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Chapter 156: Chapter 156

The incident began with a teddy bear.

"Kkuu."

"What is it?"

"Kkuuu, kku...."

"You’re looking for Rurupu juice."

It was a time when Jio was in the middle of contemplating what to offer as a token of friendship.

His new friend named Ju-hyeon was a rare, older, mature ability user, and Jio was thinking of taming him with delicious meals, a comfortable bed, and refreshing events.

As a result, he had prepared many things here and there....

"I happen to have what you’re looking for."

There was Rurupu juice as well.

"Kkuu?"

"Yes, because it’s good to use as perfume."

"Kkukuku...."

"It’s a good idea, isn’t it?"

Even though it didn’t have much of a taste, its fragrance was very nice, and when put in a bottle, it was beautiful enough to have ornamental value on its own.

He had made it in advance, thinking of gifting it if Ju-hyeon was looking for a nice perfume.

"But father, why are you looking for Rurupu juice?"

"Kkuuu...."

"Aha, you’re giving that tasteless thing to Dana."

Is that alright?

"...."

Giovanni asked with a serious face.

"...It won’t cause a stomachache, will it?"

"Kkullu."

"Forcing it to eat something tasteless is...?"

"Kku."

"Aha, then it’s perfectly fine."

"Kkuu."

The teddy bear clapped its cotton paws, pong pong.

It looked fluffy just by sight. Jio, for whom his family’s joy was his own, watched him with a pleased expression before asking.

"Giving you the juice is not a problem, but how were you planning to give it to Dana? Was it Dana’s request?"

"Kku!"

"I don’t know why that story is suddenly coming up, but yes, I was currently pondering a gift for Mr. Ju-hyeon."

The former Sun God pointed out the current situation where Jio was pondering a gift for his new friend, Ju-hyeon.

When Jio affirmed it, the teddy bear that smelled of warm sunlight continued, kku kku.

"Let’s help with Mr. Ju-hyeon’s funeral."

"Kkuu."

"Surely you don’t mean to kill Mr. Ju-hyeon himself."

"Kku...!?"

"Then it must be the funeral for his friends and family...."

Jio nodded.

"I hadn’t thought about it myself. Mr. Ju-hyeon was in a situation where he was blaming himself greatly for recently losing his family and friends, and since he had just become independent, he was thinking of making graves for them."

This was an extremely important task for Ju-hyeon.

Not only could it alleviate some of the guilt and debt he felt, but it was also a responsibility that had to be the starting point for whatever he did in the future.

"As someone who inherited the divinity of a father who sowed and reaped life, it won’t be a problem for me to give a friend help related to that."

"Kkukkuu?"

"That’s right. As you said, helping with Mr. Ju-hyeon’s funeral service would be alright too. I am well aware that it could be a pretty plausible gift, but...."

Jio, who prided himself on having both high-quality beauty and common sense, became serious.

"I’m worried that it might be too rude of an act."

"Kku...?"

"Isn’t it impolite to carelessly get involved in someone else’s painful circumstances?"

It was a reasonably valid point.

Between humans, there always exists a line of their own, and this tragedy related to Ju-hyeon’s guilt was too private a matter for Jio, a complete stranger, to handle.

But a god doesn’t know about such things.

"...Kkuu??"

The teddy bear looked up at Jio with eyes that said, ’Why? Why is getting involved in a human’s death considered impolite? That’s strange, in the past, humans really liked it when I did that....’

"Hmm."

That’s possible.

’It’s because my father has never lived jostling among humans.’

Jio found a suitable answer.

"That is a special privilege you were able to enjoy thanks to being a god."

"Kkuu??"

"Aha, now that I think about it, I’m a god now too."

So even a pig potato like this, who only knows how to eat well and sleep well, can become a god.

Jio pondered if such a trivial god existed in the world, but he soon smiled confidently and continued.

"I’m an ordinary human who just happens to have a god’s license."

"Mwaaaaaang━...."

Dana made a crying sound that said, ’I love dad but he’s talking nonsense right now,’ and trotted past.

Honey, on its head, disappeared with its younger sibling with eyes that said, ’I love dad but Dana is right.’

"...."

Jio became a little indignant.

"Does it make sense that I’m not treated as a human just because I have a god’s license?"

"Kkukkuu."

