After finishing a fantastic meal, I tossed some sausages to the water birds and returned to the cabin to rest.
Perhaps because I'd had such a big meal, I wasn't hungry even when evening came.
"Nurungji…."
"Kururuk?"
"It's a bit much to eat now, so let's make nurungji rice tomorrow. It's delicious."
"Kururururuk."
"...."
Lying on the bed, I poked Honey, who was, as always, lying beside me.
"Kkung."
"...."
"Kkungkkungkkung."
"You're soft."
"Kkung!!!"
Honey protested vehemently, but that was even cuter.
"You harmless little thing."
I thought I could use it as a pillow if it got just a little bigger.
'Couldn't I try making a substance with a similar feel?'
Since I felt a bit sorry about sleeping on a living water bird, I'd make a non-living, squishy pillow.
Lost in such idle thoughts, I blinked.
"...."
I just couldn't fall asleep.
"Hoo…."
It was like this sometimes.
"Is this the fate of an artist?"
"…Kkung?"
Honey's reaction seemed to say, 'Can't you just stop talking nonsense and go to sleep,' but it wasn't that easy.
I rubbed my face a few times against the fluffy duvet, which I could feel was stuffed with feathers, before getting out of bed.
"Honey, Daddy's leaving."
"Kkuruk."
"You heartless thing."
Leaving the tired Honey behind, I headed to the workshop, which was full of all sorts of materials.
"...."
My terrible insomnia, like this, was the result of a sudden spark of interest in something.
"…I've become curious about the scenery outside the company."
If I decided on a location as precisely as possible and imagined it, I could recall the scenery of that place.
At first, I thought it was just my imagination.
No matter how I imagined the third floor of 'The Collectors' company, wouldn't it be different from the actual scene?
But as I continued to imagine and gradually completed the painting, at some point, I came to a realization.
'The scenery of the location I imagine is relatively true to reality.'
I suspected it might be one of the benefits I received from becoming a portrait.
"The outside is probably…."
I muttered.
"It seems like it will be a dark dawn."
It wasn't a place I hadn't seen at all, and painting a place I'd already seen once wasn't difficult.
I recalled the scene I had witnessed while standing on the wall of an alley and moved my brush.
And just like that, a picture frame appeared in an alley somewhere in Seoul.
***
"Haaa…."
In the streets at dawn, a woman ran her hands through her hair.
"Where do I have to leech off of now."
The woman with the jet-black bob, Cha Ara, couldn't hold back a sigh.
'As expected, there's nowhere that readily accepts an F-Class.'
Even as an Awakener, an F-Class is treated as nothing more than a porter.
Cha Ara's grade was F. Her main skill was 'Body Enhancement'.
Other than that, she couldn't even afford to learn any other skills, and naturally, she had no job. It was the typical status of a porter.
"...."
Today, after being kicked out of her original team, she was sitting idly on a bench.
"…Well, where would they use a porter with an injured leg."
It was because she had injured her leg in the dungeon she visited in the afternoon.
There was an overflow of F-Classes wanting to work as porters, so there was no reason to hire someone who limped.
'It was nice because it was a group of rather decent people.'
It was a team of people who, while not exactly kind, weren't very interested in each other.
They ignored Cha Ara, a mere F-Class porter, as if she didn't exist, but the team itself had a strong tendency to be that way with each other.
That kind of indifference was one of the virtues of modern people that was hard to find.
"But I was cut just as easily."
They kicked her out, saying they could no longer employ Cha Ara, who had no use value.
It was a relief that she had at least received all her pay before being kicked out.
Cha Ara stared at the account balance displayed on her phone for a long time.
All together, it was about 500,000 won.
"...."
This was far from enough to pay the rent and buy the youngest's priestly robes.
"The rent went up this time…."
Cha Ara let out a groan.
"…What do I do now?"
Looking at the sky as snow began to fall softly, Cha Ara clicked her tongue.
"This sucks."
It's already freezing to death, so why does it have to snow?
'…The terminal probably closed a long time ago. Anyway, my older brother is at home, so the youngest one should be fine. As long as he's not off somewhere sharing his things like a pushover.'
Sniffling from an inner sense of loneliness, Cha Ara got up from the bench.
"I have to find a place where I won't get snowed on."
Cha Ara tightened the scarf her youngest brother had made himself and started walking.
Originally, she had planned to just fall asleep on the bench, but if it snowed, she might not be able to open her eyes the next morning.
'It would be nice if I could sleep near a station or a company building.'
Public facilities with a lot of foot traffic or areas around companies that made a decent amount of money had warming magic cast on them.
If she could sleep nearby, she wouldn't have to worry about finding a place to sleep rough, but if she got caught, in the worst-case scenario, she could be demoted to a 4th-class citizen.
'I bought a temporary city residency permit for a few days with my Hunter license, but that doesn't mean I can sleep rough anywhere. It would be a pain if I got caught by the guards….'
At times like these, she was envious of her older brother, Cha Eun-hyeok.
"That guy can at least sleep in his fish-shaped pastry handcart."
Because if he left it in the city, someone would steal or dismantle it, her older brother, who sold fish-shaped pastry, always lived by moving his handcart from the province to the city.
"Agh…."
Therefore, Cha Ara herself couldn't expect to be able to sleep in his handcart.
After walking aimlessly for a while, Cha Ara's footsteps reached a dark alley.
"...."
…What is that?
'…A portrait?'
It was a portrait of a man hanging on one side of the alley wall.
"…What the, this is creepy…."
The man in the portrait was as handsome as a sculpture or a doll, but more than his good looks, the stillness of him with his eyes quietly closed touched her skin.
With a gloomy aura, as if it were a drawing of someone's corpse, Cha Ara faltered and moved away from the spot.
'What kind of madman hung a picture here.'
It was likely the work of a madman with peculiar tastes or a Hunter with a strange skill, so Cha Ara decided not to pay it any mind.
She had no intention of sleeping here where the snow was falling directly on her anyway.
Walking a little further, Cha Ara soon discovered a woman.
"...."
A fine layer of white snow had already piled up on her, showing how long she had been out in the cold snow.
Seeing the woman's appearance, curled up like a ball, she could tell she was a 4th-class citizen living illegally in the city.
"...."
"...."
Her thin body was heaving as if she were breathing, so she wasn't dead yet.
'She's come out quite far.'
Usually, the poor lived in deeper alleys.
Cha Ara, who was about to ignore the poor woman and pass by, didn't get more than a few steps before turning back with a very uncomfortable expression and standing in front of her again.
"...."
Whether she was asleep or had fainted from the cold, the poor woman was breathing but had not regained consciousness.
She seemed unaware that Cha Ara was right in front of her.
"…Aish."
Cha Ara took off her own scarf, wrapped it lightly around the woman's neck, and walked away quickly.
She faintly heard the woman move, which made her walk even faster.
'Fuck, this is embarrassing. Fuck, fuck….'
Her bare neck was cold, and Cha Ara felt somehow wronged.
"Why the hell is she sleeping so pitifully…!"
She teared up for no reason.
The poor woman's age looked similar to hers or even younger.
Then, at most, she couldn't have been 20 years old.
Someone her own age was sleeping as if they were about to die, and she couldn't just pass by.
"Ah, damn it, the youngest one knitted that for me… My dear youngest…."
It was a scarf painstakingly knitted from the fur of livestock or monsters caught in the village.
Her youngest sibling's skills weren't bad, so it was a pretty decent scarf, and she had been using it well this winter, but now she had lost it foolishly like this.
'Fuck… I shouldn't have said anything to my brother or Cha Isold….'
As Cha Ara trudged down the street, something strange soon caught her eye.
"...."
