Chapter 83

The highest floor of the Collectors, Bisabeol’s office.

“That’s a dangerous disposition.”

“His temperament?”

“You could put it that way.”

Bisabeol, having heard Yu Seong-un’s report, stroked his chin and asked.

“He threatened the merfolk by holding himself hostage?”

“…To summarize, yes, that would be it.”

“How fiery of him.”

Bisabeol’s smile as he murmured that seemed somewhat bitter.

“To think my collectible would try to walk into hellfire on its own.”

“That hellfire was the light of the sun. Please refrain from remarks that could cause friction with the Solar Cult.”

“That’s why I’m not saying it in front of them. That should be enough.”

“You never know where words might leak. Especially a story that could be heard as blasphemy…”

“Anyway, you just can't reason with people who are crazy about religion.”

“Isn’t that just the way of all priests?”

“Our Mr. Giovanni shouldn’t grow up to be like that…”

“He’s all grown up, that Mr. Giovanni person. So grown up he died.”

“Don’t you dare kill my lovely artwork as you please, Curator Yu Seong-un.”

As if he quite liked this ridiculous conversation, the previously slumped Bisabeol let out a small laugh.

“We can surmise that he has no lingering attachment to his own annihilation and pain. Even the gods are extremely sensitive about annihilation, so it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that humans have now lost their most traditional countermeasure against disaster.”

“We shouldn't create a situation where we have to fight ‘Jio’s Portrait’ in the first place. If the situation deteriorates to the point where we must find a way to subdue Jio, it won't be a disaster that ends with a few offerings, as we do with evil gods.”

“If he were an ordinary god, it would have been a little easier to prepare. But then again, Jio is not a traditional god but something with the characteristics of a god, so thinking this way won't lead to an answer.”

“That’s also true, but Jio also possesses human characteristics. The fact that he wasn't swayed by sentiment, despite clearly having a human persona, is something we need to consider. We must continue to contemplate a way to subdue him.”

To that, Bisabeol asked.

“Considering he didn’t kill or punish them at all, couldn’t we see it as a treatment that took old affections into account?”

“That’s a separate issue from the outcome. I observed Jio from the side, but those were not the eyes of someone buried in the past.”

It seemed that Giovanni had simply made that choice because he thought it was the natural course of action and also the right one.

He seemed to truly believe that tormenting himself would be the greatest punishment for the mermaid.

“It seemed Jio took the most appropriate responsibility he could bear. By handing Giovanni to the merfolk, who had become desensitized as monsters, he gave them meaning and made them constantly agonize.”

“So that’s the punishment.”

“As long as Giovanni is by their side, the merfolk will have to take responsibility for everything they have done. It seems that Jio himself wanted that and attempted such a thing.”

Yu Seong-un said, recalling the Giovanni of that time.

“He was very resolute. According to him, those merfolk were kids that the human Giovanni had raised like his own children, but whether he was angry or not…”

“……”

“It was quite eerie to see him keep smiling even while bleeding and with his limbs broken. He was no different from a portrait. He proceeded with his plan even as the mermaid named Aria cried and begged.”

“The story of a mermaid crying is quite interesting, but a threat?”

“It was a method where Jio suffered along with them, but, yes, well, probably. No matter how you phrase it, it’s hard for the essence to change.”

It is difficult to say that it wasn't a threat.

“However, the peculiar point is indeed that he held himself hostage.”

“If things had not gone well then and Giovanni had died, did it seem like his persona would have truly reached the point of death?”

“He said so himself. That the persona of Giovanni could die and if not, that he would die over and over again, dozens, hundreds of times before her.”

“Either way is horrifying.”

“It certainly seemed the mermaid thought so as well. Perhaps because he said it with a gentle smile, it sounded even more frightening. Even to my ears, Giovanni's words did not feel like a simple bluff…”

“It must have been a decent punishment for the merfolk.”

Bisabeol shrugged.

“Not that I think they'll stop tormenting humans because of it.”

“Still, as long as Jio is by their side, I surmise there won't be any major incidents, but…”

“The part we should focus on is that there will ‘only’ be no ‘major incidents.’”

As long as it wasn't on the level of a mass slaughter, Jio would not add a word about the merfolks' cruelty.

‘Jio’s Portrait’ was a gentlemanly being of the Source who liked good and polite things, but he himself was not good.

“He is not a hero. He may have once been a hero, and he may possess a ‘Jio’ with such qualities, but at the very least, ‘Jio’s Portrait’ is a form of nature and destiny.”

Bisabeol smiled and continued.

“Mr. Yu Seong-un, as a Gardener, you would know better, but it's one of the characteristics of beings close to the Source. Unless it's due to some special malice, for Jio, human life and death are not much different from a flower blooming and withering.”

The pitch-black portrait, pretending not to, pursued its interests, judging the death and pain of itself, its surroundings, and what lay beyond as a single state and piece of information.

It held no half-baked sympathy for things that broke and collapsed outside its hands.

Of course, ‘Jio’s Portrait’ loved humanity impartially, but to love everything was, in the first place, the same as loving nothing at all.

In a way, he was heartless and indifferent. Unless his interest was piqued, he let things flow as they would.

