Chapter 107

“One thing is for sure.”

Yu Seong-un stated firmly.

“Jio had no ill will.”

“What is this, the narrow-minded statement of a guardian protecting their child, Curator Yu Seong-un?”

“Please don’t talk like that, it gives me the creeps.”

Yu Seong-un shuddered at Bisabeol's thoughtless nonsense.

“You wouldn’t be saying such ridiculous things if Jio were in front of you.”

It was no easy feat to act friendly in the face of that distant and vast difference in class.

It was because Yu Seong-un was a Gardener familiar with the Source that he could act this composed; there were still plenty of staff who couldn't even say a proper word when facing Jio.

At Yu Seong-un's appearance, Bisabeol asked in a subtle tone.

“Would I really not be like this in front of him?”

“…Damn it, just don’t even think of seeing Jio for the rest of your life. Understood?”

“Ah, how unfair. I bought ‘Jio’s Portrait’. I emptied my wallet and bought it myself.”

“Then it seems you just need to fix that personality of yours.”

That was the best way for the peace of mankind.

“Jio dislikes you, Guild Master.”

“What did I do…?”

“You’re overflowing with energy, far too much.”

“Is that a sin?”

“Seeing as you haven’t been dragged away yet, it seems it’s not a sin.”

He wished that mouth would get dragged away, but passing on such a terrible responsibility to Jio was something to be sorry for.

Yu Seong-un, collecting himself, returned to the main topic.

“Jio truly had no bad intentions. If that being had truly held hostility or ill will and dragged away Hunter Park Eun-gyeom, he would have felt at least some displeasure when I tried to take him out. Because it would mean ignoring his own feelings.”

But ‘Jio’s Portrait’ expressed no regrets whatsoever.

“Rather, he showed a tolerant attitude as if telling me to do as I wish.”

“Is there no possibility that he fabricated such an appearance?”

“Why would he go to such lengths to fabricate it for someone like me. Of all places, inside Jio’s stomach….”

He didn't know the limits of the abilities Jio could display, but he knew at least that the master of a dungeon could wield power close to a miracle within his own dungeon.

“For him to treat me so gently despite that must mean he truly held no hard feelings.”

“Our Seo Jio is so good-natured.”

“That’s such a warm smile, as if you’re treating a grandson… I hope you won’t act like that in front of Jio.”

Even as he said that, Yu Seong-un was half-resigned.

“Since I’m the only one who confirmed it, I can’t say for certain, but from what I saw, the reason ‘Jio’s Portrait’ attacked the human was, as expected, because he was evil and rude.”

And.

“His ultimate goal was to maintain the quality of the human race.”

“To maintain the quality of the human race, you say….”

“I’m not sure if this is a definite analogy, but you know those things. A sick chicken is culled before it spreads pathogens… an overly violent animal is kept in separate quarantine at the zoo….”

“Oh, to my ears, that sounds like a very accurate analogy. It was the perfect analogy to understand. Does that mean that, according to Jio, we look like such livestock or beasts?”

“…….”

Yu Seong-un smiled awkwardly.

“…I am not sure.”

Jio, when they were touring Seoul together, was extremely human-like, kind, and respected the other person.

However, if asked whether that appearance was completely different from his appearance as ‘The Black Cape,’ that wasn't the case either, so it was confusing.

“If his way of treating humans changed according to a change in personality, it would be much easier for us to understand… but from what I saw, such a distinction was not clear.”

Yu Seong-un showed a look of difficulty.

“If there is one thing for certain, it’s that he is favorable to the human race.”

“That is something we knew from before, but it has become a little clearer.”

“That’s right, it has become clearer.”

Through this incident, Yu Seong-un was able to learn one of Jio's habits.

“Jio treats evil and rude humans almost as a different species from other humans.”

It was impossible to know if ‘Jio’s Portrait’ regarded all humans as livestock, but he could tell that it at least regarded the evil and rude as livestock.

That was how indifferent and ruthless its attitude was.

“In front of me, it conversed with the transparent man in the black suit, showing me ‘This is how little interest I have in the human named Park Eun-gyeom.’ I don’t know if it really didn’t know, or if it knew and put on such an act….”

Yu Seong-un recalled the Black Cape he had seen in the ‘City of the Void’.

“It was truly an appearance of placing no value on him whatsoever.”

“So that’s why you expressed it as having no ill will. Literally, since there was no murderous intent or hostility.”

“Whether the human he dragged in died trapped like this, escaped, or struggled, Jio seemed to not care at all.”

“Literally quarantine or disposal. Moreover, it’s an attitude close to indifference. Jio’s interest is solely focused on good or ordinary humans.”

“That said, he doesn’t have the dedication to go all out and eliminate all evil beings. It just seemed like he dealt with those who didn’t meet what Jio thinks of as the standard for ‘human’ whenever they came into view.”

“That is quite frightening.”

Bisabeol gave a faint smile.

“And, it’s just that much.”

“…You are right, Guild Master.”

Yu Seong-un nodded his head.

“It’s not an action that is greatly harmful to humanity.”

If he tried to eliminate all evil people on Earth, or if he openly exerted influence and showed unconditional favoritism towards good people, the story would have changed a little.

But this behavior of ‘Jio’s Portrait’ does not cause great confusion to humanity.

“It also seems like he perceives it as a game, like a snack to kill time.”

“To call it a game, he doesn’t seem to feel any particular enjoyment, but he doesn’t seem to have a sense of responsibility or duty either.”

