chapter 192

Chapter 192

“Are divinities originally kind of childish?”

“What are you talking about now?”

Yoo Seongun, who had been waiting for Juhyeon at home, asked with his characteristic smile.

“Looks like a lot happened in the portrait today?”

Juhyeon, who had a bold side in strange places, visited the portrait today. Unlike Aria, who was clearly the instigator of the incident that would soon erupt, it was to ask what her younger brother, Iser, was thinking.

“Why? What did Gio do again for you to react like this?”

“Sancalut visited Mr. Gio’s portrait.”

“Oh, I remember that name.”

Yoo Seongun’s expression hardened.

“Why is an evil god suddenly coming up?”

“Right? I was very surprised too that a divinity that should be trapped in the laboratory suddenly appeared.”

“Is it really okay to just describe this as ‘very surprised’? That evil god has a lot of entanglements with you, Juhyeon.”

“I should probably be reacting more intensely, but... I don’t know, what should I call this...”

Mumbling, Juhyeon soon came up with an answer.

“Because it doesn’t feel real.”

“Ah, if it’s that, I get it.”

Yoo Seongun understood right away what he meant.

“Your brain still hasn’t accepted reality yet.”

Yoo Seongun set down a cup of warm coffee in front of Juhyeon.

“For now, drink this and wake your brain up.”

“I feel kind of dazed right now, but once I come to my senses, what kind of fuss am I going to raise.”

“Don’t worry, I was surprised too.”

After soothing Juhyeon, Yoo Seongun asked.

“Do you feel something like vengeance?”

“...I thought about that too, but...”

Juhyeon, who had been pondering, shook his head.

“Not particularly.”

“You’re colder than I expected.”

“I’m thinking it’s unexpected too.”

“Did you judge it as a kind of natural disaster?”

“That might be it.”

Or perhaps the situation back then had been so childish that he didn’t even have the energy to get angry. He wasn’t sure. If he had to describe his current state, “dumbfounded” would fit.

“It feels like I was slapped while sleeping...”

“It’s not like you have no resentment at all.”

“Of course I resent it. I know that the resentment of a mere human is nothing more than a decent snack for an evil god, but even so... it’s an existence understood to be a divinity that harmed my family and friends.”

“Yeah, I suppose so.”

Gio had never said it explicitly, but both Juhyeon and Yoo Seongun judged that the previous tragedy must have been Sancalut’s scheme. And they had never taken measures beyond that.

Juhyeon fiddled with his coffee cup.

“I think I can be calmer because of Mr. Gio, too.”

He had already asked properly about what happened back then and come to the present.

“Even in that sudden encounter, Mr. Gio handled it as if it were nothing, so I think it didn’t become more serious. And the topic of conversation wasn’t about me, so...”

“Right, but in the first place, why did that evil god called Sancalut come to Gio’s portrait? Did he intend to compete with Gio or something? There’s also the mermaid issue, this is a headache.”

Since it was something he couldn’t help but be concerned about as a curator, he asked, and Juhyeon made an awkward expression.

“Th-that is, rather than visiting by his own will...”

“Don’t tell me he was dragged there?”

“In my judgment, that was the case.”

“How on earth did that happen...?”

No matter how weak and foolish an evil god was, once it held divinity, it could perform countless miracles. If it was Sancalut, who was worshiped by a planet, it wouldn’t be an easy opponent—so he couldn’t quite understand.

Juhyeon asked him,

“Do you remember Student Cha Isol?”

“She’s a kid Gio cherishes quite a bit.”

“He tried to pull something on that child, and it seems he got scolded by Mr. Gio.”

“That still doesn’t really make sense to me.”

“He possessed the body of a kid named Ruda and got dragged in.”

“...So...”

Yoo Seongun roughly guessed the situation.

“...He possessed the body of Ruda, who’s Cha Isol’s partner, to try something on Cha Isol, but for some reason Cha Isol and Ruda got pulled into Gio’s portrait, and Sancalut’s attempt fell through—is that what you mean?”

“You understood it well.”