"Of course not, father. Where in the world is there a god who roasts and eats their own sweet potatoes."

To that, the teddy bear looked up at Jio with eyes that said, ’Right? How could that be?’

Jio was at a loss for words at that gaze filled with pure doubt.

He never thought he’d live to be treated like an oddball for eating roasted sweet potatoes.

"Anyway, father, please listen. I don’t know what might have changed because the world was turned upside down once, but in this country with absurdly deep Confucian roots, a person who gets involved in another family’s mourning without a good reason is considered impolite."

"Kku."

"Most importantly, isn’t Mr. Ju-hyeon a newly captured... no, a newly made friend? We’re just starting to get close, so now is the time to slowly tame him with small, unburdensome considerations and gifts until our relationship is strong enough that he won’t run away even if I send three boxes of sweet potatoes, but being too hasty will only cause problems."

"Kku."

"Besides, Mr. Ju-hyeon is 36 years old, older than me. Offering to help with the funeral arrangements for someone with more experience and social skills than me is a great discourtesy. It’s also rude to meddle without consent with someone who is trying to handle things on their own."

"Kku?"

Again, a god doesn’t know about such things.

"Kkuuu?"

"I’m telling you, it’s rude."

"Kkuung...."

Around that time, Iseur, who had come to visit after a while, discovered the two.

"Teacher? Is there a problem?"

"I was discussing the matter of a new friend’s funeral with my father."

"That sounds like a very confusing situation just from hearing it."

Iseur, having heard the details of the incident, nodded.

"In my opinion, I don’t think it would be a great nuisance."

"If that is what you both truly think, I’d like to hear your opinion. Why exactly not?"

"Aren’t you the God of the Sun, Teacher?"

"And I’m also Mr. Ju-hyeon’s newly made friend."

"That human named Ju-hyeon also knows you are a god."

"That is true, but...."

"What is the problem, Teacher?"

Iseur tilted his head.

"A god personally looking after a human’s life and death is not a nuisance, but a great mercy."

"To speak of mercy, you’re saying something so embarrassing."

"Hmm, I’m not sure which part you find embarrassing, but the God of the Sun was like that too."

"Well, my father was the sun that created and reaped life, but...."

"Since you inherited that divinity, I think it’s not strange for you to do similar things."

Iseur was once a priest of the deep sea and a follower of the sun.

As someone who had studied theology under Giovanni, the most brilliant child of the sun, Iseur found Jio’s non-question of a question quite strange.

"You know it well too, don’t you, Teacher? Ruling over life is a god’s right and duty. I’m not sure what part you feel reluctant about, but this is a very natural thing."

"I’m telling you, I’m an ordinary human."

"I truly respect and love you, Teacher, but I know well that what you’re saying is not valid. Nevertheless, if we think from a human perspective, how about thinking of it as having inherited a kind of family business?"

Iseur politely pointed to the teddy bear with both hands.

"You’ve inherited the family business of divinity from the Sun."

"This is my first time being a god, so I’m asking because I don’t know, but if you inherit divinity, do you originally have to inherit the former god’s duties as well?"

"That is what I understand. It’s a kind of hereditary succession."

The merman who once dreamed of being a righteous priest looked down at the teddy bear.

"It seems the former Sun God... wanted you to bestow the gift of mercy upon a human you hold dear, and at the same time, learn the authority and position of the Sun."

Jio had guessed that part as well.

"Otherwise, there’s no way my father would have suddenly advised me to preside over a funeral. It seems my father has stepped up because I’ve been acting so negligently as a god."

"Ah, is it possible to think of it that way?"

"Until now, I thought I had only inherited the license, not the position itself. But hearing it called a family business, it makes me think that I have been negligent with my father’s business all this time."

At that, Iseur smiled a reassuring smile as if to say not to worry.

"Please do not be anxious, Teacher. All the existing duties managed by this Sun have sunk along with my sister’s and my seawater, so you don’t need to worry."

"You say such strangely vexing things."

"However, what I want to say is that you, who possess divinity, do not need to feel too much of a burden about getting involved in human life, death, and its rituals."

Saying so, Iseur smiled bitterly.

"If it were any ordinary being, they would have discarded all their humanity upon inheriting divinity, but for some reason, Teacher, you still maintain your humanity, which is why you seem to be bound by human etiquette like this. It’s surprising."

