chapter 207

Chapter 207

The dissolution of Palette residents has been confirmed

Confirmed Palette residents: Aria, Iser

“...”

Would you like to place them anew on the Palette?

[Yes/No]

“Yes.”

Color: ‘Aria’ has been successfully placed

[Gray]

Color: ‘Iser’ has been successfully placed

[Sky Blue]

...

...

...I like it

* * *

The hunters all agreed that this disaster had been truly tricky.

“A sea that moves alive—seriously, it gave me chills all over.”

“Even if you froze it, it kept drawing water up from the deep sea, so I got exhausted too.”

“The mermaids got tired too, since they gradually weakened, but anyway...”

The one saving grace was that a large number of highly skilled hunters had gathered for this war.

They did their utmost to block the deep-sea water so that the plants they had managed to bloom would not wither, and in the meantime, the plants grew vigorously at their owner’s command.

“But honestly, that was kind of cool.”

“It wasn’t a sight humans could make.”

“It was fucking insane, seriously...”

The sea garden created by humans was not a scene you could easily see.

“If the dungeon raid team hadn’t responded quickly, the suppression force would’ve had a hard time too.”

The humanoid monster Aria, who had been steadily stealing Earth’s sea authority. During the standoff, she had shown herself suffering greatly once or twice.

“The first time they said it was because Hunter Seo Gio woke from restraint and the backlash hit her, right?”

“The second time was because the raid team destroyed the dungeon’s heart...”

“But didn’t they say Hunter Seo Gio ended up breaking that too?”

“I heard that while he was bound in the dream, he could confirm the dungeon’s core.”

“To prepare for the clear even in a situation like that—he really is an amazing human.”

“If it were me, forget clearing—I wouldn’t even have been able to wake up.”

“Hey, we weren’t even treated that specially in the first place—we just died in one go.”

On top of that, the dungeon conquest notification didn’t appear until quite a while after Mermaid Aria’s form had melted into the sea. It seemed it took some time for the influence that monster had had on Earth’s sea to disappear.

And naturally, the remaining cleanup was all humans’ share.

“...”

“...Fucking hell...”

The hunters called in for cleanup couldn’t help lamenting at the wreck the sea had become.

“Fuck, let’s hurry. We have to finish this to go home too.”

“Any contact from the Association? At this point, you’d think other countries would protest.”

“If there’s nothing like that yet, it means they’re blocking it well.”

“Let’s clean up fast while the Association’s covering it well, so.”

The sea is so vast that even a slight twist makes the whole world groan. Since they had made glaciers like the polar regions in waters off South Korea, climate issues were inevitable.

What the hunters had to do was suppress this “climate issue” as quickly as possible. They worked to melt the enormous glaciers and artificially restore ocean currents to their original state.

“Hey, but this...”

“Right? It is a bit of a shame.”

“Excuse me, Association staff. Can’t we leave this?”

“It must’ve been hard to make.”

“It’s a trace of battle, but...”

The hunters felt regret as they looked at the flower garden that had formed on the sea.

“Isn’t this a pretty historic trace to just clean up like this?”

With the support of those hunters and citizens’ reactions like “mysterious” and “a terrifying trace of war,” the Association decided to preserve the mass of flowers blooming on the sea.

Not simply because it was beautiful, but as a kind of teaching material and canary in a coal mine—something that warned of the dangers of ocean instability.

“If something happens to this flower field, it’ll mean there’s also a problem with managing the sea.”

“Citizens’ reactions aren’t bad either, and it should be fine to leave some traces of war like this. There are plenty of people who only think ‘Ah, we should be careful’ after seeing traces of a disaster this huge.”

“The area we have to manage will increase, but we can just form a separate department for that...”

The Association was always proactive about things like this. South Korea was a very small country, but its population overflowed, and to control and manage that population, it had put great effort into shaping the environment.

This time was no different. The Association quickly created a new department and began managing the trace called the “Sea Garden.” Staff were also assigned who would be dispatched regularly to tend and maintain this garden.

“Well, it’s also a way to show off our country’s capabilities once.”

“If this cleanup goes well, the number of people immigrating will increase again. It looks good to use as a tourist spot too.”

In an era where you didn’t know when or how you would die, people wanted to belong to a country that would keep them safe. Not just cleanup, but the image of “a nation with enough leeway to turn even the aftermath of war into another profit” brought South Korea quite a tidy benefit.

“The number of dead hunters is pretty high too...”

“To those with bereaved families, offer apologies and thanks, and deliver compensation generous enough that no complaints come out. You have to look good at times like this so our country’s hunters won’t spare their lives and will rush in again.”

“Manage it well so there are no complaints from citizens either. Aren’t you tired of people saying we discriminate between city and rural lives? Even if things don’t change in reality, we have to imprint the perception that we’re at least a minimum pillar—then it’ll be easier later.”

“The place the citizens can trust must always be the government and the Association. You all know that when something this big happens is exactly when we can win public favor.”

