The Artist Who Paints Dungeon

Chapter 143

After all the visitors had left, the bishop summoned the priest who had guided ‘Seo Jio’ today.

The priest, in his white priestly robes and holding a white lantern, entered the room where the incarnation of Death resided and paid his respects.

He extinguished the lantern's flame and, taking his place in the darkness before the bishop, waited for the words to fall.

“You have worked hard today.”

Soon, the bishop opened her mouth.

“It must have been wearisome.”

“It is my honor.”

“It must surely have been a nerve-wracking day.”

“This priest is still lacking….”

“Who could stand with their back straight before a divinity?”

“I thank you for your sea-like benevolence.”

“Yes….”

The bishop gestured for him to sit and then asked.

“Tell me what you saw and heard.”

“Yes, Bishop.”

The priest bowed his head deeply and continued.

“He seemed very skilled at dealing with humans.”

“It seemed so to me as well.”

“He appeared to be merely a very strong human, but he also showed a side that seemed to change personality in an instant.”

“Personality, you mean it looked as if his ego had changed?”

“That is not it, it seemed that his ego and memories all remained intact, and only his disposition changed.”

“How ever-changing.”

“What I heard was a heavy voice like our Father’s, a warm voice like the sunlight, and a sharp voice filled with cruel interest.”

“He is truly a being who has reached a state of myriad transformations.”

The bishop nodded.

“I heard he bestowed a gift upon you.”

“Yes, this….”

The priest placed the paper-wrapped item on a small, jet-black tray decorated with mother-of-pearl.

It then flowed along the water covering the floor and soon reached the front of the bishop.

The bishop lifted the item.

A very strong sweet smell wafted from it.

“I will not open this. What did he say?”

“He said it was dried fruit. He also said it would be sweet.”

“Were there any other words besides that?”

“That he wished for me not to fear him….”

“And?”

“He said he hoped I would look more comfortable the next time we met.”

“I see.”

The bishop placed the gift back on the tray and gently pushed it back to the priest.

The priest bowed his head politely and then put the gift, which made a rustling sound, into his robes.

After confirming this, the bishop spoke from behind her black head covering.

“You have received his grace, so you must not harm your family but express your gratitude.”

“Yes, Bishop.”

“If he seeks our home, you are to attend to him.”

“Yes, Bishop.”

“I should give you advice regarding him as well, but it is not easy….”

The bishop, trailing off, finally opened her mouth after a long pause.

“Our Father called him a friend, so you too shall assume a posture befitting that.”

“I will do my utmost to offer his friend the most devoted reception.”

“He does not wish for a grand reception. Treat him as a single visitor… but remember that he is our Father’s friend.”

“Though I am an ignorant priest, I will do so.”

“He is an evil god, but do not fear him. Before he was a wicked divinity, he was a providence and a hero.”

“…….”

“He considers himself a human.”

How does he intend to walk that harsh path of benevolence?

“I too am my Father’s ignorant child, so I do not have much advice to give you. He is simply one who flows like a river, so do not think of going against him, but simply entrust your body to the flow, and you will not incur his wrath.”

“Yes, I will engrave it upon my heart.”

“I have kept his true identity from the other children besides you. I trust you have done the same. He wishes for the treatment of a human, not a god, so that mystery must not be allowed to grow here.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

At the sight of the priest bowing his head deeply, the bishop spoke in her characteristically gentle voice.

“I think of you as my successor, so you must conduct yourself wisely.”

“Yes, Bishop.”

“As our Father has called him a friend, your role has become important.”

The bishop, who had been silent for a moment, soon nodded.

“Since he is a close friend acknowledged by our Father, the gift he gave cannot be harmful. You may enjoy the gift, but should anything unusual occur, let me know, and I shall give you advice.”

“I thank you for the grace you have bestowed.”

“Go back and rest. This is our Father's room, the room where Death resides, so it will still be poison to you. I will call you back here when you can accept the silence and darkness more easily.”

“Then I shall take my leave.”

