Chapter 24

...

"What should I write?"

Bi Sabeol sat in front of the monitor and thought for a long while.

"... Should I make this fun?"

A moment later, his hands began to move.

...

* * *

"Jio."

As always, Yu Seongun called to Jio inside the portrait.

"Are you awake?"

"Yes, I am awake."

"Then I'd like to make a suggestion."

Even as he put on a calm front, Yu Seongun observed the other party carefully.

He was now proposing something to a Root entity.

He had to understand the weight of that.

'And I know it very well.'

By nature, the things that lived within the Root could not communicate with humans.

A single sneeze from far away might be a terrible insult to the other party, and smiling during a conversation might make the other party sad.

Root entities had rules of their own.

Their rules were extremely irrational and irregular from a human perspective, so one could never deal with them from a human point of view.

"Would you perhaps like to come outside? I'm saying this on the premise that it's only if you want to, but..."

Endless observation and analysis was the only way to survive.

"It seems like you don't know much about the situation outside. Like what happened with the seeds last time."

"You are right, Mr. Yu Seongun. There is not much that I know."

"In that sense, I was wondering if you'd like to go sightseeing. I'll cover all the necessary items and expenses, and of course, I'll stay by your side and guide you."

"You will guide me?"

"Yes. In other words, all you have to do is bring yourself."

To take an unidentified Root entity outside.

Though he was proceeding with Bi Sabeol's permission, even for Yu Seongun, who could be bold when the time came, this was a daring gamble.

'... Still, there's no need to go looking for things to worry about. If it comes down to it, I'll pass him off as a new Hunter from outside the city.'

As long as Jio continued to maintain his gentlemanly attitude, there would be no major problems.

Of course, since they did not know Jio's identity, he might interact with something in reality regardless of his own intentions, but that was fine too.

If it was going to happen anyway, it was wiser to find out in advance.

'Even if there is a little damage.'

As Yu Seongun waited for an answer, the portrait with its gloomy and elegant face soon opened its mouth.

"Sightseeing."

He thought he had gotten quite used to it, but it still gave him chills.

The portrait's tone was still grotesquely blunt.

"Very well."

"... Really?"

"When would be good?"

It was a fairly quick answer.

'I thought he might attack me, thinking I was trying to drag him outside.'

Jio was a portrait.

Trying to drag a painting into reality might have felt insulting from his point of view.

Fortunately, however, Jio did not seem to care about that sort of thing.

'Is it because he came out on his own several times before...? In that case, it's a good thing we took measures in advance so Jio could move around freely.'

Yu Seongun stopped thinking and answered.

"Let's do Tuesday morning, two days from now."

"Could you call me then? Time here and time outside seem to flow a little differently, so I need help."

"That's not difficult. I'll come call you two days from now, so you can get ready slowly and come out then..."

After thinking for a moment, Yu Seongun took out a small timer.

"I'll put this on the floor here, so you can check it this way too. I'll set it to ring three times at eight in the morning two days from now. If you want to check the time as you please, this will be more convenient, right?"

"Thank you."

"It's nothing."

Inwardly, Yu Seongun swallowed a sigh of relief.

'... He accepted the proposal itself readily. As expected, compared to other Root entities, Jio can communicate. Of course, because he isn't human, he does go off track sometimes... but for the most part, he should be safe.'

As if deciding their business was over, the portrait closed its eyes.

"..."

Yu Seongun did not hold Jio there any longer either.

They would have to be together all day two days from now anyway, so what good would it do for both of them to get tired already?

Besides, Yu Seongun had a great deal to prepare for the sightseeing schedule with Jio.

'I'll have to book one of the hotels reserved for trainers. I don't intend to treat Jio like a contracted beast, but hotels of that sort are better prepared for emergencies.'

Since this matter was quite dangerous, he needed thorough preparations that would not offend Jio.

"... But then, when has that ever not been true?"

Bi Sabeol's position was firm.

Even if some damage occurred, as long as it was not a massacre of more than fifty people, he would cover it up, so Yu Seongun was to confirm what sort of reaction the Portrait of Jio showed among humans.

'It's a wise decision.'

Jio could come out of the portrait whenever he pleased, without restrictions or conditions.

If an incident was going to happen anyway, it was better for Yu Seongun, both Curator and Gardener, to watch from his side.

"..."

But it was not as if he never grew tired of this world, where human lives were treated like insects.

'... Even though they would be people inside the city, not outside it, Guild Master Bi Sabeol said he could deal with it. Damage under fifty people doesn't matter, and even if that happens, it's fine as long as it doesn't get leaked to the press.'

Of course, it would be far better to finish the sightseeing without anyone dying.

"I'll have no choice but to count on Jio's gentlemanly response for this part."

Yu Seongun murmured softly as he left the guild.

