Park Eun-gyeom was not the only one dragged into the "City of the Void."
"Uh…? Uh, wh-where am I…."
A certain C-Class Hunter who tried to kill his team member and take their items.
"Keuk? Ugh… what? Which bastard… huh?"
A civilian who committed an unprovoked assault on a passerby while drunk.
"…Could this be the 'City of the Void'?"
A B-Class Hunter who had been moving forward by using his companions as bait.
It didn't matter if they were Hunters or civilians.
They all struggled in the "City of the Void" following the same path as Park Eun-gyeom, and since they couldn't meet the master of this dungeon, the Black Cape, they simply became a piece of a painting.
"I, I was invited and visited the 'City of the Void'!!"
And some returned safely, having been given a thrilling experience.
"I was walking down the street at dawn and met the Black Cape. I was throwing trash into a trash can…."
"You did such a small, good deed? You, who never does that?"
"Fuck, yeah, honestly, I've been doing that lately because I wanted to get the snacks the Black Cape gives."
"You crazy bastard, you're lucky to have come back alive. I don't know whether to report this to the Association or not…. So?"
"Instead of a snack, I asked if I could be invited to the 'City of the Void', so I went."
The passerby, who was helped by the Black Cape, was able to safely appreciate the "City of the Void" and get out.
It was an incredibly brave challenge for a non-Hunter, but thanks to it, he gained something to boast about for the rest of his life.
"It was so cool, really. Sometimes a Black Suit would pop out and just look at me… Do you know Hunter Lee Seong-jin?"
"I do, he's the B-Class Hunter who's presumed to have been dragged into the 'City of the Void' this time. Don't tell me you…."
"I saw that hunter there! No, I mean, he was all blotched with black… so I wasn't even sure if he was human."
Then, the Black Suit with Hunter Lee Seong-jin's voice spoke.
"He said that was him."
Unless it was a necessary situation, the Black Suit did not imitate the human it had stolen.
It simply remained in the form of a stylish black suit, with the weighty and polite gestures of a gentleman, requesting interaction with the voice and face of a certain human.
"I was seriously so creeped out. It was totally crazy, amazing…!"
"You, you… you've done something absolutely insane? Who crawls into a dungeon on their own two feet, you bastard."
"But it was worth risking my life for! That place is practically a work of art!"
Cases like this popped up every now and then, causing people to murmur.
Some people were forcibly dragged away. Some were pulled out of the paintings at the plea of their families, but among them, some committed evil acts again and became paint, while others repented and lived diligent lives.
"I want to go to the 'City of the Void' once too."
"They say not to do it if you have something to hide. Are you clean?"
"Nah, I'm about average, average."
The safest way to get invited was to ask the Black Cape for an invitation instead of a gift.
One could also request an invitation in front of the "City of the Void," but if judged to be an evil person, they would be forcibly dragged in on the spot.
This was not something that only happened among those who simply enjoyed danger.
"A work that you can not only see but also enter directly, it's amazing."
"I heard there's a lot to feel just by appreciating the Black Cape's work. They say it's small yet vast."
"Have you heard about the safest way to get invited to the 'City of the Void'?"
"They say if you encounter the Black Cape after doing a good deed, you can exchange the gift for an invitation…."
Even gentle people who enjoyed art shared stories about it.
"Who could enter a work of art and appreciate it from within?"
If one could enter Vincent van Gogh's representative work, 'The Starry Night,' and view the world of that painting, who could refuse?
Those who prided themselves on enjoying art were excited about the Black Cape's work.
"I heard the style of painting changes depending on the theme of the work."
"Isn't that being fickle? An artist should have their own style."
"No, if a work is rich with things to appreciate upon viewing it, can you say the one who painted it is not an artist?"
"The Black Cape is a good artist. The moment you see his work, you can tell what the Black Cape is trying to say."
"That could simply be because it's a monster."
"In an age where numerous gallery artists use skills to create their works, what does that matter?"
"That's right, that point could actually be an advantage."
"If the Black Cape has a painting style, it would be the fact that his paintings are existing worlds."
"Thinking of it that way, for sure…. It's also a work with a clear message."
As the "City of the Void" fully revealed itself to the world, some changes occurred in that world as well.
"Uh… what are you doing now?"
"I'm looking for trash."
"Why are you so hell-bent on finding trash?"
"This is a place where the 'Black Cape' is said to appear frequently."
"Ah, the Black Cape."
In places where the Black Cape was particularly often sighted, it was hard to find any trash.
This was because street cleaning was the easiest and most frequent good deed one could do without much effort.
"I came out again today because I don't know when the Black Cape will show up…."
"Well, uh, keep up the good work."
"Yes, thank you. It's cold, so please get home safely."
Some, to taste the snacks given by the Black Cape. Some, to be invited to the work called "City of the Void."
And others, to interact with the famous monster of late, continued to perform small good deeds.
Just as they were getting tired of it, someone shouted in delight and boasted.
"Hey, look at this! It's a gift I got from the Black Cape?"
"The Black Cape? Crazy, this isn't a snack? What is it, the scent is really nice."
"It's flower tea, flower tea. I'm the first person to get something like this, right?"
A woman who secretly bought bungeoppang for a Carnation Child out of pity was gifted 'flower tea'.
"What, it wasn't all snacks?"
"So there was a tier to the Black Cape's gifts…."
"I heard it's almost at the level of a potion."
"It's too good a gift for a civilian to receive."
"Fuck, I'm so jealous."
Furthermore, hearing that the flower tea's effects were mind-blowingly good, a few people approached the woman with bad intentions, but they soon gave up after receiving the gaze of the "City of the Void" for a month.
In particular, one who almost harmed the woman was dragged right into a frame.
"The aftercare is clean too."
Whether civilian or Awakener, a situation had been created where there was no reason not to try.
Of course, on the other hand, some of those who had habitually committed evil deeds became intimidated.
Being mindful of the "City of the Void" that could appear anywhere, they found themselves constantly checking their own actions.
"…Shit, who does a damn monster think it is…."
"My pride is hurt, I can't do this, fucking hell."
Yet, they couldn't just run wild as they pleased.
It was due to the ingrained habit of being strong against the weak and weak against the strong.
They knew what a horrifying situation a few people, starting with Park Eun-gyeom, had faced.
Sensing this trend, the Association displayed something.
"Huh? Hey, that thing in front of the Association…."
"What is it? Paint? Bait?"
"No, the color is a bit weird."
It was Park Eun-gyeom, who had become the first villain of the "City of the Void."
"…Why does that thing look alive?"
"D-don't be ridiculous. You're saying that's alive?"
"Is the Association really crazy… isn't this a human rights violation?"
"If you want to end up like that, just keep spouting bullshit."
"…Whoa… that's creepy…."
Those who hadn't read the Association's notice didn't know the exact circumstances, but it was clear that it was living paint. For some reason, one could tell just by looking at it.
It was, in effect, a blatant demonstration of how terrible a life one had to lead if branded a villain by the "City of the Void."
"Is it okay for the Association to come out like this, borrowing the power of a monster?"
"I don't know what you mean. We were just trying to inform you of the dangers of the 'City of the Void'."
It was a ploy that anyone could see through, with the ulterior motive of 'the current trend created by the Black Cape isn't bad, so let's maintain it'.
However, the Association feigned ignorance, claiming it was 'only to raise awareness as more people have been rashly approaching the Black Cape lately'.
The few who knew of the Source's existence and the Gardeners realized that this was the Association's intention to limit the Black Cape's 'story' in a way that was beneficial to human conscience and rules.
"I wonder what they'll do if the Black Cape's story becomes too massive because the Association acknowledged it."
"It's not a monster stuck in some corner, and it's a being quite close to the Source to be a simple monster. This is better."
"Right, if it's a being that keeps appearing among people, the story is bound to get bigger anyway."
"So, should we try to build an image so that the Black Cape moves in a direction beneficial to humans?"
"It's a gain if we can take this opportunity to limit the direction of the highly active Black Cape. I understand."
"Still, it's a bold move for something like that. They must have been in a hurry because it's a rare being that directly affects humans."
"It's better to prepare before something happens rather than clean up after it does. Especially if it's a matter of a story."
