The Artist Who Paints Dungeon-Chapter 312

Gio’s gardener welfare plan was nothing special.

“Become a pig, zap.”

“Oink!”

That was all.

Those many garden friends he’d drawn earlier?

They had self-awareness.

They had the right to independence.

In other words, Gio’s plan didn’t include those friends declaring their entry into the world.

‘But that’s not really a problem.’

He had the foresight to draw only the good ones.

‘They’re not the type to cause trouble.’

Gio, so to speak, trusted “his babies.”

But when it came time to actually open for business, there were no customers.

Of course, he could have offered a door-to-door service, but that wouldn’t be a food stall.

That would just be another common mobile business in today’s world.

Sorry to say, but it lacked both romance and fun.

And Zeorge, the embodiment of dopamine, wouldn’t allow that.

“People live without romance?”

And no fun, either?

“That just won’t do.”

That’s when an additional plan formed.

“I’m starting marketing.”

“Meow.”

“Yes, Dana. Whether they’re alive or dead, just bite them and bring them back. Daddy will take care of the persuasion. That’s my specialty.”

“Purr?”

“Honey, if you can catch up to your little sibling, bring them back too. Of course, I won’t just sit still either.”

Zeorge was quite determined.

“This tragedy is all because the garden has low foot traffic...!”

So he targeted places with high foot traffic.

That meant dungeons.

So he targeted places with high foot traffic.

That meant dungeons.

There were usually people in dungeons.

There’s a saying that owning just one decent dungeon could feed a guild for three generations.

So, while there might be unpopular dungeons on Earth, there probably weren’t any undiscovered ones.

“Before becoming a hotspot, word needs to spread. That’s how people come from far away. A real hotspot has to attract people even from a distance....”

“Oink...?”

“Father, trust your beautiful son. I may look like this, but I’ve traveled a lot. My perspective can’t be wrong... and if it is, I’ll resort to kidnapping as a last resort.”

“Oink??”

“Luckily, this field is still a blue ocean. No competitors. There’s demand but no supply. Is there a better condition for a startup? I’m confident.”

So Gio began his first sales in the dungeon.

“.......”

But the problem was, dungeons were generally not... small.

“...? I’m sure there are people here, so why can’t they find me...? Strange, this shouldn’t be happening.”

“Oink.”

“Oh no, now that synchronization has started, there’s a downside too. My presence is getting overshadowed by naturalness.”

“Oink?”

“So sad, I used to attract people just by standing still.”

Do flowers go to bees, or do bees go to flowers?

Isn’t it the thirsty one who digs the well?

He thought people would naturally follow the scent of honey, but Zeorge’s aura was being hidden.

And that was because of his business partner, Cha Eun-Hyeok.

“Sorry, but I don’t think this business partner thing suits me. Please remove me.”

“Aw... do you really not want to make money with me? That hurts. How could you say that after coming all this way?”

“Please don’t trouble people with crocodile tears. Really... I just think maybe I should be an employee. A business partner should have shares or something.”

“Curious... why do you assume you don’t have any?”

“...Please just say I don’t....”

“Why are you crying.”

Cha Eun-Hyeok was a civilian.

Not a hunter, not awakened, not a gardener—just a complete newbie.

So a vote was held in Gio’s head about Cha Eun-Hyeok’s safety.

—Do we really need a vote for this?

—Yes, we do. No matter how you look at it, Mr. Zeorge seems unlikely to restrain himself unless warned in advance.

—I mean, even if I don’t restrain myself, it won’t harm Mr. Cha Eun-Hyeok’s physical health...

—Mental health is health too. Please don’t discriminate.

—Wouldn’t being entranced by the beauty of nature be a worthwhile experience in life?

Three Gio voices opposed.

—I don’t think so.

—Neither do I.

—I agree, it’s a bad idea.

—Motion denied by majority opposition. Mr. Zeorge, please restrain yourself.

—I thought Mr. Argio would take my side. You’re more delicate than I expected?

—A weak subordinate must be handled gently. That’s how they grow into responsible adults.

—Ah, I see. That kind of perspective?

If someone absorbed Zeorge’s personality raw, there’s no way they’d stay sane.

That’s why he did his best to keep his energy in check...

Unfortunately, this made self-marketing ineffective.