"Did such a grand concept as humanity have to appear for this obvious principle that one shouldn’t carelessly interfere in someone else’s funeral? Originally, unless you’re someone who shares a family register or a sworn brother who has shared souls, you shouldn’t carelessly get involved in someone’s deep personal matters."

"You and humans are not equal beings, Teacher. Your small favor becomes a great mercy, or a disaster, for humans. Since you inherited the divinity of the Sun, that was an extremely natural course of events."

A look of sorrow settled on Giovanni’s face.

"To make such a species-ist remark."

"...."

"Yes, your sin is great, Teacher."

Iseur, who was once a victim of speciesism and grew to be a perpetrator of the century, was momentarily at a loss for words.

"...Ahem, well, in the end, it’s your decision, Teacher."

"No matter how I think about it, I feel it would be too great a discourtesy to Mr. Ju-hyeon, but...."

"Rather than a discourtesy, well. It would be a very meaningful gift bestowed by a being with divinity."

Humans would sometimes dedicate their lives and walk a path of asceticism just to receive a single phrase from a god’s voice, a single touch of a god’s hand. Receiving the benefit of life and death from a mystery that should be revered was a great grace and mercy.

"Besides, as far as I know... hmm."

Iseur, who had been pretending not to, but was focusing on the events of human society centered around Jio, organized his thoughts. He recalled the brown-skinned human he had met before and continued.

"It seems another evil god was involved in that human named Ju-hyeon experiencing such a tragedy. Since they are souls sacrificed by the scheme of such an evil god, it might be the right thing for the merciful Sun to take them in."

"I feel bad for digging into such a deep story. Isn’t it that a gift shouldn’t be a burden? Mr. Ju-hyeon will find financial help extremely burdensome as well."

"Perhaps the former Sun was not talking about human rituals like a funeral service, but a gift concerning the human souls themselves. Speaking of their essence, unlike what is visible."

The teddy bear nodded at that.

"Kkuu!"

"Please don’t act friendly."

"Kkukuku...."

"I don’t know why you’re laughing."

Iseur still hates the former Sun. He looked at Jio.

"I learned from you that the Sun’s greatest love was to sow life on the earth and, when the time came, to reap it and keep it by the sunlight’s side. The process of souls being born and gathered, that is."

"I definitely said that."

"In that case, you can do so as well, Teacher. As I understand it, the current Earth is receiving the attention of many gods, so I’ve heard the souls there have entered the hands of various different gods."

He smiled at his teacher.

"They too would be happier to be accepted by a divinity of Earth rather than a god from another dimension. It seems the gift regarding the funeral that the former Sun mentioned was referring to that."

"I’m in no position to be reaping anyone, though."

"To put it from your perspective, Teacher, it would be closer to making more friends rather than reaping. Each god has a different way of getting involved in life and death, so it wouldn’t be wrong to see it as a kind of social activity."

"Hmm, a social activity, you say."

"I understand what part you are hesitant about, Teacher. You are considering etiquette and common sense as a human. However, if you truly wish to act as an evil god as well, you will also need the attitude of not rejecting the role of your divinity."

Iseur had heard that Argio wanted to become a Demon King because he wanted to enjoy bloody battles as an evil god.

If so, he would need to adapt to his role and position as a god.

Furthermore, the merman siblings also wanted Giovanni to become more complete.

If he became completely separate from humans that way, perhaps a day might come when he would ostracize them.

"And above all."

Iseur, who had hesitated for a moment, continued.

"Since when did you care about human standards...?"

"What does that mean?"

"No, it’s just, you’ve always been like that, Teacher."

Iseur recalled Giovanni, who was once human.

"Even back then, I don’t think you ever acted particularly human-like."

"To express my valiant life in such a way?"

"Rather than being valiant, it felt like you just did things recklessly without needing any courage."

"I never failed to observe basic etiquette."

"When I think of the achievements you pulled off as naturally as breathing...."

"Achievements I pulled off?"

"I can’t help but wonder what kind of coyness you’re feigning now."

"What on earth do you take me for? A legendary serial reverse-pickpocket?"

Giovanni became indignant once again.

"Even for me, I didn’t dig into other people’s family matters."

"Well, I don’t know why you’re worrying this much, Teacher."

"What if Mr. Ju-hyeon feels burdened and runs away!"