Even if Jio was an existence that reacted quite similarly to a human, he could not feel at ease.

Humans, too, could act completely normal and then go batshit at lunch the next day, so there was no guarantee a Root entity would not have that same duality.

'I'll make sure to look into that type of hotel... and it might be better to set the sightseeing route somewhere that can be handled in an emergency. Gyeongbokgung Palace is in this direction, so there won't be nothing to see.'

Since he was even using the name Seo Jio, showing him something Korean did not seem like a bad idea.

'I think the night market at Gyeongbokgung Palace usually opens after six. It's a tourist area around Jongno, so there should be a lot of Hunters wandering around too. If an incident breaks out, it'll be a good place to ask for help using Guild Master Bi Sabeol's name.'

Perhaps because he had been working overtime lately, or perhaps because he was worrying too much, his head throbbed a little.

'I'll have to think about how to introduce Jio then, though...'

If an incident broke out, it seemed better to voluntarily report it to the Association.

Since the Association president had gone after it, they would not be completely ignorant of the Portrait of Jio either.

"... Hoo..."

Yu Seongun let out a deep sigh once he was outside.

"What a headache."

His breath did not fog.

"..."

Yu Seongun muttered pointlessly.

"... Wow, this is why major corporations are great."

Scratching the back of his head, he began walking again.

Overtime was confirmed, but he had enough stamina.

'I need to get ready quickly.'

He hoped it would all go smoothly.

* * *

Jio returned to the bedroom after finishing his conversation with Yu Seongun.

"..."

Yes, it was Jio.

Fortunately, Jio had returned from the state of being Giovanni and recovered his original personality.

"Hmm..."

The state of being Giovanni had not lasted very long.

He had only been flustered by a change he was experiencing for the first time, and once he got the knack of it, he could return to his usual personality.

"It's not hard."

If he flexed his brain, he could go back to being Jio.

"Like blowing my nose."

That was how Jio was able to understand this new rule.

"So I meet an Adaptor, get their consent, and proceed with quests while moving around that world."

And one other thing: assimilation.

This part was not that difficult either.

"The progress is much faster when I'm wearing Giovanni's personality, but even if I don't go out of my way to assimilate with that personality, the assimilation rate itself is slowly rising."

Now and then, without realizing it, he became Giovanni, but apart from that...

"Once assimilation starts, I guess you can't turn it off."

He had never once experienced it, but it also felt like recalling a past life he had forgotten.

He had clearly said they were different people, but Jio did not feel as if the person named Giovanni and himself were separate individuals.

That was how Jio had organized his thoughts after several days.

"I doubt I'll ever have such a bizarrely fresh experience again as long as I live."

"Gurgle?"

"An experience that makes your left brain and right brain feel like they're playing separately is rare."

He could now be Jio and Giovanni at the same time, and it was not difficult to change his personality depending on the situation and his mood.

He felt Giovanni's emotions.

'Though the memories aren't whole.'

Perhaps because the assimilation rate was low, Jio could not recall all of Giovanni's memories.

It felt as if he were following Giovanni, who had lost his memory and forgotten everything from before, but even that was enough to know what sort of person he was.

Giovanni was extremely warmhearted, kind, and possessed a gentle charisma that could soothe people and draw them in.

He had ambitions for peace, but he cherished daily life with the people around him even more.

That was Batlan Giovanni.

"..."

After two blinks, Jio murmured in a small voice.

"Will it be all right like this?"

Yu Seongun had suggested sightseeing.

"He seemed afraid of me."

It was only that he had not thought about it; Jio was not actually oblivious.

'There is no way people are afraid of me simply because a dark figure of a man is frightening.'

Yu Seongun seemed to be deliberately explaining things indirectly in case Jio was shocked, but Jio knew too.

The current Jio was definitely a little excessively frightening in the eyes of ordinary people.

'As expected, trying to wander around the world in the body of a portrait must cause problems with the resolution.'

Or perhaps this was the true power of a haunted portrait.

The power to make even harmless things look harmful, to change the genre into horror thriller just by existing.

"The people outside seemed to be afraid of me."

"Coo."

"It's bewildering, but it doesn't feel terribly unpleasant, so don't worry."

He had no intention of doing so at all, but how should he put it?

It felt like he was pulling a hidden-camera horror prank.

He did feel sorry, but frankly speaking, it was more absurd and funny than unpleasant.

But even that needed to have limits.

"It would be a problem if it interfered with the sightseeing."

This was not even sightseeing he was doing alone, but sightseeing they would enjoy together entirely by relying on someone else's money and someone else's guidance.

If he looked hopelessly dangerous like this, it would also trouble Mr. Yu Seongun, who would be accompanying him.

"This is sightseeing enjoyed with a reliable guide like Mr. Yu Seongun. An experience like this on someone else's money is rare."

"..."

