SSS-Class Sui**de Hunter - Chapter 96

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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 96. Villain (3)
7
Four days since falling into the Apocalypse.
The Silver Lily Young Lady had been absent from the Academy.
“I hear she’s taken to her bed, feeling unwell.”
“Is that so…….”
“Yes. Apparently she’s always been prone to minor ailments. And after interrogating servants all through the night, who wouldn’t be exhausted!”
The Heresy Inquisitor sipped the Black Tea delicately—high in sodium, supposedly good for health.
“Physical strength is national strength! Even the noblest cause becomes impossible to achieve when one’s body fails. Mmm, what a pity. The Silver Lily Young Lady is someone worthy of the Empire’s attention, and yet…….”
“I heard the Crown Prince has also stopped attending classes.”
“Aha-ha. Yes indeed, all thanks to the Four Kings. The shock must have been considerable, no? They may even apply for a leave of absence.”
In one corner of the Garden, amid cascading magnolias, we were having tea time. Other students passing through the Garden caught sight of us and started in alarm.
“Mad master and servant pair!”
“A delinquent Young Lady!”
“Don’t get close!”
The young ladies lifted their skirts, the young men hitched up their trousers, and they scurried away.
Thanks to that, we had the vast Garden to ourselves. Convenient.
“Heresy Inquisitor. You just called me the Four Kings, not the Four Kings. Be careful.”
“Oh! My apologies. That was my mistake. With my Immersion Rate climbing past twenty percent, I can’t seem to keep things straight. By the way, this salted Black Tea has an unexpected charm to it! Another cup, if you please, Four Kings.”
“You’ve done it again with that name…….”
Even as I sighed, I poured Black Tea into the young lady’s cup.
The liquid trickled down.
“Mm.”
I hummed softly. It was something I’d discovered after taking on this servant’s role—the Way of Tea ran far deeper than I’d imagined. Even the sight of water falling from the pot into the cup was beautiful, each drop rippling outward in waves. It was truly a culture befitting the young lady…….
[Immersion in the character deepens.]
[Your current Immersion Rate is 10%.]
“Kyaaaah!”
The Heresy Inquisitor leaped to his feet.
“Four Kings, why did you suddenly spill tea on me! It’s hot! You’ve dealt serious damage to my delicate hair!”
“That kind of scream? You never screamed like that before! You’ve really become the Keumsamae Young Lady in body and spirit, haven’t you? Go ahead, say it. When spring comes!”
“The magnolias fall, and the Four Kings’s hair falls too.”
“Aaaaaah!”
There was a brief interlude of experiencing the terror of hair loss.
We calmed down and ceased our quarrel. As a servant, I combed the Heresy Inquisitor’s hair for him.
Over the past few days, the Heresy Inquisitor’s back hair had grown somewhat. Was it the effect of the Holy Art Transformation? Or was he gradually beginning to resemble the Keumsamae Young Lady more and more?
“Your emotional expressions have become far more varied than before, Heresy Inquisitor.”
My fingers ran through the golden strands. I had never combed anyone’s hair nor had mine combed before, yet my hands moved of their own accord, as if they knew exactly what to do.
“Before, you always smiled, but looked at it another way—never smiling at all amounts to the same thing. It didn’t feel like you smiled because you were happy; smiling was more like your default expression.”
“I see. Is that different now?”
“Yes, there’s more emotion in it now. More lifelike, I’d say. Now when you smile, I think I understand why. Whether you’re genuinely happy or mocking someone.”
“I see. I’m aware of it myself. Do you think the Four Kings views this as a positive development?”
I looked down quietly at the Heresy Inquisitor’s back of the head. A small head. A small body. Small shoulders. Small arms. I thought about how many people this small frame had killed.
The Heresy Inquisitor.
A 1st Generation Hunter from Bulgaria, Europe.
Age unknown.
Number of murders unknown.
“…Yes, I think it is a positive development.”
I opened my mouth.
“Honestly, I didn’t know what to do with you.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“You’re a psychopath and a crazed killer.”
I slowly tied the Heresy Inquisitor’s hair. Memories of caring for young children at the Orphanage came back to me.
“And yet I couldn’t simply kill you. Even the Black Dragon Lord—who despises people like you most of all—and even the Sword Saint himself chose to keep you alive. That means there’s a reason you shouldn’t be dead.”
The Heresy Inquisitor laughed. He wasn’t shocked to hear that I’d deliberated over whether to kill him. If anything, he found it amusing.
“An astute observation!”
“Why do you kill people?”
At last I asked the question I’d so desperately wanted to ask.
“You’re a psychopath, but you understand language. You can comprehend others in your own way. So why do you kill?”
“Hmm.”
The Heresy Inquisitor rested his chin in his hand, lost in thought. Beyond the flowering bushes in the Garden, the faint sound of students laughing drifted over.
The Heresy Inquisitor turned his head. Then he began to whisper, pitched low so only I could hear.
“First, I should demonstrate that I’m quite capable.”
The Heresy Inquisitor wove a hand seal.
“Holy Art—Concealment!”
One of the Heresy Inquisitor’s gloves vanished.