The portrait of a man.
"…Huh."
I saw that earlier.
'…What, what is this? I didn't see it here. Did I see it wrong? Or were there multiple frames?'
The frame was half-hidden in shadow so the face wasn't clearly visible, but she could immediately tell it was the same portrait she had just seen.
For some reason, she got goosebumps, a chilling feeling like she had watched a horror movie.
"Uh, uh uh…."
No matter if she was F-Class, an Awakener was an Awakener.
She was capable of sensing instinctual danger.
"Am I fucked?"
At those vulgar words.
The portrait, which had been buried in the shadows, opened its eyes.
"...."
"...."
The portrait's mouth, unobscured by the darkness, opened smoothly.
"My apologies."
A noble tone.
As Cha Ara blinked at the terrible sense of dissonance.
"...."
The picture frame was nowhere to be seen.
"...."
What, wha, what.
'What the hell.'
Cha Ara belatedly realized she had collapsed to the ground.
"…Sh, shit…."
Somebody help me.
The hand she placed on the snow-covered ground was trembling.
Cha Ara knew, and the world knew, that this wasn't simply because of the cold.
It was nonsense, but deep down, she felt she wouldn't be able to keep her sanity if she didn't spout such nonsense.
"Crazy…."
Cha Ara realized it without knowing.
'I was about to die.'
In truth, the situation wasn't that dangerous, but she knew that the bizarre portrait Cha Ara had just seen was a very dangerous entity.
If that entity had been just a little less polite, to the point of not feeling the need to apologize with 'My apologies,' who knows if Cha Ara would have become a corpse.
"…Wha, what is it? Really what is it? What did I just see?"
As Cha Ara fumbled, putting strength into her body to leave this place, her hand brushed against something cold and hard.
The small, hard sensation gave Cha Ara goosebumps all over, and she couldn't even scream, her mouth just gaped open.
"...."
Trembling, she fumbled with her hand again, and soon a cold grain came into her hand.
Examining it with a terrified heart….
"…A, a gem?"
It was a gem of a black, transparent color.
"…What is this…."
This, too, was something she felt instinctively.
Cha Ara realized that this was a gift from the portrait she had just seen.
"...."
Before they died, her parents always said that good fortune comes to those who do good deeds.
This whole situation felt like a gruesome fairy tale.
***
And here was another person who felt gruesome.
"Stalking is a bad thing to do."
I couldn't come to my senses over my own rudeness.
Painting the dawn alley was fine.
It was just that after I painted it, I saw a woman moving inside the frame and I was briefly worried if she would be in danger this late at dawn.
Because of that, my gaze unconsciously kept following her….
"In the end, I was stalking her."
I ended up observing someone without their consent.
"She must have been surprised."
Normally, I would just be quietly looking at the buildings inside The Collectors, or moving around through frames, so I didn't know. But this opportunity made it clear to me.
'If I fix my gaze on something that moves, the real-world picture frame moves with it.'
That was the story behind the living, moving portrait that followed Cha Ara.
"I hope the meaning of my apology was conveyed well…."
Because I was blankly watching only the bob-haired woman, I was able to see her giving her scarf to the poor woman and her terrified reaction to my frame.
It wasn't until the woman went pale and collapsed that I came to my senses.
A sense of pride for the woman who looked to be about high school age, a worried feeling about whether she was okay alone at this late hour and also an apologetic feeling for startling her with my rudeness.
"...."
These deep emotions were recognized as a single trade item and I gifted a gem to Cha Ara.
"...?"
No, wait a minute.
"Would she be more scared?"
I couldn't think straight, appalled by my own rudeness.
But if you suddenly give a gift without a word to a high school student who is already terrified of a living, moving portrait, who would pick it up and say, 'Wow, a gem'?
"Ah…."
I should have given her something like a cookie instead.
'Of all things, I didn't have any baked cookies right now, so I ended up drawing a gem without thinking.'
If I had given her a trivial snack, she might have been less scared. I vaguely watched the back of the bob-haired student fleeing in terror beyond the frame.
"I'm sorry…."
Around that point, I realized.
"...."
Do I, sometimes, have a personality change?
It was the moment I finally became aware of myself as 'The Black Cape.'
-x-X-x-
Morning came, and I was on the bed again.
"...."
"Kkuruk?"
"Hmmmm."
I was lost in shallow thought.
It wasn't the first time I'd known that my personality could change.
"There's the case of Giovanni, too."
But, something I realized belatedly now, was that I seemed to deviate from my usual personality from time to time.
Mainly when I was interacting with people outside in my 'portrait' state.
"Come to think of it, complimenting the staff or suddenly giving them gifts isn't a normal reaction either."
"Kkuruk?"
"There were people older than me, yet for a strapping young man from the Land of Eastern Propriety like myself to act that way... honestly, considering my current state, it wasn't exactly normal."
The problem was that I myself didn't feel any sense of dissonance about such changes.
"At the time, I just thought it was natural."
It certainly seemed that the identity of 'portrait' was indeed changing me.
"Oh, gods of heaven and earth."
"Kkungkung…."
"When I stayed within the portrait, I was the same as usual, so I didn't feel anything strange."
"Kkuruk?"
"No, it's fine."
Whether my personality changed or something else did, I wouldn't yield to a mystery of this mere level.
"But I should be careful not to act rudely towards other people."
At this rate, it felt like I'd soon find it natural to pat a complete stranger's head.
"Who do I think I am to do something so unsightly?"
The act of patting someone's head was something that was only possible in fiction or when a parent does it to their child.
Even between lovers, such a bold touch was to be avoided, so I felt the need to conduct myself with more modesty.
"Of course, I've never had a lover."
"...."
"How dare you look at your father, who is like the sky, with such eyes."
I can be without a girlfriend, can't I.
"Anyway, having a personality change isn't such an unfamiliar situation. When I went on an outing to Seoul, there were times when my awareness of Giovanni grew stronger… I think I should see it in a very similar context to the topic I'm pondering now."
That said, it wasn't a feeling that my 'personality' itself literally changed.
"If it were to that extent, I would have noticed long ago."
If I had to describe it, it was close to the feeling of recalling a forgotten memory.
"I can't say it's Seo Jio, but it's still me, that kind of feeling…."
"…Kururuk?"
"It's not multiple personalities. It's a misunderstanding."
Just as in my past life I lived as the priest Giovanni, whose benevolent smile was a masterpiece, in my current life I lived as Seo Jio, who was often asked, 'Do you perhaps not know how to smile?'. It was similar to belatedly recalling a past life and having forgotten habits pop out from time to time.
"I never thought a problem would arise because of my identity as a portrait, though."
I muttered.
"I guess it's a problem similar to resolution. Trying to act human in a portrait's body must be causing some kind of error. My way of speaking becomes stiffer, and my actions and thoughts get weird…."
I felt I should be careful.
"Let's try to put more effort into self-awareness from now on."
"Kkung."
"It's a pain? Honey, you should work on your social skills."
Seeing Honey grumbling, I placed the round water bird on my hand and rolled it around.
Honey, rolling about like a firm water pouch, didn't seem to be in a bad mood.
"Are you having fun?"
"Kururururu."
"I see."
I, who had been momentarily surprised by the personality change, was able to compose myself at that peaceful sight.
"Anyway, it's interesting, so that's all that matters."
Wouldn't it be weirder if this ever-changing life wasn't interesting?
"Then shall we eat first?"
"Kururuk?"
Honey expressed his doubt, but I paid it no mind and got up.
"Even if not right away, it's good to make soup or side dishes in advance. I have the bones from the deer I butchered, so if I clean them up and make a bone broth, I can store it in the ice cellar and take it out whenever I need it."