The priest bowed his head once more and then quietly exited the room of Death.

“…….”

The only human left in Death, the bishop, placed the smoking-pipe in her hand on the water's surface.

The smoking-pipe, made of jet-black bamboo and gold, did not sink into the shallow water but merely cast a shadow.

From within her black head covering, the bishop called her father.

“Father.”

“…….”

“If you have another meaning, please call this daughter at any time.”

“…My… daughter….”

“Yes, Father. Your child is here.”

“Were you… afraid.”

“You protect me, Father, so I was not afraid.”

However.

“I was wary of his wicked divinity.”

The bishop who serves the God of Death and his incarnation is not a saintess.

The Death here lowers itself to use an incarnation, so communication with the God of Death was possible with just effort, without any special qualifications.

However, there are things one naturally learns when serving a divinity at such a close distance.

The bishop noticed that the wicked divinity who visited today had certain aspects similar to her father's.

“Should I not be concerned?”

“He….”

“Yes, Father. This daughter is listening.”

“…Flows….”

“Does he flow like your river, Father?”

“There is no reason to go against him, and you will not be able to… so you must cherish him greatly.”

“…How could I dare to cherish a divinity?”

“He is not lonely, but he is worthy of being loved.”

“…….”

The bishop smiled faintly.

“You are rather talkative today.”

“Is it good?”

“The silence is good, but I also like days like this.”

“I like it too….”

Without a sound, the arms and hands of Death fumbled around its room.

The dragon-like river that composed him continued to flow, and the jet-black veil that wrapped Death swayed with the bells adorned on it.

With his whole body, Death silently laughed, expressing his mood.

“He is in sin but is not a sinner, he knows he is human but has reached providence, and despite being born under a wicked star, he was once a hero.”

“I did not know such a mystery could exist.”

“I too did not see him until he showed himself directly. But he exists as a human, and his story is also very valuable and rare, so I shall covet that young friend.”

“Will you do so, Father.”

The bishop lifted the smoking-pipe again.

“Shall I seek his temple?”

“He is human, so he has no temple.”

“I wish to express our sincerity.”

“Then become his friend, that is what he wants.”

“A friend….”

Exhaling mist instead of smoke from the smoking-pipe, the bishop nodded.

“I will welcome him warmly when he visits again.”

“That… will be enough.”

“Will you sleep?”

“…Yes….”

“May you distance yourself from the noise and sleep deeply.”

“…….”

“I will watch over you.”

When Death stopped making sounds, the bishop also only exhaled mist.

A familiar silence descended upon the jet-black room.

***

For reference.

“He said I'm immortal.”

“…Reaally?”

“I think it’s truly amazing.”

The mere news of being immortal could not dampen Jio's spirits.

“I think I may be making my mark on the history of mankind.”

“If you say you're ordinary after that, I might actually cry.”

“I would be grateful if you would say I am ordinary, even if it’s just empty words.”

“I don't know what kind of stubbornness that is.”

“It was meant as a plea not to discriminate against this extraordinary me.”

“Oh… I see….”

Nodding, Yu Seong-un adjusted the car's direction and asked.

“But is that all?”

“What do you mean?”

“Ordinary people are usually more startled when they find out they're immortal.”

“Is being immortal something to be surprised about when I am already a portrait?”

“I don't know, wouldn't it be something worth being surprised about?”

“My mental fortitude is not so weak.”

“No, well, I was just saying that ordinary people would be like that.”

Yu Seong-un muttered to himself.

‘I meant you should do a better job of imitating a human if you want to.’

It seemed Jio's human imitation was getting sloppier by the day.

He thought it was probably because Yu Seong-un was a particularly easy person for him to deal with, but still, from the perspective of someone watching from the side, it was bound to be baffling.

‘What rhythm should I match so that Jio's mood isn't soured?’

Feeling a little bitter, Yu Seong-un put on his characteristic nonchalant smile.

“By the way, if you're immortal….”

“Yes.”

