Chapter 213
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 213
What Gio had done was simple.
“I summoned them onto my palette.”
“I believe I asked for a more straightforward and detailed explanation.”
“…”
“And don’t give me that look, as if you can’t possibly imagine how to explain it any better than that.”
“I made no such face.”
“It’s written all over it. Don’t even try to deny it.”
“That’s a baseless accusation.”
Only after some time had passed was Gio, who had transformed into the platinum-blonde priest, finally able to elaborate.
“…To paint a picture, one needs paint, correct?”
“I see you’ve become Giovanni because this is hard to explain. Yes, that’s true. But what of it?”
“So, in other words, a painting is something created with paint.”
“Right?”
“The same applies to the current me. The ‘me’ inside the frame is made of paint, or at least an equivalent concept. I believe that is only natural.”
The logic was consistent.
“The mermaids, and the ‘Breathing Sea’… or rather, the ‘Deep Sea Kingdom’ where their roots lay, were linked to my frame. In other words, they could be seen as a single, unified painting.”
Gio spoke calmly.
“If so, wouldn’t our mermaid friends also be paint?”
“…Does it really work that way? Why? That feels incredibly sudden.”
“But it is only natural that a painting is, in essence, a combination of paints.”
“…”
Ju-hyeon was utterly speechless.
While Ju-hyeon was too dumbfounded to even manage a simple, “Ah, I see,” Yoo Seong-un, who was well-accustomed to the bizarre phenomena caused by entities of the Origin, understood immediately.
“I think I get the gist of it.”
After all, Gio himself was a ‘portrait’.
“But if that’s the case, does everyone depicted in your frames become a resident of your palette? Ju-hyeon and I have been in them before. Even young Cha Yi-sol has.”
“None of you are palette residents.”
“Is there a specific criterion?”
“Your roots must be connected.”
“Roots, huh…”
As a Gardener, he understood. Roots played a vital role in constituting an existence. If it was the root of the soul—the most fundamental concept—then that said it all.
“So simply sharing the same flowerpot isn’t enough?”
“Correct. To reiterate, there must be a ‘link.’ In botanical terms, it would be a situation far beyond merely sharing a pot, where the roots and stems have fused completely.”
“And in human terms, they can’t just be lovers; they’d have to be conjoined twins?”
“I believe it is closer to the relationship between organs in a single body. Or perhaps how nutrients, chewed and swallowed, are converted into fat and stored permanently within that body.”
“So their ‘roots’ must truly become one and the same.”
It seemed they had to go beyond merely ‘sharing’ and actually become ‘one.’
“Then what can you do with them? What changes?”
“I can summon them.”
“Summon them? They were already dead.”
“Are the residents of the palette not paint?”
“…Ah.”
Yoo Seong-un nodded.
“Right. Life and death don’t really apply to paint.”
Even Gio himself was dead, preserved in his most perfect state. With such an example standing right before his eyes, there was no reason others couldn’t do the same—though it would certainly require a great deal of Gio’s help.
“So now, those mermaids… have they become paint?”
“To be precise, they have become colors.”
“Colors?”
“Yes.”
The portrait recited the truth with mechanical precision.
“Aria became gray, and Iser became sky blue.”
“…”
“You will be able to find them within my shadow and my works.”
“…Well, that is…”
Yoo Seong-un hesitated for a moment before continuing.
“…beautiful.”
He meant it.
“That means they are unaffected by death.”
“Just as I am.”
“What is this ‘color’ you speak of?”
“It is literally just color.”
“Can they speak? Can you talk to them?”
“If that is the intention, it can be so.”
“Is their consciousness intact?”
“If they wish it.”
“But they are already dead, right?”
“Yes. They have become existences far removed from life.”
“…Haha, that’s incredibly romantic…!”
A laugh escaped him naturally.
“I’d love to see them. Where can I appreciate them? If it wouldn’t displease you, I’d like to see them with my own eyes. Could you show me the way?”
“You may visit the ‘Deep Sea Temple’ or the ‘Void City.’ You will also be able to find them easily at my cabin.”
“Do I have to visit the frames?”
“Either way is fine. In the end, visible color is everywhere.”
“Incredible…”
Ju-hyeon listened to their conversation with a dubious expression.
“…Am I the only one who doesn’t understand right now?”
“There are worlds our Ju-hyeon simply cannot comprehend.”
“Since it’s a world that includes Mr. Gio, I feel like I ought to understand it, but I can’t shake this strange sense of aversion. Am I just narrow-minded… or too conventional?”
“It’s because you’re a diligent person, Ju-hyeon.”
It was only natural for him to feel that way.
“You’re looking at things from a different perspective, so it can’t be helped.”
“…I will try to adapt, step by step.”
Ju-hyeon finally let his professional smile slip and let out a deep sigh. Since the person he served was a colossal mystery regarded as the Origin itself, it was time for him to grow in various ways as well.
‘However…’
He glanced at Yoo Seong-un, who was smiling cheerfully.
“…”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Nothing.”
Ju-hyeon smiled back.
“I was just thinking you must have quite a headache.”
“I always do.”
Even now, Yoo Seong-un had not been able to define Gio.
* * *
“…”
Yoo Seong-un was now in the ‘Void City.’
“…The water birds are here too.”
“It is only natural, as this is one of the homes I created.”
“And the population has grown quite a bit since I last saw it.”
