Chapter 31

The Painter Who Draws Dungeons — Episode 31

Gyeongbokgung, huh.

‘I also took my class there a few times for field trips.

The kids said it was boring and hated it, but...’

Gio, recalling that noisy time, asked,

“You said there was a night market.”

“That’s right. There’s nothing better if you want to feel a Korean vibe.”

“It sounds fun.”

“Want to try wearing hanbok there too?”

“Hanbok...”

Not-so-distant memories bubbled up.

He hadn’t gone out of his way to visit unless it was something the school arranged, but even so, with Gyeongbokgung, there was the fun of putting kids in hanbok and taking pictures.

‘Especially the last class I was in charge of—they even showed me an awesome palace intrigue in real time.’

Gio sank into his memories.

The blood feud between Her Majesty the Queen and the court eunuch had been the highlight.

Thanks to having been in charge of cute and rambunctious students, Gio had a lot of good memories about Gyeongbokgung.

He’d never tried on hanbok himself since he was in the position of supervising, but that didn’t mean he disliked the idea of a hanbok experience either.

“Sounds good.”

“Yeah?”

At Gio’s reaction, Yoo Sungwoon swallowed a sigh of relief inwardly.

‘I wondered if, since his essence is a portrait, he might find changing outfits unpleasant.’

Fortunately, Gio seemed to have little resistance to various experiences.

“Alright, I know a good place.”

“You mean hanbok rental?”

“Not many people go there, so it’ll be fine even if we take our time.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“Then shall we try taking the elevated rail soon? It’ll be about time to arrive at the stop.”

“Is the arrival time fixed?”

“It’s not a means of transportation that comes that often...”

As he led Gio to the stop, Yoo Sungwoon fell into a strange reverie.

‘He introduces himself as Gio, so I thought he was following Korean culture, but was the culture he’s imitating not Korean?’

The table manners Gio showed at the restaurant weren’t quite something you could call Korean.

No matter how you looked at it, they were closer to Western style, which was unusual, considering Gio’s remarks had usually sounded like he knew Korea well.

“...Mm.”

But at this point, it didn’t matter.

“How was the restaurant?”

“It was delicious.”

“That kind of response makes the guide feel proud.”

When his rank was so high, it was hard to tell what expression he was making no matter what he did with that face, but now Yoo Sungwoon could at least tell that Gio was enjoying the situation in his own way.

‘Thanks to that, the guiding is going smoothly too.’

Yoo Sungwoon continued thinking.

‘Since he’s acting fairly human, as long as the other hunters don’t pick a fight, nothing should happen.

If what Guildmaster Bisabeol said is true, Gio is the type who avoids friction unless it’s severe...’

Gio put his impressions into words.

“The elevated rail goes straight through buildings.”

“That makes it convenient to commute, doesn’t it?

It’s convenient if it drops you right inside the building.”

“That’s true.”

“If you go two more stops, there’s even a stop that goes straight through a department store.”

“Is there no noise problem?”

“They did soundproofing, of course.

I don’t know exactly what kind of processing—it’d be the magic department that knows...”

Seeing him enjoy everything he was shown, it seemed Gio liked this humans’ world.

‘If a man close to 190 centimeters acts like that, it could look childish, and yet.’

The line of his neck as he turned his head, or the fingers that lightly touched the window—strangely, none of it felt childish.

He was clearly enjoying himself, but rather than the pure admiration of a child, it felt like that of a deeply detached observer.

‘Is it because of how heavy his atmosphere is.’

Not laughing on equal footing, but as if he were looking down somewhere with his hands behind his back...

“Are we getting off soon?”

“Ah, right.”

Yoo Sungwoon got off with Gio at Gyeongbokgung Station.

Pointing down past the stop, he said,

“This is Gyeongbokgung.”

One of the advantages of the elevated rail was that you could see the cityscape clearly.

Sky lanterns floating gently at an altitude that wasn’t too high swayed like living things, and beneath them, Gyeongbokgung and the hanok village lay spread out.