“The Symbols of Eternity are also immortal, and you were worried that those people would be lonely.”

“I was.”

“Are you not worried?”

“…….”

Jio, who had been feigning contemplation for a moment, soon blinked.

“Not particularly.”

“And why is that?”

“Because I am confident that I will eat well and live well.”

“Hmm, you certainly do seem that way.”

Yu Seong-un was convinced. It did seem like he wouldn't have a moment to be bored in life.

“So the reason you were worried about the Symbols of Eternity is because those people are not you?”

“It may sound arrogant and haughty, but in summary, you could see it that way.”

Jio nodded.

“I am such a free spirit that I can live peacefully within a portrait, but don't those people have the heavy responsibility of swaying the fate of this country and the Earth?”

“You're right.”

“In that case, it seems it would be difficult to eat well and live well. The future of countless lives hangs on their every step, and all the people of the world will be focused on them and fear them.”

“Does that look bad to you?”

“It means they intend to work their whole lives, being revered or cursed by others, in a life that is too short even for only joyful things. It doesn't look very good.”

“Right….”

Yu Seong-un thought quietly.

‘It seems like he himself lived a life that wasn't too different.’

He recalled Giovanni's story.

That he had saved countless people, hoping for the conflict between mermaids and humans to be alleviated, and on the other hand, hoping that more people would not be in pain.

And yet he had died in the most gruesome and miserable way.

‘And even after dying like that, he was preserved in the form of this portrait.’

In the first place, he wasn't too worried about ‘Jio's Portrait’ because its foundation was the Source, but it was also true that from a human perspective, it felt pitiful.

Living the life of the Source as a human would be a heavier burden than even for the Symbols of Eternity.

After contemplating for a moment, Yu Seong-un continued to ask.

“Are you really okay?”

“I am very satisfied with my life.”

“If you're immortal, I don't think you can be called ordinary….”

“I don't think it's a big problem.”

“You will have to watch many of your connections die.”

Jio was confident.

“Why is that a problem?”

“…….”

Oh, I see.

Yu Seong-un was at a loss for words.

“…So you don't really have any intention of pretending to be ordinary, do you?”

“Mr. Yu Seong-un is a trustworthy friend, so I am trying to converse honestly.”

“Ah, that's something I'm truly grateful for.”

“Of course, it will be a sad thing to have to watch my friends die.”

Jio continued.

“But the joy and pleasure of being together while they were alive will be greater than the sorrow after death.”

“…That is….”

“I am busy finding friends even now, so I don't think I need to mourn their deaths already.”

“…….”

“Death is a state, not something to be avoided and feared. I do not think deeply about it.”

He asked.

“This is strange. When you make friends, Mr. Yu Seong-un, do you worry about them dying first?”

“…Not really.”

“Then why must I fear the death of a friend that hasn't even come?”

Well, because an ordinary human would be afraid of being left alone?

‘…Then again, Jio would probably make another friend in an instant. I forgot for a moment that he is an existence who will never be left alone.’

Apart from that, it did seem like he ‘really had no intention of pretending to be an ordinary human’.

This too was likely a comfortable side he only showed in front of Yu Seong-un, so maybe it wasn't something to be too concerned about.

In the end, Yu Seong-un, who had been about to say something, gave up. He smiled nonchalantly.

“Well, I'm sure you'll do fine on your own.”

Even if he looked like this, wasn't he a guy who was pretty good at imitating a human when mixed in a crowd?

‘Still, if it's this guy's rule to be this honest in front of an existence he has defined as a friend… I should try to find someone to be Jio's secretary as soon as possible.’

With that thought, Yu Seong-un asked.

“So, after talking with the God of Death, were your questions answered?”

“Yes, I realized what I have to do.”

Argio confidently declared.

“I will become the Demon King.”

“…….”

Screech-

Stopping at a red light, Yu Seong-un laughed like a sigh.

“…Could you elaborate?”

Conversations with the Source always consumed a great deal of mental energy.