“We’ve already spoken with the guild side too. When the time comes, they’ll participate in donations for citizens who lost their homes and national meritorious persons. Especially the three major guilds brought it up early...”

When a war this enormous happens, the government and the Association get busy. Because the nation’s territory is small, they could grasp and respond even in small places in detail.

However, there was also another target that became the subject of rampant talk in a different sense.

“Did you hear? Hunter Seo Gio...”

“I heard he got kidnapped by monsters during this war.”

“No, not that.”

It was the “Black Cloak.”

“I heard he’s an apostle of the Black Cloak.”

“...Is the Black Cloak a god? Wait, wasn’t it a monster?”

There were people who didn’t believe it, and people who believed it right away, but fortunately, there was no great chaos among citizens because of the Black Cloak’s identity.

“Ah, sure, that could be.”

An era where individualism had reached its extreme. Citizens, always suffering loneliness and barrenness, could be selfish toward beings favorable to them, but they were also equally favorable back.

That didn’t change even toward a mystery that might be a monster or something else.

“Looking at how it packs you food, it doesn’t seem like a bad god, right?”

“So what if it’s an evil god, it gives you food and even lets you tour...”

“How many people survived that fucking winter thanks to the Black Cloak.”

“God or whatever, I just want it to give me snacks if I meet it.”

“I heard some people hit it big selling those. This is the lottery.”

“A lottery where the odds increase if you do good deeds... a lottery where you can manipulate probabilities...”

To today’s citizens, the Black Cloak was not some monster that deserved to be subjugated. He had already become a gentle, kind ghost story that had seeped into Korea, and since you could receive real help, no one insisted he had to be dealt with—captured or used, sure, but eliminated? No.

“No need to cut open a goose that lays golden eggs.”

“Hey, but they say it’s sacred...”

“...Ah, r-right. No, I just mean, like, that’s what it’s called.”

In particular, some peculiar enthusiasts who were anticipating the Black Cloak’s new works showed an even more proactive stance of advocacy.

“I knew it! There’s no way a being that can create such a noble world would be just some monster!”

“Somehow, I felt holiness from the uniqueness of the frame. Yes, I knew it. If things are like this, we can’t just sit still.”

“Shouldn’t we create an organization to protect the Black Cloak? What sacred being in the world shows its work’s world to people— we have to make sure no one abuses it.”

“It’s a mystery that likes kind people so much; of course we should prepare before any wicked worms latch on. That sacred being has a subtly innocent side...”

The enthusiasts already had thick rose-colored glasses on, and that wouldn’t come off just because others scolded them. They were already deeply intoxicated in thrilling exchanges with the ominous yet kind ghost story called the Black Cloak.

More than anything, the fact that “the Black Cloak is favorable to kind people” further stirred their pride. They even felt a sense of mission, calling themselves humans acknowledged by the Black Cloak. Those who had received direct help were even more so.

“I would have lost my life that day if the Black Cloak-nim hadn’t saved me. Just thinking that the one who punishes evil and bestows grace upon weak creatures could be abused by wicked humans— I truly...”

“We understand that feeling as well. Times like this are exactly when we have to raise our voices.”

There were movements in some corners like that, but they were just a hobby club at best, maybe a salon if it got bigger, so people didn’t pay it much mind.

In an era where there were many small groups who praised useful monsters that looked cute or helped, it was only natural that a group cherishing a mystery like the Black Cloak would form. It was accepted as something natural—like how if a nation is established, a government forms.

“Well, everyone gathering is gentle people.”

“The fact that the Black Cloak hates evil humans must be a big part of it.”

“I hear they thoroughly verify qualifications among themselves too.”

“They say people who live nearby gather and do good deeds...”

“I heard that among work enthusiasts, they even hold charity events. I even heard they step up and volunteer themselves.”

“So this is how rich people start spending money. This is fascinating too. To think those folks who see citizens below first-class as separate creatures would step up themselves.”

Some joined for simple fun, some seriously to be invited into the work, and some out of enduring faith, but...

“This is truly a good influence. If it’s like this, well, is there even a need to worry?”

As everyone accepted the Black Cloak’s new identity, their gaze turned to “Hunter Seo Gio.”

“So he’s been the Black Cloak’s apostle for a long time, right? I wonder if it’s related to the collector locking him up and raising him.”

“They say the humanoid monsters that started this war kidnapped the Black Cloak’s apostles—what exactly was the reason? I heard they also made several remarks about keeping the Black Cloak in check.”

“I heard they also spoke like they coveted Hunter Seo Gio himself. I heard this from a hunter who joined the raid team—no, listen, they said something exactly like Hunter Seo Gio was the heart of this dungeon...”

“What? No, why would they do that?”

Opinions about this split into a few lines.

“In the ‘Temple of the Deep Sea,’ we could grasp a few story elements about the mermaids and their teacher. They say the reason the mermaids became monsters is because they lost their teacher to humans, and there’s talk that Hunter Seo Gio and that teacher look quite similar.”

“Then did they find a human who resembled their teacher and try to develop him into the same existence?”