"It could be a strong stimulus for monster-haters. It will provoke some severe backlash."
"Well, the Association will handle that well, won't they? They have a lot of competent people over there."
Besides, there was no one who could strongly oppose the Association.
"Those who are dissatisfied with the Association's management, please contact me."
It was because the Association President, Dan Hae-ra, had stepped forward herself.
In a world where human rights were already treated as empty words, the citizens who were leading safe lives in the city with the help of the Association couldn't think of defying them.
Only a few who had been secretly committing acts that could be called criminal were seething.
"...."
There was another person who benefited from this trend.
"What the hell."
It was an F-Class Hunter Cha Ara.
"Brother, I just earned some money."
"What nonsense is that?"
"The people who abandoned me in the dungeon last time gave me compensation money."
"How much?"
"Uh… enough to replace the electric blanket, at least?"
"Talking about electric blankets when it's almost spring."
Although not a very common case, there were a couple of instances where the Black Cape would appraise a human's good and evil based on a victim's appeal.
As a result, if the Black Cape judged the perpetrator to be evil, they would suffer something unfortunate.
This was why Cha Ara was only now being compensated for something that happened a long time ago.
"Then should we fix the ceiling? It's been drafty."
"Maybe save some of it. I'm not selling bungeoppang anymore, so I need to save up for a while."
"That sounds better. You'll be home for a while then, oppa? What are you going to do?"
"I should start managing the vegetable patch. The weather is warming up…."
"If you're going to try making money from farming, oppa, I'll help with the fieldwork for a while."
"Forget it, a Hunter should do Hunter work, why are you touching soil."
"What are you going to plant?"
"Hmm… I'm thinking of potatoes and lettuce for now."
While they were chatting, the topic shifted to the youngest.
"What's Cha Isol up to?"
"He's probably eating well."
"Did he get a girlfriend recently?"
"No… they were just really close friends."
"Too bad, I thought the youngest was learning about love."
"What's a palm-sized kid going to learn about love?"
Cha Eun-hyeok clicked his tongue.
"I heard he's going for his practical training soon."
"Huh? Why didn't I hear about it?"
"He called the day before yesterday, but you weren't home."
"Ah, I want to hear the youngest's voice too… I want to talk to the youngest too…."
"You have to be home to talk to him."
"Our little cotton candy is already going for practical training."
"That's just you seeing him through rose-colored glasses, he's not at a cotton candy level."
"He melts in water."
"So do we."
The Cha family, for generations, would melt if they entered stagnant water.
They were people who had a hard time soaking for a long time.
"Anyway, I told him to summon the Black Cape if things seem to be going to hell."
"Is this oppa crazy, ruining the kid's life? That's like telling him to summon a demon."
"It's more moderate than a demon…. Hey. Still, it's better to have your life a bit twisted than to die."
"Honestly, it's hard to say which is better between a clean death and a properly twisted life."
"No, I saw last time, the Black Cape cherishes our youngest."
"Th-that's true, but…."
"He might be annoyed for being called for a personal reason, but it's better than actually dying, I'm telling you."
"...."
Cha Ara, who had kept her mouth shut, asked.
"…So what's that gentleman up to?"
"Looking at the news, it seems he's living an interesting life."
"Hasn't his appearance become a bit less frequent lately?"
"His sightings have definitely decreased compared to winter."
"Feels like everyone is finally calming down."
"Rather than that, it feels like he's settling in, which is creepy."
"Like, that thing, the national mandatory vaccinations…."
"Right, that. It feels exactly like that."
The city, which had been noisy with stories of the Black Cape, was gradually returning to its usual self.
There were still people running around to meet the Black Cape, and people who restrained themselves to avoid being marked as evil by him, but it felt much calmer and had returned to daily life.
"This planet will be with the Black Cape until it dies…."
"Fuck, saying it like that makes it twice as creepy."
"It just feels like everyone has adapted, and the Black Cape is also less active."
Cha Eun-hyeok, who had even had a meal with him, asked.
"But, isn't 'Mr. Seo Jio' going to be active?"
"Setting aside the fact that I don't know why you're asking me that, Mr. Seo Jio?"
"The Black… that… that person's… identity, you know. The one from the 'Temple of the Deep Sea'…."
"Ah, ahh…."
Cha Ara nodded.
"…Come to think of it?"
Did the Black Cape have no intention of using his human identity?
-x-X-x-
There were generally two ways for a new employee to join The Collectors.
"I saw a new face today."
"Really? Did the Guild Master sweet-talk someone again?"
First, the Guild Master, Bisabeol, would pick someone up off the street.
"No, there were several of them."
"Then it seems he's raided somewhere again."
"No wonder he looked so happy…."
"It's the Guild Master's time-honored hobby."
Second, he would raid an illegal guild and pick up talented individuals.
"I didn't see anything on the news."
"It must not have been that big of a guild."
The Collectors usually replenished its staff through the Collector's knack for picking people up.
Since the guild itself was no different from Bisabeol's display case for his collection, it was, in a way, a matter of course.
When there was one new face, it was highly likely that Bisabeol had sweet-talked someone off the street, but if several were seen at the same time, the latter was more probable.
This time, it meant he had blatantly raided some guild.
"They're still interns, right? I hope they join our team."
"They looked sturdy, so I think they'll go to the Gallery side."
"Hey, is being sturdy all it takes?"
"I think they'll probably have them try out curator work as a taster."
"The company has grown a lot lately, so it's a bit tough…."
"What can you do when the Gallery is pretty much the main body of our company."
The work of The Collectors was, first, managing the gallery; second, managing funds; and third, exploring dungeons.
The biggest business of The Collectors, which had a strong image of a corporation that dealt with numbers and money, was by far the Gallery.
A different world filled with beautiful and bizarre works.
Those who knew its essence were captivated by the rare power, and those drunk on romance praised the gallery's splendor.
Bisabeol's Gallery was the face of The Collectors.
"It seems there's a high chance they'll become full-time employees."
"But if that happens…."
The existing employees murmured at the appearance of the new faces.
"Will the newbies get that notice too?"
The 'that notice' mentioned here referred to the 'Black Cape Safety Rules.'
"..."
"..."
"…No, seriously, this is a bit…."
"…If the newbies don't become full-time employees, it might leak outside."
"Honestly, it's blatantly about the Black Cape, are they going to tell them this?"
"But if they're assigned to the Gallery, it seems like we should tell them, humanely."
"I still don't think this is right. If things go wrong, it won't end with just one or two people dying."
"A few newbies dying is cheaper than having the Republic of Korea in an uproar because of a monster."
"No, I'm saying that 'Mr. Seo Jio' might get provoked by the newbies and the damage could come to us."
Only those who didn't know any better felt a sense of friendliness towards the 'Black Cape'; anyone with some sense was wary, thinking 'it's still a monster in the end'.
The humanoid monsters of this era were undeniably objects of fear.
This was especially true for the employees of The Collectors, who knew a little more about the Black Cape than ordinary citizens.
Only the curators would dote on those insane artworks, calling them 'my babies', while ordinary employees still feared and were wary of the Black Cape.
"I heard its class is quite high."
"They said even evil gods are treated as a type of monster, so maybe…?"
"It seems to be quite docile, but we can't be complacent."
"Anyway, it's hard to know what's on a monster's mind."
"What's there to know? They probably just hate humans."
"There hasn't been any major damage yet, but there's no harm in being cautious."
The more that was the case, the more important the recruitment of curators became.
"I think the reason he raided for new employees this time is all because of the Black Cape."
"True, it must be hard for one person to handle such a tremendous being. Mr. Yu Seong-un looked like he was about to die."
"Our curators do make money by putting their lives on the line."
In The Collectors' Gallery, incidents where people died several times a month, someone got injured, or someone suffered a permanent disability were common.
As it was a job managing beings that ordinary humans could not handle, the mental toll was said to be immense.
"I heard the Association's research institute has better control, can't we go in that direction too?"
"The Collectors' Gallery has an image to maintain. The Guild Master himself has practically set up a home with the artworks, do you think he'd just let that go?"
"I can clearly see a future where he throws a fit, asking how we can be so heartless. Actually, I don't think this atmosphere is bad."
