Chapter 56

The Painter Who Draws Dungeons — Episode 56

The initiation ceremony consists of a total of three stages.

“The first is the pre-briefing, the second is the preliminary training, the third is the main ceremony.”

“...”

“...That’s what I understand, though.”

Ssshhh—

As he flipped the pork belly, Yoo Sungwoon asked.

“Right?”

“Ah, yes, that’s right.”

Cha Eunhyuk, the guardian of the priest candidate who’d been momentarily distracted by the meat, nodded.

Right after meeting at the station, Yoo Sungwoon judged they’d need a place to talk, and under his lead, they were seated at a pork belly restaurant.

The room, blocked off on all sides, was quite quiet and cozy.

“Today what we’ll be hearing is the pre-briefing session.

They say it’s a place where they tell you, starting with the characteristics of the priest profession, what kind of education you’ll receive going forward, and what kind of priest you can become.”

“And the preliminary training would be where the priest candidates receive separate training before the main ceremony?”

“It’d be hard to proceed with the main ceremony right away with little kids who don’t know anything.

I heard they learn things like the etiquette they have to observe in the main ceremony, or the roles they have to perform... I think that’s probably how it was.”

Cha Eunhyuk asked while looking at his youngest sibling, Cha Isol.

“They said right after the pre-briefing you go into the temporary dorm and learn the main-ceremony etiquette, right?”

“Yeah, they said it takes about a day.”

As he said that, Cha Isol, with hair as fluffy as a puppy’s, turned toward Yoo Sungwoon and Seo Gio and grinned brightly.

“...Yo.”

“Ahaha, if you’re uncomfortable, you don’t have to force yourself to use honorifics.”

“I use honorifics well.”

“Yeah?

That’s impressive.”

Yoo Sungwoon laughed and played along.

“Then does that mean it’s a two-day event in total?”

“No.

They say the pre-briefing and preliminary training take one day, and the main ceremony takes two days, so it takes three days total.”

“The main ceremony takes two days?

It’s not my field so I don’t know well, but that’s quite long.”

“To receive the god’s gaze, it seems the longer the main ceremony is, the more advantageous it becomes, so I think that’s why.”

“Then that makes sense.

Come to think of it, it does feel like well-known orders usually had long initiation ceremonies.”

Gio, who had been quiet until then, asked,

“Is the god’s gaze absolutely necessary?”

“...Well, priests can’t do major activities if they aren’t chosen by a god.”

Cha Ara, who had been constantly checking the mood in this non-daily situation of eating pork belly with a Gio who might be a monster or something, continued.

“Just because you became a priest doesn’t mean you always get a chance to receive a god’s gaze.

If there’s any biggest chance, it’s at the initiation ceremony when you’re first recognized as a priest, and after that... what was it again?”

“Anyway, when there’s an event.

Or if you gain a fortuitous encounter in a dungeon, or prove your capabilities as a priest, the probability of receiving a god’s attention goes up.”

“That’s what they said.”

Even while his noona and hyung went back and forth in conversation, Cha Isol, with hair as fluffy as a puppy’s, shoved a mouthful of meat into his mouth.

“This mahitta.”

“Eat a lot.”

Yoo Sungwoon laughed as if he found it cute.

For provincials, days when they came to restaurants would be rare, so he must be eating that deliciously, but even considering that, Cha Isol ate quite heartily.

‘It makes the viewer feel good.’

Maybe Gio felt similarly, because he was putting meat in front of Cha Isol especially often.

“Thank you.”

“You eat well.”

“I eat well.”

“Commendable.”

“Hehe.”

The three adults who knew Gio’s identity were watching that scene with an odd feeling.

Especially the two Chas.

‘Oh, Isol...’

‘What are we supposed to do with that friendliness.’

They had definitely talked over dinner before coming up to Seoul about the “black cloak,” but seeing that, it seemed their younger sibling hadn’t realized that “Seo Gio” and the “black cloak” were the same person.

“...”

“...”

At the sight of the black cloak openly taking care of Cha Isol, Cha Ara, Cha Eunhyuk, and Yoo Sungwoon exchanged glances.

‘Does he like kids, originally?’

‘I don’t know either.’

Yoo Sungwoon shook his head, but thinking about it, Gio had also been obsessed with feeding something when he met Cha Ara too, he’d said.

He also always gifted food to Yoo Sungwoon and others.

Considering that, it seemed like he might just have a strong interest in filling people’s bellies.

“Mm...”

Well, good is good, I guess.

“Gio, what do you want to do?”

“You mean about the initiation ceremony?”

“It seems like it might take longer than I thought.

Are you okay?”

Gio looked like he struggled when he was outside the frame.

‘He’s killing his standing down to an ordinary human level—there’s no way he wouldn’t struggle.’

Even now, Gio was maintaining the level of an A-rank hunter while keeping his usual standing suppressed.

