Before the incident happened.
At the home of the Cha family in a certain rural village, which had finally found peace after experiencing a series of events like a terror incident and a kidnapping incident, things others would find difficult to experience even once in a lifetime.
"Flower pig."
Cha Eun-hyeok looked at his younger sister, Cha Ara, who had entered the kitchen.
"What's with the meat?"
"Ah, this."
"Why is there so much?"
Various ingredients, rarely seen on a normal day, were laid out as if she was planning to cook.
Things like thin cuts of meat with a texture that could never be obtained through hunting, or pears that were round and perfectly ripe in the middle of winter…
"Damn, there are kiwis too."
"I'm going to make bulgogi with this."
"Where did you get the money?"
"I received compensation money from the Collectors."
"..."
At Cha Ara's words, Cha Eun-hyeok looked at his sister with a strange expression.
"…Did they have something to compensate for…? Wasn't it a situation where we should have been the ones paying them?"
"Uhm…"
"I can't think of anything more they did other than save our family when we were caught between monsters and dying, no matter how I think about it."
"Uh…"
"Is this what they mean by 'save someone from drowning and they ask for your belongings'? You've learned a thing or two about society, extorting money from a conglomerate."
"Hey, I didn't extort it, they just gave it to me."
At her older brother's valid question, Cha Ara stammered.
"No, well, I didn't really get it either, but… anyway, they said the Black Cape and the Mermaid Princess have a deep connection, and the Black Cape is under the Collectors' responsibility, so… it's… like… not entirely unrelated…"
"...?"
Cha Eun-hyeok's face crumpled.
"What the hell does that mean?"
"Anyway, they said we went through a lot, so we should eat something good and rest. They said they were sorry."
"Is this a scam? Did you get scammed? I knew you'd get into trouble one day."
"No, it's not! The hell are you yelling at me for, acting like you're so high and mighty."
"I'm probably better than you."
"Don't give me that crap, you pushover."
"Do you think I'll lose my vigilance just because I'm being insulted like that? No, my dear sister with a desensitization to danger."
Cha Eun-hyeok grabbed Cha Ara's shoulders with both hands and said seriously.
"The people of this world only think about screwing over pushovers like us."
"But they gave me money. The money isn't at fault, and if they gave it, I should spend it."
"No, you should return it. What kind of trouble are you trying to get into using this as a pretext? Why on earth did they give you this."
"Compensation money…? No…?"
At his sister's naive words, Cha Eun-hyeok smiled benevolently.
"Flower pig, my dear flower pig. You became a Hunter, got stabbed in the back so many times, and you still fall for the words 'compensation money'?"
"Uh, uh…?"
"I don't know who from the Collectors decided to give us compensation money, but all the employees there are either 1st or 2nd-class citizens. Why would they think of that?"
"Abububu…"
"No city person shows mercy to a 3rd-class citizen without a reason. Let's sort out the situation step by step. Who exactly gave it to you."
"Hu-Hunter Yu Seong-un…"
"Hunter Yu Seong-un."
Cha Eun-hyeok nodded.
"In that case, this is closer to condolence money than compensation money."
"Are we gonna die? Did I, did I spend too much? Should I not have bought the kiwis after all?"
"That's not the problem."
He thought he knew why Yu Seong-un gave them the money.
"We are among the few humans who know the true identity of the 'Black Cape,' who's been setting the internet on fire these days. And how many people in this world would want to use and study the 'Black Cape'? Then, how valuable would genuine information related to this 'Black Cape' be?"
"Uh… uh…"
"That value would not be matched even if they harvested the organs of 3rd-class citizens like us. The reason Mr. Yu Seong-un gave this money is closer to an expression of condolence for us having learned the identity of the terrifying 'Black Cape.'"
"So are we going to die?"
"If we keep our mouths shut, we might not die, or we might just die…"
Cha Ara's face fell.
"Then what do we do?"
"What do you mean, what do we do? We take the money they gave, enjoy it, and keep our mouths firmly shut."
"Will it be okay if we just keep our mouths shut?"
"If we're unlucky, the information might leak from Priest Kang Seo-dam or the Collectors."
"Then we die?"
"Life would get very tiring."
In the worst-case scenario, they could be dragged somewhere and be forced to give up information about the 'Black Cape.'
They might die in the process, but Cha Eun-hyeok accepted the current situation quite calmly.
"In any case, it doesn't seem like Hunter Yu Seong-un gave the money with bad intentions."
"Really…? I'm getting nervous now."
"From what I can see, he realized that our future, knowing the 'Black Cape,' won't be smooth, so it seems like he gave the money with the genuine meaning of 'hang in there.' So, it's okay for you to continue cooking."
"Ugh… no, still…"
"It's probably compensation money that also includes the fact that Cha Isold was kidnapped. It's a fact that both the youngest and you suffered, so just spend what you received."
Cha Ara crumpled her face.
"Are you telling me to be relieved or not?"
"I'll worry, so you just continue cooking without a thought in your head."
As long as Cha Eun-hyeok, who was not without some wisdom in life, was alive, it was okay for his two younger siblings to be a bit foolish.
This money also had no ill will, so there was no need to be greatly anxious right away.
Considering Hunter Yu Seong-un's personality, which he had learned through conversation, and the actions of the conglomerate, the Collectors, there would probably be a security team assigned to them separately.
It would also be for protection since there was a history of kidnapping, but it was more likely that they were surveillance personnel for information control.
Anyway, it didn't matter.
"You like cooking, don't you?"
"W-well, that's true, but…"
"It's been a while since we got some money, so it's okay to spend this much."
Of course, they could save this money to fix the house or pay for the youngest's dormitory fees.
It could also help Cha Eun-hyeok with his bungeoppang business, or they could buy equipment so Cha Ara wouldn't die.
But if you only ever spent money on necessities, could you call that a human life?
"We were earning the money we needed on our own anyway. On top of that, we got some extra funds very luckily, so it's a bit much to ask to spend that on essentials too."
"Eung…"
"If we don't relieve stress like this, when will we?"
Cha Eun-hyeok knew that to live, people needed these big and small pleasures.
If you just worked to eat and survive, you would ultimately just consume your own physical health and mind and die.
"So how much compensation money did you get?"
"Oh, right."
"Oh, right? Flower pig, are you living with your head on straight?"
"I-I was just so out of it after coming back from Seoul…"
Cha Ara held up her fingers.
"A thousand."
"…A thousand? A thousand without any negotiation is quite a lot, isn't it?"
"I went grocery shopping in Seoul for the first time in a while, that's why."
"Dinner's going to be a feast tonight."
"Heehee, right."
"Show me what you've got."
Cha Eun-hyeok looked at a corner of the room where a slight draft was coming in.
"I'll go be with the youngest."
"You're not joining?"
"Not only do I not really like cooking, but what if the youngest gets kidnapped again?"
"…N-no way, again?"
"The way I see it, our youngest's life is not ordinary."
This was an intuition that only Cha Eun-hyeok, who saw strange monsters differently from others, could feel.
"I think he'll live a much less smooth life than us. I'm anxious. My heart is unsettled."
"Hey, what the hell, are you cursing him? He's about to become a 2nd-class citizen soon. If he lives a less smooth life than us, who are 3rd-class natives, isn't that a problem?"
"No matter how I think about it, it won't be an ordinary life at the very least. That kid, Cha Isold, keeps getting involved in strange things… his personality, too."
The fact that he himself was fearless probably played a part.
A kid who was pointlessly cheerful and also sociable.
"If you're a pushover and you're fearless, what's that? You're just twisting your own fate."
"Ah, are we screwed? Did we raise him wrong?"
