Chapter 83

The highest floor of Collector, Bi Sabeol's office.

"It's a dangerous disposition."

"You mean a temper?"

"You could put it that way too."

After hearing Yu Seongun's report, Bi Sabeol stroked his chin and asked,

"He took himself hostage to threaten the mermaids?"

"... To summarize, yes."

"How bold of him."

Bi Sabeol's smile as he murmured that looked somewhat bitter.

"To think my collectible would try to walk into hellfire all on his own."

"That hellfire was the light of the sun."

"Please refrain from saying things that could create friction with the Sun Cult."

"That's why I'm not saying it in front of them."

"That should be enough."

"You never know where word might leak from."

"And about something that could be taken as blasphemy..."

"Religious fanatics really can't be reasoned with."

"Aren't priests originally all like that?"

"Our Mr. Giovanni must not grow up that way..."

"He's already grown, that Mr. Giovanni."

"More than grown—he's dead."

"Don't go killing off my lovely artwork as you please, Curator Yu Seongun."

Perhaps he rather liked this ridiculous conversation, because Bi Sabeol, who had been slumped in his chair, soon laughed softly.

"I suppose we can say he has no lingering attachment to his own annihilation or pain."

"Even gods are extremely sensitive about annihilation, so at this point, it would not be an exaggeration to say that humans have lost the most traditional countermeasure for dealing with a calamity."

"We should avoid creating a situation where we would have to fight the Portrait of Jio in the first place."

"If the situation deteriorates to the point where we have to find a way to subdue Jio, it won't be a calamity that can be ended by offering a few sacrifices, the way one would to evil gods."

"It would have been a little easier to prepare if he were an ordinary god."

"Then again, Jio is not a traditional god but something that possesses the characteristics of a god, so thinking about it this way won't lead us to an answer."

"That is true, but Jio also has human characteristics."

"The fact that he was clearly a human personality and yet was not swayed by affection is also something we need to consider."

"The question of how to subdue him is a problem we must continue thinking about."

At that, Bi Sabeol asked,

"Given that he did not kill or punish them outright, couldn't we think of it as treatment that took old affection into account in its own way?"

"That is a separate issue from what result it produced."

"I observed Jio by his side, but those were not eyes mired in the past."

Giovanni merely seemed to have made that choice because he thought it was the natural course of events, and also right.

He truly seemed to believe that tormenting himself would be the greatest punishment for the mermaid.

"Jio seemed to have taken on the most appropriate responsibility he could bear."

"By handing Giovanni to the mermaids, dulled as they were because they were monsters, he gave it meaning and made them agonize endlessly."

"That is the punishment, then."

"As long as Giovanni remains by their side, the mermaids will have to take responsibility for everything they have done."

"Jio himself seems to have wanted that and attempted such a thing."

Yu Seongun spoke while recalling Giovanni from that time.

"He was incredibly resolute."

"According to him, those mermaids were beings the human Giovanni had raised like his own children, yet whether he was angry or not..."

"..."

"It was quite chilling to see him keep smiling even while bleeding and with his limbs broken."

"He was truly no different from a portrait."

"He continued carrying things out even when the mermaid called Aria cried and begged him."

"The fact that a mermaid cried is also quite interesting, but threats?"

"Considering it was a method in which Jio suffered with them, it may be hard to call it that, but yes, well, probably."

"No matter how much I try to dress it up, it would be difficult to change its essence."

It was difficult to say that was not a threat.

"The unusual point, however, is that he took himself hostage."

"If what happened then had not been carried out properly and Giovanni ended up dying, did it truly seem as though his personality would have died?"

"That is what he said himself."

"He said that the personality called Giovanni might die, and if not, he would keep dying dozens or hundreds of times in front of her."

"Either way, that is chilling."

"That mermaid certainly seemed to think so as well."

"Perhaps because he said it while smiling gently, it sounded even more frightening."

"Even to me, Giovanni's words did not feel like mere bluffing..."

"It must have been a decent punishment for the mermaids."

Bi Sabeol shrugged.

"Not that I think they will stop tormenting humans."

"Still, as long as Jio is by their side, I suspect there will be no major incidents..."

"The fact that there will only be no 'major incidents' is what we should focus on."

As long as it was not on the level of mass slaughter, Jio would not say anything about the mermaids' cruelty.

The Portrait of Jio was a gentlemanly Root entity who liked goodness and courtesy, but he himself was not good.

"He is not a hero."

"He may once have been a hero, and he may possess a 'Jio' with such a nature, but at the very least, the Portrait of Jio is a form of nature and fate."

Bi Sabeol continued with a smile.

"As Yu Seongun, who is a Gardener, would know better, that is one of the characteristics of beings close to the Root."

"Unless it is caused by some particular malice, to Jio, human life and death are not very different from flowers blooming and withering."

The pitch-black portrait pursued interest while pretending not to, and judged himself, the things around him, and the death and pain beyond them as a state and information.

He did not have any clumsy sympathy for things that broke and collapsed outside his hands.