“Sounds like some bizarre incident nearly happened again when we weren’t looking.”

“It kind of feels like an extension of what happened to me, too.”

“That... yeah, it probably is.”

Yoo Seongun, used to the things an existence of the Origin did, grasped Sancalut’s scheme.

“Looks like he wants a fresh start.”

“I thought he was sealed right now, but if so, then indeed...”

“Seems like there’s a problem with the laboratory’s seal.”

“If not, there’s no way Sancalut could reach even as far as the Sun Church’s kids.”

“The Sun Church should formally lodge a protest with the Association’s research institute.”

“Since it’s related to Mr. Gio, I’ll contact them separately. I got acquainted with Priest Kang Seodam last time, so he won’t ignore my contact.”

“He’s a priest with some flexibility, so he’ll respond well.”

If they hadn’t noticed and passed it by, it could have become a major incident, but since Gio blocked it in advance, there was nothing humans needed to worry about greatly. As long as they did proper follow-up, the rest would be fine.

Yoo Seongun checked Juhyeon’s complexion.

“But still, are you really okay?”

“...I’m not sure.”

“...It’d be better to talk again later once your thoughts are organized.”

He smoothly changed the subject.

“Then how did Iser react? Did you meet him?”

“Yes. Whether it was because Mr. Gio called him, or because he was interested separately, or because there was another reason... he agreed to my request more readily than I expected.”

“And did he have any opinion about this situation?”

“He said he agrees with what Ms. Aria is doing.”

“I thought that was likely, but...”

Yoo Seongun smiled awkwardly.

“Still, it’s a relief you had a safe conversation and came back.”

“I expected no problems as long as Mr. Gio was there, but I came back after having an even more cooperative conversation than that.”

“I was worried because you’re too brave, Juhyeon.”

“I feel sorry for making you anxious.”

“You really become fearless in strange places.”

“Still, I couldn’t not hear his opinion. Of course, I’m never going to be the main party in the war the mermaids will wage, but in any case, we’re acquainted, aren’t we.”

Aria had expressed her opinion enough, but Iser had not. Juhyeon worried about that, and Iser told him his stance and opinion. Juhyeon was satisfied with that.

“I know this isn’t something for an unawakened person like me to worry about.”

“Thanks to you, both sides could solidify their positions, so in the end it wasn’t a bad thing.”

Yoo Seongun rubbed his neck.

“Still, it’s better to be careful, Juhyeon. You don’t have many means to protect yourself.”

“I’ll be careful going forward.”

“Sorry if I sound like I’m nagging too much.”

“I know you’re worried for me.”

“Yeah, well, if you think of it that way...”

Trailing off, Yoo Seongun took a sip of coffee.

“...Any other information?”

“They said it seems like they’ll make their move in about a month.”

“Isn’t there a chance that’s a lie? Since it was said in front of Gio.”

“Mr. Gio didn’t say anything in particular, so I think it’s sincere.”

“What a peculiar way.”

This must be what you call the eye of a storm.

‘It’s absolutely not, but it’s peaceful.’

The world really had gone mad.

* * *

Iser returned to the sea, and all that remained in the portrait were Cha Isol and the sleeping Ruda.

“Have you calmed down a bit?”

“Hyuung...”

“You haven’t, I see. I expected as much.”

“I’m really so sad.”

“You still have excellent vocabulary.”

Even at a young age, being able to express your emotions so skillfully in words was an impressive thing.

“What made you so sad?”

“People are so cold.”

“These days, the world is truly frightening to me as well.”

“Was it like that for you too, hyung?”

“Of course.”

If anything, it was more so than Cha Isol. Seo Gio was, in his own way, an old-era modern person who remembered the time before the Great Catastrophe, when public order was maintained.

“Back then, Earth wasn’t openly so ominous like it is now.”

“Earth back then?”

“I mean Earth before the Great Catastrophe.”

“How do you know that time? Wasn’t it an extremely long time ago?”

“I don’t think it was that long ago...”

Wasn’t it not even a hundred years ago?

“So, Student Cha Isol, that’s why you were sad? Because people are cold?”

