Chapter 139

Yu Seongun came running.

"Jio."

"Yes, please go ahead."

"Have we done anything to upset you, by any chance?"

"I do not really understand why you are asking such a question, but no."

"That's a relief."

Yu Seongun gave a hollow laugh and asked,

"It seems like you've been talking to the other employees often lately."

"Has it interfered with their work?"

"A little? Well, it's not as if you were terribly rude..."

It was a little ambiguous whether creating a sense of fear counted as being a nuisance.

All the more so for Yu Seongun, who knew that Jio's true identity was neither monster nor god, but a part of the Root.

Still, he was curious.

"I heard you've been going around asking about evil gods?"

"You are correct."

"Gah!"

Yu Seongun jumped in fright when Jio suddenly thrust his upper body out from inside the portrait.

"I didn't know you could come out like that."

"I am merely half draped over it."

Beneath the black cloak rippling like a swell, Yu Seongun caught sight of muted red hair.

Judging from the distinctively provocative, sharp tone, he seemed to have become Arjio, the one who had introduced himself as an evil god.

He leaned his body against the frame.

Yu Seongun noticed that the fingernails flicking lightly had grown long like those of a beast.

Arjio continued speaking.

"Recently, questions about evil gods have arisen in me."

"Questions? What kind of questions?"

"What is an evil god? What must one do, and how, to be called an evil god?"

"That... is truly difficult to distinguish."

Yu Seongun rubbed his throat.

"Humans call gods who do things harmful to them evil gods."

"Then is barging into a festival to drink, or interfering in a hunting ground, also an evil act?"

"I think it would feel different depending on the local culture, but I don't really get the sense that it's evil."

"What about hanging the necks of those who attacked me and decorating the forest with them?"

"That could certainly be called evil...?"

The world had a term called self-defense, but humans were not such fair creatures that they returned only as much as they had received.

In regions with a strong awareness of innate human rights in particular, they would not welcome such blatant retaliation.

"No, well, personally, I don't think it goes so far as evil. If someone attacks me, I wouldn't bother leaving them alive either. Though I wouldn't decorate anything with them..."

"Do you think I decorated with them because I found it beautiful? The problem was that there were fools who would come picking fights unless I did at least that. In any case, you do not feel it is particularly evil?"

"If someone intended to kill another person, then they should be prepared to be killed in return. I don't think I'm the only one who thinks this way. But why are you asking this?"

"..."

After a brief silence, Arjio opened his mouth again.

"I thought I was an evil god, but it seems I fall short of those standards more than expected."

"Standards. On our Earth, there is a clear standard for defining an evil god."

Yu Seongun asked,

"Have you ever killed innocent people?"

"What sort of people do you mean by innocent?"

"People who have not harmed you, or people who showed you goodwill."

"Do you think I would have killed such people?"

"Have you ever repaid kindness with enmity?"

"I may have ignored kindness, but I have never done such a thing."

"No, then why on earth are you an evil god?"

He did not quite understand.

"You said people called you an evil god."

"They did."

"Why did they call you that? Even the meaning of the name Arjio is derogatory."

"Because I was unlucky?"

Arjio flicked his long nails and continued.

"A beautiful beast who is not even like a human is bound to earn people's hatred. There were various other reasons as well, but they called me the evil god of greed and wrath."

"Greed and wrath..."

"I like wealth, you see. Gold, silver, jewels, and fine liquor are my closest friends, and since I was raised as a beast, there was no need for me to be patient. It is a pleasure to return anger to those who irritate me."

"But that alone is a little..."

"... Hmm..."

Arjio rested his chin on his hand.

"So it is as expected."

"Is something bothering you?"

"I had a certain amount of pride in it..."

"You had pride in being an evil god?"

"That, too, is one of my honors, so of course."

"Honor..."

"It is mine, something that came into my arms."

"..."

"But looking back now, even my infamy was nothing much."

It was hard to see under the cloak, but Jio looked rather bored.

"How dispiriting."

"... Mm, uh... I see..."

Yu Seongun roughly understood the situation.

'The size of a mystery changes according to the stories that surround it.'

An evil god was still a god in the end.

