Chapter 276

Chapter 276

A few hours later, Aram accepted the situation on her own.

“Is it some kind of side effect...? A personality being overlaid...”

“Strictly speaking, since they’re all the same existence, you don’t need to be that surprised.”

“...When you change like that so suddenly, don’t you get dizzy, Teacher?”

“Living your life, it isn’t difficult to use your left eye and right eye together, is it?”

“I understand what you mean.”

She seemed to think that Hunter Seo Gio had fused during the process of collecting the evil god. In truth, it wasn’t that wrong, so Gio simply affirmed it. As expected, his disciple was smart.

But Aram seemed to still have many things she was curious about.

“Then in effect, isn’t Teacher using the power of two divinities together...?”

“...Hmm...”

Number one, the Black Cloak known as the Sun God. Number two, Argio known as the divinity of rage.

“...That’s right!”

This wasn’t wrong either. Gio didn’t lie. He was innocent.

“But you needn’t worry. Through this process, we have become a complete single body. There will be no case of causing harm because we can’t control our power or reason, so please put your mind at ease, Saintess.”

“Still, I hope you won’t overexert yourself...”

“You too, Aram. I heard you closed the temple doors this time—you made a big decision. Well, you can only expect the future after you deal with the problems that arose inside. You made a good choice.”

“Ahem, thank you. But there’s no precedent for using a different divinity’s power in a single body. I know Teacher isn’t an ordinary kind of saint, but I’m still worried.”

Officially, “Hunter Seo Gio” was in seclusion for health reasons. Aram had come for a not-quite-hospital-visit, making a similar guess. After examining her teacher’s condition a little more, she nodded.

“But even if I say something, you’re not someone who would be affected by it.”

“Was I a teacher who was that indifferent to my student?”

“I know very well that you’re an extremely stubborn person.”

Well, since he was that kind of person, he must have even fixed the Saintess of the Moon Church. Accepting it that way, Aram brought up another question. It was a question about the divinity of rage that was sharing one body with him.

“...Then perhaps, Mr. Argio is...”

“That is also me. Because the Black Cloak has gathered the divinity of rage.”

“Then I’ll be able to see his face from time to time, like just now.”

“I’m glad it seems you’ve made a good friend.”

Even today, Gio’s friends only kept increasing.

“Now that it has stabilized safely, you’ll be able to meet the divinity of rage from time to time in Korea as well. The ‘Dream Amusement Park’ we made before is currently closed, you see. It will be unfortunate for the hunters who suffered, but for now it will be difficult to expect to obtain resources from there immediately.”

Aram smiled as if she had expected it.

“Usually, in a virtual dungeon it’s hard to obtain something that truly exists.”

“I see. I think I heard that if you get a reward, it’s something like acquiring a skill...”

“And this time, the system gave rewards very generously.”

The hunters couldn’t even get a sense of what the so-called “Little Dragon Summon Ticket” was. It said it would grant a “modest wish,” but no matter how you looked at it, it didn’t look modest. And so they had gathered opinions and asked the Association for advice.

“Probably there won’t be any hunter who acts rashly before an answer comes from the Association, but perhaps because of that, it seems there aren’t... many people who harbor ill feelings because of what happened at this ‘Dream Amusement Park.’”

“That is surprising.”

“The fact that it ended with practically no one dying was big. In a world where anyone lives by putting their life on the line, at this level it really did end peacefully. Since the opponent was an evil god, it seemed like they were going to treat it as something like a mild calamity.”

“I thought anyone would be angry.”

“Some people are angry, but there’s no one particularly conspicuous. Not only the system rewards, but the government and the Association also helped a lot with the cleanup and recovery.”

Aram fiddled with the ends of her long hair.

“...Many people also welcomed a society that became a little more honest.”

She asked carefully.

“Will the day come when the divinity of rage stays in this dimension?”

“Even now, it is doing so.”

“I don’t think you’ll build a temple, but still, I hope you’ll settle down. He had many points that were vexing and annoying, but we received far more help than that.”

“Even though he made you glimpse all that hardship and death?”

“...As expected, Teacher must not like the god of rage, right?”

Aram smiled awkwardly.

“I went through a lot too, but in the end, there wasn’t a single bad thing. Besides, the people of the world now wouldn’t have been able to change this quickly just by being gently soothed.”

“...Did you forgive him?”

“...Probably? It’s just, at some point it felt like my anger had cooled. It might be because after we pulled together every bit of strength we had and threw a shooting-star party, my energy drained out all at once.”

“That could be the case as well.”

Giovanni wore his characteristic smile.

“I’m glad you look healthy.”

“...Teacher, were you angry at him?”

“At some point, mine cooled as well, so you needn’t worry.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

Aram stood up from her seat.

“Next time, please visit our church, Teacher.”

“Sure, I will.”

“Please stay healthy.”

Aram, bowing her head, left Gio’s private room.

“...”

On the bed in the private room Visabel had lavishly furnished, Giovanni narrowed his eyes and smiled.

“...There might have been a need to get angry.”

Giovanni simply didn’t, because he couldn’t.

Because from birth he hadn’t been able to be born carrying anger; it was the sin of his laziness.

* * *

“So...”

Yoo Seongun asked, drawing his hand across his neck.

“So you’re completely fused now?”

“Yes, ‘Argio’ is satisfied.”

The man in the portrait continued.

“If you are looking for an easy-to-understand analogy, the word ‘attaining nirvana’ would suit it.”

“It’s not like you really left this world or vanished, but it really does make it click.”

“I feel great satisfaction. I no longer want to get angry. I simply want to enjoy the peace it has.”

“Oh, great, peace, all that’s good, but...”

