Chapter 170: Chapter 170
(Publisher note: the translations starting from this ch is a bit funky and sometimes switched the pronouns of some characters such as Joohyun [yes and he is a guy],, so id like to js say that wtv pronouns characters had before this Chapter is their actual pronouns.
And yes lmao, new characters introduced b4 ch 169 we’ll js have to throw a gender reveal party for each of them cuz i cant confirm their actual gender unless someone read the korean version to confirm it or if theyre revealed in the manhwa lol)
"...Do you know what I thought first upon hearing that story?"
Yu Seong-un said, putting up both thumbs.
"Wow amazing, how did he do that?"
"You flatter me."
"It’s not flattery, I really had such a thought."
The Hallway Meeting, a gathering at 12 o’clock sharp, was held again just before Yu Seong-un died from overwork.
Without fail today too, they proceeded with a meeting that is not a meeting with Jio’s special tea and various snacks.
Ju-hyeon, who was looking at Yu Seong-un’s haggard appearance as if pitiable, coughed and said.
"Keu-hm, Mr. Jio had better sociability than I thought."
"Why was a guy with such good sociability anxious because he couldn’t scare people usually?"
To Yu Seong-un’s doubt, pure as white snow, the Black Cape inside the portrait answered.
"I did not scare them. They ripped off fear on their own."
"Your vocabulary has become rich while I haven’t seen you. Just which country’s phrase is ’ripped off fear’."
"It means I am innocent."
"No matter how much I think, I don’t understand well though."
Massaging his stiff neck, Yu Seong-un asked.
"How did you create such a harmonious atmosphere?"
It was something impossible by common sense.
Jio had a status he possessed basically.
No matter how well he concealed it, humans instinctively feel the difference in status, and also feel coercion.
Especially since Jio was an existence who accumulated an eerie type of status.
"People would have been very scared of you."
"Because they were very scared, I put in a lot of effort."
"I find it so amazing that that is something that works by putting in effort."
"I think it is fortunate that I possess social skills to that extent."
"No, rather than it being a problem of your social skills... uh...."
Actually, when considering ’Jio’s Portrait’ as a human, his social skills could not be seen as on the bad side.
It’s just that there is an indifferent aspect felt fiercely, but Jio is tremendously favorable and kind to humans.
’Although a problem arises where humans fear a little in the process of interaction while observing manners excessively.’
Anyway, it’s a bit awkward to say this as is.
"...You do look a little scary."
"I agree."
Jio nodded obediently.
"Since long ago, there have always been few people who said I am scary."
To that, Ju-hyeon tilted his head.
"Always? Then did people fear Mr. Jio even when you were Giovanni?"
"Yes, even then there were many people who feared me."
"Mr. Giovanni doesn’t seem to have a particularly scary impression though...."
"To be exact, I should express that they got scared in advance and felt uncomfortable."
Although Giovanni was clearly a priest with a gentle and good impression, perhaps due to the characteristic authority of a Solar Cult priest and his demeanor as a noble, there were many people who couldn’t treat him as an equal human.
"There is also the fault that I was blond when I was Giovanni."
"Why blond again?"
"Because it was a world where a superstition circulated that children born with the color of the Sun are children of God."
"Children of God, you say...."
"In my case, since I was actually even a Priest of the Sun, I think the burden would have been bigger."
He was especially a famous priest with name value.
The fact that they couldn’t treat him, who was even called a Saint, equally might be unavoidable for people of that era where the Solar Cult ruled the world.
"Even though I know I have no memory of doing particularly terrifying acts, it was so."
"I heard the story that Mr. Iseur had a nickname ’Smiling Tyrant of the Sea Village’ though."
"...."
The portrait changed to platinum blond hair.
"...Did Iseur say such words? When?"
"Last time when eating lamb skewers, as we shared a miscellaneous conversation, it became like that."
"I am truly wronged. Just why on earth do I have to become a tyrant."
"He said if they didn’t accept mercy obediently, you shoved it in forcibly...."
"Since it was good as a result, I view it as an okay thing."
"Aha, indeed. This is why you bought fear even when you were Giovanni."
"I am wronged."
At Jio’s sincere appeal, Yu Seong-un spilled his characteristic easygoing laughter.
"Wouldn’t that have been closer to awe than fear?"
"Ah, that would be so. If I also had a neighbor like Mr. Giovanni, I don’t think I could have treated him easily."
Ju-hyeon also agreed with Yu Seong-un’s words and nodded.
"Because you have an impression that is unreasonable to approach intimately."
The portrait felt wronged once again.
"I hope you will get along well."
