Han Yuyeon is strong.
Strong enough to turn humanity’s strongest Hunter, Johan Konrad, into the “former” strongest.
In fact, whenever people played versus games and matched Han Yuyeon against Johan, the first thing anyone said was, “Did Johan-nim do something wrong?”
Her true full power had never even been caught on broadcast, so no one had seen it properly—how could anyone doubt Han Yuyeon’s strength?
But Han Yuyeon was not only strong as an individual.
From the very beginning, Maid was a class specialized in support.
A hexagonal class that could do anything, a class that assisted others.
The fact that she walked around with Maid’s Management always active had already been unusual, but no one had imagined she could simultaneously send energy to people all over the world with Maid’s Cheer.
Just as those supplied with S-rank weapons were running wild, the mages and priests who were constantly being refilled with mana and divine power also went utterly berserk.
[Title: Watch closely, this is a mage’s triple flame tornado peace]
Author: I’llBecomeAMagicMaster
(A pic of monsters turned to ash in a V shape)
The effect isn’t much, you just die if it hits you.
- You actually pulled it off in the end
- That’s right, we’re mages!!
- Mage rating is insane, makes sitting for them worth it fr
- Yuyeon-nim is probably watching you proudly from the sky
ㄴ I’llBecomeAMagicMaster) ? Why is that actually true?
ㄴ I’llBecomeAMagicMaster) (A pic of Han Yuyeon doing double peace up in the sky)
ㄴ ????????
ㄴ Where is this, I want to go pay homage too
ㄴ I’llBecomeAMagicMaster) She saw that things were over here and went whoosh away...
Mages who fired off grand magic without thinking about what came after.
[Title: Everyone, if you’re going to whine about breaking your arms firing shotguns, hand them over]
Author: SaveTheHealer
Medicine belongs to pharmacists. Shotguns belong to priests.
Why do you keep whining when you don’t even understand this simple truth?
It’s much more efficient for us to endure the recoil and shoot than to keep treating each and every injury you all get.
If you have an S-rank shotgun and see a priest nearby, hand it over.
Let’s show each other some consideration for the sake of humanity. Thank you.
- Get in line, wait about 5,252 turns and yours will come
- Ha... if we ask for heals, just give them, why so much talk
- You think shotgun recoil is a joke?
- They must think they’re Ravina lol
- Aah...♡ Ngh...♡ Benefactooor...!♡
- Would you like to make a wreck of a holy sword with me?
- SaveTheHealer) (A pic of monsters completely wrecked with a shotgun)
ㄴ Hieeek
ㄴ I behold the second coming of Lady Ravina...
ㄴ I’ll give it to youuu... I’ll give you the shotguuun...!
ㄴ (Shivering... Guardian sticker)
Even priests, who could now recklessly spam healing arts and fight boldly.
The Hunters, their momentum reversed, began tearing apart the monsters that had dared invade Earth.
[Title: Everyone, the National Marksmen Association supports your love of shotguns!]
Author: PewPew
(You do it too! Marksman sticker)
Yes, that’s right, Marksman is a total free-ride class.
While swordsmen, warriors, and guardians fought hard at the front!
While priests and mages worked hard using magic and divine arts from the rear!
We were just standing somewhere appropriate and going (Click! Marksman sticker)!
(Should I be sorry? Marksman sticker)
Now that our honey pot’s been exposed, we’ll be scampering off.
- Where do you think you’re going, you have to shoot shotguns too
ㄴ PewPew) I gave mine to a passing priest! They seem to shoot better than me!
ㄴ (Is that true...? Guardian sticker)
ㄴ PewPew) I shot one round and even my ribs shattered, I nearly died! I’m going to know my place and play it safe!
ㄴ GunNut) To withstand S-rank shotgun recoil, you’ll probably need to raise stamina like crazy;;
Somehow, the marksmen had subtly ended up in the position of cheering instead of shooting shotguns, but humanity was gradually securing victory.
[The gargoyle bros are so damn reliable]
[Waaah, Yuyeon Mama, leave some Gates for us]
[Stand up straight, Gate. Why are no more monsters coming out?]
[You think a species with Han Yuyeon is a joke?]
[If you’re salty, you be human too!!!]
Everyone fighting through the fierce battle realized it.
As long as Han Yuyeon existed, humanity would never go extinct, no matter what happened.
Beyond that, no matter what happened, they could not lose.
“VV!”
“VV!!!”
“VV!!!!!”
Twenty-three hours and thirty minutes after the Gate incident began.
Peace signs rang out across the world.
Every Gate had been successfully cleared.
While humanity, drunk on a victory with even casualties kept to an extreme minimum, chanted Han Yuyeon’s name and went wild wanting to see Han Yuyeon’s double peace, where was Han Yuyeon and what was she doing?
“Chicken...?”
In front of a collapsed chicken shop.
Before a name that felt nostalgic for some reason, she was submerged in confusion.