"True, our gallery's style is quite provocative. We benefit a lot from that too…. We have high name recognition."
"There will be a parade in the spring, and that's definitely something a boring place like a research institute can't do. Only our curators can pull it off."
"I think there are pros and cons. It's unstable as it relies on sociability and trust rather than control, but its utility increases."
The employees' consciousness, having re-affirmed the raison d'être of Bisabeol's Gallery, once again turned to the fresh manpower that had just come in.
"Looking at the state of the curators these days, it's about time for a change of water."
"New people have to come in so the existing ones can take vacations."
"I'm telling you, you can't do this unless you're crazy for money or art. Poor people, always working overtime. They can't even go home."
"They must be more hands-on than a newborn, where would they find the time to rest?"
"A newborn doesn't kill people just because you pay a little less attention to it. Every time new blood comes in, someone gets hurt in the Gallery, it's going to happen again."
"For the time being, it would be best to keep a close eye on the Gallery. People dying or getting hurt is unavoidable, but it shouldn't harm the company as a whole."
"They're newbies, are they going to send them all the way to the 5th floor? Nothing will probably happen. Ah, I thought someone was joining our team…."
"Let's cut them some slack. The curators need a break too. Anyway, the newbies who aren't a good fit for the Gallery will be moved to an office job."
Just as the employees speculated, the new recruits this time were indeed selected for the management of the Gallery.
"..."
"..."
"..."
They were in the midst of being awkward.
"Oh, you're the new faces. Are you curators?"
"…Ah, yes, I was told I'll be in charge of the Gallery side…."
"You'll be moving around the 1st floor mainly since you're newbies, but be careful."
"Thank you."
The newbies fidgeted as the existing employees greeted them casually as they passed by.
'This is The Collectors… the building is really nice.'
'Am I allowed to be here?'
'Curator? I've never done anything like that.'
'I have to seize this opportunity no matter what.'
'I don't want to go back to that guild….'
This was the typical behavior seen in the newbies Bisabeol had brought in after raiding an illegal guild.
They had enough conscience and the will to improve to work at a proper guild, but they were bewildered by the opportunity that had suddenly fallen upon them.
One person approached such newbies.
"Welcome, interns."
It was Yu Seong-un, who had been asked by Bisabeol to conduct the first curator training.
"My name is Yu Seong-un, and I will be providing you with some brief information about The Collectors' Gallery."
"Ah, hello."
"Hello…."
"You must have received the basic training, so let's move right away."
Led by Yu Seong-un, the new curators took the elevator down.
The curator-exclusive elevator was just big enough for six people to barely fit and since there were exactly six of them including Yu Seong-un, it felt cramped.
Ignoring the tightness, Yu Seong-un explained.
"It's a bit crowded today since it's the first day and we're all moving together, but from tomorrow, you will each have a designated curator. You'll be assigned different times, so it won't be as crowded as today, so you don't have to worry."
At that, one of the newbies asked.
"Excuse me, is there a reason it's smaller than the elevator for general staff? Shouldn't it be bigger to move things from the Gallery?"
"Good question. In case of disadvantages such as accompanying a dangerous artwork or being cursed by one, the maximum capacity is kept low with the assumption that everyone inside the elevator might die."
Yu Seong-un answered calmly.
"For the same reason, the curator-exclusive elevator usually carries only two to four people. Artworks too large to be transported by the elevator use the freight elevator or a movement skill, but this is handled by more experienced curators, so you don't need to worry about it yet."
"…With the assumption that everyone might die, it's made this small…?"
"It's not a common occurrence, but it happens from time to time. Most of them are incidents that occurred due to rash actions without following the Gallery's instructions, so if you listen well to your designated curator, the probability of experiencing such an event is low. Above all, artworks with which you've properly built a rapport tend to become generally safe."
"Ah, yes, I'll be careful. Thank you."
"Since the gallery is located deep underground, it takes a long time to go down. The place we are heading to is the 1st basement floor, where the safest artworks in The Collectors' Gallery are gathered. There are also artworks that play pranks on the elevator, so it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with the descent time for each floor."
The elevator arrived, and Yu Seong-un, who had gotten off on the 1st basement floor, looked back at the newbies.
"Welcome to The Collectors' Gallery."
His voice was still calm, but not a single one of the newbies could open their mouths.
"..."
"..."
Their breath caught in their throats.
They were people Bisabeol had brought in, thinking they had the qualities of a curator, and as such, they had a high tolerance for fear of danger and pain, but even so, they felt intimidated.
A confusion, heaviness, and immensity so great it was hard to breathe pervaded this gallery.
Yu Seong-un spoke to the newbies who were looking around the all-white space with pale faces.
"I believe you are all at least C-Class."
At that, the newbies, who had come to their senses, answered in turn.
"I'm C-Class."
"Me too…."
"I'm B-Class."
"B-Class."
"…A-Class."
Yu Seong-un nodded his head.
"There are exceptions, but usually, the higher your grade, the deeper the underground gallery you are assigned to. The B-Class Hunters may not know, but the Hunter who said they are A-Class should keep that in mind."
"…Yes, thank you for the advice. I'll work hard."
"The pay and benefits also increase as you go further underground. If you do not wish for it, you can consult with the HR team to adjust your placement, so you don't have to worry about being forced into danger."
Yu Seong-un led the newbies, slowly moving forward as he explained the gallery.
"You don't need to remember all the artworks in the gallery, but it's a good idea to at least memorize the location and characteristics of the artworks on the 1st floor and the floor you are assigned to. You need to be able to handle basic problems if they arise."
"Yes, understood."
"Artworks that are actively active are often stored separately, and it's rare for a newbie to manage one, but it might happen later. There are sections that require proof of identity, so please remember that… You will also need to familiarize yourself with the distress call devices installed in the gallery."
In addition to that, Yu Seong-un continued with the most basic training.
The structure of the gallery, the locations where dangerous artworks were placed, the tasks that new curators had to do, and so on…. Since the gallery was so vast, it took quite a long time just to look around one floor.
Having returned to the front of the elevator, Yu Seong-un opened his mouth.
"You don't need to remember the details of artworks other than the ones I've explained. Of course, remembering them will further guarantee your survival and safety, but the most important thing is how to deal with artworks that show aggression."
"Yes, Curator Yu Seong-un."
"Your designated curator will tell you which artworks you need to know and understand deeply, or form a rapport with. If your capabilities are recognized, you will be in charge of more than one artwork, and please keep in mind that it may be difficult to exercise your right to refuse in this regard."
A newbie asked.
"Floor assignments can be requested, so why is it difficult to request an artwork assignment?"
"Because the gallery is short on management personnel."
"Ah… is it because they all died…?"
"That's part of it."
He couldn't exactly say no.
This gallery, which maximized the utility and intimacy of the artworks in exchange for not having perfect control like the Association's research institute, usually offered the curators' lifespan and health as the price for its splendor.
It was literally a gallery that ground down humans, but it was a system that could be maintained because the value of the artworks was much higher than that of an average person. It was a structure commonly seen in the world these days.
"The job of a curator is mentally and physically exhausting, so even if you're in charge of one artwork, you need periodic rest. There needs to be frequent rotation, but if that's not possible, the number of artworks you're in charge of will increase, as I just mentioned."
Yu Seong-un smiled calmly.
"However, we do not assign tasks that a curator is completely incapable of handling, or tasks that openly threaten their life, like a human sacrifice."
It was a world where one could never say their life was more valuable than the artworks here, but that didn't mean Bisabeol neglected the safety of his curators either.
It was just that the variables of injury and death existed; Bisabeol cherished what was his.
If his employees had to die, he wished for their end to be sublime and artistic.
"You must remember that this is the nation of the Collector."
"..."
"You have come to this place showing the potential to become the Guild Master's collection. The Guild Master treasures his collection considerably, so if you are promoted to a full-time employee, you will have no personal safety issues."
"Ah…."
"As long as you are not lazy or do anything stupid. Our Guild Master likes diligent and competent people. You may use this as a reference for your personal development."
After saying that, Yu Seong-un's eyes curved deeply.
