Chapter 138
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 138
The Black Cloak.
A humanoid monster first sighted last winter in the S-Rank Dungeon, the ‘Deep Sea Kingdom,’ and subsequently listed on the Hunter Association’s website. It was famous for tormenting bad people and giving gifts to good ones.
Its defining characteristics were its towering height, a black cloak draped over its shoulders, a tailored suit, and bare feet.
“…”
In her solitary dormitory room, the rookie curator, Park Ju-hee, grit her teeth.
“…Now that I think about it, everything matches…”
She recalled when Curator Yoo Seong-un had first explained who ‘Seo Gio’ was.
‘He has traits similar to the Black Cloak, so he’s often misunderstood.’
It wasn’t that Park Ju-hee hadn’t noticed the similarities between Seo Gio and the Black Cloak. It was just that Seo Gio was far too kind, too human, and wore such an incredibly gentle smile that she could never make the connection.
But looking back now, she felt dizzy.
He was too perfect.
She should have doubted him.
How could someone with a smile that looked like it had been taxidermied in its most perfect state be normal?
Seo Gio smiled, conversed, and showed consideration like an ordinary person, but there were no fluctuations in his actions or expressions. She knew him well enough—a man who carried the aura of someone not quite real.
“Is this… Is this really okay?”
She was deeply confused.
Because he had felt so human, she had never imagined he could be a monster. Now, she wondered if she had been bewitched or deceived. There was a high probability that the ‘Seo Gio’ presented by the Black Cloak was merely a mask.
It’s not like I feel betrayed or anything. We barely know each other.
They had only met twice. She would have just brushed it off even if an acquaintance of over a year had deceived her. There was no room to feel betrayed by someone she had met only twice.
I’m not angry, either. It’s not like I’m disappointed. There wasn’t that level of trust between Mr. Seo Gio and me. But I can’t deny that I’m confused…
What was she supposed to do about this?
“…It’s not like I’m in any position to take action, anyway.”
The Collector’s Gallery was a place where all kinds of dangerous artworks were gathered. Accordingly, there would be numerous response protocols for anomalous phenomena, along with strict safety measures and information control.
“Besides, it seemed like all the other employees already knew.”
Only the rookies were in the dark about ‘Seo Gio’ being the Black Cloak.
“But then again, they weren’t exactly hiding it thoroughly, either…”
It was only because she, Park Ju-hee, had been so dense. With this many similarities, some of her fellow rookies must have already figured it out.
For some reason, the Collector was simply tolerating the Black Cloak’s presence.
“…”
After agonizing over it for a long time, she knocked on another dormitory door.
“…What is it?”
“Um, I’m sorry. There’s something I’d like to ask you about.”
“With me? A fellow rookie?”
“Binari, you’ve… met Mr. Seo Gio, right?”
“…”
Binari, another of Park Ju-hee’s fellow rookies, nodded.
“Come in.”
“…Excuse me.”
Deep into the night, their conversation stretched on.
* * *
Curator Binari was the only new recruit at the Collector’s Gallery assigned to the third-floor collection.
“I knew.”
“I knew it… So you did. Was I really the only one who didn’t know?”
“No, that’s not it.”
He was one of those who had realized early on that ‘Seo Gio’ was the Black Cloak.
“In my case, I had a hunch from the moment Curator Yoo Seong-un warned us about a person named Seo Gio. Besides me, Jeong Eun-byeol, the one they introduced as a B-Rank Hunter, was also suspicious.”
“Ah…”
“Curator Yoo Seong-un also seemed to have a rough idea that we found it strange. Even so, he never gave us a separate warning. It seems that within the Collector’s Gallery, the fact that ‘Seo Gio’ is the Black Cloak is an open secret.”
Binari added, “For starters, there’s no such thing as a dawn shift at the Collector’s Gallery.”
“…It’s true that wasn’t mentioned on the website, but I thought they were just hiding him because he was an important employee.”
“I asked around among our seniors. Mr. Seo Gio was the only one assigned to it.”
“But that could have been a measure to give him a plausible cover.”
“True. One could see it as a special privilege to accommodate an exceptionally unique employee.”
He shrugged.
“Just like what our other peers think right now.”
“…That’s true. Though I still think they’re hiding it far too sloppily…”
“I suppose they judged that it was hidden well enough from the rookies, seeing as you only found out today, Ju-hee.”
“What will happen to those of us who figured out Mr. Seo Gio’s true identity?”
“I doubt we’ll face any disadvantages, at the very least. They might just be watching to see how we adapt.”
“Why on earth… why would they do this…?”
Stammering, Park Ju-hee took a short breath before speaking again.
“There are so many puzzling things. Why didn’t they tell the rookies about the Black Cloak? He’s a humanoid monster, of all things.”
“It’s true that there was no mention of ‘Mr. Seo Gio’ in the basic training we received. Perhaps it’s because we’re still interns who might leave the company at any moment.”
“Interns… So, they didn’t tell us for confidentiality reasons? They can’t share crucial information with interns who could be let go at any time.”