"So that was the problem after all."

He wasn’t worried about a future that would become burdensome by meddling in someone’s gloomy past, but was worried that the other person would get tired of his excessive goodwill and run away.

Iseur nodded with the sacred face of a priest, as if he knew it all along.

"It’s alright, Teacher."

"What’s alright?"

"It’s already a lost cause."

"In what way is it a lost cause?"

"Well, as I just said...."

Iseur smiled bitterly.

"Mr. Ju-hyeon already doesn’t see you as an equal being, Teacher."

"Damn it, I knew it."

Giovanni’s face became serious.

"He was so formal with me that I thought that might be the case, but...."

"Separate from truly considering you a friend, you’d be an object of reverence."

"Even so, there might still be hope."

"I’m asking because I don’t quite understand, but what hope is that?"

"The hope that we can become such comfortable friends that we can even push each other with our feet."

"Oh, to push a god with one’s feet. That is a blasphemous remark that makes me want to wash my ears, even as a merman."

"Please refrain from giving it excessive meaning. What is blasphemy between friends."

"If such hope still remains, that itself would be a miracle."

But Jio was steadfast. He didn’t know how to give up.

"I, Giovanni Batlan, son of the Sun and symbol of miracles. There is nothing I cannot accomplish."

"I want to say that’s not true, but you’re someone who really does it if you say you will, so I won’t declare it...."

The merman students learned through their human teacher that ’Ah, humans truly have no limits.’ He was a craftsman who molded the impossible into the possible, and from that, Iseur learned the wisdom that ’one must always leave open the possibility.’

He had always kept in mind the possibility that his teacher might one day return alive and scold them, and didn’t it actually happen?

Iseur thought that if Jio set his mind to it, he could do anything.

"Anyway, if you’re not burdened by meddling in Mr. Ju-hyeon’s unfortunate circumstances, Teacher, then I believe it’s not something to worry about. That human himself won’t be able to interpret your mercy as rudeness or a nuisance."

Who would see a god’s mercy not as a disaster, but as a mere nuisance? No matter how bold a human, it was an act close to impossible.

"He might suspect it to be a test from an evil god, but he won’t be able to think of it as rudeness."

"But my duty as a Confucian makes my heart uncomfortable."

Giovanni looked troubled, his melancholic eyes cast down pathetically.

"One should not carelessly meddle in another’s affairs...."

"But what if that person is secretly crying out for salvation?"

"Then there’s no way I can’t step forward."

It was a quick change of attitude, as if he had been waiting for it.

"I really wanted to protect our boundaries with each other like a priest of the Sun and a mature adult, but if Mr. Ju-hyeon is actually wanting help, then I really can’t help it."

"I know you were actually just waiting for a push."

"Hoo, I’ve been found out. But a new friend made in my capacity as a portrait is a rarer existence than a hundred-year-old wild ginseng. Since my counterpart is who he is, I couldn’t rashly step forward."

Jio’s strength and weakness was that he didn’t think too deeply.

"If only Mr. Ju-hyeon had just asked for some help from the beginning, I would have helped without a second thought."

In fact, for Jio, this was a lot of consideration.

And Jio gained courage.

He had been worried about what to do if his brand-new friend would be overwhelmed by the scale of the unusual gift and run away, but if that wasn’t the case, then there was nothing to hold him back.

"If there’s a person who needs help, and that person is my friend, and I can give that help, then there’s no reason not to step up. Actually, I know. Deep down in his heart, Mr. Ju-hyeon must be hoping for help from this multi-talented friend."

"Yes, I knew you would say that. As expected of the smiling tyrant of the sea village... no, the chosen son of the Sun, who shoves mercy down someone’s throat even if they refuse, if they look like they need help."

"I feel like I’ve heard a somewhat inappropriate title for a student to call their teacher, but I’ll let it slide this time. Anyway, I think I have a rough idea of what kind of gift I should give Mr. Ju-hyeon. First, I will ask for Mr. Ju-hyeon’s permission."

Jio looked at his father.

"This is assuming Dana wants it, father."

"Kkukuku!"

"As you wished, I will give that child the Rurupu juice."

Just because he didn’t think deeply didn’t mean he knew nothing.

"And let’s go make some new friends."

That was the sequence of events that led to Yu Seong-un working overtime.

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