SSS-Class Sui**de Hunter - Chapter 92

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 92. Falling (2)
2
Romance Fantasy Rule 1
‘Any man near the protagonist is suspicious at first.’
Romance Fantasy Rule 2
‘The most ordinary man is actually the most extraordinary.’
3
“…….”
My heart was pounding. Anxiety had taken root. Like broken piano keys struck in syncopation, my heartbeat faltered and jumped. That was precisely how ominous the Heresy Inquisitor’s laughter sounded.
A premonition that I would slide down into this pit and never stop falling.
I couldn’t see the bottom of this hole.
“Heresy Inquis—”
“You appear unharmed, Miss Geum Sa-mae.”
Before I could finish the Inquisitor’s title, Miss Eun Baek-hap seized the name first, claiming it for this world.
I’d been outmaneuvered on the naming.
“I heard you were attacked by an assassin… So you truly are the daughter of a frontier house. Your lifeline is as stubborn as a weed. One assassin is hardly worth the trouble, is it?”
“Heh.”
The Heresy Inquisitor’s lips curled upward.
I realized only later that it was a sneer.
Words the Heresy Inquisitor would never normally speak had spilled from that mouth.
“Did you take the trouble to visit me on this late night simply to praise my health? I am truly grateful, Miss. Just as His Highness the Crown Prince does, so many people look after this humble self. It brings me such joy! Tonight’s misfortune almost feels like good fortune!”
Miss Eun Baek-hap’s eyes sharpened.
In the Heresy Inquisitor’s just-spoken words, two barbs stood erect.
‘Weren’t you the one who hired the assassin?’
Threat.
‘His Highness the Crown Prince was concerned for me and came in person.’
Provocation.
“…Even your hair resembles a weed—so unkempt. Imagination and delusion are but a single step apart. Whether one willfully treads that boundary determines human dignity. I hope you will maintain propriety as a noblewoman.”
“Oh, my apologies! Striking someone across the face at a ball does not violate noble propriety, then? My, I grew up in a border house and never learned ducal etiquette!”
“…….”
“If it would not be improper, when might you invite me to your salon, Miss? I wish to receive instruction in propriety directly from you. I am unaccustomed to striking people, so I must study deeply the angle and force of such blows.”
My tongue had revved up like a motorcycle engine.
At first I wondered where that engine sound was coming from, but listening more carefully, I realized—this madness? It was my heartbeat.
Thump-thump.
An ominous premonition wrapped around my heart, then seized my throat.
“Miss! How impertinent!”
“Speaking such nonsense from a minor border family…”
The Heresy Inquisitor’s tongue-waltz stirred the ducal servants to indignation. Among them, someone had surely betrayed their master and been recruited by the Crown Prince. I couldn’t know if there was one traitor or many, but that wasn’t the crucial point right now.
“I beg your pardon!”
I quickly wedged myself between gold and silver.
Miss Eun Baek-hap’s brow furrowed.
“You…”
“Today’s sudden events have left the young lady greatly shaken. This humble servant believes rest is desperately needed. The hour grows late as well—would it not be wise for you to retire, Miss? Misunderstandings can be cleared away tomorrow.”
“…….”
Miss Eun Baek-hap closed her lips.
The servants behind her huffed and puffed, but that was all.
When their mistress raised her right hand, everyone ceased their movements at once. A silence blanketed the hallway in an instant. This would have been impossible if she hadn’t kept her subordinates under strict control from the start.
“Wait just a moment, butler. What are you saying?”
Rather, it was the Heresy Inquisitor, Miss Geum Sa-mae, who pushed back at me.
“I still have much to say to the Miss. Don’t just end our conversation arbitrarily…”
“Be silent.”
I seized the Heresy Inquisitor’s wrist. I grasped it and all but dragged her along as I walked. The Heresy Inquisitor fluttered, saying “Oh wait, butler! Just a moment, please!” but I refused to release her wrist. If Character Immersion deepened any further, this would become truly problematic.
“Miss.”
Just before we slipped away from the hallway, I turned back to look. Miss Eun Baek-hap was watching us with a puzzled expression.
“…What is it?”
“I have long admired how the ducal servants conduct themselves with proper bearing. Seeing them again tonight, it is clear that the servants of the ducal house are indeed composed, unlike common rabble like myself.”
I bowed respectfully to her.
“I have learned much. Though my station is humble, I offer you my deepest respect, Miss.”
“…….”
“I shall take my leave now.”
I dragged the Heresy Inquisitor out into the hallway.
The Heresy Inquisitor, who had resisted at first, soon grew docile.
A spring night in the Garden. Between the Ballroom and the Dormitory stretched a vast expanse of manicured grounds.
Magnolias, barely past their bloom, drooped their heavy heads. Fragrance hung thick beneath the pale branches. A nightbird, intoxicated by the flower-scent, brushed a claw against one—and a pale magnolia petal fell.
