Chapter 60

The Painter Who Draws Dungeons — Episode 60

When Yoo Sungwoon arrived at the hotel, he asked.

“Is your personality split?”

“You mean whether my personality is split.”

“Like, how should I put it—multiple personalities.”

“...”

Perched on the bed and thinking for a moment, Gio tilted his head.

“I don’t know.”

“...Yeah?”

“But I do know that I change sometimes.”

Gio pushed back the black hood that had completely covered his face and took it off.

This time too, Honey, who had been hiding inside, tumbled out with a thud and a roll onto the bed.

Gio picked Honey up in his hand.

Then Gio’s ‘color’ changed.

“...”

“...”

Platinum blond hair close to silver, and emerald eyes like the sea at a famous resort.

“...Uh...”

Even the expression that had been nothing but gloomy and calm gained vitality.

It was the expression of someone very gentle and mature.

In the way he smiled broadly as if to show it off, there was even a mature playfulness.

“...So, did your personality change?”

“I do not think of this as my personality changing.”

Gio’s manner of speech was still a formal tone.

However, unlike the previous flatness that felt like a machine spitting out input words, his current voice had calm rises and falls.

“Even now, I am ‘Gio.’”

Even so, the black-cloaked man’s words were the truth.

“...”

Yoo Sungwoon asked.

“...How many of those ‘Gios’ are there?”

“As far as I know, there are three for now.”

“I see.”

He could be sure.

‘There is Gio’s portrait at the center, and within it, countless personalities coexist.’

How that was possible was something he’d have to hear more about to know.

“Should I call the current you... just Gio?”

“I don’t mind. I was called that before as well.”

“If you say ‘I was called that,’ does that mean you have a separate real name?”

“It’s not to the extent of calling it an alias or a true name.”

Gio, dyed in a pale palette, looked like a very polite and noble aristocrat, but in the fleeting smile, you could feel that light cheerfulness.

He gave an impression completely different from Seo Gio, heavier than a thousand pounds.

“At one time, in this form, I used the name ‘Giovanni.’”

He looked like a kind and gentle, healthy and spirited young man, you might say.

Like he’d be loved by elders wherever he went and make lots of friends.

“The reason people called me ‘Gio’ was no more than a nickname.

So it would not be strange for Mr. Yoo Sungwoon to call me Gio.”

“...Then that’s a different person from ‘Seo Gio,’ right?”

“Very similar, and completely different.

Now it is simply one, but back then it was so.”

“...Yeah...”

Then the probability that a person named ‘Seo Gio’ truly existed on this Earth also became higher.

‘I should talk with the guildmaster about this.

He looked like he was investigating something, so he might still know something now.’

Chewing over the guildmaster who got gloomy in strange places, Yoo Sungwoon soon came up with a conjecture.

‘If Gio’s portrait is... repeating death and revival?’

With dungeons and the existence of the Origin, it had already been revealed that this world had dimensions beyond Earth.

Then the ‘Giovanni’ before his eyes might have been a kind of ‘Gio’s Portrait,’ living in another dimension.

‘...If that’s the case, it also explains why Gio’s portrait personality is the center.

After finishing one life, he returns to the portrait state, and slowly reviews his prior personalities...’

Gio had clearly said, ‘As far as I know, there are three for now.’

It meant there could be more than that, and that Gio himself also knew the possibility.

If Yoo Sungwoon’s own conjecture were correct, then how long would this portrait’s personality review continue?

Does it ever end?

If it ends up reviewing a personality that bears hostility toward humans...

“...”

No, it’s only delusion so far.

‘...But I at least know there is a center called Gio’s portrait, and beside it exist countless personalities named Gio.

That alone is reason enough to prepare.’

Yoo Sungwoon rolled his eyes.

‘If he thinks of it as past lives of this portrait, then despite those many personalities, that way of thinking where he can define himself as merely Gio is also explained.’

Having finished a simple整理 of his thoughts, Yoo Sungwoon asked.

“...Then is there something I should be careful about?

Even if Seo Gio likes sweet potatoes, Giovanni might hate sweet potatoes.

