The Artist Who Paints Dungeon-Chapter 153

The lamb skewers were truly delicious.

“There’s no gamey smell at all.”

It was like a miracle.

“The lamb chops we had last time were really good too...”

“That was steak.”

“Yes, but the skewers have a livelier texture. I like that.”

Joo-Hyun had never been especially interested in gourmet food. Even as a second-class citizen of the city, her life was a constant scramble to make ends meet each day. What room was there for luxury when she didn’t even have money to donate?

But even someone like Joo-Hyun found herself craving this meal, seduced by the ecstatic taste and texture. She had eaten monster-based lamb skewers a few times before, but never something this refined, this complete.

“The balance between the fatty and lean parts is especially nice...”

“I mixed them deliberately. The fatty part had too much grease, and the lean part was too clean on its own.”

“Thanks to that, I feel like I can keep eating without getting tired of it. It’s amazing.”

“If you praise me like that, I have no choice but to keep feeding you.”

“...I’ll try to pace myself and enjoy it properly.”

Unexpectedly, even the mermaids seemed to be quite enjoying the meal.

“Teacher, did you change the charcoal this time?”

“I found a new kind of wood and decided to try it.”

“It has a spicy aroma. A bit more stimulating than last time.”

“Oh dear, was it /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ too strong?”

“No, it was a compliment.”

Their peaceful chatter made them seem nothing less than a family.

“.......”

Joo-Hyun felt a strange emotion rise inside her.

‘...This is far more normal and gentle than I imagined.’

She suddenly thought of the orphanage she could call her hometown. Among the association-run orphanages, it was one that tended to be avoided, and so life there had its difficulties—but precisely for that reason, it was a place where hearts often came together.

Even after becoming independent, Joo-Hyun would sometimes return to help with meals. The menu wasn’t anything extravagant, but the children who helped prepare it—washing ingredients, setting the table—and the director...

‘It’s vague, but it’s a good kind of atmosphere.’

A gentle breeze carried a touch of warmth. It held the scent of flowers in the sunlight, and the forest surrounding the hut swayed with cool whispers. Birds peeked in. Clouds drifted by.

Rather than feeling like a perfectly painted scene, it was a situation one might wish for when imagining the abstract idea of “ordinary happiness.” She thought the landscape before her resembled a fairytale.

“...Hmm...”

But in reality, she was dining with humanoid monsters and a dark god.

‘There’s a strange quality here, where good and evil aren’t clearly divided.’

She found herself thinking all sorts of things since arriving here.

“By the way.”

“...Ah, yes?”

“He’s your friend, isn’t he?”

At Aria’s question, her younger brother Iser’s gaze also turned toward Joo-Hyun. He didn’t seem to have anything particular to say, but when their eyes met, he curved them gently. It was a form of goodwill.

Soon, Aria continued.

“How did that happen?”

“I thought you already knew the basics?”

“I hear bits and pieces about what goes on here.”

“Then why...”

“That doesn’t mean I know everything about the teacher.”

“.......”

“But I see. I can guess some of it.”

Aria looked over at Gio.

“The teacher likes kind and polite people.”

Gio didn’t deny it. He smiled gently.

“Don’t you want to be close to people like that?”

“Hard to say whether he’s just very sociable or what.”

Aria looked at Joo-Hyun again.

“So, you're one of those clever fools, then.”

“...You... know that phrase?”

“I’ve studied a bit about Korean culture.”

“I’m not sure why you specifically learned the word ‘fool,’ though...”

Joo-Hyun’s face stiffened with embarrassment. She always felt awkward when people pointed out how idealistic her way of thinking was.

“Am I a fool?”

“I don’t think so.”

Gio disagreed.

“That word usually refers to people who don’t even protect what’s theirs and get taken advantage of in directions they never wanted. I don’t think that applies to you, Ms. Joo-Hyun.”

“You’re too kind.”

“To be honest, I do tend to prefer people like you—those with deep roots, strong enough to share themselves with others without losing anything.”

“Uh... um...”

Joo-Hyun’s smile turned vague.

“...Thank you?”

“I’m only saying what I feel.”

After speaking, Gio turned to Iser with a soft smile.

“The same goes for Chae Sol, who was Iser’s partner before.”

At that, Iser nodded calmly.

“He was a kind child.”

