[TS] Became a Peach Saint – Chapter 229

The pot is bubbling and boiling, releasing a delicious aroma.

For a hangover cure, nothing beats dried pollack.

Add some bean sprouts for texture, and chop up a bit of chili for a savory and spicy kick—that’s all you need.

“Kheuuuu—!”

“Ugh.”

Son Goku’s snoring, sprawled out in the living room, is shaking the entire house.

I feel bad for Son Goku, but it seems like moving out was the right choice.

“Kheuuuu—!”

“I really need a gas mask.”

Meanwhile, the broth continues to boil, extracting all the rich flavors.

For Son Goku, whose tongue is probably numb, adding some chili powder might be a good idea.

As I continue cooking, a white fluffy ball stumbles over, still half-asleep.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah.”

“Sorry to ask right away, but the food’s ready. Can you wake up the angel?”

“Yeah.”

Baekseol, who was wobbling toward me, makes a U-turn and heads back to the room.

“Wake up!”

“Ugh! What’s going on?!”

As I shout at the top of my lungs, Son Goku jumps up from his spot, instantly ready for battle.

Following him, Hercules, who was lying nearby, slowly gets up too.

“Time for breakfast.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. It’s morning already?”

Son Goku, who was looking around like he was about to kill someone, relaxes and scratches his head.

“Wow, you’re so diligent.”

Hercules, still half-asleep, sounds hoarse even in the morning.

“Open the windows and the yard door wide for some fresh air.”

The two divine beings, who were about to sit back down, pause awkwardly and then get up.

“Whew.”

Those two eat so much that even a simple hangover ramen requires a whole pot.

As I move the pot, emitting a savory aroma, to the living room table, Baekseol and the angel come downstairs.

“Good morning, Ga-eul.”

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes. I put up a barrier because of Son Goku’s snoring.”

Son Goku, who had just opened the windows and sat down next to me, gives an awkward smile.

“By the way, does Shin Jwa snore too?”

“Shin Jwa isn’t omnipotent. They’re just a bit stronger than others and have studied longer, reaching a higher level of enlightenment.”

I’m not sure what snoring has to do with it, but Son Goku speaks with surprising seriousness.

“People usually call that a divine being. So, with that momentum, why not study civil engineering and architecture too?”

I hand him a tablet with some materials, and Son Goku’s jaw drops.

“You know how to use it, right? Build a nice house and show it off to me.”

“Hmph. I’ll build a house even cooler than this one, so don’t cry later.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

As I place a bowl full of ramen in front of Son Goku, his gaze shifts from the tablet to the food in an instant.

“Everyone, eat up.”

“Thank you, Ga-eul.”

“Thanks.”

“Thanks, my disciple!”

“Awesome!”

As I’m about to take a bite, Baekseol climbs onto my lap and holds up a flower.

Seems like she wants some broth.

I pour some broth into a small dish, and she finally starts eating.

“Baekseol, eat a lot too.”

“Yeah!”

Baekseol’s eyes widen, and her tail wags.

Just a moment ago, she was half-asleep, but it seems she’s already recovered.

By the way, I still can’t tell if that’s her butt or her tail.

“I’m going to head outside the tower after eating. If I don’t go now, I might get too busy later.”

“What are you going out for?”

Son Goku, who’s been devouring his ramen, looks at me curiously.

“I left some kids behind. I’m worried about them, so I want to check on them.”

***

“You’re here!”

As soon as I step out of the tower’s entrance, a wave of enthusiastic greetings hits me.

The people waiting for me are all wearing matching uniforms.

“Me?”

“Yes, Saint! The situation is urgent.”

“Saint?”

In this world, only one person knows me as a saint.

Looking closely at the uniformed people, I notice they each have a brooch with a silver wing emblem on their chests.

“Yu Bit-na sent you?”

“Did you leave?”

“Yes! I left the Silver Wings Guild!”

They all saluted in unison.

Come to think of it, Yu Bit-na had casually mentioned that Silver Wings is a guild affiliated with the state.

Even when we first met, they were patrolling the area as if defending it.

“Saint, due to the emergency, we will escort you this way. We will explain the situation after you board.”

