chapter 219

Chapter 219

Earth’s Sun greatly welcomed the visit of ‘Gio’s Portrait’.

“Were you expecting my visit?”

She replied that she was. From the moment he first revealed himself beneath Earth’s sunlight, the Sun had marveled at his immense vessel, and laughed with delight, saying she wished to commune with him as well.

“I came here today to ponder the posture a god must take.”

The posture a god must take?

“My father answered that he is nature and an observer. He said that if the Sun were to descend directly upon the earth, there would be no hell worse than that, and that observing from far away would rather be mercy.”

Earth’s Sun said that she differed from him.

“For what reason?”

Because the Sun was always reaching out her hand to life.

All life born beneath the sunlight were her children. Earth’s Sun had protected her children from the claws of tens of thousands of divinities that flowed in with the Great Catastrophe. There were simply far too many cases that could not be protected without stepping in directly.

“Then what is the posture you take as a god?”

The birth of life, and merciful love.

“Mother Sun.”

That was it—he seemed to understand well.

“You truly are the mother of all life.”

Earth’s life comes from the Sun’s womb and soon returns to her embrace. Since they were no different from my fragments, my avatars, it was only right to create an environment where they could frolic freely beneath the Sun.

“A kind of nurturing.”

Because they are children.

“Then what do you think of my father Sun’s posture? He only ever looked upon his children with affection. And then, even while weaving the frame of fate, he would let it slip from his hands.”

That, too, must be love.

“You think so?”

There were many times he could not dare to stroke them, because if he held them in his hand, they would burn away.

“Yet you are reaching out your hand.”

And so, as the Sun, she had to give up many things.

In case they might fear her vast body, she hid herself; fearing they might turn to ash with a single breath, she held her breath; and lest their brains melt under her gaze, she always kept her eyelids closed as she held Earth in her arms.

“That must be uncomfortable.”

It was something she could endure because she loved.

“Love—what a sweet word. Then did my father Sun not wish to hold his children, including ‘Giovanni,’ in his embrace?”

It might be that circling around and sheltering was not the only form of love. Perhaps the very existence of his children was already beyond measure, too dazzling for him to touch. He must have loved pure humans untouched by the Sun’s hand.

“I understand.”

A god’s posture is as varied as the tens of thousands of divinities.

Love in such a way, O vast mystery.

* * *

“...So, I had a conversation like that.”

“Is that why they say a priest at the Sun Church went crazy?”

“It’s unfair.”

“It’s not that it’s your fault.”

It was just a bit interesting, that was all.

“Could I someday watch the two of you having a conversation, just once?”

“No, that would be extremely embarrassing.”

“That’s really a shame...”

Anyway, I understood what Gio was worrying about.

“Hm, how about this.”

“Can you offer other help?”

“You’ve got one more divine friend, don’t you?”

“Ah.”

He meant Earth’s Death.

“Want me to see you there?”

“Thank you.”

Gio didn’t refuse.

* * *

“Have you graced us with a visit?”

Gio recognized the priest of Death who had come to greet him.

“Didn’t you help guide me last time?”

“It is an honor that you remember.”

“Please guide me to your father again this time.”

“That, too, is an honorable task.”

And naturally, he took out a small envelope.

“A gift of thanks.”

“...What kind of gift might it be?”

“I’m glad you seem to be treating me more comfortably than last time.”

“It’s more than I deserve, but thanks to the bishop’s advice...”

“I see. There was one more person who ought to receive a gift.”

What Gio handed over was Basram tea.

“It’s a tea with a nutty, grain-like taste and aroma. I heard the priests of Death enjoy tea ceremony, so I brought it; it is tea that has taken in warmth beneath gentle sunlight, so it should be good to drink when you are weary.”

“May I perhaps share this with the believers as well?”

“I’m curious what purpose you have in mind.”

“This place is often visited by believers whose bodies are weak.”

“Because it is the Order of Death?”

“Yes, so...”

The priests of Death regarded the end of life as a glorious blessing, yet they did not deny the happiness of life. They also played the role of helping a mere human life come to an end in a more precious and radiant way.

“If you permit it, I would like to use it for those who suffer in life.”

