“Menurutku, Jeorge tidak membenci manusia.”
“B-begitu….”
Sambil berjalan di jalan, Dan Haera bertanya kepada ‘Hunter Seo Gio’ yang berambut pirang platinum.
“Apakah karena dia bilang ‘mencintai’ manusia?”
“Lebih ke karena aku dan Jeorge punya kesamaan. Jadi aku pernah membayangkan sesuatu.”
“Imaginasian seperti apa?”
“Seperti apa jadinya kalau itu aku.”
“…….”
Ekspresi Dan Haera terpilin ambigu.
“…Itu好像 kesimpulan yang hanya bisa dicapai oleh Guru saja. Apakah Guru—yang sepertinya tidak mampu menyimpan dendam atau kemarahan—bisa membenci manusia hanya karena disakiti oleh mereka?”
“Tentu saja aku punya suka dan tidak suka sampai batas tertentu… dan aku tidak sebodoh itu sampai tidak punya perasaan. Itu asumsi yang dibuat dengan sepenuhnya mempertimbangkan bahwa kepribadian Jeorge itu buruk. Setidaknya, cintanya bukan kebohongan.”
“Itu sesuatu yang sulit dipahami dengan чувствительность biasa. Dari sudut pandangku, pemilik dungeon ini jelas membenci manusia. Apakah Guru bilang itu juga bagian dari cinta?”
“Cinta dan kebenciannya adalah konsep yang sepenuhnya terpisah. Tapi keduanya ada pada saat yang sama.”
Gio bergumam dengan serius.
“Seperti ingin makan jjajangmyeon, tapi juga ingin makan pasta.”
“…….”
“Walau dua hal itu tidak cocok dipadukan, kalau situasinya memungkinkan, seseorang bisa makan keduanya. Orang itu adalah Jeorge. Dalam banyak hal, dia adalah orang yang serakah dan punya ruang untuk itu.”
“…即使 Guru menjadikannya metafora….”
“Tapi bukankah itu metafora yang cukup meyakinkan?”
Dia mencintai manusia, tapi juga ingin mereka pergi ke neraka saja. Dia ingin hidup menikmati hal-hal baik saja, tapi juga ingin hancur. Giovanni memandang rendah lanskap batin Jeorge sebagai sesuatu yang menyedihkan.
“Dalam beberapa hal, itu seperti mengalami pilihan yang berlebihan dan membuang takdirnya kepada orang lain yang tidak berkaitan. Sepertinya dia berpikir, ‘Terserah, mau jadi apa pun akan terjadi,’ tapi dalam proses memilih untuknya, dosa apa yang dimiliki orang-orang malang yang mati?”
Saat mengatakannya, Gio berkedip.
“Dan juga, tidak semua orang di dunia ini buruk.”
“…Itu benar, tapi.”
“Jika dia bisa mencintai, maka dia juga akan tahu bahwa ada orang-orang yang layak dicintai.”
Dia tidak tahu sudah berapa lama Jeorge hidup.
Tapi Jeorge pasti pernah menginjakkan kaki di daratan yang tak terhitung, menjalani kehidupan yang tak terhitung, dan melihat kerumunan manusia yang lebih banyak dari itu. Tentu saja ada orang-orang jahat di antaranya, tapi pasti juga ada orang-orang baik yang cukup untuk membuatnya melupakan yang jahat.
“Cinta Jeorge tidak seburuk itu sampai dia bisa mengabaikan fakta itu. Makanya dia akan semakin mudah gila.”
Jadi pada akhirnya, dia pasti menyerahkan hak pilihnya.
Mencintai dan membenci manusia, tidak mampu melakukan keduanya, terombang-ambling—dia pasti merasa seperti pohon atau permata. Sepertinya akhirnya dia memutuskan bahwa dia tidak punya hak untuk memilih apa pun.
“Aku memahami situasinya, tapi aku tidak akan menyetujui pemaksaan.”
“Tidak banyak orang yang akan menyetujui pemaksaan yang berbau darah seperti ini.”