As soon as the man finished explaining, a repetitive noise gradually getting louder could be heard a few meters away.

“Wait, am I really the Saint? I think Yu Bit-na just calls me that as a nickname…”

“Saint, the situation is urgent.”

“I just came out. Let me smoke one cigarette before I go.”

The man, who was urging me to move quickly, looked utterly bewildered.

“Saint, there’s an ashtray inside the helicopter.”

“Wait, really?”

“Design-wise, there is an ashtray, but pilots are generally prohibited from smoking or drinking. Why don’t you board first and then smoke?”

I didn’t mean to be difficult, but he looked like he was about to cry.

I nodded and started walking, and his expression finally relaxed a bit.

“Can I really smoke?”

“Higher-ups usually do. So, please.”

“Okay.”

As I walked, a strong wind began to blow.

I had no idea helicopters could produce such powerful wind.

But as expected of a group of skilled individuals, no one seemed to bow their heads to the propeller wind.

The man next to me, however, still placed his hand over my head to protect me.

*Whirr.*

The man who opened the helicopter door boarded first and then reached out his hand.

“Thank you.”

“Watch your step and please board.”

“Okay.”

As soon as I sat down, the strong smell of aviation fuel hit me.

“Wow, this is fascinating.”

It must have been really urgent—there was no time to look around inside before the shaky feeling and sense of floating took over.

Meanwhile, the man placed a headset over my ears.

“Ah, ah. Can you hear me?”

“Yes, I can hear you clearly.”

The man’s voice came through the headset. I wondered why the headset was so thick, but it turned out to be quite soundproof.

“Wow, it’s high up.”

Once the helicopter reached a certain altitude, the uniformed man who had been explaining opened the helicopter window.

“You can smoke now.”

“Can you really open the window in a helicopter?”

“At low altitudes, it’s fine.”

With the constant engine noise and the loud wind, it seemed impossible to have a conversation without the aviation headset.

Now that I was inside, I understood why they were shouting so much in the open-door helicopter.

*Click, click.*

“Phew—”

The man nodded as he watched me smoke.

“Saint, we will begin the briefing.”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

The man nodded again at my response and pulled out a folder from beside him.

“Saint, do you remember the Gate incident that happened near the academy?”

“Yes.”

“Another Gate has opened there. We’ve named it the Demon Gate.”

“Ah, I see.”

No wonder they were in such a hurry—it seems those cockroach-like creatures popped out again.

“We heard that you resolved it when we were all down.”

“Everyone was powerless because of the dark energy.”

The man’s brow furrowed deeply, as if recalling that time.

I think I hit the nail on the head.

“Correct. Right now, Saints from various countries are barely holding back the Gate from bursting open.”

“Can’t we just call in strong Hunters to clear it out?”

The man shook his head.

“We urgently requested Hunter dispatch, but all were refused. Regular Hunters aren’t affiliated with the military, so even if we issue a mobilization order, they ignore it.”

“What a mess.”

“Our country is the problem. The academy isn’t moving under the pretext of protecting students, and the top guilds are just waiting to see when they can strike and retreat to maximize their gains. They’re also citizens…”

Although they seem to notice the group’s mood, they did send a decoy hunter.

Even if left alone, things tend to rot, but this seems way too extreme.

Still, since actual lives are at stake, it’s somewhat understandable.

“Of course, not everyone is like that. Some guilds have already arrived and are participating.”

“Hmm…”

“Even though they’ve come, regular hunters aren’t being of much help.”

The dark energy swirling around seems to be the big problem.

The government must know this, which is why they requested Saints from various countries.

“Are the gathered Saints only capable of blocking the entrance?”

“Saints are treasures from each country with special abilities like healing and purification. But there’s a clear difference in their abilities, and the ones gathered now are from weaker nations.”

“Why?”

“Weaker nations can gain more by sending their Saints. On the other hand, powerful hunter nations don’t see much benefit.”

This is a really frustrating situation.

“So, that’s why you came to me?”

“Correct.”

Even in this chaos, the helicopter pilot is giving it their all to keep the chopper moving.

“Currently, the American Saint is also at the Demon Gate.”

