Chapter 14
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 14
Fruit syrup is incredibly easy to make.
“The prep work is a bit of a hassle, but if you just mix equal parts fruit pulp and sugar and let it sit, that’s all there is to it.”
Gio brought out a cleanly sterilized glass jar. It was so large it resembled a crock, but Gio, who took after his grandmother—the village’s most generous cook—had no intention of skimping on ingredients. A jar this big was the bare minimum.
“Now, let’s see.”
He thoroughly washed the plump Mangdung Fruits and the sour, bitter-scented Drought Jars. The flesh of the Mangdung Fruit was soft and juicy like tender jelly, while the Drought Jar had little juice and firm flesh, much like an unripe tangerine.
Since the skin of the Mangdung Fruit was thin enough to melt away, he simply quartered them without any extra prep. For the Drought Jars, he peeled away all of the white, translucent outer skin, leaving only the pulp inside.
“And then…”
All that was left was to pour it all in.
It’ll be better to put the juicy Mangdung Fruits on top.
He laid down a layer of Drought Jars at the bottom of the glass crock and lightly sprinkled sugar over them. Next, he placed the Mangdung Fruits on top and poured a generous amount of sugar to create another layer. Once a solid layer of sugar was formed, he simply repeated the process.
Gio pressed down firmly to ensure no air pockets formed between the pieces of fruit.
“We can’t have it spoiling.”
Although food in this forest never spoiled or grew mold, this step was still necessary to ensure the fruit mixed well and the syrup steeped thoroughly. Gio packed the glass crock tight, leaving no empty spaces.
“All done.”
Now, he just had to seal it and store it in a cool, shaded place for a few days.
“I hope it ripens quickly, but it’ll probably take some time.”
“Kkoong, kkoong, kkoong.”
“You can’t eat it yet. If you eat it now, it’s just sugar-coated fruit. Once the fruit softens and the fragrance infuses the syrup, we can drink it as tea.”
“Kkook.”
“Sometimes, cooking is an art of patience.”
Honey grunted in protest, but there was nothing to be done. It would take time for the fruit syrup to fully mature.
“It won’t take that long. The weather is warm here, so the sugar will melt quickly. The juice will flow easily, too.”
“Kkoong.”
“Don’t stick to the floor, you’ll get dusty. That’s dirty. At this rate, you’re going to clean my entire floor. You’ll turn from a honey-bird into a dust-bird.”
Having just returned from an adventure for the sake of his fruit syrup, Gio found that it was late and he was hungry. Rather than pining for a syrup that had yet to mature, it was time to find a proper meal.
“Hmm…”
Should I go for something really simple?
“Let’s make rice balls.”
“Kkook?”
“Can you eat rice, too?”
“Kkoorooroorooroo.”
“I wonder where all that food goes to digest in that transparent body of yours…”
As expected, Honey possessed all the qualities of a pig. Gio, acting as the father of this round pig-bird, nodded with pride.
“Kkoorooroo!!”
“Alright, I get it. Let’s go.”
The rice balls Gio planned to make were food in the truest sense of the word: freshly cooked rice, a pinch of salt, and a drizzle of sesame oil.
“Good thing I made the rice beforehand.”
Although the cabin had a hearth, there was no electric rice cooker. Since this was a world without electricity, that couldn’t be helped. Because of that, Gio had already drawn a cauldron and placed it in the kitchen at the back of the cabin.
When he lifted the heavy iron lid, plumes of pure white steam billowed out.
“Nice.”
As he nodded, the steam drifting around him suddenly vanished without a trace.
“…?”
Just then, Honey, who was standing beside him, caught his eye.
“…”
He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but the creature’s body seemed to have grown slightly larger.
“Kkoorooroo.”
“…Are you eating all the steam rising from the rice right now?”
“Kkoong.”
“Your body smells like freshly cooked rice. It’s incredibly savory. If I sleep next to you, I’ll be too hungry to fall asleep.”
“Kkooroong.”
“I’ve seen people steam their faces for skincare, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone actually eat the steam…” It was the epitome of the saying, “Don’t put it on your skin, put it in your stomach.”
“How novel.”
The sweet aroma unique to Lulupu juice and the savory scent of freshly cooked rice blended together. It was impossible to define what kind of scent it was. Feeling a bit bewildered, Gio scooped out the rice. No matter how wondrous a creature was, it still needed to eat.
“Let’s make porridge with the scorched rice left at the bottom. It’s very easy on the stomach, so it’s great to have anytime. I’ve never seen anyone get indigestion from eating it.”
“Kkooroo.”
“We’ll make the rice balls first and do that later. Scorched rice porridge is incredibly refreshing when you eat it half-awake right after getting up in the morning.”
Returning to the kitchen, Gio lightly sprinkled salt and sesame oil over the fluffy white rice. Since the cabin’s pantry was fully stocked with basic ingredients, he didn’t have to worry about a thing.
I wonder what happens when I use all of this up.
