"Fuck."
F-Class porter Cha Ara couldn't stop swearing for even a moment.
"How can life be like this, it fucking sucks… In my next life, I'm going to be born as the youngest child of a happy, nouveau riche family…."
Inside a vast and complex anthill-shaped dungeon, Cha Ara was left alone, struggling to get by.
"Sons of bitches, leaving me behind. I'll fucking curse you all."
The place she was abandoned in was a dark cave filled with luminous gems.
One might ask how it could be dark when it was full of luminous gems, but creatures like light-eating dust inhabited this place.
Right near a brightly shining gem, the background was faintly visible, but other than that, nothing could be seen.
"...."
Cha Ara was abandoned in a dungeon this dark.
"Fuck."
It really sucked.
"…I hope you stub your toe on a doorframe and rip your fingernail and bleed. I hope you misstep while walking down the street and fall in a crowded place and get totally humiliated. I hope you get all sentimental at dawn and post some crap online and then wake up the next day and have a moment of deep self-reflection…."
The reason she was abandoned was obvious.
It was all well and good that they had entered the dungeon bravely with a tiny bit of courage, but they couldn't find a breakthrough, their food was running out with no results, the mood hit rock bottom and in the end, they used a Return Stone to escape the dungeon.
She could understand that much.
'It's fucking infuriating to have wasted money and time, but it's better to get out alive than to die.'
They say it's better to be alive even if you have to roll in a field of dog poop.
Even if it was a C-Class dungeon, a dungeon was a dungeon.
You never knew when someone might die and in a dark dungeon like this, mental fortitude becomes noticeably weaker.
They had already seen enough blood, so if there was a way out, it was wise to take it.
"...."
But they were one Return Stone short.
"Fuck…!!"
Return Stones themselves are expensive, so even if they had enough, she wasn't sure if they would have given one to her, an F-Class porter. Maybe the fact that they didn't have a stone was a lie in itself.
"Ah, this really sucks!! I hope you get dumped the day before your wedding and cry your eyes out and live as a jobless bum for the rest of your life, you motherfuckers!!"
Cha Ara clung to a gem as big as her body and sniffled.
This kind of thing wasn't common.
No matter how cold the world was these days, people didn't just abandon a porter so openly.
Weren't they colleagues, after all?
"...."
But it was also an incident that happened secretly, just not well-known because Hunters kept it quiet.
'…The bigger problem is that it's not something that never happens.'
This wasn't the first time Cha Ara had been subjected to this.
'The biggest problem is that this dungeon has extremely few visitors.'
Until now, even if she was left alone, she could escape by groveling to the Hunters who came in after her.
'Hunters have to manage their image, after all.'
Since a Hunter was a type of celebrity, they paid close attention to personality controversies, so unless a Hunter had a truly nasty temper, they would usually take in a single, pitifully abandoned porter.
However.
"Ah seriously, no, what do I do this time for real…."
This was the 'Water Vein of Jewels'.
A C-Class dungeon that was known for having unusually few monsters and poor rewards, so Hunters rarely visited.
"They said it's a lot if even one team comes in a week."
The paths were intricately intertwined, and because of microscopic creatures that absorbed all light, whether from a lantern or anything else, one could get trapped and die in this dark maze if not careful.
That's how difficult it was to find the exit.
The reason Hunters occasionally visited such a place was because of one monster that inhabited this dungeon.
"...."
A small monster with a gem body that glowed softly like a mood lamp.
The so-called 'Anticat'.
"…Those idiots, I knew something felt off when they said they were after that thing…."
The Anticat was a cat-type monster about the size of an adult man's palm or slightly larger.
Compared to its cute appearance that charmed people of all ages and genders, it hated human approach and always ran away and the fact that it absorbed light like the cave's creatures and made the surroundings dark added to its rarity.
'Even if you manage to catch it, you're not supposed to raise an Anticat.'
Raising monsters was strictly regulated by the state, and moreover, the Anticat was a fearsome monster that, when angry, would burn everything in its vicinity with a blue light.
'Well, being that kind of monster, there are a lot of bastards secretly dying to buy one, though.'
Anyway, she shouldn't have joined a team like this. She should have bolted the moment they said they were going to the 'Water Vein of Jewels'.
If only she hadn't been broke.
"…What do I really do…."
It hadn't even been 24 hours since she was trapped alone in the dungeon, but perhaps because the surroundings were dark and the silence ate up even sound, she felt her mind being greatly shaken.
Even though she was in a wide cave, it felt like being trapped in a place blocked on all sides.
She had heard that some prisons deliberately lock inmates in small, dark rooms to torment them, and this felt exactly like that.
Her body wasn't as uncomfortable as in such a narrow prison, but she was mentally exhausted.
"Ugh…."
She was starting to get hungry too.
'It's not like I'm strong enough to clear this dungeon on my own. What were the conditions for the exit to appear here again? I think it needed several people….'
And just waiting for rescue was also a hopeless situation.
"...."
Squeezing her eyes shut, Cha Ara soon got up from her spot.
"…Let's just try to move, do something."
It was easy to say it hadn't even been a day, but in a sober state of mind, it was a considerably long time.
She was tired of just staying still to prolong her life.
At this rate, she'd go crazy before rescue came, so it seemed better to move her body, if only to keep from going crazy.
"Still, the Water Vein of Jewels has few monsters. With no food, stamina, or abilities, I can't even dream of clearing it on my own, but if I'm just careful of the ghost-like monsters that suddenly appear… it should be fine."
The main point of the Water Vein of Jewels was not fighting monsters.
The only strategy was 'find the exit', and the place was just that complex and dark, like an anthill.
It was a dungeon where mental strength was more important than attack power, so even Cha Ara could get out without dying if she just kept her wits about her.
"...."
But after about three hours of that, she felt like she was going to lose her mind.
"Agh, I'm going crazy."
She was hungry, her throat was dry, she was sleepy, and her arms and legs ached.
The leg she had injured in the last raid still hadn't healed, and she was even limping.
At this rate, it was clear she wouldn't even be able to run away if a dangerous situation arose.
'But sleeping peacefully in a place teeming with monsters that suck your life force is a stupid thing to do.'
She didn't know for sure, having only picked things up here and there or seen them herself without any formal training, but she knew at least that all the monsters inhabiting the 'Water Vein of Jewels' had an appearance similar to ghosts.
In the same vein, the monsters here attacked by sucking the life force of Hunters; their physical attack power was not high, but if you lost focus, your lifespan could be cut in half.
'While I'm awake, I can at least pull myself together and chase them away….'
It was while she was trudging along like that.
"...."
In the far distance, she saw something glowing faintly.
It was a very weak light.
"…The gem pillars are…."
It doesn't seem like that.
Cha Ara narrowed her eyes.
Her eyesight wasn't bad, but the other thing was so small it was hard to see clearly.
'What is that?'
She knew as soon as she saw it.
That was not one of the luminous gems strewn about the cave.
It was much smaller, with a round shape that was immediately noticeable, and most importantly, four feet that moved lightly and nimbly like a young lady from a noble family.
"Uh."
Pointed ears and a bushy tail.
"Uh uh…."
Its body was as small as a kitten's, yet its fur was as magnificent as any long-haired cat's; it was the dainty, gem-furred cat that could fit in one hand, the Anticat.
"…Crazy, I can't believe I'm seeing this."
If the Hunters who left earlier found out, they would be kicking themselves in regret.
'That thought alone has filled my weary body and mind with satisfaction. I hope you all get screwed together.'
