Chapter 102

“Curator Yu Seong-un.”

Yu Seong-un just.

“I deeply regret having to say this, but….”

“Is it overtime?”

“…….”

“It’s overtime, I see.”

He thought, what was bound to come has come.

Bisabeol, who had been quietly staring at Yu Seong-un's face which had transcended resignation and reached a state of enlightenment, soon gave a thumbs-up.

He added a refreshing wink that made him seem nothing like an old man his age.

“How much will it be?”

“What a filthy capitalist society.”

In this day and age, legally mandated working hours were completely useless.

Even those laws that were enacted were all based on civilian standards, so a publicly known Hunter, not just a regular Awakener, was worked to the point where it wouldn't be strange for them to die from overwork.

“Hoo….”

And Yu Seong-un was a working man who knew well that he was a cog in the machine of this society.

“Yes, alright.”

He nodded his head.

“I’ll look forward to this month’s salary.”

“My goodness, you’re so cool, Hunter Yu Seong-un! So completely reliable!”

“Please stop making things harder for me and get to the point.”

“Shall I?”

With his characteristic, drawn-out smile, Bisabeol continued.

“Jio caused some trouble.”

“…….”

Slurp….

Having taken a sip of his sweet fruit tea, Yu Seong-un asked.

“Is it on a cute level, or a dreadful level.”

“It seemed quite cute to me.”

“If it were on a dreadful level by your standards, Guild Master, there’s no way I wouldn’t already know.”

“Then why on earth did you ask, Mr. Seong-un? What do you take me for? A harbinger who foresees the apocalypse?”

“It’s just amazing how you can enjoy life so much.”

“Enjoying it is what matters. You may respect me.”

“Ah, yes….”

Yu Seong-un rubbed his stiff neck and asked again.

“What exactly happened?”

“I heard that a 1st-class citizen was dragged into Jio’s picture frame.”

“If it's a 1st-class citizen, there will be a few classists who will rise up….”

“What can you do, it wasn’t done by a person but by a monster, so they’ll just be a little more concerned and let it go.”

“That’s true.”

It was true that in the world of humans, 1st-class citizens received considerable preferential treatment.

But because of that, almost no one sympathized when a 1st-class citizen was attacked by a monster.

After all, most 1st-class citizens gained their power and honor in return for fighting monsters and protecting other citizens.

“Well, Jio isn't a monster, though.”

“In any case, wouldn’t it be better for it to be known that way?”

“You are right, Guild Master.”

There was no need to tell those who couldn't see about the existence of the Source.

‘It would only add to the confusion.’

If the Source were to be officially known, it would have to be at least 100 years in the future.

Now, only 31 years after the Great Catastrophe, the consciousness of the citizens was particularly lacking in many aspects.

Anyway, that wasn't the important thing.

“Who is the person that Jio supposedly dragged away?”

At Yu Seong-un’s question, Bisabeol stroked his chin and answered.

“They say it’s a B-Class Hunter named Park Eun-gyeom.”

“…I’ve never heard of him….”

“You should try to memorize the names of Hunters, he was a Hunter within the rankings.”

“The overall rankings?”

“Domestic.”

“How am I supposed to know that?”

Although he was an A-Class Hunter, Yu Seong-un’s job was a curator for The Collectors and a manager of the secret garden.

Unless the subject was widely known and had aspects that required special attention, all his interest was directed toward the Source.

“What use is there in knowing the domestic Hunter rankings?”

In short, if it wasn’t related to the Source or the basic knowledge of an A-Class Hunter, there was no need for him to know.

“It could be used to pretend you know things, couldn't it?”

“I have a rough memory of the important A-Classes.”

“Please pay attention to the rank just below as well, even if you’re an unofficial Hunter, you’ll get flak for that.”

“I’m doing well in my social life too. I don’t make it obvious that I don’t know them to their faces, do I?”

“Should I call that a relief….”

Perhaps because Hunters were treated as a type of celebrity in this world.

Unless they had a remarkable character, people wanted the Hunters who appeared in the media to always seem humble and perfect.

The image of knowing and respecting all Hunters’ names was part of such ‘perfection.’

