chapter 209

Chapter 209

“So you came to find me for that?”

Sanarae asked with his characteristic smile.

“Because you’re troubled that your way of thinking is too different from people’s?”

“It isn’t exactly a concern.”

“Then why did you come?”

“I thought it would be a fun topic to talk about...”

“Wow, so fun.”

“Don’t try to end the conversation already.”

Gio had come to visit the Haeryeong Guild.

“After coming all the way here, are you going to coldly throw out a comrade who fought on the same battlefield?”

“Mmm, as if I would. I like Hunter Seo Gio so much. It’s a shabby little place, but if Hunter Seo Gio wants, I can give you a corner of my room.”

“Rather than that, shall we go shopping together?”

“...Shopping?”

For the first time, Sanarae showed interest.

“Hm, clothes? Accessories? Equipment?”

“All of it.”

“Deal.”

And just like that, Sanarae bolted out of Haeryeong leaving behind a single note that read, ‘Kidnapped Hunter Seo Gio.’ The guild was thrown into chaos over the lunatic message, but neither Gio nor Sanarae cared.

Sanarae rented a private shopping room.

“Ta-da, here, no matter what we talk about, it won’t leak out. And if we die, it’ll probably be only me dying, right?”

“I’ll ignore the latter part. Hm, it really seems I did well to come find Hunter Sanarae.”

“If you want to shop, you come to me, of course. There’s no one who picks clothes better than I do.”

“I don’t have many clothes, so I needed someone to help. I’m glad.”

“Huh? You don’t have many clothes?”

“Since a portrait just needs to be drawn and that’s it...”

“Oh, come on.”

Sanarae, who had been pulling out a flashy suit, hung the clothes back up.

“No matter how much you say there’s no worry of the conversation leaking out, isn’t this a bit too comfortable?”

“Between people who already know everything, there’s no point in putting on airs.”

“Your face changed all of a sudden—so the red hair I saw last time was this side, huh.”

“When you live, you meet people whose color changes back and forth. Isn’t that so?”

“If I argue about every little thing, only I get tired, so for now I’ll just accept it.”

If you keep your mouth shut, you’re halfway there.

“I thought you were pretty good at imitating a human, but I didn’t expect it wasn’t just imitation—that you actually think of yourself as human.”

“Did you really not know?”

“Uh, I kind of knew? I just thought you were engrossed in imitating a human. Or is it still like that now? Anyway, so what do you really want to say? That you’re upset your friends don’t understand your sincerity?”

“If I have to say something since I have a mouth, we already know each other’s sincerity, and I came here to try to devise a solution.”

“You’re asking that of me, whose every human relationship is in ruins? As expected, Hunter Seo Gio, you’re incredible—your thinking vessel is different. I should learn from that.”

But it was interesting.

“Well, our kids aren’t here either.”

“So last time, you were scared because of the Haeryeong Guild members.”

“If you say it that bluntly, I feel like I’ll get retaliated against, and then I get scared again. Even briefly is fine—can you promise that even if I get a little cocky, you won’t take revenge on my family? Oh right, you know humans die if you flick them, right?”

“I have no intention of retaliating against the Haeryeong Guild, and I am only human.”

“I’m really grateful for the first part, but the second part was the freshest thing I’ve heard all year.”

“The year barely started.”

“It’s practically spring already, what are you talking about.”

Sanarae propped up his chin.

“So our Hunter Seo Gio doesn’t think his own authority or holiness is a big problem? It’s just a kind of personality trait, and people are making too big a deal out of it?”

“To summarize, yes.”

“Sorry, but it really *is* too big a deal.”

What in the world was the problem with this unknown mystery?

“You don’t like being impressive?”

“I don’t dislike being ordinary either.”

“Ah, in that sense...”

“Is it my fault that I’m so outstanding?”

“If we’re assigning fault, isn’t it absolutely your fault?”

“Can’t you read the room?”

“You promised not to bully our guild members, right? Yeah? Mm, but no matter how I think about it, the conclusion is that you’re terrible at objective self-assessment.”

Or maybe you’re just not doing it.

“It’s true you’re insanely impressive. And humans are originally built to react differently depending on their position and ability. From what I see, you’re the one forcing it, Hunter Seo Gio.”

“That is also correct.”

“Ah-ha.”

He understood.

“So you just want me to shut up and play along?”

“You only realized that now?”

“Save me.”

“I won’t kill you.”

“Save me nicely.”

He didn’t want to become a half-corpse over something that wasn’t even a fight. But since he’d promised not to mess with his family, Sanarae wasn’t as scared as before. He evaluated the situation in his own objective way.

“But if you’re going to live bumping into humans, you’re right that you have to consider humans’ gaze to a degree. If not, every time you go out, you’d have to alter people’s perception or brainwash them, and...”

“How barbaric.”

“Barbaric cleanup is Haeryeong’s specialty. Anyway, I get that you really treasure humans. And I understand the main point of the situation properly.”

Sanarae winked.

“So you really just came to hang out?”

“You understood well.”

Gio smiled as if to say, ‘Good job,’ and clapped.

That’s right—Gio hadn’t come for serious counseling. He just had a fun topic to chat about with Sanarae, and because he was bored, he brought it over.

“Now that we’ve reached the conclusion, there’s no reason for me to worry seriously.”

He would view his position and authority as nothing more than one “personality trait,” but he could also fully understand that those around him might revere or fear Seo Gio’s power. They could simply live with different thoughts forever.

Isn’t it absurd to say all humans think the same? There was no obligation to, and it wasn’t possible. That was the context.

“In other words, I didn’t think it was a situation that becomes a problem big enough that it must be solved.”

“If that’s how you feel, then that’s how it is.”

Sanarae thought.

