The Artist Who Paints Dungeon - Chapter 91



Only Noblemtl

Episode 91

Light a bonfire.

“Is this the right thing to do…?”

Place charcoal in the middle.

“It’s not the charcoal we used when we lived in Edlan, but it smells good.”

A wall was built on the side to provide a device for grilling clams.

It was made of moderately flat stones, so it was bumpy and didn’t look very stable. Aria muttered softly, lost in a strange feeling.

“It might have been better if there were bricks….”

The mermaid, recalling her childhood memories and comparing them to the current bonfire, looked down at her hands, which were covered in black charcoal.

“… … .”

After a while, Aria muttered.

“… It’s different from that time.”

It must have been so hard to prepare a campfire with that small body.

“It reminds me of the old days, I’ve always done that, but it’s a very strange experience to feel this peaceful.”

Suddenly, Aria was struck by the delusion that she was dreaming.

The cold-blooded sage. The embodiment of the sea. The judge of all sea creatures. The master of the world and game board called the deep sea would never again create such a small and insignificant bonfire.

I am repeating the most peaceful actions of my life with these bloody hands… .

“It doesn’t feel real at all.”

I never imagined that this would be possible. There was no reason for it to be.

“It seems a bit strange.”

In fact, all of this might have been the result of a long sleep by a mermaid who couldn’t shake off her old habits. It wasn’t all that strange, since she sometimes had dreams like that.

Aria, who was looking at the flickering fire, soon muttered.

“Well, I guess it doesn’t matter… .”

She did not try to distinguish between what was true and what was false in the current situation. It was an uncharacteristic behavior for Arya, who had always faced reality without placing value on vanity.

But if this was a dream, then the delusion was worth enjoying as a delusion.

“Geo.”

Aria headed to the cabin’s kitchen, dragging the hem of her dress, which seemed quite out of place here.

“The place to grill the clams is ready. I just need to put the wire mesh on top.”

“The trimming is all done. The stew is almost done.”

“So, are you planning to eat outside?”

“There’s a bonfire and the weather is nice. Wouldn’t that be much more fun?”

“You are right.”

There have been many instances like this.

They went to the bustling market and chose the ingredients that they liked the most that day, and Geo cooked a meal with the ingredients that the mermaids liked. He was the only adult and cook in the small house.

Aria and Isser would look up at their tall teacher and learn human wisdom or chat about trivial things. The atmosphere was disorganized.

At such times, their teachers would ask for help.

“Would you help Aria too? I’m short on hands, teacher….”

“Give me the clams.”

Aria continued, receiving a tray full of prepared clams from Geo.

“This is my role.”

Grilled clams were always Aria’s thing.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be baking it well.”

“I feel secure with Aria here.”

“…Is that so?”

“I look forward to some delicious grilled clams.”

“… … .”

Aria opened her mouth slightly and then went outside again.

At that time, Aria was weak and physically weak, but she was more greedy than that. She felt that Geo’s cooking was the essence of wisdom that a human could show, so she insisted on giving me the role.

‘At that time, I tried very hard to get the role of lighting the campfire from the teacher. Even though I helped with cooking, he rarely gave me a job that was too dangerous… .’

I was also annoyed because I thought it was because he didn’t trust my abilities. Giovanni wanted to take on all the big and small dangerous tasks himself. It seemed like a sign of distrust.

It was only after his death that I realized that the teacher had been too precious to his young mermaid disciples and did not want them to get hurt. That was a separate issue from trust.

“… … .”

The little mermaid, who didn’t even know that, ended up getting the job of lighting a bonfire.

“That’s funny.”

I felt like I was floating in the sky, disconnected from reality, because I still had that weird role left. It was a strange feeling.

Although I never abandoned it myself, I thought that I would never take on this role again even after I died… .

“… … .”

“Huh?”

“…I told you not to act friendly, sir.”

“Kuk kuk kuk.”

“Are you okay?”

A teddy bear sitting by a campfire clapping its hands is truly insignificant.

It was a question with a neutral tone that carried no particular emotion, but Aria’s feelings as she looked at the old, dull-colored doll were not like that.

“Are you really okay?”

Aria covered the sun with the sea.

“You put in a lot of effort. You hated the sun so much that you drowned all your children in the sea. You didn’t even have the courage to touch Geo, who had melted away like water… .”

“… … .”

“Yes, I didn’t have the courage. I was feeling anger for the first time in my life, and I was not in my right mind. I could have destroyed his remains in some way, so I was just cautious.”

“… … .”

“You are the one who lost your warmth and all your children due to the struggles of a mermaid who can’t even live on land… It’s so absurd and funny to see you so peaceful now.”

That’s how it was all.

“Why is it so peaceful?”

