NOVPUBIt was the meeting with the Portrait that Bisa Beul had so long awaited—but unfortunately, it didn’t last very long.
“It seems the important part of the conversation is over. I’ll be taking my friend now.”
“A shame you're leaving so soon.”
“I look forward to your next invitation.”
Before long, the ‘Portrait of Gio’ disappeared into the painting, taking Joo-Hyun with him.
“......”
That part caught Yoo Seong-Woon slightly off guard.
‘They’ve built a solid bond of trust.’
At just a single gesture from Gio, Joo-Hyun willingly stepped into the arms of the Portrait. Though she wore a friendly smile, she never struck him as the type to easily lower her guard. Either way, it was surprising.
‘That Gio would treasure a human this much—and that someone like Joo-Hyun would accept Gio.’
It seemed Bisa Beul had noticed it as well.
“As expected, Mr. Sergio has the ability to disarm humans.”
“He doesn’t seem very socially adept, and yet... I’ve thought before he has an odd sort of charm.”
“That’s the ancient ability he’s shown since the ‘Temple of the Deep’ incident.”
Ordinarily, the Portrait gives off a rigid, overbearing atmosphere—difficult to handle—unless Gio tempers it.
It might sound absurd to speak of such things regarding a being like the Origin, but Gio was not exactly what one would call sociable.
‘He doesn’t like staying outside the frame for too long or interacting with large groups. Gio adjusts himself, lowering his aura to fit. Still, from a human standpoint... he isn’t easy to approach.’
Even in his gentlest, most soothing form—‘Giovanni’—it was the same. No matter how kind he was, people still found him intimidating. Likely due to that innate nobility in his bearing.
No matter how considerate he was, that immense presence couldn’t be softened. But for such a daunting being...
“......”
Yoo Seong-Woon cleared his throat.
“Wouldn’t you say this is one of Gio’s powers?”
“There’s no reason to think otherwise.”
“I can’t tell whether we should be grateful or uneasy about that.”
Strangely, Gio earned trust and goodwill with ease.
It was the same with Hunter Chara, who once mistook him for a monster. And with the dungeon refugees, tense from the threat to their lives. Even Joo-Hyun, who first met him in the form of an evil god, reacted this way.
“They’ve probably spent more than a day or two together. Time inside the Portrait’s world shifts according to Gio’s mood—it likely passed quickly. Still, even factoring that in, it’s remarkable.”
Yoo Seong-Woon recalled what he’d researched.
“Joo-Hyun isn’t the type to trust others easily.”
“She struck me as rather shrewd. For someone like her, time and trust have little correlation.”
“She doesn’t seem like the kind of person who’d believe someone just because of familiarity.”
“And Mr. Sergio is an evil god—a primal being.”
“Entrusting oneself to such a being requires at least a minimum level of trust...”
“If she stepped willingly into the painting, that says everything.”
“Whether it was a conscious choice or unconscious trust, I’m not sure.”
“I believe it was both,” Bisa Beul said, smiling faintly.
“The timing was perfect. She’d been reckless enough to try making a deal with Sankalut. When someone is that resigned, meeting an evil god might’ve felt like, ‘Well, whatever happens, happens.’”
“And after letting go like that, Gio cared for her in various ways—maybe it just became too difficult to maintain her guard. She didn’t seem the type to be [N O V E L I G H T] easily touched.”
“Well... I suspect her basic admiration for Black Cloak played a part.”
He clicked his tongue, uncharacteristically.
“Seems like she dreams of utopia. Rejecting a vast mystery that affirms good and denies evil must’ve been difficult.”
He clearly didn’t like Joo-Hyun much.
“She may keep questioning his true nature, but to her, the ‘Portrait of Gio’ is an ideal. Mr. Sergio, in the form of Black Cloak, has proven his character multiple times—and she must’ve felt drawn to that.”
“Wouldn’t Joo-Hyun’s preferences pose a danger to Gio?”
“What’s considered harmful is highly subjective. Personally, I think anyone who tries to define and use my work however they please is an arrogant parasite. But as you saw earlier, Gio quite likes her. Our perspectives differ.”
Yoo Seong-Woon gave an awkward smile.
“So that’s why you disliked her.”
“She’s the kind of human I just don’t mesh with.”
He wore a weary expression.
“Heroes are greedy. They can’t tell courage from recklessness, and they’re full of ambition but always make foolish choices. I can’t tell if they’re just that stupid or pretending to be.”
“Ah....”
“Whether they’re aware of it or not, people like Joo-Hyun often act beyond their station. If she comes to fully believe in Mr. Sergio’s true nature, she’ll try to use him. That bothers me.”
“Right... I see.”
That obsessive love for his collection again.
‘No wonder he’s called the Collector.’
Bisa Beul typically managed his collection with love and freedom. He tried to accommodate their desires as much as possible. But this time, he didn’t like that Gio wanted someone like Joo-Hyun as a ‘friend.’
‘Anyway, it’s none of my concern.’
In the end, he was just annoyed that someone he already disliked ended up being entrusted with the management of a beloved piece. It was only unfortunate for Joo-Hyun, who had to endure the guildmaster’s pettiness.
“...Still, calling her a ‘hero’—isn’t that a compliment, in its own way?”
“More of an objective observation than praise.”
Bisa Beul gave a sly smile—the kind only seen when his collection was mentioned. A sign he was trying to lighten the mood for Yoo Seong-Woon’s sake.