“...Is that what you were counting on for marketing? Your face?”

“...Is that what you were counting on for marketing? Your face?”

“Well, that was part of it.”

To be exact, he was relying on Zeorge’s inherent traits.

“I’m such a sweet person that people come to me even if I just sit still.”

“.......”

“Don’t look at me like that, you’ll hurt my feelings. I was just stating a biological fact.”

“So, your face...”

“No, besides that, there’s just something about me that draws attention naturally.”

People said it differently.

Some said it was a scent.

Others said beauty.

Some felt comfort or excitement, or even love.

People said it differently.

Some said it was a scent.

Others said beauty.

Some felt comfort or excitement, or even love.

“Yes, love.”

He was someone who received love just by existing.

That was his fate.

In a mystical garden that was nature itself, there wasn’t a human Zeorge couldn’t captivate.

Especially those bound to love in any way.

“This is tricky. Looks like I’ll have to do door-to-door service after all.”

“What about handing out flyers? Just don’t go out yourself.”

“Why are you stopping me?”

“Because an innocent citizen might wander into the fire...”

“I’m not some evil person who pushes innocent citizens into the flames.”

“Moths jump into flames just because they see light. Our country might collapse if you keep doing this.”

“Even though I once joked I was a femme fatale, I’m not actually trying to ruin the nation.”

“You said you ruined it. You said you had a history.”

“That was karma for people poking the ribs of someone who didn’t even offer rice cakes.”

But then, there was another issue.

“This place is so huge—where do I even find people?”

“...? But you found your way to my house just fine.”

“I can’t find people who don’t have the qualities of a gardener. It’s a pity, right?”

“Is that... because of the garden thing?”

“It’s like how cats can recognize good can openers.”

“Can openers?”

“To put it humbly, it’s like instinctively recognizing one’s soulmate.”

“In a way, that sounds even more arrogant than the can opener analogy.”

“Hah, I have no choice. I really do have to go find them one by one.”

So Cha Eun-Hyeok was stored in the food stall.

“Promise not to come out.”

“...Curator Yoo Seong-Woon told me not to make promises lightly with Hunter Sergio. Are you sure it’s okay to put my finger on this?”

“Mm, this is a decision made for your sake, Mr. Cha Eun-Hyeok. Since you’re not awakened, you never know what might happen if you leave the stall...”

“I’ll stay here.”

“Good boy, well done.”

And so, the journey of a two-legged garden began.

Of course, the road wasn’t easy.

A dungeon wide enough to need a food stall was usually ridiculously large.

Gio had no choice but to run around doing door-to-door sales.

It was a pretty fun process, though.

“.......”

But Zeorge was fickle.

“Hmm, I’m bored now.”

“Oink?”

“When you think about it, why should I be the one doing the running, Honey?”

“Oink...?”

“They should be coming to catch this precious body.”

So Gio decided to become the hidden image in a game of hide-and-seek.

Surprisingly, people responded to that.

Even though he’d suppressed it, the sweet scent of the “garden” couldn’t be entirely hidden.

As people got within range, they were naturally enchanted.

“My first customer.”

“...Ah, aaah....”

“Come here, you must be tired. I’ll help you.”

“You’re...”

“I just need a very small price.”

“.......”

And just like that, Gio succeeded in his first sale.

“Hey.”

And then there was some pushback from Cha Eun-Hyeok.

“What if people really get enchanted and come here?”

“Well, they’re eating, aren’t they?”

“No matter how you look at it, that customer isn’t in their right mind.”

“What do you mean, not in their right mind? They’re talking to me just fine...”

Gio brushed the hunter’s cheek and smiled.

“Right?”

“Y-Yes.”

Cha Eun-Hyeok quietly drank some cabbage juice.

It was one of the employee welfare items Gio had stocked inside the food stall, thinking Joo-Hyun might need it.

At first, he said it was too burdensome and hard to drink.

But now, he was finally drinking it.

Feeling satisfied, Gio asked with a smile.

“Oh, it’s good, isn’t it?”

“...? This... is this really cabbage juice? Why is it so sweet and savory? That’s not what cabbage is supposed to taste like.”

“This is juice squeezed by hand from cabbages I grew myself. I remembered hearing somewhere that cabbage juice was good for stress-induced gastritis.”