“Good heavens.”
The Heresy Inquisitor stepped on the fallen petal.
“Ah.”
Stopping in place, the Heresy Inquisitor tilted her head back to study the night sky. After a moment, she turned to look at me. Her face was blank—hollowed out, empty.
The Hunter most often called mad among all those in the Tower murmured as if she couldn’t believe what she’d just done.
“King of Death… what did I just say back there?”
4
The moment I closed the door to my quarters, I spoke.
“We need to set a code.”
We had been silent as we walked back to the Dormitory. No words passed between us. Silence wound around my ankles, making each step a small effort.
Perhaps the deepening Character Immersion was the reason? The path from the Garden to my quarters rose clearly in my mind.
Maybe as the immersion deepens, the character’s memories grow sharper too. I can’t judge yet whether that’s good or bad.
“A code…….”
The Heresy Inquisitor blinked.
“A secret code……?”
“If we leave things as they are, we’re in real danger. You need to keep your wits sharp.”
“Of course, King of Death. You’re right. Yes…….”
The Heresy Inquisitor seemed to be straining, desperately trying to catch hold of a voice that kept slipping away. Her words were racing faster than her thoughts—a blinking red warning that the person before me was deteriorating.
I took the Heresy Inquisitor’s face firmly in both hands and forced our eyes to meet.
“When spring comes, the magnolias fall.”
“I… beg your pardon……?”
“When I say ‘[When spring comes],’ you answer with ‘[the magnolias fall].’ That’s our code—a signal for us both to keep sharp. Understood? Say it back to me. When spring comes?”
“The magnolias…….”
“Again. When spring comes?”
“The magnolias fall.”
The Heresy Inquisitor’s gaze slowly returned. She began to focus on what was near and real, rather than the distant void. She shook her head with a low “Mm,” then nodded with a firmer “Mm!”
“Yes! I’m thinking clearly now!”
“Okay. Good work.”
“Thank you, King of Death! Ah. Today truly is a storm of surprises, isn’t it? I’m certain I’ll remember this day forever.”
“Would you like some tea to settle your nerves?”
“I would be most grateful!”
Good. Not yet. It’s too soon to abandon this run.
I wrapped a blanket around the Heresy Inquisitor and headed for the Kitchen. As befitted a Dormitory in an Academy attended by royalty and nobility, my private quarters came equipped with a modest kitchen. I found the tea leaves and teapot without difficulty.
“Wow.”
As I began to brew the tea, I was taken aback.
“My body’s just… moving on its own…….”
I’d never properly brewed tea before—never in my life. But my hands moved as if I’d been handling teapots for years. A side effect of the immersion.
Even more unsettling: my body was actually [enjoying] it.
‘Young Miss always prefers her black tea with a splash of milk and a spoonful of honey.’
I hummed softly.
‘I went through the Academy’s resident servants to procure this precious honey for just such occasions. It cost a bit, but since Young Miss is so frugal and never wastes, this small indulgence is…….’
[Character Immersion is deepening.]
[Your current Immersion Rate is 6%.]
This is not fine!
Not fine at all!
Damn it!
What kind of a Romance Fantasy nonsense is this? Why am I delighted at the thought of honey in black tea? Should I crack open my skull and spread honey on my synapses? Shove a beehive into my head?
[We are concerned for our Radiant Warrior’s wellbeing…….]
[However, a minority opinion notes that our Radiant Warrior’s butler outfit is quite becoming, remarks the Radiant One.]
My weapon glimmered with glee all by itself. Whether it was my imagination or not, its shine seemed to gleam even more beautifully. Meanwhile, my head was in my hands, and I was crouched down in agony.
‘I can’t let a butler consume my mind.’
I clenched my teeth.
‘No way. I worked too hard to clear all these Stages!’
Stubbornness took hold.
I resolved to brew the tea differently than the original character would. I used a teapot I normally wouldn’t touch, retrieved a teacup I normally wouldn’t use. Then I poured the tea and handed it to the Heresy Inquisitor.
“King of Death.”
The Heresy Inquisitor took a few sips of tea, then tilted his head curiously.
“Yes?”
“This tea has a strange taste!”
“And?”
“If my palate hasn’t dulled, this acrid flavor is salt, isn’t it?”
“That’s how this tea is supposed to be.”
“I see. So this saltwater masquerading as tea—if one were to measure its salinity objectively, it would be classified as nothing more or less than simple salt water, I should think.”
“Just drink it without complaining.”
“Understood! I shall drink it well and without complaint!”
The Heresy Inquisitor slurped the tea down.
“Quite tasty! Salty indeed!”
The Heresy Inquisitor broke into a broad smile. Yes, this was how it should be. Our natural psychopath had finally recovered that innocent purity from before.
“Now then, what shall we do moving forward?”
