The Artist Who Paints Dungeon-Chapter 305
It wasn’t just Gio who had come to visit Cha Eun-Hyeok.
“I came too, Mr. Cha Eun-Hyeok.”
“...You can speak casually.”
“Then shall I?”
Gio’s assigned curator, Yoo Seong-Woon, was with him.
Cha’s younger sibling, Cha Ara, was out working to earn money. While the prior permission given by the Collector meant the visit wasn’t a total surprise, that didn’t lessen the psychological burden Cha Eun-Hyeok felt.
“So... may I ask the exact reason for your visit?”
They had said they would explain more in person. Apparently, it was too long for a phone call. Not something light, either. So he still didn’t know why they’d come.
Gio, standing by the door, asked,
“May we come in?”
“......”
Cha Eun-Hyeok looked silently at Yoo Seong-Woon as if to ask ‘Is this really okay?’, and Yoo Seong-Woon nodded with a smile.
“He’s not going to eat you.”
“Please offer a more reassuring guarantee.”
“Even if Hunter Seo Gio looks scary, as you know, he’s not the type to harm a good citizen. Letting him inside won’t get you cursed or possessed by an evil spirit or anything.”
“...Thank you for the reassurance.”
He felt drained, but in the end, Cha Eun-Hyeok accepted it.
‘He’s the one who was nice to I-Sol... and come to think of it, when that kid summoned him back then, nothing bad happened either.’
If anything, he was like a teacher to his sibling. If you stretched the interpretation—no, stretched it a lot—he was in a similar position to Priest Kang Seodam. After receiving so much help, it would be silly to start being wary now.
“......”
Of course, telling yourself that didn’t actually make him any less scary.
“...Yes, please come in. I don’t have anything proper to serve you, though...”
“Thank you for your concern, but as I mentioned on the phone, we don’t need anything like that. Just allowing us to visit is already more than kind.”
“Thank you for saying so, Hunter Seo Gio.”
It was still a lot to take in. After all, a First-Class Citizen and a divine being had come to visit him. Could one even say “First-Class Citizen” and “divine being” in the same breath? Either way...
Cha Eun-Hyeok led his guests to the living room. He even served them each a cup of roasted barley tea. It felt like the least he could do. The three of them sat around a modest table.
“Then... could you now tell me the real reason for your visit?”
“Ah, I think it’s best if I explain first.”
Yoo Seong-Woon, sipping his barley tea, gave his usual mild smile.
“You’ve got a choice, Mr. Cha Eun-Hyeok.”
“We’re already talking about choices... Well, I’ll hear you out.”
“A direct question or a roundabout one.”
“Uh... wouldn’t it be easier for both of us if you just asked directly?”
“Then I’ll be blunt.”
Yoo Seong-Woon looked directly into Cha Eun-Hyeok’s eyes and asked,
“Do you see strange things?”
“......”
Cha Eun-Hyeok blanked for a second, then jolted in surprise.
“Ah, sorry? What?”
“Figured you could.”
“Um... what exactly are you referring to?”
“Things that kinda look like monsters, but... not quite.”
“...So you can see them too, Hunter Yoo Seong-Woon?”
“I’m sort of a veteran in this field.”
“Didn’t know this was a specialized profession.”
“Your reaction’s milder than I expected.”
“I’m... plenty shocked, actually...”
For someone like Cha Eun-Hyeok, who rarely raised his voice, this was definitely shock.
“It’s just... no one else I know sees the same things.”
“No, I don’t mean that kind of mild.”
“Then what kind of reaction were you expecting?”
“People like you usually get called lunatics.”
“Oh, I get what you’re saying.”
Cha Eun-Hyeok nodded, still looking dazed.
“I figured I’d be labeled crazy too.”
What he saw was visible only to him.
“No one else could see them, and they didn’t really affect people or animals. If someone couldn’t see them, they’d just rationalize it away and believe it never existed.”
“And so, the one who tells the truth ends up being called insane.”
“Yes. That’s what made me pretend not to know anything in the first place. I’ve lived my life pretending not to see them. Even my siblings don’t know I can see ‘those things.’”
“You hid it cleanly. Impressive.”
Gio tilted his head, listening.
“You’ve hidden it well.”
“Yeah. Not easy to do.”
Most people with an ‘aptitude’ couldn’t hide it. If you can see and feel something, how do you hide it from others?
