The Artist Who Paints Dungeons [Novel] Chapter 312

Chapter 312

Ji-oh’s gardener welfare plan was nothing special.

“Turn into a pig, ta-da.”

“Gurrr!”

That was it.

The numerous garden friends he had drawn previously? Those friends had their own egos. They also had the right to independence. In other words, Ji-oh’s plan didn’t include the declaration of entry into the world that those garden friends had subtly slipped him.

‘But it’s not a big problem.’

That was thanks to drawing only good friends, just in case.

‘They aren’t the type to cause trouble.’

Ji-oh believed in his so-called babies.

However, when he actually tried to open for business, there were no customers. Of course, he could have provided a delivery service, but that wasn’t a food stall. It would just be a run-of-the-mill traveling sales job in today’s world. Sorry to say, but it lacked romance and wasn’t fun.

And the incarnation of dopamine, Jeorge, would not allow that.

“Life without romance?”

And it’s not even fun?

“That’s unacceptable.”

From there, an additional plan was formed.

“We’re starting a marketing campaign.”

“Meow.”

“That’s right, Dana. Dead or alive, just bite and drag them here. Dad will do a good job luring them in. It’s my specialty.”

“Kkung?”

“Honey, if you can follow your sister and catch some, bring them here too. Of course, I won’t just sit still either.”

Jeorge was quite resolute in his own way.

“This is all a tragedy caused by the low foot traffic in the Garden…!”

So he targeted a place with high foot traffic. That was the dungeon.

Dungeons generally had people. It was even said that owning just one decent dungeon could feed a guild for three generations.

Therefore, while unpopular dungeons might exist on this Earth, there were no undiscovered dungeons. Probably.

“To become a famous restaurant, you first need to spread the word. That’s how you get people to visit from far away. A true famous restaurant must be able to attract people no matter the distance….”

“Kkuuu…?”

“Father, trust this pretty son of yours. Despite how I look, I’ve traveled around quite a bit. My perspective can’t be wrong… If it doesn’t work, I’ll resort to kidnapping as a last resort.”

“Kku??”

“Fortunately, this field is still a blue ocean. There are no competitors. There’s demand, but no supply. Could there be a better condition for starting a business? I’m confident.”

And so, Ji-oh started his first business in a dungeon.

“…….”

However, if there was a problem, it was that most dungeons weren’t exactly… small.

“…? I’m sure there are people around, so why can’t they find me…? Strange, this shouldn’t be happening.”

“Kkung.”

“Oh dear, there are downsides to synchronization starting. My presence has been overshadowed by naturalness.”

“Kkung?”

“How sad, I’ve always had the kind of constitution that attracts people even when I just sit still.”

Does a flower seek out bees? No, bees seek out the flower. Doesn’t the old saying go that the thirsty person digs the well? He thought they would come on their own once they smelled the honey, but the problem was that ‘Jeorge’s’ aura was concealed.

As for why it was concealed, it was because of his business partner, Cha Eun-hyuk.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’m cut out to be a business partner. Please count me out.”

“Ah… Do you not want to make money with me? I’m really hurt. How could you say that after coming all the way here?”

“Please don’t put an innocent person in a tough spot with crocodile tears, and really… I think… just being a part-timer would be fine. Doesn’t a business partner usually have a stake or something?”

“Now I’m curious. Why did you think you didn’t have one?”

“…Please just say I don’t….”

“Why are you crying.”

Cha Eun-hyuk was a civilian. An unawakened person, not even a Hunter, and a Gardener who wasn’t quite a Gardener. A rookie among rookies.

An internal vote within Ji-oh’s brain regarding Mr. Cha Eun-hyuk’s safety had inevitably taken place.

—Is a vote really necessary?

—Yes, it is. Because no matter how I think about it, Mr. Jeorge won’t hold back unless we warn him in advance.

—It’s not like my lack of restraint would harm Mr. Cha Eun-hyuk’s health….

—Mental health is health too. Please don’t discriminate.

—Wouldn’t being captivated by the beauty of nature be a pretty good experience in life?

Three Ji-ohs opposed.

—I don’t think so.

—Probably not.

—Even I don’t think so.

—Dismissed by a majority of opposing votes. Mr. Jeorge, please restrain yourself.

—I thought Mr. Arzio would take my side, so this is unexpected. You’re much more delicate than I thought.

—A fragile subordinate must naturally be cared for meticulously. That is how they can become an adult who does their share of the work.

—Aha, from that perspective?

Wasn’t it obvious that he wouldn’t be able to stay sane if he took the full brunt of ‘Jeorge’s’ temper? Because of that, he had adjusted his aura as modestly as possible….

Unfortunately, it resulted in a situation where self-promotion was impossible.

“…Was your talk of marketing based entirely on that? I mean, your face?”

“That’s part of it, yes.”

