Chapter 146

The conversation with Ju-hyeon made Jio reflect on himself.

“I guess I was only thinking about what was convenient for me.”

Even in a deal that seemed like a win-win, people had the freedom not to accept it.

I couldn’t ignore the opinions of those who would not agree to making me a Demon King.

“My desire to create my own battlefield is immense, but that’s my selfishness, and sacrificing others for that selfishness would leave a bad aftertaste. The war I want isn’t like that.”

Above all, Ju-hyeon had said this.

“My precious Demon King project is….”

“…….”

“Something that hurts both people and me at the same time.”

Every word of it was right.

“…….”

“…….”

In the quiet attic.

Jio held Honey in his hand and enjoyed its soft, squishy texture.

The way it slapped and clung to his palm was a true textural delight.

After enjoying that sloshing yet chewy sensation for a good while, Jio finally nodded his head.

“I admit it.”

He opened his mouth.

“I do tend to be a bit thoughtless.”

“Kuruk?”

“Should I say my brain is exceptionally clear?”

But not everyone in the world could be like Jio.

“Until I was about 21, I thought everyone lived as thoughtlessly as I do.”

Seo Jio, with his infinitely high life satisfaction and self-esteem, rarely paid attention to what others thought.

That was why it took him a year after becoming an adult to realize that his mental structure was quite different from others.

“No wonder the characters in movies and dramas were always suffering from anguish.”

Jio thought it was a characteristic exaggeration of creative works.

But it wasn’t.

Surprisingly, people in the world tend to live with so-called worries and anxieties.

“They regret the past and fear the future.”

“Kkung?”

“Exactly, I don’t know why they do it either. What could be the reason for abusing their own brain cells?”

He was different in many ways from Jio, who only lived in the present and, even when he occasionally recalled the past and future, had only beautiful memories.

He couldn’t understand at all why people lived so arduously.

They clung to things that had already passed and were frightened by situations that hadn’t come.

They couldn't see a situation as just a situation, constantly assigning meaning to it and suffering because of it.

“They can’t let their emotions flow, they keep linking them to reality and creating problems.”

“Kkung….”

“Honestly, I wonder why they torment themselves. Doesn’t that count as self-harm?”

“Kururuk.”

“That’s not to say I don’t understand at all.”

Jio knew that ‘ah, not everyone is like me’.

Although he didn’t even know that much back when he was in compulsory education, it wasn’t that he lacked empathy, just that he enjoyed life too thoughtlessly.

“So….”

Jio mumbled, hesitating for a rare moment.

“Argio must have had his hard times too.”

“…….”

“He must have, right? Have there been times like that?”

Because of the case of ‘Giovanni’, who enjoyed life to the fullest without a single regret before he died, it was hard to be sure.

Honestly, from Seo Jio’s perspective, it was a situation that made him think ‘wow, how did he live like that’, yet he had been perfectly fine.

But Jio also acknowledged that objectively, ‘Argio’ had also been in a tough situation.

“He seemed so completely fine that I thought, ‘ah, he’s okay,’ but yes. In fact, if you think about it, it wasn’t such a comfortable and peaceful life. It was a life steeped in hardship and adversity.”

After being adored by the family as a multitalented prodigy, he was treated like a beast for manifesting a single ability at a young age.

After being thoroughly tormented, the place he was kicked out to was a den of demons where no sunlight reached and dangerous creatures gathered.

“…….”

“Kkur?”

“…But honestly, that place was more fun….”

“Kkungkkungkkung.”

“You’re right, Honey. It’s not a matter for me to assert when I’m not even fully synchronized.”

“Kkuk.”

“But it was really much more fun than that damn house.”

Anyway, as a portrait containing 61.9% of Argio, it wasn’t something to be declared.

He shouldn’t be certain until he becomes 100% pure.

Jio tried to objectively grasp ‘Argio’s’ unfortunate life.

“In any case, it’s a fact that he was angry.”

Hadn’t he vowed to wring the necks of the pig bastards from the house who dared not recognize his value?

Perhaps ‘Argio’ was angry because he had been hurt in his own way.

“Even if he wasn’t aware of it himself, it could have been a wound.”

“Kururu….”

“Just because I’m simple doesn’t mean Argio was too.”

So Jio decided to reflect.

“I must take care of my own wounds myself.”

“Kkung?”

“I pledge to cherish myself, not treat myself carelessly, and live with honesty and good manners.”

“Kkungkkungkkung….”

“In that sense, I’ll have to reconsider the Demon King project.”

He would try to create a project where everyone is happy, without any unfair sacrifices, just as Ju-hyeon had advised.

As Jio made that resolution, he recalled his conversation with Ju-hyeon.

Specifically, those brown eyes that held warmth.

“He definitely seemed worried about me.”

“Kuruk.”

“I feel sorry for Mr. An Ju-hyeon.”

Though Jio had ended up with all sorts of strange titles like portrait, evil god, and immortal, he was nothing more than a single human being with a tender heart.

He was deeply moved by Ju-hyeon’s concern.

“He’s a good person, after all.”

How very grateful.

An unseasonal warmth filled the attic.