“Indeed, in the first place, I can’t feel enough enthusiasm to call it a game or punishment.”

“There is no disaster that threatens humanity as much as the enthusiasm shown by a being of the Source.”

“In that sense, Jio's habits cannot be called a great disaster for Earth.”

This was just close to an event that popped up once in a while.

“At the very least, if people are careful with their conduct just in front of the picture frame, no one will be dragged away. So, if it’s just this much….”

“We can sufficiently coexist.”

Bisabeol continued in a conclusive tone.

“What fortunate news, when humanity has no choice but to coexist. Since it will be a coexistence that isn’t too much of a burden from the perspective of humans, not just Jio, the Association will be able to feel a bit more relieved.”

While not denying Bisabeol’s words, Yu Seong-un did not let his guard down completely.

“It is still too early to be so certain. It hasn’t been that long since we started analyzing ‘Jio’s Portrait’ either.”

“Curator Yu Seong-un is right. There is nothing as foolish as feeling relieved thinking you have ‘fully grasped’ a being of the Source. Especially with an opponent like Jio whose identity we still don’t even know.”

“…That is the part that concerns me the most. If I could at least know that precise information, I would be a little more at ease, but for unknown facts to keep popping up like this….”

He could believe that the Jio habits seen for now would not be a great harm to humanity, but he couldn't know about anything else.

It was possible that ‘Jio’s Portrait’ might show another aggressive habit someday.

“…….”

Yu Seong-un rubbed his neck.

“…I am dragging this out for too long.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to approach it prudently and carefully?”

“That’s a story for when we at least know its identity.”

He was a curator, by name, and a Gardener, by name.

“I still do not know what Jio is.”

Even at this point when the year is changing.

“In the newly appeared picture frame, that gray city was an abnormal dungeon. The fact that its basic foundation was similar to a normal dungeon made me feel an even greater sense of incongruity. The feeling that it was mimicking a dungeon was strong.”

And.

“It is close to a garden.”

“I believe you know very well what that means.”

“Yes, I know. A garden is also a vein of the Source.”

The ‘garden’ that Gardeners literally put their lives into cultivating beautifully and healthily was, to define it in one word, an ‘organ of the Source’.

It was the duty of a Gardener to manage the blood vessels, heart, lungs, muscles, and bones of the Source.

“I have never heard of a being other than a human managing a garden….”

“If we’re going to argue that, there is little we know about the Source either.”

“That is the problem. Every gardener I know is human, but it has only been 31 years since I learned that.”

“It’s only natural that there are things we don’t know about the Source, whose limits are unknown.”

“That said, it is also unreasonable for us to judge Jio as a Gardener and not a human.”

Even if there was a monster that managed a garden, even if such a diligent god existed.

Separate from that, it was impossible to create a garden directly. It was an impossible task that could not be expected of anyone.

“…A Gardener cannot do that.”

Yes, a ‘Gardener’ could not do that.

If so….

“…….”

“I have had this thought before.”

Instead of the silent Yu Seong-un, Bisabeol continued speaking.

“What if the Source were a personage?”

Yu Seong-un did not rebuke him for talking nonsense.

***

“My babies.”

After Yu Seong-un left, Jio, alone, reveled in the life of a portrait with the black suits in his arms.

“I don’t know how happy I am that you’ve all grown up so well even though your father couldn’t pay attention to you.”

“Yes, thank you for liking us, Father.”

“How could you have grown into such a wonderful gentleman? I’m blessed with good children, indeed.”

The combination of the faceless Black Cape and the faceless black suits was chilling to anyone who saw it, but there was no one here to point that out.

Jio repeatedly muttered ‘my praiseworthy babies’ as he cared for his new children.

“How can you be so adorable?”

His children, who recognized their father—or more accurately, since they were monsters inside the ‘City of the Void’, they were closer to grandfathers—but anyway, his children who came to be held in his arms so obediently were just lovely.

They were the sweet and sour vitamins of this harsh world.

“I didn’t particularly intend for it, but you resemble me a lot.”

“Yes, we wanted to resemble you, Father.”

“Is this the ‘When I grow up, I’m going to be an adult like my dad’? It has a nice ring to it.”

“Yes, thank you for creating us in a form that is pleasing to you, Father.”

“I don’t know how you can be such diligent and bright children.”

Even as he said so, Jio knew that these ‘black suits’ had an objectively quite scary appearance.

Perhaps because they clumsily imitated the already blunt Jio, their actions were natural like a human's, yet exuded a somewhat clumsy, incongruous feeling.

Park Eun-gyeom felt a fear that could kill him just by looking at them and even the experienced Gardener Yu Seong-un felt an unbearable eeriness.

Jio wasn't completely unaware that others would receive such an impression.

‘But that is none of my business.’

Personal impressions can’t be helped, but it shouldn't be that someone criticizes my kids for doing their best to dress up to look like their dad.

“This deeply sensitive father is brought to tears by the praiseworthyness of his children.”

“Please pet us, Father.”

“Father, I love you.”

“Father.”

“My praiseworthy babies.”

Jio’s eyes were already covered by thick and sturdy bean pods of love.

“I hope you won’t mind even if people say you’re scary.”

“Yes, if you love us, Father, nothing will be a problem.”

“Although you are not human-friendly in appearance, in my eyes you are just cute.”

“Thank you, Father. Please hold me.”

“To think I am blessed with children at this age….”

These adorable sweethearts.

They were a truly heartwarming family, where each cherished the other.

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