Chapter 297

And so, Yoo Sung-woon met with Jung Hae-woon.

"..."

"Gardener Yoo Sung-woon?"

"Ah, yes."

Why?

’Am I cursed?’

It had been a mere 28 hours since he safely enshrined the precious artwork painted by his precious portrait in his home.

He had been mentally preparing himself to say, ’Let’s visit the Snowfield together,’ once he finished his urgent work. But far from mental preparation, an entity he couldn’t have even imagined had come looking for him.

"What brings Guild Master Jung Hae-woon to see me?"

"I suppose this was too sudden a visit. I apologize."

Gardener Jung Hae-woon apologized with an awkward look. As his reputation suggested, his attitude was truly warm and polite.

"This might sound terrible, but I wanted to avoid running into the Guild Master of Bisabeol if possible..."

"I understand."

Certainly, the Symbols of Eternity and Bisabeol didn’t get along well. Even Yoo Sung-woon thought his own Guild Master enjoyed life a bit too much. To a slightly precarious degree. It made sense that the Symbols of Eternity, who were in the position of protecting Earth, would be reluctant to associate with them.

’Even looking through rose-tinted glasses, wrong is wrong.’

When a conflict arose between the Collector and someone else, there was a 96% chance that Bisabeol was the problem. Even Yoo Sung-woon couldn’t ignore that data. The reason he was this flustered simply lay elsewhere.

Yoo Sung-woon looked around.

"...In a dungeon, of all places?"

"I feel apologetic that this isn’t a nice cafe or a neat reception room, but there is no space as suitable as a dungeon for Gardeners to converse."

"I understand what you mean by that, too."

Weren’t Gardeners highly sensitive to Mysteries? Once they reached a certain level, there were times when being inside a Mystery felt more comfortable than being on Earth. It was easier to make adjustments this way and that. And it was perfect for leaving no evidence behind.

In more ways than one.

’Though I’m a bit concerned that we’re inside the Four-legged Rainforest.’

Wasn’t this the place scattered with Ji-oh’s familiars, the water birds? Of course, Yoo Sung-woon was on the side of his artwork, but he was simultaneously on Earth’s side as well. He couldn’t mistreat Jung Hae-woon, Earth’s guardian and a senior Gardener.

He surveyed his surroundings.

"Certainly, I am the only one in this sector right now. Please speak freely, Guild Master Jung Hae-woon."

"Yes. Let me apologize once again for the sudden visit. I know it would have been proper to schedule an official meeting, but my urgency drove me to seek you out like this. If you allow it, I will compensate you for this in the future."

"No, everyone on Earth knows you’re always a busy person."

For Hunters to visit each other without prior notice was a clear act of disrespect. It was one of the unspoken traditions formed during the Great Cataclysm, an era where everyone was killing each other.

Regardless of the visitor’s intent, from the host’s perspective, how could they know if the person standing before them was an assassin or not?

’But...’

If that person was Jung Hae-woon, it was an exception.

’He doesn’t have the time.’

He simply didn’t have it. Physically didn’t have it. Beyond just not having any time to spare, his schedule was practically in the red.

’The fact that someone like him came looking for a specific individual means he must have taken a significant loss... And if he came to find me while bearing that much of a loss, there can only be one topic we need to discuss.’

Having organized his thoughts, Yoo Sung-woon asked.

"...Are you here because of ’Ji-oh’s Portrait’?"

"Ah, dear. I’m embarrassed that I made you bring it up first. Yes, it’s quite awkward to get straight to the point after committing such rudeness against a junior... but I have some questions regarding the artwork you are currently managing."

"I don’t mind, so please feel free to get straight to the point. I think wrapping this up quickly would be best for you as well, Guild Master. So, exactly which part...?"

"That man. Is he the Source?"

"..."

This threw him off a little.

"I didn’t expect you to ask so bluntly."

"Ah, so it’s true. Now I understand a bit better."

"Was my management of the artwork insufficient, perhaps...?"

"There is no issue with you, Gardener Yoo Sung-woon, so please don’t worry. It’s just that I saw ’Hunter Seo Ji-oh’ myself a few days ago and had my own feelings about him."

"Aha..."

So the perspective of a profoundly experienced senior was truly different.

"I was only granted permission to realize that fact after observing him for a quite a long time. I feel truly embarrassed to have my shortcomings pointed out like this. I will devote myself further from now on."

