The Artist Who Paints Dungeon
Chapter 255

“You’re saying the Symbols of Eternity were your students?”

In response to Yoo Seong-Woon’s question, Gio inside the portrait nodded.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“So you weren’t normal even back then, just as I thought.”

“My students didn’t become the Symbols of Eternity until after the Great Calamity.”

“I’m not sure if I should say this, but...”

“Go ahead.”

“Birds of a feather flock together, huh.”

“Please stop.”

“Even if you hadn’t become a portrait, I bet you still would’ve made a name for yourself.”

As always, the corridor conference continued, and Yoo Seong-Woon gave his usual laid-back smile.

“Let me guess. Back then, you were the only one who thought you were normal, right? The Great Calamity was just a trigger. You were already an extraordinary being—that’s probably why you ended up becoming a portrait.”

“Could you refrain from insulting the portrait?”

“I’m not sure which part you felt was an insult, but... okay, sure.”

He didn’t want to see the Eye of Origin get angry.

Even if it wasn’t real rage but only a mimicry of it, from a human’s perspective, that would still be overwhelming.

“Still, that’s a truly surprising story. You must mean when the Symbols of Eternity were high schoolers, right? Since you said you were their art teacher back then. That kind of eternity...”

“They were ordinary students.”

Seo Seo-Hee, the blunt and uptight model student.

Jeong Hae-Woon, who teased him by calling him a noble scholar.

Cha Eun-Hye, the aspiring idol who would mess around alongside him.

And Dan Haera, another model student who always seemed detached, drifting among them.

“Hm.”

Even now, they still seemed ordinary in his memory.

“Students you could see anywhere, really.”

“I don’t know whether to trust what you’re saying...”

“Seeing them again, their personalities seem to have changed quite a bit.”

“Well, they’ve been through a lot, haven’t they?”

“Yes, likely so.”

Seo Seo-Hee, who used to be so serious that others teased him for it, had now learned how to smile with a touch of social grace.

Dan Haera, always calm, had grown into a paragon of perfection.

“I suppose the others are no different.”

“You haven’t said anything about Guildmaster Jeong Hae-Woon. You know, the head of Korea’s second-ranked guild.”

“I haven’t met him directly, so I don’t know how he’s changed.”

“...What kind of student was he?”

“He was a delinquent.”

“Wow.”

“It was... challenging.”

He drank, smoked—the works.

Over time, the things people worried about or scolded him for did improve.

And with the other three friends being so upright, even if he was a troublemaker, there wasn’t much that could be done.

“To me, they were special connections, but to them, I might not have been. I respect that part.

No matter how special something is, can it really compare to classmates who shared the same time?

I was just a teacher... So even if they forget me, I don’t consider it a big deal.”

Besides, in practice, he was considered someone who had died.

“Now that they’re all adults, if I suddenly show up claiming to be their teacher from back then, wouldn’t that just be kind of pathetic?”

“I never received compulsory education, so it’s hard to give any insight.”

Yoo Seong-Woon turned to Joo-Hyun, who was older than him.

“What about you, Joo-Hyun? I think you experienced compulsory education, didn’t you?”

“Hmm, my memories of that time are pretty fuzzy too...”

It was hard for her to comment on what Gio described as the impression of a high school teacher.

“But yes, teachers do feel a bit distant.

How should I put it...?

Once you leave the school, they just sort of fade away...?

And being adults made it hard to feel close to them in the first place.”

“So they’re the kind of presence you can take or leave, huh.”

Better not to act like you know them.

“Bringing up old ties just ends up making things awkward for everyone.”

“And that’s enough for you? You said they were precious to you.”

“I still live just fine on my own, but they don’t.

They already looked tired—I don’t want to burden them with more exhausting homework.”

“Exhausting homework...”

Leaving the hesitant Joo-Hyun behind, Yoo Seong-Woon asked,

“And if they ask what kind of connection you had?”

“You mean whether I’d lie or tell the truth?”

“If it were me, I’d want to know more.”

“I don’t think they would.”

