Chapter 76

"So, about that."

Leaning against the wall of the gallery, Yu Seongun asked Jio.

"Is turning people into paint also something you can do because you're a painter?"

"..."

"If that's a difficult question, you don't have to answer."

As a former Association research team leader, Yu Seongun had deep ties to the Hunter Association.

That meant there was a great deal of information he could find out, and the recent rumors about Jio being spotted in the country of the deep sea were no exception.

"You've never said you were a painter yourself, so I just got a little curious."

The witnesses said Black Cloak was both a portrait and a painter.

"And it's fascinating that you turned living creatures into paint."

"That was not as remarkable an act as you believe."

As always, Jio answered in a voice as flat as a machine.

"To answer your earlier question, I am an ordinary person whose hobby is drawing pictures."

"I am not enough to be called a painter."

"In the end, a painter is someone who paints, just like you said."

"Well, more precisely, it would be someone who does that as a profession... but isn't it in the same vein?"

"If that is what you think, I do not mind."

Unlike when he came out beyond the frame of the "Portrait of Jio" and imitated a human, Jio's voice from within the portrait was so businesslike it felt alien.

In a lifeless voice devoid of even the slightest emotion, Jio continued.

"The reason I turned those people into paint was simply that I could draw them beyond the frame."

"However, if I drew already existing living beings with ordinary paint, I judged that it would be closer to creation than transportation, so I had no choice but to turn them into paint."

"... Right, that's..."

Yu Seongun remembered a conversation he had once had with the "Portrait of Jio."

"From your perspective, a painting isn't you, but us, right?"

"I have not forgotten that you are living beings with selves, not ordinary paintings or paint, but while considering whether there was any way for me to help them, I chose this method."

"Was it of help?"

"The survival rate did go up thanks to you."

With the frame between them, Jio in Jio's world and humans in the human world came to see each other as paintings.

That seemed to be why Jio, who was both portrait and painter, could exert arbitrary influence through paintings.

"It's just, how should I put it..."

Yu Seongun hesitated a little before continuing.

"Everyone is scared, that's all."

"They are scared?"

"It's not like you look friendly."

"That is true."

"And being turned into paint while still alive isn't exactly common."

It was not merely "uncommon"; it was the sort of thing a person would be hard-pressed to experience even once in their life.

The Hunters were grateful for Black Cloak's goodwill, whose basis they could not understand, but they also feared him.

"Anyway, as long as you're not treating us like mere paint, that's fine."

"I did not think of you that way."

"Right, you just wanted to help in this way."

Though that was exactly what made him seem inhuman.

'From a human perspective, goodwill bestowed by a Root entity doesn't necessarily feel like goodwill.'

It was a pure way of thinking, if one wanted to call it pure.

It was similar to a child who did not understand a dog's biology feeding chocolate to an adorable puppy.

In the child's mind, they might have wanted to share a sweet snack, but for the puppy, it was as good as eating a deadly poison.

'Maybe it's because he's a portrait himself, but he has no hesitation about turning people into paint.'

'The one fortunate thing is that the people did recognize it as goodwill...'

Perhaps because of that, it seemed some Hunters were even beginning to feel reverence.

"Uh..."

After thinking for a moment, Yu Seongun spoke.

"Are you still going to the country of the deep sea these days?"

"I visited in case I might be able to meet Iser, but I keep encountering only humans instead of mermaids."

"Good grief."

Iser, that cunning mermaid, was probably avoiding Jio.

Yu Seongun was not sure whether he needed time to sort out his thoughts or was plotting something else again.

"Anyway... thank you for helping people."

"No, there is no need to thank me."

"Rather, I would like to apologize, as I seem to have startled them."

"Was my behavior rude?"

"It wasn't rude or anything like that."

"It's just that quite a lot of people are scared."

In truth, it was probably not at a level that could be called "quite a lot," but the fact that Jio had shown mercy and saved humans did not change.

The Hunters seemed to understand that it was goodwill, so this much was not a problem.