"What can we do, he's already grown up like that. Still, if he enters the Solar Cult, he'll learn a thing or two and get some protection. He'll restrain himself for the sake of the cult's honor."
"Haigo…"
Cha Ara waved her hand.
"Hearing that doesn't make me feel any more relieved. I was going to feed him something delicious before he goes to the dorm, so go sit by the youngest and talk to him a bit."
"Talk about what."
"Tell him not to live like a pushover…"
"You think that'll work? We're already screwed ourselves."
Even as he said that, Cha Eun-hyeok went straight to his youngest brother, Cha Isold.
The recent kidnapping made him very anxious about leaving his youngest brother alone.
"Youngest."
"Hyeong, what's noona doing?"
"She said she's making bulgogi."
"Wow, bulgogi! Isn't that expensive?"
"It is expensive. The ingredients are insane. Just pray your sister doesn't ruin dinner."
"Should I pray to the Sun God for starters?"
"No, you're not even that close to him yet, what…"
"You think?"
Seeing his youngest brother happily holding a pencil, all excited, Cha Eun-hyeok sat down next to him. He had no idea what he was drawing.
Cha Eun-hyeok loved his brother, but he couldn't bring himself to love his drawing skills.
"You'll eat even more delicious things than this when you go to the dorm."
"Should I bring some out?? Wanna eat together??"
"They said you can't come out often until you officially become a priest."
"I'll sneak out."
"…Just buy me a meal after you complete your training. I'll be waiting."
Thinking that Cha Isold might really sneak out of the dorm and walk all the way to this remote countryside, Cha Eun-hyeok postponed the promise to the future.
Cha Eun-hyeok's gaze, which had been stroking his brother's head, shifted lower.
"You were drawing?"
"Yeah."
"What were you drawing?"
A pitch-black something, smudged on the back of a piece of scratch paper, caught his eye.
"The Black Cape!"
"..."
Cha Eun-hyeok fell silent.
"…What?"
"Huh? The Black Cape!"
"You… what… Do you know what that is?"
"Isn't it a good ghost that gives presents to good people?"
"That, what is it, um, uh."
"I was embarrassed to pray to the Sun God, so I drew the Black Cape for starters!"
"What does that have to do with anything? Besides, the Black Cape is a monster…"
"Aren't they the same thing?"
"No."
Cha Eun-hyeok broke down.
"Who told you about the Black Cape?"
"Inseo did."
"Inseo… the village chief's daughter?"
"All the kids in our neighborhood know the Black Cape."
"Why on earth…?"
"He's cool."
"..."
Cha Eun-hyeok, who knew the true identity of that Black Cape, took a deep breath.
"…Your brother doesn't really know, but is the Black Cape very famous these days?"
"Huh? Yeah, they say so."
"What exactly is the Black Cape? Do you know?"
"Actually, I don't really know either…"
Scribble, scribble. As he drew a pitch-black lump with a blunt pencil, Cha Isold continued.
"Isn't he like Santa?"
"…That old man who gives presents to children who haven't cried?"
"She said he likes good people and really likes it when you talk with him. She said if you're polite, the Black Cape gives you presents too."
"Oh…"
Just as Cha Eun-hyeok was wondering how to respond to this.
"..."
"…Huh?"
The two Cha brothers' gazes fell upon the 'Black Cape' in the paper.
"…Didn't that just move?"
The black lump, drawn with a child's clumsy skill, had squirmed.
"..."
Cha Eun-hyeok broke out in a cold sweat.
A mysterious portrait whose identity even a massive guild like the Collectors had yet to figure out.
And sometimes, such unrealistic and dreamlike beings, including the gods called destinies with a will of their own, had their own summoning rituals.
'…Don't tell me this is…'
Of all things, hadn't Cha Isold, who had awakened as a priest, drawn the Black Cape instead of the Sun God?
Unaware of his older brother's insides burning up with dread, Cha Isold smiled brightly.
"Wow, I think the Black Cape is here!"
"Wait, just a moment, Isold. Please, just a moment… this isn't right."
"Be my friend!"
"Please!"
Cha Eun-hyeok grabbed his brother and begged, but it was already too late.
"Wow!"
From within the drawing.
The clumsy picture moved, and it took form.
"The Black Cape…!"
"..."
"…The Black… Cape…??"
He was wearing a pitch-black cape.
The deep shadow, with its face completely hidden by a deeply drawn hood, was unnaturally dark.
No light could be seen from the black shirt and suit visible inside the cape, but his well-proportioned, long body was recognizable.
"…It's Jio-hyung?"
It was the 'Seo Jio' that Cha Isold knew.
"Jio-hyung?"
"Yes, I am Seo Jio."
"Uh, it really is Jio-brother."
A blunt tone as if run through a translator and a strangely heavy air.
He was no different from the follower of the sun, Hunter Seo Jio, who had eaten with Cha Isold.
"Why are you here?"
"Did you not ask me to be your friend?"
"That wasn't meant for you, hyung."
"That is sad. Do you not wish to be friends with me?"
"Hyung is hyung, you know…?"
Cha Eun-hyeok, who was watching the situation, put a hand to his forehead.
"..."
"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cha Eun-hyeok."
"…Yes, a real pleasure. It is a pleasure, but…"
Hesitating, Cha Eun-hyeok asked.
"Do you normally get called out like this?"
"Student Cha Isold called me."
"..."
Cha Eun-hyeok was suddenly reminded of the compensation money Cha Ara had received.
'…Was it in preparation for a time like this?'
Cha Eun-hyeok, who had unintentionally learned the summoning method for the Black Cape, naturally took out his phone.
This information was too dangerous for them to keep to themselves.
His fingers were, as if by instinct, searching for Hunter Yu Seong-un's direct number.
'Help me.'
It seemed Yu Seong-un had probably given them the money for this very reason.
"Excuse me, but I'll be stepping outside for a moment."
"You may act as you wish."
"…In the meantime… my sister, Cha Ara, will serve you. It will only be a moment."
"I apologize for the sudden visit. Please make yourselves comfortable."
"Yes, thank you."
And so, Cha Eun-hyeok had come to request rescue from Yu Seong-un.
Not long after, Yu Seong-un arrived at the Cha family's house.
"Where is Jio?"
"He is conversing with the youngest."
"No one's dead, right?"
"Why on earth… would you… ask such a question…?"
"Ah, just in case."
"…W-well, yes…"
It had been a terribly tiring day.
-x-X-x-
Kang Seo-dam, who was reviewing the curriculum for the new prospective priests, answered the phone.
"Yes, Hunter Yu Seong-un."
"By any chance, are there gods who can be summoned by drawing a picture?"
"I don't know what you're suddenly talking about, but I'm busy too, so to give you an answer, yes, it's possible. Characters and patterns often used in rituals are a type of drawing, after all."
"It wasn't a very professional drawing."
"How unprofessional was it?"
"The level a kid would draw?"
"Still, it's not impossible. Even if it's very crude, as long as its purpose is clear."
Kang Seo-dam, holding the phone between his shoulder and chin, continued to speak while writing a document.
"The will of the subject, what they intend to do through the ritual, is the most important thing. If the will of the person performing the ritual is sufficiently strong and clear, and the recipient of the rite is broad-minded enough to accept such a flawed ritual, it's entirely possible."
"How is that possible?"
"This is generally the case with evil gods… but I understand that this kind of summoning ritual is often possible even if it doesn't target a god. This is because mysterious beings with their own summoning rituals exist everywhere. If it's a very receptive being, you can catch their attention just by calling their name."
"But why?"