“I may be acting immaturely, but it’s not that I hate her. There are just people out there who you can’t get along with, even if neither side has done anything wrong.”
“Ah... I see....”
“I don’t harbor any real resentment or complaints. You know how people freak out when a silverfish shows up in their house, even though it eats the other bugs? It’s like that.”
“Are you seriously comparing a person to a bug?”
“It’s just a metaphor. Miss Joo-Hyun will be a fairly decent guide and helper for Gio, and I appreciate that. She just doesn’t mesh with me, that’s all.”
Then Bisa Beul asked:
“Speaking of which, don’t you need a roommate?”
“...I think I misheard?”
“You could use a friend too, Mr. Yoo Seong-Woon.”
“I’m telling you, you didn’t mishear?!”
Yoo Seong-Woon grimaced and shot back,
“And who would that roommate be?”
“Why, Miss Joo-Hyun, of course...”
“Please, what did she ever do to deserve that?”
“Or maybe Mr. Sergio?”
“......”
He’s gone completely mad.
Yoo Seong-Woon wiped a hand over his face.
***
“I’m sorry.”
Joo-Hyun opened with an apology.
“I feel like I made the atmosphere heavier than it needed to be....”
“There’s no need to apologize to me for that.”
“But you introduced him as someone who was helping me, and I acted rudely.”
“If you really are sorry, could you tell me why you acted that way?”
As he spoke, Gio suddenly transformed—poof!—into a platinum-haired priest.
With a holy smile like he was comforting a lost lamb, he said,
“Now then, sister. I’m ready to listen.”
And he really did look the part.
Though they were simply sitting at a wooden table infused with phytoncide scent, the flowing platinum hair and pure white robe brought to mind the prayer chamber of a temple. He was the image of the ideal priest.
“......”
Joo-Hyun, as usual, smiled—but looked slightly overwhelmed.
“That’s... how you prepare to listen, huh....”
“Well, I thought this might make it easier for you to talk.”
“I mean... I guess it does.”
It felt like confession.
“Hmm...”
After a moment of hesitation, Joo-Hyun finally spoke.
“I just thought... he and I didn’t get along.”
“Why did you think that?”
“It’s a bit embarrassing, but... I’ve never been fond of collectors.”
“Was there a particular reason?”
“He doesn’t care at all about others’ well-being.”
Bisa Beul, the guildmaster of the Collector’s Guild—one of Korea’s three great guilds. A man of immense power and wealth, who acted and made decisions based solely on his personal interests.
“I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with following your own curiosity. But from what I saw of him, he seemed like someone who genuinely doesn’t care about others. That was... hard to stomach.”
To Bisa Beul, the world was his gallery. A playground where his artworks ran wild. He seemed to follow the rules, but that individualistic nature made Joo-Hyun uneasy.
“Even with all his power, he acts like someone with no sense of responsibility. Of course, it’s hard to know what someone’s really like without speaking to them—but I suppose that’s a kind of prejudice.”
“So that’s why you felt you didn’t get along.”
“It’s really embarrassing. I’m not exactly some great person either, yet I judged him and acted rudely. But still... I don’t hate Guildmaster Bisa Beul.”
She gave an awkward smile and added,
“I’m grateful to him. The Collector is one of the few pillars holding up our fragile world. Regardless of my personal feelings, he’s someone worthy of respect.”
“You’re well aware of your actions and the consequences. Still, I’d prefer not to see you beating yourself up. Next time, try not to act in ways you’ll regret.”
“Thank you for your thoughtful advice. I don’t think Guildmaster Bisa Beul actually hates me either. It was just... we both acted childishly.”
He touched his lip as if in reflection.
“He probably doesn’t like that I’m close to Mr. Gio.”
“......”
For a moment, Gio’s eyes gleamed gold, and his hair turned red.
“Is this that ‘you thieving cat’ moment I’ve heard about...?”
“I really don’t know what’s so fascinating about this for you, but probably not.”
Joo-Hyun’s expression turned strange.
“Wait—how do you even know that expression?”
“Well, it’s because I’m wise.”
“I mean, I guess you could find out anything if you really wanted...”
It felt weird.
“......”
And not just because the situation was amusing.
‘...How should I put this...’
Would it be disrespectful to say he felt... human?
The way he played and overreacted about trivial things—he felt just like an ordinary young man of that age. And truthfully, Argio’s face was young enough to pass for one.
Of course, a being of such immense presence, with an identity and form that shifted based on will and purpose, couldn’t be called a normal young man—but even so...
“......”
“Miss Joo-Hyun, what are you thinking about?”
“...Good question.”
She wasn’t sure herself.
“...I’ve heard that Black Cloak likes good people.”
“Who could dislike kind people?”
Before she noticed, his hair had returned to black.
The color was like a shadow, as though drained of all light and life—but the face of Black Cloak remained serene and warm.
He added, casually—
“I think it’s a pretty ordinary preference.”
“To give gifts to kind and polite people?”
“I can’t stand to leave people who’ve moved me alone.”
“So it’s those people who move you.”
If that were really true, it was remarkable.
“That’s really...”
Joo-Hyun realized it anew.
“...Something extraordinary.”
“What is extraordinary?”
“That someone like you is merciful.”
This being—was truly peaceful.
“You resemble the world inside this painting.”
And that’s why she admired it.