If life was not happy, only those who exploited death would increase.

“Will you permit it?”

“Of course, my kind friend.”

“...Thank you.”

“I’ll take that as agreement.”

“You are a pleasant person.”

He was a priest with a taciturn face, but he was certainly treating Gio more comfortably than last time. Even when Gio abruptly made him a friend, he seemed quite all right with it. Gio felt grateful at that reaction.

It was something he liked very much.

“Don’t the priests of Death enjoy leisure?”

“There are as many deaths as there are lives, so there can’t help but be much to do.”

“Then it would be hard to frolic together.”

“If you wish, I can make time...”

“I am not forcing you.”

This time as well, the priest proceeded through the dark temple carrying a round hump like a bell, his eyes covered with a white cloth. From the shallow water spread across the floor, Gio could feel the god of Death that had formed the river.

Soon a great door appeared; the priest withdrew, and the bishop, Eunryeong, emerged.

“It is an honor to see you again.”

“As is it for me.”

“Now, Father is waiting, so this way...”

Before they could even go deeper, Death suddenly thrust his head out.

“My friend.”

“Oh.”

At that sight, Eunryeong gestured to the priest who had guided them.

“...You who have labored may withdraw now; the two elders will speak.”

“...Yes, Bishop.”

As though this proactive demeanor of Death was unfamiliar, the two were a little flustered, yet they moved faithfully. The guiding priest withdrew quietly, and Bishop Eunryeong shut Death’s chamber tightly, then tried to disappear into the darkness.

Gio called to her.

“Would you not join us?”

“...May I, a mere insignificant creature, intrude upon that 자리?”

“I came today to have a conversation. I came to seek opinions, so the more mouths, the better.”

“If so, then though it is beyond me, I, Eunryeong, shall take a seat.”

Perhaps because she had lived with Death’s incarnate body close at hand, Eunryeong showed a composed demeanor even between the two divinities. As if an appropriate place had been prepared, Gio opened lightly.

“It’s been a while.”

“We’ve been apart for some time, you...”

“I felt sorry, so I set a spread.”

“A spread.”

Death gave a dry chuckle.

“Did you keep your promise?”

“I grilled some jeon.”

Gio held up the lunchbox he had wrapped in a black silk cloth.

“Ms. Eunryeong, would you not eat with us as well?”

“...Did you make it yourself?”

“Yes, I did.”

“I...”

Eunryeong trailed off.

“...I don’t know if I can still serve Death after eating this.”

“You won’t live forever just because you eat it, will you?”

“...”

“Why does nobody believe me?”

Juhyeon as well, Yoo Seongun as well. When Gio gave food, the only people who accepted it at face value were the passersby he met in the form of portraits. If you’re given something, shouldn’t you just go, ‘Wow, something tasty,’ and eat it?

“It’ll be delicious.”

“There isn’t a hair’s breadth of doubt about that, Hunter Seo Gio.”

“It really will be delicious...”

“I do not doubt it.”

“It’s not some bizarre elixir, it’s just food.”

“...”

“You’re ghostly silent only at times like this.”

“...Mm...”

Eunryeong soon nodded.

“If you will guarantee my life as a human, then I will gladly partake with you.”

“I guarantee it.”

“You’re quite quick.”

“I have no intention of making Ms. Eunryeong into something other than human.”

“And there’s no such effect either?”

“Of course.”

“If that’s the case...”

She looked up at her father.

“...Will you eat?”

“...”

Death looked extremely troubled.

“...It looks delicious.”

“...Ah, does it.”

Eunryeong was startled as well.

“I didn’t know Father could feel appetite.”

“I, too, am surprised.”

For a divinity to eat something was almost impossible. In the case of one like Death, who possessed an incarnate body, the possibility rose somewhat, but even that was not easy. The very concept of appetite did not exist.

Yet Death stared fixedly at the neatly arranged jeon in the mother-of-pearl-inlaid lunchbox.

“...My daughter...”

“Yes, Father. I’m listening.”

“...I do not wish to trouble you, yet I fear I might ruin this neat gift. Please, pick up that yellow one.”