Cha Ara gained a bit of energy and observed the Anticat.
'…There's no way I can catch an Anticat, and I don't even want to.'
Even if it was a world where you could get away with things by keeping quiet, it was illegal in the first place.
If she didn't get caught, it would be one thing, but if she did, the F-Class porter Cha Ara, with no one to back her up, was highly likely to receive a severe punishment.
So what Cha Ara wanted was not the capture of an Anticat.
'There was a story that these guys move in the direction of the exit. It's not certain information, but still….'
The Anticat, as if it had noticed Cha Ara's presence, glanced back this way.
"Ah."
"...."
"...."
It was said that if an Anticat detects a human presence, it would turn off its light, absorb all surrounding light, and flee gracefully, but fortunately, the one in front of her did not.
Cha Ara inwardly let out a sigh of relief.
'…I'm, I'm saved.'
It was the first time Cha Ara had ever seen, no, heard of an Anticat emitting such a soft light.
Because she had learned that Anticats usually devour all surrounding light and hide in the darkness to avoid humans.
The Anticat, wagging its tail, soon began to move with light steps.
It was a light and elegant movement, like a soft balloon bouncing, like a flower petal fluttering.
"...."
Was it okay to follow?
'…Being a monster, it's probably not lighting the way with the intention of helping a human, but it doesn't seem to have any intention of attacking me. They say it's a monster that closely resembles a cat in its habits, so as long as I maintain a reasonable distance, I probably won't be suddenly attacked….'
As Cha Ara cautiously followed the Anticat, she noticed something strange.
"...."
"...."
"...?"
The Anticat seemed to be checking if she was following it.
'…What is this?'
It could be called a miraculous act of kindness from a monster, but no matter how low her rank, Cha Ara was a Hunter.
She knew very well that there was no way a monster would like a human and show them genuine kindness.
Especially since the Anticat was a monster renowned for hating humans.
'But that behavior clearly looks like it's luring me….'
Wait a minute.
"...."
Luring?
It was when Cha Ara faltered and tried to run away.
"Hello."
"H-huaaaaaaaah…!!"
Thud—!
Cha Ara's legs gave out and she collapsed.
"Wha, whawhawha, what wha wh—…"
"...."
"…Wh-who are you…."
It took a little time to grasp the situation.
Panting and catching her breath, Cha Ara realized that someone other than herself was in the darkness.
Since nothing was visible unless it was right next to a luminous gem, she hadn't even thought that there might be someone beyond where the Anticat was heading.
'It's not a monster… is it?'
What monster in the world could talk?
"Who, who are you…."
While asking haltingly, Cha Ara mustered her courage and awkwardly got up from her spot.
In the case of porters, they are sometimes killed for sport within dungeons even if the other party is human.
It was better to be cautious about everything.
'Please, calm down, you idiot.'
In the meantime, the Anticat had approached the 'someone'.
It was emitting a slightly brighter light than before, and in its blue but gentle light and even softer movements, the affection the Anticat held was visible.
As its small body drew near, only jet-black suit pants and pale bare feet were visible and the Anticat was rubbing its body against the ankle, acting cute.
"...."
It was an unbelievable scene.
"…The Anticat is…."
Isn't it the Anticat, famous for hating people?
"Ah, excuse me, are you perhaps… a, a Tamer? The…."
"...."
"Which guild's Hunter are you…."
She asked, certain that someone of a Tamer's level wouldn't be working as a freelancer, but the other party still didn't answer.
A strange silence followed.
'…Why is he so quiet?'
No, in the first place.
Why hadn't I sensed his presence?
'No matter how incompetent a Hunter I am, I'm not so bad that I wouldn't know if a person was this close….'
Cold sweat trickled down Cha Ara's cheek.
She instinctively sensed that something was wrong.
At this point, even the jet-black suit pants and the pale bare feet below them felt eerie.
Yes, that's right.
"...."
There's no way some crazy bastard would come into a rough cave like this barefoot.
"...."
…Let's think.
The Anticat hates people.
'They said it was no different even for Tamers.'
If it had been a problem that a Tamer could solve, Anticats would have been sold more openly.
But the Anticat extremely loathed contact with people, and this was the same for Tamers who could form contracts with monsters.
There was a reason the name had 'Anti' in it.
'For that Anticat to be acting so affectionately….'
At that moment, the stranger bent down and picked up the Anticat.
Cha Ara could see the Anticat's small body fitting perfectly into the large hand.
It did not resist and fully entrusted its body.
"...."
"Hello."
"…Ye, yes."
Ah, no way?
She had been so out of it that she had just let it slide, but Cha Ara remembered that she hadn't answered the person's greeting.
'Did I just scream and that's it.'
Feeling a strange sensation, Cha Ara awkwardly bowed her head.
"Th-ah, hello…."
To suddenly repeat the same words in a situation like this.
Perhaps he was asking again because she hadn't responded to his greeting earlier.
It was definitely not a normal reaction.
'Is he obsessed with manners?'
Even as she thought that, Cha Ara faltered and stepped back.
That cautious movement, hoping not to provoke the other party, already showed that she had defined the man before her as a dangerous being.
'…Something is strange.'
The Anticat, which hated people, was nestled in the man's pale hand, rubbing its cheek against it.
Even if it was the result of the man's excellent taming, it was strange.
A contracted monster doesn't necessarily feel affection for its master.
Most of their relationships were very dry, or sometimes connected by hatred.
'Besides, I've never heard a story about an Anticat emitting a soft light like that in a person's arms. It's such a rare sight that not even a picture has been taken of it.'
That light was like an anglerfish luring its prey in the deep sea.
"...."
There were no cases of Anticats liking people, but it often happened that a monster would offer tribute to a stronger monster.
"…Uh…."
Come to think of it, talking monsters did exist in the world.
They were so rare and uncommon that she hadn't even dared to think of it, but they definitely existed.
A humanoid monster.
"My name is Seo Jio."
"...."
"What is your name?"
A face submerged in darkness, where nothing was visible.
The hand holding the Anticat and his chest were faintly visible.
A jet-black dress shirt, a jet-black suit, and a cloak of an even darker black.
Down to the large, thick fingers that were as pale as a corpse's….
"...."
Cha Ara quietly took it all in.
Even though it was simply because he was obscured by the darkness, it felt like a man with no face.
"...."
And of course.
There is no such thing as a faceless human in the world.
"…I, I'm…."
"You are nervous."
"...."
"Are you afraid of me?"
"...."
"I promise I will not cause you any harm."
That voice was excessively polite.
'…What is this?'
It was a spine-chillingly good voice.
It was as neat and clear as an announcer reporting the weather, and as soft and firm as a teacher instructing a student.
Cha Ara suddenly felt that the voice was so perfect that it was, in fact, alien.
Perhaps because she had taken quite a long time to sort out her confusion, 'it' spoke to her again, as if unsatisfied with the flowing silence.
"Do not be afraid."
Cha Ara realized.
"...."
Ah.
That thing.
"I am curious about your name."
Is not human.
"...."
"...."
"Cha, Cha Ara… It's Cha Ara."
"A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Cha Ara."
In the darkness.
She saw eyes that were darker than it.
"Will you speak with me?"
-x-X-x-
If you're wondering how the situation came to this.
"Let's go, Honey."
"Kurururururu."
"It's a picnic."
It was nothing special.
It was just that I, Jio, and Honey had come out for a picnic, with the novel backdrop of a dungeon.
