Chapter 143
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 143
After all the visitors had departed, the Bishop summoned the priest who had guided Seo Gio today.
Clad in white robes and carrying a white lantern, the priest entered the chamber where the manifestation of Death resided and paid his respects. After extinguishing the lantern’s flame, he stepped before the Bishop, who sat enveloped in darkness, and awaited her words.
“You have worked hard today,” the Bishop spoke after a moment. “It must have been trying.”
“It was my honor.”
“Surely, it was a day of great anxiety.”
“It is only because this priest is still lacking…”
“Who among us could stand tall and unbending before divinity?”
“I am deeply grateful for your boundless, ocean-like benevolence.”
“Indeed…” Gesturing for him to sit, the Bishop asked, “Tell me what you saw and heard.”
“Yes, Bishop.” Bowing his head deeply, the priest continued. “He seemed remarkably adept at dealing with humans.”
“So it seemed to me as well.”
“While he appeared to be merely an exceptionally powerful human, there were moments when his entire persona seemed to shift in an instant.”
“A persona? Do you mean it was as if his ego had changed?”
“Not quite, Your Grace. It was as if his ego and memories remained intact, yet his fundamental nature had shifted.”
“Ever-changing, indeed.”
“I heard a voice as heavy as a father’s, a voice as warm as sunlight, and a sharp voice laced with cruel amusement.”
“He has truly reached a state of infinite transformation.” The Bishop nodded. “I hear he bestowed a reward upon you.”
“Yes, this…” The priest placed a paper-wrapped object onto a small, jet-black tray inlaid with mother-of-pearl. It drifted across the water covering the floor, soon reaching the Bishop. She lifted the object. A remarkably rich, sweet aroma wafted from it.
“I shall not open this. What did he say of it?”
“He said they were dried fruits. And that they would be sweet.”
“Did he say anything else?”
“That he wished for us not to fear him…”
“And?”
“He said he hoped we would be more at ease the next time we met.”
“I see.” Placing the gift back onto the tray, the Bishop gently pushed it, returning it to the priest. Bowing politely, the priest tucked the rustling gift into his robes.
Seeing this, the Bishop spoke from behind her black veil. “Since you have received his grace, do not keep it from your family. Be sure to express your gratitude.”
“Yes, Bishop.”
“Should he visit our home again, you shall be the one to attend to him.”
“Yes, Bishop.”
“I ought to give you some advice regarding him, but it is not so simple…” Her voice trailed off, and only after a long silence did the Bishop speak again. “Since Father called him a friend, you must adopt an attitude befitting that relationship.”
“I will do my utmost to offer his friend the most lavish hospitality.”
“He does not desire grand hospitality. Treat him as a single visitor… but remember that he is Father’s friend.”
“Though I am but a foolish priest, I shall do so.”
“Though he is an Evil God, do not fear him. Before he was a wicked divinity, he was providence itself, and a hero.”
“……”
“He considers himself a human.”
How does he intend to walk such a harsh path of benevolence?
“I, too, am but a foolish child of Father, so I do not have much advice to offer. He is one who flows like a river. Do not try to oppose him; simply surrender yourself to his current. Do that, and you will not incur his wrath.”
“Yes, I shall engrave it upon my heart.”
“I have kept his identity a secret from the other children besides you. I trust you have done the same. Since he wishes to be treated as a human rather than a god, we must not allow his mystery to grow here.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
Seeing the priest bow his head deeply, the Bishop spoke in her characteristically gentle voice. “I consider you my successor, so you must conduct yourself wisely.”
“Yes, Bishop.”
“Since Father called him a friend, your role has become crucial.” After a brief silence, the Bishop nodded. “As he is a friend acknowledged by Father, the gift he gave you cannot possibly be harmful. Enjoy it, but if anything unusual occurs, let me know. I will offer my counsel.”
“Thank you for your grace.”
“Go and rest. This is Father’s chamber, the room where Death resides. It is still toxic to you. Once you can embrace the silence and darkness more easily, I shall summon you here again.”
