Chapter 146
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 146
His conversation with Ju-hyeon made Gio reflect on his actions.
“I guess I was only thinking about what I wanted.”
Even if a deal seemed like a win-win, people still had the freedom to refuse. He couldn’t just ignore the opinions of those who disagreed with his plan to become the Demon King.
“I’m dying to set up my own battlefield, but that’s just my own selfishness. Sacrificing others for my greed would leave a bad taste in my mouth. That’s not the kind of war I want.”
Above all, Ju-hyeon had said this:
“My precious Demon King Project…”
“…”
“…is something that harms both other people and myself.”
Every single word was absolutely right.
“…”
“…”
In the quiet attic, Gio held Honey in his hand, enjoying its squishy texture. The way it clung snugly to his palm was a satisfying tactile delight.
After enjoying that jiggly yet chewy feeling for a long while, Gio finally nodded.
“I admit it,” he spoke. “I do tend to be a bit thoughtless.”
“Ggureuk?”
“You could say my mind is exceptionally carefree.”
But not everyone in the world could be like Gio.
“Until I was about twenty-one, I actually thought everyone lived as thoughtlessly as I did.”
With his infinitely high life satisfaction and self-esteem, Seo Gio rarely cared about what others thought. It wasn’t until a year after becoming an adult that he realized his mental framework was vastly different from that of most people.
“No wonder characters in movies and dramas are always agonizing over things.”
Gio had assumed it was just an exaggerated expression unique to fiction. But it wasn’t. Surprisingly, people in the real world went through life carrying around things called worries and anxieties.
“They regret the past and fret over the future.”
“Kkoong?”
“I know, right? I don’t get why they do that either. Why abuse your own brain cells like that?”
They were different in many ways from Gio, who lived only in the present and held nothing but beautiful memories even when he occasionally recalled the past or envisioned the future. He couldn’t understand at all why people chose to live such difficult lives.
They clung to things that had already passed and feared situations that hadn’t even happened yet. They couldn’t just accept a situation for what it was; instead, they constantly assigned meaning to it and suffered as a result.
“They can’t just let their emotions flow away. They entangle them with reality and keep creating problems.”
“Kkoong…”
“Honestly, I wonder why they torture themselves. Does that not count as self-harm?”
“Kkureureuk.”
“Not that I don’t understand them at all, though.”
Gio knew that not everyone was like him. Although he hadn’t even realized that much back during his compulsory education, it was simply because he enjoyed life too thoughtlessly—not because he lacked empathy.
“So…” Gio muttered, hesitating for a rare moment. “I suppose even Mr. Arjio had his hard times.”
“…”
“Right? He must have, right?”
It was hard to be sure, given the case of ‘Giovanni,’ who had died after thoroughly enjoying his life without a single regret. From Seo Gio’s perspective, Giovanni had remained perfectly fine even in situations that made Gio think, Wow, how did he live like that?
However, Gio had to admit that, objectively speaking, ‘Arjio’ had also been in a difficult situation.
“He seemed so completely unfazed that I just thought, ‘Ah, he’s fine.’ But yeah, when you actually think about it, his life wasn’t all that comfortable and peaceful. It was steeped in hardship and adversity.”
He had been a multi-talented, beloved child of his family, only to be treated like a beast just because he manifested a single ability at a young age. After being constantly abused, he was kicked out and sent to some demon den where the sun never shone and dangerous creatures gathered.
“…”
“Kkureu?”
“…But honestly, that place was way more fun…”
“Kkoong-kkoong-kkoong.”
“You’re right, Honey. It’s not for me to judge when my synchronization isn’t even complete yet.”
“Kkuk.”
“But seriously, it was way more fun than that godforsaken house.”
In any case, as a portrait with only 61.9% synchronization with Arjio, it wasn’t something he could declare with certainty. He shouldn’t be so sure until he reached 100%. Gio made an effort to objectively grasp ‘Arjio’s’ unfortunate life.