This forest, its owner Geo, and even the small creatures and giant beings he kept by his side as if he were playing with family, were helplessly peaceful.

Aria looked down at the fluffy doll that contained the huge frame securely.

“Don’t you resent me?”

“Kkuu.”

“This is why the group called gods are so disgusting.”

You shouldn’t expect them to have feelings or interaction.

The priest’s offering of sacrifices to the gods was almost the only way for humans to communicate with the gods. To that extent, they could not talk to the gods, could not see each other face to face, could not understand each other, and could not exchange emotions.

So, I wouldn’t hold any resentment towards a mere mermaid.

“It’s emptier than a monster like me.”

To talk about mercy and love on such a topic, what an incompatible pair of authors these are.

“Teasing the sun isn’t something that just anyone can do, so why can’t we show some kind of rewarding reaction? Feeling sad, resentful, annoyed… there are so many reactions we can show.”

“Kuk kuk kuk…”

“Are you laughing?”

I’m annoyed.

“… … .”

It was quite different from my brother’s, which even felt noble, but Aria muttered with a gentlemanly smile anyway.

“I didn’t blame you either.”

It was true.

The clever mermaid knew exactly who was at fault. It was a bunch of fools blinded by greed and fame who had caused the accident, and the siblings and Giovanni were just unlucky enough to get caught up in it.

So, if he was angry, it would only be at the easily corrupted and betraying nature of humans.

“That world was so horrible.”

No human has ever seen eternity. Even I, who was turned into a rage, loathed it.

“It is so bearable that the sky must be covered by the sea to the ends….”

So that’s what happened.

“… … .”

“Yes, Father.”

Even as a mermaid, it was a fact I found out much later.

“The sun god and the deep sea god were one body, right? So you were my father too.”

“Kuukku.”

“No, since we are divided beings, I guess I should call you uncle. What do you want me to call you?”

“Kukuku.”

“Uncle? Oh my gosh, that’s creepy. That was just a joke.”

It was a dirty peaceful word.

“At this point, I’m starting to lose my mind.”

It was a very rare occurrence.

Although she had lived her whole life with a clear mind, there were only two times when she fell into confusion.

The first was when Geo took Aria’s side rather than the human one, and the second was when Geo’s body was found, unrecognizable.

And in this dreamlike situation, Aria was once again confused.

“I feel like this isn’t where I should be….”

A laugh came out naturally.

“… … .”

The spring breeze was gentle.

“…ticklish.”

“Aria, are you ready?”

“okay.”

This was the stomach of their detailed teacher.

That fact seemed a little far-fetched.

* * *

“How is it?”

“Is it ripe?”

Geo continued speaking after seeing the stew’s liver.

“It’s a little too tangy for my taste.”

“The teacher liked spicy food… .”

“I just eat it without any problems, but it’s too embarrassing to say that I like it.”

It had a bitter taste, perhaps because it was much sweeter than the tomatoes I usually use.

Geo took out the Milky Way Mary that had been drying in the cupboard, ground it finely, and sprinkled it over the stew.

“It’s just right.”

It was moderately spicy and stimulating. It was sweet and savory, with a salty flavor from the aged ham, and the vegetable juice from various vegetables such as carrots added a luxurious bitterness.

“ah.”

Rustle.

Moon, moon.

Parsley… .

“I guess you like it.”

Perhaps because the Milky Way Mary was so sparkly, or perhaps because it was also a fruit, several water birds flew out of the nest and snatched a few Milky Way Mary eggs.

Geo turned a blind eye to his friends’ petty embezzlement.

‘It’s okay because it’s cute.’

All that was needed was to not steal from other houses. Geo patted the water birds who were greeting him briskly and opened his mouth.

“I was a little nervous because it had been a while since I cooked it, but the stew turned out to be quite satisfying.”

“Have you ever cooked it separately before? You enjoy cooking, sir.”

“Since I’m dead, what’s the big deal…?”

It was only quite recently that ‘Giovanni’ was placed over Sergio.

“… … .”

“I made a mistake, Isser. Please calm down.”

“No, it’s me… .”

“Calm down.”

There was a bit of a fuss, but the stew was really satisfying.

“I like the one with clams, and I like the one with meat. I think Isser likes the one with seafood better.”

“… Now, I don’t really have much of an appetite, so it’s hard to say, but yes. If I had to pick, I think I’m much more used to seafood.”

“You say you have no appetite, but you eat tomatoes the size of pumpkins.”

“that….”

Isser, who had been seriously contemplating for a moment as if he had nothing to say, soon replied shamelessly.

“The tomatoes were delicious.”

“I raised it.”

“As expected, you are a teacher.”

“yes.”

Whatever the general taste of mermaids, Geo liked the meat one a little better.

‘It was definitely difficult to get meat when I lived in the village.’

