Chapter 139
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 139
Yoo Seong-un hurried over.
“Gio.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Did we do something to upset you, by any chance?”
“I’m not sure why you’re asking that, but no, you didn’t.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
Letting out a hollow laugh, Yoo Seong-un asked, “It’s just that you seem to be talking to the other employees a lot lately.”
“Did I disrupt their work?”
“Just a tiny bit? I mean, it’s not like you were incredibly rude or anything…”
Classifying the creation of an atmosphere of sheer terror as a mere “nuisance” felt like a bit of an understatement. This was especially true for Yoo Seong-un, who knew that Gio’s true identity was neither monster nor god, but a fragment of the Origin itself.
Still, he was curious.
“I heard you’ve been going around asking about Evil Gods?”
“You heard correctly.”
“Whoa!”
Yoo Seong-un flinched in surprise as Gio suddenly thrust his upper body out from the portrait.
“I didn’t know you could come out like that.”
“I am merely leaning halfway out.”
Beneath the black cloak, which billowed like gentle waves, a mane of muted red hair came into view. Judging by the characteristically provocative and sharp tone, he had likely shifted into Arjio, the persona that introduced itself as an Evil God.
He leaned against the frame. His long, beast-like fingernails tapped lightly against the wood. Arjio continued.
“Lately, I’ve found myself questioning things about Evil Gods.”
“Questioning? Like what?”
“What is an Evil God? What must one do to be considered an Evil God?”
“Well… that’s actually really hard to define.”
Yoo Seong-un rubbed the back of his neck.
“Humans tend to call any god that harms them an ‘Evil God.’”
“In that case, is crashing a festival to drink their wine or intruding on their hunting grounds considered an evil act?”
“I suppose it would depend on local customs, but it doesn’t strike me as particularly evil.”
“What about hanging the heads of those who attacked me to decorate the forest?”
“Now that could definitely be called an evil act, couldn’t it…?”
Although the concept of self-defense existed, humans weren’t always fair enough to return only what they had received. In regions with a strong sense of human rights, such graphic retaliation would certainly not be welcomed.
“I mean, personally, I don’t think of it as outright evil. If someone attacks me, I don’t exactly let them live, either. Though I don’t go around decorating with them…”
“Do you think I decorated with them because I found it beautiful? The problem was that if I didn’t go that far, fools would just keep coming to pick fights. At any rate, you don’t find it particularly evil?”
“If someone intends to kill another, they should be prepared to be killed in return. I doubt I’m the only one who thinks that way. But why are you asking all this?”
“…”
After a brief silence, Arjio spoke again.
“I always thought of myself as an Evil God, but it seems I fall short of the standard.”
“A standard, huh? On Earth, we have a pretty clear standard for defining an Evil God,” Yoo Seong-un said. “Have you ever killed innocent people?”
“What do you mean by ‘innocent’?”
“People who never harmed you, or those who showed you kindness.”
“Why on earth would I kill such people?”
“And you’ve never repaid kindness with malice?”
“I might ignore them, but I would never do such a thing.”
“Then why on earth are you an Evil God?”
It made no sense to him.
“You said people called you an Evil God.”
“They did.”
“Why did they call you that? Even the name ‘Arjio’ is a derogatory term, isn’t it?”
“Because I was unlucky?”
Arjio continued, tapping his long fingernails against the frame.
“A beautiful beast that doesn’t even seem human is bound to draw people’s hatred. There were various other reasons as well, but they dubbed me the Evil God of Greed and Wrath.”
“Greed and wrath…”
“I do love wealth. Gold, silver, treasures, and fine wine are my dearest friends. And since I was raised as a beast, I never saw the need for patience. Returning wrath to those who annoy me is quite enjoyable.”
“But that’s still a bit weak to call you an Evil God.”
“…Hmm…”
Arjio rested his chin on his hand.
“I suppose so.”
“Is something bothering you?”
“I took a certain pride in it…”
“Pride in being an Evil God?”
“Of course. It is one of my honors.”
“Honor…”
“It is mine, held close to my chest.”
“…”
“But looking back now, my infamy was nothing special.”
Though his face was mostly obscured by the cloak, Arjio looked quite bored.
“How disappointing.”
“…Uh, well… I guess so…”
Yoo Seong-un was beginning to understand the situation.
The scale of a mystery changes depending on the stories surrounding it.