More precisely, he had trusted in Jeorge’s characteristics.

“I’m such a sweet person that people seek me out even if I just sit still.”

“…….”

“Don’t look at me like that, I’m hurt. I was just talking about my constitutional traits.”

“So you mean your face….”

“No, aside from that, there’s something that naturally draws attention.”

It is said that everyone feels it differently. Someone called it a fragrance, someone called it beauty, and someone else called it comfort, excitement, or love.

“Yes, love.”

He had a constitution that received love just by sitting still. That was his destiny.

It had to be seen that there was no human the Garden—the very nature of Mystery itself, Jeorge—could not captivate. This was especially true for any being entangled by love in any way.

“This is troubling. At this rate, I’ll have to provide a delivery service.”

“How about putting up flyers. Just don’t move around yourself.”

“Why are you stopping me?”

“In case innocent citizens step into a fiery pit….”

“I’m not an evil person who pushes innocent citizens into a fiery pit.”

“Moths will inevitably dive into a flame just from seeing the light. Our country will be ruined if you do that.”

“I may have compared myself to a beauty capable of ruining a country, but I have no intention of actually ruining it.”

“You said you ruined one. You said you had a track record.”

“That’s just the karma of those bastards who relentlessly hounded someone who had no intention of giving them the time of day.”

But here lay another problem.

“Where are we supposed to find people in a place this wide?”

“…? You found me just fine, at my house.”

“I can’t sniff out anyone who lacks the aptitude to be a Gardener. It’s quite a pity, isn’t it?”

“Is that… uh, because you’re a Garden?”

“You can say it’s similar to a cat recognizing the aptitude of a can opener.”

“A can opener?”

“To put it humbly, it’s like instinctively tracking down a match made in heaven.”

“In a way, that sounds even more insolent than the can opener thing.”

“Hah, it can’t be helped. We really have no choice but to track them down one by one.”

So, he first left Cha Eun-hyuk in the food stall.

“Promise me you won’t come out.”

“…Curator Yoo Sung-woon told me never to carelessly make promises with Hunter Seo Ji-oh. Is it really okay for me to hook my finger on this premise right now?”

“Mmm, this is a decision made out of consideration for the fragile Mr. Cha Eun-hyuk. Since you’re an unawakened civilian, you never know when or how you might encounter a disaster if you step outside our place of business….”

“I’ll stay right here.”

“There you go, good boy.”

And so, the journey of the two-legged Garden had begun.

Of course, the road wasn’t exactly easy. A dungeon that warranted a ‘food stall’ was usually ridiculously wide. Ji-oh had no choice but to wander in all directions, showing off his legwork salesmanship.

Although it was a rather fun process.

“…….”

Jeorge was very fickle.

“Hmm, I’m bored of this.”

“Kkung?”

“Come to think of it, why should I go out of my way to do the legwork, Honey?”

“Kkung…?”

“They should be coming to catch my precious self.”

And so, Ji-oh decided to become the ‘hidden picture’ in a game of hidden picture search.

Surprisingly, people reacted to it. He had only suppressed it; the sweet fragrance of the ‘Garden’ was not completely masked. Once they entered a certain radius, customers were naturally entranced.

“My first customer.”

“…Ah, ahh….”

“Come here, you’re tired, aren’t you? I’ll help you.”

“You are….”

“I just need a very small price.”

“…….”

That was how Ji-oh succeeded in his first sale.

“Excuse me.”

And there was a bit of pushback from Cha Eun-hyuk.

“What are we supposed to do if you actually bewitch them into coming.”

“But they’re eating, aren’t they.”

“No matter how I look at it, this customer is not in their right mind.”

“What do you mean they’re not in their right mind? They’re conversing with me perfectly well….”

Ji-oh stroked the Hunter’s cheek and smiled.

“Isn’t that right?”

“Y-Yes, yes.”

Cha Eun-hyuk silently downed his cabbage juice. It was one of the employee welfare items Ji-oh had stocked inside the food stall because Joo-hyun had mentioned it might be necessary.

At first, he had said it felt too burdensome and he probably wouldn’t be able to drink it, but he was finally drinking it now. Feeling that his encouragement had paid off, Ji-oh smiled and asked.

“Ah, it’s delicious, right?”

“…? Is this… really cabbage juice? Why is it so sweet and nutty? No matter how I think about it, this isn’t a flavor that can come from cabbage.”

“It’s juice I squeezed by hand from cabbages I grew myself. I remembered hearing somewhere that cabbage juice is good for stress-induced gastritis.”

“I don’t know how I’m supposed to react when you make such a refreshing face while knowing exactly why I drank this.”

“Shouldn’t you just smile since you ate something delicious? Then again, it’s hard to imagine you smiling like me, so you can just stay as you are.”

“Excuse me, but when did you say clock-out time was again?”

