Chapter 77

As they ate rice cooked in vegetable stock made from all kinds of vegetables grown in the garden, along with plump grilled fish, Jio said,

"A ghost story?"

"Coo."

"It is not bad."

Honey showed something like concern over the fact that Jio had become the subject of a ghost story called Black Cloak, but Jio did not mind either way.

"If people think of me as a ghost story, then I will have a little less to worry about when it comes to being attacked."

That was why Jio had tolerated the Collector's trick that was not quite a trick.

"After going back to Earth a few times, I realized something. No matter how much Earth has been turned upside down once and the environment has been restructured worldwide, a haunted portrait is still a rare existence. I am not joking. It would not be strange if I were dragged off to a laboratory and tortured in complete seriousness."

He thought of himself as "a slightly unusual type of Awakened."

Unlike ordinary Hunters, who came into contact with the Root through the system, he had fused directly with the Root, so it was not entirely wrong, but the problem was that the people of the world would not see him that way.

"I felt that the Republic of Korea had become even closer to hell in the thirty-one years I did not see it. Boneless pure-meat chicken like me would not last a single day before falling straight into the abyss."

"Coo?"

"Yes, I am not chicken, but that is not your father's point. The problem is that a weak portrait like me will quickly be dragged into a research lab full of mad scientists and experimented on."

In that sense, there was nothing bad about the "Black Cloak ghost story."

"At the very least, I will not look easy. There is plenty of room for imagination in all sorts of ways, too."

Not only did Black Cloak look far stronger in combat than Jio's main body, but even the name itself sounded cool.

"More than anything, if you call it a ghost story, it gives off a strong feeling of something that can be observed for now, but cannot quite be researched... like smoke you cannot catch in your hand. I do not know how it would be in a harsh world like this these days, but surely the chances of being attacked by every random nobody would go down a little."

"C-Coo..."

"As expected of Mr. Yu Seongun. To think he recognized my weakness and suggested such a path. He truly is an all-purpose human. He is the very image of humanity I ought to emulate. I should get closer to him from now on by giving him meals and snacks. And someday, I will kidnap him."

Having casually said something that would have made Yu Seongun faint if he had heard it, Jio picked apart the fish flesh, which flaked apart fluffily despite not being freshly baked sponge cake, and gave it to Dana as he continued.

"So it is actually something to welcome if ghost stories about Black Cloak spread. You could call it bluffing for survival."

It was not as though he had introduced himself to the Hunters he had met in the country of the deep sea by saying, "I am a portrait."

"At first, I could not bring myself to introduce myself by my real name, so I substituted it with portrait, but it worked well."

"Coo..."

"If I am to survive in this eccentric world, I will have to contribute to these ghost stories too."

"Coo?"

"I think I will need to think a little more about how I should contribute..."

It would be good if it were a ghost story befitting the reputation of a haunted portrait.

"Haunted portraits are usually hanging in schools, are they not?"

"...? Coo...?"

"Well, I suppose you would not know Earth's culture very well. Or maybe I can only think of schools because I used to be a teacher."

"Coo, coo coo."

"Ah, do you have some advice for me?"

The bear plush nodded.

"A mansion..."

Jio listened with deep appreciation and nodded.

"A portrait hanging in an abandoned mansion is definitely a popular subject for ghost stories. I understand what you mean."

"Squeeak."

"Yes, each and every piece of information like this will one day help me be reborn as a great ghost story. Black Cloak, as it is currently known to the public, has many shortcomings as a ghost story, but..."

Jio nodded.

"If we do not give up and keep working like this, then someday, we will be able to become an excellent ghost story and instill fear in people."

"Squeak...?"

"That is how we will survive too, Father. People these days are very scary, so without even this kind of bluff, it is not easy to survive among them."

It did not particularly seem like something Jio, a harmless portrait, should be saying, but in any case, the Sun God let it pass, as if he understood.

In any case, Jio resolved to solidify his concept as a ghost story.

"It was fortunate that the first person I met was Guild Master Bi Sabeol."

Just watching his mouth chatter like a machine gun was enough to completely drain Jio, so he still refused to talk to him, but Bi Sabeol was a good person.