An Evil God was, after all, still a god. Their power and presence scaled with the goodwill or hostility of the creatures who believed in them. Apparently, Arjio had actively embraced even the infamy of deeds he had never committed.
If so, he could end up with a wicked divinity that is disproportionately massive compared to his actual misdeeds.
The Sankalut Cult was a prime example. What had been a mere gemstone, incapable of speech let alone murder, had become a full-fledged Evil God through nation-scale worship and sacrifice. Arjio’s case was similar.
Especially since this one can actually speak and act, yet he actively embraced the misunderstandings about him…
It was an incredibly rare case.
“So you basically did nothing?”
“I did trespass into the estates of obnoxious bastards to take their wine and wealth.”
“What kind of people were these obnoxious bastards?”
“The kind who ruined the taste of my wine. They made a racket in front of me.”
“A racket? Like being too loud?”
“They bragged about slaughtering the village that had prepared a meal for me.”
“Ah, that’s definitely self-defense. In that case, it’s hard to call what you did evil.”
“That is highly unfortunate news.”
“Hmm…”
Yoo Seong-un gave a wry smile.
“Is it because your reputation feels like an empty shell?”
“Because doing evil is far more enjoyable than doing good.”
“…”
For a moment, Yoo Seong-un was at a loss for words.
“…Should I look up some battlefields for you?”
“No.”
Gio’s voice instantly reverted to its usual blunt tone.
“I am not yet complete as Arjio.”
“So you don’t really like fighting right now?”
“I have always disliked conflict.”
“That’s a bit different from what you were saying earlier.”
“It seems to vary depending on the situation.”
“Hmm, I see.”
After pondering for a moment, Yoo Seong-un asked, “Is Mr. Ju-hyeon still at your place?”
“Yes, he is sleeping.”
“He seems to be sleeping every time I ask.”
“He looked tired, so I put him to bed early.”
“I was just wondering if you could step out for a bit.”
“Do you have a suggestion?”
“You said you were curious about Evil Gods.”
Hands-on experience was always best.
“South Korea officially recognizes a certain Evil God as a mainstream religion.”
“An Evil God that doesn’t harm humans, I presume.”
“More like they consider it a natural law, even if it is harmful.”
Mysteries related to gods weren’t Yoo Seong-un’s specialty, but he remembered the basic gist of it.
“The most prominent example is the God of Death.”
“Death is indeed a natural law.”
“Right, exactly. But people don’t exactly like it.”
“To most people, death is harmful.”
“The God of Death was only recognized as a mainstream religion within the last fourteen years.”
“It wasn’t before then?”
“It was a very sensitive period, and in many ways…”
Yoo Seong-un smiled faintly.
“Let’s just say the world was overrun by Evil Gods, so we didn’t have the luxury of making distinctions.”
“Overrun, indeed.”
“Thanks to the Symbol of Eternity, things feel relatively organized now.”
He shrugged.
“Do you want to meet them? If you do, I’ll ask for their understanding in advance.”
“In that case, I would like to meet them.”
And so, the Black Cloak was set to venture out into the world once more.
To be precise, as the A-Rank Hunter, ‘Seo Gio’.
*
“…”
“…”
“Excuse me.”
Bisabeol looked at Yoo Seong-un, who had come to ask for permission, with an incredulous expression.
“Weren’t you the one who told me not to sneak Mr. Seo Gio out?”
“Wasn’t that because you, Guild Master, are someone who actively threatens world peace?”
“Do you have any idea how much I contribute to world peace for you to make such reckless remarks?”
“At the very least, I don’t stand on the sidelines clapping and egging Gio on to cause a disaster.”
“Well, that’s true. True, but I feel so wronged. How can I live when I’m treated like this?”
Both Yoo Seong-un and Bisabeol knew he had been living perfectly fine despite saying that.
“Our employees really don’t know how to flatter their boss.”
“If you make it part of our official duties, we’ll rub our hands together and flatter you as much as you want.”
“But you won’t do it otherwise, which is exactly why I love you all.”
“We know. That’s why we act so cheeky…”
Mumbling, Yoo Seong-un smiled and said, “The Temple of Death is in Gyeonggi Province, so I came to get your permission beforehand. Unlike before, he’ll be traveling quite far, and since it’s a meeting between two Evil Gods, there’s no telling what kind of chemical reaction might occur.”
“…”
Tapping the table as if calculating something, Bisabeol eventually nodded.