“I know why I drank it, but how am I supposed to react when you smile at me like that...”

“If you’ve eaten something delicious, you should smile, right? Though I suppose it’s hard to imagine you smiling like me. You can just stay as you are.”

“Pardon me, but when’s quitting time here?”

Anyway, this absurd “romantic marketing” had its results.

Among a small group of hunters, word of the “food stall” began to spread.

If you found something beautiful, you’d be guided to a dimensionally different safe zone...

Surprisingly, no one could describe what the staff looked like or how many there were.

“Why is that?”

“Because they weren’t in their right mind...?”

“But you just said they were.”

“Now that I think about it, maybe not.”

Most of the “customers” were so enchanted by Zeorge that they couldn’t remember objective details about him.

“...Then why can I perceive you?”

“Because you’re my friend, Mr. Cha Eun-Hyeok. Right? It’s only fair we see each other.”

“I don’t think I should say we’re not friends right now.”

“Try it. That could be fun too.”

“I won’t.”

Cha Eun-Hyeok decided to stick to his role as a worker.

‘What would Chara say if she saw me now?’

He tried explaining it before, thinking she’d be surprised if she found out later, but no matter how he thought about it, it felt insufficient.

Even so, Cha Eun-Hyeok faithfully grilled fish-shaped buns.

He had to work as much as he was paid.

And that was around the time when Gio, unusually for him, fell into a bit of small confusion.

Rumors had started spreading among a few hunters.

The government and the association were becoming aware of the food stall.

And gardeners had begun sharing that information as well...

“......?”

Gio felt that one of his gifts had been broken.

“...What’s this.”

I’m kinda hurt.

When he checked, it was a member of the Cloak Club.

Turned out it was a gem—the portrait gem he’d given out as a gift.

Apparently, it had broken from rough movement inside the dungeon.

Since it wasn’t intentional, Gio let it go.

‘Actually, if it brought me a new customer, it’s a net gain, right?’

He smiled as he welcomed the guest, but in hindsight, that was the start of it all.

This time, he felt someone had broken his gift on purpose.

“Hey, what the heck? Why?”

“What’s wrong?”

“People keep breaking my gifts.”

“Why would they do something so awful?”

“Right? Why are they doing that?”

Gio went to find those who had broken the gems.

But they looked too pitiful to even say, “Hey, I’m a little upset.”

His kind club members were starving.

First, he had to feed them.

“Th-thank you. Really, thank you....”

“Mhm, it’s fine. Just eat.”

“In return, take my life...!”

“That’s a bit much.”

Giving up one’s life over a few bowls of ramen didn’t feel right.

In the end, Gio accepted the broken gem and the hunter’s head accessory as payment.

Business was business—he couldn’t give it away for free.

Anyway, aside from a few minor bumps, the food stall’s operation was thriving.

Gio smiled with a happy face.

“Now that the trial run’s over, I think I can start proper operations.”

“So what’s different from before?”

“Now I’ll be charging money.”

“You... you’ll accept money? You, Gio?”

“I may be a child of nature, but I’m also somewhat civilized, so please don’t look at me like that.”

Just as the “shattered gem” incident seemed to be forgotten, someone else tried to break a gem.

“Whoa whoa whoa, that’s a no-no.”

“Ah... someone’s breaking a gem again?”

“Yeah. Why do they keep doing that... People are weird....”

Of course, it’s not like Gio really didn’t know why they were doing it.

The first gem had broken by accident, and the food stall was summoned.

Then someone else broke one on purpose—and the food stall really appeared.

In other words, the premise “Breaking the Black Cloak’s gem summons the food stall in times of emergency” was almost being established.

But it was all a misunderstanding.

Gio was just a poor little portrait being broken by people who misunderstood his gift.

This couldn’t go on.

Gio became desperate.

“Are you about to break that?”

And so the whole thing escalated...

***

“...And after that?”

At the researcher’s question, the hunter hesitated before replying.

“Um, this... it’s really not going to be something harmful to the Cloak, right...?”

“The Korean Hunter Association interprets the Black Cloak very favorably. What you experienced this time wasn’t harmful or negative to humanity, so please feel free to answer. It’s simply another example of the Cloak’s kind nature.”

“Well, if you say so...”

The hunter let out a deep sigh.