“Anyway, it’s a fact that he was angry.”
Hadn’t he vowed to slit the throats of those family pigs who dared to not recognize his worth? Perhaps ‘Arjio’ had been angry because he, too, had been hurt in his own way.
“Even if he wasn’t consciously aware of it, it could still have been a wound.”
“Kkureureu…”
“Just because I’m simple-minded doesn’t mean Mr. Arjio was too.”
So, Gio decided to reflect.
“One must tend to one’s own wounds.”
“Kkoong?”
“I pledge to cherish myself, not treat myself carelessly, and to live honestly and politely.”
“Kkoong-kkoong-kkoong…”
“In that sense, I should reconsider the Demon King Project.”
Just as Ju-hyeon had advised, he would create a project where everyone could be happy, without any innocent victims. Making that resolve, Gio recalled his conversation with Ju-hyeon.
Specifically, those warm brown eyes.
“He was definitely worried about me.”
“Kkureuk.”
“I feel bad for Mr. An Ju-hyeon.”
Although Gio had suddenly acquired all sorts of intimidating titles like portrait, Evil God, and immortal, he was ultimately just a human with a tender heart. As such, he was deeply touched by Ju-hyeon’s concern.
“He really is a good person.”
How grateful he was. An unseasonable warmth filled the attic.
No matter how extraordinary Gio appeared, Ju-hyeon had firmly insisted that ‘even so, it’s not right for innocent people to be blamed.’ He had even paid close attention to the word ‘wound’ that Gio had mentioned.
“I feel a bit embarrassed, like I was just whining.”
“Kkureureureuk?”
“Then again, the one Ju-hyeon comforted was probably ‘Arjio.’”
“Kkoong, kkureuk.”
“…Well, should we sleep for now?”
Having finished his brief reflection, his entire body felt pleasantly drowsy.
As always after a meal, sleepiness washed over him. The chair he leaned back in was comfortable. In the gentle spring breeze blowing through the attic window, Gio enjoyed a short nap with Honey.
And then, he woke up from his dream.
“…”
Synchronization Rate: 94.2%
“…?”
Gio, his hair now tinged with red, muttered.
“Was I actually unhappy?”
Because ‘Arjio’ in the dream seemed so utterly unfazed. This beast of a man had enjoyed his life to 120% and then passed away exactly the way he wanted.
Gio’s golden eyes trembled slightly.
“No, if it’s like this… then I…”
“Kkureuk?”
“…will be too embarrassed to look Ju-hyeon in the eye.”
“Kkoong?”
“I look like… such a whiner, don’t I?”
He had received all that sympathy for absolutely no reason.
All of a sudden, Gio had become a pathetic twenty-four-year-old who whined over nothing.
* * *
Around the time Gio was experiencing this non-regretful regret, Bisabeol laughed.
He burst out laughing.
“Ahaha, ahahahahaha!!”
“…”
“Pfft, kh-haha… hehehe…!”
Gasping for breath, Bisabeol asked, “The Demon King?”
“Yes, the Demon King.”
“Ha, he really is the vitamin of my life. Never a dull moment.”
“It would benefit world peace if you were a bit more bored, Guild Master.”
“It’s not as if I’m the one who threatens world peace first, is it?”
“The problem is that you openly enjoy other people’s misfortunes.”
“In any case, it wasn’t my fault.”
Suck.
Catching his breath, Bisabeol said, “The Demon King and the Hero. It’s hard to find a more fitting analogy.”
“It’s not exactly a joking matter, though.”
“But unleashing a new Demon King right now would put Earth’s lifespan in serious jeopardy.”
Bisabeol mostly lived for entertainment, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t tell right from wrong. If anything, he was closer to the side that wished for humanity’s peace and Earth’s longevity.
In other words, the world was in such a precarious state that even a hedonist like Bisabeol had to worry. Thus, he couldn’t just blindly pursue whatever caught his fancy.