If you tell me points like that to keep in mind, I’d be grateful.”

“I don’t think there is anything major to be careful about.”

“But, you know.

If you set up something like rules, I can also be more polite... so let’s make our minds comfortable beforehand.”

“Mmm...”

Even with the change in personality, perhaps that temperament sensitive to etiquette and good and evil remained; fortunately, Yoo Sungwoon could get through to him.

After a moment’s thought, the pale but gentle young man answered.

“It is hard for me to leave patients alone.”

“...Oh?”

Come to think of it, he had checked Cha Eunhyuk’s condition when Honey bit him before.

“You said you were a doctor?

No, a priest?”

“Both are correct.

As a priest, I also performed a doctor’s work.

Going further than that, I built a hospital in a rural village and went around treating people.”

“That’s impressive.”

“In truth, even if you ask me to tell you rules right away, nothing comes to mind.”

The young man, smiling awkwardly, continued.

“If I must say something, perhaps... that I would prefer you not insult the sun god in front of me.”

“Speaking ill of someone is rude.

I’ll be careful so that doesn’t happen.”

“Thank you, and...”

“And?”

“...”

As if recalling something, Giovanni said.

“I might be somewhat sensitive about mermaids.”

“...Mermaids?”

Come to think of it, even on Gio’s first outing, he had rarely brought up the topic of “mermaids.”

With a fairly reasonable inference, Yoo Sungwoon asked.

“When you were Giovanni, did you live with mermaids?”

“Yes. It was a world where two species, humans and mermaids, lived together.”

“In what sense are you sensitive?”

“In many ways...”

Gio shrugged.

“I was eaten by a mermaid and died.”

Just as Yoo Sungwoon thought that would certainly be a topic that could make someone sensitive, Gio continued in a still tidy voice.

“But that wasn’t because that child wanted to.”

“...”

“At that time, humans and mermaids were in great conflict, and I and my students were captured and punished absurdly for the crime of having built ties.”

“...So the mermaid child ate you?”

“She must have been hungry.”

He added a composed smile.

“And I was already in the process of dying.”

“...I didn’t think I’d be hearing about your death like this...”

“Was it a sudden story?”

“A bit.”

“I don’t remember well either.”

At those words, in an instant, the color drained away, and Gio returned to black like a shadow.

He was the ‘Gio’s Portrait’ Yoo Sungwoon knew, and ‘Seo Gio.’

With an impression sunk coldly without even a trace of a smile, Gio continued.

“I am still in the process of remembering.”

“Are you recalling the memories of the personalities one by one over time like that?”

“There are times when I am confused.

Whether I liked the sea, or whether I disliked swimming.

Those trivial parts can differ between ‘Gios,’ you see.”

“It sounds like a real headache—are you okay...”

“It is not as confusing a process as you think.”

Gio’s voice was heavy, and calm.

“It is closer to recalling memories of a forgotten childhood.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

Suddenly, Yoo Sungwoon felt like he understood where this heavy silence he felt from Gio came from.

‘...This portrait was forged from more deaths than I can even imagine.’

That was why it could not help but be so heavy and quiet.

Because death is such a thing.

* * *

“...”

Consciousness

rises to the surface.

“...Ah...”

He could see the sun.

“...”

“Um, are you okay?”

A young voice came.

“Can you breathe?”

“...Cough, khm.”

“Thank goodness, you woke up.”

“...”

When he opened his eyes, he saw snow-white irises.

Eyes with a mysterious light holding the color of pearls—something only mermaids can possess.

“...Mermaid?”

“Don’t worry, I have no intention of harming you.”

“Why am I here...”

Only then did his mind come back.

“Ah.”

I went out to sea, then was caught by some mermaid and dragged into the ocean.

“Did you save me?”

“Ah, yes.”

The mermaid who looked male spoke with apology on his youthful face.

“I’m sorry. The one who dragged you into the sea was my older sister.”

“I’ve never heard a story of mermaids eating humans... wasn’t that a superstition?”

“It is a superstition.