"We would get along like that, but for people meeting for the first time, it would be unavoidable."
At least when he was Giovanni whose personality is gentle and clear, it stopped at the level of awe, but going to Seo Jio whose facial muscles seemed degenerated or Argio who is a battle maniac, they could only feel fear.
Yu Seong-un, who heard the story of ’Seo Jio’ through Ju-hyeon as a medium, asked.
"But did people fear you even when you were Seo Jio? Unlike Giovanni, you probably didn’t perform miracles specially, and unlike Argio, you wouldn’t have been anxious about not seeing blood...."
"Yes, I was an ordinary teacher."
"No well, you probably weren’t particularly ordinary. No matter how much I think, up to there is unreasonable. What are you trying to pass over naturally as if it was an ordinary life like a snake going over a wall."
"I am wronged."
The portrait had returned to black hair before one knew it.
"My impression was just scary."
"It would have been hard to buy fear with such a handsome face too, should I call this amazing or what...."
"I was always a kind and helpful teacher."
"So I’m saying it’s a problem of impression not words and actions, Jio. No of course that would have been a problem too but...."
That wasn’t a part that could be resolved just by saying it’s unfair.
"Right, I’m saying it’s strange? As you said, you said people got scared even when you were an ’ordinary teacher’."
Yu Seong-un recalled the story in the meeting room he heard from the 5th Floor Master before returning home.
"I mean how did such a guy create such a harmonious atmosphere."
"I am saying continuously but I just put in effort diligently."
Jio had sociability and social skills to that extent.
"Due to the impression that it is hard to feel friendliness, there were many people who found me difficult, but eventually everyone remained as good connections. If people fear me, ultimately it is a matter of just resolving that, you see."
At Jio’s words, Yu Seong-un admired.
"Then why don’t you do so usually?"
"I am tired."
"Ah?"
"The outcome versus investment is unclear."
"Do you mean it is a losing business?"
"You understood well."
In the case of people he has to work together with or see for a long time, Jio would act cute diligently, but most were people passing by.
There is no need to boil and cook the opponent, consuming precious energy unnecessarily.
"Because it is true that my basic impression is scary."
The more Jio treats comfortably without any effort, the harder it is for the opponent to shake off fear.
However, speaking conversely, it meant if Jio treats them with sincerity, they could not fear as much as possible.
"...."
"...."
To that, Yu Seong-un and Ju-hyeon thought.
’...Indeed, there is no way making one feel comfortable with an existence of that status is possible with small investment. It probably won’t be a mercy he can bestow to anyone.’
’Isn’t the fact that he cannot stand in an equal position with unspecified many humans without putting in effort in such a way itself proving that he himself is not human...?’
Yu Seong-un understood the artwork’s tiredness like a Gardener and curator, and Ju-hyeon, standing in a friend’s position, was pointing out the contradiction in Jio’s usual claim. At least they weren’t viewing him as a human.
Jio noticed such signs of Yu Seong-un and Ju-hyeon.
’Is there no one who recognizes that I am an ordinary introverted human.’
That people get scared because his impression is scary is a default value, and to explain that and relieve tension, Jio had to consume quite a lot of mental power.
That was exactly the life of an introverted human with a scary impression.
However, since this situation is dumbfounding and funny, Jio decided to just accept the current situation.
He had no thought to show off when they said they would treat him as a precious portrait.
Jio wanted to live as a portrait for his whole life.
"...Is it not that I did something wrong?"
"Ah, it’s not that you did something wrong.
Rather it would be a big help."
"Because they are people who will work together with me, it weighed on my mind."
Hearing from Ju-hyeon, that conquest or whatever is something like a training camp.
Or something like a workshop or a long-term business trip.
He didn’t want to become in an awkward relationship with people he has to be together with for quite a long time.
’Even hell of that extent is rare to see.’
So leaving a good first impression with all his might and spending the remaining work period in a harmonious atmosphere was a hundred times, a thousand times more comfortable.
Jio had truly tried desperately to get close to these temporary colleagues this time.
"However, Resolution Team Member Kim Na-na who entered later seemed a little surprised."
"Ah, I heard that story too."
Yu Seong-un nodded.
"She said she thought it was brainwashing."
"She feared me a lot."
"That too was resolved after conversing a little eventually, you said."
"A big effort was needed."
"Miss Kim Na-na is understandable too."
Laughing awkwardly, Yu Seong-un continued speaking.
"The appearance of colleagues giggling while treating the Black Cape comfortably like an old friend while she wasn’t there... honestly the moment she encountered it, she could only be creeped out. It’s something that doesn’t make sense."