“Lagi pula, yang ingin kukatakan adalah… jika kamu ingin memanggil Jeorge, kamu harus menunjukkan kerumunan manusia yang sesuai. Rangsang kebenciannya dengan benar, atau keluarkan kasih sayang yang tulus.”
“Keduanya tidak terdengar mudah, tapi kalau harus memilih, yang pertama akan jauh lebih cepat. Itu akan membuat penundukan lebih sulit, tapi kita masih bisa memanggilnya dalam waktu singkat.”
Dan Haera mengangkat kepalanya dan memandang dunia di dalam taman. Pemandangan modern yang tidak cocok dengan nama ‘taman’ mirip dengan Korea masa kini. Setelah memandangnya sejenak, Dan Haera membuka mulut.
“…Ini sepertinya bukan dungeon siapa pun di antara kita. Dari yang bisa kukatakan, karena taman ini tidak membuat dungeon untuk paparan setiap kali, tempat ini hanyalah jalan pintas.”
“Apakah kamu akan berpisah?”
“Ya. Aku sudah pergi cukup lama. Aku tidak bermaksud memperpanjang ini. Yang bisa kupharapkan hanyalah agar staf yang mengikutiku tidak semuanya dibinasakan.”
“Menjadi Ketua Asosiasi sepertinya benar-benar sulit.”
“Baru sekarang aku merasakan beratnya tanggung jawab itu. Sudah lama aku tidak merasa seperti ini. Aku bahkan khawatir apakah aku bisa menjalankan tugas Ketua Asosiasi dengan baik dalam kondisi seperti ini….”
Memandang taman yang berbentuk seperti kota, Dan Haera berbalik ke Gio.
“…Guru.”
“Ya.”
“Aku masih punya keserakahan.”
Dia memakai wujud pendeta, tapi yang di hadapannya adalah gurunya. Tetap saja, Dan Haera, seolah sudah terbiasa, membuka mulut seperti seseorang yang sedang mengakui dosa. Karena dia sudah melakukannya beberapa kali di antaranya, ini tidak terlalu sulit.
Apa yang bisa dia lakukan? Keinginan manusia memang originally jujur sampai titik yang memalukan. Terlalu buruk untuk disebut alasan, tapi memang begitu cara berpikir Dan Haera. Dia sudah menjadi orang dewasa yang buruk yang menjadi sejahat mungkin.
“Seperti ini, aku akan semakin dikendalikan emosi dan mengikuti keserakahanku. Guru mungkin akan menyesal sudah membiarkan aku hidup dan pergi seperti ini. Sulit dibayangkan Guru menyesal apa pun, Guru, tapi….”
“Aku juga menyesal.”
“Maka itu lebih berbahaya. Aku masih berpikir Guru seharusnya membunuhku, Guru. Bukan hanya karena masa lalu, tapi juga untuk masa depan.”
Dan Haera tersenyum seolah mengerutkan dahi.
“…Apakah aku dan Tuan Jeorge tidak terlalu mirip?”
Itu kontradiktis. Karena rasa bersalah kepada gurunya, dia sudah menjadi pendosa dan ingin kesempatan lain atau tobat. Tapi pada saat yang sama, dia masih ingin menggunakan gurunya, yang sudah menjadi lebih dari dewa.
Dia ingin mati, dan dia ingin hidup. Dia ingin tobat, tapi dia juga ingin tetap ugly. Dia ingin merenung, tapi dia juga berpikir bahwa dia memang benar pada akhirnya. Seharusnya dia berhenti di kesempatan ini, tapi dia juga ingin melangkah lebih jauh.
“Tapi Guru tetap tidak akan berpikir untuk menjadi… penguasa Bumi, kan?”
“Apakah kamu gila?”
“Aku mengira begitu.”
Dan Haera mengangguk.
“…Ya. Jadi dunia ini memang punya sesuatu yang disebut karma.”
Dan sudah waktunya karma itu datang kepadanya. Dan Haera memutuskan untuk berpikir begitu. Karena baik dan jahat di seluruh dimensi, termasuk Bumi, selalu seimbang seperti itu.
Dan Haera mengangkat kepalanya dan menatap mata gurunya.
“Sampai jumpa.”
“Jangan menyebabkan masalah.”
