Chapter 154
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 154
Bisabeol wanted the three of them to become housemates.
“The three of us?”
“Yes, the three of you.”
“Me, Hunter Yoo Seong-un, and… don’t tell me…”
“It’s exactly who you’re thinking of.”
Yoo Seong-un nodded.
“Gio is included, too.”
“…”
At that, Ju-hyeon, who was packing his things, pressed his lips into a tight line. Yoo Seong-un was certain Ju-hyeon had just swallowed the words ‘Are you out of your mind?’ or perhaps ‘You’ve gone completely mad.’
But there was no way a powerless slave to capitalism could talk back to his boss. Instead of offering reassurance that he would get him out of this madness, Yoo Seong-un offered an apology that suggested resignation.
“I’m terribly sorry for getting you caught up in our Guild Master’s greed.”
“No, I’m sure there’s a greater purpose behind this that I’m simply not aware of.”
Ju-hyeon asked, wearing a pleasant smile that betrayed none of his true feelings.
“But could you tell me the reasoning behind this decision?”
“Simply put, he wants ‘Gio’s Portrait’ to assimilate into human society more quickly.”
“He wants Mr. Gio to… blend into human life?”
Rustle.
Ju-hyeon’s smile grew strained as he opened a cardboard box containing his belongings.
“…It’s not my place to doubt, but is that even possible?”
“Well, Gio’s own will is quite strong, so it’s not impossible.”
“He’s certainly good at mimicking humans, but…”
“And he’s always insisting that he is human.”
“So I’m not the only one he’s been telling that to.”
Ju-hyeon let out a hollow laugh.
“He told me he’s a human who just happens to have the characteristics of a portrait.”
“That’s one of Gio’s favorite claims.”
Yoo Seong-un understood Ju-hyeon’s bewilderment all too well.
“He argues that since human diversity is so vast, there’s surely room for one portrait-like person within it.”
Not that he had any intention of refuting Gio’s claim, but it wouldn’t matter if he did. Gio wouldn’t listen anyway.
“No matter how high his status, how immense his power, or how much his body and personality change, Gio considers it all to be a single, personal characteristic.”
“It certainly seemed that way.”
“I’m glad you understand. Because of that mindset, Gio will try all the harder to mingle with humans, and we at the Collector have concluded that we can’t stop him.”
Yoo Seong-un wore his characteristic, easygoing smile.
“Does that sound negligent?”
“…Honestly, a little.”
Ju-hyeon’s eyes crinkled in a gentle smile.
“When I was at the Association’s Research Institute, things were much more thorough.”
“For the sake of peace on Earth and the safety of humanity, such thorough precautions are necessary.”
“But the Collector’s motto is ‘Love the Work,’ isn’t it?”
“Yes. Because of that, we don’t have the kind of security systems you might expect, Mr. Ju-hyeon.”
“But I know you haven’t completely washed your hands of the matter, so I understand. That must be the Collector’s way.”
“Exactly. The Collector focuses more on responding after an incident occurs. Our approach is different from the Association’s, which is to nip any potential risk in the bud.”
Ju-hyeon nodded at Yoo Seong-un’s words.
“I’ll do my best to get used to it.”
Although he hadn’t been hired as an official employee, Gio was treated as a member of the Collector, which meant Ju-hyeon was practically half-involved himself. He needed to adapt as quickly as possible.
“So is that the reason for this… housemate arrangement? Because you can’t stop ‘Gio’s Portrait’ from living in human society anyway?”
“That is indeed one of the Guild Master’s intentions. As I mentioned, Mr. Ju-hyeon, Gio still has a lot to learn about human society. He needs to adapt more to living an active life as ‘Mr. Seo Gio.’”
“So the idea is to have him live with other people to help him naturally manage his abilities and learn basic common sense. Yes, that makes sense.”
Ju-hyeon, who had been speaking softly, suddenly let his smile falter.
“But you just said… it was one of his intentions?”
“The primary objective is to observe ‘Gio’s Portrait’ living alongside humans.”
“The Guild Master, Bisabeol?”
“Surprisingly, yes. This is the reality of it. This is what a collector is.”
“I knew he was an extraordinary man, but this is truly bold.”
“Thank you for putting it so nicely.”
Yoo Seong-un nodded with empathy and sympathy. He was touched by Ju-hyeon’s dedication to maintaining professional courtesy even in this ridiculous situation.