“Personally, I would love to keep the Demon King on Earth and watch him from up close, but…”
“Please restrain yourself. It’s no exaggeration—Earth will literally be destroyed.”
“I know that, which is why it’s so troublesome. What a shame…”
He was genuinely disappointed.
“Since it’s a piece that has already come into my possession, I was hoping the event would take place in my hometown.”
A piece he had bought for a fortune—and one he absolutely adored, at that—was offering to put on a show. He wanted that show to happen right in front of him if possible, but without a proper stage, it seemed like a difficult wish to grant.
“I understand why you requested a meeting. It is a dangerous proposition, indeed.”
“And calling himself a ‘Demon King’ of all things doesn’t exactly have a nice ring to it, either.”
Yoo Seong-un let out a sigh. “What he wants is a bloody battle with everything on the line.”
He desired a sincere duel, risking his own fate, his life, and everything from the trivial details to the core beliefs that defined him. A thick scent of blood wafted from Arjio, who had revealed his greed.
“So I thought about looking into other battlefields for him, but he doesn’t seem interested unless it’s his own war.”
“He probably wants a stage where all eyes and emotions are focused entirely on Arjio himself.”
“It seems he wants a stage where he is the protagonist.”
“Is that why he wanted to become a Demon King? So the Hero would have no choice but to come to him?”
“That would also be the most familiar sequence of events for Arjio.”
Yoo Seong-un had heard Arjio’s story. A massive mystery who had been condemned as a beast, targeted for subjugation, and eventually sealed after obtaining the wicked divinity of an Evil God. He was the Evil God of Wrath and Greed.
“Gio seems to want to enjoy that pleasure once again.”
“Are you saying that wasn’t painful for Arjio?”
“I didn’t… sense any such indication.”
It was astonishing.
“Considering that other Evil Gods who followed a similar path were invariably steeped in hatred and contempt, this is truly rare and unusual. Gio even pitied and loved those who sealed him.”
Arjio had described the heroes who sealed him as pitiful and admirable.
“So even if Gio really does become a Demon King, I believe he would design it in a way that minimizes damage as much as possible. Though I can’t say for sure about Arjio’s side…”
“In the first place, just as ‘Gio’s Portrait’ likes good and polite things, he also tries to adopt that attitude himself. No matter how that will actually manifests in reality, isn’t that how it ultimately turns out?”
“You’re right, Guild Master. Gio enjoys the battle itself; he doesn’t particularly desire the influence or wealth derived from it. Those seem to be merely secondary gains.”
“So he welcomes wealth and fame but doesn’t covet them. I understand. He probably views that wealth and fame as a kind of trophy. It’s hard to see it as greed for the things themselves.”
“Yes. Aside from showing a strong preference for them, his desire for them isn’t very high. Just as you said, Guild Master, they are likely just a means to prove his victory in battle.”
Yoo Seong-un had already reported Arjio’s appearance from the first day they met.
The gold and silver treasures adorning his entire body, his long, braided, richly colored red hair, and the beast hide. He certainly preferred flashy things, from his appearance to his attitude toward life.
But if Arjio had been obsessed with wealth and fame themselves, ‘Gio’s Portrait’ would have been flashy from the start. Nor would he have forgiven Yoo Seong-un for daring to treat him so familiarly.
“What Arjio truly wants is only battle.”
“It seems he wishes to behave like a beast, in the truest sense.”
Without caring for face or status, he wanted a battle where he could throw away everything that made him who he was, or risk it all. He clearly wanted a battlefield where he could fully immerse himself in the fight.
“Then, for now…”
Bisabeol organized the steps.
“We must reveal Mr. Seo Gio to the world.”
“…All of a sudden?”
“What do you mean, all of a sudden? It was something we were already preparing.”
“That’s true, but…”
“There is an order to everything.”