No matter how extraordinary Jio appeared, hadn’t Ju-hyeon strongly insisted, ‘Nevertheless, it is not right for an innocent person to be blamed’?

He even paid great attention to the word ‘wound’ that Jio had mentioned.

“It feels a bit awkward, like I was whining unnecessarily.”

“Kurururuk?”

“Well, I suppose the one Mr. Ju-hyeon was comforting was ‘Argio’.”

“Kkung, kkuruk.”

“…Right, let’s just sleep for now.”

After the short reflection, his whole body felt drowsy.

As always after a meal, sleepiness came to him.

The chair he was leaning against was comfortable.

In the spring breeze blowing softly through the attic window, Jio enjoyed a short nap with Honey.

And he woke up from the dream.

“…….”

Synchronization Rate 94.2%

“……?”

Jio, his hair now red, muttered.

“Was I really unhappy?”

The ‘Argio’ in his dream seemed so utterly unbothered that Jio was a little dumbfounded.

This beast of a guy had enjoyed his life to 120% and then passed on in the way he wanted.

Jio’s golden eyes trembled slightly.

“No, if it’s like this… then I….”

“Kuruk?”

“It’s going to be embarrassing to see Mr. Ju-hyeon’s face.”

“Kkung?”

“It makes me look like… such a crybaby, doesn’t it?”

He had received concern for nothing.

Jio had suddenly become a pathetic 24-year-old who whined and made a fuss.

***

Around the time Jio was feeling a regret that wasn't quite regret, Bisabeol laughed.

He completely burst out laughing.

“Ahak, ahahahahahahaak!!”

“…….”

“Keub, keuheu… heuheuheuhup…!”

Bisabeol asked, catching his breath.

“A Demon King?”

“Yes, the Demon King.”

“Ha, truly the vitamin of my life, never a dull moment.”

“Guild Leader, it would be more helpful for world peace if you were a bit duller.”

“Have I ever threatened the peace of humanity first?”

“You do have a problem of openly enjoying others’ misfortune.”

“In any case, it was not my fault.”

Seuheup.

Bisabeol, having composed himself, spoke.

“A Demon King and a Hero, it would be hard to find a more fitting analogy.”

“It’s not exactly a joking situation, though.”

“But the Earth’s lifespan is in danger if we unleash a new Demon King right now.”

Bisabeol generally lived for his own amusement, but that didn’t mean he didn’t know right from wrong.

If he had to choose, he was closer to the side that wished for humanity’s peace and the Earth’s longevity.

In other words, the world was so precarious that even a hedonist like Bisabeol had to worry, or it was in danger.

So even Bisabeol couldn’t just pursue what he wanted to see.

“Personally, I would love to keep the Demon King on Earth and admire him up close, but.”

“Please, restrain yourself. I’m not exaggerating when I say the Earth will really be destroyed.”

“I know that, which is what makes it so difficult. Has there ever been a time I’ve been this disappointed….”

He was genuinely disappointed.

“Since this is a work that has entered my collection, I wish the event would take place in my hometown.”

The work he had bought for a large sum of money, and one he was so fond of, was offering to perform its cute antics.

He would prefer it if those antics were performed in front of him, but the lack of a suitable stage seemed to make it a difficult wish.

“I understand why you requested a meeting; it is certainly a dangerous request.”

“The very nuance of the term Demon King, of all things, doesn’t sit well either.”

Yu Seong-un let out a sigh.

“What he desires is a bloody battle where everything is at stake.”

He wanted a sincere duel where he wagered his own destiny, his life, and everything from the trivial things to the beliefs that made him who he was.

Argio, who showed his greed, reeked of blood.

“So I thought about finding him another battlefield, but it seems he’s not interested if it’s not his own war.”

“He probably wants all the gazes and emotions to be focused on Argio himself.”

“It seems he wants a stage where he is the protagonist.”

“So he wanted to become a Demon King, where heroes would come crawling to him even if he did nothing.”

“That would also be the most familiar sequence of events for Argio.”

Yu Seong-un had heard Argio’s story.

A great mystery who was condemned as a beast, became a target of subjugation, and eventually obtained the wicked divinity of an evil god and was sealed.

He is the evil god of wrath and greed.

“Jio seems to wish to relive the joy of that time.”

“Are you saying that wasn’t painful for Argio?”

“That sort of sign… I did not feel it.”

It was a surprising thing.

“Considering that evil gods of the same path were all steeped in hatred and contempt, it’s a truly rare and unusual case. Jio even pitied and loved those who sealed him.”

Argio described the heroes who sealed him as pitiful and admirable.

“So even if Jio does become a Demon King, I believe he would devise a way to cause less damage if possible. As for the Argio side, I’m not exactly sure, but….”

“In the first place, ‘Jio’s Portrait’ likes what is good and polite, so he himself tries to adopt such an attitude. In reality, regardless of how that will is manifested, isn’t that ultimately the case?”

“The Guild Leader is right. Jio enjoys the battle itself; he doesn’t particularly desire the influence or wealth derived from it. Those seem to be just additional income.”

