Chapter 26

The elevated train station they arrived at was at a considerable height.

"..."

"What is it? Something wrong?"

"It has been a long time since I was somewhere this high."

"I guess that makes sense."

Yu Seongun nodded.

'A portrait wouldn't exactly have many chances to come up somewhere this high.'

But since he had said "a long time," it seemed he had come out of the portrait and climbed up somewhere on his own before.

'Or maybe, among his memories as a human, he once climbed a mountain or a cliff.'

Since the guy could move around on his own, there were probably all sorts of possibilities.

Maybe he had even moved while still in portrait form.

Unaware of Yu Seongun's thoughts, Jio was looking around the elevated train station.

'I couldn't tell from below, but it's covered with a transparent barrier.'

'It seems to be for preventing falls or blocking the strong winds up high, but what exactly is it made of?'

'It looks much clearer and sturdier than glass or plastic.'

Jio was deeply interested in growing and making things.

A new material like something out of a sci-fi movie was impossible not to ask about.

"What is this wall made of?"

"Hm? The wall?"

"Yes, it is blocked off by a wall so transparent you would not know unless you touched it."

"It's not like I'm an expert on this sort of thing either... but it's probably formless crystal."

"Formless crystal?"

"I know it's a component extracted from one of the monsters that appears often."

Yu Seongun did not know what the monster was called.

Unless it was a particularly threatening or unusual monster, it was not worth remembering.

"I heard most of the transparent windows installed in cities use this."

"I see."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Yu Seongun's face turned serious.

"You can't take it. It's public property."

"I know that."

"That is not the reaction of someone who knows."

"Yes, it is not."

"... If you want some, I'll get it for you later, so hold back."

Formless crystal was a material used in various industries, but compared to its versatility, it was not expensive.

That was because the monsters from which the crystal could be extracted were not especially rare, and each individual yielded a large amount of crystal.

"What on earth are you planning to use something like this for?"

"It is an interesting object, so I wanted to observe it and try putting it to use."

"Your curiosity really is something else..."

Yu Seongun smiled with a subtle feeling.

Taking interest in rules and objects made by humans was a typical trait of Root entities.

As they chatted quietly, the elevated train soon arrived.

"This car is empty except for us."

As Yu Seongun said, the car marked "No. 6" held only the two of them.

Jio thought quietly.

'People really do not ride it.'

It was a little regrettable.

'To think they cannot ride such a wonderful new invention because it is expensive.'

When they tapped the card in front of the elevator on the first floor, only a green light indicating entry was possible appeared, and there was no separate information about how much had been charged.

So he did not know the exact fare for the elevated train, but it left him feeling strangely bitter.

'Is it just my imagination, or has the gap between the poor and the rich gotten worse over the past thirty-one years?'

Jio asked.

"Is it usually this empty?"

"Ah, no."

Yu Seongun shook his head.

"Normally, more people ride than this."

"There used to be at least ten people in one car, but there are unusually few people today."

"I'm not sure if it's because we're riding during peak work hours... but it's been a long time since I've ridden at this hour too."

"..."

Wait.

Something was strange.

"Peak work hours?"

"Well, it's 8:38 right now."

Yu Seongun checked his wristwatch and continued.

"It varies a little from company to company, but the average time people get to work is seven."

"..."

"Jio?"

"People go to work at seven in the morning?"

"Most do, yes?"

Were they usually short on human rights?

'As far as I remember, the usual starting time for office workers was definitely nine in the morning.'

Jio instantly lost confidence in his ability to live in this harsh reality.

Seeing even the hometown affection he had never had disappear, it seemed being a portrait suited him after all.

"..."

How on earth had this country ended up like this?

He soon arrived at a reasonable explanation.

It was a reason he could think of because Jio had a thirty-one-year gap.

"Was it decided this way because most people wake up at dawn due to genetic factors or cultural reasons?"

"Uh... no, not really."

"If no one set a time, a lot of people would probably sleep until lunchtime."

"This is just a rule people agreed on among themselves."

"I see."

It was a clean answer, but something about it bothered him.

Jio stared fixedly at Yu Seongun.

'Does this person sometimes not see me as human?'

He was like a butler explaining human society to a talking cat.

"..."

"Hm? Why?"

"I am an ordinary human."

"Uh... right."

Even if he washed his eyes and searched the reaction like a high school senior analyzing a college entrance exam passage, it was not exactly a reaction of belief.

'... Well, even if I were in Mr. Yu Seongun's position, I doubt a haunted portrait would feel like a person just like me.'

'I should consider it fortunate that in a world like this, I am not being openly treated like a monster.'

And thanks to being treated like a monster, there were various benefits he enjoyed.