“I must admit, I am curious. What kind of situation will unfold when Gio, an Evil God, meets a quiet Evil God?”
“I knew you would say that.”
“Isn’t it a far more fun and interesting topic than protecting human peace?”
“Interesting… Hearing you say that, you actually seem quite similar to Arjio.”
Arjio had said he preferred evil over good because it was more stimulating and interesting. In that sense, Bisabeol and Arjio definitely shared a resemblance—neither cared much for human peace, yet both championed good simply to enjoy more of what the world had to offer.
At that, Bisabeol smirked.
“Did you say Arjio’s color is similar to mine as well?”
“Though his hues are much calmer than yours, Guild Master.”
“If worst comes to worst, I’ll just pass him off as my nephew.”
“I thought you were the only son for four generations.”
“Mmm.”
Under Yoo Seong-un’s intense gaze, Bisabeol added, “A hidden son, perhaps?”
“Aren’t you over eighty?”
“But my skin is still so supple.”
“Rather than youthful, your body is that of a fifty-year-old.”
“Let’s call it robust, then.”
Yoo Seong-un didn’t push any further on that point.
“…Gio already possesses the divinity of the Sun. I don’t know if the wicked divinity of an Evil God is layered on top of it, if they coexist, or if he can swap between them, but…”
Yoo Seong-un continued.
“The Sun Cult Seoul Branch was favorable toward Gio. Moreover, the Evil God of the Gyeonggi Province branch doesn’t enjoy conflicts between divinities, so I deemed there wouldn’t be any major issues. That is why I came to ask for permission.”
“But you still thought it was dangerous?”
“Since Gio introduced himself as an Evil God, we must take necessary precautions. He particularly enjoys stimulation and, above all, does not fear conflict. I felt we needed to be prepared.”
“I can help with that.”
Although Bisabeol’s Collector Guild operated more like a business corporation, that didn’t mean his guild members lacked combat prowess. There was even a specialized escort unit that answered only to his commands.
“I’ll put in a word with my people.”
“Knowing you have our backs is reassuring.”
Showing his characteristic gentle smile, Yoo Seong-un expressed his gratitude.
“It feels like I’m always on the receiving end of your help.”
“I feel the same way. However…”
“However?”
“He will be going out as ‘Mr. Seo Gio,’ correct?”
“…Shouldn’t he?”
“Hmm.”
Bisabeol stroked his chin.
“It might be a good idea to hire a secretary for Mr. Seo Gio soon.”
“Are you planning to make Gio an official hunter?”
“We’ve blocked it so far, but eyes are already on him.”
No matter how quietly they handled things, quite a few people knew that the sea had calmed after other hunters, including Seo Gio, visited the S-Rank Dungeon, ‘Deep Sea Kingdom’.
An A-Rank Hunter appearing out of nowhere, followed by the Korean seas growing quiet after his visit. Since there was no concrete evidence, it hadn’t reached the level of suspicion, but curiosity was definitely brewing.
“And Mr. Seo Gio did rescue people at the ‘Deep Sea Temple’ in the past.”
“That influence is still lingering? For a hunter who doesn’t even do official activities?”
“A handsome and capable hunter is bound to be popular.”
“…That is true.”
Gio, in particular, possessed a powerful aura that made him incredibly hard to forget. Above all, it wasn’t surprising that some people still remembered ‘Hunter Seo Gio’—the one who had gathered and comforted them during those difficult and terrifying times—even after years had passed.
Yoo Seong-un nodded.
“The fact that he’s a promising rookie A-Rank Hunter whose whereabouts are completely untraceable probably drew even more attention. I suppose some might have interpreted it as a sort of mystery marketing strategy…”
“If you knew that, you should have let our Gio out more often.”
“Do you think I don’t know that suggestion is fueled entirely by your own selfish desires, Guild Master? At any rate, we’ll have to look for a manager among our employees.”
Hunters who had frequent official activities or high public recognition usually traveled with one or two managers to handle their schedules. While Gio wasn’t planning on frequent official activities, if so many people were interested in him, a secretary was necessary for other reasons.
“It will be easier to manage his schedule and image if they know of ‘Mr. Seo Gio’s’ existence…”
“We can look for someone gradually.”
Bisabeol’s slit pupils slowly dilated.
“Because I think we might find someone very soon.”
Ju-hyeon, was it?
He wasn’t particularly fond of him, but the man seemed quite useful.