“Tentu saja.”
“Aku tidak hanya mengatakannya, jadi jangan dianggap enteng, Haera.”
Gio tersenyum.
“Caraku memperlakukanmu seperti ini… kamu harus ingat bahwa meski aku memahamimu, aku tidak punya hak untuk memaafkan dosa itu.”
Même sekarang, dia ingin berlutut di kakinya dan memohon hukuman.
“…Ya.”
Tapi keserakahannya juga terlalu besar, jadi dia tidak melakukannya.
* * *
“Ketua Asosiasi…!”
“Semua berkumpul.”
Dan Haera mengumpulkan tangan dan kaki—bawahannya—nya.
“Semua, ingat.”
“…….”
“Prioritas utama Asosiasi Korea adalah menundukkan Pekebun Jeong Haewoon.”
“Yes, Ketua Asosiasi!!”
Apapun akhirnya, sudah waktunya untuk mengakhirinya.
* * *
Sambil itu, Gio juga kembali ke rekan timnya.
“Gio…!!”
“Tuan Yoo Seongun.”
“Gio, kenapa memakan waktu begitu lama!!”
“Tuan Yoo Seongun, tatapan orang-orang seperti membakar.”
“Jika satu helai rambut pun rusak, apa yang terjadi—apakah kamu tahu betapa cemasnya aku!!”
“Aku lebih suka kalau kamu tidak cemas hanya karena rambut.”
Yoo Seongun adalah yang paling ribut, tapi sayangnya untuk Gio, bukan hanya dia. Cukup banyak anggota guild yang lega karena kerja galeri basement ke-5 kembali setelah bertindak sendiri-sendiri.
“Aku benar-benar senang kamu kembali dengan selamat.”
“Apakah kamu tidak terluka di mana pun?”
“Apakah kamu mungkin mengalami sesuatu yang tidak menyenangkan?”
Kalau didengarkan secara biasa, kedengarannya seperti mereka mengkhawatirkan rekan yang kembali dari bahaya, tapi pendeta Gereja Bulan tidak sebodoh itu. Beberapa pendeta, termasuk Aram, berbisik pelan di antara mereka.
“…Apakah dia baru saja bilang ‘kerusakan’?”
“Aku mendengar kolektor memperlakukan Hunter Seo Gio sebagai semacam pekerjaan, tapi bahkan begitu, ini agak….”
“Ada sesuatu yang terasa sedikit janggal… apakah tidak apa-apa membiarkannya seperti itu?”
“Tapi bisa dianggap aneh jika kita mencampuri cara guild lain mengelola anggotanya… dan juga tidak sopan.”
tetepi, tetap saja, sepertinya tidak baik mereka menunjukkan sisi itu dengan terbuka.”
Terhadap semua reaksi itu, Visabel hanya tersenyum. Itu adalah tatapan seperti orang tua yang melihat anak kecil mereka mulai terbiasa berjalan.
“Kamu terlihat senang, Tuan Guild.”
“Aku memang senang.”
Melihat hubungan manusia yang canggung tapi menggemaskan ini, rasanya seperti inilah artinya tertawa secara alami.
“Sepadan untuk datang ke dungeon secara langsung dengan tubuh lemah ini.”
“Kamu tidak lemah.”
“Dulu aku khawatir bagaimana akan terjadi dengan kamu yang begitu kurus….”
“Kamu tidak kurus.”
“Maka sudah waktunya berbagi informasi. Nah, Uskup?”
Memanggil Aram dan membangunkannya dari lamunan, Visabel menenangkan semua orang. Di atmosfer yang sudah tenang, orang-orang memberitahu Hunter Seo Gio apa yang telah mereka ketahui, karena dia tidak bisa menerima informasi saat bertindak sendiri-sendiri.
Reaksi Gio terhadap itu adalah—
“…Aku mengerti!”
“Apakah dia belajar itu dari Tuan Juhyeon?”
“Aku mengerti.”
“Bagaimana kamu bisa mengerti?”
“Kalian semua bekerja keras.”
Pokémon saja, memang seperti ini.
