The Returnee Wants to Live Comfortably-Chapter 95 : Long Live Juvenile Law!! (1)

Long Live Juvenile Law!! (1)
Come to think of it, I had momentarily forgotten why we even came here.
Since this was the neighborhood where Sang-ah used to live, we wandered around for a bit, happened to run into Hwasan Guild hunters, got into a scuffle with them, taught them a lesson, and that incident led us to be dragged all the way to the guildmaster's office.
Things had gotten so tangled up that it was only natural to momentarily forget what our initial purpose was.
"So that's why you're so late."
"I'm sorry for not making it on time."
"It's alright. I'm just glad our Sang-ah is safe."
Upon arriving at the church, I told the pastor everything that had happened so far.
The church that had once been at the foot of the mountain was now established here in Hwasan Town.
The building's exterior was a spitting image of before, but there were several signs of development.
And apparently, the number of parishioners visiting the church had increased compared to before.
"It's all thanks to you, Seongjin. I'm truly grateful."
"Nah, it's nothing."
"By the way, there was something really interesting on TV just a moment ago."
The pastor showed me a captured image from a variety show on his smartphone.
It showed Sang-ah's face and my own masked face.
It was the very incident where I was accidentally filmed interrogating the hunters on that broadcast.
Kwon Yongha had promised to delete all those photos circulating the internet, but apparently some still remained.
"I watched this live myself, and the ratings were insane at the time."
"No wonder."
Of all things, it had been a live broadcast, so editing was impossible.
Honestly, I hadn't expected there would be a camera there at all at the time.
"For some reason, all of yours have been deleted, and this is the only one left."
Looks like Kwon Yongha took care of it properly.
By tomorrow, the broadcasting mishap concerning me should quiet down.
"And I can't leave this out either."
The next photo he showed was of Sang-ah.
Sang-ah had been caught on camera scarfing down food like a madwoman.
As she devoured food and bowls piled up like a mountain, comments were exploding online.
While I had succeeded in obscuring all of my own face, it seemed Kwon Yongha forgot to blur Sang-ah's.
"Our Sang-ah's already become famous."
"...."
ㄴWhat the hell is that?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴSeriously, stop eating so muchㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴAre you sure that mountain of bowls isn't photoshopped?
ㄴNope, I watched the livestream, it's real.
ㄴIs she human? Does she have a black hole in her stomach?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴHey, now that I think about it, isn't she the famous berserker from Hand?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴOh, it was her? I thought I recognized her from all those memesㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴNew mad material acquiredㅋㅋㅋ
If Sang-ah herself saw this, she might have fainted—or had her soul leave her body altogether.
Following the nickname Berserk Girl, she found herself going viral again as the Glutton Girl.
So-called Berserk Girl Season 2 seemed poised to flood video sites.
Poor thing.
"But this isn't something we can laugh off entirely."
The pastor narrowed his eyes and studied Sang-ah in the image intently.
The way Sang-ah enjoyed her binge eating—the look in her eyes was different from usual.
"Do you know about these symptoms?"
"Of course. Sang-ah's mother... the princess, also experienced them regularly."
Saying that, the pastor stood up from his seat and opened a door nearby.
Inside, Sang-ah was lying down in proper posture, sleeping, with an IV needle in her arm.
The reason she was lying there like a patient was to suppress various impulsive symptoms, including those binge episodes.
"I'd already heard everything before you even got here. It almost entirely matches the symptoms the princess endured."
Binge eating, insomnia, sleepwalking, and changes in her voice.
These were all steps in the process of a dragonborn evolving to an even higher existence.
Among them, this was referred to as molting.
Before long, her outer shell would break, and she would renew her body, a process said to be excruciatingly painful.
"When do you think this 'molting' will begin?"
"It's expected to start in about a week. After examining her condition, it seems she'll evolve to a higher stage."
The pain would increase accordingly.
For dragons, it was a natural biological phenomenon, so Sang-ah, who inherited their blood, had no way to avoid it.