“...Ah, the yellow one. Do you mean the pollock jeon?”

“Yes, that one. It smells good.”

No matter that he was a divinity with an incarnate body, with that enormous body so close to nature, it was difficult to properly pick up and eat ‘food.’

When a divinity who had no experience of such modest joy hesitated and asked his daughter for help, Eunryeong laughed lightly.

“This must be the joy of having a child. I never thought the day would come when I’d feed Father, and it seems I have even more to thank you for, Hunter Seo Gio.”

“You may speak comfortably.”

“Hm, shall I?”

With a happy heart, Eunryeong picked up a well-cooked piece of pollock jeon.

“Now... Father, how will you eat?”

“...”

Swooo—.

Then, from the darkness, a gigantic ‘face’ descended.

Death, who normally sat within the darkness of the vast chamber, opened his ‘mouth’ in a thin slit. As the gap, rough like the bark of a twisted tree, spread open, Eunryeong judged it to be a ‘mouth’ and placed the jeon inside.

The ‘face’ did not rise back into the darkness, and remained there.

“...”

“...How is it, Father?”

“Delicious.”

“My goodness...”

Eunryeong finally burst into a giggling laugh.

“This is truly surprising.”

She felt a tremendous joy. It was true that she had served her Death as a father, offering love and respect as family, yet she had never imagined she would feel such modest and ordinary ‘family’ happiness.

“Would you like something else? There’s vegetable jeon too, oyster jeon too, zucchini jeon too...”

“Give me that bumpy one.”

“You mean the vegetable jeon. Yes, it’s here.”

At the close-knit sight of father and daughter, Gio smiled with satisfaction.

“How lovely this is to see.”

“Hehe... It’s thanks to you bringing such a gift, Hunter Seo Gio.”

“I’m happy as well that it seems to please you.”

As expected, the people who ate the food made for them and found it delicious were the loveliest.

“Should I have fried them bigger?”

“No, this is enough.”

“But your body is big...”

“It’s enough.”

What Gio had brought was, in the end, ‘something’ in the form of food. Rather than volume, what mattered was the degree of mystery packed within it, and Death was tasting the joy of gourmet pleasure from it.

After some time passed, Eunryeong, too, urged on by the two divinities, took a bite of jeon.

“...”

“How is it?”

“...It’s the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten in my life.”

“To receive such praise.”

“No, it’s not praise, it’s just...”

Rarely, Eunryeong’s cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkled.

“...It’s really delicious.”

“It makes me glad.”

Death, too, was swept up in his daughter’s joy and laughed. His ‘laughter’ filled Death’s chamber. Eunryeong, embarrassed by her father’s response yet also careful, took another jeon and ate it.

“I do think it could be dangerous...”

“It’s not dangerous. It’s unfair.”

“But even so, I can’t keep my chopsticks still.”

She was following the very same path Yoo Seongun and Juhyeon once had. Even while fearing that this lump of mystery might taint her, she could not abandon that ecstatic delicacy.

And here, Gio finally even took out alcohol.

“With jeon, you need alcohol.”

“My goodness.”

Eunryeong let out an exclamation of delight.

“The aroma is wonderful. What kind of drink is it?”

“It’s makgeolli brewed with fruit, rice, and flowers.”

“How enchanting.”

And after such a pleasant time passed.

“...”

“...”

Death and Eunryeong realized something.

“...You...”

“Speak.”

“You’re... going to... make me... a pig...?”

“How did you know...?”

“...Oh...”

It was the same kind of realization Sa Narae had once gained.

‘...Hansel and Gretel...’

Without realizing it, Eunryeong thought that. The divinity before her would not truly devour her like some witch, but still. It was so wonderful and yet so much beyond her station that it nearly made her feel wronged.

Only then did Gio bring out the main point.

“What is a god?”

“A god... is it necessary?”

“I think I need to, so I can prepare as well.”

“What preparation do you mean.”

“Preparation for my existence.”

He wanted to define everything about himself.

“Will you help me?”

“Of course...”

Death readily granted the request.

The ‘delicacy’ he experienced for the first time was worth paying any price.

(To be continued in the next part)