The Artist Who Paints Dungeon-Chapter 156

The incident began with a teddy bear.

“Ggwoo.”

“What is it?”

“Ggwooou, ggoo...”

“You’re looking for Lulupu’s extract.”

It was during the time Gio was agonizing over what to offer as friendship fee.

His new friend, Joo-Hyun, was a mature and dignified woman of rare caliber, and Gio was considering taming her with delicious meals, a cozy place to sleep, and refreshing little events.

Given that mindset, he had prepared all sorts of things in advance...

“There is something you might be looking for.”

There was even Lulupu’s extract.

“Ggwoo?”

“Yes, it’s perfect for use as a perfume.”

“Ggugguggu...”

“Quite a good idea, right?”

It had no distinctive taste, but the scent was wonderfully pleasant. Bottled, it was beautiful—visually valuable as a display item in and of itself. Gio had made it in advance with the intent to ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) gift it if he found someone seeking a decent fragrance.

“But Father, how did you come to seek Lulupu’s extract?”

“Ggwooou...”

“Aha, you want to give it to Dana, even though it has no taste.”

Is that all right?

“...”

Giovanni asked with a serious expression.

“...It won’t upset her stomach, will it?”

“Ggugu.”

“Forcing someone to eat something flavorless is...?”

“Ggu.”

“Aha, then it’s perfectly fine.”

“Ggwoo.”

The teddy bear clapped its plush paws together. Just looking at it made one feel fluffy inside.

Gio, who found joy in his family’s happiness, looked at him warmly and asked:

“Giving the extract isn’t the issue, but how did you plan on giving it to Dana? Was it her request?”

“Ggu!”

“I’m not sure why this is suddenly being brought up, but yes, I was currently thinking about what gift to give Joo-Hyun.”

The former Sun God pointed out the situation Gio was in—thinking about a gift for his new friend, Joo-Hyun.

When Gio acknowledged it, the teddy bear, smelling of warm sunshine, let out another “Ggugu” and continued.

“Let’s help with Joo-Hyun’s funeral.”

“Ggwoo.”

“You can’t possibly mean killing her yourself.”

“Ggu...!?”

“Then it must be the funeral of her family or friends...”

Gio nodded.

“I haven’t completely ignored the idea. Joo-Hyun recently lost her family and friends, and she’s in a state of deep self-blame. She’s just become independent, and is now thinking of building graves for them.”

It was a deeply significant process for Joo-Hyun. Not only could it help ease the guilt and debt she carried, it was also a responsibility—a foundation for anything she would do moving forward.

“As someone who inherited the divinity of a being who sows and reaps life, there should be no problem in me helping a friend with matters related to that.”

“Gguguu?”

“Yes. As you said, assisting in Joo-Hyun’s funeral rites should be fine. I do understand it could make quite a thoughtful gift... but...”

Gio, who prided himself on having decent looks and common sense, looked conflicted.

“I’m worried it might be an act of disrespect.”

“Ggu...?”

“Isn’t it rude to meddle in someone else’s painful affairs without invitation?”

A fair point. Between humans, there are boundaries, and the tragedy tied to Joo-Hyun’s guilt was far too personal for Gio—a complete outsider—to interfere with lightly.

But gods don’t understand things like that.

“...Ggwoo??”

The teddy bear looked up at Gio with eyes that seemed to ask, Why not? Why is it disrespectful to get involved in human death? That’s odd. Humans used to love it when I did that...

“Hm.”

That’s possible.

Father has never lived among humans, after all.

Gio found an appropriate answer.

“That’s a privilege you enjoyed because you were a god, Father.”

“Ggwoo??”

“Aha, now that I think of it, I’m a god too.”

To think a pig-nut like him—who was only good at eating and sleeping—could become a god... How strange it felt to Gio. But soon he smiled proudly and added,

“I’m an ordinary human with a god license.”

“Muaaaang━...”

Dana walked past with a wailing sound that clearly said, I love Dad, but he’s talking nonsense again.

Honey, perched on her head, looked at Gio with eyes that meant, I love Dad too, but Dana’s right, and disappeared alongside her.