Bone broth itself could be a hearty meal. I nodded my head.
"Whenever I had an upset stomach, my grandmother would tell me to try drinking bone broth with a bit of green onion and salt."
I didn't know about other people, but when I had an upset stomach, that kind of bone broth was much easier on my stomach than porridge.
Since it had no solids, it didn't fill the stomach, but perhaps because it was an oily broth, it felt like I was eating something.
"If you add a little salt, chopped green onions, and freshly cooked rice to the milky white broth, that's Gomtang. A richly brewed bone broth has an incredible umami flavor. That's why even a simple meal like that can be so filling."
"Kurururururu…?"
"That one isn't spicy."
Honey, who had shown a great aversion to the spicy sausage last time, seemed to be wondering if Gomtang was spicy.
But as long as you don't add red pepper powder or a spicy sauce, there would be no reason for Gomtang to taste spicy.
"If it's too plain, you can add meat, or instead of rice, it's fine to add somen noodles. Eating both together isn't as bad as you might think. I believe that adding seasonings or pepper powder as you wish is also one of the charms of Gomtang."
Besides that, there were many other uses for bone broth.
"If nothing else, if you boil spicy ramen with broth instead of water, it has another fantastic taste."
"Kkuruk! Kkuruk! Kkuruk!"
"Still, the broth itself makes the soup a bit milder… Right, let's skip this."
Honey, who hated spicy things, voiced its staunch opposition, and I, being the father, respected Honey's opinion.
If there are humans in the world who eat anything and everything, there are also weak water birds who can't eat even a little bit of spicy food.
"Then it would be fine to add more vegetables and make a different soup. A representative one would be dumpling soup."
I muttered.
"Sliced rice cake soup is also good. Army stew, made by boiling all sorts of vegetables and ham together, isn't bad either… And for standard fare like doenjang-guk or miyeok-guk, adding bone broth makes the flavor much deeper."
"Kkung?"
"The others probably won't be spicy, unless it's army stew. Unless you add Cheongyang chili peppers… Come to think of it, did you know that if you use broth instead of water when cooking rice, it becomes much more delicious?"
"Kururu."
"Alright, let's go make the broth."
Since eating the rice balls last time, Honey had become a water bird that loved rice the most in the world.
I could clearly see it, imagining how delicious it would be to make rice balls with rice cooked in bone broth and then grill them.
As I headed down to the ice cellar where the bones were stored, I suddenly felt anxious.
"Come to think of it, don't people usually use cow bones to make bone broth?"
"…Kkuk?"
"Well, when I trimmed and cleaned them last time, the marrow was quite full. Perhaps because it was freshly caught, the red border on the cross-section of the bone shaft was also distinct, so the condition should be good. Thanks to the deer being so big, the bones are thick and sturdy, so it'll be fun to brew the broth…."
"...."
"Then again, since when have we only eaten food from Earth?"
The bones used to brew bone broth are usually from the leg part of an animal.
For a cow, it would have been the feet, but I figured it wouldn't be much different for a deer, so I had prepared them just in case.
I brought the bones from the ice cellar to the kitchen.
"I washed them once back then, but it still feels a bit iffy."
After thoroughly washing the bones, which had been cut to clearly show the marrow, I took out a large pot and dropped them all inside.
When I lit the firewood with a Bellflower, the water quickly came to a boil.
"All the blood was drained when I first butchered it, so not that many impurities should rise to the surface. I drained it for almost over a day, so it should be quite clean, but there are still foreign substances left inside. I have to remove those to get a good broth."
"...."
"As you are currently predicting, it's a hellishly time-consuming job."
"Kkungkungkung…."
"I didn't expect to be able to eat the broth today anyway."
Once the bones were parboiled in boiling water and then washed until completely clean, from then on, it was a battle of time and effort.
There was a reason 'real' bone broth was expensive.
"I can just keep boiling it in the pot like this, but I shouldn't boil it over too strong a flame. Even if it takes some time, I have to simmer it over low heat to draw out the umami flavor of the broth better."
"...."
"The more you boil it, the more oil and various impurities will continuously float to the top. They say the first batch of broth is usually too greasy and rich to be palatable, perhaps because the marrow comes straight out. So you can't even eat the first batch of broth…"
"Kkung."
"You'll eat it?"
"Kkuruk."
"You pig."
Honey protested fiercely, but that doesn't change reality.
This affection, this obsession, that couldn't give up even the first batch of broth that would make one's mouth so greasy it would smack.
"You are already an excellent pig."
"Kurururururururururulk!!!"
"Accept reality."
If possible, I'd like it to get a little plump.
"Enough for me to lean on…."
To be precise, I'd like it to become plump enough for me to use as a pillow.
"...."
"...."
Seeing the face that showed a firm resolve, I nodded.
"Is it puberty?"
I could feel a strong conviction to somehow maintain its current cute and adorable appearance.
'It knows it's cute.'
Even if it was a son born from paint, if one's child had the right convictions, it was only proper to support them. I decided to back down.
Fat animals are cute, but forcing them to gain weight was animal abuse.
"Anyway, the broth won't be ready right away. The impurities will only rise after some time, so there's nothing we can do just by sticking right next to it."
"Kururuk?"
"Right, so we need to prepare another dish. Let's give our generous bone friend some time alone."
I looked at the pot, where the water wasn't even boiling yet because I had just changed it.
"I'm not sure, but I've heard that brewing bone broth too many times is actually bad for your body… I'm not sure how to treat the legs of a Tree-Horned Deer."
Bone of a Tree-Horned Deer
The trimmed bone corresponds to the leg part of a Tree-Horned Deer's bones.
It is full of marrow and thus oily, but a bone brewed for more than 3 days will completely dissolve into the broth and become a restorative medicine.
It is characterized by a nutty flavor or a strong meaty aroma that feels salty.
Elixir Recipe: After cleaning it thoroughly, simmer it over low heat for 3 days, and the marrow and bone will all dissolve to become a restorative medicine. The medicine created this way can be used immediately, and when used on a human, all bone abnormalities will be healed. The degree of recovery depends on the amount taken and the individual's constitution.
"...."
I nodded my head.
"There was no need to worry."
What kind of realistic concerns was I having in this fantasy world?
"It says the marrow and bones will melt on their own, so we just need to occasionally skim off the impurities and wait. Let's stop worrying about those highly independent fellows and start worrying about our lunch."
"Kurururuk."
"Then, something good would be…."
After pondering for a moment, I made up my mind.
"The day has finally come."
"Kkuruk?"
"It is time for fishing."
After eating a whole lot of meat, shouldn't I refresh my tired palate with some fish?
"That is the proper courtesy to my tongue and stomach."
And Seo Jio was a true gourmand who learned the word Engel's coefficient (the proportion of household expenditure spent on food) at the age of 5.
I still remembered my grandmother's warm voice, chuckling and saying, 'We have a pig potato in the house.'
So, I decided to eat fish. There were many ways.
"The stream is narrow, but it's quite deep, so I've confirmed that there are large and small fish when I've passed by. Especially since the water birds' nest is connected to streams and springs to allow various creatures to move around… In fact, I could probably get some decent fish just by going to the nest."
"...."
At my words, Honey tilted its head from side to side, then soon came up to my ear and poked my cheek. Its beak was so small and harmless I didn't even know why it was there, so it didn't hurt.
"What is it, Honey?"
"Kururururuk."
"…Ah."
Come to think of it, I had another source of fish.
"There was the 'Breathing Sea'."
The 'Breathing Sea', one of the dimensional gates I had made before, was literally a world submerged in the sea and when I saw it last time, it was definitely overflowing with all sorts of creatures.
I accepted Honey's advice.
