Chapter 51

The Painter Who Draws Dungeons — Episode 51

Seo Gio, raised in his grandmother’s hands, couldn’t stand the sight of anyone going hungry.

‘A student who looks, at most, like a high schooler can’t even eat and is doing labor?’

Honestly, it felt more horrifying than a natural disaster.

A natural disaster is just a natural event the Earth sets off from time to time when it gets bored, but if a child is going hungry, that was humans’ problem.

‘I can’t forgive it.’

Gio, who had once even been a teacher, felt a heavy sense of responsibility.

“Is it to your taste?”

“It’s sooo delicious...!!”

“I’m glad you’re eating with such enjoyment.

You are admirable.”

Look at how well she eats.

‘I hope she leaves about 5 kg heavier.’

There was no happier thing than seeing a young student eat the food he made with relish.

‘She eats so heartily.’

Gio didn’t notice, but the air of the cabin warmed along with his mood, which could be called that of the forest’s owner.

Cha Ara, already excited by the feast she was tasting for the first time in her life, noticed it quickly.

‘...Huh, it got lighter.’

It felt like the atmosphere had lightened from intensive-care-ward levels at a funeral.

‘And this is insanely good...’

Cha Ara said that if she were a so-called “educated hunter,” she would have gotten scared by this phenomenon instead.

She vaguely suspected this cabin was a dungeon, and that the master of the dungeon might be the black cloak before her, but even so, a dungeon that changes its environment according to the boss’s mood was not common.

A dungeon that changes to suit the boss’s mood was no different from a kind of living creature.

In other words, if Cha Ara had known a little more, she might have reached the thought that she was eating inside the belly of the monster called “Gio.”

But Cha Ara was too out of her mind from the miracle-like goodwill that had come to her.

“Even just the rice is really tasty.

Um, is this... is the rice good?

Or is it because you cooked it well that it turned out like this?”

“The rice is ordinary.”

It was rice he had made by drawing the packaging of rice he ate when he lived on Earth, after all.

It felt novel—like doing entrance-exam art again after a long time.

‘Anyway, when you’re trying to ease kids’ tension, nothing beats something delicious.’

In fact, it didn’t seem like it was only about kids.

Even people who were afraid of Gio because of the portrait’s influence loosened up a little after receiving tasty snacks, didn’t they?

He thought it might be a similar context.

Gio firmly resolved to plump up this skinny student.

“The difference is that this rice was cooked with broth.”

“With broth...?”

“I used broth instead of water.

It’s a little different in that I used deer bones rather than the usual pig or cow, but to be precise, this rice was made with bone broth.”

“...Bone broth...”

Isn’t that really expensive.

‘City people can eat it at restaurants, but for provincial people like us, if the village slaughters one big cow, you can taste it if you’re lucky...’

To use it for cooking rice, of all things—it felt needlessly extravagant.

‘What am I eating right now?’

She’d been so hungry and the food was so good that she’d eaten without thinking, but wasn’t this far more excessive than she’d imagined?

To Cha Ara, sweating nervously on the inside, Gio said,

“Even if it isn’t bone broth, it tastes good made with anchovy stock, chicken stock, or vegetable stock.

If you dislike greasy things, that would be better.”

“Uh, no, um...”

“There’s quite a lot, so you may eat as much as you wish.

However, you should be careful not to upset your stomach.

You seem to be chewing very well, so I wasn’t going to say anything, but if you overeat, your stomach will feel unwell.”

“...Thank you.”

Anchovies and chicken still felt burdensome, but vegetable stock seemed like something she could somehow make at home.

They had vegetables growing in the garden, after all.

‘Before the youngest goes into the dorm, I should make him this kind of rice once.’

Life was so tight that even eating rice itself was difficult.

What they ate most often was roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes, and even eggs the village head occasionally gave them were a luxury.

‘Vegetable stock, I can somehow manage by picking things from the garden, but what about rice...’

Muttering inwardly, Cha Ara soon gave up on the thought.

“...”

First, let me enjoy eating myself.

‘Just when I thought I’d die of hunger or get strangled to death by ghosts, I never expected luck like this.’

Perhaps because her stomach had filled, Cha Ara’s tension had loosened quite a lot.

Because the other side was a humanoid monster, she couldn’t relax completely, but instead, the thought that a humanoid monster wouldn’t go to the trouble of poisoning food by some rule of its own made her feel at ease.