“...”

Gio felt slightly wronged.

“Just because I have a god license, does that mean I’m no longer considered human?”

“Gguguu.”

“That can’t be, Father. What kind of god roasts sweet potatoes by hand?”

The teddy bear looked up at him as if to ask, Yeah... how is that even a thing?

That pure, questioning gaze left Gio speechless.

He never expected to be treated like a weirdo just for eating roasted sweet potatoes.

“Anyway, Father, listen. The world may have flipped once, and who knows what’s changed since then, but in this country with deep-rooted Confucian values, it’s considered rude to interfere in someone else’s family funeral without just cause.”

“Ggu.”

“More importantly, Joo-Hyun is a freshly caught—no, freshly made friend. We’re just starting to get close. This is the time to gently tame her with non-burdensome gestures and gifts, and eventually send her three boxes of sweet potatoes without her running away. Rushing things will only make it worse.”

“Ggu.”

“And she’s 36, older than me. Offering to help with her funeral arrangements as someone younger, especially when she’s clearly capable and experienced, would be extremely inappropriate. It’s rude to intervene without permission in something someone is clearly trying to handle alone.”

“Ggu?”

Again, gods don’t understand things like that.

“Ggwooou?”

“Even if it’s rude.”

“Ggwoong...”

Just then, Iser, who hadn’t visited in a while, spotted them.

“Teacher? Is there a problem?”

“I was having a conversation with Father about my new friend’s funeral.”

“...That alone sounds like a very confusing situation.”

After hearing the context, Iser nodded.

“I don’t think it’s such a big imposition.”

“If you two insist, I’d like to hear your reasoning. Why not?”

“Teacher, you are the Sun God, are you not?”

“And also Joo-Hyun’s newly made friend.”

“That human, Joo-Hyun, seems to regard you as a god as well.”

“That’s true, but...”

“Then what’s the issue, Teacher?”

Iser tilted his head.

“For a god to personally care for matters of human life and death is not an imposition. It is great mercy.”

“That’s... quite an embarrassing thing to say.”

“Hmm, I’m not sure what part of that is embarrassing. The Sun God did the same.”

“Well, Father was the sun who created and reaped life...”

“And since you’ve inherited that divinity, doing something similar wouldn’t be strange.”

Iser had once been a priest of the deep sea and a devotee of the Sun God. As someone who had studied theology under Giovanni, the most brilliant child of the sun, Gio’s so-called doubt felt quite strange to him.

“You know it well, Teacher. Governing life is both the right and the duty of a god. I don’t know what exactly is making you uncomfortable, but this is a deeply natural thing.”

“I keep saying—I’m a regular human.”

“I truly respect and love you, Teacher, but I also know that statement isn’t valid. Still, if we consider it from a human point of view—why not think of it as inheriting a family business?”

Iser respectfully gestured toward the teddy bear with both hands.

“You’ve inherited the divine business of the sun.”

“This is my first time being a god, so forgive me for asking, but... when you inherit divinity, are you also supposed to inherit the previous god’s duties?”

“That’s my understanding. It’s a kind of succession.”

The mermaid, who had once dreamed of being a proper priest, looked down at the teddy bear.

“It seems the previous Sun God... your Father... wishes for you to show mercy to a beloved human, and at the same time, grow accustomed to the power and position of being the sun.”

Gio had already suspected as much.

“Otherwise, Father wouldn’t have suddenly advised me to host a funeral. I’ve been slacking too much as a god, so it looks like he decided to step in.”

“Oh, I suppose it can be seen that way.”

“Until now, I thought I had only inherited the license, not the position itself. But calling it a family business makes me realize—up to this point, I’ve been neglecting my father’s trade.”

To that, Iser smiled reassuringly, as if to ease Gio’s worries.

“Please, don’t be anxious, Teacher. All of the duties once managed by this sun have already sunk with my sister and I into the sea, so you need not concern yourself with them.”

“You really have a way with words that gnaw at the soul.”

“What I mean to say is—there’s no need for someone like you, who holds divine nature, to feel such a heavy burden about involving yourself in the matters of human life and its rites.”