“Ah, how should I put this. It was really... really beautiful.”

“You don’t remember any specific gender or appearance?”

“Did the others who came before me say the same thing? Uh, yeah. So pretty... and cool... with a sweet scent, and a soft smile... but I can’t recall how they looked.”

“That’s a common symptom for those under enchantment. But don’t worry too much, your health check came back normal.”

“They must be one of the Cloak’s apostles, right? I mean, even just seeing them... it was really...”

“Beautiful?”

“Lovely.”

The hunter gave a sheepish smile.

“Saying that when I don’t even remember the face...”

She continued her explanation.

“After that, my friend... Oh, the hunter I previously reported to the association, that’s my friend. They went through a similar process. They were gently led into the warm, cozy food stall.”

“All of the hunters there, you mean.”

“What did we eat again...? I had fish-shaped buns first. Wow, they were so good. Incredible. I didn’t even know fish buns could be that luxurious. The red bean filling was rich and fluffy...”

“Yes, and then?”

“The captain had fish cake skewers. Actually, I think we tried everything on the menu. Then we paid for it.”

“Oh?”

The researcher asked again.

“You paid... with money?”

“Yes, yes. My friend gave some random trinkets, I think, but we... paid with money.”

“You had cash on you in the dungeon?”

“Not exactly, but... they allowed account transfers. They said we could make the transfer within a month after exiting the dungeon, so after eating and feeling full, we finished the clear and transferred right away.”

“......”

“The City of Void patted our heads and left, saying we did well. Isn’t that amazing?”

After a brief silence, the researcher asked,

“When you made the transfer, did the recipient’s name show up?”

“Eh? Uh, no. I was kind of out of it when I sent it, but... I don’t think any name popped up. I checked my transfer history later, but there was nothing.”

“Then do you remember the account number? If it’s not too much, I’d like your permission to check your bank records.”

“Oh, I don’t mind. And the account number—give me a pen and I’ll write it down.”

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

The researcher quickly checked the account the hunter provided.

It matched a valid format from one of the main banks.

And it didn’t take long to figure out whose account it was.

“Um, could I know too? Did our Cloak finally open a bank account?”

“...I don’t think telling you this much is an issue. But no—it seems the Black Cloak didn’t open an account.”

“Then who did I send money to...?”

“It was received by a Level-2 citizen. You might know her—do you recognize this face?”

“...Oh!!”

The hunter stood up with a start.

“She’s the elderly woman I was assigned to for my volunteer work!”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“...But I never told you that. How do you know?”

“That’s just what the association does.”

“Well... yeah, fair.”

The hunter folded their arms with a dissatisfied expression.

“But not anymore. My hunter work got busier, so someone else was assigned to her.”

“She recently injured her ankle while cleaning the roadside...”

“She broke it?!”

“No, just a mild sprain. But at her age, it’s still concerning.”

“Oh no...! When will this end? I need to go see her right # Nоvеlight # away!”

“It’ll be over soon.”

A certain kind of pattern was starting to form—just barely.

***

“Gio, where did the money go?”

At Yoo Seong-Woon’s question, Zeorge answered while lounging around his house.

“...? It went to someone who needed it, probably?”

“...Why do you sound like you don’t know either?”

“I don’t need to know everything.”

“Then how’d you input the account number?”

“I just pulled it out of my hat.”

“Your hat...?”

His gaze fell on Gio’s glossy hat.

“It just came out of there?”

“This is actually a magic hat.”

“Wow, impressive.”

Yoo Seong-Woon gave a faint smile.

“Yeah, I think I want to be human in my next life.”

“You’ve been saying that a lot lately. What are you getting at?”

“I want you to go easy on me.”

Because you scare the hell out of me.

***

A few days later, the number of gardeners surged.

“Hey, Gio’s portrait—let’s have a little chat.”

“Talking to me costs quite a bit.”

“Whoa, what’s this? Why is it so radiant? I mean—wait, that’s not the point.”

Jeong Hae-Woon had come looking for him.

“What did you do?”

“What would it matter if I did?”

“First, accept my bow.”

“I like your adult-level tact. Very charming.”

“Teacher, you are the savior of my life.”

“Mmm, that flattery. So sweet.”

“Is there anything else you need?”

He pledged loyalty to this merciful garden.