“They say Hunter Seo Gio fell into sorrow after waking from restraint—so isn’t that probably it? The mermaids pulled something to try to synchronize him with their dead teacher.”

“If that’s really the case, isn’t it incredibly creepy? Trying to plaster a dead person onto a perfectly fine human—truly the kind of thought only wicked monsters would have.”

There was that opinion.

“Maybe he really was a similar existence. The mysteries between dimensions still haven’t all been revealed. Like reincarnation... it’s possible Hunter Seo Gio was that kind of mystery, isn’t it?”

“I heard the teacher’s name found in the ‘Temple of the Deep Sea’ was ‘Bartlan Giovanni.’ We don’t know if the name he was usually called by was ‘Gio,’ but just seeing the names are similar, I think some kind of fate was at work.”

“They were monsters that built wicked achievements while crossing dimensions. Their hatred for humans must have been deep, so if there were truly no connection at all, would they have shown such a purely covetous reaction? Even if they wanted to use that body to revive their teacher...”

“Right. In the end, they would have shown hatred toward humans. If only Hunter Seo Gio dodged that hatred, then something must be there. There’s no way there was no connection at all.”

There was also that opinion.

“Isn’t it simply that they coveted a talented person with a large vessel?”

“Right. I heard they were fairly polite even to the would-be priest named Cha Isol, said to be the Black Cloak’s other apostle. If you look at it that way, it’s not that only Hunter Seo Gio avoided the monsters’ unique hatred.”

“Well, the fact that that teacher and Hunter Seo Gio look similar probably didn’t have zero influence, but... humanoid monsters are intelligent.”

“Exactly. They’re the type that won’t hesitate to join hands with humans for their plans. They could have caused all that because they wanted to get their hands on Hunter Seo Gio, the Black Cloak’s outstanding apostle.”

“They also belittled him, saying ‘Hunter Seo Gio is only an ordinary human at best’... so I don’t think they lacked basic antipathy toward humans. In the end, he too was only a precious means to the mermaids.”

“At best, wouldn’t he be like a valued underling? Maybe they even tried to turn Hunter Seo Gio into a monster and make him a companion, but anyway, I don’t think there was that kind of emotional goodwill.”

“Right. They said Hunter Seo Gio previously stopped by the ‘Temple of the Deep Sea’ and came out close to a half-corpse. If they truly cherished him, they wouldn’t have done that.”

There were opinions like that too.

Other things were said as well, but the most frequent guesses were the three above. Still, what was certain was that the Black Cloak is a sacred being, and his apostles are Hunter Seo Gio and the would-be priest Cha Isol.

“But it does feel a bit ominous.”

“Huh? What do you mean? It seems like everything’s been organized well...”

“I know the cleanup is going well, but I keep wondering why this happened.”

“A natural disaster like dungeons and monsters doesn’t need a reason to cause an accident.”

“It bothers me that it was a humanoid monster with high intelligence.”

Some were worried about the mermaids’ actions.

“They singled out and warned against the Black Cloak.”

It was a world where the number of sacred beings and religions had become as many as the stars in the sky. They hadn’t simply been hostile to all Earth’s sacred beings; they had specifically kept in mind only the Black Cloak, who had begun showing himself recently, and that was troubling.

“Uh... But that also proves how favorable the Black Cloak is to Earth’s humans, so I don’t think it’ll be a problem for now. It could be that the Black Cloak cherished Earthlings so much that he became an obstacle to them, too.”

“Mm, yeah. That could be.”

“I hope the Black Cloak helps if another strong enemy appears. I heard he helped with movement when the raid team’s submersible got wrecked this time...”

“Was that really true? I thought it was just a rumor.”

“Seeing how he usually gives you small snacks, it feels like it might be true.”

And Hunter Seo Gio disappeared from view.

“Why?”

“Isn’t he going on TV?”

“At this point isn’t this basically a debut...”

Hunter Seo Gio’s fan club couldn’t hold back their tears. With this level of performance, shouldn’t he show his face at least once? But the Collection Merchant only replied, “Because of this kidnapping commotion, Hunter Seo Gio has been greatly harmed and must rest and stabilize.”

“Harmed, my ass—what is he, fruit? A vegetable?”

“I heard they pamper him like their own kid work, but...”

“He really lives up to his nickname.”

The one who got cursed up and down was Visabel, rumored to be Hunter Seo Gio’s father.

* * *

Argio clicked his tongue.

“He’d probably dislike it.”

“Isn’t it fun, a situation like this?”

“It is fun.”

“Then won’t you play along a bit?”

“Of course. If you wish, I’ll do so as much as you like. Father.”

“How can there be such a sweet resonance in all the world.”

Visabel beamed.

“One more time.”

“Father?”

“Thrilling.”

“What a cute family.”

“Want an allowance?”

Cleanup and whatever else—Visabel was faithfully savoring the current situation. To the point that a secretary’s office staff member who came to submit paperwork walked in, then closed the door and left again. He truly was a man enjoying life at 200%.

(To be continued in the next episode)