"So smart."
"Kkuruk."
Honey became majestic.
It was very cute.
"No matter how cute you are, the only one you can conquer is your dad."
"Kkungkungkung."
"You think you can get away with acting so cute anywhere else and be served as well as I serve you? Where else in the world is there a butler as competent as me? You just stick close to your dad."
They were a happy family today, too.
I immediately went to the second floor, to the warehouse where I kept the completed works.
The frame that allowed travel to the 'Breathing Sea' was hanging there.
Standing in front of the frame filled with blue light, I slowly seeped in as if melting.
"...."
And, soon after.
I was in the water.
"It's been a while, Father."
Giovanni had entered the 'Breathing Sea'.
"Or has it not been that long?"
" "
"I just came back from a little tour of the outside world."
The one Jio was conversing with was none other than the Sun God of a ruined world.
That lonely old man that 'Giovanni' had made a request to before.
He asked for the reason for my visit today.
"Ah."
And I was always confident, anytime, anywhere.
"I came to do some fishing."
Give me fish.
"If it goes well, I'll share some with you."
" "
"I knew you'd be pleased."
The Sun God rejoiced.
It was clear that only pigs had gathered here.
-x-X-x-
The so-called 'Breathing Sea' was literally a world submerged in water.
There was no one else besides me.
The water filled up to a very high place, so much so that even the sun seemed trapped in the water and the traces of humans, like brick houses and fences, were also submerged as they were.
Among them, I was sitting on the edge of a cliff.
"I have no idea how to fish when it's completely underwater."
"Kuuuuuurung."
"Honey, let's stop drinking seawater. Your body is getting too big and scaring the fish away."
There were plenty of aquatic creatures here and there.
A creature that looked like a very large hermit crab moved clumsily, click-clack, crossing a red roof with its comrades, and a gentle-looking snake that appeared to be a water snake popped out of the sand and repeatedly hid itself.
Besides these, there was a large school of whales floating leisurely in the high-water sky and a pair of colorful seahorses dancing as if singing.
Fish hiding in the gaps of seaweed growing between the bricks....
"Am I just not talented at fishing?"
" "
"Well, a fishing rod seems completely useless in a situation like this."
" "
"A landing net? That's not a bad idea either."
I was looking at the dreamlike scenery, but I hadn't caught a single fish.
"It's not like I'm a very good swimmer either."
In 'Giovanni's' world, 90% of humanity was skilled at swimming thanks to their very close relationship with the sea.
'Giovanni' was among the 5% who were exceptionally bad at swimming.
"When I first met Aria, our connection continued because she pushed me into the sea. From my personal assessment, I can't say Aria was a good child, but she was still a diligent student."
" "
"Since you do not resent Aria, Father, my heart is also at ease."
I, with my characteristic kind smile, soon made a troubled expression.
"But… How should I catch the fish."
Giovanni was not a skilled swimmer and Seo Jio, while a good swimmer, had never caught fish in this manner.
No matter which one's specialty I utilized, it seemed I wouldn't be able to snatch the fish that looked so nimble.
"...."
" "
"Pardon?"
At the Sun God pointing not at anyone else but Honey, I turned to look at the bright yellow water bird.
Honey, bathed in the Sun God's spotlight like an actor on a stage, was sparkling.
It was nothing short of a divine revelation.
"Honey?"
"...."
"Honey, can you catch them?"
"…Kkung…."
"Why are you avoiding Dad's gaze?"
With a face that clearly said, 'I can do it, but I don't really want to,' I tilted my head.
If it simply didn't want to work, I wouldn't force it, but its reaction wasn't one of hating labor itself, so it was hard to interpret.
"Why doesn't it want to?"
"Kkungkungkung…."
"...??"
Seeing the father and son whose communication was not going smoothly, the Sun God subtly told the truth.
" "
"...."
" "
"…Ah."
Only then did I recall that my water bird was not ordinary.
No, of course, living water in the shape of a bird is by no means ordinary, but anyway. Honey had a much more intense potential than I had anticipated.
"Can my child evolve?"
"...."
"O, Sun."
Honey was very competent.
"You have to evolve to catch fish, but you don't want to take on that form, so you're being coy like this…? Really? Oh, my goodness, that's really cool and absurd. You really do have a conviction to maintain your cute appearance."
My son definitely had a prince complex.
"I think I told you just 30 minutes ago that no matter how cute and adorable you act, the only one you can conquer is your dad. What are you going to do, being so hopelessly cute?"
" "
"My apologies, I was being a bit foolish. But Father, don't you also find your grandson very cute?"
The Sun God just laughed.
He said the family relationship was very nice to see.
I didn't get a clear explanation, but I decided to be satisfied with this.
What was more important than anything right now was for everyone to join forces in this hopeless situation, overcome the difficulties, get fish, and prepare a meal.
"…Hmm…."
Not particularly wanting to force labor, I simply told them the reality they were in.
"Honey."
"Kkung."
"Dad can't swim."
"…Kkung?"
"So I can't catch fish either."
"...."
"If you really don't want to, it can't be helped, but if you don't catch the fish, we'll all have to starve. If you refuse even so, for lunch today, we'll have no choice but to grill the leftover sausages from last time."
At those words, Honey's pupils trembled.
I didn't know where the pupils were in those eyes made of water, but it was clear that Honey was shocked by the reality they faced and was trembling in fear.
I nodded solemnly like a judge delivering a verdict.
"Yes, we are in a situation where we have to eat the same menu two times in a row."
It was a miserable reality that was hard for them, as gourmets and gluttons, to accept.
"If you still don't want to, then this dad will try his best to prepare today's lunch by making stir-fried sausage, sausage fried rice, and sausage soup."
"...."
"...."
"...."
The Sun God was horrified by the strange standoff.
Even to him, stir-fried sausage, sausage fried rice, and sausage soup was a bit much.
The Sun God, who had recently become accustomed to the meals I prepared, watched the situation with an anxious heart.
"…Kku…."
The winner was me.
"Kkururuk."
But there was a condition.
"You want me to close my eyes?"
"Kkuk."
"Dad can love our son no matter what he looks like. Why?"
"Kkuk."
"Puberty really has come."
Indeed, no matter if the other person was a parent, everyone has secrets they want to hide.
Although I had never even been in a relationship, let alone married or had a child, I knew that it was important to protect a child's personal space.
I closed my eyes and nodded.
"You don't want to show your evolved form that much? Dad is really, very, extremely curious, but if it makes you feel more at ease, Honey, I can close my eyes for as long as you want…."
"Kkururuk."
"Adolescent kids really aren't easy."
I heard the sound of a large body of water gurgling once, followed by the sound of the seawater being churned. It wasn't long after I had been listening to the sounds.
"Kkungkukururuk."
"...?"
Oh, already?
"Can I open my eyes, son?"
"Kkururuk."
"Okay."
And then I saw it.
"Oh."
It was the sight of about 30 fish caught inside Honey's body, which had become plump with seawater.
"That's amazing."
"Kkurukkureuk."
"Like a magnificent pig."
"...."
"That was a compliment."
I had seen Honey become this big ever since we came to the 'Breathing Sea', so this form was probably not Honey's 'evolved' form.
'It probably swallowed the fish in its evolved form and then returned to its original form.'
Anyway, it was funny and good.
"Pig…."
"Kkung."
"A pig with fish inside…."
"Kkungkungkung."
"Nice."
Giovanni smiled brightly with his characteristic cheerful smile.
"This is so reassuring."
I was a person with a generous hand.
***
Returning to the cabin, I immediately began to prepare the fish.
"Exactly 33."
It was a number that meant my hands would be busted today, but I decided not to care.