“Then I shall take my leave.” Bowing once more, the priest quietly departed from the chamber of Death.
“……”
The Bishop, the sole human remaining in the midst of Death, placed the long-stemmed pipe she held onto the surface of the water. Crafted from jet-black bamboo and gold, the pipe did not sink, casting only its shadow on the shallow water.
From beneath her black veil, the Bishop called out to her father. “Father.”
“……”
“If you have any other wishes, please call upon this daughter of yours at any time.”
“…My… daughter…”
“Yes, Father. Your child is here.”
“Were you… afraid?”
“Since Father protects me, I was not afraid.”
However…
“I was wary of the wickedness of his divinity.”
The Bishop, who served the God of Death and his manifestation, was no saintess. Because Death had lowered himself to use a manifestation body here, communicating with him was possible through sheer effort alone, without requiring any special qualifications.
Yet, serving divinity in such close proximity naturally taught one certain things. The Bishop had noticed that the wicked divinity who visited today shared certain similarities with her father’s own.
“Is it truly all right for me not to worry?”
“He is…”
“Yes, Father. Your daughter is listening.”
“…Flowing…”
“Does he flow like your river, Father?”
“There is no reason to oppose him, nor can he be opposed… Cherish him dearly.”
“…How could I ever dare to cherish a divinity?”
“He is not lonely, yet he deserves to be loved.”
“……”
The Bishop chuckled softly. “You are unusually talkative today.”
“Do you like it?”
“Silence is fine, but days like this are also nice.”
“I, too, like it…”
Without a single sound, the arms and hands of Death groped about his chamber. The dragon-like river that composed him continued to flow, and the jet-black veil shrouding Death swayed along with the bells adorning it.
Laughing silently with his entire being, Death expressed his mood. “He exists within sin, yet is no sinner. He knows himself to be human, yet has touched providence. And though born under a wicked star, he was once a hero.”
“I did not know such a mystery could exist.”
“I, too, did not see it until he revealed himself. But since he exists as a human, and his story is so precious and rare, I shall covet this young friend.”
“Will you do so, Father?” The Bishop lifted her long-stemmed pipe once more. “Shall we seek out his temple?”
“He is human, so he has no temple.”
“But I wish to show our sincerity.”
“Then become his friend. That is what he desires.”
“A friend…” Exhaling mist instead of smoke from her long-stemmed pipe, the Bishop nodded. “I shall welcome him warmly when he visits again.”
“That… will do.”
“Will you sleep now?”
“…Yes…”
“May you sleep deeply, far from all clamor.”
“……”
“I shall watch over you.”
As Death ceased to make any sound, the Bishop also breathed out only mist. The familiar silence settled over the pitch-black chamber.
* * *
By the way.
“They say I’m immortal.”
“…Is that so?”
“I think it’s truly amazing.”
The news of his own immortality was not enough to discourage Gio.
“I feel like I’m leaving a major mark on human history.”
“If you call yourself ordinary after saying that, I might actually cry.”
“Even if it’s just lip service, I’d appreciate it if you called me ordinary.”
“I have no idea why you’re so stubborn about that.”
“It means you shouldn’t discriminate against me just because I’m so extraordinary.”
“Oh… I see…” Nodding, Yoo Seong-un steered the car and asked, “But is that all?”
“What do you mean?”
“Usually, when people find out they’re immortal, they’re a lot more shocked.”
“Is being immortal really that shocking when I’m already a portrait?”
“Well, I suppose it’s still pretty shocking in its own way.”
“My mental fortitude isn’t so weak.”
“No, I’m just saying that’s how normal people would react.”
Yoo Seong-un muttered to himself. I meant you should do a better job of pretending to be human if that’s what you want.
For some reason, Gio’s attempts to act human grew clumsier by the day. Seong-un figured it was because he was someone Gio felt particularly comfortable around, but it was still awkward to watch.
How should I play along so I don’t upset him? Feeling a bit bitter, Yoo Seong-un wore his characteristic easygoing smile.