"It's difficult to understand from the perspective of an insignificant human, but those close to being gods can know where they are being called and seen. A being called a god can respond to each and every prayer from their followers simultaneously, from anywhere in the world."
Kang Seo-dam rolled his eyes as he checked the document.
"Even if it's not necessarily a god, a mysterious being of a lower class might spread its own summoning ritual here and there. After all, there's nothing like the faith of one's followers for raising one's own status and strengthening one's divinity."
"What if it's a being whose status is already remarkably high? To the point where they don't particularly need faith. And what's more, they wouldn't even want their status to rise any further."
"I was so busy I tried to keep ignoring you, but is this about Him after all? The pitch-black Him? The Cape Him? The one who made stairs by evaporating the dungeon's seawater and then cleaned it up with a single gesture? Him?"
"Thank you for finally acknowledging it."
"What a disaster."
A being called a destiny with a will, or nature, is referred to as a 'god.'
And they clearly know what they exist for and what they intend to do.
It means they also know what kind of existence they are to humans.
But the 'Black Cape' is not like that.
"If faith builds up unwittingly, he won't be able to learn how to handle his own status. His summoning ritual seems to be easy and simple enough for a child to perform with a drawing, correct?"
"That's right."
"In that case, we can only pray that he never gets angry in his entire life. At the very least, when he isn't angry, he will collect himself and be considerate of the fragile humans, so there won't be a major problem then. He's quite fond of humans in the first place…"
"And if he gets angry?"
"As you well know, Hunter Yu Seong-un, only ruin awaits. As they say, only those who have eaten meat know how to eat it; likewise, only those who have been angry know how to get angry well. If a god doesn't know how to get angry safely without hurting anyone and just expresses their emotions recklessly, it would be a disaster in the truest sense."
Kang Seo-dam pondered for a moment, then asked.
"Ordinary gods have a clear reason for their existence. Unless they inherited their divinity from a pre-existing god, the one who created the summoning ritual for a certain god is that god of the summons in the first place. The reason for summoning rituals and sacrificial rites came to be from the start is to raise their status."
"But the subject we're talking about is not like that."
"It could be the case if he received the corresponding ritual along with the divinity when he inherited it from a pre-existing god. Is the mysterious being you're talking about now, Hunter Yu Seong-un, one that falls under that category?"
"I can't say he doesn't have such characteristics, but it's not entirely so. He is a qualitatively different being from a god."
"..."
Kang Seo-dam, who had briefly taken his eyes off the monitor, soon continued.
"It is very rare, but there are those whose status naturally rises within the laws of nature, simply because they existed as a mysterious being corresponding to a certain rule. To give an easy example, the act of people breathing itself could be an act that increases the faith in a certain mysterious being."
"I'm sorry, but I still don't quite get it, what does that mean?"
"To put it more simply, there are beings who grow stronger just by existing. Just as it's a natural rule for past time, for history, to deepen as time flows."
Kang Seo-dam's fingers started typing again.
"In our Solar Cult, we do not call such beings gods."
"Then what do you call them?"
"Just nature. A rule, and destiny."
"Other gods also have a will…"
"They are nature and destiny, that is correct, but this is a different context."
The reason was simple.
"As you said, Hunter Yu Seong-un, they have a will and a goal. But the mysterious beings in the cases I'm speaking of now have no such thing. They did not want to become gods, they don't even know they have been defined as 'gods,' they just… exist, flow, and grow stronger."
"That's a disaster."
"From the perspective of humans, even an earthquake caused by the Earth's tectonic movements is felt as a disaster. They simply exist. They may or may not have an ego or preferences, and they may or may not have perceived humans."
"Hmm…"
Yu Seong-un asked after a moment.
"The Solar Cult can say this because it has observed such a mysterious being before, right? A mighty something that can't even be called a god?"
"That's classified. Just as the Collectors have a few such secrets."
"I understand for now. Would it be alright if I visit you again later with a gift, Priest?"
"Do not come. I am busy."
"I'll send a package."
The call ended.
"..."
Well, even if he says that.
"…If it's him, I don't think he'll become a great disaster."
Kang Seo-dam had certainly felt divinity from the Black Cape.
Judging from the aura he felt and various circumstances, it seemed to have been inherited from a predecessor god, which meant there was a parent to teach him how to act as a god.
Even if there was no parent god, wasn't there the Sun God of this Earth?
His goddess was quite favorable towards the Black Cape, so she might offer some help.
"In the end, it wasn't a matter for me to worry about. Tsk, in the middle of all this work."
Muttering to himself, Kang Seo-dam quietly resumed reviewing the curriculum.
It was overtime he had grown accustomed to recently.
***
And here was another Hunter working overtime.
"Yes, Jio."
"A pleasure to meet you."
"You're really active."
It was, of course, Yu Seong-un.
"So, our dear Cha Isold summoned Jio?"
Cha Isold, who was slowly grasping the situation, confessed voluntarily.
"I'm sorry for making you work overtime."
"If you apologize like that, what does that make me, Cha Isold."
In truth, it wasn't a situation with that much of an impact.
"Well, the time I usually talk to Jio is around 4 AM anyway, so…"
"Were you tired?"
At that, the Black Cape, Jio, made a gesture as if touching his chin.
He seemed to be mimicking human surprise, but because his face was not visible, absolutely no emotion could be felt, which made the back of his neck ache a little.
"I apologize for the inconvenience. You came often at that time, so I thought you liked that time. If you wish, I will reschedule our conversations."
"No, I have a lot of work to do before and after that time anyway, so moving the conversation schedule won't make my bedtime any earlier. It just changes the order of the things I have to do at that time."
"That is regrettable."
"I feel the same…"
Anyway, it was now 7:41 PM.
"Has everyone had dinner?"
"We, we were just about to make bulgogi when…"
"So that's how it happened."
Though she was a Hunter, she was F-Class; how much experience could Cha Ara possibly have?
Her face showed she couldn't even understand why this was happening, so Yu Seong-un looked back at Jio.
"Before we begin our main conversation, Jio."
"Please speak."
"I'd like you to soften the atmosphere a bit."
To put it bluntly, it was a request to 'lower your presence,' but if he said it like that, Jio, who considered himself human, would feel offended.
Yu Seong-un, who had gained a greater sense of caution through his conversation with Priest Kang Seo-dam, had no intention of doing so.
He intended to treat him as a god who had no awareness of being a god.
However, this too seemed to be a difficult statement, as Jio expressed his confusion.
"I did not understand the meaning of your words."
"You're very scary right now. You don't seem human."
"Understood."
Immediately after, Jio threw back his hood.
"..."
"Will this do?"
What came out from within was the distinctly platinum-blonde Giovanni.
"In my experience, this tends to improve the atmosphere…"
"For now, yes."
"I wonder if the color of the cape is the problem."
"That's probably part of it."
Yu Seong-un secretly let out a sigh of relief.
'…It's a relief that there's a way to lower his presence, even if it's like this. It's also a relief that Jio doesn't find it unpleasant to lower his own presence. If he were a typical god or a Child of the Source, he would have felt displeasure and torn me to shreds right now…'
He couldn't know how great a fortune it was that a Jio of this stature was human-friendly.
"I'm going to try and explain this phenomenon, is that alright?"
"You may do as you wish."
"Thanks for understanding."
Yu Seong-un finally began his story.
"It seems that Mr. Cha Isold has summoned Jio."
"…I thought that might be the case, but how is that possible?"
"Mr. Cha Eun-hyeok's question is valid and I too had trouble understanding, so I asked Priest Kang Seo-dam, who has more experience in this area than I do, and he said it's something that can happen from time to time."