Whether you call it the soul, or some essential something, it would be taking a hit—he didn’t know if he could endure three days.

“I was wondering if it might be hard.”

“That much is fine.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

In contrast to Cha Eunhyuk and Cha Ara making expressions like they got it, Cha Isol, who had been diligently picking up meat, asked with a face full of questions.

“Hyung can’t stay outside long?”

“...”

“Is your body weak?”

Cha Eunhyuk and Cha Ara were silently horrified, but Yoo Sungwoon was only a little surprised and decided to watch the situation.

He was curious how Gio would respond to a young human’s question.

After a brief pause, Gio answered.

“I don’t think my body is weak.”

“Then what?”

“In my case, I think my mind is weak.”

“You don’t look like it.”

“I am trying to look like there is no problem.”

Even Yoo Sungwoon found that answer unexpected.

‘...I’m not sure whether it’s right to say Gio’s mind is weak, but...’

He could see why he blamed the mind rather than the body.

Lowering your standing would be more mental pain than physical pain.

But by human standards, it was pain on the level of having your limbs cut off and being beaten, and you couldn’t call that “weak.”

Seeing that, Gio seemed unlike other existences of the Origin in that he didn’t see himself as a strong being.

‘No, it’s closer to not being able to.’

He often looked as if his personality and memories weren’t organized, so it was only natural self-objectification would be difficult.

Like an elephant with poor eyesight that doesn’t know how big it is.

“Hyung, which god do you serve?”

“A god?”

“Yes, I can feel something warm...”

At Cha Isol’s words, staring at Gio as if measuring something, Yoo Sungwoon’s eyes widened.

“You can feel that?”

“Yes?

Um, yes.

It’s really warm.”

“Oh...”

“Is it bad if I feel that?”

“It’s not that, but priests who notice other people’s holy power are rare.”

Yoo Sungwoon flicked his chopsticks.

“Especially a young priest like you, with no affiliated divinity.”

At those words, Gio muttered.

“When you say affiliated divinity, it really feels like a faction.”

“Maybe it’s similar?

They say even gods have power struggles and fights over shares.

The more believers you have, the bigger that god’s power gets too, so it becomes easier to act...”

“Only the name is god, it seems they aren’t treated as sacred as one might think.”

“After the Great Catastrophe, it seems a more secular image has formed in recent times.”

Having said that, Yoo Sungwoon lightly clapped his hands with chopsticks in hand.

“Congratulations, guardians.

If things go well, Cha Isol might receive a god’s choice at this initiation ceremony.”

“Uh... really?”

“Whatever god it is, they covet good talent.

I’m not a priest, so I can’t guarantee it, but he looks like he has aptitude.”

Yoo Sungwoon added an explanation.

“In the first place, holy power is power borrowed from a god, so unlike mana it’s hard for others to sense.”

“Ah...”

“Look, I’m an A-rank hunter, but I didn’t even know Gio could use holy power, and I didn’t know what kind of energy it was.”

“Oh, I see...”

Cha Ara looked at Gio with subtle eyes.

‘I don’t know if it makes sense that a monster can use holy power...’

As if he understood that thought, Yoo Sungwoon nodded.

But since he couldn’t say it openly in front of Gio, who believed himself to be human, he let it pass.

In the meantime, Cha Isol remained steadfast.

“So who’s the god you serve, hyung?”

“I don’t serve a god separately.”

Yoo Sungwoon, with a stiff face, whispered with an awkward smile.

“Gio.”

“Yes.”

“You should say you do.”

“Why would I say I do when I don’t?”

“Because usually people do.”

Whether it was a chosen believer or a devout priest, handling holy power meant, from the start, that you had been chosen by a god.

From humans’ standpoint, it made no sense for someone who had even healed Cha Eunhyuk with holy power to say he had no god he served.

“...”

“...”

“If you don’t serve a god but you use holy power, then that’s just...”

“Shut up, flower-pig.”

“Sorry.”

At her older brother’s wise jab, Cha Ara shut her mouth.

An existence that can handle holy power without serving a god is a god.

At least, it meant an existence with a standing corresponding to that.

‘My mouth is the problem.’

In front of other hunters, she controlled herself just fine, so she didn’t know why her tongue became so free only in front of the black cloak.

As Cha Ara’s pupils trembled quietly, Cha Eunhyuk was also forcing himself to steady his mind.

‘...His image and vibe are completely different from what I know as a god, so I thought, no way, no matter what, it couldn’t be this... but at this point, wasn’t it too irreverent for them to have introduced the black cloak to Cha Ara as a monster you can talk to?’

Had his suspicion last night—close to a delusional illness—been right?

Cha Eunhyuk received a great shock and sense of disillusionment at the sight of a world that just went wherever it wanted.

‘There was no need for me to learn the truth of this enormous existence, in the first place.’

