The Artist Who Paints Dungeon - Chapter 139
Only Noblemtl
Episode 139
A meteor came running.
“Geoya.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Did we do something to upset you?”
“I don’t know why you’re asking that, but there isn’t.”
“That’s fortunate.”
Yoo Seong-un asked, laughing hollowly.
“I feel like I’ve been talking to other employees a lot lately.”
“Was this a distraction from your work?”
“Just a little? Well, I’m not saying you were terribly rude… .”
It was somewhat ambiguous to see the creation of fear as a nuisance. This was especially true for Yoo Seong-un, who knew that Geo’s true identity was neither a monster nor a god, but a part of the source.
I was just curious.
“I heard that you were asking about the evil spirits?”
“You are right.”
“Ugh.”
Yoo Seong-un was startled when Geo suddenly leaned in in the portrait.
“You could have come out like that too.”
“It’s just half-covered.”
Beneath the black cloak that swayed like a wave, a low-saturation red hair caught my eye. Judging by his characteristically provocative and sharp tone, it seemed to be Argio, who introduced himself as an evil god.
He leaned against the frame. His fingernails, which were lightly tapping, seemed to have grown long like those of an animal. Argio continued.
“I’ve been having doubts about the evil spirits lately.”
“Question? What kind of question?”
“What is an evil spirit? How can we call it an evil spirit?”
“That’s… really hard to tell the difference.”
Yoo Seong-un cleared his throat.
“Humans call gods who harm them evil gods.”
“Then is it also evil to crash a festival and drink alcohol or interfere with a hunting ground?”
“I guess it depends on the local customs, but I don’t really get the feeling that it’s an evil act.”
“What is it that you hang the necks of those who attacked me and decorate the forest with?”
“That certainly deserves to be called an evil deed…?”
There is a saying in the world called self-defense, but humans are not such fair creatures that they return only as much as they have received.
In areas where awareness of inherent human rights is high, such blatant retaliation would be especially unwelcome.
“No, I personally don’t think it’s an evil deed. I don’t necessarily let someone who attacks me live. I don’t decorate them either… .”
“I wonder if I decorated it because I thought it was beautiful. If I didn’t, there would be idiots coming in to find fault with it, so that would be a problem. Anyway, you don’t feel that it’s particularly evil, do you?”
“If you think about killing someone else, you should think about dying in return. I’m not the only one who thinks this way, right? But why are you asking this question?”
“… … .”
Argio, who had been silent for a moment, opened his mouth again.
“I thought I was an evil spirit, but I guess I fall short of that standard.”
“It’s a standard. On our Earth, there is a clear standard for defining evil.”
Yoo Seong-un asked.
“Have you ever killed innocent people?”
“What kind of person is innocent?”
“People who have not harmed you or have done you a favor.”
“Could it be that they killed those people?”
“Have you ever repaid a favor with enmity?”
“I’ve never done anything like that, so if you ignore me, you won’t know.”
“Then why is it an evil spirit?”
I didn’t quite understand.
“People called you a demon.”
“That’s right.”
“Why did you call me that? Even the name Argio is a derogatory term.”
“Because you’re unlucky?”
Argio continued, snapping his long fingernails.
“A beautiful beast that doesn’t even look human deserves to be hated by people. There were many other reasons besides that, but they called me the evil spirit of greed and anger.”
“Greed and anger… .”
“I love wealth. Gold, silver, and fine wine are my best friends. I grew up like an animal, so I had no need to be patient. It’s a pleasure to turn my anger on those who offend me.”
“But that’s a bit too much to call him an evil spirit.”
“… Ughhhh… .”
Argio rested his chin on his hand.
“I see.”
“Is there anything you don’t like?”
“I had some pride in myself….”
“Did you have any pride in being an evil spirit?”
“Of course, it is also one of my honors.”
“It’s an honor….”
“It is mine that has come into my arms.”
“… … .”
“But now that I look back, my notoriety wasn’t all that great.”
Although he couldn’t be seen clearly because of the cloak, Geo looked quite bored.
“How can I be this empty?”
“… Hmm, uh… I see…”
Yoo Seong-un roughly understood the situation.