Showing a weak side in front of a mere 33 salmon-sized fish was a great shame for a pig acknowledged by my grandmother.
"Fortunately, they say all of them are edible, so I can just prepare them without worry."
"Kururururuk."
"Honey, spit one out."
"Kkuk."
Ptooey.
Honey, still large, spat out a fish.
"...."
Staggering as I caught the fish, I felt my mind go dizzy for a moment.
'What kind of challenge have I gotten myself into.'
Anyway, it was time to prepare the seafood, for which freshness is life.
Although food doesn't rot in this world inside the painting, I didn't know if that would prevent an already dead fish from getting fishier over time.
I poked the first fish's forehead with an awl and sent it off to the Dragon Palace.
"Mm."
I pride myself that it was a swift skill on par with an assassin from a martial arts novel.
"It pays to have sliced a few fish."
"Kkuruk?"
"The taste of slicing and eating freshly caught fish on a boat is special."
Reminiscing about a fond past, I moved my hands quickly.
I cut off the fins, scraped off the scales with a satisfying shink, then inserted the knife to a moderate depth so as not to burst the innards, and sliced it all the way to the anus.
"Seeing that there's almost no fishy smell even from the innards, it must be really fresh. Now, once the innards are removed, next is…."
"Kurungrungrungrung."
"Honey, if you only eat the innards, someday you'll become as fishy as the innards."
Where on earth did it get this bad habit of snatching just the innards while its dad is cooking.
'…More than that, the way it separates and dissolves things is always fascinating to see.'
They are water birds that enjoy decorating themselves by putting things inside their bodies.
Honey, who liked gems, was not much different, but in the case of food, which was not for decoration, it melted quickly inside Honey's body.
To be precise, rather than saying it melts, it seemed more correct to say that the nutrients that entered its body were also converted into water.
This was because the swallowed food gradually became transparent and shimmered before becoming invisible to the eye.
"...."
Whose son was it to be born so amusingly.
'How interesting.'
Seeing that even the way it eats was funny, Honey was indeed my son.
It was like a creature whose every breath was excellent content.
"Eum…."
"Kkung?"
"I was just gauging how long it would take to prepare them all."
If it were fish from the supermarket that were already prepared, I would buy a ton without hesitation, but preparing live fish myself was quite a lot of work.
"Let's continue."
For the fish with its innards removed and belly emptied, I had to scrape out all the blood pooled inside what would be the rib cage in a human.
I diligently cleaned the inside of the belly and continued to break down the fish.
"...."
"...."
And the surprising fact I learned.
"…Was it really a salmon?"
"Kkuruk?"
"No, it's definitely not a salmon."
But the flesh inside was very unusual.
"The texture is that of a white-fleshed fish, but the color is orange like a salmon or trout."
When I separated it as if for sashimi, the flesh inside, like that of a salmon, crumbled softly with just a little pressure.
But the grain was round and chewy, like that of a white-fleshed fish such as flounder or sea bream.
"...."
Munch.
"...."
The taste was also similar to salmon.
It tasted like watermelon, refreshingly cool, which made me think it might be a type of trout.
'Though the texture is much more bouncy and chewy than that….'
It was a very strange feeling.
No matter how much of a fantasy world this was, wasn't it a bit subtly funny for something to overlap with elements I knew in this way?
"Uh…."
"Kkung?"
"…It's delicious, so that's all that matters."
Thanks to the soft flesh, the preparation was also fast.
"I should slice a few for sashimi and prepare a few to be deep-fried whole in oil."
"Kkuruk?"
"It's more delicious than you think. In the first place, there's no way a food deep-fried in oil would taste bad. You don't have to worry, Honey, just wait comfortably for the fried fish."
"Kurururu…."
"It's actually more delicious with a spicy sauce."
"Kkungkungkung…!!!"
"Is there a need to hate it so tragically? There are many fish left, so don't you have any intention of making just one spicy fried fish for this dad, son?"
After finishing all the cooking, I half-fainted.
"...."
"Kkururung."
"It was a record-breaking day."
The conclusion was that 33 large fish were too much.
Emphasized and repeated labor is what wears me out.
-x-X-x-
I was good at everything.
"So I'm good at cooking too."
" "
"Please exclude swimming."
To the Sun God's question that poked at my weakness, I, as Giovanni, politely but firmly shook my head.
How could a two-legged human who can only breathe outside of water also be good at swimming?
"Although for someone like that, I am breathing underwater right now…."
Was it because 'Giovanni' was already a dead figure in this world, or was it because although I was synchronizing, my essence was that of a 'portrait'?
I was able to breathe just fine even in the water-filled 'Breathing Sea'.
"Is this water itself structured to allow humans to breathe?"
" "
"It has indeed become a special sea. I suppose this should be seen as one of Aria's accomplishments as well."
And yet, there was a sense of emptiness.
"It feels like I am not bound by the rules of this world. Is it because I am no longer an inhabitant here? My current physical state doesn't seem much different from when I was in the Painting Forest…."
" "
"I see."
The Sun God affirmed it as well.
"That's a shame."
Giovanni gave his characteristic kind and light smile.
It was a neat smile, no different from before.
"Should I say it feels like I've lost a hometown."
" "
"It's a little sad, but I'm sure it will get better over time."
Right now, it was time to eat rather than talk like this.
"I didn't think you enjoyed spicy food either, Father, so I've prepared mainly mild dishes. I thought you'd be upset if the meal got wet, so please create a space for us again this time."
'Create a space' was a request to make a large air bubble in this world full of water.
The Sun God had lost all his followers except Giovanni and his power had weakened, but for a short while, it was possible for him to bestow such a miracle.
"...."
Though using that miracle to have a meal might seem a bit absurd to others.
"No, but a person has to eat to live. Is there a rule that says gods can't eat?"
" "
"If anyone says anything about this, please entrust that insolent person to this son. I will give them a stern scolding."
" "
"The one who nags you for eating is the strange one."
The Sun God was very happy. He was definitely a pig god.
'Can gods gain weight?'
The thought suddenly occurred to me, but I soon shook my head inwardly.
It seemed too shameless to wish for an intangible being, who lacked even a voice let alone a physical form, to gain weight just from eating a bit.
Anyway, the old man who was at first completely dispirited and listless, even refusing to eat, was now setting the table as if demanding to be served right away, which made me feel very good.
Giovanni smiled brightly with satisfaction.
As the Priest of the Sun, a warm light shimmered around him.
"Thanks to Honey working so hard, our meal today has become very plentiful."
At my compliment, Honey entered the air bubble and puffed out its chest majestically.
It was a look that wanted praise not only from me but also from the Sun God.
"Kurururururu."
" "
"Kkurukkureukkureuk!"
Soon Honey's body, for a very brief moment, shone brightly.
"You praised it."
"Kkuruk."
It resembled the sunlight.
'Perhaps because Honey is an animal that evolved by drinking the juice of the Rurupu, it's particularly fond of the Sun God.'
The Rurupu that grew in the spring of the Painting Forest was a flower that grew under the moonlight and sunlight.
Strictly speaking, it was born from the sun and moon, so it was understandable that it liked the Sun God.
'It's just like a grandchild showing off its talents in front of its grandfather.'
Anyway, it's cute, so that's all that matters.
I watched affectionately as Honey followed the cluster of light that could be called the Sun God's touch, wiggling its bottom or flapping its wings.
Thanks to Honey's particular display of affection, the Sun God's wariness was easily broken down and I was able to be accepted by him again.
"...."
Communication with the Sun God (1/1)
"Then shall I get the meal ready?"
Thanks to the Sun God evaporating some of the water with heat, the food didn't get wet when I brought it over.