"I wonder if I can pull out that gem."
"Kkur."
"It does peck at it."
The dungeon that was in the documents Yu Seong-un had given me, the 'Water Vein of Jewels'.
Half because I couldn't win against Honey, who was fixated on the word 'jewel', and half because I, Jio, myself wanted to enjoy this fantasy-like picnic, I used the materials Yu Seong-un gave me to create a passage and ended up visiting this place on a whim.
"...?"
Then I discovered something peculiar.
"The synchronization rate isn't rising at all."
"Kururuk?"
"Well, I'm not sure why."
It was the synchronization rate for 'Giovanni' that had been rising even when I just stayed still inside the portrait.
So for it to suddenly not budge at all, I couldn't help but be concerned.
"Does the synchronization temporarily stop when I come to a different dungeon? It doesn't feel like it has completely stopped, though."
"Kurururuk."
"The picture frame?"
"Kkuk."
"As you say, it might be a problem with the passage."
Honey asked if the connection was cut because I came out through a passage I arbitrarily made, not 'Jio's Portrait'.
For some reason, I felt Honey's words were right.
"It's not important."
People have to live in the present to be happy.
"Even for me, a haunted portrait, that's no different."
"Kkuruk?"
"Portraits are people too."
When I insisted, Honey didn't say anything more. I wasn't sure if it was showing filial piety or if it was just distracted by the jewels, but anyway, that's how it was.
Leaving the question as a question, I slowly looked around the dungeon that the Hunters of Korea occasionally visited.
"Nice."
The 'Water Vein of Jewels', which was somehow alien and eerie yet had a dreamlike quality due to the influence of the luminous stones, was an excellent tourist spot.
"It's cool."
"Kururuk."
"I like it."
I could see why this place was called the 'Water Vein of Jewels'.
"It's all made of jewels."
Similar in form to a cave created by flowing lava, this place looked like a cave created by flowing jewels.
Big jewels. Small jewels. Transparent jewels. Opaque jewels. Sharp hexagonal jewels.
Round, spore-shaped jewels.
Jewels clustered together from above, sparkling like a chandelier….
"Son, don't eat too much."
"Kkung."
"You'll get a stomachache."
All sorts of jewels were gathered haphazardly, creating multiple paths.
'Sometimes the protruding tips are glowing.'
I recalled the explanation in the materials Yu Seong-un had given me.
"He said it was a very dark cave."
"Kkuk."
"Compared to what I thought… isn't it rather bright?"
He said that in the air of this cave, there were swarms of microscopic monsters that ate light.
Monsters that live by sucking people's vitality roam the interior without a trace, and monsters too small to be caught absorb all kinds of light.
In this place, so quiet it was as if even sound had been stolen, the only things to rely on were the jewel pillars that shone on their own.
"Is what he said…."
But in my eyes, I could see all around just fine.
"It's a little dark, but there are luminous stones, so my vision isn't that blocked."
"Kururuk."
"Yes, you're here too."
I wondered if this was also a benefit I could get because I was a 'portrait'.
'Though I don't know exactly what that benefit is.'
If only I could see what all the Hunters on Earth could not, then the strange one was definitely me.
The only cause I could think of for me, a harmless human who didn't even have a white belt in Taekwondo, to gain such a strange ability was the portrait.
"...."
It feels like I'm getting further and further away from being human as the days go by.
"…It's funny, so it's fine."
"Kkuk?"
"It's a very interesting life."
"Kkur?"
"It's because I'm good-looking."
It's really because I'm 'well' made.
Well, as you live, you can become a portrait, and you can become distant from the standards of a normal human, can't you?
Such things were not a problem for me at all.
"Life is a series of content, and content is meant to be enjoyed."
"Kururu…."
"There's no reason for me not to enjoy my life. The same goes even if it's the life of a portrait."
I did not yield to a realization of this mere level.
I, who had no particular thoughts, comfortably toured the 'Water Vein of Jewels'.
And I was amazed.
"The tourism industry of Earth has developed so much in 31 years."
There were beast-shaped monsters that occasionally appeared faintly like ghosts, but for some reason, they would express a light favor towards me and then pass by.
They weren't much different from the animals in the Painting Forest.
Those guys also sometimes kiss my ankle and leave.
"Like adorable sweethearts."
I, who had finished my judgment based on love, friendship, and peace, nodded my head.
'Did they recognize that I'm harmless?'
Anyway, now that I knew that even the monsters weren't a threat, there was even less to be wary of.
With a full heart, I wandered around the 'Water Vein of Jewels'.
As a result, I was able to enjoy the fantastic tour with my son to the fullest, at 120%….
"...."
There was something I didn't like.
There were no people.
"…I should have known when he said it was a rarely visited dungeon."
Perhaps feeling sorry for me growing old alone, even the portrait had set up a letter communication system for me to make new friends, but there wasn't a single human in sight to make a pen pal out of.
'I'm a lonely firefly.'
I have no friends.
Just because I meet someone, I can't just greet them and make them a friend, so to make a new connection, I would have to make several attempts.
Making a pen pal was this difficult.
'I haven't seen a single strand of human hair from the start….'
Seo Jio, the small eater of this era who feels full without eating as long as he is filled with love, friendship, and peace, fell into great sadness.
"In my 29 years of life, I've never been a friendless loner until now."
"Kkur?"
"Family is excluded. It would be a bit much to call a child born from my own paint a friend, wouldn't it?"
"Kkungkungkung…."
"Even if you're dissatisfied, it can't be helped. No matter how open-minded this dad is, what can't be, can't be."
Feeling drained for no reason, I bowed my head and saw a cat that had stealthily settled near my feet.
"...."
Oh, a cat.
"…When did you get here?"
"Mew-mang."
"How cute."
Its fur was fluffy and long, as if it were a long-haired breed, yet it had a definite sense of weight and a solid appearance compared to the hazy monsters of the 'Water Vein of Jewels' I had seen so far.
"Has the time of the choosing come?"
After checking if there was a mother cat nearby, I became dejected again.
Is it okay for the new connection I gained after mustering the courage to come out into society to be a palm-sized kitten?
"…It's not like it's not okay."
Isn't it good for things to get crowded? Life was not something one could live alone.
Convinced, I asked the cat.
"Is it always this empty of people here, little one."
"Purrrr..."
"You're just cute and have no answer."
The kitten just flopped over and showed its belly without a response.
At that natural command to rub its belly immediately, the prepared butler Jio squatted down and gently caressed the tiny belly.
'It's hard and cold.'
I heard a purring sound.
If my master is satisfied, then I am happy too.
I nodded my head.
"How cute."
"Kkuk?"
"It's small and harmless, so of course it's cute."
"...."
"…I don't know why, but it seems like you're denying your father's words, but whatever the truth is, it would be better not to tell me. There's a saying that people are happiest when they are ignorant, and that is truly the case for me. I don't want to know the cruel truth, so please let me enjoy this."
Honey acknowledged my heartfelt plea.
"But it really is cute."
The kitten-sized monster was not as cleanly transparent as Honey.
Because its whole body was made of jewels, the inside was full of dense crystals and cracks, making it look opaque.
But when I touched it directly, I could feel the fur that softly wrapped its surface.
Its jewel body was cold and hard, unlike Honey's, but the cat's actions of lying on its back and enjoying the touch were extremely elaborate.
"Couldn't a monster like this be praised as well?"
Anticat
A cat-type monster made of jewels that acts independently from the moment it is born from an egg.