"Always remember that what you will be dealing with from now on are the most dangerous and sensitive beings on Earth. In this gallery, an attitude of contemplating dozens, hundreds of times to make a prudent choice, while also at times making bold choices based on your intuition, is necessary."
It was a contradictory piece of advice, but that was the reality. Curators, who had to care for their artworks with affection and sincerity, could not survive simply by following the manual.
Yu Seong-un shrugged his shoulders.
"If both you and the company decide that the job of a curator is not suitable for your aptitude, you will be assigned to other duties. Due to the shortage of personnel in the gallery, everyone is receiving this training as a priority, but it's not mandatory."
"Ah, then, what are some of the other duties?"
"It would be things like processing company documents or going on explorations to find works to be displayed at the auction house or gallery. If you want a stable life, an office job would be good, and if you want to work according to your ability and be rewarded for it, a field job would be good."
It was the same for curators in that they were rewarded according to their ability and results, but it was considered an exception in that it was much more dangerous than a general field job.
If you valued your life, it was better to take on the company's general duties.
"This concludes the essential training I have for you today. If you have a strong will to work as a curator or have any remaining questions about this place, you may look around a little more."
"..."
"Hmm, no one. Then I will record in the log that everyone is leaving the gallery with me. Your designated curator will inform you, but let's make it a habit to fill out the gallery entry and exit log every time we take the elevator."
Nodding his head, Yu Seong-un asked.
"I will now take questions."
"…Is there something different if you become a full-time employee?"
"Whether you work as a curator or do any other job, the benefits will increase."
Was he sorting out information that could be told to an intern?
After thinking about something for a moment, Yu Seong-un continued.
"In addition to that, you will have your own identity on the portal that only full-time employees can access."
The 'own identity' mentioned here meant that their citizen grade would go up.
If they were officially employed, they would be issued a 2nd-class Citizen ID, up from their current 4th or 5th-class.
If they were lucky, if they worked harder, a 1st-class Citizen ID was not a dream but a reality.
The eyes of the newbies were filled with anxiety and desperation.
"What is this portal that only full-time employees can access?"
"You can think of it as similar to a general company's exclusive portal. There is information and a community that only the employees of that company can see."
"Could an intern be at a disadvantage due to such a difference in information… is there…."
"To be frank, I can't say there isn't. But it's not as big of a disadvantage as you might think, and I can say that there is a definite difference in treatment."
Having said that much, Yu Seong-un paused for a moment.
"..."
"…Curator-nim?"
"And if I may give you one piece of advice."
He continued with the same calm smile as before.
"Our company has one person on the dawn shift team named Seo Jio."
"…Dawn shift team? What's that? Is it like a part-time job?"
"It's a similar concept, a kind of special force. He's also an unofficial hunter who hasn't debuted in the media. He shows his face at the company from time to time, so you might run into him."
"What kind of person is this Seo Jio… Seeing as you're telling us this separately, is there something we should be careful about?"
"He is a good and polite person. As long as you don't do anything rude first, he won't get angry either, so I hope you won't be too surprised if you happen to meet him."
"…Does he look a bit scary…?"
"Well, pretty much."
Yu Seong-un nodded his head.
"He wears a black cape."
"…A black cape?"
"He's having trouble because his image overlaps with the recently famous Black Cape. He's someone who originally enjoyed wearing a black cape, but he happened to hear that he looks similar to a dangerous monster…."
"Ah, I see. A similar image…."
"..."
After a moment of silence, Yu Seong-un finally opened his mouth.
"…He is The Collectors' unofficial special force. He inspects the overall atmosphere of the company and walks around, so you might encounter him in the hallway or the gallery. I am telling you this in advance so you don't mistake him for an intruder."
At Yu Seong-un's words, the expressions of two of the newbies hardened. It seemed they had guessed something, but Yu Seong-un didn't reveal anything more and concluded his explanation there.
"It was a pleasure to meet you."
"Yes, Curator Yu Seong-un."
"I hope to see you again as one family without any trouble."
He gave a small smile.
The purpose of The Collectors' Gallery was, in the end, management, sales, and exhibition.
Created solely to cherish Bisabeol's collection, this place required sociability, not control of the artworks.
Would these new recruits be able to harbor an irrational affection for those insane artworks?
"I hope you adapt without any trouble."
The first training for the newbies was over.
***
"..."
"Hello."
And so the day drew to a close.
"Are you all right?"
"…Ah…?"
"I'm glad to see you're not hurt."
One of the newbies came face to face with a certain blond man.
He spoke.
"My name is Seo Jio."
"..."
"What is your name?"
"..."
"I'm curious about your name."
The eyes that held the sea, smiled.
"Will you speak with me?"
It happened at 5:13 in the morning.
-x-X-x-
The woman was not one for a good night's sleep.
Even when all the newbies who had received their first day of training at The Collectors were asleep, the woman could not fall asleep.
For the past few years, she had spent many sleepless nights worrying that she might fall behind.
The insomnia that resulted from this had tormented her relentlessly. It was inevitable.
"…At a time like this, I should be studying even one more thing…."
She had no ambition to speak of, but there was a desperation born from her unfavorable situation.
She didn't want to become someone great or be in the spotlight, but she was one of those who longed for what is called 'ordinary happiness.'
"I've memorized all the handouts The Collectors gave me."
The woman was a Carnation Child, having grown up working under a hunter in an illegal guild.
For her, who had always been looking for a moment to step into the light, the hand offered by the collector Bisabeol this time was a golden opportunity.
"I'm not the only newbie, and above all, I'm the lowest C-Class among my peers… I don't even know if I'll be hired. I can't just let go of this chance to receive the protection of one of the top three guilds in the Republic of Korea."
The place the woman was currently in was The Collectors' dormitory.
"…The company itself is open 24 hours, right…."
The woman gathered her clothes and headed to The Collectors' building.
It was a little past 4 in the morning.
The guard at the entrance rounded his eyes at the sight of the woman visiting at a time when there were few employees working.
He, who was in charge of the entrance, knew the faces of all the employees.
That was no different for the newbies.
"You're one of the new ones, right?"
"Ah, yes, yes. That's right."
"I heard you were assigned to the Gallery, do you have work already?"
"Well… I don't know if this is allowed, but I wanted to try and get adjusted…."
"So you're saying you don't have any specific work."
"…Is it not allowed?"
"You are responsible for everything that happens from now on, so it's not that it's not allowed."
When the guard pointed to the entrance gate, the woman hurriedly scanned her employee ID.
After safely getting inside, the woman bowed her head to the guard.
"Um, thank you."
"Why thank me for an employee coming to work."
As if he was quite the friendly type, the guard with an amiable impression naturally struck up a conversation.
"If you're going to the Gallery, it would be best not to approach the 1st basement floor. There are still about two people working in the 1st-floor gallery, so if there's anything you don't know, you can ask them."
"Is that okay? I'm not disturbing them, am I…."
"They're the ones who are obligated to be there during a sleepy time anyway. They'd probably be happy to have someone to talk to. They're kind of on night watch duty."
"…Thank you for letting me know."
"You're working so hard, I hope to see you as a full-time employee soon. I know you must be in a hurry, but take your time with the elevator."
"..."
The woman, who had bowed her head, went deeper into the building.
'The lights are on so brightly even though it's dawn.'
Perhaps for the employees working the night shift, there wasn't a single place where the lights were off.
Despite that, she suddenly felt a chill in the silence where not a single person could be seen, but the woman steadfastly headed for the gallery's elevator.
The sound of her own shoes walking down the hallway sounded particularly loud.
The elevator that Curator Yu Seong-un had shown her during the day could only be reached by a rather complicated route.
"..."
The woman, having even verified her identity with her employee ID, pressed the golden button. Perhaps because no one had left for the day, the elevator doors took a long time to open.
"…Ah, the entry log."
The paper log hanging on the elevator wall caught her eye.
"I think he said to make it a habit."
Did that apply to her as well, who wasn't a full-time employee?
"Hmm…."
The woman hesitated for a moment before writing her name in the log.
As a non-combat type hunter, the woman had no ability to bring back special items from dungeons, and because she was born into poverty and grew up in an illegal guild without any education, her administrative skills were also lacking.
'But he said the most important thing in the Collector's Gallery is the affection for the artworks.