‘In some ways, monsters are more trustworthy than humans.’

At least monsters didn’t deny their own rules.

Compared to humans who lie as easily as breathing, she felt more trust toward the monster that had been polite from start to finish and hadn’t threatened her even once.

Of course, she shouldn’t trust it.

There were monsters that deceived humans by disguising goodwill and making them let their guard down.

If she regarded Gio as a monster, it was a mistake she shouldn’t have made.

“...?”

“Is there a problem?”

“No, it’s just... my leg... it feels better...”

“Ah.”

Gio nodded.

“Have you ever broken a bone?”

“Huh?

Ah, yes, before, in a dungeon, I was carrying supplies and ran into a monster, and my leg broke.”

“The bone broth in the rice you’re eating has an effect that restores abnormalities of the bones.”

“Oh... ah... oh...”

“After you finish your meal, before you return home, I will check whether your bone has set well.

If it hasn’t, it would be good to pack you some soup.

I did not set this meal with that effect in mind, but I’m glad it helped.”

“S-so, that’s how it is...”

Who cooks rice with a potion.

‘He’s showing how not-human he is like this.’

It looked like a perfectly normal meal, so she hadn’t known.

‘For a few spoonfuls of rice to heal bones...’

Cha Ara’s experience was low, so she couldn’t know precisely, but at that level, it would be a fairly high-grade recovery potion.

It was absurd enough that its form was bone broth, but he had cooked rice with it, which was astonishing.

She could clearly feel that the way it thought itself was different from a human’s.

‘Still... I didn’t think I’d ever say this, but I think it’s a kind monster.’

As she ate rice that had such perfect stickiness yet was still fluffy grain by grain, Cha Ara thought.

Bad ones even cooked rice badly.

‘They said monsters have rules of their own, so as long as I don’t break those, it’ll be okay, right?’

Cha Ara decided to ask openly.

“Um, is there anything I should be careful about when dealing with you, Mr. Seo Gio, so you won’t feel bad?”

“Something to be careful about?”

“Uh, I mean... like telling me not to mess up the house... you know, if there’s anything you especially dislike, or anything you want me to keep.”

“Hmm.”

The monster blinked twice, then answered.

“I would be grateful if you would simply keep basic manners.”

“Really?”

“As long as you do not commit a crime, I do not mind much.”

“Ah, crime...”

Just as she’d felt earlier in ‘Jewel Ley Lines,’ she could tell what this monster hated for certain.

‘Seems like he hates rude and bad humans.’

And Cha Ara was confident about that.

‘I get taken advantage of, I don’t have the strength to pull something on others.’

She was an F-rank porter, at the very bottom of hunters—openly called a slave class.

To begin with, she didn’t have what it took to commit a crime.

As Cha Ara learned the monster’s rules, she felt her mind grow much more at ease.

They were things that would never have anything to do with someone as weak as her.

“...”

Of course, that didn’t mean she could relax completely.

‘...He’s extremely kind and polite in how he acts...’

Strangely, it was hard to deal with him comfortably.

‘I can tell he’s trying, in his own way.

And he’s never once acted oppressive, so why do I shrink this much? I don’t understand.

There’s this strange pressure...’

Even so, Cha Ara stayed firm.

“...Just one more bowl of rice...”

“It is pleasant to see you eat well.”

“Ah, thank you, truly.”

Even so, the rice was delicious.

‘Maybe he’s a monster my late grandma sent—his touch with food is no joke.’

Feels like our village head should learn his cooking.

* * *

“...”

Yoo Sungwoon’s head went dizzy.

“Thank you for helping me when I was in trouble.”

“...Uh, no.

It’s not like it’s a big deal.”

“I did not know Korea’s geography well, so I needed help.”

“I’m grateful you called me, if anything.”

Never would I have expected a perfectly fine human to pop out from beyond that gloomy frame.

“What did you say your name was, Hunter?”

“Cha-cha-cha-cha Ara...”

“Goodness, you were really tense.”

Yoo Sungwoon, saying so, was tense as well.

Wasn’t this the situation where he and the guildmaster’s greed had recklessly let Gio loose?

‘...It’s a relief I prepared myself in advance.

And it’s a far calmer situation than I imagined, too.’