It would be fun if it refilled automatically like it did when he first checked the cabin, but even if it didn’t, he could just paint more, so it didn’t really matter. For now, however, it didn’t seem to be refilling on its own.
Gio gently tossed the hot rice with chopsticks to distribute the seasoning.
“Honestly, even just this is delicious.”
The smooth, savory taste unique to freshly cooked rice, the rich aroma of sesame oil gently enveloping it, and the light seasoning of salt—eating a rice ball made like this right away warmed one’s insides like nothing else.
“It’s the perfect meal for when you need to eat but don’t want to cook anything elaborate.”
“Kkooroorooroo.”
“You can eat some too, if you can. Though I’m not sure how you’ll manage… Was the steam from the cauldron not enough? Your body looks bigger, but are you not full yet?”
“Kkoorooreuk.”
“Alright, go ahead and try.”
The sight of water eating rice.
It looks like it’ll be fun to watch, so I’ll let him be.
Gio shaped the rice balls, looking forward to the spectacle.
About thirty-nine in total.
“…”
“…”
“Your dad is hungry.”
“Kkooroorooreuk…”
“It’s because I’m hungry.”
Gio was a big eater.
“Sometimes you have to eat a ton like this to feel satisfied.”
But he didn’t stop there.
“I’m going to grill them for texture. Rice balls toasted golden brown on both sides have a great mouthfeel, and the savory flavor becomes much richer.”
“Kkoong…”
“I’m not sure if it’s because the sesame oil aroma intensifies or because the grains get slightly charred… but grilling them like this is way better than eating them plain.”
“Kkook-kkoong.”
“Though, I suppose eating just rice might get a bit boring.”
Gio lamented the situation brought about by his own laziness. He had known a day of regret like this would eventually come.
“I should have made some side dishes in advance. Then I could have enjoyed a more varied meal, even if I was just eating rice.”
“Kkeooo-oong…”
“I could make a stew with fish caught from the lake, or mix some things together to make salted seafood. A meat soup would be nice too, but eating meat here is a bit tricky.”
Even if he were to hunt land beasts instead of fish, he didn’t know how, and he felt squeamish about killing and eating the cute, round creatures that suited his tastes. Besides, he doubted those tiny, round bodies had much meat on them anyway.
“Maybe I should ask Mr. Yoo Seong-un for something like this, too.”
“Kkoorooroorooroo.”
“Along with the seeds, right?”
Gio placed the neatly shaped rice balls onto a pan thoroughly heated over the hearth. With a loud sizzle, the rich aroma of sesame oil and the savory scent of crackling, toasted grains wafted up.
A simple but wonderful combination.
Having grilled all the rice balls, Gio sat at the table and took a bite.
“…”
It was delicious, as expected.
…Maybe it’s because the rice turned out perfectly firm, but grilling it gave it a great texture and aroma. The salt seasoning is just right, so I won’t get tired of it.
Since the rice used here was something Gio had painted, its quality was neither exceptionally good nor bad. Thus, it was hard to expect much from the ingredients themselves, but the rice balls were still remarkably tasty.
“Maybe it’s because it’s a meal after hard labor.”
“Kkoorooroorooroong.”
“…”
A rice-ball-shaped bird entered Gio’s field of vision.
“Oh.”
No, it was Honey, who had swallowed a rice ball whole.
“Good heavens.”
“Kkoorooreuk.”
“You actually swallowed that.”
“Kkooroorooroong.”
“Even though it’s bigger than your own body.”
Gio accepted the reality three seconds later.
“How amusing.”
“Kkook.”
“Since you’re at it, do you want to eat another one? Can you even get any bigger than this?”
“Kkooroorooreum.”
“Right, you probably haven’t digested it yet. Of course. It certainly looks that way.”
“Kkooroo?”
“Yeah, your dad knows everything.”
And so, another peaceful day passed.
* * *
“…”
Step…
Standing in front of the portrait, Yoo Seong-un tilted his head.
“He hasn’t been opening his eyes lately.”
He had been waiting since midnight, and now it was 5:00 AM, but the portrait had not opened its eyes once. Yoo Seong-un stroked his chin and muttered, “There doesn’t seem to be a specific rule for this part.”
The portrait usually chose to open its eyes when there were the fewest staff members around. The times they could converse varied from day to day. As long as one didn’t ask rude questions, Gio wouldn’t actively avoid him, but that didn’t mean he was always looking out of the painting.
He seemed to quite like the world inside that portrait.
Personally, I think that’s the wiser choice.
No matter how the world inside the portrait was realized, it had to be far better than looking at modern society, which was dirty and tangled in complexity. At least, that was what Yoo Seong-un believed.
“…Thinking about it that way…”
Perhaps ‘Gio’s Portrait’ simply preferred quiet.
“I suppose this could be considered one of the rules as well.”
Yoo Seong-un leaned his back against the wall in front of the portrait and pulled out a notebook.
I should write this down.
His job was to observe, analyze, maintain, and manage unknown objects and phenomena. Despite possessing a vast wealth of knowledge, ‘Gio’s Portrait’ was practically the first subject to demand this much of Yoo Seong-un’s undivided attention.
