Chapter 156
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 156
The incident began with a teddy bear.
"Kuu."
"What is it, Father?"
"Kuuu, ku…"
"Ah, you’re looking for Lulupu Juice."
This was back when Gio was racking his brain over what to use as a "friendship fee."
His new friend, Ju-hyeon, was a rare find—an older, mature Esper—and Gio planned to tame him with delicious meals, a comfortable bed, and refreshing diversions.
Because of this, he had already prepared and stockpiled all sorts of things…
"As it happens, I have just what you need."
Lulupu Juice was among them.
"Kuu?"
"Yes. It makes a wonderful perfume."
"Kukuku…"
"It’s a great idea, isn’t it?"
Though it didn’t have much of a taste, the juice possessed an incredibly lovely fragrance. When bottled, it was so beautiful it could be appreciated for its appearance alone. He had made it in advance, thinking he might gift it to someone looking for a decent perfume.
"But Father, why are you looking for Lulupu Juice?"
"Kuuu…"
"Ah, you want to give that tasteless stuff to Dana."
Was that really a good idea?
"…"
Giovanni asked with a serious expression.
"…It won’t give her an upset stomach, will it?"
"Kuku."
"Forcing her to drink something tasteless is…?"
"Ku."
"Ah, in that case, it’s perfectly fine."
"Kuu."
The teddy bear clapped his cotton paws together, looking impossibly fluffy. Gio, who found his own happiness in his family’s, watched the scene warmly before asking another question.
"Giving you the juice isn’t a problem, but how did you plan on giving it to Dana? Did she ask for it?"
"Ku!"
"I don’t know why you brought that up, but yes, I was just agonizing over what gift to give Mr. Ju-hyeon."
The Previous Sun God had pointed out that Gio was currently worrying about a gift for his new friend. When Gio confirmed it, the teddy bear, smelling of warm sunshine, continued with a soft kuku.
"You want me to help with Mr. Ju-hyeon’s funeral?"
"Kuu."
"Surely you don’t mean we should kill Mr. Ju-hyeon himself."
"Ku…!?"
"Then it must be the funeral for his friends and family…"
Gio nodded.
"The thought had crossed my mind. Mr. Ju-hyeon recently lost his family and friends and is blaming himself for it. Now that he’s on his own, he’s planning to build graves for them."
This was an incredibly important task for Ju-hyeon. Not only would it help alleviate some of the guilt and sense of debt he carried, but it was also a necessary starting point for whatever he chose to do next.
"Since I inherited your divinity, Father—the power that once sowed and reaped life—it wouldn’t be a problem for me to offer a friend some help in that regard."
"Kukuu?"
"Indeed. As you said, helping with Mr. Ju-hyeon’s funeral arrangements would be fine. And I know it could make for a rather plausible gift, but…"
Gio, who prided himself on possessing both good looks and common sense, grew serious.
"I worry that doing so might be incredibly rude."
"Ku…?"
"Isn’t it bad manners to carelessly pry into someone’s painful past?"
It was a reasonable point. Between humans, there was always a certain line, and the tragedy tied to Ju-hyeon’s guilt was far too private for Gio, a near-stranger, to get involved in.
But gods knew nothing of such things.
"…Kuu??"
The teddy bear looked up at Gio, his eyes seeming to ask, ‘Why? Why is it rude to get involved in a human’s death? Strange. In the past, humans loved it when I did that…’
"Hmm."
That made sense.
‘Father has never lived among humans, after all.’
Gio found a suitable answer.
"That was a privilege you could enjoy only because you were a god, Father."
"Kuu??"
"Ah, come to think of it, I’m a god now, too."
To think that even a short, stout potato like me, who only knows how to eat well and sleep well, could become a god. Gio wondered if there had ever been such an insignificant god in all of history, but he soon smiled proudly and continued.
"I’m just an ordinary human who happens to hold a god license."
"Mwaaaaang—…"
Dana let out a cry that seemed to say, ‘I love Dad, but he’s talking nonsense right now,’ and trotted past. Honey, perched on her head, disappeared along with his younger sister, his eyes conveying, ‘I love Dad, but Dana is right.’
"…"
Gio felt a little wronged.
"Does it make sense that I’m not treated as a human just because I hold one measly god license?"