"Still, at the last moment, she seemed to feel comfortable with me."
"That is also correct. It’s not that you knew wrong, from what I heard too, Miss Kim Na-na doesn’t seem to fear you anymore. Although such a part is also surprising."
To that, Yu Seong-un asked stealthily.
"It’s not really that you used a brainwashing skill?"
"I am truly wronged."
"Uh right I’m sorry, but honestly it’s a bit suspicious."
"Have you ever seen an appearance of a portrait crying?"
"I am curious but I’ll postpone that appreciation until next time."
Ju-hyeon looked at Yu Seong-un as if seeing a genuine crazy guy but he ignored it cleanly.
Originally Bisabeol’s curators were all like this shape and form. An artwork’s crying appearance?
It is a tremendously rare spectacle.
However, whether fortunately or unfortunately, Yu Seong-un was in a tremendously tired state so he passed this opportunity to next time.
"If you created such an atmosphere purely with just eloquence, isn’t it a truly amazing thing?"
"I am glad that you praise me."
Jio became a little happy hearing the sound ’Hey you are good at social life’ from a close brother.
Timid and cowardly, Jio became proud in his own way feeling like he did decent work.
"It seems it is thanks to knowing the coping method as there were often such matters in the past too."
"It’s not that your portrait-likeness caused an incident?"
"I do not know well what meaning portrait-likeness is exactly."
"You have a bit of that. That is what it is, getting realized as you wish ...."
"Are you perhaps speaking of something like a stone tower stacked when hiking."
"...Is it similar?"
Jio had the ability to proceed with work as he wished without taking special measures.
Yu Seong-un was thinking that it would be a possible thing because he controlled fate as a part of the Source.
"Indeed, whichever side it is, it is amazing all the same."
"Thank you."
"If I look closely, he likes being praised surprisingly...."
To that, Ju-hyeon laughed and added words.
"Since he is still young after all."
"...."
At Yu Seong-un’s staring gaze, Ju-hyeon avoided his gaze.
"...Personality, yes, personality."
"What are you shy about?"
"Because it seemed like I said embarrassing words...."
"I don’t know if he is bold or timid."
"I would be grateful if you stop teasing."
Ju-hyeon, whose face became red, said he had a slight grievance.
"But isn’t Mr. Jio certainly on the young side? At 29 years old, at 32 years old, at 24 years old...."
"If it is short-lived, it was indeed short-lived."
"Do not focus on death but look at the age when alive. You are young."
"Right, you did die early. I also know."
"Are you telling such sad stories to Mr. Jio’s face right now?"
"No it’s just the truth...."
Yu Seong-un looked back at Jio feeling like he was being scolded for some reason.
"The person himself probably has no particular regret?"
"Ah-ah, how good would it have been if I had lived longer and longer with our mermaid students...."
"Are you going to be like this? You’ll make only me the bad guy, is that it, now?"
"It is a joke."
Giovanni also didn’t have particular dissatisfaction with his lifespan.
"Isn’t there also a saying called ’Beautiful women die young’ (Beauty and Short Life)?"
"That confidence, very good to see."
"Since the fact that I am handsome is an undeniable truth."
"He is brazen in strange ways."
Yu Seong-un shrugged his shoulders.
"Anyway, it is fortunate that you got close without big problems."
"Still, it seemed they found me difficult."
"Uh, really? Didn’t you say the atmosphere was good?"
"Hmm."
Jio, who contemplated for a moment, continued speaking.
"There were many similar cases in the past too."
"What kind of cases?"
"Accepting my act of acting cute with all my soul as a type of mercy and being in awe...."
"Ah, that was acting cute with all your soul. I see."
Actually, Yu Seong-un also tended to interpret it as closer to a giant mystery’s mercy than acting cute.
Since he seems to want to pretend it’s not him, he will just pass over, but just as a personal thought, that is.
"...."
"Huh? Why?"
"Are you hungry?"
"...I am feeling peckish but what is the problem?"
"Because you seem to be thinking nonsense, I wondered if it was because your stomach is empty."
"Putting aside what nonsense is, why do you tie that with the stomach...."
Yu Seong-un marveled at how even being grumpy could be unified into feeding food.
***
Like that, the time of the decisive battle approaches, the rest day before conquest.
"I am so glad to see the Collector’s young master whom I heard only in words."
"...."
"Our young master, surely you won’t cry saying the rice in the dungeon tastes bad, right?"
Jio was suffering unilateral provocation from some thug who looked perfectly fine physically.
’To challenge me with rice?’
Truly surprisingly, it was clear that the world had no thought to understand his frailty.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter