Chapter 144

Arjio had been born with a cruel nature.

"Fundamentally, he covets blood and treasure."

"Are you allowed to describe yourself that way?"

"What can I do when it is the truth?"

The two continued their conversation in Collector's break room.

Perhaps because he was still outside, Jio's hair was platinum blond, but his expression was as blunt and calm as the one in the portrait.

'... It looks very different from the priest's face I know. Is that what he looks like because Giovanni has become a complete portrait?'

Around the time Yu Seongun was thinking that, Jio continued in his distinctive low voice.

"Arjio is highly talented in many fields, learns anything well if he chooses to learn it, and is not afraid of trying new things. However, perhaps because his nature itself is closer to that of a beast, he prefers stimulating things. I do not think he is lacking in patience, but..."

"By stimulating things, you mean the blood and treasure you mentioned earlier?"

"In addition to those, he enjoys alcohol and battle. Among them, he especially likes facing a worthy opponent with all his strength. In truth, rather than competing, I think he wants the thrill he feels in the process of killing and being killed by each other."

"So he enjoys the thrill. Well, this is..."

Yu Seongun laughed awkwardly.

"There are quite a few Hunters like that too."

"Is that so?"

"People who find the meaning of life in a life-or-death bloody battle."

"I did not know there were more people with such tastes."

"The world has all kinds of tastes, so, mm... I can understand Arjio's story too."

"Thank you for understanding even tastes that do not align well with social norms."

After offering light thanks, Jio continued.

"That does not mean he acts recklessly without any discernment. If he wants alcohol, he desires high-quality liquor made by a master craftsman; if he wants treasure, he covets gold, silver, and jewels that have stories behind them; and if he fights, he prefers an opponent worth facing with all his strength."

In other words, his tastes were extremely demanding.

"He is also the sort who can invest and wait as much as necessary to satisfy such tastes."

"Is the reason you're introducing yourself like this related to that... Demon King remark from just now?"

"Of course. Since I have explained this much, it should be easier for you to understand as well, Mr. Yu Seongun."

Platinum-blond Jio asserted bluntly.

"I desire battle with heroes."

"... Oh...?"

"In the past, many heroes came to find me."

"... Heroes did?"

"Because I was an evil god threatening the peace of the world."

There had been a time when he was treated as the root of all evil behind every bad thing in the world, great and small.

"Back then, even if I did not make any particular move myself, many high-quality opponents would come to me. For the peace of humanity, to protect their precious people, and for the advancement of the world, they poured in everything they had."

"..."

"I remember the battles with them being extremely enjoyable. The other divinity aside from Arjio's persona seemed to have many distracting thoughts, such as feelings of betrayal and the like, but at least I felt that way."

Giovanni looked deeply regretful. Perhaps because it was not "Seo Jio," it was a rather natural sulk.

"Thinking back, I believe that was the most cost-effective time."

"Cost-effective..."

"I was so famous that many talented people came to me even without separate publicity."

"Publicity, huh. So that's how it feels."

Yu Seongun let out a subtle laugh.

"So you said you would become the Demon King because of that publicity."

"You could say it is a kind of recruitment notice for talented people."

Giovanni's blue eyes glittered with melancholy.

"As Arjio, I am reflecting on it. After speaking with the god of death, it became even clearer. The many battles I enjoyed as the evil god Arjio were a terribly unfair benefit."

"An unfair benefit?"

"Even though I made no effort whatsoever to have valuable battles, people sent good talent to me. I thought that was a natural right, but in truth, it was not."

"Doesn't this flow feel strange?"

"The god of death said that my notoriety was not actually mine. It was fame I was lucky enough to possess for a short time, so now it is time for me to work to reclaim it."

"Oh, I see. Amazing."

Yu Seongun nodded.

"You don't hate the people who vilified you as an evil god and framed you?"

"It is not that I am not angry, but I gained something more valuable than that, so it is fine."

"This really can't get sentimental, can it?"

If one looked only at the objective situation, there could hardly be a more unfair story than this.