Perhaps because it lit the night not with electricity but with fire, the whole place was filled with a gentle glow.

People dropping by after work or coming as tourists bought food at the night market stalls lined up both inside and outside Gyeongbokgung.

Hanbok worn to match the roles they wanted fluttered even in the winter wind.

Yoo Sungwoon, who waited until Gio had taken in the whole view, opened his mouth.

“If you’re in Seoul, you have to stop by Gyeongbokgung.

It’s a world-class tourist attraction, in its own way.”

“...”

“Why?

Is it too crowded and bustling?”

“No. I just didn’t expect the atmosphere to be this good.”

“I’m glad you don’t seem to dislike it.

Then we should enjoy it too.”

Taking a direct elevator down, Yoo Sungwoon led Gio into the hanok village.

In the not-very-wide alleys, people in hanbok and people not in hanbok wandered about.

Winter hanbok rented from shops are all processed for warmth.

Maybe because of that, people’s clothing wasn’t very thick even in midwinter.

“Come this way—let’s change first.”

“Are we going to a place that rents hanbok?”

“That’s right. If you’re going to enjoy it properly, you have to prepare a few things.”

Gyeongbokgung Village, where hanok were tangled together and beginners could easily get lost, but since he’d been here a few times before, it was easy to find.

In tourist destinations full of this kind of ‘story,’ Yoo Sungwoon had endless work.

‘...Is he more excited than usual today.

It doesn’t seem like he’ll cause an incident, but he’s pretty lively compared to normal...’

He spotted various ‘stories’—some pretending to sweep snow off the hanok roof, or others dressed in hanbok imitating scholars or noble ladies.

“...”

After confirming the one wearing a crude wooden mask, Yoo Sungwoon turned his gaze away.

They generally didn’t attack first, but the ones at Gyeongbokgung weren’t the sort you benefited from meeting eyes with for long.

Silk draped here and there in the courtyard, and gently colored lanterns hanging from the eaves.

Yoo Sungwoon pulled Gio, who was silently taking in the surroundings, into the interior of a hanok.

“Ma’am.”

“Oh my, isn’t that Sungwoon?”

A middle-aged woman dressed elegantly in a hanbok dyed like flowers welcomed him.

“It’s been a while.

Entertaining a guest again?”

“It’s a guest on behalf of the company, so I need to be extra attentive.”

“Then our hanbok are perfect.”

The woman smiled gracefully and looked Gio over.

“Is this the guest?”

“We’ll be mostly walking around the night market, so pick something comfortable.”

“Why, you’re not enjoying the activities?

There are lots of fun things happening this time.”

“I’ve been walking around all day, so I’m wiped out.”

“Then we should dress you up as a scholar, right?

If the outfit is too thick or heavy, it’ll be uncomfortable, so let’s go with a light scholar’s outfit.”

“That’d be good.”

Yoo Sungwoon said to Gio,

“What about your face?

Is it better to keep it covered, or...”

“I would like it covered.”

Guarantee the portrait’s anonymity.

Gio was intimidated by the larger-than-expected crowd.

Always wanting to be far from people’s attention, Gio wanted to block their gazes by covering his face.

Yoo Sungwoon didn’t know his timid heart, but in any case, he could guess Gio wouldn’t like a crowded and noisy situation.

He roughly understood and asked the owner,

“Do you have a mask?”

“Give him a roomy one?”

“That’d be more comfortable, right?

Yeah, please.”

“Then let’s choose the outfit first.”

The owner asked Gio,

“Could you take off the cloak for a moment?

It’s fine if you keep wearing it later, but to choose a hanbok, I need to see your build.”

“Understood.”

Gio obediently took off the cloak and draped it over his arm.

Having listened faithfully, Gio looked at the owner with satisfaction.

“...”

“...”

“...Ma’am.”

Yoo Sungwoon called the owner, who had turned into a stone statue.

“The guest will run away at this rate.”

“...Oh my, I embarrassed myself.”

Only then did the owner react.

“You’re so handsome that my breath stopped for a moment.”