Of course, out of consideration for Jio, he omitted the parts about presence and gods.
"He said that in extremely rare cases, there are mysterious beings who have their own summoning rituals even if they didn't intend to. In Jio's case, the condition for that ritual would have been 'to draw Jio.'"
Yu Seong-un looked back at Jio.
"In the first place, Jio, why did you come here? What did you know that made you come?"
"I knew that I was being drawn. I also naturally came to know that the person who drew me was the Cha brother. In the midst of that, he said such a cute thing about wanting to be my friend…"
"And so you appeared?"
"I was also curious about how he had been doing recently. I left the dungeon without saying goodbye, so I was worried about the Cha brother and thought it was a good opportunity. Wasn't he kidnapped, after all?"
The platinum-blonde Jio asked with his characteristic gentle smile.
"Has the Cha brother been well? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Th-the Black Cape was Jio-hyung…?"
"Ah."
Giovanni looked back at Yu Seong-un.
"..."
"…Even if you look at me like that, you won't get an answer, Mr. Black Cape."
"I wanted to protect a child's innocence in this cruel world."
"Wouldn't his innocence be better protected than by the fact that Santa isn't actually real?"
Cha Isold was shocked.
"There's no Santa?"
"The two Cha siblings must have raised you with great care. Am I sorry for being the one to shatter his innocence first?"
"I was going to give Santa Claus a massage if I ever met him…!"
"Oh dear, what a good kid."
"I was going to ask if he could live at our house when he retired…!"
"What a firm sense of self."
Anyway, Cha Isold wasn't as shocked as he had thought about Jio being the Black Cape.
"But why did it happen like that? Do you really give presents to good people, Jio-hyung?"
"If it's someone who needs it, I try my best to be considerate and respectful."
"Why?"
"I have the leisure and the ability to do so, and since the people who receive my goodwill would want those gifts, there is no reason not to grant them."
"Woooow…"
Cha Eun-hyeok thought to himself.
'With this level of innocence, where is he going to be sold off to.'
It seemed that he, as the eldest son, had no choice but to keep his wits about him.
"S-so, did we do something wrong, or…"
"Huh? No, no."
Yu Seong-un looked back at Cha Isold.
"You were drawing the Black Cape because you thought he was cool, without any particular intention, right Cha Isold?"
"Yes, because they said he's really famous these days."
"Is he?"
The Collectors, who had made that ghost story famous, had nothing to say.
"It doesn't matter as long as this ritual isn't widely known. Jio, if someone draws you, do you always have to become aware of it or be summoned to that place?"
"I can be aware of it, but as for the summoning… I believe it's just my choice."
"If that's the case, then it really doesn't matter. I rushed over because this whole incident was so absurd and had a lot of potential for misuse."
Cha Isold bowed his head once more.
"I'm sorry for causing trouble."
"It's nothing. If you apologize that much, it makes me feel too embarrassed."
"But…"
"It's really okay, it seems Jio wants to see you anyway, Cha Isold. Everyone was worried since you were kidnapped by monsters, even if you weren't harmed."
"I'm fine, though."
"You seem fine, which is quite amazing. It's a great mindset. It makes me a bit sad to think about what a great person you'll become with that kind of mindset already, but anyway, everything is fine and there are no problems, but…"
Yu Seong-un was just dumbfounded.
"…I just hope you don't go around spreading this summoning method anywhere."
Then a lot of people would get tired.
And with a 100% probability, Yu Seong-un would be included among them.
-x-X-x-
Though it wasn't intentional, the Cha family, whom I had somehow met again, looked surprisingly peaceful despite having been kidnapped by mermaids.
"You can't work as a Hunter if you get scared by things like that…."
As an F-Class, Cha Ara knew that people were scarier than monsters.
Compared to the scumbags she had met so far, the mermaids were extremely polite.
"I had a good time, too. Next time you see Eun-ha, can you call me? I want to be friends with the tall Eun-ha. We promised to be friends, but he gave me his partner then took her away."
Cha Isold's thick skin was already a famous story.
"…Yes, well, since I'm raising kids like these…."
Cha Eun-hyeok, who saw monsters others couldn't, was also exceptionally calm.
If his younger siblings had suffered any mental or physical harm from this incident, Cha Eun-hyeok wouldn't have been so composed.
But since both of them seemed to be fine, there was no need for him to step in and waste his energy.
Yu Seong-un took the Cha family's reaction rather normally.
"That kind of indifference is also an important virtue of modern people."
"..."
"The Cha family will survive for a long time. They have good life skills."
I think it's not that they have good life skills, but good survival skills.
I, Jio, was once again deeply intimidated by the frightening state of my homeland today.
'So, it's a virtue for modern people not to be scared even when they get kidnapped.'
No matter how little direct harm there was, wasn't it clearly a kidnapping incident?
'What on earth do Hunters see and how do they live that they don't get scared even when their precious younger sibling is kidnapped, and what is modern life like that the child victim is talking about making friends, and their guardian just lets it go, saying it's fine since everything's okay?'
31 years ago, there would have been an uproar like no other.
I wouldn't be surprised if I had been grabbed by the collar and it would have been all over the news.
But my collar was not only fine, it was crisp, and according to Yu Seong-un, it didn't even make the news.
'It's a truly scary world.'
I felt like I wanted to feed them five or six meals for living so steadfastly in a world like this, but anyway, the Cha family was all safe.
To be honest, I was very tempted by the fire meat, but I thought it wasn't polite to intrude on a happy family meal without prior notice, so my conscience brought me back to the portrait.
I praised myself for being so considerate.
"..."
Tadah.
"Was something skipped?"
"Mmmng."
"It's fine since Dana is cute."
The cuteness of Dana provided the justification for the omission.
"Sluuurp."
"Mng."
I inhaled Dana's belly.
At first, Dana, who had expressed pure curiosity with a 'Has he lost his mind?', seemed to have gotten used to my bizarre behavior and accepted it with a 'Dad has lost his mind.'
Not long after, Dana, freed from me, went straight to the teddy bear.
"You two still get along well."
"Kkuu…."
"You feel she's like a granddaughter."
"Kku."
"Yes, Father, indeed."
One grandfather, one father and two son/daughter creatures made for a family with a lineage of its own.
"Hmm…."
If two mermaid friends were added to this, they would perfectly fill the role of neighbors.
"..."
Even though I had told them how to get here, the mermaids still hadn't thought of visiting my cabin.
'We're neighbors, you guys.'
When did they make such a fuss about being happy to see their teacher? No, I mean, why aren't they coming when it's so close?
"Shouldn't neighbors, by definition, come over with some steamed rice cakes on the first day of moving in?"
The storage where 'Breathing Sea,' one of the works I painted, was kept was quiet again today.
As I looked at the wooden stairs that no one was coming down, I turned to the teddy bear.
"Do Aria and Iseur still need time to think?"
"Kkukukku."
"It seems like quite some time has passed, but they aren't thinking of visiting our house. It should be convenient to visit now that 'Breathing Sea' and the 'Kingdom of the Deep Sea' are connected…."
The system had informed me that some tutorial or whatever was over.
It said that the 'Breathing Sea' I had painted and the mermaids' dungeon, the 'Kingdom of the Deep Sea,' were now connected and when I checked, my painting was hanging right there in the temple.
Even then, I couldn't see the mermaids.
"Seeing that, I suspect they're not coming because they're afraid of being scolded."
My perception of the mermaid siblings was that of young children who wouldn't come home because they didn't want to get in trouble.
"They've become more childish since I last saw them."
"Kuruk?"
Honey briefly wondered, 'Was that really childishness?', but soon stopped thinking as it realized that mealtime was approaching.