"You are doing incredibly well, Gardener Yoo Sung-woon. There’s no need to be embarrassed. Everyone has different tasks to handle and different things they are capable of... How could everyone possibly share the same field of vision all the time?"

Gardener Jung Hae-woon, who had been speaking gently, then asked.

"How much do you know, by any chance?"

"I know up to the story of ’Teacher Seo Ji-oh’."

"From beginning to end?"

"I wouldn’t go that far, but..."

"At the very least, you must know that he is a being bound by a ’promise’."

"Yes, forgive me, but I do. Was I out of line?"

"It would be more accurate to call you competent rather than out of line."

Jung Hae-woon shrugged in an easygoing manner. He had a talent for making others feel comfortable. It was hard to even imagine the ’delinquent’ that Ji-oh had mentioned.

He continued speaking.

"It was likely thanks to my background and that ’promise’. It made it quite easy for me to notice the truth about the artwork you manage. If it weren’t for someone in my position, it would be a difficult truth to uncover, so I hope you don’t worry."

Then he said,

"The Gardens recently suffered from a bout of fever."

"Yes, my Snowfield as well..."

"They say the ground hardens after the rain. I judged this to be a sort of growing pain, or something equivalent to it. If the artwork you manage truly is a being connected to the Source... I came to visit wondering if there had been any reaction on that end."

"You must think I am quite close with ’Hunter Seo Ji-oh’."

"I thought it was a fairly well-known story that the two of you flaunt your friendship even in public settings. Well, I also know ’Hunter Seo Ji-oh’s’ personality, so I was that much more certain."

"...He is a remarkably sociable friend..."

He felt a bit sheepish.

"...It felt like there were signs of a fever even before that, but was I just imagining things?"

"No, the Gardens had been growing unstable for a while now. It merely looked as though it burst all at once at a certain point. However, I was wondering if there might have been a specific catalyst around that time."

"A catalyst... Hmm..."

It wasn’t as if Yoo Sung-woon hadn’t considered that.

"...Uh..."

But he still hadn’t reached a conclusion.

"This is tricky. There are too many things coming to mind."

It made sense, considering the subject was ’Ji-oh’s Portrait’. He was the eye of the Source, after all.

Recently, various egos had been overlaid onto such an existence, he had manipulated numerous Mysteries like dungeons and monsters, and he had revealed himself by meeting former disciples and appearing in parades. There was an overwhelming number of other reasons why the Gardens might be agitated.

’Or perhaps it was a kind of inspection?’

That sounded plausible.

’Given the nature of the body part known as the ’eye’, it could be that the Gardens suffered body aches because they were tense after noticing Ji-oh’s visit... Considering things became even more orderly after the aches subsided, it does make some sense.’

But this wasn’t clear-cut either. Taking Yoo Sung-woon’s Garden as an example, it hadn’t exactly become ’perfect’ after the body aches. It just required a little less hands-on maintenance.

’If it really meant an inspection conducted by a very high-ranking figure, they would probably still be in a state of tension rather than overflowing with vitality... I can’t say for sure, since I haven’t been in the Gardens’ position.’

No, it wasn’t that the impact was completely nonexistent, but it seemed unlikely that this alone was the ’cause of the incident’ Gardener Jung Hae-woon was referring to.

Gardeners only knew of the Source’s existence; they didn’t know its exact structure. If forced to guess, they could conjure up an infinite number of scenarios.

It was a difficult matter, indeed. Yoo Sung-woon smiled placidly.

"...I tried retracing the events, but my head is still a mess. I apologize for not being able to give you an immediate answer. To cause such an inconvenience to a busy person like you."

"What do you mean apologize? Just answering me this proactively is a huge help. Strictly speaking, isn’t this practically overtime work for you as well?"

"It is similar, isn’t it?"

"I am the one intruding, and I am the one seeking help. If possible, I would appreciate any advice you can offer, no matter what it is."

"...First of all, um..."

Yoo Sung-woon spoke as if making an excuse.

"...There were signs from before. Since Earth’s Mysteries keep piling up while the personnel to manage them remains scarce, it was a future all Gardeners foresaw. Also, this... recently, several dungeons burst."

"I am aware that they are all dungeons connected to ’Ji-oh’s Portrait’."