Its size changed according to the goodwill or hostility of the creatures who believed in its existence, and from the looks of it, Arjio seemed to have actively accepted even infamy for things he had not done as his own.

'Then it is possible for him to possess divinity so wicked it is excessive compared to the evil deeds he actually committed.'

Wasn't the Sankalut cult the same?

Something that had been an ordinary jewel, unable to kill anyone, let alone speak, became a fully fledged evil god through faith and offerings on a national scale.

It was a case similar to Arjio's.

'Especially on this side, he could speak and act, and yet he actively accepted misunderstandings about himself...'

It was an exceedingly rare case.

"Then, when it comes down to it, is it as if you did nothing at all?"

"I did visit the mansions of unlucky fellows without permission and take their liquor and wealth."

"What kind of people were these unlucky fellows?"

"Those who ruined the taste of my liquor. They made a commotion before me."

"Like making a noisy racket?"

"They boasted that they had massacred the village that had prepared a meal for me."

"Ah, that is definitely self-defense. Then it would be hard to call what you did evil."

"That is exceedingly unfortunate news."

"Hmm..."

Yu Seongun smiled awkwardly.

"Is it because it seems your reputation was all hollow?"

"Because evil is more enjoyable than good."

"..."

For a moment, Yu Seongun was at a loss for words.

"... Should I look into a battlefield for you or something?"

"No."

Jio's voice took on a blunt tone in an instant.

"I am not yet complete as Arjio."

"Does that mean you don't especially like fighting right now?"

"I have always been averse to conflict."

"That's a little different from what you said earlier."

"It seems to change depending on the situation."

"Hm, I see."

After thinking for a moment, Yu Seongun asked,

"Juhyeon is still at your house, right?"

"Yes, he is sleeping."

"It feels like he's asleep every time I ask."

"He seemed tired, so I put him to bed early."

"It's nothing else. I was wondering if you could leave for a while."

"Is there something you would like to invite me to?"

"You said you were curious about evil gods."

For anything, hands-on experience was best.

"In Korea, there is an evil god that has officially been recognized as an ordinary religion."

"Then it must be an evil god who does not harm humans."

"Rather than that, I suppose they considered it a kind of natural order, even if it is harmful."

Mysteries related to gods were not Yu Seongun's specialty, but he remembered the basic flow.

"The most representative example among them is the god of death."

"Death is certainly part of the natural order."

"Yes, exactly as you say. But people don't like it, do they?"

"For most people, death is harmful."

"The god of death was recognized as a general religion within the last fourteen years."

"It was not before that?"

"It was an extremely sensitive time, and in many ways..."

Yu Seongun smiled mildly.

"I suppose you could say we had no leeway to distinguish them in a world where evil gods ran rampant."

"They ran rampant."

"Thanks to the Symbols of Eternity, it feels like a system has been established now, more or less."

He shrugged.

"Do you want to meet them? If you want, I'll ask for their understanding in advance."

"In that case, I would like to meet them."

And so Black Cloak was deployed into the world once again.

More precisely, as the A-class Hunter "Seo Jio."

"..."

"..."

"No, wait a minute."

Bi Sabeol looked at Yu Seongun, who had come to ask permission, as if he found the whole thing absurd.

"Weren't you the one who told me not to sneak Mr. Seo Jio outside?"

"Wasn't that because you, Guild Master, are someone who threatens world peace?"

"Do you have any idea how much I contribute to world peace right now, saying something that outrageous?"

"At the very least, I don't stand beside Jio clapping and telling him to go make a mess."

"That's true, it is, but I feel so wronged. How am I supposed to live being treated like this?"

Considering how well he had lived despite that, Yu Seongun knew, and Bi Sabeol knew too.

"As expected, my employees don't know how to rub their palms together."

"If you add it to our duties, there are any number of people who would rub their palms for you."

"But you won't do it otherwise. I like that about all of you so much."

"We know. That's why we're being this insolent..."

Yu Seongun muttered, then soon smiled brightly and asked,

"The Temple of Death is in Gyeonggi Province, so I came to receive permission in advance. Unlike before, we will be going rather far, and since an evil god will be meeting an evil god, I don't know what kind of chemical reaction may occur."

"..."

