Chapter 133

For the record, ‘not interacting with the mentally and physically weak’ was Argio’s own principle.

“I have a picky palate, you see.”

“That sounds rather like something an evil god would say.”

“If I’m going to have someone, I prefer a healthy person.”

Argio took off his hood and continued.

“Such a person is a sight to behold even when they get angry.”

“……”

“Hey, mister. What’s the problem now?”

“…Ah, I’m sorry.”

“It’s because I’m too handsome, isn’t it? I understand, it’s a common occurrence.”

“Why is he so infuriating…?”

“You’re quite a fun friend to tease.”

“No….”

Ju-hyeon, who was looking around warily with a subtle frown, asked.

“Aren’t you angry that I’m being so impertinent?”

“If you want to see me angry, the price will be quite steep. Are you confident you can handle it?”

“It’s not that I want to see you angry, it’s… I’m asking if you’re not annoyed.”

Whether the opponent was a monster or an evil being, it might be meaningless to distinguish, but in any case, he had never let an impertinent human be.

Fundamentally, monsters capable of thought had high pride.

In contrast, The Black Cape showed no displeasure, even though he was aware that he himself was acting out of line.

He rather seemed to enjoy such a sight.

“Why should I be angry?”

“Because I’m being impertinent?”

“Then I should die first. Is there anyone as impertinent as me?”

“That… I don’t quite understand the standard for that.”

“Neither do I.”

The evil god smiled, his brilliant golden eyes curving.

“I’m of the mind not to think about troublesome things.”

“You truly live so refreshingly.”

“In a world with so many things to enjoy, is there any reason to struggle?”

“Ah… that kind of….”

He seemed to be quite the hedonist.

“……”

More than that, the colors were more vivid than I had imagined.

Ju-hyeon’s eyes narrowed dubiously.

‘It’s a color I could never have imagined when he was hidden under that gloomy black cape.’

Vivid crimson hair and golden eyes with a cool light.

“…It’s a wonderful color.”

“Do you like this color the most?”

“Pardon?”

“I see you like stimulating and honest people.”

“I haven’t particularly thought that….”

“Then, as a special favor, I shall remain as Argio today to suit your taste.”

“…Hmm? Ah?”

Ju-hyeon, who had been seated on the sofa without realizing it, asked.

“Do you call your current appearance ‘Argio’?”

“That’s right.”

“Then… do you have other appearances as well?”

“The form is the same, only the color is different.”

“You’re not some chameleon.”

“A chameleon, you say. You could say it’s a distant relative of mine.”

“You’re joking, right…?”

“I would say the ability to change here and there according to the situation is similar.”

Soon, his color changed to a brilliant platinum, as if soaked in sunlight.

“Isn’t that so?”

“……”

What is this?

“…Is it something like… multiple personalities.”

“It’s not that the personalities are different.”

“Your tone and expression are so different, yet it’s not a different personality?”

“It’s literally just changing colors.”

“…Ah, I see.”

I sort of understood.

‘Is it like changing clothes?’

Changing clothes doesn’t change the person inside, so from a god’s perspective, it could be a similar kind of play.

Certainly, one shouldn’t judge mysterious beings by human standards.

Ju-hyeon nodded.

“I understand what you mean.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“…But I, uh, feel more comfortable with the red one.”

“Is that so?”

In an instant, The Black Cape, who had transformed into a brilliant impression as if a fire was blazing, introduced himself.

“I am Argio. If you promise to be my friend, I will tell you my other name as well. I promise my honorable friends that it will not bring you harm.”

“…That….”

There were still parts I didn’t understand.

“Why do you need a friend, a pen pal friend, in the first place?”

“Because I’m timid.”

“Did you kill all the timid people in the world before you came here?”

“It’s too hard to make friends.”

“And I was easy?”

If you were to argue, it was obvious that his own difficulty level was higher, having been betrayed by the world and becoming extremely sensitive.

He could have grabbed anyone passing by and it would have been easier to befriend them than him, so it was absurd.

Then Argio spoke.

“You’re not afraid of me, are you?”

“……”

“Everyone else is busy looking at me with strange eyes.”

“…I, I see.”

That was certainly true.

‘Most would have been scared or revered him.’

The current status of The Black Cape in Korea was exactly that.

Famous enough for even a child to know, yet with a high degree of danger, and strangely kind so you don't feel repulsed, but you can't help but feel fear....

‘It’s truly a ghost story.’

Or an urban legend.

Perhaps Ju-hyeon would have had a similar reaction if he had encountered him in a normal situation.

