[TS] Became a Peach Saint – Chapter 237

Gulp, gulp.

The carbonated peach liquor tickles my throat as it goes down.

The coolness created by Baekseol’s ice is top-notch.

I feel like even the fatigue I didn’t know I had is being washed away.

“Phew!”

As I finally pull my lips away from the glass and exhale, the sweet aroma of the liquor fills the air around me.

The soft sweetness of the peach and the richness from distillation overflow.

Even though it’s diluted with carbonation, tonic, and ice, it’s still a pretty strong drink.

───

[Effort-Infused Peach Highball]

Level: ☆+☆☆☆

○Bonus Points: Rabbit Brand Ice +☆☆☆

Stamina: +1%

Health: -3%

Hangover: +17%

Coolness: +90%

───

The problem is that such a delicious drink only gets 1+3 points. I just can’t understand it.

And the fact that 3 of those points are from the ice makes it even more ridiculous.

“Baekseol’s ice must be incredibly tasty.”

“Magic!”

“Make some more later. I’m fine for now.”

“Okay!”

Baekseol, who had climbed up onto my shoulder, rubs her face against my cheek.

Thanks to the fluffy Baekseol, my mood naturally lifts.

“Let’s go outside and think for a bit.”

“Okay!”

As I step outside the brewery with Baekseol, the heavy aroma of the rice wine flowing from the jars seems to vanish as if washed away.

─Click, click.

“Phew─”

Sitting on a large rock embedded near the brewery, I light a cigarette, and Baekseol climbs onto my lap.

Whenever I smoke, she rolls around on my lap, playing around.

It seems like she wants to cheer me up.

Since she’s always by my side, she seems to react sensitively to my mood.

“Baekseol’s belly!”

“Ticklish!”

As I vigorously rub Baekseol’s fluffy belly, she rolls around on my lap once and then shows her belly again.

“Customer, I’ll give you a massage.”

“Great!”

As I knead Baekseol’s front and back paws, she relaxes and stretches out her body.

“Feeling cool?”

“Yeah.”

Baekseol’s eyes slowly close.

She seems to be getting drowsy.

Looking at Baekseol, I think it was a good idea to invest in my massage skill.

“Baekseol, knead knead.”

“Gooood…”

As I continue to massage her, the little fluffball completely falls asleep.

I didn’t mean to put her to sleep, but now she’s like melted rice cake.

I have no choice but to tuck the sleeping Baekseol into my chest, and my body warms up.

“Phew─”

“Do you have any worries?”

While smoking, I suddenly hear a voice and look up to see a familiar face.

“Grandpa.”

“Hey.”

“The liquor isn’t turning out well.”

At my answer, Grandpa glances at the brewery behind me and then looks back at me.

“Hmm. Let’s see.”

I hand him the clear distilled liquor I had stored in a glass bottle, and he carefully examines it, holding it up to the light and sniffing the aroma.

Gulp.

“It’s quite strong if you don’t dilute it.”

“Hmm. I see.”

The alcohol content is proportional to the sweetness of the ingredients.

I used high-sugar peaches and distilled them multiple times, so without dilution, it’s too strong to drink.

“You worked hard. Especially this ice, it’s excellent.”

“Baekseol made it.”

The fact that the food has levels added proves that it’s already far superior to regular food.

Yet, I still feel like something is missing.

“Hoh.”

Grandpa strokes his chin and keeps examining the peach liquor.

“Can you confidently say that you did your best in making this liquor?”

The sudden question leaves me speechless.

If someone asked if I worked hard, I’d say yes.

But if they asked if I did my best, there’s only one answer I can give.

“Can you confidently say that you put your heart into making this liquor?”

As I hesitate, Grandpa’s question comes again.

Did I do my best? Did I put my heart into it?

No matter how many times I repeat it, the same conclusion comes.

“No…”

“Then that’s enough.”

Grandpa suddenly smiles.

“What do you mean?”

“You already know what’s lacking. Many don’t even realize that.”

Grandpa puts the liquor in his pocket and turns to leave.

“I’ll make sure to enjoy this.”

Suddenly, without any thought, I…

The alcohol feels embarrassing.

“A lack of skill can be filled with effort, but a lack of heart is something no one can teach you.”

“·····Yes. Thank you.”

“But there’s always an exception, isn’t there?”

What he’s been saying so far, suddenly his words are all over the place.

“Why wander far when you have a great friend by your side to convey your heart?”

“Yes!”

Baekseol, who I thought was asleep, peeks out from my chest.

“Haha.”

Grandfather leaves a trail of laughter and disappears like the wind.

Though invisible, the lingering scent of incense and cigarettes proves he was just here.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes!”

Baekseol, who came out from my chest, climbs onto my shoulder and licks my cheek.

Despite the very short nap, it seems like I fell asleep feeling good.

“So, our Pposiraegi ice must have been delicious.”

“Yes!”

Baekseol must have put all her heart into making that ice for me.

“Let’s make it again.”

“Okay!”

