The constellations of the Constellation Gallery were competing with one another to welcome Yuyeon's return.
She had been given the chance to be freed from that hellish difficulty, yet she had promised to come back; that was why they wanted to give her something good.
Something even better than what the other constellations could offer, if possible.
[Title: Looking for EX-grade ingredients too GL]
Author: ILoveFarming
A... actually, there is no such thing...
I just thought everyone would look if I said this...
(Image of Han Yuyeon doing a double peace sign)
Bad stuff like sword qi or meteors or lightning bolts, no no no no
- BambooSpearLab) Damn it, don't use Yuyeon's photo as a shield
- Unicorn) Ooh... fight fairly and squarely...
- SwordGeezer) kek
└ GetMeGems) This is more annoying though
└ Explainer) You're qualified, you keep kek-ing
More than anything, in the last competition, it was a big deal that SwordGeezer had given Yuyeon the Essence of Leviathan.
They didn't know how he obtained it, but after that, they could feel that Yuyeon followed SwordGeezer especially well.
That made them so jealous that the constellations tried to find at least S-grade ingredients by any means, but the aftermath of the Constellation War still hadn't settled.
[Dammit, no matter how much I look around there's nothing]
[How much time is left until Yuyeon arrives]
[Hey Explainer, let's fight for real with that S-grade you've got on the line]
Just as they were getting anxious in this miserable situation where they had almost nothing worth giving, Yuyeon returned.
At that fact, the constellations began huddling together again in a huddle.
Truthfully, they would have cheered for her even if she hadn't returned and settled down to live on Earth, but how could they not be grateful that she came back?
The constellations who came with warm, proud hearts soon looked upon Han Yuyeon, who had a blank expression.
[Why is our Yuyeon like that?]
[Did something bad happen on Earth?]
[Did she come back after getting revenge for her father?]
Amid such speculations, Han Yuyeon uttered her first words.
"Father. Mother. Grandfather. What in the world is chicken...?"
The moment they heard those words, the constellations stopped competing and began uniting as if resonating with one another.
Because this was one of the patterns that could only be dealt with by uniting.
[Title: Yuyeon Prediction Pattern No. 2 Countermeasures]
Author: Explainer
Sure, sure, she went to Earth and might have heard about chicken
Let's just go according to the promised pattern
First, don't answer and just wait
Pretend you're not here and buy time
Absolutely do not answer Yuyeon
Find something delicious by any means
- BambooSpearLab) OK OK
- AgonyOfCreation) Absolutely follow Explainer's orders
The method for dealing with this pattern is very simple.
Yuyeon tends to forget sad memories quickly when she eats something delicious.
Because when she eats something delicious or special, she has a strong tendency to forget what she was thinking about.
They decided to use the trait they had discovered when they sent ingredients to change the subject during the first chicken incident, this time as well.
The constellations who were searching for ingredients that Yuyeon might like, even if they weren't S-grade, heard shocking words.
"??? Come to think of it, I haven't eaten anything in over 24 hours, but I'm not hungry. What could have happened?"
- GrandpaArchive) Hoo.
- SwordGeezer) She starved for 24 hours?
- BambooSpearLab) Did those crazy bastards not even give Yuyeon a single meal?
- ILoveFarming) No, what the hell did she do over there?
- GetMeGems; She didn't even open a lunchbox;
Can such absurd things even happen?
The constellations who had somehow procured ingredients so that Yuyeon would never go hungry until now were steeped in rage.
How could they endure hearing that their beloved daughter and granddaughter had gone somewhere and starved?
- DragonIsCool) Do humans feel no gratitude toward Han Yuyeon?
- GetMeGems) They're ungrateful bastards! Our Yuyeon is so pitiful!
- EndingCollector) Did Yuyeon take those bastards as her masters?
- SwordGeezer) I cannot endure this even if I try.
Let's tell Yuyeon to distance herself from humans once this matter is over.
Let's tell her not to waste her emotions and time on mere humans.
Whatever the circumstances, they could never forgive letting pretty Yuyeon go hungry like this.
"...Are you not there? I'm sorry for bothering you when you must be busy."
- AgonyOfCreation) Phase 1 sulking state initiated!!!
Deal with the pattern first.
They had to resolve the situation somehow before she entered Phase 2, the Hingyingying state.
She must have made a really difficult decision to come back; they couldn't let her fall into the Hingyingying state.
- Explainer) I'll deal with it first using the S-grade I have. Prepare follow-up measures.
└ ILoveFarming) I believed in you!!!
└ EndingCollector) As expected, the true sage of the Constellation Gallery!