Seo Seo-Hee had said something like, ‘I’d like to talk more in detail,’ but that was more out of politeness for someone entangled in the promise.

The students he hadn’t seen in so long had become timid.

“They’re burdened with responsibilities, things they have to see, things they have to hold onto.

People like that don’t welcome variables or changes to decisions they’ve already made.

I imagine they’ve already seen what kinds of bad things can happen when you do.”

Who would be happy to be reminded of a time with their high school teacher?

If possible, they’d rather not dig up those buried memories.

More likely, they’d prefer to build new relationships on top of the forgotten ones.

Yoo Seong-Woon gave a mild smile.

“Still, if they do ask...”

“I’ll let them think whatever they want.”

“Whatever they want? You’re okay with however they interpret it?”

“They’ll probably think I was a good connection—someone who died one day and ended up as the main character in a memory sacrificed as payment for a promise.”

“You always talk in such roundabout ways.”

“I think that was a pretty concise summary, actually.”

It wasn’t wrong.

Whether it was before or after the Great Calamity, whether older or younger—it didn’t matter.

They’d shared good memories, and then he’d died, becoming not a person but a concept...

That was who Sergio was.

“Even if they don’t know how it happened, they’ll probably believe I died and came back to life as a portrait.

That Bisa Beul, the guild master, bought me, and that led to where we are now.”

“If only Guildmaster Beul hadn’t jumped into the auction, things might not be this complicated.”

“I’m grateful I ended up at the Gallery rather than the research lab.

Though people might never stop thinking I’m the guild master’s son.

Saying he saw his son resurrected as a portrait and bought it—it’s not hard to believe.”

“That’s something Guildmaster Beul will have to deal with himself.”

Yoo Seong-Woon didn’t care about minor stuff like that.

Besides, worrying about Bisa Beul would only be a loss for himself.

No reason to bring trouble on purpose.

“So what does that make this? The guild master had a hidden son he raised in secret, but then some incident happened, and the kid died.

Then the son came back to life as a portrait, and in a burst of emotion, the guild master bought him and locked him in the Gallery...”

“I imagine that’s quite plausible.”

To Gio’s agreement, Joo-Hyun cut in without realizing.

“Doesn’t that make it even more grotesque?”

Yoo Seong-Woon shook his head.

“He was always a freak, so it’s fine.”

“Ah...”

“Well, as one of his employees, I guess I should try defending him a little. That makes me feel a bit better.”

“What kind of defense are you thinking of?”

“It’s common for famous hunters to hide the existence of their lovers or children to protect them.”

“Right. If people with bad intentions find out, it could get dangerous.

I’ve heard stories like that pretty often.”

“Not to mention our guild master is physically fragile.”

He wouldn’t go down easily, but that applied only to himself.

One of the reasons he never had a family was exactly that.

He knew he wasn’t strong enough to protect them while treating them ‘like humans.’

“So he raised his son in secret out of worry, but then something happened—a disaster—and °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° the kid died.

But then, the son came back to life, even if only as a portrait.

Wouldn’t anyone lose their mind over that, even without being a freak?”

Gio raised a point.

“You’re saying being reborn as a portrait still counts as coming back to life?”

“Uh, well, I guess it depends on the person?

But I think our guild master definitely sees it that way.”

And honestly, it sounded a lot more convincing to others too.

“Yeah, compared to the idea of ‘Wow, my son’s beauty is insane!’ and locking him up in the Gallery...

It makes more sense that he saw his resurrected son and his collector’s instincts kicked in.”

“I still think it’s kind of creepy...”

“You might, Joo-Hyun, but awakened hunters probably get it.”

Most hunters would understand.

They’ve faced bizarre phenomena and monsters as naturally as breathing.

They’d feel excitement and comprehension before fear or distance.

Especially if it’s something about a family member coming back.

Well, not that this was truly about family.

“...I wonder if the Symbols of Eternity would see it that way.”

“Like you said, Seong-Woon, it’s a more convincing story.”

“You can’t be sure, though.”