“He welcomes wealth and fame, but he does not covet them. I understand. He probably considered that wealth and fame as a kind of spoils of war. It’s hard to see it as greed for the things themselves.”

“Yes, apart from showing a considerable preference, his desire for them is not great. As the Guild Leader said, they are probably just a means to prove his victory in battle.”

Yu Seong-un had already reported on Argio’s appearance on the first day they met.

Gold, silver, and treasures adorning his entire body, long, dark-colored red hair braided down, and the hide of a beast.

He certainly preferred flashy things.

From his appearance to his attitude towards life.

But if Argio had been obsessed with wealth and fame themselves, ‘Jio’s Portrait’ would have been flashy from the start.

He wouldn’t have forgiven Yu Seong-un for daring to treat him so familiarly, either.

“The only thing Argio truly wants is battle.”

“It’s as if he wishes to act like a beast.”

He doesn't care about face or position, and wants a battle where he throws away everything that makes him up, or perhaps bets everything.

He clearly wants a battlefield where he can be completely immersed in the fight.

“Then, first….”

Bisabeol organized the sequence of events.

“We need to show ‘Mr. Seo Jio’ to the world.”

“…Suddenly?”

“Suddenly? Wasn’t this something we were already preparing for?”

“That’s true, but.”

“There is an order to everything.”

Bisabeol’s long, slit pupils dilated slightly.

His gaze was not on Yu Seong-un before him but fixed on the empty air, yet it moved constantly as if he were seeing something.

His lips parted.

“…Yes, first, when Hunter Seo Jio comes out into the world….”

“…….”

“His place will be established. A small opportunity will arise… mm, yes.”

“…….”

“The mermaids… right, there is still an unfinished story remaining….”

Soon, Bisabeol nodded his head.

“…After revealing Mr. Seo Jio as a Collector’s Hunter, I will entrust him with the conquest of a suitable dungeon. And I’ll also need to see what he’s like in a spar, which is not the battle he wants.”

“I will look for a suitable dungeon.”

“I think I can create the battlefield that our Hunter Seo Jio wants. But for that to happen, I must first see his skills, and I’ll need to talk to him directly to prepare a suitable place.”

Yu Seong-un, who was staring at his superior, finally asked.

“Shall I ask Jio to have a conversation with you, Guild Leader?”

“There is no need for that.”

Bisabeol’s eyes curved deeply.

“It’s not polite to rush a guest who will come on their own.”

“…….”

Yu Seong-un said with a fed-up face.

“…How about you change your skill name to ‘Prophecy’ already?”

“My skill is Appraisal, not seeing the future, I keep telling you.”

“There are times I really don’t want to talk to you.”

“And here you are, always hating to talk to your boss.”

“That’s a virtue of a modern person.”

“This is why I like you, Mr. Yu Seong-un.”

He smiled happily at the insolent antics of his collection piece.

Although Yu Seong-un’s expression grew even more fed up with that, Bisabeol simply returned to the original topic by himself.

“Then it seems we first need to get a secretary for our ‘Mr. Seo Jio’.”

“Ah… I did make a list for that, but….”

“You said the name of the person currently recuperating inside the portrait is Ju-hyeon, right?”

“For crying out loud.”

Yu Seong-un shoved the documents he had been rummaging for back into his bag.

The fragile papers crumpled without a care.

“I knew this would happen.”

“If you knew, why did you go through the trouble?”

“Because it is the virtue of an employee to go through the trouble to show sincerity.”

“My employees are all so diligent.”

“Somehow, Jio talks a lot about that person named Ju-hyeon too.”

“He seems happy to have made a friend, doesn’t he?”

“He himself says not yet, but….”

“That’s just a matter of time.”

Bisabeol wore a rare, crooked smile.

“A hero cannot dislike Jio.”

“…A hero?”

“Oh dear, my praise was too lavish.”

He was being openly sarcastic.

“I mean an idiot steeped in recklessness.”

“…….”

Yu Seong-un wiped his face with both hands.

“…Please, don’t say that in front of him.”

“I have my own sense of decorum.”

“I looked into it, and he lived his life quite earnestly, so why are you like this?”

“I know he is a diligent person.”

It’s just that.

“I just dislike him.”

Bisabeol didn’t get along well with the ilk of heroes.

“How wonderful would it be if everyone in the world were like you, Mr. Yu Seong-un?”

“I think that would be a disaster in its own right.”

“Well, anyway, Jio and Mr. Ju-hyeon will become friends soon.”

“You’re completely certain.”

“That’s because a great mystery is fond of heroes.”

In other words, they liked pushovers.

“And since Jio is the most human-like mystery among mysteries, it won’t be too difficult for that person named Ju-hyeon to accept him either.”

“But won’t Mr. Ju-hyeon feel a sense of rejection due to his overwhelming presence?”

“For that to happen, ‘Jio’s Portrait’ has a proven taste so far. He is a divinity that is perfectly suited to a hero’s heart.”

Bisabeol laughed lightly as always.

“They will become good friends.”

Within Bisabeol’s pupils, for some reason, Yu Seong-un was trapped.

“Yes.”

“…….”

“This will be fun.”

His eyes curved even more narrowly.

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