Chapter 149

It was the meeting with the portrait that Bi Sabeol had so eagerly awaited, but unfortunately, it did not last very long.

"It seems the important discussion is over, so I will be taking my friend with me."

"It is a shame to see you leave so soon."

"I will be waiting for your next invitation."

Because, before long, Jio's Portrait disappeared into the painting with Ju-hyeon.

"..."

At that part, Yu Seongun was a little surprised.

'They've built up quite a solid relationship of trust.'

At one gesture from Jio, Ju-hyeon obediently went into the portrait's embrace. He did smile affably, but he did not seem like the sort to easily lower his guard, so either way, it was quite astonishing.

'The fact that Jio has come to cherish a human this much, and the fact that a person like Ju-hyeon has accepted Jio.'

Bi Sabeol seemed to have sensed that as well.

"As expected, Mr. Seo Jio seems to have the power to soften humans."

"He doesn't seem particularly sociable, but I have often thought, even before, that he has a strangely good affinity with people..."

"It was his long-standing ability, shown since the Temple of the Deep Sea incident."

In general, if the portrait did not receive help from "Jio," it carried a somewhat rigid atmosphere, one so overwhelming it was difficult to handle.

It was funny to say such a thing about the Root, but Jio did not seem to be very sociable.

'He is uncomfortable staying outside the frame for a long time or dealing with large numbers of humans. It is Jio lowering and adjusting his own status, so I suppose that part cannot be helped, but from a human perspective... Jio is not exactly a friendly image.'

That was true even when he was "Giovanni," who had the gentlest and softest impression. No matter how kindly he treated people, they tended to feel somewhat intimidated by him. It was probably because his noble air was especially strong.

Separate from the great consideration he showed, nothing could be done about that lofty status. And yet, considering how difficult his atmosphere was...

"..."

Yu Seongun rubbed his throat.

"Should we regard this as one of Jio's abilities after all?"

"I see no reason not to."

"I don't know whether to be pleased or troubled by that."

Strangely enough, Jio easily earned trust and goodwill.

It had been that way with Hunter Cha Ara, who had recognized and encountered him as a monster, with the dungeon refugees who had grown sensitive because their lives were in danger, and even with Ju-hyeon, whose first meeting with him was supposedly in the form of an evil god.

"It probably isn't as if they've only known each other for a day or two. Especially since time in the world inside the portrait changes according to Jio's mood, it must have passed quickly. But even taking that into account, it is astonishing."

Yu Seongun recalled the information he had investigated.

"Mr. Ju-hyeon is not the sort of person who easily trusts someone."

"He seemed quite shrewd. For Mr. Ju-hyeon, time and trust likely have no correlation whatsoever."

"He certainly did not seem like someone who would trust another person simply because he had known them for a long time."

"On top of that, Mr. Seo Jio is an evil god and a Root entity."

"Entrusting yourself to someone like that requires at least a minimum amount of trust..."

"If he went into the portrait of his own accord, then that says it all."

"I don't know whether it was a conscious action, or unconscious trust."

"I believe it was both."

Bi Sabeol laughed softly.

"To begin with, the timing must have been exquisite. He encountered an evil god while he was desperate enough to attempt a deal with Sankalut, so he must have felt that whatever happened would happen."

"Was it hard for him to stay on guard because, while he had let everything go like that, Jio cared for him in various ways? He didn't seem like the type to be moved by kindness, though he would repay a debt."

"Well... I suspect his basic goodwill toward Black Cloak had some influence."

Rarely, he clicked his tongue.

"From what I saw, he seems to dream of a utopia, so it would not have been easy to reject a vast mystery that affirms what is good and denies what is evil."

He seemed to dislike the person named Ju-hyeon quite a lot.

"Given his personality, he will continue trying to doubt Jio's essence, but to that friend, Jio's Portrait is an exceedingly ideal existence. Mr. Seo Jio has already proven his nature several times in the form of Black Cloak, and Ju-hyeon must have felt goodwill toward that."

"Will Mr. Ju-hyeon's tastes not harm Jio?"

"What one calls harm is extremely subjective. To me, even the idea of arbitrarily judging and using my work feels like the act of an arrogant pest, but as you saw earlier, Jio will be very pleased. Our positions are different."

At Bi Sabeol's words, Yu Seongun laughed awkwardly.

"So that is why you disliked him so much."

"He is the sort of human who truly does not suit me."

He wore a rather fed-up expression.

"Heroes are ravenous. They cannot distinguish courage from recklessness, and though they are greedy, they always make foolish choices. I cannot tell whether they are truly that foolish or deliberately acting foolish."

"Ah..."

"Whether they know their place or not, people like Mr. Ju-hyeon often do things beyond their station. If the person named Ju-hyeon comes to fully believe in Mr. Seo Jio's essence, he will try to use him. I truly do not like that."

"Ah, yes."

That damn love of his for his works, honestly.

'When he shows love bordering on obsession to that degree, I suppose it makes sense that he is called a Collector.'

Bi Sabeol generally managed his collectibles with love and free rein. Because of that, he tried to grant his collectibles what they wanted as much as possible, but this time, he seemed displeased by the fact that Jio wanted a "friend" named Ju-hyeon.

'In any case, it seems there was nothing for me to worry about.'

In the end, wasn't he just annoyed because his cherished collectible had been entrusted to someone he had never liked in the first place? The only pitiful one was Ju-hyeon, who had suffered a calamity because of the Guild Master's pettiness.

"... Still, a hero, hm? Isn't that a compliment in its own way?"

"It was probably closer to an objective evaluation than a compliment."

Bi Sabeol smiled faintly. It was a smile he showed only in front of his collectibles. He was intending to be considerate of Yu Seongun, who was trying to ease the mood.