Park Ju-hee pondered.
“But isn’t it a bigger problem if we cause an accident because we didn’t receive safety training? Our seniors at the gallery keep emphasizing that if anyone has to die, it should only be the curator.”
She had heard that when dangerous artworks caused accidents, things often spiraled out of control.
“Whether it’s a piece of art or a monster, the rules are what matter most here. If we, knowing nothing, fail to meet ‘Mr. Seo Gio’s’ conditions and end up angering him, wouldn’t that be a disaster?”
“Jeong Eun-byeol and I thought about that, too. And we came to a conclusion: as long as we treat Mr. Seo Gio as a regular employee, there shouldn’t be any issues.”
Binari sighed.
“The Collector must have thought this through. That’s why the Black Cloak doesn’t cause any trouble when treated as a regular employee, and even if an anomaly occurs, he isn’t the type of entity to cause a catastrophic accident.”
“…So it’s just a matter of us dying?”
“That’s my guess. In other words, I see it as a test. A test to see if we’re qualified to become part of the Collector’s collection, qualified to be employees of the Collector’s Gallery, and qualified to be the Black Cloak’s coworkers…”
“Well, the fact that we’re here in the first place means we already qualify as part of the collection.”
“To the Collector, either way is fine. If we keep believing he’s just an ordinary dawn-shift worker until the end, that doesn’t violate any conditions. And if we do realize the Black Cloak’s existence, they can see how well we adapt.”
He gave an awkward smile.
“So we were wondering… the faster we figure out Mr. Seo Gio’s identity, the faster we get promoted to full-time employees. It’s just a guess, though.”
“…Ah, that makes sense. If all the other employees already know the Black Cloak’s identity, then… well, knowing his identity would be a prerequisite for becoming a full-time employee.”
They also knew how devoted Bisabeol was to his collection. Once promoted to a full-time employee, one could never leave Bisabeol’s collection, nor would they ever be expelled from the Collector’s Gallery.
“But if we show that we can adapt well even after finding out the Black Cloak’s identity during our internship…”
Wouldn’t that allow them to embrace the new recruits with peace of mind?
“It means that not only us, but the Black Cloak himself doesn’t dislike the new recruits. Right?”
“Exactly. So this sloppy security is likely a device to confirm the intentions of both the Guild Master and Mr. Seo Gio.”
“Still, it would be nice if we could get accurate information… like the monster’s tolerance conditions.”
“Our perspective isn’t what’s important. Besides, it’s not something we can achieve just by trying. We can only become full-time employees if Mr. Seo Gio tolerates us.”
“…”
Park Ju-hee’s expression contorted subtly.
“…But… why is it like this?”
“…The Collector definitely seems to view the Black Cloak as a fundamental component of this place.”
“If he’s a fundamental component, it must be because he can never be excluded…”
“…”
“…Ah.”
She raised her head.
“Could it be?”
“Who knows.”
“In the gallery?”
“…Who knows.”
“He was a work of art?”
“…Sigh…”
Binari let out a sigh and spoke.
“First of all, the fact that the Black Cloak is a portrait is something even ordinary citizens know. A niche group of enthusiasts has even formed, all of them coveting the portrait series painted by the portrait.”
“Did the Guild Master bring him in, viewing him as a work of art? I think Curator Yoo Seong-un also mentioned that ‘Mr. Seo Gio’ was one of the collection pieces when he explained him to us.”
“There are quite a few monsters in the shape of artworks in the Collector’s Gallery. While breeding monsters is definitely illegal, once they enter the gallery, they are treated as objects…”
“So the Black Cloak was treated as the Guild Master’s collection piece that way? Really? Does that even make sense?”
“In my opinion, yes. Perhaps Mr. Seo Gio didn’t want to leave the Collector’s Gallery and lingered, so the Guild Master brought him in. Well, there are many possibilities.”
But these were not matters for a rookie to know.
“Anyway, the important thing is that the Collector’s Gallery is essentially Guild Master Bisabeol’s personal gallery. No matter what damage occurs or what changes they have to endure, I’ve heard the Collector is quite greedy… There’s no way he’d throw away a unique collection piece like the Black Cloak, who periodically produces works of art.”
Binari wore a strange expression.
“And even if he did throw him away, where would he even discard him?”
“Ah, right…”
“What’s certain is that the Collector’s Gallery has already adapted to Mr. Seo Gio’s presence.”
“…Should we think of him as a sort of executive, or maybe… a flowerpot?”
“A flowerpot?”
“Like a decorative flowerpot placed in the hallway…”
“Wouldn’t it be better to think of him as a work of art hanging in the hallway?”
“That does make more sense, since he is a work of art.”
Park Ju-hee barely managed to organize her thoughts.
“So, a work of art that should be in the gallery is wandering around the company building.”
“For all we know, there might be many other artworks besides Mr. Seo Gio wandering around.”
“It’ll put my mind at ease if I think of this as part of the building’s manual rather than the gallery’s.”