Bisabeol’s slit-like pupils dilated slightly. His gaze was fixed not on Yoo Seong-un in front of him, but on the empty air, yet his eyes darted around as if he were watching something unfold.
His lips parted.
“…Yes. First, once Hunter Seo Gio steps out into the world… his place will be established. A small opportunity will arise… Yes, indeed.”
“…”
“The mermaids… Right, there is still an unfinished story remaining…”
Soon, Bisabeol nodded.
“…After revealing Mr. Seo Gio as the Collector’s Hunter, we’ll have him clear a suitable dungeon. And we must also see how he performs in a spar, not just the kind of battle he desires.”
“I’ll look into a suitable dungeon.”
“I think we can create the battlefield our Hunter Seo Gio wants. But for that to happen, we first need to see his skills in action and have a direct conversation to prepare an appropriate venue.”
Staring at his superior, Yoo Seong-un eventually asked, “Should I ask Gio for a meeting with you, Guild Master?”
“There’s no need to rush.”
Bisabeol’s eyes curved deeply.
“It’s bad manners to rush a guest who is already on their way.”
“…”
With a weary face, Yoo Seong-un said, “…Isn’t it about time you changed your skill name to ‘Foresight’?”
“I keep telling you, my skill is strictly Appraisal, not seeing the future.”
“Sometimes, you make me really not want to talk to you.”
“As if you ever enjoy talking to your boss anyway.”
“That’s just a virtue of modern workers.”
“This is exactly why I like you, Mr. Yoo Seong-un.”
He smiled happily at his subordinate’s cheeky antics. Although Yoo Seong-un’s expression grew even more exhausted at that, Bisabeol simply returned to the original topic.
“Then, I suppose we should first assign a secretary for our Mr. Seo Gio.”
“Ah… I did put together a list for that, but…”
“The person currently recuperating inside the portrait—his name was Ju-hyeon, right?”
“Good grief.”
Yoo Seong-un shoved the documents he had been pulling out back into his bag. The fragile papers crumpled carelessly.
“I knew this would happen.”
“If you knew, why did you go through the trouble?”
“Because going through unnecessary trouble to show sincerity is a virtue of an employee.”
“Our employees really are so diligent.”
“Come to think of it, Gio has been talking about that Ju-hyeon person quite a lot, too.”
“He must be happy to have made a friend.”
“He claims they aren’t friends yet, but…”
“That’s only a matter of time.”
Bisabeol wore a rare, crooked smile.
“If he’s a hero, there’s no way he can dislike Gio.”
“…A hero?”
“Oh dear, my praise was far too generous.”
He sneered openly.
“I meant a fool steeped in reckless bravado.”
“…”
Yoo Seong-un swept his face with both hands.
“…Please, never say that in front of him.”
“I do have some decency.”
“I looked into him, and he’s lived his life incredibly diligently. Why are you being like this?”
“I know he’s a diligent person.”
It’s just, simply…
“I just dislike him.”
Bisabeol did not get along well with the heroic type.
“How wonderful would it be if everyone in the world were just like you, Mr. Yoo Seong-un?”
“That would be a disaster in its own right.”
“Well, anyway, Gio and Mr. Ju-hyeon will become friends in no time.”
“You sound absolutely certain.”
“Of course. A great mystery is bound to like a hero.”
In other words, they liked pushovers.
“And since Gio is the most human-like mystery among all mysteries, it won’t be too difficult for that Ju-hyeon person to accept him either.”
“But won’t Ju-hyeon feel some aversion due to his massive presence?”
“For that to happen, ‘Gio’s Portrait’ has already proven its tastes. It is a divinity that is bound to be exactly to a hero’s liking.”
Bisabeol laughed lightly, as he always did.
“They will make good friends.”
Bisabeol’s gaze locked onto Yoo Seong-un.
“Yes.”
“…”
“This will be fun.”
His eyes curved into even narrower crescents.