Bi Sabeol, who had been tapping the table as if calculating something, soon nodded.

"I am curious, certainly, what situation might occur if Jio, an evil god, meets a silent evil god."

"I thought you would say that."

"Wouldn't it be a far more fun and interesting topic than protecting the peace of humanity?"

"Interesting... When you put it that way, you sound a little like Arjio."

Arjio had said that the reason he liked evil more than good was because it was more stimulating and interesting.

The way he advocated good in order to enjoy more things, while not having much interest in the peace of humanity, was certainly something Bi Sabeol and Arjio had in common.

At that, Bi Sabeol smiled coyly.

"Did he also say that Arjio's color was similar to mine?"

"Though his colors are calmer than yours, Guild Master."

"If worst comes to worst, let's pass him off as my nephew."

"I thought you were the fourth-generation only son."

"Hmm."

At Yu Seongun's intense stare, Bi Sabeol added,

"My hidden son, perhaps?"

"Aren't you over eighty?"

"My looks are youthful, aren't they?"

"Rather than youthful, you have the body of someone in his fifties."

"Then let us say hale and hearty."

Yu Seongun had nothing to say to that much.

"... Jio already possesses the Sun's divinity. I don't know whether the wicked divinity of an evil god has been overlaid on top of it, whether they coexist, or whether he can swap them out..."

Yu Seongun continued.

"The Seoul branch of the Sun Cult was friendly toward Jio. In particular, the evil god of the Gyeonggi Province branch does not enjoy conflicts between divinities, so I judged there would be no major issue and came to ask for permission."

"But you did think it could be dangerous?"

"As long as Jio has introduced himself as an evil god, we should be cautious about what we must be cautious about. He especially likes stimulating things, and above all, he does not fear conflict. I thought we should prepare."

"I can help you with that part."

Bi Sabeol's Collector took a form closer to a business company, but that did not mean his guild members were poor at combat.

There also existed some escort teams who followed only his orders.

"I will ask my friends to assist."

"It is reassuring to know you will be watching our backs."

Yu Seongun expressed his thanks with his characteristic mild smile.

"It feels like I am always receiving help from you."

"I feel the same. However..."

"However?"

"He will be going out as 'Mr. Seo Jio,' yes?"

"... Wouldn't he have to?"

"Hmm."

Bi Sabeol stroked his chin.

"It may be all right to find Mr. Seo Jio a secretary soon."

"Are you thinking of making Jio an official Hunter?"

"It has only been blocked until now. Eyes are already focused on him."

No matter how quietly things were handled, quite a few people knew that after Seo Jio and the other Hunters visited the S-class dungeon "country of the deep sea," the sea had calmed.

An Aclass Hunter who appeared without a word or rumor, and Korea's sea, which had calmed after his visit.

Because there was no particular evidence, it was not enough to reach the level of suspicion, but they were curious.

"Mr. Seo Jio also saved people in the Temple of the Deep Sea before."

"That influence is still left? Because of a Hunter who doesn't even do official activities?"

"A handsome and capable Hunter is popular with everyone."

"... That is true."

Jio, in particular, had a strong aura that made him unusually hard to forget in people's memories.

Above all, it was not especially strange that there were still people, even after a year had passed, who remembered "Hunter Seo Jio," the one who had gathered and comforted people at that difficult and frightening time.

Yu Seongun nodded.

"The fact that he is a promising new A-class Hunter and yet his activities can't be tracked would have drawn even more attention. I wonder if it was read as a kind of mystique strategy..."

"If you knew that so well, you should have sent our Jio outside sooner."

"Do you think I don't know that your recommendation is full of your personal desire, Guild Master? In any case, then we will have to look among the employees for a manager."

Hunters who engaged in frequent official activities, or who had high recognition, usually had one or two managers attached to manage their schedules.

Jio was not expected to have frequent official activities, but if many people were taking interest in him, he needed a secretary in another sense.

"It will also be easier to manage his schedule or image if they know of 'Mr. Seo Jio's' existence..."

"We will gradually find a person for that part."

Bi Sabeol's long, slit pupils slowly widened.

"I feel we may be able to find one soon."

Was his name Juhyeon?

He did not like him, but he seemed quite useful.