Chapter 195
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 195
It wasn’t as if Gio had strayed from the path solely to satisfy his own selfish desires.
“……”
Well, actually, that was part of it.
Even for me, claiming innocence after making such a mess would weigh on my conscience.
Gio tried his best to ignore the surrounding scene, which was littered with the remains of monsters. Perhaps because he hadn’t fully assimilated with ‘Arjio’ yet, his ego as Gio sometimes felt separate from the man known as Giovanni. With a complicated expression, Gio wiped the blood from his face.
“…Well, yes…”
“……”
“Should I say it’s been a while?”
Looking at the merman standing before him, Giovanni smiled awkwardly.
“I didn’t expect you to seek me out like this.”
“I didn’t expect you to come all the way to this Outer Zone, either.”
“I was just chasing my interests and happened to end up here.”
“Is that really all?”
“How could I retreat alone when there are still people here?”
Gio tilted his head.
“You planned this, didn’t you?”
It was hard to believe it was a coincidence that civilians and fragile, rear-position Hunters—who should have been evacuated long ago—were isolated here. The flashy monsters that had blocked his path must have also been the mermaids’ doing.
“Why did you call me here?”
“I believe you rejected my sister’s invitation last time.”
“How could I accept when she was openly asking me to let myself be kidnapped?”
“Indeed. You don’t make sacrifices without a reason.”
Iser smiled faintly. It was a smile that seemed warm at first glance, yet it was completely devoid of emotion.
“So, I made a reason for you.”
Iser gestured to the humans around them.
“That thing is injured,” he continued, his voice flat. “Its legs are broken, so it cannot move. That thing is quite young, even for a human. Perhaps not even twelve? That thing is in a state of panic—disgustingly, it’s unable to even understand my words…”
“What’s your point?”
“I believe you already know.”
His eyes curved into crescents.
“Come to us.”
“That’s a highly ambiguous statement.”
“You may accept the kidnapping we proposed before, or you may join us completely.”
“Both options sound rather troublesome.”
Gio stroked his chin. Sensing that he was about to refuse, one of the trapped people cried out.
“H-Hunter…!!”
“Oh?”
“Save us! I don’t want to die…! Please, help us!”
“I see.”
As always, Giovanni smiled gently.
“I understand how you feel.”
Whether they were heartened by his words or had simply been waiting for an opportunity, the terrified people, who had been holding their tongues, began to plead one after another, clinging to him.
“Save us…”
The voices grew louder.
“Please, Hunter…!”
“I don’t want to die!”
“It hurts so much, please save me!”
“Why were you so late?!”
“You should have come sooner! Do you know how many people died?!”
“Please save us! You have the power to do it…!”
Thud—!!!
The merman slammed his staff into the ground.
“……”
“……”
The commotion died down instantly, leaving a deathly silence. Iser questioned the priest, who was still smiling.
“They desire your salvation.”
“It certainly seems that way.”
“Do these humans, who demand sacrifice, not look as disgusting as insects to you?”
“They only look incredibly pitiful to me. They’re terrified, which is only natural.”
“You side with humans until the very end.”
The smile vanished from Iser’s face.
“If you will not side with the Deep Sea, then at least surrender your body.”
“Is that a threat?”
“You catch on quickly.”
The merman’s eyes glowed with a strange, shimmering hue, like the scales of a fish.
“Before I can no longer tolerate my hatred for these humans.”
He extended his hand.
“…You had better come over here.”
“And if I don’t?”
“These humans will die faster than I would at your hands.”
“That’s highly possible.”
Gio had plenty of tricks up his sleeve, but Iser surely knew that. He must have come fully prepared, which meant he could kill at least one person, no matter what Gio did.
And Giovanni was a man who refused to allow even a single futile death.
Now, what should I do?
He briefly pondered the situation through the wicked mind of the Evil God.
“Hmm… I could also just ignore these poor people and fight you.”
“No, you won’t. I know you.”
“My goodness. I had no idea I was such a predictable person.”
“I believe you’re the only one who didn’t know.”
“…Right.”
For the first time, Giovanni’s smile faltered.
“I suppose so.”
“……”
Iser did not reply.
Gio looked around. The eyes of the terrified people were filled with fear and resentment. A bitter malice lingered in the eyes of these ordinary people, who couldn’t truly be called evil.
He knew those eyes.
It will only be temporary.
Since they were by no means evil people, once they reclaimed what was theirs and regained their peace of mind, they would soon regret their words. Giovanni found this so pitiful and heartbreaking that he could hardly bear it.