“As proof of that, the entrance to the ‘Kingdom of the Deep Sea’ hasn't been closed yet, has it? If the merfolk had sincerely reflected on their past and intended to respect humans, they would have closed the entryway and sealed the dungeon so that no more humans would get hurt.”

But even after a week, there was no sign of that.

It meant that the merfolk, being monsters, could not let go of their hatred towards humans, and Jio, likewise, did not unconditionally defend humans.

“If either one of those had come to pass, the dungeon would have been closed.”

“It's because beings of the Source aren't fellows who bend to the will of humans. They are nature.”

“So in the end, we had to buy it. We don't know who else might die from the merfolks' tantrums.”

Bisabeol laughed as if enjoying himself.

“Of course, there was also the concept of it being a gift for our Hunter Seo Jio!”

“…I trust you’ll handle the media well, but is the expenditure alright…?”

“This collector, Bisabeol, will not be affected by buying just one dungeon.”

“You seem very reliable in a capitalistic society like this.”

“I was always a reliable guild master.”

“Ah, yes.”

“It's just that Jio cannot be said to be completely on the side of humans.”

Bisabeol smiled at Yu Seong-un.

“Just like the Gardeners, such as yourself, Mr. Yu Seong-un.”

“……”

At the word ‘Gardener,’ which hadn't come up in a long time, Yu Seong-un shrugged.

“From what has been revealed so far, the Source is closer to a system than a sentient being. It is impartial to all sentient beings in the universe… like humans, monsters, and the Children of the Source. In that case, the Gardeners who manage the veins of such a Source must also maintain an impartial perspective.”

A sense of balance that takes no one's side was the most important virtue of a Gardener.

They were milestones that maintained a minimal balance and bystanders living within the garden.

“Speaking in that sense, I sometimes get the feeling that Jio is similar to a Gardener.”

“In what way did you get that feeling?”

“Hunter Cha Ara was the first human to visit the inside of ‘Jio’s Portrait.’ The cabin she described seemed similar to the gardens we manage.”

“Then Jio could perhaps be a Gardener who was devoured by the Source.”

“How could a Gardener devoured by the Source maintain their ego….”

Yu Seong-un messed up his pure white hair with a fed-up expression. His sky-blue eyes narrowed.

“That’s absurd.”

A Gardener maintaining their ego even after being devoured by the garden?

That was impossible.

A Gardener who became a possession of the garden could no longer be called an intelligent life form.

“However, thinking from this feeling, it's certain that Jio will not definitively take anyone's side between humans and monsters. Considering that, you can see that Jio doesn't just wish for the merfolk to be punished.”

He simply solved the problem before him.

He took only the share of responsibility that Giovanni had to bear and placed a minimal check on the merfolk who possessed abilities and ideologies that could threaten humanity.

That was all.

As Bisabeol said, Jio was not a passionate being who would do something he had no interest in, even at a loss.

“Jio loves beings that are good and polite. That's the part that interests that portrait.”

“The merfolk weren't particularly good. For Jio, who abhors evil, to show that much mercy, could be a form of favoritism, as you reported, Mr. Yu Seong-un.”

“Saving the people was also probably done lightheartedly on the side. I can sort of size it up.”

Yu Seong-un stroked his neck, looking at the empty air as if gauging something.

“He likes it when all matters proceed simply and peacefully. This is the basic attitude of ‘Jio's Portrait’ towards the world, with about two exceptions.”

“The first would be a connection from the past, and the second would be a target of interest.”

“And that target of interest would be a good and polite being. ‘Jio's Portrait’ seems to fundamentally operate on these three directions as rules, but, that…”

“It is still too early to be certain. We've only had the second ‘Jio’ appear, after all.”

“Yes, we should consider ourselves lucky this time. In the case of ‘Giovanni,’ his disposition itself was that of a gentle and merciful priest. We must also consider the case of a ‘Jio’ with a hostile orientation towards humanity emerging.”

“Since ‘Jio’s Portrait’ itself values peace and has a strong will to interact, I don’t foresee any major problems.”

“That’s why I’m saying you shouldn't treat a being of the Source like a person. Anyway, what I want to say is, um…”

He, who seemed to be sorting out the headache that was encouraging him to work overtime, soon opened his mouth.

“That we also need to find a way to coexist with the merfolk from now on.”

“……”

“Guild Master, it seems you’ll have to prepare some countermeasures.”

This old guild master really hated doing work that wasn't related to his collection.

Bisabeol slumped in his chair and said bitterly.

“…How about we keep the dungeon entrance closed forever? We don't let anyone in.”

“Will that work? What you purchased was the right of entry to the dungeon, not the dungeon itself, wasn't it? Above all…”

“If we forbid anyone from entering when we don't even know what resources might be inside, at the very least the Hunter Association won't stand by idly.”

“Why do you say that when you know full well?”

“Haa…”

Bisabeol, who had been buried deep in his chair, sluggishly pushed his upper body up.

“…Even if there are no resources inside, no one will believe it?”

“News is already circulating that the Collectors are trying to monopolize a special resource from the ‘Kingdom of the Deep Sea.’ Saying something like that now will only be seen as a deceptive tactic.”