“Don’t say weird things to my guest.”

“With a good clothes hanger, it’s fun to pick outfits.

Wait just a moment.”

Not long after, the owner came out pushing two racks of hanbok along with two young women.

One side was hanbok with a cool blue tint, and the other side was hanbok mostly in achromatic colors.

“Both are silk woven from our house’s silkworms.

It’s glossy, so it won’t irritate your skin.”

“The blue one’s for me, right?

Isn’t that a cold color for winter?”

“I only brought the clothes that suit you best.

Who else would wear a color like this in winter if not you, Sungwoon?”

“I don’t know if I’m being used...”

“If you walk around wearing it, I’d be grateful if you promote us a bit.

Anyway, hunters make great clothes hangers.”

The owner turned to Gio.

“Seeing you’re wearing such thin clothes in weather like this, you must be a hunter, right?

Our hanbok are made sturdy and light so even hunters can move without issue, so don’t worry.”

“I was not worried.”

To begin with, Gio wasn’t a hunter.

‘Is it strange to say I’m not, right now.’

The owner smiled, fluttering her fan.

“Hunters don’t really like cumbersome clothes, so I said that in case you’d be concerned.

Since you’re a face I don’t recognize, you must be unofficial, or you must have gotten your certification not long ago, right?”

“...”

“If you don’t want to say, you don’t have to.

Since you want to keep your face covered, you look like the type who absolutely hates getting doxxed, so I’ll hide you very stylishly.”

Getting doxxed?

‘Sounds like being doxxed is common in the hunter profession.’

What a scary world.

He decided to ask Mr. Yoo Sungwoon later, and Gio wrapped himself in the black hanbok the owner, hair neatly pinned up with a hairpin, handed him.

A black dapho over a gray dopo.

The waist tie was clean white.

“If you’re going to Gyeongbokgung, you have to wear a gat too.

Yeah, it suits you.

Even with a bunch of norigae hanging, it’d suit you perfectly.

This one’s made of coral—try one on.”

“Thank you.”

“This is a scarf.

Oh my, white suits you so well.

Maybe because your skin is so clean—it’s pretty.

This is a pouch for coins you’ll put in there, so tie it well so it doesn’t fall off, okay?”

“...”

“Now, and this is a neoul.”

Gio was a little flustered by the loose, pitch-black cloth.

He knew what a neoul was, but he’d never used one before.

“...How do I wear this?”

“I’ll have to help.

Danu, could you put the neoul on our handsome guest?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

A young woman with a pink ribbon in her hair approached and draped the black cloth around Gio’s gat.

Strangely, he could see well ahead as if nothing were covered.

“You said you’d be walking around the night market.

Then you’ll be eating often, and it’ll be inconvenient if your mouth is covered with a mask.

For people who don’t want to reveal their identity, a long neoul like this is perfect.”

“...”

“Maybe someone could still recognize you because you have such an atmosphere, but the outfit is so flashy, and you’ve got all sorts of things hanging, so who’s going to stare that closely at your face?”

“I see.”

“With the scarf so thick, it’s almost covering the lower half anyway, so you’ve basically covered everything you need to cover.

Enjoy our village comfortably, Scholar.”

On one side, Yoo Sungwoon, who had changed into a blue-toned hanbok, asked the owner,

“We want to buy some lanterns too.”

“Oh my, you’re really playing properly?

What kind of lantern do you want?”

“I didn’t have anything specific in mind.

What’s the most popular these days?”

“Well, young ladies tend to like moon lanterns.”

“Uh... men?

We aren’t young ladies.”

“You think it’s common for two men like you to come out and play by yourselves?”

After a brief 고민, the owner called out to one of the ribbon-haired women.

“Hongyeon, could you bring the aquarium case?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The woman called Hongyeon soon rolled over a large glass box.

Inside, various lanterns made of hanji were swimming in light and moving as if alive, and the owner scooped up two small fish with a net.

Fluttering finely, they looked like real fish.

“How about goldfish?

They’re small and subtle, so it won’t be hard to carry them around.”