***

I put all my heart into peeling the peach skin.

I put all my heart into squeezing the peach pulp with a cloth.

I put all my heart into every drop of the distilled liquor.

Thanks to that, the peach liquor, so transparent it seems like it’s not there, fills the clean glass bottle.

Even though it’s distilled liquor and the scent shouldn’t be noticeable unless drunk, a pleasant fragrance lingers around the bottle.

“But it still feels a bit lacking.”

“Peach!”

“Peach, huh?”

“Yes!”

Baekseol, hanging on my shoulder, stretches her waist and taps the glass bottle.

───

[Delicious Peach Highball]

Level: ★☆☆+★

○Bonus points: Rabbit ice +★

Stamina: +35%

Health: +35%

Hangover: +0%

Refreshment: +98%

───

Seven stars plus five Baekseol stars. It’s incomparably better than before.

Thanks to that, it seems to harmonize with Baekseol’s ice, and the rabbit ice score has also increased.

“Hmm.”

I put all my heart into every action, and thanks to the brewing skill in my cooking skills, it turned out well.

But I wish there was something more special of my own, and I can’t figure out what else to do.

“Peach!”

“Right. It’s made from peaches.”

“Peach!”

“····Add more peaches?”

“Yes!”

Adding more peach juice here would just turn it into a beverage or a tasty cocktail.

“Hmm. A friend to convey my heart.”

“Yes!”

Baekseol rubbing her cheek makes me tickle.

But adding more juice would take it out of the realm of alcohol.

“Okay. Let’s add more peaches.”

“Okay!”

Tok─

Closing my eyes, my spirit sinks deep within in an instant.

It’s a place that welcomes me with a pleasant, gentle breeze and the scent of grass, as usual.

There, the still unripe Heavenly Peach. I bring its energy.

Since I am the Heavenly Peach, it’s mine.

As time passes, I feel the energy gathering in my palm.

It’s a fresh yet endlessly sweet fragrance.

Focusing my spirit, the gathered energy melts into the shimmering liquor.

“Phew····.”

Ding!

───

[Heavenly Peach Wine]

A fruit wine infused with the energy of an unripe Heavenly Peach.

Level: ★★★★★+★★

○Bonus points: Rabbit ice water +★★

Health: +190%

Refreshment: +99%

Hangover: +0%

Magic Power: +190%

Vitality: +190%

Regeneration: +190%

Attack Power: +190%

Defense Power: +190%

Stamina: +190%

[Creator: Han Ga-eul (Heavenly Peach)]

───

“Wow.”

“Peach!”

It’s a more outstanding liquor than I thought.

“Nice.”

“Nice!”

The transparent liquor shimmers and tempts with its sweet fragrance.

“It turned out better with the ice water Baekseol made.”

“Yes!”

“Thank you.”

“Excited!”

Baekseol presses my shoulder with her front paws and wiggles her body.

If someone asks if I’ve put all my heart into it, I still can’t say yes.

That’s why I can keep striving forward.

“Ouch·····.”

I was silently vowing to myself to do my best when suddenly, I heard a noise from behind. Turning around, I saw a horde of goblins rushing towards me.

Even though nearly a hundred goblins were approaching, I hadn’t even sensed their presence.

It seemed like every goblin in the village had gathered here.

“Wow, what’s going on?”

The goblins’ gazes were fixed on the glass bottle in my hand.

When I lifted the bottle, the goblins’ heads followed it upward.

When I lowered it, their heads dropped down.

“No way.”

—Ah!

As I hid the alcohol behind me, the goblins let out a collective sigh of disappointment.

I even saw some goblins drooling without realizing it.

Guess goblins are like dogs.

“I’ll open it later when we have a meal.”

—Ooh!

The goblins, who had been staring at the liquor bottle, suddenly burst into laughter as if nothing had happened.

“Peach Girl, you’re really going to open it, right?”

“Of course. I’ve prepared a lot for us to drink together.”

Only after getting a firm confirmation did the goblins nod their heads.

“Just the scent alone makes me feel like I’m melting.”

“Tell me about it.”

Then, a figure walked through the noisy crowd of goblins.

“Grandfather.”

“Yes.”

“Thanks to you, I made it well. Thank you.”

“Good.”

As I bowed my head to Grandfather, he responded with a kind smile.

“Let’s see.”

When I pulled out the liquor bottle I had hidden, Grandfather slowly reached out his hand.

But I could sense some ulterior motive in his gesture.

“Not yet.”

As I hid the bottle again, Grandfather cleared his throat.

“Ahem. It’s well brewed.”

The goblins burst into laughter, their voices echoing loudly through the brewery.

“Thanks to your advice, I did well.”

“You’ve brewed such excellent liquor on your own, so I’d believe you’re a proper goblin now.”

“A goblin? Then I’ll be the Peach Goblin.”

“Hahaha! Go ahead.”

Grandfather, who had come to my side, turned to look at the goblins.

“Listen, spirits.”

At Grandfather’s solemn words, the bustling brewery fell silent in an instant.

“From this day forward, a new sibling and family member has been born. I, the chief of the goblins, Geoam, hereby declare this.”

“·····Huh?”

It was just a casual remark.

But seeing Grandfather’s serious expression, something felt seriously wrong.

The usually cheerful goblins in front of me also looked unusually serious.

“The name of the new spirit is.”

At Grandfather’s words, all the goblins’ eyes turned to me.

“Cheondo (Heavenly Peach).”

—Wah!!!

The goblins started shouting so loudly it hurt my ears.

The jars in the brewery seemed to cheer along, buzzing with excitement.

As I struggled to process the rapidly unfolding situation, Grandfather, who had locked eyes with me, smiled and lightly tapped my back.

It seemed like he wanted me to say something.

“Uh···· well····.”

Even though I was stalling, not knowing what to say, the gathered goblins waited patiently, smiling without rushing me.

“I’ll do my best.”

—Wah!!!

Another cheer erupted.

Looking at Grandfather, he nodded in approval.

“Uh···· I’ll do my best, Chief?”

As soon as I finished speaking, Grandfather’s hand reached out.

I instinctively closed my eyes.

I thought a pipe was about to fly at me, but instead, something large and warm patted my head and brushed through my hair.

“It’s Village Chief.”

“Whoa····!”

My heart raced from the shock.

I don’t know what would happen if this turned out to be a joke.

“Is this really okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“To just casually make me a goblin like this····.”

“Goblins aren’t such a big deal.”

“Really?”

“Goblins are just cheerful beings who enjoy smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol. They’re just living their lives.”

He spoke as if it were nothing, but the weight of his words felt overwhelming.

“Did the weaving goblin not come?”

“They’ve already gone to fetch it, Village Chief.”

“Haha, that’s quick. Let’s head out.”

Without another word, Grandfather turned and walked outside, and the other goblins followed in a rush.

Following them outside, I saw a group of goblins…

I’m standing in front of the brewery, holding something and waiting.

“Did you bring it?”

“Yes, Village Chief.”

The grandfather, who received the item from the goblin, unfolds it and shows it to me.

“Try it on.”

“What is this?”

“It’s called Hongik. It changes color according to need.”

It’s a traditional robe that both the grandfather and the other goblins wear without distinction.

After putting on the hanbok and robe handed by the grandfather, he hands me something else.

“Here. It’s something I used to cherish when I was young.”

“Wow!”

It’s an elegantly crafted pipe.

“Hahaha! Yonseok, you seem to like that more than Hongik.”

“I love it! Thank you!!”

“Alright.”

The grandfather laughs and roughly pats my head.

I guess it’s a characteristic of elders to pat your head so hard it feels like your hair might come out.

Ding!

───

[Essence of Smoke]

A pipe crafted from the essence of smoke that existed since ancient times.

●One puff: Absorbs natural energy and supplies it to the user.

●???

●???

Grade: Ancient Myth ▷ Common

[Owner: Han Ga-eul (Heavenly Peach)]

───

***

“The calamity has vanished.”

“What do you mean? Our country hasn’t even located the calamity yet.”

Yu Bit-na, hearing her subordinate’s words, starts to suspect if he’s been drinking on duty.

It was that absurd.

“About 15 minutes ago, the calamity of the United States vanished.”

“What are you talking about? We agreed not to touch each other’s national calamities.”

The calamities (災殃) existing in each country were monsters so destructive they could obliterate entire regions and nest there, truly living up to the name “calamity.”

The only saving grace was that they wouldn’t leave their designated areas unless provoked or approached.

“You’re not joking, are you? It’s really dead?”

“Yes.”

Yu Bit-na couldn’t help but swallow her words at her subordinate’s firm tone.

“Wasn’t the U.S. calamity a dragon?”

“Correct. Scholars estimated it was a young dragon.”

“Was?”

Hearing her subordinate speak in the past tense, it seems it really is gone.

Yu Bit-na couldn’t understand it no matter how much she thought about it.

She could confidently say that the U.S. wasn’t strong enough to raid a dragon.

The name “calamity” wasn’t given for no reason.

Research suggested that to defeat the calamities of each country, hunters from all nations would need to cooperate to minimize damage.

“So?”

At Yu Bit-na’s question, her subordinate flips through the documents he’s holding and adjusts his disheveled glasses.

“The ones who caught the dragon don’t seem to be human, and they’re demanding soybean paste from the United States.”

“Have you been drinking?”

“They also asked for a large bowl big enough for the dragon.”

“Get out.”

At Yu Bit-na’s firm tone, the subordinate adjusts his glasses again and flips through the documents.

“And they confirmed that their appearance matches the Saintess’s summon.”

“Find Han Ga-eul!”

***

“Grandfather, how do I look? Like a goblin?”

“Hahaha! You look just like a proper goblin.”

The new robe I received, like those of the other goblins, is soaked in the scent of peach-scented cigarette smoke.