He said they wouldn't assign an artwork beyond my capabilities, so if it's just about putting my heart and soul into it, I can do well in this gallery too.'
With the desire to remain in her current position if possible, the woman wrote down the letters, one by one.
"Destination… Basement, 1st floor…."
Having briefly described her purpose, the woman placed the golden fountain pen back in its original position.
"…If they don't tie things like this down, won't someone steal it?"
But then again, this was one of the top three guilds in the Republic of Korea. It seemed unlikely that anyone would be that audacious.
An elevator where ivory and gold harmonized beautifully.
Before pressing the button, the woman unknowingly took in its elegance.
The brightly lit elevator, maintained cleanly without a speck of dust, had a somewhat classical feel to it.
'…Come to think of it, it's strange for an elevator in a large corporation like this to have metal buttons. The paper log too. Is this a design to enhance the classic image of the gallery?'
Just then, the woman suddenly felt a chill.
"..."
The atmosphere was much stranger than when she had seen it during the day.
"…Maybe because I'm riding it alone, it's definitely scary…."
When there were many people, it was a bit cramped but not scary.
This was the gallery of The Collectors, which was said to exhibit the most bizarre and dangerous artworks in the world.
If she was selected as a full-time employee after the training period, she would have to ride it alone from then on, so she needed to get used to this creepiness in advance.
'Right, once I'm assigned my artwork, I have to build a proper rapport. If I get scared starting from the elevator, what will I do later?'
Just as she made that resolution and was about to press the elevator button.
"..."
The woman tilted her head.
"…The buttons…?"
They were all for the 4th floor.
"…W-what's wrong with this? This shouldn't be happening, right?"
At that moment, the woman recalled the handout from The Collectors that she thought she had memorized completely back at the dormitory.
To be precise, it was the phrase written about what to be careful of when using the gallery.
"Ah."
It said to refrain from using the elevator to the gallery at 4:44 AM if possible.
It said there was an artwork on the 4th floor of the gallery that played pranks using the number that was considered particularly unlucky in East Asia.
It liked the number 4 so much that even if it was moved to another floor, it would keep reappearing on the 4th floor.
"Um, what exactly was that artwork…."
She remembered what the guard had said earlier, 'take your time with the elevator'.
She thought it was just a nice sentiment, telling her to be at ease, but to think there was a reason like this, she felt so pathetic for not realizing it sooner.
'Then he should have tried to stop me…!'
For a moment, she felt such resentment, but she was nothing more than a 5th-class citizen.
In a world where even 1st-class citizens died for no reason, no one would be sorry if she died.
'But if I cause an accident and something happens to the artworks, wouldn't that be a bigger problem? No, I need to think of a way to deal with this instead of thinking like this.'
But perhaps because she was so anxious, she couldn't think straight.
"It was an artwork that embodied… elevator buttons… something like that…."
Flicker….
The light flickered.
"..."
Flicker, flicker.
The speed of the flickering gradually increased.
"…Uh…."
What is this?
'What should I do?'
The woman, in a panic, couldn't even lean against the wall and faltered.
It was true that she had memorized the entire handout the company had given her, but being in a pressing situation made it difficult to recall the correct information.
This artwork's description seemed like that artwork's story, this seemed like that, and that seemed like this….
"Ugh…."
Why do I always do something stupid at important times?
"Th-there's definitely… a device in the elevator… to call for help…."
Screech—.
The elevator jolted with an ominous sound. It slid down, and the elevator doors repeatedly closed and opened.
Her insides and outsides were simultaneously noisy with a pounding sound.
It was a situation so tumultuous that she felt a surge of emotion, an unmanageable commotion.
"Please, just…."
Her frustration made it hard to breathe.
This elevator had a distress call button in preparation for any unforeseen event.
The curator who had been in charge of the training during the day, Yu Seong-un, had said that if she just pressed it, a rescue team on standby would come and help.
"..."
A creaking sound.
She reached out her hand to press the button, hoping for a rescue from the elevator that was sending out a bizarre vibration, as if it would fall at any moment.
But she stopped just before she touched it.
"..."
It wasn't the work of a monster.
"…I, I…."
It was because of the woman's own selfishness.
"Am I going to get fired?"
There was a good chance.
She had crawled into a dangerous place at an unscheduled time, bothering the dawn guards. She had done what was clearly written not to do and caused an accident that didn't have to happen.
Had she caused some kind of problem with this expensive-looking elevator?
'And I'm a C-Class hunter.'
A C-Class hunter, a dime a dozen in today's world.
Most of her peers were of a higher grade than her, and the peers of the same grade had a sturdy body that clearly seemed to be of the combat type.
'I have the worst conditions.'
And yet, to cause an accident like this and bother people again….
"..."
She couldn't cause an even bigger accident.
It was right then, as the woman reached for the button.
"…Huh?"
Flicker….
The light from the eerily flickering lamp returned.
"Uh, uh…?"
She hadn't pressed the button yet.
She didn't know why, but in the light air that felt like she had returned to reality from a ghost story, the woman unknowingly checked the elevator's buttons.
The five buttons, which had all been for the 4th floor, were also in order from the 1st to the 5th floor.
And when she checked the floor where the elevator had stopped.
"…5th floor?"
Ding—.
The elevator doors opened.
"…Ah? 5th floor? No, w-wait…!!"
The woman, startled by the thought that she had crawled into the worst of all lairs while out of her senses, stumbled backward with a thud.
Before she could even groan from the sharp pain, the elevator doors opened completely, and a long shadow was revealed between them.
"..."
"..."
A blond man wearing a black cape.
"Hello."
It was 'Seo Jio', who had taken the form of Giovanni.
***
"…So it was a sort of… hazing ritual."
"To be precise, it's probably more like an annual event."
The blond man nodded his head at the woman's dumbfounded question.
"It's an artwork that only scares people without causing any actual harm, but it seems that new curators who haven't properly familiarized themselves with the rules fall for it every now and then."
"Ah…."
"Since it's a pretty safe way to teach them that it can be really dangerous if they don't get the manual down pat, it seems that no one actively advises against it."
At those words, the woman thought of the guard at the entrance.
"True, he just told me to 'take my time with the elevator'. I thought he meant I should be at ease, ugh… so that's what it was."
Anyway, it was a relief that it wasn't really dangerous.
"Since it was an artwork on the 4th floor, I thought I had caused an unmanageable accident."
"It's not a very dangerous artwork, so they tried to move it to the 1st floor several times, but it likes the number 4 so much that it keeps going back to that spot, so it ended up becoming a 4th-floor artwork."
"…I was so out of it that I couldn't think that far…."
In a gallery with only 5 basement floors in total, it was an artwork that was described as having been attempted to be moved to a place other than the 4th floor. It was more likely that they had tried to move it to a floor above it, rather than the 5th floor.
"I still can't remember, what was the way to deal with it?"
"If someone from outside the elevator calls it from the outside, the strange phenomenon stops."
"…So I just had to press the distress call button or hold out until morning? It really wasn't dangerous at all."
"You don't have to blame yourself. Even if it's a prank, it's a phenomenon that is clearly mentally draining, so if you had stayed like that until morning, you might have developed a trauma."
"Thank you for comforting me…."
The woman let out a small breath.
"Actually… I thought you were one of the strange phenomena at first, Mr. Seo Jio."
The first words he had uttered were an out-of-the-blue greeting.
Seeing someone rolling around unattractively, drenched in a cold sweat, and that casual 'hello'.
She couldn't describe how bizarre it felt, even in her confused state, that insensitive consideration, as if greeting a neighbor in the morning.
It was also similar to monsters who didn't care what happened to humans.
'…I can't say such a rude thought to his face, though….'
The woman wiped away the cold sweat.
"And a self-introduction right after that… you even asked for my name, so I thought I had really been caught by a proper artwork. I thought I was being forced into some terrible and evil contract."
"This is embarrassing. I thought you were very surprised, so I was trying to ease your tension with a greeting and an exchange of names, but it seems that scared you instead. It's a bit late, but I apologize."
Saying so, Seo Jio bowed his head very politely.
Even though his words and actions were self-deprecating, he looked as elegant as someone from a high place, making the woman's face flush. It was too much of a courtesy.