“I believe that’s how it’ll go.”

His students had already become leaders of the post-Calamity world.

They would think more about what came after, not before.

The memories big enough to sacrifice for a ‘promise’ would mostly be from after.

So it’d be hard to imagine that this ‘Sergio’ they forgot was from before the Great Calamity.

Not to mention, his official age was 29.

And he really did look it.

With the added rumor of being Bisa Beul’s son, it would be even harder to uncover the truth.

That was enough for Sergio.

“I’m glad I won’t have to burden them with more complicated thoughts.”

“Don’t know if that’s cold or kind.”

Yoo Seong-Woon rubbed his neck.

“If it were me, I’d be a bit hurt.”

“Me? Or them?”

“Both.”

They had been a close teacher and students, but now they’d forgotten each other and acted like strangers.

Even if they forgot, a connection is still a connection, isn’t it?

“Well, it’s your choice, but still...”

There was something chilling about how cleanly he cut ties.

Guess he really wasn’t a normal person from the start.

That’s probably why he could become the Eye of Origin.

Maybe he was the Origin from the beginning, or maybe, as Gio insisted, he was an ordinary human who became a portrait.

But this kind of clean severance—few could do it.

“...If you’re fine with it, then I don’t mind either.”

“Yes, I’m fine.

Even if I’ve been forgotten, I can’t be the one to hold back the students I once failed to guide forward.”

“Still, it’s surprising to think the Symbols of Eternity once had ordinary student days. Don’t you think so too, Joo-Hyun?”

As always, Joo-Hyun gave a gentle smile to Yoo Seong-Woon’s question.

“Of course. He used to be my superior—so far above me it was dizzying...”

“What kind of person was the chairman you knew?”

“Perfect, I guess?

He always smiled kindly, but it never felt that way.

A lot of people said he was scary, like a machine.”

“Yeah, must be hard to treat the Symbols of Eternity casually...”

Gio looked unfairly wronged.

“I’m not scary.”

“Yes, teacher. If you say so.”

Maybe to those kids he once taught long ago, he wasn’t.

But to the modern people of today, he was something else.

He was a living legend, a monument.

It would be stranger not to feel fear or awe.

Gio looked melancholy.

“They probably can’t even relax and have fun... That’s a shame.”

“Not sure if they’re even interested in that kind of thing...”

“You never know until you try.”

“What a mercy-bomb.”

“Please say that again.”

“Slip of the tongue.”

He didn’t want to get scolded by the Origin.

“Then maybe you should try making them feel more relaxed.”

“Wouldn’t that just tangle things up again?”

“But from the way you’re talking, it sounds like the Guildmaster of Justitia is already pretty interested in you...”

“Everything will continue once the Dream Amusement Park is resolved.”

“Oh, right.”

Yoo Seong-Woon asked,

“What happened to the Saintess?

The religious world was in an uproar saying you kidnapped her.”

“Now that you mention it... What about that so-called hero? That guy Ather.”

Gio nodded.

“They’ll make good friends.”

“...What are you trying to do?”

“Heroes and Saintesses have always been good partners. It’s a classic cliché.”

“You like clichés...?”

“Isn’t that obvious from this whole project?”

Demon King and dungeon.

A Saintess with a strong heart.

A hero who meets her.

A religious world enraged by the kidnapping.

A bishop who became corrupt.

People succumbing to depravity.

The values of dreams and reality.

Pleasure and responsibility.

And more...

“I referenced a lot of subculture from before the Great Calamity.”

“You even researched it?”

“I didn’t know much about it myself.”

Sergio didn’t need to mention it.

Giovanni only remembered his saintly days.

Argio was good at reversing schemes, but not creating evil ones.

“Even so, it seems to be going pretty well.”

They wanted a hero.

So he had no reason not to become one.

***

And around that time—

“......”

“......”

The Saintess Aram and the hero Ather met.

“...Hero...?”

“...Saintess...?”

At a glance, they recognized each other’s true identity.

Just as Gio said, they had always been timeless, well-matched partners.