Honey poked the top of my head gently, not to hurt, appealing its hunger.
"Kkungkkungkkung…."
"Are you hungry?"
"Kkuk."
"Then you must eat."
I, Seo Jio, who inherited the hands and heart of a grandmother from the mountains of Gangwon-do, couldn't bear to see my child go hungry.
"Hm."
After thinking for a moment, I turned to the teddy bear.
"Father, do you like clams?"
"Kku…?"
"Then again, you've probably never had them."
"Kku."
What kind of audacious priest would have offered clams of all things as a sacrifice?
Back then, clams weren't such a precious ingredient.
'...There were clams sold as a famous specialty, but if you were to ask if they were valuable and rare enough to be placed on an altar, not really….'
In the first place, the Sun God didn't even have an appetite before meeting me.
This meant that even if he ruled over a world where the sun and the sea were close, the probability of him having tasted clams was nil.
"To think they didn't even let you taste such delicious clams, isn't this sacrilege and heresy?"
"…Kkuu…."
"This son cannot tolerate such impiety. I deeply regret not having offered the delicacies of the sea sooner. If you wait just a moment, I will serve you grilled clams and tomato stew, the pride of the Edlen region."
"Kku."
"What do you mean, calm down? I wasn't excited in the first place."
I gathered my things and headed for the 'Breathing Sea.'
"I still remember vividly where the village of Edlen was. And even if I don't go looking for that specific area, the clams I'm looking for are surely scattered about. If you wait just a little, I'll be back with clams in no time."
Honey followed alongside me.
Honey, a creature of my creation, always wished to be by its parent's side and hoped to remain in a form befitting my taste.
"Kkururururuk."
"Will you help me?"
"Kkur."
And I liked things that were good and polite. Honey could help its creator in any way. As long as it didn't mess up its cute and lovely appearance.
And so, the clam-finding expedition was formed.
***
A great pig knows how to eat anything deliciously, but at the same time, it must also know how to enjoy fine cuisine.
"In that sense, I can be called a true pig."
"Kuruk."
"Yes, you too. A pig without stubbornness is not a real pig."
I finally managed to find the village of Edlen, where he had lived in his past life, in this ruined world.
It was thanks to Honey, who had grown large and carried me through the air.
"Is this what it feels like for Hunters conquering a dungeon?"
It was probably a bit different from that, but it was fun, so it didn't matter. I was very proud.
"It's been a while since I've been here, too."
"Kkuk?"
"Ah, no. Should I not say it's been a while?"
"Kkur…."
"Then again, since we're both me, it doesn't matter."
My hair had, at some point, turned platinum blond.
"It's such a sentimental countryside."
There were no signs of people.
The beach stretched out long and shallow, and just a little way off, green grass was growing.
The small houses visible within revealed white bricks and orange roofs, following the old tradition of Edlen village.
"..."
On the corroded window of a submerged house where no one lived anymore, seaweed was growing and swaying.
"…It's strange that the shape of the village is still intact even though it's become such a deep abyss. If this had happened on Earth, the houses and everything would have been destroyed and broken."
"Kkururururu?"
"It feels strange that a place that was reality for me has turned into something like a fairytale. Now, instead of people, fish and jellyfish are staying in this village."
It was a gruesome and beautiful sight.
"The light is faint, too."
The teddy bear in my cabin was, strictly speaking, like the soul of the Sun God.
Its light, which could be called its empty body, or perhaps its remains, had grown even weaker, dimly illuminating the sea.
"The darkness has gotten deeper than before, right?"
"Kkururuk."
"It's like night has fallen."
"Kkur."
"There are stars out, too."
In the sky I looked up to check, however, in the deep sea, something glittering was floating about.
"It looks like the Milky Way."
It was a school of jellyfish that emitted their own light.
With small, round bodies, they formed a long line like a river and moved very slowly.
Thanks to the cluster of light that seemed ready to pour down, like one would find in the middle of a pitch-black desert, I could see ahead even in this dark abyss.
The enchanting void was truly beautiful.
"I couldn't see them when the sea was bright because Father was here, but there were jellyfish like that. Now that it's dark, I get to see things like this…."
"Kkurureuk."
"Hm."
Giovanni thought.
"It seems like it would sell well if I turned it into a tourism industry."
That's right, this priest hadn't been sentimental for a long time.
Even looking at his ruined hometown, the only words that came out were about a business item.
"Mr. Yu Seong-un said that The Collectors bought up all the entry passes to the 'Kingdom of the Deep Sea.' If the monster problem can be solved, wouldn't it work quite well as a tourist spot? Isn't the fact that it's an underwater place where you can breathe novel in itself?"
"Kkung…."
"I could try adjusting the brightness too. If I change the theme for day and night like that, there will be more to see, and since I've inherited the qualification as the Sun God from Father, I think I can handle that much adjustment… Isn't it really not a bad business item?"
My hair had returned to black again.
"Let's think about all this when our stomachs are full."
"Kkurururururururuk."
Honey agreed vehemently.
"Kuruk? Kkurureuk?"
"You're asking where the clams are?"
I looked around.
"It's true that everything is submerged under the sea now, so I wonder if it's still there, but seeing how the beach and the village have kept their forms, that place is probably fine too."
"Kkuk?"
"There's a separate place to dig for clams. It's a subterranean cavern on the east side of the village, and I don't know the exact principle, but… there are mudflats."
There were a lot of clams there.
"Clams can live in quite a variety of places. There are clams that hide in the sand, clams that hide in the mudflats, and there are even clams that live in freshwater instead of the sea. The types will vary considerably depending on where they live, but…."
I moved my feet towards the subterranean cavern he remembered.
"For your information, there are no clams on the beach of Edlen village. It might be because it's not that wide. So the people of Edlen usually caught fish in the sea and dug for clams in the cavern to sell."
The cavern wasn't that far.
"This is the entrance."
When I pushed aside the seaweed that hung down like a bush, a rugged rock staircase, as if carved from hard rock, was revealed.
It was a dark entrance, but thanks to Honey, who was glowing with a warm light, no separate light was needed.
"Let's go down."
"Kkurureuk."
"But…."
I looked at Honey.
"If you want to go down, you should rightly reduce your body size."
"Kkuk?"
"You've gotten too big."
Because it had carried me here and because it had absorbed a lot of seawater, Honey had swollen to a size larger than me.
"You're cute in this state, but it will be impossible to dig for clams together. As you can see, the entrance to the cavern isn't that wide, so it would be better to adjust, my son."
"Kkururu…."
Honey understood and shrank.
Because of the water pressure from the existing seawater, I, who can't even swim, was almost swept away.
Honey's father was quite light even in the water.
The path leading underground was neither very wide nor very narrow.
The path, wide enough for an adult male to pass through with a little room to spare, continued for quite a long time.
"See these holes carved into the wall here? Originally, we put things like lamps in there to light the way. Ah, there it is. To think the remains of a lamp are still here."
"Kuruk, kkururuk."
"…Is a piece of glass with moss on it also an accessory that suits your taste? Well, a lot of time has passed and the sharp edges have become dull, so a rounded piece of glass like this probably isn't dangerous."
While watching Honey secretly pick up a piece of glass, I had arrived at the subterranean cavern before I knew it.
"..."
An endlessly high ceiling, and the seawater that filled it to the top.
"…It's not."
I stuck out my tongue slightly.
"Mm, it's not salty."
"Kkungkung?"
"It's freshwater."
I nodded.
"This place was close to… a spring where freshwater flows."
People on the coast always had a hard time finding water, but that wasn't the case in this village of Edlen.