What I made today was an assorted sashimi platter and sushi, a warm fish soup and rice to go with it and fried fish to be served as a side dish.
The fried fish was fried plainly so it could be eaten with a sweet and sour sauce and a spicy sauce prepared separately, so I expected little opposition from the two who couldn't handle spicy food.
"Let's start eating, the preparations are done."
"Kururururu!!"
Honey was the first to fly over combatively, flapping its torso-sized wings.
Then it stood in front of the whole fried fish I had set aside for it, but the fish was 10 times the size of Honey.
"It really is big."
Honestly, it was a rather funny sight.
"Then, Father, you should come down too. It's best when it's warm."
" "
The Sun God's power, affirming my words, soon spread out somewhere.
The warm cluster of light reached a platinum-white teddy bear that was placed demurely near the picture frame that was my entrance.
And soon, the teddy bear, a little smaller than a child, began to move.
"Kuuu."
"Welcome."
The Sun God had descended.
To eat.
'Pigs.'
It was cute.
"Kuuu, kku…."
"Shall I help you?"
"Kku."
Perhaps because it had been placed in the water, the teddy bear couldn't walk properly and just flapped about.
It seemed difficult for the old, worn-out teddy bear's body to escape the water pressure and resistance.
I willingly put my hand under the teddy bear's side and lifted it. Then I placed the teddy bear, in which the Sun God resided, in front of a bowl.
"Kuuu."
"I'm glad you seem to like it."
It was very cute, but from the perspective of his son, Giovanni, it was also a little pitiful.
'Your power has weakened to the point where entering a mere doll doesn't strain you.'
Of course, this wasn't the Sun God fully inhabiting it either; he would have put just a part of himself, enough to be able to eat.
But seeing the Sun God's ego being expressed through the teddy bear, an important power that served as the god's heart, or brain, must have entered the doll.
Even so, the doll did not explode, and the Sun God did not feel any discomfort.
With only Giovanni as a follower, it seemed inevitable that his power would weaken compared to his peak.
"...."
Though it was a miracle in itself that the Sun God was avoiding annihilation with just Giovanni alone.
"Let's eat then."
"Kuuu."
"Kururururuk."
One human, one water bird, and one teddy bear began to eat without anyone going first.
The teddy bear, which should have been filled with nothing but cotton, opened its mouth wide and popped the fried fish in.
I was once again amazed.
'How curious.'
I saw it every time, but I couldn't figure out what structure it savored and digested food.
"Honey, does it taste alright? Is the fish cooked well?"
"Kkururuk."
"Good, just avoid this sauce. It'll be a bit spicy for you."
I had placed the spicy sauce in the middle of the table just in case, but I was confident that no one would touch it.
This sauce was made exclusively for me, anyway.
"...."
Let's see.
'Should I start with the sashimi?'
Honey, having already feasted on fresh innards, aimed for the fried food first and the Sun God, following the tastes of the humans who used to serve him, didn't eat raw things well and was drinking the rice and fish soup.
For some reason, I felt the urge to try what others weren't having first.
'And sashimi is best when it's fresh.'
I immediately picked up a piece of sashimi.
"…Hmm…."
I had seen it a lot while preparing it, but it still had a peculiar appearance.
'It's strange how it has the same color as salmon and is soft like salmon, but unlike salmon, the flesh has a firmness to it. Thanks to that, it wasn't as heavy as salmon when fried either.'
When I dipped it lightly in soy sauce and ate it, I could feel the flesh being chewy yet melting softly in my mouth.
"Delicious."
"Kkul."
"Kku."
Seeing everyone being happy on their own, my heart felt good too.
Perhaps Honey, wanting to finish the hunt quickly, had snatched up a whole school of fish that were swimming together, as all the fish Honey had brought were these flounders in the guise of salmon.
But because its taste and texture were so special, I didn't get tired of it.
'It's not like it has no fat at all.'
What was unusual about this fish was that it was oily when eaten as sashimi, but all the oil drained out when heat was applied, such as by frying or boiling.
Thanks to that, even the fish stew, which had few ingredients, could have a profound flavor.
"How is the stew?"
"Kuuuuk."
"This priest is delighted that you are pleased."
I looked at Honey again.
"Honey, you're…."
"Kkuung."
"Yes, you're eating well and enjoying it."
It's a good sight, you pigs.
'As for me... I should eat the cold things first and then the others.'
Thinking about having dessert later, I felt my stomach should be a bit warm to enjoy cold jelly.
I decided to finish the sashimi and sushi I was currently eating before trying something else.
The sashimi, with a moderate amount of oil flowing out like juice, went well with the sushi without clashing.
'The rice grains in flounder sushi felt separate.'
It wasn't that I disliked flounder sushi, but I always felt that the uniquely firm and chewy flesh of the flounder and the plumply rolling grains of the sushi rice were too overpowering.
That was why Seo Jio preferred salmon sushi, which was so soft it went down your throat on its own after just a few chews, over flounder sushi.
But this sushi was different.
The sushi, with air delicately incorporated, spread out like a net as soon as it entered my mouth, and the sashimi on top resisted my teeth for a moment before melting softly.
The combination of the rice seasoned with sushi vinegar and the slightly oily sashimi was excellent.
"Mm."
I ate all of my share of sashimi and sushi.
If the other family members left any, it was all going to be mine.
'Next, the fried fish.'
Thanks to the Sun God's consideration, it was maintaining a non-humid state, but no matter what, the crispiness of fried food collapses easily.
I chose the fried fish as my next opponent after the sashimi.
"…The portion was so large I was worried it would be too much, so I didn't use a separate batter. It's fried in oil anyway, and the fish flesh is plump…."
To me, who was making an excuse that wasn't an excuse, Honey and the teddy bear shot a look that said, 'What are you talking about while we're eating well.' I, who was in charge of the cooking, felt my heart instantly ease.
'There's nothing that warms my heart as much as a well-eating pig.'
They seemed like the type to eat deliciously even if given lye, as long as it tasted good.
As the person who cooked, it was a situation where I couldn't help but feel pleased.
"Sorry for interrupting. Let's just eat."
"Kuuu."
"Kkurukkureuk."
"...."
Come to think of it, was the teddy bear's cry modeled after Honey's?
'I've felt it every time, but they're quite similar.'
I was too hungry to think about it any further.
"Ah, hot."
Fortunately, the fried fish was still maintaining its warm and crispy state.
It was thanks to the consideration of the Sun God, who generously sprinkled the grace of the sun; I didn't know if it was just so he could eat deliciously, but it was good anyway.
Basa-sak—!
"Oh."
As expected of the Sun God, he doesn't tolerate a single bit of moisture.
'The crispy fried skin and the moist juices inside are exquisite.'
Since it was a burden to prepare all 33 fish individually, I fried them whole, and perhaps because of that, the inside was filled with glistening juices.
The oil that had been in the flesh had drained out and stayed on the skin, which made it feel like eating chicken.
'Maybe because it's fried, the flesh has become much chewier too.'
It wasn't an unpleasant elasticity, but a resistance that felt just right.
When I chewed without much force, I could feel the grain unraveling softly like silk threads on my tongue.
"...."
It's delicious even without dipping it in sauce?
'Is it because the skin is salty?'
The seawater seemed to have seeped into the skin of this fish particularly well.
After removing the moisture, what remained was the saltiness, so I didn't know the principle, but even after being fried once, the seasoning was exquisite.
'The inner flesh is mild to the point of being almost sweet, but it's rich in juices, and the skin is especially oily and crispy… they go very well together.'
Dipped in the spicy sauce, it was a taste that made rice go down smoothly.
"...."
Slurp.
The fish stew, boiled like a doenjang soup, was also very good.