‘The size of the mysterious body varies depending on the story surrounding it.’
Even evil spirits are ultimately gods. Their size varies depending on the favor or hostility of the creatures who believe in their existence, and it seems that Argio actively accepted even the notoriety for things he did not do as his own.
‘Then it is possible that one may have an evil divinity that is excessively evil compared to the evil deeds one has directly committed.’
Isn’t that the case with the Sankalut religion? An ordinary jewel that couldn’t even speak, let alone kill, became a proper evil spirit through national beliefs and sacrifices. It’s a similar case to Argio.
‘In particular, this person was able to speak and act, while actively accepting the misunderstandings directed at him… .’
It was an extremely rare case.
“So, does that mean you didn’t do anything?”
“I visited the mansions of unlucky authors without permission and took alcohol and goods.”
“Who were these unlucky authors?”
“Those guys who ruined my drinking. They made a scene in front of me.”
“Were you talking too loudly?”
“He bragged that he had annihilated the village that had prepared food for him.”
“Oh, that’s definitely self-defense. Then it’s hard to say what you did was evil.”
“That’s really sad news.”
“hmm….”
Yoo Seong-un smiled awkwardly.
“Is it because you think your reputation was just a facade?”
“Because evil is more enjoyable than good.”
“… … .”
For a moment, Yoo Seong-un was speechless.
“…Can you please take a look at the battlefield?”
“no.”
Geo’s voice suddenly took on a blunt tone.
“I’m not yet perfect as Argio.”
“You’re saying you don’t really like fighting these days?”
“I originally hated fighting.”
“It’s a little different from what I said earlier.”
“I think it depends on the situation.”
“Hmm, I see.”
After thinking for a moment, Yoo Seong-un asked.
“Is Joohyun still at home?”
“Yes, he is sleeping.”
“Every time I ask you, you seem to be sleeping.”
“I put you to bed early because you seemed tired.”
“Nothing else, I was just wondering if you could leave.”
“Do you have any recommendations?”
“You said you were curious about the evil spirits.”
It was always better to practice in practice.
“Korea has an evil spirit that is officially recognized as a common religion.”
“It must be an evil spirit that doesn’t harm humans.”
“Rather, I think it was a kind of natural order, even if it was harmful.”
Mysteries related to the gods were not Yoo Seong-un’s specialty, but he remembered the basic flow.
“The most representative example of this is the God of Death.”
“Death is certainly the natural course of things.”
“Yeah, you’re right. But people don’t like it.”
“For most people, death is a harm.”
“The God of Death has only recently become recognized as a mainstream religion in the last 14 years.”
“Wasn’t it before that?”
“It was a very sensitive time, and in many ways… .”
Yoo Seong-un laughed innocently.
“It could be said that in a world ruled by evil spirits, there was no room for distinction.”
“You’ve hit the nail on the head.”
“Thanks to the symbol of eternity, I feel like things are somewhat organized now.”
He shrugged.
“Would you like to meet up? If you want, I’ll ask for your understanding in advance.”
“Then I would like to meet you.”
That’s how the black cloak was launched into the world again.
To be exact, as the A-class hunter ‘Sergio’.
* * *
“… … .”
“… … .”
“Hey, look here.”
Visabal looked at Yoo Seong-un, who had come to ask for permission, as if he found it ridiculous.
“When did you tell me not to let Sergio go outside?”
“Isn’t that because the guild leader is someone who threatens world peace?”
“Do you know how much I am contributing to world peace when you say such nonsense?”
“At least I’m not clapping from the side and telling Geo to make some mess.”
“That’s true, that’s true, but I feel so wronged. How can I live while being treated like this?”
Yoo Seong-un knew that he had lived very well despite all that, and Bisabal knew that.
“As expected, our employees don’t know how to rub their palms together.”
“These are the people who will gladly help you out if you add them to your work.”
“Or else you wouldn’t, I like you guys so much.”
“We know that too, we know that and that’s why we’re being so cocky… .”
Yoo Seong-un, who had been mumbling, soon smiled and asked.
“The Temple of Death is in Gyeonggi-do, so I came here to get permission in advance. Unlike before, we will be going quite far, and since it will be an encounter between two evil gods, we don’t know what kind of chemical reaction will occur.”