Looking around, he saw several human figures covered in a mottled black light, as if drenched in ink. They were likely the ‘evil humans’ who had been captured after causing trouble in front of the ‘Void City.’
‘Still, there aren’t as many as I thought.’
In an era overflowing with evil humans, he had expected the place to be packed by now. Or perhaps there were other spaces beyond the one he was currently viewing.
‘Well, it is an endless main street, after all.’
The ‘Void City’ took the form of a road running between towering buildings on either side. One could venture into the alleyways between them, or seemingly travel infinitely down the road toward some unknown end.
‘The sights visible through the frame are merely fragments…’
As Yoo Seong-un looked around, water birds began to perch on his head and shoulders.
“Whoa, what’s this? Why are they doing this?”
“They seem to be the water birds that met you at the cabin last time, Mr. Seong-un.”
“Ah… right, back then.”
He thought they had quite a good memory, considering how long it had been.
‘Before I was first invited into the cabin, I saw the water birds sitting in the trees.’
These seemed to be those very same birds.
“…”
When he extended his hand, they hopped onto it one by one.
“…They’re gray?”
“It is only natural, as this space is gray.”
“True enough.”
Since water was inherently transparent, it made sense for it to absorb the surrounding colors.
‘After all, this place and these creatures are all part of a painting.’
The water bird on Seong-un’s hand pecked at his palm and tilted its head, as if to ask, ‘What are you doing here?’
‘Is it because most humans who come here are evil? I suppose I should be grateful they aren’t treating me like an enemy…’
Just then, a black figure being devoured by a water bird caught his eye.
“Oh.”
So that’s how they were disposed of.
“Your children must be stuffed to bursting.”
“Not necessarily. It is an activity focused more on play than eating.”
“Calling something like that ‘play’ is a bit chilling for a human to hear.”
“You must be joking.”
“You really need to learn to take people’s words at face value.”
“Are you enjoying the view?”
“…I’m definitely less tense than before.”
Not that he was completely at ease, of course.
‘I’m like this even though I’m not the target of their hostility.’
Although he had visited before, it was still an eerie space. Just breathing here made him feel as if his very existence was being erased. His chest felt tight, as if his lungs were filling with plaster dust.
‘And even this is only bearable because of Gio’s goodwill.’
There was a reason ordinary Hunters couldn’t cope with the ‘Void City.’ Once ensnared by the works of the Black Cloak, there was no escape unless he personally showed mercy.
“Hmm…”
Yoo Seong-un tilted his head.
“…Where are the mermaids?”
“It would be difficult to call them mermaids anymore.”
“Then can they no longer even be called by their names?”
“No. Dying does not make one’s name disappear.”
“I don’t know whether to call that merciful or horrific…”
Soon, a deep gray caught Yoo Seong-un’s eye.
“…”
Ah.
“…Eyes…”
“Yes, they are eyes.”
“…Are they looking at me?”
“They are.”
They were eyes made of color.
‘The eyes of a mermaid.’
They held a strange silver light, like shimmering scales. No, it was closer to the color of pearls. Sparkling pupils were surrounded by irises like a polar aurora. There weren’t just two, or one, but dozens, hundreds of them.
Soon, hands emerged. Buried in color, made of color, they wriggled within the defined hues in indistinct shapes. Those, too, numbered not in ones or twos, but in the thousands.
He couldn’t quite grasp what he was seeing.
‘Are they alive?’
Or had they been preserved?
‘But to call this taxidermy… it’s far too full of life.’
Yet, he couldn’t feel any trace of life itself.
It was like a thin film of oil shimmering over an oil painting. Even without a breeze, it drifted lazily, following the sweep of some unseen brush, reminiscent of the mermaids’ tails when they were alive.
‘Is it grotesque?’
It was beautiful.
‘Should I call it horrific? Should I say that even if they were monsters, desecrating the dead is wrong?’
It was no different from a portrait.
It was, quite literally, ‘color.’ Gray. Just as the ocean by day differs from the ocean at dusk, the contrast of light and shadow permeating every corner was distinct. He had wondered why a mermaid born of the sea had turned gray, but…
“…”
It was a gray sea.
‘…The color didn’t matter.’
It was flowing gently, like a spring tide.
“…They don’t seem to have any consciousness left. Am I right?”
“No, that is not the case.”
“Then why don’t they show any hostility toward me?”
“Because they are merely color. Paint cannot express its own will, nor can it possess one.”
“I see.”
Yoo Seong-un looked up.
“…I understand.”
A twilight ill-suited to the name of void flowed across the ‘sky,’ blanketing everything.
‘This is the hell the mermaids chose.’
They had decided to remain by Gio’s side as tools. In the past, they had two paths: become Evil Gods and spend an eternity together, even if they were never forgiven by Gio, or remain as tools like this and wait for the day they might eventually be forgiven.
The mermaids had chosen the latter.
“I was going to ask if you were going to build a hell now that you’ve built a heaven.”
“I build neither heaven nor hell.”
“I know. You probably just wanted to build a home where the things you like could stay.”
“I am glad you understand so well.”
“…Yeah…”
But if this wasn’t hell, what was?
“…I keep saying this, but it’s beautiful.”
If he were to die, Yoo Seong-un wanted to go to a hell like this.
To this bizarre hell that resembled a fairy tale.
“…”
…Will the day ever come when I see you as a human?