Even if it was part of the process of seeking coexistence, he had just done something that might be quite harmful to humanity—giving Gio a list of dungeons he could visit.

Thinking something sudden might happen, he had stayed awake without sleeping, drinking coffee.

Because a report could come in that some deserted dungeon had erupted.

‘If it came to it, I thought the Association might step in, but it doesn’t seem like it’s that big of an incident.

It’s only that one person got spat out of a frame.’

Still, it was surprising.

‘I suspected, but... I didn’t think it’d connect so blatantly like this.’

Gio told Yoo Sungwoon, who had come again after receiving another unreadable letter: he had gone to ‘Jewel Ley Lines’ for fun and found a young human, but he couldn’t bear to send her out alone like this, so could Yoo Sungwoon escort her back home.

When Gio said “young human,” Yoo Sungwoon had briefly thought of someone around ten years old, so it was fortunate that wasn’t the case.

‘Well, from Gio’s standpoint, maybe it’s hard to tell what counts as young.’

Like how it’s hard for a person to guess a dog’s age, Gio seemed confused as well.

‘Eighteen is definitely an adult.’

Even if Gio didn’t know that Hunter Cha Ara was an adult by Earth’s culture, calling an eighteen-year-old young adult “young” was a little ambiguous.

Yoo Sungwoon rubbed the back of his neck.

“...First, it’s right that we escort Hunter Cha back home.

Is there anything I need to know?”

“I don’t think there is.”

“Alright, then.

After we come back, let’s keep talking.

Thank you first for calling me.”

With Yoo Sungwoon’s greeting, the portrait closed its eyes.

Since it meant he had nothing more to say, Yoo Sungwoon turned to Cha Ara without hesitation.

He had to escort this young hunter home to complete this request that wasn’t quite a request.

“Hunter Cha...”

“Yes, yes?!”

“...Ah.”

At the intense reaction, Yoo Sungwoon was briefly flustered, but soon realized something.

“If it isn’t too rude, may I ask what rank you are?”

“...”

“I know it may feel unpleasant to ask personal information so suddenly, but I don’t have bad intentions.”

“...I’m F-rank...”

“Ah, so that’s why.”

He’d thought she was excessively tense, and indeed, she was far too weak a hunter to be here.

‘An F-rank hunter can’t endure Guildmaster Bisabeol’s gallery as if it’s nothing.

And this is the fifth basement level.’

It was Bisabeol’s gallery, packed with all kinds of dangerous items.

Those allowed to enter were at least C-rank hunters.

Below that, visits were restricted for the sake of protecting hunters.

‘Since someone this weak has never come in, I couldn’t be considerate.

It is quite different from the Association’s research lab, which is controlled overall so even ordinary researchers can enter.’

As someone who had once been the head of the Association research team, he could compare, but each had its pros and cons.

From a gardener’s standpoint, he sometimes thought the Association’s research lab abused existences of the Origin too harshly.

Anyway, only employees who can, at least minimally, enjoy communicating with these dangerous works become curators, so an unrelated F-rank hunter would find it painful to endure.

“I’m sorry. This is the first time a hunter below C-rank has entered, so I didn’t take care.”

“No, no, no, um...”

“Shall we go out first?

There are a few things I want to ask, but it seems difficult here.”

“Yesyesyesyesyes...”

“I’m the curator here, so you don’t need to worry too much.

If you stay close to me, you won’t get hurt.”

There were a few works that occasionally attacked first, but he had no intention of going near those works, so it would be fine.

Yoo Sungwoon led Hunter Cha Ara, trembling in terror, toward the elevator.

And when they reached the first floor—

“...”

“...”

Yoo Sungwoon nearly closed the elevator doors again on reflex, but by exercising the patience of capitalist society, he managed to stop his muscles from moving.

Bisabeol was there, grinning.

Yoo Sungwoon couldn’t hold it back and asked.

“...What are you doing here, Guildmaster?”

“I was watching the CCTV, and didn’t it capture a very interesting scene?”

Was it really something he should say in front of an F-rank hunter trembling pitifully?

It was hard enough to be that openly delighted, and yet he was truly an impressive person.

‘The consideration the guildmaster should have had for humanity must all have gone to his own collection.’

Even in a world where human rights had fallen into the abyss, this was too much.

For the sake of protecting the guest, Yoo Sungwoon shook his head.

“I don’t want to hear any more.