The Collector’s Gallery had separate internal manuals because activities differed by floor. For example, knocking three times before opening the 39th door on the 2nd floor, or drinking water before passing through the 1st hallway on the 4th floor…
“Well, I have a general grasp of how to humor the artworks now.”
All those manuals were rules to avoid angering the countless works in the gallery. If she thought of Mr. Seo Gio, who was hiding his identity as the Black Cloak, in a similar light, it wasn’t so difficult to accept.
“Thank you for helping me understand.”
“We’re peers. We should help each other out.”
“True, they do say having peers is important.”
“Since we’ll be needing help often…”
Still, she couldn’t help but feel anxious.
“…”
“…”
“…No matter how I think about it, isn’t this all too complacent?”
“…I think that’s just the Collector’s motto.”
“‘Love the artwork’?”
“Yes, that one.”
“Good grief…”
A humanoid monster, of all things, was wandering around, yet the Collector’s Gallery operated with a ‘what happens, happens’ mindset. There was no safety training, nor any coercive confidentiality agreements.
“…For all we know, surveillance and evaluation are probably happening constantly. The moment we leave the company, they’ll take measures regarding confidentiality, too.”
“I suppose so. They must have countermeasures for everything, but I’m not sure if those include protecting interns like us.”
“We might not be full-time employees yet, but we’ve already set foot inside Guild Master Bisabeol’s collection. They say the collection pieces are treated incredibly well, so let’s look forward to that.”
Binari followed up with a question.
“But you’re less panicked than I expected.”
“Uh… about finding out Mr. Seo Gio’s identity?”
“It’s not like you’ve never met him. I heard you’ve spoken to him twice.”
“It’s just… it feels too surreal to react…”
Hesitating, Park Ju-hee continued.
“…I think from the very first time I saw him, he didn’t really seem human.”
And their conversation reached the ears of the Safety Management Department inside the Collector’s Gallery.
* * *
The Safety Management Department, the only department that operated 24/7.
The employees who had finished listening in murmured among themselves.
“They’re figuring it out faster than expected.”
“It’s because Mr. Seo Gio has been wandering around the building a lot more lately.”
“He used to only come out late at night…”
“Yeah, lately he’s often seen during working hours, right?”
“Did he have some change of heart?”
Slurp.
An employee sipping coffee asked, “Three of them have already figured it out. Why don’t we just promote them to full-time?”
“That’s not for us to decide.”
“Has the Guild Master not given his confirmation yet?”
“We also have to check the Black Cloak’s intentions.”
“Well, he seems to like this batch, though.”
“At the very least, the fact that they weren’t dragged into a portrait right off the bat means they passed.”
“I guess this batch of rookies is made up of well-mannered, good people.”
“Ultimately, it all depends on Mr. Seo Gio’s standards.”
“If they meet those, they’ve passed the human decency test…”
Sipping coffee that looked as dark as poison, an employee with his eyes glued to a CCTV monitor spoke up.
“But Mr. Seo Gio’s activity has definitely increased lately.”
“He comes out often, even when there are many people around.”
“Did Curator Yoo Seong-un say anything?”
“No reports or requests have been submitted. He just told us to keep a close eye on him.”
“I heard that, too. Yeah, no separate documents were filed…”
“But I do know what topic Mr. Seo Gio has been interested in lately.”
“You think I don’t?”
The head of the Safety Management Department sighed.
“He’s been asking around about the Evil God.”
“Why the Evil God all of a sudden?”
“To be precise, he was asking about the definition and qualifications of an Evil God.”
“Could it be about Mr. Seo Gio himself?”
“It’s not impossible.”
“Well, he’s a work of art we haven’t even been able to inspect yet, so we can’t be sure…”
The employee who was about to say something froze.
“Uh-oh.”
“Hey, Gyeong-woo. The guy is looking at the CCTV.”
“Pausing screen 53 on the fourteenth floor.”
Just before the Black Cloak, who was strolling down the hallway, could look back at the CCTV, the employees cut the feed. As the screen went black, the others staring at different monitors let out sighs of relief.
At that, the department head spoke up.
“You know that employee who had an intense staring contest with Mr. Seo Gio through the screen last time and fainted?”
“It wasn’t exactly fainting… more like he just passed out.”
“Aren’t those the same thing? Anyway, yeah, Ha Ryu-seo. When is he coming back?”
“They said he’s still visiting the counseling office.”
“Hasn’t it been a while? Ah, damn it, we’re short-handed…”
“They said they can’t send him back yet because he’s on the verge of starting a cult.”
“Oh dear, is it that bad? We’re in trouble. We won’t be able to use our annual leave.”
“What’s new… We’ll just have to take the payout.”
“I’d rather take the vacation than the money.”
“Me too.”
The employee turned the screen back on. In the spot where the Black Cloak had vanished, only a single portrait remained.
Looking at the solitary portrait in the empty hallway, the department head remarked, “Damn, what an atmosphere.”
The screen distorted.
Inside the portrait, from behind the black paint, Mr. Seo Gio was locking ‘eyes’ with them.