“If a kid sees a dog with one eye, most of them would find it either fascinating or creepy. They’d tell their parents or friends. Kids that age don’t yet have the awareness to think, ‘Oh, others might not understand this.’”
“A one-eyed dog would be cute.”
At that, Cha Eun-Hyeok blinked wide-eyed.
“...Is that something people normally see?”
“The so-called ‘one-eyed Jindo’ is a type of guardian spirit that often stays near Korean children. It usually takes the form of a Jindo dog, but sometimes appears as a different breed or even a different animal. You probably saw it as a dog when you were a child, right?”
“Yes. A black... Jindo, I think? The one that was supposedly restored, the one that made the news. That one always sat in our yard, staring outside.”
“In a world where Mystics are now visible, there’s no better protector than that one. If a shady or aggressive Mystic came to a child’s home, it would bark and chase it away. But it won’t help a child without a home unless specifically tamed...”
“So it helped me because I had a home?”
“That’s right. That’s why, for gifted kids with families, that’s usually the first ‘thing’ they encounter. Of course, after a certain point, it either leaves the house or disappears entirely. The longest one ever stayed was until age thirteen, I think.”
Yoo Seong-Woon asked curiously,
“You didn’t tell your family about that either?”
“...How could I? I was the only one who could see it.”
“Most kids would’ve blurted it out anyway. You had good self-control.”
And sharp instincts.
“You already understood social optics at that age.”
Most gifted people didn’t. They didn’t realize that something obvious to them might not exist for others. Naturally, conflict arose between incompatible perceptions, and distance followed.
“Well, after getting burned a few times, most people end up living like it doesn’t exist.”
“It’s a little less embarrassing to know I’m not the only one.”
Cha Eun-Hyeok asked with a hesitant frown,
“...But how did you know? Like I said, I’ve never told even my family that I could see ‘those things.’ Is there a way to identify someone with this ‘gift’?”
“Nope.”
“...Huh?”
“There isn’t.”
Yoo Seong-Woon gave a bitter smile.
“If there was, gardeners wouldn’t be working overtime like this.”
“...Gardeners?”
“People like us who can see ‘those things’ and end up serving the garden. I’ll explain all that soon. But I should probably answer your question first.”
“Ah, yes, I’d appreciate that.”
“Like I said, there’s no way to find ‘gifted people.’ They don’t give off some special aura or anything. Usually, you just live your life and happen to meet someone and think, ‘Wait... can they see it too?’ Then you watch them, and with some luck, you find out you’re right.”
“Then... isn’t it nearly impossible to find even one in your whole life?”
“Exactly. As you’ve guessed, people like you try hard not to stand out. You seem to have realized that what you’re seeing is real. But plenty of others live and die thinking they’re just delusional.”
With his usual calm smile, Yoo Seong-Woon gestured to Gio as if presenting him.
“But this time, Hunter Seo Gio helped us out.”
“Ah... no need to thank me. I just got lucky this time.”
As if in response to the introduction, “Hunter Seo Gio” naturally pulled down his hood—and his hair took on a soft pink hue.
“I found a good friend.”
Above his gently curved lips—
“Well, I am lucky.”
His eyes sparkled like opal, shifting with iridescent light.
***
Yoo Seong-Woon’s snowfield.
In that beautiful world, Gio wanted to draw more gardens.
List of Suitable Candidates
Garden of Pleasure_Georgeo
Fairy Tale Rate: 1%
That’s how he decided.
***
Chup.
“Oh no.”
Yoo Seong-Woon pulled Gio’s hood back up.
“......”
“......”
“...Uh...”
Cha Eun-Hyeok tried to say something, but Yoo Seong-Woon smiled and said,
“Something happen?”
“...Is that okay?”
“It’s fine. You won’t die. So, what happened?”
“...No, nothing happened, and I didn’t see anything.”
“That’s a flawless adult’s response.”
Yoo Seong-Woon whined at Gio,
“...Gio, please, let’s end this peacefully. Okay? Peacefully...”
“I believe that was peaceful.”
“Have mercy on the small, fragile liver of a weak office worker.”
“I shall.”
Gio obediently adjusted his hood. Whatever “presence” had just shown itself was now gone. He was once again the ordinary “Black Cloak.”
That version of him asked,
“Did something just happen?”
“...As I told Hunter Yoo Seong-Woon, no. I don’t think anything happened.”
“Good. I like that.”
“......”
And yet—again, something.
Cha Eun-Hyeok locked eyes with something within the shadows of the hood.