Iser gave a bitter smile.

“Any ordinary being would have shed all traces of humanity the moment they inherited divinity. But for some reason, Teacher, you’ve managed to retain yours... which is probably why you’re still bound by human etiquette. How remarkable.”

“Did the basic logic that one shouldn’t meddle in someone else’s funeral require invoking a grand concept like ‘humanity’? Unless you’re blood or soul-bound kin, it’s simply inappropriate to intrude on another’s private pain.”

“You are not an equal to humans. Your smallest kindness becomes tremendous grace—or catastrophe—to them. It’s only natural that this is so, given you’ve inherited the Sun God’s divinity.”

A troubled look shadowed Giovanni’s face.

“That sounded horribly speciesist, you know.”

“...”

“Yes, Teacher, your sins run deep.”

Iser, once a victim of racial discrimination and eventual perpetrator of it, fell momentarily silent.

“...Ahem, well, in the end, it’s your decision, of course.”

“Still, I can’t shake the feeling it would be deeply discourteous to Joo-Hyun...”

“Rather than a discourtesy, I’d call it... hmm, a very meaningful gift from a divine being.”

Humans had been known to devote their lives, to endure pilgrimage and hardship, for just a single word from a god—a mere touch of a divine hand.

To receive the grace of life or death from such a being was an immeasurable mercy.

“And, from what I’ve gathered...”

Iser, who had been piecing together recent events from the human world centered around Gio, organized his thoughts.

He recalled the brown-skinned woman he had once met.

“It seems that another dark god was involved in the tragedy that befell Joo-Hyun. If those souls were indeed sacrificed to the schemes of such a malevolent deity, perhaps it is right that the merciful sun be the one to gather them.”

“I do feel guilty digging into such a deep sorrow... Isn’t a gift supposed to feel light, not burdensome? Joo-Hyun would even find monetary support oppressive.”

“From what I understand of the former sun, the gift he mentioned wasn’t the rite of funeral itself, but one concerning the souls of the departed. It’s about essence, not appearance.”

The teddy bear nodded.

“Ggwoo!”

“Don’t act all friendly now.”

“Ggugugu...”

“I don’t see what’s so funny.”

Iser still resented the previous sun. He looked to Gio.

“You once taught me, Teacher, that the greatest love of the sun is to scatter life upon the earth and, when the time comes, to gather it back into the sunlight. That is the birth and retrieval of souls.”

“I did indeed say that.”

“Then you can do the same. From what I’ve heard, Earth is now under intense attention from various gods. Souls there have been gathered by many different divine hands.”

He smiled at his teacher.

“I believe they’d be much happier being embraced by a god of Earth than by a foreign one. That, I believe, is what the former Sun meant by a funeral gift.”

“I don’t think I’m qualified to gather anyone.”

“From your perspective, it’s less about ‘gathering’ and more about ‘making more friends.’

Each god handles life and death differently—so you could even think of it as social interaction.”

“Hmm. Social interaction, you say.”

“I understand what bothers you. You’re holding on to human etiquette and reason. But if you wish to truly take up the role of an evil god as well, you’ll also need to accept the duties that come with divinity.”

Iser had heard that Argio sought to become the Demon King because he desired the full bloodshed that came with being an evil god.

Then it would be necessary to adapt to that divine role and position.

The mermaid siblings, too, wished for Giovanni to become whole. Because if he fully separated from humanity... there might come a day when he rejected humans altogether.

“And more importantly—”

Iser hesitated briefly, then added,

“Since when did you care about fitting into human standards...?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean... you’ve never really acted ‘human’ to begin with, have you, Teacher?”

Iser recalled the former human Giovanni.

“Even then, I don’t remember you ever behaving particularly humanlike.”

“What an outrageous way to describe my brave life.”

“If I remember correctly, it wasn’t so much bravery as it was impulsive recklessness.”

“I always maintained basic manners.”

“When I think about the feats you pulled off as naturally as breathing...”

“‘Feats I pulled off’?”

“I just can’t see why you’re suddenly pretending to be modest.”