It extremely loathes the creatures of Earth, so the earthlings who first discovered their existence gave them the name 'Anticat'.
Elixir Recipe: The jewel fur ball that an Anticat very rarely coughs up can be stretched and woven into cloth to become an invisibility cloak. The tears of an Anticat, which are shed even more rarely, can be used as an excellent tranquilizer on their own.
"Oh."
I realized.
"Well, it appraised the monster at Cheonggyecheon too, so a dungeon monster probably wouldn't be much different. What a diligent Speedwagon."
And then I realized a second thing.
"…It loathes the creatures of Earth?"
Then what about me?
"Am I not counted as a creature of Earth?"
"Purr…Purr...."
"Don't just purr, try to answer about my identity, little one. Although my current situation is that I'm half-forced to live inside a portrait because my status and real estate were all liquidated, I may look like this, but I am a robust son of the Republic of Korea who grew up receiving the clear energy of the mountains in Gangwon-do."
"Purr…."
"Do I have catnip on my hands?"
I was so pleased that it was almost flustering.
"It recognizes a prepared butler."
Even though it was a monster, perhaps because it had the habits of a cat, the touch of Jio, a veteran cat-patter, seemed to be working very well.
It was a moment where I felt the reward for occasionally stopping by a cat cafe even while living in a busy modern society.
"...."
"...."
Anyway, there were no people.
"Hmm."
Only the cat was cute.
"How sad."
"Purr..?"
"I came to make a new friend, but I'm only going back with a master."
I was already fully intending to kidnap this Anticat.
Since it said they 'act independently from the moment they are born from an egg,' it seemed it didn't have a family it lived with.
'I can't carelessly touch the cats of Earth, but….'
Perhaps because this friend was a monster, I felt a little less burdened.
"There's the ice cellar with a similar environment, and if need be, I can draw a house in a similar place, so I think it should be fine. What do you think, little one."
"Purrr….."
"I'll take that as an agreement."
But not having seen a single person was a bit of a big blow. For the timid Jio, even coming outside to make a new friend required a great deal of mental energy.
"I don't like too many people, but I was hoping there would be at least one."
"Purr..."
"...."
"Purr….."
"Hm?"
The Anticat, which seemed to have clearly understood my words, stealthily got up from its flopped-over position and left for somewhere.
"Oh."
I instinctively sensed new content and waited patiently in my spot.
'A friendship connected by an animal, this is a beautiful situation like a fairy tale….'
As I waited in anticipation of a meeting full of childlike innocence, the Anticat soon lured a human over.
A young and pitiful human who, at a glance, was so terrified they couldn't grasp the situation at all and were just being drawn by the Anticat's faint light, dragged along like a moth.
"...."
Is this an offering?
'A sacrifice?'
Nah, surely not.
'It must have brought them here for me to make a friend, how unfortunate. They look as young as the students I used to teach, so it would be difficult to make them a friend….'
To the person who hadn't noticed me yet, I spoke in the kindest voice possible.
"Hello."
"H-huaaaaaaaah!!"
This one hurts a little.
"Wha, whawhawha, what wha wh—…"
"...."
"…Wh-who are you…."
This really hurts.
"Who, who are you…."
"...."
I, failing to notice the other person's valid question, became disheartened.
My spirits plummeted.
Honey, hiding in my hood, seemed to be getting angry as if to say, 'Why are you crushing my dad's spirit,' but I ignored it.
I had foreseen that it would turn out like this. It wasn't something I hadn't guessed at all.
'Still… I thought I had gotten used to people being scared of me, but I guess it still doesn't hurt.'
Besides, the guards working at 'The Collectors' weren't this scared.
Perhaps thanks to the rumors about 'The Black Cape' spreading recently, most of them didn't get overly afraid and would talk to me.
In a word, this was the first time I had met someone this scared of me.
'…Did I even end up scaring a student who looks to be about high school age….'
The heart of Seo Jio, who had been a high school teacher, instantly ached.
If it had been one of my students, I would have given them a sweet snack and gently soothed them, but in the current situation, that would probably just scare them more.
As if it knew how I was feeling, the Anticat rubbed against my leg as if its mission was complete.
It was very cute. I looked down at the Anticat.
"…The Anticat is…."
"...."
"Ah, excuse me, are you perhaps… a, a Tamer? The…."
"...."
"Which guild's Hunter are you…."
At the sight of the other person asking a very cautious question, I belatedly realized.
"...?"
Ah, that student.
'Is that the student I ran into in the alley last time?'
The kind-hearted student who had readily donated her own scarf to a homeless person on a winter day.
'Commendable, even thinking about it again.'
I had to give her a Good Deed Award right away. Or merit points. Or at least a snack….
'The commendable student who showed me that a commendable sprout exists even in Hell Korea.'
Having been a teacher, Seo Jio was weak to young students, and he personally liked good people very much.
There was nothing that warmed his heart as much as a kind and polite student.
'What should I do?'
Remembering that the other person was that good student from before, I was at even more of a loss for words.
'She seemed very scared of me that day too… isn't she going to faint if she finds out I'm the same person?'
Besides, the current Jio had no proper identity.
In other words, it meant I couldn't answer the question the other person was asking.
No matter how crazy I was, I couldn't just say, 'Actually, I was an art teacher working at a high school 31 years ago, but during a fire, I became a haunted portrait….' Could I?
"...."
"...."
But it wasn't the way of an adult to keep ignoring a student's question just because I was at a loss for words.
It was just one chance encounter, but I was also glad to see a familiar face anyway, so I put pressure on my slightly stuttering brain and spat out the words.
"Hello."
"…Ah, yes."
"...."
"Th-ah, hello…."
Ah, that's not it.
'The social skills I had within me must have all dried up during the 31 years I was asleep.'
Seeing the extremely awkward student, I felt a spring of apology well up inside me.
It was the first time someone had been this scared of me, so I didn't know how to respond, and the fact that the other person was a young student made me even more cautious, which also played a part in my attitude.
I hesitated for a moment, then spoke again.
"My name is Seo Jio."
My grandmother used to say that the most effective way to put someone at ease was by exchanging names.
I firmly believed the words of my grandparents, who were like the sky to me.
"...."
"What is your name?"
This was a bit strange, even so, but Jio, who had appeared in the dungeon as a 'portrait', had no awareness that he was objectively saying something strange.
Even if he had been aware, he probably wouldn't have been able to come up with a plausible response in his considerably flustered state.
"…I, I'm…."
"You are nervous."
"...."
"Are you afraid of me?"
"...."
"I promise I will not cause you any harm."
I was truly speaking from goodwill, from the bottom of my heart.
The student looked so nervous that I just wanted to say, 'I'm harmless, so you don't need to be that scared,' but….
"Do not be afraid."
Life isn't that easy, is it?
"...."
"I am curious about your name."
I had already been consumed by my 'portrait' persona, starting with my excessively polite way of speaking.
'Are they not relaxing?'
Yu Seong-un and Bisabeol had never described to Jio how scary and distant he felt to people, so that the already dangerous 'Jio's Portrait' wouldn't deviate from its human personality.
Therefore, I also regarded myself as just some 'gloomy man you might run into in an alley late at night.'
'It'll get better if I clear up the misunderstanding.'
How well could such self-awareness of Jio's have gone?
"Cha, Cha Ara… It's Cha Ara."
"A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Cha Ara."
I asked, filled with kindness.
"Will you speak with me?"
Behold my open mind.
I will show you what a harmless being I am.
Well, it was that kind of resolve.
"...."
"...."
"Please save me."
But just because it's sincere doesn't mean it always gets through.
-x-X-x-
"...."
"...."
Wh-What do I do?
'I just went for it, but….'
Cha Ara's legs were trembling like a newborn deer's.
'Damn it.'
Cha Ara's knees, which became spinelessly servile before the strong, were already prepared to kneel, but in most life-or-death situations, a human's knees did not hold enough value to guarantee their owner's survival.
'Especially when the other party isn't human.'
I could tell, at least, that the other party wasn't human.
No, it was impossible not to know.
Even though his face was just hidden in the darkness and couldn't be seen, it felt as if it wasn't there at all, so how could I not recognize this vast sense of disharmony.
'…Fuck, fuck, what do I do. Still, the fact that we're talking means he's willing to talk to me, right? Of course, if he doesn't like me, he could kill me in an instant… but still, for now….'
Cha Ara was not what one would call an 'educated Hunter.'
She had only received the basic training provided by the Association and did not know the precise ecology of monsters or how to deal with them.
But even Cha Ara knew how dangerous humanoid monsters were.
'They said if you meet a humanoid monster, C-Class or below should just pray for a painless death….'
At home, her pig-like older brother and rabbit-like youngest sibling were waiting for her.
Unable to die so meekly, Cha Ara decided to try begging.
'First off, we speak the same language and he has the will to communicate… It seems like it. Right? He does, right?'
Cha Ara, while trembling, opened her mouth.
"I, I'm… I'm a porter. I was wondering if you might need a slave…."
"…A porter?"
"Ah."
Not all humanoid monsters were well-versed in human culture.
Cha Ara remembered that belatedly, but the fact that the other party showed interest in her words was good news.
Cha Ara's face brightened as she answered.
A faint path to survival was visible.
"Someone who carries luggage. B-Besides that, I can do many other things. I'm good at cleaning, I'm good at cooking, and I can run errands exceptionally well. If you just spare me this once, I'll give it my all…."
"I am also good at them."
"…Pardon?"
"I am good at cooking and cleaning."
"...."
What kind of mentality says 'I'm useful too' to a human trying to live by asserting their usefulness?
Cha Ara felt like she wanted to vomit blood.
'What in the world is he trying to get from me with this way of speaking? Is he saying he won't spare me? That I'm useless? Or, or….'
In her long life as a porter, Cha Ara thought she had a knack for pleasing others, but in front of a monster, such max-level social skills were useless.
'…N-No, it's too early to give up. As long as we're using the same language and the other party shows a willingness to communicate, I should be able to figure out what that monster wants and what he meant by that. I can do it… humanity will prevail….'
Soon, Cha Ara thought of something.
'…Is he trying to find common ground with me right now?'
From the formal introduction earlier to what he was saying now, it was obvious that he was trying to induce Cha Ara to feel goodwill or intimacy towards him.
"...."
It was so awkward that it only heightened the sense of unease.
"Uh, um…."
Barely holding back the retort that reflexively came to mind, Cha Ara meekly succumbed to the greater power.
"…Is that so! That's amazing!"
"Thank you."
"Cooking and cleaning aren't things just anyone can do! Your skills must be truly incredible! So cool!"
"The same is true for you, Ms. Cha Ara."
"...."
She was at a loss for words.
'I've ended up praising myself in front of a humanoid monster, known for its immense pride.'
I desperately needed a Return Stone.
'Big bro, little one, I'm going first.'
As Cha Ara, prepared for a painful death, flinched, a rustling sound came from the other side.
Judging from the black cape he was wearing, it seemed he had tilted his head.
'So he does have a head.'
Just as a strange sense of relief and fear washed over her simultaneously, the monster spoke.
"I am sorry, but I do not need a slave."
"...."
Little one, I'm sorry. Big bro, I love you.
Cha Ara once again braced herself for a horribly gruesome death.
'Ara dies here.'
May the bastards who abandoned me appear on the 9 o'clock news, get beaten by the entire nation, and never be able to show their faces in this industry again.
'May you become so damn famous that you get hit by flying eggs if you don't cover your face even when you go to the convenience store to buy snacks, you sons of bitches.'
As she poured out love and curses in her mind, with cold sweat like tears streaming down, the other party continued.
"Is your occupation a slave?"
"…No…?"
It was just something I said with the meaning of 'Oh, you can work me to the bone, just please spare my life, hehe.'
What kind of slave would there be in a law-abiding country like this these days?
"Ah, of course, that is, secretly… on the down-low, some rich people, um… I've heard stories that they illegally buy and sell slaves…."
"How terrible."
"R-Right. It's terrible. Tsk, tsk, they're very bad people."
"It is frightening."
"...."
At the 'frightening' that was just polite and noble, without a shred of emotion let alone fear, Cha Ara was truly speechless.
But she was getting a feel for it.
'…Is he doing this to imitate a human right now? Is he pretending to be scared?'
It was something she had never imagined, so she realized it late, but thinking about it, that was it.
'The greeting from before, the exchanging of names, the way he tried to empathize with me….'
It was so formulaic that I didn't even know what he intended, and it just felt strange.
'Could it be that he was trying his best to act human?'
No, n-no.
'This is frustrating??'
Fuck, even if it's an imitation, it has to be a little bit human-like for me to pretend to fall for it and go, 'Ah fuck, I see'…!
'This isn't even a modified past exam question. Fuck, imitate in a way that I can at least understand the test-maker's intention. Who would be fooled by this.'
Even the leader who abandoned me told jokes whose intentions were easier to grasp than this.
'If he's acting like this and then feels proud thinking, "Ah, I'm doing an amazing human imitation right now," I think I'd be truly dumbfounded.'
Feeling a bizarre sense of injustice that was hard to experience even once in a lifetime, Cha Ara haltingly opened her mouth.
"Yes, th-that's right. Right, it is frightening."
Once she realized the other party was imitating a human, she could roughly grasp the situation.
'Wasn't it a similar feeling when he wouldn't answer or repeated himself until I returned his greeting? Like learning how to use a machine….'
He knew that when humans greet each other, they return the same greeting, but Cha Ara hadn't responded that way.
'Is it like hitting a broken TV to get it back to its senses…? Or like repeating the same question to an unresponsive AI…?'
Analyzing it like this, it seemed he had studied and imitated humans diligently and I felt sorry, but honestly, I couldn't understand it at all.
Whether he knew Cha Ara's feelings of fumbling, not knowing how to react at all, or not, the monster, who was stroking the Anticat in his arms, opened his mouth again.
"I will not kill you, Ms. Cha Ara."
"...."
"I will not hurt you, nor will I make you sad."
"Uh…."
"I did not want to frighten you either."
The monster wrapped in the black cape continued.
"I wanted to make a friend."
"…A friend?"
What?
'Does he mean he's searching for a sacrificial lamb to drag to the netherworld?'
The word itself was very gentle, but the other party's atmosphere was not gentle at all, which naturally aroused suspicion.
Even though I couldn't see him well, the heavy presence of this being that made me feel suffocated and like my heart would stop wanting a 'friend,' it definitely didn't seem to mean an ordinary friendship.
'He looks like a chief mourner at a funeral or a grim reaper, so maybe…? Is he really looking for an afterlife buddy…? Something like that…?'
Before Cha Ara's suspicion could fully form, the monster continued.
"To make you my friend, you are too young, Ms. Cha Ara."
