Chapter 108
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 108
A few days later, Yoo Seong-un paid a visit to Gio’s Portrait.
"Gio, are you awake?"
"I brought the seedlings I mentioned last time."
"I am awake."
"Good. Go ahead and check if these are the seedlings you wanted."
In exchange for guaranteeing Yoo Seong-un’s life, Gio had demanded two things from within the frame: a single flower and a single tree. Specifically, they were the Honey Pot and the Rock Salt Tree. As their names suggested, one could harvest honey and salt from them, respectively.
Gio certainly has a rustic taste, Yoo Seong-un thought. Come to think of it, hadn’t Gio said his home was a forest cabin? He had even requested various seeds before to do some farming. He’s nothing if not consistent.
Yoo Seong-un stepped inside the frame and watched as the seedlings of the Honey Pot and the Rock Salt Tree materialized into paintings.
"……."
"……."
Gio was caressing their images as if they were newborn animals.
…Maybe he has some kind of skill that lets him communicate with plants…
The thought crossed Yoo Seong-un’s mind, since such an ability wasn’t entirely unheard of among humans. Though he didn’t know the truth of it, it was clear Gio was drawn to things that rewarded his care, like plants, animals, or young children.
Soon, the portrait spoke.
"This is exactly what I wanted. Thank you for fulfilling my request, Mr. Yoo Seong-un."
"I’m glad you’re satisfied. I’ll compile a list of edible plants from Earth and the dungeons for you later. Just let me know if there’s anything else you want."
"I will also prepare a gift that might be of help to you, Mr. Yoo Seong-un." Cradling the still-fragile seedlings in his arms, Gio asked, "Is that all for today?"
"Well, I was hoping we could just… chat for a bit."
"That sounds pleasant. I was wondering how student Cha Yi-sol is doing."
"Cha Yi-sol? He’s finally entered the temple." Yoo Seong-un dragged a nearby folding chair over, sat down in front of the portrait, and continued. "He’s a bit late, actually. Normally, he should have entered right after the initiation ceremony to begin his training, but Priest Kang Seo-dam was complaining about how the Deep Sea Kingdom incident left them so short-staffed he was completely exhausted."
"I apologize that my disciples have caused trouble. I have tried to reason with them several times, but their hatred for humans remains. I will let you know if there is any progress."
"It’s fine. There’s no monster in existence that doesn’t hate humans. You can’t expect them to renounce the very emotions that form the foundation of their strength and existence just because you reason with them. Still, it’s a relief to hear that you’re staying by those mermaids' sides, Gio."
As he spoke, Yoo Seong-un recalled the recent reports about mermaid sightings in the Deep Sea Kingdom.
I heard they’ve become unbelievably ferocious.
Although the exact cause was unknown, reports indicated that the danger level of the recently sighted mermaids had surged. They were said to be in a state of completely uncontrolled wrath and hatred.
Could their hatred have intensified as a backlash to Gio telling them not to hate humans? But even though I haven’t seen them myself, the reports mentioned they showed signs of deep despair and sadness.
Judging by Gio’s reaction, they must be acting normal whenever he was around.
I have no idea what’s going on…
Then again, it wasn’t uncommon for monsters to exhibit a chilling duality. There was no need for Yoo Seong-un to concern himself with the affairs of monsters that weren’t even Children of the Origin.
"...And as for Cha Yi-sol..." Yoo Seong-un recalled the latest news about the cheerful boy. "You know how the temple assigned Eun-ha as his partner? Iser, I mean, in his child form."
"Yes, I remember. Now that Iser has been pulled out, student Cha Yi-sol must be without a partner."
"There was some confusion for a while, but it seems he managed to find a new partner somehow." The recent Deep Sea Temple incident had played a major role in this. "The ordeal was so massive that a few of the novice priests quit, deciding they weren’t cut out for such dangerous work. As it turned out, the number of remaining novices was even, so they completely rearranged the partnerships."
Yoo Seong-un shrugged. "Priests basically work in pairs, so I suppose they had no choice."
"I heard that a priest’s partner is for life. Can they really not change?"
"They can switch a few times as novices, but once they become official priests registered with the temple, their partner is indeed for life."
"I wonder what happens if one of them can no longer perform their duties for some unavoidable reason."
"Unless two priests who have both lost their partners agree to form a new team, they usually just work alone." A prime example was Priest Kang Seo-dam, who had shown up to the initiation ceremony by himself. It’s a common enough occurrence. Priests in their forties generally didn’t seek new partners. It would be exhausting to try and build that kind of synergy with someone new after a lifetime with a perfect partner.
"From the perspective of a normal person, I have to wonder why they created such a tiresome system..."
"I wonder why priests are fundamentally paired up. Is there a reason besides tradition?"
"Well, tradition is a big part of it. You know how resistant religious circles are to change." But that wasn’t the only reason. "They say a priest’s holy power is most effective when they cooperate with others."
"Is that true for the holy power of all priests?"
"As far as I know, yes. There are exceptions, though—priests who serve Evil Gods are strongest when they’re alone." No priest knew the exact reason for this. "But if I had to guess, it’s because the virtues their gods pursue are different. Most gods value friendship and peace, while Evil Gods demand destruction and suffering."
Yoo Seong-un nodded. "The Sun Cult, for instance, describes each priest as a 'small light.' Even a faint light can become a great one when gathered together, and they burn hotter that way. It’s why they place such a strong emphasis on cooperation."
"So that is why their holy power grows stronger when they cooperate. Because the more they gather, the hotter they burn. The Temple of the Sun felt warm and pleasant, and now I understand why."
Although Gio’s Portrait was painted with black paint, obscuring his eyes, Yoo Seong-un could tell that Gio was staring at him. Soon, the portrait continued.