Yoo Seongun took his hand off his neck and asked carefully.

“...Hasn’t your manner of speaking gotten stiff again?”

“Please understand, Mr. Yoo Seongun. I have completed all assimilation with the human included in this portrait, so I cannot behave like before. Do I feel unnatural to you?”

“Like some kind of urban legend that can talk smoothly? You don’t really feel human. If you’re going to come back out into human society and live later, it’d be good to keep it in mind.”

“Yes, understood. I will strive not to behave awkwardly toward the people around me. It is only that I sometimes forget what I must do, what I must say, and what appearance I must show. I will be able to do it.”

“...”

Yoo Seongun thought.

‘If I say it looks like you absolutely can’t even from the way you’re speaking right now, will you get angry?’

Now his portrait even held the divinity of rage. He couldn’t hope it would remain as gentle as before. Yoo Seongun decided to refrain from saying things he didn’t need to say. He didn’t want to offend the portrait’s mood.

Yoo Seongun wore his usual easygoing smile.

“But if that’s the case, then... right. For the time being, you won’t look for a new... um, ‘Gio’? Didn’t you say it’s easier to act like a normal person if you get those people’s help?”

“What Mr. Yoo Seongun says is correct. However, in my experience, I can tell you that if assimilation proceeds with the help of ‘Gio,’ an enormous incident will occur on Earth.”

For reference, the part that said, “I can tell you that an enormous incident will occur on Earth,” was a case where Gio’s language passed through the portrait and was mistranslated. Gio had only said, “It feels like every time I assimilate with ‘Gio,’ a big incident happens on Earth.”

But due to a nuance difference in translation, Gio ended up acting like a prophet.

“What happened until now became trauma for me.”

“Oh, yeah?”

And Yoo Seongun thought. Maybe he misunderstood the meaning of the word trauma?

‘No way he doesn’t know it, but it really does feel like he’s using it wrong.’

But he understood what he meant.

“It was uncomfortable for you to make things happen on Earth.”

“You understood correctly.”

“Should I say thank you for being considerate of fragile Earth...”

Visabel, who had participated in this dungeon subjugation, spoke his impressions honestly. He had said it looked like “Gio’s portrait” was educating Earth into a shape it wanted. Thinking of that, it made sense.

‘Right, Gio must know that you can’t educate properly by only pushing too hard.’

Perhaps Gio wanted to give Earth time to rest. The sparks had been thrown through those big incidents, and the straw was slowly catching fire, so he likely intended to watch until it burned completely.

“...”

At a thought that suddenly came, Yoo Seongun’s eyes curved into a smile.

“You really are a teacher.”

“I also said that before, Mr. Yoo Seongun.”

“No, I just... feel like I finally truly get what it means.”

As befit what the origin had decided, it was a chilling, and also amusing thing.

“Ah, right. Did you know? The Association recognized the ‘Black Cloak’ as an official religion.”

“Does not an official religion require appropriate systems and buildings and capital? I have none of that at all. Nor do I have doctrine and scripture that a religion ought to have.”

“You started talking faster all of a sudden. Well... your enthusiasts will make it on their own, won’t they?”

Yoo Seongun shrugged.

“You, who used to be Earth’s teacher, are thinking of religions before the Great Calamity, but modern religions are much more diverse and light. As long as it can be recognized at the national level, a religion is a religion in the strict sense.”

“It is extremely burdensome. Please take it back.”

“It’s not something I can take back. In the end, for a religion, all you need is divinity and followers who follow it. The rest will gradually appear over time. The systems, buildings, and capital you mentioned too.”

“I know well the process by which religions are made. However, I do not think the ‘Black Cloak’ is enough to be a religion’s object. I would prefer you not include me in that noisy, lavish party.”

“Does it matter? It’s not common for most religion’s gods to directly show themselves, grant rewards, or speak. Even if you hide your appearance for lightly a century, the religion made now won’t disappear.”

“I would prefer you not include me in that noisy, lavish party...”

“You said it’s not bad to make friends, Gio.”

It was hard to tell whether he was good at socializing or bad at it. It might only be mimicking humans, but it also seemed like he was shy, and also like he wasn’t. And that was proof that Gio wasn’t human.

‘He’s just taking whatever attitude he wants in the moment.’

As befit an origin existence, he had a light but heavy, contradictory aspect.

“So what are you thinking of doing from now on? Our timid portrait must be completely drained from this, so are you going to rest as always? Or are you going to go see the power of the official religion the Association recognized?”

“No, I’m thinking of going to a dungeon.”

“...That’s unexpected. If it’s a dungeon, the ‘Dream Amusement Park’? Well, there are also animals you cherished there, so in a way it’s an obvious choice. You also said they were Argio’s children.”

“It is a good idea, but no, that is not it. I will visit the four-legged rainforest underground.”

“...You mean the ‘four-legged rainforest underground’? Of course, you can visit both as Hunter Seo Gio and even while remaining just a portrait, but... why there all of a sudden?”

At the sudden destination, Yoo Seongun asked, and the portrait answered beyond the black paint.

“That is my brother.”

“Mm, okay.”

Yoo Seongun unwrapped and chewed down a candy and asked.

“If I ask for an explanation, what would I have to offer?”

“If you gift me delicious strawberries, Mr. Yoo Seongun may rest comfortably.”

“Strawberries are good, it’s the season when they taste best.”

“I am joking.”

“Now you lie even just by breathing.”

To Yoo Seongun, who looked dizzy as if resigned, Gio explained.

“That was another world made by ‘Argio’s’ father.”

The creator who abandoned the red dragon.

(To be continued in the next chapter)