50

Chapter 50

The deceased seniors used to say: Never trust a Monster.

‘They weren’t wrong.’

Cha Ara was someone who acknowledged the distrust of Monsters embedded deep within the Hunter profession.

In truth, even calling it ‘distrust’ was strange. No one trusted a wild boar that had come down from the mountains, did they?

‘Trusting one is what would make you an idiot.’

Before trust or any other relationship could even be considered, Hunters and Monsters threatened each other’s very right to exist simply by being alive.

The Monsters in question primarily inhabited dungeons, though some had settled on Earth in modern times. Varying in everything from size to tastes, all Monsters shared one quality: they were dangerous.

‘Monsters are fundamentally hostile toward Earth’s life-forms.’

It did not matter how trivial or powerful their abilities were. Being unilaterally despised by something nonhuman devastated a person’s mind all by itself.

“…….”

In that sense, Cha Ara found her present situation difficult to accept.

“You should watch your step.”

“Ah, pardon?”

“There is a drop immediately ahead of you.”

“Ah….”

“Your eyes are poor in the dark.”

No, your eyes are exceptionally good.

‘Though there’s no point saying that to a Monster. He wouldn’t understand.’

The bird Black Cloak called ‘Honey’ illuminated the world brightly only for a moment before returning to a gentle glow and hiding inside the cloak’s hood.

As a result, Cha Ara was following Black Cloak by the Anti-Cat’s light.

‘Maybe it’s because his body itself is so black, but I can barely see him even when he’s close. Without the Anti-Cat, I truly might not have been able to follow….’

In any case, she understood that ‘Seo Gio’ was being considerate toward her.

‘Even if his imitation of a human is a little clumsy….’

To begin with, what person would enter such a cold cavern barefoot?

In truth, Gio had his own reasons. He occasionally walked barefoot outside the Portrait because he removed his shoes inside his home.

Since he traveled by painting passages and entrances, his point of departure was usually the cottage studio. Having come directly from there to the dungeon, Gio had not bothered to put on shoes.

The ‘Vein of Jewels’ was dark, so he assumed that even if he met someone, surely they would not see his feet.

“…….”

From Cha Ara’s perspective, however, it looked as though he were crudely imitating human clothing.

“Excuse me, but when you said home….”

“We have almost arrived.”

“I-is that so?”

Cha Ara felt slightly reassured by his reasonably gentle treatment.

‘…Since he answers me every time, he doesn’t seem to bear me any ill will.’

Ordinary Monsters lacked intelligence at this level, so they could not serve as a comparison.

Fundamentally, however, Monsters possessed almost no reason and wanted to see the color of a person’s entrails the moment they saw them.

‘I heard Humanoid Monsters aren’t much different….’

Even when a Monster showed goodwill to a human, it was a disaster from the human perspective.

Thus, although she could not understand this courteous treatment, Cha Ara forcibly suppressed her fear and followed Black Cloak.

‘I was going to starve to death at this rate anyway. If that’s the alternative, it’s better to try something.’

Just as Cha Ara steeled herself, Black Cloak stopped and spoke.

He pointed at the wall.

“Here it is.”

“…….”

A frame?

‘…It’s an empty frame containing only a painted forest background, with no person inside.’

One could simply call it a ‘landscape painting,’ yet its emptiness made Cha Ara feel that it was not a complete Work.

“…Ah.”

She soon realized it looked familiar.

“Is that what I saw last time…?”

“Yes. It is where I reside.”

“…Ah, I see.”

A painting depicting a person. She did not understand it well, but she knew that Black Cloak’s essence was a portrait.

‘He was in the form of a portrait when we encountered each other before too, wasn’t he?’

Black Cloak extended his hand.

“Let us enter.”

“…….”

It would be a lie to say she was not afraid.

‘…But if I stay here, I’ll only starve to death.’

She was already tired of starving in the lightless darkness while waiting for new Hunters who might never come.

Some might call it a foolish decision, but Cha Ara did not want to let the opportunity before her escape.

“Phew….”

She took hold of him with a slightly trembling hand.

“…Ah…!”

At once, her mind briefly went blank.

Cha Ara felt her body enter the painting.

She ceased to feel like herself and experienced a hazy sensation of floating. Only after dozens and hundreds of peculiar sensations swept through her could she regain her senses.

“…….”

As though that brief confusion had never occurred, gentle, clear air—and reason—welcomed Cha Ara.

“…….”

“Are you all right?”

“…Y-yes.”

It had happened in the blink of an eye.

‘…Just now, something….’

Yet she had undoubtedly felt a spine-chilling vastness while passing through the frame.

“…….”

It was fear.

Or was it loneliness?

Cha Ara, who had never attended school and possessed little talent for expression, wondered how she could describe what she had felt in that instant.

