Chapter 295

Though he hadn’t intended it, had he placed a burden on the faint of heart? If only to refresh the silence hanging in the air, Ji-oh had to add an excuse.

"There’s a misunderstanding."

"What misunderstanding?"

"I’m not currently looking for a new ’Ji-oh’."

"Then what did you mean by new material..."

"I am literally looking for new material. I haven’t been able to paint lately."

"Hmm."

Yoo Sung-woon asked in return.

"So to speak, you’re in a slump?"

"It’s not that serious of an issue."

"But you’re saying you want to paint, but you can’t."

"It’s more that I don’t have the energy."

Joo-hyun nodded at that.

’That makes sense.’

Didn’t this introverted person recently participate in the parade? It had been a while, but he had also exerted himself absorbing and calming ’Arzio’. It was time for him to gradually replenish his depleted energy.

’Besides, he’s been uncharacteristically going around visiting places to meet his old disciples lately, so it’s understandable that he lacks energy. And what weighs on my mind more than anything else is...’

Glancing briefly at Yoo Sung-woon, Joo-hyun asked Ji-oh.

"...Has making those packed lunches been too much of a burden, perhaps?"

At that, Yoo Sung-woon marveled.

"As expected of our Joo-hyun. Very brave."

"Are you picking a fight?"

"I didn’t expect you to be this bold, even to an A-Rank Hunter."

"I’ve found that the only thing that grows with age is baseless confidence."

"That’s a very good thing."

Having teased Joo-hyun as always, Yoo Sung-woon also asked.

"I was thinking similarly, but you broke the ice first. Yeah, I was curious too. Did that commendable devotion of packing lunches all this time have some sort of... well, heavy impact on this slump of yours?"

Yoo Sung-woon phrased it as tactfully as possible. He couldn’t bear to negatively describe the act of packing meals for his disciples. Especially knowing how special those disciples were to ’Ji-oh’s Portrait’.

’But from a Curator’s perspective, I can’t help but worry.’

A Mystery was bound by its own rules, whether it liked it or not. The 1-to-1 rule that ’Ji-oh’s Portrait’ possessed. And this kind portrait had previously revealed that he was paying the price for the ’packed lunches’ himself.

If so, what part of Ji-oh was being paid as a result?

’Honestly, it would’ve been better if he didn’t have to eat away at himself like that in the first place, but... since he was made this way, I suppose it can’t be helped.’

It was a frustrating and disheartening situation.

"Well, I respect it. Your disciples do an awful lot for Earth, after all. The more you feel bad for them, the more you want to help..."

"I can’t say that the work had no effect on the current outcome. But please do not worry, Yoo Sung-woon. I will say it again, it is not that serious of a matter."

It seemed this haunted portrait genuinely believed that, though.

"Oh, right."

From the standpoint of Curator Yoo Sung-woon, it sounded quite serious.

’Isn’t this practically a situation where his very identity is being denied?’

He was a Mystery who had painted from the start, and was a painting himself. Yet such a guy was suddenly saying he didn’t have the energy to paint. It was enough to make him feel a faint sense of regret, wondering, ’Did I sneak him outside for nothing?’

"Well, anyway... so you want to visit my Snowfield?"

"I think I need a change of pace."

"An artist always needs new inspiration, after all. As you know, I don’t have the authority to invite anyone to the Garden. Can you handle that part yourself?"

"I will try."

"If you say so, then it’s not my place to argue. Do as you please."

At Yoo Sung-woon’s cool response, Joo-hyun made a dubious expression.

"Aren’t you giving permission too easily?"

"Like I said earlier, I’m just a lowly Gardener. I don’t have the authority to invite guests."

"Still, I feel like you’d at least have the duty to block uninvited guests."

"Shouldn’t that be something for the homeowner and the guest to figure out between themselves?"

If His Imperial Majesty came to visit, a mere Gardener couldn’t possibly stop him. It didn’t seem like it would be much different for the master of the Garden. In short, it was out of Yoo Sung-woon’s hands.

