Chapter 1

Early 2019.

The Earth and humanity suddenly faced a Great Cataclysm.

Mysterious Gates and Dungeons popping up all over the world without warning.

All kinds of monsters spewing out from those places.

Countless people were massacred by monsters that rendered firearms like guns useless.

At the same time, a small number of humans began to awaken.

Thus began the Great Hunter Era.

Time passed, and it was now Spring 2024.

To manage these Hunters, the Hunter Management Agency had been established in Seoul. Late at night, two people were having a conversation inside one of its rooms.

“You came from another world?”

“…Yes.”

When the plain-looking man with heavy dark circles asked, the woman on the opposite side quietly replied.

Clad in a pitch-black nun’s habit with a veil covering her face, it would’ve been hard to even determine her gender if not for her clear and calm voice.

“If this is true, you’d be the second Returnee in the entire world.”

“…”

“Hey, can you at least take off that veil? This awkward silence is killing me.”

With a sigh of fatigue, the man looked up as the woman turned her gaze from the desk to him.

Never remove your veil outside.

Don’t mingle too casually with others.

That was what the Hero and party members always emphasized.

But they’re gone now. This is Earth.

“Yes, my apologies.”

The woman slowly lifted her veil, revealing an absolutely beautiful face hidden beneath.

Long white hair flowing down to her waist.

Immaculate white skin without a single blemish, delicate features.

Even her half-lidded, drowsy eyes glimmered with bright yellow irises.

The appearance of this exotic beauty made the man’s eyes widen in surprise.

“Hmm! Ms. Si-hyun? According to the missing person records, you were male…”

“…Things changed.”

“For now, we’ve contacted your family who’s on their way here. Let’s have a chat until then.”

“Understood.”

As Ms. Si-hyun answered, the staff member nodded lightly and continued.

“As I mentioned earlier, since you’re Korea’s first returnee, there’s no proper system or laws yet.”

“So, what about my legal status…?”

“If we can verify your identity with your sister’s consent, we’ll restore your previous records.”

“If I can’t prove myself, I’ll become an illegal immigrant, right?”

“That’s correct.”

The man observing Si-hyun’s reactions sighed in relief. Though she spoke little, she seemed well-mannered and sensible.

“Don’t worry too much. The Management Agency has some leeway in handling such cases.”

“Understood.”

“Now, could you tell me your story? We need the information.”

Si-hyun nodded and briefly summarized the necessary details.

I thought I died during the Great Cataclysm but woke up in this body. Helped the Hero party defeat the Demon King to return to Earth.

As the short explanation ended, the man gave a wry smile.

“Haha, sounds like something out of a fantasy novel! Fits our current state of Earth though.”

“Is it too far-fetched?”

“No Demon King here, but thanks to the Gates, Earth looks very different from five years ago. It’s quite chaotic.”

Without realizing it, the man started grumbling.

That’s when it happened.

The consultation room door burst open as a young woman barged in.

“Big Brother—!”

The three of them stared at each other in confusion before the man explained, prompting the woman to cover her mouth while looking at Si-hyun.

Her wide eyes darted around as she sat down to confirm the truth.

* * *

“Though it feels weird asking again… Is this really my brother?”

I glanced at my worried younger sister as she took off her shoes.

My only remaining family, now grown into an adult after five years.

Fortunately, the Management Agency confirmed Si-yoon recognized me as family. We agreed to continue detailed consultations later due to the late hour.

So we took a taxi to Si-yoon’s apartment.

“Quite a change, huh?”

“Well…”

“Thanks for believing me.”

I gently ruffled my little sister’s hair. The once small girl had grown taller than me.

Thanks to that growth spurt, I now had to look slightly upward at her.

“Surprising you managed to find a place in Seoul. We used to live in the countryside, right?”

“Ji-a helped me!”

“Ji-a? My college classmate?”

“Yeah!”

With renewed energy, Si-yoon clapped her hands and continued.

“She became a Hunter and wanted to help after hearing about Big Brother’s disappearance.”

“…So being a Hunter pays well?”

“It depends on the rank. Ji-a’s an A-rank!”