└ GrandpaArchive) I acknowledge it.
This is exactly why you need a raid leader.
Now that they were united, the constellations had nothing to fear.
The constellations who tried to respond according to the predicted pattern rummaged through their storehouses.
But they heard Han Yuyeon's crying voice as she skipped phases faster than expected.
"Hingyingying. Hingyingying. Hingyingying... I'm so curious what chicken is..."
And it was a crying voice that had skipped Phase 2 and fallen into Phase 3: Triple Hingyingying State.
In the moment when Explainer and the other constellations stopped moving, frozen and unsure of what to do.
One constellation made a great decision to resolve this situation.
- Unicorn) My horn... I'll break it...
It was Unicorn, who broke even their own horn for Han Yuyeon.
***
What in the world is chicken?
What is chicken, that it gives me such a sense of dissonance?
I feel as though I've forgotten something I must not forget.
"Hmm."
It's frustrating; should I cry for a bit?
Right now, while I'm alone, is the perfect time to cry loudly without worry.
It has been a while since I cried properly these days.
I have to shed tears periodically to maintain a healthy and happy heart.
While crying for health and happiness, a message appeared.
[The Thundercaller Monoceros bestows a blessing upon you.]
"Hingyingying... ing."
What. How did they come at this timing. Were they watching?
She stopped her tears at once and gave thanks.
"Thank you. But what is this?"
This pointy thing looks like something I shouldn't just eat.
It also feels somewhat sacred.
But the constellations had never given me something I couldn't eat, so she put it in her mouth.
"Hello. I'm Han Yuyeon."
Omnyomnyom. Who are you?
She tried to communicate, but no answer came back.
What is this. It won't chew. I have 130 Strength and I can't chew this?
She reinforced her teeth with Aura. Yet it wasn't enough, so she mobilized mana to strengthen them even more, but she couldn't chew it.
Does it require a special cooking process to eat?
While thinking with it held in her mouth, a new energy began to course through her body.
[You have consumed the Horn of the Monoceros (EX). Magic, Divinity + 50]
"?????"
Suddenly, she felt the life of the Monoceros.
She could see how much hardship and adversity they had overcome to ascend to the seat of a constellation.
She heard a thunder-calling cry that did not retreat before the approaching great army.
So the Monoceros's cry is "hi-hi-hing." I'm glad it doesn't overlap with mine.
How did you live like that. She couldn't understand the reason for giving her this proud horn, condensed with such a long life.
[Stats: Strength 130, Agility 30, Stamina 30, Magic 125, Aura 30, Divinity 100]
Her mana circle grew even more powerful, and a sacred heat circulated more vigorously inside her body.
Perhaps because her Magic had become similar to her Strength.
The urge to solve every problem with strength weakened, and she felt her thoughts become more flexible.
She felt she could now raise Maid Peace techniques to a higher realm.
"Lord Monoceros. Thank you so much. Thanks to you, it feels as though my eyes have been opened."
[The Thundercaller Monoceros gazes upon you.]
"Should I say my head has cleared? I also learned what I was lacking."
Ever since she chose the healing spell as the reward for clearing Floor 1.
She had never once successfully performed the healing spell properly.
Until now, there had been few occasions where she needed to use healing spells, so she hadn't felt the problem much, but she definitely felt it on Earth.
If she hadn't received Ravina's help, there really would have been countless casualties.
She couldn't receive Ravina's help at every moment, so she too had to be able to properly handle healing spells.
A maid overflowing with Divinity who cannot handle healing spells—what a shameful maid.
When she reflected with flexible thoughts on why she couldn't handle healing spells, she understood.
She had never been injured enough to need healing spells.
In her previous life and her current life, she had never been seriously injured, and she had never been in a situation where she needed to heal someone else, so she had lacked the desperate heart to learn healing spells.
She would become a healing spell master. She drew a small sword to train.
[Multiple constellations are gazing at you.]
If she practiced by inflicting wounds on herself, the moment would come when she could properly handle healing spells.
Which body part would be appropriate to practice on? As she caressed the cool blade of the small sword and looked at her wrist, a mushroom fell.
It was a blessing from the constellation who had asked her to call him Dad instead of Father.
[The Narrator Who Refused Oblivion bestows a blessing upon you.]
When she checked the fallen mushroom, resolute letters were visible.
- Wait!
"!"
Maid Dignity Waiting.
She entered good-daughter-who-listens-to-Dad mode.
"...! ....! ......! ...!"
30 seconds elapsed.
Her body kept twitching because she wanted to do at least a double peace sign.
