Chapter 112

Well, anyway.

'I was acting playful about it, but.'

At any rate, Yu Seongun had been sincere when he said he had "felt his identity as a human being threatened."

'So this is what they mean by a realm humans can't endure.'

While managing the Garden, Yu Seongun had learned, time and again, what it felt like to touch a "realm beyond one's limits."

But even for him, this meal had something about it that sent a slight chill down his spine.

'From a single meal, of all things...'

And wasn't it hard to even think, "I'm going to be devoured," over something like that?

'... It's absurd that I can't call this a joke.'

Jio had truly served Yu Seongun a meal out of pure intentions.

It seemed to have held no great meaning for him.

He was the sort who enjoyed giving gifts to begin with, so making someone one meal was nothing extraordinary.

But when peace became too extreme, it drew close to death, and when pleasure went too far, it turned into pain.

From Jio's perspective, he had likely only meant to treat his guest, but from a human perspective, it was a kindness that was difficult to endure.

"..."

There was at least one fortunate thing.

"Hiiiiiissss..."

"I guess I am still human."

Seeing how much the anti-cat hated him, Yu Seongun was still human after all.

'This is the first time I've had a meal that was this comfortable and satisfying, yet frightening and unsettling.'

For some reason, it felt bitter.

'This is why you shouldn't accept invitations to feasts of the gods.'

There was a saying that one must not covet even the smallest thing that belonged to a god.

Jio was more a Root with divine traits than a god, but that made him even more burdensome in some ways.

As he had said over and over, Yu Seongun himself felt ridiculous for reacting this much to a meaningless meal.

'No, I mean, it's not as if I was invited to some tremendous palace...'

It had just been one warm meal in a cabin like this.

"..."

Jio's cabin was still beautiful.

It was pastoral, and resembled a scene from an old, worn fairy tale.

There was a chilling nostalgia here.

"Was the meal satisfying?"

"... It made me think a person might die if they became too happy."

"You truly give me praise I do not deserve, Mr. Yu Seongun."

"That..."

Fine, if that was what Jio thought, then so be it.

Yu Seongun decided to simply give up.

"... I really did enjoy the meal, yes."

"I am glad."

Saying that, Jio sat down across from Yu Seongun.

"I did not prepare dessert in advance, so it is setting in the ice storeroom."

"Ice storeroom?"

"Yes, it serves the role of a refrigerator. Shall I serve tea first instead?"

"Aaaah... No, just give me a glass of water."

Not knowing what vicious blessing might fall on him next, he asked for the most ordinary thing possible.

"Here you are."

"..."

And the least ordinary thing appeared.

"...?"

An appraisal status window suddenly popped up even though he had not used his skill.

Before wondering, "Is my skill broken?" Yu Seongun felt gratitude toward the formless something that had shown him this description window.

'It's as though someone helped me quietly, begging me to please make it out alive as a human.'

Yu Seongun asked carefully.

"... This is water?"

"... Is it not?"

"It is water."

Damn it, no wonder everything he ate had sent a chill through him.

'All the water used in the food I ate came from the Root.'

Of course he had instinctively felt a sense of danger.

Yu Seongun quietly pressed strength into his tightly shut lips.

'It's a miracle I'm still human. What a miracle this is.'

One of the basic requirements demanded of a Gardener was, "Do not consume anything from the Garden."

They were merely laborers and managers who maintained the Garden, not its owners.

The moment such a Gardener consumed something from the Garden, no matter where that Garden was, they could never again leave it.

Because they, too, would be treated as part of the Garden.

"C-Can I go home? I'm fine, right?"

"I do not know why you are acting this way, but I am not a ruffian who detains guests..."

"Are you flustered? You do look that way, so I suppose you are. I'm sorry for making you flustered, but it's because I'm genuinely scared."

"Did I do something wrong? I am sorry for frightening you."

"You didn't do anything wrong, but... but..."

"Mr. Yu Seongun?"

"..."

What the hell had he been thinking, coming in here?

'... Well, until I came in, I didn't know this place was the Root, so since I needed to identify what you were, I couldn't really help it...'

Even taking that into account, it had been far too bold a choice.