There was no good that could come from getting entangled with a mystery whose identity was as suspicious as The Black Cape.

“……”

It’s just that right now, he didn’t even have the minimum capacity to act that way.

‘…In the first place, I’m not even sure why the situation became like this….’

He was barely holding onto his sanity, but his sense of reality was gradually dulling.

‘It would be much more convincing to say that I’m dreaming.’

That was also why he was responding more comfortably.

He had been half out of his mind since he made the mark of Sankalut, and because he had done it with the intention of dying from the beginning, he had been in a daze ever since.

In the midst of that, the appearance of The Black Cape and the invitation into that portrait also added to the sense of unreality Ju-hyeon was currently feeling.

He simply didn't have the energy to react sensitively and normally.

“…This place… it’s a very nice place.”

Ju-hyeon said, looking around.

“It’s much cozier and more peaceful than I imagined.”

“I like my home very much too.”

“Is this place your home?”

“I can make homes in many places, but this feels like my hometown.”

“Is that so, a hometown….”

It certainly had an atmosphere that warranted such a description.

“So what should I do?”

“Eat and play.”

“Pardon?”

“Do you go to work?”

“…I was suspended.”

“Then you can have a meal!”

“Why does it turn out that way?”

More than that, he didn’t know why he was so obsessed with food.

‘Come to think of it, I did hear that most of The Black Cape’s gifts are snacks….’

Is fattening humans really his ultimate goal?

‘Can you even call that an evil god?’

He felt strange.

He thought he was an evil god because he called himself one, but the more they talked, the less he seemed like one.

Is this a high-level deception?

An act to win over a weary human?

Or mercy that a god sprinkles like alms to a begging beggar?

Or a momentary whim?

“…Should I help you prepare the meal?”

“I can’t let a guest handle the kitchen.”

“Then I just wait quietly?”

“A cup of tea, perhaps?”

“That would be nice, but….”

And then a teddy bear brought the tea.

“…A teddy bear?”

“That would be my father.”

“Father?”

“He’s soft.”

“Why?”

The fruit tea the teddy bear served was ridiculously delicious.

“I’m suddenly not hungry.”

“Ah, dear. I’ve made a mistake again.”

“Please don’t make mistakes with a weak human.”

“You don’t look particularly weak.”

“So what exactly was the mistake?”

“This tea gives you a feeling of fullness.”

“So you shouldn’t drink it before a meal?”

“That’s about right.”

“Aha.”

Ju-hyeon nodded his head.

“It must be a dream after all.”

“This is reality, though.”

“I’m getting sleepy.”

“Then you can sleep.”

A large hand stroked Ju-hyeon’s head.

“Sleep soundly, wake up, have a meal, and even eat a snack.”

“……”

“After that, wash up, lie in bed, and I will sit by your bedside and listen to those screams.”

“…Yes.”

“After we’ve chattered endlessly, we’ll be friends. You just have to talk to me.”

“Yes.”

“I wonder what your anger will taste like….”

A voice filled with interest and mercy fell from above his head, and soon that hand closed Ju-hyeon’s eyes.

“I can be a good friend.”

Because it really seemed like he would be.

“……”

“Don’t dream.”

Letting go of everything, Ju-hyeon fell asleep.

***

“…Hmm, I see.”

Yu Seong-un nodded his head.

“So you’re saying an Association researcher is sleeping at your house right now?”

“Two days have passed, and he still hasn’t woken up.”

“Has it been two days already? I only stopped by at dawn, so I didn’t know that.”

The background in Jio’s portrait changed its appearance according to the changes within. Morning for morning, evening for evening.

Occasionally, a new animal would appear, or an unknown flower would bloom.

‘To think that two days have already passed inside the painting in that short time.’

Perhaps because he had finally gotten the ‘pen pal friend’ he had been clamoring for, it seemed Jio was very much welcoming this guest’s visit.

After all, the flow of time in the world of that portrait changed according to the mood of its owner, Jio.

‘In the past, when I visited, had a meal, and came out of the frame, only about 20 minutes had passed. Based on the time inside the portrait, he said time flows quickly when Jio is happy and slowly when he is resting….’

That means he is very happy right now.

Yu Seong-un smiled with his characteristic easygoing smile.

“I’m very happy that you’ve made a new friend, but.”

“He and I are not yet friends. I will always give my guests a chance. He may become my friend, but he may not.”

“I think it’s a relief that you have such an open mind.”

What a great disaster it would be for an individual if they were forced to become friends with the eye of the Source.

