SSS-Class Sui**de Hunter - Chapter 97

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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 97. Your Heart (1)
1
“A face I’ve never seen before, I see.”
Silver Lily Young Lady spoke.
“The Constellation who sent you didn’t offer any explanation? How rare. When a Constellation sends an Apostle, they typically provide as much information as possible before departure. Could it be that you’re on poor terms with your Constellation?”
“An Apostle, you say…….”
“You truly know nothing. How intriguing.”
Silver Lily Young Lady opened a drawer. An hourglass. A tool that looked identical to the one she’d just turned over. Ting! The young lady pressed the desk bell lightly.
The office door opened.
“You called for me, Miss?”
“Another fifteen minutes. There may be more. Tell everyone to rest at ease.”
“Our conversation seems to be going well, Miss. Shall I bring tea?”
“Yes. Jernisan, if you please.”
“Very good.”
The gray-haired servant bowed and withdrew.
I stood there uncertainly, unsure what to say or how to say it. Seeing my posture, Silver Lily Young Lady lifted her eyes slightly at the corners.
“Never mind. Stand at ease.”
She hadn’t said to sit comfortably.
“Which Constellation sent you? Mutia? The Triangular Star? Hishimit Kritz? Lazarus? Psime? Hmm, your face tells me you’ve never even heard of any of them. Just whose representative are you?”
“The Librarian of All Things…….”
My mind was in chaos. I could feel that the young lady before me was no ordinary person, but I hadn’t expected this. That I managed to recall the Librarian’s epithet, even belatedly, was because I was still clinging to my last thread of sanity.
“No, rather—the Librarian from the Corner sent me.”
“The Library.”
Silver Lily Young Lady twirled a quill pen in her left hand.
“Corner… Ah, you mean Hamustra.”
Hamustra.
The true name.
This person knows the Constellation’s actual name.
“Hamustra gave you no explanation whatsoever?”
“…The Librarian prefers not to intervene too directly in the Apocalypse. Rather than giving us information in advance, she’d prefer we uncover it ourselves.”
“The Apocalypse?”
“A world without a Constellation, its barriers shattered. A world destined for annihilation—that’s what the Librarian calls it.”
Silver Lily Young Lady’s eyes narrowed with amusement. Her irises were red, and even narrowed, her gaze remained sharp. The color of her eyes held a power that overwhelmed anyone who looked into them.
“How arrogant, for a Constellation. Calling another’s world by one’s own whims. The Apocalypse, is it… Well, it’s not wrong that someday all things perish. But I won’t hand over my soul so easily.”
I blinked.
“…Wait. You still look confused. Tell me—you weren’t sent to target my soul and possess the servant of Geumsamae Young Lady, were you?”
I shook my head. This was all entirely new to me.
…….
Silver Lily Young Lady closed her lips. A look like she was observing some natural monument began to frost her irises. Creak. Still watching me, she opened another drawer and took something out. A third hourglass.
Ting.
“You called for me, Miss? I’ve brought the tea.”
“Let them rest another fifteen minutes.”
“The children will be delighted today.”
The servant left.
Silver Lily Young Lady sipped her black tea, watching me over the rim of her cup.
“Listen here, the young lady’s steward.”
“Oh, call me Kim Gongja, if you please. That’s my real name.”
“I refuse. How rude. Where do you get the nerve to have me use your real name? Blame yourself for possessing one who isn’t even nobility—a mere servant.”
This person, hasn’t she been subtly arrogant from the start?
“In any case, it’s clear you’re a blank slate. You don’t even seem to have received a Conquest Guide.”
A Conquest Guide? What’s that?
“It’s this.”
Silver Lily Young Lady drew a sheet of paper from her drawer.
On an A4-sized page was written neat, round handwriting.
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1. Silver Lily Young Lady is sensitive to sunlight. For dates, aim for evening or night rather than daytime.
2. Silver Lily Young Lady has a dull palate and favors spicy foods.
3. Silver Lily Young Lady likes white flowers. However, she’s tired of receiving lilies. Keep this in mind when choosing gifts.
4. Silver Lily Young Lady is a pragmatist. She prefers conversation about politics, diplomacy, and money. Reciting romantic love poetry will be useless, so take note.
.
.
.
10. The Silver Lily Young Lady is a woman of principle. She doesn’t mind speaking ill of the Empire or the Crown Prince herself, but she will never tolerate it from anyone else. Take note.
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I was speechless. Insane. What is that?
“It’s a Conquest Guide that an Apostle sent by a Constellation named Mahos carried with him on the sixth loop when he came to conquer me. He called it a Conquest Route.”
My jaw fell open.
“A… a Conquest Route…?”
“I found it so absurd that I poisoned him and took it.”
