“Oh my.”
An exclamation that came out while suppressing a smile, as if pretending to be polite.
Bi Sa-beol asked.
“Did he stay hidden because he thought people would be scared?”
“I didn't say it exactly like that, but to summarize, that's not wrong either.”
Yoo Sung-woon nodded.
“It seemed like he understood that problems could arise if someone with a high soul level as himself encountered a defenceless person. Still, it seems strange that he insists on being an ordinary human ….”
With that, Bi Sa-beol narrowed his eyes like a snake and spoke.
“We can't completely rule out the possibility that he might be a humanoid monster in the form of a portrait, but he can't be seen just as a simple monster either. He doesn't hate humans at all.”
“……”“If even Curator Yoo Sung-woon is unsure about his nature, then he's probably related to the origin, but judging by the fact that you haven't submitted an official report yet, it seems like he's a type of existence you've never seen before.”
“Yes, for now.”
There were few origins existences that Yoo Sung-woon, a gardener, did not know.
'Dungeon monsters are also born from the veins of the origin, but they're on a different level of complexity compared to the children of the origin. If Gio is a type of child of the origin that I've never seen before, the story will become much more complicated.'
The so-called 'children of the origin' could be found in all dungeons. They could not be solved by simple subjugation like ordinary monsters.
Thus, extensive knowledge and skills to deal with them are necessary, and Yoo Sung-woon was a veteran who had been working as a gardener since he was eleven years old.
'Gio's Portrait', an existence unknown even to such a Yoo Sung-woon, was clearly something to be wary of.
“Anyway, even if he's a 'child of the origin', it's certain that he's an unusual existence.”
If there's something common between monsters and children of the origin, it is that they don't understand how fragile Earthlings are.
Even if they knew, monsters hated humans, while children of the origin were indifferent to humans.
Either way, they were bound to be harmful to humans.
“It's rare for them to be this friendly to humans.”
“It's certainly something the association would want.”
“I asked you last time, but are you going to hand him over?”
“I have no intention of doing so.”
Bi Sa-beol had a strong sense of possessiveness and never left something that was his in others' hands, even for a brief inspection. Unless it was a clear and clean transaction, he wouldn't do such a half-hearted thing. ȒᴀＮОВĘŝ
“Curator Yoo Sung-woon seems to be taking care of it well. Is there any reason to hand it over to the association's research lab?”
“If Gio is a child of the origin, he might harm people without any sense of guilt. He might claim he was just following his own rules, but… it could be a great catastrophe for humans.”
An investigation was necessary.
“At this level, all I can understand are stories from the portrait. I can't tell exactly what skills he uses, how high his soul level is, or what role he holds within the origin.”
“I'm not someone who seeks such things.”
“……”
“Do you remember the things I asked you to do when I hired Mr. Yoo Sung-woon?”
Yoo Sung-woon sighed as he answered.
“To analyze, maintain, and manage gallery works.”
“That's right.”
“But I'm no longer the head of the association's research team. There's no place that can analyze 'Gio's Portrait' as well as it can.”
“What a disheartening thing to say. As curator Yoo Sung-woon knows, I'm not interested in weapons.”
“Yes, that's right.”
“I want art.”
Bi Sa-beol smiled, narrowing his eyes. The natural arrogance of someone used to look down on others since birth was evident.
“That's why I established this guild, this company. I have no pride whatsoever as a hunter, let alone an artist.”
“……”
“No collector cares about which evil spirits Van Gogh's self-portrait repels or what good dreams it brings. No one is interested in those functions. They only wonder about the story contained within the painting and want to preserve that story with their own hands.”
“It could become very dangerous. It is the only existence that escapes the guild leader's appraisal skill, and even if he respects and considers humans, his rank is too high. He might not feel divine, but he's probably of a level that priests serve. Even if the portrait is cautious, humans can't be at ease.”
“Have you seen those eyes?”
“…….”
That was abrupt.
“…Pardon?”
“Have you seen those eyes, Mr. Yoo Sung-woon?”
“…Are you talking about the eyes of the portrait?”
“Oh, it seems you haven't seen them.”
“No, I have, but.”
“Then tell me.”
Bi Sa-beol gestured gracefully with his hand. Even the gesture urging for an answer carried the elegance of someone important.
“What were they like?”
“……”
Yoo Sung-woon didn't ponder long.
“… It was distant.”
Fear.
Awe and disgust, anger and sorrow, joy and delight, despair, loneliness, and dizziness.
A colossal presence that couldn't be fully grasped in a single moment….