"What kind of child is student Cha Yi-sol’s partner?"
"I don’t know the details, but I do know she’s a 1st-Grade Citizen."
"A 1st-Grade Citizen."
"Considering she’s just a child, her family must be quite wealthy." The biggest difference between a 1st-Grade and 2nd-Grade Citizen, despite living in the same city, was economic power. If a child that young was already a 1st-Grade Citizen, it was highly likely her parents had been 1st-Grade Citizens for generations.
"That’s not a normal pairing. To be partners, priests have to share a dorm room, so they’re always the same gender. They’re also grouped by similar grades to make it easier for them to understand and rely on each other... a case like this is rare." Yoo Seong-un laughed awkwardly. "Cha Yi-sol’s partner is a different gender and a different grade. I mean, Cha Yi-sol will become a 2nd-Grade Citizen once he’s an official priest, but still..."
"Is that not a problem?"
"Of course it is. But so many novice priests fled after this incident that their numbers must have dwindled significantly."
"It must have been difficult for the priests to pair the children up."
"They said they took the novices' opinions into account a lot more this time." And this was the result. "I heard she threw a huge fit, insisting that she would only partner with Cha Yi-sol."
"I see. She is a very bold student. It sounds like it would be fun to meet her and Cha Yi-sol together one day."
"To earn such high praise from you without even showing her face, she must be destined for greatness." It wasn’t as if there were no boys or 3rd-Grade Citizens left among the remaining novices. Allowing children of different genders and grades to pair up would have been impossible without a strong expression of personal will. "Cha Eun-hyeok told me all about it with a very tired look on his face when we met up to buy some bungeoppang."
"Indeed, quite extraordinary. So, are the two students satisfied with their partnership?"
"Cha Yi-sol says he doesn’t really care... but she must be thrilled, right?" After all, she got exactly what she insisted on. "Of course, they use separate rooms, but it seems the Sun Cult decided to merge the dorms after this incident. They’re broadly dividing them into boys' wings and girls' wings now. Cha Yi-sol won’t have to worry about being lonely."
Speaking as if to reassure Gio, Yoo Seong-un rubbed his tired eyes. "...Ah, I’m so sleepy..."
"Have you not been able to go home?"
"...I couldn’t sleep. I’ve been busy looking into various things." He had mostly been investigating matters concerning the Void City.
"……."
Perhaps because they had been talking about Cha Yi-sol, for whom Gio had shown particular affection, the atmosphere had softened considerably. Gauging the mood, Yoo Seong-un carefully spoke.
"...Thank you for releasing Hunter Park Eun-gyeom." Among the things he’d been looking into was Park Eun-gyeom, the man at the center of the recent disappearance incident. "I checked, and he returned home safely."
"I am glad to hear it."
"I expected as much, but you’re as indifferent as ever." Gio truly didn’t seem to care what became of the sinner who had passed through his stomach. To him, it was probably just a necessary quarantine, a way to raise the moral average of humanity. Yoo Seong-un understood Gio’s indifference. Yet, no matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t understand what kind of lens Gio viewed humans through, or how Gio perceived himself.
Finding it too daunting to get straight to the point, he dragged out the conversation. "Naturally, he was taken in by the Association as soon as he got back. There was clear evidence that he abused and even abandoned his colleague. Besides, what happened in the Void City is crucial data for the Association." Yoo Seong-un himself had played a significant part in providing that 'crucial data.' "It seems even a guy like Park Eun-gyeom knows why he was dragged in. He’s been treading carefully lately."
"If so, that is fortunate. However, I do not hold high expectations."
"Well, people don’t change that easily. But with the Association monitoring him, I doubt any major problems will arise."
"If he commits another misdeed while the Association is watching, that in itself would be truly remarkable."
"I think so too." Yoo Seong-un chose his next words carefully. "...Did you know? Your name is getting pretty famous lately."
"In what way?"
"First of all, congratulations. You have fans. Apparently, they love your paintings."
"I am grateful they appreciate my humble works."
"That’s a humble way to put it." Gio’s 'works' held immense artistic value. So far, there were two known pieces by the 'Black Cloak': Breathing Sea and Void City. Many said they could feel a person’s gaze and breath from the former, despite it being a mere painting of the sea. The latter reportedly made people feel so lonely and sad just by looking at it that they were filled with a sudden urge to return to their families and friends.
"You made the paint yourself, right?"
"Yes. This forest provides many materials that assist in my work. I receive their help."
"They love it, saying the colors are incredibly unique. It’s your own style, not easily replicated. I heard a few people have even tried to imitate it..."
"It would be difficult without the materials from my location."
"Anyway, I was just saying that your works are that popular." Like a true master artist had appeared, some people were utterly captivated by Gio’s paintings. They claimed that an entire day could slip by while appreciating them, marveling in ecstasy that there was a whole world inside each one. Bisabeol wasn’t the only artist blinded by the works.
I just hope this doesn’t turn into something dangerous. Gio was exceptionally skilled at bewitching and swaying people. There was a time I thought that was just Giovanni’s ability, but even as a mere portrait, he possesses an incredible influence... He remembered thinking about it when he was first dragged to the Deep Sea Temple. If a cult centered around Gio were to spring up, it would be a massive headache.
"For now, though, it feels like everyone is just lightly enjoying a new city event."
"Is that so..."
"Ah, you don’t like that? I’m just telling you what’s happening."
"I do not like having many people around."
"Well... right. If you cover your face when you go out, that should take care of most of it." Laughing softly, Yoo Seong-un soon found he couldn’t hold back the question that had been building inside him.
"So, it made me curious."
"……."
"I have to know. Who are you?"
He had to know.
"...And what are we supposed to do? Only then can we coexist. Only then can we both survive."