The Silver Lily Young Lady spoke matter-of-factly.
“As he died in my hands, he screamed, ‘Why didn’t you follow the guide properly?!’ as if he were the victim of some terrible injustice. But the true victim here is me. How could there be a Conquest Guide written into a human heart?”
[Her silver-gilded heart expresses her indignation.]
“To view people as mere objects to be conquered. If one truly wishes to win my heart, one should approach with integrity and honesty. But guides, routes, strategies—these are all the work of fundamentally rotten creatures.”
“That is… certainly true.”
“Your words make sense.”
The Silver Lily Young Lady set down her teacup.
“There is a reason I hold you in such high regard. Not merely because you possess a sharp mind, but because I can sense that you still see the people of my world as human beings.”
“Really? That seems like something obvious to me……”
“Yet there are countless beasts who cannot even meet that most basic condition. Creatures who do not see others as human—yet somehow regard themselves as human without question. Despicable things, truly.”
I held my breath for a moment.
Noticing my reaction, the Silver Lily Young Lady rested her chin on her hand.
“Hmm?”
After a soft murmur, she nodded slowly.
“I see.”
Thump.
“Does this resonate with you in some way?”
Thump.
“Have you witnessed many such creatures yourself? Or have you been viewed through such a lens before?”
Thump.
“If neither of those… then perhaps someone dear to you once spoke words like this to you?”
“Young Lady.”
I cut her off, my voice breaking through.
I couldn’t endure this any longer—the sensation of my chest being split open, my ribs torn away, my raw heart laid bare beneath a magnifying glass.
[Her silver-gilded heart gazes upon you.]
I could not relinquish control any further.
I spoke.
“Yet Young Lady, you yourself looked down upon me for being reincarnated as a commoner rather than a nobleman, did you not?”
The Silver Lily Young Lady didn’t blink.
“What, are you so upset that I didn’t use your real name?”
“I’m simply saying that you’re hardly in a position to lecture about treating people fairly.”
“‘Hardly in a position to lecture,’ you say? How fitting for a disreputable butler who blew up the Academy.”
There was an odd hint of amusement in the Silver Lily Young Lady’s voice as she spoke.
“Nevertheless, I’ll admit your point is valid.”
So then, returning to the matter at hand, she said, clearing her throat gently.
“Well then?”
“Yes?”
“I understand you have no desire for my soul. But then, what do you seek that has driven you across the boundaries of worlds to reach this place? This is a realm where ten days repeat endlessly.”
[Her silver-gilded heart doubts your true intentions.]
“Surely it wasn’t a Constellation casting you out into exile—I’ve heard Hamustra leans toward moderation. But neither would you have come here for a vacation or leisure. So speak, actor playing the butler to the Geumsamae Young Lady. What is your purpose?”
“I……”
“I will not accept lies. The moment you mix even a thread of falsehood into your words, regardless of what your goal may be, it will become impossible for you to obtain it from me. I do not bare my heart to those who do not first lay bare theirs.”
I deliberated.
‘I wish to make your world into the twenty-fifth floor.’
Did this floor truly need to be acquired? No. Choosing another would present no difficulty for our Tower’s purposes.
‘I possess a fragment of the Holy Sword that exists somewhere in this world.’
Did I truly need to collect every fragment and restore the Holy Sword to wholeness? That, too, was unnecessary. Finding her sisters would make me stronger—but truthfully, it would only make me somewhat more powerful.
……
The real reason I need to remain on this floor.
“…I still do not understand love.”
“What?”
“I suppose you might call it romantic feeling—but I’m ignorant of such things. You may not realize it, Miss, but this world’s genre includes Romance. I think this is a fitting place to learn about love.”
When my master fought his final duel.
The Backhoe Spirit had crossed blades with him and cried out.
“This wretch Gongja still hasn’t tasted the world’s joys.”
“Do you know, Patriarch? This one has never even loved anyone. Isn’t it ridiculous? Never experienced romance at all!”
Those words carved themselves deep into my heart.
“If there’s something lacking in me, I want to learn it. No—I want to know it. To leave it unknown feels unfair. It doesn’t feel like I’m living filled to the brim, one hundred percent whole.”
The Silver Lily Young Lady studied my face intently. In her crimson eyes—perhaps it was only my impression—there seemed to be something like bewilderment mixed in.
“So you’re saying you want to learn love?”
“Yes.”
“From me?”
“That… I’m not entirely sure about.”
“Explain.”
I collected my thoughts.
“To be precise, it’s more that I want to learn love within this ‘world.'”
“This world, you say.”
“Yes. I want to know what’s lacking in me. I want to feel it.”
“Then why did you come to me? Wouldn’t it be faster to seek out your lady, the Geumsamae Young Lady?”