“That’s nice.”

Gio was shocked.

‘The lantern is alive?’

When Yoo Sungwoon said “lantern,” he’d thought of a sky lantern you could carry or a hanging lantern you could place somewhere.

But the goldfish lantern Yoo Sungwoon bought fluttered through the air, and soon, one of them settled beside Gio’s face.

“...”

Even if he looked directly at the lantern swaying its tail, it didn’t hurt his eyes.

“Then have fun, and be careful.”

Waving, the owner saw the two of them out.

Leaving the courtyard draped with silk here and there, they could stand once more on the bustling village road.

Yoo Sungwoon called to Gio, who was looking around the village with interest.

“How is it—are you uncomfortable?”

“It is very comfortable.”

“Before we go into Gyeongbokgung, if you want to look around the village first, we can do that.”

“The village?”

“The village market closes earlier than Gyeongbokgung.

If we do the night market and come out, the village lights will probably be off.”

“Then may we look around the village a bit?”

“Of course.”

Yoo Sungwoon led Gio, who seemed unfamiliar with this environment, into a fan shop.

“...?”

Standing blankly beside the shop, Gio blinked twice at a group of figures wearing crude wooden masks and peering in.

Their movements weren’t stiff, but they were uniform like machines with commands input.

They didn’t really look like people.

As Gio tilted his head, unable to identify what they were, Yoo Sungwoon spoke to the shop owner.

“Sir, could you show me some fans?”

“Oh dear, some splendid scholars have come.

What should I show you?”

“Something sturdy would be good...”

“Then this side is the best.”

Turning his eyes away from the loitering masked group, Gio soon wandered around the village market in wonder.

‘All the shopkeepers are wearing hanbok.’

Traditional hanbok, or modernized hanbok.

Or there were shopkeepers who wore modern clothes underneath but only draped a robe over the outside.

They catered mainly to tourists walking around in hanbok, matching their tone and rhythm.

Yoo Sungwoon soon gifted Gio a black fan.

“Here, take it.

If you’re dressed like a scholar, you need at least one fan.”

“...Is a fan originally essential for a scholar?”

“It might be, or it might not be.

It’s just a souvenir without much meaning.”

“Souvenirs from tourist sites are special.”

The fan made of black bamboo and cloth looked quite high-end.

He wondered if an all-black fan might make him look too much like a grim reaper, but in any case, Gio, who liked black, accepted it without complaint.

“Most of Gyeongbokgung Village sells souvenirs.

Or ingredients and such.

They hang up meat in big chunks, or sell agricultural and marine products they raised themselves.

It’s much fresher than goods distributed in from the provinces, so there are lots of people who deliberately use the shops here.”

Gio nodded.

“The atmosphere is truly good.”

“Right?”

After walking around the village for a while, the two of them soon entered Gyeongbokgung.

“Wait—we have to exchange money before we go.”

“Money?”

“The owner gave you that pouch, right?

That’s a basic service—she gave it to you to put coins in.

Inside Gyeongbokgung, you can only use coins, so it’s better to exchange what you’ll use.”

“What happens if there’s some left over?”

“You can keep it as a souvenir, or exchange it back at the exchange booth.”

Yoo Sungwoon soon returned with the pouch nicely filled.

“They say they’re lightened on purpose, but they still have some weight.”

“Don’t people find this method bothersome?”

“Who knows?

If you look, there are probably people like that, but they come here to enjoy the atmosphere in the first place.

And Gyeongbokgung merchants like it too, because if they take coins as payment, they can receive more than the listed price.”

“How can they receive more?”

“The government supports the merchants.”

Yoo Sungwoon gave a small laugh.

“So they’ll use coins more actively.”

“I see.”

“Here, take it.

This is your identity plaque.”

“...?”

There’s a plaque too?

Coins being used as currency made sense, but what was an identity plaque for?

When Gio looked at Yoo Sungwoon, he shrugged.

“An all-access pass.”

“Ah-ha.”

That was very good.

Fantasy, modern,