'A seed of a hero who showed sufficient consideration despite being born with an instinct for killing and plunder, amid all sorts of false charges and vilification... ultimately became an evil god.'

If there had been a dungeon with a story like that, and the boss of that dungeon had been Arjio, what a massive bomb it would have been for humans. Even that vague imagination alone made an awkward laugh slip out.

Rubbing his neck, Yu Seongun asked.

"How did you end as Arjio?"

"I was sealed."

"Sealed, huh. That doesn't sound very pleasant."

"But I was able to stop meaningless killing, so I liked it."

"And if it had been meaningful killing, you would have liked even that?"

"Mm... no."

Unexpectedly, Jio denied it.

"At the time, I was a divinity created by being clumped together with all sorts of victims, so I often had to unleash anger I did not want. In other words, I was not the one in control."

He was saying that anger had no value unless it was his own.

"Getting angry, assigning value to the opponent, all of that had to be solely under my authority. But at the time, I could not do that..."

"Was it unpleasant?"

"It was truly nothing but unpleasant. Even if I had been called a beast all my life and lived like a beast, I know how to act intelligently, but it felt as if all my precious reason had fallen into a mud pit."

Giovanni smiled faintly.

"So how admirable and worthy of gratitude they were. By tempering their noble souls, the heroes granted me rest. It was a meaningful gift achieved by devoting their entire lives."

"For a Demon King, you like heroes far too much."

"I respect brave warriors. They had upright and good souls, possessed excellent insight and judgment, and knew how to be prudent in all things and bold at times."

"You still liked good and polite talented people even back then."

"You are right, Mr. Yu Seongun. I have always loved those who dream and strive for that dream. No matter what the result may be, the process of their efforts at the time is already so very valuable."

Yu Seongun understood what Jio meant.

'That really is an age-old preference.'

Seo Jio, Giovanni, and Arjio. Though the way they expressed it differed little by little, the image of the humans "Jio" loved and cherished was ultimately more or less the same.

Whether short or long, strong or weak, whatever the degree and direction might be, in the end, he loved those who had walked the path of a hero.

'In that respect, he certainly can be called godlike.'

Great mysteries generally liked heroes.

"..."

Yu Seongun laughed like a sigh.

"So you want to become the Demon King because you want to fight heroes like that again?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"Why does it have to be the Demon King? You could just suggest having a bout."

"Because what I want is not a sparring match, but a bloody battle."

"So what you're saying is that lives and everything else have to be put on the line."

"A fight when one bears everything, or has thrown everything away, is the most interesting."

"Were you like that too?"

"I fought every battle together with death."

For an instant, Jio's hair dyed red.

"It is a delicacy that is not easily tasted."

"..."

"... Ah."

He returned to platinum blond again. Giovanni smiled awkwardly. It was the smile of a gentle, pleasant man.

"I apologize. My Assimilation is incomplete, so I occasionally lose control."

"... As long as losing control doesn't mean you go around massacring people, I don't mind."

"No matter how out of control I may be, such a thing will not happen."

"Because Arjio never enjoyed meaningless massacres to begin with?"

"You are right, Mr. Yu Seongun."

"Hmm..."

He pondered for a moment.

"... But you know."

"Yes, I am listening."

"How are you planning to act like the Demon King?"

"..."

"You are, how should I put this."

Yu Seongun hesitated, then continued.

"You don't have the personality for evil deeds."

"Th-that is..."

"You're not even good at doing bad things, you know."

He had never thought he would live to say such a thing to an evil god, but that was the unavoidable truth. Jio was not the sort of being who could commit evil deeds very well.

"You said you didn't commit meaningless massacres even when you lived as Arjio."

"I did enjoy frequent bloody battles."

"So did you start fights first? Did you bully innocent people?"

"That was... not the case."

"Have you ever done any other bad thing?"

"..."

After hesitating for a long while, Jio opened his mouth with difficulty.

"... Theft?"

"Whose things did you take?"

"From unlucky pigs..."

"Good, so for now, you've never bullied innocent people."

"But bullying people who have nothing to do with me is far too cowardly, is it not?"