Even if he had no money and lacked common sense, they seemed to let it pass by thinking, "Well, he isn't human, so it makes sense."

He could not say his pride as a human did not feel slightly crumpled, but he still thought living as a portrait would be better for his mind and body than returning as a faithful slave of capitalist society.

Jio asked cautiously.

"Do I not seem like an uncultured and rude person to you?"

"Where did that come from?"

"I do not want to inconvenience you, Mr. Yu Seongun, so I will be careful."

"... I don't know how I'm supposed to answer that, but, yes, thank you..."

"Thank you."

As expected, Yu Seongun was reliable and considerate.

Jio sat down beside Yu Seongun and looked at the elevated train doors, which still had not closed.

"They have been open for quite some time."

"Subway and bus doors close much faster than this."

After casually giving him that basic bit of common sense, Yu Seongun continued talking about the elevated train.

"With the elevated train, it takes time to come up by elevator, and there aren't that many platforms to begin with, so they keep the doors open longer for people who are a little late."

"Even though it is winter?"

"Well, thankfully, the cold is blocked out automatically."

That was right.

It was the middle of winter now.

"Ah, come to think of it... if we're lucky, we might find some street food while we're out."

At Yu Seongun's words, Jio's heart beat faster.

He was faithful to his instincts.

"By street food, do you mean things like fish-shaped pastries?"

"Yeah, or octopus balls... egg bread... fish cakes, things like that."

"I want to eat them."

"I'll try to find some as best I can, but don't get your hopes up too high."

"There aren't many places that sell that sort of thing."

"Why?"

"Warm street food on a cold day should be quite popular."

"Because not many people want to do it, thanks to complaints that it looks bad for the city."

"Once a complaint comes in, it can cause problems with entering the city again or doing business."

After saying that, Yu Seongun shrugged.

"And in the first place, city people don't really want to run street food stalls."

"And it would be inconvenient for people from the provinces who live far away to come all the way here to sell food, wouldn't it?"

"..."

Huh?

Jio was flustered.

"It sounds as if city people and provincial people are thoroughly separated."

"Hm? Well, uh... I guess they are."

"Why is that?"

"... Uh..."

Yu Seongun let out a deep sigh.

"I don't know how to explain this, but that's just the culture people have."

"I do think it's something shameful, but we rank one another and separate people that way."

"What sort of ranks do you mean?"

"For example, someone like me, who lives in the city and works as both a Hunter and Curator, is Grade 1."

"As far as I know, B-class or higher Hunters are almost all Grade 1 citizens, unless they're Red Hunters who committed crimes."

Yu Seongun took out his ID and showed him the words "Grade 1" beside his name, then pointed beyond the wide-open window of the elevated train.

"People who have no decent income or job but at least live in the city are Grade 2."

"..."

"The provincial people I just mentioned are usually classified as Grade 3."

"And some poor people who live between the provinces and the city, in other words, people who can't even receive an ID, are implicitly classified as Grade 4."

"... Is there a Grade 5 too?"

"From there on, they're criminals."

"Unlike Grade 4 citizens, whose names aren't recorded anywhere, they are recorded administratively, but that is literally all the record is."

"They're effectively not treated as human."

"If encountered, measures are in place so they can be killed at any time."

Could life possibly sound less appealing?

Sensitive Jio almost teared up at the unbelievable progress of his homeland.

'... I did think that as long as Earth's lifespan was longer than a human's, the class system would eventually be revived, but I never expected to experience it while I was alive.'

Looking at the doors that still had not closed, Jio asked again.

"Is there a reason to divide people that far?"

"Maybe because the infrastructure gap between the city and the provinces is so large, for one thing."

Perhaps intent on fulfilling his role as a guide, Yu Seongun answered kindly.

"I'm talking about all the facilities in a region and the benefits you can receive, but the cultural and administrative gap between the city and the provinces is extremely large."

"In the provinces, people farm to scrape by day to day, while city citizens tend to buy the ingredients delivered from there..."

"..."

"I guess you could say there's almost a century's worth of difference."

"If you go out to the provinces, you'll probably have a hard time seeing not only an elevated train like this, but even a two-story building."

"People with cars are rare too."

"At least each village usually has one village railway running... though I suppose that might be why they don't buy cars."

Since they already had a means of transportation, there was no need to spend money on a personal vehicle.

Yu Seongun muttered that softly, then continued.

"Well... among all that, the biggest difference is still the defensive line."

"What does the defensive line mean?"

"On the outskirts of the city, there is actually a large wall that can serve as a first line of defense like a fortress wall, and second, there are public officials specializing in safety who manage security inside the city."