Heroes treated like celebrities at S-rank. Below that are six tiers from A to E.

Apparently, my old female friend who we only had a crush on back then had become quite successful.

“I should thank her properly.”

“This is a good chance! Let me send her a message. She’ll be thrilled!”

Messaging app.

Hearing that word after so long finally made it feel real that I’d returned to the present day rather than some alternate world.

“Sit on the couch! Let’s order chicken.”

“Chicken? Sounds good!”

I watched my younger sister lounging comfortably on the sofa, fiddling with her smartphone. Our parents passed away when we were young, leaving her alone when I disappeared.

I’m glad she grew up healthy and lively.

“Looks like I’ll have to freeload for a while. Is that okay?”

“Mm… We’ll make it work somehow, right?”

“Actually…”

“Nope, it’s fine! I’m an adult now! Taking care of one older brother shouldn’t be a problem.”

“…”

Considering our age difference, she barely became an adult herself…

Thanks to Ji-a’s support, I assume… But to me, it still felt like Si-yoon was putting on a show of confidence.

I returned to Earth to meet my sister, but I didn’t want to burden her.

Need to figure out a way to earn money soon.

“By the way, did everyone in your world dress like that? Looks kinda suffocating.”

“Huh, this…”

I looked down at my attire.

A specially tailored nun’s habit designed to conceal my figure.

The Hero’s doing – he didn’t want other men seeing me.

“The Hero was kind of a possessive type.”

“Ew, gross!”

“Hehe, not from the start, but it got worse over time…”

Seeing Si-yoon’s vivid reaction, I couldn’t help but smile.

“You said you helped defeat the Demon King too, right? So you were… a priest?”

“…”

Ah, I haven’t told her that part yet.

And it’s somewhat embarrassing to explain…

I carefully glanced at my sister, who was already looking at me with sparkling curiosity.

“Don’t laugh, okay?”

“Yeah, got it!”

“S-Sa…”

“Huh? Sa?”

It was difficult to bring up.

But finally, I closed my eyes and shouted:

“Holy Maiden.”

“…”

“Hey, you promised not to laugh!”

“Are you serious?! A guy becoming a Holy Maiden? How am I supposed to not laugh!”

…Guess I won’t be mentioning “Holy Maiden” anywhere else.

I understand why Si-yoon finds it funny.

But it’s not like I chose to become one.

When I woke up, I possessed the body of a lonely deceased magic girl.

A holy light shone as a stigmata appeared on my palm, and before I knew it, I was taken to the church.

After that, I was forced to train rigorously and eventually recruited into the Hero party.

“Still, it’s nice seeing my cute little sister smile after so long.”

“Tch, embarrassing! What about the Hero party? Weren’t there any pretty girls?”

“There were women, sure… except for the Hero.”

Thinking back on those memories makes me cringe.

Maybe I should tell her about it and gossip together?

“The Hero obsessively fixated on me, and his fanatical female followers envied and ostracized me. Total chaos.”

“Wow…”

In short, I was caught in a one-sided catfight.

“They ganged up with the Hero’s strange behavior while excluding me. If it weren’t for the Demon King, I would’ve fled long ago.”

“That’s not a proper Hero party at all! Big Brother really went through a lot.”

As if it were her own experience, Si-yoon empathized with me.

Someone’s empathy…

Feels so refreshing after such a long time.

“Oops, we got sidetracked talking about clothes! Want to borrow some of mine to change into?”

“Is that alright?”

“Come on, we’re both women now! Honestly, just looking at that outfit makes me feel claustrophobic.”

“Hmm, let me ask you something then…”

Upon hearing my reply, Si-yoon jumped up and headed toward the closet in the corner of the living room, chatting along the way.

“Guess I should start calling you ‘Sister’ instead of ‘Brother’, huh?”

“…”

“Wait, still awkward after five years?”

“No opportunities arose to call anyone that. Too busy with war.”

“Oh, sorry! But the title’s definitely ‘Sister’!”

She was completely set on it.

Well, I do need to adapt to this new life…

Guess I can accept being called that.

While I was lost in thought, Si-yoon already held out some clothes for me.