“Aren’t they a powerful nation?”

“They’re ranked first. They probably believe they can protect their Saint.”

“Once this is over, they’ll try to leash us since we borrowed their expensive Saint, right?”

The man nods as if confirming the answer.

“You catch on quickly. Especially since our country has the symbolically significant Wisdom Academy, it’s even more likely.”

“That’s so rude.”

Given the urgency, the man is speaking briefly, but there’s likely a tangled web of international interests at play.

“What about the civilians?”

“We twisted some information. Thanks to that, the government is being criticized for overreacting and wasting taxes.”

“Impressive PR skills.”

The man gives a bitter smile.

“But we did make sure to spread the danger.”

With all these high-value individuals gathered, criticism is unavoidable.

“Damn pigs.”

“Saint, you shouldn’t say that outside.”

“Got it.”

“Please… don’t cause any trouble.”

“Of course. Trust me. I’ll set an example as a Saint.”

The man looks worried, then taps the device on his wrist.

“Saint, we’ll arrive at the destination in one minute.”

“Got it.”

“The gate hasn’t burst yet, but it’s a hair-trigger situation.”

As the man said, the presence of many people can be felt in the distance.

There’s even what looks like a private helicopter in the air.

“We’ll do our best to ensure the Saint’s safety.”

The other guild members in the large helicopter nod in agreement.

“Baekseol, come here.”

When the pocket is opened, Baekseol wriggles in.

“And, please open the door.”

“…What?”

“That thing’s about to burst. Please open the helicopter door.”

**

“Citizens, the dark gate is shaking!”

“That, that!”

“Huh?”

The reporter and cameraman in the broadcast helicopter quickly turn the camera upon spotting something.

“Ah, we’ve just caught sight of Silver Wings’ transport helicopter. We had prior information that they requested support from the Saint born in Korea. And… the door is opening? Why are they opening it mid-air…?”

The door of Silver Wings’ helicopter opens, and a woman with pink hair is seen jumping out.

“Someone just jumped out of the helicopter!”

*BOOM—!!*

As the woman lands, a crimson lightning bolt strikes, and the ground cracks, sending dirt flying.

“Director! You have lip-reading skills! What is she saying right now? Hurry!”

“Ah, right!”

The cameraman quickly zooms in on the woman, focusing on her mouth.

He starts reading the shape of the mouth.

“Come out…”

“…Demon King?”

The camera director’s words are cut off by the reporter’s follow-up.

***

Kwaaang—!!

As they land on the ground, the eyes of the hunter next to them widen.

“Wh-who…?”

“Never seen a domestic Saint before?”

—Click, click.

“Phew—Come out, my cute little ones.”

Kwaduk! Kwaduduk!!

Groooar—!!

“Rich, protect the people. If you have strength left, provide fire support.”

Click.

“Reaper, if there’s anyone messing around in the back, take their head.”

—!

Thud.

The Saints, who had been groaning, start foaming at the mouth and faceplanting into the ground.

“What’s this? Why are you freaking out just by looking at their faces? You’re lowering our kids’ self-esteem.”

Even in the midst of this, someone stands firm. They have well-maintained, reddish-blonde hair.

“Wh-who are you?”

Strong-looking individuals around them stare at me while guarding the Saint.

Just like I heard from the helicopter.

“United States Saint?”

The reddish-blonde Saint, who was being protected from behind, glares at me and nods.

“Before I pluck your eyeballs out, keep your head buried in the ground when you’re in front of me.”

The reddish-blonde Saint, who had her eyes wide open, starts trembling.

Her eyes are filled with hostility.

Snap!

〈Summon Followers〉

“Eek!”

The reddish-blonde Saint, who had been focusing all her strength into her eyes, collapses to the ground as if her legs gave out, flailing and trying to get away.

“F*cking idiot. The bitch hiding in the back is going nuts.”

Tick.

—Click, click.

“Phew—And you, hold them off alone. You can do it, right?”

Groooar—

Just hearing it makes me want to rip my eardrums out. A sinister, eerie scream echoes, and a crimson aura bursts from Crimson Knight’s eyes.

“As my lord commands.”

Ding!

〈Vanguard〉