'If Black Cloak's existence becomes too familiar to Hunters, that will cause another problem, but for now this isn't a situation where a major incident is likely to break out.'

Ideally, Yu Seongun wanted to draw a strict line between the kind and friendly Hunter "Seo Jio" and the unidentified ghost story "Black Cloak," but Jio himself did not seem inclined to do so, which was a little troublesome from the perspective of a greedy human.

Did Jio want to get along closely with other people even while he was Black Cloak?

"I'm saying this in advance in case you misunderstand, but I wasn't telling you not to help people."

"I'm sure those people would rather be a little startled than die."

"I only came because I was concerned about how much you knew, so don't be too hurt."

"I am not hurt."

"Then that's a relief."

"But..."

Yu Seongun trailed off.

"There is something I'm curious about."

The reason he had visited the gallery today was not merely to tell Jio the follow-up to the Black Cloak ghost story.

"Can I ask a question?"

"If it is a question I can answer, I will try to answer."

"Then, you see, by what standard can you control your level of existence?"

It was a question that had arisen based on eyewitness accounts coming in from here and there, as well as the few witnesses such as Yu Seongun and the Cha family.

The difference in level between the rumored Black Cloak and Jio when he was human was so vast that they hardly seemed like the same being.

The portrait, whose eyes were hidden under black paint, asked back.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Uh..."

Of course, Jio did not know how high his own level of existence was.

'He thinks of himself as an ordinary human, so bringing up the word level was definitely my mistake.'

'This is the guy who explained that people were scared of him because of a resolution issue...'

After briefly organizing his thoughts, Yu Seongun soon opened his mouth.

"... Of course, the ghost story called Black Cloak and the person called Jio are the same individual, but even though you're the same being, there are times when your judgments or way of speaking differ."

"When you're acting as Seo Jio... I don't think the very idea of turning people into paint would have occurred to you."

This was the problem.

"Even though you're the same Jio, it feels like the way you think changes depending on your level of existence."

"..."

"Or maybe I'm mistaken."

"If that was a rude judgment, I apologize."

After a moment, the portrait answered.

"I believe you are correct, Mr. Yu Seongun."

"There are times when my thoughts and tone differ."

"Ah."

"I am trying to live as properly and politely as possible, but to borrow your words, when I am 'Black Cloak,' I make arrogant and rude judgments."

It seemed the portrait was also aware of this point.

"However, I am not thinking of harming people at all."

"I will not do anything to harm you, so you do not need to worry about that."

"I understand what you mean."

Yu Seongun nodded.

'Well, human thinking and the thinking of the Root couldn't possibly be the same.'

Even if they were the same being, there could be differences in ways of thinking depending on their level of existence.

'Jio called it an arrogant and rude judgment, but in truth, that must have been a natural action for him.'

'When I consider the level of existence possessed by the being called the Portrait of Jio, it's not strange at all.'

It was natural for a human to look down on ants.

'The fact that he's even trying to bend down and meet our gaze, in whatever way he can, is astonishing in itself.'

'Maybe that's only possible because Jio's understanding of humans is quite high.'

Of course, just because Jio made an "attempt," that did not mean he could become completely human, but there seemed to be meaning in the fact that he was at least scolding himself for making "arrogant and rude judgments."

"..."

A chill ran down his spine.

"Is there anything else you wish to ask?"

"Hm? No, it's just..."

Every time he felt that Jio was not human, he could not help but grow cold.

"... I was thinking that you're truly remarkable."

Yu Seongun still did not know "what" Jio was.

Only that this was a portrait.

* * *

SNIFF...

MRRP.

SNNNIIFF...

MMRPH.

Honey peeked over at the sight of Jio burying his face in Dana's belly and inhaling.

CHIRP?

"I feel alive."

CHEEP?

"It healed me."

As expected, there was no hobby that improved one's quality of life like huffing a cat's belly.

"Of course, Dana is neither soft nor warm..."

GRRR.

"But that doesn't change the fact that you're a cat."

"Thank you for stepping on me, master."

