SSS-Class Revival Hunter - Chapter 216

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈

Chapter 216: Someone’s Master (3)

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This is the place where the trauma will be reenacted.

Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong, walking in front of me, is, so to speak, no different from a character appearing in a dream. I've been through quite a few nightmares, but Jaa Soo-Jeong is the first to be [aware] that she's a character within a trauma.

“Do you feel strange or anything?”

“Huh?”

“Well, why. You don’t really exist, right? This is the trauma created by my skill…”

“Not particularly? If there's any strangeness I'm feeling right now, it’s that you, Mr. Kim Gong-Ja, are using the face of Advisor Gu Won-Ha and speaking with her voice, but in your own manner of speaking. It's really weird.”

Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong chuckled.

“Are you a man or a woman, Mr. Kim Gong-Ja? Considering the naming conventions of the Spire World, I suspect you are probably a man.”

“Yes, I am a man.”

“Figured as much. Then, I’ll gift you a mirror.”

Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong pulled out a small hand mirror from her pocket and reflected my face in it.

The mirror showed the face of the person I was possessing, namely Baron Gu Won-Ha.

“How is it?”

"......."

“Pretty, right? I know. Of course, it is. After all, she is my advisor.”

Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong laughed teasingly.

However, the face of Baron Gu Won-Ha was no mere joke.

‘Beautiful.’

Her pitch-black hair fell to her shoulders. Even under the light, it showed neither luster nor oily sheen. It was simply black. As though refusing to let any light slide across it, Baron Gu Won-Ha's bob rippled in perfect blackness.

“Wow… um, ugh.”

In complete contrast to the pitch-black hair, her skin was snow white. People often said a face was as pale as a sheet, but this person's entire body looked like a sheet of white paper coated in wax. She was made from only two tones, black and white.

“Fascinating…”

“How does it feel to go from a man to a woman, Mr. Kim Gong-Ja? Does your heart pound? This is where I would like you to show me the cliché of fondling both your breasts and exclaiming in surprise, [I really became a girl!]”

“Why did I have to possess this body…?”

I cast a spell of information on myself.

Soon, a description of Baron Gu Won-Ha followed.

[Gu Won-Ha]

Status: Noble. Honorary Viscount.

Relationship: Advisor to the Viscount.

Danger: Black

Note: Head of House Gu Won. When she was still a young lady, her uncle, the head of the family two generations before her, became embroiled in the Black-White Cat War, was suspected of rebellion, and lost his title. Her father, the previous head, associated with heretical sects and was purged when the sects were purged. Every elder of the house died, forcing Gu Won-Ha to assume its leadership.

It was a time of rampant rebellion and purges.

During this period, Marquis Si Bang-Pae, a close friend, approached her. They asked her to take care of a baby born to the leader of the rebels. Baron Gu Won-Ha accepted the rebel leader's daughter and secretly raised her as her own.

The daughter, along with Marquis Si Bang-Pae, secretly organized an army. When this army was exposed, the kingdom ordered its annihilation. This led to Marquis Si Bang-Pae's execution.

Baron Gu Won-Ha was stripped of her baronial title and reduced to the status of a free citizen. Despite commanding four-verse magic, she was expelled from the Mage Tower.

Having nothing, she wandered the streets and was kidnapped by the terrorist organization [Red Nails]. For over nine years, she was confined and abused in their hideout.

Then.

She met the Viscount.

Strengths: [Clear Judgment], [Execution Ability], [Second Ascension Being]

Weaknesses: [Heir to a Rebel], [From a Rebellious Region], [Party to a Rebellion], [Family of a Rebel Leader], [Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong], [Daughter]

She really had a tumultuous life.

“So, originally from a noble family, but three of them got entangled in rebellions...?”

“Ah, you're looking at the information notebook created by the advisor. Yes, that’s correct. Uncle, father, herself. All three were conspicuously entangled in rebellions. What’s funnier is, do you know what?”

“What is it…?”

“There’s a daughter listed as belonging to the advisor, right? Originally the daughter of a rebel leader, but reluctantly taken in due to Marquis Si Bang-Pae’s request. That girl eventually grows up to lead a real rebellion.”

“Shit?”

“The situation’s fucked up, right? I've never heard of such a family. I thought the entire family had a rebellion fetish."

“With my father being a rebel, my daughter a rebel, and even myself implicated in a rebellion, how am I still maintaining my noble status?”

“Surprise?”

“That makes no sense!”

“Oh wow. There are two types of people who think the impossible is possible. One is a complete idiot. The other is a person in power. I'm a person in power, so I restored the noble status to Advisor Gu Won-Ha.”

"......."

“Understand?*”

*Jaa Soo-Jeong said this in english.

“Viscount, you know English…”

“Yes. I can roughly converse in German, English, French, Korean, and Japanese. It's trendy in the outside world to cross into other worlds, right? Conversely, here, it’s trendy to host people from other worlds. I learned a bit of language from a teacher from another world.”

“Oh. Then do British or French people live in this world too?”

“No.”

Click.

Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong closed the hand mirror.