“But since he doesn’t intend to jump straight into that experiment just yet, you’ve been assigned to the unit right next to mine. He likely also wants you to build a closer relationship with me, since I’m the curator in charge of ‘Gio’s Portrait.’”
“Thanks to that, I’ve received lodgings far better than I deserve. I’m only grateful.”
“As I mentioned, the lease is under your name, Mr. Ju-hyeon, but the Collector will cover all expenses for the residence. So please don’t feel too burdened. For now, just focus on adapting to your new situation.”
“I’m also worried about how I’m supposed to manage ‘Mr. Seo Gio’…”
“You can receive manager training from the Collector’s secretariat. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean you’ll be officially employed by the Collector. Since you’re new to this kind of work, they will guide you step-by-step from the very basics.”
After listing all the necessary details, Yoo Seong-un gave a light chuckle.
“Well, since we’re neighbors now, it’ll be nice to get comfortable with each other over time.”
“I’ll do my best to adapt to that as well…”
“I’m sure we’ll naturally grow closer as we run into each other dealing with Gio.”
“I couldn’t ask for more.”
“Ah, and if I may offer a bit of advice,” Yoo Seong-un asked.
“You said you became Gio’s pen pal, right?”
“For now, yes…”
“Then, on rare occasions, you will receive letters from Gio.”
“So we really are pen pals.”
“They appear without a sound, so don’t be too startled.”
He pointed to himself as he spoke.
“I’m Pen Pal Number One, so I know all about it. A pitch-black letter silently appearing in an empty house is enough to send a shiver down your spine. And when you check the letter, there won’t be a single readable word.”
“Then is there any point in sending them?”
“I view it as a sort of pager. We believe the text gets corrupted by the filtering process of the frame that contains ‘Gio’s Portrait.’ Since the letter has to be delivered in a form that is safe for a human to receive, this corruption is likely unavoidable.”
“True. If it were delivered in its raw state, most humans would suffer a massive mental shock.”
“Perhaps because traces of his true nature remain, just holding the letter can make your heart plummet. Gio is constantly worrying about the unreadable content. I believe it’s a problem that will eventually be solved as his human mimicry improves.”
Having said that, Yoo Seong-un looked at Ju-hyeon with pity.
“Since you’re a Non-Awakened, Mr. Ju-hyeon, I’m especially concerned.”
“…Is the letter really that terrifying? Enough for one’s safety to depend on whether they are Awakened?”
“Of course, since you worked at the Association’s Research Institute, you’ll adapt quickly.”
Yoo Seong-un smiled gently once more.
“After all, unrealistic tragedies are a common occurrence over there, too.”
“So, is Mr. Gio’s letter really something I need to be that wary of?”
“To put it simply, you can think of it as a living ghost story.”
“Ah, a ghost story…”
“That is also the true identity of the ‘Black Cloak.’”
“I’ve heard similar stories from time to time.”
It was a famous urban legend. People treated the Black Cloak as a real-life ghost story you might encounter if you were lucky—or unlucky.
“Is there anything else I should know?”
“You can learn the rest as you interact with Gio.”
Yoo Seong-un then asked.
“By the way, do you know about the Garden?”
“…Well, I don’t think you’re talking about a garden with flowers and trees.”
“There is knowledge that only a select few within the Association possess.”
“Is it alright for me to know that?”
“In fact, you’ll have to know it now, whether you like it or not.”
“It seems that knowledge is closely linked to ‘Gio’s Portrait.’”
“I will explain that part to you later.”
Yoo Seong-un grinned.
“I’ll send you the materials in advance, so I’d appreciate it if you could read through them at your leisure.”
“I’m quite confident when it comes to studying theory. I’ll make sure to deliver results that meet your expectations.”
“It might sound a bit cliché to put it this way, but we’re in the same boat now, with Gio.”
He spoke as if offering a blessing.
“Let’s hope he remains human.”
“…”
Ju-hyeon’s eyes crinkled as he smiled.
“…Yes.”
What a chilling thing to say, he thought.
* * *
Under the care of the Collector, Ju-hyeon successfully finished moving.
“This place is too big,” Ju-hyeon muttered. “Is this really just one apartment?”
He felt like he only needed a tenth of the space.