"Kukuu."
"Of course not, Father. Where in the world would you find a god who roasts and eats sweet potatoes with his own hands?"
At that, the teddy bear looked up at Gio with eyes that seemed to say, ‘Indeed, how could that be?’ Gio was left speechless by that gaze, which was filled with pure wonder. He never thought he’d be treated like an oddity just for eating roasted sweet potatoes.
"Anyway, Father, listen to me. No matter how much the world has changed, in a country with such deeply ingrained Confucian values, a person who intrudes on a family’s funeral without a good reason is considered incredibly rude."
"Ku."
"Above all, Mr. Ju-hyeon is a freshly captured… no, a freshly made friend. We’re just getting to know each other, so this is the time to slowly tame him with small, non-burdensome gifts, binding him into a relationship so solid he won’t run away even if I send him three boxes of sweet potatoes. If we rush things, it’ll all go wrong."
"Ku."
"Besides, Mr. Ju-hyeon is thirty-six, which makes him older than me. For me to offer help with a funeral to someone with more life experience and social grace is a massive discourtesy. It’s also rude to meddle when someone is trying to handle things on their own."
"Ku?"
To repeat, gods knew nothing of such things.
"Kuuu?"
"I said it’s rude."
"Kuung…"
Around that time, Iser, who had come to visit after a long while, spotted the two.
"Teacher? Is there a problem?"
"I was having a conversation with Father about the funeral of my newly made friend."
"That sentence alone sounds incredibly confusing."
After hearing the details, Iser nodded.
"I don’t think it would be a nuisance, either."
"If both of you insist, I’d like to hear your reasoning. Why on earth would it not be rude?"
"Are you not the God of the Sun, Teacher?"
"I’m also Mr. Ju-hyeon’s freshly made friend."
"But that human, Ju-hyeon, also knows you’re a god."
"Well, that’s true, but…"
"Then what’s the problem, Teacher?"
Iser tilted his head.
"A god personally tending to a human’s life and death isn’t a nuisance. It’s a great mercy."
"Calling it mercy is far too embarrassing."
"Hmm, I don’t know which part embarrasses you, but the God of the Sun did the same."
"Well, that’s because Father was the sun who created and reaped life…"
"Since you inherited that divinity, I don’t think it would be strange for you to do something similar."
Iser had once been a priest of the deep sea and a believer in the sun. Having studied theology under Giovanni, who was once the most brilliant Son of the Sun, he found Gio’s peculiar dilemma rather strange.
"Surely you know this well yourself, Teacher. Governing life is both a god’s right and duty. I don’t know what makes you so reluctant, but this is an extremely natural thing."
"I keep telling you, I’m just an ordinary human."
"I truly respect and love you, Teacher, but I can clearly see that statement is not valid. Even so, if we look at it from a human perspective, why not think of it as inheriting a family business?"
Iser politely gestured toward the teddy bear with both hands.
"You have inherited the family business of divinity from the Sun."
"This is my first time being a god, so I’m asking because I don’t know: if you inherit divinity, are you supposed to inherit the previous god’s duties as well?"
"That is my understanding. It is a form of hereditary succession."
The mermaid, who had once dreamed of becoming a proper priest, looked down at the teddy bear.
"It seems the Previous Sun God wished for you to bestow the gift of mercy upon a human you hold dear, while simultaneously learning the authority and position of the Sun."
Gio had suspected as much.
"Otherwise, Father wouldn’t have suddenly advised me to host a funeral. It seems he stepped in because I’ve been far too negligent as a god."
"Ah, is that how you see it?"
"Until now, I thought I had only inherited the license, not the actual position. But hearing it described as a family business makes me realize I’ve been neglecting Father’s legacy this whole time."
At that, Iser offered a reassuring smile, as if to tell him not to worry.
"Please do not be anxious, Teacher. All the previous duties managed by this Sun sank along with the seawater of my sister and me, so you have nothing to worry about."
"That’s a bizarrely troubling thing to say."
"What I mean to say, however, is that you, who possess divinity, do not need to feel so burdened by involving yourself in human life, death, and their rituals."
Saying so, Iser smiled bitterly.
"Any ordinary being would have discarded their humanity the moment they inherited divinity. Yet, for some reason, you still retain yours, Teacher, which is why you remain bound by human etiquette. It is truly remarkable."