"That’s right. Considering this portrait is a being close to the Source, it was inevitable. In my view, it seemed half-intentional, but I don’t know for sure. He’s such an inscrutable guy, you see."

"Hmm... Even when I met him in person, he was not someone to be taken lightly, so I understand."

"Thank you. So, right up until the ’Amusement Park of Dreams’, I don’t think it was at a level to be called a fever. Not every single Garden was in an uproar like they were just now."

Guided by that affectionately soothing voice, Yoo Sung-woon carefully retraced the timeline. There was a specific point he suspected even without doing this, but he couldn’t just spout nonsense in front of Gardener Jung Hae-woon.

What he needed to find was the exact period when that instability exploded.

’The time when he became the busiest with the affairs of the Gardens and Mysteries.’

After pondering deeply, Yoo Sung-woon rubbed his neck and said,

"...As expected, um, at the abandoned school..."

"...Abandoned school?"

"Yes, my portrait built a nest in the abandoned school."

"Ah, dear."

"I believe the true beginning was from that point on."

"I now understand what you mean."

Jung Hae-woon formed a faint smile.

"It seems you are an ’involved party’, Yoo Sung-woon."

"Ah? Ah, yes. An involved party?"

"As you may know, all memories and information related to it were erased. I, too, received a favor from the Hunter Association President and only know of the existence of that chilling ghost story; my exact memories are... lacking..."

"...So the few people who retained their memories are the ’involved parties’."

"It must be some sort of criteria. After all, if truly everyone forgets, there will be no one to handle the fallout if an unforeseen problem occurs. It can be safely entrusted to you, Gardener Yoo Sung-woon."

"Then did all the Symbols of Eternity forget the existence of that abandoned school nest?"

"At the very least, Association President Dan Hae-ra and I have forgotten it."

Then Jung Hae-woon smiled gently.

"It’s a shame."

"..."

His words carried a strange resonance. A somewhat twisted echo.

’...It’s a racial trait of Gardeners.’

An S-Rank Hunter and Earth’s first Gardener. A human closer to a non-human Mystery than anyone else. A single voice could be endlessly colorful, yet utterly hollow. That was a Gardener.

Appear like a swan. Appear like the frozen surface of a river. Never reveal what’s inside. A Gardener who failed to do so would eventually be swallowed by a Mystery or bring about their own ruin because of it...

’I can’t even tell what’s truth and what’s a lie.’

Gardeners had to be that way. Those who easily revealed themselves would easily expose their Gardens as well, throwing the world into chaos before ultimately becoming part of the Mystery itself. They had to exist as contradictions.

"...Do you have any further questions?"

"What you’ve told me is more than enough for me to understand. I sincerely thank you for lending me your precious time. I intend to repay you privately for this, but... is there any item you desire?"

"In that case, let me ask you a question."

"By all means."

"How do you plan to treat ’Ji-oh’s Portrait’?"

"Hmm, yes. I suppose that’s a topic someone like you would naturally be curious about. It is a good question."

After pondering for a moment, Jung Hae-woon answered smoothly.

"...I will treat him as a Mystery."

"Do you dislike him?"

"I like him quite a lot, for someone like me."

"Can a Mystery infinitely close to a human be called a human?"

"He can be called one. Because a human’s life is brief, and a Mystery reveals its existence in a flash before vanishing."

"I plan to bring him into my Garden in a few days."

"That is... quite interesting."

Jung Hae-woon smiled politely.

"Does he treat you well?"

"He treats me extremely well. He’s a very kind portrait."

"I hope that relationship continues for a long time."

"Why is that?"

"So that the story of the Mystery does not expand on a larger scale."

"I see."

Then he threw out one final question.

"If the Garden were to be revealed to the world without any side effects, what do you think would happen?"

"I don’t know if I could still call that Earth at that point... but it would have its own meaning. People would adapt to it."

"Thank you for your answer."

Yoo Sung-woon’s questions ended there.

’The rest is for me to figure out.’

With that, he smiled placidly.

"I hope things remain peaceful going forward."

"I believe that will likely be the case."

"Is there a reason?"

"Didn’t you say he was a very kind portrait?"

"Yes, I did, but..."

"And he is a portrait who loves Earth."

Jung Hae-woon bowed his head lightly in farewell.

"At the very least, I believe things will keep getting better."

"Belief is important, after all."

"I will come see you from time to time, then."

"Ah..."