“It’s so scary. Our village wasn’t like this, but city people are cold...”

“In that part, I can empathize as well.”

Gio, who had once lived in a kindhearted mountain village in Gangwon-do before going up to Seoul, understood how Cha Isol felt. Of course, back then public sentiment probably wasn’t as vicious as it is now, but it was roughly a similar feeling.

“So did you come to hate people?”

At Gio’s question, Cha Isol worried her lips.

“...A little.”

“You don’t like seeing them hate each other so much.”

“I think so. I wish it wasn’t like that.”

“But no matter what dimension you look at, humans hate each other.”

“...I hate that, though...”

“Student Cha Isol, you resemble me.”

Her way of thinking was unique.

“Since you can’t hate easily, when you see people who slander each other as if it’s nothing, you can’t understand it. You start to feel that distance, and in the end you grow apart.”

“...What did you do, hyung?”

“I failed.”

In any case, people couldn’t see Gio as familiar. They would idolize him however they pleased, or make him a target of fear. Gio couldn’t bring himself to ignore that and approach them.

Because that was what they wanted.

“But Student Cha Isol differs from me in that part.”

Cha Isol had very good affinity.

“You are very friendly.”

“But if I live like this and get too far away, and end up hating people, what do I do? Even now I want to run away back to the village...”

“It seems you want rest rather than escape. Student Cha Isol, you like the Sun Church family more than you think.”

“Do you hate people, hyung?”

“I do not hate them.”

Basically, that kind of thinking didn’t come easily to him in the first place.

“I understand them.”

“What do you understand?”

“Why they became so evil and despicable, why they thrash about. Why they are crying...”

He understood all of that.

“Do you understand what I mean?”

“...Do you feel sorry for them?”

“You understood properly.”

Gio pitied people.

“They are pitiful.”

Those who end their lives in pain, afflicted by anguish and torment their whole lives.

“What do you think, Student Cha Isol?”

“The ones who got hurt were me and Ruda, though...”

“My, I am not forcing my thoughts on you. I only asked.”

“...I don’t know what I want to do.”

“What a truly kind answer.”

Cha Isol, unlike her words, chose growth rather than running away and avoidance.

“Do you want to get angry?”

“A little.”

“Do you want the ringleader of this to die?”

“N-no, not that.”

“Do you want them to live their whole life in pain?”

“Not that either...”

“Then you want them to reflect and repent.”

“...Would it be okay if they just say they’re sorry?”

“There are many choices.”

As long as you weren’t buried, you could do anything.

“You can simply conform to fate and wait for the sinner to repent, or you can help them from the side so they can do so, or scold them.”

“I don’t know if I can help. Ruda, and the other friends too...”

“You don’t seem confident in yourself.”

“I’m not some god who can do anything. I can try as hard as I can within what I can do, but if I mess things up even more by doing that, what then?”

“Then another path will appear.”

“I’m scared of walking a path I don’t know.”

Hesitating, Cha Isol reached out her hand.

“Can’t you help me?”

“How should I help you?”

“Hug me.”

“That is not difficult.”

Giovanni gently hugged the little priest, and only then did Cha Isol smile as usual.

“...I think I’m getting brave.”

“That is a good thing.”

Cha Isol, pulling away from him, asked,

“How do I become your priest, hyung?”

“You can become my friend.”

“Then be friends with me.”

“What a joyful day...”

Giovanni lightly brushed Cha Isol’s forehead with his thumb.

“Your soul will always remain within warmth.”

Warmth seeped into that forehead.

* * *

“I did it!”

“...W-what, what is it.”

“Ruda, you’re not hurting anywhere, right?”

“What is it, Cha Isol, what are you.”

“I’m a healer now!”

“What are you.”

Ruda, who woke up again in the order’s infirmary, grabbed Cha Isol’s shoulders while trembling.

“Why do I feel... the weight of divinity from you?”

“I decided to be friends with the Black Cloak!”

“I told you to consult with me before you do things...!!”

What on earth did this natural monument do while she was unconscious?

(To be continued in the next episode)