One might call it the end of someone who had approached the "Portrait of Jio" thinking of it as something like another Gardener's Garden.

Yu Seongun admitted that his approach had been excessively hasty.

'I needed the same level of preparation as when entering an immeasurable dungeon.'

Yu Seongun had been trembling with fear and unease like this, but in any case, as long as he could return to Earth as a human, it did not matter.

He decided to try believing Jio's words that he could go home at any time.

"..."

He desperately wanted the cigarettes he had quit, but he felt as if Jio would give him "something" in the shape of a cigarette, so for now, he held back.

Yu Seongun struggled to regain his reason.

"... Sorry, I think I was very flustered because I've never experienced anything like this before."

"If you are having trouble adapting to an unfamiliar environment, that is entirely understandable."

"Thanks for saying that..."

Yu Seongun looked at the water in the glass with strange eyes.

"..."

That was something in the shape of water.

The explanation was strangely short, so he did not know the details, but at minimum, he knew it was not water meant for humans to drink.

Yu Seongun sank into thought.

'... Come to think of it, every gift Jio has given me so far had the same sentence.'

It was the phrase, "Directly processed by Jio, master of the forest, so even the human body can accept it."

Every gift Jio had given him until now, in other words, every food item, had come with that explanation.

'But this doesn't have that explanation.'

Yu Seongun quietly set the glass down.

"... Sorry to take it back after asking, but..."

A moment later, Yu Seongun asked.

"Could I have some tea?"

"I do not have much tea prepared, but would the flower tea I gave you before be all right?"

"You mean the pale blue tea, right? That sounds good."

Yu Seongun realized something.

'I must not eat or drink anything unless Jio processed it himself.'

A chill ran down his spine.

'Considering that the gardens we manage are also part of the Root, it's only natural. I don't know exactly what process makes it safe, but I can't recklessly consume the raw things of this Garden.'

Yu Seongun steadied himself as he recalled the previous Gardeners who had become part of their gardens and gone on living, unable to die.

This place, moreover, was the Root itself.

It might not end with merely losing his identity as a human.

Having organized his thoughts, Yu Seongun emphasized it once more.

"Anything you made yourself is fine."

He meant it.

"I feel bad only accepting things, so should I help?"

"It is my joy to host a guest. Please remain seated."

"R-Right..."

Jio soon brought over the "forest butterfly flower tea."

"It is Bivamnil tea."

"... Bivamnil? Is that the name of this flower?"

"Yes. It is delicious if you blanch it directly in boiling water and eat it."

"What an astonishing method of consumption."

"It is a snack with a pleasant texture, like seasoned greens."

"It's greens?"

After drinking the tea, Yu Seongun found himself in a situation where his already perfectly healthy blood vessels had to regenerate, his cells had to be restructured, and immunity against minor illnesses had to last for six months.

"..."

I'm telling you, if I stay here for three days with room and board, I really will become immortal.

'It feels as if my lifespan has increased.'

By about fifty years, at that.

'The forest butterfly flower tea doesn't have that level of effect, so of course it's just my imagination, but there are still unsettling parts. Is it because Jio brewed it himself? The effects shouldn't change depending on who brews it... They really shouldn't.'

Yu Seongun wanted to live as a human and die as a human.

That was the greatest desire any Gardener dreamed of.

"... Who else has received this kind of hospitality besides me? Hunter Cha A-ra?"

"Aside from the two of you, I have not had any guests who live on Earth."

"Oh, then would it be those mermaid siblings after all? You said they come over often."

"They stop by to eat once every two or three days."

"So that happened."

Indeed, that meant those monsters were of quite a considerable rank as well.

'To be able to accept a meal like this without batting an eye.'

Did that not mean they possessed at least the level of an evil god?

"..."

"..."

"... Uh, wait."

Yu Seongun stopped Jio when he saw him trying to pour more tea.

"I think I've had a lot."

"I thought the cup was small, but did it feel that way to you?"

"I want to digest a bit. How about we take a break?"

"Were we not already resting?"

"Right, so how about we take a walk to help digestion?"

Apparently, for Jio, eating something seemed to mean the same thing as resting.