Thankfully, they were loose enough that despite the slight length mismatch, they were wearable.

“Hey Sister, what’s with your chest size?”

“…”

“What’s with that look? Why is it so big!”

“Cough…”

This isn’t something I chose either.

No words to respond with.

“Wow, check out your hair. Plain ol’ Big Brother turned into a total beauty coming back.”

“…”

“Nice skin too. So jealous…”

Si-yoon’s sudden critique session began.

The situation felt so awkward that heat rose to my cheeks.

“Ahaha, you’re so cute when you’re embarrassed!”

“Hey…”

“Feels like I gained an older sister instead of a brother.”

“…”

This won’t do.

Need to change the topic.

“Since the Hero obsessed over my hair isn’t around anymore, I was thinking of cutting it. Can I borrow some scissors?”

“No way!”

I got a strong reaction.

Caught off guard by her unexpected response, I was left speechless.

“Isn’t it precious? Just get it trimmed at a salon.”

“Too troublesome…”

“Pfft.”

“Alright, fine. Can I at least borrow a hairband?”

“Top drawer over there!”

Wow, surprising.

Our little sister has grown up quite a bit in my absence.

When I glared at her sharply, my heart skipped a beat.

Her piercing gaze was scarier than even the Griffon’s sharp eyes I encountered in the other world.

“Huh?”

Opening the drawer Si-yoon pointed to, my eyes immediately caught sight of something.

Modern women’s underwear.

Completely different from the simple chest wraps used in the other world, with elaborate designs.

Once again reminded how much my little sister has matured.

Though unintentional, I ended up seeing someone else’s – specifically my younger sister’s – undergarments.

Carefully taking out just the hairband, I quickly closed the drawer.

Checking her expression cautiously, I met an eerie grin.

“Sis.”

“…”

Answering her, Si-yoon narrowed her eyes and spoke.

“You saw, didn’t you?”

“…”

“So it’s fair game for me to look too, right?”

“Eh?”

Why does the logic flow this way?

Despite myself, I instinctively took a step back.

“Since Sister saw mine already… Feels unfair.”

“…”

Could she have planned this from the start?

Looking at my suspicious expression, Si-yoon simply ignored me.

A brief standoff ensued before I ultimately conceded.

…Following her logic, it’s not like I’d be showing a man anyway.

If it were a man, I probably would’ve kicked him in the style of the Hero’s glare coming to mind.

Hesitantly lifting my shirt…

“See? Nothing special.”

“Wh-what is this… Way too plain! We’re definitely going shopping tomorrow.”

“Alright?”

“This is unacceptable!”

Feeling the intensity, I cautiously nodded.

Truly, genuine feminine presence is intimidating.

That’s when it happened.

– Ding Dong!

“Must be the chicken. Be right back!”

“Okay.”

I watched absentmindedly as Si-yoon walked toward the entrance.

She opened the door.

Her cheerful expression immediately froze.

A tall blond man pushed his way inside.

Poor Si-yoon got pinned against the wall.

“Finally decided to open the door, huh?”

“Don’t you dare come near me.”

“Quit being so difficult. Dating me guarantees your future, you know?”

“I said no.”

…Standing up from the sofa.

Something’s off – he’s definitely not the delivery person.

“I may look this way, but I’m a C-rank Hunter. Make good money.”

“Not interested.”

“Hmph, tsk… Huh?”

Noticing my approach, the man finally turned his head.

His jaw dropped as his eyes darted up and down.

“Whoa! What do we have here? Absolutely stunning!”

“Hey! Leave our Sister alone!”

Ignoring my sister, the man stood up and looked down at me.

“Boyfriend?”

“Haha! Well…”

“Bullshit! You’re just a stalker creep!”

The moment I heard her shout…

Quickly made my decision.

There’s no oppressive Hero party here.

No church, no royalty, no Demon King.

Nothing holding me back.

“KYYYYAAAAAAHHHHH!!!”

Kicking his shin sent a bone-cracking sound echoing as he collapsed.

Now I loomed over the fallen man.

“Stalker, huh?”

Daring to mess with my precious younger sister?

Your arrogance knows no bounds.

Time for repentance.

…

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