"Sometimes, molting fails and ends in death."
Thus, help from the church people became essential.
Even if you rushed her to the hospital, how many doctors would know what to do about molting?
These were the only people who could provide proper care.
"Of course, if Sang-ah has a strong will to live, she can probably endure it."
"Who in the world wants to die?"
"Naturally, there shouldn't be such a person. But you know, in Mewzealand there have been plenty."
Having lived there for over 50 years, I understood what he meant.
An unequivocally sentient race.
Yet, thanks to the damned Guardian Deity's discriminatory policies, they had no human rights.
Unlike humans, who were protected and could live safely, other races were forced to survive in lawless lands with no guaranteed safety.
I saw so many demonkin suffering from severe depression it was almost commonplace.
Those who lost their will to live just ended their lives.
Thus, failure to grow meant certain death.
"Since we started living in Hwasan Town, we've learned things we had no way of knowing before."
The Hwasan Guild had provided the church with this new shelter, protecting them from Sura Guild threats.
They might have looked good on the surface, but the truth was different.
Behind the scenes, they orchestrated all manner of violent acts without hesitation to achieve their goals.
"We even heard all about what Sang-ah experienced..."
The pastor clenched his fists as he spoke.
How Sang-ah, the beloved daughter of the dragonkin princess they served, had been treated by Hwasan Guild.
Knowing that, it was only natural for the pastor and church members to feel indignant.
"We did receive help, but now that we know this, it's only natural to feel some unease."
It wasn't just Sang-ah.
Her mother—the dragonkin princess—also never received proper treatment.
Having been forcefully bound to Kwon Yongha as a concubine, she suffered enormous pressure from the legal wife.
All that accumulated stress, it was no wonder it led to depression.
"If Sang-ah hadn't met you, there's a good chance she would've failed to molt. It's a relief, in some sense."
"...."
"But there's one thing I want to sincerely ask you."
Given the humiliation Sang-ah and her mother suffered, it was inevitable for this question to arise.
"This Hwasan Guild. Is it really a place we can trust?"
From their perspective, it was a natural question.
Receiving help from people who'd scorned the person they'd followed all their lives was shameful.
But there was no need to worry anymore.
"You can trust them. There's no way they'll ever act like that again."
As I said this, curling my lips like a demon, the pastor flinched.
Had I perhaps tamed the infamously wicked guildmaster, Kwon Yongha?
"Just who exactly are you?"
I simply smiled brightly and answered.
"Just a normal student."
****
Three days had already passed since we came to Hwasan Town.
During that time, Sang-ah had to take medicine from the pastor twice a day.
Once in the morning, and once at night.
Each time, even when faced with delicious food, she didn't succumb to her urges.
She was also able to sleep comfortably each night without symptoms of sleepwalking.
'Coming here was definitely the right call.'
I left Sang-ah with the church people and set out to look around the neighborhood by myself.
However, Sang-ah kept following me, so in the end we walked around together.
Honestly, at this point Sang-ah could go wherever she pleased without any trouble.
Why?
"Uh, nice to see you, miss..."
We frequently spotted Hwasan Guild hunters as we walked by.
But unlike the first time, as soon as they saw Sang-ah, they respectfully kept their distance.
Considering these were the very ones who used to mock her at the mention of her mother's name, Kwon Yongha must have trained them in etiquette.
"What are you staring at?"
"N-no, nothing at all!"
When Sang-ah snapped a bit sharply, the hunter stiffened.
We saw Hwasan Guild hunters all over the place, and they all lowered their heads as soon as they saw Sang-ah.
This was nothing less than princess treatment.
"How does it feel?"
"It's not bad... but it feels a bit strange."
At my question, Sang-ah replied in a timid manner.
Honestly, I couldn't blame her.
Sang-ah had known nothing but poor treatment here, so it was only natural for it to feel weird.
"I never wanted to come back here in the first place. Getting teased by my brother's cronies whenever they had a chance was part of daily life."