"Must you bring up a grand concept like humanity for a principle as obvious as not prying into someone else’s funeral? Unless you share a family registry or are sworn brothers, you’re not supposed to carelessly meddle in someone’s deep personal affairs."
"Teacher, you and humans are not equals. Your smallest favor becomes a grand mercy—or a catastrophe—to them. Since you inherited the divinity of the Sun, this was a perfectly natural progression."
A shadow of worry fell over Giovanni’s face.
"To think you would make such a speciesist remark."
"…"
"Yes, your sins are great, Teacher."
Iser, who had once been a victim of speciesism only to grow up to be the perpetrator of the century, was temporarily lost for words.
"…Ahem. Well, in the end, the decision is yours, Teacher."
"No matter how much I think about it, I feel it would be a great discourtesy to Mr. Ju-hyeon…"
"Rather than a discourtesy… it would be a deeply meaningful gift bestowed by a divine being."
Humans would dedicate their lives and walk paths of suffering just to hear a single phrase from a god or receive a single touch from their hand. To receive the blessings of life and death from a mystery that deserved reverence was a massive grace and mercy.
"Besides, from what I know… hmm."
Iser, who had been secretly paying close attention to the human events revolving around Gio, organized his thoughts. Recalling the brown-skinned human he had met before, he continued.
"It seems another Evil God was involved in the tragedy that befell the human named Ju-hyeon. Since those souls were sacrificed to the schemes of an Evil God, it might be only right for the merciful Sun to gather them."
"I feel bad digging too deep into his personal story. And shouldn’t a gift avoid being a burden? Financial help, for example, would be extremely burdensome for Mr. Ju-hyeon."
"Perhaps the Previous Sun wasn’t referring to human rituals like funerals, but rather a gift concerning the souls themselves. He likely meant the essence of it, not what is visible to the eye."
At that, the teddy bear nodded.
"Kuu!"
"Don’t you start acting friendly with me."
"Kukuku…"
"I don’t know what you’re laughing about."
Iser still hated the previous Sun. He looked back at Gio.
"As I learned from you, the greatest love of the Sun is to sow life upon the earth and, when the time comes, to reap it and keep it by the sunshine’s side. The process of souls being born and gathered."
"I certainly did say that."
"Then you can do the same, Teacher. From what I understand, because Earth is currently flooded with the attention of various gods, the souls here have fallen into the hands of different deities."
He smiled at his teacher.
"They would surely be happier to be accepted by Earth’s divinity rather than a god from another dimension. It seems the gift regarding the funeral that the Previous Sun spoke of was referring to that."
"I’m hardly in a position to gather anyone."
"To put it in your terms, Teacher, it would be less like gathering them and more like making new friends. Since every god has a different way of involving themselves in life and death, it wouldn’t be wrong to view it as a form of social activity."
"Hmm, social activity."
"I understand your reluctance. You’re considering human etiquette and common sense. However, if you truly wish to act as an Evil God as well, you will need an attitude that doesn’t reject the role of divinity."
Iser had heard that Gio wished to become a Demon King so he could enjoy bloody battles as an Evil God. If so, he would need to adapt to his role and position as a god.
Furthermore, the mermaid siblings also wanted Giovanni to become more whole. If he were to completely separate from humanity in that way, might there not come a day when he would reject them?
"And above all."
Hesitating for a moment, Iser continued.
"Since when did you care about human standards…?"
"What’s that supposed to mean?"
"No, well… you’ve always been like that, Teacher."
Iser recalled the Giovanni he knew when he was still human.
"Even back then, I don’t think you ever acted particularly human."
"Is that how you describe my heroic life?"
"Rather than heroic, it felt more like you just did things without even needing courage."
"I have never failed to observe basic etiquette."
"When I think of the achievements you pulled off as naturally as breathing…"
"Pulled off achievements?"
"I can only wonder why you’re playing coy now."
"What on earth do you take me for? Some notorious serial reverse-pickpocket?"
Giovanni felt wronged once again.
"Even I wouldn’t dig up and pry into someone else’s family affairs."
"Well, I don’t understand why you’re worrying to this extent, Teacher."
"What if Mr. Ju-hyeon finds it too burdensome and runs away?"