‘I don’t know how merciful it is that he at least gives them a choice.’

Anyway, there was something else Yu Seong-un wanted to say.

“You said that prospective friend tried to summon an evil god?”

“That is correct.”

“Why did you stop him?”

“His features suggested that if he were to cause trouble, it would be a massive incident.”

“Oh….”

Coming from the Source, his reading of faces sounded definitely credible.

“You said he’s not going to work because he was suspended?”

“That is correct. It didn’t seem like he did anything wrong, so I wonder why he received such a disciplinary action.”

“I think they probably forced him to take a vacation. Well, it’s a common thing to happen.”

“Is such a coercive measure a common thing?”

“Yes, it’s also a kind of recommendation for resignation. The atmosphere at the Association and The Collectors is completely different.”

In fact, on a global scale, the three major guilds of South Korea, and among them, The Collectors, were rather unique. Should I say they are one of the few groups that treat humans as humans?

“We receive various benefits thanks to the Guild Master personally doting on the employees, but the Association… It feels like a den of demons. Since it’s such a huge organization, there are places that just work without any personal feelings, and there are also places where factions fight to the death.”

“I see.”

“That new guest person was probably part of a team that did a lot of reading the room. In the Association, a single team is large enough to be assigned an entire research building, so all sorts of things happen without any uniformity. Because they’re disconnected.”

As such, there were also many places that were suddenly wiped out.

This is because there are also works that contaminate or infect the mind or the body itself.

It’s no wonder that one or two people die trying to research and analyze such things.

“There are an enormous number of people working at the Association, but the work that needs to be done there is far greater and more dangerous than that. Various clinical trials are also being conducted for various projects….”

“Are you sure it’s clinical trials and not human experiments?”

“They just call it clinical trials to make it sound better to the public. Well, the team I was in charge of before had a very mild atmosphere, and there were no projects that required human sacrifice. So I don’t know for sure either.”

The atmosphere of the research labs varies greatly from team to team.

“So… um….”

Yu Seong-un said with a slightly awkward face.

“I guess it’s not a rare occurrence.”

“That is very frightening.”

“Of course, the fact that he tried to summon an evil god is a bit surprising.”

“Is that so?”

“Usually, people don’t go that far.”

Yu Seong-un laughed resignedly.

“But even if he had gone that far, it seems like it would have been handled one way or another. If it was a matter of the Seoul branch research lab, the lab director or the Association President would have heard the news of the incident immediately, and then that person would have stepped in… Even if he had succeeded in making a deal with the evil god, it would have ended well.”

To which Jio summarized.

“It sounds as if everything is being maintained by the Association President’s mercy.”

“That’s not wrong. That’s exactly the current situation of the Earth right now.”

The world is hanging by a thread, sustained by the mercy of a few powerful individuals. It is a peace that would shatter to pieces if even one of them were to harbor ill intentions.

“That’s the reason why this country hasn’t collapsed despite the overwhelming number of dangerous items being concentrated in Korea. Korea is particularly well-organized, and there are many strong hunters.”

“It is a blessing in disguise.”

“Anyway, the matter with that guest is unfortunate. I also came to the current Collectors because I was sick of that kind of atmosphere where people are instrumentalized and used as means. It really drives people crazy there.”

They had a knack for completely breaking people who were sound in limb and conviction.

What’s even funnier is that, because of that, they were able to collect various data, which was a great help for development.

Korea’s rapid development was built on such countless sacrifices.

“If you want to survive in the Association’s research lab, you need the mindset that you’re on your own in life.”

You should trust in the abilities of others, but you shouldn’t trust or rely on the person themselves.

“Actually, this isn’t just a story about the Association.”

“Does everyone else live like this?”

“The intensity at the research lab is particularly strong, but, well… I suppose so.”

It’s a truly unfortunate thing, but in this small country, tragedies even greater than that happen on a daily basis.

“Still, people don’t usually think of dealing with an evil god. Did someone egg him on?”

“I am not sure.”

“When you’re done talking with that guest, could you arrange a meeting for me too? I want to hear his story.”

“I will do so if it’s possible.”

“If you sense any sign of danger, that’s a part I’ll have to investigate.”

It was as unsettling as when he had investigated the turbulent sea before the mermaid siblings appeared.

Yu Seong-un maintained his smile but let out a short sigh.

“…If any problems arise, send me a letter. I’ll come right away.”

He entrusted the poor man, who had been betrayed by the whole world, not to a human but to the Source.

As a Gardener, the mercy of the Source was far more trustworthy than that of a fellow human.

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