Anyway, this nonsensical ‘romantic marketing’ had yielded its own results. The existence of the ‘food stall’ became known among a very small number of Hunters. The rumor was that if you found something beautiful, it would guide you to a safe zone on a completely different level….

Surprisingly, the detailed appearance of the employee and the exact headcount were not made known.

“Why is that?”

“Because they weren’t in their right minds…?”

“You said they were in their right minds.”

“Now that I think about it, maybe they weren’t.”

Most ‘customers’ were so captivated by Jeorge that they failed to perceive any objective information about him.

“…Then why am I able to perceive it?”

“You and I are friends, aren’t we? Then it’s only fair that we can see each other.”

“I get the feeling I shouldn’t say we aren’t friends here.”

“Try it, that sounds fun too.”

“I will not.”

Cha Eun-hyuk decided to faithfully stick to his role as a worker.

‘What would Cha Ara say if she saw me like this.’

He had tried his best to explain it to her so she wouldn’t be shocked when she found out later, but no matter how much he thought about it, the explanation felt lacking. Even while thinking this, Cha Eun-hyuk diligently baked the bunggeoppang. It was only right to work as much as he was getting paid.

And it was around that time that Ji-oh fell into an uncharacteristic minor state of confusion. Around the time rumors had spread among a small number of Hunters, and the government and the Association learned of the ‘food stall’s’ existence. Around the time the Gardeners had also shared that information….

“……?”

Ji-oh felt his gift shatter somewhere.

“Uh, what’s this.”

I’m feeling a bit hurt.

When he went to find them, it was none other than a club member of the Cloak Order. He wondered what had been broken, and it turned out to be the gemstone. The gemstone he had distributed as ‘Ji-oh’s portrait.’

It seemed it had shattered due to intense movement within the dungeon. Since it wasn’t broken intentionally, he decided to let it slide.

‘Rather, I’ve found a new customer, so maybe it’s actually a profitable situation.’

Receiving the customer with a smile like that was the beginning. No matter how much he thought about it, that was the root of the problem.

This time, he felt someone intentionally break a gift.

“Uh-uh, what’s this? What’s going on.”

“What is the matter.”

“People keep breaking my gifts.”

“Why on earth would they do something so terrible?”

“I know, right…? Why are they doing that?”

Ji-oh tracked down the people who broke the gemstones. However, their appearances were too pitiful for him to say, ‘Hey, my feelings are a bit hurt.’ His good club members were starving. He had to feed them until they were full right away.

“Th-Thank you. Thank you so much….”

“Mhm, it’s okay, so please eat.”

“In exchange, I offer my life…!”

“How burdensome.”

He felt offering one’s life over a few bowls of ramen was a bit much. In the end, Ji-oh received the shattered gemstone and the Hunter’s hair ornament as payment. Since this was still a business of sorts, he couldn’t just give things away for free.

Anyway, excluding a few minor incidents, the ‘food stall’s’ business was booming. Ji-oh smiled happily and said.

“Since we’ve done a trial run, I think it’s about time we start normal operations.”

“Then what will be different from before?”

“Now, we’re going to accept money.”

“You’re going to… take money? You, Mr. Ji-oh?”

“I am naturally a being of nature, but I am a somewhat civilized being of nature, so would you mind not looking at me like that?”

Just when it seemed the gemstone-shattering incidents were being forgotten a few days later, someone was trying to break a gemstone again.

“Uh-uh-uh, you shouldn’t do that.”

“Ah… is someone trying to break a gemstone again?”

“Yes, no seriously, why are they doing this… They’re truly strange people….”

Of course, it wasn’t that Ji-oh truly didn’t know why people were making such choices.

A gemstone had accidentally shattered, and the ‘food stall’ was summoned, wasn’t it? But after that, when they intentionally broke a gemstone, the ‘food stall’ really came again. In other words, they were on the verge of establishing the premise that ‘breaking Black Cloak’s gemstone in an emergency will summon the food stall.’

However, it was a misunderstanding. Ji-oh was merely a pitiful portrait experiencing a little confusion because people kept breaking the gifts he had given them.

This couldn’t continue. Ji-oh grew frantic.

“Are you going to break that?”

Anyway, that was how it happened.

***

“…And then what?”

At the researcher’s question, the Hunter hesitated before answering.

“Um, this really isn’t a story that will harm the Cloak, right….”

“Our Korean Hunter Association interprets Black Cloak favorably. What you experienced this time wasn’t harmful or negative to humans either, so please answer comfortably. It just adds another one of Black Cloak’s kind characteristics.”

“That’s a relief then.”

The Hunter let out a deep sigh.

“Ah, how should I put it. They were really… really pretty.”

“And you can’t remember their specific gender and appearance?”