"So that was the issue."
He wasn’t worried about an awkward future caused by prying into a gloomy past; he was worried his new friend would get sick of his excessive kindness and bolt. As if he had expected nothing less, Iser nodded with the holy face of a priest.
"It’s fine, Teacher."
"What’s fine?"
"It’s already a lost cause."
"In what way is it a lost cause?"
"Well, as I just said…"
Iser smiled bitterly.
"Mr. Ju-hyeon already doesn’t view you as an equal, Teacher."
"Damn it, I knew it."
Giovanni’s face grew serious.
"I figured as much, since he found me so difficult to approach, but…"
"Setting aside whether he truly considers you a friend, you are likely an object of awe to him."
"Even so, there might still be hope."
"I ask because I don’t quite understand, but what kind of hope is that?"
"The hope that we can become friends so comfortable with each other that we can push each other away with our feet."
"Oh, pushing a god with one’s foot. Even as a mermaid, that’s a blasphemous statement that makes me want to wash out my ears."
"Please refrain from overinterpreting. What does blasphemy even mean between friends?"
"If such hope still remains, that in itself would be a miracle."
But Gio was steadfast. He didn’t know the meaning of giving up.
"I, Bartlan Giovanni, Son of the Sun and symbol of miracles. There is nothing I cannot achieve."
"I would like to say that’s impossible, but since you’re someone who actually does whatever you set your mind to, I won’t speak in absolutes…"
Through their human teacher, the mermaid students had learned that humans truly have no limits. He was a craftsman who forged the impossible into the possible, and from him, Iser had learned the wisdom of always keeping possibilities open.
He had always kept in mind the possibility that his teacher might one day return to life and scold them. Hadn’t that actually happened? Iser believed that as long as Gio set his mind to it, he could do anything.
"At any rate, as long as you don’t find it burdensome to involve yourself in Mr. Ju-hyeon’s unfortunate circumstances, I believe it’s not something to worry about. That human himself will not be able to interpret your mercy as rudeness or a nuisance."
Who would view a god’s mercy as a nuisance? No matter how bold a human might be, such a thing was nearly impossible.
"He might suspect it to be a trial from an Evil God, but he will never think of it as rude."
"But my Confucian sensibilities are screaming at me."
Giovanni cast his melancholy eyes downward, looking troubled.
"One is not supposed to carelessly meddle in others' affairs…"
"But what if, deep down, he is crying out for salvation?"
"Then there’s no way I can stand idly by."
His attitude shifted so quickly it was as if he’d been waiting for just that.
"I truly wanted to respect our boundaries like a mature adult and a Priest of the Sun, but if Mr. Ju-hyeon actually wants help, then I really have no choice."
"I knew you were just waiting for someone to give you a push."
"Whew, you caught me. But a new friend made in my capacity as the God of Portraits is rarer than hundred-year-old wild ginseng. Since he is who he is, I couldn’t bring myself to act rashly."
Gio’s strength and weakness was that he didn’t overthink things.
"If Mr. Ju-hyeon had just asked for help from the start, I would have helped him without a second thought."
In truth, this was a massive amount of agonizing for someone like Gio.
And so, Gio gained courage. He had worried that his brand-new friend might get freaked out by the scale of an extraordinary gift and run away, but if that wasn’t going to happen, nothing was holding him back.
"If someone is in need, and that person is my friend, and I can provide that help, there is no reason not to step forward. Actually, I know. Deep down, Mr. Ju-hyeon must be wishing for the help of this multi-talented friend of his."
"Yes, I knew you would say that. As expected of the Smiling Tyrant of the Sea Village—no, the chosen Son of the Sun—who shoves mercy down people’s throats even if they refuse, as long as they look like they need help."
"I feel like I just heard a title rather inappropriate for a student to use for his teacher, but I’ll let it slide this once. At any rate, I think I have a rough idea of what gift to give Mr. Ju-hyeon. First, I’ll ask for his permission."
Gio looked at his father.
"This is on the assumption that Dana wants it, Father."
"Kukuku!"
"I will gift her the Lulupu Juice, just as you wished."
Just because he didn’t think deeply didn’t mean he was clueless.
"And then, let’s go make some new friends."
That was the exact sequence of events that led to Yoo Seong-un working overtime.