At the same time, the flickering letters before my eyes vanished.

“They all died. Except for one person.”

"......."

“The instant they happily leap onto the trend and think, [I will have a lovey-dovey adventure in another world too!], they discover that the world is the world wherever they go and death is death everywhere. An outsider possessing knowledge of another world? Once people discover that, of course they have little choice but to lock the outsider up or kill them at once. We have a great many things to protect.”

"......."

“Anyway, let's end the grim talk here. Snap.”

Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong put away the mirror, and this time, pulled out a cup. Where did that come from? I wondered what kind of physical space was hidden in her pocket.

“Mr. Kim Gong-Ja, please spread your arms for a moment. Make sure your body is visible.”

“Like this?”

“Yes. Now, this isn’t an ordinary cup, it’s made of rock. That’s why this trick is possible.”

For some reason, Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong pushed the cup towards my body.

Thump.

The cup entered my body.

“Huh?"

“Hm.”

Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong stirred the cup inside my body. After a moment, when she pulled her hand out, the cup was full of water.

“!?!?!?”

“How about that? Pretty amazing, right?”

“What, what, what is this!”

“For your information, it tastes incredibly good. This water. It's so refreshing it could slap the face of even top-grade pure water.”

Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong slurped down the water she had scooped from my body. Faced with a phenomenon too incomprehensible to process, my mind broke down.

“Phew… Refreshing. This is why I can't go around without my advisor.”

“Baron Gu Won-Ha is an Ascendant. An Ascendant. In this world, there’s a law called Ascension, where those who overcome trials become [people who can do a bit more]. Most importantly, they receive the grace of [not dying even if they die once].”

“Not dying even after dying once…? What does that mean?”

“It means exactly what it says. When an Ascendant dies once, they become very small. If they die once more in that state, that is when they truly die. No further miracle occurs, and they get their head lopped off and die like an ordinary person.”

"......."

“But amazingly, in the kingdom, there are a few who have ascended beyond Ascension. Beyond heaven. Those who have stepped onto the second heaven!”

Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong dramatically gestured and grabbed my hand.

“That is you! Baron Gu Won-Ha! In this vast world, one of the very few, extremely rare, second-tier ascendant mages is you, Baron Gu Won-Ha!”

“…I understand I’m extraordinary. But why does water come out when you put a cup into my body?”

“Second Ascendants gradually begin to leave humanity behind. You can think of them as becoming somewhat mythic beings. For example, my first adviser's core is [fire], so if they wish, they can burn an entire city like a phoenix. By contrast, the core of my second adviser, Baron Gu Won-Ha, is [water], exceedingly clean and exceedingly cool water.”

Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong softly stroked my cheek with her index finger.

“What a coincidence that the two staffs supporting me are flame and water. I was truly born to a blessed life, wasn’t I?”

Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong applied the water droplet on her fingertip to her lips.

Her already pink lips shone even more with the droplet sliding down.

"......."

“My exclusive lip balm. My exclusive washbasin. My exclusive restroom. To ensure I always maintain a fresh scent as if I just stepped out of water, Baron Gu Won-Ha is at my service. Unfortunately, I can’t use the bathtub today. Because of you, Mr. Kim Gong-Ja.”

That's right.

I fully understood.

‘Baron Gu Won-Ha is Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong's vassal and adviser, a great mage who is one of fewer than twelve Second Ascendants in this world. She is also a member of a vicious family that rebelled against the kingdom across four generations.’

Baron Gu Won-Ha loves Jaa Soo-Jeong.

‘The water constituting my body is only used to please and comfort the Viscount.’

In other words, the master of Gu Won-Ha is Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong.

Whether it's good or bad for Gu Won-Ha, there were countless others who also served Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong.

As soon as we entered the lounge, numerous nobles and their servants crowded around.

“Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong!”

“About the matter we discussed last time, for casting your affirmative vote…”

“The situation in Baron Sinnoa’s domain is still dire, how will the royal family address this…”

“As ordered, we secured the chunks of meat in cooperation with Yeongsang Palace. You said thoroughly rotten meat would also suffice, so obtaining the quantity posed no difficulty. Your Excellency, where should we take it...?”

Bustling.

It was as if every matter in this world needed to be consulted with Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong, judging by the crowd’s chatter.

Jaa Soo-Jeong responded to each with a bitter smile.

“Yes, here’s my signature.”

“We will not merely send a new lord to Baron Sinnoa's domain. The kingdom is taking a profound interest in that territory and the surrounding Void Zones. Support will be provided at the level of the Chancellery, so do not worry too much. Wait.”

“Well done. Move the meat to the royal household as it is. Do not take it into the Inner Capital. Stack it somewhere nearby so it can be brought to the Grand Council Hall at any time. I have already spoken to Their Excellency Yeongsang. The royal court ladies and palace maids there will assist you.”

Those who had made requests all expressed their gratitude or apologies before rushing off somewhere else.

The other dozens of nobles in the lounge had been silent the whole time. Many looked at Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong with dissatisfaction.

“Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong is busy saving the kingdom even today. Amazing. Anyone would think she’s at least a Duke, not just a Viscount. How caring she is towards her people…”

“Count Ah Ru-Ho.”

Viscount Chun Heuk-Shin had already returned to the lounge. Centered around her, dozens of nobles, part of [Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong's Faction], were seated, sipping tea.

“No matter what anyone says, the noble who has achieved the most remarkable feats this year is Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong. She deserves corresponding rewards and treatment.”

“Normally, the one who kills the most is the boss in war. Don’t the nobles even know that?”

“Ha. The leader is vulgar, so the subordinates are the same. How dare a mere honorary Viscount interrupt a Count's conversation?”

“Want to challenge me to a duel? Go ahead.”

I checked the information whenever people from Jaa Soo-Jeong's faction spoke.

“Just today, I've been soaking my feet in water for 13 hours in that meeting room. 13 hours. It's tough for you, me, and all of us, so why bother our Party Leader, who’s the most exhausted? Want a beating?”

[Dae Ha-Ran]

Status: Noble. Honorary Viscount.

Relation: Student of the Viscount.

Danger Level: White

Note: Former Platinum General of the royal army. Led the vanguard 60 years ago during a major rebellion and quelled the rebels. There were 60,000 casualties combined from both armies. Including civilians, it was 210,000. However, when it was revealed that the rebellion itself was a ploy by the royal family, the royal army was disbanded, and Dae Ha-Ran became jobless.

Dae Ha-Ran argued that the very idea of a kingdom without a royal army made no sense and that entrusting national security entirely to the nobles' private armies could lead only to ruin. She planned to demonstrate the need for a royal army through acts of extreme violent protest... but Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong stopped the plan before it began.

Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong took Dae Ha-Ran as her youngest student, but is having a hard time because Dae Ha-Ran just doesn’t get it.

Ally.

Can be killed.

Strengths: [Survival], [Martial Arts], [Combat], [War]

Weaknesses: [Mass Murderer], [Pillager], [Impatient], [Dumb in Everything But War]

Caution: Currently a guest at the Marquis Baek Seol-To’s house.

And then.

I slowly began to notice.

“What, a beating? Fine. You shrimp-egg bastard. Today I will cut your life short...”

“Wait, hold on. Aren’t you all getting too heated?”

A mild-looking noble plucked a stringed instrument with a ringing trill.

“Today is the day when Their Majesty the King personally attends the Assembly for the first time in 60 years. If news spreads that nobles fought a duel in the lounge on such a day, wouldn’t it embarrass Their Majesty? Even if we don’t care about that, Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong will be sad.”

[Hae Myeong-Seom]

Status: Noble. Baron of the Royal City.

Relation: Colleague of the Viscount.

Danger Level: Blue

Note: Former head of Hae Myeong-Seom Sect. The sect was a small elite group primarily deployed for special operations like assassination of important figures, destruction of bases, arson in harvest-ready farms, and soil contamination with poison. It was one of the six major mercenary groups known as the Six Heavens Gate in the past.

Joined Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong when she promptly recruited the Six Heavens Gate and was ennobled as a Baron.

Ally.

Can be killed.

Strengths: [Survival], [Speed], [Always Fulfills a Commission], [Ascendant]

Weaknesses: [Arsonist], [Poisoner], [Wanderlust]

Caution: Started to see Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong as someone special.

With so much information gathered, it had to become apparent.

Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong’s lovers’ ‘common feature.’

In the lounge, each person who spoke had different appearances, personalities, and lives, but there was an indelible red line strongly drawn across them all.

“Hmm. Since I’m a newcomer who just received my title today, if a duel is really necessary, send me instead. The rumor will end with foolish newcomers being disrespectful.”

Baron Gu Se-Ju. Slave of the Viscount.

Directly tortured and killed hundreds as the right hand of a rebel leader.

“Is there any need to duel? I think Count Ah Ru-Ho is angry because they feel helpless while Master pushes them around one-sidedly. If we repay them with a one-sided victory, that should solve the problem. I hear Count Ah Ru-Ho is skilled at king's chess, so why not let her play a game against Master and win?”

Former Viscount Se Ah-Gwi. Student of the Viscount.

Like Viscount Chun Heuk-Shin, was kidnapped by [Red Nails]. Learned ‘Ritual of Darkness’ during that time, and even after returning to the royal city, continued the ritual.

Together with their subordinate nobles, ate thousands of humans.

"......."

Even young Marquis Baek Seol-To has a history of beating a commoner child to death with a whip.

“Mr. Kim Gong-Ja?"

Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong, observing the tension among the factions, turned to look at me. Despite having just handled numerous petitions on the spot, she showed no signs of fatigue. Instead, she was smiling broadly.

"No, I should call you Advisor Gu Won-Ha here. That's right, Advisor Gu Won-Ha. Is there something strange on my face? You're looking pale. Or perhaps..."

In other words.

Those who love Jaa Soo-Jeong are all...

"Is it as you wished, have you now come to understand?"

Murderers.

Or rather, mass murderers.

"Do you now have a bit of understanding of what kind of person I am?"

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