But she had to wait.
A maid must faithfully carry out orders... but she didn't need to be a maid right now, did she?
Did she need to be a maid in front of Dad? When she thought about it, she didn't.
"VV."
Doing the Maid Dignity Double Peace calmed her down a bit, but—
"!!!"
She had done the Maid Dignity Double Peace when she didn't need to be a maid.
Now that she had solidified her identity as a maid, she had to faithfully carry out the order.
She lowered her hands and sat politely to wait.
As she waited with transcendental patience, the constellations' blessings came pattering down.
"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you..."
Bow bow bow.
While giving thanks, she saw that some of the fallen ingredients had letters written on them.
She first checked Grandpa's bundle of grass at the very front.
- Yuyeon. Did you forget I said self-harm is absolutely forbidden?
"?"
She hadn't been planning to self-harm.
She was just going to inflict a small wound to practice her healing spell.
It was a very different situation from when she tried to stab a sword in her stomach to empathize with Lady Ravina, so she felt wronged.
Next, the letters written on the fish:
- Daughter. Do you want to see me angry?
"Gasp. No. I'm sorry."
For the first time, she felt her father's anger and her body trembled.
She didn't want to become a hated daughter.
Hastily, she took out a green board from her subspace, set it up, knelt, and raised both hands above her head.
Seeing the stars in the sky twinkling tremendously, her heart grew anxious.
***
Even after consuming Unicorn's horn, Yuyeon showed signs of mental instability.
The constellations were anxious at Yuyeon's unstable appearance—she was so precious that they wouldn't feel pain even if she were placed in their eyes.
What on earth had happened on Earth?
What had happened that she wandered around starving, was curious about chicken, and showed signs of mental instability?
For now, they had prevented her from self-harming, but Yuyeon's appearance trembling with her hands raised because they had gotten angry weighed on their eyes.
- BambooSpearLab) SwordGeezer you bastard, Yuyeon's scared because of you
- SwordGeezer) Someone had to say it.
- AgonyOfCreation) If you're going to scold her, feed her first at least
At first, they only tried to make her forget the memory of chicken.
Next, they tried to tell her not to give her heart to humans who didn't even feed her or know gratitude.
However, wasn't it partly their fault that she was showing such unstable appearances?
They inwardly admitted that they had been unconsciously controlling Han Yuyeon's thoughts and actions without realizing it.
- ILoveFarming) Is it possible she became weird because we've controlled chicken all this time?
The excuse that they wanted her to grow up seeing and learning only good things could no longer be used.
Since chicken was an essential element for humans to live in the first place.
They had wanted Yuyeon to live her whole life without knowing chicken, but that was merely a twisted desire to control born from their own greed.
[Title: I Don't Think We Can Ban Chicken Forever]
Author: DragonIsCool
I think if we truly care for Han Yuyeon, it is time to tell her what chicken is.
Han Yuyeon's life belongs to Han Yuyeon, not to us.
A human's life is but a fleeting moment, and without chicken, it cannot continue to the next.
Humans who cannot be complete alone instinctively seek out chicken.
No matter how much they cover her eyes and close her ears, Yuyeon's instinct will crave chicken and go mad with an unquenchable thirst.
Therefore, it is time to gradually tell her what chicken is.
- Unicorn) Ooh... I hate it... I hate it... I wanted Yuyeon to stay pure forever...
- ILoveFarming) Controlling chicken for a human's entire life when chicken is essential is really overboard
- SwordGeezer) If it means I no longer have to see Yuyeon attempting self-harm, I am in favor.
Telling her is one thing, but there is the next problem.
- GetMeGems) But who will explain chicken and how, y'know?
└ ILoveFarming) Shall you and I try to explain it somehow?
└ GetMeGems) Get lost!! I'll kill you!!
└ ILoveFarming) Okay, then I'll explain it well
└ SwordGeezer) Sword qi
└ GrandpaArchive) Meteor
└ Unicorn) Lightning bolt
└ ILoveFarming) Kuaaaargh
Who would explain it and how?
ILoveFarming was absolutely out of the question; they had to find an appropriate constellation to give proper chicken education.
How?
- BambooSpearLab) 1. Beat up the lone sage
└ GrandpaArchive) 2. Meteor
└ BambooSpearLab) Kuaaak kuaaak
└ Explainer) Fuck
The Constellation Gallery's 3-second rule activated.
It was decided that Explainer would take the lead and teach Han Yuyeon what chicken was.
- Unicorn) My horn... I'll break it...
Tears of Unicorn, who now had no horns left to break, streamed down among the stars.