If she had to assess it much later, it was a chilling and bizarre sensation, like being left alone in the universe for a moment.

“…This place is….”

“It is the home where I reside.”

As Black Cloak spoke, he set down the cat—the Anti-Cat—that he had been holding.

“Honey, this one will become your younger sibling, so look after it.”

“Gurururuk.”

“Good boy.”

The sight of him talking to a bird made of water resembled a scene from a fairy tale.

“…….”

So did this space.

Dense cabinets of drawers covered the walls. Paints carrying nature’s fragrances stood beside a canvas resting on an easel carved from wood….

“…A studio?”

It was, but….

‘Why is it empty?’

Not a single canvas had a painting on it.

The air was gentle. The scenery was peaceful. Yet the little details that resembled human ways of life while remaining subtly different somehow sent an involuntary chill through Cha Ara.

“Yes. This is my studio.”

“This may be a rude question… but there aren’t any paintings.”

“I am always painting.”

“…….”

“They simply cease to be paintings now.”

The inscrutable answer chilled her spine even further.

“Completed paintings depart on their own, or else… they remain behind in this form.”

“…Wasn’t that a passage? You mean this was, uh, a painting?”

“It is both a passage and a painting.”

The bluntly answering Monster covered the frame leading to the ‘Vein of Jewels,’ the passage from which Cha Ara had emerged, with a black cloth.

Only then did Cha Ara realize that several other frames throughout the studio were similarly covered with cloth.

“…….”

“Would you like to look around?”

“Ah, no.”

“Of course, you must be hungry.”

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Cha Ara blinked at his words.

‘…Did his voice change somehow?’

No, the voice itself was no different from moments before. But….

“Are you no longer afraid of me?”

“…Pardon? Ah, pardon?”

“You seem less tense than you did earlier, so I thought I would ask.”

“Well, uh, th-that is….”

“…….”

Though the Monster tilted his head at Cha Ara’s stammering, he waited for her. Reading consideration in that behavior once again, Cha Ara soon calmed herself enough to continue.

“…Yes. I think I’m… less afraid than before….”

“That is a relief.”

Black Cloak’s voice was courteous and measured.

“People are afraid of me whenever I go outside. I believe it is a problem caused by my being a portrait.”

He opened the studio door.

“The kitchen is on the first floor.”

“The kitchen….”

It was far too domestic a word to hear inside a Monster’s lair.

Despite the strange awkwardness she felt, Cha Ara gathered her courage and asked.

“M-may I come with you?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you….”

As she had in the ‘Vein of Jewels,’ Cha Ara followed behind the Monster. The atmosphere was entirely different this time, however.

‘…It’s incredibly bright.’

More precisely, it would be correct to call it gentle rather than bright.

Filled with warm air, this place softly relaxed her hands and feet, yet something about it was not lighthearted, remaining calmly settled.

“…….”

Why?

‘It looks like a fairy tale.’

The wooden walls gave off a fragrant scent.

Though the stairs were made of a hard material, they felt so smooth that she imagined them soft beneath her feet. Inside the cottage, where sunlight entered languidly, the atmosphere was as plush as a thoroughly dried blanket.

‘And yet, strangely….’

Cha Ara thought this place resembled a tomb.

“…….”

“You may look around.”

“Pardon?”

“I believe preparing the meal will take a little time.”

Black Cloak’s voice as he spoke possessed a certain aristocratic dignity.

“You should rest and explore the cottage in the meantime.”

“M-may I really?”

“Why not carry some fruit tea with you?”

“Ah.”

Fruit tea.

‘Isn’t that incredibly expensive?’

While she hesitated, Black Cloak entered the kitchen and soon returned carrying a glass. The tea shimmered in mysterious sunset hues, like a magical potion, and was cool thanks to the round ice inside.

“You may sit on the sofa while you drink it.”

“Th-thank you.”

Did every Humanoid Monster behave this much like a human?

‘The word humanoid is attached to them, so perhaps it’s obvious in a way….’

Holding the glass, Cha Ara carefully sat on the sofa.

“!”

It was exceptionally soft.

‘It must be an expensive sofa.’

She thought so, then felt slightly awkward when she realized that a Monster would hardly purchase furniture according to human rules.

Trying to understand the rules surrounding a Monster from a human perspective had been foolish to begin with.

“…It smells… really good….”

Though it looked more like a Work than food, it gave off an exceedingly soft and sweet fragrance.

“…….”

She took a sip.

A gentle sweetness enveloped her mouth.

“Wow….”

Faint color returned to Cha Ara’s pale cheeks.

‘…What is this? It’s incredibly delicious. Is all fruit tea like this…?’

Sugar itself was so precious that Cha Ara had never properly eaten even a single piece of fruit, much less drunk fruit tea.

