Chapter 128

The gallery at 4 AM.

“Jio.”

Yu Seong-un called out to the portrait as usual.

“Are you awake?”

“Yes, I am awake.”

“I came because you sent a letter.”

“…….”

The portrait, its eyes covered in black paint, looked at Yu Seong-un.

The bloodless lower part of its face uttered words.

“Were you able to read it this time?”

“Nothing's really changed, it’s the same as the ones you sent before.”

“I see.”

It wasn't a tone of disappointment.

As usual, the portrait's tone was blunt and empty.

The calm tone was certainly pleasant to hear, but its weight was not light, making it difficult to ruminate on for long.

Yu Seong-un let the voice, from which he could read no meaning at all, wash over him.

Then the portrait spoke to him again.

“I can show you something interesting.”

“If you mean something interesting….”

Yu Seong-un nodded as if he had guessed.

“Don’t tell me you succeeded in finding another ‘Jio’?”

He had said that the reason he was able to imitate humans so well despite possessing a great status was the task of awakening another ‘Jio’, his old personality.

That it was easy to act as a human until the human ‘Jio’ was stained by the portrait.

At Yu Seong-un’s question, Jio affirmed and added an explanation.

“I drew it, but I did not find it.”

“So that’s a painting in the end? Then is there any difference from a portrait?”

“To be precise, it is asking a favor of the Jio beyond the painting.”

“A favor….”

That was a rather moderate expression.

“…….”

Yu Seong-un subtly composed himself.

He finished preparing to face a catastrophe.

“So, what kind of person is this ‘Jio’?”

“He is one of the evil gods.”

“Aha, so does that mean the time has come for the Earth to be destroyed?”

“I will not destroy the Earth.”

“Thanks, but that’s a little scary.”

Of all things, an evil god.

“…Wait, if he's an evil god… isn’t he not human in the first place? Is it okay to receive help from a ‘Jio’ like that?”

“It is possible because he, too, is ultimately human.”

“How truly merciful. I always feel this, but your standards for what constitutes a human seem really loose.”

I knew it from the moment you preached ‘you are all human too’ while looking at those terrifying mermaids.

‘The way he considers himself an ordinary human too….’

In fact, that seemed like a kind of joke or an act, but at any rate, there was no falsehood in him ‘believing’ so.

It seemed that Jio's standards for treating someone as human were quite… inclusive.

“So, did you call me to tell me that story?”

Yu Seong-un still couldn't decipher Jio's letters, but he knew that he had something to tell him.

That was why he had visited at dawn on the day he received the letter.

“Or is there something you want to consult with me about?”

“Rather than that….”

Clatter―.

The ringed hand of the portrait grasped the frame.

“…….”

That ‘Jio,’ covered in black paint, popped out as if to embrace Yu Seong-un….

“―Peek-a-boo.”

It was a prank.

“…….”

“…….”

“Why is there no reaction?”

“…Uh….”

As Yu Seong-un flinched back, pale bare feet landed in that space.

At the sight of ‘Jio,’ who had now completely emerged from the portrait, Yu Seong-un clutched his heart.

“…Oh, right.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“That was scary for a moment.”

“I did not intend to frighten you.”

“I see.”

I really thought I was going to die this time.

‘The eyes….’

The moment he met those downward-looking golden eyes head-on, his mind went blank.

Yu Seong-un had previously guessed that ‘Jio's Portrait’ was the ‘eye’ of the Source for gathering human databases.

He had tried even harder not to make eye contact since then, but seeing it head-on like this took his breath away. It was truly….

“…….”

Yu Seong-un took a short, deep breath and returned to his usual expression.

“You’re the Jio I know, right?”

“I still remember and affirm you, Mr. Yu Seong-un.”

“Um….”

It was certainly a favorable reaction, just like before.

“…It seems like a lot has changed. Just like with Giovanni, you really change from one extreme to the other.”

From the blunt ‘Seo Jio’ who showed no expression, he became the priest ‘Giovanni,’ characterized by a bright and gentle smile.

‘And now he’s become an evil god who knows how to smile with a pitch-black heart….’

I thought all Jios basically knew how to maintain their goodness, but seeing him become an evil god of all things, can that level of disposition change?

‘Then again, Jio itself couldn't be called good by human standards. His preference for what is good and polite is likely fixed, but his characteristic politeness or his favor towards humans could change.’

Even after organizing his thoughts, he still lacked information.

Unlike the previous ‘Jios’ who were generally gentle, this one was flashy from his appearance to his personality at first glance.

The first of those changes would be the colors.

“Is that this ‘Jio’s’ color?”

“Isn't it quite flashy?”

“It certainly is really flashy.”

His eyes were a golden color that felt cool, and his hair was a deep red like aged blood.

Yu Seong-un could immediately recall a similar color palette.

It seemed Jio was thinking the same.

“The Guildmaster here seemed to have a similar color to me.”

“Ah, right. He also has red hair and golden eyes.”

They weren't exactly the same color.

Bisabeol's hair and eyes had a slightly higher saturation than Jio's now.

His hair resembled freshly drawn blood, and his eyes were closer to lemon yellow than gold.

Still, even so.

“They are quite similar.”

So much so that at a glance, one might think they were relatives.

‘Will he be offended if I say this much?’

Since the other party had introduced himself as an evil god, he had to be careful about what needed to be cared about.

If introduced as being like a mere human, a god might feel insulted.

It was best to avoid that.

But Jio’s reaction was quite cool.

“Are we similar enough to be considered family?”

“…Perhaps so.”

“Is he a good fighter?”

“N-n-n-no, absolutely not. A single tap would send him flying.”

“Oh dear.”

“…….”

Yu Seong-un inwardly bit his tongue.

‘Is he this type of evil god?’

Among evil gods, there were schemers with twisted personalities, and there were berserkers who just coolly swept away schemes and everything else.

It seemed this Jio was closer to the latter, if he had to say.

“…Have you come to enjoy fighting, then?”

“If it’s not an opponent worthy of it, I won’t go on a rampage either, so don’t you worry, friend.”

“O-kay….”

First of all, since he called him ‘friend,’ it seemed the favorability he had built up until now hadn’t been deleted.

‘So he thought of me as a friend all this time.’

I'm grateful, but it's burdensome beyond that.

Being considered a friend by a being who is the eye of the Source is a great honor as a Gardener, but it’s also a position where it feels like I'll never die as a human.

‘Could it be that I might not be able to live out my natural lifespan?’

Anyway, what’s good is good.

It was obvious that gaining favor was better than earning enmity.

“…….”

Yu Seong-un, scratching his neck, spoke again.

“…You can speak comfortably, you know?”

“A good human like you, Mr. Yu Seong-un, deserves such treatment.”

“It’s the same formal language, but the feeling is definitely different.”

The black Jio's formal language was eerily blunt, and Giovanni's was gentle and polite.

The formal language uttered by the flashy Jio before him was tinged with a sharp laughter, making it sound a bit sarcastic.

‘And yet, the reason he doesn't feel like a common thug is because of that dignity.’

Yu Seong-un scanned the inside of the Black Cape this time.

He knew that with a rare probability, the attire would change each time ‘Jio’ changed.

The black cape that covered him from head to toe made its interior completely invisible, but if he himself revealed it, the inside could be seen.

When he was Seo Jio, Jio wore a black suit, and when he was Giovanni, he wore white priestly robes.

‘Details like hairstyle or fashion seem to change depending on Jio’s mood at the time, but this one is definitely noticeable.’

This Jio's attire was filled with bones and jewels.

“…….”

How am I supposed to handle this if he goes out like that?

‘Explaining all of that as Artifacts is a bit much, the atmosphere is too unusual.’

As if noticing Yu Seong-un's thoughts, Jio smiled.

“Do you think I would stroll among people like this?”

“If not, that’s a real relief.”

“If need be, I shall wear a suit, as it is neat.”

“Then your current attire is?”

“Is it not for the purpose of showing it to you, Mr. Yu Seong-un?”

His way of speaking really changes in a flash.

‘A very capricious type….’

He had to be careful.

Even though he said that, he might walk among people in that attire.

These days, there are so many hunters with unusual concepts that I wonder if it would be a big problem, but since he introduced himself as an evil god, a complacent mindset was a foolish thing.

“…Sooo….”

Feeling a little confused, Yu Seong-un spoke first.

“I’m starting to get the picture.”

“Is that so?”

“Is there something you want from me?”

“There was something I wanted to ask.”

“Something you want to ask? Is that the main point?”

“That’s right.”

Jio asked.

“Am I still scary now?”

“…….”

It was a surprising thing.

‘…Is the current Jio also being considerate of humans?’

Although the Black Cape didn't treat evil beings as human, Jio basically showed an impartial affection for humans.

It was so impartial that it sometimes felt like complete indifference, but I was not unaware that this was the portrait's consideration.