"...."
He says I can't because I'm young, was he really looking for an afterlife buddy?
'…No, more than that.'
Cha Ara faintly frowned at the monster's attitude, which seemed to be using the words 'young' and 'weak' as synonyms.
'At my age, I'm not that young, but I guess he doesn't know these things since he's not human.'
At 18, Cha Ara was old enough to be married.
She was treated as a full adult, but seeing her as merely young, she once again felt a sense of alienation.
'…Still, he said he wouldn't harm me….'
It was foolish to believe a monster's words, but she couldn't help but feel a little relieved.
"Are you here alone?"
"…Ah, ah, yes. I'm alone."
Surely he wouldn't kill me for being alone.
Cha Ara grew tense.
It was basic knowledge known to all Hunters in the world that monsters had their own rules.
Many of those rules felt bizarre and cruel from a human perspective.
'They said humanoid monsters in particular have stronger adherence to such rules….'
Like a monster that only kills Hunters who are alone?
"Oh dear."
Fortunately, that didn't seem to be the case.
"I am aware that people in dungeons usually move in groups. Am I mistaken?"
"Uh…."
He describes people as if they're a pack of dogs.
I really thought his way of speaking was disgustingly monster-like, but Cha Ara was top-notch when it came to being perceptive.
She noticed a faint hint of goodwill within the voice that was so polite it was jarring.
It didn't seem directed at Cha Ara personally, but rather a comprehensive and impartial goodwill towards the entire human race, but….
'He wasn't completely devoid of emotion.'
She felt a little more at ease.
It was far less scary dealing with a monster that had emotions than one that didn't.
"…No, you're right. It's just, I wasn't alone originally… but things happened, and my party abandoned me. I didn't have the strength to leave the dungeon alone, so I was wandering around…."
"...."
"…I saw the Anticat and…."
Ah fuck, so that's it.
'That… that Black Cape wanted a friend or a sacrifice, so the Anticat brought me, a human, to him.'
In that case, is that humanoid monster the unknown boss monster of this dungeon?
'It's not uncommon to see monsters cooperating….'
But one-sidedly obeying commands wasn't that common.
'Since I haven't learned anything, I can't fucking define what this is. I never thought I'd see a humanoid monster in my life, ah fuck. I really want to go home.'
It was around the time she was naturally getting depressed.
Grumble―!
"...."
It was a disgustingly loud belly button alarm.
"…I'm sorry."
"You seem to be hungry."
"I'm sorry…!!"
Cha Ara learned for the first time today that shame and fear could strike at the same time.
Because the other party was trying so hard to accommodate human standards, as scary as it was, it seemed she had the leeway to feel embarrassed.
"I haven't eaten for the last 3 days…."
"3 days?"
"Yes, it's been a little over 13 hours since I was abandoned. But not eating started then…."
"3 days?"
"...."
Wh-What is it?
'Did I hit a nerve?'
Humanoid monsters were not the kind of obvious monsters that appeared in the Association's textbooks.
Each individual humanoid monster had different rules, so no one knew what kind of strange rule the invisible monster before her might have.
But fortunately, the monster didn't seem to be angry at Cha Ara.
"They are bad people."
"Kururuk."
Cha Ara was startled by the new voice.
"Heok, wha-what was that…."
"He is my son."
"Pardon?"
"...."
The monster was silent for a moment, then, holding the Anticat with one hand, he moved his other hand behind his head.
It wasn't very visible due to the darkness, but….
Cha Ara soon realized where the cry from a moment ago had come from.
"Honey."
Pardon? What?
"You have to say hello."
"Kkung."
"He is a good student."
"...."
Before the absurd words 'good' and 'student,' something else caught Cha Ara's eye.
On the monster's pale hand, there was a small, sweet honey-colored bird full of all kinds of jewels.
"...."
…Cu-Cute.
"…His name… is Honey?"
"Yes, and he bites."
"He bites?!"
He doesn't look like he would bite at all?
"But he will not bite, because I do not wish for it."
"Uh… I see…."
"Honey, let's go home now."
It was at that moment.
Hwaaaak―!
"...!"
The small bird's body shone brightly, illuminating everything in the cave.
"…Wow, waah…."
The jewel cave, its form laid bare.
'Amazing.'
It was fantastic.
At the beautiful sight, something hard to see even once in a lifetime, Cha Ara forgot that she had been in a state of terror and gasped in admiration.
'So this is what the Water Vein of Jewels originally looked like.'
All sorts of large and small jewels were clustered together as if one body, and the cave's paths were bored through like an ant tunnel.
It was a space full of a dreamlike, fantastical confusion, both beautiful and chaotic.
Cha Ara was seeing the true form of the Water Vein of Jewels for the first time.
"...."
Thanks to that, she also realized what a monster 'Honey' was.
'…He drove out all the Darkness Silverfish that inhabit the Water Vein of Jewels.'
The 'Darkness Silverfish,' which doesn't attack physically but is impossible to exterminate without an A-Class or higher priest.
That thing, which absorbs all light except for the light from some luminous gems, was lit up in an instant by that small bird.
It felt as if a giant sunbeam had descended.
"...."
"Ms. Cha Ara."
"…Uh."
Only then did she see the monster's face.
"We have met before."
"…Uh, uh uh…!"
As he said, Cha Ara had seen him before.
"That time, the jewel…! The portrait…!"
"I am glad you seem to remember."
"…You were a monster?!"
"I am human."
"Th-That's not, I mean, I guess so, but…!"
Not wanting to get on the monster's bad side, Cha Ara quickly agreed.
It seemed he wanted to be seen as human no matter what and she didn't want to die by retorting, 'Stop lying, what part of you is human.'
"...."
Hesitantly, Cha Ara asked.
"…Do I… die… now…?"
"You will not die."
"...."
"Good people must be rewarded."
"Um…."
Cha Ara suddenly realized.
'That monster… is trying to treat good humans well.'
From the 'good student' he mentioned earlier to calling the party that abandoned Cha Ara 'bad people,' even the uneducated Cha Ara could figure out that the other party was sensitive to good and evil.
"I apologize for startling you last time."
"Uh…."
"It had been a very long time since I had seen a virtuous student like you, Ms. Cha Ara, so I ended up following you without realizing it. It must have been unpleasant, and I would like to take this opportunity to apologize."
"Ah, no, there's no need for that…."
"I had no intention of startling you this time either. But for some reason, people are frightened of me, and in truth, I had never seen anyone as frightened of me as you, Ms. Cha Ara, so I did not know how to respond. I also apologize for any discomfort my confusion may have caused you."
"...."
He was one hell of a polite monster.
'Does he not know that being this courteous actually makes the other person feel sorry.'
It was a strange feeling.
The appearance of the monster who introduced himself as 'Seo Jio' was like that of an ordinary human.
'No.'
He looked like a very handsome human.
But the sense of intimidation and vastness enveloping the black cape was so great that such things didn't even register.
How could a mouse standing before a giant compliment its opponent's looks?
No matter how fragrant the scent, from the perspective of a mere insignificant creature, it didn't even have the presence of mind to evaluate it.
"...."
He was very gentlemanly.
And at the same time, vast, and thus, an alien being.
'…It's like the universe is imitating a person….'
She just couldn't get a grasp on how to treat him.
Then, 'Seo Jio,' readjusting the small monsters in his arms, spoke to Cha Ara.
"I am going to return home."
"…Ah, yes, I-I see. To your home…."
Huh?