‘That human Yoo Seongun must be dying of exhaustion.’

And the manager named Juhyeon, too.

This terrifying mystery understood all his own oddities, yet believed himself to be human—and since most humans absolutely could not do that, the errors arising from that difference in viewpoint were already obvious as fire.

But...

“So it’s all fine and that’s fine too?”

“Not only one viewpoint can be correct.”

“There can’t be just one or two viewpoints that see Hunter Seo Gio as an incredible existence.”

“I can handle a hundred alone, so it’s fine.”

“So it’s ‘you bark, I walk my own path,’ huh. Well, people who can keep the rhythm gather around the one who starts dancing first.”

“That got distorted a lot, didn’t it? I’m not telling anyone to bark.”

“Hmmm, you’re strangely stubborn.”

In short: ‘I’m right, you’re right too, so let’s live like this.’ It couldn’t be called anything but a bizarrely broad tolerance—accepting everyone and everything, but ultimately doing only what you like.

“You’re sure it won’t become a problem?”

“Isn’t that unclear part very fun? A story is more exciting when it includes hardship and adversity.”

“You’ve got an oddly nasty personality...”

“You flatter me.”

“And I get why people say you’re Guild Master Visabel’s son.”

“My father and I have quite a lot in common.”

“...”

These days, mysteries are talented at lying, too.

‘Scary world.’

Holy power—living nature and fate itself—was originally bad at lying. Because lies clash with those whose identity is providence. Well, if you call it an evil god, it’s a different story, but...

‘Seeing Priest Kang Seodam treat him politely, it doesn’t seem like an evil divinity either...’

In many ways, it was an unusual mystery.

“Anyway, you really imitate a human well.”

“How many times have I said I am human?”

“Yeah, I got it. You’re an ordinary person with a flashy personality.”

“I’ll let it slide since you’re at least pretending to close your eyes and go ‘aah.’”

“I’m thrilled to death.”

Gio said,

“In the past, Mr. Yoo Seongun was like this too, but recently, I don’t know what change of heart happened—he won’t coddle me and keep the rhythm.”

“Oh...”

Was he that brave a human?

‘He’s got guts.’

Admiring him, Sanarae asked,

“How did he change?”

“Compared to before, when it was always ‘Yeah sure, if you say so~,’ lately it’s more like, ‘Still, wrong is wrong,’ sort of...”

“Mmm, isn’t that just a different direction of respect?”

“I do think he treats me more comfortably.”

“You already know it all—why ask?”

From Sanarae’s point of view, it was the difference between a curator cherishing a work, and a person cherishing a friend.

“From what I see, neither looks bad.”

“I agree.”

“Then what are you dissatisfied with?”

“There are advantages to being coddled without thinking, too...”

“You’re greedy.”

“Isn’t the desire to enjoy every pleasure in the world something natural?”

“Most people don’t really plan to make it happen, so.”

People who try to realize their ridiculous ideal in reality are usually not sane. That’s if you’re talking about humans—but since ‘Hunter Seo Gio’ isn’t human, it made sense.

“So are you complaining right now?”

“It just ended a moment ago.”

“Then want to look at clothes? This place is good.”

“I’d like something flashy like a crow.”

“You mean clothes with a lot of glittery stuff attached? Hmm, it’ll suit you.”

“I’ll cover whatever doesn’t suit me with my face.”

“I agree with that very strongly. What a wonderful confidence.”

The two of them finished their fun shopping while chattering.

On the way back, there was an incident where a thug rushed at Hunter Seo Gio, Sanarae stomped him and crippled him, then Gio healed him and left him packaged in front of the police station—but anyway, that’s what happened.

* * *

“It seems a strange rumor has started.”

Juhyeon reported the situation with a pale face.

“That Hunter Seo Gio is a saint...”

“I believe that’s a rumor our side put out.”

“So it seems a rumor started that if you eat Gio, you can live forever.”

“But why in the world?”

“Because the mermaids personally kidnapped the target, the rumor probably got inflated. Fortunately, in the case of Apprentice Priest Cha Isol, it seems the order is blocking it well, but...”

Since Cha Isol was fine too, Gio wasn’t that startled.

“Similar things happened many times before.”

“I feel like I halfway understand—was it during Giovanni’s days?”

“No, during Argio’s...”

“...?”

Juhyeon looked at Gio with eyes that said, ‘Did I hear wrong?’

“Argio? Why?”

“What is it about me?”

“From what I heard, he doesn’t seem like the kind of person who’d get deified...?”

“Deifying comes in different flavors, doesn’t it?”

Argio shrugged.

“‘Beast of the Black Forest’ might sound horrific, but said another way, it also means special. In the Black Forest, where rare jewels and medicinal ingredients were everywhere, he was the most ferocious and cruel beast—so a rumor that if you eat him you’ll live forever could spread.”

“Ah, yes... that kind of... feeling...”

Rather than purifying yourself with a holy saint’s blood, it sounded more like hunting a beast that could be used as a rare medicine. Juhyeon grew even more tired.

“I’m saying this because I’m truly worried—could you please take better care of yourself?”

“There is no way I will be hurt.”

“That’s a separate issue.”

Juhyeon found all of this unpleasant.

“I don’t want Gio to get involved in something that nauseating. Even if it doesn’t leave visible damage, this harms your dignity. Honestly, it’s hard to just watch.”

Gio laughed.

“Aren’t you all the ones who will protect me?”

“...I’m not sure if we can call it that, but yes.”

“And when it’s hard and painful, you’ll comfort me.”

“If it seems like you need it...?”

“Then it seems there’s nothing that can be a problem for me.”

“Gio, you’re too positive.”

“That’s why it’s comfortable to live.”

And so, today too, Gio “ate up” his friends.

(To be continued in the next episode)