Of course, the Portrait of Jio loved humans equally, but saying one loved everything was the same as saying one loved nothing at all.

In a way, he was cold and indifferent.

Unless something interested him, he let what would flow, flow.

"As proof, the entrance to the country of the deep sea still hasn't closed, has it?"

"If the mermaids had truly reflected on their past and wanted to respect humans, they would have closed that access route and shut down the dungeon so no more humans would be hurt."

But even after a week, there was no sign of that happening.

It meant that the mermaids, being monsters, could not set aside their hatred toward humans, and that Jio likewise did not unconditionally side with humans.

"If either one of those had come to pass, the dungeon would have closed."

"Root entities are not creatures humans can control as they please."

"They are nature."

"And that is why we ultimately had to buy it."

"Because we don't know who else might die from the mermaids taking out their anger."

Bi Sabeol laughed as if amused.

"Of course, there was also the concept of a gift for our Hunter Seo Jio!"

"... I believe you will handle the media on your own, but is the expenditure all right?"

"This Collector Bi Sabeol will not take a hit just because I bought a single dungeon."

"You seem truly dependable in a capitalist society like this one."

"I was always a dependable Guild Master."

"Ah, yes."

"The point is, however, that Jio cannot be called entirely on humanity's side."

Bi Sabeol looked at Yu Seongun and smiled.

"Just like Gardeners such as you, Yu Seongun."

"..."

At the word "Gardener," which had not come up in a long time, Yu Seongun shrugged.

"As far as has been revealed, the Root is closer to a system than a person."

"It is fair to all beings with personalities that exist in the universe, such as humans, monsters, and Root's children."

"Then a Gardener who manages the currents of the Root must also possess a fair perspective."

A sense of balance that took no one's side was the most important virtue of a Gardener.

They were guideposts that maintained the minimum balance, and bystanders living within the Garden.

"I say this in that sense, but at times, I feel that Jio is similar to a Gardener."

"In what way did you feel that?"

"Hunter Cha A-ra is the first human to visit the inside of the Portrait of Jio."

"The cabin Jio described by that person looked similar to the gardens we manage."

"Then perhaps Jio may be a Gardener devoured by the Root."

"How could a Gardener devoured by the Root maintain his ego..."

Yu Seongun raked a hand through his pure white hair with a fed-up expression.

His sky-blue eyes narrowed.

"It is impossible."

A Gardener could maintain his ego even after being devoured by the Garden?

That was impossible.

A Gardener who had become the property of the Garden could no longer even be called an intelligent life-form.

"However, thinking from that feeling, it is certain that Jio will not take anyone's side exactly between humans and monsters."

"If we take that into account, we can tell that what Jio wants is not simply to punish the mermaids."

He had merely resolved the problem before his eyes.

He had taken only the share of responsibility Giovanni had to bear, and placed the minimum control on mermaids who possessed abilities and beliefs powerful enough to threaten humanity.

That was all.

As Bi Sabeol had said, Jio was not a passionate being who would endure losses to carry out something he had no interest in.

"Jio loves beings that are good and polite."

"That is the part that interests the portrait."

"The mermaids were not particularly good."

"Even though Jio despises evil, the fact that he showed that much mercy may, as Yu Seongun reported, be a kind of favoritism."

"Saving people was likely something he did casually while he was at it."

"I can make a rough estimate."

Yu Seongun stroked his neck as if measuring something in the air.

"He likes things to proceed simply and peacefully."

"This is the basic attitude the Portrait of Jio has toward the world, and there are roughly two exceptions."

"The first would be ties from the past, and the second would be targets of interest."

"And the targets of that interest would be beings that are good and polite."

"The Portrait of Jio seems to use these three directions as its basic rules, but that..."

"It is too early to conclude that."

"Only the second 'Jio' has emerged, after all."

"Yes, we should say we were lucky this time."

"In the case of 'Giovanni,' his very nature was that of a gentle priest full of mercy."

"We should also consider the possibility of a 'Jio' emerging with a direction hostile to humanity."

"The Portrait of Jio itself values peace and has a strong will to interact, so I believe there will be no major problem."

"I keep telling you, you cannot treat Root entities like people in that way."

"Anyway, what I want to say is, um..."

As though he were sorting through a troublesome matter that encouraged overtime, he soon opened his mouth.

"From now on, we also need to find a way to coexist with the mermaids."

"..."

"Guild Master, I think you will have to prepare countermeasures."

This old Guild Master truly hated doing work unrelated to his collectibles.

Bi Sabeol, slumped in his chair, said bitterly,

"... How about we keep the dungeon entrance closed for life?"

"We simply let no one in."

"Would that be possible?"

"What you purchased, Guild Master, is the right to enter the dungeon, not the dungeon itself."

"Above all..."

"No one knows what resources might be inside."

"If we prevent everyone from entering, at the very least, the Hunter Association will not sit still."

"You know that very well, so why say it?"

"Haa..."

Bi Sabeol, who had been sunk deep into his chair, unsteadily raised his upper body.

"... And even if there are no resources inside, no one will believe that?"

