The Artist Who Paints Dungeon-Chapter 168

Meanwhile, there was someone else, besides Kang Seodam, who was equally troubled because of “Mr. Sergio.”

“......”

“What’s wrong, Ruda?”

“...Ah...”

It was none other than Iru Da, Kang Seodam’s student and a priest-in-training.

“It’s because of the gift I received last time.”

“Oh, you mean the one from Gio? That flower?”

“Yes, that dried flower.”

“Didn’t he say it was medicinal? You said you like medicine. Why not just take it?”

“That would be the simplest way, but no matter how I look at it, it’s not just an ordinary herb...”

After all, it was a medicinal flower that the Goddess of the Sun herself had laid her eyes upon.

‘And that subtle greed I sensed in the divinity back then...’

It was already a rare occurrence for a divine being to desire anything of this world—but this time, the one who had revealed that desire was none other than the Goddess of the Sun, who was known to love the flow of fate and pure innocence.

‘She’s not someone who usually desires things.’

For a divine being like that to nudge a mere trainee priest like Iru Da in the ribs... It was simply absurd.

“How did things end up like this...”

“What’s the problem?”

“I think I received too precious a gift.”

Fearing that things might spiral out of control, Iru Da had not shared her confusion with Cha I-Sol until now—but today, she’d reached her limit. She needed a second opinion.

“Cha I-Sol.”

“Yeah? Want me to help?”

“That older guy you’re close with...”

“You mean Gio?”

“Yes. Is he always like this?”

“Like what?”

“Always going around handing out gifts?”

“Yup!”

“......”

The confidence and clarity of the answer left Iru Da momentarily speechless.

“...Why?”

“He says he just feels like giving gifts when he sees people who seem commendable.”

“Why, though?”

“He says there’s no reason not to give them, so why shouldn’t he?”

“What’s even the issue?”

“That is the issue.”

It started even with the fruit jelly he gave to Cha I-Sol. According to her, they’d only gotten close by chance, and yet, an acquaintance he’d barely met had given something far too extravagant to a child who knew nothing.

Let alone the gift Iru Da had received.

“I didn’t say I liked medicine because I actually wanted herbs as a present...!”

Normally, when she told adults she liked medicinal herbs, they looked at her like she was talking nonsense and soon dismissed it. She had never imagined someone would actually carry around medicinal herbs.

“Cha I-Sol, what do you feel from this dried flower?”

“Sunlight smell?”

“What else?”

“Like warm blankets dried in the sun?”

“So, it’s related to the sun, right? Right? It is the sun, isn’t it?”

“Well, sunlight and the sun are kinda different, no? One’s super hot, the other’s warm.”

“Still—like the difference between a slap and a caress—it’s still the same hand.”

Contrary to the public image of the Church of the Sun, the actual sunlight it reveres is incredibly violent. The more skillfully one can refine and temper it, the better one becomes as a sun priest.

And making medicine infused with that sunlight was no easy feat. Without talent, one couldn’t even attempt it—and even a small mistake would cause delicate herbs to burn in the sun’s flames.

“......”

Clearly, this was a gift far too valuable for Iru Da to handle.

“...Could it be this gift was meant to screw me over...”

“Why would you eat taffy?”

“...I’m wondering if that Sergio person gave me this gift just to mess with me.”

“Huh? I don’t think so. Why would you think that?”

“Mercy beyond one’s means drives beggars on the roadside to death.”

“But you’re not a beggar.”

“Sure, I’m a first-tier citizen and fairly well-off for a human, but in this situation, I am a beggar.”

“You always talk in such a complicated way.”

“It’s just that this gift is too much for me. I fear for my safety. Precious treasures attract attention, right?”

And it seemed like this wasn’t just a problem with people anymore.

“If you can’t protect yourself from those who covet your gift, then a gift becomes poison. To put it extremely—someone might kill me to take this.”

The word “kill” seemed to jolt Cha I-Sol, who asked in alarm:

“Should I call Gio?”

“No, someone like him must be busy. There’s no need for that...”

Iru Da, ever perceptive, had already realized there was no malice in the gift from this Sergio person.

‘But he doesn’t strike me as the kind of person who wouldn’t know this gift is too much for me.’

And now, Iru Da decided on her conclusion.

“...Maybe he’s telling me to win favor.”

“I have no idea what you mean, but I think you’re overthinking this.”

“Surely, if I offer a gift desired by the Goddess, I’ll be granted great favor.”

“I don’t really get it, but I don’t think Gio thought it through that deeply...”

Not quite knowing what her partner was thinking, Cha I-Sol trailed off. She knew the man in the black cloak handed out gifts without much thought.

Watching her partner devise what looked like a convoluted strategy, Cha I-Sol thought:

‘Smart people live such exhausting lives. I’m glad I’m not one of them.’

Gio, of course, knew that his gift could end up being poison to a small priestess like Iru Da. But he also knew that no gift from the Black Cloak ever harmed anyone.

The Basram Flower was a precious medicine with no side effects. Anyone could use it safely. And the fact that both Gio himself and the Sun Goddess acknowledged the gift guaranteed its safety, blessed under divine providence and fate.

Above all, while Gio didn’t overthink things, he did understand the depths and ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) breadths of what others might think. He would be happy no matter how Iru Da chose to use the gift.

“...I’ll offer it to the Goddess.”

This, too, was something Gio had hoped for.

“I’m going to meet Priest Kang Seodam. What about you?”