“…I don't know how to describe it well. I also have an appraisal skill, but I couldn't objectively grasp it because its rank was so clear even without using skills.”
It was so distant that it couldn't be expressed with a boring word such as 'universe'. It felt like he was directly touching something visible yet unseen.
“They were clearly black but also appeared white. They were so dark they felt bright, and while it seemed the pupils and irises were indistinguishable, when I looked inside … I could see intricate paths.”
There was rainwater within. There were streams, brooks, and water veins.
It was as intricate as the roots of a tree and as delicate as human blood vessels. It was also so vast and expansive, so colourful that humans couldn't fully comprehend it.
It felt like glimpsing something humans shouldn't be seeing. Something so immense resided within those narrow pupils.
“It reminded me of the saying that eyes are the window of the soul.”
“A decent impression. Not bad.”
“Seeing you say that, seems like my impression is unsatisfactory.”
“It can't be helped.”
Bi Sa-beol laughed as if appreciating the mistake of a very immature child.
Yoo Sung-woon suddenly recalled his actual age. He was old enough to teach Yoo Sung-woon.
“I told you to look at his eyes, but you just observed the artwork. “Before our respective professions and tastes, we are humans capable of conversation.”
“……”
“If Gio has consciousness, it means he also has eyes that can communicate with humans.”
He asked again.
“Have you ever seen his eyes?”
“…In the sense of what you have just said, no.”
“Have Mr. Yoo Sung-woon ever thought about what emotions Gio feels and how he looks at you, other than his soul level and paths in his eyes?”
“No, I haven't.”
Who could think that in front of such a colossal presence?
How could something as small and insignificant as him dare to?
“…That kind of thing … was only something someone like Guild Leader Bi Sa-beol could do.”
“A gardener shouldn't be so narrow-minded. Think bigger, broader.”
“Aren't you expecting too much from a mere gardener?”
“Gio is a good person.”
“……”
“He is very kind.”
Bi Sa-beol continued, as if teaching a child.
“Even though he dislikes inconveniences, he doesn't hate. How kind must someone be to not resent what makes them uncomfortable? He is full of compassion, maintaining politeness and respecting others without imposing.”
“That's a generous assessment.”
“And he's afraid of hurting someone.”
“……”
It was an unexpected story.
“…Gio? At most, it would be like a human stepping on an ant.”
“That's right.”
“It's not the feeling of disgust at the insects bursting in front of him, but fear of harming it?”
“Didn't I say he was kind?”
“After barely exchanging a glance without any conversation, you're saying all this…”
“One must have this level of ability to be a guild leader. To discern this much just from a single glance.”
“…That's true.”
Bi Sa-beol created one of South Korea's top three guilds solely with his appraisal skill, without any additional power.
Considering his physical abilities were that of an average male, it was clear how remarkable his eyes and mouth were.
'That kind of person must see things differently from me. His way of seeing the world is probably different.'
Yoo Sung-woon swallowed a sigh and spoke.
“…I understand. You mean to proceed as it is without any additional measures, right?”
“I'm glad you seem to understand. Gio will also probably try his best not to harm humans, so please avoid making him angry. Kind people are scarier when angry.”
“That's exactly what I'm trying to prevent from happening…”
“There's no way to prevent an individual's anger, and if there were, it would involve sealing or destroying the portrait, right? No matter how harsh the world has become these days, we can't treat a person who's just trying to get along well like that.”
“……”
Yoo Sung-woon asked with a subtle expression.
“… Person … are you considering it as a person? 'Gio's Portrait'?”
“Then who has been conversing with Curator Yoo Sung-woon all this time?”
“Isn't there a difference in level?”
“But it is a being with the will to communicate, considering itself a person.”
“That's….”
“How is that different from humans?”
Bi Sa-beol said, as if singing.
“Even without Gio's portrait, there are plenty of dangerous humans. Right now, there are five high-risk hunters in South Korea alone, and they are all living well on their own. Some treat them like dangerous dogs and pick fights at every turn, but that has always been the case, even a hundred years ago when there were no dungeons.”
“If we act recklessly like that, something we will regret might happen. Gio is certainly a being capable of that.”
“Those dangerous hunters are enjoying their daily lives, so why should we suppress a portrait?”
“It's not suppression, it's investigation….”
“What if Gio gets angry?”
“…….”
“He's a friend who values manners, but he might get angry if you rudely pry into his feelings, and that would be a greater catastrophe. Just be a good conversational partner for Gio.”
He pointed beyond the window that made up the entire wall.
“Take him outside often too.”
“…Are you serious?”