The two little paws firmly pushing his face away could not have been more adorable.

The Sun God in the bear plush watching the scene seemed a little troubled, but Jio, Honey, and Dana were all completely unaffected.

With the whole family cozily gathered together, Jio asked seriously.

"So, what must I do to see Iser's face?"

The subject was Iser's misbehavior.

"For some reason, he will not come to see me."

"He cannot be unaware that I have come, so what is going on?"

SQUEAK...

The bear plush furrowed its brow as if to say, "Do you not know that?" and Jio nodded.

"I do know."

"I suspect it is similar to the principle of a puppy that has caused trouble avoiding its owner's eyes."

"Originally, humans are creatures with the bad instinct to avoid things first when they have done wrong and think they are going to be scolded."

SQUEAK...

The Sun God wondered whether it was truly all right to call Iser, who was a mermaid, human, and whether this could really be compared to the avoidance of a puppy or a child.

To begin with, Iser did not seem to be avoiding Jio because he was afraid of being scolded.

His form was undoubtedly Giovanni, but there was also that strange sense of wrongness felt from within him, that unknown and lofty level of existence.

On top of that, there was even the sun's divinity, which mermaids could only loathe, making him, in many ways, a difficult being for mermaids to face.

But Jio was a young man of conviction.

He was steadfast.

"When I was young, if I wet the bed, I would watch my grandmother's mood and secretly hand-wash it all night."

"Even knowing it was a natural bodily function for a child, I did not tell her because of guilt and shame."

SQUEAK...?

"But in the end, I was caught."

"How good could a child be at hand-washing something alone?"

"It gets soaked through and does not dry overnight, that thing."

"Therefore, no matter how much Iser avoids me, that child will not be able to escape me."

SQUEEEAK...?

The bear plush expressed doubt, as if asking, "Is that really the right comparison right now?" and Jio let out a small sigh.

"It is true that Iser chose too cruel a path for such a simple little comparison..."

SQUEAK SQUEAK, SQUEAK.

"The Iser in my memories was nothing more than a young student."

"Even if I am told now that he is a terrorist or whatnot, it honestly does not feel real."

Just the fact that he himself had been involved in that terrorist attack was nerve-racking, but beyond that, Giovanni remembered his young student.

It did not feel real.

Even if someone suddenly told him, "Your precious little student has been attacking religious facilities ever since you died," he could produce no response beyond, "Pardon? Oh? I see."

"But for that very reason, all the more, we must capture Iser and bring him... no, meet him."

CHIRP?

Honey sent him a suspicious look, as if asking, "Did you not just say capture and bring him back?"

Naturally, Jio ignored it, and Dana sprawled out and yawned.

"What should I do to make Iser come meet me?"

"I could not help but worry over it."

SQUEAK...

"The country of the deep sea is not a large supermarket."

"I cannot broadcast a lost-child announcement, and Iser, a full-grown adult, cannot exactly be called a lost child."

"That cheeky mermaid, knowing perfectly well where the exit is and still refusing to come..."

Jio blinked a couple of times at his student, who seemed to have become a coward in the meantime and would not even show his face.

He soon continued.

"I will tell you in advance that it is not as if I have no plan at all."

SQUEAK?

"If I cause one grand incident in the country of the deep sea, which could be called those children's home, they will show their faces."

CHIRRUP?

"If it goes well, I think I will be able to make sure I have the upper hand."

"Yes, that plan is..."

After hearing Jio's story, the bird tilted its head as if to ask whether that would really be enough, the cat rolled onto her back as if she had no interest, and the bear plush made a subtle expression as if to say, "Are you sure that is right?"

Seeing that, Jio looked at the Sun God.

"What is wrong?"

SQUEAK...

At Jio's calm appearance, the bear plush nodded as if to say, "Is that so?"

To begin with, he had not made that subtle expression because he knew anything in particular, but because he thought, "If Jio says it is fine, it must be fine."

SQUEAK, SQUEAK SQUEAK.

"Thank you for cheering me on."

It was truly the scene of a heartwarming family meeting.