“Did the people before me all testify like that too? Yeah, that’s right. They were so pretty… and handsome… and they gave off a sweet fragrance, and their smile was gentle. But I just can’t recall what they actually looked like.”

“That’s one of the common symptoms seen in people who have been charmed. You don’t have to worry too much, though. The checkup results are out, and there’s nothing wrong with your health.”

“Since they must be one of Black Cloak’s apostles, I don’t think someone like that would harm me, a club member. No, honestly, just looking at them… really….”

“They were beautiful?”

“They were lovely.”

The Hunter smiled sheepishly.

“I’m saying this without even knowing their face.”

She continued her explanation.

“After that, my friend… Ah, the Hunter who reported to the Association before me is my friend. I went through a process similar to my friend’s. They affectionately guided me and led me to a warm and cozy food stall.”

“All the Hunters who were there, you mean.”

“What did I eat again. Well, I ate bunggeoppang first. Wow, it was really delicious. It was amazing. I wondered if bunggeoppang was allowed to be so luxurious. The red bean paste was really substantial and it was fluffy….”

“Yes, and?”

“The captain ate fish cake skewers. No, actually, I think we ate everything on the menu there. And then we paid money in return.”

“Aha?”

The researcher asked back.

“You paid money in exchange…?”

“Yes, yes. My friend said they gave junk and stuff, but we… paid with money.”

“Does that mean you were carrying cash at the time?”

“Not exactly, but they accepted bank transfers…? They said we just had to transfer the money within a month of leaving the dungeon, so after eating and feeling energized, we cleared the dungeon and I transferred it as soon as we got out.”

“…….”

“The City of Emptiness patted my head for doing a good job before leaving. Amazing, right.”

The researcher, who had been silent for a moment, asked.

“When you made the deposit, wasn’t the recipient’s name displayed during the bank transfer?”

“Huh? Uh, no. I sent it while I was a bit out of it so I don’t remember well, but… I don’t think a name popped up. I checked the bank transfer history later, but there was nothing.”

“Then do you remember the account number? If it isn’t an intrusion, we’d also like to get your consent to check your bank records.”

“Ah, I don’t mind. And if you give me a pen, I’ll write down the account number for you.”

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

The researcher hurriedly checked the account the Hunter provided. It was definitely a standard account format used by one of the commercial banks.

It didn’t take long to figure out who the account owner was.

“Uh, by any chance, could I know too? Did our Cloak finally open a bank account?”

“…I don’t think it’ll be a problem to tell you this much. But um, no. I don’t think Black Cloak opened an account.”

“Then who on earth did I send my money to…?”

“It was transferred to one of the 2nd Class Citizens. Perhaps you might know them as well. Do you recognize this person’s face?”

“…Ah!!”

The Hunter sprang to her feet.

“She’s the elderly lady who was the designated recipient of the volunteer work I’m in charge of!!”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“…I never told you that, so how did you know?”

“That’s just the sort of thing the Association does.”

“That is true, but.”

The hesitant Hunter crossed her arms.

“But not right now. My Hunter work got a bit busy, so the opportunity was passed on to someone else.”

“The owner of the account recently injured her ankle while cleaning the street….”

“It broke?!”

“No, it’s a simple sprain. However, at this age, it is a cause for concern.”

“Ah, what do I do…! When is this going to end?! I think I need to go see her right away!!”

“I think we’ll be done shortly.”

A pattern seemed to roughly emerge, or perhaps not.

***

“Ji-oh, where did that money go?”

At Yoo Sung-woon’s question, Jeorge, who was sprawling out at his house, answered.

“…? I’m sure it went to someone who needed it, right?”

“…Why are you reacting like you don’t know either?”

“I don’t necessarily have to know everything, you know.”

“Then how did you fill in the account number.”

“I just pulled it out of my hat.”

“Your hat…?”

His gaze fell upon Ji-oh’s sleek hat.

“It just came out of there?”

“This is actually a magic hat, you see.”

“Oh, how amazing.”

Yoo Sung-woon smiled placidly.

“As expected, I’d prefer to be a human in my next life.”

“You keep saying things like that lately, but what is your intention?”

“It means you should go easy on me.”

Because it’s scaring me to death.

***

And a few days later, the number of Gardeners skyrocketed.

“Whoa, Ji-oh’s portrait. Have a chat with me.”

“The price for chatting with me is quite expensive.”

“Oh shit, what is this now. Why have you become so radiant? No, that’s not it.”

Jung Hae-woon came to visit and asked.

“What did you do?”

“And what are you going to do if I did something?”

“First, please accept my bow.”

“I really like this worldly wisdom of an excellent adult. How admirable.”

“Teacher, you are the savior of my life.”

“Mmm, this sweet talk. It’s very sweet.”

“Is there anything else you need.”

He pledged his loyalty to this benevolent Garden.

– To be continued in the next chapter –