"But, uh... if you’re going to visit, at least let me know in advance. That way, I can mentally prepare myself. I don’t have much else to say as a Gardener, but..."

Yoo Sung-woon looked at Ji-oh.

"Do you need my help, by any chance?"

"I would like to hear about the Garden."

"You mean the scenery of the Garden or something? Should I describe it like I’m describing a piece of artwork?"

"I would be grateful, but I can see that through your eyes, Yoo Sung-woon."

"Ah, come to think of it, you’ve seen the Snowfield through my eyes before."

In that case, an objective description of the scenery might not be necessary. Even if he didn’t know exactly what Ji-oh had seen of the Garden through his eyes.

"Then what are you curious about regarding the Garden? I’m still not sure how I can help you."

"Could I hear your thoughts and impressions of the Garden?"

"That’s exactly what’s hard to explain. It’s tough to express in words, I suppose. Do you need a review?"

"If it’s difficult, you can just stay by my side while I paint. That alone will sufficiently satisfy the conditions."

"Am I some kind of sacrifice? Well, fine. You want me to pluck out an eye for you?"

"That won’t be necessary."

’He’s so firm.’

’I guess he’s a Mystery that doesn’t accept human sacrifices.’

From a human’s perspective, it was undoubtedly a good thing.

"So, should we head out now?"

"Where are you going?"

"Weren’t we going to paint?"

"I am eating."

"More like you’re snacking."

"It’s similar."

"True."

In the sense that something was going into his mouth, anyway.

"So please eat, Yoo Sung-woon."

"I was already eating well enough..."

"You need to gain weight."

"What’s the point of fattening up a Curator?"

He was an incredibly stubborn portrait, at any rate.

* * *

At the hour when the sunset settled, people quietly gathered in a secluded cafe.

They had such diverse outfits and ages that it was hard to categorize them. There were even a cat, a crow, and a dog, not just humans. But despite recognizing each other, they took their seats without a word.

The first to speak was a white-haired old man.

"It feels like we suffered from a fever."

He possessed the profound gravity unique to those in their twilight years. The cafe owner continued in a gentle voice tinged with years of experience.

"I believe you can all relate, given how busy everyone has been for a while. It was a time when even sitting face-to-face like this was overwhelming. Though I presume everyone achieved corresponding results..."

"Well, wouldn’t you say it was more like the aftereffects of a vaccination rather than a fever? It was chaotic once, but it quieted down afterward. And the Garden has become much sturdier."

The young man sitting in the chair chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.

"I guess something must have happened at the Source?"

"Though it’s something we Gardeners would hardly dare to figure out."

"We’ve been together for quite some time, but they’re still so cold... I work this hard, but our Garden doesn’t even give bonuses, and when there’s major construction, they just announce it on the day of."

At that, the crow tilted its head.

"Did they give you an announcement?"

"Ah... dear me, did your Garden not say anything?"

"I just suffered through the body aches..."

"Still as strict as ever."

"I understand, as they’re usually quite taciturn anyway."

The cat let out a sluggish meow.

"There are pros and cons."

Talkative Gardens interacted frequently with their Gardeners but were highly burdensome, while quiet Gardens didn’t even acknowledge their Gardeners but had the advantage of being hassle-free.

And every Garden naturally chose a Gardener with a suitable disposition.

"However, it’s been a long time since the entire Garden was in such an uproar, so I’m worried. At this scale, it couldn’t have been individual issues with the Gardens. Could there really be something wrong with the Source?"

"The word ’change’ fits better than ’something wrong’. You know how it is with the Source, right? There’s no such thing as an anomaly for it."

"But as Mr. Cat said, it’s true that it’s worrying. Isn’t this the first time the entire Garden has been in such an uproar since the Great Cataclysm? If the events of that day repeat themselves..."

The Gardener who looked like a child smiled and spoke.

"If worse comes to worst, I’m going to hide in the Garden."

"You’ll end up turning into a block of wood doing that."

"Our Garden is nice, though. It’s cozy and warm. And cool."

"No matter how nice it is, you shouldn’t be thinking about retirement already. At least find a successor."