"More than anything, there are already a lot of Hunters within the city... so even if an incident breaks out downtown, it gets handled quickly."

Yu Seongun rubbed the back of his neck.

"In a word, it's the benefit of survival."

"Most Grade 4 citizens would rather live as paupers than live outside the city, and in the same vein, there are many people who want to enter the city... but not every citizen can live in here."

"Resources and land area are limited, aren't they?"

"So that is why people were divided into grades?"

"Only Grade 2 citizens and above can reside inside the city."

"Grade 3 citizens can visit the city or find work as much as they like, but the treatment gets a little harsh for those who start living here without permission."

"How does it get harsh...?"

"How should I put it?"

"Well, for one thing, their ID is revoked, so they can't find work... and while it's not as bad as Grade 5, I suppose you could say they're treated as less than human."

"People who blindly settle in the city because they don't want to get bitten to death by monsters in the provinces become those Grade 4 citizen paupers."

So, in summary, it was a dystopia?

'Hearing a story that sounds like something out of a movie actually makes it feel less real at this point.'

For Jio, who liked friendship, love, and peace, this was a difficult world to accept.

Up until thirty-one years ago, it felt as if he could more or less sense human warmth, but now everything seemed to have gotten badly tangled.

Jio began to shrink back on a grand scale, using his blunt poker face as a weapon, but Yu Seongun, who wanted him to know human society accurately, continued explaining.

"To begin with, no one knows where a dungeon will open, and there are also plenty of monsters that have already settled on Earth, even if they didn't necessarily come out of a dungeon."

"In the city, those native monsters are relatively managed, but in the provinces, they lack both personnel and equipment, so there are many cases where you die the moment you look away."

"That sounds frightening."

"That's why people say that if you live in a provincial village, you shouldn't go outside after five in the afternoon."

"Otherwise, there are also many cases where villages are run mainly by C-class or lower Hunters."

"No matter how weak they are, Awakened are much more reliable than ordinary people."

Around then, the elevated train doors finally closed.

"..."

"We're about to move."

"No one else boarded."

"Well, it's not lunchtime..."

"It is breakfast time."

"What office worker eats breakfast?"

His tone made it sound as if eating breakfast were not natural.

In the current world, the phrase "three meals a day" had probably disappeared long ago.

'Even we are moving precisely so we can eat all three meals.'

Letting the grim reality of modern society go in one ear and out the other, Jio slowly appreciated the elevated train, whose structure was similar to the subway he knew.

The most impressive parts were the transparent walls and ceiling.

"Are these walls and the ceiling also made using formless crystal?"

"Probably?"

"Its durability and transparency are on a level that can't compare to Earth's traditional materials, so it can defend to a certain extent even if a monster attacks."

"I see."

"I heard that in the past, people made windows like this out of things like glass or plastic... and it makes me wonder how they managed to use such weak materials."

"..."

Just like that, Jio instantly fell to the status of an ancestor.

To think he had gone from young blood in the education world to an ancestor.

The exponential drop made him dizzy.

"Are glass and plastic not used?"

"They are used, but glass... is usually used in ornaments, I guess?"

"It's much easier to shape than formless crystal, and you can mix colors into it too."

"Even though it can be made artificially, it's a kind of gemstone, so it's a little expensive."

"What about plastic?"

"Plastic?"

"I don't think it's used much."

"It can't really be recycled and it doesn't decompose well."

Since they were thinking of Earth's health, it seemed Earthlings had developed over the past thirty-one years.

He had thought they were busy evolving into a dystopia, but this was fairly impressive.

'Earth's lifespan must have gotten a little longer.'

Jio turned his gaze and looked around the elevated train again.

The seats were covered in soft fabric and leather like a sofa up to the backrest, but the windows above shoulder level and the ceiling were so clean it looked as if nothing was there.

The glittering walls of the buildings and the clear sky beyond gave him a strange thrill.

'A gentlemanly roller coaster...'

There was no sense of speed and no rattling, but these absurdly high-altitude rails stimulated Jio's romantic side.

It was like a scene from a sci-fi movie.

"Ah, Jio."

"We're getting off soon."

"Is that so?"

"The set-meal restaurant I reserved and the hotel are near this stop."

"I am looking forward to it."

"You can look forward to it."

"I booked all decent places."

While he found Yu Seongun's words interesting, Jio also had a faint intuition.

'Earth is no longer a place where a harmless crystal of purity like me can live.'

For frail Jio, who did not even have the white belt in taekwondo that everyone else supposedly had, there was no strength to overcome this terrifying world.

He would have to spend his whole life holed up inside the portrait and seek his personal safety.

It was a thought that would have made Yu Seongun tremble in sheer disbelief if he had heard it.