NOVEL WEB Chapter 2
Everything was confusing.
The moment I opened my eyes, there was an unfamiliar woman in front of me,
the realization that I was Mr. Death,
and the fact that a dagger had been handed to me.
But what kept me from moving was…
“Please, kill me quickly.”
It was the gaze of the Saint staring at me.
A gaze that was both hollow and cold,
one of complete resignation.
That gaze instantly bound me completely,
so tightly that I couldn’t break free.
– Clang –
A sound, as if something had broken, pierced my ears.
That sound brought me back to my senses.
I quickly checked on the Saint’s condition.
“Huh, are you okay?! …Wait.”
Amazingly, the Saint’s neck was completely unharmed, without a single scratch.
It was impossible to believe.
I took off my glove and carefully placed my hand where the neck had been slashed to confirm.
“Huuee─?!”
Then the Saint made a strange sound and trembled.
Surprised, I immediately stepped back.
The Saint, with wide eyes and a tear rolling down, looked at me.
“…Ah?”
“Oh, sorry?”
The Saint blinked.
Then, slowly pulling her head back, she muttered.
“That… so even in death, senses remain, huh….”
“…Oh, yes. They do.”
“It startled me. …Even though I was dead, I could feel something touch my neck.”
“No, you’re actually not dead.”
As I waved my hands in reply, the Saint’s eyes widened even further.
“…Ah?”
“You’re not dead.”
“Why?”
“…Because you’re not?”
Stunned, the Saint’s eyes began to flood with tears like a waterfall.
And just as quickly, she started wailing, pounding the ground.
“Hoohaaaaaaaang─!”
“Excuse me?!?”
“So the villagers were right—there’s no place for me, for someone like me─!”
“Excuse me? Saint?!”
“There’s no room for me even in hell, so I can’t die, they saidoooh─!”
No. Hell expands with weekly construction projects.
Though it’s crowded despite the expansions.
…I was about to say that but tightly shut my mouth.
‘…It’s about time I head back.’
I read the surroundings and realized I had clearly forgotten to bring the soul I was guiding.
If a soul isn’t guided by the Grim Reaper,
it wanders in this world, gradually losing its memories.
That’s the best-case scenario.
If the soul is exposed to negative energies, it may turn into a malevolent spirit.
Once a soul becomes a malevolent spirit, there’s no going back to its original state.
The only option left is the extreme measure of “exorcism.”
‘And besides, this time it’s the soul of a hero destined to save the world….’
Every soul is precious.
But this soul was especially important.
One soul could save countless lives.
‘Whether I get reprimanded or not, I need to return quickly.’
…I was about to open the portal when the Saint grabbed my pant leg.
“…Saint?”
“Please, please kill mee─!”
“…Excuse me?”
“Like you said, I’ll fold up neatly in a corner! I’ll stay curled up like a pill bug, I won’t move!”
No, Hell isn’t that cramped?!
Taken aback, I stopped trying to open the portal and looked down at the Saint.
Then, she somehow got another dagger and handed it to me.
I recoiled in disgust.
…But why isn’t she moving?
Surely, even I am quite formidable in the spirit world?
“If that doesn’t work, feel free to shred me to pieces. Honestly, I doubt I’ll be killed anyway….”
“What kind of terrible thing is that to say?!”
The idea of someone being dismembered into pieces sent chills down my spine.
I urgently grabbed her shoulders and shouted.
“How dare you talk about death so lightly?!”
“But, bu─…”
“Repeat after me: ‘Life is precious!'”
“…Life is precious.”
First, I must save this person.
…Wait. But am I even allowed to do this as a Reaper of Souls?
For a moment, a bit of identity confusion arose, but I cleared my throat and continued.
“Life is sacred and precious. And what a valuable thing life is. You’re so young, you have so much life left to live….”
“But I’ve lived for over 500 years already.”
…So much older?
If you’ve lived five times longer than me, you’ve truly aged gracefully.
“That, you’ve lived enough… Ah, no, you know everything already. It’s not right for someone like you to act this way, correct? You’ve surely felt how precious and valuable life is during your time, haven’t you?”
“…How?”
…I don’t know since I’m not human.
Swallowing the words that almost came out, I desperately thought.
“For example, experiencing happiness….”
“…But it’s been so long, my memories are hazy.”
“Maybe eating something delicious….”
“…The potato peels I had today were less bitter than usual.”
…Why are you eating that?
Without realizing it, my hand rose to my forehead.