For a moment she wondered whether all fruit tea in the world tasted like this, but the thought soon passed. As Cha Ara sipped, she realized something extraordinary.

“…….”

She-she was not hungry.

‘No, I’m still hungry, but….’

The dreadful hunger that had felt like a fork scraping down her stomach was gone.

‘What is this? Was it really a potion?’

Then again, this fruit tea came from a dungeon inhabited by a Humanoid Monster. Perhaps she should not compare it with ordinary human fruit tea.

As Cha Ara slowly pieced together the situation, she pressed her lips firmly together.

“…Mmm….”

She felt strangely good.

Not quite enough to grin foolishly, but the ticklish feeling inside told her that she had relaxed.

The stress accumulated through her recent work and her resentment toward the party members who abandoned her seemed to fade a little.

“…….”

She quickly finished the fruit tea.

‘…My body feels incredibly light.’

Perhaps the tea possessed a special effect, because it washed away her lingering injuries and fatigue. With her tension easing as well, Cha Ara could survey her surroundings with slightly greater composure.

“The ceiling is incredibly high.”

She had been so tense that she had not noticed, but in retrospect, descending the stairs seemed to have taken quite some time.

Though the building had only two floors, its scale was immense.

‘And yet it doesn’t feel like the rich families’ houses I’ve seen in dramas. Is that because this place is also a kind of dungeon? A Monster lives here, after all, so if you called it a dungeon, I suppose it would be one….’

Cha Ara blinked slowly.

The clatter of utensils and the leisurely breeze unique to spring.

Birdsong drifted through the window, resonant and clear like round beads vibrating.

“I’m getting a little sleepy….”

She kept thinking it, but the place truly resembled a fairy tale.

“…….”

And.

It resembled a funeral.

“…Is it because it’s quiet?”

It was different from sadness or grief.

It did not resemble someone’s anguished sobbing. Nor did it resemble a visitor mourning with quiet composure. It merely felt abundant and heavy, like the many white chrysanthemums placed silently before a photograph of the deceased.

“Mm….”

The atmosphere was difficult to describe.

‘It isn’t uncomfortable.’

It was simply peaceful.

To a degree one might call severe.

“Ms. Cha Ara.”

“…….”

“Ms. Cha Ara.”

“Ah! Y-yes…!! Hunter Cha Ara is present!!”

“I am aware, so you need not be quite so tense.”

The Monster emerged from the kitchen without his cloak.

“…….”

“Do you have difficulty moving?”

“Ah, no.”

Wow.

‘Holy shit.’

A person could look like that.

‘Ah, no, I shouldn’t call him a person because he’s a Monster… but he really is incredibly handsome.’

Why was something that belonged in a museum preparing a meal inside this cottage? He was so handsome that it instead created a sense of distance. In many respects, he did not seem human.

Unaware of Cha Ara’s thoughts, the Monster spoke with his characteristic expressionless face and voice.

“I prepared a light meal and wondered whether it would suit you.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Then Cha Ara witnessed an unexpected sight.

“…….”

“Do you like steamed rice?”

“I can’t eat it because I never have any. That is the only reason, but….”

“Are there any side dishes you dislike?”

“I don’t complain when someone is feeding me for free. But, no. Um….”

“Is there a problem?”

“…Were you Korean?”

What was this seven-dish Korean meal?

“I introduced myself as Seo Gio. Does it not sound like a Korean name?”

“Ah, I see.”

She had been too terrified to think about whether his name was Korean, and she had never imagined that someone with such a neat, somber, aristocratic face would set out such a comforting meal.

‘So that’s why it was Seo Gio.’

Only now did she realize that he had constructed a three-syllable name to evoke Korea.

The table was laden with snowy-white rice and various side dishes she rarely had the chance to eat, yet Cha Ara felt a peculiar familiarity.

‘…Why can I sense my late grandmother’s presence?’

Cha Ara’s feelings became subtly complicated.

Considering the refined atmosphere of the Humanoid Monster called Seo Gio, the meal should have been incongruous. Instead, it looked so natural that the sense of wrongness became stronger.

“…….”

Cha Ara abruptly recognized one of her emotions.

“Please, make yourself comfortable.”

“…All right.”

It was exceedingly faint, and it would be a rather alien impression amid this peaceful atmosphere, but….

It was a kind of ‘awe.’

“Thank you.”

An emotion one could harbor toward something nonhuman.

‘…Though it sounds somewhat ridiculous after receiving such a familiar meal….’

Cha Ara suddenly raised her head and looked into Seo Gio’s eyes.

She saw ordinary black eyes.

“…….”

“Is there a problem?”

“…No.”

At present, he seemed remarkably human.

“Thank you for the meal.”

In other words, she had never felt that he was human at all.

Since it was not fear, she had no choice but to call it awe.

(To be continued)