"Y-you don't have to… say that. I'm the one who received help, after all."
She was just a little surprised.
The atmosphere was so heavy and his way of speaking was strangely stiff, so it seemed to have made the woman's mind, who had just experienced the artwork's prank, dizzy.
"You're very polite, Mr. Seo Jio."
"I always wanted to be a polite person."
The man in the black cape smiled.
"Those words make me happy."
"..."
"You are a polite and good person."
"…Ah, um…."
"Thank you for affirming me."
There was no lie in those words.
"..."
He is a good person.
His warm blond hair, as if it held the sunlight, flowed down softly.
The smile on his chiseled face, like porcelain, was gentle.
As if it held the sea on a spring day, his mysterious eyes were beautiful. Everything about him was made of goodwill.
'…He's such a gentle and kind person, but why….'
…Why is he so creepy?
-x-X-x-
The next day, the woman's assigned senior asked.
"Did you have a good look around the gallery yesterday?"
"Pardon…?"
"Your name was written in the log."
"Ah, yes."
The woman nodded her head.
"I think I got hazed pretty hard, but I had a good look."
"Hmm? Hazed?"
The designated curator tilted her head.
"What, did you take the elevator at 4:44?"
"…Yes, I'm sorry. I should have memorized it properly…."
"Ah, I'm not scolding you, so don't worry."
Saying so, the designated curator gave a small laugh and continued.
"I'm the curator assigned to the 1st floor. I asked the people who were working overtime yesterday, and they said they didn't let anyone out. And you didn't press the distress call button either."
"Ah…."
"I didn't hear anything about you being found breathing in the elevator this morning, so I guess someone from another floor must have let you out. Which floor's curator was it? We should thank them."
"Um, they were on the 5th floor. Thanks to them, I even got to see the gallery that's said to be the most dangerous."
"…5th floor?"
"…Yes? Yes."
"..."
The designated curator's expression, which seemed to have a natural, subtle smile, remained the same, but her reaction was somehow strange.
Seeing the woman watching her expression and waiting for a reply, the designated curator said.
"But did you know?"
"Wh-what is it?"
"There were no curators working overtime on the 5th floor yesterday."
"..."
Goosebumps ran down her spine.
"…Pardon?"
"Hey, just kidding, kidding!"
A refreshing laugh. The designated curator burst out laughing.
"You have to be able to take a joke like this to survive in this gallery."
"…It's a j-joke… right?"
"No, to be honest, their name wasn't in the entry log."
"Then it's not a joke…!"
"But in our guild, there's someone who wanders around without writing their name in the log."
"…Ah…."
"Didn't you hear from Mr. Yu Seong-un yesterday? He said he gave you a heads-up."
At that, the woman nodded her head.
"I-I did. Mr. Seo Jio."
"Right, Mr. Seo Jio."
The designated curator grinned.
"Wow, you're lucky. I heard Mr. Seo Jio hasn't been seen much lately."
"Ah… does he not come in often? Is he not a curator?"
"He's not a curator, you can think of him as our guild's special force."
"I heard that from Mr. Yu Seong-un too, but… does that mean he doesn't have a set job?"
"The most important job for members of The Collectors Guild is to be the Guild Master's collection piece."
"…Why bring that up all of a sudden?"
"It means that he's fulfilling his role as a collection piece, Mr. Seo Jio is."
"…Is that okay? Isn't that a bit of a free ride…?"
"Actually."
The curator deliberately lowered her voice and whispered.
"There's a rumor that he's a hidden S-Class hunter."
"…S, S-Class? There are only a few in the country…?"
"He just hates all the fuss, so he's lying and saying he's A-Class."
"Isn't that illegal??"
"Hey, who cares about that stuff. This is The Collectors."
"Uh… uh uh, no… um…."
"It just means our Guild Master is willing to do this much for his guild members. Doesn't it fill you with company loyalty?"
The curator shrugged her shoulders.
She pointed to the rabbit-shaped plush doll she was in charge of and said.
"Come, come, please pat our Caregiver's head. It's very fluffy and cute."
"…Like this?"
"That's right, you're doing great. If you do this, it gives you a piece at a very low probability."
"You said that's like a gift the artworks give, right?"
"Sometimes it's a curse, but… Caregiver is a gentle artwork, so that won't happen, yes. It's a gift."
"What kind of gift does this doll give?"
"Ahem, calling Caregiver a doll. Please watch your words."
"Ah, yes. What kind of gift does the Caregiver give?"
"It gives flowers that smell nice, or a sewing kit that can fix any clothes."
"Oh…."
"Cute, right?"
"It's cute."
After a light training session, the curator returned to the previous topic.
"So that's what happened, Mr. Seo Jio opened the door for our junior. This is surprising."
"He's a fellow employee, is it really that surprising…?"
"There are employees and then there are employees. Mr. Seo Jio doesn't really like crowds, so he mostly wanders around at dawn when there are no people."
"For someone like that, he was very kind."
"..."
The curator asked back.
"Was he kind?"
"Yes? Ah, yes, yes. He was extremely kind."
"Hmm… Mr. Jio, he's a very radiant, handsome man, isn't he?"
"Ah…."
The woman nodded her head.
"Now that I think about it, you're right, he was an incredibly handsome man."
She felt a bit strange.
"I must have been so surprised and scared at dawn that I didn't even think he was handsome."
"Everyone who runs into Mr. Seo Jio says that. That they only remember he was handsome later."
The curator's eyes sparkled.
"So how handsome was he? I haven't even seen his face, but they say he's a handsome man like a statue with blond hair and blue eyes. Bright and charming, like he would smell of sunshine."
"For someone who hasn't seen his face, you're describing him in great detail… Um, I think that's right. His nose bridge was also very high, maybe he has some Western blood. His eyes were big too."
"Ooh…."
The curator, who had let out a sound of admiration, soon muttered in a low voice.
"So that's his state these days."
"...?"
"Hmm, not bad."
"…No matter how handsome he is, to judge a person like that…."
"Oh my, oh my, am I not that rude a person?"
The curator giggled.
"They say Mr. Jio gets gloomy sometimes."
"…I can't imagine that at all."
"He has a very heavy atmosphere, so there are many who say he's scary."
"Ah… definitely…."
He was a person who fit well with the all-white gallery, yet gave off a somewhat bizarre feeling.
"…Maybe because he's so handsome, he didn't seem like a person of this world. I felt a sense of distance."
"So the reactions are like that even though Mr. Jio comes off as very friendly?"
"I know he treated me kindly. When I was leaving, he even gave me a chocolate, telling me not to stray to another path because I was tired."
"Right, right. That's Mr. Jio. He carries snacks in his pocket like a squirrel."
"A squirrel…."
"You're thinking it doesn't suit him."
The curator, who had placed a pink bag in the fluffy plush doll's hand, continued to ask.
"What was he like?"
"..."
"The person named Seo Jio, I mean."
A calm voice, a slightly lower tone than before.
At that, the woman recalled the man she had seen at dawn.
"…It's strange to say, but the first thought I had was that he was perfect."
The moment he came into view, it felt like the world was full.
Just as it's hard to belittle the sunlight shining on a spring day, just as you can't find fault with the cool waves of summer.
It was a feeling like when you listen blankly to a mother's lullaby or a superstition passed down in a village for generations.
A being that you could find fault with if you wanted to, that you could criticize if you wanted to, but that you just didn't feel like doing so.
A being that could be called complete even if its skin was torn, even if it bled, even if it had any flaws. A being that simply makes you think you are observing the flow of history.
That was the kind of presence he had, making one feel both abundance and tightness just by itself.
"It's a little strange to have that thought the moment I met him, right?"
"…If it's the first time you've seen someone of such a high class, like S-Class, I think it's possible."
"That's a relief, if it's not just me being strange."
She smiled awkwardly and continued.
"His way of speaking was also a little peculiar. Should I say it was old-fashioned, or that it flowed with grace… To be honest, he spoke so politely it was hard to handle, so it was a bit difficult."
Seo Jio's way of speaking had a somewhat choppy quality to it.
"Should I say he was like a poorly used translator? It's not that I thought it was strange, but since I was so scared at the time, it was a little frightening."