The very fact that he treated Jio, a haunted portrait, as a single person proved his noble character.

"..."

"What is it, Honey?"

"Coo."

Honey thought, "Is that not more a matter of taste than character?" but did not bother to say it aloud.

If nothing else, Bi Sabeol became exceedingly harmless, at least toward his own collection.

That much was true.

"Coo, coo coo."

"You wanted some fish too. Should I pick some out for you?"

"Coo."

"Cute little thing."

Jio tore off a thick piece of steaming fish flesh and gave it to him, then said,

"In any case, I am thinking of carrying out the plan I mentioned soon. I am tired of wandering around the country of the deep sea without any harvest and cultivating half-baked ghost stories."

"Mrrr."

"Can you eat the bones too? Here, then. Eat carefully."

After giving Dana the fish bones, Jio continued.

"Is there anyone who will accompany me?"

"Coo."

"As expected, it is only you, Honey. You know Dad loves you very much, right?"

"Coo."

Honey had absolutely no intention of letting soft and tenderhearted Jio go out into the world alone either.

"Honey...!"

"Coo."

Moved by the warm heart of the son born from his own hands, Jio covered his mouth and showed the depth of his emotion, while the Sun God silently decided to eat fish.

Dana had already lost interest.

As has been said again and again, they were truly a close family.

* * *

And Jio was not the only one planning something for the sake of meeting each other.

By an extraordinary coincidence, the mermaids had also finished their own preparations.

"Hey, flower pig."

"What."

"Where did the youngest go?"

"Isn't he in the garden?"

"I don't see him."

"Have you lost your mind?"

Cha Yi-sol had been kidnapped.

"No, he did not even get to finish resting..."

Normally, a prospective priest who had completed the initiation ceremony would have to enter the temple dormitory, but due to the recent Temple of the Deep Sea incident, he had been given a short period of rest.

"Is resting what matters right now?"

"True."

The news was immediately relayed to Yu Seongun, who was at the Collector guild's office.

"Huh? Kidnapped?"

"Yes."

"Why...? Who? Where, and how...?"

"We do not really know the intention either..."

Cha Eun-hyuk, the eldest son of the Cha family, offered fish-shaped bread as a bribe and said,

"There was seawater all over the garden."

"If you say it like that, anyone would think the culprit was a mermaid. No, but what is with all this fish-shaped bread?"

"So it does seem that way, right?"

"You do not have to give me any more fish-shaped bread. Stop, it is overflowing."

"Please give some to Mr. Jio too."

"Uh..."

"I received an official notice through Cha A-ra and read it with her."

Cha Eun-hyuk continued with a hollow face.

"I heard that Mr. Seo Jio has a one-to-one rule. If he receives goodwill from a human, he treats them with goodwill, and if he receives rudeness, he responds with rudeness."

"... So..."

Yu Seongun asked seriously,

"You are going to offer fish-shaped bread and ask him to save your younger brother?"

"... I thought Yi-sol's chances of coming back alive would be higher than if I offered nothing... Even if Mr. Seo Jio does not actually step in, I thought doing even this would make me feel more at ease."

"That is practically like offering a sacrifice before the statue of a god. And with fish-shaped bread, at that."

"I have no excuse."

"No, Jio really likes fish-shaped bread. Though sometimes he gives something a little terrifying as a gift in return..."

In this era, where worship had become widespread, there were many people who visited temples and offered small sacrifices.

"It feels awkward to put it this way, but Jio cannot be called a proper god. He is only something with the characteristics of a god. Unlike traditional gods, who at least show mercy when it comes to matters involving their believers, there is a high chance he will not live up to your expectations."

"That is fine. I brought it as a gift too."

"I will pass it along for now, but..."

That was right, Jio had rules.

'Can he be hired with fish-shaped bread?'

Judging from the reaction he had once shown, Jio knew that he was bound by rules.

Cha Eun-hyuk said,

"It does not have to be Mr. Seo Jio's, or Black Cloak's, help. But if the seawater we found really is a trace of a mermaid belonging to the country of the deep sea..."

"Right."

"Would this not be an interesting matter from the perspective of a large guild like Collector as well?"

With his characteristic blunt face, Cha Eun-hyuk desperately tried to persuade Yu Seongun.