A middle-aged woman sighed in lament.

"The same goes for the rest of you. Don’t be seduced just because the Garden tempts you, don’t just flop down because you’re tired, and don’t throw it all away because you’re angry."

"Ah, but it’s so hard to find a successor these days..."

"That’s just an excuse; you can find them if you really try. It’s just that the qualified folks are keeping their mouths shut, but there are definitely enough people out there to inherit your Gardens."

"Tsk. Even if we find one, think of how much time it takes just to train them."

"Then you’d better live a long life."

"I wonder when I can retire..."

"If any more of us quit, Gardener Jung Hae-woon might come after us. He’ll literally grab us by the collars. He’s already been on edge lately, so let’s not give him a reason to scold us."

Another middle-aged person chuckled.

"Agh, he’ll let it slide if we beg hard enough."

"No, he looks genuinely in a bad mood these days."

"Even a good-natured person like him must finally be reaching his limit after doing nothing but working overtime."

"It’s truly pitiful when you just watch him..."

A young man who looked like he had just entered adulthood scratched his neck.

"But seriously, what happened this time? I know I received a lot of help from here and there since I’m a rookie... but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t confused. Is Earth really doomed?"

"It can’t be doomed already."

"But earlier, someone said nothing like this has happened since the Great Cataclysm..."

"I wonder if the Source merely stretched itself."

"That Source thing is terrifying. It’s this bad just from it stretching?"

At that, the cafe owner leisurely smiled with his wrinkled face and nodded.

"You can think of it as the ground, young man."

"Uh, yeah... the ground..."

"I mean a ground larger and deeper than the soil we tread on. If that massive foundation shakes, everything resting on top of it will inevitably shake as well, right? This incident is the same."

"So there’s no issue with the Source?"

"The Source has no ’issues’."

Just like what was said earlier.

"It is a change."

However, it might be true that humans needed to worry.

"It would be best to remain vigilant, just in case. Our Gardens have also become boisterous for the first time in a while. But really, could there be anything bad about the Gardens overflowing with vitality?"

"You’re right."

A priest with a reverent face spoke.

"It’s so wonderful to see such a vibrant forest. I was already terribly anxious because it felt like the Gardens were gradually losing their energy lately, but they seem much healthier after going through that fever."

"Ah, that part was definitely a concern. The exact cause couldn’t be pinpointed either. No matter how many nutrients we shove in, there’s a limit to how much it can help the Gardens recover their senses..."

"Wouldn’t Gardener Jung Hae-woon know something? About why this happened? He’s not someone we can just go visit whenever we want, but this is quite a serious matter."

"What makes you think he’d know? We’re all Gardeners."

"Still, he must have way more information than us. We only look after one or two Gardens at most, while he sweeps through Gardens almost all over the world..."

At that, the cafe owner nodded.

"I’ll try contacting him soon."

"We couldn’t ask for more if you do that for us."

The Gardeners sighed.

"I don’t care what it is, I just wish we didn’t have to work overtime anymore..."

"I’m already busy to death, but our Garden just whines every day like a newborn baby."

"As long as the Gardens improving like this isn’t some terminal lucidity before death, I’m fine with anything."

"Then we’ll await your contact."

And so, everyone left the cafe.

"..."

The cafe owner, Jung Hae-woon, stroked his chin.

"...What exactly was the problem?"

Though he had the face of an old man before, he had already grown younger, taking on the face of a middle-aged man.

’Seeing as there was no particular reaction from Haera or Cha Eun-hye’s side, whatever happened at the Source must have truly been the cause. But even for me, direct contact with that side is just too burdensome.’

Jung Hae-woon, lost in thought, soon came to a conclusion.

’...Yoo Sung-woon. I’ll need to have a chat with him.’

The time had come to deal with the task he had been putting off.

* * *

Watching the painting process by Ji-oh’s side, Yoo Sung-woon rubbed his neck.

"...?"

"Is there a problem?"

"No, I just got goosebumps for a second."

"Is it the aura of overtime?"

"Maybe."

It did feel something like that.