***
Chicken. What on earth is chicken?
It feels like a word I’m seeing for the first time, yet it doesn’t feel unfamiliar.
If anything, it feels nostalgic, and somehow... it feels like something I had forgotten—
“U-ugh... Benefactor... I’m... at my limit now...”
“Gasp.”
Come to think of it, ever since Ravina-nim was summoned, she’s been flying around with me all day and healing people nonstop.
I kept refilling her divine power, but her mental fatigue must have reached its limit.
For now, I laid Ravina-nim down on my lap and put her to sleep.
“You worked hard. Rest well.”
“Benefactor, you worked hard too...”
Only a single day had passed since I returned to Earth, but so much had happened.
I had also learned a truly shocking fact.
‘If it’s morning in one part of Earth, it’s night somewhere else.’
None of the books I had read until now had contained that information, so it was fascinating.
Ravina-nim had seemed shocked as well.
It would be nice if I could borrow a lot of books before returning to the Tower.
Just as I was about to agonize over it, since the atmosphere wasn’t exactly suited to borrowing books, an extraordinary presence approached.
“Greetings, Yuyeon-nim. My name is Johan Konrad.”
“! Hello. I’m Han Yuyeon.”
Johan Konrad. A Hunter I had seen in a book.
The strongest Hunter of humanity, and a swordsman said to possess an EX-rank skill!
Once people had come out of the Tower, an automatic translation function activated between them, so there was no problem communicating.
“First, I would like to thank you, Yuyeon-nim.”
“?”
“If you had not returned at just the right time, humanity would have suffered immense damage. For me, handling thirty percent of the Gates that appeared this time would have been my limit.”
“Gasp. As expected, you’re amazing.”
“Compared to Yuyeon-nim, who handled more than fifty percent alone, I am but a firefly before the sun.”
“But the fact that you’re amazing doesn’t change, Johan-nim.”
I was fine because Maid’s Dignity let me move without tiring, but I could tell Johan-nim had nothing like that.
Even so, if he handled thirty percent by himself, didn’t that mean he was truly tremendously strong?
Unlike me, who roughly swept everything away with a broom, he must have sliced them up with a sword.
Yet even so, Johan-nim seemed unable to accept the fact that he was amazing.
The moment the question arose in my mind, Johan-nim suddenly smiled and spoke.
“It was information not made public to the world in order to prevent confusion, but there is something I must tell you, Yuyeon-nim.”
“Oh. I like secrets.”
“You like summaries too, don’t you? I will summarize it as briefly as possible.”
“? How did you know I like summaries?”
“After watching your broadcast, I thought you would like summaries.”
“!!!”
Had my tendencies been showing that transparently?
I was about to feel a little embarrassed, but stopped.
Liking summaries wasn’t particularly something to be ashamed of.
“The frequency with which Gates appear across Earth is gradually increasing. In particular, the frequency of S-rank Gates appearing is also increasing.”
“???”
“The cause is unknown, but one thing we did know was that if things continued like this, humanity’s chances of extinction were high.”
It was phrased in the past tense, so I continued listening while tidying Ravina-nim’s hair.
“But after Yuyeon-nim came, that possibility vanished entirely. Yuyeon-nim’s existence has made humanity far too strong.”
“V.”
“As things stand, even if the same thing repeats itself, I don’t think humanity will suffer much damage.”
“VV.”
“So I would like to ask you. What do you want to do now, Yuyeon-nim?”
“I want to become stronger so that if something like this happens again, we can get an even better result.”
“......?”
This incident would be recorded in history as an overwhelming victory for humanity, but if possible, I wanted to achieve an even better result.
A result that was a complete and flawless victory, without a single casualty.
Because when a world came where humanity could enjoy peace in the truest sense, I was going to open a maid café.
“... Don’t tell me you intend to enter Hell difficulty again.”
“Yes. It said that if I don’t go back, someone else will enter Hell difficulty. Even if that weren’t the case, if I want to become stronger, it’s best to return to the Tower.”
Rustle, rustle. I kept taking S-rank weapons out of my subspace pouch.
I had been enhancing them whenever I had the chance, so S-rank weapons were more than abundant.
“Could you possibly send these weapons to the Hunter Association?”
“... I will.”
“Thank you. Ah, Ravina-nim will also be on Earth for about forty-eight more hours, so could you take care of Ravina-nim too?”
Johan-nim’s brow furrowed slightly.
Why on earth. Did Ravina-nim get disliked?
I became worried about Ravina-nim, who was asleep on my lap, soaked in exhaustion.
“If that is what Yuyeon-nim wishes, then I can do anything... anything at all, but are you truly all right with that, Yuyeon-nim?”
“? I’m always all right.”
“Aren’t you pushing yourself too hard?”
“???”
I don’t think I’ve particularly pushed myself.
Had I pushed myself without realizing it?
“I know. The Tower gives strength in proportion to effort. That is why I also know the time of endurance you must have gone through, Yuyeon-nim.”
“Eh.”
“It must have been hellish. A time of coughing blood and grinding down your bones. Enduring such times—”
“Johan-nim. Wait a moment. I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”
“......?”
It wasn’t polite to cut him off in the middle, but I couldn’t help it.
Because I could tell he was strongly misunderstanding something.
“I’ve never particularly had a hard time in the Tower.”
“You don’t have to hide it in front of me...”
“It’s true. If anything, there were many times I enjoyed myself.”
“Yuyeon-nim, you truly are...”
Drip. Tears flowed from Johan-nim’s eyes.
Why on earth. Why doesn’t he believe me?
“I understand... If Yuyeon-nim says that much, then that must be how it was...”
“You don’t believe me.”
“I will believe that is how it was...”
“???”
Now I think I understand Ravina-nim’s feelings.
Ravina-nim. So this is how it felt.
From now on, I’ll believe that Ravina-nim isn’t seeking out pain and enjoying it—belie... believ...
No matter how I think about it, Ravina-nim and I are different.
“Johan-nim. I’ll always be happy, so you don’t have to worry.”
Johan-nim’s gaze on me was heavy.
I could feel that his soul was exhausted, so I laid Ravina-nim down on a bench for a moment, got up, and approached Johan-nim.
“I hugged you...”
“?!?!”
“Would you like me to return it?”
“I-I’m fine... Why all of a sudden...”
“Because you look like you’re having a very hard time, Johan-nim. It’s been a long time since you’ve rested properly, hasn’t it?”
“......”
In this situation, silence meant yes.
“You also skip meals often and don’t sleep much, right?”
“How did you...”
“I can see it all. How much you’re overdoing it.”
The story of Johan-nim that I had read in the book had been terribly cruel.
At seventy-five, after the Tower and Gates appeared, he lost his family to monsters that poured out of a Gate, and even his one and only granddaughter was dragged into Hell difficulty.
Then five years later, at the age of eighty, he was dragged into the Tower and chose Hard difficulty himself.
Johan-nim was the person who returned after clearing the 100th floor for the first time in human history after nineteen years, and came to be called humanity’s strongest Hunter.
Even after losing so much, Johan-nim chose the path of protecting humanity.
I could see that he was overworking his own body, even skipping rest, in order to protect humanity’s peaceful everyday life.
I wanted to comfort Johan-nim, so I hugged him.
Because I had learned that when someone was having a very hard time, this was effective.
“Johan-nim. When you’re having a hard time, it’s okay to cry waaah waaah waaah.”
“... I don’t cry like that.”
“Then it’s okay to cry sniffle sniffle.”
“I don’t cry like that either...”
I paid my respects to Johan-nim, who had continued to devote himself to protecting humanity.
Maybe the comforting effect had been better than expected.
Very quietly, I felt Johan-nim’s tears fall.
***
I hugged him...
And I returned him...
I laundered Johan-nim’s heart until it was soft and fresh.
“... I showed you something unsightly. I apologize.”
“Please use our service again next time.”
“Um... must you really return it...?”
“Please use our service again next time.”
While I was promoting the maid service, an alarm rang from Johan-nim’s phone.
-VV.
Why was the alarm sound my voice?
After checking his phone, Johan-nim spoke with a subtle smile.
“... The timing is truly curious. Yuyeon-nim. There is good news and bad news.”
“Oh. Please tell me the bad news first.”
“The Hunter Association analyzed this Gate incident and says that in the future, a Gate incident stronger than this one will occur.”
“What’s the good news?”
“They estimate that point to be two years from now.”
So they could analyze and predict even things like that. Just how capable were the people of the Hunter Association?
It was definitely good news, so I felt relieved.
Because two years was more than enough time for me.
“That’s more than enough time to clear Hell difficulty.”
“If it is you, Yuyeon-nim, then you should be fully capable of it.”
“Next time, I’ll become strong enough to win without a single sacrifice and come back.”
“I believe that, too, will be possible for you, Yuyeon-nim.”
It was about time to return to the Tower.
“Johan-nim. When you’re having a hard time, try making a peace sign. If you make a peace sign, you’ll feel better.”
“In fact, I do it often as well. This is a swordsman’s surprise double peace.”
“!!!”
Feeling immense inner power from his surprise double peace, I also answered with a maid double peace, then returned to the Tower.
I was filled with the thought that it had been good to visit Earth once.
After traveling around the world, I felt as if my horizons had broadened.
Unlike what I had seen in books, the people of this world had truly warm hearts.
So it would be all right. A day would come when humanity could give up nothing and live peaceful everyday lives within the best possible outcome.
Ah, but what on earth was chicken?
I don’t know why I feel nostalgic whenever I think about chicken.
“Father. Mother. Grandfather. What is chicken...?”
I’ll ask the Constellations.