"…I get to try things like this because the fish is fresh."
"Kkururuk."
"You're right, this is better than I thought."
It wasn't like I had added any amazing sauce.
I just put some well-prepared fish in water with some dissolved doenjang and added some radish and green onion on top.
Despite that, the deep, umami-flavored fish stew was like drinking a long-simmered bone broth.
'If the fish had been even a little bit fishy, I couldn't have made it like this.'
That's why when people think of fish stew, they usually think of spicy fish stew . Because unless the fish was freshly caught, it was never not fishy.
Especially when boiled in a stew, the fishiness of seafood intensifies, so people usually cover it up with spiciness.
But for me, who had what was essentially a sea inside my cabin, there was no need for that.
The freshly caught, wriggling fish was incredibly fresh, and I was able to complete a stew with a deep flavor with just a bit of doenjang.
"Hooo…."
My stomach was so warm that if I fell asleep like this, I felt like I wouldn't wake up until dinner.
"Nice."
"Kkuuk?"
"Yes, I'm full."
Ah, right.
"I'm boiling the bone broth, I'll come again when it's done."
"Kuuuuu."
"Yes, it must be your first time having bone broth, Father? It has a much deeper flavor than this fish stew…."
A characteristic of foodies.
They talk about food while eating.
-x-X-x-
Back in the cabin, I, Jio...
"...."
...was now checking the reward I received from the System after finally grasping the danger level of the young man I had encountered at Gyeongbokgung.
"I was busy."
Reward: Seal
"Busy eating."
I knew the System didn't have a consciousness, but I made an excuse anyway.
"So when I wondered what this seal was…."
I looked at the stamp, which seemed to be carved from marble.
"...."
I held the stamp up to the faintly glowing lamp.
It was beautiful, shining as clearly as sunlight filtering through a thin blanket.
It was similar to marble, but the mineral quality was different.
Looking down at the small column from which a faint pulse seemed to emanate as if it were alive and breathing, I muttered.
"Where have I seen this before?"
"Kururuk?"
"It's definitely not for eating, so don't look at it with those covetous eyes, Honey. No matter how much you like gems, I think this is too much. If you really covet marble, go to the spring where there's a tree that grows with a similar stone quality."
"Kkungkungkung…."
"Acting cute won't work."
This was the System that had evolved the extremely ordinary human Seo Jio into a portrait with a rapidly changing personality.
There was no way a seal given by such a being could be ordinary and I couldn't let Honey gulp it down.
"Hmm…."
After examining it from all angles, I came to a conclusion.
"Was it a sealing wax seal?"
Sealing wax, a sentimental item used to seal letters.
It looked like the seal used to press into the melted candle-like wax to emboss a beautiful and cool pattern.
A type of stamp, in other words.
In the era I lived in, it was an item that chose sentimentality over practicality, but that aside….
"I don't have any wax."
"Kkuk?"
"I also don't have anyone to send a carefully decorated letter to."
"…Kuru…."
"Tears are blurring my vision."
I'm a lonely firefly.
"I have no friends."
"...."
"…Was it perhaps telling me to try and make a pen pal?"
I had no idea why it gave me such a seal, but since I didn't know anything anyway, I interpreted it however I wanted.
This had to be the System's consideration, telling the friendless Jio to try and make a new connection.
"Then for now, let's try sending a letter to Mr. Yu Seong-un."
The easiest target, Yu Seong-un.
And so, the tired and weary modern man, Yu Seong-un, was unwittingly attacked again today.
***
"...."
Returning home after work, Yu Seong-un's heart almost stopped.
"…What's with this, a letter…."
On the living room table lay a letter he had never seen before.
"...."
Looking around, he muttered.
"There's no sign of a break-in."
Thanks to the help of Guild Master Bisabeol, who was attentive to the safety of his staff, the security of the residence Yu Seong-un was staying in was so thorough that no one less than an S-Class Hunter could enter.
So he was surprised to see a strange letter placed so openly in such a home.
Sighing for a moment, Yu Seong-un calmly collected his emotions and sat down on the sofa by the table.
"Let's see what we have here."
Rustle.
The letter made a sound close to that of dried grass.
"...."
Dried grass, huh.
"…Jio?"
For some reason, he felt like he knew who sent the letter.
'I'm not sure, but I have a feeling.'
The envelope's texture was similar to Hanji, but it was much drier.
Much softer, too. Yu Seong-un's gaze, which had been on the jet-black outer envelope that was as black as Jio's eyes, soon fell to the wax sealing the letter.
A texture like a sparkling gem.
"Oh…."
It was definitely Jio's.
'…It looks like he melted a gem like wax while maintaining its crystal structure and then stamped a seal on it. I don't know how such a feat is possible, but it's dreamlike and beautiful, like something out of a fairy tale.'
This strange presence was something that was particularly palpable from Jio.
A peculiar sentimentality, one might say.
"A seal, huh…."
It was a pattern he had never seen before.
"…A portrait… does it resemble one a little."
A plant spreading out from the center of a rectangular border, and a pattern inside the border that seemed to be a geometric representation of a star.
For some reason, it was a seal that reminded him of 'Jio's Portrait' hanging in Bisabeol's gallery.
"He has such firm tastes."
From his actions and everything else, Jio had a strong feeling of a fantasy medieval nobleman.
'Should I say he has a fairy-tale-like sensibility.'
He had said he lived in a cabin, too, which made him seem like a very peaceful fellow.
"Well then, I should see what's inside."
Carefully prying open the seal, which felt worthy of research, so as not to damage it, he saw the pure white stationery inside.
Yu Seong-un took out the paper and slowly read the jet-black letters.
"...."
And then he let out a deep sigh.
"…I can't read this…."
If he was going to send a letter, shouldn't he have written it in the language of Earth?
'…I thought he knew a fair bit about Korean culture, so I expected him to write the letter in Korean too, but I guess that was too much to hope for. It's not like Jio is actually Korean.'
He tried reading it again, wondering if he could decipher it, but it was a language he had never seen before.
It didn't even have a language-like regularity, which put Yu Seong-un in a difficult position.
"It would be a pain if this is something like a cursed letter."
He didn't think Jio would suddenly send something bad, but beings of the Source were not the kind of fellows you could make such assumptions about.
If it was an item that would cast a curse if not interpreted correctly, it would be quite troublesome.
"...."
He didn't feel such an ominous aura, so Yu Seong-un relaxed a little.
"…I was planning to go see him tomorrow anyway, so maybe I'll ask about this too."
As long as it wasn't a bomb that would go off immediately, it didn't really matter.
Yu Seong-un carefully sealed the entrance again so the letter wouldn't get crumpled.
The blue gem seal, which had no discernible adhesive properties, was cold and smooth, but thanks to its weight, it didn't float up and instead pressed the entrance down.
"Can't figure him out, anyway."
Should he consider this a 'piece of the artwork' as well?
"He has a talent for making my heart drop…."
He didn't know when he would find out Jio's true identity.
That point felt a little distant.
***
"Jio."
The next day at dawn, Yu Seong-un sought me out.
"This, is this the letter you sent?"
"Yes, it is."
"So it was you after all."
"...."
The portrait still had an expressionless face, but it asked as if something was puzzling.
"I wrote my name on the letter, did you not check it?"
"Ah, that…."
Yu Seong-un took out the letter with a troubled face.
"I'm sorry to you for sending such a thoughtful letter, but how am I supposed to read a letter written in a language I don't know? If it's not a language of Earth, I can't read it."
"…I see."
I paused for a moment before continuing.
"But to my memory, I sent you a letter written in Korean."
"Huh? Really?"
"Yes. I believe an unexpected problem occurred in the process of delivering the letter. Much like how you all feel that the resolution of this portrait is off."