It was thanks to being able to use as much freshwater as they wanted, which endlessly gushed from this wide cavern.
"I think it was a system where the seawater was purified through some process and filled the cavern as drinkable water. It was clean water without lime, so it was the pride of this village."
I stepped onto the floor of the cavern.
"This is the mudflat."
The freshwater in this cavern, which had high and low tides, came and went just like seawater, creating these white mudflats. The clams hiding in between were excellent in both taste and quality, becoming a specialty of Edlen village.
"And I, too, would often bring the mermaids here…."
"..."
"…and enjoyed a boisterous clam hunt together."
I, still with black hair, caught sight of a child sitting in the middle of the cavern.
"Aria."
"It's been a while."
"I see."
I was still in the form of Seo Jio, but soon, Giovanni's smile faintly spread across his face before disappearing.
"It's been a long time."
The mermaid in the form of a child.
That was her appearance from a very long time ago, from the days Giovanni remembered.
-x-X-x-
"I am imitating like this."
Aria continued speaking with the clear, immature voice peculiar to a child.
"Why do you not even imitate?"
"Am I not Jio just because I have black hair?"
"Well…."
Aria looked at the person before her.
A person wearing a black cape, not the golden priestly robes that symbolized the sun, nor the white cape that represented the priest of light.
A man with pitch-black hair, unlike the form she remembered, and a gloomy face without a hint of a smile.
A ghastly presence that could not be called human.
"..."
And yet, she couldn't say he was not 'Giovanni'.
"…I still don't quite understand."
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"Is this what they call reincarnation?"
It was a strange thing.
"It's not that I've never seen such cases, but this seems to be of a different kind. It doesn't seem to be just a matter of deification by gaining divinity from the Sun God."
How should one explain the Jio before her eyes right now?
"The people of Earth say so, they call you the 'Black Cape,' don't they?"
"I have received such a name."
"Can that be said to be your current identity?"
"It is merely one of my names."
"Yes, Giovanni."
The young mermaid moved her bare feet and approached him.
"Were you originally… a portrait?"
"I am human."
"..."
Only after a long while did Aria reply.
"…That might be so."
Even the knowledgeable Aria couldn't properly define the Black Cape before her.
He just looked like a painting, felt like a god, or perhaps seemed to be truly human.
"How did you come to this village?"
"I came to dig for clams."
"Well, yes, I understand since you always liked to eat."
"I also remember that Aria liked my cooking."
"Then will you invite me to your banquet?"
"If you help me dig for clams."
"…You really are a frivolous human…."
Aria dragged a large white gown that didn't fit her frame and wandered around the mudflat.
The magically treated gown did not get dirty easily.
"I'll help you."
"Thank you."
They had often spent time like this in the past.
"It reminds me of the old days."
"What thoughts?"
"Just, this and that… trivial things."
Giovanni used to bring the mermaids, who were curious about humans, to places like this.
Or to beaches crowded with fishermen, marketplaces bustling with people wanting to buy things and even places like banks where one could deposit money.
As she stirred with her bare feet, the white mudflat, unlike the ones on Earth, slowly turned over.
"What are you planning to make?"
"I am planning to make grilled clams and Edlen stew."
"You're making something delicious. Are you thinking of putting clams in the stew too?"
"That would be fine too. I have meat, so I can put that in as well."
"Hmm…."
Jio's cooking skills were excellent.
"Come to think of it, you were a nobleman, why did you enjoy cooking so much?"
"You didn't even ask when you were young, has there been some change of heart?"
"Back then, I thought that was the wise thing to do. Human lives are too short and complicated, I thought if I carelessly poked and asked, blood might come out."
"And now?"
"I know now that you are not someone who would bleed from being poked."
"That is so."
Jio with pitch-black eyes came over and folded Aria's sleeves.
The gown, tailored for an adult male's physique, had to be folded several times over for her hands to be visible.
They were the hands of a small, delicate child.
"The reason I, a nobleman, enjoyed cooking was simply because I wanted to eat delicious food."
"As expected, not a grand reason. But you can eat delicious food anytime by ordering others to make it."
"I wanted to see for myself what ingredients went in and how to produce what dish."
When I lightly tossed Honey, who was on my shoulder, Honey flew up just below the cavern ceiling and brightly lit the underground space.
The mudflat, which was already white, looked so much clearer that it was dazzling.
"I wanted to improve myself."
"A very you-like answer."
"Where is Iseur?"
"Hiding in the temple."
"Why did he not come with you?"
"Someone needs to guard the house."
"Who would rob that ominous house…."
"The Black Cape, for instance."
"..."
I felt a little wronged.
Raising one eyebrow, I asked.
"Am I scary, Aria?"
"Wouldn't you be?"
"Why is that?"
"You have a dark, gloomy atmosphere and are even intimidating."
"I have never been intimidating."
"I think you are now."
"I still feel it is unfair."
"Well, in addition to that…."
Looking up with her small body, Aria said.
"…I wasn't sure what kind of face to see you with, so I couldn't come to meet you easily."
"Indeed, as soon as we met, we started with a fight."
There was no time to feel the emotion of reunion or anything of the sort.
"To put it from my perspective, it felt similar to finding out that my nephews, whom I raised like my own children when they were young, had not only committed mass murder in the country while they were traveling abroad for a few years but had even kidnapped a child."
"If you put it that way, from my perspective, it's similar to my beloved teacher, whom I thought was dead, being reincarnated as a pitch-black monster that isn't even human. On top of that, he even possessed the divinity of that irritating Sun God, making me wonder if someone was trying to piss us off."
At those words, I nodded my head.
"It seems my shock was indeed greater."
"I was at the point of missing that shamelessness."
The mermaid chuckled.
"Aren't you angry?"
"Do I need to be angry?"
"At the very least, what we have done so far was not to your liking, Giovanni."
"I see no need for me, who is already dead, to take responsibility and be angry for the changes in the children I raised."
"This is quite heartless…."
"I let out all my share of anger at the banquet back then."
With pitch-black hair and impassive eyes, I continued.
"For the rest, Giovanni, who died a long time ago, has neither the duty nor the authority to question."
"..."
Soon after, the mermaid said.
"Then that's fine."
Aria was no longer curious either.
"You said we have a lot of time."
"That is precisely it."
Above all, I was not one to ponder things deeply.
I was not a Jio who would be frightened just because his cherished mermaid disciples had grown up to be mad mermaids.
"It is not a good habit to use one's head with food right in front of you."
"Isn't that just you being strange, Jio? Why do you like food so much?"
"Why do you not like food so much?"
"One cannot live on eating alone."
"But one cannot live without eating either."
"…Alright, as long as you are happy, that's all that matters."
"You give up more easily than I thought."
It was unexpected.
"You used to try to win at all costs before."
"Because I am an adult now."
"For an adult, I believe you cried at the dinner table."
"…You do remember who made me cry, right?"
"You do remember who made me angry, right?"
"…Oh…."
"I have won again this time."
"…You have a truly shameless side…."
"It is my charm."
I looked at the mermaid who had become so small that I had to bend down for a long time to meet her eyes.
"Can you dig for clams with that body?"
"I often came to dig even when my body was this small, what do you mean by that now?"
"The question was whether you feel any awkwardness with your body having become younger."
"That level of mimicry is easy now."
"Hmm."
A moment later, he asked.
"That gown is mine, I suppose?"
"..."
The mermaid soon replied.
"This doctor's gown?"
"Yes."
"That's right, it's mine now."
"It is fine, as I intended to pass it down to you anyway."
"..."
After quite a long time, the mermaid asked, feigning nonchalance.
"You did?"
"Did you think you took it?"