She didn’t drag you away to eat you.

However, my older sister is very curious about humans, so it seems she drew you in to observe or analyze you more closely.”

“Thanks to you, I almost died, but I survived—thank you for your kindness.”

The young mermaid looked like he thought Giovanni would be angry, but he wasn’t particularly angry.

Because he remembered that the mermaid who had been dragging him into the sea had had no malice, and that she had been very young.

Even if humans and mermaids were in a rather bad relationship, he had no ill feelings toward mermaids.

Especially since mermaids had a different way of thinking and emotional structure than humans, it wouldn’t be strange even if they suddenly dragged a human into the sea.

“Mmm...”

Looking around, it was the beach where he’d been strolling earlier.

“You brought me back here.”

“Since my older sister troubled you, it is only natural that we guarantee at least your minimal safety.”

“It’s clear that meeting such a kind mermaid is great fortune.”

Since he truly could have died.

“However, there is a village nearby.

You look like a fairly young mermaid, and if you stay here too long, people may attack you.

Since they have recently lost as many as three family members to mermaids, they are in a very agitated state.

If they see a young mermaid like you, they may try to harass you out of resentment... I’m grateful for the goodwill you’ve shown me, but it would be best to return quickly.”

“Thank you for telling me the information needed to protect myself.”

The young mermaid looked very happy, as if this were his first time interacting with a human.

“I’m glad the first human I spoke with is such a good person.

Do you live in this village?”

“I was looking around because I was thinking of settling here.

I am a priest who left the temple to open a hospital—mermaids probably don’t like the sun god’s followers very much either, right?”

“My older sister and I don’t mind that.”

Mermaids served a god of the deep sea, and humans served the sun god.

For such mild dialogue to exist between humans and mermaids—who think differently, eat differently, and easily stir up big and small conflicts—was like a miracle.

Perhaps the young mermaid didn’t want to let that small miracle go.

“My name is Iser.

May I visit you sometimes?

If it is alright, I will also bring my older sister so she can apologize properly.”

“Iser... that is the sea’s language for the Milky Way.

It is a good name.”

The weak must be protected and treated kindly.

Even if the target is not human but a mermaid, the sun’s warmth can reach anywhere.

“My name is Giovanni.”

And so Giovanni formed ties with the young mermaids.

It was a happy time.

* * *

“...”

Lying on the hotel bed, Giovanni blinked.

“...Ah...”

He was crying.

This, too, must be lingering attachment.

* * *

“...”

“Kku.”

“...”

“Gguruk.”

“...”

“Kkungkkungkkung...”

“Hup-cha.”

Only when he could hear his son’s dissatisfied cries did Gio come to his senses.

“The assimilation rate has gotten quite high.”

The last time he remembered it was about 31%, but in just one day it had become 59%.

Confirming Giovanni’s assimilation rate, inflated by nearly half, Gio finished grasping the situation.

“Is it because I had a dream?”

No, rather than that.

“That child I saw at the event...”

A child with blue hair.

“...”

“Ggururuk?”

“Dad isn’t sleeping.”

“Kku.”

“Yeah.”

It’s already vague because he’s calling it a dream, but for some reason, the child he saw at the event and the child he saw in the dream looked very similar.

Maybe because the hair color was similar, it might have become the trigger that made him recall Giovanni’s memories.

‘Could it be that child I saw in the dream?’

Thinking that, Gio soon shook his head.

“It’s too much.”

Even if you were generous, wouldn’t it be a story of a different dimension, one you’d have to cross at least twenty-five alleys to meet?

There was no way the kid who should be in Giovanni’s dimension would be in Seo Gio’s dimension.

“Even if it were real, calling someone I know with only 33.3% purity of Giovanni is a bit shameless.”

It felt like becoming a vicious boss who slips gift certificates into your paycheck.

“...”

Well, anyway.

Gio decided to just be himself.

“Lie down, Honey.”

“Kku.”

“You’re warm.”

No matter what past or future came, Gio, with thick nerves, didn’t care.

Though maybe he should care a little.

Fantasy, modern,