Of course, Yu Seong-un was one of Bisabeol’s collectibles, and as a Gardener who needed a lot of time to work privately, he did not frequently appear in the media of his own volition.

If he was doing well on his own, it wasn’t something Bisabeol needed to worry about.

“Then again, he wasn’t that well-known of a Hunter.”

“You mean that Hunter named Park Eun-gyeom?”

“It seems he himself was filled with the desire to climb higher, but, well. People these days don’t really like arrogant and self-righteous Hunters.”

For the Hunters of today, image management was important.

To reach a level where such an image was unnecessary, one had to become an S-Class, but even in the current generation where Hunters were produced without much difficulty, a Hunter of that rank was hard to find.

And the Hunter who was abducted by Jio this time was, of course, not that skilled.

“He’s a typical B-Class. He was born with a pretty decent Aptitude Skill and obtained a plausible rank, but he wasn’t particularly attractive externally, nor was he very sociable.”

“…You’ve memorized everything, even though he probably wasn’t a Hunter you were paying special attention to.”

“I remember all the Hunters in the Republic of Korea. I may look like an idler, but am I not the respectable head of the nation's 3rd-ranked guild? This much is basic if you want to compete with your head, not your body.”

“Hmm.”

Yu Seong-un nodded.

“What’s the exact situation?”

“An official document just came down from the Hunter Association today….”

Bisabeol explained what had happened.

How the Hunter Association had reacted to Jio’s incident this time, and how passively they had requested help and what exactly the incident was caused by.

“…And so, that Hunter named Park Eun-gyeom has still not been found.”

“If he was dragged into Jio’s picture frame, that’s understandable. Even I don’t know what that place is like inside.”

Chin in hand, Yu Seong-un let out a groan.

“If there's any silver lining, it's that this commotion isn't likely to make a big fuss.”

First of all, it was largely thanks to Jio causing the trouble so quietly.

“Above all, the Hunter Association’s attitude is impressive.”

“I thought so too.”

Bisabeol also agreed.

“It's a decision that shows they have no intention of escalating the disturbance, nor do they intend to displease our portrait, but at the same time shows just how importantly they are treating this ‘Black Cape’ incident.”

They didn't point fingers directly but vaguely 'requested' an 'investigation.'

The Association President, who knew Jio was Bisabeol's collectible, could have come on stronger, but he didn't.

So, was it just passive? That wasn't it.

“To request help from none other than all three of the 3 Great Guilds.”

There were three guilds that represented the Republic of Korea, and Bisabeol’s ‘The Collectors’ was ranked 3rd among them.

“In that case….”

“Including the Association President, it means all the ‘Symbols of Eternity’ are gathering.”

“That's exactly it.”

The Symbol of Eternity.

It was a term used to refer collectively to the heads of the 1st and 2nd ranked guilds in the Republic of Korea, centered around the Korean Hunter Association President, Dan Hae-ra.

It was a word that modified the three people recorded as great figures who literally symbolized eternity.

If Bisabeol was responsible for Korea's capital, the 2nd-ranked guild master was in charge of public sentiment, the 1st-ranked guild master was in charge of safety, and the Hunter Association President was in charge of overall administration and management.

The current Republic of Korea, with them at its core, showed a globally high level of stability.

“Well, of course, I’m not a ‘Symbol of Eternity,’ but?”

Some people occasionally misunderstood, but Bisabeol’s aging was only slowing down thanks to the high level of his skills; he hadn’t made the pact of eternity like them.

He wouldn't have done it even if they offered.

“Still, I play a pretty big role in this capitalist society. It seems they’ve contacted all three of us, the heads of the Republic of Korea’s 3 Great Guilds, including myself. This alone shows how importantly the Association President regards ‘Jio’s Portrait’.”

At Bisabeol’s words, Yu Seong-un opened his mouth with a slightly sour expression.

“…I’ve been curious about this for a while.”

“Why ask now.”

“I didn't want to get involved, but I think I'm already involved, so I'm asking now.”

“How wise, just as expected of Curator Yu Seong-un, whom I brought in myself.”

“What do you mean, you brought everyone in yourself… Anyway.”

Yu Seong-un continued.