"..."
"Seeing as there is no answer, you did."
It was true. Aria could not deny my words.
"I never thought you would intend to pass it down to me."
"I intended to pass the doctor's gown to you, Aria, and my priestly robes to Iseur."
"Unfortunately, your priestly robes were torn. By the hands of the Solar Cult."
"I thought as much. Fortunately, the doctor's gown has gone to its owner."
"Truly unexpected."
Aria was still smiling.
"Because we mermaids ruined the life of you, who were human."
"All the tragedies of that time were closer to what humans brought upon themselves."
Giovanni could have chosen not to help the mermaids at all.
The humans could have engaged in a major emotional battle with the mermaids that had no right answer.
This world could have once been a place where humans and mermaids lived together.
"Aria, you have never taken anything of mine."
"Is that really so?"
"That is merely something that I have wholly passed down to you."
"Still so kind."
"Did you wish for me not to be?"
"Perhaps I did."
"But unfortunately…."
In the end, Jio was Jio.
"I find that I do not change so easily."
It could be because I was not one to think deeply.
"In that spirit, shall we dig for clams again?"
"You have a talent for breaking the mood."
"I need to prepare dinner before it gets too late…."
"Hah."
The mermaid grumbled as she readjusted the gown that kept slipping down even though I had folded the sleeves for her.
"I thought you came to talk to me, but you were just a glutton."
"It is good to kill two birds with one stone."
"You really just live as life flows, as expected of Giovanni."
"It seems you still do not know that life is most enjoyable when lived without a plan."
"..."
After a little while, the mermaid asked.
"…Are you happy now?"
The answer was not difficult.
"I always was."
"…How so?"
"Because I always did my best."
"..."
"So, now the clams…."
"Oh, come on."
Although she expressed a slight annoyance, Aria diligently participated in the clam expedition.
***
"We have arrived."
"Kkuu…."
The teddy bear saw the four living creatures who had come, each holding a basket full of clams.
"Kku?"
"Yes, I have also caught Aria and Iseur…."
"Kku."
"Brought them with me."
Since he hadn't heard from her for a while as she was digging for clams, Iseur had also come to Edlen village wondering what was going on.
And there, he discovered his sister in a dress, squatting and digging for clams.
It was the first time I knew that an already pale face could turn so white.
Thus, Iseur was also forced to participate in the clam excavation team.
Iseur looked at the Sun God in the guise of a teddy bear with a peculiar expression.
"..."
"Kkuu."
"…You have become much cuter since I last saw you…."
"Kkukku."
"Is it laughing?"
Seriously?
'What am I looking at?'
Iseur, holding a basket of clams, was already mentally dazed.
The sight of none other than Aria digging for clams with her hands covered in mud was confusing, and his own situation of being naturally dragged along to dig for clams with her and then being brought to the cabin was also confusing.
"Why is the Sun God here…? I did feel the sun's presence disappear, but this is."
"He is a grandfather, so don't be like that. It is not right to show discomfort to an elder who is resting quietly."
"No, no, ah."
Iseur was at a loss for words, but the situation was not much different for his sister, Aria.
"A teddy bear?"
"Kku."
"Are you serious?"
"Kkukukku…."
"Is it laughing?"
Amidst that calm chaos, Honey pattered across the floor and approached the teddy bear.
Then, it spat out a clatter of clams of all sizes.
"Kkuk."
"Kkuu."
"Kkurururu!"
"Kkukku…."
The teddy bear laughed like an old man watching his grandchild's cute antics and clapped with its fluffy cotton paws.
As Honey proudly puffed out its chest, Dana, who was watching, stood next to it and struck the same pose.
The Sun God liked it very much.
"Precious things."
I liked it too.
"..."
"..."
I called out to the speechless mermaids.
"Time to go clean the clams, kids."
"…Are you our dad?"
"I am already the father of two. Any more is a bit much."
"Then, uncle."
"Alright, my niece, want some allowance?"
"Is this fun?"
"It is fun."
"Oh…."
With that bland exclamation, Aria became a statue, and Iseur, unknowingly almost dropping his basket of clams, held it tight and turned his gaze to me.
"Teacher."
"Yes, please speak."
"Do you perhaps have any plans to destroy the Earth…."
"Why would you suddenly ask such a terrible question?"
"Well, the members of the group."
"...?"
I looked around.
"..."
I could not understand.
"There is just one teddy bear, one bird, and one cat, what is the problem with this cute and harmless group?"
"Ah, so that is how you treat them… I understand."
"I don't think you do."
They were a boisterous family even before they had started preparing the clams.
-x-X-x-
Iseur was flustered.
'The Sun God in a teddy bear…? Why…?'
It seemed Jio had inherited his divinity, but even so, it wasn't as if his dignity as a god had completely vanished.
Iseur knew that the god he had once served now resided within the teddy bear before him, with its soft, pale golden fur.
'He seems to want it himself, so I can't say anything about that, and now that Teacher is his only follower, he doesn't really need to be faithful to his role as a god. He could do that, but still, he was a god called the One God, his dignity….'
As someone who had once learned the ways of a priest and was still feigning the role of one, he couldn't help but worry about the god's dignity.
'In the first place, why is a god inside a teddy bear?? Of all things, a teddy bear??'
He couldn't understand.
"…Lord Sun God?"
"Kkuu."
"..."
Why was the cry so cute, too?
"…Do, do you… like that shell?"
"Kku."
"May I hear the intention behind entering the teddy bear?"
"Kkukku, kkuukku… Kkukukku."
"..."
As Iseur couldn't understand at all, Jio translated for him.
"He says it is to eat a meal."
"…Appetite…?"
"He has one."
"Why?"
Did it make sense for a god to have an appetite?
"A god is, well… a god, you know."
"Don't tell me you mean a god shouldn't even eat…?"
"That is not what I meant."
"I understand what you mean."
"You do understand, right?"
"Of course."
Jio's hair had at some point turned platinum blond.
He nodded with the noble smile peculiar to a priest.
"You are wondering why a god, who strictly speaking does not need to eat and feels no such desire, would use the body of a mere teddy bear to have a meal."
"…That is exactly it."
"Regarding that part, it is actually difficult for me to give you a proper explanation as well. I just recklessly visited with meals, and at some point, he started to show greed for food…."
"…Ah…."
Iseur, who now understood a little, let out a sigh of relief.
He had the expression of someone who was relieved after hearing the answer to a difficult problem.
"As expected, the cause was you, Teacher."
"Why is it that whenever something incomprehensible happens, you always say that I am the cause?"
"You're not really asking because you don't know, are you? Surely?"
"Well, anyway."
Jio stacked the clam basket Iseur was holding on top of his own and smiled gently.
"Let's get used to it gradually and start preparing the meal for now, shall we?"
"Meal preparation…."
"There is not much time left until dinner, so we should start cooking soon if we want to prepare enough food to eat."
"Th-that's right."
Iseur, who had been invited in any case, immediately agreed.
In their culture, an invitation to one's home was the same as saying one would serve a meal.
For Iseur, it was more familiar to talk about the meal right away.
"I did not hear the exact details, but what is the menu?"
"Hmm, it will be grilled clams and tomato stew."
"Edlen stew?"
"I suppose so."
In the village of Edlen where they had spent their childhood, tomato stew was known as 'Edlen stew.'
It was a stew boiled using the freshwater and seafood that were the specialties of Edlen village.
"Ah, that's nice…."
At the name he hadn't heard in a long time, Iseur's slightly stiff face relaxed.
"The stew from that village was really delicious. Especially the stew you cooked for us, Teacher, was even more amazing…."