“It’s one of the Holy Arts I command. I can erase any object from this world entirely. Needless to say, I can dispose of evidence used in murder and corpses as well.”
Bare fingers traced shapes through empty air.
“Powerful people don’t refrain from killing because they’re virtuous, Four Kings. They hesitate because disposing of bodies is troublesome, because they fear discovery later. I suffer no such inconvenience or fear!”
……
“The Tower was chaos during the 1st Generation era.”
The Heresy Inquisitor’s face was radiant.
“The revival of slavery, racial discrimination and ethnic hatred, terrorism, puppet factions, mass slaughter, propaganda and falsification, ideological conflict—as if we were melting down the compressed weight of human history on our tongues. A dread seized the minor warlords, what became the five great Guilds: the sense that we would all perish if things continued as they were.”
Black Dragon. Sangryeon. Mansinjeom. Cheonmumun. Jayeongdan.
“Five of them gathered.”
The Heresy Inquisitor spoke as though reciting an epic of heroes.
“The Black Dragon Lord spoke first!”
[We’ll dispense with needless words. Let us forge an eternal Non-Aggression Pact.]
“The Count set conditions.”
[Grant Sangryeon exclusive rights to foreign goods and commerce.]
“And I added my own proposal!”
[Let each Guild possess its own exclusive domain! That shall be the price of our cooperation in concealment!]
“Viper grumbled.”
[Of all the lunatics out there, the most reliable ones turn out to be the craziest. Tsk, tsk. These are the end times, truly the end times. …But what is this coffee? Why is it so bitter? Who gave me coffee I never asked for? Hey. You there? Hey?]
“The Sword Saint brought it to order!”
[I will not say we do what we must. I say we do what we wish. Tonight, we kill people by our convictions, our judgment, our methods.]
“That night, 4,653 people died.”
The Heresy Inquisitor’s laughter remained serene.
“The next night, 10,171 died. The night after that, 8,275. Then 7,412. Then 23,781.”
Died.
Died.
Died. And as the Heresy Inquisitor continued this litany, he suddenly spoke with that same bright tone.
“And then.”
The Heresy Inquisitor said that day arrived suddenly.
“That night, no one died.”
The long work of reckoning was finally complete.
That night, the Black Dragon Lord wept aloud, he said.
And the Sword Saint—
[I will take responsibility and step down.]
The Sword Saint had been leader of Jayeongdan then, he said.
[And I will never speak of this matter again. I affirmed the slaughter. I took part. I committed it knowing it should not be done. I will hate you all eternally. And I will despise myself just a little more.]
A severance.
After that night, the position of Jayeongdan’s leader remained vacant forever.
“After that, the Holy Paladin took command of Jayeongdan.”
The Holy Paladin.
Jayeongdan’s vice-leader—the one who always introduced himself that way, and was known as such.
“The Holy Paladin came to regret it.”
I found myself remembering that night when the Holy Paladin and the Pharmacist had stood against the Sword Saint. Was the subtle tension between the Sword Saint and the Holy Paladin then an echo of this?
“I never regretted it! It was a necessary sacrifice!”
The Heresy Inquisitor smiled faintly.
“But perhaps through becoming absorbed in the Keumsamae Young Lady, strange thoughts visit me now.”
“What thoughts?”
“Four Kings, I find myself wondering if things might have been different if you had existed in those days.”
……
“Strange. I’ve never felt this way before.”
The Heresy Inquisitor lifted his head. The whisper was done. In the sky he gazed upon, magnolias were in bloom.
“Is this how you all live? Drifting through such thoughts—if only we had done this then, if only we had done that—wandering and adrift, yet still living on?”
……
“Remarkable.”
The Heresy Inquisitor sighed, drawing out the sound.
“And thus.”
The fifth-ranked Hunter sighed as she spoke.
“How beautiful you all are, and how terribly lovely.”
“Heresy Inquisitor…….”
“If only I were like you…….”
The Heresy Inquisitor’s words trailed off for a moment.
“Mm.”
Then resumed.
“Mmm.”
And then.
“It is troublesome, Four Kings. I find myself wanting to remain in this world more and more.”
A voice echoed the moment the Heresy Inquisitor smiled.
[Your immersion with this individual deepens.]
[Your current Immersion Rate is 11%.]
I understood then.
That I would never be able to kill this person.
I could not kill someone who knew how to regret.
“Young Lady.”
“Yes.”
“When spring arrives.”
The Heresy Inquisitor waved a hand. The gloves that had vanished returned, wrapping around bare fingers. White Gloves with a delicate petal pattern embroidered across them. The Heresy Inquisitor broke into a radiant smile.
“Spring is lovely, isn’t it? Shall we take a stroll, Four Kings?”
Time seemed to stop.
I couldn’t tell what expression crossed my face. The Heresy Inquisitor studied it quietly, then let out a small laugh—”Pfft!”—before dissolving into uncontrollable laughter.
“Ahahaha! Ha! What a complexion, Four Kings! Went pale in an instant! I’d swear you were a corpse!”
“You really… even your jokes are like that…….”