Before he could even say a word in response, Jung Hae-woon disappeared.

"..."

He left exactly as he had appeared.

’He’s like a ghost.’

Given that ghosts were a type of Mystery, it wasn’t exactly a wrong statement.

Yoo Sung-woon took a look around. The stabilized Four-legged Rainforest was overflowing with vitality from its own ecosystem. Occasionally, sprouts would grow from the ground and sway, or transparent water birds would stare at him with berries in their beaks.

Wisteria Water Dragons popped their heads out from the bushes, one by one. The clustered creatures tilted their heads curiously before retreating back into the brush.

"...Ugh."

They were cute, but...

’...They’ve grown again in the meantime. I really hope the Source’s influence hasn’t reached here too...’

A groan escaped him like a sigh.

"When do I get to clock out."

It was a damned nightmare of overtime.

* * *

"Seo Seo-hee."

His visit was even more sudden than usual.

"...Jung Hae-woon."

"Does he still come to see you?"

"What are you suddenly talking about?"

"Answer me first."

Jung Hae-woon, who had sought out Seo Seo-hee without warning, asked with a fiercely hardened face.

"Does that man still come looking for you?"

"...No, he said he was going to rest for a while."

"You must never, absolutely never..."

Both hands gripping her shoulders tightly, and a sharp tone laced with killing intent. It seemed like he was angry, but looking closely, that wasn’t the case.

"Never try to find out about him. You can do that, right? I trust you will."

He was covered in a cold sweat.

"...Are you not going to tell me what’s going on?"

"Yeah, I’m never going to tell you, even if it kills me."

"You’re acting out of character right now. Where did all your bravado go?"

It was an unfamiliar sight.

"What are you so afraid of? Teacher Seo Ji-oh?"

"Don’t even say that. Names hold power to a Mystery; you know that."

"Is the Earth coming to an end or something?"

"It’s not impossible."

"Where did you just come from?"

"That damned school."

"What did you find out that made you come running here like this, Jung Hae-woon?"

"The sin we committed."

"..."

"...I found out what we... what we did to him that day. So..."

Seo Seo-hee followed up and asked,

"I shouldn’t try to find out?"

"Fuck, I don’t know what the hell that entity is trying to do...!"

"Calm down."

"..."

Letting out a breath, Jung Hae-woon said,

"I... I’m going to go forget now."

"Are you going to Haera?"

"Your situation is different from mine, so I won’t tell you to do this."

"Alright. I won’t do anything foolish to make you worry."

"That’s enough, then."

And just like that, Jung Hae-woon vanished.

"..."

Seo Seo-hee laughed awkwardly.

"...Hah, this is bullshit..."

Vice Guild Master Kang Eun-sung, who was nearby, asked.

"...Should I erase my memories too?"

"There’s no need. Hae-woon didn’t say anything despite seeing you right here, Kang Eun-sung."

"He looked extremely confused, so he might have simply failed to pay attention to me because of that."

"He might have seemed out of his mind, but he wasn’t so far gone that he couldn’t notice your presence. It’s fine; he’s not someone who acts without thinking to that extent."

"Yes, I understand."

Hesitating, Kang Eun-sung spoke carefully.

"You look upset."

"Right? The packed lunch was so delicious, too..."

"I don’t think accepting that level of goodwill will be a problem."

"I wonder?"

Then, she smiled just like she always did.

"Hunter Seo Ji-oh hasn’t contacted us about visiting yet, right?"

"No, he has not."

"I suppose things should be fine, then. If we maintain this level of awkward distance, that is."

"When Guild Master Jung Hae-woon told you not to find out, didn’t he ultimately mean your past ties? I dare say there shouldn’t be a problem if you only focus on the relationship you’ve built recently."

"Yeah, so... it should be fine."

What kind of person was he in the past?

’How good of a person was he, and what exactly happened between us? If it’s a sin, what did we do wrong?’

She had tried living in an old dream, but it seemed even that was impossible.

A familiar resignation settled in.

’...Yeah, I was just planning to live like this anyway. I decided to live without digging up the past. Otherwise, who knows how Earth’s system might get twisted... It’s enough to just occasionally meet up for a meal with a good person I can easily converse with, like I do now.’

Yet, the reason she felt so terrible was that she wasn’t even given the chance to reflect...

"..."

...Let’s not think about it.

* * *

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Ta-da