Fortunately, ‘Gio’s Portrait’ was relatively favorable toward humans. It answered questions when asked and returned kindness with kindness, which could be considered quite gentlemanly.
“Is it starting to come together?”
Thanks to that, the analysis wasn’t too difficult.
– Values politeness
– Enjoys giving gifts
– No change in facial expression (Is it because he’s a portrait?)
– Highly knowledgeable about humans and respects them
…This part is definitely unusual.
Although he hadn’t figured out Gio’s true identity yet, he had to be careful. There was a reason humanoid monsters were classified as the highest-risk threats, regardless of their attitude.
It’s because those creatures knew next to nothing about humans.
Eleven years ago, a humanoid monster favorable to Earthlings was sighted for the first time. Based on this, associations in various countries sought ways to communicate with the residents beyond the dimensional gates. However, an incident occurred where the delegation that crossed the gate for diplomatic relations returned with their bodies transformed into “healthy deformities.”
To that humanoid monster, it was an expression of goodwill…
In the eyes of the humanoid monster, the delegation’s bodies had many inefficient parts, so it had increased their legs to four and split their mouths into six. It was an act of goodwill, but to humans, it was a disaster. The saying “monsters are monsters for a reason” was born back then.
“It’s terrifying no matter how many times I think about it.”
After that incident, humanoid monsters also became targets for subjugation without exception. No matter how much goodwill they harbored toward humans, there was no telling in what manner or when that goodwill would manifest its horrific reality.
So while I want to remain completely on guard against this portrait, there are too many suspicious details. Gio knows far too much about humans to be considered a typical humanoid monster. He doesn’t unconditionally hate Earth’s creatures either.
He was neither overly friendly nor overly hostile toward humans. He was slightly cynical, yet polite and deeply considerate. ‘Gio’s Portrait’ seemed like nothing more than an ordinary human who was just severely blunt.
“…”
Tap.
Yoo Seong-un tapped his pen against the notebook.
“That’s the part that makes even less sense.”
Gio did not seem like a mere monster.
Anyone who isn’t a curator or a gardener would probably say, ‘At the end of the day, isn’t he just a monster?’ but…
Still, there was no certainty.
“Right, he really could be a monster.”
He could be an item with a sense of self, a simply cursed portrait, or an illusion of such a high level that they couldn’t even begin to fathom it.
Dungeons have only existed for about thirty years, so it’s not like we can know everything.
Therefore, the best Yoo Seong-un could do right now was to analyze and respond to this portrait.
“Hmm…”
For starters, there was something he was curious about.
The portrait’s eyes were distant, as if they didn’t belong to a human, and his beautiful appearance, which didn’t seem to belong to this world, combined with the pale yet striking colors to lend a strange sense of unreality.
His businesslike tone, reminiscent of an AI, and his unchanging expression must have added to that pressure.
But.
“No matter what, Gio is still a gentleman.”
As could be seen from the rules compiled earlier, judging solely by his actions so far, Gio was by no means a threatening or violent opponent. As shown by his deep understanding of humans, he clearly cared for and respected them.
Unlike the ignorant humanoid monsters we’ve seen so far, he considers things from a human perspective.
That meant he possessed a profound level of understanding unseen in other monsters.
And based on that, he expresses his goodwill and shows consideration.
Didn’t he even give gifts?
“…”
After pondering for a moment, Yoo Seong-un wrote a new sentence in his notebook.
– Prefers good or polite individuals (The 1:1 Rule?)
…I can’t be sure, but.
Looking at the people Gio had gifted so far, they were all individuals to whom he owed a debt or who had treated him with kindness. Since it was a portrait capable of distinguishing human good and evil, he wondered if it simply favored good, well-mannered people.
Well, anyway.
That wasn’t the important part.
“…The problem is why the other employees fled in such sheer terror…”
Every employee here was someone Bisabeol had personally handpicked, trained, or recruited. It meant Bisabeol’s hoarding habit extended not just to objects but to people as well, and Bisabeol, who was highly attached to his employees, would never choose someone foolish or incompetent. So, no matter how low-ranking an employee might be, would Bisabeol have carelessly hired someone to manage his beloved gallery? They were all strong-willed, highly capable individuals.
“And yet, the moment they faced Gio, they were terrified and overwhelmed.”
Yoo Seong-un had never faced Gio directly. The last time Gio had come outside, Yoo Seong-un had merely followed and monitored him from behind. Therefore, what it felt like to face Gio head-on… was something he couldn’t know.
He could only faintly guess.
“…”
That if someone could overwhelm a human simply by existing, the caliber of their soul must be astronomical.
…If that’s the case, should we be grateful that he’s quietly asleep inside the portrait?
Yoo Seong-un let out a deep, troubled sigh.
“That man Bisabeol… what on earth did he bring back…?”
Is he finally planning to destroy the Earth?
Today was a day that made him crave the cigarettes he had quit five years ago.