elves in one place in this climate. Moreover, with an unknown disease spreading, elves are also avoiding contact with one another as much as possible.”

Gulp “…So, are you just asking me to understand that?”

At Shia’s words, Entamia shook her head.

“No. Although it will be informal, I support your opinion, Shia. Commander Elanarre has also expressed her agreement.”

Surprising. I didn’t expect that strict commander to side with me.

“While we won’t be able to conduct an Inquisition, Lady Olgania, Commander Elanarre, and I have decided to grant Shia temporary authority for house searches… It’s like issuing a warrant, as humans would say. Anyway, the necessary authority has been granted.”

“Uh… could you explain it more simply?”

“It’s simple. Instead of conducting an Inquisition, you’ll be able to visit the homes of the elves with the temporary authority of a deputy under the commander’s jurisdiction. The guarantee for this position will be provided by Lady Olgania and myself.”

Ah, so in simple terms, it’s not quite an Inquisition, but I can still visit each elven home to search for any impurities.

Seeing that things were progressing smoothly, Shia nodded.

“But I have one question.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“How many elves are there?”

“I haven’t counted exactly, but excluding those living as Hunters on Earth, there are about 30,000.”

“…30,000…”

Shia sighed softly at the thought.

Wow, this is a disaster.

So I’ll have to go around the entire Great Forest and meet each of those 30,000 elves, huh?

Feeling a headache coming on, Shia briefly considered just giving up, but seeing the shadow that had fallen over Olgania’s face, she steeled her resolve.

‘…Whew, no. I have to do this for the sake of my lovely Dead Titty Squad.’

Yeah, I’ve rested enough for now…

It’s time to get back to work.

As Menelapie had once said, the results of diligent sweat and hard labor never betray you.