Chapter 70

"..."

"So..."

Yu Seongun made a request of Priest Kang Seo-dam, who sat in the chair across from him.

"If possible, I'd like your side to treat 'Black Cloak' and 'Seo Jio' as separate people too."

"Separate people, you say."

"We have to separate the 'stories' that way, at least, or there will be fewer problems with coexistence."

"I understand what you mean."

Kang Seo-dam nodded.

"The Hunter I saw in the 'Temple of the Deep Sea' must be this 'Seo Jio' person."

"Right, and the man in the pitch-black cloak witnessed by the Association's Hunters this time is someone you know nothing about at all. You probably know they're the same person, but..."

"If that is the will of God, I will accept it. The goddess has also expressed her wish for friendly relations with him, so keeping my mouth shut should not be difficult."

He readily accepted Yu Seongun's request. It was not simply because it was the will of the goddess he served.

"I also had no intention of saying I saw a god in the 'Temple of the Deep Sea.' He did not seem to want his identity revealed, and if I said a god appeared at the initiation ceremony I presided over, I would be hounded for quite some time. For my own sake as well, I will not divulge it."

Quite some time had passed since they had more or less stumbled out of the 'Temple of the Deep Sea,' but Kang Seo-dam had not made a proper report to the order about 'Seo Jio.'

As a priest of the order, it was an independent action he would not have taken without the goddess's will, but it was also a decision that would have been impossible if the priest himself had no flexibility. Yu Seongun had grasped that point as well, which was why he had attempted this contact.

Yu Seongun let out an exaggerated sigh of relief.

"I'm really grateful to hear you say that. Employees within the same guild can be handled at the Guild Master's level, but Priest Kang Seo-dam is a member of the order, after all, so I was worried about how to keep your mouth shut."

"Keeping my mouth shut is a rather extreme expression. But I do acknowledge that the matter of 'Black Cloak' requires that much caution. The one I met then did not feel like an ordinary god."

Not every god could imitate a human and enjoy amusement.

"Was he perhaps some sort of evil god? I understand that among beings capable of adjusting themselves to human standards enough to enjoy amusement, there are quite a few evil gods. If so, this separation measure could also be called an enormous gamble."

"We're still figuring that out too."

"Once again, with talk of a 'beloved work' and such, the Collector has dealt with it vaguely. I still cannot understand the attitude of the Collector guild members, who can rest easy simply because he looks lovely and safe in the Guild Master's eyes."

"But we can't send Jio to a research lab."

"It is true that unethical acts occur as naturally as breathing in the Association's research labs, but if we consider humanity's safety, that would be the correct course. Of course, this is only if he is an evil god. Since the probability that someone who seems to value peace and mercy so highly would be one is low, I once again swear to the sun that I will keep silent about this matter."

But the fact that the being called 'Seo Jio' was by no means safe for humans did not change. Mysteries of such immense stature had destroyed an entire dimension's humanity without malice, and had created countless living hells.

"On top of that, he can go in and out of a dungeon whose master is a humanoid monster as if it were his own home, and rescue people..."

That much far surpassed the authority of an ordinary god. Being a god did not mean one could be omnipotent in every respect.

Fundamentally, a god was closer to an intangible fate or nature that possessed will, so not only could they not enjoy amusement in human form, they could not enter dungeons as if it were nothing either.

This could be called an act requiring strong will, deep experience, and enormous ability.

"This is an extremely ungrateful thing to say from the position of someone who has received much mercy, but the fact that 'Mr. Seo Jio' is a dangerous being does not change."

Kang Seo-dam looked at Yu Seongun.

"Isn't he a being even the Collector with the best eyes in the world could not identify?"

"It may look like extremely frustrating work to the order or the Association, but we're doing our best to figure him out in our own way too."

"Is there no possibility that he will become hostile to humanity? I remember that the aura I felt from him was quite close to death."

"Well, if he gets angry, he'll become a disaster. He might harm humanity unconsciously. Maybe Earth could even be destroyed?"

"That would be troublesome."

Earth was already barely keeping itself alive thanks to the mercy of a small number of powerful people.

"... I will say it once more, but I have no intention of interfering with 'Mr. Seo Jio's' amusement. Hunter Yu Seongun must know that this is why I did not report it to the order."

"I know very well, which is why I came to see you like this. I know Priest Kang Seo-dam has no intention of revealing that guy's identity either... but considering the situation, I wanted to hear a proper assurance."

In order to create a world that could coexist with this terrifying portrait, and in the hope that the day would come when he could appreciate even more of its forms, Bi Sabeol wanted 'Seo Jio' and 'Black Cloak' to be successfully separated. Yu Seongun felt the same.

"We can't deny the existence of blond-haired, blue-eyed Jio, since that form has already been revealed in the 'Temple of the Deep Sea,' but what the Association officially identified this time was only 'Black Cloak.'"

"I understand very well what you were thinking when you made that decision. A mere human cannot stop the amusement of a god that powerful. Though I can clearly see a future where innocent victims will appear."