Why did these people insist on walking a path of suffering?
“Very well. I’ll go to the Deep Sea. What will happen to me then?”
“…You will be imprisoned so that the Black Cloak can no longer protect the humans of this planet.”
“Is that how it is?”
Giovanni grinned.
“I understand. How interesting.”
This was the mermaids’ final, childish whim—their final gift. No matter how this chapter of their responsibility ended, it would allow the ‘Black Cloak’ to establish itself in the world and begin another story. Since they had prepared such a quaint farewell, there was no need for him to suffer any losses.
And the people are scared.
Gio decided to play along with the mermaids’ little surprise party. It was the most comfortable path, one where no more blood would be shed and where he had nothing to lose.
“It’s been quite a while since I’ve been threatened.”
How embarrassing.
How should I play this so that everyone is satisfied?
Gio pondered for a moment and quickly reached a conclusion. Since things had come to this, he figured he might as well etch the presence of the ‘Black Cloak’ even more deeply into the world.
“…Even if I’m imprisoned by you, that ghost story will not withdraw from Earth. It will be the same even if you kill me.”
“We won’t know until we try. I don’t know if the root of that existence lies on Earth, but we must at least stop it from spreading its branches, shouldn’t we?”
This was definitely a childish whim. The mermaids were clearly displeased that their teacher’s roots lay on Earth. Their intention to snatch Giovanni away and lock him in their embrace was transparent.
Gio nodded.
“Do you promise to release these people safely?”
“I swear on my family’s honor… and on the authority of the Golden Branch I now hold.”
“I’ll trust your word.”
He then raised both hands in surrender.
“Take me.”
Now, it was time to wrap up the stories of daily life and bring the conflict between mermaids and humans to its final showdown.
* * *
Meanwhile, Seoul fell into a bleak state of anxiety as the sea grew turbulent.
Hearing the news inside the Collector Guild’s headquarters, Ju-hyeon was utterly dumbfounded.
“…Missing?”
“Strictly speaking, it seems to be a kidnapping.”
“I think you need to look at it even more strictly. Mr. Gio just played along with them.”
“As expected, your insight is outstanding, Mr. Ju-hyeon!”
Bisabeol, who was in the reception room with Ju-hyeon, wore his characteristic smile.
“Isn’t he just indulging the mermaids’ whims?”
“Why does he have to do this, now of all times…?”
“It is precisely because it is a time like this.”
“Is it like a final mercy Mr. Gio is granting them?”
“Or perhaps it’s a move to solidify the story of the ‘Black Cloak’?”
“…Would the mermaids even cooperate with that?” Ju-hyeon asked, clutching his head. “No, actually, this whole mess might have been created for that very purpose. Ah, my head…”
“You really do have a quick grasp of things.”
Bisabeol clicked his tongue.
“I don’t understand why someone with a head on their shoulders occasionally acts so brainless.”
“Excuse me, I can hear you. The person you’re talking about is right here.”
“Oh dear, you heard me? How embarrassing that my monologue carried all the way over there.”
“If it’s loud enough for a Non-Awakened like me to hear, didn’t you just say it for me to hear?”
“Seeing how you talk back so sharply, you definitely have a brain, but… you really are…”
His tone even carried a hint of pity. Ju-hyeon demanded, “Why do you keep picking on me?!”
“I have a chronic habit of picking on foolish humans.”
“Go to a hospital.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
For the safety of the human Gio cherished, Bisabeol was personally protecting Ju-hyeon in the inner chambers of his guild. Knowing his intentions, Ju-hyeon didn’t storm out of the room, despite all the bickering.
But just because his body was safe didn’t mean his mind was at ease.
“I heard that when Mr. Gio went to the ‘Deep Sea Kingdom’ to rescue the student Cha Yi-sol, he came back severely injured. I’m really… deeply worried that the same thing will happen this time.”
“That, too, is Mr. Gio’s intention. Surely you aren’t planning to disrespect that. But since you can’t help but worry, changing that foolish mindset of yours would make living in this world a bit easier.”
“I’d really appreciate it if you’d stick to either giving advice or wishing me ill. At this rate, I might actually start growing fond of you.”
“Oh my, is that so? Have you been treating me so coldly all this time, Mr. Ju-hyeon? I’m so hurt I feel like crying…”
“I’m the one who feels like crying, Guild Master.”
As a fragile Non-Awakened, he couldn’t escape and felt like he was going to die of sorrow.
“…It seems the people of the Collector Guild don’t worry much about Mr. Gio’s safety.”