"Well… he could really be a hunter from the West. It's certain that his Western blood seems strong, right? We also don't know exactly where the Guild Master scouted him from."
"Then it could be that he's not yet used to Korean. But it's not that it was really strange, rather it suited him well… that was a little…."
Scary.
"Maybe because he's a person who's inhumanly handsome."
There was a sense of incongruity.
"Yes, well. That's how it was."
"Any other stories?"
"Just… that he's extremely friendly?"
But even in that aspect, she felt a sense of distance. Something was strange.
"It's friendliness, but rather than being nice out of personal feelings…."
"What, what, did you want to develop a personal relationship?"
"No, that's not, that's not what I meant. You know."
"If friendliness isn't a personal feeling, then what is it?"
"…Right?"
She realized it was strange even as she said it.
"Ah, I mean, of course, I didn't mean that it was hypocritical or that the kindness he showed seemed like a lie. Really."
"I didn't take it that way."
"So what I was trying to say is… the kindness that Mr. Seo Jio shows is like a detached person, um… not the normal give-and-take… this is…."
It sounds really bizarre, but.
"It felt like he was being kind simply because I was human."
Kindness given without any conditions, simply because she was born human.
Which is why it felt like indifference instead….
"…No, I don't mean I felt bad. I think it was actually good. I think I was flustered because it was the first time in my life I had met someone who showed kindness without expecting anything in return so casually…."
Should I say I felt grateful, as if I had received something immense without having done anything?
"Mr. Seo Jio is a 1st-class citizen, right? Ah, did I ask something too obvious?"
"I don't know for sure either, but I would think so, wouldn't you?"
"No wonder his actions felt graceful. It wasn't a Korean feeling, but…."
There was an atmosphere that made one admire him naturally.
"He was very relaxed, yet his words and actions had weight. It was definitely not a friendly atmosphere, but I could clearly tell he was sociable. He also had a mysterious feeling, like a prince from a fairy tale."
At the woman's words, the designated curator gave a sly smile.
"Oh my, dear. You're going to confess at this rate."
"…You asked for my impressions, senior-nim…."
"Hey, I didn't ask for that much."
The curator smiled cheerfully.
"Anyway, I'm glad it seems like you'll be able to get along well, junior."
"Can I take this to mean that my chances of becoming a full-time employee are high…."
"The gallery is so short-staffed that as long as you don't cause any major trouble, you're guaranteed a full-time position."
"Then that would be really great, but I'm worried because I'm lacking in many areas."
"What's there to worry about, for someone who talked just fine in front of Mr. Seo Jio."
"Ah… is that how the standard is measured?"
"The man is just so creepy."
The curator's eyes curved deeply as she smiled.
"Get along well with the employees and…."
"..."
"With the artworks."
It was a tone that held a strange resonance.
'…Ah.'
The woman suddenly remembered that the curator she had seen yesterday, Yu Seong-un, had also smiled the same way.
Those eyes that curved strangely, holding an emotion that could be goodwill or malice.
"..."
Then she could realize that the curators here had an atmosphere similar to the gallery.
"…I'll work hard."
Should she call it mysterious, or grotesque?
She wasn't sure.
***
"Honey."
"Kurr."
"Daddy has gained confidence."
One problem that arose from becoming a haunted portrait was the resolution.
When in the state of a portrait, going beyond the frame caused a resolution problem, and people complained of a strain in perceiving him.
And now, having completely synchronized with 'Giovanni', who had solved that problem until now.
He had wandered outside with the thought, 'Can I walk around now without any resolution problems?' but….
"I had a conversation with an employee without any friction."
He was so moved that he even gave her the chocolate he had kept like pocket money.
After giving it, he thought, 'Huh? Won't they realize that the Black Cape and I are the same person if I do this?' but he gave up.
Jio, who had grown up receiving plenty of the clear energy of the Gangwon-do mountains, did not think deeply.
"I hope I can make a new friend like this."
"Kurrurr."
"My very own pen pal friend…."
"…Kkuk."
He looked quite happy, so Honey didn't bother to retort.
-x-X-x-
Some time passed, and the initial training for the new curators came to an end.
"You have worked with your designated curators, encountered various artworks, and learned the attitude a curator of The Collectors should have towards artworks and clients. Thank you for your hard work over the past three weeks."
However, this didn't mean they were immediately hired as full-time employees.
"From now on, each of you will be in charge of the artwork. We have selected the most suitable artworks based on your performance over the past three weeks, and if you are deemed unable to manage the assigned artwork, you will be dismissed."
"..."
"Even if you are dismissed, it's a dismissal from the gallery; unless you cause a significant incident, you will be assigned to an office or field position at The Collectors. This is literally just about selecting talented individuals who can show a stable performance in the gallery, so you don't need to worry too much."
Yu Seong-un stood before the five new curators and continued.
"We gave you a period of three weeks, but since you did not raise any objections or express any intention to change paths, I believe you all consent to becoming curators for The Collectors. If you wish to continue working in the gallery, please fill out the consent form placed before you."
All five newbies filled out the consent form.
It stated that they would do their best with the artwork they were in charge of in the gallery and take a certain degree of responsibility for any problems that might arise from it.
It was similar to a body-forfeiture pledge, but the newbies were not the type to be scared by such things at this point.
It was enough that they were not responsible for all the problems that occurred.
Having seen the rock bottom in illegal guilds, they wanted to work for one of the top three guilds in the Republic of Korea, which had at least a minimum safety net, and among them, being a curator at The Collectors was highly prestigious.
"You have all consented."
Yu Seong-un nodded his head.
"Some of you may have already checked, but on the back of the consent form, there is information about the artwork you will be in charge of from now on."
"…Ah…."
"The Collectors is a warehouse and a research institute where the most dangerous and sensitive objects on Earth come in. Naturally, there are many unidentified artworks whose identities and countermeasures have not been figured out, but…."
"..."
"To you, the newbies, we have assigned artworks for which almost all information has been identified. They are artworks that will not cause problems if you just do as you've learned and as the manual says."
The longer a curator works in the gallery and the more artworks they are in charge of, the more dangerous the artworks they will handle.
But this was not a problem for the newbies who had just begun to adapt to the gallery.
"For the next year."
Yu Seong-un said.
"We will give you a period of one year. During that time, there will be those who want to leave because they can't stand it, and you may find an artwork that suits you well. I hope you will try working as a curator for The Collectors during this long yet short time."
"…Th-then… can the artwork I'm in charge of change in the middle?"
"There are many artworks with a firm will, so even if we placed you with the utmost care, there will be parts that don't fit. If it is determined to be harmful to both the artwork and the curator, the assigned artwork can be changed even during the one-year period."
That might not just be a problem for the curator.
No matter how much the curator pays attention, the state of the artwork can sometimes change.
"Then, we look forward to working with you."
With Yu Seong-un's words, the basic training for the curators was finished.
"I'd like to say let's greet each other if we see each other around, but I'm usually in charge of the 5th-floor artworks and have frequent business trips, so it will be difficult to meet easily."
"Thank you for everything so far."
"On the contrary, thank you for following the training well. Please, none of you cause any accidents. You've probably heard it throughout the training period, but if you cause an accident, not only you but quite a lot of people will die."
After throwing out those chilling words, Yu Seong-un gave his characteristic calm smile.
"Once again, welcome to The Collectors' Gallery."
And so, the new curators were thrown into the wild.
"..."
"..."
A rather creepy wild, at that.
***
The artwork the man was put in charge of was a set of porcelain dolls.
"..."
Its official name was 『The Sweet Tea Party』, and it consisted of three porcelain dolls smaller than an adult man's hand, gathered together.
'Danger level 6.'
The artworks in The Collectors' Gallery were classified by a danger level from 1 to 10, and the higher the number, the safer it was.
Among them, the one the man who had just finished his basic training was in charge of was an artwork corresponding to level 6 on the 3rd floor.
'The danger level is higher compared to the other newbies who were assigned artworks of level 10 to 8.'
He couldn't tell if he should be happy about being recognized, or scared about being in danger.
Even Curator Yu Seong-un had said in passing, 'If it really doesn't work out, request to be assigned a different artwork.'