“He resembled you.”

“.......”

Iser then gave his signature gentle smile.

“That’s too generous.”

Seeing Joo-Hyun blink at their conversation, Gio offered a bit of explanation.

“Chae Sol is currently a student at the Seoul branch of the Temple of the Sun.”

“Ah... is he the one who was kidnapped to the ‘Country of the Deep Sea’?”

“You know that too, I see.”

“I try to check all the information the association makes available.”

Joo-Hyun nodded.

“It’s not common for a kidnapped child to come back safe and sound.”

At her words, Aria smiled clearly.

“It wasn’t my intention to harm him. I know the value of a hostage.”

“I heard the treatment he received was very different from what one would expect from a normal abduction.”

“No matter how much I might dislike humans, I don’t harm human children directly.”

“Is that because Giovanni likes children?”

“Because being young often means being innocent, too.”

Aria gave a clean, tidy smile.

“Even though they still got caught up in our mess?”

“...That’s true...”

Joo-Hyun responded awkwardly.

“So that’s why you didn’t... um, physically harm Chae Sol? I mean, it’s still a problem that you kidnapped him, but...”

Iser answered this part.

“I wanted him to be a little frightened.”

“Ah, that didn’t happen?”

“He had far too much faith that we wouldn’t harm him.”

“Sounds like a smart kid.”

“He didn’t even fear the merfolk.”

“That’s... impressive, I suppose...”

“Not sure.”

Iser gave a smile that vaguely resembled Giovanni’s.

“I think you’re similar to him, Ms. Joo-Hyun.”

“...Me?”

“You’re eating with monsters like it’s nothing.”

“Ah.”

Well, she wasn’t unaware, but still.

“Ah, um... yeah...”

Joo-Hyun became flustered.

“Maybe I just haven’t fully processed the reality yet.”

“Doesn’t look that way to me.”

“Wouldn’t it be weird to suddenly start being scared after coming all the way here?”

“That kind of strange shamelessness is what I meant.”

“If you’re going to say it, please just call it confidence.”

“If that’s what you prefer.”

Iser nodded calmly and looked toward Gio.

“Are you planning to keep her here?”

“I never said I was taking you in.”

At that, Joo-Hyun tilted her head in doubt.

“Weren’t you the one who picked me up, Mr. Argio?”

“I only extended an invitation. I don’t believe I ever picked you up, so to speak.”

“Ah... I see.”

Apparently, showing up out of nowhere, bringing her into his house, feeding her, letting her sleep there, and conversing with her didn’t count as “taking her in.”

As she often did, Joo-Hyun found herself wondering just how Gio’s inner encyclopedia was organized.

‘Guess it wasn’t the whole “stray dog getting rescued” kind of vibe I thought it was.’

Regardless of what she thought, Gio continued speaking.

“I would be happy if you stayed here.”

“Oh, no thank you.”

Joo-Hyun gave her signature polite smile and declined quickly.

“I can’t possibly be a burden like that. You’ve already fed me and given me a place to rest — that’s more kindness than I deserve. I was actually planning to find my own place soon.”

“You’ll need to find a new home?”

“I used to live in the dorm near the research center. But I don’t think that life suits me, so I’m going to submit my resignation. Which means, yes, I’ll have to find a new place.”

Gio stared quietly at her for a moment. There was something oddly childish about the pressure in his gaze.

“You are my secretary, after all...”

“.......”

“And yet you’ll go live far away.”

“...That’s what most people do...”

Even among hunters and managers, living together was extremely rare.

“I’ll also need time to receive proper training for the manager role.”

“The door to my house is always open.”

“It feels a little too open. Maybe close it a bit...”

“Pardon me?”

“I said... the weather’s really nice today.”

The series of works known as “Black Cloak” had all become gateways to dungeons. The fact that their owner was this open to outside elements made it easy to imagine a lot of people dying.

But no matter how principled and pine-tree-like Joo-Hyun was, she couldn’t exactly ask a dungeon master to close his gate. And besides, the stares from the mermaids were far too sharp. She wasn’t ready to die like that.

“So, I was thinking I’d move out and...”

And with that, she gently steered the conversation back to her future plans.

“Once I’ve settled into a place, I’m planning to build a grave.”

“A grave—for your family involved in the recent incident, I presume?”