“I’ll come with you.”

“If you’re just bored, you can hang out with the other kids.”

“I just want to be with you. You’re my partner.”

“......”

Iru Da slowly nodded.

“Looks like I’ll have to keep you at my side for life.”

“Huh? Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?”

“It’s nothing. I was just expressing my will.”

And just as Kang Seodam returned from finishing a meeting, he was hit by the soft, fragrant, and freshly-warmed bomb his fluffy student had been carefully carrying around.

***

A meeting room at the Collector’s Guild.

“Ah, Chamber Master.”

“Yoo Ji-Na?”

The newly assembled dispatch team was beginning to gather one by one.

Garasani, the 5th Floor Chamber Master of the Collector’s Gallery, gave a quick once-over to the hunter who had just entered. The woman he called Yoo Ji-Na was wearing the official uniform of the rookie team—suit with a cape. A familiar face to him.

“It’s been a while.”

“Sure has.”

The rookie team member grinned and sat across from Garasani.

“Not much to clean up on the fifth floor, after all.”

“Not a place where rookies get assigned.”

“Only veterans go in and out. No news is good news, I guess.”

“If rookie teams start hearing about the 5th floor, that’s when there’s a real problem.”

“Thanks to your oversight, Chamber Master.”

She rubbed her palms together with mock humility, and Garasani raised an eyebrow.

“Still the same cheap flattery, I see.”

“Can’t tell if you like it or hate it.”

“If I hated it, I wouldn’t tell you to go on.”

“Ah, our Chamber Master—the light of the 5th Floor, bringing peace to the gallery and wealth to all...”

Just then, another person entered the meeting room.

“Whoa... what’s this now.” frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

“You can’t just say this when looking at a person.”

“So, what are you up to?”

“Can’t you tell? Sucking up.”

“Sucking up to the 5th Floor Chamber Master? That’s not gonna get you much...”

The field agent laughed awkwardly as she replied to her colleague.

“Nice to see you again, Chamber Master.”

“First time seeing you since you transferred from the third floor to field work?”

“Yes, thanks to all the support you gave me, I’ve adjusted well.”

“Good. All that matters is doing your job well.”

Garasani turned back to Yoo Ji-Na.

“Didn’t you say one more from the rookie team was coming?”

“They got a request from the 1st floor. Just popped down to confirm something in their sector.”

“Being responsible for your own area is always admirable. The main guest won’t be offended by that.”

“I was going to call them up right away if things got delayed. Kind of surprising though. Mr. Sergio is pretty tolerant for a ‘piece.’”

The rookie glanced around and smiled, intrigued.

“I thought Curator Yoo Seong-Woon would join us too. But his name wasn’t on the list.”

“He’s a busy man. It couldn’t be helped.”

“But it’s about his own assigned piece...”

“I’m sure if he shuffled his schedule enough, he could have made it. But it’s not easy.”

And that wasn’t the only reason.

“The Guildmaster wants to see how Mr. Sergio behaves among unfamiliar humans. Whether it’s worth continuing this ‘Sergio’ identity—or whether there’s danger in doing so.”

Another field agent spoke up.

“Isn’t this risky though? The very first mission being in an A-grade dungeon? That’s no walk in the park. Wouldn’t it have been better to let him adjust in a safer zone first?”

“Well, before we could make that call, Mr. Sergio already set his preferred schedule. So we followed it. Even without that, the Guildmaster wouldn’t have gone for a boring approach.”

Everyone knew Bisa Beul’s nature well enough.

“He’s not the type to sit back and wait for a safe opportunity when something more exciting is right there. If he were, he’d never have become Guildmaster in the first place.”

“Hard to argue with that...”

“Asking someone like that to suddenly develop restraint is laughable. He must have decided this operation has enough value to warrant the risk.”

This operation would likely determine Sergio’s position in the organization. A bold move, one with real risk to lives—but an unavoidable step if they wanted to present “Hunter Sergio” to the world.

And there was another reason.

“Above all, we’re not sure if Mr. Sergio could even tolerate something as dull and safe as that.”

Technically, the Collector’s Guild could’ve introduced him slowly, starting with easy dungeons and a familiar team to help him adjust.

But rumor had it the Portrait of Gio thirsted for bloodshed. That he housed even wicked divinity. He might very well have been repulsed by such a cozy approach.

“We mustn’t do anything that could harm the artwork.”

“I agree completely.”

The rookies and field agents nodded. They all knew what disaster might unfold if a piece was offended.

There was a reason the Collector’s Guild was surrounded by so many rumors and ghost stories. One of the field staff who had once been a curator added:

“Still, I imagine Curator Yoo Seong-Woon is a little upset.”

“His assigned piece is going out into the world—without him.”

“And it’s the first time too. It must be eating at him.”

To a curator, an assigned piece was a delicate matter. Managing something strange enough to twist fate and burrow into minds was an enormous mental burden.

A curator had to love their piece, study it, and be aware of its dangers. It was only natural that obsession followed. A single mistake could mean the deaths of dozens.

“Especially a 5th Floor piece.”

A curator who didn’t love and obsess over their piece could never be trusted to manage it.

“He must be really distressed...”

“Which is why I’m part of this dispatch.”

“They must believe you’re reliable enough, Chamber Master?”

“More like they chose the lesser evil.”

And just then—

Knock knock knock.

“......”

“......”

“Excuse me.”

A soft, gloomy voice came from outside the meeting room.

“May I come in?”