“In the first place, why was the Association President so covetous of ‘Jio’s Portrait’?”

As far as he knew, the main skill of Association President Dan Hae-ra, one of the few S-Classes in the country, was not something like 'Appraisal.'

She wouldn't have been able to sense the essence of that unfamiliar portrait as much as Bisabeol, so why did she put in enough effort to compete with Bisabeol, who was in charge of Korea’s capital?

“I know that the Association President frequently visits the auction house. She buys many things as well. But she’s almost never shown as much passion and sincerity as she did for the portrait this time… right?”

“She’s never shown any at all.”

“That's what I'm saying.”

“But I don’t know much about that part either.”

The only thing Bisabeol could know was.

“…….”

That in those eyes, an emotion had rarely surfaced.

‘…I can’t be sure, though.’

The current center of Korea, Association President Dan Hae-ra, was a person who had given up many things to maintain that balance.

‘For such a person to show even a faint emotion for a single auction item.’

To be honest, Bisabeol himself doubted his own judgment.

“Well, who knows.”

“You don’t know?”

“I can’t possibly know everything.”

“You live as if you do.”

“It helps with my image business.”

“Ah, my head hurts.”

“That can happen in life.”

In any case, why the Association President had aimed for ‘Jio’s Portrait’ was not that important. At least, not to Bisabeol.

“I wouldn’t know for sure, but there could have been something that only the Association President’s eyes could see.”

“…….”

“The story has strayed.”

Isn’t the most important thing right now ‘Jio’s Portrait’?

“As you predicted, the Hunter Association has recognized the importance of the ‘Black Cape’ and is approaching it with more than just caution. They’ll probably maintain a stance of coexistence as much as possible until they’re certain it's an enemy.”

“…For now, it seems less likely that Jio will get angry due to an aggressive approach. I was worried about the foolish stunts that would increase as the ‘Black Cape’s’ image has become overly friendly recently, but it’s a relief that the Association has taken notice.”

“And all three of the Republic of Korea’s Great Guild leaders received that official document. Since it’s a request from none other than the Association President, the other two symbols will also clarify their stance on the ‘Black Cape’ and strive to let others know.”

“Especially since there’s a symbol who specializes in that area, I won’t worry about that part anymore. Then what’s left is how cooperative of a stance we, The Collectors, will show.”

Yu Seong-un, who was once even a research team leader at the Association, was not that indifferent to the affairs of the nation.

He had the talent to understand even if it was said in a way that was twisted 30 times, and with this much of a hint, there was no way Yu Seong-un couldn’t do the work.

“…….”

And, anyway.

“…Jio is my responsibility.”

If not for Yu Seong-un, there was no one else to take on this job.

“For now, I’ll try looking around in a roundabout way.”

“You’re not going to ask Jio right away?”

“…It’s true that Jio is favorable to humans for a being of the Source, but the situation is a bit different this time, isn’t it.”

“True, this is the first incident where he’s shown hostility instead of goodwill. The official document says he didn’t reveal himself, so he might be in a bad mood.”

“If I try to save a human that Jio has judged as an ‘evildoer,’ he might show even greater hostility. So rather than asking directly, I intend to look for the picture frame the victim was dragged into first.”

Massaging his stiff neck one more time, Yu Seong-un asked.

“By any chance, are there any clues about that picture frame? A photo, or a drawing… it would be good to know its characteristics.”

“It was first discovered in a dungeon called ‘Vein of Jewels,’ and also….”

Bisabeol showed him the official document from the Association.

“It is said to be a work depicting a gray city.”

“…….”

It was written in the official document that a witness had testified it was a picture frame that made one feel emptiness just by looking at it.

Yu Seong-un, who was gazing at it intently, mumbled his lips.

“…Even now in the ‘Kingdom of the Deep Sea,’ a picture frame called the ‘Breathing Sea’ is often witnessed. A Hunter with an Appraisal Skill confirmed it, so it must be true.”

“That must have been created by Jio too, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. By the way, a painter who draws dungeons as he pleases….”

He felt a little fed up.

“It’s frightening.”

And, he was curious.

It was a thought typical of Yu Seong-un.

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