“The villainous lady needs to end up with the Crown Prince.”
I let out a sigh.
“Or at the very least, we need to pulverize the romantic storyline between Geum Sa-mae and the Crown Prince completely. Let’s aim for one of these two endings.”
“The Coup d’État Operation, then….”
The Heresy Inquisitor had named the operation entirely on his own whim.
Well, it didn’t matter. I preferred the latter option of the two endings anyway.
I’ve never tried this thing called romance, so I don’t really know, but….
‘Isn’t breaking something apart far easier than bringing it together?’
Getting the Crown Prince together with Eun Baek-hap would be difficult, but making him split from Geum Sa-mae should be simple enough.
On this point, the Heresy Inquisitor and I were in complete agreement.
“For that to happen, the Crown Prince’s affection for Geum Sa-mae must cool! Do you happen to have any brilliant schemes in mind?”
“I do.”
Back when I was brewing the tea earlier and nearly lost my mind—that was when I’d realized it. This stage required drastic measures.
‘There is a way.’
Not just to lower the Crown Prince’s favorability toward Geum Sa-mae, but a method that would be remarkably effective for maintaining our sanity—especially mine.
“What exactly is this scheme?”
“Essentially, the more the Heresy Inquisitor acts in [ways befitting Geum Sa-mae], and the more I fall into [attitudes befitting a butler], the higher our Character Immersion Rates climb.”
Thinking the inverse:
“What if we did things that [Geum Sa-mae would never do] and things that [a butler would never do]?”
“…….”
“Our Character Immersion Rates might drop. Or at the very least, they won’t rise any further. What do you think?”
The Heresy Inquisitor’s eyes gleamed.
“…Ah yes, indeed. Simple yet brilliant! As expected of the King of Death—a Hunter who conquered the impregnable tenth floor and swept through to the twentieth with unstoppable momentum!”
“Thank you for the praise. Anyway, our conclusion is simple.”
I flicked my hand and activated a skill.
“From now on, let us become [delinquent lady] and [delinquent butler].”
The Heresy Inquisitor tilted his head.
“Pardon?”
And then the Hundred Ghosts Resurrection unfurled. I didn’t need to summon many spirits like in the Chronicle of the Celestial Demon. Right now, I needed only one ghost spirit—and only one was absolutely essential to me.
My shadow writhed and twisted, transforming into a single ghost spirit.
“…….”
A ponytail tied at the back.
Eyes more insufferable than any living creature in the universe.
“There….”
Yoo Soo-ha, the Flame Emperor.
The moment Yoo Soo-ha materialized, he scowled with utter disgust. His face crumpled like a wad of tissue paper, and his mouth fell open.
“Damn it, you bastard. What the hell are you making me do now….”
“Come on, let’s have you play the fool, shall we?”
“…Mgh, ngh! Nghhhhgh!”
No matter how foul his language, he couldn’t resist my orders—a ghost spirit bound by my will. Yoo Soo-ha thrashed about like a caterpillar wrapped in cobwebs.
Seeing the Flame Emperor made my gloomy mood lift considerably. How to describe it? Like finally closing the lid on a garbage bin? My mental fine dust was thoroughly swept clean. Yoo Soo-ha. He was a man like a vacuum’s dust container.
“Heresy Inquisitor.”
“Yes, King of Death!”
“You’re far too much of a model student just from appearances.”
I adopted a stern expression.
“Your bearing and conduct are pure. But to properly transition into a true delinquent lady, you’re nowhere near ready in your current state. You’re still far too far behind.”
“Oh.”
The Heresy Inquisitor’s ears perked up attentively.
“If there’s anything I’m lacking, please teach me! I’ll learn!”
“Of course. I’ll teach you through one-on-one tutoring in depravity.”
I turned to gaze at Yoo Soo-ha slowly.
“The finest instructor will guide the Heresy Inquisitor down the path of corruption.”
“Ah, how delightful!”
“Whine… whine! Whimper-whimper!”
The Heresy Inquisitor laughed with innocent puppy-like glee. Yoo Soo-ha’s face twisted into a grimace like a beaten dog. Between the puppy and the cur, I nodded with earnest solemnity.
“Well then, let’s become depraved.”
The next day, Solmewin Academy erupted.
S-Rank Hunter: Must Die to Live (Serialized)
Author │ Shin No-ah
Published by │ Kim Ju-hyeong
Publisher │ J Plus Media Co., Ltd.
Marketing │ Han Jae-hyeok
Address │ 204, 288 Digital-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul (Guro-dong, Daeloong Post Tower 1st Building)
Email │ [email protected]
Website │ www.jayplemedia.com
© Shin No-ah 2019
※This work is published by J Plus Media Co., Ltd. under contract with the copyright holder. No part of this work may be used in any form or by any means without permission from the publisher and author.
Violation of this may result in criminal and civil legal liability.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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