"The fact that you say that might disqualify you from being the Demon King from the start."

"Could there not be a Demon King somewhere in the world who likes fair and square battles?"

"A fair and square Demon King doesn't get a subjugation force organized against him in the first place, Jio. Heroes won't gather either."

"... You are right, Mr. Yu Seongun..."

Jio looked quite troubled. Since analyzing Jio's expressions, which had recently become quite varied, was a reasonably enjoyable task as a Curator, Yu Seongun drank the cheap instant coffee sitting on the table and admired his face.

'As expected, it's a harmonious face that's worth looking at.'

How long had Yu Seongun been appreciating the work? Only after quite a long time had passed did Jio continue.

"... When Arjio's notoriety was at its height, my fame rose on its own without my having to agonize over this, so it is truly a pity. They say you only realize the emptiness of something after losing it, and that seems to be my situation."

"I'm not sure it's something you need to put that strongly."

"Could I not expect a similar situation this time as well? Even if I do not do anything especially cowardly, perhaps people will frame me on their own, or regard me as the incarnation of evil... something like that."

"I really am sorry, but that doesn't look particularly easy."

Yu Seongun spoke with an awkward laugh.

"Let's think about that part gradually. For now, there is also the matter of Mr. Ju-hyeon resting at your house, and you said your awareness as an evil god isn't perfect either."

"That is certainly correct, Mr. Yu Seongun. It is not a convenient situation for rumors of me being the Demon King to spread immediately. Thank you for the appropriate advice."

"Demon King... mm, well. I'll think about the parts related to that Demon King project too. If possible, I want to think in a direction that causes less harm. Is that all right?"

"I would like to ask you for that myself. I am filled with the desire to face outstanding talented people, but I am also reluctant to have people fear me so much that I cannot make friends."

"Thinking of it that way, it might be better to split your identities even further. Into Black Cloak, Hunter Seo Jio, and the evil god Arjio... mm..."

Yu Seongun, who had said that much, hesitated a little.

"... I do also hope other people won't be afraid of you."

"Thank you for understanding, Mr. Yu Seongun."

"From the perspective of considering humanity's peace, I think it would be a big problem too."

A Root entity could reduce or expand its size based on the "stories" surrounding it. They had barely separated "Jio's Portrait" into "Seo Jio" and "Black Cloak" to create a safe zone, and now it was the Demon King.

Cold sweat ran down Yu Seongun's back. There were additional problems he could feel not as a Gardener, but simply as the human Yu Seongun.

"Additionally, mm..."

"What is the matter?"

"... A subtle sense of guilt...?"

"I do not think there has been anything for you to feel guilty about."

"No, how do I put it... that is..."

Weren't they making a plan to turn one perfectly fine person into a world-class piece of garbage?

'If he even wants to recreate the situation from Arjio's time... then we would be turning Jio, who hasn't committed any sin, into the root of all evil and saddling him with absurd false charges and insults.'

Even if the person himself was satisfied, was this really right?

'Of course, from the Root's perspective, it would be far removed from the sense of guilt humans think of, but still... Jio also has an ego as a human... and in that case, it's a little ambiguous to say he isn't human at all...'

It felt truly strange.

"... I'll think hard about it, so for the time being, let's not put anything into practice."

"I had no idea what I should do, so I am truly grateful that you will think about it with me."

"It's nothing you need to thank me for..."

A way to make Jio into a harmless Demon King.

'Leaving aside whether that even makes sense, this isn't something I can adjust with my authority.'

Yu Seongun forced himself to hold back a sigh.

It seemed he would have to see Bi Sabeol as soon as he went back.

And so, Jio went home.

"..."

Ju-hyeon came to have a similar concern as Yu Seongun.

"... Ah, the Demon King."

"That is the summary, yes. What do you think?"

"Please give me a moment to think."

What on earth was he talking about?

"So..."

It sounded as if he was asking to be turned into the world's punching bag.

The upright young man, far removed from wicked schemes, fell into confusion.

"... That is... a little..."

"Hm?"

"Too unconscionable...?"

Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of becoming the Demon King in the first place?