"My cooking skills have not rusted even though some time has passed, so you can look forward to it as much as you like."
Jio, who had nodded, asked, ah.
"I would like one person to help me."
Two pale hands went up at the same time.
"I will."
"I will."
"..."
"..."
The mermaid siblings looked at each other.
"…I will do it."
"I am better at cooking."
"The cooking has always been handled by you, Teacher, and wasn't our role to assist? In that case, I think I would be better than my sister."
"I'm not sure in what sense you think you would be better. A person who is good at cooking is also good at assisting, Iseur."
"I will not back down, on my honor as a mermaid."
"If that is the case, it cannot be helped. According to the tradition of the sea, when opinions do not align, with force…."
At that point, Jio intervened.
"It seems this conversation will get long, so I'll just do it myself."
At those words, the mermaids quickly came to an agreement with rock-paper-scissors.
"I won… I will assist."
"Is that right?"
I wondered if this was right, but it was actually a pretty funny sight, so it didn't matter.
"Come to think of it, we also had rock-paper-scissors in our region."
"Ah, you said Earth has the same culture."
"That is correct. I know it as a game that exists in quite a few countries."
"I see."
Aria, left alone, could only click her tongue.
"I should have trained more."
"Kkuu?"
"Excuse me, sir, but would you mind not acting so friendly?"
"Kkukukku…."
"Are you laughing?"
Jio led Iseur to the kitchen.
"Then shall we wash the clams?"
"This feels just like the old days."
"For that to be so, Iseur has grown a lot."
"I can shrink even now."
"My little Iseur was not only small but also cute, so it is impossible now."
"Ah… am I not cute anymore."
"It's a bit much for a grown-up mass-murdering war criminal mermaid to look cute just by shrinking…."
"Everything you say is right, Teacher."
Iseur readily agreed.
"Now, what can I help you with, Teacher?"
"Hmm… you are certainly not cute."
Seeing the figure of a skilled gentleman without a trace of shyness, Giovanni became a little sad.
"Is this what a parent's heart feels like?"
"We do have our own parents…."
"Mermaids don't fixate on blood relations in the first place, do they."
"In that sense, you were certainly closer to the word 'guardian,' Teacher."
"You don't get jokes, how did you grow up to be such a boring adult."
Jio smiled lightly and took a clam out of the basket.
"It has been a while since I've seen a Sunshine Conch."
"Is that so?"
"There was a time when I wondered why it was called a Sunshine Conch when it grew underground."
The subterranean cavern of Edlen village had a few small holes, through which sunlight and moonlight entered.
Sunshine Conches were usually found hiding in abundance in the areas where such light came in.
"Let's see…."
Sunshine Conch
A conch characterized by its transparent shell and body.
Only females exist, and they reproduce by mating with the all-male Moonlight Conch.
When the sun rises, they come out once every 2 hours to sunbathe before hiding below the water's surface.
When boiled in hot water, the body turns white, but the shell remains the same.
The older the individual, the better the medicinal effects of the shell and body.
They only inhabit the vicinity of Purifying Rocks.
Elixir Recipe: If the body is taken out without boiling and dried in the sun, it becomes like a hard, transparent pebble. Consuming it like a pill is good for vision recovery. The shell retains the warmth of the sun if left in it. Consuming the very hot shell after grinding it finely into a powder is good for heart conditions.
"..."
"Teacher?"
"I did not know it had such medicinal effects."
As a doctor, it was a bit absurd that it could be used for vision recovery or heart conditions.
"Heart conditions…."
"Teacher…?"
"Does your heart hurt by any chance, Iseur?"
"You have a look similar to my sister's when she expects a test subject, but unfortunately, I am very healthy."
Iseur said with a neat smile.
"Of course, if you wish, I will go and catch one right now."
"Are you saying you will harm a person in front of me, a doctor and a priest? How much more responsibility do you intend to bear?"
"Would not a beast in the shape of a person be suitable as a test subject? One who does not deserve to be human…."
"If it is a beast who has committed child sex crimes, I might be able to agree."
"You are the same as ever, I will keep that in mind."
"But it is still surprising."
He had never imagined that the 'Sunshine Conch' from his region possessed such medicinal properties.
Even though it was a specialty of Edlen village, it wasn't that precious, and it was common as it was found everywhere.
"Many people used to grind the shell to use as paint."
"Did you not do so as well, Teacher? You especially used clam paint when drawing mermaids."
"That is correct, I thought it would be nice if the paint also smelled of the sea when I painted the sea."
But he did not know that the powder could treat heart conditions.
"..."
He had researched it separately before, but he had never discovered such an effect.
"…Is this an effect I can see because the current me has changed…."
"…Have you changed?"
"I have changed in many ways."
He had gone from being human to a portrait.
"Anyway, what's good is good."
Tadah.
I stopped thinking.
"My ultimate positive mindset does not change according to the meaning of my own existence."
"I do not know what an ultimate positive mindset is, but perhaps it would be okay for it to change a little…."
"Must we really live so tiresomely? This teacher does not think so, Iseur."
"With that way of thinking, how can you be confident that you are an ordinary human being."
"Because my life is not changed by the gazes of others."
Having only reconfirmed his firm self-esteem, I continued to observe the Sunshine Conch.
"Seeing it after a long time, I can feel that it is a really pretty clam."
It was a conch with a shell that shone cleanly like a jewel, and the pentagonal pyramid-shaped shell showed numerous layers as if it had grown many times.
It was a sparkle that looked as if a picture had been drawn on it.
"Because it was so pretty, it was often made into accessories."
"Yes, I believe you also made a toy to hang on the window with it, Teacher."
"Because it shines so beautifully when the sunlight hits it."
It emitted various colors here and there, just like a triangular prism.
"Ah, dear."
The creature living inside had tucked its already transparent body deep inside, but perhaps because its body was so transparent like glass, it was hard to see the creature even through this prism-like shell.
"The shell won't be damaged even if it's boiled anyway, so I can just boil it as it is. It's a creature that survives on sunlight without swallowing mud, so I can just wash it clean and boil it without taking any special measures."
"I… remember that as well, but…."
"I was just recalling it, so you do not have to worry too much. My heart is fluttering at the thought of preparing these clams after such a long time."
Next, what I picked up was the one that had been stuck to the cavern wall.
'This is similar to an abalone.'
The shell was much blacker and smoother than an abalone's, but other elements were quite similar to an abalone.
Especially its white, wide flesh.
"I think the name of this was…."
"It was probably Black Tray Clam."
"Ah, that's right."
Black Tray Clam
A clam famous for its white flesh that contrasts with its pitch-black, plain shell.
It is a high-end ingredient and a delicate clam that cooks with a slight increase in temperature.
The shell's black color is considered beautiful and is also known as an ingredient for paint.
Be careful as the flesh will cook if held by a human hand.
"It has an appearance that cannot be anything but delicious."
I smiled contentedly and washed all the black clams.
This one also did not eat mud, so no separate degritting process was needed.
"Next is this one. Do you remember, Iseur?"
"I remember that you particularly liked it, Teacher."
"Because the texture is good. When eaten raw, it's as tender as pudding, and when cooked, it's as chewy as meat…."
Club Trumpet
A clam with a light brown shell that lives vertically hidden in the mud.
It was named Club Trumpet because its flesh resembles a wooden club and its shell resembles a trumpet.
The inside is filled with light yellow flesh, and its texture is very tender.
However, be careful as it gets tough quickly if too much heat is applied.
In a word, it was close to just 'a clam with a long adductor muscle inside.'
"Ha, I need to sell this in Korea."
"Please calm down."
It was the worldly priest Jio, once again.