Ju-hyeon knew exactly what kind of place this was. It was one of the most prestigious apartment buildings in Seoul, primarily inhabited by A-Rank Hunters—all 1st-Grade Citizens—or famous celebrities.
At least there won’t be any security concerns…
But as a mere 2nd-Grade Citizen, he couldn’t help but feel incredibly uncomfortable.
He had never wished for lodgings so far above his station. A cozy single room, a kitchen, and a bathroom would have been more than enough.
Is this also something I have to adapt to?
It was troubling.
“…Hmm…”
Ju-hyeon looked around.
Perhaps out of the Collector’s consideration, the place was decorated with elegant frames and porcelain ornaments beyond just the bare essentials, but he still felt like he was in someone else’s home.
Honestly, Mr. Gio’s cabin was more comfortable.
The moment that thought crossed his mind, Ju-hyeon felt a sudden chill.
“…”
Have I gone mad?
I need to be careful not to think such strange things.
Friend or not, there was an unwritten rule when dealing with a god. Just because a god bestowed mercy and grace, one must never take it for granted or expect to receive it again.
Have I spent too much mental energy worrying about my family’s graves lately?
Ju-hyeon’s thoughts drifted to more practical matters.
“…First, I should look for some of their belongings…”
He intended to build graves for his deceased family and friends using those items.
There should still be a few things left at the orphanage.
Even though it was within Seoul, his orphanage was located in a fairly secluded area. Because it was a damp, gloomy place with no other practical use, only the corpses, which posed a risk of spawning monsters, had been cleared away. The building itself remained intact.
I was too distracted to think about looking around before, but the government wouldn’t have been that thorough with the cleanup. There should be plenty of things left to use as mementos. I’ll start by gathering those.
Still, it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
“…”
The graves I build won’t even have bodies.
“…Sigh…”
If only he had come a little sooner, he might have been able to retrieve them before the bodies were disposed of.
I was too late.
He didn’t want to waste his emotions on useless self-reproach, but he couldn’t help the guilt that whispered it was all his fault. The thought of tombstones without even their owners’ remains made Ju-hyeon’s heart ache all the more.
He sat on the bed with his head bowed for a long time, until…
“Meow.”
“…”
“Meow.”
“…?”
The cry of a cat.
“Meow.”
It was, but…
“Meow.”
“…”
Do normal cats even meow like that?
…It sounded too perfect, too textbook.
His stomach churned.
Rubbing his slightly chilled neck, Ju-hyeon stood up.
His apartment was on the 46th floor. With ceilings much higher than a typical apartment building, it was structurally impossible for a stray cat to get in. The security was also so outstanding that not even a single monster could breach it.
“…”
Even so, Ju-hyeon moved without hesitation.
“Meow.”
“…Ah…”
“Meow.”
“I knew it.”
Ju-hyeon said, looking past the veranda window.
“It was you.”
There, hidden in the darkness, was the Jewel Cat. It held a black letter in its mouth, and its coat had changed color to match the night sky, unlike when he had seen it at the cabin.
Was it a kind of camouflage, or was there some other reason? Before such trivial thoughts could even fully form, his eyes fell upon the letter clamped in its jaws.
“Did you bring a letter?”
“Meow.”
“We did happen to talk about that today.”
Gio’s Anti-Cat, Dana, approached the window, her body glowing faintly in places, like a scattering of stars.
“…Do you want to come in?”
When Ju-hyeon opened the window, Dana trotted into the room. As large as a Maine Coon, she sat before Ju-hyeon and offered him the letter, as if telling him to take it.
As he took the letter, Dana blinked. She looked like a patch of night sky holding the Milky Way.
“…”
“…”
The Jewel Cat, a shadow so dark it seemed to absorb the surrounding light, circled Ju-hyeon once before padding back out to the veranda and vanishing into the night.
Ju-hyeon, who had been staring blankly at the wide-open veranda window, soon opened the letter.
“…As expected, I can’t make out what it says.”
Yet its weightless feel, the rustling sound like dry leaves, and the faint scent of the forest told him exactly who the sender was.
Staring blankly at the distorted characters, Ju-hyeon let out a soft gasp.
“Ah.”
Come to think of it.
“How did she meow when she had a letter in her mouth?”
It was a detail he’d completely missed while Dana was right in front of him.
Ju-hyeon suddenly felt as if he were living in a ghost story.