The Heresy Inquisitor.
The Geumsamae Young Lady.
“I can’t.”
“Why? Do you dislike the possessed one?”
“It’s not a matter of liking or disliking. That person is….”
That person had said, ‘If I were like you as well,’
Had said.
“That person is even more clumsy than I am.”
“…….”
“If you’re going to learn, you should learn from someone who understands better.”
The Silver Lily Young Lady took a sip of her tea. A moment of silence.
“It’s true—this current Geumsamae doesn’t seem like the sort to teach love to anyone. Rather, she seems like one who needs instruction herself.”
“Yes.”
“But still, there seems to be no reason for you to seek me out.”
“There is a reason.”
I spoke with conviction.
Carrying with me the thoughts I’d had in the Underground Prison.
“I want to understand you.”
She hadn’t expected that—the Silver Lily Young Lady seemed taken aback. A few drops of tea splashed from her cup, wetting the front of her dress.
She blinked, then spoke.
“Understand me…?”
“Yes. Whether it’s for the Crown Prince or for the Empire, I still don’t know—but you devote your entire life in loyalty. I’m curious how you can do that. What your feelings are, what’s in your heart. If that’s love, then I want to feel the same emotion you do.”
“…….”
“It’s a bit embarrassing, and I feel awkward saying it. But this is my honest answer.”
The Silver Lily Young Lady fell silent for a while.
“This is.”
Now it was clear.
“Truly a first encounter.”
The Silver Lily Young Lady was flustered.
“To want to know love—that alone is a fearless thing to say. And now you want to understand me? One must not speak of understanding so carelessly. It’s a word that leads people to ruin. Understanding is no different from responsibility. But.”
“Hamustra.”
I lifted my head and looked up toward empty air. The Librarian was not there, of course.
But he would be listening to our conversation now, and the Hunters in the Tower would be watching.
“Please pause the broadcast for a moment.”
The Office was silent.
“I have something to say to the Silver Lily Young Lady alone.”
After a brief moment, a voice responded to my request.
[The Librarian gladly accepts your request.]
[You are permitted the Scene Skip for ten minutes.]
Okay.
I looked at the Silver Lily Young Lady again.
“I’m a Regression user too.”
I opened my mouth.
“But my Regression differs somewhat from yours.”
“How so?”
“You said you repeat the last ten days of your life. When I die, I return to the day before.”
……
“It’s not just a simple rewind. When someone kills me, I can glimpse that person’s trauma.”
“Trauma?”
“Yes.”
My voice flowed softly through the Office.
“I see the wounds, memories, and moments that people hold deepest in their hearts. If the trauma is the destruction of something precious, I see the memory of that destruction itself.”
I didn’t need to choose my words carefully. I simply opened my mouth, let my tongue move freely, and the things I wanted to convey poured out of their own accord.
Speaking my secrets to the Silver Lily Young Lady, I suddenly understood something.
“So I can understand other people a little more easily.”
I wanted it.
I wanted to tell someone my story.
Someone in the same circumstances. Someone living a life like mine.
……
The Silver Lily Young Lady was silent. As my story continued, her eyes grew calmer. I could feel her listening to me with genuine gravity.
“It’s a kind of Skill. A technique. I’m afraid I’ll grow too accustomed to understanding others so easily. One of the people I trust most told me never to grow familiar with a Skill. But……”
“But then.”
“If I’m only understanding them unilaterally……”
“Then it wouldn’t truly be understanding.”
“Still, I can’t abandon people. Because……”
“If I give up as well, they wither, twist, and die.”
……
“Even if it’s nothing but hypocrisy, I want them to know that I’m here, that I’m guarding this place while thinking of them. How blessed is a life where even that much is possible? Is it not?”
My throat tightened for a moment.
“…Yes.”
“Foolish.”
The Silver Lily Young Lady closed her eyes.
“Understanding is but a moment, yet responsibility is eternal.”
Choosing to walk into hell of her own accord.
The Silver Lily Young Lady murmured thus, then fell silent.
[Hamustra announces the conclusion of Scene Skip.]
The Young Lady of the Duke’s House opened her eyes.
“Good. You, attendant of the Geumsamae Young Lady.”
She picked up one of the Hourglasses turned face-down on the desk. Watching the sand grains slide through the glass, the Silver Lily Young Lady spoke quietly.
“I shall teach you love.”
SSS-rank Hunter: Thriving Through Death (Serialized)
Author │ Shin Noah
Publisher │ Kim Ju-hyung
Published by │ J Plus Media Co., Ltd.
Marketing │ Han Jae-hyuk
Address │ Room 204, 288 Digital-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul (Guro-dong, Daelung Post Tower 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. The contents may not be used in any form or by any means without permission from the company 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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