"I am behaving immaturely like this, but I do not hate that person named Ju-hyeon. But there are people like that in the world, aren't there? The sort who, even if neither side has done anything wrong, simply suit each other so poorly that they naturally come to dislike one another."

"Ah... that sort of..."

"I have no other resentment or complaint beyond that. When people find a house centipede in their home, they think, Ah, that thing will eat the pests in our house for us... and yet they still find it disgusting. It is roughly like that."

"Did you just compare a person to a bug?"

"It is nothing more than a metaphor. Mr. Ju-hyeon will be a fairly decent guide and helper for Jio, and I am grateful for that part. He simply does not suit me very much."

Then Bi Sabeol asked.

"In that sense, do you need a roommate?"

"I think I misheard you?"

"It would be nice for you to make a friend too, Mr. Yu Seongun."

"I said I think I misheard you."

Yu Seongun scowled fiercely and asked back.

"Who is this roommate?"

"Why, Mr. Ju-hyeon and..."

"Please, what did that man do to deserve that?"

"And Mr. Seo Jio as an addition?"

"..."

He had finally gone insane.

Yu Seongun rubbed his face.

"I apologize."

For now, Ju-hyeon apologized first.

"I feel as if I made the mood unnecessarily heavy..."

"You do not need to apologize to me for that."

"He was someone you introduced to help me, but I acted rudely."

"If you truly feel sorry, could you tell me why you did so?"

After saying that, Jio transformed in an instant, with a pop, into a platinum-blond priest.

He smiled a sacred smile, as if embracing a lost lamb.

"Now, brother. I am ready to listen."

He really did look that way.

Although the place where the two of them sat was a wooden table filled with the scent of phytoncides, his long, flowing platinum-blond hair and pure white priestly robes rather called to mind a temple's prayer room. He looked like the ideal priest.

"..."

Ju-hyeon smiled as usual, but he also looked a little put off.

"So this is how you prepare to listen..."

"I thought this side would be more comfortable for you to speak to."

"That... I suppose that is true."

It made him feel as if he were giving confession.

"Hm..."

After thinking for a moment, Ju-hyeon soon opened his mouth.

"I thought he was someone who did not really suit me."

"Why did you think that?"

"It is embarrassing to say, but I have never particularly liked the Collector, even normally."

"Is there a reason for that?"

"That person... has no interest whatsoever in the well-being of others."

The Guild Master of Collector, one of South Korea's top three guilds. He was also a tycoon with tremendous influence, but he made and carried out every decision solely according to his own interests.

"I do not think a life that follows only one's interests is entirely bad. But in his actions, I felt that Guild Master Bi Sabeol did not worry about other people in the slightest. That was a bit... difficult for me."

To Bi Sabeol, the world was his gallery and a playground where his works could run wild. For the most part, he seemed to keep within bounds, but that individualistic nature made Ju-hyeon sick of him.

"Even though he is a person with tremendous influence, he has acted as if he knows nothing of responsibility. Of course, unless I see and speak with him directly, I cannot know what circumstances that person has, but I suppose you could call it a kind of prejudice."

"So you thought you did not suit him in that regard."

"I am truly ashamed. It is not as if I am an exceptionally good person myself, yet I prejudged another person and even acted rudely. But that does not mean I hate Guild Master Bi Sabeol at all."

Ju-hyeon added with an awkward smile.

"I am grateful to that person. Collector is one of the reliable pillars maintaining the precarious Earth. Separate from my personal feelings, he is certainly someone deserving of respect."

"Mr. Ju-hyeon, you already understand your own actions and their consequences well. Still, I do not wish to see you blame yourself, so next time, I hope you will show an attitude you will not regret."

"Thank you for the thoughtful advice. It seemed to me that Guild Master Bi Sabeol also did not hate me as a person. We were just a bit... childish with each other."

As if reflecting on it, he brushed a hand over the corner of his mouth.

"He probably does not like me being by your side, Mr. Jio."

"..."

For a moment, Jio's eyes flashed gold, and his hair turned red.

"So this is the 'you thieving cat' line I've only heard about...?"

"I do not know what part of this has you so excited, but probably not."

Ju-hyeon's expression turned subtle.

"No, more importantly, you even know the phrase thieving cat?"

"That is all because I am wise."

"Well, I suppose it is the sort of thing you could know if you wanted to..."

It felt a little strange.

"..."

It was not simply because this situation was funny.

'... How should I put this...?'

Would it be too irreverent to say he truly felt like a human?

The way he played these trivial jokes and made a fuss made him feel just like an ordinary young man of that age. In reality, Arjio's face was youthful enough to be called that of a "young man."

Of course, it was difficult to call an existence with such vast status, whose personality and even color changed rapidly according to purpose and will, an "ordinary young man," but still, for some reason...

"..."

"Mr. Ju-hyeon, what are you thinking about?"

"... Good question."

He did not know what this thought was.

"... As far as I know, Black Cloak is said to like good people."

"How many people dislike kind people?"

At some point, his hair had returned to black.

It was a color like a shadow that had lost all its colors and grown exhausted, but Black Cloak's face had only sunk into quiet calm and still held warmth.

He added as if it were nothing.

"I think it is an ordinary preference."

"Giving gifts to kind and polite people?"

"I am the sort of person who cannot leave people who have moved me alone."

"So those are the sort of people who move you."

If those words were true, it was truly astonishing.

"That is truly..."

Ju-hyeon felt it anew.

"...something remarkable."

"What is remarkable?"

"That someone like you is merciful."

This being was truly peaceful.

"You resemble this world inside the portrait."

That was why he longed for it.