“… … .”
Bisabal, who had been tapping the table as if calculating something, soon nodded.
“I wonder what would happen if the evil spirit Geo and the quiet evil spirit met.”
“I knew you would say that.”
“Isn’t there a much more interesting and fun topic than preserving the peace of mankind?”
“Interesting… When you say it like that, it seems like you resemble Argio a bit.”
Argio said that he likes evil more than good because it is more stimulating and interesting.
There was something distinctly similar about Bisabal and Argiona in that they advocated goodness for the sake of enjoying more without much interest in the peace of mankind.
At that, Visabal smiled broadly.
“Argio also said that my color was similar to yours?”
“It’s a more calming color than the guild leader’s.”
“If anything happens, I’ll tell you that you’re my nephew.”
“I heard you were the fourth reader.”
“Hmm.”
Bisabal added his words under Yoo Seong-un’s deep gaze.
“Like a hidden son?”
“Aren’t you over eighty?”
“It looks plump.”
“You have a body that is too firm for someone in their 50s.”
“Then let’s say it’s correct.”
Up until that point, Yoo Seong-un didn’t say anything.
“… Geo already has the sun’s divinity. I don’t know if the evil divinity of the evil god is superimposed on it, or if they coexist, or if they can be switched… .”
Yoo Seong-un continued speaking.
“The Seoul branch of the Solar Church was friendly to Geo. The evil spirits of the Gyeonggi branch in particular do not enjoy conflicts between divinities, so I thought there would be no major problems, and so I came to ask for permission.”
“But did you think it was dangerous?”
“Since Geo introduced himself as an evil spirit, we should be careful. He especially likes things that are provocative, and more than anything, he is not afraid of conflict. I thought we should prepare for it.”
“I can help you with that.”
Although the collection of the Visabale took the form of a business corporation, that did not mean that his guild members were not skilled in battle. Some of them even had a troop that followed only his orders.
“I’ll ask my friends to do it for me.”
“It gives me peace of mind knowing you’re looking after me.”
Yoo Seong-woon expressed his gratitude with his characteristically innocent smile.
“I feel like I always get help.”
“I feel the same way. But….”
“but?”
“When you go out, you will go out as ‘Mr. Sergio’, right?”
“Shouldn’t that be the case?”
“Hmm.”
The visage stroked my chin.
“I think it would be okay to hire a secretary for Sergio soon.”
“Are you thinking of making Geo an official hunter?”
“It’s because I blocked it, but attention is already focused on it.”
No matter how quietly things proceeded, quite a few people noticed that the sea had become calm after Sergio and other hunters visited the S-class dungeon, ‘Deep Sea Kingdom’.
The A-class hunter appeared without a sound, and the sea of Korea became quiet after his visit. Although I wasn’t particularly suspicious because there was no evidence, I was curious.
“Sergio used to save people at the ‘Temple of the Deep Sea’.”
“You still have that influence? Because of the Hunter who doesn’t even do any official work?”
“A handsome and capable hunter is popular with everyone.”
“… That’s true.”
In particular, Geo had a strong aura that was hard to forget in people’s memories.
It is not surprising that there are still people who remember ‘Sergio Hunter’, who gathered people together and encouraged them during those difficult and scary times.
Yoo Seong-un nodded.
“The fact that he is a promising new A-class hunter, but his whereabouts are unknown, probably drew more attention. It could have been read as a kind of mystical strategy… .”
“If you knew better, you should have sent Geo out a long time ago.”
“Do you think I don’t know that this is a suggestion full of selfish intentions from the guild leader? Anyway, I guess I’ll have to look for a manager among the staff.”
If you are a hunter who has frequent official activities or is well-known, you would have one or two managers assigned to manage your schedule.
Although Geo didn’t plan on being very active officially, he needed a secretary in another sense since there were many people interested in him.
“If we know about the existence of ‘Mr. Sergio’, it will be easier to manage our schedules and image… ”
“Let’s try to save people for that part little by little.”
The long, slit pupils of the visage slowly opened.
“I think I’ll find it soon.”
I think your name was Joohyun.
I don’t like it, but it looks pretty usable.