"Oh… um, that… certainly…."
That was possible.
'The language in the letter didn't feel like it had any rules either.'
Jio's letter, as if typed on a broken typewriter, was orderly in its outward format, but its detailed language and rules were a chaotic mess.
On this point, Jio could certainly be right.
'Resolution, if he means that, it's probably about the discussion we had before regarding Jio's 'class'….'
Like the great sense of pressure and fear felt particularly from Jio outside the portrait.
'Looking at it that way, the frame containing this portrait does seem to act as a sort of filter… a filter to contain the existence of Jio, which humans cannot handle.'
If the language got mixed up and distorted in the process of passing through that filter, then the current content made sense.
If the frame could contain Jio's class, wouldn't a language be even more susceptible to transformation?
"That's a bit unfortunate from the perspective of the person sending the letter."
"I apologize for what must have been a startling experience."
"It's quite alright, but what did the letter say?"
"There was no special content, just a light expression of gratitude and well-wishes."
"…But didn't you have a rule of your own?"
A question suddenly came to mind, and Yu Seong-un continued with a light question.
"To take an object from inside the painting out, someone has to pay a price, right? But I don't remember paying a price."
"I thought about that as well, but it seems I was able to avoid being bound by the rule thanks to the seal."
"A seal?"
"It is a seal I acquired by chance. If I mark something with it and deliver it, it seems I do not need to receive a price."
"Hmm, is that so?"
As expected, the one-for-one rule was not something Jio had created by choice.
'To think he figured out a way to avoid the rule like that.'
In that case, Jio's rule was likely a sort of defense line to prevent his enormous class from overflowing and destroying reality.
As he had thought just before, it was probably the result of the 'frame' acting as a filter.
'But if he devised a way to avoid that suppression, with a seal or whatnot….'
From the perspective of a weak earthling, that was a bit terrifying.
'…Even if Jio's personality isn't one that enjoys tormenting others, a being of that class can unintentionally break people. If the rule imposed on this fellow exists to protect earthlings, I'll have to be wary of this tendency to casually ignore the rule.'
In any case, he was a little relieved.
He had lost sleep after receiving the strangely creepy letter, but as expected, it didn't seem to be a bomb so terrifying as to be harmful to Yu Seong-un.
"You really surprised me. I came home from work and suddenly there's a letter I don't recognize…."
"I am sorry. I did not expect the letter to be transported in such a way either."
"You don't usually send letters, I take it?"
"No, however…."
I rarely trailed off.
"I was thinking of making a new friend."
"...."
Taking a slow, deep breath, Yu Seong-un asked in his usual tone.
"…A new friend?"
"It is embarrassing to say, but you are the only one I converse with, Mr. Yu Seong-un. Before forming a new connection, I tried sending a letter to you first."
"That's… a very good thing to have done."
While it was true that Yu Seong-un tended to coddle him because he was a being of the Source, that didn't mean he was unaware of how dangerous Jio was.
It had passed without incident because it was Yu Seong-un; a normal person would have been scared out of their wits upon seeing a letter imbued with a strange aura.
Especially a civilian, not a Hunter.
"Other people would be startled, so it would be great if you could be a little more mindful of that part."
"I will be more careful from now on."
"I'd appreciate that."
Yu Seong-un rubbed the back of his neck and continued to ask.
"So, how are you going to find that 'new connection'?"
How was Jio, who was always inside the portrait, going to make a 'new friend'?
A normal person would move around or make friends through the internet, but none of that applied to Jio.
"Does that letter happen to be delivered randomly to an arbitrary target?"
"No, the recipient must be precise for what I wish to send to be delivered."
"That must have been my case."
"I will have to think a little more about how to make a new friend."
"Hmm…."
Is this the perfect timing?
Yu Seong-un, recalling the conversation he had with Guild Master Bisabeol, asked me.
"Jio, can you by any chance move to other dungeons as well?"
"Not just outside a simple portrait, but a dungeon?"
"Yeah."
"...."
I, who seemed to be pondering for a moment, blinked twice and answered.
"In the case of a world I have painted…."
"Yeah?"
A world he painted?
"Did you just say a world you painted…."
"Yes, in the case of a world I have painted, I can move without much difficulty."
"Huh?"
"However, the dungeon you speak of, Mr. Yu Seong-un, does not seem to refer to a space I have painted. Are you referring to a dungeon whose entrance already exists on Earth, and which earthlings can also visit?"
"…Uh…."
His mind was a bit muddled, but Yu Seong-un maintained as calm a demeanor as possible and answered.
"That's right. I'm talking about a dungeon that a Hunter like me can visit, one whose entrance already exists on Earth."
Yu Seong-un continued, thinking he needed to raise Jio's danger level even higher.
"You created your portraits here and there and moved around inside the company through them, right? So I was wondering if we could find your portrait in other dungeons too. That would mean you could visit that dungeon as well."
"I have not yet attempted that."
After saying so, I quickly added.
"But it sounds like it would be fun."
I showed interest.
'Good thing I considered this in advance.'
This was 'Jio's Portrait,' who, surprisingly, pursued a life centered on interest.
He had anticipated that if asked such a question, Jio, feeling great interest, might suddenly try it out.
'His pattern of behavior is a little difficult to grasp, perhaps because he has intelligence equivalent to or greater than a human's, but since he's shown this much interest… it would be best to make a proposal that is within a manageable scope.'
As Bisabeol had said, some humans like Yu Seong-un couldn't control Jio's actions.
That was true even excluding personal feelings.
Objectively, there was no way to stop Jio, who considered himself human, from trying to go out into society.
He could go anywhere and create anything just by painting.
'In that case, it would be better to at least set a direction for him. Even if we can't stop him from moving, we can at least recommend a place to move to.'
Yu Seong-un took a piece of paper out of his briefcase.
"Then how about places like these?"
"What is this?"
"I've sorted out some dungeons that probably wouldn't become chaotic even if you visited."
If possible, he had chosen places with the least potential for casualties.
"The rewards are small and they have low recognition, so even Hunters don't visit often, and they're not fearsome enough to be dangerous to you…."
"...."
"I thought if you wanted to experience the environment outside the portrait, this might be an option. If you move around actively like this, you might even meet other Hunters when you visit a dungeon, right? Then the probability of making new friends goes up too."
Perhaps my proposal did not sound unpleasant. I nodded my head.
"Thank you."
"I hope it was helpful."
"Yes, I have something to give you as a token of my gratitude."
"A gift?"
"The jerky I made before has dried well."
"…Right…."
He never imagined Jio would go so far as to make jerky.
'It probably won't be ordinary jerky.'
Living like this, he felt like he would die before his time in a different sense.
'I'm not going to become so healthy that I live a long life, or even achieve immortality, am I….'
Yu Seong-un was suddenly creeped out.
***
After successfully sending Yu Seong-un off with the jerky, I looked at the dungeon list he gave me and pondered.
"Honey, let's pick one."
"Kururuk."
"We'll go to the dungeon where the gem you spit out stops."
"Kkukukurururuk."
"I knew you'd like it."
The dungeon list Yu Seong-un handed over also had photos of the interiors attached.
It seemed they were dungeons that people called Hunters had already investigated.
Soon, Honey spat out a gem with a thud.
"...."
"...."
"This is it."
Water Vein of Jewels
"...."
Jewels?
"Jewels, you say."
"Kururu."
"…Alright."
"Kururururururururururu."
"I get it, so stop…."
"Kurururururururu…."
"Stop."
It just can't help itself when it comes to shiny things.
'Does this kid know how to read Korean?'
I became highly suspicious that it might have spat it out on purpose.