“Yes, things were so chaotic, I didn’t even think about holding a funeral.”

She’d been planning to die herself, so funerals hadn’t exactly been a priority.

But now, Joo-Hyun was looking forward. She was sketching out a future and thinking about how to move forward. And the first step in doing that was to apologize—to the family and friends who got swept up in her disaster.

“That’s how I want to begin.”

At this, Gio asked,

“Do you need my help?”

“This is my responsibility to bear.”

“But... I think you will need my help.”

“Please, I’d appreciate it if you held back your overflowing generosity.”

“But I’m really good at this kind of thing.”

“And even if you weren’t, it’d still be overwhelming.”

“So it’s like that, huh.”

Watching the two of them, Iser lifted a finger and then gently curled it into a fist.

“.......”

“Iser.”

“Yes, sister.”

“Don’t let your mind wander. Bring the tea.”

“Right away.”

Joo-Hyun blinked wide-eyed, watching how naturally Iser obeyed his sister’s command.

“...Mind wandering? Did I offend her somehow? Did I almost die?”

“You’re not entirely fearless, I see.”

Aria cupped her cheek as she spoke.

“It’s just ordinary jealousy. Nothing you need to fear.”

She then turned to look at Gio again.

“Your friend is building a grave. Will you help him?”

“If there’s a part I can assist with, of course.”

Before Joo-Hyun could say anything to reject the offer, Gio looked at him.

“How are funerals usually held on Earth these days?”

“Typically through cremation. If there’s no body... we burn the personal belongings and keep the ashes.”

“Then your family and friends don’t have remains?”

“Given the circumstances, I’m quite late.”

“In that case, I...”

Just as Gio was about to make a suggestion, Iser returned with the tea.

“I brought it because we had some Basram flowers.”

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Yes, quite a long while.”

“This time, I made them bloom myself.”

“Basram is an aquatic plant. Where did you grow it?”

“In the nests of the waterbirds, over there.”

A beat passed before Iser, handing out the tea, answered.

“...Ah, I see they can be used that way too.”

“I was helped by children who like flowers.”

“Basram flowers have a lovely scent. They must have been pleased.”

“The lake I passed by looked golden somehow.”

At that, Joo-Hyun asked,

“Is there a reason it was gold?”

“When the teacher’s waterbirds are happy, they make their nests shine gold.”

“Ah...”

Her gaze moved to Honey, the waterbird perched on Gio’s shoulder.

“Then what about that one?”

“Honey changed color after drinking Lulupu juice.”

“Koongkoor.”

Gio elaborated.

“It’s a flower that grows in the forest’s spring.”

“Just hearing about it sounds... ominous.”

“The fragrance really is intensely pleasant.”

“...I see!”

That wasn’t quite the “ominous” she meant, but alright.

“I’m curious what that scent is like.”

“If you’d like a perfume, I can make one for you.”

“Please, ease off the generosity.”

Joo-Hyun continued,

“In any case, I’ll prepare and find a house soon.”

“I think submitting your resignation through Yoo Seong-Woon would be a good idea.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you for all the advice.”

With the guild leader of the Collector’s Guild personally backing her, the resignation would be handled neatly.

‘Still... if I’m going to manage Hunter Sergio, maybe the place should be nearby?’

That question lingered in Joo-Hyun’s mind — something to ask Yoo Seong-Woon directly.

***

A few days later.

“...My lodging has already been arranged?”

“...Sorry. I really tried to stop him...”

“No, no. There’s nothing to apologize for.”

Joo-Hyun waved her hands at the sight of Yoo Seong-Woon’s worn-out smile.

“I’m grateful you looked into it for me. Honestly, I’d been wondering what kind of place would be good if I were to manage Hunter Sergio.”

“I really appreciate you seeing it that way.”

“And they said the guild would cover the housing cost, right? If you think about it like that, it’s actually way more than I deserve. I was just caught off guard by the sudden decision.”

“.......”

“...Um...”

Sensing something odd in Seong-Woon’s silence, Joo-Hyun asked cautiously,

“So, where exactly is this place?”

“It’s... next door to me.”

“...Excuse me?”

“Yes.”

“...Why?”

Seriously — why?

“.......”

“.......”

Yoo Seong-Woon looked away.

It was the price of having the infamous Collector as your guild leader.