He was terribly tired, but the youngest here, Cha Isol, was cheerful anyway.

“Wow, so you can have holy power even if you don’t serve a god!”

No, you can’t.

‘That person is the weird one.’

Why is he doing this here while pretending to be human.

Cha Ara, a porter hunter who had seen all the sights, and Cha Eunhyuk, who had seen strange existences since he was young, swallowed their true thoughts with practiced skill.

But that didn’t mean they screamed and ran out of the restaurant.

In the first place, in this era, “gods” were on the level of dragons who enjoyed medieval-fantasy play.

Because oddball gods disguised as humans or monsters to enjoy life on Earth often made the news.

“...”

Unlike the two Chas who somehow accepted this situation, Yoo Sungwoon had his own complicated feelings.

‘...I knew Gio was an existence with a big connection to the Origin, but even so, having holy power...’

Yoo Sungwoon swallowed an inward sigh.

‘It’s a bit strange.

Just because your standing is high doesn’t mean you can have divinity.’

Could it be a matter related to Gio’s personality as well?

‘We still don’t know what kind of existence he is.’

Yoo Sungwoon scratched his neck.

He’d known for a while that Gio was clumsy at imitating humans.

Even Cha Ara, who’d been dragged to Gio’s dungeon herself, and Cha Eunhyuk too, seemed to have caught on—what would hiding more even accomplish?

“...”

Perhaps sensing the awkward atmosphere in an instant, the black cloak also looked awkward.

‘Don’t be awkward.’

If you do that too, the atmosphere gets worse.

Hesitating, Gio said,

“...I do have a god I serve as well.”

“Now?”

“What do you mean?”

“Uh, no, it’s nothing, I just said it once.”

Yoo Sungwoon, who had dealt with fickle and stubborn children of the Origin, laughed cleanly and played along with Gio.

He didn’t want to anger an unknown existence whose identity still wasn’t clear.

“Then which god is it?”

“The sun god.”

“Yeah, that is the most common god...”

Even on Earth, a religion that appeared all over the world was the Sun Church.

In this small country alone, there were over fifty sun temples.

Many people even believed it was a religion that had existed since before the Great Catastrophe.

And it was also perfect for lying, like, “Yeah, I’m a sun believer.”

“Ah, so that’s why it was warm.”

Only Cha Isol got fooled by Gio’s words.

“I like the sun god too.”

“Thank you.”

Why are you thanking him.

‘Does he have no intention of hiding his identity at all?’

Cha Eunhyuk almost choked.

For the first time in his life, he was eating at a restaurant and couldn’t taste the food.

In truth, the reason Gio said thank you was because he was thinking of the old man resting in the master bedroom of his cabin.

‘Father will like that.’

He had been feeling sorry for the teddy bear that had grown gloomy because it had no believers, and as a son, it was only natural to feel grateful to Cha Isol for saying he liked the sun god.

“May I introduce you to a sun god I know?”

“Hold on, Gio.”

Yoo Sungwoon hit the brakes.

“You should give Cha Isol a chance to catch the eye of other gods too.”

“I only said I would introduce him.”

“Why are you introducing him in the first place?”

“Isn’t it good if he gains more friends?”

“Can a god and Cha Isol be friends?”

“Why can’t they?”

“Oh...”

Gio was thinking of introducing the lonely teddy bear who was aging alone, but from the adults’ standpoint, who didn’t know the circumstances, it sounded like, ‘I’m something like a sun god, and I want to be friends with you.’

‘He really has no prejudice.’

This was absolutely not a conversation you should be having at a pork belly restaurant.

“...Gio, you really have a big heart.”

“Thank you.”

“Yeah, let’s eat.”

It felt like he needed to let him watch the initiation ceremony quickly and send him back into the frame.

* * *

“...”

At the text message Yoo Sungwoon sent him, Bisabeol blinked.

“...The sun god.”

He hadn’t really thought it would be that side.

‘In the first place, you couldn’t feel divinity from Gio’s portrait.

It’s right to see it as something you can’t sense unless he shows it himself.’

Besides, Gio is far too unstable to conclude his identity is a “god.”

“It can’t be everything.”

His divinity was only one of the many traits Gio had.

He was still a chaotic existence.

He had traits of a monster, and he also had ambiguous sides like the children of the Origin, and if what Yoo Sungwoon said was true, he was also an existence with godhood.

“And at the same time, he resembles a human.”

Sometimes he becomes a monster.

Sometimes he becomes a human.

Then sometimes he could also become a god.

As if everything in the world were derived from him.

‘...But if you look at it that way...’

In other words, Gio becomes the ‘origin’ of everything in the world.

“...”

The Origin, huh.

“...Hmmm.”

Is it possible it’s a personality?

If Gio caused a slightly bigger incident, he could find out for sure, but it was regrettable that his goodwill was such a waste.

Fantasy, modern,