'He has a separate home?'
Wasn't this his home?
'The gift he gave me last time was also a jewel… plus, the Anticat follows him so obediently, I thought that monster might be the real master of this dungeon.'
Or did it mean there was another habitat deep within this ant tunnel?
"...."
"If you would be alright with it, Ms. Cha Ara."
"Yes?"
"Would you permit me to extend an invitation?"
An invitation?
"An invitation, what do you mean…?"
"You are young, Ms. Cha Ara. This place is dark, and there is no food. You look tired and hungry, and I do not wish to simply pass by. I would be grateful if you would permit me to serve you a meal."
"…I, I'm…."
"I swear I will not harm you and I promise I will return you to Seoul after one meal. I say this in my son Honey's life, so please do not doubt me."
"Ah."
"Does that put you a little more at ease?"
It wasn't that she trusted the monster.
"...."
But to reject such an obvious display of kindness, as 'Seo Jio' had said, Cha Ara herself was still young and weak.
"…Please do."
It meant she was tired of being left alone.
-x-X-x-
My departed seniors said, never trust a monster.
'They're not wrong.'
Cha Ara was someone who acknowledged the deep-seated mistrust of monsters embedded in the Hunter world.
In fact, even the word 'mistrust' was a bit strange, since no one would trust a wild boar that came down from the mountains, would they?
'Believing them is foolish.'
Before even considering a relationship of trust or anything of the sort, the very existence of Hunters and monsters threatened each other's right to survive.
The monsters spoken of here mainly inhabited dungeons, and in modern times, some had even settled on Earth.
What all these monsters, varying in size and preference, had in common was that they were dangerous.
'Monsters basically harbor hostility towards Earth's life forms.'
It didn't matter how trivial or how powerful their abilities were.
Being unilaterally subjected to hostility from something other than a human was, in itself, enough to devastate a person's spirit.
"...."
In that context, Cha Ara found the current situation hard to accept.
"You should watch your step."
"Ah, what?"
"There is a ledge right in front of you."
"Ah…."
"Your eyes are dim."
No, your eyes are just bright.
'He wouldn't understand even if I said it to a monster.'
The bird that the Black Cape called 'Honey' brightly lit up the world for a moment, then returned to a gentle glow and hid inside the hood of the cape.
Thanks to that, Cha Ara was following the Black Cape, guided by the light of the Anticat.
'Is it because his true form is so dark? I can't see him well even when he's close. If it weren't for the Anticat, I might not have been able to follow at all….'
In any case, I understood that 'Seo Jio' was being considerate of me.
'Separate from the fact that his human imitation is a bit clumsy… that is.'
In the first place, who comes barefoot to a cold cave like this?
In truth, Jio had its own reasons for this.
The reason he sometimes walked around barefoot outside the portrait was that he lived without shoes at home.
Since he created passages and entrances by painting, the places he moved through were mainly the workshop in his cabin and Jio, having come straight to the dungeon from there, hadn't bothered to bring shoes.
He had figured that since the 'Water Vein of Jewels' was dark, even if he ran into someone, they wouldn't possibly see his feet.
"...."
But from Cha Ara's perspective, it felt like he was awkwardly mimicking human attire.
"Um, but, the house you mentioned…."
"We're almost there."
"Oh, really?"
Being treated rather kindly, Cha Ara felt a little relieved.
'…Seeing how he answers every question, it seems he doesn't have any ill feelings toward me.'
Ordinary monsters didn't possess this level of intelligence, so they couldn't be a point of comparison.
But monsters were fundamentally low on intellect, and upon seeing a person, they only wanted to see the color of their insides.
'I heard that humanoid monsters aren't that different either….'
Even if a monster were to show favor to a human, it was a disaster from a human's perspective.
So, while this polite treatment was hard to understand, Cha Ara suppressed her fear and followed behind the Black Cape.
'I was going to starve to death anyway if I stayed. It's better to try something than to do nothing.'
Just as Cha Ara was stealing her resolve, the Black Cape, who had stopped in his tracks, opened his mouth.
He pointed to the wall.
"We are here."
"...."
A picture frame?
'…It's an empty frame with only a forest background, no people.'
If so, it could have just been called a 'landscape painting,' but something felt empty and Cha Ara sensed that this was not a complete work.
"…Ah."
She soon realized it looked familiar.
"Could it be the one I saw last time…."
"Yes, it is the place where I am staying."
"…Ah, I see."
A picture with a person drawn in it.
I didn't know the details, but I could tell that the Black Cape's essence was a portrait.
'Was he in the form of a portrait when I encountered him before?'
The Black Cape extended his hand.
"Please, enter."
"...."
It would be a lie to say I wasn't scared.
'…If I stay here, I'll just starve to death.'
I was already sick of waiting in the pitch-black darkness, starving, for new Hunters who might or might not come.
Some might call it a foolish decision, but Cha Ara didn't want to miss the opportunity laid before her.
"Hoo…."
With a slightly trembling hand, I grabbed onto him.
"…Ah…!"
Then, for a moment, my mind went blank.
Cha Ara felt as if her body was entering the painting.
I didn't feel like myself, experiencing a hazy sense of floating, and after dozens, hundreds of strange sensations brushed past, she was finally able to come to her senses.
"...."
A gentle and clear air, and reason, welcomed Cha Ara as if that brief moment of confusion had never happened.
"...."
"Are you alright?"
"…Yes, yes."
It had all happened in a flash.
'…Just now, something….'
But I definitely felt a chillingly vast emptiness as I passed through the frame.
"...."
It was fear.
Or was it loneliness?
Having never even attended school, Cha Ara, with her poor expressive skills, pondered how to describe the sensation she had felt for a moment.
To evaluate it after some time had passed, it was an eerie and bizarre sensation, as if I had been left all alone in the universe for a brief moment.
"…This place is…."
"It is the house where I am staying."
The Black Cape said so and set down the cat he was holding in his arms, the Anticat.
"Honey, he will be your younger sibling, so take care of him."
"Kurururuk."
"Good boy."
The sight of him talking to a bird made of water was like a scene out of a fairy tale.
"...."
This space was like that too.
A dense chest of drawers filling the wall.
Paints imbued with the scents of nature, and a canvas draped over an easel carved from wood….
"…A workshop?"
But.
'Why is it empty?'
Not a single canvas had a painting on it.
The air was gentle.
The scenery was peaceful, too.
But for some reason, seeing the one or two things that were different from the human way of life, despite being mostly similar, Cha Ara unknowingly felt a chill.
"Yes, it is my workshop."
"This might be a rude question, but… there are no paintings."
"I am always painting."
"...."
"It's just that they are no longer paintings."
It was a story that was so abstruse it sent a further chill down my spine.
"A completed painting leaves on its own, or… it remains like this."
"…Wasn't it a passageway? This, uh, was a painting?"
"It is both a passageway and a painting."
The monster, who answered bluntly, covered the frame of the 'Water Vein of Jewels,' which had been Cha Ara's entryway, with a black cloth.
Only then did Cha Ara realize that there were several such cloth-covered frames scattered around the workshop.
"...."
"Would you like to have a look?"
"Ah, no."
"Right, you must be hungry."
At his words, Cha Ara blinked.
'…Hasn't his voice changed somehow?'
No, the voice itself was no different from a moment ago. But….
"Are you not afraid of me now?"
"…What? Ah, what?"
"I asked because you seem more relaxed than before."
"That, uh, that, that is…."
"...."