Just thinking of the hurtful comments she received the moment we arrived said it all.
Given how naturally those curses came out of their mouths, it must have been a habit.
"But how is it now?"
"...."
At my question, Sang-ah glanced around.
The hunters all bowed their heads as they trembled before her.
Courteous greetings emerged from the mouths of those who used to mock her.
In a scene she would have never witnessed in this neighborhood before, Sang-ah spoke.
"I've been walking these roads since I was a kid. The Hwasan Guild headquarters and the mansion, too."
"...."
"Comparing now to back then... it's like I'm in an entirely different place."
With the sudden change in how the guild members treated her, everything felt different.
But there was one thing Sang-ah must never forget.
"There's no need to feel out of place. This is the treatment you always deserved."
There was nothing wrong with walking these streets with a smile for a change.
Realizing this, Sang-ah's face suddenly brightened like the sun rising.
Finally, she had the look she deserved.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, there was a loud noise from somewhere.
–Tadadadadadadada!
In a quiet space nearby, a helicopter was landing.
There was a particular emblem painted on it, so we could tell instantly which organization it belonged to.
"It's the Poison Guild."
"Come to think of it, weren't they supposed to cooperate with the Sura Guild to wage all-out war?"
At the landing site of this massive helicopter, countless Hwasan Guild hunters waited alongside Kang Minji out in front.
They were talking with Poison Guild executives who had just disembarked from the helicopter.
Sang-ah's ears could pick up their conversation on their own.
"What are they saying?"
"The atmosphere looks... tense."
There was no choice but to go and hear it directly.
.
.
"You—you really believe that Hyun-seok-hyung did something like that?"
"No way! I'm just asking why those rumors are spreading about you!"
Kang Minji was having a heated argument with a Poison Guild hunter who'd gotten off the helicopter.
Her counterpart was Kang Hyunsu, a Poison Guild hunter.
As an S-rank hunter, he commanded his own squad—hence flying the helicopter.
"At this point, we have no choice. Kang Hyun-seok is... better left behind."
"Don't talk nonsense! Why would I ever abandon my one and only hyung...!!"
Kang Hyun-seok, an S-rank Poison Guild hunter who went missing after entering the Golden Gate.
After rumors spread that he plotted terror with the Holy Church, public opinion about the Poison Guild had worsened.
But unable to easily abandon their only comrade, the Poison Guild fiercely fought the battle for public opinion.
"Kang Minji, you owe Hyun-seok-hyung a lot too, right? Don't you?"
"...."
"Anyway, we'll cooperate in the all-out war against Sura Guild. But how much we contribute depends on you."
"Fine. Got it!"
Before becoming Kwon Yongha's main wife,
Kang Minji recalled memories she made in the Poison Guild with Kang Hyun-seok.
If he hadn't dated another woman, she would have likely married Kang Hyun-seok rather than Kwon Yongha.
"Yeah, hyun-seok was a really good guy."
"That's right! He was a really great hunter!"
"Huh?"
Suddenly, a loud voice rang out.
Everyone turned their guard up and looked over. A boy was standing there.
"Who are you? Civilians need to get lost."
Kang Hyunsu tried to drive out the boy with a cold tone.
As the Poison Guild hunters moved to grab the boy—
"I received help from Kang Hyun-seok Hunter in the Golden Gate!"
"What?"
Hearing that, Kang Hyunsu was startled.
At the same time, the hunters who moved to stop the boy froze in their tracks.
"Who... are you?"
The boy looked at them with desperate eyes and spoke with sincerity.
"My name is Ma Seongjin. That day... when the Golden Gate went berserk... Kang Hyun-seok Hunter sacrificed his life to save me...!!"
At that moment, Kang Minji was shocked, and Kwon Sang-ah, watching from behind, wore a confused expression.
On the outside, Ma Seongjin shed tears, but inside, he thought,
'Kihihihihihi!'
Because the one who took his life... was me.