Chapter 164

Chapter 164

Exactly 12 o’clock.

“The rainforest you called your hometown—what kind of place was it?”

Even though Yoo Seong-woon was so busy that he couldn’t attend, the corridor meeting began as always.

“You look like you’re in a good mood whenever you talk about that place.”

“I certainly am in a good mood.”

Today’s Gio, dressed up in flamboyant leather and accessories and draped outside the frame, was, of course, Argio.

“Isn’t that what a hometown is like?”

“It’s definitely a word that can make you feel many emotions.”

Juhyeon smiled awkwardly.

“More importantly, with you like that...”

“Why?”

“You’re scarier than usual.”

“...”

Gio, who had been half-hanging out of the portrait and lying his body along the table, slowly rose.

“...Am I scary?”

“You look like a classic ghost.”

“What ghost is as handsome as me?”

“That’s true.”

But the dignity ‘Gio’s Portrait’ gave off crushed even his outward beauty. The proof was that most of the Collector’s guild members felt fear before they even realized ‘Mr. Seo Gio’ was handsome.

Still, Juhyeon felt a little sorry to say that, so she mumbled it away.

“Just... because.”

“Do the Collector’s staff still fear me?”

“I tried to hold back once, but it was such a shameless question that my mouth opened on its own.”

“Go on, then. Speak honestly.”

“If you’re not even properly pretending to be human, isn’t it a bit thief-minded to want people not to fear you, Argio?”

The ‘Gios’ that could be called his human self wanted, as much as possible, for others not to be afraid of him. She wanted to refrain from speaking because it was pitiful how he cared about that, but wasn’t he saying something utterly ridiculous?

“If you care that people are scared, please be kinder.”

“Where in the world is there a possessed portrait as kind as I am, that you would say something so cruel?”

“I’ll admit that, but separately, you’re expecting a result that’s far too big for the investment.”

“If I invest any more than this, that’s just being a sucker.”

“...I really can’t refute that either.”

Juhyeon also didn’t want Gio to get conned somewhere.

“Actually, even now, you’re showing favor to the point it’s almost excessive.”

“But if I don’t even do this much, wouldn’t I just be a scary portrait?”

“To begin with, Mr. Gio, isn’t ‘just a scary portrait’ your identity? Aren’t you dreaming too big?”

“At this rate, I might go on strike.”

“Please don’t. How can you go on strike after you’re the one who brought the work in?”

“Of course, I’m not that irresponsible. Don’t worry, friend.”

Gio, waving his hand, sprawled back out on the table.

‘A huge tiger.’

Felines did look exactly like that. When they were full, they liked to sprawl out under warm sunlight and sleep...

“So, are you willing to answer?”

“What, about my hometown?”

“Yes, it seems like you stopped while you were talking.”

“Isn’t it all because Ms. Juhyeon scolded me?”

“Rather than scolding, I informed you of reality.”

“That’s scolding, what else...”

As Gio moved, his long-braided red hair swayed and fell apart. The various gold and jeweled ornaments in his hair clinked as they struck the wooden table. He rubbed his forehead against the table and grumbled.

“...”

Seeing that, Juhyeon obtained another piece of information about ‘Gio’s Portrait.’

‘...Looks like Argio is what he wears when he’s angry or irritated.’

This portrait took on Giovanni’s form when it bestowed mercy and patience, and Argio’s form when it vented excitement and anger. And in ordinary daily life that didn’t require much interaction, it was Seo Gio’s form.

‘Sometimes they mix little by little, but it looks like each has its own use.’

Then would the number of ‘Gios’ used to express other emotions gradually increase too?

“...You said you were twenty-four, Argio?”

“I did, probably.”

“Probably?”

“There wasn’t anyone counting my age for me.”

“Is this the timing where I should apologize?”

“You’re just stating a fact, what is there to be like that about?”

Argio rested his chin on the table.

“I lived a life closer to a beast than a human, and around me there were only family who were beasts from the moment they were born. The one who didn’t think to count, and the ones who couldn’t count—even if I wanted to know properly, how could I?”

“Did you never think to count it separately?”

“Only later did I grow curious about how old I was. I’m not the type to hold back what I want, so I went outside and checked the situation. So before I died, I thought, ah, so I’m dying at twenty-four.”

Before Juhyeon could say anything more, Gio spoke first.

“More than anything, the Black Forest wasn’t a place suitable for counting days. Morning, evening, night—everything was dark, so you’d have to be able to measure time. A little child living like a beast, throwing away all human dignity, didn’t have the mind to count days.”

Juhyeon asked him.

“Was it a forest that was only dark, the entire time?”

“Yes. It was a place where you couldn’t feel the flow of time.”

“Most people would go mad not long after stepping in, wouldn’t they?”

“They’d die first to wicked beasts and vicious poison.”

Perhaps intrigued, a peculiar thin smile formed on Gio’s face.

“You said you were curious about my hometown?”

“And that hometown, um. It seems it was called the Black Forest.”

“That’s right. Well understood—yes, I grew up in the Black Forest.”

It was a place that suited Argio’s temperament quite well.

“I already said it was a place with no sun or moon.”

“What exactly does that mean? By what principle was it impossible to distinguish day and night?”

“The trees of the Black Forest are extraordinarily thick and tall. Their leaves are dense, so you can’t see the sky.”

“Were there other climate changes?”

“Well, the most common case was that it rained.”

“You did say it was a rainforest.”

As she said that, Juhyeon tilted her head as if something felt strange.

“...If you can’t see the sky and can’t even feel the passage of time, you’re saying rain can fall in that forest? At that extent, it would be as if the sky and the forest are separated entirely.”

Argio laughed as if satisfied.

“Good thinking, friend. In a rainforest that dense, no matter how grand a torrential downpour, at most a few drops would get through. But the Black Forest collected the rainwater that fell.”

“It collected rainwater...?”

“And then, from time to time, it would let that rainwater trickle down little by little. The reasons varied. Some enormous beast stomped its foot, some tree was struck and tilted, or beasts perched on the leaves...”

“Everything seems related to beasts.”

“That rain was, in the end, rain made by the beasts of the Black Forest. While the rainwater pooled, it couldn’t withstand the assaults of all sorts of plants and animals and took on deep toxicity. Without immunity, your flesh rots and your bones melt.”

“It doesn’t look any different from a dungeon.”

As if agreeing with Juhyeon’s words, Gio nodded.

“And when the forest temperature rose excessively, fog would settle. The various toxic substances secreted by the Black Forest’s flora and fauna, and the fog originating from a horrific swamp, were black like shadows. If you were trapped in it, it was difficult to even breathe.”

“...”

“And because your vision darkened, even if you ran into a dangerous beast on the road, you wouldn’t know. Even if traps were set on either side, you wouldn’t know. You couldn’t even tell whether what you stepped on was ground or swamp.”

That was what the Black Forest was like.

“A place where even small animals, feeble insects, even plants that cannot speak cannot survive without being vicious. In such a place, what remains to form the ecosystem are only those vicious monsters.”

Gio gave a brief laugh.

“There was a reason it became the source of all kinds of ghost stories.”

“...Ghost stories...”

“How frightened do you think people were, to see a two-legged beast living perfectly fine in that place?”

“...Is that why you gained an evil reputation?”

“I think it had some influence.”

“How did you survive, Argio?”

Juhyeon asked with a face that revealed no special emotion.

“You said that when you were very young... you were left there.”

“Yes. I was abandoned in the Black Forest.”

To Argio, it was a turning point in his life, but it wasn’t some grandly remarkable thing.

“It was rather enjoyable.”

“Why? Weren’t you afraid when you headed into the Black Forest?”

“Perhaps instinctively I felt it was where I belonged.”

And.

“Compared to being among those dog-pigs, it looked quite fun.”

“You usually say you’ll turn us into pigs...”

“The pigs I speak of aren’t always praise, are they?”

“Then what you’re saying now is clearly an insult?”

“It truly just looked that way.”

Those idiots who thought that if they dressed themselves up flamboyantly, they would become human rather than beasts.

“It was quite enjoyable to watch them in that stupid and adorable state, too.”

“...Stupid, fine, but adorable? What part?”

“Even if I tell you, you likely won’t be able to empathize with me.”

“I want to at least try to understand.”

“I very much like that attitude of yours.”

Argio spoke as if it were no big deal.

“Are dogs and cats still commonly kept as companion animals?”

“Besides those, reptiles and insects are popular as pets too. There are fish as well.”

“Good. Then say you’re walking down the road and you see a bird adorning itself by plucking a roadside flower.”

“Ah, yes. A bird adorning itself with a flower.”

“Or a cat chattering on about some incomprehensible story.”

“A cat chattering on about an incomprehensible story...”

“Or a dog that comes up to you to show off its toy.”

“...”

“How is it.”

He asked.

“Is it cute?”

“...It seems like it would be cute.”

Unfortunately, Juhyeon understood what Argio meant.

“Is that how the world looked to you? Even when you were human?”

“I am still human. It would be very troublesome if you discriminate against me because I’m a portrait.”

“Ah, right. Anyway—when you were an ordinary human, you still had that viewpoint?”

“What’s wrong with my viewpoint that you’re like this?”

“Well... that, um...”

Just in case, Juhyeon rechecked whether what she understood was correct.

“So, Mr. Gio, people who dress themselves up, talk nonsense, or show off looked to you like those birds, cats, and dogs. Right?”

“I am pleased you understood well, my honorable friend.”

“If I recall how you described it rather negatively, it doesn’t seem like you had very good feelings or very good conduct. Then it seems like something akin to power harassment, and that...”

Juhyeon asked.

“Was it cute?”

“Isn’t stupidity cute?”

“I see very well that you’ve been quite unusual since you were young.”

“Because I am quite a special person.”

Argio smiled thinly.

“A dog that thinks it is human is truly cute.”

“There will be quite a lot of people who get angry at that comparison...”

“Of course, it’s not that the two are entirely the same; I only wished to help you understand.”

“Even putting them on the same level as an example to help understanding is a bit uncomfortable.”

“...Is it, after all? I admit it is an example too grand for those dog-pigs, but...”

Rising, Gio naturally went back into the portrait. As the bright red hair that had been sprawled long across the table vanished, Juhyeon even felt an emptiness. The portrait continued speaking.

“The Black Forest was always full of rare treasures.”

“...Treasures? Suddenly?”

“Did you not ask about my hometown?”

“I did.”

“That place overflowed with gold and jewels.”

“...”

“Poison is medicine, and becomes treasure as well...”

That smile was heavy.

“It bloomed atop corpses.”

A calm, weighty smile that made it hard to tell whether it was unpleasant or pleasant.

“I look forward to quickly going to the rainforest dungeon I will be visiting this time.”

“...It certainly resembles the dungeon you described.”

“In my feeling, that place will not be my hometown, so do not worry. It is a completely different dimension.”

“That reassures me, but on the other hand...”

Juhyeon trailed off.

“...”

Soon, she asked.

“...Do you want to go back?”

“I want to visit.”

“You don’t mean you want to return to that time?”

“I hold no attachment to what has passed.”

“I see.”

“I love my family and friends.”

And.

“And because of that, I died.”

Juhyeon could not interpret the meaning of that smile.

(To be continued in the next episode)