“That is the discomfort that arises because you treat ‘Gio’s Portrait’ as a human, Mr. Ju-hyeon,” Bisabeol continued, his expression uncharacteristically nonchalant. “Think of ordinary artworks. An artist slashes a canvas with a knife, claiming it’s performance art. What would you think in that situation?”
“I don’t know much about art… so I’d probably just accept it.”
“Exactly. That is our perspective when dealing with artworks. Furthermore, this is a path chosen by the artwork itself. How could a mere spectator deny that choice and stand in its way?”
“……”
“Of course, you probably want to say this, Mr. Ju-hyeon.” He still wore a grumpy expression. “You want to ask if it’s right to treat an existence that can eat, speak, sleep, and laugh as a mere ‘artwork.’ You probably find it too disgusting to tolerate, don’t you?”
“…It is a bit creepy.”
“This guild was formed by gathering such creepy bastards.”
Bisabeol had created such a guild. Because he didn’t want to be left alone, he established the Collector Guild and displayed his family in this giant showcase. Then, he managed them diligently so they wouldn’t run away or deteriorate.
“Your perspective isn’t strange, Mr. Ju-hyeon. Neither I nor the other guild members are ignorant of the fact that the Collector Guild is the strange one. But we gathered for the sake of that ‘creepy business.’”
“Solely for you, Guild Master?”
“I believed this was a win-win transaction for both sides. Of course, you might think otherwise, Mr. Ju-hyeon. I want to respect that, but personally, my stomach isn’t that strong…”
“I suddenly became curious—how many times a day do you hear that you have a bad personality?”
“About twelve times. My guild members are loyal subjects, so they only speak the truth. Aren’t they adorable?”
“That’s a disease.”
“Probably. I know.” Bisabeol laughed. “Didn’t I tell you earlier that it’s a chronic habit?”
“It seems you have another illness besides the ‘chronic habit of picking on foolish humans.’”
“In the end, it’s all in a similar vein. How I treat Mr. Gio isn’t much different.”
To him, an artwork was simply an artwork, and a hero was simply a hero.
“To me, Mr. Giovanni’s actions appear incredibly strong and brilliant.”
They simply saw things differently.
“Listening to the stories of the rescued survivors, they say he sacrificed himself for other humans. Even after hearing harsh words and being betrayed, he ultimately felt nothing but pity and stepped forward for the greater good. He is a true ‘hero.’”
That was the path Gio had chosen for himself. He had decided on his own to save all those people. And as a result, many humans were liberated from suffering, and Gio himself was satisfied with that.
“I think that decision is highly noble. As long as so many were actually saved, no one should diminish its value.”
“…Hearing you say that is quite surprising,” Ju-hyeon said. “I guess you don’t… dislike that kind of ‘hero.’”
“It’s the story of a dead person, so there’s no reason to hate it.”
“Do you dislike me because I’m alive?”
“A story completed by death and a living human are strictly different.”
Bisabeol cherished his guild members by treating them as collectibles, but he had by no means forgotten that they were human. Thus, a dead ‘hero’ and a living ‘hero’ felt completely different to him.
He soon gave a playful smile.
“Is what I see wrong? The actions shown by Mr. Giovanni are incredibly noble. What kind of person could do such a thing? Not the wisest sage of the century, nor countless saints, nor anyone else could give themselves up to that extent to show affection and mercy to humans…”
“…That is indeed a part of Mr. Gio, but it is merely a single fragment. No matter what his essence and origin are, he is a human being who can cry, laugh, and feel pain. I don’t think what I see is wrong, either.”
“Correct. That is also one of the facets of ‘Gio’s Portrait.’”
“So you’re saying neither of our perspectives is wrong.”
“Spot on, Mr. Ju-hyeon.”
They were just that different.
“I guess we really won’t be able to get close.”
“…I agree.”
The worlds they saw were different.
* * *
Yoo Seong-un spoke, his eyes bloodshot.
“The rescue team.”
“Ah, no. Just a moment…”
“When are you going to form the rescue team?”
“Well, the Hunters haven’t finished reorganizing yet…”
“Then didn’t I ask you to at least let me through?”
“You know that individual actions aren’t allowed in this kind of situation, Hunter Yoo Seong-un…”
“How can you be so sluggish when we don’t know what kind of trouble Hunter Seo Gio might be in?!”
“…Why are you doing this to me…” the dispatched Association employee whimpered in sorrow.
Hunters are so scary.
He wanted to go home.