Yu Seongun, who had eaten while anxiously wondering if this would make him leave the realm of humanity, had not been able to feel that way at all.

"Could you maybe show me around the house?"

"A tour of the house."

"Ah, sorry if that was rude. I just..."

"No, it was not."

Jio nodded.

"After looking around this house, let us go out to the forest and spend some time there."

"... Am I allowed to enter that forest?"

"I do not intend to treat this vast forest as private property."

"..."

That was not what he had meant by asking permission.

'I meant, will I not die if I enter that forest?'

In any case, Jio was already rising to his feet.

"It will take a little more time for dessert to set. May I introduce you to this house?"

"... If you're personally guiding me, it would be my honor."

Yu Seongun also rose from his seat and asked.

"By the way, is it all right to leave our cat friend like that?"

The translucent cat monster had its jewel fur puffed up to the fullest.

It had stopped hissing, but Dana was still wary of Yu Seongun.

"When our eyes meet, she opens her mouth wide without making a sound."

"You will not be eaten."

"You don't know that, Jio. Monsters are very frightening these days."

"Our Dana is a light eater, so you need not worry."

"You aren't saying she won't eat me?"

"Because she is a monster."

With his characteristic calm expression, Jio continued.

"But she is a good child, and I am here, so she will not."

"I'm really putting all my faith in you."

Honey, whom Jio had apparently drawn himself, looked at Yu Seongun with a gaze that was neither hostile nor friendly, much like his parent, but monsters were different.

Since the anti-cat was also a monster, it was not strange for Yu Seongun to feel uneasy.

More than anything.

"Anti-cats aren't usually that big."

"I fed her various things, and she gained some weight."

"Did she really gain weight?"

Just imagining how a monster loved unstintingly by the Root might have evolved made the back of his head prickle.

Seeing that Yu Seongun was still anxious, the teddy bear inhabited by the Sun God stepped in.

Dana, who had been snorting for some reason and acting annoyed at Yu Seongun, was soon held in the teddy bear's arms and petted.

"Oh..."

Dana visibly put aside her irritation and calmed down.

"You two seem close."

"We are, somewhat."

After that, Yu Seongun was given a tour of the cabin.

First was the ice storeroom.

Yu Seongun was bewildered that the storeroom Jio had said served as a refrigerator would be in such a deep place, but soon he expressed interest at the sight of the ice storeroom, which would not have looked out of place being called a growing cave.

"So the ice pearl you gave me last time was this."

"That is correct. They are not commonly formed even in this ice storeroom."

"It's unusual that water is pooling here when it's this cold."

Next was the studio.

He was bewildered by the sight of canvases lying about with nothing drawn on them for some reason, but soon he recalled Jio's trait and regained his composure.

The paintings he drew became reality, so there was no reason for the canvases to be full.

"Ah, is there a storeroom connected to the studio too?"

"Yes, it is mainly a place where I store the landscapes I have completed."

"What are those black cloths covering the canvases?"

"I am careful with them because if I do not cover them, the entrances open without my knowledge."

"Hm... Hm, huh? Uh, right. I see."

Next was the vegetable garden behind the cabin.

"A vegetable garden?"

"I would be grateful if you called it that."

"... This is the result of planting the seeds I gave you?"

"That is correct."

"..."

Looking at crops that were not merely robust but seemed to have grown with wills of their own, Yu Seongun swallowed a low groan.

The shock and fear he felt now came from standing before nature that was far too immense.

'Well, these things must have grown drinking spring water from the Root too.'

Even humans with egos became things of the Garden if they consumed things from the Garden, and these seeds had actually grown in the Root.

Even if they were things from Earth, they could not have resisted this overwhelming evolution.

What should he call this?

Feeling a strange pity born from fear, Yu Seongun murmured.

"I think I've already digested everything."

"Then shall we look around the forest after you eat dessert?"

"Uh, right... The forest. Yes, shall we?"

And so, right after they returned to the cabin.

"..."

"My, how surprising."

Yu Seongun ran into a mermaid in a dress.

"Why is there a human here?"

Killing intent dripped from her.

"..."

"..."

Yu Seongun nodded.

"I'm going home."

Save me.