Like catching the gaze of a wild beast on a mountain at night—he saw only the eyes. They were the only thing visible. Those eyes, those pupils—so vivid. So blindingly beautiful. Nothing but that.
It was bizarre. The colors shimmered like finely cut jewels and then blurred like smoke. The way they shifted reminded him of flickering flames or the wings of a delicate butterfly.
And then—
“...Ah...”
Only after quite some time did he realize the thing had been smiling with its eyes.
“...So... um...”
Still dazed, Cha Eun-Hyeok stammered,
“...Where were we?”
“Gio helped us find a hidden gifted one—namely, you.”
“I no longer wonder how exactly you found me. I don’t think I need a detailed explanation. If it’s okay, could we move on to the next topic? I just realized I probably shouldn’t have asked that question.”
“With a proper awakening, you’d be a top talent for the Collector’s... Shame you’re a civilian.”
Yoo Seong-Woon smacked his lips.
“But it’s fine. Civilians can be gardeners too.”
“Is that why you came? To make me a gardener?”
“It’s not something I can force on you, but yeah, it’s along those lines.”
“So what do I need to do? Is there a salary? Is it monthly, weekly? What’s the general range? Is there a contract?”
“...Were you waiting for this?”
“I just blurted out whatever came to mind.”
Cha Eun-Hyeok ran a hand over his face.
“It’s not like I could resist if you just ordered me anyway.”
“Like I said, this isn’t something I can make you do. But if you don’t mind, would you hear a little more? Even if you turn it down, the information will be helpful to you. You’ve got nothing to lose.”
“...I’m sorry for being defensive.”
He sighed quietly and steadied himself.
“If I had to explain it... this situation is just overwhelming. A curator from the Collector’s showing up with his assigned work and talking about a secret I’ve kept my whole life—it’s a bit...”
“If it were me, I’d be on edge too, so don’t worry about it. Especially after Hunter Seo Gio’s little stunt earlier. I can hear your heart pounding from here.”
“Even so, that doesn’t excuse my rudeness. I apologize again. I wasn’t raised to behave that way toward adults.”
“Then I’ll accept that apology. But we’re the ones who put you in this position, so I really hope you won’t beat yourself up. You understand what I mean, right?”
“......”
After a moment, Cha Eun-Hyeok nodded.
“I understand.”
“Good. Then let’s move on to the real conversation.”
“So everything until now was the warm-up?”
“More like... I was trying to be polite.”
“Even so, the impact was...”
“I didn’t expect Hunter Seo Gio to do that, either.”
“Ah, I see.”
“You said you liked direct questions earlier, right?”
Yoo Seong-Woon asked,
“Wanna run a street cart with Gio?”
“...I’m sorry. Maybe I don’t like direct questions after all.”
“That’s fair.”
Yoo Seong-Woon nodded, then smiled.
“I’ll be more roundabout next time.”
“Please include as much preface as possible.”
“Told you it was gonna be a long story, didn’t I? Got time? Any plans?”
“Thanks to your heads-up, I’ve kept the day free.”
“Great. Then let’s take our time.”
“Then... may I ask something?”
Hesitating, Cha Eun-Hyeok asked,
“...What exactly are °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° those ‘things’ I’ve been seeing?”
Yoo Seong-Woon replied without hesitation.
“In gardener terminology, they’re called ‘Children of the Origin.’”
“Children of the Origin? So... that ‘Origin’ is like a parent?”
“We chose that name because the parent-child relationship is the closest equivalent in human terms. Strictly speaking, we don’t know if it’s actually a parent-child thing, or a boss-subordinate, or just equals cooperating.”
“Then... what do you know?”
“Nothing. These beings only started appearing on Earth after the Calamity. It’s only been about thirty years since we even became aware of them. The fact we’ve defined this much is a miracle. You get that, right?”
“...Yeah. Seems like people like me wouldn’t have much community either... And from what you’re saying, there’s no real organization for us?”
“Right. Being a gardener isn’t a formal job. But if you identify as one, and submit a project plan, the government offers support—financial and otherwise.”
“...It’s a bit hard to grasp.”
“Most gifted people are confused when they first hear this stuff.”
Yoo Seong-Woon’s eyes curved in a smile.
“I’ll explain everything slowly, so I hope you’ll listen.”
“...All right.”
And just for a moment, Cha Eun-Hyeok thought—
That smile looked a lot like the one he’d just seen with those eyes.
Though he didn’t know why.