“That’s right.”

Bisabeol gave a slight smile.

“Then what can we do? We’ll just have to let them go find their own place to die.”

“Ah, so that’s what you’ll do?”

“I plan to set the entrance fee soon. I will respect the brave souls who crawl in there to find some special resource the Collectors have supposedly found. And it's not my fault if they die there, is it?”

“Then I will take note of that.”

Since there had been a tiff with Jio, the merfolk in the ‘Kingdom of the Deep Sea’ wouldn’t go so far as to come outside the dungeon to cause trouble, but they wouldn’t leave the humans who came inside the dungeon alone either.

“I think Jio won’t easily offer help there anymore either. The reason Jio frequented the Kingdom of the Deep Sea was to converse with the merfolk, and since he's already achieved his goal… he won't go out of his way to help Hunters anymore.”

“The ‘Jio’s Portrait’ we saw wasn’t that altruistic and devoted of a being, was it?”

“That's right. He's just considerably more friendly and gentlemanly compared to other beings of the Source.”

There would probably be idiots who crawl into the S-Class dungeon just because they believe in the existence of the ‘Black Cape,’ but it was about time they got a taste of reality.

“This is the right direction.”

Yu Seong-un nodded.

“Hunters these days are treating the ‘Black Cape’ like a convenient vending machine. Jio didn't really help such pathetic-minded Hunters in the first place, but…”

“Anyway, that kind of pushover image won't do Jio any good.”

“Yes, so the time has come for them to learn that the ‘Black Cape’ is a natural disaster that doesn't move at their whim. If they die in the ‘Kingdom of the Deep Sea’ without even witnessing the ‘Black Cape,’ they will realize the reality.”

There were still many idiots in the world who thought they could compromise with and use monsters, that is, beings of the Source.

Even though they are clearly disasters, not resources.

“I will give Jio a heads-up on this matter. It's possible that Jio, who found pleasure in drawing and rescuing humans, might step up to save more Hunters, but he's not that active in portraits, so I think the probability is low.”

To that, Bisabeol said.

“I can talk to him, too.”

“No matter how well you talk, what are you going to do if Jio himself refuses?”

“I might just end up laying a sleeping bag in front of the portrait.”

“Jio will get angry if you do that…”

“Tsk.”

Bisabeol, clicking his tongue, soon changed the subject.

“Come to think of it, is that prospective priest who was kidnapped back then doing well?”

“You’re only asking now. I heard he's finally moving into the dormitory next Monday.”

“The Solar Cult must have been in an uproar like no other. They were supposed to have accepted and been raising the students long ago, but he had to become prey for the merfolk, and the whole schedule got messed up.”

“Priest Kang Seo-dam seemed really stressed about it. You know, right? It was on the news this time…”

“Still, now that things will proceed according to the original schedule, the Solar Cult’s situation should improve a bit.”

Yu Seong-un nodded.

“The prospective priest you mentioned, Mr. Cha Isold, also didn't seem to have any major psychological issues.”

“That cynicism, like a well-ripened fruit, is he a talent of the Collectors that I have yet to bring in?”

“He’s already a priest of the Solar Cult, would he join a private guild that isn't his religion? Above all, he's a kid who is far from the kind of cynicism you're thinking of. He's just a bit…”

“A bit?”

“He’s pretty thick-skinned.”

He knew he had been kidnapped, yet he coolly observed the merfolks’ ecology and came back.

“It didn't seem like he was unaware due to a child's innocence, but more like he's quick-witted but has a strong mind that isn't easily affected.”

“Does he have the makings of a pushover? Or the makings of recklessness? Neither is welcome. No wonder there was a report that Jio is fond of him.”

“In any case, we have provided ample compensation for the damages to that side as well. No matter how fine he acts, a victim is a victim.”

And it was then.

“Oh.”

“Did you get a text?”

“Yes, it’s from… Mr. Cha Eun-hyeok.”

“Isn’t he the older brother of the prospective priest we were just talking about?”

“That’s right.”

Yu Seong-un, after checking the text, was speechless for a moment.

“……”

“Is there a problem?”

“…He says Jio is there.”

“…Where?”

To Bisabeol’s question, Yu Seong-un answered with difficulty.

“At Mr. Cha Isold’s house.”

“……”

He was already thinking he was screwed when it came to leaving work on time, but Yu Seong-un felt the familiar scent of overtime.

Why are you there now?

***

“Wh-what is…”

Cha Ara stammered.

“What happened?”

“You have to trust me.”

“So what is it?”

“Well, you see, noona.”

At his older sister’s reaction of disbelief even after seeing reality, Cha Isold answered honestly.

“I drew a picture and Jio-hyung came out…”

“What is this nonsense?”

“It’s true. I drew a picture and Jio-hyung came out, I’m telling you!”

“No, what the…”

Cha Ara, at a loss in her bewilderment, soon turned to the Black Cape with a strange expression.

“……”

“A pleasure to meet you.”

“…Ah, yes…”

Is today the day I die?

He didn't seem hostile, but he was one terrifying Black Cape anyway.

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