At Cha Ara's stammering, the monster tilted his head but waited for her.
Reading consideration from his gesture once more, Cha Ara soon calmed herself and was able to continue speaking.
"…Yes, I think… I'm less scared… than before."
"I am glad."
The Black Cape's voice was polite and gentle.
"When I go outside, people are afraid of me. I believe this is a problem that arises because I am a portrait."
He opened the workshop door.
"The kitchen is on the first floor."
"Kitchen…."
It was too domestic a word to hear in a monster's lair.
Feeling a strange awkwardness, Cha Ara mustered her courage and asked.
"C-Can I go with you?"
"Of course."
"Thank you…."
Cha Ara followed behind the monster, just as she had in the 'Water Vein of Jewels.'
Though the atmosphere was completely different from back then.
'…It's very bright.'
To be precise, it would be more accurate to say it was gentle rather than bright.
This place, filled with warm air, gently loosened her hands and feet, but there was a calm, settled aspect to it that wasn't entirely light.
"...."
Why?
'It looks like a fairy tale.'
A fragrant scent emanated from the wooden walls.
The stairs, despite being made of a hard material, were so soft it felt like an illusion of plushness, and the inside of the cabin, gently filled with sunlight, had a fluffy atmosphere like that of well-dried blankets.
'And yet, strangely….'
Cha Ara thought this place felt like a tomb.
"...."
"You may look around."
"What?"
"It seems it will take some time to prepare the meal."
The Black Cape's voice as he said this had a certain aristocratic grace.
"In the meantime, it would be best for you to rest while looking around the cabin."
"Is… that okay?"
"I will make you some fruit tea. How about you carry it with you?"
"Ah."
Fruit tea.
'Isn't that incredibly expensive?'
While I hesitated, the Black Cape went into the kitchen and soon came back with a glass.
The tea, which shimmered with an exquisite color like a sunset, looked like a magic potion, and it was cool, perhaps thanks to the round ice cube inside.
"You may sit on the sofa and drink it."
"Th-Thank you."
Do all humanoid monsters act this human-like?
'The word humanoid is attached to them in the first place, so in a way, it might be natural….'
Taking the glass, Cha Ara carefully sat down on the sofa.
"!"
It was incredibly plush.
'It must be an expensive sofa.'
Thinking that, Cha Ara felt a little embarrassed when she realized that a monster was unlikely to buy furniture according to human rules.
In the first place, trying to understand the rules surrounding a monster from a human perspective was a foolish thing to do.
"…The scent is really nice…."
It looked more like a work of art than food, but it had a very soft and sweet aroma.
"...."
I took a sip.
A gentle sweetness enveloped my mouth.
"Wow…."
Cha Ara's pale cheeks turned faintly red.
'…What is this, it's incredibly delicious. Is all fruit tea like this…?'
Because sugar itself was so rare, Cha Ara had never properly had fruit tea, let alone a piece of fruit.
So for a moment, I wondered if all the fruit tea in the world was like this, but that thought was fleeting as Cha Ara, sipping the tea, realized an amazing fact.
"...."
I'm, I'm not hungry.
'No, I'm still hungry, but….'
The terrible feeling of starvation that had felt like my stomach was being scraped with a fork was gone.
'What is this? Was it really a potion?'
It was, after all, fruit tea from a dungeon where a humanoid monster lived.
Perhaps I shouldn't compare it to ordinary human fruit tea.
As Cha Ara pieced together the situation, she pressed her lips together firmly.
"…Mmm…."
Strangely, I felt good.
It wasn't to the point of grinning, but my stomach felt ticklish, and I could tell that I had relaxed.
I felt the stress I'd received from work recently and the resentment towards the team members who had abandoned her subsiding a little.
"...."
I finished the fruit tea quickly.
'…My body feels so light.'
Perhaps the tea had a special effect, as what little injuries and fatigue I had were washed away.
As my tension also eased, Cha Ara was able to look around with a bit more leisure.
"The ceiling is really high."
I didn't realize it when I was so tense, but now that I think about it, coming down the stairs seemed to take quite a while.
It was only a two-story building, but its scale was enormous.
'And yet, the reason it doesn't feel like the rich houses I've seen in dramas is maybe because this place is also a kind of dungeon. Since a monster lives here, if this is a dungeon, then it must be one….'
Cha Ara blinked her eyes slowly.
The sound of clattering, and the slow breeze unique to spring.
The chirping of a bird coming from beyond the window was as resonant and clear as the vibration of a round bead.
"I'm a little sleepy…."
I keep thinking about it, but it really was like a fairy tale.
"...."
And.
It resembled a funeral.
"…Is it because it's so quiet."
It was different from sadness or sorrow.
It didn't resemble someone's bitter cry.
Nor did it resemble a visitor mourning calmly.
It just felt as full and heavy as the many white chrysanthemums placed silently before a deceased person's photograph.
"Hmm…."
It was an air that was hard to describe.
'It's not uncomfortable.'
It was just peaceful.
So much so that it could be considered suffocating.
"Ms. Cha Ara."
"...."
"Ms. Cha Ara."
"Aah, yes, yes…!! Hunter Cha Ara, present!!"
"I am aware, so you do not need to be so tense."
The monster that came out of the kitchen had, at some point, taken off his cape.
"...."
"Is there a problem with your mobility?"
"Ah, no."
Wow.
'Crazy.'
A person can look like that.
'Ah, no, he's a monster, so I shouldn't call him a person… but still, he's really handsome.'
Why is something that should be in a museum preparing a meal in a cabin like this.
He was so handsome that it created a sense of distance.
In many ways, he didn't seem human.
Unaware of Cha Ara's thoughts, the monster spoke with his characteristic blunt expression and voice.
"I have prepared a light meal, I was wondering how you would find it."
"Ah, thank you."
And Cha Ara came to witness an unexpected sight.
"...."
"Do you like rice?"
"I'd eat it if I had it. I mean, I would, but…."
"Are there any side dishes you dislike?"
"I'm in no position to be picky when I'm being fed. But, no. That…."
"Is there a problem?"
"…Were you Korean?"
What is this seven-dish meal?
"I introduced myself as Seo Jio. Does that not sound like a Korean name?"
"Ah, I see."
I was scared to death, so I had no time to think about whether the name was Korean or not and I never expected that this noble, neat, and somber face would prepare such a warm meal.
'So that's why he was Seo Jio.'
This was also the first time I learned that the reason for his three-syllable name was to adopt a Korean feel.
Although the table was lined with pristine white rice and various side dishes that she couldn't usually eat, Cha Ara felt a sense of déjà vu.
'…Why do I feel the spirit of my late grandmother?'
Cha Ara's mood became a little strange.
Considering the noble atmosphere of the humanoid monster named Seo Jio, it should have been unfitting, but it looked so natural that she felt an even stronger sense of incongruity.
"...."
Cha Ara suddenly realized one of her emotions.
"Please eat comfortably."
"…Yes."
It was a very faint, and perhaps quite a foreign feeling in this peaceful atmosphere.
It was a kind of 'awe.'
"Thank you."
The kind of emotion one could feel towards a non-human entity.
'…It's a bit of a funny thing to say after receiving such a friendly meal….'
Cha Ara suddenly lifted her head and looked into Seo Jio's eyes.
She saw ordinary black eyes.
"...."
"Is there a problem?"
"…No."
Right now, they seemed quite human.
"I will eat well."
In other words, it meant that he never felt human at all.
Since it wasn't fear, I could only call it awe.