“But speaking of immortality…”
“Yes.”
“The Symbols of Eternity are also immortal, yet you worried about them being lonely.”
“I did.”
“Aren’t you worried about yourself?”
“……” Pretending to ponder for a moment, Gio blinked. “Not particularly.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I’m confident I can live a good, comfortable life.”
“Hmm, you certainly seem that way.” Yoo Seong-un found himself agreeing. Gio definitely didn’t seem like he would ever have a dull moment.
“So, you worried about the Symbols of Eternity because they aren’t you?”
“It might sound arrogant and conceited, but in short, yes, you could look at it that way,” Gio nodded.
“I’m a free spirit, so I can live peacefully inside a portrait. But those people bear the heavy responsibility of deciding the fate of this country and the Earth, don’t they?”
“You’re right.”
“In that case, it must be hard to live a good, comfortable life. They spend their entire lives working, revered by some and cursed by others, when life is already too short to fill with anything but enjoyable things. It doesn’t look very appealing.”
“I see…” Yoo Seong-un thought quietly. Though it seems like he lived a life not much different from that.
He recalled the story of Giovanni. He had saved countless people, hoping to ease the conflict between mermaids and humans and wishing that no more people would have to suffer. And yet, he had died in the most horrific and miserable way.
And even after dying like that, he was preserved in the form of a portrait.
Since “Gio’s Portrait” was fundamentally rooted in the Origin, Seong-un wasn’t overly worried, but from a human perspective, it was hard not to feel a bit sorry for him. Living the life of the Origin as a human had to be even more burdensome than being a Symbol of Eternity.
After a moment of thought, Yoo Seong-un asked, “But you’re really okay, right?”
“I am highly satisfied with my life.”
“I don’t think you can really call yourself ordinary if you’re immortal…”
“I don’t think it’s a big deal.”
“You’ll have to watch many of the people you connect with die while you remain.”
Gio was unfazed. “Why is that a problem?”
“……” Oh, right. Yoo Seong-un was speechless.
“…So, you don’t really have any intention of pretending to be ordinary either, do you?”
“I’m just speaking honestly because you are a trustworthy friend, Mr. Yoo Seong-un.”
“Ah, well, I’m really grateful for that, but…”
“Of course, watching my friends die will be sad,” Gio continued. “But the joy and pleasure of being together while they are alive will surely outweigh the sadness after they die.”
“...That’s…”
“I’m already busy enough trying to find friends; there’s no need to start mourning their deaths beforehand.”
“……”
“Death is merely a state, not something to be avoided or feared. I don’t think deeply about it.” He asked, “How strange. Mr. Yoo Seong-un, do you worry about a friend dying the moment you become friends?”
“…No, I don’t.”
“Then why should I fear the death of a friend that hasn’t even happened yet?”
Well, because a normal human would fear being left alone.
…Then again, if it’s Gio, he’d probably make another friend in the blink of an eye. I forgot for a moment that he’s an existence who, at the very least, will never be left alone.
Aside from that, it was clear he had no real intention of pretending to be a normal human. Since this was likely a comfortable side he only showed to Yoo Seong-un, perhaps it wasn’t something to worry too much about.
In the end, Yoo Seong-un gave up on whatever he was about to say and smiled mildly. “Well, I’m sure you’ll handle it fine on your own.”
Even if he seemed like this now, he was actually quite good at acting human when he needed to blend into a crowd.
Still, if his rule is to be this honest in front of someone he has designated as a friend… I’d better find a secretary for Gio as quickly as possible.
With that thought in mind, Yoo Seong-un asked, “So, did you get your answers after talking to the God of Death?”
“Yes, I realized what I need to do,” Gio declared confidently. “I’m going to become the Demon King.”
“……”
Screeech—
Stopping at a red light, Yoo Seong-un let out a sigh that was almost a laugh.
“…Could you elaborate on that?”
Conversations with the Origin always drained so much of his mental energy.