Because it is a seaside town located on the coast, the price of meat was much more expensive than that of seafood.

Even though he was a nobleman, he was the youngest who didn’t receive any support, and even though he had enough to buy medical equipment and donate everything, he couldn’t live lavishly, so he was quite happy about this kind of meat.

The contents of the sausage with the casing removed were cooked thoroughly in the stew and had a soft texture, but it seemed that if it had been cooked for a longer time at a lower temperature, the meat would have been even more tender.

“Because it’s dried meat, it doesn’t become mushy easily.”

“I like this as it is, but….”

“I think we’re ready for dinner for now.”

Geo, with Isser’s help, carried two large pots out into the yard. The atmosphere was lively thanks to the wooden chairs and table prepared from somewhere.

“ego.”

The stew pot sat down next to the campfire.

“Let’s eat.”

“Kuruk.”

“Honey, don’t even think about getting in the pot.”

“Kung kung kung… .”

“I don’t think we’ll drink water from you.”

Geo scooped up the stew with Honey in the pot, placed it in a bowl, and placed it near the campfire. Honey began to absorb the stew while still in the bowl. Because it was so thick, it was hard to tell what was the stew and what was the honey.

“Dana, let’s eat new food instead of stealing oppa’s stew.”

“Ryujonjonjonjonjonjonjonjeom?”

“Right.”

Dana, who had been idly looking around the bowl in which honey had melted, walked briskly to Geo’s call and took a seat in front of his bowl. The stew seemed to have been well-suited to the two animals’ mouths, as the amount of stew was gradually decreasing.

“If you want to add more flavor, I’ll put some pepper here, so add as you wish.”

Aria’s head tilted as she placed the finely chopped Milky Way Mary on the table.

“pepper?”

“Yes, it’s pepper.”

“Isn’t it completely different?”

“The taste is similar.”

“Is it edible?”

“Would you recommend something I wouldn’t eat?”

“… … .”

“aria?”

After a moment of silence, Aria nodded.

“I’m not the type of person to joke around with food though….”

“Why are you saying such obvious things so seriously?”

“Sometimes, the teacher’s actions are unpredictable.”

And it wasn’t because of Geo’s bouncy charm that I was curious.

‘It doesn’t look like food.’

It’s not that it looks inedible, but it gives off the vibe that it would be used as a precious medicinal ingredient rather than a food for such small uses.

In some dimensions, people call this guy an elixir.

“… You’re really good at finding things like this.”

“Because they are in full bloom in the forest.”

“Oh, a lot?”

“Is there a problem?”

“… … .”

Aria looked around and shook her head.

“No, what’s the problem?”

It was a world filled with things so precious that they would make the eyes of greedy humans, who were not generous by nature, roll their eyes. If anyone were allowed to come and go here, there would definitely be problems.

However, even if humans had no limits to evolution, they would not be able to crawl into this terrifying dimension with only shallow greed.

‘You wouldn’t be able to approach this dimension without a greed bordering on belief. Just imagining humans coveting the teacher’s treasure trove is nauseating… but it’s unlikely to ever come true.’

Aria accepted the stew her mentor offered her, fearing that Giovanni might be persecuted by humans again.

The wooden bowl was really warm. The warmth spread to the fingertips that held the bowl, and a faint ticklish feeling sprouted like a bud.

“… … .”

“Is seafood stew okay?”

“Yeah, I like this better than beef.”

It smelled so appetizing.

I didn’t think I was that hungry, but the spicy aroma of tomato stew made me feel empty. I wanted to fill my empty stomach with the stew in front of me.

It had been a really long time since I felt like eating something. My complicated brain was slowly starting to unravel.

‘… Strangely, I don’t dislike Geo’s cooking even though it has a strong smell. Now, even my taste has faded, but still, for some reason… .’

The sound of the dishes clanking, soaked in a soft warmth that warmed my fingertips. That peaceful and simple murmur tickled my heart in a strangely careful way.

‘Is it because I came back home?’

Strictly speaking, this place, which was not a deep sea, was not my hometown, but perhaps because of Giovanni, I felt a strange sense of nostalgia and sentimentality. It was a feeling that was difficult to define.

Even though I belong there, I feel like I am one step away, and even though we are spending time together, I miss you so much that it feels empty and unattainable. Even in that deep, dark sea, I have never felt such an emotion, and it is truly unfamiliar.

‘… This man would never have forgiven us. How can he be so affectionate on such a topic? It’s not like Giovanni was twisted by gaining divinity… He was such a strange author to begin with.’

I felt a tingling sensation from the unfamiliar sensation, so much so that I had to clench and unclench my fist a few times.

“… … .”

I don’t think it should be this comfortable.

I felt so eerily lethargic that I couldn’t escape this comfortable atmosphere.

The painter who draws dungeons