However.
"…There's no need for that already."
The porcelain doll set, 『The Sweet Tea Party』, depicted three girls in voluminous dresses.
All he had to do was give them the tea and snacks they requested at the exact time, and have the next snack they would mention after finishing ready in advance.
'Other than having to be punctual to the second, the countermeasures aren't difficult.'
The margin of error was within 5 seconds.
If he gave the snack faster or slower than that, he would turn into a porcelain doll.
It was a terrifying penalty of death for a single mistake, but it was the same when he was active in the field as a combat-type A-Class hunter.
"In the first place, for a hunter, 5 seconds is a very generous amount of time…."
Especially for him, an A-Class hunter, judgment and action were possible within 0.01 seconds.
It was a much safer situation than a dungeon where he had to exert a lot of effort and risk injury.
"..."
『The Sweet Tea Party』 was located in the 28th corridor on the 3rd floor.
The man's face relaxed a little after confirming that it was openly placed in a public area.
The fact that it was in a corridor where any curator could walk, and not stored separately, was enough to confirm its safety.
'Though it's an artwork on the 3rd floor, so it must be quite dangerous to be called safe, but still, at this level….'
It was reassuring.
"…It's small and cute."
A porcelain doll wearing a dress with lots of voluminous frills, looking like white powder would come off if touched.
Her cheeks, painted a ripe peach color, her apricot-colored eyes, and her finely grown eyelashes stood out.
Perhaps because they were made with embedded jewels, their eyes sparkled in purple, yellow, and green, respectively.
'Since the entire eyeball is a jewel, the sclera and cornea are not distinguished. It would be difficult to notice if they were looking at me.'
If it weren't for the strange atmosphere that emanated along with the unsettling feeling of not being able to confirm their gaze, it seemed it would have been very popular among collectors who had a hobby of collecting such dolls.
"Today's snack was star candy, I believe."
They had each requested purple, yellow, and green star candy.
"..."
He waited for the promised tea party time, 4 AM, and then placed the star candy the porcelain dolls wanted on a tiny plate.
The star candy on the tiny plate, made to match the dolls' size, looked enormous.
Then, the dolls moved.
"…Oh…."
Rustle, clatter.
Using knives with no sharp edges at all, the dolls broke and ate the star candy as if sharing a piece of cake.
The sight of the star candy being cut as smoothly as a mousse cake felt quite fascinating.
"It's a good sweetness."
"It's a good tea party."
"It was a good time."
The dolls, having finished their tea party, each gave an evaluation, and it was said that the day's fortune was determined by the number of bad evaluations received among them.
Recalling that, the man breathed a sigh of relief.
'Today's fortune won't be bad.'
At that moment, an anomaly was detected.
"It's crunchy."
"It's a good hardness."
"It has a good scent."
"It's a good dawn."
"It was a good snack."
"It's a good choice."
"It is a good gift."
A total of 7 additional remarks.
"..."
It was a clear anomaly.
"…In the manual, there's no explanation for this…."
As if they couldn't even see the man hastily re-reading the manual, the dolls opened their mouths again.
"Godfather."
"The Godfather is coming."
"Let's adorn ourselves sweetly."
The porcelain girls added remarks that were completely different from the manual.
"…There was no information about this."
The porcelain doll set 『The Sweet Tea Party』 speaks a total of 3 times in one tea party.
All sentences start with 'Good-' or 'Bad-', and there was no existence to be called 'Godfather' like now.
"What on earth…."
It was when he picked up the radio to request help.
"..."
"..."
"..."
The dolls were looking at the same place.
"..."
When the man looked behind him.
The sea.
The sun.
The deer.
The bird.
The cloud.
The flower.
The fog.
The spring water.
A sigh.
A touch.
A tooth.
An eyeball.
An eye.
Eye.
"..."
A human?
"…Ah…."
It was visible.
A blond man with a kind smile came into view.
"Wh-who are you…?"
The man, though a little flustered, stood so as to hide the porcelain dolls. It was to prevent any potential danger.
'I'm sure there was no presence?'
He was confused.
'…If I, who am confident in detecting presences, am like this, then anyone B-Class or below wouldn't even be able to perceive him. I haven't heard any stories about a new S-Class appearing in Korea. It's a face I've never seen before, too… Is he an unofficial hunter close to S-Class?'
He was already in a tense state.
He was flustered after witnessing an anomaly from the very first day of working alone.
The man, while confused, gradually organized his thoughts and observed the other person, who was just smiling silently as if waiting for him to calm down.
He was a person characterized by his softly wavy, bright blond hair and a smile that matched it.
Soon, the other person opened his mouth.
"Hello."
"…Ah, yes."
The daily, gentle tone naturally made his body relax.
"It is a good dawn."
"My name is Seo Jio."
"Seo Jio…."
The man clenched and unclenched his fist.
For some reason, cold sweat beaded on his skin.
"So you're 'Mr. Seo Jio'."
He was the one even Curator Yu Seong-un had warned him about.
The one whom a C-Class newbie had encountered, and about whom other employees smiled strangely and were reluctant to describe in detail.
He was the dawn shift team's 'Seo Jio', called The Collectors' unofficial special force.
"I've heard the stories."
"What is your name?"
"..."
"I'm curious about your name."
Is he even listening to me?
'…His tone is so clipped, it's strangely confusing.'
The man said his name.
"…I am Binari."
"Nari?"
"No, it's just Binari, without a surname."
"I see."
"You can call me whatever you're comfortable with."
"I understand."
The blue eyes curved gently.
"Will you speak with me?"
"..."
The man checked his watch without realizing it.
"..."
4:51 AM.
'…51 minutes.'
The time he had managed the artwork was 4 o'clock sharp and the current time, 4:51.
A gap of about an hour.
"…Yes, it would be… nice to talk."
The man nodded his head.
It wasn't like he could go back right away anyway.
Even if they talked, there would be no problem.
"I don't think I can go home right away."
"It would be good to pass the time by talking."
"Yes, you're right…."
The man sighed and looked back at the porcelain dolls again.
"..."
"..."
"..."
They were sitting demurely in their fine postures.
"…Excuse me, Mr. Seo Jio?"
"Yes, please speak."
"I heard that you also occasionally take on the management of the gallery."
"That's right, there are many wonderful and beautiful artworks in this gallery."
"Then…."
He would have to report it separately before any potential problems arose, but apart from that, he wanted to hear 'Mr. Seo Jio's' opinion.
He recalled the word 'Godfather' that the dolls had whispered.
"Could you perhaps take a look at these dolls?"
The man moved aside a little, revealing the dolls with their gentle and cute faces.
They were motionless porcelain dolls, but perhaps thanks to the tea party having just ended, they seemed to be in a rather good mood.
The man described the anomaly that had just occurred.
"I understand them to be artworks that speak one sentence each, for a total of three sentences per tea party. But just now, for some reason, they spoke an additional 10 sentences, 7 plus 3."
"Were they bad words?"
"No, they weren't. They were good words. They were sentences that seemed to be sufficiently satisfied with this tea party. However, I didn't expect them to become verbose like this…."
"It means that a fortune that cannot be contained within a 24-hour scale is about to arrive."
"..."
The man made a subtle expression.
"Isn't that just a disaster?"
"That's a new perspective."
"I like a moderate amount of luck."
"I will take that into consideration."
"…Ah, yes."
He was a peculiar person.
'The melody of his speech is quite soft… but the form is rigid.'
Yet, he wasn't as awkward as a foreigner who wasn't used to Korean.
This soft yet blunt tone suited him very well, but when thought of rationally, there was a strange sense of incongruity.
"May I take a look at those children for a moment?"
"…Of course, you'd be better than a newbie like me at anything."
"Thank you for your permission."
Seo Jio approached with quiet movements and examined the porcelain dolls.
Although it was written in the manual that there was no penalty for touching them as long as they weren't destroyed, he was stroking the dolls with a benevolent touch, like an old man caressing his grandson.
There was affection in his touch.
It was a noble and fairy-tale-like scene, as if from a masterpiece painting, but….
"..."
It was a little eerie.
'…The atmosphere itself is definitely gentle….'
It was hard to breathe.
As if someone had died, the air was heavy.