"Until now, no monster from the country of the deep sea has ever come outside the entrance. It could be some kind of omen, and I think we could learn more information through this. So..."

"Calm down, Mr. Cha Eun-hyuk."

Yu Seongun soothed the young man.

"I was planning to go rescue Cha Yi-sol even if you did not say it that way. The country of the deep sea is a dungeon that has a lot to do with me too, and Black Cloak also seems very interested in that place... I was planning to visit soon."

"..."

"We can just think of it as going a little earlier."

"... Thank you."

"Right, then..."

Yu Seongun trailed off and turned to look at Cha A-ra, whose face had gone pale.

"Hunter Cha A-ra, will you be going with us as well?"

"C-Can I... Can I go with you too? I am only F-class..."

"I can take you if you sign a contract saying you are prepared to die."

"... I know it is shameless of me, but please."

Unless they intended to use her as a meat shield, bringing an F-class Hunter along into a B-rank or higher dungeon was a great burden on the other Hunters.

So this was Yu Seongun's consideration.

"I am sorry."

"It is a matter involving family, so I understand how you feel. You do not have to apologize."

Fortunately, the Collector guild gave its affiliated Hunters a fairly high degree of freedom, so no one would say anything even if Yu Seongun left his post for a while.

It only meant that the number of days Yu Seongun would have to work overtime increased.

"I want to go too, but I would be out of line, wouldn't I??"

"What are you saying when your physical abilities are at F-class level? Stay here."

"What a shame."

Only Bi Sabeol said something in a different sense, but the support itself was generous.

"..."

"...? Why is Priest Kang Seo-dam here?"

"The Guild Master of Collector requested help from our temple."

"He is offering better support than I expected."

"Even if he had not requested it, I would have stepped forward. Brother Cha Yi-sol is my student, and I am responsible for him."

Kang Seo-dam said with a tired face.

"Even if he has not officially begun taking lessons yet because of the incident, that fact does not change."

"Wow, how reliable."

"More importantly..."

Kang Seo-dam looked at "Seo Jio," who had gathered in front of the harbor.

"... Hunter Seo Jio... was going with us as well?"

"I have a connection with Student Cha Yi-sol. In the Temple of the Deep Sea as well, did many people not receive emotional help thanks to the lively Student Cha Yi-sol? This is repayment for how he eased my burden as a doctor and believer."

"Ah..."

"Student Cha Yi-sol's guardians also gave me fish-shaped bread."

"Fish-shaped bread."

Kang Seo-dam had also received an official notice about Black Cloak from the Collector guild.

But he was also worried.

'Could this part be exploited by humans?'

It sounded nice to call it one-to-one, but if handled poorly, many humans could end up forcing Black Cloak to pay them back.

'And if that makes this being angry... Then...'

Worried about a future disaster, Kang Seo-dam nodded.

"I understand. Thank you for accompanying us."

"There is no need to thank me. I am only doing what I can."

"I see. Where is the yellow bird I saw last time?"

"Right here."

As in the previous Temple of the Deep Sea incident, Honey poked its face out from the hood of Jio, who was covered in a black cloak.

"..."

"..."

"...?"

Around the time Kang Seo-dam began to show confusion, Yu Seongun noticed something and stopped Honey.

"No, Honey, he is not food."

"... It eats people?"

Jio shook his head.

"It does not eat people."

"But just now, Mr. Yu Seongun..."

"The meals I make are tastier, so why would it bother eating an unseasoned person?"

"..."

"Honey is a gourmet, so it does not eat just anything."

Coo.

A sound of affirmation came from inside the hood.

"... I see."

That did not particularly reassure him.

'It was looking at me with extremely shining eyes.'

Remembering Honey's greedy gaze only made Kang Seo-dam shudder more.

"..."

"Then shall we go?"

"... Yes."

And so, with A-class Hunter Yu Seongun at the head, a Cha Yi-sol rescue team made up of Kang Seo-dam, Cha A-ra, and Seo Jio was formed.

In truth, this portrait was not exactly in a position where he needed anyone's help, but...

'... Helping Jio with his social life...'

Yu Seongun thought it was a little funny.

"..."

Yes, that was sarcasm.