Dan Gio juga berbagi apa yang dia alami. Dan reaksi orang-orang terhadap itu adalah—
“Oh, itu luar biasa. Berarti kamu menyelamatkan Ketua Asosiasi saat dia dalam kesulitan….”
“? Aku tidak bilang seperti itu.”
“Seperti yang diharapkan dari santo yang dicintai Jubah Hitam.”
“Apakah kamu tidak mendengar apa yang kukatakan?”
Pokémon saja, memang seperti ini.
Dia menyesuaikannya karena terasa canggung untuk menyebut hal-hal seperti Guru Seo Gio dan Murid Dan Haera, tapi tatapan pendeta-pendeta itu tidak menenangkan. Mereka memandang Gio dengan rasa hormat dan rasa ingin tahu yang meluap.
Pokémon saja, setelah berhasil menyelesaikan berbagi informasi dengan cara tertentu, Gio mencari keluarga Cha.
“Aku berjalan-jalan untuk melihat apakah aku bisa bertemu badut lain atau Jeorge, tapi gagal—mungkin aliran taman sedang dikelola. Mungkin Pekebun Jeong Haewoon sedang melakukan sesuatu.”
“…Pekebun Jeong Haewoon, kenapa….”
“Mungkin fase pemberontakan yang terlambat datang. Tapi setelah mengumpulkan cerita-cerita
Chapter 368
“I don’t think Jeorge hates people.”
“Th-that….”
While walking down the road, Dan Haera asked the platinum-blond ‘Hunter Seo Gio.’
“Is it because he said he ‘loves’ humans?”
“Rather than that, it’s because Jeorge and I have things in common. So I tried imagining it once.”
“What kind of imagining.”
“What it would be like if it were me.”
“…….”
Dan Haera’s expression twisted ambiguously.
“…That seems like a conclusion only you could reach, Teacher. Would you, Teacher—who doesn’t seem capable of resentment or anger—come to hate humans just because you got burned by them?”
“Of course, I have likes and dislikes to that extent… and I’m not so thoughtless as to have none. It was an assumption made while fully considering that Jeorge’s personality is bad. At the very least, his love isn’t a lie.”
“It’s something hard to understand with ordinary sensibilities. From where I stand, the owner of this dungeon clearly hates humans. You’re saying that, too, is part of love?”
“His love and hatred are completely separate concepts. But they exist at the same time.”
Gio muttered seriously.
“Like wanting to eat jjajangmyeon, but also wanting to eat pasta.”
“…….”
“Even if the two don’t go well together, if circumstances allow, someone will eat both. That someone is Jeorge. In many ways, he’s a greedy person with the room to do that.”
“…Even if you make it a metaphor….”
“But isn’t it a pretty convincing metaphor in its own way?”
He loves humans, but also wants them to go to hell already. He wants to live enjoying only good things, but also wants to get ruined too. Giovanni looked down on Jeorge’s inner landscape as pathetic.
“In a way, it’s like getting choice paralysis and dumping his fate onto an unrelated other. It seems like he’s thinking, ‘Whatever, let it turn out however it will,’ but in the process of choosing for him, what sin do the pitiful people who die even have?”
As he said that, Gio blinked.
“And also, not everyone in the world is a bad person.”
“…That’s true, but.”
“If he can love, then he’ll also know that there are lovable people.”
He didn’t know how long Jeorge had lived.
But Jeorge would have stepped on countless lands, lived countless lives, and seen even more human crowds than that. Surely there were bad people among them, but there must also have been good people enough to make him forget the bad.
“Jeorge’s love isn’t so flimsy that he can ignore that fact. That’s why he would have gone mad even more easily.”
So in the end, he would have abandoned his right to choose.
Loving and hating humans, unable to do either, being tossed around—he must have felt like a tree or a jewel. It seemed he finally decided that he had no right to choose anything at all.
“I understand his circumstances, but I won’t affirm that coercion.”
“There won’t be many people who would affirm coercion that reeks of blood like this.”
“Anyway, what I want to say is… if you want to call Jeorge out, you have to show him a human crowd that suits it. Properly stimulate his hatred, or else draw out genuine affection.”