“What do you think I am, some legendary serial pocket-filler?”

Giovanni felt unjustly accused again.

“Even I never pried into someone else’s family affairs without reason.”

“I don’t know, I just don’t get why you’re so worried now.”

“What if Joo-Hyun gets overwhelmed and runs away!?”

“Ah, so that’s what this is about.”

It wasn’t fear of intruding on a dark past that concerned him.

It was fear that his overwhelming kindness would scare her off.

Iser nodded with the serene face of a priest, as if to say he’d expected as much.

“It’s fine, Teacher.”

“What part of this is fine?”

“It’s already too late.”

“...Too late in what way?”

“Well, as I just said...”

Iser gave a wry smile.

“Joo-Hyun already doesn’t see you as her equal.”

“Damn it, I knew it.”

Giovanni’s face grew grim.

“She treats me so formally—I suspected it, but still...”

“She reveres you. It’s separate from friendship.”

“Still, there might be hope yet.”

“I’m not quite following. What kind of hope?”

“The kind of friendship where we can even push each other around with our feet.”

“Oh? Pushing a god with one’s foot? That’s a blasphemy I’d rather rinse from my ears—even as a mermaid.”

“Please don’t overdramatize. Blasphemy has no place between friends.”

“If that hope still exists, then that would truly be a miracle.”

But Gio remained firm. He did not know how to give up.

“I, Batlan Giovanni, son of the sun and symbol of miracles—there is nothing I cannot do.”

“I’d like to say ‘that’s not possible,’ but with you, I’ve learned never to make such definitive claims...”

The mermaid students had learned through their human teacher that “Ah, truly, there is no limit to humanity.”

He was a craftsman who turned the impossible into possible.

Iser had always kept in mind the possibility that his teacher might return and scold them one day—and hadn’t he?

Gio, if he put his mind to it, could do anything. Iser believed that.

“In any case, if your hesitation isn’t about burdening Joo-Hyun, then I don’t think there’s much to worry about. That human won’t interpret your mercy as rudeness or imposition.”

Who would dare see divine mercy as a nuisance? Even the boldest of humans could hardly manage that.

“They might suspect it’s a trial from an evil god—but not a discourtesy.”

“But my Confucian conscience still unsettles me.”

Giovanni cast his melancholic eyes downward, clearly troubled.

“It’s not right to interfere in another’s affairs without invitation...”

“But what if that person is quietly yearning for salvation?”

“Then I would have no choice but to act.”

He changed stances with suspicious speed, as though he’d been waiting for the moment.

“I truly wanted to respect our boundaries like the mature adult and priest of the sun that I am... but if Joo-Hyun truly seeks help, then I have no choice.”

“I knew it. You were just waiting for someone to give you a push.”

“Ha, I’ve been found out. But still, a new friend made while living as a portrait is rarer than a hundred-year-old ginseng. Given who she is, I couldn’t rush things.”

Gio’s strength—and weakness—was that he didn’t overthink.

“If only Joo-Hyun had just asked for help from the start, I would’ve helped without a second thought.”

And honestly, by Gio’s standards, this had been a lot of thinking.

Now, he felt emboldened.

He had been afraid that his extraordinary gift might overwhelm his newly-minted friend.

But if that wasn’t the case, there was nothing to hold him back.

“If someone needs help, and they’re my friend, and I can give that help—then there’s no reason not to.”

“Honestly, I believe Joo-Hyun, deep down, does wish for the help of such a capable friend.”

“Yes, I knew you’d say that. Just like the smiling tyrant of the seaside village—no, the chosen son of the sun—you are.”

“That may be an inappropriate way for a student to refer to their teacher, but I’ll let it slide this time. In any case, I think I have a general idea of what kind of gift I should give Joo-Hyun.”

Gio turned to his father.

“Assuming Dana truly wants it, Father—”

“Ggugugu!”

“I’ll gift her the Lulupu extract, just as you wished.”

Just because he didn’t overthink didn’t mean he knew nothing.

“And now, let’s go make some new friends.”

That’s how Yoo Seong-Woon ended up having to work overtime.