It’s right that I conduct the interview with Hunter Cha first.

She just came out of the gallery, so she’s extremely tense—if you suddenly appear like this, it causes trouble.”

“It is most regrettable, but Curator Yoo Sungwoon does not have the authority to stop my enjoyment.

No matter how you all mistreat me, am I not the guildmaster?”

“Do I need to get promoted?”

“No matter how much you’re promoted, you won’t be above the guildmaster—so you should have done it when I told you to.”

“Hoo.”

Yoo Sungwoon felt like biting his tongue, but he couldn’t hand this pale, terrified young hunter over to this mad hedonist.

In that case, he’d have nothing to say to Gio.

“...I know. It’s an extremely exceptional situation, so it drew your interest.

But wouldn’t it be enough even if I check first and then report to you?

No matter what, you are the face of our guild, Guildmaster—if you personally handle trivial tasks...”

“It’s comfortable.

For you all?”

“Please, have some dignity, have some dignity.”

It’s something you do very well in front of a hunter you’ve just met.

‘Still, we’re one of Korea’s top three guilds, and you’re making our image cheap again.’

Hunter Cha Ara was completely frozen, unable to accept what was happening.

It looked like she’d decided it would be better to become a handful of air than to accept this situation, but Bisabeol wouldn’t leave such a tempting prey alone.

“Alright.

You’re Hunter Cha, correct?

What is your name?”

“Cha, Ara... I’m Cha Ara... please save me...”

“Oh dear.

You’re far too frightened!

No one is going to kill you!”

His face plainly said, ‘Why would I kill someone this interesting?’

It was like the eyes of a viewer who had just watched a wondrous relic or a meaningful film, more than those of a human.

Perhaps it wasn’t only Yoo Sungwoon who noticed; Cha Ara slipped behind Yoo Sungwoon.

‘...Even I, a stranger, am still on guard, but did she think I’d be safer than that man.

Should I call this wise...’

Yoo Sungwoon pitied her and hid her.

Not that it could avoid the situation where the guildmaster himself was holding his building’s elevator button, of course.

“...”

At this point, it would be difficult to slip this poor hunter away.

“...I was going to go to the interview room...”

“Shall we go together?”

“...Let’s.”

It seemed the only option was for Yoo Sungwoon to block as much as possible in the middle.

Gio, hyung tried.

* * *

Bisabeol was excited.

“Then, Hunter Cha Ara.”

“Yesyesyes.”

“Could you tell me what you experienced?”

“I just... nothing...”

“I am not trying to blame Hunter Cha Ara.”

This was a truly surprising event.

“I am only admiring it.”

To think an existence of the Origin would embrace a human?

And an F-rank, weak and pathetic, at that.

‘Unlike what Curator Yoo Sungwoon said—that he prefers the appearance of overweight humans—Hunter Cha Ara is on the thin side.

No, was choosing to fatten her up the point?

She’s just a porter with nothing particularly special, aside from looking rather naive—maybe that guileless side caught Gio’s interest.’

Bisabeol’s yellow eyes glittered.

‘As expected, perhaps what was needed was a sinnerless, innocent lamb.

Considering Gio’s innocent nature, unlike when dealing with traditional evil gods, there would have been no need to offer pure blood, but if we had offered a good and young human from the start, we might have gotten a more definite response...’

Bisabeol recalled Yoo Sungwoon, who had given a face-to-face report after the portrait and the tour.

He’d been a little disappointed that Gio’s first experience in human society had ended too blandly, but this bait—visiting an Earth dungeon—seemed to have succeeded remarkably well.

‘As an existence of the Origin, does Gio move more actively within dungeons?

Gio holds fair goodwill toward the human species as a whole, so it may be inevitable that he becomes more active in places with fewer humans who are easily frightened by his standing.

That, in its own way, is an enjoyable story.’

Whatever the meaning, a portrait that arbitrarily drags humans into a frame and spits them out would be sweet to a collector.

Bisabeol’s smile deepened.

“All you need to do is explain how you became a painting beyond the frame, what happened inside, and by what circumstance you met the monster in the black cloak.”

He was already looking forward to how interesting the story would be.

“You will do that for me, yes?”

“...Yes, uh...”

“Thank you.”

Bisabeol was desperately curious how this unimpressive hunter had survived and come out through what kind of artistic miracle.

Fantasy, modern,