‘But that was possible even for an evil god, Jio?’

I had been prepared for a great many things since he introduced himself as an evil god. What should I say, it felt like seeing something truly unfamiliar.

“…….”

Yu Seong-un, who had slowly scanned the other person, shook his head.

“No, you’re not scary.”

“Really?”

“To put it more accurately, I do feel a bit overwhelmed by your presence itself.”

Yu Seong-un smiled nonchalantly.

“But this can’t be helped. You’re considerably taller than other humans, and your colors are intense right now, and your gaze itself is intimidating. Your expression… has a fierce side to it too.”

But.

“You still seem human.”

Of course, Jio’s eyes were still hard to look at directly.

But the reason Yu Seong-un was able to pull away so quickly even after encountering them head-on from such a close distance was probably because the current Jio was definitely staying within the bounds of a human's status.

At Yu Seong-un’s calm reaction, Jio’s lips twisted ambiguously. It looked like he was probably smiling.

“That feels very strange to hear.”

“Is it that much?”

“It’s just that hearing I look like a human is unfamiliar.”

“Is that… a change caused by your current self?”

“Yes.”

Jio, who seemed to be thinking about something for a moment, curved his eyes.

“Everyone called me Argio, but you, Mr. Yu Seong-un, can call me whatever you wish.”

“Argio? Is that the word that refers to you?”

“In the old language of my homeland, it means a cruel beast. It’s a kind of derogatory term.”

“…Then I’ll just call you as I usually do.”

There was no need to praise an evil god, who was already bound to be cruel, by calling him ‘cruel’.

‘And it feels wrong to call someone who isn’t showing any malice a derogatory term.’

As if he knew Yu Seong-un's thoughts, Jio drew a slight smile.

Only then did Yu Seong-un realize that Jio’s eyes were sharper than he thought.

‘Smiling like that, he definitely looks more like the Guildmaster.’

Usually, they were calmly settled, so I didn't think of them as sharp eyes.

Since it was too random of a topic, he didn’t say anything further, and Jio opened his mouth.

“That is all for today’s business.”

“Did you check if there were any side effects from becoming one with another Jio?”

“Something like that, and it was satisfactory.”

He pulled the hood of his cape down deep, covering his entire body with the dark black cape. Only the pale bare feet above which a black suit reappeared were visible.

From within the pitch-black shadow of the cape, Jio spoke.

“Thank you for responding to the letter.”

“…….”

That was definitely ‘Seo Jio.’

“…Wow….”

This is going to get harder to adapt to as time goes on.

‘The fact that I find this kind of thing eerie must mean I'm still human.’

The Garden's erosion was getting stronger by the day, but it seemed that making contact with the Source didn't have much of an effect.

At the complete replacement of ‘Jio’ in an instant, Yu Seong-un felt a chill and smiled.

To this portrait, ‘Jio’ was a kind of clothing.

‘It must be an attempt to find clothes that fit the situation and blend in with humans without a sense of disharmony.’

Yu Seong-un understood that attempt and consideration.

In its own way, ‘Jio's Portrait’ was trying to get along with others by using numerous memories and personalities.

‘Then does calling me this time mean it’s like showing off new clothes to family or friends to see if they look good?’

It was a little funny.

This behavior of ‘Jio’s Portrait’ had a somewhat cute side to it, like when one sees a newly born, immature, and passionate Source being.

“I’ll gratefully accept your thanks.”

“I will be able to be of help to you on another day.”

“That’s even more appreciated.”

As a Gardener, the help of the Source could be a lifeline.

‘There's no such case in history, so I don't know in what way it will be helpful.’

The portrait caught Yu Seong-un as he was about to leave.

“If you are tired, would you like to stay a night at my cabin?”

“Um….”

It was true that he was tired.

“…It’s not that I’m not interested.”

“Yes.”

“I’d just prefer to visit in a more decent state.”

“I see.”

“Would you be displeased if I postponed the consideration you've shown me to the next opportunity?”

“I am always waiting for Mr. Yu Seong-un’s visit.”

“That’s a really wonderful invitation.”

It was an invitation just like a ghost luring a lonely and weary traveler.

“I like things like that.”

Yu Seong-un’s blue-gray eyes curved deeply as he smiled.

***

At that time, in an abandoned building in the outer district.

“…….”

There, amidst the ash and soot, a man who had lost everything sat quietly.

In his grasp was the mark of an evil god called the Sankalut.

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