If ‘food’ has become so terrible for her. This was unexpected.
Cold sweat ran down my back.
The knowledge gathered from movies, dramas, and anime is starting to run out.
‘What else should I say?’
Ah, that’s it!
“You’ve lived more than 500 years. Aren’t there at least one or two people who cherish you, Saint?”
“…Most people probably just want me dead.”
…Right. That’s what you cried about earlier.
The villagers said, “There’s no place for you even in hell, so you can’t die.”
People can’t be judged by first impressions.
But even after watching her, the Saint doesn’t seem like someone worthy of those words.
…It’s problematic that she asked someone like me to kill her immediately.
‘Why are the villagers saying these things about her?’
I had some questions but decided not to get involved.
It’s a basic rule not to interfere with living people.
…Although it seems I’m already half involved.
I put on my customer-service smile again and spoke.
“There’s no guarantee that what the villagers say is heartfelt, is there?”
“…They are. …I know it best.”
“That’s…?”
The Saint answered quietly, lowering her head.
“I know what I am to them.”
“Huh?”
“To them, I’m not a ‘Saint.’ I’m more like an accursed misfortune.”
The deep sense of resignation in the Saint’s voice came through clearly.
“They must all want me dead. That’s how this hell will end….”
“…Uh.”
I have no idea what to say.
Not only am I unable to persuade her, but I can’t even think of any comforting words.
‘If this is real, how difficult a time must she have had?’
Soul-reapers should not interfere with human life.
But I can’t just ignore her overwhelming despair that I sense so clearly.
After a long moment of deliberation, I finally took out my smartphone, rather, the Book of Fate.
“Then, let’s try this. I can’t grant your, um, wish right away, but I can check when your life will end, Saint?”
“…What? Really?”
Suddenly, her eyes sparkled.
A faint glimmer of hope appeared on her despair-filled face.
“Yes. I have urgent work, so this is the best I can do to help.”
“…Okay.”
Please don’t feel deflated.
Because of this, I might get paperwork, cleaning duties, and even forced 24-hour shifts.
I turned on my smartphone.
…No, I pressed the power button to turn it on.
But the screen didn’t react at all.
‘…What’s going on?’
Surprised, I almost dropped the smartphone.
Just before it slipped from my hands, the Saint quickly reached out and caught it.
“Luckily.”
“…Ah.”
Sighing in relief, the Saint looked at me and tilted her head.
“…Why?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just give me a moment, let me try again.”
I gripped it tightly and pressed the power button again.
However,
I still only saw a dark screen.
“…This is unbelievable.”
Yes, this is really unbelievable.
This smartphone is not the same as what humans use.
It’s an advanced device made in the afterlife for Grim Reapers and Soul-reapers, a tool that condenses the technology and magic of all worlds.
There’s no need for charging, and it doesn’t break.
Besides, the afterlife’s network is protected by powerful magic.
It shouldn’t stop working in any world connected to the afterlife.
And every world inhabited by living creatures must be connected to the afterlife.
‘…Could it mean that the person in front of me isn’t alive?’
There’s no way a Soul-reaper like me could mistake between a living person and a dead one.
…Could my senses have dulled from too many late-night shifts?
I reached out again to touch the Saint.
“Hueyaaang─! Why, why?!”
“I, I’m sorry. I just wanted to check… if you’re dead.”
“Do, dead? So I really am dead then?!”
“…No. It seems like you’re alive and well.”
The Saint bowed her head.
And so did I.
‘…What on earth is going on?’
No matter how much I think about it, this isn’t something I can solve alone.
The best course of action would be to return to the afterlife and report this to someone else.
I opened the gate to the afterlife.
Or rather, I tried to.
…But the door didn’t appear at all.
“…Could I be fired?”
The Book of Fate won’t turn on.
The gates to the afterlife won’t open.
There’s no way this could happen unless I’ve been stripped of my duties as a Soul-reaper.
‘…But if I’ve been dismissed, shouldn’t I have vanished already?’
What the heck is going on?
Out of curiosity, I tried again.
As I did, the Saint, who had been watching me blankly, hesitated and spoke.
“What are you doing?”
“Oh, it’s nothing… ”
“Are you trying to go somewhere else?”
“How did you….”
I froze, staring at the Saint.
‘You too?’ she muttered quietly and gave a faint smile.
“No matter how hard you try, it won’t work.”
“Why?”
“That’s….”
The Saint slowly approached me and began to speak.