"News is already going around claiming that Collector is trying to find special resources in the country of the deep sea and monopolize them."

"Even if we say that now, it will only look like a deceptive measure."

"You are right."

Bi Sabeol gave a light smile.

"Then what can we do?"

"We should let them go find places to die on their own."

"Ah, is that what you will do?"

"I intend to set the toll soon."

"I will respect the brave souls who crawl inside in search of some special resource Collector supposedly found."

"And even if they die in there, it is not particularly my fault, is it?"

"I will understand it that way, then."

After the tussle with Jio, the mermaids in the country of the deep sea probably would not go so far as to come outside the dungeon to cause trouble, but that did not mean they would leave humans who came inside the dungeon alone.

"I think Jio will not easily offer help up to that point now."

"The reason Jio has frequently gone in and out of the country of the deep sea all this time was to talk with the mermaids, but he has already achieved that purpose..."

"He will no longer go all the way there just to help Hunters."

"The Portrait of Jio we saw was not that altruistic or devoted a being, was he?"

"Correct."

"He is merely quite friendly and gentlemanly compared to other Root entities."

There would probably be fools who crawled into an S-rank dungeon believing only in the existence of Black Cloak, but it was about time they learned the hard way.

"This is the right direction."

Yu Seongun nodded.

"Hunters today are treating Black Cloak like a convenient vending machine."

"Hunters with such pathetic thoughts were not particularly helped by Jio in the first place, but..."

"In any case, such an easy image cannot possibly help Jio."

"Yes, so the time has come for them to learn that Black Cloak is a natural disaster that does not move according to their whims."

"If they die in the country of the deep sea without even glimpsing Black Cloak, they will realize reality."

There were still many idiots in the world who thought they could compromise with monsters—or rather, Root entities—and use them.

Even though they were clearly not resources, but calamities.

"I will give Jio a word about this."

"Perhaps Jio, who found joy in drawing humans and rescuing them, may step forward to save more Hunters, but he is not such an active portrait, so I think the probability is low."

At that, Bi Sabeol said,

"I can talk well too, you know."

"No matter how well you talk, what will you do if Jio himself refuses?"

"At this rate, I may lay out a sleeping bag in front of the portrait and lie down."

"Then Jio will get angry..."

"Tsk."

Bi Sabeol clicked his tongue, then changed the subject.

"Come to think of it, is the prospective priest who was kidnapped back then doing well?"

"You are only asking now."

"I heard he is finally entering the dormitory next Monday."

"The Sun Cult must have been in complete chaos."

"Originally, they should have taken in the students and been raising them long ago, but of all things, they became the mermaids' prey and the entire schedule was ruined."

"Priest Kang Seo-dam seemed extremely stressed because of that."

"You know, don't you?"

"It even made the news this time..."

"Still, now things will proceed according to the original schedule, so the Sun Cult's circumstances should improve somewhat."

Yu Seongun nodded.

"The prospective priest you mentioned, Cha Yi-sol, did not seem to have any major mental issues either."

"That cynicism like a well-ripened fruit—is he a talent for Collector I have yet to bring in?"

"He is already a priest of the Sun Cult, so would he join a private guild that is not even a church?"

"More importantly, he is far from the kind of cynicism you are thinking of."

"He is just a bit..."

"A bit?"

"He had nerves of steel."

After all, even while knowing he had been kidnapped, he had calmly observed the mermaids' ecology and returned.

"I don't think it was because he didn't understand due to a child's innocence."

"He simply seemed quick-witted, yet possessed a firm mind that was not easily shaken."

"Does he have the makings of a pushover?"

"Or the makings of reckless bravery?"

"Neither is welcome."

"No wonder there was a report that Jio was fond of him."

"For the time being, we have handled compensation for that side generously as well."

"No matter how fine he himself is acting, a victim is still a victim."

And then it happened.

"Oh."

"Did you receive a text?"

"Yes, and it happens to be from that... Cha Eun-hyuk."

"He would be the older brother of the prospective priest we were just discussing, correct?"

"Correct."

After checking the text, Yu Seongun was briefly at a loss for words.

"..."

"Has something happened?"

"... Jio is apparently there."

"... Where?"

At Bi Sabeol's question, Yu Seongun answered with difficulty.

"At Cha Yi-sol's house."

"..."

He had already thought going home on time was out of the question, and now Yu Seongun smelled the familiar scent of overtime.

Why are you there again?

* * *

"W-What is..."

Cha A-ra stammered out a question.

"What did you say happened?"

"You have to believe me."

"So what is it?"

"You see, noona."

Faced with his sister's reaction, unable to believe it even after seeing reality, Cha Yi-sol answered honestly.

"I drew a picture, and Jio hyung came out..."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It's true."

"I drew a picture, and Jio hyung came out, I'm telling you."

"No, what..."

Cha A-ra, at a complete loss from sheer absurdity, soon turned to look at Black Cloak with a complicated expression.

"..."

"Good to see you."

"... Ah, yes..."

'Is today the day I die?'

He did not seem hostile, but Black Cloak was still scary as hell.