"Do you think money grows on trees? I can say with certainty that prices will have gone up even more by now. Daddy has no money."

Ah, damn.

Would sniffling to his child about not having money have a bad influence on the child's development?

Jio belatedly added.

"Of course, if Honey asks me to buy something, this daddy can buy it all for you."

"Coo?"

"You shouldn't waste money, but if you buy something and enjoy it properly, there's nothing to regret."

Besides, it did seem like money might actually come out if he dug in the ground here.

If roasted sweet potatoes came out when he drew them, why wouldn't money come out when he dug the ground?

"Anyway, that isn't how it works outside the frame. Honey, listen carefully. If someone says they'll buy you something delicious, you must run right over and accept it to be a true little piggy."

Personally, he hoped Honey would become that plump.

"..."

"..."

If only it would get plump...

"... Grrg... gurgle... grrk..."

"Is that really something to get angry about?"

"Grrrrrrrr..."

It seemed to dislike the idea.

'What a shame.'

A plump bird was the symbol of cuteness, but this water bird, faithful to self-care, apparently had no such intention.

'I knew there was something unusual about the way it adorned itself with jewels, you fussy child.'

In any case, that was what Jio cared about.

He had to make a more harmless impression.

"I want to become harmless enough to look like an ordinary passerby, but I'm already as harmless as a talking potato, so I have no idea what more I can possibly do from here. My harmlessness should already have been at its limit."

In life, though he had never actually died, Jio had often been told he had a frightening impression back when he worked as a teacher, but he had not had an atmosphere that made people piss themselves crying.

"After all, other than my talent for growing healthily wherever I'm put, I'm basically a corpse."

But the current Jio was being treated like an urban legend such as the Red Mask.

He had not heard that evaluation openly, but seeing how every person he met was terrified, he roughly got the picture.

"Seeing how everyone seems to struggle just to perceive me, first... I do think it's a resolution problem."

"Gurgle."

"I suspect it's one of the various problems that comes from becoming reality after being a painting, but I'm not an engineer..."

And Jio had already received a solution for it from the system.

"This must be referring to the Adaptor."

Was Giovanni, whose Synchronization was in progress, still being treated as a human rather than a portrait?

In fact, when Jio activated Giovanni's personality, he felt his body become a little heavier.

Unlike before, he had to go to the bathroom, he got hungry, and he required a certain amount of sleep.

"So if I go outside while I'm Giovanni, people won't be afraid."

"..."

Feeling Honey's lukewarm stare, Jio nodded.

"It's called a split personality."

First, he had to become harmless.

"..."

"..."

Under Honey's fixed stare, Jio acknowledged his own overreach.

"... Fine, even I think split personality is a bit of a stretch."

"Gurgle."

"To make an excuse, I really wasn't planning to pass it off that way sincerely."

This was sightseeing that Yu Seongun had kindly suggested.

It was a trip he would enjoy with Yu Seongun's help, and he would be going around openly with him, so he did not want to cause needless discomfort.

"Even if I don't act specifically as Giovanni, as long as Synchronization is in progress, there's room to make use of it. It means people might not be too afraid even if I act like usual."

"Coo?"

"Of course, I do need to pay attention. If I leave it without thinking, it seems that even during Synchronization, the resolution problem appears again. But this alone can be considered a big gain."

This was a fact he had confirmed with the help of the guild's dawn patrol guards.

"I'm trying various things, so Mr. Yu Seongun won't end up in too much trouble."

For example, a situation where his companion abruptly developed a split personality.

"... Well, anyway..."

Jio, who had been sprawled on the bed, got up.

"... Then now it's time to take care of our elder's meal. Honey, let's go."

"Gurgle-gurgle!"

Honey nodded in fierce agreement.

The small bird fluttered up and landed on Jio's shoulder.

Jio took the seventy-seven colorful sandwiches he had made in advance in the kitchen and moved to the studio.

His steps stopped right in front of the Breathing Sea, the landscape painting of the sea.

Now he had to open this firmly closed door.

"Do you want to build a snowman with..."

"Coo."

"Right."

Copyright mattered, after all.

Thinking of his spiritual home, the kingdom of Fro○en, and recalling the innocence of his childhood for a moment, Jio composed himself.

There was no guarantee that South Korea, where thirty-one years had already passed while he slept, had not turned into a land of lawsuits.

After clearing his throat with a few awkward coughs following that nonsense, Jio soon prepared to have a meal with family.

"..."

"..."

A brief silence.

His pitch-black hair slowly took on a lighter color.

When his water-colored eyes blinked twice.

"..."

Giovanni was there in his place.

"... May I enter?"

The door opened.

"Thank you."

" "

"Yes, this priest is very late."

" "

"Please understand."

A world submerged beneath the sea.

"The day was so lovely, you see, that my body became sluggish."

The sun was barely breathing.