“I understand what you're worried about, Mr. Yoo Sung-woon.”
Bi Sa-beol nodded.
“Of course, I understand. Aren't children of the origin extremely secretive and cautious beings? They are part of the ecosystem with little interest in humans. They are nature itself, and therefore, I understand that it can come off as a significant disaster. Because that's what they are.”
“…….”
“But humans are also part of nature.”
He spoke calmly.
“Gio is no different.”
“…Yes.”
“Treat him well. If there are rules, follow them, and if there are any childish conflicts, resolve them by bickering.”
“Understood.”
“If he said he's 29, then that's what he is. He is a young man who hasn't even reached thirty, so as a senior in life, shouldn't you look after him?”
“…There is a high chance that Gio is mistaken. He may not actually be 29, but his memory might be aligned with that of a 29-year-old young man, so he said that. In reality, he might be well over a thousand years old. If he's a child of the origin, that's entirely possible.”
“Why is that so important?”
“…….”
Yoo Sung-woon sighed and nodded.
“That's right.”
He was a gardener.
He devoted his heart and soul to his garden, poured his affection into it, and felt pride in it.
Gio was a being related to the origin that formed the foundation of the garden. He said action was needed, but unless the portrait showed a reaction first, he wanted to treat it gentlemanly on his end as well.
“I've advised you as a curator of Collection to the best of my ability.”
“I'm always grateful for our curator Yoo Sung-woon's thoughtfulness.”
“It's disgusting, stop it. Anyway, so….”
Yoo Sung-woon glanced at his watch and asked.
“Are you saying that I should be Gio's guide?”
“If possible, give him a tour of our guild, introduce him to our employees, take him outside to watch a good play, buy him food, and guide him to tourist attractions.”
“You're really asking me to be a guide. But no matter what, introducing him to the employees might not be appropriate… The employees would probably reject us first, and Gio also doesn't like noisy things either.”
“You can judge that on your own. If Gio likes quietness, help him see the company or the outside even at dawn.”
“What on earth do you believe in…”
“Didn't I say I saw it?”
A vivid smile.
“I, saw it.”
“…….”
Bi Sa-beol sees things that humans can't.
Yoo Sung-woon decided to believe that.
“…Understood.”
“Please take good care of him in the future, Curator Yoo Sung-woon.”
“If an accident happens, I know nothing about it.”
“I'll take care of that.”
“Anyway, what are you thinking….”
Although grumbling, Yoo Sung-woon was in a pretty good mood.
'I can expand his activity range.'
He had been worried about Gio, who was always inside the portrait.
Even if Gio said he was more comfortable and liked it in there, informing him that he could officially enter and exit would be better for him.
'I guess since it's my first time encountering such a communicative child of the origin, when watching him, I can't help but want to do this and that for no reason….'
From the perspective of a gardener and a curator, Yoo Sung-woon felt a sense of pride.
The story would be different if he faced that huge figure in person, but for now, Gio was just a talking portrait. Since Yoo Sung-woon was in the position to manage him, this kind of feeling wasn't completely strange.
'…It's true that it's a reckless feeling. I'll be careful not to stiffen and make Gio uncomfortable when I face that figure properly someday.'¹
As he stepped out of the guild, something entered Yoo Sung-woon's view.
“…….”
A fish-shaped bun (bungeoppang) stall.
“…This is rare.”
Yoo Sung-woon approached the fish-shaped bun cart with joy.
“Are you open?”
“Ah, yes, I am.”
“How much for ten fish-shaped buns?”
“It's 5,000 won.”
“Please.”
“Just a moment.”
The cart owner was a young man with a blunt impression.
“Here you go.”
“Looks delicious…. Will you keep coming here?”
“I'll come until I get caught.”
“Hmm.”
Somehow, his blunt tone reminded him a little of Gio.
“…….”
Ah, right.
“Give me ten more, please.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“I'm the one who should be grateful.”
“What are you grateful for?”
“There aren't many places selling fish-shaped bun these days. It's becoming harder to find recently.”
“Aahh….”
As it seemed like it would take some time for new fish-shaped buns to come out, Yoo Sung-woon continued the conversation. The young man, seemingly bored, responded softly despite his blunt tone.
“It's hard to do business. Even if I tried to sell fish-shaped buns outside the city, no one would buy them, so I come in from time to time to sell them.”
“Oh, so you come all the way here from outside the city?”
“Who among the city people would do this kind of business?”
The young man shrugged his shoulders.
“Most people either work office jobs or are hunters.”
“Even so, it must be quite a long way. It must be tiring, impressive.”