"We reached a similar conclusion. I do think it's a rather irresponsible kind of neglect, but the Collector wants coexistence with him rather than control over him. It's our guild's long-standing motto."

In any case, humans could not stop the incidents and accidents caused by the 'Portrait of Jio.' If so, the plan was for the Collector to officially manage only the already-revealed 'Giovanni' side, while quietly persuading Jio behind the scenes and reducing conflict between him and humans.

"I'm not saying the Collector will just sit back and do nothing. I think if we pay attention in our own way, we can at least reduce the public's agitation."

"How exactly do you intend to reduce that agitation?"

"We turn 'Black Cloak' into an urban legend. The idea is to make him into an ordinary story people can casually enjoy."

"..."

Kang Seo-dam's expression twisted subtly. It looked close to an expression where he had forced irritation, discomfort, and bewilderment down into politeness.

"... I do not think that will work. If things go wrong, the name 'Black Cloak' may instead become an object of terror, and he may become an even stronger disaster."

"It worked on the Collector's side, at least. Right now, our employees treat 'Black Cloak' like a ghost story, and by following its rules, they've found a balance in their own way."

"I believe that is because of the characteristics of the Collector guild. I am certain it will not be easy if you count everyone in the city, in Korea, and broadly speaking, in the world."

"Still, wouldn't it be better than doing nothing?"

"... Hoo..."

Whether he thought it was not a matter for him to argue about, or whether he simply found it hard to keep talking about the same subject any longer, Kang Seo-dam pressed his brow with a tired face, then soon asked another question.

"... By the way, is it all right to call a god so familiarly? 'That guy,' 'Jio,' and so on..."

Kang Seo-dam reacted with a little disgust.

"You are quite something, treating that enormous being imitating human skin in such a way."

"Jio wants that."

"..."

"I suppose it feels uncomfortable from a priest's position."

"... It cannot help but."

Regardless of religion, there were three rules demanded of priests who served gods.

"First, do not look into a god's eyes. Second, do not call a god's name. Third, do not test a god... I assume Hunter Yu Seongun knows them well."

"They're famous rules."

"They mean not to try to know the essence of a god. Priests basically try to maintain a certain distance when dealing with gods. Treating a god too familiarly may also infringe upon that essence, so it is prevented in advance."

"..."

"Faith in the present age is certainly being used as a tool. Because of that, humans' attitudes toward gods have become more intimate than they were before the Great Calamity, and their image has become far more secular... but even so, those who possess divine status remain intangible disasters."

They distinguished between traditional gods and evil gods, but in truth, if one considered the absolute standard, it was quite ambiguous. After all, divinity that was plainly harmful to humanity was judged to be an evil god.

But how could nature and fate be divided into good and evil? No matter how much lowly beings like humans measured and classified them, only troublesome things would occur.

"Whether they have the will to do so or not, a being called a god can become a disaster to humanity at any time."

Priests had to understand that better than any other human.

"If one forgets that point, it is the same as having no qualification to be a priest."

"That's pretty profound."

"It meant that you should be careful as well, Mr. Yu Seongun. I have seen countless people burst apart, crushed by the weight of fate after calling a god's True Name. That is what it means to receive a god's gaze fully upon oneself."

"I know that well too."

If anything, Yu Seongun might know it better.

"I'm something of an expert myself."

From Yu Seongun's, from a Gardener's perspective, the gods of the current generation were classified as a kind of 'child of the Root.'

An intangible, soundless disaster closely connected to the Root and capable of existing in any dimension. A fate with will and a living story. All of these conditions matched a 'child of the Root.'

'But I can't tell the priest that part.'

He would be lucky if all he heard was that it was blasphemous.

To begin with, the existence of Gardeners and the knowledge related to them were uncontrollable, dangerous information that only a small number of people could know and handle, so he could not chatter about Jio just to save face.

"Anyway, even if you see Jio active in society sometime soon, don't be too surprised. Jio at that time will probably be quite flexible and have a good personality, so he won't cause any trouble. His identity will be solid too."

"..."

"He'll be introduced as a devout trainer capable of handling holy power, so I meant that I'd like you to play along. His essential aura may be a little different, but first and foremost, Jio is close to the Sun God line."

"I am telling you not to speak of him that way. It is uncomfortable to hear."

"What can I do? This is my way."

"Haa..."

"Ah, come to think of it."

Yu Seongun blinked and asked.

"Has the Association officialized the information about 'Black Cloak'?"

One of the Association's jobs was to organize and announce rules about beings Hunters needed to be cautious of. In Yu Seongun's opinion, the 'Black Cloak' witnessed this time was enough to be officialized that way.

"It'll be easier for us to dress it up like a ghost story if they open the door first."

"The dungeon at the newly discovered entrance has also been named, so information on 'Black Cloak' will likely be organized soon as well."

"As expected of a priest of the Sun Cult, you get information fast. What do they say that dungeon's name is?"

"It is not very different from the place we visited."