“Neither sounds easy, but if I had to choose, the former would be much faster. It would make subjugation that much harder, but we could still call him out within a short time.”
Dan Haera raised her head and looked at the world inside the garden. A modern landscape that didn’t suit the name ‘garden’ resembled present-day Korea. After looking at it for a moment, Dan Haera opened her mouth.
“…This doesn’t seem to be anyone’s dungeon among us. From what I can tell, since this garden doesn’t create a dungeon for exposure every time, this place is merely a passing road.”
“Are you about to part ways?”
“Yes. I’ve been away for a long time. I didn’t intend to drag things out this much. I can only hope the staff who followed me haven’t been wiped out.”
“Being the Association President seems really difficult.”
“Only now do I feel the weight of that responsibility. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt like this. I’m even worried whether I can properly do the job of Association President in this state….”
Looking at the garden that had taken the shape of a city, Dan Haera turned back to Gio.
“…Teacher.”
“Yes.”
“I still have greed.”
He bore the form of a priest, but the one before her was her teacher. Still, Dan Haera, as if familiar with it, opened her mouth like someone confessing. Since she’d done it a few times in the meantime, it wasn’t particularly difficult.
What could she do? Human desire was originally honest to the point of ugliness. It was far too flimsy to call it an excuse, but that was how Dan Haera thought. She was already a bad adult who had become as wicked as could be.
“As I am now, I’ll be even more swayed by my emotions and follow my greed. You might come to regret letting me live and sending me away like this. It’s hard to imagine you regretting anything, Teacher, but….”
“I regret things too.”
“Then it’s even more dangerous. I still think you should have killed me, Teacher. Not only because of the past, but for the sake of the future as well.”
Dan Haera smiled as if frowning.
“…Don’t Mr. Jeorge and I resemble each other a lot?”
It was contradictory. Out of guilt toward her teacher, she was already a sinner and wanted either another chance or to repent. But at the same time, she still wanted to use her teacher, who had become more than a god.
She wanted to die, and she wanted to live. She wanted to repent, yet she also wanted to remain ugly. She wanted to reflect, yet she also thought she had been right in the end. It would be right to stop at this opportunity, yet she also wanted to go further.
“But you still won’t think about becoming Earth’s… master, will you, Teacher.”
“Are you crazy?”
“I thought so.”
Dan Haera nodded.
“…Right. So the world really does have something called karma.”
And it was about time for it to come for her. Dan Haera decided to think that way. Because good and evil across countless dimensions, including Earth, had always balanced themselves like that.
Dan Haera raised her head and met her teacher’s eyes.
“I’ll see you later.”
“Don’t cause trouble.”
“Of course.”
“I’m not just saying it, so don’t brush it off, Haera.”
Gio smiled.
“The way I treat you like this… you should remember that while I understand you, I have no right to forgive that sin.”
Even now, she wanted to kneel at his feet and beg for punishment.
“…Yes.”
But her greed was also too great, so she didn’t.
* * *
“Association President…!”
“Everyone assemble.”
Dan Haera gathered her hands and feet—her subordinates—together.
“Everyone, remember.”
“…….”
“The Korean Association’s top priority is to subdue Gardener Jeong Haewoon.”
“Yes, Association President!!”
Whatever the end might be, it was time to bring it to a close.
* * *
In the meantime, Gio also returned to his original teammates.
“Gio…!!”
“Mr. Yoo Seongun.”
“Gio, why did it take you so long!!”
“Mr. Yoo Seongun, people’s stares are burning.”
“If even a single strand of hair gets damaged, what then—do you know how anxious I was!!”
“I’d prefer it if you didn’t get anxious over mere hair.”
Yoo Seongun was the one who made the biggest fuss, but regrettably for Gio, it wasn’t only his story. There were more than enough guild members who were relieved that the 5th basement gallery’s work had returned after acting individually.
“I’m truly glad you returned safely.”
“You aren’t damaged anywhere, are you?”
“Did you perhaps experience anything unpleasant?”
If you listened casually, it sounded like they were worrying about a colleague who had returned from danger, but the Moon Church priests weren’t that stupid. Some priests, including Aram, whispered quietly among themselves.
“…Did he just say ‘damage’?”
“I heard the collector treats Hunter Seo Gio as a kind of work, but even so, this is a bit….”
“Something feels a bit off… is it really okay to leave it like that?”
“But it could be taken strangely if we butt into how another guild manages its guild members… and it would also be impolite.”
“Still, it doesn’t seem good that they show that side of themselves so openly.”
At all of those reactions, Visabel merely smiled. It was a gaze like a parent watching their young child grow used to walking.
“You look pleased, Guildmaster.”
“I am pleased.”
Watching that clumsy, adorable human relationship, it felt like this was what it meant to have laughter come naturally.
“It was worth coming into the dungeon in person with this frail body.”
“You are not frail.”
“At one time I worried what would happen with you being so slender….”
“You are not slender.”
“Then it’s time to share information. Now then, Bishop?”
Calling Aram and snapping her back to her senses, Visabel calmed everyone down. In the now-settled atmosphere, people told Hunter Seo Gio what they had learned so far, since he hadn’t been able to receive information while acting separately.
Gio’s reaction to that was—
“…I see!”
“Did he catch that from Mr. Juhyeon?”
“I understand.”
“How do you understand what?”
“You all worked hard.”
Anyway, it was like this.
And Gio also shared what he had experienced. And people’s reactions to that were—
“Ah, that’s incredible. To think you saved the Association President when she was in trouble….”
“? I didn’t say it like that.”
“As expected of a saint loved by Black Cloak.”
“Are you not hearing what I’m saying?”
Anyway, it was like this.
He’d adapted it because it felt awkward to even bring up things like Teacher Seo Gio and Student Dan Haera, but the priests’ gazes were unsettling. They looked at Gio with reverence and curiosity brimming.
Anyway, after somehow finishing the information share, Gio looked for the Cha family.
“I wandered around to see if I could meet other clowns or Jeorge, but it failed—perhaps the garden’s flow is being managed. Maybe Gardener Jeong Haewoon is doing something.”
“…Gardener Jeong Haewoon, why….”
“Perhaps a belated rebellious phase came. But putting the stories together, it seems we might be able to call Jeorge out soon. And….”
If possible, I’d like there to be nothing that drags me in deeply.
‘But looking at how things are going, the odds of that seem low.’
Since it wasn’t a story good to bring up now, Gio swallowed the words and smiled.
“Even the fact that that attention-seed hasn’t shown himself until now is a wonder.”
“Uh… that….”
“While acting separately for a bit, I also learned something.”
From a very long time ago, and through various ‘Gios,’ he liked good people. He preferred stories where they were rewarded. Who would like a story where a diligent young man who showed kindness to the world becomes miserable?
Gio smiled slowly. It was different from Giovanni’s.
“Fortunately, Ms. Cha Ara was a truly good person. Enough that, on a cold winter day, she gave up her precious scarf for someone else who was slowly dying….”
“…….”
“And that day, Ms. Cha Ara received a gift from me. Her jet-black hair left a strong impression, so I drew a black jewel that took its color from it.”
“…That’s right.”
“That belongs to Ms. Cha Ara. Since it can’t be stolen, she should still have it.”
So.
“Everything will turn out fine.”
…Gio really was a peculiar person.
He must have forgotten it for a moment, having sunk so deeply into the life of a portrait.
* * *
“Gio.”
“…….”
“You’ve changed a bit.”
At Yoo Seongun’s question, Gio blinked.
“Is it that obvious?”
“There’s no way not to know—the ‘Eternal Promise’ broke; I know that too.”
“Then do you know that the broken system fused with me?”
“Oh… then the system Bishop Aram saw… I thought it was another error.”
“A gift needs to have a letter. But I don’t really like a system with no blood or tears.”
It only judged right and wrong. Even if that standard strongly reflected ‘Seo Gio’s,’ it still had strong non-human tendencies. The system wanted to remain on Earth for a long time as a teacher and a teaching aid.
That made Gio a bit uncomfortable. More than his own safety, he couldn’t be sure whether the system was truly a good teacher. It distinguished good and evil through calculation rather than love and benevolence. And it didn’t hesitate in judgment and execution.
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