“Some people help out because they find fish-shaped buns nostalgic, so it's still doable. My younger sibling is also working as a hunter nearby….”
“Ah, would it be a little expensive to find a house around here?”
“It's hard to afford city rent, and becoming a city resident isn't something just anyone can do.”
“Aren't short-term permits easily granted? I heard that the hurdle for that has been lowered.”
“I do have a permit, but sometimes I can't finish work before the terminal's closing time… so I just don't get a room. It takes time and money, and there's no benefit to it.”
The young man who flipped the fish-shaped bun mould said.
“In addition, I have a 10-year-old younger sibling at home, so I have to go back.”
“Oh, then definitely … you have to go back. If you leave him alone and a monster appears in the village, it will be a disaster. Having an older brother around is more reassuring.”
“My younger sister also works as a porter, so she earns money here, but she goes home every three days and then leaves the following week. Right now, my younger sister is at our parents' house, so I'm the one working.”
“That's amazing.”
“It's good because it sells well around here.”
“Is that so….”
Yoo Sung-woon tilted his head and asked.
“So how long can you keep coming?”
“It's still winter … so probably until early spring. When it gets warmer, I'll look for another job.”
“Sounds like you'll be here for a while. I'll see you often.”
“Thank you.”
The young man took the fish-shaped buns out of the machine. Steam rose from the freshly made fish-shaped buns. It smelled delicious.
“Eat it while it's warm.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Yoo Sung-woon headed back to the company with the fish-shaped buns.
To be precise, in front of 'Gio's Portrait' inside Bi Sa-beol's gallery.
“Gio, are you awake?”
“…….”
“Gio?”
Fortunately, Gio soon opened his eyes.
“What is it?”
“There was a fish-shaped bun vendor in front of the station, so I bought one.”
“It doesn't seem to be one.”
“Oh, right. It's not just one. I thought you might like it, so I brought about ten.”
“…….”
The portrait, which blinked twice, soon nodded.
“Thank you. It's been a while since I've had fish-shaped buns.”
“Do you know fish-shaped buns?”
“I didn't know if there would still be any fish-shaped buns left.”
“…Really?”
As expected, Gio seemed to be a being with experience living in Korea.
'Or maybe a being from a similar dimension… Even if he didn't live there, he might have only received the memories.'
When Yoo Sung-woon extended the bag containing the fish-shaped buns, it quickly seeped into the painting.
“Oh… it literally became part of the painting.”
“Thank you for the gift.”
“It's nothing special. I hope it suits your taste.”
“I like this kind of street food.”
“That's a relief.”
He had been worried because of the cold expression that seemed impenetrable.
'His demeanour seems quite noble.'
Gio seemed like a heavenly aristocrat who had never touched the water with his hands or like an AI civil servant created for the busy modern society.
He was worried for a moment whether Gio, with his sharp and heavy atmosphere that could be felt just by looking at his expression, would like street food. He wondered if he might despise it and ask, 'How dare you give me this as food?'
“Next time, if there's something like egg bread or takoyaki, should I buy you one too?”
“…….”
“…Gio?”
After a moment of silence, Gio soon took something out of his arms.
It was a neatly tied white bag.
“…What's that?”
“It's tea leaves.”
“Tea?”
“There were flowers with good scent, so I tried drying them.”
“…….”
“It's a thank you.”
As he extended his hand—
—Outside the painting, Gio's hand popped out along with a tea bag.
“…This is different.”
“Please accept it.”
“Oh, um, thank you.”
Rustle.
A pleasant aroma wafted from the paper bag placed on his hand.
'It smells like cream.'
It was a scent that could come from sweet custard or milk cream.
“…….”
It felt a little strange.
'…Would it be rude from the perspective of origin with rules if I tell him that he doesn't need to reciprocate like this every time? It feels awkward since it feels like I'm being treated so generously compared to what I always give.'
Yoo Sung-woon put the bag inside his coat and said.
“Thank you, I'll have to drink tea after a long time.”
“I hope it suits your taste.”
“First of all, it smells very nice. I'll drink it gratefully.”
“And I have a favour to ask.”
“Huh? A favour?”
Gio asked.
“May I ask for seeds?”
“…What kind of seeds?”
“Anything that can be grown in a field.”
“…….”
What on earth is he doing in there?
'A field.'
Suddenly, Yoo Sung-woon became curious about the scenery inside the portrait.
¹: 간이 배 밖으로 나오다/간이 붓다 (the liver comes out of the stomach / to have a swollen liver): to be overbold and foolhardy, ignoring apparent hardship.
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