Kang Seo-dam continued.

"They say it is the 'Kingdom of the Deep Sea.'"

"Well..."

Yu Seongun nodded.

"It's intuitive. I like it."

It was a fitting name.

* * *

"Hunter Jung Da-un."

"..."

"Hunter Jung Da-un, are you ready?"

"..."

The woman with limp brown hair nodded.

"... Yes, I'm ready."

"From now on, we will have a question-and-answer session about what happened in the 'Kingdom of the Deep Sea.'"

"Yes."

"Hunter Jung Da-un, as the team leader, will answer questions as the representative, but if there is insufficient information, we will also receive help from your teammates."

"Yes."

"First..."

The man in a doctor's coat sitting across from the Hunter continued.

"Let us start with something light."

"..."

"You seem very nervous. About three days have passed since you finished exploring the 'Kingdom of the Deep Sea.' Was that not enough rest?"

"..."

"I am not interrogating you about why you have not recovered yet, so please speak comfortably. Hunter Jung Da-un's mind and body must regain stability before we can hold a question-and-answer session."

"... Yes."

The hesitant Hunter gave a hollow laugh and spoke awkwardly. Her voice was recorded on the recorder.

"I'm sorry, my body has fully recovered."

"I will say it again, but there is nothing to be sorry about."

"It's just... it won't leave my head..."

"By it, do you mean the 'Black Cloak' witnessed this time?"

"Yes, that's right. Black Cloak."

The woman lifted her head.

"Ah, has the name been decided as 'Black Cloak'?"

"It has been temporarily named that, but we do not know how the designation may change going forward. The Association has no information at all about Black Cloak."

"Am I the first discoverer...?"

"We requested cooperation from the Hunter Associations of each country, but we received no information about the being you witnessed. We will need to check a little more, but I believe there is a high probability that Hunter Jung Da-un's sighting was the first."

"... I see."

In truth, the first discoverer was Bi Sabeol, who had recognized his identity long ago, and even among ordinary people outside the parties concerned, there had been Cha A-ra, but because everything had proceeded so peacefully, information about him had not been passed on to the Association.

"Then my answer becomes very important."

"Yes. I do not wish to burden you, but since he has been identified as a being of considerable stature, the response methods organized by the Association will change depending on how accurate the information Hunter Jung Da-un provides is."

"..."

The Hunter nodded.

"I'm ready."

"Then I will begin the questioning."

The man, a researcher from the Association, moved into the questions in earnest.

"Where was the first place you witnessed 'Black Cloak'?"

"... It was in the temple of the 'Kingdom of the Deep Sea.'"

"Let us continue from there. They say the 'Kingdom of the Deep Sea' has a structure consisting of stage one, above the sea; stage two, a submerged city beneath the surface; and stage three, a giant temple. Is that correct?"

"Yes, that's right. When Hunters first enter, they find themselves standing on top of the sea. They don't fall in unless they intentionally try to enter it. If they move a little violently, they do fall in... but they can also come back up again."

"In that case, the 'Kingdom of the Deep Sea' must be structured so that the danger increases the farther down one goes."

"That's right. There wasn't anything that could really be called a monster on the surface of the sea. We confirmed that breathing was possible even after going below the surface. There is tension from the water, so it does restrict movement, though."

"Monsters were witnessed starting from stage two, I hear."

"They felt like zombies living in the water...? There were also strange slimes that looked like lumps of flesh. Other than that, there were various things... but I believe my team members reported this part."

"Yes, I was confirming it once more."

The researcher nodded.

"Then let us move on to the temple. Is there a major difference between the monsters in stage two, the 'submerged city,' and the monsters in stage three, the 'Temple of the Deep Sea'?"

"The fact that they looked more vicious? The types themselves seemed similar. But the monsters discovered on the temple side were much more disgusting and ferocious. Naturally, the danger level was higher too."

"Then this is where we get to the main point."

The researcher pulled a photograph from among the file folders and pushed it over to show the Hunter.

"It is a photograph taken by one of your team members, Hunter Kim I-yeon."

"..."

What was captured in the photograph was a man wrapped entirely in a pitch-black cloak.

"You all described this being as a man, but in truth, he may have no gender at all. Since he is wrapped in a cloak from head to toe, there is no guarantee that he even has a human form."

"... That's true."

"Even so, is there a reason you described him as 'a man wearing a black cloak'?"

"Because... that was how he felt."

As an experienced Hunter, she also knew well the ambiguity of monsters. Simply having a deep voice or being tall did not make something male. She had never seen the entity inside the cloak, so she did not know whether it had a human form either.

Black Cloak did not even make a sound when he walked. She had heard the sound of extremely light grass brushing past, and in that case, it would have been strange to feel certain that inside was a heavy human body.

"..."

Yes, it was strange.

"... Even so, he felt like a 'human.'"

She knew he was not human, and yet she still ended up saying 'human.'

"As if that were an entirely natural fact..."

If Jio had heard it, he would have felt a little wronged and thought, 'But I am human.'