“My apologies. Now that I’ve gained emotions, it seems I’ve become something of a prankster! Ah, I understand now. What I’ve always felt toward you, Four Kings—it’s becoming clear! It’s exactly like looking at a dependable older brother!”
“Older brother? But you’re 1st Generation. Aren’t you actually older than me?”
“No comment on that!”
But then, the Heresy Inquisitor continued.
“What is certain is that I am rapidly becoming immersed in the Keumsamae Young Lady! Even as we speak, it has risen by 1%. My current Immersion Rate stands at 32%. By tomorrow, it may well surpass 50%! I am growing addicted to the experience of [feeling emotions].”
The Heresy Inquisitor touched the braided hair I had bound.
“I am the protagonist of this Apocalypse tale. But the protagonist of the ending belongs to you. Four Kings, before I am swept away by emotion and drown in the Keumsamae Young Lady, please save the ending.”
“I will.”
I nodded.
“I promise.”
The Heresy Inquisitor smiled.
“I believe in you, my Four Kings.”
That night, the Heresy Inquisitor’s Immersion Rate exceeded 50%.
8
‘In the end, it is the Silver Lily Young Lady who brings about the annihilation of this world.’
I made a visit to the Silver Lily Young Lady’s quarters under the pretense of paying my respects.
‘She is the key. I must understand her. The Silver Lily Young Lady’s love, jealousy, forgiveness, pride, possessiveness—I must comprehend it all. Only then can I bring this Apocalypse to a close. That’s how it must be.’
The Young Lady’s quarters were bustling with servants, unlike yesterday.
“Pardon the intrusion.”
I spoke with courtesy.
“Might I see the Countess’s daughter?”
“And who are you?”
“The Keumsamae Young Lady has sent her regards.”
The servants’ faces stiffened. The poor relations between their mistress and the Keumsamae Young Lady were common knowledge. One attendant cried out, “Please wait a moment!” and hurried into the quarters.
A short while later, the attendant returned with a reluctant expression.
“…Please come this way. The Young Lady has permitted the visit.”
“Thank you.”
I was shown inside. It was neither the Silver Lily Young Lady’s bedchamber nor her reception hall. It was her study. Servants moved in and out of the room, making reports.
“A letter from Lepanor Province, Young Lady.”
“Leave it on the left side of the desk.”
“Young Lady, the Count’s daughter from Cheong-sol House has sent a letter on behalf of her patriarch. Given the season, it appears to be a request regarding grain loans, but…….”
“Send it to the Finance Bureau for review and bring it back.”
“Young Lady.”
“Yes.”
The Silver Lily Young Lady looked up from the documents on the desk before her. Her crimson eyes swept across me in an instant. She spoke without warmth.
“A visitor has arrived. Everyone, you’re dismissed.”
The Silver Lily Young Lady reached for the hourglass sitting on her desk and flipped it over with a sharp click.
“I’m giving you fifteen minutes’ rest.”
The servants filed out in a rush.
The expansive office fell silent—only the Silver Lily Young Lady and I remained.
“So.”
The Silver Lily Young Lady set down her quill pen.
“The Keumsamae Young Lady’s father sent a get-well visit? How considerate. Just days ago, that girl was grinding her teeth the moment she saw me. People do change, don’t they?”
“I heard you’d fallen ill and collapsed. I’m relieved to see you in good health. I must admit, I’m surprised.”
“Even so, I remain a student. To handle pressing matters while skipping classes, one needs a plausible excuse. Though I wouldn’t call it entirely accurate to say I’m in good health.”
The Silver Lily Young Lady let out a soft cough.
“I’ve been watching your performance. You managed to notice that the spies had infiltrated my organization in such a short time—quite remarkable. The changes aren’t limited to the Keumsamae Young Lady either; they apply to you as well. This Player was certainly more sharp-witted than the last. A true ornament to the Empire.”
……
“Had you been any less clever, I wouldn’t have accepted her visit.”
For a moment, I couldn’t comprehend what she meant.
“I’m sorry?”
“Hmm.”
The Silver Lily Young Lady’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“I thought you were sharp, but it seems you have an unexpectedly dull side.”
“What… do you mean…?”
“I’m on my fourteenth cycle.”
Her voice came perfectly measured.
“Though I’m merely a Regressor repeating the last ten days of life over and over. Meeting a Player like you is something I’ve done thirteen times before.”
Then a voice reached my ears.
I lost my words upon hearing it.
[A heart gilded in silver gazes upon you.]
The Silver Lily Young Lady.
“How many cycles are you on?”
She was a Regressor of this world.
S-Rank Hunter Who Must Die to Live (Serial Publication)
Author | Shin Noah
Publisher | Kim Ju-hyung
Published by | J Plus Media Co., Ltd.
Marketing | Han Jae-hyuk
Address | 204, 288 Digital-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul (Guro-dong, Daelung Posttower 1st)
Email | [email protected]
Website | www.jayplemedia.com
© Shin Noah 2019
※This work is published by J Plus Media Co., Ltd. under contract with the copyright holder. No part of this content may be used in any form or by any means without permission from the publisher and author.
Violation of this restriction may result in criminal and civil 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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